As he was walking through the tunnel, Ciaran was considering what strategy he was going to employ in the next Trial.
'First was Dexterity, next came Wisdom, I expect it to be one of THOSE - the Trials of Strength, Stamina, and Toughness. The Maze knows I hate them, and in the heat of the moment I allowed my thoughts to surface, so it will probably choose one of them.'
"Letting your temper get the best of you is how you get your ass handed to you my boy" is what both his father and grandfather usually told him.
'Those two can't be bothered to sit in one room together for more than a minute, if they agree on something it must truly be my fatalist of flaws.' Ciaran thought with a chuckle.
'Three days ago I reached Stage Zero of the Warrior program. I am more than ready for whatever you trough at me you rotten foliage.'
When thinking about the pain he had to suffer to get where he was the boy flinched. He hated it. He hated every minute of it. Of all the training, all the drills, all to prepare him for a thing he didn't want.
'But it needed to be done. I need to be able to get to my goal, plus it makes gramps happy. Only wish he used the proper name of my Realm and did not call me Cadet all the time.'
'Still, I believe I can get through this, I must.' With his last thought, he exited the tunnel.
Behind him, the entrance disappeared and in front of him, he could see the exit. It had been made special. All around the boy, there was nothing but the Maze, and the exit was made to look like a double door with no handle, just a weird-looking hole at the center.
"You have jokes do you" the boy laughed. He didn't know if this was an attempt to ridicule him, but it sure was motivating.
"So what is it gonna be this time, bolder tossing, a sprinting challenge, or are you going to whip me a few dozen times?"
As if to answer his question a tree started sprouting from the ground. It grew to about a meter and a half tall (4,9ft).
"Am I supposed to chop that?
As he asked the tree uprooted itself and looked at him. It was no tree, more like an Ent.
"I will take that as a 'yes' then."
The boy was not particularly worried, it was not his first fight, and he regularly fought with his brother.
'When Ray gets in the zone he doesn't hold back. Compared to that monster, this thing might as well be a twig'
As confident as the boy was, he didn't rush at his opponent, opting to circle the living tree to get a better grasp on it.
Its body was essentially a tree trunk, with rough, bark-like skin covering its surface. The bark was often covered in moss and lichen, giving the Ent a weathered and aged appearance. The trunk was big, with a faint light glowing inside its 'chest'. The roots of the Ent were large and gnarled.
At the top of the trunk, the branches of the Ent begin to spread out, forming a dense canopy of foliage. The branches are thick and muscular, with a woody texture that resembles that of a tree. The leaves of the Ent are long and pointed, and they are usually a dark green or brown color. The branches are also covered in long strands of leafy hair, which gives the Ent a wild and unkempt appearance.
The face of an Ent is perhaps the most humanoid aspect of its physical appearance. The face was located near the top of the trunk, and it consists of a pair of large, expressive eyes, a nose, and a mouth. The eyes are deep and wise, and they seem to contain a wealth of knowledge and experience. The nose is large and hooked, giving the Ent a distinctive profile. The mouth, small and unassuming, but it can open wide to reveal a powerful set of teeth if the creature feels threatened.
'It's either the strangest Ent, or not one at all. Its eyes seem intelligent but the key word is 'seem'. If I had to guess it's a doll, with my key inside it.
"So I beat it and we are done? Good, let's get this over with"
The boy pounced, it may be bigger than him but he knew for a fact he was faster. He probed it with a low kick to the left leg, well, to the lift collection of roots. Ciaran felt, a sting on his leg. 'The bastard is tough. '
He made some distance again and observed his opponent. It wasn't fast enough to react and fight back. It was sturdy but its leg had a crack on it.
'If I hit its leg long enough it will break before mine. Sadly, I have neither the time nor the need to literally beat myself up over one tree.'
Ciaran had decided, this was going to end fast, and it was going to end by his hand. He pounced again, circling his opponent again, slowly getting closer. This time he jabbed at its face but moved his hand at the last second, his real target the key in its chest.
The tree tried to defend itself, but it was slow. It almost got the kid in a bear hug but once the key was removed it stopped moving.
'That was close, and not at all part of the plan'
In Ciaran's mind, he would have gotten the key – in and out before the tree could react.
'Seems the damn thing was faster than it led on. No matter, the fight's over and I stand and it does not.
He pushed the now immobile body to the ground. As soon as it touched the ground it weathered away.
'A pain in the ass, well, the leg, but it's over. Simple enough, maybe the Maze isn't so bad after all.' The boy thought as he put the key in the door. It glowed and opened. What appeared behind it shocked the boy. It was another door, with five holes this time. They were on the bottom right, the bottom left, the top right, the top left, and in the center.
"You are kidding right?" He asked as he turned around.
There they were five wooden dolls, similar to the first, ready to ruin his day.
"Fuck! You know I am a kid, right? Have some mercy here."
The Maze shifted a little, allowing a little more sun to come in. 'So you are happy are you rotten, vine-wearing, no good bastard.' He thought, along with some more colorful things targeted at Mother Nature. Havens forgive him; he really should not spend so much time around sailors.
The five didn't even stand apart, they stood very close to each other, making it hard for the boy to get away with the same trick twice.
'Ok, calm down Ciaran, it's a prick, but it will not make it impossible for you, no fun in that'
'What can I do to win here? Move as fast as possible, get in the middle, and make it hard for them to cooperate. Feasible, they are slow; let's see if they are clumsy.'
He charged, this time in a straight line, right between the five. He took a right turn, making it look as if he was going to assault the nearest target. The trees reacted accordingly, positioned to entrap him. Suddenly he came to a stop, kicked the ground with both legs, and dashed in the opposite direction; his target was on the left, furthest from the group.
The downside of his plan was that he had to slip past three of his enemies. The sudden maneuver got the better of them tho and he barely got past them, one of them grazing his shoulder.
Because of the clumping up two had their back to him, and the other two couldn't get to him because of the former standing in his way. He took advantage of the chaos and delivered a high kick straight through the chest of his target. A success, the key flew right out its back. Ciaran wasn't done though, he turned around and with the same leg, he used the downward force to his advantage, and decapitated one of the trees.
His leg hurt after that, so he backed away as quickly as he could. He looked at the key on the ground and the headless tree.
'Your move Maze, how unforgiving will you be' he thought.
There was a moment of silence. Then the headless disintegrated into the ground, and the treeless key followed suit.
For a moment Ciaran was crestfallen.
'Was that all for nothing?'
Then he heard a noise from the exit, two of the holes were filled.
"So you do have a heart. Good to know" He said allowing himself to calm down. This was far from over.