The crack of lightning tore through the sky once more, signaling the start of a new cycle. Two cycles had passed by in the blink of an eye, with these two cycles, Elric had readied himself as well as replaced his gear with what little emeralds he had left.
The town was abuzz, with various families who helped their children get ready for the upcoming trials. That was the busiest he had ever seen the blacksmith and now here he was, in the hunter's hall.
The Hunter's hall was one of the most important buildings in town. It was the place where the hunters gathered to plan their hunts, where they sat to have drinks after a hunt, where important announcements were made.
Deep within the hallowed Hunter's Hall, the initiates gathered—dozens of them, faces lit by torchlight and nervous anticipation. They were draped in all sorts of armor with a variety of weapons at hand. The hall was massive with a high ceiling which sported a candelabra in the middle. Its stone walls held not just torches, but was covered with storied hunting relics and faded banners.
Elric stood near the back of the crowd of initiates, his hand wrapped tightly around the handle of his satchel. Beside him stood Fen, tall and built with his ever-wild mess of curls bouncing every time he shifted. Mira, sharp-eyed and silent, scanned the other groups with her usual cold intensity. And Den—wiry, calm, dependable—gave Elric a reassuring nod.
The incessant murmurs that filled the hall vanished once Captain Harrow stepped onto the wooden dias. The initiates as well as the family members in the hall all focused their attention on the captain. He was one of the most respected hunters in the town holding a ton of experience under his belt and leading one of the strongest hunting teams.
He wore a grey cloak over his armor, which was blackened with soot and blood, and gleaming faintly in the torchlight. Over his right eye he wore a black eye patch, his left eye however scanned over the crowd below, with his near expressionless face giving away nothing.
"Three cycles," came Harrow's voice slow and measured. "That is all you have. Beyond the outer ring, hunters have hidden a few artefacts. Some are buried in ash. Others lie beneath ruins. None are easy to find, but all are real. Return with one, and you prove yourself worthy. Return with more, and you prove yourself exceptional. Return with none… and you fail this exam."
Murmurs swept through the hall.
"There are areas marked with white banners," Harrow continued unconcerned with the murmurs below. "The beasts there are fewer, but the dark is never safe. You are allowed teams of no more than five, or if you believe you are capable you can attempt this trial by yourself. Torch maintenance, awareness, navigation, scavenging, coordination—this trial tests all of it."
He paused. "Form your teams. The gates open in ten minutes."
Elric turned immediately to his friends. "We stick together?"
"You really have to ask?" Fen said with a grin.
"Wouldn't trust anyone else with my life," Den added.
Mira just gave a single nod, but the way her hand gripped Elric's shoulder spoke volumes.
"how may of them do you think will pass?" A young man leaning over a balcony watched as the initiates below moved to form their groups.
"how the fuck are we supposed to know that huh?" A older man to his side spoke up, this man was middle aged with a black beard reaching down to his chest and bald hair. He was decked in plate armor with a war axe strapped to his back.
With his brown eyes locked on to the younger man, " Use you brain sometimes Tristan."
"Hey! I was trying to figure out if we would getting any new recruits to our team after this." Tristan bristled turning to his teammate.
"Even if that was the case your question would still be useless, as the answer to that depends solely on the captain." The new voice caused the two to turn around and look towards the source, leaning with her back against the wall stood their vice captain, Renee. Her figure hidden entirely beneath a navy blue coat.
"Although if I had to guess..." at those words her eyes snapped from her team members to one of the initiates below who stood out when compared to the others. While other initiates were forming teams to prepare for their upcoming trials, this lad stood alone.
Covered in leather armor with an iron chest plate as well as a steel sword strapped to his back, his eyes held disdain as he watched the group. It was clear to all he intended to take the trial by himself.
"... I'd say he has a strong chance of joining our team." Renee ended her words as she continued to take in the features of this initiate. Tristan let out a low whistle as he stared at the initiate.
"Look at that Landor, it looks like we've got a monster in this trial."
"Or a fool with a death wish, there is a reason the last person to pass the trial solo was the captain himself." Landor gave his response as he focused on the solo initiate as well.
"Time is up", Captain Harrow's carried over the crowd as all turned to him.
"Initiates follow after me", with that command Harrow jumped down from the dias and headed straight for the outer gate with the initiates following after him. The residents who lined the path leading to the outer wished the initiates good luck as they passed by as well as a safe return.
Tuning out the sound Captain arrived before the gates, an imposing iron structure clearly made to keep out the monsters in the dark. Harrow's eye moved to the guards who manned the gate, dressed in their mixture of leather and iron armor.
"Hail, I am Hunter Captain Harrow leading this year's hunter initiates for their trial."
A moment of silent passed before the guard in charge nodded to the others, at his actions a groaning sound was heard before the gates slowly swung open. The crowd silenced as they watched the gates swing open revealing the darkness that laid beyond.
They had all heard various tales, of the monsters and horrors that lay waiting. Hearing and seeing however were two different things entirely.
The captain began to address the initiates once more as he marched through the iron gates and into the outer torch ring.
A few paces beyond the stone wall surrounding the town, a wide ring of torches stood vigil in the night—each one mounted atop wrought-iron stakes hammered deep into the cracked earth. They were spaced evenly in a great imperfect circle, their flames flickering in sync with the distant rumble of lightning.
These torches were no ordinary fire. Fed with a thick, pungent oil and braided with sacred roots said to repel the creeping things of the abyss, their flames burned a bright, vivid orange, like dying stars. Each night cycle, designated torchbearers would patrol the ring, replacing dead torches, whispering quiet prayers as they moved. It was said that if even one torch went out for long enough, the veil would thin—and the darkness would remember the path inside.
Scorch marks from past breaches marred the ground between the torches and the wall, proof that light was not always enough. Yet still, the outer ring held—flickering, always flickering—and though it could not keep out every monster, it bought the town precious time to see them coming.
To cross the ring was to leave sanctuary. And beyond that line, the world belonged to shadows.
"You all know what is expected of you, but let me make a few things clear. Now while you all may be competing against each other never forget, who the true enemy is. Anyone who harms a fellow initiate is immediately disqualified.
And Subject to execution"
At those last words all the initiates felt a chill run down their spines, stopping halfway through the outer torch ring. The captain turned to look at the initiates behind him, "this is as far as I go. I hope to see you all again in three cycles."
"Zel'ra thon'veth, ra'kel sa'vael."
At those words there was a momentary lull, the initiates knew that was the signal to begin but looking at the pitch black darkness that waited just beyond the ring of torches, like a giant maw of some indescribable horror. They froze... all but one that is.
With his steel sword strapped to his back, one of the initiates lit his torch and plunged head first into the darkness. The others stared wide eyed before they each lit their torches and rushed after him into the darkness beyond.