What had once been a group of six warriors had now been whittled down to three. Raven observed Torip, who bore the wave, Cessas whose emblem was the cloud and Scorbi who was represented by the moon as they went about their daily tasks. Only one of their number could triumph today.
"My friends, you ought to know by this point that no challenge here is simple. Today, especially, you will find yourselves pushed to your very limits..." Raven trailed off, not sure whether to inform them of what he knew or leave it until later. Knowledge would give them time to prepare themselves but it would also allow time for doubts to cloud their every thought. No, it would wait.
He signalled to the warriors to follow him. He could hear Torip and Cessas goodnaturedly bickering as he lead the group to a clearing where a familiar foe awaited.
"I am sure I do not need to reintroduce you to our old friend, the Fire Demon," Raven began. "As you know, the fire he weaponizes is deadly and will turn a warrior to ash at the smallest contact. Once again you must wield a staff of ice to destroy the fire before it can destroy you. You will be blindfolded for your own safety - we do not want any of you losing your sight to that demon's cruel fire. Cessas, you seem confident. You will go first.
Truth be told, Cessas didn't feel very confident as she stepped forward. She had failed this challenge quite spectacularly the last time she was here. Soon her vision was completely obscured as Raven fastened the leather blindfold around her eyes. "Cessas, be warned. I sense there may be trickery afoot. Are you ready?"
The girl gripped the ice staff tightly. She supposed she was as ready as she was ever going to be so she nodded.
"Then let the challenge...begin!"
Cessas began to swing the staff around. She appeared to have learned from her last attempt and was trying harder to listen for the fire. It ended up paying off for her as she turned and swung the staff directly onto the flame.
However Raven's notion of trickery had not been unfounded. The fire demon motioned with its hands and a second fire was conjured. "Cessas, the demon has created a second fire! You must destroy it or you will lose a life!"
The female warrior was flummoxed. A second fire? It had been luck that had allowed her to hit the first fire. Surely she couldn't be that lucky twice? She began attempting to hit the fire with limited success. It seemed that she couldn't get close to where the fire was floating. Though she seemed calm, inside she was panicking. She couldn't find the fire!
She took a breath, trying to calm her nerves and tried to listen for it. But time had run out for her and the fireball consumed her completely.
"Scorbi, you were able to defeat the Fire Demon last time," Raven stated as he fastened the blindfold around the moon warrior's eyes. "Will you do so again? Are you ready?" After Scorbi gave him a curt nod, he said, "Then let the challenge...begin!"
Scorbi began to swing his staff around. His motions were very confident and he was not at all uncomfortable with the blindfold. The flame, however, remained out of his reach and he was beginning to get a little frustrated.
Tiny grunts escaped him as he swung the staff anywhere he could. How could he not have hit it yet? Or had he hit it and the others just wanted an opportunity to laugh at him? Well, he'd soon make them pay...
Before he could finish the thought, the flame that had evaded him for so long consumed him and he, too, disappeared.
Torip stood, feeling a little worried, as Raven tied the blindfold. "Torip, both of your fellow warriors failed to destroy the fire. How will you fare? Are you ready? Then let the challenge...begin!"
The wave warrior held the ice staff tightly, knowing full well that he had failed the challenge last time. He alternated between swinging the staff horizontally and then vertically as he moved in the hope that he would catch the fire. This method eventually paid off as he heard a distinct bang that he assumed meant the fire had been destroyed. He allowed himself a grin before he heard Raven warning him of a second fire.
He decided to stick to the same method. It had worked for him once. There was no reason it couldn't work again, right? He moved back and forth across the clearing, swinging the staff around but unfortunately was not close to hitting the fireball one bit. He kept trying but, like the others, he was eventually consumed by the flame.
Raven returned to where the warriors' standards were. He raised his staff and, in a flash of light, the three warriors reappeared, all wearing varying expressions of disappointment. "Warriors, you all fell victim to the Fire Demon. Some of you did win rings, however, so place them on your standard." Torip and Cessas placed the rings they had earned for destroying the first fire on their respective standards. "But, as you are all aware, failure in any challenge costs a life. Therefore, each of you must lose a life."
He raised his staff again and a life disappeared from each of their standards. "Now our next challenge is another that will be familiar to you. I hope none of you have developed a distaste for heights since our last visit."
"I kind of knew I wasn't going to win this challenge but I am happy that I managed to hit one of the fires," Torip said.
"As I succeeded in this challenge last time, I thought it would be the same this time. I feel annoyed that I couldn't even destroy the first fire and now I am in equal last place." Scorbi complained.
"Even though I failed Fire Demon again, I'm still in first place so I'm happy about that," Cessas stated. "I do hope we don't have to do this challenge again any time soon. It's not exactly my favourite one."
Raven led the warriors into the forest and brought them to a stop near some trees. "This next challenge is quite simple, my friends. All you have to do is walk in a straight line and collect the gold rings. It sounds easy, does it not?" He pointed his staff upwards and the warriors saw the familiar beam of the High Walk. "But things are seldom as they seem. Now which one of you will go first? Cessas, you seem very eager. You will take on this challenge first."
Cessas, now wearing a helmet, stood at the bottom of the tree. "Cessas, when you have collected the rings, make your way to the trunk on the other side. You will see a red handprint. Place your hand over it and you will be transported back to the ground safely. Are you ready?" The cloud warrior nodded eagerly. "Then let the challenge...begin!"
Cessas began to climb the tree, starting by climbing the ladder to the first platform. Above that were handholds and footholds that led to the beam. She grinned to herself as she began to climb them. She could feel a cool breeze on her face that reminded her of her domain - the Air Nation. She was at home up here.
In no time at all, she had reached the beam. She steadied herself before beginning to move forward. The first ring was soon in her sights and she reached up and grabbed it, placing it in her pouch. She looked ahead and saw only one other ring dangling towards the other end of the beam. The middle ring, she remembered, hung beneath the beam halfway between the first and third rings.
She continued to move along the beam before slowly kneeling down and taking hold of the rope that had the second ring attached to it. She gently pulled it up and took the ring, also placing it in her pouch before carefully returning to an upright position. She allowed herself a moment to regain her balance before crossing the rest of the beam, collecting the final ring in the process. She placed her hand over the red handprint as instructed and found herself back on the ground once more with all three rings in her possession.
"Scorbi, are you ready? Then let the challenge...begin!"
The moon warrior began to climb the tree. While he wasn't as lightfooted and quick as Cessas had been, his strength allowed him to climb without much trouble. It wasn't long before he had reached the beam. Collecting the first ring was simple enough. He reached up and grabbed it. He knew that the second ring would require a little more caution if it was to be acquired. He sat down on the beam and shuffled along until he came to where the ring was before pulling it up towards him and placing it in his pouch once he had detached it from the rope. He then stood back up again and continued moving, taking the final ring just as easily as he had taken the first. There was then only a little bit to go before he placed his hand on the red handprint, reappearing on the ground.
"Torip, as Scorbi has succeeded in this challenge, you must also succeed or you will almost certainly face Way of the Warrior. Are you ready? Then let the challenge...begin!"
Torip may not have been as quick as Cessas or as strong as Scorbi but he was certainly agile so the gaps between the handholds and footholds proved no problem for him as he scaled the tree to the beam. As he looked across at the red handprint on the other trunk, he could appreciate for a moment just why his younger brother disliked heights so much. He edged forward slowly and took the first ring, depositing it in his pouch. He then moved along the beam before sitting down and using the same tactic as the others to collect the second ring. Standing up again, he held his arms out to get his balance back before continuing on, grabbing the final ring as he approached the trunk. With a grin on his face, he clapped his hand against it and found himself back on the ground.
"Warriors, I am proud of you. You have all collected rings. Place them on your standards. Cessas, I see that you now have enough rings to exchange for a life. Well done." Raven raised his staff and a life reappeared on Cessas' standard. A single ring now dangled from the lower part of it. "Now the day is almost coming to an end. Three warriors must be whittled down to two. Follow me."
"There was a lot of pressure on me because if I'd failed, I'd be in last place and it would be me who was definitely doing Way of the Warrior. There's still a chance I might have to do it but I'm trying not to worry," Torip said.
"Winning back a life at this crucial stage of the competition was really good for me because it strengthens my lead," Cessas stated. "I don't know what other challenge lies ahead but I hope I have an advantage."
"There is a chance that I may face the Way of the Warrior and a chance I may not. I am not worried by either possibility. After all, I have completed the challenge once before," Scorbi said confidently.
Raven led the warriors to the gates that led into the entrance of the challenge. The warriors stood in front of their standards as Raven addressed them. "The Way of the Warrior is a challenge designed to test a warrior to their very limits. As you know, we cannot leave until one of you has failed to cross the golden path. Scorbi, Torip, you are in equal last place with four lives and six rings. One of you must run the gauntlet." He reached into his cloak and pulled out a pouch. "Inside are two feathers, one white and one black. Whichever one of you draws the black feather will face this most perilous challenge." He held the pouch out to them. "Choose."
Torip and Scorbi reached into the bag until they had hold of a feather and withdrew their hands. Torip was gripping the white feather while Scorbi held the black. "Scorbi, it is your fate to face this challenge. Succeed and you will be transported to the final challenge. Fail and you must leave the quest."
Scorbi stood outside the circular entrance, dressed in the customary protective gear. "Scorbi, are you ready to face this most difficult challenge? Then may the luck of the Raven's Eye be with you. Let the challenge...begin!"
The moon warrior clambered through the hole before easily brushing aside the swinging dummies. He continued along the path, not even flinching as rocks rained down on him. The boulder carousel was also not enough to knock him from the path as he easily repelled the multiple blows from it. He then crossed the balance beam without coming close to falling off. He then used the hanging skull to lower the drawbridge and walked through the threshold, looking at the shields. He scoffed at the thought that anyone would find them difficult to pass. He had done it easily before.
He jumped onto the first platform, avoiding the first shield. However his overconfidence led him to make a crucial mistake. He mistimed his next jump and was caught by the edge of the second shield, causing him to stumble off the path and he disappeared in a flash of light.
Raven raised his staff and Scorbi reappeared in front of his standard. "Alas, Scorbi, you will travel with us no further. But do not feel shame, for you have proved to be a cunning and ambitious warrior and have achieved much. Farewell.
Scorbi walked through the gates that had swung open. "I thought that I would have been able to complete the challenge again. As much as I hate to admit it, I suppose that luck just wasn't on my side today."
Raven turned his attention to the two remaining warriors. "Now, my friends, there is only one more challenge for you to face. It will decide which of you will become the Ultimate Champion. Follow me."
The two warriors were silent as they followed their mentor. They had no idea what the final challenge was or where it was located. They simply walked along behind Raven, thinking about what it would feel like to win.
Eventually they arrived at a desolate area that could only be described as an empty battlefield. Broken wooden structures were dotted around the area and the warriors could see skulls decorating them. They also noted a demon standing on top of a triangular structure with a circular hole in the middle. He had his back to them and, unlike the other demons they had encountered, he wore a black cloak. He was also taller than the usual demons.
"This is the Last Stand," Raven began. "Many warriors compete here for the title of Ultimate Champion and many perish. The cause of their demise?"
The warriors watched as the demon turned around to face them. He is wearing a mask made up of little bits of metal stuck together. "Nevar - evil guardian of the portal." Raven chose not to add on that Nevar was his arch-enemy. Right now the warriors had more important things to worry about and Nevar wasn't that much of a threat...yet.
"Nevar guards the portal below him zealously. Now the portal will only be activated when one of you places a key in the lock and activates it. The pieces to the key are scattered around the battlefield so you must collect them while avoiding being struck by Nevar who will do his utmost to impede your progress."
Cessas and Torip put on black protective gear with white and red trim respectively. "This is where your lives are of crucial importance," Raven told them. "Cessas, you have six lives so you cannot afford to be hit six times. Torip, you have four lives so if Nevar strikes you more than thrice, you will be eliminated. Are you both ready?" The two warriors nodded with determination in their eyes. "Then let the challenge...begin!"
The two warriors dart forward as Nevar began shooting lightning blasts at them. Cessas spotted the first piece of her key and grabbed it before taking shelter behind a structure, Torip doing the same but taking about a second longer to get his piece.
Both warriors look around for their second pieces. Cessas eventually saw hers and, having seen her opportunity, darts from out of cover and dashes towards it. Unfortunately for her, she is not quite quick enough and is struck by Nevar. She's not worried, though, as she still has five lives remaining. She grabbed her second piece.
Barely a second later, Torip grabbed his second piece, having been more successful in avoiding Nevar's blasts. Like Cessas, he was now looking for his third piece. Cessas spied hers within almost ten seconds of finding her second and moved quickly but cautiously, not wanting to risk being hit again. She took it, knowing she only had one more piece to find and took shelter once again.
Torip suddenly dashed out from behind his structure and grabbed his third piece, only to be struck by Nevar. Evidently he had grown impatient of waiting in one place but he had his third piece at least. By this point, over thirty seconds had elapsed as the cloud and wave warriors searched for the final piece to their keys.
Cessas was first to spot hers. She moved, keeping low to the ground which seemed to be effective in helping her avoid being hit. Torip had also seen his final piece and had grabbed it thirty milliseconds after her.
The two warriors were now focused on building their keys by attaching the pieces together. Cessas had the advantage, having began earlier than Torip. She finally completed the key and darted forward, placing it into the lock and turning it. Torip, who had just completed his key and was about to run to the lock himself, could only watch as Cessas ran through the activated portal.
Cessas found herself in a beautiful forested area. The sun was shining gloriously, reflecting her mood. As though something or someone was commanding her movements, she walked until she came to an altar.
Back at the Last Stand, Raven turned to a disappointed Torip. "Torip, though it was the fate of Cessas to pass through the portal, do not be ashamed of your efforts. You have proved yourself a warrior of valour and courage. Farewell, my friend. The spirit of Raven travels with you."
"I am a bit disappointed that I didn't make it through the portal first. To come second is a huge achievement, though, especially as I thought I would be eliminated several times on the quest. In the end, I guess Cessas deserved to win. She was the best at the end of the day and honestly I'm happy for her." Torip said as he walked away.
Raven watched the warrior leave. Now he had somewhere to be...
Cessas looked up as she saw Raven approaching her, walking over the same stone archway she had. He was alone so she figured Torip must have joined the others. She was still smiling widely as he came to a stop in front of her. "Cessas, you showed physical and mental skill in reaching the portal first. Take this as your reward - your very own Staff of Power." She took the golden staff from its stand and held it carefully. Raven watched, knowing full well that there may come a time when he woud have to train her to use it. "Come now, we must return to the others. You must rest and recharge after your victory, ready for the next tournament."
"It's just so thrilling to have won. Last tournament, I was the first person out so I didn't really get an opportunity to show my skills. It was quite close in the end but I made it and I couldn't be happier! I think of all the challenges, I enjoyed the climbing ones the most, especially Leap of Faith. That will never get old to me!"
End of Day Positions
1st - Cessas - 6 lives 1 ring
2nd - Torip - 4 lives 6 rings
= Scorbi - 4 lives 6 rings - ELIMINATED AT WAY OF THE WARRIOR