When I entered the water, dragons were swimming face to tail, zooming under arched rock formations that rose out of deeper parts of the lake.
I realized quickly that blue and white dragons tended to be stronger swimmers. A group of young blues broke off from the rest, then returned like sharks, plowing through the main group, attacking as they went. Blood clouded the water attracting another, more vicious, predator.
Creatures that moved like torpedoes appeared moving quickly, and obscured by rapidly rotating currents that seemed to carry them forward.
They targeted the main group, aiming specifically for the areas thick with blood.
I was now quite grateful that I had waited to jump in. If I'd gone in early, I might've been among those caught off guard and killed before I had a real chance to succeed.
I couldn't make out details of their appearance, but I could see that these strange creatures were using magic to move faster—manipulating the flow of water around themselves to create strong currents—a trick I could copy.
My first attempt at water rotation failed. I only managed to send myself rolling sideways through the water. Trying again, I was able to go forward, but I lost control quickly and wound up flipping head over heels.
A few more dragons jumped into the water, probably laughing internally as they saw me. Then one of them started snapping his jaws as he raced toward me. It was no or never. Trying again, I finally got the concept and realized it wasn't as complex as I'd thought. I just needed to control the water directly around my body, rotating it around myself as I moved it forward.
I sped away from the chomping dragon and past my competition, diving deep into the tunnels and following a path of draconic runes carved into the walls.
A short way further in the underground river, I noticed two signs marked with draconic symbols. One read challenge of might, the other challenge of flight. Considering I couldn't fly, I chose might.
The river split into two paths; I followed the one going right. It branched into several smaller paths—a dragon would have to transform to fit through. Each path had a powerful current that pulled at me and disturbed my water rotation. Caught off guard, I was drawn into a small tunnel near the left edge of the space and a shimmering film covered the entrance behind me.
Holding my breath was becoming challenging, but I could see an end to the water so I held on. I didn't know what I was rushing into, but I didn't dare slow down for fear I might pass out before reaching the surface. Restarting water rotation, I even increased my speed further.
I burst from the water, flying up like a fish leaping toward the sky. I felt pressure change along my skin. Then I smacked into a cave wall and fell back with a thud.
It hurt so bad that I wanted to just lay there, but I forced myself onto my feet. I may have stolen a lead, but I was sure it wouldn't be enough.
Scanning the room, I struggled to find the trial I needed to overcome. There were no obvious clues as to how to leave the cave chamber as the room was completely empty.
This being a trial of might, I thought maybe I was supposed to smash my way out, but through which wall? Burst punching them randomly seemed too risky, with a high chance of me ending up buried in rubble.
I felt around the walls, pressing my ear against the stone in places, and even hitting it to see if I could find any indication of an opening on the other side. I couldn't notice any meaningful difference.
Finally, I lost my patience. I had to do something, so I burst punched a wall with full force. Nothing happened, except that a few loose stones fell from the place I'd crashed into after launching out of the pool.
Another burst punch yielded the same result. I burst punched again, and a fourth time, both right below the spot, then I noticed a small crack forming in the wall. This method was too slow so I decided to try something I felt dumb for not considering sooner.
Reaching out with my senses, I realized that the entire cave wall was made from powerful earth magic. In some places, the mana was thinner and less dense, like the spot in front of me. Even still, it would take me quite some time to break through with physical force. It would be far simpler and faster to simply restructure the mana to make myself an opening.
The stone popped and cracked as it pulled open under my will. In just a few short moments, I had a jagged opening larger enough for me to get through. Stepping through the now open wall, I found myself out on a narrow path.
To my left there was one more path and another three on the right. At the end of each path was a claw shaped rock similar to the one I'd just broken out from.
A young dragon burst through the top of one on the left, sending shards of earth scattering through the air. The boy transitioned to human form as he spiraled through the air to land gracefully on the path ahead of him.
The five paths all joined together at a larger section which resembled a massive open palm, beyond that, an arm. Looking up, there was a large earthen dragon head with an open mouth. I was standing in his right hand. Each of the dragon's eyes were closed, but held firmly in his teeth was a large multicolored jewel.
Two more of the claws burst apart almost simultaneously, reminding me that I was wasting time. Sprinting along the finger path, I raced to catch up with the first boy. When I reached the forearm, he was already climbing the bicep.
Two others were close behind me, although they seemed preoccupied trying to knock each other off of their paths.
The bicep was too steep for me to climb. The dragons had their claws, but I had to find another way.
Over the edge, I saw a floating river that twisted up and spiraled around the dragon's arm. It was my best bet.
"Vul-aé mal ong dinadnae," sneered one of the dragons behind me as I dove off of the arm.
The other nearby dragons laughed. I paid them no mind.
As I plunged into the river, I immediately began using water rotation and shuttled myself above the top of the shoulder, passing even the dragon who was already climbing.
The jeering stopped as I dropped out of the stream and back onto the stone dragon. I raced on, entering a tunnel at the base of the neck.
Inside was a spiral staircase that led up to the left and down to the right. Posted where it couldn't possibly be missed, was a sign covered in more draconic runes. I couldn't read all of them.
I only recognized two words, safe and dangerous.
I guessed it must've meant one path was safe and the other, not. The rune for 'safe' was closer to the side of the stairs leading up, and I needed to go up, so I decided to take a chance on that path.
After taking a moment to gather my courage and get my bearings, I climbed the steps to reach a landing. It was a dead end as far as I could see.
"Shit." I cursed, realizing the three dragons I'd just passed were now probably ahead of me again.
To make matters worse, there was a mechanic whir followed by a click, then the steps shifted to make a downward ramp.
The wall at the end of the landing glowed red and hot and I realized I must've activated some trap. As flames began to jump from the wall, there was only one way for me to go—back down.
I rushed as fast as I could down the ramp, chased by a roaring wall of fire. A third of the way, I lost my footing and wound up sliding down instead.
The surface of the stone was porous and rough, leaving scrapes across my back and shredding my shirt. Rather than slow down or try to stand, I did everything I could to speed up. Even sliding at top speed I struggled to stay ahead of the fire.
At the bottom of the ramp, there was a gap.
Across the large empty space, a large stone heart hovered. There were multiple entrances and exits from the heart, each opening and shutting to a steady rhythm. But the fire behind me wasn't letting up.
I didn't have to try and time a jump, I wasn't even sure I could make the jump.
Thinking quickly, I used magic to create an ice bridge. Jumping to my feet, I raced across.
The heat of the fire started melting my ice, even as I reinforced it with more mana. The surface grew slippery and I slid on my face, hurtling towards the heart as the door was closing. By some miracle, I made it safely into the heart, slamming against the inside wall as the door shut behind me.
When it opened again, both the fire and my bridge were gone.
"You tried to take the fire walker's path?" Lila asked, bewildered. "You really are vul-aé."
I swallowed my bitterness at the insult. Obviously, if I had known then I wouldn't have gone that way. I took a deep breath and turned to face her.
Inside the heart, there were six others. The three dragons I'd encountered on the arm, Lila, and two others I didn't recognize.
I opened my mouth to answer, but decided 'I couldn't read the sign' would only make me look more foolish. So instead I asked, "What is this place?"
Everyone but Lila laughed and began speaking in draconic, hurling insults no doubt—I didn't care to know.
Lila rolled her eyes then stepped closer to me. "You really shouldn't be here. This trial is meant for dragons!" Almost at a whisper, she said "you're just making a fool of yourself and for what?" Each of her words was sharp and biting.
After her earlier display of kindness, this came as a shock, but I didn't let it bother me. I was more surprised that she was kind to me at all.
"Take that path out," she said, pointing to a tunnel that spiraled down. "If you survive, it'll get you to the finish. At least then you can say you conquered the proving."
I nodded and asked, "Which path are you taking?"
She pushed me away toward the path she wanted me to take. "It's not your concern, just leave already."
I did as she suggested and followed the the path down, but only until I was sure she wasn't watching anymore.
After a few seconds, I crept back up the path and watched as she and the other dragons climbed a nearly vertical shaft up and out of the heart.
On the ground in front of this path, there was a rune, one Lumia had shown me but refused to explain its meaning. All she would say is that I should never follow any path marked with it.
My gut told me this was the way to the dragon gem. If Zolmann hadn't given me a way to fight with dragons, if Lumia hadn't shown me her childhood, if I hadn't witnessed her being treated as an object, if I hadn't met Lila…maybe, in some alternate reality, I would've listened to the warnings.
Lumia put her faith in me when she stood up to her father. She was risking her future for the sake of our bond and I wasn't going to let her risk everything to stay with me while I just played it safe.
Inside the shaft, I found finger and footholds, likely made by the dragon's claws, and used them to climb up. I couldn't tell how far the climb would be. the tunnel seemed to extend infinitely into darkness. But I was determined and I wasn't giving up.