by TR Cameron
The tunnel continued unchanged until it opened into a large rectangular room. Massive candelabras hung by golden chains from the ceiling, but in place of candles were crystals that glowed with brilliant white light. The center of the room held a path created by a series of flat circular stones, again etched with strange symbols. The rest of the space was otherwise unremarkable grey stone. A tunnel at the far end offered an exit. She frowned at the arrangement. “What, am I supposed to guess? Is it hopscotch?”
The sound of echoing laughter accompanied Kaeni as the woman materialized beside her, looking much as she had before their battle. “Of course not.” She gestured toward the path of rounded stones. “Each disc contains a challenge. Your first choice in response to each shall be the one you are judged upon.”
Ruby frowned. “And if I should fail?”
“It is less a test of ‘succeed and fail’ than it is of understanding. However, should you ultimately be found wanting, you will awake among the mystics with no memory of what has passed, only a recollection that you visited them to cure your headache.”
“You can do that?”
The other woman shrugged as if it was apparent. “Of course.”
“What sort of challenges will I face? I have no weapons, obviously.”
A smile grew on Kaeni's lips. “Whatever you need will be provided. Best of luck to you, Ruby Achera.” She faded too fast for a reply.
Ruby faced the discs with a frown, then shrugged her shoulders to loosen them and shook out her wrists. “Okay. Okay, sure. It’s weird, but it’s certainly unlikely to be as dangerous as the rest since I don’t have any weapons.”
The voice inside her head laughed darkly but didn’t offer any other response. The discs were set about three feet from one another and the first about that same distance from where she stood. She leapt over the intervening space and landed with her knees bent and arms slightly out, ready for what might come. A small cry came from her left, and she twisted in that direction to see a man standing behind a child, choking him. The young boy struggled as his face turned purple, his feet kicking off the ground.
Ruby reacted by instinct, her hand dipping toward where one of her throwing knives would be, knowing that speed mattered. The blade was where she expected it to be, and she measured the situation as the knife reached position. She whipped out her arm and the weapon flew true. It stabbed into one of the man’s arms, causing him to drop the child and rear back in pain. They both started to fade before his captive’s feet hit the floor, and a moment later were gone.
Ruby focused on calming her breathing while she waited for her thumping heart to slow. “What the hell?”
Kaeni's voice spoke from all around her, or maybe it was only in her head. It seemed so unreal. “You had a choice to make. Not to defend the child, of course. Anyone would have done that. Rather, to aim for a vital spot and kill the man or to strike at his arm and allow him to live. Your first instinct was to preserve both lives.”
Ruby shook her head. She hadn’t made a conscious choice. It had simply worked out that way. A blue ring glowed on the outside of the next circle as if inviting her to move forward. She waited one more moment to be sure she was steady, then leapt to it, landing in the same position as before. This time the action was off to her right. A human man and a Mist Elf woman appeared, each about the same age and dressed in no particularly impressive fashion. Ordinary folks.
She had enough time to register their presence before a deep war cry came from a short distance behind them. A Kilomea materialized, rushing forward with an ax in each hand, clearly intent on killing one of the people before him. The huge creature wore heavy leather armor, and his blades looked frighteningly sharp. She was in motion before her brain fully assessed the situation. The two possessed no obvious differences other than species and gender, which might have been the point of the test.
She ignored them both, instead taking a line directly toward the onrushing Kilomea. She marshaled her magic to summon a force shield before her, intending to take him out the same way she had Kaeni. Unfortunately, her magic failed to respond. With a growl, she reached for the sword on her back, trusting it would materialize as the knife had, but her hand found nothing. All right, then. The hard way. She lifted her arms in front of her head to protect it and continued forward, throwing her body at the Kilomea.
The universe suddenly shifted as if she was grabbed and thrown across the room but somehow simultaneously didn’t move at all, and she was back on the disc. The man and the woman bowed slightly to her and vanished. Ruby panted, “Okay. You suck.”
Understanding filled Kaeni's laughter. “The junra can, of course, end the trial at any time simply by stepping off the path after a challenge. Surely you didn’t think it would be easy?”
Ruby shook her head and wiped her sweaty palms on her robe. “I didn’t, but maybe I hoped it would be.” Before she could worry about it further, she leapt to the next disc. The challenge appeared off to the left again, and this time it was the dwarf who was at least one of the spiders that occupied the center of the web of troubles in Magic City. Grentham raised his hands to cast a spell at her, and she reacted without thought. She snatched a throwing dagger and whipped her arm forward, then second-guessed herself, wondering if she was supposed to make peace. She tried to stop the throw, but her body continued moving, and she suddenly realized what the other woman had meant about her first choice being judged.
The blade left her hand and tumbled in slow motion through the air until it struck the dwarf in the chest, knocking him back several steps. A shocked look appeared on his face as he stared down at the weapon, and he cupped it in both hands as if he would pull it out. Then he fell backward and faded into nothingness. Ruby froze, wondering if she had chosen wrong, fearing she would be judged a failure and kicked out of the venamisha. Nothing happened. Either I chose properly or not badly enough to end the trial. Either way, I’ll take it, but maybe I need to keep an eye on that instinctive, aggressive response. I could have shielded instead. But he’s such a scumbag. It wasn’t any kind of justification, but the insult did make her feel slightly better. Out loud, she said, with false confidence, “Getting pretty repetitive there, Kaeni. Can’t think of anything different?”
She leapt to the next stone, intending to land in the same position. Her surprise was complete when she passed through the disc unhindered and landed in cold water that immediately covered her head. She stroked for the surface, but an inexorable force pulled at her, dragging her down. She spun in a circle looking for handholds, but the sides were as slick as glass. Trying to summon her magic revealed that it was blocked. The first burn in her lungs arrived with a wave of panic, and it locked up her mind for several precious moments. Fortunately, some part of her was smart enough not to open her mouth, not to try to breathe. When she’d collected her wits again, she tried swimming upward. Each stroke increased the downward pull.
She saw the solution in that instant but wasn’t sure she had the presence of mind or remaining air in her lungs to pull it off. She forced herself to relax, letting the fear spill out of her, picturing it leaving her in a wreath of bubbles. Her body started to rise as she stopped resisting. Several seconds later, another of those wrenches in reality deposited her back on the disc she’d failed to hit with her last jump, dry, warm, and nonetheless shaking from toes to head.
She focused on keeping her balance since sitting might be against the rules, and managed to force out the words, “Okay. D-don’t tease the g-ghostly game master. Good. Got it.” Only two discs remained before she reached the tunnel. As soon as her body recovered enough that she thought she could manage it, she leapt for the next ring. This time, something truly unexpected happened.
To her right, part of a room materialized, as if she stood in the middle of it. The floor was wooden planks, the walls rich paneling, and a gorgeous, polished rack holding an array of amazing weapons dominated the end of the space. It held several swords, an equal number of daggers, plus s
pears, bows, and even more esoteric weapons like clubs, flails, and maces. They all appeared to be of the highest quality. Probably Drow made.
She strode forward to examine the items, unable to keep herself from touching them and knew she faced a choice. Which weapon she selected would matter somehow. She appraised them with an experienced eye and started to notice differences among them. Several of the blades were so pristine they were clearly unblooded. Others had seen use but hadn’t been cared for adequately, as the metal was notched and scarred. Her examination resulted in discovering two weapons that appeared to match, both worn enough at the hilt to show that they’d been used but with pristine blades that demonstrated deep care. Of all the weapons, they would be the most dependable since any flaws that existed would’ve already appeared. Just like me. Flawed but functional.
She nodded in satisfaction and reached for them, but something stopped her at the last minute, a voice in her head reminding her she hadn’t yet earned the right to wear paired swords. With a momentary sadness, she selected only one. It vanished under her fingertips, and the room did the same. She was left standing on the disc, feeling as if she’d made the correct choice, but wishing that she’d been able to make the other one. She muttered, “I didn’t get the weapon, so it’s not like it matters. But I sure thought I would, at the moment.” The replacement of reality that the ritual accomplished was nothing short of phenomenal.
She jumped ahead to the last, feeling her ability to cope with the tests coming at her start to flag. The room fell into darkness, save a single crystal that emitted a glow covering the disc. A male voice, deep, resonant, and familiar from the first venamisha intoned, “Junra, the time has come to decide what you want.” The emphasis on the last word was clear. “Do you wish to live a normal life, or do you wish to continue on this path, despite the dangers and challenges it may present?”
“Normal” floated into her brain, and a spike of fear shot through her because although that’s what her brain offered, it wasn’t the choice she wanted. The man’s voice returned. “Your mind thinks one thing, but your heart is far surer of what it wants. Here, we test the heart.” The beam of light shifted to illuminate the exit. With a sigh of relief, Ruby jumped over the intervening space and headed out of the room, on to the next challenge.
Chapter Five
The short tunnel ended in what seemed to be a perfectly square room. The same golden tiles as the initial hallway covered it. The massive object in the center of the chamber tinted everything. A cube stood on a point, made of glowing purple crystal. Ruby approached it slowly, on guard for apparitions, attacks, or any other random occurrences. When she neared the cube, Kaeni appeared. One moment she was absent, the next, fully present. Ruby exclaimed, “Damn it, woman, is that really necessary?”
She laughed. “I like your attitude. Reminds me of me. It will serve you well, assuming someone doesn’t kill you for it.”
“Is that what happened to you?”
The other woman shook her head but didn’t offer any additional information. “Within that chamber is the test of wisdom. It will determine whether you are worthy for what lies beyond.”
“That’s not a lot of detail. Got anything more?”
“No. “
Ruby sighed. “Did you have to do this?” The other woman nodded. “Did you enjoy it?”
Kaeni laughed again, and the sound bounced around the room, the tiles reflecting it strangely. “No, I cannot say I enjoyed it.”
“Thought so. Was it worth it?”
She shrugged. “Only you can answer that question for you. For me, it was definitely worth it. Again, I wish you luck, Ruby Achera.” She faded, leaving Ruby alone.
She called to the emptiness, “Instructions would’ve been nice.” Her voice repeating as an echo was the only response. She stepped forward and extended a tentative hand to the side of the cube, and the crystal spread away at her touch, creating an opening large enough to step through. She drew a deep breath and crossed the threshold. Power gripped her immediately, pulling her in and lifting her until she was in the center of the object. She could look from side to side, but like the trapped tiger during the fight against Kaeni, Ruby couldn’t get purchase to shift her body.
Without transition, she was suddenly standing on a featureless plain. It brought to mind what she’d always imagined being stuck in the middle of the desert would be like. Everything was faded and amorphous—she wasn’t able to make out the ground's texture beneath her feet. Footsteps echoed as another being approached, and Morrigan appeared from the darkness. Half her face was bloody from multiple cuts, and she limped as she moved. Her words cut off Ruby’s intended greeting. “This is your fault, sister. I’m hurt because of you.”
Ice ran through her. “What do you mean?”
Morrigan's right arm twitched as if she wanted to make a gesture, but the limb wouldn’t work. “You stirred things up. You refused to tell me what was going on, so I had to figure it out myself. It left me with no options except to try to rescue you from the mess you put yourself in.”
Ruby clamped her lips shut on a negation, remembering the test was about wisdom. She didn’t think “wise” was a word that could be accurately applied to her, but rationally thinking the issue through would be the right way to go. She considered whether she had kept information from her sister. Of course, I have. I had to. Did I increase the danger? She thought about that question for several moments, then shook her head. No. The threat was already there. I chose to get involved, but no one told her she had to. That was the key, she realized.
“Morrigan, I love you. But your decision to put on a disguise and join the fight was your own. I didn’t ask you to do it. I didn’t need you to do it. Perhaps I could’ve shared more, but that’s easy to say after the fact. I did what I thought was right.”
Morrigan snarled, “This is the result. Good work, sister.”
The other woman faded away, leaving Ruby feeling as if she’d been punched in the gut. Nothing happened immediately, and she looked around the empty darkness and observed, “Well, this sucks. That’s pretty low right there, Kaeni.” She straightened her back and rolled her neck from side to side. “All right. Bring on the next.”
A noise came from behind, and she turned to see her roommates assembled, standing in a straight line with the elf, Shiannor, in the center. He was the only one who appeared to be fully present. The others’ eyes tracked his movements, but their expressions were blank. Oh, great. He’s going to accuse me of putting them all in danger, too. As if I haven’t worried about that enough outside the venamisha.
He said, “We trusted you, Ruby. You rewarded our trust with lies.” She blinked in surprise. “You’ve used us like pawns on your chessboard, extracting information without providing any and asking Demetrius to risk himself for your gain.”
She snapped reflexively, “I hired Demetrius, fair and square.”
The elf shook his head, his straight scarlet hair falling over his golden tunic, far fancier than anything she’d seen him wear in real life. “He agreed to help you not because he wanted the work but because he trusted you. But all you feed us are lies and half-truths about who you are and what you’re up to.”
She cringed under that accusation. Again, in a certain light, he was correct. I can’t tell them everything right away. That brings them into too much danger. One word to the wrong person and the whole household is at risk. Besides, Demetrius is amazing. He’s not going to get caught.
She recognized the effort at justification as soon as it crossed her mind. “Okay. You’re right. I haven’t told you everything, but I can’t, not yet. Too much risk. I did push on our friendship to convince Demetrius. It’s not the best situation, and while I can find another infomancer, I don’t believe the need to keep some things to myself is likely to go away anytime soon. I don’t want to leave you all. I think we’re good for each other. But I can, and will, minimize the untruths and your involvement in my stuff.”
His expres
sion didn’t change, still disapproving, still judgmental, as they faded away. Ruby growled, “Next,” this telling of her failures inspiring deep anger. To her right, her parents shimmered into being. Oh, awesome. This is gonna be great. Sinnia said, “My daughter, we’ve done so much to keep you safe. Hidden your identity, preserved you in case you were the one the prophecy named. Why would you risk it? Why would you risk all that effort to oppose a bunch of human criminals?” The word “human” came out in a sneer, wholly unlike anything she’d ever heard from her actual mother.
Her father nodded. “Truly, you have a life that anyone would envy. A skill in merging magic and technology, the wealth that will come from owning a casino, and a family that loves and supports you. All we’ve asked is that you remain safe. Why can’t you do this for us?”
This was an argument she’d rehearsed many, many times in her head. Although her parents had never said the words, whenever she did something in the least bit risky, she felt that accusation. She replied, “You’ve done a wonderful job preparing me for any road I might choose. The time has come to put that preparation into action. Now I have to travel the road. To do that, I must risk certain things.”
They vanished without replying. Having met three, Ruby hoped the ritual was over. She spun in a slow circle, but the infinite blackness stayed unchanged. “Damn it. Okay. Next.”
Her mentor’s voice came from behind her. “This is quite the situation you find yourself in, minari.”
Ruby turned and gave a slight bow to the woman who stood before her with her hands resting on her sheathed daggers. “Indeed, shenai. It seems as if the venamisha is trying to convince me I’m a failure.”
Her mentor smiled, and its familiarity lifted her spirits for a moment, only for her words to smash them down again. “Aren’t you? You’re one of us, a Mist Elf, and yet you pretend to be human. Worse, you’ve embraced your fictional humanity and everything that goes with it instead of serving your people, your true heritage. You spend almost all your time on Earth, and all your efforts are directed toward improving things there. What have you done for Oriceran? What have you done for the magicals who live in Kemana MountHaven? It seems as if your priorities are horribly misdirected, my student.”