The Curse of Hidden Hollow

The First Trial

He saw a bright glow starting to overtake the darkness. Ash broke into a slight jog and saw the light getting brighter. Maybe it had all been a sick joke? Maybe he was about to reach daylight? He came around the bend and stopped short. It was an edge, and about 10 feet below, there was a pit of lava. "What the hell is this!?" he screamed out loud. The chief's voice boomed in his ears. "Welcome to the first trial of resourcefulness. As you can see, there is no evident way to get across. Your first test is to figure out how to get to the other side of the pit." Ash looked over the pit a bit more. It was way too far to jump, there was no rope around. He looked at the wall. It was made of dirt. Maybe he could figure out how to crawl along the wall. He felt around in his pocket for something to dig with, and he felt a handle. The knife! This could be perfect. He leaned out over the pit, careful not to fall. The heat was almost unbearable, and he was sweating a pool. Nevertheless, he kept trying. He reached back, and jabbed the blade into the wall, making a small slash. He kept at it until he had a small handhold. He grinned, happy he had found the tactic. He made another handhold and hesitated. This was it, if he fell, it was game over for him. How was he going to make all of them without falling? He had little upper arm strength, and he had no hope for himself, but he had to try. He pulled himself out onto the holds he had made, shaking with fear. He let go with one hand and began jabbing away at the wall. A couple times he almost slipped, but he caught himself. His arms and legs burned with pain, but he pressed on. He took a second to catch his breath. He was about halfway through. "I don't know if I can do this.." He thought for a second. How easy would it be to just let go? To just fall? It would probably be a heck of a lot better than getting mauled by a Wendigo. He considered it for a moment, but then his parents' faces flashed through his mind. No. He wouldn't give up. He would do it for his parents. He would do it for the world. He would do it for Kiera. He gathered his strength and kept hacking on. His clothes were soaked with sweat, and it was a painstaking process, but eventually, he got to where there was about three or four feet away from the other side of the pit. He gritted his teeth as he carved out what he thought to be the final hold. He leaned back, then forth, then back, and then he launched himself with all of his strength towards the ledge. He barely caught on with his fingertips, using all of his strength to keep from falling off. He scrambled, scraping up his arms in the process. It hurt like a mother, but it was better than the alternative. He felt a sense of pride instilled within him, but it was quickly broken when he remembered he still had a long way to go. Ahtunowhiho materialized in front of Ash, a slight grin on his face. "Congratulations Ash." He boomed. "You have completed the first trial of resourcefulness. Yet you still have a ways to go before you have completed the trial." Ash's shoulders sank. "What's next on this horrible list." Ash was worried. If this was like any other trials he had faced in life, it was only going to get more and more difficult from here on out.