The Deadly Trials

10 | Fire Wall

// fire wall //

I swallowed the last of the water a servant had given me. Clutching the cup to my chest, I stared out at this strange planet and let out a long sigh.

    Despite the trials of this place, Eternity was beautiful. Its steady shadows, fantastical flowers, and striking colors were like a painting come alive. The butter of the sun and the coconut of the moon wrapped a haze about everything, as though a fog had settled.

    If I hadn't been brought here against my will to challenge these trials, I might've enjoyed this magical planet. Its vacation vistas made me want to lie down and sleep beneath the shade of the mushroom cap trees.

    The fantasy shattered when a palace servant tapped my arm and held their hands out to take my cup. Once I handed it to her, she bowed and gestured to the nearby garden.

    Together we walked through it, toward the next round. The garden thinned, revealing a field of horses.

    They were not horses.

    "These will take you to the next round. Your time starts now, maiden." She bent at the waist again, and before I could ask her what these creatures were, she disappeared.

    "I guess horse racing is an Olympic event, according to this place," I mused to myself.

    Instead of fur, these creatures were covered in scales that shimmered like metal plates in the sunlight. They ranged in color: from turquoise to goldenrod yellow to candy red. Their tails flicked just like a horse's, but they were thin and came to an arrowhead tip. And these creatures had two extra hindlegs, for six legs total.

    I stepped closer, mystified that their spines curved along their necks, pushing against their skin like a mane made of bone. Movement to my left drew my attention away and I stared at another human.

    Her shoulders were near her ears and she curled inward. Her hands fidgeted at her bellybutton and she hopped from foot to foot. She chuckled uneasily. "I know I'm wasting time just standing here, but I can't seem to bring myself to approach one."

    My eyes fixed on the lean creatures again. "Yeah, they're not exactly ponies."

    "They scare me." Her voice quivered. "I'm surprised I've even made it this far, to be honest."

    I sent her a reassuring smile. "How about this. What if we rode on one together? I can try to wrangle one and you can hop on after me."

    Her eyes widened, glistening with unshed tears. "You'd do that for me? But why? We're strangers and – this is a competition. Shouldn't you leave me behind?"

    My smile softened. "This competition is heartless enough. I shouldn't add to it."

    A ghost of a smile passed her lips, and she gave a nod.

    With a deep breath, I moved toward the creatures. Some of them trotted away. But a couple stopped grazing to stare at me as I approached.

    Their eyes dominated their thin faces. Oval and in as many colors as their coats, they focused on me. I couldn't find any pupils. Their ears erect on their heads, they sniffed at me. Their nostrils were the same shape as their eyes but they seemed like sky blue velvet fabric.

    I held my breath and lifted an arm. I watched their ears flatten, and a couple more gave me a wide berth. But two continued to stare at me, tails flicking.

    A few more steps and I would be right in front of one of the biggest in the herd. It had a black coat and saucer eyes. It held its head high, its chest puffed out. I wondered if this was the leader of the herd.