Maya looked back up at what she now knew to be the god above them. It was impossible to tell what he was thinking, especially when he was so close that the only thing Maya could make out from his face was an enormous eye.

“Thank you for this opportunity,” Maya said slowly. “Would it be possible for you to tell me what the trial is? If not, I’ll do it anyways. And, I suppose I have to ask, do I even have a choice?"

“No,” Arkun rumbled. He stood, his face rapidly receding into the distance until they could make out his expression again. “That’s the answer to both of your questions. Best of luck, pirate girl. For my sake, I hope you succeed. Your friends and I shall watch you from afar.”

The ground turned to sludge. It bulged upwards, reforming and solidifying into a stone stairwell that led deeper underground. Maya didn’t need to be told twice. She swallowed nervously and gave Patty and Cyll a firm nod before walking into the darkness once again.

Luckily, she didn’t have to walk long. Only a few minutes later, the pirate captain arrived at a wooden door. Yellow light peeked out at her from the cracks along its edges. She shrugged to herself and pushed it open, one hand on her sickle in case she had to draw it quickly.

Warm gold sunlight washed into the stairwell. Maya blinked in surprise. A sandy arena laid before her. On the opposite end, there was a doorway made of thick iron bars. Hundreds of rows of spectator stands surrounded the circular enclosure.

Akrun took up an entire side. He’d shrunk himself to fit within the arena, but the god still towered over everything. On the other side, Maya could make out Cyll and Patty sitting in the front row.

She stepped onto the warm sand, not having to look behind her to know that the door had vanished. The sun burned brilliantly overhead, but Maya wasn’t about to ask how it could be sunny thousands of feet underground.

“This is your trial. The Heart of the Sea has chosen an enemy for you to fight. Your job is to survive. If you do so, the Heart will pass judgement on if you qualify to wield it. Just remember, it is not only judging your combat strength,” Arkun boomed.

Maya did her best not to cover her ears to block the massive god’s voice out. Offending him any further was the last thing she wanted to do.

“I understand,” Maya called back.

“Good. You may begin.”

The large iron gate on the far side of the arena rumbled open. Maya raised her sickle and lowered into a fighting stance, squinting into the darkness as she tried to locate her opponent.

Maya heard it before she saw it. The grains of sand beneath her feet started to vibrate as the ground rumbled. A centipede as long as a galleon thundered out from within the corridor. It reached the center of the arena and skidded to a stop, scanning the area with dozens of eyes. The pirate captain cursed under her breath.

Maya dashed across the sand to put distance between her and the huge insect. Its head snapped towards her and it lunged towards the young woman. Maya swore and threw herself into a roll to dodge the attack. The creature had a terrifyingly long reach. Despite being in the center of the large arena, it was able to reach her within just seconds.

The pirate twirled the sickle in a circle and sent it flying at the creature’s head. The metal blade clanged off the centipede’s natural armor harmlessly. Maya gritted her teeth. Her opponent swung to face her, its massive mouth opening wide as it let out an ear rending screech.

Maya turned and sprinted towards the wall behind her. Some part of her mind pointed out that she could probably fit into the creatures mouth without it even having to chew. She launched herself into the air and leapt off the wall, using her momentum to throw herself to the side.

The massive insect slammed into the wall where she had been moments before. A rain of rock showered down on both of them as Maya hopped back to her feet and slashed at one of the creatures legs.

This time, the sickle bit into flesh. However, when Maya yanked it back into her hands, there was only a little blood on the blade. The cut was nothing more than a light scratch to the creature.

“How am I supposed to beat this thing?” Maya yelled, diving to the side once again as the monster bit at her.

Unsurprisingly, the god didn’t respond. If Patty or Cyll said anything, Maya couldn’t hear. They were too far away. The pirate captain bared her teeth and readied the sickle as the centipede recovered from its last attack and turned its head to look in her direction.

“Come on, then,” Maya growled, spinning her weapon. The creature obliged. It let out a screech and lashed out at her.

Maya dropped to the ground as the huge beast swung overhead. It passed so close to her body that she could feel a jaw put yet another cut into her hat. Maya thrust the sickle upwards into the stomach of the creature.

The sickle bit into flesh. The centipede screamed in fury. Maya thrust it deeper and then held on for dear life as the monster lunged forward, charging across the arena in an attempt to dislodge the thorn in its underbelly. She pulled herself up, clinging to the bottom of the monster to avoid getting her back torn to shreds across the rough sand below her.

The monster thrashed back and forth as it attempted to dislodge Maya. It hissed and snarled, but it had no way to reach the captain. Finally, the beast had enough. It threw its entire body into the wall of the arena.

The impact ran down the sickle and into Maya, shaking her violently. The blade slid slightly out of the creature. The centipede slammed itself into the wall again and the pirate was thrown free, crashing to the sand several feet away.

Maya groaned and rose back to her feet. Her head spun from the violent ride and the repeated impacts, but her weapon was still in her hand. The monster’s mouth widened in what might have been a smile – had it been intelligent enough to make one. Then it lunged forward. Its jaws headed straight for the tired captain’s neck.