Post by James on May 21, 2008 14:42:54 GMT -5
For a long time there has been only one. A smile and a hello every day seems to satisfy her. That cannot satisfy me though. I want to share in her happiness and embrace her. I need to know what she thinks. To know I have to ask. To ask I have to pass through the Arena of Probity and overcome all the trials without fail. My mind was set therefore I began my quest.
I entered the arena and found myself in a long hallway, and no sooner had I done so before a feeling of doubt arose in me. When the doubt entered my mind, I tried to take another step forward. I lifted my foot and suddenly felt a force shaped like a hand on my chest. I looked down but saw nothing, not even a ripple in my shirt. I moved to step forward but the unseen hand physically thrust my body backward. I was amazed, a true unobservable force dislocated me.
I would not falter here though, unknown presence or not. The “hand” was still on my chest. I took a couple steps back and I felt it go. I knew once I went forward again it would most likely return. My mind was still set and the doubt also left when I stepped back. I sprinted forward. As I suspected, the “hand” returned. Although it did noticeably slow my progress, it was unable to stop me. A grin appeared on my face, I was through the first trial.
I went no more than ten paces after that thought before what I originally supposed was the second trial, but what I later realized was still part of the first, revealed itself to me. Intangible ropes caught me around my abdomen and elbow length and above my knees and forced me against a wall. I tried to move but my arms were pinned and my legs were a good half meter above the ground. When I went to cry out in anguish, what I can only describe as an invisible gag silenced me. I was trapped against a wall seemingly defeated. The longer I was there, the more doubt that filled me.
I was almost ready to give up and leave the one I loved behind me and exit the Arena. All of a sudden, at the thought of her, I felt determination beginning to course through me, inciting me on. Adrenaline must have mixed with my determination and they uniformly spread together throughout my arms, legs and the rest of my body. More and more of my doubt left me. My arms and legs, which two minutes before I was unable to move, began to slowly spread apart my bindings. As they spread more and more I realized the invisible gag was now gone.
With a yell of exertion, I broke apart the “ropes” at last and started forward again. The “hand” returned at my chest, but this time it did not- it could not- slow me. I continued to walk forward as if nothing was there. I knew I was not done in my journey yet, I still had two trials ahead. I had not known what they were.
I exited the hallway and came into a spacious room. On the other side I could see another hallway, beyond which I could see my goal. By now knowing that there were still two trials left, I believed that both of them would take place in this room. The room appeared to be empty so I continued forward. But the further in I walked, the more I seemed to be filled with either over-anticipation or fear, I could not tell which. When I got near the center of the room, everything began to shake. I became aware of giant footfalls around me. I turned to see what it was, there was nothing there, but the footfalls continued.
I turned back and, to my surprise, in front of me loomed a giant red beast. It stood upright before me on its two feet at least fifteen meters tall. Its mouth was slightly ajar and revealed an overbite with two rows of fangs. The two incisor teeth on the front row were more than four times the size of the rest and curved down into its chin. It had no fur anywhere on its body. The palms of its hands looked as if they had hundreds of tiny spikes on them. The feet had three toes and no nails on any of them.
I stood in awe of this huge thing. Suddenly it raised his left hand and swung down at me. I was expecting such a beast to have blinding swiftness and was surprised to observe the average speed of its swing as I dodged out of the way. I did not want to fight such a beast and ran for the hallway entrance through which I was going to have to go through eventually to complete my quest. When I got there, to my dismay, I discovered that there seemed to be another imperceptible force, this one acting as a door. With all my might I tried to get through of break down this barrier, but to no avail. I heard the footfalls again and turned round just in time to move out of the way as the beast swung down again. Its hand struck the barrier and still the barrier held.
I looked around the room. The only way out seemed to be back the way I came, but I did not know if there was another barrier there as well. Also, I had no intention of turning back anyway after coming this far. I glanced at the beast again, it was just starting to turn back towards me. I looked around the room again and saw a little niche on the wall to the right adjacent of the door I came into the room through. I sprinted towards it and heard the footfalls approaching me again.
When I reached the niche I gazed inside. In it was an array of weapons. A few spears, a sword, a bow, a quiver of arrows approximately three-quarters of a meter in length, and a shield about a meter in diameter. I could hear the beast getting closer to me so I grabbed a spear and the bow and flung the arrows over my shoulder, leaving the sword and shield untouched- I wasn’t planning on engaging in any close combat with it and the shield wasn’t going to offer much protection if one of those arms made contact with me.
Without turning I dashed to my left. As I moved, out of the corner of my eye I saw the swing I suspected it may have taken land where I had been standing. I turned and began backpedaling, holding the spear ready in my right hand and the bow in my left. The beast began to turn and ready itself for another attempt at me. I stopped backpedaling and, without once stopping, I charged at the beast, drawing back the spear to throw it as I went. I closed within ten meters of it and threw the spear like javelin at it, then veered away from it to the right. The spear hit it in the left shoulder.
The beast roared out in pain, but did not fall or back up. Without removing the spear from its arm it stormed at me again. This time, with amazing speed that it hadn’t shown previously, it came straight at me. It raised it’s right arm and swung down. I just barely got out of the way. Blood was draining down its arm but it seemed not to notice. The niche was on the other side of the room now so I had no chance of getting another spear right away so I drew out an arrow and strung it onto the bow. The beast let out another roar and began to charge. I took the best aim I could with the bow while the floor shook with the beast’s footfalls. I shot the arrow and immediately drew and strung another. The arrow struck it in the right leg but it kept coming like nothing hit it. I skirted to the right and shot a second one. This one caught the beast in the left eye, lodging itself in the socket.
The beast stopped and fell onto its knees, holding its hand over its eye. Without thinking I ran towards the door that would lead to the end of my journey. I still believed the third trial to be in this room so I kept a wary eye out for anything, but nothing came. I arrived to the entrance where there was a barrier before and realized that the barrier was still probably there. I went up to it anyway and ran through the opening, surprised that the barrier was now gone. I passed the second trial. I was glad that I did not have to kill the beast even though it tried to kill me; I do not like harming other beings.
As I was walking, it occurred to me that I no longer would need the bow or remaining arrows. I placed them on the ground leaning against the wall. I looked ahead and saw what I desired. The woman I longed to be with stood at the end of the hallway still, smiling. I controlled my first instinct to run toward her and walked respectably forward. When I reached her, the smile on her face grew some and she began to speak to me.
“You have done a lot to reach me. You must love me very much.” All I could do was nod. Her smile was unceasing. “You overcame your doubt and let nothing hold you back by relying on shear determination. When struck with fear and faced with a seemingly impossible task with the option to run you proved your loyalty and devotion to your goal.” It was around this point that I realized what the third trial was. Her smile broadened. As if she had read my mind and known that I realized what my final test would be, she asked, “Are you ready for the third trial?” “Yes,” I replied. “Very well.”
(to be continued)
Author’s note: if the reader did not realize it, the third trial is her decision, yes or no. I meant it to be more obvious, but after a few reviews from others and realizing they did not know what the third trial would be, I had to explain it to them. One of the drawbacks to being a writer is not knowing when something is too vague for others.
I entered the arena and found myself in a long hallway, and no sooner had I done so before a feeling of doubt arose in me. When the doubt entered my mind, I tried to take another step forward. I lifted my foot and suddenly felt a force shaped like a hand on my chest. I looked down but saw nothing, not even a ripple in my shirt. I moved to step forward but the unseen hand physically thrust my body backward. I was amazed, a true unobservable force dislocated me.
I would not falter here though, unknown presence or not. The “hand” was still on my chest. I took a couple steps back and I felt it go. I knew once I went forward again it would most likely return. My mind was still set and the doubt also left when I stepped back. I sprinted forward. As I suspected, the “hand” returned. Although it did noticeably slow my progress, it was unable to stop me. A grin appeared on my face, I was through the first trial.
I went no more than ten paces after that thought before what I originally supposed was the second trial, but what I later realized was still part of the first, revealed itself to me. Intangible ropes caught me around my abdomen and elbow length and above my knees and forced me against a wall. I tried to move but my arms were pinned and my legs were a good half meter above the ground. When I went to cry out in anguish, what I can only describe as an invisible gag silenced me. I was trapped against a wall seemingly defeated. The longer I was there, the more doubt that filled me.
I was almost ready to give up and leave the one I loved behind me and exit the Arena. All of a sudden, at the thought of her, I felt determination beginning to course through me, inciting me on. Adrenaline must have mixed with my determination and they uniformly spread together throughout my arms, legs and the rest of my body. More and more of my doubt left me. My arms and legs, which two minutes before I was unable to move, began to slowly spread apart my bindings. As they spread more and more I realized the invisible gag was now gone.
With a yell of exertion, I broke apart the “ropes” at last and started forward again. The “hand” returned at my chest, but this time it did not- it could not- slow me. I continued to walk forward as if nothing was there. I knew I was not done in my journey yet, I still had two trials ahead. I had not known what they were.
I exited the hallway and came into a spacious room. On the other side I could see another hallway, beyond which I could see my goal. By now knowing that there were still two trials left, I believed that both of them would take place in this room. The room appeared to be empty so I continued forward. But the further in I walked, the more I seemed to be filled with either over-anticipation or fear, I could not tell which. When I got near the center of the room, everything began to shake. I became aware of giant footfalls around me. I turned to see what it was, there was nothing there, but the footfalls continued.
I turned back and, to my surprise, in front of me loomed a giant red beast. It stood upright before me on its two feet at least fifteen meters tall. Its mouth was slightly ajar and revealed an overbite with two rows of fangs. The two incisor teeth on the front row were more than four times the size of the rest and curved down into its chin. It had no fur anywhere on its body. The palms of its hands looked as if they had hundreds of tiny spikes on them. The feet had three toes and no nails on any of them.
I stood in awe of this huge thing. Suddenly it raised his left hand and swung down at me. I was expecting such a beast to have blinding swiftness and was surprised to observe the average speed of its swing as I dodged out of the way. I did not want to fight such a beast and ran for the hallway entrance through which I was going to have to go through eventually to complete my quest. When I got there, to my dismay, I discovered that there seemed to be another imperceptible force, this one acting as a door. With all my might I tried to get through of break down this barrier, but to no avail. I heard the footfalls again and turned round just in time to move out of the way as the beast swung down again. Its hand struck the barrier and still the barrier held.
I looked around the room. The only way out seemed to be back the way I came, but I did not know if there was another barrier there as well. Also, I had no intention of turning back anyway after coming this far. I glanced at the beast again, it was just starting to turn back towards me. I looked around the room again and saw a little niche on the wall to the right adjacent of the door I came into the room through. I sprinted towards it and heard the footfalls approaching me again.
When I reached the niche I gazed inside. In it was an array of weapons. A few spears, a sword, a bow, a quiver of arrows approximately three-quarters of a meter in length, and a shield about a meter in diameter. I could hear the beast getting closer to me so I grabbed a spear and the bow and flung the arrows over my shoulder, leaving the sword and shield untouched- I wasn’t planning on engaging in any close combat with it and the shield wasn’t going to offer much protection if one of those arms made contact with me.
Without turning I dashed to my left. As I moved, out of the corner of my eye I saw the swing I suspected it may have taken land where I had been standing. I turned and began backpedaling, holding the spear ready in my right hand and the bow in my left. The beast began to turn and ready itself for another attempt at me. I stopped backpedaling and, without once stopping, I charged at the beast, drawing back the spear to throw it as I went. I closed within ten meters of it and threw the spear like javelin at it, then veered away from it to the right. The spear hit it in the left shoulder.
The beast roared out in pain, but did not fall or back up. Without removing the spear from its arm it stormed at me again. This time, with amazing speed that it hadn’t shown previously, it came straight at me. It raised it’s right arm and swung down. I just barely got out of the way. Blood was draining down its arm but it seemed not to notice. The niche was on the other side of the room now so I had no chance of getting another spear right away so I drew out an arrow and strung it onto the bow. The beast let out another roar and began to charge. I took the best aim I could with the bow while the floor shook with the beast’s footfalls. I shot the arrow and immediately drew and strung another. The arrow struck it in the right leg but it kept coming like nothing hit it. I skirted to the right and shot a second one. This one caught the beast in the left eye, lodging itself in the socket.
The beast stopped and fell onto its knees, holding its hand over its eye. Without thinking I ran towards the door that would lead to the end of my journey. I still believed the third trial to be in this room so I kept a wary eye out for anything, but nothing came. I arrived to the entrance where there was a barrier before and realized that the barrier was still probably there. I went up to it anyway and ran through the opening, surprised that the barrier was now gone. I passed the second trial. I was glad that I did not have to kill the beast even though it tried to kill me; I do not like harming other beings.
As I was walking, it occurred to me that I no longer would need the bow or remaining arrows. I placed them on the ground leaning against the wall. I looked ahead and saw what I desired. The woman I longed to be with stood at the end of the hallway still, smiling. I controlled my first instinct to run toward her and walked respectably forward. When I reached her, the smile on her face grew some and she began to speak to me.
“You have done a lot to reach me. You must love me very much.” All I could do was nod. Her smile was unceasing. “You overcame your doubt and let nothing hold you back by relying on shear determination. When struck with fear and faced with a seemingly impossible task with the option to run you proved your loyalty and devotion to your goal.” It was around this point that I realized what the third trial was. Her smile broadened. As if she had read my mind and known that I realized what my final test would be, she asked, “Are you ready for the third trial?” “Yes,” I replied. “Very well.”
(to be continued)
Author’s note: if the reader did not realize it, the third trial is her decision, yes or no. I meant it to be more obvious, but after a few reviews from others and realizing they did not know what the third trial would be, I had to explain it to them. One of the drawbacks to being a writer is not knowing when something is too vague for others.
