EPILOGUE
There were eight Swords.
They had once been important. Three feet long and slightly curved, the blades looked tarnished. The metal's dark color suggested it was simply brass. The edges were sharp and without a nick. The hafts were pewter-colored, contoured for the human hand, and unremarkable—except for the single jewel set in each pommel.
Despite their modest appearance, the Swords were skillfully constructed. The blades themselves had been made from microscopic sheets of a chromium-antimony alloy layered one atop the other. The painstaking process made the blades very flexible and the edges very sharp. Even the best Swordsmiths found the alloy difficult to work, however, making reproduction improbable.
In addition to their precise construction, the Swords were ancient. Forge
