"Arghhhh!"
Vox sat upright instantly, his lungs burning as if he'd just surfaced from a drowning dream.
He blinked rapidly, his vision adjusting to a room he didn't recognize. He was lying on a bed of cloth stuffed with hay; even the pillow beneath his head felt like dried grass.
The room was dim, and the only light came from a single lamp hanging from a rusty nail in the ceiling.
Though the room was calm, Vox's heart hammered against his ribs. He winced, his body screaming as the pain of sitting up radiated from his abdomen.
His fingers moved instinctively to the spot where the blade had pierced him. He tapped the area tentatively. The sharp, stabbing agony was gone, replaced by a dull, throbbing ache that sent an electric feeling throughout his entire body.
"Be careful, boy," a voice grunted from beside the bed.
Vox flinched, his emerald eyes widening. Ogrhon was sitting right beside the bed, his presence so still and heavy that Vox hadn't even noticed him.
"How long was I out?" Vox rasped.
"Over an hour," Ogrhon replied. He was methodically sharpening his sword with the same knife he'd given Vox earlier. "When I saw the state of you, I carried you straight to my wife. Lady Bekna is a healer of the highest order. She feared you were gone, given the depth of that wound. She used all of her mushrooms to make healing herbs, and did stitched your spirit back to your body... that is why you're still breathing."
Vox looked away, the weight of the realization sinking in. "I... I will thank her later."
"First, I must thank you." Ogrhon set his whetstone down. "You saved my daughter. Not only that, but she told me you orchestrated the plan to save my life. How can I repay such a debt? To save your life at your most critical hour was only the beginning of what I owe you."
"Thank you," Vox whispered.
Up close, the Dwarf Lord didn't just radiate war, he radiated the protective aura of a father.
He seemed less like a cold commander and more like a man trying to keep his world together.
At this moment of silence, Vox's mind went back to Mirthless. The monster's claims about the "God of Darkness" being his father felt like a cruel trick, but the conviction in the creature's voice wasn't something that could easily be faked.
"So," Ogrhon said, breaking the silence. "Are you well enough to tell me what that Corrupted spoke about?"
Vox saw the determination in the King's eyes, but, He countered with a question first. "Have you checked on Vogoh's family?"
Ogrhon nodded solemnly. "The House of Vogoh is in deep grief. They mourn a brother and a father. They have vowed to join the conquest of the Mooneater."
"No!" Vox blurted out.
"Why not??
"Are you sure you should be going after that thing?"
"Mirthless told you we shouldn't?"
Vox shook his head violently. "Mirthless said that if you go into that mountain, you will awaken the Mooneater. He said you are walking into your own graves. Please, don't do it. Don't wake the Titan."
Ogrhon wiped his eyes, his expression hardening. "There is something you don't understand, boy. Do you think we would waste our blood and steel if we thought the Titan would sleep forever? No."
He stood up, towering over Vox despite his height. "We are born of the stone; we feel the mountain's energy. I can feel the dark energy building in the deep. My father warned me against rash decisions, and I have followed his footsteps. He was a great King, a great father, and a good grandfather to Buknet. When he returned to the mountain as stone, we kept his respect in our hearts."
Ogrhon placed a heavy, calloused hand on Vox's shoulder. "I am alive because of you. I value my life, the lives of my family, and the lives of my people. If I didn't, I wouldn't be ordering this war."
Vox opened his mouth to argue, but the look on Ogrhon's face stopped him.
"We commence the battle for our realm, our land, and our lives," Ogrhon declared. Then, he paused. "I have hated Elves for as long as I've drawn breath. But now... I don't feel that same rot in my gut when I look at you."
A cold, nervous sweat broke out on Vox's forehead. So he really did hate me that much?.
"...Now, I can stand the sight of those emerald eyes," Ogrhon said, looking away for a second before turning back. "We Dwarfs of Mt. Evernight don't shy away from saying thank you. We have pride, but we have kindness buried deep beneath it."
He reached into his pouch and pulled out a black rock. It was dull, but tiny cracks on its surface revealed a faint, lingering blue glow within.
Vox took it, staring in awe. "What is this?"
"The highest honor I can give you," Ogrhon said, gathering his weapons and heading for the door. "When your strength returns, find Smith the Blacksmith. Tell him Ogrhon gave you the stone and told him to craft you a sword."
Vox's eyes nearly popped out. "A real sword? For me?"
"Indeed. You'll need it if you're to stay with us until the Mooneater is defeated. Only then will the Portals open again."
"So the Portals will work?" Vox asked, moving to the edge of the bed.
"Yes. The Corruption is the reason they are sealed. It began when King Olkhon died; he couldn't kill the rot before it took him."
Hope flared in Vox's chest.
The World Map in his menu wasn't just for show, it was a destination.
Before Ogrhon stepped out, he looked back. "One last thing. When you see Smith, negotiate. Don't settle for the first price he gives you."
Vox nodded , "Yes—"
"If the gods will it, and you get your blade... join us to march to the dark of the mountains. Help us kill the Mooneater."
Vox looked away, but his heart heavy with the secret of his "Darkness" heritage. "Yeah," he whispered, "If it's MEANT to be."