Chapter 2: The Green Rod

The monster’s terrible snarls echoed, magnified tenfold by the narrow rock fissure. The last hint of sunset was swallowed by the cave mouth, plunging Ori, Tez, and Yasir into utter, panicked darkness.

“Keep going!” Tez shouted, pushing them deeper into the cold, damp cavern. His worn leather boots scraped against the stone floor. Then, ahead in the darkness, a break of light.

Ori, desperate for escape, lunged forward and was the first to stumble into a chamber. The light wasn't an exit, but a thin crack in the ceiling above, enough to weakly illuminate the room below.

It was an ancient tomb, a burial site for a warrior long ago. The air was cold, still, and dry, smelling faintly of old stone and decay.

Yasir, recovering his breath, stumbled over to a moss-covered wall carved with unfamiliar script. He traced the words with a trembling finger. "It says... 'Here lies Willsted the Brave.' And here, this is a warning... 'beware — blood.'" The missing words left the mystery hanging, incomplete and terrifying.

Tez, his sword held ready, stood firm at the choke point, listening as the monster's roar was followed by a massive, splintering crash—the beast was breaking the rock apart.

While Yasir scrambled for a hiding spot, Ori's eyes were drawn to the center of the room. Upright in the floor, thrust into the stone like a weapon laid to rest with its great warrior, was a dark green rod. It had an unnatural smoothness and coldness that contrasted sharply with the rough, ancient stone of the tomb. In the middle of the rod, a green ornamental jewel, likely belonging to the corpse in the stone coffin before them.

"Good enough!" Ori muttered. He rushed forward to grab it. Defending himself with the only thing he could find.

The monster broke through the cave wall, its bulk filling the space with furious, deafening roars. It saw Ori first and tensed its massive, muscular legs to spring forward.

Tez moved like lightning, leaping backward and skewering his heavy sword deep into the monster's flank. The beast screeched, an agonizing noise, and was knocked heavily against the stone wall.

They stood silent, adrenaline curdling into relief. The monster lay still.

“Did you get it?” Ori whispered, looking at Tez.

“I hit deep, but not the stone,” Tez murmured, already moving forward cautiously.

Then, they watched in horror as a dark pulse of energy emitted directly from the black onyx stone fused into the monster’s chest. The side wound, which had been gushing dark blood, began to knit. Unnatural, dark scabbing spread rapidly, closing the gash before their eyes.

The beast was back up.

It roared, swiping its shovel-sized claw at Ori who was a step too close. Ori threw himself back, managing to grab the dark green rod to deflect the blow, but the force was too great. The monster's claw caught his left forearm, a searing pain, and Ori cried out, dropping the rod.

Tez retaliated, lunging forward with a desperate, two-handed strike. This time, he didn't miss. His sword plunged deep into the monster's chest, skewering the large, exposed onyx stone. The black jewel shattered with a sound like tearing metal.

The monster instantly fell limp, lifeless. Tez sliced his sword free, and the beast's black, unnatural innards spilled onto the stone floor.

A piece of shattered black jewel fell out among the corpse. Yasir, pale but practical, picked it up and quickly tucked it into his bag.

Ori’s arm was bleeding, but the wound was minor. He tried to hide the pain. "I'm fine, Tez. Just a scratch."

Ori picked up the green rod, gripping it with his good hand as they prepared to leave. He didn't notice the small drop of fresh blood from his cut forearm had landed directly onto the ornamental jewel. The blood didn't run; it was instantly absorbed into the dark green material.

The rod began to glow a blinding, warm green. The light filled the cave, chasing away the cold shadows. Ori watched in stunned silence as the rod morphed around his hand. It twisted and tightened, the base becoming a comfortable hilt, the shaft lengthening into a thin, dark green blade, now a living sword. The ornamental jewel keeping a faint glow from the hilt of the sword.

Ori yelled, releasing his grip in a burst of pure fear. The sword instantly went dull, dark green, and collapsed back into the simple rod.

Tez carefully reached out to pick it up, but nothing happened. He gently passed it back to Ori.

As Ori hesitantly grasped the rod with his wounded hand, it morphed again, faster this time, snapping into the sword shape. Tez quickly jerked his hand away, avoiding the newly formed blade. The sword remained dull and dark green, but rather this time only the jewel pulsed with a flicker of life.

"Fascinating," Yasir muttered, pulling out the small fragment of Onyx. "Your blood must have activated it, Ori."

"We don't have time for theories," Tez urged, his face pale with urgency. "We need to get back to the village. We need to find mother."

Ori clutched the transformed rod, which now rested quietly in his grip as a sword. He looked down at the dark green blade, the warmth of the jewel radiating into his palm.

This new weapon, he thought, will make him stronger. Someone strong enough to save others. He felt a powerful eagerness surge through him, a desire to reach the village and finally put his new found weapon to the test.

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