Chapter Three
Now, back in the small, plain room, they had a moment to think over what they experienced. And the only noticeable change was before them.
"The flame is a little larger," Phobos said, standing before the small flame, floating in the center. Reaching out, he felt no heat. Slowly, he touched it, and found it only mildly warm.
"It was getting smaller, when we kept failing," Will pointed out, leaning against a far wall, needing the most space as possible between them.
Phobos looked at her, face visible from his proximity to the light, and gave her a look of contempt. "We failed nothing."
Will smirked. "You're right. You messed up the translation. You failed. I saved the day." She knew that was unnecessary, but she had no fondness for the man before today and, after being trapped with him, she now shared in that contempt on his face.
All day the prince had been forced to tolerate those lesser than him in every way. For years he had been imprisoned, eating slop, dressed in rags, left to stare at a wall. Waiting for a chance to gain his freedom. Now, trapped in a new cell, freedom was still his goal. And the Keeper was the key to it. He knew he needed to work with her. In the mirror hall, there had been a moment of calm, where she talked and mused like she was capable of more than brute strength and trickery. But there were more moments of her mouth releasing nothing but nonsense and simplistic insults.
Why did it give a rise in him? It should be like a dog barking, annoying, but nothing to rage over. Yet, she was like a bright light in his face, impossible to block out, even if he closed his eyes.
"And pray tell, how are you able to read the old language of Metamoor?" he asked, turning to her, scanning her. He had barely given her much thought, just acknowledging her new fighting form. In her human state, she was still physically the same, but her expression was less focused than the being that grabbed him, eyes shining with magic and power.
The image he chose of her in the mirror hall was the natural progression of that power that rained down on him. It was puzzling why she would choose any other expression of herself. That creature that fought him was striking, something to strive to control. The one before him now, though, was a pitiful vessel of it.
Will brushed the dark Heart at her neck, reminded that her power was gone for the moment, but it still touched her, forever changed. "It's a power I have as the Holder of the Heart, I can read any language. I think since I'm using life-force right now it took a minute for it to click."
The way the prince was looking at her made her nervous as he said, voice devoid of all traces of emotion, "I see. What other talents does your status bestow on you, with no effort or skill needed on your part?"
Will held his gaze, not wanting to descend into another fight again so soon, but also not liking this change in his behavior. When he glared, yelled, threw his hands, stomped away, she knew what to do and how to react. This was unsettling. Unpredictable. Dangerous. It made her feel like he was noticing her for the first time.
"Do not know?" he asked, one hand on his elbow, the other on his chin. "I doubt that. Come now, we must trust each other, no? Also, how are you able to tap into any magic, even your life force? Every bit of mine is gone."
Will shrugged. "Maybe I needed it to pass? How can I participate if I don't understand?"
"Maybe," he said, taking a step towards her only to stop when she tensed. What else did she have access to she wasn't telling him about? Was he at a disadvantage here? He was relying on his knowledge of old magic to keep him one step ahead. The idea that she was closer to his level than he thought made him uneasy. And he never grew uneasy. He took everything in strides, reworking plans, making split second choices, working with anyone or thing that the situation called for.
Only she was one step ahead of him. Like before. Like with his plans with Elyon and Kandrakar.
Who was this human to have bested him where so many others had failed? Who did not crave magic, but was given access to a limitless spring? Who didn't value what he had to wage bloody wars for?
A human, he realized, who would leave this room with a bond of trust in him.
Plans formed, ideas bright and vivid.
He could learn to trust her, in a way. Trust was fickle and not ironclad. He could trust her enough to not stab a dagger in his back like Cedric. As she prided herself with her nobility where Cedric, rightfully, had true ambition. He could trust her enough to be useful to him, to be a pawn.
He knew the forge was going to dig deeper if these basic trials failed. After seeing their pitiful completion of just the first one, he didn't know how they would handle the next, as they could barely work together.
As the room glowed brighter, he knew he was about to find out.
Irma stretched, now sitting on the ground, leaning an arm on the corner of the bench. They needed a couch in here. Or a beanbag chair. Something. How mad would everyone be if she suggested pizza? Or the medieval equivalent of it. She was resigned for a long night. While she had an idea of how impossible Prince Phobos was, she knew firsthand how stubborn their dear leader was. Mix that in with the prince's taunting and Will was going to finish the trials even if she hated every second.
"You said they struggled in the first task?" Ms. Rudolph asked, settled down at the other side of the viewing pool, peering in with both interest and nervousness.
"Funny thing is, the light almost went out. They almost freed themselves," Irma said, trying not to sound amused. Will and the prince had an interesting back and forth. He was clearly not used to someone challenging him at every turn, and Will was also not used to someone getting such a rise out of her. Normally, the red-head was only that feisty when on the battled field. So seeing her so animated so often was an interesting change.
Miranda, back sitting next to Cedric on the ground opposite of the bench, laughed darkly. "What is funny is how their strength is their downfall in this. Trapped as long as they continue their endeavor so strongly. An ounce of humility between them would save them both."
Elyon, on the bench with Cornelia on her right and Taranee on her left, exhaled. "If you have nothing useful to say, please try to at least be respectful."
Hay-Lin was sitting on the ground on the other end of the bench, hands in her lap, leaning on Cornelia's leg. "They are trying their best," she sweetly pointed out. "They just don't trust each other yet."
Taranee spoke up and asked, "Has anyone thought about what's going to happen after?"
"What do you mean?" Cornelia asked, placing a comforting hand on Hay-Lin's hair.
The earth master needed to be strong for all of them. Elyon was becoming a mess, as hard as she tried to hide it. Hay-Lin was more openly distressed, unable to even smile. Taranee was over analyzing everything to stay busy. And Irma was checking out, mentally, to distance herself from feeling anything too real. Seeing Will trapped with their greatest foe was driving her crazy as well, but she couldn't overreact. The girls needed to stay calm and ready to act, given the chance.
"I mean," Taraneed started, slowly, not liking what she was thinking, but needing to still say it. "If we don't figure out how to open the forge, and they don't know the can reject their new… bonds… what is going to happen?"
"They said its 'trust'," Elyon interjected. "That worries me. Will trusting Phobos." That should have been something impossible, not something that they were watching unfold painfully slow in front of them. Phobos was not to be trusted. The queen had learned that long ago, when a child was in his cross-hairs.
Cedric spoke up, real interest in his voice as he added, "You all trust like one would expect. Friendships, kinships, relationships, that all comes with trust. Her trusting him would not change her or her behaviors. Phobos, though, does not trust anyone but himself. The real worry should be Phobos trusting her. What that will do to him."
"That is a good thing, right? Him actually trusting someone?" Hay-Lin asked, trying to stay hopeful. This was getting too much to watch. The air master did not know how they all could sit and watch the pool so calmly. It felt wrong, like they were spying. While she didn't hold any fondness for Prince Phobos, Will still had a right to some privacy, right?
Cedric looked over the group and tried to explain. "You all do not understand. He does not trust. He can not trust. That room will tear him down and reforge him to meet that goal. And then after? She will throw him back into his cell? This process will make him more vile than before. I advise to end it now, even with the risk to them."
Elyon had to agree as she looked at the pool, wishing she knew how to even try to force the door open.
The two had arrived inside a large, dilapidated stone temple. They had appeared to have some argument in between viewings and kept away from each other. That was interesting to note that there was a rest time where they could interact. Maybe Elyon could force the door open then? If the forge wasn't drawing magic to create the trials, maybe there was less risk? That was the best idea she has had for where to start.
Back in the pool, Will was the only one searching for the next hint on what to do, with the prince standing still, arms folded, expression blank as he watched her like a hawk. What they said between them alone now gave rise to unnerving silence, as the group was used to their endless bickering.
When the two separated, Will walking towards the other far end, the pool expanded the image, looking from above, with Phobos on the left and Will on the right.
The rundown temple had an open air roof, letting in midday light. Various holes in the walls gave way to a breeze that ruffled their hair. Thick vines had overtaken the white marble long ago, digging in and splintering the massive columns, walls, and ground. Also covered in an array of vines and plants were large gray stones and boulders of various sizes. The larger ones had cracks under it along the stone floor, like they had rained down from the blue sky above. Soft looking moss grew over many in thick patches.
"Here," Will called, finding a tablet hidden under vines and leaves along the far wall.
Phobos walked over as she quickly pulled the plants from it, ripping off long stretches of thick vines, their image in the pool resizing so their faces were visible again.
"Save… her?" Will read out loud, puzzled. "Who? No one else is… oh, no. Me? Please don't be me," she said, now distressed, as she backed away and started spinning around the room, looking for danger. "And who is saving me? You?" she said, clearly doubtful as she looked at the still quiet prince.
"Yes," he finally spoke, nodding in deep, solemn agreement. "That does sound preposterous."
Will turned again, looking around as she backed into a large boulder, pressing her back to it.
"Why not me save you? We know I'll do it," she said, sounding like she wanted to negotiate with the magic forge. "You saving me, though?" she snorted, driving in her point of pure skepticism.
"I believe that's the point," Phobos said. "Otherwise it would not be a trial, would it?"
Will glared. "The fact that this needs to even be a trial is insane! How can I even trust," she gasped, stone slamming around her. "You," she finished, air leaving her lungs as dozens of rocks, ranging in size from oranges to fat watermelons, all squeezed her.
"Will!" her friends called uselessly in worry as they saw the rocks around her lift her up in the air. More rocks rose, ripping free of the vines, coming together and slamming with loud cracks. A rock golem formed, body parts lopsided and grinding as it moved. It stood, hand large enough to cover Will from shoulders to hips, and faced a shockingly unbothered Phobos.
"Now, what am I supposed to do against that with no magic?" Phobos called, arms loosely folded.
"I don't know!" Will called back, struggling, legs kicking. "Just do something!"
He shrugged. "I believe I am fine with failing this one trial," he called, leaning back on a wall. "Do as you wish, golem."
"What!" Will called, stopping her struggle to gape at him in shock. "You asshole!" She stopped as the golem raised her in the air and squeezed, its face turning to look at Phobos. It had no eyes, yet its stare was clear.
Morbidly Cedric laughed. "Is it trying to get Phobos to lift a finger to help someone else? They will be free soon, it seems."
Will screamed, making Hay-Lin turn away.
"Can she die in there?" Taranee asked, looking at their old teacher.
Galgheita had a hand to her mouth, ears lowered, trying to muffle the pained screams of one she held dear to her. "I do not know. She is clearly experiencing pain. I would not want to risk that answer."
Will screamed again, cursing Phobos, and yelled, "Get off!"
Some of her physical strength was still intact as she pushed the hand off her enough to slip free. She landed, catching herself, and jumped aside as the hand grabbed for her again. Always a quick thinker, she nimbly dodged the attempts to grab her, rolling behind and ripping the end up on one long vine. Will dashed through its legs, hopping over its lumpy feet, and heading behind it again. She pulled, bracing her own feet on overturned rocks, and it fell forward, crashing and tumbling into pieces.
She threw down the vines, panting, and stomped over to Phobos, grabbing him by his collar with both hands.
"That," she growled, voice edge with genuine fury. "You could do fucking that."
Phobos still looked unbothered, even as she gripped him. In fact, he smirked at her. "Oh, impressive. You seem to still have access to your magically enhanced strength as well."
"This again?" she said with exasperation, shoving him away. "I'm not hiding anything from you! I don't know why all your magic is sealed, and I have these little things left. If I had access to more, I would have used them on you by now, don't you think?"
"Fair point," he said, fixing his clothes, not sounding convinced. "Well, are we done here? You are saved."
Will shook her head as she stomped away from him while saying, "I saved myself!"
"You are saved, it didn't say by who."
A flame appeared in the center, stopping their fight and drawing their attention.
It shrank in size.
"See!" Will cried in validation, pointing at the flame and looking at Phobos. "Ha! It didn't count!" She laughed before freezing, turning pale. "Oh, shit, it didn't count." She looked at the fallen golem, backing away from the stones, now moved to the center.
A shadow fell over the temple and Will looked up just as a stone hand descended from above and grabbed her, encasing her from view. The hand pulled away and the stone titan stood, eyeless face staring down at the prince.
"Save her," boomed the demand of a disembodied voice. The creature turned and lumbered away, ground shaking with each heavy step as it slowly moved from view. The sound of trees being upturned by force, and thick limbs snapping, echoed around the temple. Black birds flew overhead, cawing in panic.
Only Phobos was now visible in the pool, face raised to where Will was taken. Pure confusion twisted his expression, hand waving in the empty air, as he asked no one, "How?"