Kaidon and his friends stood frozen, their eyes fixed on the massive serpent before them. Its scales glistened like gold in the flickering torchlight, and its eyes burned with an inner fire. The whispering grew louder, and Kaidon realized that the serpent was speaking to them in a language he couldn't understand.
Arin stepped forward, his eyes locked on the serpent. "I think I can communicate with it," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.
Kaidon nodded, and Arin began to speak in a strange, musical language. The serpent's eyes flicked to Arin, and it responded in a low, rumbling voice. The two began to converse, their words flowing back and forth like a river.
After a few moments, Arin turned to Kaidon. "It's a guardian of the cave," he said. "It's been charged with testing our worthiness to reach the sword."
Kaidon nodded, his mind racing with strategies. "What does it want us to do?"
Arin spoke to the serpent again, and then turned back to Kaidon. "It wants us to solve a riddle. If we answer correctly, it will let us pass."
Kaidon's eyes narrowed. "What's the riddle?"
Arin hesitated, his eyes flicking to the serpent. "It's a tricky one. 'What can be broken, but never held? What can be given, but never sold?'"
Kaidon's mind raced as he thought about the riddle. Suddenly, a smile spread across his face. "I know the answer," he said, his voice confident.
The serpent's eyes flicked to Kaidon, its gaze piercing. "Speak," it said, its voice low and commanding.
Kaidon took a deep breath. "The answer is a promise," he said, his voice firm.
The serpent's eyes flashed with approval, and it nodded its great head. "You are correct," it said. "A promise is indeed something that can be broken, but never held. Something that can be given, but never sold."
With that, the serpent slithered aside, revealing a hidden passageway behind it. Kaidon and his friends exchanged a look of triumph, and then began to make their way through the passageway, ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead.
As they walked, Kaidon couldn't help but feel a sense of pride and accomplishment. He had solved the riddle, and proved his worthiness to reach the sword.
As they walked through the passageway, Amir turned to Kaidon and said, "Well done on solving that riddle, Kaidon! I was stumped."
"Thanks, Amir," Kaidon replied. "I couldn't have done it without Arin's help, though. He's the one who figured out the serpent's language."
Arin smiled, his eyes gleaming with pride. "It's all part of the job, my friends. But I have to say, I'm impressed by Kaidon's quick thinking. He's got a natural talent for this sort of thing."
Lyra nodded in agreement. "Yes, and he's got a good heart too. He's not just in this for himself, like some people we could mention."
Mira chuckled, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Oh, Lyra, you're such a rebel. But I have to agree, Kaidon's got a certain... je ne sais quoi. A certain charm that's hard to resist."
Throne Blackwood grunted, his expression skeptical. "Charm won't get us out of this cave alive, though. We need to stay focused and keep our wits about us."
Kaidon nodded, his eyes scanning the passageway ahead. "You're right, Throne. We can't let our guard down yet. Not until we've got that sword and are out of this place for good."
The group continued on, their banter and conversation filling the air as they navigated the treacherous path ahead.
As they turned a corner, they came face to face with a massive stone door, adorned with ancient carvings and symbols. The door was covered in dust and cobwebs, and it looked like it hadn't been opened in centuries.
"Well, this looks like the entrance to the sword's resting place," Arin said, his eyes scanning the door. "But I don't see any handles or locks. How are we supposed to open it?"
Lyra examined the carvings on the door more closely. "I think I see a pattern here. If we press these symbols in the right order, it might trigger a mechanism to open the door."
Mira nodded, her eyes shining with excitement. "I think I can help with that. Let me take a closer look."
Mira began to study the symbols, her fingers tracing the intricate carvings. After a few moments, she nodded. "I think I've got it. If we press the symbols in this order..." she pointed to a series of symbols on the door, "it should open the door."
Throne Blackwood stepped forward, his hand on the hilt of his sword. "Let's get this done, then. We don't have all day."
Kaidon nodded, his heart pounding with excitement. "Let's do it."
Mira began to press the symbols, and the group held their breath as the door creaked and groaned. Finally, with a loud rumbling sound, the door swung open, revealing a chamber filled with treasure beyond their wildest dreams.
In the far end of the large hall a beautiful sword in mind air. Kaidon stepped forward ready to claim his price but stopped half way. Multiple giant rocks fell from the top. They all combined into one giant creature. A large Golem was formed.
Kaidon jumped back and drew his sword. The rest of his followers got ready for a battle.This Golem was massive, imposing figure with a rugged, rocky exterior.
"Kaidon, I think this is the perfect time for a history lesson." Amir started.
"A Golem can deliver crushing blows and smash through solid objects. They have a natural resistance to magic. They can slowly regenerate their health over time. Be careful when they stomp the ground, they cause a localized earthquake. They can also hurl massive rocks." Kaidon said.
"That's nice and all but can we talk about their weaknesses." Amir smiled.
"Well, if we can manage to damage the Golem's internal mechanisms, we can slow it down or disable it's power." Kaidon exclaimed as he took the first step.