Birds sang in the trees as Kael's sword whistled through the air. Ok, so it wasn't a real sword, it was just a vaguely sword shaped stick, tattered and chipped. Kael lived in a small village surrounded by dense forests. He spent most of his days exploring the woods and practicing sword fighting techniques with his "sword". Despite being just a child, he dreamed of becoming a great warrior and defending his village from all the dangers that lurked in the shadows.
However, his dream soon became Kael's worst nightmare. A deep horn bellowed in the distance. Kael knew the sound to be orcish. He sprinted toward his home.
The sight that he crested the hill overlooking his village took his breath away. His home
was being attached by a horrific horde of bloodthirsty orcs. They rampaged through the streets, burning houses and killing anyone who crossed their path. Kael was terrified, but he knew he couldn't run away. He squeezed his weapon, but the splintered implement was no comfort. Regardless, he cried out and joined the other villagers in a desperate attempt to defend their homes and families.
The battle was fierce and brutal, and Kael saw many of his friends and neighbors fall before the orcish onslaught. Despite the pitiful weapon, Kael's training proved deadly to the orcs. He rapped their knuckles and skulls alike in a flurry of deft blows, but he soon realized that his stick was no match for the orc's jagged weapons. While attempting to parry a savage swing, his stick was cleft in two. Kael narrowly dodged the blow, but lost a lock of hair and fell flat on his back. He scrambled backward as the orc sauntered forward a ghoulish grin across his face. The orc lifted his weapon to cut Kael down.
In a flash, Ms. Owen, Kael's school teacher, leapt in the orc's path way. Blocking the killing blow with a tattered text book. "Run!" Ms. Owen screamed at Kael. Ms. Owen was not one to be trifled with, so he turned and ran away from the battlefield, feeling ashamed and defeated.
Hot tears ran down his face as he fled into the forest. As Kael ran, his heart leapt into his throat as the ground suddenly gave way. He fell and landed hard on a stony floor. Kael groaned with pain and opened his eyes to see a narrow passageway leading into the darkness.
Kael hesitated for a moment and looked up. Seeing no way to climb out of this pit, he decided to explore the cave. moving carefully along the rocky path. As he walked deeper into the cave, he noticed something strange on the walls. There were strange symbols and markings etched into the stone, symbols that Kael had never seen before.
As he ventured further into the cave, Kael came across an old chest. It was made of wood and had rusty hinges and a tarnished lock. Symbols were engraved on the chest as well, these Kael recognized.
"Level 1 Armory," he read aloud. "Weird."
Kael opened the chest whose hinges groaned in protest.
Kael's heart leapt in his chest. A sword!
As quickly as it has risen, it sank again. The sword was wood! Kael cursed into the darkness and slammed the chest. Just as he was about to turn and attempt to climb out of this strange cave, a thought passed over Kael's mind. Despite the aging of the chest, the sword looked to be unmarred by time. Another thought perturbed Kael, why would someone hide a wood sword in a cave?
He turned back and opened the chest again. As if to confirm his earlier thoughts, the hinges crumbled and the lid fell to the side in a heap of rusted iron and aged wood. But there in the box was the wood sword, looking fresh as if it had been carved but days ago. He picked it up and examined it closely. It was made of an unusual layered birch, and the hilt was wrapped with a cotton cord. The blade was blunt, but it felt balanced in his hand.
Kael once again wondered who had left it there and why.
As he looked closer he saw symbols faintly etched the wooden sword.
As Kael stared, he felt a strange energy coursing through his body. It was as if the symbols were coming to life, imbuing the wooden sword with power and magic. Kael could feel the sword growing warmer in his hand, as if it was responding to his touch.
To his astonishment, the sword glowed with a soft, blue light, and Kael could feel a powerful energy emanating from it.
Excited by his discovery, Kael decided to test out the sword's power. He took a swing at a nearby stalagmite, and to his amazement, the wooden sword sliced cleanly through it like a hot knife through butter. Kael couldn't believe it. It was as if the sword was sharper than any metal blade he had ever seen. His excitement was quickly tempered by the memory of his villiage. His mother, his father, Ms. Owens.
Maybe, just maybe, this could make a difference.
Kael closed his eyes and focused all his thoughts and emotions on the sword. He poured all his fear and anger and frustration into it, and he felt a surge of warmth emanating from the runes. The wooden sword grew warmer and brighter in his hand.
With renewed courage and determination, Kael rushed to the entrance of the cave. He leapt and plunged the sword into the stone wall, using it as leverage to climb out of the pit.
He sprinted back toward the fray, the sounds of screams and orcish battle-cries raising in volume as he approached. As he broke free of the forest he could immediately see the tide of battle was in the orc's favor. They orcs were wreaking havoc almost unchallenged. He leaped into the fray, brandishing his new wooden sword, which glowed with a fierce blue light. The orcs hesitated for a moment, confused by the sudden appearance of this strange weapon. But Kael didn't give them a chance to recover. He charged forward, swinging the sword with all his might, and the orcs fell before him like wheat before the scythe. Kael noticed absently that no blood stained the sword.
Kael fought like a hero, slashing and parrying, moving with a grace and speed that belied his young age. The villagers rallied around him, emboldened by his example, and soon the tide of battle turned in their favor. The orcs, sensing defeat, began to retreat.
When the battle was over, Kael stood victorious, his wooden sword still glowing with a faint blue light. The villagers cheered and praised him, calling him a hero and a savior. Kael looked at the sword and knew that it was not his victory alone. The power of the ancient runes had given him strength and courage beyond his wildest dreams. From that day on, Kael knew that he would never fear the darkness again, for he had the magic of the runes to guide him.
Kael took the sword back to his village, eager to show it off to his friends and family. They were all amazed by the sword's power, and Kael quickly became the talk of the town. He spent his days practicing with the sword, honing his skills and learning new techniques. With each passing day, he grew stronger and more confident, ready to take on any foe that dared to threaten his village.
As time passed, Kael became known as the greatest swordsman in the land. His wooden sword, now imbued with the power of the ancient runes, was feared by all who saw it. Kael had become a true warrior, and his village was safe from all the dangers that lurked in the darkness.
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