Day Three to Day Six – Trial by Fire, Blood, and Glory
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Day Three – The Fire of the Hearth (Cooking Challenge)
The arena was transformed into a grand open kitchen, with stone ovens, sizzling iron pots, and rows of ingredients laid out like war tools. Spices from Cush, root vegetables from Shem, cured meats from Nimrod—every tribe had brought its best. The crowd was alive with the aroma of roasting, searing, boiling.
David, shorter than every counter, wore a small apron that read: "Made with Chaos."
His opponent: a serious, silent woman from the tribe of Seba, her arms scarred from years of fire-crafting in tribal kitchens.
David cracked his knuckles, grabbed a mango, and shouted, "Today, we make fire sing!"
He tossed spices like he was casting magic—flipping a pan of marinated goat meat, caramelizing plantains in palm sugar, dashing wild herbs into a bubbling stew. The scent that rose from his station stopped people mid-breath.
The judges, including one of Queen Mariah's chefs, took bites.
Then they gasped.
"Who taught you to cook like this?" one whispered.
David grinned, licking his fingers.
"Let's just say… I was hungry a lot."
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Day Four – The Arena of Bone (Wrestling)
By now, David was the talk of every campfire, the golden child of the Founders's Games. But as he stepped into the sandy pit of the wrestling ring, the crowd held its breath.
Across from him stood a juggernaut of a man—bald, bare-chested, tattooed in red ink from the tribe of Nimrod.
David tilted his head.
"You sure you're in the right game? You look like you eat wrestlers."
The bell rang.
What followed looked like a mouse dodging a lion. David ducked, twisted, leapt—letting the giant trip over his own feet, using momentum against him, never relying on strength.
And then, with a flick of motion, he twisted the Nimrod warrior's arm, flipped him off balance, and slammed him into the ground.
The colosseum shook with awe.
David stood over him, panting. "I don't lift weights. I lift moments."
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Day Five – Blade and Bruise (Close Combat)
This round had no games, no flair. Just fists, kicks, and short blades. The fighters were given light armor and blunt knives to simulate combat, but the pain would be real.
David faced a boy from the tribe of Shem—older, serious, disciplined.
Their blades clashed like metal verses. David ducked, weaved, moved like a shadow, but his opponent fought with purpose and form.
For the first time, David bled.
A cut across his cheek.
He licked it. Smiled.
"Nice."
Then he moved faster. He disarmed his opponent with a trick twist and slammed the hilt of his blade into his chest. The crowd roared.
Victory again.
But David walked off silently this time, hand over his ribs, eyes sharper than before.
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Day Six – The Grand Trial (The Final Race)
The final day brought thousands. The Guardian King stood beside Mariah, whose belly glowed faintly under moonlight silks. Even the Huntress sat forward. The prize was near.
The race was split into four grueling legs:
1. Horseback Dash – Across rocky hills and jungle paths.
2. Feast of Endurance – Contestants had to eat and keep down massive plates of foreign food under pressure.
3. Lake of Trials – A deep swim through a series of cave passages.
4. The Gauntlet – A final combat run against six masked warriors guarding a sacred cup.
The horn blew.
David galloped on a black stallion smaller than the others, but faster. He took wild shortcuts, slid under branches, and flew over ridges like a wind-born spark.
At the feast, he held his stomach, eyes watering—but smiled through it.
In the water, he swam like a serpent, slipping through currents, past desperate splashes of slower warriors.
Then came the Gauntlet.
Six masked fighters. Each one a test of speed, skill, and courage.
David faced them with no fear. He didn't overpower them—he out-thought them, misdirected, lured, escaped.
He grabbed the silver cup from the stone altar, tucked it under his arm, and ran—bloodied, breathless, eyes burning with victory.
He entered the colosseum to an eruption of sound.
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The Victor's Circle
David stood before Mother Mariah. She stepped down with grace, her smile soft as moonlight.
"You are clever… reckless… but full of light," she said.
She leaned down and whispered something in his ear.
David's eyes widened.
He knelt.
The Guardian King handed him a gold-trimmed cloak, and David was named Champion of the Tribes.
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Above the Cheers – In the Shadows
Amariah watched from her hidden box again.
"This… was not the outcome I wanted," she whispered.
Abinadab stepped beside her. "He's just a boy."
"No," she replied. "He's a key."
Then a voice came from the shadows behind her.
A stranger in grey.
"You've played your part well, Amariah. The Founders are watching. Soon… we'll need her blood. And the child inside her."
Amariah's eyes narrowed.
"Then let the games end. The real war begins."