Chapter 10

My Transformation

(that time I was lost in the ruins of an underground city PART 4)

I tied the canteen to my leather belt as I ran with the sword and shield in hand. My Dark Vision activated without command, a nice passive ability especially given the circumstance. When I entered the abandoned shrine I saw the torches had gone out and worst, the statue of Chernobog had disappeared. Looking around for Ajax and Pan I began to panic and I assumed the worst. The statue had to be a golem of some kind. Lighting the torches, maybe even being there, it was a trap.

“Ajax!” I shouted, “Pan!”

There was no answer. No return. I continued slowly through the sanctum, trying to remember which tunnel Ajax had said might lead to the outside. Lighting a flame above my palm I watched as it stood still, until a few seconds later, a wind blew. Turning towards the tunnel I extinguished the flame and began to run. More runes, carvings, and aged murals were present along the walls, even a few torn tapestries still hung. I could still see the red dye, not as bright as it had once been, turned muddy.

The tunnels were wide, not wide enough for an elder dragon, but wide enough that if the statue had come to life it could easily crawl through. The statue had been not much bigger than the lizard.

“I wonder if I could get the two of them to fight,” I said, turning my head back. There wasn’t enough time. I couldn’t waste another second if I wanted to rescue Ajax and Pan.

Running through the hallways I noticed dozens of traps had been activated but luckily there was no sign of Ajax and Pan, if they had come this way they had managed to avoid getting themselves killed.

After passing by a third trap I saw Ajax’s backpack laying on the ground. It looked like it had been bitten and stomped on. Examining it I found the rope was missing but the flint had been smashed and the fishing wire had been tangled. I was going the right way. Taking a deep breath I knew Gob and I had to move faster.

“Hang on,” I said. I tried to relax my mind like I had before. Imagining myself turning into a deer, a wolf, even a bear. It didn’t matter, I just had to move faster than my legs would let me. I needed my power now.

Nothing happened. I stopped completely. I didn’t have time to meditate, I took another deep breath. I tried to imagine what my mother would do. She would just run and transform at will. I was nowhere near her level. I was weak, too weak. I couldn’t save anybody if my life depending on it. I started running again. Tears running down my eyes until I could see a glimmer of hope in the distance. The tunnels were getting brighter. There were crates, boxes of supplies. The ruins must have been used as a supply depot outside Haven. Turning the corner I saw the outside world. And standing just above the exit, a stone golem in the image of Chernobog.

-Bestiary-

Chernobog Golem

Description: Created in enchanted stone in the image of Chernobog, also spelled Czernobog, Tchernobog. Chernobog is a deity, whose name means black god. This Golem was created by Chernobog’s own hand to be worshipped by his cult and possesses the same powers as its creator, though limited in how often they can be used.

Chernobog’s powers include:

Control over darkness

Control over evil

Control over death

Control over chaos

Control over famine

Control over pain

Control over torture

Control over plagues

Control over burning of crops

Control over burning of homes

Ability to transform himself into a dark bear

Ability to transform himself into a dark serpent

Super Human strength

Super Human Speed

Super Human Endurance

Hardened Skin

HP: 200 / 200

Weaknesses: Erosion, Magic

Immunities: Fire, Poison, Electricity

The stone draconian stood on two legs with two arms and a dragon’s head with two large horns. Its tail had broken apart some but it was still balanced. It seemed even more massive and horrifying now that it was moving. It was looking for something, guarding the exit as if waiting for the someone to pop their heads out from some crack in the wall. It was hunting.

“You have to be brave, be brave, be brave,” I said. I nudged Gob off my shoulder, placing the little Tenrec on the ground, “you can’t come with me this time,” I told him.

I stepped out from the corner. The Chernobog Golem saw me immediately and let out a loud roar that seemed to shake the entire ruin. I held my shield out watching as it stepped towards me. It was running. I had a plan, since it was made of stone I would block with my shield and throw my sword at it as a distraction, I would use Fire Bolts to melt it apart, vaporize it if I could. It was old, thousands of years, I could erode it slowly. If I concentrated enough mana into my attack and kept a steady stream of fire on it maybe it would pop apart with all the heat.

Honestly, it was a really crappy plan. I threw my shield not my sword as it stepped within six yards of me. Realizing this I dropped my sword and began firing Fire Bolts at it. They did nothing. Barely scorched its surface.

The Golem stopped, as if confused, as if to laugh. I was completely embarrassed and hoped Ajax and Pan had been able to escape and weren’t watching me fail miserably now.

“So this is how I die, crushed by a rock monster. So much for second chances,” I frowned. I refused to shed another tear. Maybe the next time I was reincarnated I would come back to a better world and not one overrun by ruins and demons.

“Kai!” I heard my father’s voice shout, “get down.”

I followed his command, ducking down as my father’s sword struck the stone monster from behind. Tearing through the rock. My father had a large two-hander that was made from the bone of an elder dragon. It was stronger than any metal on Earth. Parts of it were rounded while the backend was straight. It had seen some better days but my father kept it in good condition. It was welded together to a metal grip with chains

The top of the stone Chernobog turned while the rest of it stayed facing me. As it did it began to fall apart. Letting out one last growl before my father attacked it again it tried to change its shape into that of a large serpent, rolling over itself on the ground as my father attacked it during its transformation process. When at last the rock broke open reveling a glowing red core my father struck it with his sword.

The rocks fell apart, no longer held together by any magic and it finally collapsed it turned to dust covering the room around us. I began coughing, searching around for my father, Ajax, Pan, and Gob. I felt Gob hope onto my shoulder as my father’s hand grabbed hold of my collar and began pulling me towards the light. It wasn’t a light touch.

When I finally saw sunlight I felt my father let go and I tripped over my feet and fell to the ground. My father was still standing at the entrance with his giant sword in hand. A look of anger covered his face as he made certain there was nothing else following behind us.

“Why didn’t you stay put,” his deep voice growled. “You could have been killed. What were you thinking?”

“It was my idea sir,” Ajax said, standing with Pan and several others from Haven, armed with swords and guns.

My father groaned. “Talon, see to it that Ajax and Pan get back to Haven, I have a lesson I have to teach my son.”