Morning came quiet and gray, light spilling softly through the mouth of the cave. Adair stretched and stood, brushing the cold from his skin. Beside him, Ebb stirred from his moss pile and let out a yawn that sounded more like a squeak. His eyes blinked slowly, still thick with sleep.
Adair looked down at the goblin and offered his hand. Ebb took it without hesitation.
"Let's find food," Adair said.
Ebb's ears perked up at the word. He bounced to his feet and grabbed the sharpened stick they had used before. Adair picked up a heavier branch that he had shaped with a stone. Together, they stepped out into the forest, where the trees stretched tall and quiet.
They worked in silence. Ebb crouched low and moved like a shadow. He chased down a rabbit, cornered it between roots, and tackled it with glee. Adair caught two more by setting traps along a narrow path. The blood came quickly, warm and dark, and they carried the bodies back to the dungeon.
By the time they returned, Ebb's face was covered in streaks of red. He smiled proudly, holding a bundle of sticks and moss over his shoulder with the rabbits tied to it by vine.
Adair stepped into the chamber both he and Ebb had their fill before he laid the dead rabbits at the center. The core floated in place, quiet as always, until the first drops of blood touched the floor. Then it stirred.
A low hum filled the air. The stone walls vibrated gently as if something beneath them had woken. Sparks of light danced around the core. The blood pooled at its base and vanished, drawn inward.
Adair wanted to test what the core said about being able to create things using blood. "Core," Adair said, "create us weapons. Something to fight with."
The light grew sharper. A pulse of warmth spread out from the core and settled in Adair's hands. When he opened his fingers, a short blade had formed. The grip was wrapped in black hide. Its edge looked jagged, like stone that had been broken and hardened with fire, it was shaped like the head of a spear.
Another blade floated toward Ebb. His eyes widened, and he reached for it with reverence. It was a crude weapon, more like a cleaver than a sword, but it fit perfectly in his small hand.
Then the core flared again. Without being asked, it pulsed once more and two bundles of cloth fell beside them. Adair stepped back, startled. He picked up the clothes—a plain black tunic and pants, soft but tough. They were stitched together with dark thread, the kind only magic could craft.
Ebb's clothes were the same, though a bit too large. The pants dragged at his heels, and the sleeves covered his hands. Still, he looked proud. He stood straighter in the new clothes than he ever had in his old rags.
Adair's set fit better. The tunic clung to his thin frame, the fabric hanging loose at the shoulders but tight around his long arms. The pants bunched slightly at the ankles, but not enough to bother him. Against the dark cloth, his pale skin looked almost ghostly. His white hair, still tangled from sleep, framed a face too sharp for someone his age. His red eyes caught the light of the core and held it, glowing faintly like coals in the dark.
Adair smiled. "Looks like the core's looking out for us."
Ebb nodded hard and struck a pose with his cleaver.
Adair chuckled. "Close enough."
They spent the day training outside the cave. Adair showed Ebb how to swing without falling forward and how to step with balance. Ebb learned fast. Though his size made him awkward, he moved with surprising speed and could mimic what he saw.
By evening, they rested beneath the trees. A light wind blew over the hills. That was when they heard it the low growl, hidden in the brush.
Adair stood and motioned for Ebb to freeze.
A wolf.
It stepped into the clearing, dark fur bristling, eyes burning with hunger. Its body was lean with muscle, and its teeth dripped with saliva. It had not seen them yet.
Adair pointed to his eyes, then to the wolf. Ebb nodded.
They split. Ebb circled wide, creeping from the right, while Adair crouched and waited near a boulder. The wolf sniffed the air. Then it turned sharply.
Adair stepped out and shouted. "Here!"
The wolf lunged at him, jaws open. Adair dodged left and slashed at its side. The blade scraped across its ribs but did not slow it. It turned again, snarling. Ebb struck from behind, catching its leg.
The wolf kicked out, knocking Ebb aside.
Adair charged. The blade hit the wolf's shoulder, drawing blood. It howled and spun toward him, but before it could strike, Ebb had leapt back onto its back. He raised his cleaver and swung wildly.
The wolf twisted in pain. It snapped at Ebb, catching the edge of his tunic, but missed his flesh.
Adair moved in again, slashing low at its belly. The wolf yelped and stumbled.
Ebb held on, laughing.
"Now!" Adair shouted.
Together, they brought their blades down. One struck the neck, the other the chest. The wolf hit the ground, limp and bleeding.
They stood over the body, panting.
Adair looked at Ebb. "You alright?" Ebb grinned.
"Now that we have weapons these wolves aren't so scary." Adair said smiling at the giddy Ebb
Adair sat down and stared at the blood pooling beneath the wolf. "Let's drag it inside."
They carried it back to the dungeon chamber. The blood left a trail behind them, but they did not care. This was a gift to the core.
Once inside, they let it drop. The blood ran across the stone floor and pooled beneath the floating crystal.
The core flared.
Its light shifted, deepening into a golden hue. Sparks leapt from it. The wolf's blood lifted from the stone and vanished into the air, drawn inward.
Adair stepped back and watched as the core vibrated faster. Something was changing.
Then the light bent toward Ebb.
Ebb blinked and looked down at himself. The air around him shimmered. The floor rippled like water. He gasped and fell to his knees.
Adair reached for him. "Ebb?"
The goblin clutched his chest. His skin pulsed with red veins, then darkened to a red color. His muscles grew thicker. His arms lengthened. The cleaver dropped from his hand, too small now. His bones stretched. His teeth sharpened.
When the glow faded, Ebb sat panting on the floor. He was taller, broader. Still goblin-like, but no longer a child.
His eyes met Adair's.
Ebb opened his mouth. His voice came slow, heavy with effort. "I feel... strange. Big."
Adair stared. "You... you can talk better now."
Ebb grinned. "I... like this. Like you. I strong."
Adair watched the goblin with wide eyes, his breath caught in his throat. Ebb's limbs were longer, his face broader, and his eyes held something brighter than before. The change had happened right in front of him, so quickly it felt like a dream. He glanced toward the blood soaked ground, then at the core still pulsing faintly in the chamber.
The wolf's blood. That had to be it.
Adair knelt beside him. "You evolved. The core used the wolf's blood to change you."
The core floated silently, its glow now steady and calm.
Adair looked at it with new respect. It was more than a tool. More than magic. It was changing them. Helping them survive.
He stood slowly. "We're going to get stronger. Both of us."
Ebb nodded.
Just then they heard a noise outside the dungeon.