A Worthless Crown

[The chamber was vast, far larger than any section of the mine I had ever seen. In its center stood a massive stone, that my eyes could barely fit—an unnatural shade of violet, its surface smooth and lacking any imperfections. Chained to it was a man. His skin was pale as bone, stretched tight over his frame. His eyes glowed faintly, violet like the rock to which he was bound. Under his eyes were strange markings, black like the void. He had hair darker than black, to match the marks on his face. His muscles seemed unnatural, they seemed to all pulse constantly.]

"Who are you?" I whispered, my voice on the edge of breaking.

Down in the depths of the mines, was a man. To live down here, he must have been special. No food existed here, no humans stayed for longer than a week.

Was he even human?

As I said that, a growl roared out from behind me. From the darkness, an abomination sprung out.

It had the legs of a man but the head of a bird and the arms of a dragon, tiny and worthless.

"Angry!" It shrieked. "You make the master angry!"

It then pounced on me, I had never fought in my life before. I attempted to fight back, but it overpowered me with ease and dragged me to the ground.

I felt my own blood splatter over my skin, as it ruthlessly scratched and clawed its way to my heart.

I briefly looked at the man chained to the violet rock, and he was looking at me too. He grinned widely.

"This is a test of your worthiness." His words echoed throughout the chamber.

As my world became darker and the strength in my body resisting being crushed to the floor diminished, I looked into the dark corners of the room and looked for anything, anything to save me.

A strange source of power seemed to resonate in my eyes, like beacons of light the abomination before me was briefly blinded. As it went for another scratch I held its arm out and yanked it off. This power, this strength—it was not mine.

The man chained cackled violently.

I then yanked its other arm off and now it toppled to the floor. The roles had reversed. A pool of blood, mixed with both mine and it's became visible on the ground.

The creature screamed, a high-pitched wail that made my ears ring. It writhed on the ground, spurting dark ichor from its wounds. With my heart racing, I raised my foot and crushed its birdlike head into the stone floor. The crunch echoed through the chamber, followed by silence.

I staggered back, breathing heavily. My hands trembled uncontrollably—whether from adrenaline or the unfamiliar power surging within me, I couldn't tell. My wounds still bled, but they burned less now, this feeling was numbing the pain. Power.

But the chamber was not still. Shadows shifted along the walls, and from the same darkness the first abomination had emerged, others stirred. The scrape of claws and guttural hissing sounds echoed around me. My heart raced anew. This power would be tested again—perhaps beyond its limits.

Another creature burst forth, larger than the first. It had the head of a wolf with gleaming eyes and a long, snake-like tail that slithered behind it. Its body was twisted, human-like but wrong, its limbs elongated and bent unnaturally. It lunged at me with a snarl, jaws snapping inches from my face. Instinct took over. I ducked and drove my fist into its chest. Bones cracked under my blow. It stumbled, but unlike the first, it retaliated quickly. A clawed hand raked across my side, drawing blood. It was stronger than the other, and I felt this power was only growing weaker.

Pain shot through me, but the power surged again. I gripped the creature's throat and lifted it, feeling the flesh in my arms swell with unnatural force. It thrashed, tail whipping around and striking my back. Gritting my teeth, I twisted its neck sharply. A sickening snap ended its struggle.

Breathing heavily, I dropped the lifeless body. Another creature prowled in the shadows, watching. This one had six legs and eyes that gleamed like rubies. It moved with calculated grace, testing me.

"They will not stop," the chained man said, his voice laced with amusement. "Not until you prove yourself."

I felt the weight of his words. This was no mere test of survival; it was a trial of dominance. These creatures served something older than I could comprehend, and only strength would earn their respect—or my death.

The six-legged beast charged. It was faster than the others, darting from side to side to confuse me. It leapt, claws aimed at my throat. I sidestepped and seized one of its legs, twisting it with all my might. It screeched in pain but slashed at my arm with another limb. I grunted, feeling the searing cut, but held firm.

With a roar, I lifted the beast overhead and slammed it onto the violet stone. The chained man watched intently, eyes narrowing. The creature writhed, but I brought my foot down repeatedly, each stomp fueled by rage and desperation. When it finally stilled, I was drenched in sweat and blood.

"What is this? This power, it's not mine!" I shouted, in disbelief that I had overpowered the abominations. I felt the power leave my body.

The six legged beast then awoke once more, it should've been dead. It pounced on me, and I would have died had the man not called out. It's paw was a moment from yanking my head off.

"Stop. He has proved himself worthy." The beast backed away, so they were his creations...

I felt my life tingle on the edge, I had almost died. This power was unreliable, it was on a timer. Had this been a real fight, I would've died. 

"It's called the power of Fate's chosen. Few have it, all should desire it. You are lucky, but most of all, you seem to be worthy." He spoke with a smirk, as if he had been waiting for this moment.

I wiped the sweat from my brow, looking back to the chained man.

"Is this what the miners feared? Is this the monster they warned of? Are you the reason this place is so cursed?" I asked, though I already suspected the truth was far worse.

He chuckled, the sound echoing ominously. "That was merely a gatekeeper. The deepest parts of the mine are where the monstrosities truly lie

A chill ran down my spine. The violet stone pulsed, and I could feel its power vibrating in my bones. Whatever was resonating from that stone, felt ancient and forbidden. The sense of weakness, that I had to be bailed out resounded in my mind. I needed to become stronger, if I left this mine I would learn a skill, like swordsmanship. I would never be brought so close to death again.

I put a few of their body parts into my bag, they might sell for a lot.