Chapter 9: The Trials

Pound. Pound. "Let me out!" Hunter screamed as he furiously smacked his fists into the magic barrier blocking his path back out. He then tried climbing the walls, only to find a ceiling barrier. It wasn't long before his anger and frustration realized that it was useless, he choked out, "Resistance, gasp, is, wheeze, futile." After catching his breath, he got a view of his surroundings.

The once library was now a blue chamber, however from his feet it was still stone and the strange metal seemed to be spreading toward his feet. It was even on the walls. The main interior was something straight out of one of Hunter's books on Hyrule's training of their soldiers. Swords, Sheilds, Clamores, Spears, and more sat innocently on a holding wall. Strangely enough, there wasn't a bow in sight.

Hunter moved toward the weapons. He grabbed a sword and unsheathed it. It was longer than he expected, even being lightweight. Yeah, he thought. I think I'll take this.

He clipped it to his back and walked around, feeling comfortable. He grabbed a shield that was a good fit for him and clipped it to his back. You can't be too safe. He thought as he carefully proceeded down the camber.

Suddenly a voice rang out. To you who seeks the Magic of Old… Hunter jumped a mile high. "...What?" He asked aloud. "Who?" The voice continued, completely ignoring Hunter. We give you these three trials…

The first trial is one of strength, the voice intoned. Prove your worth by defeating the guardian of this chamber. Hunter glanced around, trying to locate the source of the voice. "Guardian? What guardian?" he muttered to himself. Suddenly, a massive figure materialized before him, towering over Hunter with an imposing presence. It resembled a dragon, but its form seemed twisted and distorted, with glowing red eyes fixed on Hunter. It had steam pouring out of its nostrils and was more snake-like than dragon-like, Even dark, black scales made it look more like smoke.

"...Oh crap," Hunter said, scared out of his mind. "Good dragon, nice dragon…" The dragon responded with an inhale. Nope, no, no, no, no thank you. Not dying today. Hunter thought, dashing backward. The dragon exhaled and spit out black fire. He barely avoided it by rolling out of the way. Catching his breath, Hunter grasped the bow on his back with his left hand and an arrow with his right. He knocked the arrow, pulled the bowstring to his cheek, and let go, not aiming at all. Somehow, the arrow went into a small gap between its scales. It let out a heavy, earsplitting screech.

Hunter covered his ears taking a second to think. I've never used a bow before, and now it's second nature?! That's the same thing that happened with my duel with Link! What is happening to me right now? Hunter suddenly felt a warm breath on the back of his neck. He turned around to see the dragon with a deathly look in its eyes. "Alright, but you're asking for it!" Hunter said, drawing his sword, and grasping his shield with his left hand. He sliced the beast's snout diagonally. It roared at Hunter and spit more fire that Hunter blocked with his shield. It snapped its jaws, biting Hunter's right shoulder.

Hunter screamed, switched his sword into his left hand, and stabbed the beast in the head. It let go of Hunter's shoulder, shrieking. It disappeared into smoke and dropped something gold and the sword in its head. Hunter winced and looked over at his shoulder. The wound seemed to pulsate with his heartbeat and the teeth marks met a jagged line. Both were bleeding heavily. I hope it didn't have poison in its teeth. Hunter thought, cursing under his breath. He tore a piece of his pants off and wrapped it around his shoulder.

Hunter stood up, feeling a rush of blood to his head. The voice suddenly spoke once more. Well done. You have proven your worth. But your trials are not over. Please proceed toward the next chamber. "There's more!?" Hunter exclaimed, shocked. "I barely survived the first one!" He picked up his sword and Sheffield it, still wincing. A small golden coin, perhaps a token of some sort, caught Hunter's eye. He picked it up. It had an inscription that Hunter could barely make out. "To the Legend. What does that mean?" He decided to pocket the token and examine it later with Qibli and Spyro. He walked inside the next chamber.

The next room had multiple sections, each with its differences. The first one looked like it had seen better days, a small town now scorched by fire. The second was the polar opposite, literally. A village, also destroyed, covered by ice and snow. The third was a forest with a babbling brook with a small vial next to it. Where the water came from, however, was a mystery to Hunter. The fourth was simply a stone area with a heavy thunderstorm with a metal pole that was occasionally struck by lightning. In the center area, there was a basin that Hunter was already questioning why it was there.

The Voice intoned the instructions once more. Here are the five elements. Study them, learn from them, and then when you are ready, combine them. Hunter pondered the equation the Voice set up for him. Five elements? Hunter had counted four. Water, Fire, Ice, and Lightning. What was the fifth? Wait, a Forest… Hunter thought. Earth! That has to be it! Now how, not to mention where, do I combine them?

Hunter grabbed a handful of dirt and dropped it in the basin. The entire chamber lit up green and then the glow dissipated. I have to be on the right track. Hunter thought, glad to be figuring out the Puzzle on his own. Grabbing some water using the vial and placing it into the basin, expecting the chamber to glow green again. Except, it instead glowed red and the inside of the basin suddenly drained, leaving nothing behind. "Huh. Maybe I put it in the wrong order?"

He tried putting more dirt in the basin, only for the chamber to glow red and the basin to drain once again. Hunter, confused, sat in the empty basin. What else did the Voice say? Hunter pondered. Study them? So, with no other clues, Hunter decided to study the areas. After a good 25 minutes, Hunter, staring at the Fire area, heard something like a jingle. It sounded something like, Do da do da dun. Hunter could have sworn on the first note the Fires burned blue.

He shot up. The basin wasn't just a mixing pot for the elements; it was a key to understanding their order. Hunter ran over to the fire section and noticed the pattern of the flames. They flickered and danced in a precise rhythm, almost as if they were alive and trying to communicate.

"Alright, fire first," Hunter muttered, grabbing a torch and lighting it in the fire. He returned to the basin and placed the torch inside. The chamber glowed a bright orange, and the flame inside the basin remained lit.

Hunter then moved to the water section. He studied the brook, watching the flow of the water, noting how it sparkled and shimmered. He filled a small vial and carried it back to the basin. Carefully, he poured it in. The chamber glowed blue, and the flame continued to burn alongside the water, neither element overpowering the other.

"Two down," Hunter said, his confidence growing. Next was ice. He took a shard of ice from the frozen village, marveling at how it didn't melt in his hands. Placing the ice into the basin, the chamber lit up with a brilliant white light, merging with the orange and blue hues.

Hunter then approached the forest section. He gathered a handful of rich, dark soil, feeling its cool, earthy texture. Back at the basin, he sprinkled the soil in, watching as the chamber glowed green. The fire, water, ice, and earth combined, creating a mesmerizing display of colors and energies.

Lastly, Hunter faced the thunderstorm section. He noticed a metal rod sticking out of the stone ground, lightning striking it intermittently. He hesitated for a moment before grabbing a small piece of the rod. The instant he placed it into the basin, the chamber glowed a fierce yellow, electricity crackling and joining the other elements.

The basin, now holding all five elements, began to glow in a blinding light. Hunter shielded his eyes as the energies swirled together, forming a brilliant, radiant orb and the energy suddenly shot through the door, now open. The voice spoke again, this time with a tone of approval.

Well done, Hunter. You have successfully combined the elements. You have passed the second trial. Now, for the final trial, you must use what you have learned to face your greatest challenge yet.

Hunter walked into the room, expecting something like a giant monster. However, all he felt was the bow, sword, and shield on his back to dissipate. Only the thing he had on him now was his bag. He looked around, only to find that some type of fog had enveloped the room (Not the dark purple mist, just regular, ordinary fog as far as he could tell.). He expected the voice to say something about the trial. But only silence answered.

He was alone.

Alone and surrounded by nothing but his own fears and anxiety.

The only Sound was the steady beating of his Heart and his thoughts.

Was this the last trial? Just… stand around here and wait for something to happen? Had the mist made him go crazy?

Was this just some fragment of his imagination?

…No. It couldn't be. He had felt pain. Real, physical pain. Imagination can't do that…Right?

Then, After what felt like hours, an idea popped into his head. What if he just walked forward?

He took a step. The sound echoed in the silence. He kept walking. Into the fog. And then, as suddenly as it all began…

It stopped. A door now stood in his way, glowing a lighter blue. Sky blue. What am I supposed to do? Hunter thought in pure mental silence. Do I… Touch it? Why am I debating this right now? He tapped the door. It pulsated and opened. Well done. The Voice finally intoned. By completing each trial, you have proven that you have an unbreakable Spirit. Come forward and claim your prize.

Hunter walked forward into a room that changed colors, nearly blinding him. Every color under the sun except black it seemed. At the end of the room, a pendant (that Hunter nearly lost track of in the haze of color) floated above a pedestal. Hunter ran up to it. He hesitated for a beat and then lifted it off of its resting place. Carefully, he placed it around his neck. It was a perfect fit. Like it was made for me…He thought. Hunter realized that for the first time in weeks, he could see clearly. The mist at the edges of his line of sight had completely vanished. Suddenly, his vision blurred. He felt dizzy and then it all cut to black.

A/N: Okay, was going to do Qibli and Spyro's POV of THEIR Trials, but I just want to move on. Btw, I'm in the process of 1: Moving so I got my P.C. back yesterday, and 2: Rewriting the Old Chapters (Prologue- Chap 5) so Might upload less or more, just a Heads up. Also, School just let out so A lot less of that in my life till August. Anyways, God Bless, and May you all have the Power of Wings of Fire! P.S. Please review. I need to know what to improve on.