Jenna stepped through the door and it shut behind her. A few experimental tugs revealed it to be locked. She turned around and looked at the trial in front of her. She was standing in the shadowy corner of a long room. It was filled with lit braziers, crumbling walls, ropes and overhead rafters. Floating just at head height were several small crystals. They cast a wide, yet short, beam of light in front of them. Before Jenna could investigate the crystals, a small rat popped out of a crack in the wall. It scuttled into the middle of the room and emitted a loud squeak. Almost immediately, a nearby crystal cast it's light upon the small creature. Within seconds, the rat was burnt to ash. Jenna gulped. This was going to be difficult.
After the floating gem turned it's attention away from the black spot on the ground that was once a creature, Jenna silently dashed over to a small, broken wall. She ducked behind it and nervously looked over the crumbling masonry. At the very end of the room was another door. Setting it as her goal, she looked around for ways to reach it. Hanging from a rafter in the middle of the room, was a rope. It was thick and was tied securely around the wooden beam. With her heart in her mouth, Jenna picked up a loose stone and drawing her arm back, threw it across the chamber. It soared through the air and clattered against a wall. All of the crystals spun around and focused their deadly light upon the stone. Seeing this as her chance, Jenna quietly left the wall and clambered up the rope with ease. With her feet firmly on the rafters, all there was left to do was to run across to the other side.
Silently, like a cat, Jenna half-ran to the other side of the wooden beam. Below her, the crystalline sentries continued their fruitless search for the intruder. Suddenly, a sharp tug on Jenna's neck caused her to stop in her tracks. She nearly cried out. Worrying for her life she turned around to see that he scarf had gotten caught on an exposed nail. She freed it and continued down the beam. When she reached the end, Jenna quietly dropped down in front of the door. She opened it with agonizing slowness, taking care not to alert the floating gems. When she was on the other side, she slammed it shut with a satisfying BANG. Jenna couldn't help but smile.
Turning around, she noticed that she was in another small chamber, this one containing a pedestal. She curiously crept up to it. Sitting atop the wooden plinth was an iron bracelet. It was covered in beautiful carving and had a small green stone set into it. Without a moment's hesitation, she picked it up and attached it to her arm. Underneath it was a small note. Jenna picked it up and read it.
Not a minute, but half, be the sky, be the path, it read. Feeling confused, Jenna crumpled the note and began investigating the bracelet. Her hand brushed over the stone. Suddenly, her arm disappeared. In fact, her entire body disappeared.
"What in the name of Torna?" she exclaimed. After nearly half a minute, she reappeared. Shaking her head in confusion, Jenna located another door and exited the chamber.
YOU ARE READING
In the Blade's Hilt |A tale from Triterra|
FantasíaAll is well in the Tridom. Wars have stopped, the people are happy and money is flowing freely. It seems that everything is going to be fine. Except it's not. Unbeknownst to the denizens of the Tridom, an ancient evil is returning. An evil with d...
