Given this, Stronghold Leader Zogar decided to skip that question and proceed to his next intention for being present.
"Now that our discussion is concluded, I'm keen to witness your growth as a warrior," Stronghold Leader Zogar expressed, pivoting on his heels to walk away from Orion.
"While I understand that a proper assessment should wait until you've created your first container, giving me a measure of your strength, the fact remains that your dangerous gift aligns well with the path of a warrior," he continued, his voice trailing back to Orion. "It's only fitting that I gauge your current level now, and then witness how much you progress by the time your first container takes form. It will depend on the location you choose for its creation, perhaps a month or two after your initial warrior training."
Stronghold Leader Zogar paused, his gaze fixed on Orion's attentive figure, absorbing every word. "Whether it's formed in your heart or in your brain," he concluded. Suddenly, he activated his gift, causing his hand to radiate an intense violet luminescence.
Bending down, he touched the ashen-black ground, a transformation flowing through his limbs, turning them into solid rock with a deep brown hue. The change enveloped him, from his attire to his face, leaving only the pocket watch dangling around his neck untouched.
In a matter of minutes, Orion's eyes widened in amazement as he witnessed Stronghold Leader Zogar's transformation. The man, who had once stood in human form, now resembled an entity of pure rock, from head to toe. The curiosity about the silver chain and the circular metal dangling from it gnawed at Orion, but his immediate concern was uncovering the secret of the Stronghold Leader's gift.
Orion asked, "Stronghold Leader Zogar, can your gif..."
However, before he could fully articulate his question, Stronghold Leader Zogar expected his curiosity and cut through his words. "My gift," he began to explain, "...allows me to absorb the properties of any material I come into contact with. Initially, when I awakened this gift, I could only do so through my hands. But upon becoming a warrior, the infusion of Vylkr energy shattered those limitations."
"Now, I can seamlessly absorb and wield the properties of various materials throughout my entire body. Moreover, I've gained the ability to hold onto those properties for an extended duration before my strength wanes due to exhaustion."
As Stronghold Leader Zogar's words flowed, Orion's mental gears spun at full speed. He couldn't help but perceive the parallels between Stronghold Leader Zogar's gift and Grandma Derry's own, yet a fundamental distinction emerged. While the full scope of Grandma Derry's gift remained elusive, he had observed her ability to integrate her body with the matter she touched, in contrast to Stronghold Leader Zogar, who seemed to absorb the properties of materials into himself.
After his thoughts had settled, his curiosity began to nag at him, and he couldn't hold back his question any longer. "The silver piece around your neck," he questioned, "why didn't it also transform into rock, like your tulga?"
Recognizing Orion's inquisitiveness, Stronghold Leader Zogar understood that this peculiarity had intrigued him as well, having explored this facet of his gift before. Cradling the object in his palm, he elaborated, "This is a pocket watch I acquired from the Caravans through a barter involving some kalna fruits and other items of mine. Although my gift doesn't directly affect it, there's still something interesting I can do."
With a swift activation of his gift, Orion observed as the solid rock texture of Stronghold Leader Zogar's arm effortlessly shifted back into its human form. Just as quickly, the transformation occurred once more, and Orion watched the arm undergo a metamorphosis, taking on the timeworn silver sheen and metallic essence of the chain resting in his grasp.
Meanwhile, Orion's eyes were still wide open in shock as he processed Stronghold Leader Zogar's words. As he watched Zogar flip open the lid of the pocket watch to reveal the small, moving serpentine hands within its scratched glass, his brain temporarily halted as he connected all the points together.
First, there was the plastic, something he had put aside under the assumption that perhaps someone in the village possessed a gift capable of crafting such a material. Then came the enigma of the table at the Village Chief's hut, which he had tentatively set aside as evidence that the Caravans might be a neighbouring tribe of a slightly advanced group.
The paintings and the collection of trinkets discreetly displayed within the confines of the Village Chief's compound had caused him to reevaluate his assumptions about the Caravans.
And now, gazing at the timeworn pocket watch presented to him by Stronghold Leader Zogar, the tender threads of Orion's understanding began to fray.
It was not just that these Caravans hailed from a more sophisticated society; it was now shockingly apparent that their technological capabilities far surpassed anything he had ever imagined.
'Damn it, this changes everything,' Orion's internal curse reverberated as he felt an urgency to unveil the mysterious origins of the Caravans.
However, Orion recognized the necessity to control his emotions when he saw the Stronghold Leader's footwear, which had transformed from leather to rock. He quickly glanced at the pocket watch once again.
"What are you waiting for? Come at me!" Stronghold Leader Zogar's command snapped through the air, punctuated as his metallic arm dissolved, reverting back into solid rock.
Orion formulated a plan, deciding to patiently await the next appearance of the Caravans. Simultaneously, he made up his mind to extract every fragment of information he could gather from the village regarding these mysterious individuals. Once he solidified this resolve, he took a step forward, his purpose shifting, and he stooped to gather the lifeless remnants of the one-star Vylkr vines. To consume them and replenish his Vylkr energy.
After a brief span of minutes, Orion sensed his Vylkr energy being revitalized, drawing his focus towards Stronghold Leader Zogar, who had been patiently waiting for him.
Activating his gift, Orion's lightning erupted from both his arms with a resounding "Crackle!!"
A single thought guided him as he manipulated the lightning's nature, sculpting it into a three-meter blade of electric brilliance on his right side and a 40-inch shield on his left.
Without a moment's delay, Orion lunged forward, his lightning-forged blade leading the charge. He aimed to strike with a powerful swing before shifting his tactic, strategically positioning the shield to potentially stun the Stronghold Leader through impact.
