Trials

There was no knob or key hole on the door only a writing which said

“if lucem's stone is what you seek

A trial you each must complete

Though ice is known to not be hot

A fire of cold is what should be sought."

"A fire of cold what the hell does that mean?” D.F asked in frustration.

"Hmm a fire of cold..." Cally said with a distant look.

I recognize that look from Earth, she always had it whenever she was close to cracking one of the hardest questions in our assignments.

It was a look I loved because it meant I could just copy her afterwards.

"Back on Earth we have over a hundred elements right?" Cally said asking no one in particular but rebby still answered "yes"

"But Zack told me that on lucem they have over a thousand, and one of them is called pubenite okay?" She was pacing now as if trying to think faster.

It was obvious that the rest of us had no idea what she was saying but we just kept on nodding.

"Now pubenite is not like any other element because it is a type of fire when not yet processed but when it is processed the product from it is called pubenum and that is what powers the electricity on this planet" she stopped pacing to face us and get assurance that we know what she's talking about but anyone could've guessed that we didn't.

"Okay so how is this pubenite thing helping us" D.F asked slowly trying her best not to sound clueless and failing miserably.

"Oh I forgot the best part pubenite is also called cold fire because it burns at a temperature of -15°c"

"Okay so where are we gonna get pubenite down here" I asked.

"The torches on the wall came on by themselves showing a form of electricity and I want you to take a minute to think about it there are about fifty torches lining the walls but there is no feeling of warmth" she kept talking to herself "why because the torches aren't dispersing heat but rather cold because these torches are in fact made of pubenite. boom!" She faked a mic dropping while I rolled my eyes and took on of the torches hanging on the wall and Sure enough it was cold to my touch.

I waved it in front of the door and the door emitted a dim glow before creaking open.

"Well done cracking that one madame Sherlock Einstein" Hailey said smiling.

We all walked into the next room and this one was nothing like the last.

It was arranged like a fancy ballroom.

On the wall was a writing

"Well done for the first trial you did complete

The second has everything to do with feet

The dance you seek has a simple beat.

But miss a step and admit defeat"

"Okay so I don't have to be a genius to know that this trial is about dancing" D.F said.

"Well in that case you should let me do this" rebby said "I've been learning lucemian songs and dances ever since we got on this planet and I'm pretty sure I know most of it"

"Yeah but the creepy writing said miss a step and admit defeat sounds like this place is rigged with booby traps if you miss a step you could get really hurt or worse" I said

"So I won't miss a step" she stepped forward and as if the room had been waiting for us to decide a light music started playing from nowhere and floor showed footprints like the ones dance teachers use in teaching the waltz.

"Oh I know this one it's the drase" she said excitedly "it's like the waltz but it's slightly different and a little bit faster"

"Okay then I guess this is your trial" I said and stepped back.

She tied her hair into a tight bun and threw down her backpack.

She stepped forward and took a pose with her hand bent over her head and her legs slightly bent.

all of a sudden a guy appeared out of nowhere.

Weird part he wasn't a guy more like one of those grey mannequins they use in modelling cloths.

He had no features but he was snazzily dressed in a suit and he took his pose in front of her and bowed.

She knew exactly what to do and after she curtsied she took his hand and they began the dance. But the footprints on the ground kept changing into more confusing ones and the music grew faster.

We were all holding our breaths but rebby had a look of persistence on her face but she was starting to sweat and get tired.

At one point she almost fell from the complex moves but her strange dance partner just kept dancing as if he wasn’t capable of fatigue

He probably wasn’t.

The music started slowing down and it seemed the dance was finally ending but then rebby ran backwards while her dance partner took his stance then she charged towards him and he picked her up with ease.

She had her legs wrapped around his torso and her arms poised out.

They held this position for a minute before the music ended and the room erupted in applause from no apparent source.

The door on the other side of the room opened and rebby fell on the floor.

We rushed to her while her mysterious dance partner went to one side of the room and stood so still before we noticed he had turned into a statue.

Cally offered her some water from her backpack and when Rebby regained her composure and we walked into the next room.

It was like nothing they had ever seen before.

It was a petting zoo of sorts and it had different animals except all these animals were Earth animals.

It was soon obvious whose trial this is.

On the wall was a writing

"Well done for making it this far

But now I've slightly raised the bar

This task is one that's simple it seems

Just find the animal whose blood is clean"

"Animal whose blood is clean" I said scratching my head "what does that even mean"

"Animal whose blood is clean uh?" D.F was deep in thought for about a minute before she yelled "YES! I've got it, you guys what do all these animals have in common?"

I looked around the room full of wild animals ranging from wolves to tigers and hyenas who were all suspiciously silent.

"Um there all from Earth" I said

"Yeah yeah but what else" she pushed. I looked around the room and that's when I noticed it.

"They're are all wild animals" Cally beat me too it.

"Eureka!" She said

"Okay who the hell still says eureka" rebby said laughing.

"I do" she replied "all these animals are wild animals meaning that most of them are carnivorous isn't it"

We all nodded.

"Now look around the room all the animals here are carnivorous except one and carnivorous animals eat flesh which means they would also ingest the blood of the animal they eat Making they're blood figuratively speaking unclean" suddenly I understood perfectly what she was saying.

"So where's the herbivorous animal here" rebby asked.

"Right there" she said pointing at a little turtle which was so small I doubt anyone would have noticed it.

She walked up to it and picked it up making cooing sounds about how cute it is.

She carried it to the locked door and said "it's a turtle" and immediately the door opened.

We all walked into the next room including D.F's new turtle friend whom she was murmuring something to about his new name being Sheldon.

The lights came on in the next room and it was empty.

"Well then I think it's time to shoot

It's a simple game really just get it through the hoop

When this is done you know you're one step closer

To getting the stone and me seeing you all later"

"Get it though the hoop" Cally said thinking "I think it means basketball" as though waiting for her mark the room immediately transformed into a basket ball court with an invisible crowd cheering them on.

"Which means this is my trial" Hailey said handing her bag to rebby. as she stepped a faceless man came out of nowhere wearing a basketball jersey.

That was her opponent. There was a whistle indicate the game starting and a ball fell from nowhere.

Caught by surprise the faceless guy got the upper hand and snatched the ball.

But she blocked him and didn't let him score. She got the ball again and the went on for about fifteen minutes. By then we were all seated on the ground munching on chips which we packed as we cheered her on.

Soon she got the ball and Swiftly navigated around him and dunked the ball with one epic leap and a buzzer went off signifying that she had won.

We all hurried to her and gave her some water as we proceeded to the next room which was no doubt my trial.

The next room was not a room but a long passage.

“Though all may seek the stone only one shall go onwards.

You made it this far but now I must split you apart

When you reach the stone be careful of words.

Because one wrong phrase and your plans are thwart"

No one needed to explain that only I am allowed to go forwards and see the stone.

wordlessly I walked through the dark passage and none of my friends tried to stop me or say anything because they knew that we had come to far to go back.

Only D.F shouted behind me "Be careful"

I continued walking down the passage which was still dark until I reached the end where there was a large room.

It soon became clear that the stone itself was my trial.

The room was lined with skeletons of those who came before me to get the stone.

There was another writing in the room.

"Welcome valiant warrior to the home of the stone.

To take this stone your thoughts must be pure.

For one spike in emotions and you'll Soon turn to bones.

All might seem well but you better be sure"

I was as sure as I'd ever be.

All I had to do to take the stone was not to get over excited which means my intentions aren't pure.

In the center of the room mounted on a pedestal was a beautiful purple stone which shone in the light.

It really was beautiful so I understand why anyone would try to steal it.

I inched closer to it and kept my breathing and heart rate neutral.

I suppose this should be easy seeing as I never get excited.

I grabbed the stone from its pedestal and waited for something to go wrong but nothing happened.

I checked myself to see if I was turning to bones but I was still intact.

To be honest I expected the room to come crashing down like in those adventure movies. But nothing happened.

So I guess I passed.

I rubbed the stone like Aladdin's lamp before I said "I want to know what happened to my parents and where I'm from"

The stone began to shine and I was mesmerized by it but soon it stopped and I didn't feel any different.

I sighed.

This was all for nothing.

I put the stone in my backpack and went back to meet my friends.

D.F said "so how'd it go?"

"Nothing happened the stone was a sham let's just go home"

I was tired after the long day.

The ride home was quiet as we all seemed to be lost in thoughts.

I went to my room and Immediately I stepped in I had a sudden flash of memory.

Things were burning there was blood and then there was a baby. But it wasn't me, this time there was another baby and she kept staring at me.

I shaked my head when the memory was gone and it left me with a terrible head ache.

I collapsed on my bed thinking who is the other baby?

I guess the stone did work after all.