C277 THE ROOT MOTHER'S SECRET

Damon’s black sword was still buried deep in the dirt of the village square. The ground around it was cracked and smoking. Every person in the village had stopped moving. The elders were shaking. They looked like dry leaves in a storm.

"I said open it," Damon repeated. His voice was not loud, but it felt like a heavy weight on everyone's chest.

But the ground did not open. Instead