Shield of Fire

Letting herself be guided by the eerie voice, Crini marches forward to the labyrinthine tunnels of the illusionary realm. Maybe the life form behind the voice was trying to make it familiar to her, creating a similar scenery to Friki Mountain. The light in her sword was shining bright but there was something different about the place — a prophetic dread, moving as an invisible wave, going through her and crushing to the walls around. The grip around the sword tightens and her eyes are scanning the area with every step forward.

Suddenly, a shadow flickers just a few feet ahead, behind a sharp turn. As she walks closer, she can see a faint red-orange light reflected on the stone. A fire maybe? Someone’s there?

Her hopes rise but not for long. Instinctively her body stiffens and her senses sharpen. Whoever might be hidden in there, it is uncertain whether will be someone to help or doom her. Her breathing quickens and her pulse deafens her ears. Each step, each echo of the heels of her boots on the cold stone floor, creates a loud steady tempo, like a drum building tension and her body tunes to it.

Passing the turn, she finds herself at an opening. The walls around are carved into a dome, a precise and sleek cut on the rock that when the light falls on it gives the image of glass. The source of the light is floating in the middle of the dome, like a ball of liquid fire. Waves of warmth hit Crini as she stands before it, keeping her distance from it in case things go south.

“Trust your judgement, and your path will be revealed.” the voice had said before she’s been transported to the illusionary realm. But she never got more details. Taking her eyes from the floating ball she takes a quick look around. Panic lurks around her as she doesn’t find any other way out except the way she came in.

Taking a long breath in and out, Crini brings her free hand to the sword’s hilt while her body shifts, taking one leg forward with the other behind to support her weight. With no way out and not any options to avoid confrontation, Crini braces for the truth. She has to face whatever it is.

The air inside the dome fills with whispers. In the beginning, Crini thought it was her imagination but soon, the faint whispers were screaming. The voices were totally different from the one guiding her in this place. These are cruel, menacing and poison drips from their words. Some demand vengeance. Others cry desperately for blood. And others pray for her doom. Calling by her name, they ask Crini to join them.

The hair at the back of her neck stands on as the floating ball starts to move, its shape changing constantly, expanding in space until it takes the form of a giant fire lion. The temperature rises sharply making breathing hard. Crini could feel a light coat of sweat forming on her forehead and soft dizziness hitting her.

But when the lion opens his mouth, a terrifying roar emanates, shaking the ground, and crushing the dome’s edges. Her blood freezes instantly, and her pupils dilate from the shock. Her hands clenched so tightly on the sword’s hilt, that if it was made from a softer material it would break easily. Her heart gallops the pumping in her veins mixes with the noises and the roar’s echo. It feels like vertigo. Fear jabs to take hold of her but she grits her teeth, shoving it away and planting her feet steady on the floor.

“Release me” the same familiar voice softly whispers in her head. There’s a mix of despair and hope in its tone. With that, the lion explodes in a strong light blinding her before the dome is left to darkness. Luckily, there’s the soft green light emanating from her sword, Crini blinks a few times to adjust to her surroundings.

For a second she closes her eyes taking deep breaths in and out, trying to calm down as the temperature now starts to decrease. But calm before the storm doesn’t stay too long.

The ground shakes violently almost dropping her down. Crini focuses on the strange feeling of the soil beneath. Something is moving under it. A gust of cold air brushes her skin making her shiver in response. Something’s coming. The sound of the ground collapsing fills her ears and Crini frantically looks around, preparing for the fall but she doesn’t go anywhere.

Instead, a hole - nearly bigger to fit her through - appears further away from where she’s standing. Though it’s not the only one. A series of cracks surround her and she looks aghast as more holes make their appearance. The ground reminds her of a game she used to play when she was visiting the fanfare with her parents. So ironic that a happy memory like this could be brought in a time of an incoming attack.

“Give us your life essence Crini.” one of the creepy voices slithers again, this time sounding louder than before. “Come willingly or we’ll take you by force. You’re ours now. Surrender and we’ll make sure you get a pleasant passing in the spirit realm.”

Fear scratches her skin. A whirlwind of thoughts, emotions and realisations crush her with brute force. Finding herself in an unknown world, struggling for survival and when her life seemed to have taken its course, she’s thrown into a deadly tournament. Is this really how I’m going to die?

“No! You hear me?” Crini’s loud voice booms into the dome. “You want me? Show yourself and prove you can beat me!” her body trembles with adrenaline. Rage boils in her veins, charging her with an iron will. “Come on, you coward creature, show yourself!”

“Are you sure? Very well then…”

A yelp escapes Crini’s lips as something ejects from one of the holes. The air becomes thick with heat and humidity and Crini tries to stay calm as her breaths now are getting harder to take. She narrows her eyes, fixed on the hole back at the other side of the dome. It looks like… a hand? With a swift move, a large mass jolts out of the hole, landing with a loud thud on the surface. When the beast stretches up to reveal itself Crini’s eyes grow wide in shock and she holds her breath.

From the towering form, it could be easily deduced that Crini has to do with an Ethnian - best guess and Anivean soldier. But there’s something creepy and strange about it. Why on Earth, an Ethnian to be kept hidden underground? What is exactly down there? And what is that disgusting smell? As the image of her opponent sinks into her mind, her questions get immediate answers.

The complexity of the skin does not resemble any of the species she saw when she met the contestants and there are small areas where the flesh looks darker. The movements are somewhat robotic, like someone who had to move after a prolonged period of stasis. Her stomach somersaults and vomit threatens to rise in her throat causing her to cough to hold it back down.

Something’s wrong. Reaching her memory deposit she brings back the memory with Helion that night when she found out about the history of this world. Helion had said that usually, none enters Friki Mountain except the participants of the tournament. And the last tournament had taken place more than fifty years ago.

Don’t tell me it’s a living corpse of a previous contestant! Please be a nightmare. Please, please, please!

The tall figure is standing in its place, face studying Crini as with small movements, the dislocated bones find their right places on the rest of the body. His eyes, filled with glowing red-purple light, look at every inch of Crini and she does the same, trying to find any weak spots. But the light emanating from her opponent is concerning. What is that substance that has awakened a dead body?

All thoughts fall back and her mind immediately clears as the resurrected Ethnian dashes forward with range pictured in his face. An otherworldly cry comes out of his mouth. Crini stands her ground and gets prepared to block his attack. The sword beams in her hands. The Ethnian raises his right arm preparing to do a successful blow. Crini doesn’t move. Just waits. It feels like time has stopped as his arm begins to descend to land on her face. Even a hit with their hands on Crini would be deadly. There were a couple of instances that she barely escaped death at the palace and that was a lesson never to forget. She takes a breath in and begins to swing the sword, building momentum for her block.

Their voices collide at the same time the blade collides with decomposed flesh. The Ethnian stumbles past Crini, holding his shoulder, where an arm is missing. Crini turns around to face him, her chest panting. The walking corpse seems to function only by the range and for no reason as it starts running towards her. Crini raises the sword and swinging in across she manages another cut in him. The Ethnian falls to his knees while his head flies in the opposite direction. Crini bends, one hand on her knee to catch her breath, her eyes never leaving the fallen body on the ground. There’s no more movement and a wave of relief fills her with contentment.

“You think you’re done?” the voice creeps out of the walls making her stand on edge again. “We have just begun.”

A second rumble shakes the ground. A deafening buzz surrounds her. Grabbing the sword tightly Crini steps backwards, reaching the point where the path connects with the dome. A purple-red light illuminates from the inside of the holes and cries paint the air as more creatures - captivated by the same substance - come up to the surface. This time it’s not only Ethnians but a small army or various creatures that Crini had never seen. One, composed entirely of fleshless bones resembled the shape of a large cat.

Xepo?