FORSAKEN II - Eternal Dawn

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

"This would all be so much easier if we were allowed to keep our 'flashlights.'" Addia climbed off the narrow passageway the team had used to escape the first trial into an ample two-meter-high platform created by the jutting tiles from the floor.

The Je'daii found themselves in another large empty cube.

"What now?" Theleema said.

The walls turned into screens. "Moralo is impressed," Moralo said. "Not many manage to survive the first test intact."

"Are you going to keep referring to yourself in the third person?" Elynn said. "Because that's so beta and annoying."

"Don't worry. Soon nothing is going to matter to you anymore. Let's see how well you do with the next challenge."

The screens gave way to the tiles lighting the space. The ones bordering the floor projected spouts and began to spill a green liquid. Addia tore a piece of Syrran's shirt hem.

"Hey?" Syrran said.

"I'm not going to ruin mine." Addia dropped it in the substance after it reached the foot of the stage. The cloth dissolved into nothing with a sizzle. "Acid," she said. "It's rising."

"And there's our way out." Theleema looked up at the ceiling when she heard access point open.

"How are we going to get there?" Elynn said.

A jumble of red beams crisscrossed the space above them. Metallic handles came out from the walls, sliding down the rays until they reached their mid-point.

"High-powered lasers." Jarriss discerned the energy signature.

"Looks pretty straight forward," Gorin said. "Use the handles to jump from beam to beam until we reach the top, before the acid fills the room."

"There has to be a catch," Syrran said.

"Let's find out." Addia stepped up to the closest handle.

"Maclunkey." Jarriss waved her onward.

When Addia grabbed the handle, all of them shifted randomly across their beams. She pulled herself up to squat on top of the grip. Addia jumped to the next available perch, making all the handles move again in different directions. She had to pull herself horizontally to avoid getting cut in half by another ray. Once cleared, she pulled herself up again. "There's the catch, they move when you touch them."

"And if we wait for each of us to make it up to the exit safely, the last ones are going to fry." Theleema watched the acid getting closer to the edge of the platform. "We all have to climb at the same time and avoid falling or being sliced by the other beams."

"Eels, you're next," Syrran said.

"Right." Elynn jumped onto a handle, causing another shift.

Addia ducked under a beam. "Ready?"

"I hope so."

Addia went for the next ray, swinging herself up to escape evisceration. Her natural agility made the perilous trek up a beautiful dance. Elynn waited to pull herself up to her handle and reach the next, shifting everything.

"We have to coordinate our movements," said Gorin, jumping on next.

"This would be much easier if Lum was here with his Force meld," said Jarriss, taking a deep breath before beginning his climb.

"My lady." Syrran watched the acid about to cover the platform.

"Why do you get to be last?" Theleema said.

"My species can resist acids, but we can stand here and argue about it if you want to."

"Fine." She began her ascent.