<b>[Scene Loading...]
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<b>[Location: Leoncrest Castle - Library]</b>
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[Date: August 23, y. 485 of the Fourth Age]</b>
"Alright," Zeke frowned as he poured over the map in front of him, Adrian at his side. "So just east of the desert is the river?"
"And you''re going to have to cross it, yes," Adrian murmured, stroking his beard. "That''s where your brother failed, unfortunately. One misstep, and you''ll be whisked right back to the castle. There''s a net strung up across the river to catch students who fall into the water. It actually happens more often than you''d think. Terribly embarrassing to be returned to the castle like that."
"Great," Zeke sighed. "So then, the third flag will be somewhere in there?"
"Yes," Adrian confirmed. "The Dark Wood, as they call it. There are a number of dangers that lurk within, and-"
"Zeke de''Godfrey?"
Zeke looked up as a messenger entered the room. The young boy wore the Academy''s black and silver livery and stood with formal stiffness.
"That''s me," Zeke replied.
"The Headmistress is ready for you," the messenger said. "The Trial begins now."
Adrian nodded to the messenger with a smile. "We will be along."
The messenger vanished, and Adrian placed a hand on Zeke''s shoulder. "Remember everything we''ve discussed. You''re better prepared than most who attempt this Trial."
"Thanks to you," Zeke said, rolling up the map.
"You''ve worked hard these past three days," Adrian replied. "Now it''s time to put that preparation to use."
They walked together through the halls of the academy. Zeke mentally reviewed the extraordinary amount of information Adrian had shared over the previous three days.
The Academy grounds held a truly enormous variety of terrain within its boundaries, most of it incredibly dangerous. Useful for training cadets, of course, but treacherous for the unprepared.
They proceeded out the back of the castle and across the grassy slopes surrounding the academy. Eventually, they came to the large stone wall that held the wilderness at bay.
Headmistress Florence stood there, her face sharp and unforgiving as ever. Several messengers and professors stood nearby, along with an assortment of students who had come to see him off.
Ralph was there wearing his usual grin, and beside him stood Elise, who gave Zeke an encouraging wave. He smiled and nodded back, but kept his focus on what lay ahead.
As he approached the Headmistress, she crossed her arms and regarded him with cold calculation.
"Zeke de''Godfrey, next in the long and unbroken line of House Godfrey, are you prepared to take up your mantle as the next knight of your house?"
"Yes," Zeke nodded firmly, straightening his shoulders.
"Then let me ensure that you understand the challenge," the Headmistress''s voice was crisp and severe. "Here is your map. You will see three markings indicating the location of the three flags you must collect. Return here with all three flags within three days. You may take whatever weapons you wish into the forest, but you may not take any food, water, or camping gear. Do you have any of these forbidden items on you?"
"No," Zeke answered honestly.
The Headmistress looked him up and down sharply, her eyes glowing briefly with what he assumed was a detection spell. After a moment, she nodded.
"Very well. Then let us begin." She turned to a small gate set in the wall. It was rusty and overgrown, and the path beyond looked rough and rarely used. "When you set foot through that gate, you will have exactly three days to return. Make the most of the time."
"I will," Zeke said simply.
Ralph called out, "Show them what House Godfrey is made of!"
Elise added, "We''ll be waiting for you!"
Zeke nodded to his friends, then drew in a deep breath. He stepped up to the gate and placed his hand upon it, paused for a moment, and then pushed it open and stepped through.
Almost instantly, the air itself seemed to change. The trees of the woods, even the parts closest to the Academy (which weren''t considered the dark parts) were ancient and twisted, with gnarled branches that seemed to reach for him.
They grew far apart, though, with only brush and saplings filling the space between. Zeke closed the gate, then took a few steps and pulled out the map.
"Take your time," Adrian had counseled him back in the library. "More than a few cadets over the years have failed because they slipped and broke an ankle, or got lost. The march could technically be completed in a day and a half for someone experienced. Get your bearings first, then move."
Zeke studied the map carefully. The three flags were positioned in three of the many areas of the Academy grounds.
One was in the Dark Forest, one was in the desert (officially known as the Red Wastes), and the third was located in the Old Forest. The Old Forest flag was closest, due west.
The map didn''t have many details, but it did show a small trail leading in that direction, across the river. Zeke took a deep breath, then started westward.
Because of the course of the river, he would have to cross it twice: once at the beginning and once near the end. Thankfully, the path in that area was easy to follow, and he soon came to a stone bridge that spanned the raging waters.
He paused for a moment, looking down into the churning river. Directly below, he could see the ancient net, green with moss and barnacles, as well as a steep path climbing the walls of the twenty-foot cliffs.
"Not planning to test that net today," he muttered to himself with a small smile, then quickly crossed the bridge and continued down the path.
The path from that point became fainter and more difficult to follow. Zeke slowed his pace as he entered a section called the Training Woods, which appeared to be used for sparring practice.
There were actually a handful of other students there as he passed through, dancing among the trees as their instructors called out orders.
"Now the oak tree! Bohregard, on defense! Alisa, try to break his guard!"
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Zeke nodded politely as he passed, but kept his eyes focused on the path. He could just see traces of it here and there among the undergrowth.
"This is going to be the most important part," Adrian''s voice echoed in his memory. "It seems easy, but it''s not. If you hit the Old Forest in the wrong place, you''ll have an impossible time of it. Take the Training Woods slowly, and find the right path."
Suddenly, Zeke realized he couldn''t see the path ahead, and he frowned. That was a problem.
His eyes swept back and forth over the woods, and he backed up a few steps. Where had it gone? There! He caught sight of an old tree root where a divot in the wood showed where it had grown to accommodate an ancient footpath.
Quickly, he jumped over it and continued, striking through the woods at a steady pace.
The further he went, the thicker the trees became. He was starting to wonder if he had reached the Old Forest when he saw a small stone wall running through the woods.
It was only a couple feet high and crumbling into dust. An ancient gate loomed ahead, and beyond that, the trees grew far thicker.
"And that''s my goal," he murmured. "Let''s get to it."
In the Old Forest, the trees grew much closer together, and the path became rougher. The ground was rockier, and the sunlight more sparse.
The faint light filtering through the trees seemed somehow more distant, and he shivered as he heard something roar in the distance. Adrian hadn''t had time to discuss exactly what sorts of creatures he might find there, but Zeke gathered there were some truly formidable threats.
<b>「???????????????? ????????????」</b>
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【Old Forest - Interior】
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<b>【Threat Level: Moderate】</b>
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【Wildlife: Active】</b>
Onward the path went. Strange things loomed out of the depths.
He caught sight of old buildings and crumbling piles of stones and mortar, and wondered about their history, but knew he didn''t have time to stop and investigate. Finally, ahead of him, he caught sight of a small clearing and a flash of red.
"Is that...?" he quickened his pace, and soon entered the clearing to find a red flag fluttering from a tree branch.
He snatched it up quickly, then held it up for inspection. The number 1 was clearly embroidered across it. He folded it carefully and tucked it into his pocket.
"One down," he murmured with satisfaction. "That wasn''t so hard."
Of course, he knew there was a good chance this was intentional. Make him feel confident to lower his guard.
He checked his map, then looked up at the sky. It was nearing noon, and he needed to head north and slightly east.
And this time, there was no path.
He took a slow breath as he realized how difficult the next portion would be. Still, there was nothing to do but forge ahead. He struck off slowly into the woods, moving north and east as best he could.
With the dense trees surrounding him and the sun nearly directly overhead, it was almost impossible to maintain his direction. The few beams of sunlight that managed to pierce the canopy did little to help orient him.
He was also beginning to feel both hungry and thirsty, which only complicated matters.
"Alright. So now we''re really starting to get challenging," he said to himself. "Let''s see what we can do about this."
Thankfully, Adrian had taught him a useful trick involving tree trunks. Moss tends to grow mostly on the northern side of trees, which, while not a perfect indicator, did help him keep moving in the right direction.
He also kept his eye out for a particular type of flower that grew in the area.
"There we go," he said when he spotted one. It had blue petals forming a cup-like shape.
He plucked one of the flower cups and lifted it to his mouth, allowing the trapped dew to trickle down his throat. It wasn''t much, but it refreshed him, and he continued onward. Food was harder to come by, but he managed to scavenge a few berries as he went.
"Remember, food isn''t your concern," Adrian had warned. "Three days without water, and you''ll be dead. Three days without food, and you''ll just have a renewed appreciation for the dining hall upon your return. Many a candidate has lost precious hours trying to bag a deer or pheasant."
Using the moss technique to navigate through the woods, he moved along at a steady pace, collecting the dew-filled flowers whenever he found them.
Finally, as evening approached, he caught sight of a break in the trees ahead and quickened his pace. He stepped out to find himself looking across the Red Wastes, and his jaw dropped.
Even in the fading light, the Red Wastes were impressive. It was an artificial desert, constructed using the professors'' magic in the early days of the Academy.
Though only a few miles across, it was completely barren, with only red rocks broken here and there by red sand. Zeke paused, then glanced up at the darkening sky.
Best to camp here, he decided. He would tackle the Red Wastes when the sun rose the next day.
Night in the forest brought new challenges. Adrian hadn''t had time to cover camping techniques or fire-building in detail, and although Zeke was sure he could have been quite comfortable with the proper knowledge, he had to make do.
He settled into the crook of a large tree and kept his sword at the ready. The night seemed to come alive around him with rustling, chittering, and the occasional distant howl.
He dozed off and on, waking at the slightest noise.
A few times, he heard something large moving through the underbrush nearby. He gripped his sword tightly, ready to defend himself, but whatever it was moved on without approaching.
After what felt like an eternity, the eastern sky began to lighten.
Zeke rose stiffly, muscles protesting after the uncomfortable night. He stretched, then gathered as many of the blue flowers as he could find.
The morning dew had filled them to capacity, and he drank deeply before facing the desert.
"Time to see what I''m made of," he said, looking out across the harsh landscape ahead.
With determined strides, he set off into the Red Wastes. The moment he stepped across the boundary, he felt the air grow arid and his skin turn flaky.
The magic that had created this place did more than just alter the landscape—it affected the entire environment. Knowing he had limited time, he pressed onward as the sun began to beat down mercilessly.
The greatest challenge was mental, and Zeke focused on keeping his wits about him. Heat waves rose before him, but he was somewhat encouraged by the fact that he could see the Dark Forest on the far side.
If he''d been forced to spend much longer in the desert, it would have been a different story, but he only needed to cross it. That shouldn''t be too hard... right?
It might have been easy, had the terrain not been so treacherous.
Though it was only a few miles, it suddenly felt like much more. Ravines appeared without warning, forcing him to climb down and then back up again.
Sand pits loomed in front of him, threatening to swallow him and forcing him to take lengthy detours. He could see a black pillar of stone ahead that marked the location of the flag, but it didn''t seem to get any closer no matter how hard he pushed.
"Come on!" he growled. "Don''t give up now!"
His determination remained solid. When he finally reached the black pillar and found a tattered red flag labeled "2" fluttering in the wind, he snatched it up with a triumphant grin.
Two down. One to go. The sun was still climbing toward noon, and he turned east once again, pressing onward with renewed energy.
Ahead of him, the trees of the Dark Forest loomed, and he heard the roar of the river in the distance. His mouth was dry, and he felt his pace beginning to slow as the relentless sun sapped his strength.
"Keep going," he told himself firmly. "Almost there."
His foot slipped on loose stone, and he collapsed onto the red rocks. His palms were sliced on the sharp edges, and he gritted his teeth.
"I am not going down here!"
He forced himself back to his feet and staggered forward once more. Each step came slowly, painfully.
When he encountered obstacles, he had to force himself through with sheer willpower. Still, onward he went.
"I''m not getting beaten by a pile of rocks," he muttered. "Not happening."
The heat made his head swim and his legs ache. He began to understand why the three-day march was such a challenge.
No matter which route you chose, the desert stood in the middle, draining your strength before you could reach the next flag. But there was nothing to do but keep moving.
In the distance, the steady roar of the river grew louder and louder, bringing a smile to his face.
He was almost there.
It was around three o''clock in the afternoon when he reached the edge of the desert. A wall of red stone boulders, some dozens of feet tall, marked the boundary, with dark trees growing between them.
A few paths wound through the area, and he slipped through, feeling the air grow more humid as he passed beyond the barrier.
Emerging from the rocks, he found himself standing on the edge of a cliff thirty feet above the raging river. A narrow rope bridge led across to the other side, though a single glance revealed it was extremely rickety.
Down a narrow path, a series of stepping stones offered another crossing option. And on the far side...
Zeke''s eyes narrowed. On the opposite bank stood Diocletian de''Minziar, staring at him defiantly.
The boy slowly raised his hand, revealing he was holding the third flag, then turned and walked into the Dark Forest with a mocking flourish.
<b>「?????????????????? ????????????」</b>
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【Objective: Retrieve third flag from Diocletian】
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<b>【Flag location: Dark Forest】
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<b>【Remaining time: 1.5 days】</b>
Zeke felt a flash of anger and placed his hand on the hilt of his sword. This complicated things significantly. Now he''d have to pursue Diocletian through the Dark Forest to retrieve the final flag.
"Of course it couldn''t be that simple," he muttered, eyeing his options for crossing the river.
<b>[Scene Close]</b>
<b>[Earned Emblems:]
Heart of the Warrior</b>
<b>[Active Quests:]
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<b>[Capture the Flag: Get the third flag from Diocletian]</b>