novus au

CH 12

Today was the day, they stood side by side waiting for the toll of the golden bell to ring. Elasma nerves were running wild while Refiucl was calm and collected.

Finally, it went to the last minute. "Scared?" Reficul asked softly.

"You wish," Elasma scoffed in response.

Reficul simply smirked in response.

It rings and while everyone breaks off in a sprint. Reifucl simply walks to his trial. Elasma jogs and kept an eye on Reficul. They enter the dark building which holds their task, it goes dark and Elasma can feel the floor fall from underneath him, but he remained calm and held his tongue.

A lot of people screamed and then it all went silent. Did... did they die? Then he felt it, he was falling. Elasma made sure to breathe as he fell, if he were to pass out now it would surely be the end of him.

The wind rushed past him as his heart began to race, speeding quickly, as he pounded about his life, where was he going, was he going to survive this? If he did, then what would come from it. He was so scared, if this was only the first trial how hard would the others be How could he possibly think he could become an angel...

But he had a reason. What was that reason? What could a meager orphan blessed with good fate have to win? Zazael, and Maomai. They were counting on him, his brothers, needed him, they needed him to succeed. He needed to take care of them.

He needed to win, for them, it was all for them. Everything he did, it was for his brothers. So as his awareness grew, the darkness seemed to lighten and the fall seemed to stop. Slowly he extended his legs and they touched onto the stone floor. He was safe.

On solid ground once again. He took in a soft exhale as he felt the air calm around him.

It was dark but he could still see, at least, the outlines of things. He stopped softly listening to the echos of his shoes. Step after step a sense of confusion overwhelmed him, but he stayed strong, he had to pass. He had to win. But he didn't know where he was going. Was this what happened when he failed. Did he just fail?

No... The test wouldn't trick him like that. If he had lost he wouldn't be left in the dark, maybe he would.... But he didn't know. Maybe this was the end, but even still he had to find a way to win. He had to.

Soon he heard another pair of shoes join the dark. He froze looking around for any other soul.

A soft glow of lamp ignited in the room showing who he was down here with.

"How did you get down here so quickly?" Reifucl asked bitterly.

"Nice to see you too," Elasma scoffed. "Besides that is none of your business... and where did you get that lamp?"

"Those who have faith are rewarded. It is clear that you had a large amount of doubt weighing you down," Reifucl replied.

"It's not my fault the floor opened up," Elasma growled.

"Or is it?" Reifucl questioned.

"It was you who decided to go along with the rest of the crowd, that pack mentality will not help you when you are all alone. In this test, you are supposed to work independently not with others," Reficul growled.

"Whatever, so what do you think the next trial is?" Elasma asked.

"I don't know and if I did I wouldn't tell you," Reficul barked back as he covered his lamp, the room going dark again.

"Hey! You are being a dick,"

"It's not my fault you are reckless,"

Then silence, Reficul carried on his merry way but all sound that echoed from the halls was the sound of his shoes departing along the smoothed stone.