Anise sat, her body shuddering. She didn’t understand, why was she losing control of her emotions so easily? The answer didn’t matter; she had been crying for a while. And if she were to be honest, letting her emotions run free after all that time felt like a weight lifted off her chest.

As she calmed herself down, she looked at the old man who smiled kindly before saying. “It is alright, child. Just have some tea and rest. No need to rush.”

She didn’t know who that old man was, or what the trial was about. But at that moment, none of that mattered. She extended her hand to the cup of tea as she brought it to her lips.

She sipped from the cup before bringing it down. Just what is going on with this tea? Wondered Anise. She had been here for at least an hour, if not more, and it was still at the same temperature. Just perfect. She thought as she took another sip. What was even more amusing was how the cup felt bottomless. The cup didn’t seem to reduce no matter how much she drank.

She had been tempted more than once to just try to flip the cup and pour it to the ground to see what would happen. Yet the strange laws that governed that place stopped any destructive or harmful behavior. Having no other choice, she sat down as she had tea with the old man.

Silence reigned as they sat, drinking tea, in silence. After twenty minutes, Anise’s body was completely still again. She held the teacup to take another sip before the silence was broken by the old man.

“You have done well child. You went through much, you can just rest here.” said the old man as he stood, walking away.

Anise enjoyed her tea in silence for a while. Finally, she stood and decided to walk around. A few steps away from the table where she sat, she noticed a wooden shack with an open door that wasn’t there earlier. Curious and having nothing better to do, she entered the shack.

Inside, she saw a bed and a dining table. As she stepped into the house her nose was touched by a soft fragrant smell. As she looked on the table, she saw some light pink flesh decorated with green leaves. The meat had a darker crust and a soft interior, a sign of a nice sear. She could see particles of black pepper floating around the dish. She stared at the dish as she imagined its softness before she even got the chance to take a bite.

She stared at the dish trying to determine what it was. As she was thinking, she remembered an old story her grandmother, Zahida, told her once. She felt sadness rush into her as she thought about how she would never experience her stories, her smile or anything else anymore. As her sadness peaked again, she turned to the food to try and distract herself.

As she bit into the food, she felt the soft texture of the meat envelop her mouth. The sharp taste of the black peppers contrasting with the mild taste of the meat, completing it. As she bit into it, the words came to her mouth without thinking. “Fish…”

She had heard of those in one of her stories. Apparently those creatures lived in the seas, huge bodies of water she was told. Anise had lived her entire life in her village, she knew nothing of the outside world outside of what her grandmother told her.

As she ate the fish, she felt her worries melt away as she got more engaged with the relaxing feeling she felt every time she took a bite. Finally, as she finished the dish, she felt the exhaustion of the last few years pile up on her as she collapsed onto the bed. Getting the first real rest she had in a long time.

For the next few months, she fell into a regular routine. As she woke up, she found breakfast at her table. She would then leave to drink tea with the old man while striking idle conversations. He never mentioned anything about the trial and never asked about her past during that period. As time went by, she settled into her new life, forgetting everything about the trial as her pain withered away.

She learned that what she ate was called “Salmon”, a type of fish that lived in rivers. She learned that rivers were like seas, except that the water there was actually pure. She learned many random things about the world as she sat down to hear the old man.

Finally, the old man spoke the question he asked long ago. “Child, tell me your story.”

Anise looked at him, her eyes at peace as she spoke.

She spoke of her childhood, of how life in her village was.

How she and the neighbor’s kid, Sayd, were always causing trouble everywhere they went, causing endless headaches for everyone.

She spoke of how her grandmother reprimanded her as she pulled another prank on her teacher.

She spoke of how her parents died, left on a trip to trade some things for the villages… and only later, their corpses returned.

And finally, she spoke of her last few months. The days after she met Traves, Jorish and Cail.

“Do you ever want to go back, child?” asked the old man.

Anise looked at him, confused. “What do ya mean?”

“You could live out your days in peace, enjoying this life. Or I could make you relive your memories, enjoying your past as you forget about your present. It would be a good life, a satisfying future perhaps.”

Anise looked at him as she wandered in her thoughts. The old man smiled slightly as he stood and walked away, clearly not in a rush for her answer. A few more days went by as she kept thinking about his question.

It was true, she would do anything to get back those days. The days of her joy and innocence. Her mother’s loving smile and her fathers’ stern yet proud gaze. Her grandmother’s endless affection…

Yet, as she sat down and spent her days, she finally understood. She was letting out her hatred on her companions, on Jorish as he took it all without complaining. He knew. She thought. Yet he persisted. He was weaker than her, yet his will was stronger. She was giving up. Did they all die for her to just give up?

She looked at the old man, whose lips parted as his smile widened, her eyes wearing a look she didn’t have for a long time. As her rage and bloodthirst disappeared, replaced by cold determination and strength. As she stood, she felt the restrictions that tied her disappear as her muscles roared into strength. She stared at the sky and roared.

It was not a roar of hate, nor of rage. It was the proud roar of a dragon. One that finally found their soul back.

“My child. You choose a long and difficult path. And I would’ve been disappointed if you accepted any less.” The old man spoke with happiness in his eyes before his tone turned serious, as the scenes shifted for the first time in months. “We have already lost quite a bit of time. Let's get you warmed up, shall we, my child?”

Anise answered with her smile as she flexed her muscles. Eager to fight again.

- - - - -

Jorish held his sword as he faced off against the anomaly in front of him. It was humanoid in shape, yet it stood unrecognizable as a black mass. It was a mass of shadows given shape, holding an iron sword.

Jorish had already died countless times already facing all the various challenges he faced. He died in ways he didn’t even imagine possible throughout the last few weeks. Or was it months? Years? Jorish didn't know for sure. Time didn’t exist as clearly in that area as he thought it did. But it didn’t matter. He enjoyed the sensations and the pains of the battle. But more than anything, he savored the taste of victory as he overcame what was impossible for him. As he became even a little bit better, stronger, smarter.

His foe this time was both equally as strong as fast as him. Almost a carbon copy of himself in terms of strength. If you ignored that he seemed to be made of steel. Jorish rolled his eyes as he focused forward. He smiled as he faced the shadow, being unable to see its eyes or its face made things harder. He had learned to feel the small motions and involuntary movements that his opponents would make as he died over and over against the previous opponents.

Each new foe was both stronger, faster, and more dangerous. As he faced this foe, finally ready to put everything he understood while fighting it for the last few hundred deaths, the anomaly dashed towards him.

Jorish held his sword with his right arm on the hilt, and his left wrapped with a cloth he cut from his own clothes. As the shadow reached him and swung an overhead swipe of his sword. Jorish stepped in as he moved his sword above him, trying to parry the strike to the side and strike down the shadow. As swords clashed, Jorish pushed the blade to the side as he stepped forward, closer to the shadow.

As the shadows guard broke it changed unnaturally as its arms moved impossibly to block Jorish’s counter-attack. As the sparks flew, Jorish smiled as the shadow pulled its blade back about to thrust into him. Jorish felt pain in his chest as he remembered how many times he died by that specific thrust. But not this time.

As the thrust came, Jorish’s left hand grabbed his own blade as he pushed the blade’s edge to parry the strike’s trajectory. Causing it to miss his chest as it headed towards his shoulder instead. At that moment, he used both his movement and the strike’s own momentum as he turned. Then, putting all his remaining strength into his left hand, he let go of the hilt as he swung the sword as a hammer. He held the sword from the blade as its hilt whistled as it smashed into the shadowed figure’s head.

The shadow flew back a few meters. As it hit the ground, it started to disperse as Jorish remembered how hard to cut it was. Glad this worked. Didn’t expect that to work as well as it did.

Finally, Jorish looked into the sky as he spoke

“Old man… I do not think a sword is it for me.”

Over the next period of time, everything repeated as Jorish went through many weapons. Some were easier than others, while others were not. Jorish truly hated using daggers, he was just not suited for their agile and precise style. Instead, he enjoyed using staves, which he had been using for a while, as well as using axes and clubs. Who knew hitting things really hard is that fun?

He had experienced many unusual weapons as he learned to train and fight in ways he never had to before. He had to use an iron fan, which he felt was half a lie since it was more like a short agile club that happened to be able to be opened like a fan. He was forced to learn how to fight more reactively and to grapple. He had to use an extremely flexible sword as he learned to fight keeping his distance. He also used a bow… Well, let's not think about that one. Laughed Jorished as he thought about the last few weapons he had used.

As he held the next weapon, his eyes sparkled. “Oh, weapon of legends! Oh, destroyer of worlds! Behold, the SPEAR!”

He held his weapon as he swung it around laughing before getting interrupted by the old man

“Hey Child, This isn’t a spear. It's a glaive. A polearm. If you….”

“Shut up old man, It's a pointy stick. A spear.”

“What about the entire blade that exists below the tip? Child, I am telling you…”

“It's my spear damn it!!” shouted Jorish as he held his “spear” closer to his body.

The old man sighed as he looked at the glaive that Jorish held and its blade, which was almost half a meter long. He shook his head.

“Fine fine, Child. Do what you must.” said the old man as the world shifted again.

As Jorish used the glaive, he fell in love with the weapon instantly. He didn’t know if it was because it was the weapon destined to him, or if it was because Traves’ torture made him fantasize about having a pointy stick. But it didn’t matter.

He broke through all the challenges, finally beat the shadow figure with a glaive. He nodded in satisfaction as he spoke with a playful smile on his face. “Yes old man. This ‘spear’ is for me”

He could hear a sigh as he heard a reply. “Then, the true challenge begins now. Last as long as you can through this, Child.”

What came next was hell.

A few months had passed as he faced a new challenge after another. Jorish stood motionlessly as he stared at the three meters long monstrosity that held a club that was almost as tall as Jorish was, if not slightly taller. He shouted outraged. “Seriously?!”

Yet, a few weeks passed as he finally outsped and outmaneuvered the giant. Wearing it down over hours until he finally cut its head. He stood there, filled with blood, as he looked at the monstrosity’s body. It lay on the floor, littered with cuts and gouges as he thought about how he maneuvered around it, wearing it down.

As he faced an obstacle after another, he lost track of time. He didn’t know or care how long he had been there. He has been fighting, getting stronger, and living. Unfortunately, his joy had to come to an end.

As he beat another challenge. Instead of the scenery changing into a new battlefield, as usual, he found himself back in the same black room he started at. He stared at the old man, clearly asking him for an explanation with his eyes.

The old man shrugged his shoulders. “Well, time’s up my child!”

Jorish sighed, he expected as much. There wasn’t such a thing as an unlimited lunch in this world. He was too old for such a talk.

He nodded as he bowed towards the old man. Thanking him for all he had helped him throughout the last period of time, however long that was.

The old man looked satisfyingly at Jorish as he nodded softly before the world turned into white again as Jorish lost consciousness again.

- - - - -

Traves strolled satisfyingly outside the temple with a wide relaxed smile as he thought back to the last day he spent in the temple. He had cut that smug old man down almost three or four hundred times. Well, I tried to keep count but that was just too fun near the end. Smiled Traves as he thought of all the forms the old man took as he tried to “teach him a lesson”.

He stood outside waiting for Jorish and Anise to walk out. He was hopeful for their results as he stared at the entrance. According to what he heard about this temple, you would spend an hour of time outside. And according to how much jade you use, time would be compressed as you practice there, perfecting an art, finding the meaning of life or whatever else you wanted to do with your “free time” in your own consciousness.

He didn’t know how much time he had given Jorish and Anise, but he knew that it wouldn’t be an issue. Or at least I hope it won’t be. The place had measures to make sure that people don’t face issues of loneliness, boredom, or any other issues a person might feel being locked for months or years. That was normally true for the normal usage of that temple. But I did put a LOT of jade in there… huh. Well, no point worrying about it!

Moments later, two figures moved out of the temple door back to the scalding sands outside. Traves smiled as he looked at them, satisfied. “Congratulations, kids! Hope you had fun.”

Jorish stood, wearing confidence he never had. His body stood upright, both relaxed and engaged. He was relaxed, yet ready to pounce into a fight at any moment.

Jorish looked back at him as he smiled. While Anise closed her eyes, satisfied and at peace. She stood, her steps light. No longer plagued by her nightmares. Her eyes flashed a momentary golden as Traves was startled momentarily. Did she…?

As Traves was about to turn back he heard her ask.

“Oi Boy, Jorish. You up for a spar?”

“Oh? Let's do this right now!” replied Jorish confidently as he pulled his staff out. He paused for a moment as he looked at his staff’s edge mournfully before regaining his smile as he spun his staff around.

That boy really liked using a spear huh. Thought Traves of the first explanation he could think off as he smiled. Soon…

Traves watched as the showdown between Anise and Jorish was about to begin. The showdown to showcase the fruits of their trial.