The knights trial went on hour after hour until the sun finally disappeared behind the horizon. Even under the darkness of the night sounds of explosions and the war cries of hundreds of candidates refused to stop. For many the fighting will never stop not until they were made knights, but a for a few it was time to recover.
Slowly and cautiously Ren limped up the side of a mountain forced to use a stick to support himself as he kept moving. From the ambush and his fight with Rita Ren knew he didn’t have the strength to fight any more so for now all he could do was rest.
“Hey Ren, do you really think hiding in the mountain is the best idea?”, Noir asked.
“I…I can’t stay at ground level not if I want to sleep.”, Ren said as he struggled to keep moving.
Suddenly Ren’s stick lost its footing forcing him to fall to the ground. “Are you ok?!”, Noir asked.
“Y-yeah I’ll be fine.”, Ren said as he struggled to get back to his feet.
Finally, after traversing the mountain for so long Ren and Noir found a cave they could use to rest. Slowly Ren stumbled into the cave making his way further and further from the exit. I can’t leave myself exposed, Ren thought as he moved deeper in. Finally, whether his mind told him he was far enough in, or his body just gave up Ren collapsed to floor feeling a wave of relief as he finally rested.
As the two settled in they finally noticed the night air around them. “Geez it’s cold.”, Noir said rubbing his shoulders for warmth.
“Hang on I got it.”, Ren took the stick he used to walk and with a grunt of effort snapped it in two carefully placing them on top of each other. “Hey, I need some magic.”, he said to Noir.
“Oh sure.”, Noir said as he started to glow. Ren raised his hands towards the sticks as heat formed in his hands. He tried to produce a ball of fire like he has done many times before but all that came out were small embers too weak to light anything.
Again, and again Ren tried failing each time before finally giving up. “Damn it!”, he groaned as he threw the sticks across the cave.
Slowly Noir flew over to Ren’s shoulder, “Too bad you can’t heal fatigue along with your injuries.”, he said as he started to make a nest out of the folds out of Ren’s shirt.
“Not sure why you’re complaining my shirt’s probably a king-sized bed to you.”, Ren chuckled.
“Yeah, too bad it smells awful.”, Noir joked.
The two of them weakly laughed together as sleep slowly took them over. Each laugh was getting weaker than the last until the cave was silent. Noir and Ren have finished day one, all they can hope for now is that they can make it to see day two.
In the observatory Claire and Celti watched diligently. “How many candidates are left?”, Claire asked.
“Ma’am out of the 3,065 only 1,573 remain.”, responded one of the workers.
“Half a day has passed and we’re already down to half the candidates. The first day usually has the most eliminations but to think we already lost half.”, said surprised by this development.
“These things happen from time to time.”, Celti responded as she laid on a nearby monitor with a bored look on her face, “Remember when we took the trial there were over 6,000 candidates that year and by the second day they were down to under a 1,000.”
Conceding defeat Claire agreed with her partner’s statement, “Well either way it looks like I’m paying next time Lowell goes drinking.”, she winced at the thought knowing that he’s gonna clean her out.
“How are Ren and Noir doing anyway?”, Celti asked.
“They just found a place to rest for the night hopefully no one finds them while they’re sleeping.”
“We should probably call it a night don’t wanna miss when the good fights happen.”, Celti said as she flew towards the observatories exit.
“You go on ahead I’ll catch up in a little bit.”
Celti could see the dark circles under her eyes. Claire was definitely exhausted but even, so Celti knew she wasn’t going to sleep tonight either. That’s just how she’s been since they first met, Celti thought.
As Celti left Claire gaze focused to the monitors, “Now who else is still fighting tonight?!”, she said with an excited look on her face.
The desert known for it’s unforgiving heat has become a cold wasteland with the fall of night. In this desert two men stared each other down. One had dark red hair he wore in a long pony tail and had a rather muscular build. The other had wore a black robe with a hood completely covering his face.
Suddenly the sand beneath the red-haired man started to shift. Suddenly shards of ice erupted out of the ground below him forming a small glacier of sharp jagged ice. Quickly he jumped out of the way escaping unscathed except for a cut along his forearm. As the muscular man landed on the ground he shot like lightning running towards his enemy.
Left right left right, the red-haired man ran dodging glacier after glacier that formed each time narrowly he avoided getting hit. He ran faster and faster until finally he was within reach of his enemy. He swung his arm back ready for a punch but quickly realized his enemy was readying a blast of ice. Quickly he ducked as the ice was shot into the distance. With an opening the red-haired man shot up delivering a fierce upper cut sending the blond man flying.
As the blond man floated through the air the red-haired man got ready to deliver another punch with the intent to end it. Suddenly, he heard the sound of ice cracking behind him. Turning his head to the origin he saw the glaciers were beginning to rattle and shake before going quiet. Suddenly large streams of ice shot out of each glacier moving through the air like a serpent all aiming at the red-haired man.
One glacier slammed into the red-haired man causing a giant cloud of sand to form. Just then out of the sand cloud the red-haired man emerged running as fast as he could creating a dust cloud as he ran.
Suddenly from his left another glacier came directly at him. Kicking off the ground as hard as he could he jumped soaring higher and higher as the glacier swung just barely missing him.
In a freefall he breathed a sigh of relief having avoided the second glacier, but he quickly tensed up again when he saw another glacier coming down on him. With no way to dodge he braced himself, crossing his to block.
Like a whip the glacier cracked down on the red-haired man sending him crashing into the sand with a loud boom. Even though he blocked the attack the glacier still left its mark leaving the red-haired man unable to move. As the remaining glaciers all came crashing down.
The glaciers stood motionless in the sand over the red-haired man. Slowly the glaciers melted one by one, turning into water before quickly being absorbed by the barren desert leaving behind an empty crater in the sand.
The blond man scanned the surroundings searching for any sign of the red-haired man. Once, twice, three times he searched finding no trace of him. He’s finished, the blond man thought as the tension he carried from the fight faded.
Suddenly, the blond man felt the sand beneath him start to split apart. He quickly jumped back as out of the sand emerged the red-haired man. Before the blond man could react he felt hands grab his head forcing his face into the red-haired man’s knee.
Trapped in a daze the blond man was unable to respond as the red-haired man punched him over and over each punch stronger than the last. The pain he felt was great enough to bring down a large number of beasts.
The punches grew faster and faster as the blond man coughed blood, then without warning the barrage of punches ceased. The blond man stood unmoving, not even registering that the red-haired man had stopped. Slowly he opened his eyes and saw the red-haired man winding up for another punch. He tried to run but found his legs wouldn’t respond. The red-haired man swung more force than ever before and as it connected the sand behind them scattered in every direction.
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
The blond man stood unmoving as the red-haired man retracted his fist. He stared at his enemy waiting for him to make any kind of move to catch him off guard but no matter how much time passed he wouldn’t move. Suddenly, an all too familiar white ring of light enveloped the blond man and then in an instant he was gone leaving the red-haired man alone in the desert.
The red-haired man’s breathing was sporadic and heavy as he fell to the ground in a seated position. “Are we finished here?”, a voice said emanating from a pocket in his jacket.
“Y-yeah he’s…he’s gone.”, the red-haired man said trying to catch his breath.
Suddenly, his pocket began to wriggle and shake as a fairy as red as his partner’s hair emerged. “That has to be twentieth candidate you eliminated.”, he spoke with the grace and elegance of someone rather cultured, “I must request that we find shelter and retire for the night.”
Placing both hands on the sand the red-haired man slowly pushed himself to his feet. “You know we can’t stop. Not now anyway.”, he said his breathing now returned to normal.
“B-but A…”
“Please! Just help me keep fighting.” The two stood there in silence, staring at each other.
They stayed like that for a minute until the fairy conceded, “Alright.”, he said begrudgingly. With the support of his fairy again the red-haired man continued off looking for anyone to fight.
Elsewhere in a dense dark jungle eight candidates were stuck in the heat of battle. Fireballs, lightning, water, and ice decorated the sky while the clashing of fists and weapons echoed through the jungle. With none of them having any teams they simply attacked as they saw fit.
Suddenly, a large explosion went off sending a male candidate flying into a field of bushes.
“Ow”, he said.
“Hey, are you ok?”, his fairy which glowed a bright purple asked.
“Yeah I just gotta …”, as he moved to get out of the bushes a knife came down from the cloud of smoke right next to his foot.
Suddenly, out of the cloud a female candidate emerged with a sword and a green fairy. She cleared the distance in an instant pointing her sword to the candidate’s throat. “You’re done. Surrender before you get hurt.”, she said with an ice-cold tone.
Suddenly, before the male candidate could respond he heard the sounds of rustling from bushes behind him. He turned his head to try and look but stopped when he felt her blade slash across his chest.
Blood spilled from his open wound as his breathing became loud and heavy. Quickly a white light enveloped him and vanished in an instant.
“One down who knows how many to g…”, the female candidate was cut off when she heard the sound of twigs snapping in the direction the other candidate was looking.
She looked at her fairy and then back to the bush. Cautiously she took her sword and plunged it into the bush. Deeper and deeper the sword went making contact with only the bushes leaves and roots. Even then she couldn’t shake the nervous feeling she had.
Her fairy glowed brighter as her sword’s shape began to change, having a wider and curved blade similar to a machete. With a swift swipe she slashed through the bush creating a small opening. She peered in the opening and saw nothing but an eerie darkness. With another slash the bushes opening became bigger and still all she saw was darkness. She stared into the darkness but no matter how much she focused saw nothing.
Am I just paranoid? Did I just imagine it?, she thought.
Suddenly out of the darkness two glowing eyes appeared. A scream was all she could muster before she was dragged into the darkness.
Her scream was loud and ear piercing forcing the remaining candidates that were all locked in combat to cease their fighting. They turned from where the screaming and found emerging out of the bushes a was a tiger. It’s fur was as white as fresh snow, it’s stripes as black as coal, and it’s eyes glowed like sapphires.
The six candidates and their fairies stood motionless as the tiger stared them down. Without warning the tiger lunged forward soared through the air as if it had wings. Quickly the six remaining candidates rolled out of the way as the tiger landed with a loud boom.
Looking up the tiger saw a candidate on the ground. The tiger growled baring its fangs. The candidate tried to crawl away but was too slow as the tiger pounced at him biting into the candidate’s flesh. As the tiger lifted its head to the sky the candidate hung motionless its mouth crying in pain as a white light enveloped him.
The five remaining candidates could only stare in horror as he disappeared signaling a thunderous roar from the tiger.
It’s too fast to out run and too strong to fight head on. I guess there’s only one option. The seven candidates all came to this conclusion at the same time. They looked at one another, giving each other a nod of confirmation.
In a unified front four charged towards the beast as one stayed back. Of the four charging two were bare handed, while the other two wielded an axe and a sword. With swift swipe the tiger swung at the four candidates only for them to split up two going to its left side and two going to its right. With no time to think the tiger turned to its left lunging at the two candidates, its sharp fangs barred.
As the tiger was mere inches from the two candidates roots sprung out of the ground wrapping around it. In unison the four candidates attacked the tiger. It roared in pain as it felt the fists of two candidates plunge into its sides as blades broke skin going deeper and deeper.
The tiger struggled as hard as it could until finally the roots snapped apart. The candidates all jumped back but it was too late with a swift lunge filled with rage it swung down with its claws cutting straight through two candidates chest. The two candidates stood in shock staring down at their wounds as in unison a white light whisked them away.
Three candidates were all that remained each one frozen with fear as the tiger stared them down. It was clear to all of them that they stood no chance at winning and to stay here would mean defeat.
Suddenly, in a desperate attempt to escape, one of the candidates shoved the other forward. Seizing the opportunity, he and the candidate that didn’t charge in ran as fast as they could into the dark jungle.
The betrayed candidate could only stare at the tiger in horror as the tiger slowly paced towards him. As the tiger was an inch away from him something in him snapped quickly grabbing a stick off the ground he turned it into a knife, and with one last desperate attempt swiped at the tiger as fast as he could. Blood flew from the tigers neck it wouldn’t falter, letting out a roar louder than ever before it clamped down on the candidates neck.
The candidate could only stand there motionless as the tiger’s teeth dug deeper and deeper into his neck.
I lost, was thought he had before he vanished in a white light.
The tiger took a moment to revel in its victory. Its breathing was loud and its injuries were great but it wasn’t done. Weakly it walked in the direction of one of the candidates but before it reached the bushes it stopped.
It stood in place for a minute as if lost in thought then suddenly it turned, heading in direction completely different from the two surviving candidates.
The tiger walked and walked for what seemed like no end. As it walked the sounds of candidates fighting were heard all around him but it refused to enter another fight. Even when a candidate was right in front of it, this large beast which had just fought seven candidates by itself just walked past them leaving the candidate frozen in place.
Finally, after a long trek the tiger had stopped standing in front of a large clearing. Suddenly, out of a tree a girl with short black hair and tattoos all over her body dropped to the ground.
The girl looked at the tiger in front of her, slowly she raised out her hand just a few inches from the tiger’s head. Cautiously the tiger sniffed it before bringing its head closer letting itself be petted.
“You’ve had a hard battle tonight haven’t you.”, the girl said with warmth in her voice, “It’s ok you can rest soon.”
Suddenly, from the nest of trees loud footsteps were heard. When the tiger heard this noise it quickly got into a ready stance growling at the incoming entity.
“Relax it’s one of ours.”, the girl said.
Out of the jungle a giant hand appeared moving anything out of its way: rocks, bushes, and even trees. Appearing out of the trees a large orc with pale skin, and large arms it uses like legs.
“Hey stupid!”, the girl shouted, “Think you could be any louder!? I think there are some candidates that didn’t hear us yet!”
The orc quickly adopted a sad posture wrapping its arms around its rather small legs.
“Sugar you don’t have to be so mean.”, from up in the trees a fairy glowing a bright yellow floated down landing to her side. “I’m sure its trying its best.”, her words had a certain sweetness to them like honey.
“Whatever.”, the black-haired girl retorted, “Anyway these are the last ones after this we can find a place to rest.”
The black-haired girl walked over to the tiger. Placing her hand out on the tiger’s head, “You’ve done good. It’s time to rest.”
As she finished speaking the tiger slowly began to turn to black ash flowing in the wind. The ash flew around the black-haired girl before finding its way to her left arm. Little by little the ash placed itself on her skin and when there was no ash left a tattoo of a tiger now adorned her arm. She repeated this action with the orc this time creating a tattoo on the side of her stomach.
“That’s everyone come on let’s find a place to rest.”
Hours passed as the fighting that plagued the trial grounds grew calmer and calmer. The screams of terror and cries of war turned to soft whispers. The explosions that reached the height of mountains now were only as tall as the trees. Then for a moment just before dawn the trial ground was completely silent.
Somewhere on the tallest point in the trial ground a little girl with auburn hair sat alone with no fairy in sight. As she sat there she simply stared into the dark night sky as if the shadows held a sight more beautiful than anyone had ever seen before. As she sat there she listened to silence as if there was a symphony to be heard.
Suddenly, in the far distance the light of the sun began to appear. Slowly the light had began to illuminate the trial ground with it’s warm light. The light crept further and further out and just as it reached the light girl her auburn hair, and her eyes that were once a dark red began to glow green. The light she emanated was so bright that for a moment it began to rival the sun’s radiant light itself. Then as the sun continued to rise the little girl’s hair and eyes turned back to normal.
The sun rose higher and higher in the sky and in turn the trials grounds once cast in darkness grew brighter and brighter. Suddenly, the sounds of fighting filled the air and explosions of magic once again danced throughout the battlefield. The first the day of the knights trial has ended and now begins day two.
