3 The Test
Isabelle was pushed into a dark room by Mark and Void. She blinked her eyes rapidly to see some sort of silhouettes or anything but to no avail. She was alone in a dark silent room in the name of the test.
Suddenly, the roaring sound of water filled the room. It sounded like she was close to a waterfall. A light filled the room so abruptly that she had to close her eyes. Slowly, she began to reopen her eyes and saw blurry masses of green and brown.
Her eyes immediately widened as she made out that those masses were trees, grasses, and various plants.
'Where am I? Was the door some sort of portal?!' puzzled Isabelle.
When she found that there were no immediate threats, she moved towards the water. The water is always the safest bet. If nothing else she could drink it. Thinking about it Isabelle felt her throat a bit flaky.
Just as she had believed, the sound was of a waterfall. It wasn't the highest but it was about a 100 feet fall. Isabelle winced at the prospect of it.
A crunch of leaves and twigs sounded behind her. Isabelle's form stiffened and she gulped. The red-headed girl tilted her head slowly to look behind and her green eyes widened in terror.
Standing behind her was a majestic beast. It was a large creature with four legs, wings, and a beak. Its head resembled that of an eagle and the neck was covered in fluffy white feathers that fade into the tawny fur of a lion, the forelegs were talons but its hind wasn't. It has a lion body with brown fur and a tufted furry tail. The beast was 15 meters tall and Isabelle could barely breathe at the sight of it.
'A griffin!?' She mentally screamed, 'When the hell did these start to exist?'
The beast jerked its head and zeroed in its beady eyes on her. Isabelle could feel her legs shake in fear as it eyed her as a predator does its prey.
The griffin lifted its talons and gave a sharp caw. A caw that Isabelle knew was filled with triumph as it eyed its food.
Isabelle's brain stopped working . She pumped her legs and bolted towards the edge of the cliff as it flew towards her. Moments before it could have grabbed her in its beak Isabelle felt gravity take hold of her and she fell down the waterfall.
The griffin gave an angry 'caw' and rushed towards her falling body but it was too late. Isabelle was already a foot away from the water and she took in a deep breath.
The surface of the water broke under her weight as she sank downwards. Her whole body ached and burned at the force with which she collided and the air was driven out of her lungs.
'Oh, thank god!' she thought as she pushed her body up to swim.
However, that didn't happen. Isabelle's eyes widened as instead of swimming up towards the light she seemed to sink even deeper. Isabelle struggled but she was still drowning. The pull was too strong.
Suddenly everything around her brightened again and she could feel the air around her body. She was falling again!
The air sharply nipped at her cold and wet skin. She closed her eyes and clenched her fists as she could feel her body plummet towards the ground. She could feel her eyes water at the howling sound of the wind around her and Isabelle thought her end was near.
She hit the ground.
Isabelle cried out in pain as her spine made contact with the earth. Soon, however, the soil sank under her weight pulling her fall. She clenched her hands around her ribs and rolled over coughing out the water and gasping for air at the same time. Her forest green eyes watered as the pain finally started to register.
"Fuck this shit," she gasped out.
Isabelle laid motionless for less than a minute before she started registering her surroundings. Her free hand grabbed at the ground. Sand?
She pushed her body up and took in the bright yellow sun, sand, dunes. A desert?
The redhead gasped as she realized that she had somehow landed in the middle of a sea of sand instead of the water she fell in.
A thundering sound came from behind her as the hundred hooves racing franticly. She turned once again only to see dozens of camels grunting and running towards her in the distance. That wasn't even the scariest part.
The thing more terrifying was the sandstorm behind them that they were running from.
The roaring sound of the sand could be heard as the dust particles collided with each other mixed with the thumping hooves and terrified grunts of the camels including Isabelle's own scream. She picked herself up and ran.
Isabelle wasn't fast enough. Her clothes clung to her body and her feet sank at every step she took. Soon the desert ships were overtaking her and the swirling sand grabbed a hold of her.
She was pushed to the ground again and she reached out her palms to slow her fall but this time they hit something cold.
The numbing cold scared her out of her wits as she noticed everywhere she looked was now covered with white sparkling snow. Isabelle's teeth started chattering as a cold breeze whizzed past her.
She stood up rocking on the balls of her heels as she wrapped her arms around her body. She was wearing a blue sundress and sandals as it had been summer in Wilton before she was kidnapped. Not only was her dress was soaked with water and sand was sticking to her body and hair.
She saw a shadowy figure running towards her and Isabelle was ready to bolt again before she realized its masculine humanoid shape.
Under the dusk light was an elf running towards her with a pouch in its tightly clenched hand. Its white hair was flowing behind it shining in an ethereal glow. Isabelle was dumbstruck at the beauty of it.
The elf stopped in front of her and handed her the pouch, his pointy ears twitching. "Protect it with your life," the male elf croaked as the red liquid poured out of his mouth.
Isabelle's eyes widened as the beautiful eleven-man fell in front of her feet and she gasped seeing a dagger sticking out his back!
"Run," he croaked and Isabelle didn't need to be told twice.
She ran from there and clutched the small pouch to her with vigor. The elf had died protecting it and she would honor his sacrifice. Isabelle didn't know where to go but she wouldn't stop until she was far away from here. The pain in her body was long forgotten.
A metallic clink rang on her left as something wooshed past her. There was a long sword sticking out of the tree. Isabelle staggered in her step as she saw the shiny metal that missed her barely. Whatever this pouch was, it was important enough that they were directly aiming to kill her.
Isabelle ducked her back in the last second as a man in ancient clothing stood next to her. His sword was positioned towards her heart.
"Hand it over," He commanded in his smooth rich voice.
Isabelle stood up straighter and tightened her grip on the embroidered pouch, "No," She stated in a firm voice. A person had died for it and she wasn't going to hand it over so easily.
The man's hold tightened on his sword. He clenched his jaw and seized her up with hate-filled eyes. "Then die," he smirked and swung his sword.
