Infinite Fantasia: The Guertena Malice (Book One)

Chapter Four: A Pool of Liquid Rainbow

E

The worst thing about waiting is the waiting part.

Master Armity and his escorts led us to a narrow well-trodden path, going to a gigantic stone building at the edge of the village. People stared at us as we walked past them, some bowed respectfully and most scrambled out of the way. I couldn't blame them. You don't have to be aware that Master Armity was an esteemed member of the Encanteon Council to know his authority, his powerful aura and intimidating demeanor was enough to scare the bajujuvees out of you.

Finally, we reached the end of the path at an enormous wooden double doors. The doors swung open with a loud creak, and without any word, I followed the tall figures inside. The building was almost deserted. We stumbled upon random workers, who jumped out of their skin when they saw who were coming their way.

We weaved through the labyrinthine hallways, taking a turn every once in a while and clambering up on staircases. Master Armity seemed to know exactly where he was going because he never faltered to think about which way to go. After about ten minutes, we halted to a round room on the fourth floor.

Master Armity and Master Terrence instructed me to stay there for a while as they entered another room though a door that was camouflaged to the wall. And when they said "for a while", it actually meant "forever." Well, not forever forever, but you get the point.

Master Armity's escorts waited there with me. The bulky muscular man, who introduced himself as Jaxx, was actually a pretty nice guy. He informed me that he loved crushing men's skulls with his own bare hands, that and baking and knitting as well, at which point where the other one, the redheaded tall girl whose name was Gunnora, scowled. Then they started to have a whispered argument. I stopped listening to it when they reached the "I will maim you dead if you don't shut up" part.

I stood there with my heart pounding, wondering what kind of test that I might be facing at the other side of that door. And as seconds dragged to minutes, I had imagined about fifty deadly tests already with me ending up failing or dead. I silently considered dashing to the exit screaming my lungs out at some point, but I had to mentally scold myself to reduce the constant urges.

"We are ready for you now," Master Armity's voice suddenly cut through the silence, and I did my best to cover up the stifled scream that I momentarily made by fake coughing.

Master Armity gestured his hand to the door, his intensely serious eyes boring through me.

"Right," I said, "Coming, sir."

* * *

"Your Graduation Test will be consisted of three parts," Master Armity explained, "First: The Physical Test. It will determine whether you have properly developed your body under the tutelage of your Master Terrence to match the demands of harsh missions that you will be facing as an Encanteon."

I nodded uncertainly. I wasn't sure if it was the chill of the cold air that made me shiver or the nerves. It could be both. As it turned out, that camouflaged door led to a vast chamber. Who would have thought that the peaceful and beautiful village of Faye would have a place like that? The chamber looked like a creepy temple, lit by glowing green gems that were studded on the roughly hewn walls. At the far end of the chamber, a green shrine was holding a marble statue of a hybrid fairy/demon being - one side was a winged gorgeous woman and other side was an angry-looking bull headed monster with one coiled horn sticking up in an awkward position. In front of the shrine was a spacious rectangular field floored with white marble tiles, which was dotted with weeds jutting out of the crevices. On both sides of the field were canals streaming fresh water coming from the thin falls on the sides of the shrine and leading to the holes on the far opposite wall.