[Read a book and circle some words on a page. Use those words to craft a poem. Alternatively, you can cut out words and phrases from magazines.]

Ha ha ha! Joke’s on you, whoever wrote these prompts for thinkwritten.com! I’ll take words from the prompt!

Specifically: craft and cut!

I swear it’s a coincidence that they both start with “c”.

……

Long ago in the age of swords, when blacksmiths were valued more than all other craftsmen, an earth-shattering, heaven-shaking genius of the forge was born. She swept away all other competition, easily distinguishing herself with her ability to craft weaponry that could slice even the thickest shields clean in half.

Her abilities were highly valued by the emperor of the time, who generally gifted everything the blacksmith asked for on the condition that she continue forging weapons for the empire.

The legendary blacksmith was happy to oblige the ruler, as her family lived extravagantly and her wealth was unending. There was nothing she or her family couldn’t do in their empire, for they had the protection of the emperor.

Yet, there came a day when the blacksmith’s loyalty to the throne was tested. Somehow, beyond their country’s borders, her husband met and became friends with a member of a different race, one not of humans. They were what the empire called “demons”, and they had access to mystical arts that connected them with nature, much to the jealousy of humans.

Even before the blacksmith’s time, humans hungered for the magics of the demons, but were told it was a trait of their birth and not something learned. Certain that the demons looked down on them and simply kept the secrets to themselves, humans warred with them.

The blacksmith learned of this from her husband, who was told it by the demon. The news shocked them, because in their empire, demons were always said to be ferocious monsters and enemies of their gods. She might have had loyalty to her empire before, but not anymore, as the blacksmith did not have the heart to continue the production of weapons made to slaughter innocent people.

The blacksmith knew that she could no longer stay within the empire, and attempted to escape with her family. Yet, news of their secret escape reached the emperor, and he sent people after her to get an explanation. Unfortunately for the blacksmith, she and her family had just left the borders and met with the demon when they were spotted. When demanded an explanation, they could only flee, and were thus considered traitors of the empire.

The blacksmith almost escaped with her family, but the distance between their empire and the nearest demon land was overwhelming. Soldiers of the emperor caught up just outside demon territory. The fight that ensued nearly killed them all.

The empire’s soldiers were tasked with the execution of the blacksmith so that she couldn’t assist the empire’s enemies, so they fought at the cost of their lives, doing everything they could to kill her. By the time demon reinforcements arrived to wipe out the empire’s soldiers, the damage was done. The blacksmith was mortally wounded and her family slaughtered.

Swearing vengeance, the legendary blacksmith used her last breaths to forge the sword she became a myth for: Caedes, a cursed blade that became the downfall of the empire she once belonged to.