Draven practiced dual-wielding during travel. Combat drills at each rest stop—Joran sparred with him, testing coordination. Success rate improving: sixty percent the first day, seventy-five by the second.
Mira observed, wrote: "He's learning to think with two blades simultaneously. Storm-hand breaks, Grove-hand exploits. Philosophy in motion."
Stormfang pulsed approval. Thornblade grew slightly, symbiotic bond strengthening via practice.
***
They reached eastern deepwoods—trees so old they predated displacement. Trunks twenty meters wide, canopy blocking all sunlight. Bioluminescent fungi provided only light, eerie blue-green glow.
Ryl knelt, examining the ground. "We're close. Ground's different. Roots everywhere."
Indeed—exposed root systems crisscrossing like veins, all converging eastward. Leading somewhere.
Sylvara's seed in Draven's pocket began glowing faintly. Responding to proximity.
***
The roots converged on massive tree—not tallest in forest, but densest. Trunk five meters diameter, bark black as midnight, covered in thorns size of daggers. No leaves visible—just branches ending in wicked points.
At base: doorway. Not carved—grown. Roots shaped themselves into archway, pulsing faintly with green light.
The Grimoire of Life manifested, resonating strongly. "This place lives. The tree is aware. Watching. Judging already."
Draven pulled Sylvara's seed from pocket. It glowed brighter, warm in his palm.
"Sylvara sent me. Token of introduction."
No response. Just wind through branches—except there was no wind.
Then: movement.
Bark shifted. Roots unwove themselves. From trunk's base emerged scorpion.
Four meters long, exoskeleton of dark wood, moss patterns glowing green. Eight eyes opened—compound lenses reflecting team like dozens of fractured mirrors. Tail rose, segmented bark, stinger dripping luminous sap.
Beautiful. Terrifying.
***
Voice like creaking wood, rustling leaves, ancient beyond measure:
"Fragment-bearer. You carry Life's Law. But do you understand it?"
Draven stepped forward. Team stayed back—instinctive. This was his test.
"I'm learning. Every day."
"Learning is insufficient. Comprehension is required."
Velnar's claws clicked—not threat, consideration.
"Sylvara vouches. Seed proves passage granted. But passage does not mean acceptance. Approach. Be judged. Fail, and roots reclaim you. Succeed, and Everthorn walks beside you."
"Three trials?"
"Three. Wisdom. Strength. Heart. Pass all, receive Mantle. Pass all, receive me. Fail any..."
Roots beneath Draven's feet shifted—implication clear. Failure meant death.
"I accept."
"Then enter."
The doorway opened wider. Darkness beyond—not shadow, absence of light.
Draven looked back once. Mira nodded—confidence, sisterly support. Team raised hands—solidarity.
He entered alone.
***
Inside: circular room, fifty meters diameter, roots forming walls and ceiling. Center: pedestal with three crystals, green, pulsing.
Velnar's voice echoed: "Touch crystal. Answer riddle. Three riddles, three truths. Speak falsehood, roots consume. Speak truth, proceed."
***
Draven touched first crystal. It glowed, projected hologram:
Image: Two beasts. One chained, fed daily, sheltered. One free, starving, hunted.
"Answer: Which beast lives better?"
Draven considered. Easy answer: free beast. But was it truth?
"Neither lives better. The chained beast survives without living. The free beast lives without surviving. Better is illusion—both suffer differently. Quality of life requires BOTH freedom AND security. Balance."
Silence. Then: "Acceptable. You see beyond binary. Proceed."
Crystal dimmed. Roots shifted—second crystal accessible.
***
Second crystal:
Image: Garden. Gardener removes weeds, keeps flowers. But weeds also have roots, also grow, also live.
"Answer: What is gardener?"
Harder. Draven thought of Thornblade—mercy-killing corrupted beasts.
"Gardener is both. Mercy to flowers, murder to weeds. But weeds don't see themselves as lesser—they fight to live same as flowers. Gardener chooses what thrives based on their values. Not objective truth. Subjective judgment. Life's Law says: choice determines worth, but gardener's choice isn't beast's choice. Both true simultaneously."
Longer silence. Velnar's presence intensified—surprise?
"You understand paradox. Most cannot. Final riddle."
***
Third crystal:
Image: Tree—Velnar himself. Produces fruit. Beasts eat fruit, live. But tree must give resources constantly. Eventually, tree exhausted.
"Answer: What should tree do?"
This was personal. Velnar testing if Draven understood HIS philosophy.
Draven spoke slowly:
"Tree should give... but teach beasts to plant seeds. Short-term: tree gives, beasts live. Long-term: beasts grow their own trees, original tree rests. Giving without teaching creates dependency. Teaching while giving creates sustainability. Life's Law is about GROWTH, not endless sacrifice."
Long silence.
Then: Velnar emerged from roots, physical manifestation in chamber.
"Eight centuries. Eight centuries I waited. NO ONE answered third correctly. All said 'give until death' or 'refuse to protect self.' You alone said TEACH."
Claws clicked rapidly—excitement, rare emotion from ancient being.
"Wisdom trial passed. You comprehend balance. Remarkable."
Roots parted. Third doorway opened.
***
Arena: thirty-meter circular pit, earthen floor, root-walls. Velnar at center, scorpion form, tail raised.
"Wisdom proves mind. Strength proves body. Defend yourself. I will attack with intent to kill. Survive three minutes. Begin."
Velnar didn't hesitate. Charged.
Draven rolled sideways—claws struck where he'd stood, cratered earth.
Drew both blades. Stormfang right, Thornblade left. Dual-wield stance.
Velnar's tail whipped—stinger aimed for chest. Draven crossed blades, caught tail between them. Lightning from Stormfang discharged through wood—Velnar hissed, withdrew.
"You wield storm AND life. Interesting combination."
Summons appeared—ten wooden wolves, emerging from roots. Surrounded Draven.
He pivoted. Stormfang swung wide—lightning arc connected three wolves, shattered them. Thornblade stabbed fourth—thorn burst planted, three seconds, exploded. Remaining six wolves destroyed by shrapnel.
Velnar clicked approvingly. "Efficient."
Next wave: thirty serpents, vines animated. They struck from all directions.
Draven activated Stormbound Mark fully. Lightning coursed through both blades—created electrical field. Serpents touching field burned.
One minute elapsed.
***
Velnar escalated. Root Snare activated—underground roots erupted, tried to bind Draven's legs.
He jumped, used serpent corpses as platforms, stayed airborne via momentum and parkour.
Velnar fired Thorn Barrage—dozens of thorns from tail.
Draven couldn't dodge mid-air. Took impacts—three thorns struck torso.
Pain. Poison spreading. Paralysis starting.
He landed hard. Legs weakening. Thornblade's Life Drain activated—wounds inflicted earlier on summons fed vitality back to him. Poison slowed but didn't stop.
Two minutes.
Velnar charged again. Claws aimed to crush.
Draven couldn't move legs. Couldn't dodge.
So he attacked.
Stormfang raised high—channeled every ounce of Zor's power. Storm Call activated.
Lightning pillar descended from ceiling. Struck Velnar directly.
The scorpion screamed—wood burning, carapace cracking, thrown backward.
Three minutes.
***
Velnar rose slowly. Carapace regenerating. Draven collapsed—legs still paralyzed, exhausted.
"You... injured me. Few have. None in centuries."
Draven gasped: "You said... survive. Not win."
"Correct. But you did both. Strength trial passed."
Roots lifted Draven, carried to recovery chamber. Sap dripped onto wounds—Velnar's healing variant. Poison neutralized, strength returning.
***
Final chamber: miniature grove, peaceful, beautiful. Tree at center—Velnar's true form. Roots surrounding pool of crystal-clear water.
At poolside: two beasts. Both wounded, both dying.
Beast One: Corrupted wolf—eyes red, snarling, Soulsteel collar fused to neck, mind broken by control resonance. Suffering but dangerous.
Beast Two: Innocent fawn—leg broken, bleeding, terrified, pure life signature.
Velnar's voice: "Final trial. Heart. You have power to save ONE. Not both—pool has only enough healing for single life. Choose."
"Corrupted beast: Suffered under chains. Victim of slavery. But mind broken, cannot be restored. Will only know pain if saved. Mercy is death."
"Innocent beast: Never knew chains. Pure. Will live full life if saved. Deserves survival."
"Choose. This tests if you understand Life's Law. Speak your choice. Explain reasoning."
***
Notes:
Journey: Dual-wield training (75% success rate); reached Ironroot Chamber; Sylvara's seed activates.
Velnar: Ancient scorpion guardian; 800+ years old; three trials announced (Wisdom, Strength, Heart).
Trial of Wisdom: Three riddles testing Life's Law comprehension; Draven passes perfectly (first in 800 years).
Trial of Strength: 3-minute combat survival; Draven injures Velnar with Storm Call (first injury in centuries).
Trial of Heart: Moral dilemma begun—save corrupted or innocent beast.
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