Sandstorm [ACOTOR series side story]

Twenty-eight

First, Nashira was bombarded by tiny needles that caused her an enormous amount of pain. She figured this was Easl's skill because she was renowned for her accuracy with a bow. From that test, Nashira learned perception. She had to listen, scent and sense for whatever was hitting her with those needles. She eventually found the creatures covered in needles and killed them. She faced a few more animals who had something to do with one of the people sitting on the tribunal. These tests were so different from the aptitude tests she'd taken before. It made sense because then no one could cheat by completing nearly all the tests then taking the Iurad test after. But it wasn't as bad as she had expected at that point. Painful, but within her limits.

Then there was the noise.

A constant screeching sound was emitted from somewhere and no matter how she blocked her ears, she still heard it. And just when she'd lost one of her senses, something came barreling into her from her side. It disoriented her and she had a hard time getting up, but it all only continued. From this, she learned to sense the vibrations in the ground and how to sense an enemy by it. It was extremely hard to do, especially when the screeching sound made vibrations of its own. But she'd adjusted to it and swiftly stabbed the beast when it made its next pass at her.

"I'll be black and blue by the end of this" Nashira chuckled after that. She only realized later that her ears had begun to bleed from the horrid sound in those caverns. But blessedly it stopped, and her fortune didn't let up then as she'd soon discovered a lit-up path with glowworms. 

At the end of that path, she found a huge lake with stalagmites and stalactites with hundreds of hundreds of glowworms lighting it up. Nashira was stunned by its beauty, she knew if it weren't for the Iurad tests, she'd have stopped to admire it.

"Congratulations, you have arrived at the last test." Nashira narrowed her eyes to the far side of the lakeshore and saw Sari standing there in her minimalist dark blue robes.

"I'd like to say I didn't find it challenging, but my current state speaks for itself" Nashira replied.

"Well, from what I know, you are one of the few who reached this stage so quickly." Nashira took the round-about compliment from her with humility.

"Do you know why I am here?" the priestess asked sharply.

"It must have something to do with your position, but also your specific test."

"You are correct. There has only been a fifth of every applicant who has taken these tests that have gotten the chance to take the Akh trial, prove you can be one of them."

Nashira learned two things; one, the final test would have anyways taken place in these caverns, maybe all at once. Two, this test wouldn't be a physical one, but a mental test. From the slight glow grew bright symbols in the air around Nashira, each foreign and unknown, but beautiful, nonetheless. The colours differed between them and no two symbols were the same colour as the rest. To someone who didn't see their true beauty, they appeared like a child's scribbles with paints and chalks.

"Solve this, and you are free to continue to the Akh trial. Whether you live or die, fail or quit, you will always be remembered as Nashira Gamal of the plains." Sari spoke her last words as she appeared to blink out of existence as the projection of herself disappeared. Nashira turned her attention back to the puzzle set in front of her and didn't know where to start.

~

"Why won't this work?" Nashira growled in frustration over the puzzle.

She'd been trying to solve the test for so long, she lost track of time, so she didn't even know if it was day or night currently. Soon after she'd started, she had discovered that she could manipulate the symbols to rearrange them however she wished. She had tried to arrange them by colour, then shape, then by size, but nothing happened. This puzzle proved to be unsolvable.