Legends of Dorconia Book 1- Elisif

Chapter 8 The Final Trial

After what Ronin did a few hours ago back in the Arena I was a little scared of him. The way he had no sign of mercy in his eyes when he threw Torcardia into the arena and let him die was horrifying. It just posed more questions about his past and his identity. I knew he was keeping stuff from me. He had killed his kinsmen for me. He had walked across a mountain for days for me and had even thrown an old evil man into an arena with a bloodthirsty boar   waiting for human flesh. The first time I met him I thought of him as funny and cool but then I learned he had a strong sense of protection for his friends and finally at the arena I saw who he truly was. He was dangerous and would give no mercy to anyone who had hurt his loved ones. So why did I still hang around with him. If I thought of him this way now why didn't I just abandon him and finish the quest on my own. I did it because I was like him. I would never ever leave a friend behind. Ronin had been silent ever since we left the mountain but I could tell there was something wrong. He wasn't smiling, frowning or even scowling. His expression was just blank. Exactly how he looked when he wanted to kill me back in the arena. We kept walking in silence until  we sat down to have lunch. Again as we ate, we ate in silence until I mustered the courage I had been holding in for days. I slipped my hand into his and squeezed. "It will be okay" I cooed. "What you did back there was the right thing to do. If you didn't we would probably be dead". I didn't look at him but I could tell he was smiling once again. "Thank you Elisif I'm sorry if what I did scared you but even if I told you why I did it you wouldn't believe me". "You know I would always believe you no matter what happened". I moved closer to him and whispered in his ear "I love you" I said as I rested my head on his shoulder. He wrapped his arm around me and said nothing. We sat there for a long time in that position. Then Ronin spoke "We better go. It's time for your final trial". I didn't like it but he was right after everything we had been through it was time for my final trial. Then we would be able to get the scepter to Ightsaom's place without any interruptions. Soon after a few hours of walking we saw something on the horizon. It was too small for a mountain and too large for a crazy woman's house. It looked like a giant wall. It took us another hour to get to the wall. It was about thirty meters tall and stretched in ether direction. No matter how far I looked to the right or the left but the wall did not end. The whole thing gave me the creeps but Ronin took my hand. "No matter what happens we fight together". My quiver was full, my bow was ready and the scepter was still strapped on my back. Ronin had his scythe and no matter what happened we would fight together. Ronin pressed his other hand on the wall and the stone crumbled away. An opening appeared and together we stepped into darkness.

The first thought that entered my head was it was cold. The first room was made of pure stone with eight tunnels leading in different directions. I started to shiver but then Ronin wrapped his arm around me. "Lets go" he said. "But which tunnel do we take"?. Ronin stared down "Well the first one leads to certain death, the second will lead us into a torture room, the third will bring us to paradise and we will never want to leave, fourth will get us ripped apart, fifth one is full of traps, the sixth will make our souls leave our body and the seventh one is a dead end. And I mean DEAD end". I stared at him "How? How do you know"? "Don't ask Elisif". He was different, more agitated and cold. "The eighth is the right way". I decided not to argue. I trusted Ronin's judgement. After an hour avoiding traps and fighting monsters I asked where we were. "This Elisif. This is the Labyrinth. It's miles long and full of near death. Most that go in don't come out. Only one person has ever survived and they should be dead by now". I didn't like the way he said should. We kept fighting. I had to retrieve my arrows every time we fought a battle. Ronin was able to hold his own fighting mercilessly against monsters striking them down in cold blood. We had been in the labyrinth for at least seven hours. I was also guessing this was my final trial. We must be nearly there by now I thought. I was right there it was the exit. We ran towards it but instead of an exit it was a huge cavern and right in the middle was Alton. Kneeling on the ground soaked in blood, his clothes ragged and his arms bound and standing beside him holding a sword to my brothers throat was a man. He wore black armour and had a hooked nose and a large scar running down his cheek and the sword he held was made of steel. "Why hello Elisif" he said in a mocking tone "Give me the staff and I will not kill your brother" said Charivari.

"GIVE ME BACK MY BROTHER YOU MONSTER"! I screamed. Charivari laughed. "Of course young princess. Just give me the scepter and I will of course..." He stopped talking and for once I saw something new in his face what was it?. Panic. I heard footsteps behind me. Ronin walked up behind me slowly taking off his scythe and spoke "We meet again Charivari". Charivari stood up "Ronin. Its been a while". Ronin smiled "Your right. Whats it been, twenty, twenty five years". Okay who was Ronin. He said he met Charivari twenty years ago and he didn't look more than nineteen. He looked back at me "Elisif. Take your brother and get him out of the way while I deal with Charivari". I nodded and Ronin got into his combat stance. I ran to Alton and dragged him away. "Lets finally settle this Charivari". "Okay my old friend". They clashed and I stared in horror and admiration. Ronin swung his scythe and just missed Charivari's throat but Charivari regained his footing and brought his blade down at Ronin. Ronin went for another attack and managed a small cut on Charivari's cheek which meant he was probably going to have two scars. One on each. They fought for ten minutes until Charivari knocked his blade at Ronin's face knocking him to the ground. He lay still. Charivari kicked his side for good measure and then walked away muttering unconscious glumly. I got up knocking an arrow in my bow and readying myself to fire. Charivari laughed at my courage and spoke. "Listen Elisif. Before you decide to kill me I thought you might want a trade". "I have nothing for you monster". He laughed that maniacal laugh again and took something out of his pocket. It was a small glass tube with a corkscrew at the top. The liquid inside was pure red and I felt extremely warm from it. "What is that"? I asked with my bow still in my hands. "This Elisif. Is the only known cure for Frostfall". I gasped. Charivari smiled. "Yes I thought you might want it. Give me the scepter and I will give you the vial and your brother". I thought about it. Was it worth it. "Fine" I shouted throwing the scepter to him. "Now give me the vial". He smiled and grasped the weapon of destruction and then he let the vial fall to the floor shattering. "NNNNNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO"!!! I screamed. Then he grasped his sword ran to my brother and stabbed him through the chest. Then Alton fell to the floor lifeless. Charivari turned to me. "Thank you Elisif. You have been of  amazing help. Then he and Ronin's unconscious form disappeared.