The world around Edric blurred, as his senses began to gradually fade with each passing moment. His body had long since dispersed, leaving whatever remained of him in a vast expanse of nothingness
It was strange, yet somehow familiar. Ah, yes. He had felt this before, the first time he had entered the chamber. But it was also different. Back then he still had his body, now only his mind drifted-suspended in the void. Untouched. Utterly alone.
No. That wasn't right. He wasn't alone. The princess was also here. He couldn't see, hear or feel her presence-yet he knew. She was there.
Their relationship-if it even could be called that-wasn't one of friendship, nor did they get along particularly well. If anything it was the opposite. However, the thought of her being with him offered him at least a small measure of comfort.
His fears and worries also began to fade, as his mind drifted into some kind of sleep. It was a strange, calming sensation, as though the void itself cradled him, offering quiet respite from his burdens. But then, suddenly pain.
It surged through him, sharp and jagged, as though his very being was pulled apart. His senses flared back to life in an instant, raw and overwhelming. And so did his body, which in its entirety felt like it was on fire.
Some might've thought him mad, though he felt relieved. With his senses coming back, his fears and concerns trailed closely behind. The pain was evidence. Evidence that he was still alive and drawing breath.
The pain intensified, his body feeling as if it was being broken down and reassembled. He began to scream, or rather he would've but he seemed to lack vocal cords.
And, as suddenly as it came, it left again. The pain was gone, just like that, as if it had never been. Then he heard an agonizing scream; it took a moment before he recognized him as his own.
Edric's eyes shot open, it took a bit before he adjusted to the light pouring down on him. His lungs gasped for air as if he'd been drowning moments before.
Using his limbs, that felt somewhat foreign, he hauled himself to his feet. Observing his surroundings he found himself standing on a huge desolate hill of solid rock, cracks tearing through threatening to collapse at any moment.
The sky above was tainted in a muted gray, heavy with ash and thick clouds, which the sun just barely managed to pierce through. Far in the distance, a fire was raging.
Turning around, he found the princess lying not far from where he had woken up. She was still unconscious-and just as Halric said, her clothes had changed.
She was now covered in simple, dirt-stained gray robes and her hair had lost its usual lustrous color. It appeared as if the trial had made her appearance match the world around them.
Thinking about it, he realized he hadn't taken a look at himself, yet. Edric now wore a black tunic and a pair of common trousers in the same shade. A longsword hung from his ragged belt.
Unsheathing the blade he studied it, it felt rough and unpolished and slightly dull, certainly not the like the swords he was used to. But he wouldn't complain.
"At least something good," he muttered under his breath.
Edric exhaled, sheathing the blade again as he glanced back at the princess. Her unconscious frame was still, but there was a sudden twitch of her fingers. With a groan she stirred, slowly but surely coming to herself.
It was not long after that her eyelids snapped open. Unlike him, however, she was calm and if anything collected. Edric couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed. It would've been amusing to see the aloof princess' polished exterior falter for a moment.
Noticing him she spoke: "Where… where are we?"
"I don't know."
A heavy silence followed, until Edric wasn't able to hold it anymore and erupted into laughter. Loud and uncontrollable.
"So this is it," he managed between laughs. "This was your big 'You'll see soon enough' moment? Throwing yourself at deaths door? Really?"
The princess didn't react to his outburst. Simply narrowing her eyes, she watched him as if he was being nothing more than an inconvenience to her. But Edric knew better-she was definitely angry.
"If you must make a mockery of it, then I would prefer you do so in silence," she stated.
"Ah, yes, yes. Of course, your highness," Edric said, his voice filled with mockery. "How'd you even come up with this beyond deranged idea?"
"That is none of your concern," she said coldly.
"Alright, if you say so," he said, calming himself. "So what now your majesty, any idea what to do?"
The princess pushed herself up, taking slow and measured breaths, her gaze sweeping over the desolate landscape. Though Edric noticed, that her usual confident demeanor wasn't there.
"I don't know."
Edric blinked, disbelievingly. The amusement he felt before, leaving in an instant. "You're kidding me aren't you?"
The princess turned giving him an icy glance, that said more than words could. She wasn't kidding. Edric was at a loss for words. Apart from being thrown into a life and death situation against his will, he was now also stuck with a deranged princess. He was beginning to wonder if he had been thrown into some twisted nightmare.
But then a thought crossed his mind, a small, bitter smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.
"You know, there might be some merit to you being here."
The princess raised a brow.
"If we die during this trial, it'd serve as a big 'fuck you' to the king."
There was a pause. A long one. Then, to his absolute surprise, the princess chuckled. A low and quiet, humorless laugh.
"I wouldn't be so sure about that," she said, her tone light. "But even if, I won't go down that easily."
"No, you definitely will," Edric said, flatly.
She was a princess. A pampered and sheltered girl that had mostly likely never held a blade in hand, let alone fought with one. Edric could not imagine a scenario of her surviving without his help. And to be honest, he himself wasn't all too confident.
"I wouldn't be so sure about that either," the princess said, pulling some sort of stone out of her pocket. It appeared to be a simple rock, however he soon noticed that there were some sort of runes engraved onto its surface.
"What's that?"
"A runestone," the princess explained. "By absorbing these you attain powers. Though normally they are granted at the very end of the trial."
Edric came a few steps closer to the princess, narrowing his eyes as he studied the runestone. Sure, it was smooth, clean and had some runes etched into, however it still looked fairly ordinary.
"It looks like a rock with some runes scribbled on it," Edric remarked, skeptically
The princess shook her head. "Yes, because it isn't meant for you. But for me. From where I stand, it's glowing with a faint blue light, radiating mana that seems to draw me in. I noticed it immediately after waking up."
Thinking about it, the princess receiving that runestone, while he didn't, made sense, in context of the trial. In the end this was still a 'trial', not an insurmountable quest. So the trial had probably known that the princess lacked survivability and granted her that runestone as compensation.
He couldn't be sure, however. It might've also been an incredible stroke of luck. Still, it was a bit frustrating that he didn't receive a runestone.
He had to depend on himself and the old sword he had been given. But it didn't feel like it was enough.
"So, what are you waiting for?" Edric asked.
The princess' hand twitched, applying weight on the small runestone. Before she knew it, it seemingly disappeared, shattering into many small fragments, but the mana remained. Slowly, it was drawn into the palm which had crushed the runestone.
It wasn't a sensation she hadn't felt before, being born into the royal family the ability to manipulate mana came natural to her. But the mana she controlled never reached the extent of the incoming influx. At first it wasn't noticeable, though as time went on she gradually realised that something within her body began to change.
She couldn't pin point what exactly, but she felt it. A shift, something that made her stronger. The power that rested within her had awakened.
"So?" Edric asked. "Did it work?"
"It did," she said.
Edric raised a brow. "Out with it. What can you do now?"
She shook her head. "I don't know yet."
Edric frowned. "Great, just great. That's very reassuring."
"I just absorbed it," she replied, her voice calm. "It takes time."
Edric bit back his frustration, keeping himself from yet another passive-aggressive remark. Sarcasm wouldn't be of any help now. He took a deep breath, collecting his thoughts.
Even if the princess didn't know the extent of her powers, at least she had them. He on the other hand, was left with a tunic that offered some protection and a sword-not very sharp, but still a sword.
For now, there was no immediate danger in sight. Overall, their situation could've been much worse. There were still many questions, however. What exactly were they meant to do in here?
"So, what do we do now? Any ideas?"
"For the moment, not really."
Though Edric found it hard to believe. The princess, judging by the fact that she'd immediately recognized the runestone, definitely knew more about this trial than she led on.
He glanced at the princess, who had turned to the barren landscape. There was something about her that made him feel uneasy. He shook his head.
It doesn't matter.
He shifted his gaze to the horizon, where in the distance the fire was still raging. The wind carried ash across the cracked earth-and then somewhere between them and the blazing inferno-his eyes caught something. A jagged silhouette against the gray sky.
"Princess," Edric muttered, narrowing his eyes. "You see that?"
"A city…" she replied.
Edric nodded. "Then let's move."
Without exchanging another word the two set off. Climbing down the fractured hill they made their way into the wasteland. Their descent was slow and treacherous. Loose gravel slipped under their feet, the sharp edges of the fractured stone made every step a gamble.
Sword in hand Edric lead the way. However a reason to swing it never appeared before their sight. The wasteland was eerily quiet - save for the wind and the sound of their own footsteps, which seemed unnervingly loud against the oppressive silence.
The landscape before them stretched endlessly, a sea of burnt remnants. The ground was cracked and scarred. Blackened trees, that had once been swallowed by fire, reached towards the sky with bare, gnarled branches. Some still carried a faint ember.
They walked for hours - endless hours, the sky didn't change nor did the horizon; and the city did not seem to draw any closer.
Then, finally, something came into views. A cluster of dark spikes, tattered tents sagging under their own weight and the remains of makeshift barricades. A camp. Long abandoned, but a camp nontheless.
Exhausted, they claimed it as their own and made halt for the day. In the center there was the outline of a fire pit, blackend stones forming a circle. A brittle stack of wood leaned beside it.
If only I had a flint or even a stick…
"Let me try," the princess' voice sounded from behind.
Edric didn't object. He watched as she crouched beside the pit, arranging the old dried out wood with care. Then she raised her hand, fingers steady, eyes closed.
A moment passed, then the wood caught flame. He was surprised, unsure whether it was something she was capeable before coming to this place. Or perhaps that was the power of the runestone.
Dropping down besides the fire he rested his back against an old log. Letting out a sigh his gaze swept over the camp.
It was a small, run down and insignificant place. However, if observed by the right eye, it could tell much of this world's history.
A broken shield, half-buried in ash, with an unrecognizeable coat of arms. A rusty cooking pot hung in one of the torn tents. Lines -perhaps tallies- scratched into the wood of a collapsed crate.
Someone had once fought to survive here.
Under the banner of someone else's war.
Maybe someone is still fighting, Edric thought, the picture of the distant fire vivid in his mind. Maybe that was the answer to what they were supposed to do in trial.
The fire crackled softly, casting long, shifting shadows across the ruin. Edric leaned forward, warming his hands.
"Are we staying here for the night, or continue moving?" Edric asked.
"We stay," the princess answered. "I doubt we'll find a safer shelter anytime soon."
Edric nodded in agreement.
After a while the princess spoke again: "I think there was a war going on in these lands, or maybe still is."
"Yeah, I came to that conclusion as well," Edric said, his tone grim. "Maybe we're meant to finish it."
The princess didn't answer right away, taking her time to ponder his words.
"We might also have been thrown into the aftermath of it."
He mulled over her words. It certainly was a possibility, but it would make things more complicated. What were they even supposed to do then.
Whatever the case, they wouldn't find the answers today…
Edric's attention suddenly snapped away from his thougths as he heard a faint sound. Immediately he stood up, motioning for the princess to stay quiet.
Slowly unsheathing his sword, as to not make any sound, he approached the camp's makeshift barricade of wood, leaning against it. Positioning himself close to the camp's one opening.
Whatever that was approaching them, knew that they were there. The fire gave it away. But he could still take it by surprise.
The footsteps came closer, uneven and weak. Though he wasn't swayn by that, there were many beasts intelligent enough to feign weakness and put you off guard. He wasn't about to make that mistake.
The sound grew louder, each step followed by a ragged breath. It sounded human. Edric's muscles tensed and the grip around his sword tightened.
The princess also stood by now, hidden behind a tent, her palm pointing forward, ready to cast whatever magic she could. When the stranger was close enough he moved. In a swift, fluid motion Edric swung around the corner, his blade swinging with the momentum of his turn.
Before his sword struck true, Edric stopped.
The figure had dropped to its knees. It, or rather he, was covered in blood, his leg deeply wounded.
Edric lowered his blade slightly, pointing it at the strangers head.
The stranger raised his gaze, his eyes stained with desperation and fear.
"Please," he stammered out weakly. "I'm not here to fight. Help… me."
And then he collapsed.
The princess cautiously approached, palm still pointed towards the stranger, high on alert.
Edric knelt beside the stranger, inspecting him. The man was still breathing, uneven and ragged, but alive. But not for long, his wound continued to bleed.
The stranger wore a battered backpack, strapped loosley across his shoulders. Hesitantly Edric reached for it, searching for anything that could be of use.
Inside, he found a half-empty waterskin filled with alcohol, and a bundle of some old cloth.
"Help me carry him to the fire," Edric said.
"You want to help him?" the princess asked. "How do we know he's not some sort of skinwalker?"
Edric had considered that possibility too. Truthfully he wasn't sure the man lying before them was really human. However if he was, the thought of leaving him to die didn't sit right with Edric.
It probably the wisest decision, but it felt like the right one.
"That's a risk we have to take," Edric explained. "There's a chance he knows more about this place than we do."