Three Years Later

Part One

"Wont ya get up already?"

"Ouch! Did you really have to do that?

I was woken up by a slap from Eleanor.

"We needa head out now to meet Reynold, don't ya remember?"

"Oh man, how could I forget? Today's the day of the Ordeal!"

I jolted out of bed and we rushed to the Knight's Hall. Waiting outside was Reynold, alongside an older man and the rest of the Squires.

"About damn time you two came!"

"I can tell Reynold is as cheery as ever."

"Get in line and listen up as I explain your ordeal," the instructor shouted.

We joined at the end of the line and waited attentively as the instructor cleared his throat and began to speak.

"Welcome Squires to your Ordeal! Today, you will partake in the Knight's Ordeal, the entrance exam to the Knights of Valdris. This is a test that can only be taken once every five years. Today, your task is to retrieve the Evergleam Crystals from within Brightrock Cavern. As for scoring, you will all be graded as a team. You pass as a team but also you fail as one too. You will now be escorted by Freeblade Wyste."

Murmur erupted among the twenty of us as we marched. I walked by Eleanor's side before I was tapped on my shoulder. I turned and was met by a fairly round man that appeared to have been the oldest amongst the group.

"You've got to be the youngest person I've ever seen take on the Ordeal. I wish you the best of luck," he smiled.

"Wish the same for you."

"That was kind of him," Eleanor leaned over to say.

I smiled a bit myself.

"Yeah, that was."

The instructor turned to face all of us squires and our march came to a halt. 

"Enough with the small chat, we have arrived."

The Cavern opening was quite grandiose. From the ceiling to the ground, it was littered with tiny glowstones. Despite the efforts of these glowstones, the Cavern appeared dark with only faint lights spread throughout.

"Your Ordeal begins now, goodluck!"

Cheers arose amongst the squires. With our adrenaline pumping, we all jumped straight to work. As a unit, we rushed into the cavern prepared for whatever obstacles awaited us. Eleanor and I stuck close together. 

As we dove further into the cave, a conversation emerged.

"We should split up into teams, shouldn't we?" one of the squires asserted.

"I agree. I'm not much of a fighter but best believe I can provide support from the backlines," another commented.

The older man from before interrupted.

"I'm not much of a fighter myself and I cannot provide much medical support. I'll designate myself the team candle bearer!"

So, we divide ourselves into three groups: warriors, support, and the harvest crew with one candle bearer. I volunteered to be a warrior while Eleanor was placed into support. It was only after a couple more minutes of walking that encountered our first obstacle.

Part Two

"Does anyone else feel like they're being watched?"

"You've got to be kidding me."

I glanced above only to have my glance matched by a sea of crimson eyes.

"Watch out!" I shouted.

The creatures descended upon us as everyone dropped to the ground. 

"Bats!"

The bats were larger than those of my old world and had fangs which peaked out from their closed mouths. They flew, swirling around in the air before diving down towards us once again.

As composed as ever, I stood. I took a deep breath before drawing my sword. I gracefully leaped into the air to face the first bat.

"How's this?"

With a single swing from my blade, the bat was sliced into two. The other warriors fought as I moved within the shadows to swiftly ambush the bats.

Rising from the shadows, I cleaved another bat. The next bat flew at my legs. I dodged to the left then lunged at it driving my sword through its midsection.

I continued my massacre, jumping from bat to bat while also aiding the squires that struggled. With the final bat down, I put away my sword.

"Man, I'm tired," one of the squires muttered as he collapsed.

"Who is this kid?" I heard amongst the squires.

"We don't have time to sit around. Let's continue on," I declared.

After regathering ourselves, we continued deeper into the cavern.

"I didn't know you were that powerful!"

I turned to see the older man from before.

"Oh, you again? What was your name?"

He did a bow which I could only hope look better in his mind then introduced himself.

"You must have heard the legends but it is I, Sir Niven Dunceir!"

The Cavern remained silent for a few moments before he looked up at me confused.

"You've never heard of me?"

"Nope, not at all. Anyways, my name is Clay Feyther."

Not knowing him seemed to be a real blow to the ego. He walked away deflated.

It wasn't much longer before we faced our next challenge. The next chamber of the cave we entered was riddled with piles of rocks all throughout. Scattered throughout the chamber were a strange shining rock which I was unfamiliar with.

"Evergleam Crystals?" said a squire.

The chamber appeared relatively safe, causing the harvesting crew to go to work as the rest of us rested. While Eleanor and I decided to stay put and chat, some of the others found different ways to entertain themselves.

"You've got to see this!" a squire chuckled.

He pointed while laughing uncontrollably at his fellow squire. It was Sir Dunceir. Squire began to swarm around the two of them, some confused while others tried to join in the laughter.

"Give it back," Sir Dunceir pleaded.

He wrestled with the squire before what they were fighting over landed on the ground.

Laughter erupted from the surrounding squires.

"A squire for fifteen years!"

"This has to be a joke!"

 It was his ID card. His card had been issued fifteen years ago.

"If this is true that'd make him the longest tenured squire in history!"

Sir Dunceir clenched his fist and grabbed his card. He turned to rush at the squire but missed, landing face first into a pile of rocks.

The ground trembled and it was as if the whole cavern was shaking. The rocks began rising up slowly and moving into formation.

"Everyone get back!" I shouted.

Towering before us were rock golems. I grabbed my sword and assumed a fighting stance. The warriors split off three groups to attack the three golems.

I jumped up to the cavern ceiling then launched myself down towards the golem with my sword extended downward.

"What?"

My sword couldn't pierce it. I continued to swing but the golem did not budge. I sank into the shadows and observed the other warriors. No one could pierce the golems. Rising out, I reached toward the golem and shadow tendrils grabbed the golem and held him in place. The other squires continued to attack yet no progress was made.

Eventually, the golem snapped the shadows and slammed the ground, sending squires all about. I then used the shadows to throw the golem to the ground. It stood up completely unharmed and continued its attacks on the squires.

"What's their weakness?"

As the golem swung at a squire, I dashed ahead and met its fist with my blade.

"Everyone, your blades won't do anything. Try to find weak points on the golem," I shouted.

I stepped back to analyze the golems. I concealed my essence and concentrated it in my eyes and ears.

"Maybe I can use my senses to learn something."

Part Three

Concentrating my essence into my eyes, I noticed a symbol on the back of the golem's neck.

"There you are!"

"Hey, concentrate your essence in your eyes to find their weak point," I shouted to the others.

I gripped my sword tightly and retreated into the shadows before rising up and swinging my blade at the back of the golem's neck.

"Gotcha!"

As my blade inched towards the golem, the rocks on the golem's body shuffled. There was no longer a symbol on the back of the golem's neck.

The golem grabbed me and hurled me towards the cavern wall. I flew across the chamber before Eleanor caught me.

"Ya need to be more careful."

"The weak point shifted?"

"Come with me, I need your help," I pleaded.

We developed a plan then went to take on the golem again.

"You ready?"

Eleanor nodded her head and I sprinted towards the golem.

"Top of the head," she shouted.

I climbed up the golem, dodging its attacks before attempting to plunge my sword into its head. The rocks shuffled again.

"Left foot."

I jumped down from its head swinging my sword at its feet. Again, the rocks shifted.

"Chest."

I reached out towards its legs and called upon the shadows to drag the golem to its knees. I leaped up and slashed its chest, but the rocks shifted.

"Damn it!"

"Right palm."

I continued to follow Eleanor's instructions until a squire spoke up.

"Have we tried looking around the chamber?"

I retreated to Eleanor and asked, "Can you search the chamber?"

She shifted essence to her eyes and scoured the chamber.

"I sense something in the walls," she shouted.

She pointed to an area with an essence signature.

"That must be what's controlling the golem."

I propelled myself off the back of the golem towards the wall and sliced open the wall, revealing a tiny creature. The creature was small with a green cloak covering its face. It was not threatening by itself but I could sense it was the one behind everything.

It screeched and attempted to run away, however I grabbed it by the hood and had my shadows pin it down. 

With the mastermind held down, the golems crumbled back into piles of stone.

"I'll let you off, but only if you promise to not come back," I said to the hooded creature.

I released it and it scrambled to run away.