Strife Of The Eclipse

Trial of Champion

The Gods Descend once again in the air above the coliseum. Duna then speaks once again seeing nobody moves from their places. “Arise warriors of Titanoire” , suddenly, a wind of rejuvenation blows around everyone as their body becomes healed. No more wounds appeared in everyone’s body in the whole coliseum. 

“We thanked the gods for their blessings” everyone voiced, including the vertelixes in their own language. “Sólskin ceetas” or “thank you my sunlord” the vertelixes shouted with awe.

“Brave warriors, today it's ignorant who think the cause they follow is just.

It's what a lot of people think, but the ideal is not a wrong way, it's just a way we can follow, it can be a reason to live.

If you die for your convictions, you will be an extremist for your enemies and a hero for your friends, but everyone will remember that you were brave and that is the most important.” said Traust.

Today, we are witnessing a new dawn. a new legend. The stars have spoken. He has been chosen as the one who will walk the way of the champion. Today, we held our heads high. 

Aiden Dawnwhisper, the chosen one. Today he will fight with 5 warriors from 5 Head House. 2 House will not be invited to this battle, House of Atelerix as he is one of them and House of Traust for I have given my word.

House of Hefnd, House of Duna, House of Froed, House of Aestr, and House of Reidi please send your warrior in the coliseum.

Atelerix then speaks for the first time. “The chosen one is from my House but i as the House god is not his patron god, but still he is worthy to bear the mark of Atelerix. I will bestow him full health every time he wins a battle in this world, that is the best I can do, the fatigue is on his own power, that I promise you.”

All the members of House of Atelerix then run up to Aiden in the middle of the coliseum and take him away.

Everyone has a tacit understanding, they then prepared their best fighter of every house mentioned except the house of Traust.

15 Minutes later, Aiden entered the coliseum together with 5 other fighters as they prepared to enter the trial. 

A small portal is opened in the middle of the coliseum as the sands turn into a big glass screen with fogs covering the surface. 

“Now enter the trial, all the combatants,” Traust says.

Everyone then enters the portal. The fog then dispersed and showed a fast maze.

A tall broken temple in an eerie mountain base marks the entrance to this dungeon. Beyond the broken temple lies a small, worn room. It's covered in dirt, bat droppings and rat droppings.

Aiden's sylvari eyes allow him to see drawings and symbols on the walls, decayed and desolated by time itself.

Further ahead is a single path. Its twisted trail leads past broken and pillaged tombs and soon you enter a ghastly area. Rows upon rows of shelves are packed with books or remnants of books. In the center sits a single skeleton. What happened in this place?

Everyone carefully continues onwards, finding murals of people running away from a being, human-like but with a head having a pair of horns like a ram horn, its feet are like a goat's feet, many humans, demons, elves, gnomes, dwarf, high orcs was depicted fallen to the chase.. as the murals tried to explained to them.  

Deeper into the dungeon's shadows. they passed countless passages, each leading to who knows where, or what. They eventually make it to what is likely the final room. A large granite door blocks your path. Various odd symbols are all over it, somehow untouched by time and the elements. Aiden stepped closer to inspect it and.. wait.. was that a growl coming from behind the door?

Later on, as Aiden takes a small breath in between his running, he thinks back as a Minotaur breaks the last door in the dungeon, everyone for himself then occurs as every combatants found out that their skills are locked except the movement skills and they realize the purpose of the dungeon. 

It was a hide and seek chasing game. The interior soon changed for the seven of them as each of them found on their back 7 lanes had formed. “What do you choose, 6 of us and 1 Minotaur will hunt us.. all I care for now is to run.. said one of the combatants as he swiftly dashing towards a lane,” stealing a head start. Without any more words, all six of them then dashed forward into other lanes.

2 Minutes later, a roar so loud reverberates along every lane which makes the runner shiver but keep their feet running… The chaser has been released. It has been 20 hours since then

“My feet were hitting the harsh concrete beneath me, my legs freely swinging. I saw the end of the building ahead, but if I timed it correctly, I could jump onto the next passage. 

I stopped running, staring at the edge of the building, tears in my eyes. If I failed, I could die.

"Hey! Stop!" I heard. It was another combatant. Aiden inhaled, and ran as fast as he could. 

He jumped, with arms in midair, his stomach felt as though it were flying away from his body as a harsh wind blew him out to another path. Shit! Aiden cursed as his body entered another path.  “My feet were looking for a sturdy support now. The air was cool. It means I am safe for some minutes now. and then he landed with a harsh pain in his ankles. "Damnit." Aiden turned around to see if the other combatant was following, and there he was, about to run straight slamming at him. Aiden quickly moves out and catches the other's body.. "Now, the fun begins."

"Hey!" We met again.

"Hello." I yelled behind me. Let’s rest for now, I am exhausted.

“It caught up to me before, and grabbed my elbow before I jumped off this one and got blown by the wind before I saw it blown away in another direction. I looked to see where I would land. If I looked before I jumped, I could land in a lake. If I don't, I could land on the concrete, but I saw you blown away and I just decided to follow you, luckily the wind changed after that. 

"Stop speaking." Aiden said. I looked into his emerald eyes, when I could. Otherwise, he will talk nonstop.

"How the hell do you run so fast?"

"I run everyday. Constantly running away from Falkrontol on his daily training."

"How do you disappear? at our first junction??" 

"If I told you, you'd know-"

"That's the point." He grasped my arm firmly, stronger than before as he sounded frightened as he was almost captured several times already not included a few minutes ago.

"I- uh- I'm not tellin-"

"If you don't tell, I'll take you in, and it'll do worse than this."

"I'll take my chances." I shook off his arm, and sat down.

Wait, did you remember there are only 3 people left? The other 3 have already been caught. 

Let’s stick together, I am the bearer to the house of Honesty, Froed. He then showed him his mark.

Listening to his plea, Aiden then chose to stick together with him, not because he trusts him but he trusts His House Name.

Another 15 hours later, both of them are separated once more. 

"I'll make it. I'll make it. I'll make it." I repeated as I fell, my hair running behind me. "I'll make i-" 

another 20 hours later… 

Aiden started to whisper before his feet lost their footings. Water clogged his mouth, as soon as his body rushed for any way up. He tried to yell, but nothing came. He swam to the top as fast as he could, his head was full of many things as he already had horrible anxiety.

Suddenly a hand was grabbing his hair and pulled him out of the water. It was the one from the house of Honesty.

Atelerix represent Loyalty, Froed represent Honesty, Traust represent Success , Reidi represent Forthright, Aestr represent Courage, Hefnd represent Gallantry and Duna represent Honor.

“thank you…” Aiden coughing some water out.  Am I trustworthy now Aiden? asked the other man, Hugo.

Hugo offered his hand slowly. "You don't need to know my name. I just have to help you." He looks at our hands together. 

He closes his eyes when I reach up... 

Aiden brings his face up to look at him and shakes his hand... both of them then enter a safe house. 

“We are lucky, this one says 26 hours, it means we can get enough rest, as 13 hours is enough for both of us if divided equally.” The maze have some save house where people can use to rest and replenish their energy and be avoided by the chase of the minotaurs, it’s just at the first 20 hours, no save house is present, and if there are more occupant in the save house, the time will be divided equally, they learned about this after the second time they found an 8 hour save house which is gone in 4 hours later.

"How long of a headstart should I give?" Asked Hugo later

"Mm. 5 seconds?" replied Aiden.

"Now… let’s just rest our body to its peak condition, I believe the other one should find a safe house too. I didn't see anyone else besides you and the report still says 3 survivors.” 

Aiden and Hugo then go to sleep.

Another 65 hours  later, 

"Why don't you ever stop running?" 

"Why don't you ever stop chasing me?" Aiden snarked back at the minotaur who was panting on the ground below the house where he stood on the roof. 

"..fair point.." 

 "But really, why do you chase me? You've shown you have the power to kill before."  Aiden asked while panting…

 "Are you asking me to kill you?" The Minotaur couldn't help but laugh. 

"Oh goodness no! I just wonder why you don't try. Is it because you're secretly fond of our little game?" 

 "I'm more exhausted than anything.." Aiden grumbled, and suddenly got an idea. 

 "Then let's put an end to it shall we?" Aiden jumps down from the roof landing in front of the minotaur as elegantly as always. 

 "What are you talking about?"  he smirked.

Aiden also smirks, holding the minotaur hands in front of him. 

 "Take me in, you've caught me" 

 "Wha- I have not!" 

 "Oh my my. So I can't just turn myself in? Does that ruin the fun for you?. Do you crave the thrill of catching me ~" Aiden teases watching as the Minotaur went red in the face from either anger or embarrassment. 

 "You're talking nonsense" 

"No, I'm talking perfect sense and you can't handle it." Aiden said, pointing directly at the minotaur's nose.  The Minotaur tried to bear hug Aiden all of the sudden but all he hug is a smoke decoy

“You are the last one”

 "Huh?. What? Hey, get back here!" Fuck! He is truly stupid, The Trickster laugh hard

 and the chase continued.

The last hundred yards are not for slowing down, but for pushing harder and moving faster. It hurt, especially in the one-mile run because Aiden was already experiencing extreme exhaustion.

“How could I possibly move faster than I did at the beginning of the race when I was so tired and so thirsty? I knew though, that I could do it, because the temporary pain would be quickly replaced with feelings of accomplishment.”

In front of him, Aiden sees the entry point, he runs faster with every last breath that he had. But suddenly, his spine feels cold. Another sound of running fast is closing in. 

As he approached the light in the end of the maze, he pumped up all his energy on his body to his legs.

But as his body was about to exit the dungeon, his body was caught by eight hands and the exit was blocked by someone.