"How was last night's Halloween party?" The principal asked everyone present at the assembly hall.
"It was really nice principal Margaret!".
"Speak for yourselves" Cassie scoffed.
"What's the matter Cassandra Olsen? You didn't like the Halloween party last night?". Cassie nodded.
"Well that's not what we're here for. Today is the day of your mid term where your knowledge, morals and abilities will be put to the test. This is a box filled with folded pieces of papers containing different tasks for everyone. Now line up and take a piece of paper and return to your seats!".
Everyone did as they were told, each collecting a piece of paper and returning.
"Linda, what'd you get?" Cassie asked Linda in a low tone.
"I got the sphinx".
"Lucky you. Well you'll totally ace it, you're good in riddles after all".
"What about you? What did you get?" Linda asked Cassie.
"I got a..."
"Melinda Stilton, do you mind telling me what you got?" The principal asked.
Linda stood up, "I got the sphinx, principal Margaret".
"That's nice. You're task is to get the treasure that lies in the tomb of Aleskar but you have to get all the riddles of the sphinx. I'm sure you're familiar?". Linda nodded.
"What about you Louie Shapiro?".
"I got a harpy, principal Margaret".
"I see you got a fellow winged creature. The harpies are in hold of a message for anyone who seeks them. Your task is to discover your fate but you have to be careful for harpies are malicious and unpredictable in nature. You are to go to the stormy seas of the north where they dwell. What about you Bella Saldé?".
"I got a cyclops, principal Margaret".
"Cyclops, the famous one eyed primal beasts. I know of a cyclops that lives hidden in the forgotten cave of Nairsc. Your task is mainly to test your ability. You are to bring back the eye of the cyclops that dwells there. Cassandra Olsen, would you like to let me know what...".
"I got a basilisk, principal Margaret". The entire hall fell silent.
"You did? The basilisk is a creature with the head of a cock and the body of a serpent. It is well know for it's deadly gaze and it's protected by fellow creatures of magic. The basilisk holds a secret that can only be told to the most worthy. I would have said your task is to discover the secret but it seems that returning alive is harder. The basilisk's lair lies deeply buried in the school's ancient ritual ground. Best of luck everyone!" The principal said and walked out.
"You got the basilisk?!" Linda gasped, "Promise me you'll return unharmed".
Cassie held Linda's hand, "I promise".
Cassie arrived at the lair of the basilisk, it was a concealed chamber veiled in shadows. She could only see the scales which shimmered like onyx. She could see petrified statues of former intruders standing as silent witnesses to the basilisk's fearsome gaze. She wanted to take a step forward but a creature of enchantment appeared in front of her.
"Woe to those who seek the truth of the basilisk,
Courageous they arrive,
In the end they are left petrified".
The creature said to Cassie.
"Uh... Nice to meet you? I am Cassandra Olsen and I have..."
"I know of that which you seek;
A secret that only the worthy can keep.
You won't get what you wish for so fast.
Firstly, you must go through some tasks".
"What tasks?" Cassie asked.
The creature smile and pointed to her right,
"Pay heed to the voices that whisper in the dark
Only then can you you see the way ahead and get far" .
The creature immediately vanished leaving Cassie in a state of confusion for 10 seconds. She followed the guardian's direction and walked towards the left side.
Immediately she stepped in, a door appeared from no where and closed the entrance. She came across a wall causing her to halt.
"On a stone engraved, the knowledge saved, decipher the script to find the paved. What am I?" A voice whispered. Cassie thought for a while.
"Language? Script? You should be one of the two" Cassie replied. The wall broke into pieces and Cassie continued walking. This time around she came across a blood hungry beast that was ready to pounce on her any second.
"In burdens worn, with each step torn, ascend the bridge where regrets are born. What am I?".
"Guilt! You are guilt" Cassie answered without hesitation. The beast suddenly became calm and Cassie was able to move further. She soon came across a knight dressed in black who had the symbol of death engraved on its forehead.
"In darkness deep, secrets keep, unveil the mystery that lies asleep. What am I?".
"Darkness... Secrets are kept in the dark. A thing know for darkness should be... You are... You are shadow!". Cassie waited for something to happen to the dark knight so she could go on but nothing happened.
"Lastly precious traveler.
In symbols veiled, the answers hailed, decode the whispers and you'll prevail. What am I?".
Cassie took a deep breath, "cipher, you are cipher". The knight fell to the floor and she immediately saw herself surrounded by petrified statues. The guardian appeared again in front of her.
"Well done traveler for now around you are clues you need to decipher.
Pay attention to the whispers of the stones and you find your way through the unknown".
Before Cassie could say anything, the guardian vanished leaving her in another state of confusion. She walked slowly, avoiding any possible contact with the stones. She came across two pathways, one was bright and the other dinmed.
"Beware the path bathed in twilight's glow, where shadows dance and illusions sow"
A stone whispered.
"Twilight? It's the transition between light and darkness so I should probably go to the dark one" she said and followed the dimmed path. She continued further until this time she came across three different pathways.
"In stillness find your guiding clue, a silent ally to see you through".
"Stillness... Lack of movement" Cassie remained stationary and observed her surroundings. She saw a previously unnoticed symbol on the wall with mid written on it. Cassie smiled and took the middle path. She soon came across a wall, she looked around but couldn't find any pathway.
"Amidst the stones, a guardian's gaze, seek the eyes that unveil the maze".
"Seek the eyes" Cassie said searching among the statues, looking at them with scrutiny. She identified one with it's gaze fixed on a hidden doorway. She followed it's line of sight and she uncovered the next segment. She then saw ten mirrors facing her. She sighed as she thought of which to follow.
"Mirrors tell tales beyond the veil, trust the guardian where reflections pale".
Cassie looked at the mirrors, focusing on the one that reflected a paler, less distorted image. Cassie stepped through it revealing a hidden passage. She walked till she appeared in a labyrinth. She walked through it but she always saw herself coming back to where she started.
"Time's river flows through the stone, where past and future are eternally known".
Cassie recognizing that time is intertwined with the statues, she followed a series of statues arranged in a chronological pattern, guiding her through the labyrinth's shifting timeline. Cassie then saw herself back in the chamber, the darkness slowly dispersing from it. The basilisk turned and Cassie immediately bent her head, avoiding eye contact with it. She saw a writing on the floor;
How do you expect to discover the ancient secrets when you can't look me in the eye.
Cassie shook her head, "I'm afraid, that's all". She saw another writing on the floor;
I'll reveal to you what you wish to know only if you perform the test of trust.
Cassie remembered what the principal told her about the basilisk's test of trust. She closed her eyes and approached the basilisk and placed her hand on its head for ten seconds. She then walked backwards still bending her head.
"I wish to know about the future" Cassie said to it. A writing appeared on the floor again;
"You are either destined to die in the hands of the one you cherish or the one who you cherish is destined to die in your hands".
Cassie read it and she was speechless, it reminded her of what the white blood said to her. She turned her back and slowly walked out of the chamber till she got back to the hall.
"Cassie! You made it!" Linda said excitedly as she ran to meet Cassie. Cassie stared at Linda as she approached.
"Is Linda her cherished one or will she meet another person along the way" She thought to herself.