What had happened surprised him? The trial's difficulty exceeded Atlas' skills by a long shot. He suspected that if it had been an actual situation, the Sun Howlers would have killed him more than a dozen times.
But why did that matter? He was still alive and kicking, which was the only thing that counted!
He kicked one Sun Howler away with a grunt and smashed his hammer into the other as violently as he could. He was now two steps closer to the leader… or so he thought. The sun in the sky suddenly became brighter and more intense.
The leader of the Sun Howlers also grew more resplendent.
It howled into the air and streams of burning fire separated from the sun, heading down towards Atlas. At first, impossible to see, the streams gradually began to resemble Sun Howlers in a more ethereal fashion.
"Oh, shit." Atlas knew he had screwed up.
'Dammit, I should have stayed home!'
