The morning sun cast a golden hue across the bank of the Merfolk Lake, its waters shimmering like gold dusts. We gathered around Gale Stormbringer, our examiner for the second hurdle. Her piercing eyes scanned our eager faces, the silence broken only by the gentle lapping of the lake's waves and the distant calls of creatures in the nearby forest.
"A mage's scepter," Gale began, "is a magical conduit that allows the mage to channel his magical energy and provides greater control. Think of it as an extension of your body with which your energy flows. You are half a mage without a scepter. Your body is easily strained, your magic loses focus, and becomes erratic. Typically, each mage is granted a scepter after their ascendancy. However," she paused, her lips curling into a sinister smile, "for your second challenge, you will gather the materials needed to build your own."
Murmurs of surprise rippled through the crowd. The idea of crafting our own scepters was unheard of at this stage of the exams. Gale raised her hand, silencing us.
"The scepter is made of two parts," she continued, her tone brooking no dissent. "The shaft, which is grown from a special seed of Nereid Kelp found only in the depths of the Merfolk Lake, and the head, forged from a meteorite ore in the mines of Dorgon. Needless to say those who will fail the first phase of the second hurdle will not make it to the next." She continued.
"Once you've gathered the seed of the Nereid Kelp, the Ironhammers, dwarve artisans will then germinate the seed for a week by feeding it to the Elk tree. The seed when germinated will grow as part of the branch of the Elk tree which will then be harvested to build the shaft of the scepter," she added.
Gale ensures our safety under her watch, a measure she took time letting us know for the creatures that thrive in the Merfolk Lake are anything but friendly. Having said that, she said she cannot protect us from the Naiad's deception as strengthening the mind by reinforcing our will to resist illusions is the main test of the second hurdle. She said the Dark Bloods, legions of evil can manipulate our thoughts at will. If we cannot resist the Naiads then we cannot resist evil in all its shape and form.
The Naiads guarding the Nereid Kelp are humanoid beings with translucent, silvery skin. Their long hair flows in hues of deep blue and green, resembling seaweed. Their large eyes reflect the surrounding water, and they have sharp serrated teeth and pointed ears. With slender limbs and webbed fingers, they move gracefully through the water. Though they are typically shy and would avoid humans most of the time, they are known to drown people by deceiving them with illusions anchored from the heart's deepest desires. Some stories spoke of Naiads turning those who have succumbed in the lake as one of their own.
The gravity of the task ahead settled over us like a thick fog. Gathering the seed would be no small feat. Gale's voice cut through our trepidation.
"The Nereid Kelp has a mind of its own," she explained, "and will only grant the seed to a mage it deems worthy. To reach the bottom of the lake where the kelp grows, you must first confront the Naiads."
A conundrum of complaints erupted. "How can we be expected to face such dangers so soon? We're not even ascended yet," someone muttered. Another voice chimed in, "This is too much for a second hurdle, do they want us to pass?!"
Gale's eyes narrowed, and she raised her staff, silencing the crowd. "For those who do not agree, you may now take your leave." Her smile turned sharp, almost predatory. What a scary woman. The complaints died down. No one moved.
"Good," she said, satisfied. "Prepare yourselves."
With a flick of her staff, Gale conjured bubbles of air pockets that hovered above our heads. "These air pockets will last for an hour, the duration of the first phase of the test. After an hour, the bubble will expand covering your entire body, floating you to the surface. Should you want to resurface before an hour when your life is in danger, simply burst the bubble to take you back to the surface. You'll fail the hurdle of course but atleast you get to live another day, plus you don't get to turn into kelp-eating water creatures just in case," she explained with a mocking smirk. "The second hurdle is divided into two parts: first, gathering the seed of the Nereid Kelp, and second, obtaining the meteorite ore for the scepter's head in the mines of Dorgon."
Bran, Ishtar, the twins, and I exchanged glances, we know what horror lies in that cursed mine from the stories of Menelaus.
Gale's voice softened slightly, but her eyes remained hard. "Face the Naiads, earn the seed."
With that, she stepped back, giving us space to ready ourselves. I took a deep breath, probably the longest I had. The air pocket above my head shimmered slightly, before it fitted perfectly in my head like a helmet. Gathering my courage, I looked at my friends; Bran, Ishtar and the twins.
"We can do this," I said, my voice steady. "Let's go get the seed!"
With determined nods, we turned towards the lake's edge. The water looked deceptively calm, its surface barely rippling, betraying the challenges that lurked beneath. We closed our eyes and prepared ourselves for the plunge, ensuring everything was in place. The air pockets above us provided a semblance of security of not dying from getting drowned, but the knowledge that they would only last an hour wasn't so comforting.
Bran smirked. Ishtar's eyes gleamed with determination. The twins held each other's hand for support. "We'll get through this together, okay?" I told them reassuringly though my heart was beating crazy. We exchanged encouraging glances, believing we can surpass this hurdle together as we did with the first. We just have to stay close and watch each other's back.
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"Swashhh...."