Chapter Text
Clang!
The sound of metal on metal reverberated through the chamber.
Clang!
Hands cloaked in golden armour held a hammer to a red hot metal rod.
Clang!
Forcefully yet meticulously shaping the glowing metal into its new form.
Clang!
The cloaked smith paused, examining their finest creation’s new skeleton.
“So,” a shadow, who had been watching the procedure since it began, “why can’t you just use magic on this again? It’s been
days
.”
“Patience Collector,” the smith scolded, “if the starsteel comes into contact with foreign magic it’ll be unable to bond with it. You should know that having created it.”
“Why couldn’t you use some other metal.”
“Because, Collector, the automaton would not be able to function without a magic conductor.”
A detailed arrangement of steel sat before the smith. Each piece was of varying size, some tiny, some large. And each piece looked exactly like part of a human skeleton.
“
Please
don’t tell me the other stuff will take as long,” The Collector crossed their arms grumpily.
“You need not worry, all the other parts can be finished now” The smith flexed his fingers, artificial magic flowing through them and levitating an assortment of metal clumps in front of him. He twisted his fingers once more, shaping the metals into complicated machines.
Clear tubes started floating towards the mass of machinery, bathed in the red glow of artificial magic. The machines became even more complex as the smith continued adding materials into the amorphous collection.
The smith worked with delicate precision. Confident in his mastery of the art of magic to serve his every whim. What would take most days of work took him mere minutes, the strength of his arcane energy allowing him to bend even the strongest materials, and his accuracy allowing him to alter stuff even on the microscopic level.
The Collector watched this display with bored eyes. This project of his took the smith's time away from him. This angered the sealed god, but they were powerless to do anything about it.
The red mass descended upon the metal skeleton, rearranging into part of it, filling each and every gap until it resembled a skinless metal human.
It’s muscles were hydraulics. It’s nerves were sensors.
It even had eyes, coloured brown, just like the original the smith used as a model. There was only one gap left, which would be filled later.
A new material began to float towards the body, created custom by the smith. It was nearly identical to human skin, and with a small amount of magic, there would be no nearly.
It wrapped around the creation. Changing what was once a slight resemblance to a perfect copy of a young human man. Although with one change.
“Why are his ears pointy?” The Collector asked.
“Hm?”
“He’s meant to be a copy of your brother, so why are his ears pointy?”
“He’s not going to know what he is, and it’s far better for him to believe he’s a witch than a human. It’s important he blends in.” The seams between where the edges of the skin touched began to blend flatly together.
The skull remained exposed, and the smith called in a smaller piece of artificial skin with short blond hair growing out of it. He placed the hair onto where the scalp would be normally. Styling it into a more recognizable shape.
It was missing something, the smith frowned.
He flicked a finger and a shoot of hair popped out from its place. Strands of hair curled in front of the forehead. The body was complete, except for a large hole in its chest.
The smith grabbed a large shape from beside the body. It was a bright red sphere covered in tubes and complex machines. It was not a normal heart, but it would soon power the body and its magic. He placed it in the middle, sealing the hole and completing his masterpiece.
He waved a hand and the Collector vanished.
He smiled, placing a hand on the creation's chest. Its eyes began to glow, artificial red, the same colour as the magic that powered it, and disguising the brown beneath.
Philip Wittebane looked at his nephew.
“Good morning Hunter.”