The enchanted mirrors showed scenes that would've terrified normal men, these were Riders and they had endured what the mirrors showed first hand. On one mirror was the young half-elf named Wolfia stumbling through a forest in which a massive army of humans was clashing with another monstrous army of their own kind. The trees were burning and blood covered the ground like morning dew. Her black outfit was ripped to pieces and her long red hair did nothing to hide the wounds she bore on her shoulders or the burns on her neck. Of her two swords only one of them was still with her and it was bloodied in the extreme. Just by looking at her you could tell that she had been through things that would've killed a normal person but she forged ahead. It made the Elder Riders sad that they had to commit the younglings to this painful experience but it would make them powerful Riders. On another screen was young Willis a human who had grown up on the streets of the capital. He was wondering around inside the Maze. The Maze was a underground maze devoid of light in most places that tricked anyone foolish enough to let their guard down. He held his neon green katana, Wydra, drawn low and in front of him so that it provided a faint light ahead of him. While he was cut and bruised he was in better shape than his friend Wolfia as he had not reached the trial of Hunger yet. That was the most brutal of the challenges and it pushed the Riders to the very edge and forced them to accept that sometimes even a hopeless situation with unbeatable odds can be beat. The young human had stumbled over something in the tunnel ahead of him. Casting a spell the Elder watched the view turn and show the body of a Reapers on the ground. The Reapers were a group of murders and rapists who had made a pact with a shade to give them never ending life. It had changed them. Now they were massive eight foot tall beasts. Their nails had grown longer and sharper. Their teeth had grown harder and could now crush a bone. They were stronger and faster than humans and dwarves. Their face had bones protruding from their skin while their eyes had grown black and soulless. The young Rider bent down in front of the body and looked disgusted by it's appearance when a roar grabbed his attention. The Elder Rider watched as Willis jumped up and deflected a massive ax blow from a hulking Reaper. Jumping back the Rider avoided a second blow. Then a third, before with a horrible crunching sound the ax head was buried in his left shoulder rendering it useless. The monster laughed cruelly and kicked the apprentice to the ground before he thrusted the youths own sword down towards his heart. The Elder watch with tears leaking as the blade descended to kill the youth before he had the chance to live. The Trial of Earth was one of only eight trials out of twenty-seven that could actually kill them. And the youth appeared to be one that would die. But as the blade descended the Rider reached over and pulled a small dagger off of a small contraption on his left arm and with a last ditch effort pushed Wydra away from his body before lunging forward and plunging the blade into the Reapers skull. As the monster died the boy said "Wydra has called on you beast answer it's call" before he collapsed unconscious. Sighing with relief the elder turned to the next screen which showed the last of the three Riders in the Trials. Vrael was in the deadliest Trial by far. The Trial of Hunger. And the Elder soaked in what he saw.
POV change Vrael POV
The sun beat down on his back as Vrael stumbled through the massive desert in which he was stuck. He had stumbled out of the darkness of the maze into this desert. Vrael turned and saw the mountain which hid behind him and then looked for him and saw the desert stretched out before him. He kept Edoc'sil sheathed but he could draw it in a split second if need be. His golden jacket was torn and ripped from clashing with the beasts in the maze while he was nursing a shallow but long cut on his side from where he had been caught off guard by the creature. As he walked he replayed that memory of the Maze. (Flashback)
Vrael was advancing down the twisting tunnel with Edoc'sil drawn when he emerged into a massive chamber that was dimly lit with four tunnels leading away from it including the one he had just come from. He let the golden blade hang down by his side as he caught his breath when he heard a roar. Spinning he flicked Edoc'sil up into the coming blow from the creature deflecting it aside. As it stumbled he drove his knee up into it's nose throwing it's head back up before the golden blade lopped it off. As the body collapsed to the ground Vrael put his hands on his knees and began catching his breath again before he heard a whistling noise. On some unknown instinct he rolled away from it just as a blade connected with his side. Pain flared through his side as he stood up. The monster in front of him was easily bigger than some of the Kull, Vrael had met before. In it's hands were a massive club and a long bladed sword made of what appeared to be bone. From the swords edge dropped the blood of the young apprentice. Standing up right Vrael leapt forward sending Edoc'sil towards the monsters head before he rolled between it's legs and thrusted it towards it's back. But as the blade went forward the beast spun and slapped it aside. Roaring it began to attack him using it's massive strength to try to kill him. Vrael dodged and jumped to avoid the blows but in the dim light of the chamber he failed to see the body of the first dead creature on the floor behind him. As he jumped back he landed on it's arm and lost his balance. Vrael had slammed into the ground and lost his grip on Edoc'sil which slid just out of reach. Groaning he rolled over to watch as the beast drop it's sword and raise the club above it's head to try to crush his body with a single blow. He saw himself laying on the ground in the beasts eyes. A single thought burned in the youths mind at that point. Life. He leapt up and grabbed the creatures sword as it bounced off the ground. He stabbed it forward into the monsters thigh. Rising to his knees with a smile Vrael had looked up in the monsters face only to see it's soundless laugh before it raised it's unhurt leg up and slammed it into his chest flinging him across the room into the wall. Realizing the hopelessness of his situation Vrael reached for his magic in his mind he grabbed hold of it and with a outstretched hand he had said "Jierda" cracking the beasts neck. He watched it collapse in a heap as his remaining energy dropped drastically. Coughing up some blood Vrael had picked up Edoc'sil before advancing down the central tunnel and emerging into the blistering sunlight.(flashback ends). Vrael saw the sun dip below the horizon just as he reached the cave which he would take shelter in. He didn't have the energy to heal the wound with magic so after checking that the cave was empty Vrael pulled out a small piece of metal he was using as a needle. After lighting a small fire he proceeded to stitch the wound shut. Time skip 1 hour
After he had stitched it shut he made a small dinner of bread and some jerky before he cast a spell to let him know if someone was approaching before he fell asleep curled up beside the fire.
Time skip next day
Groaning as he woke up Vrael stumbled up onto his feet before walking out into the sun light to look around. The dunes were stretched out for leagues in every direction and the sun was beaten down. "No point in leaving yet. I have the supplies left to sustain me for maybe a week. I guess I'll rest here today and leave tomorrow once I've recovered some strength." He thought. Turning back to the cave Vrael walked inside and leaned back against the wall before extending his mind outwards as far as he could. And he remained that way for hours as his strength slowly recovered from his wounds. He felt a group of people with shielded minds approaching the cave just before dusk. In reaction to this Vrael climbed to his feet and drew Edoc'sil from it's sheath while placing his other hand on the cut upon his side. Walking to the mouth of the cave he watched a group of men on horseback approach with their weapons drawn.