《Wildling》Forty-six: Long Way Down

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Ezzie said. Her voice was quiet, concerned. I had the impression that she was holding her breath.

I said. I could barely even breathe.

She said those last few words just as the entire floor shuddered and began to groan downward.

Ezzie said.

Laughter sounded from somewhere high above, a cold, cruel sound that set my teeth on edge. More voices joined the first, and they were familiar, somehow.

Ezzie said.

I forced myself to my feet, every nerve in me screaming, and I was unsurprised to find a bone still jutting from my forearm. But even as I noticed it, the wound was filling with bronze liquid, the bone folding in on itself and snapping back into place. I ran around the outside of the room until I found the right ramp, then set off as I had before.

This time I found a single length of smooth, unbroken paneling that lead all the way to the doorway above. I collapsed inside it, the lights turning on for good as I finally earned prompt.

You completed the Trial of Endurance.

1/3 Trials completed.

I said.

Ezzie said, shivering.

I laid on the floor for a long while, just breathing and trying not to vomit. Once I’d collected myself, I headed deeper into the tower, finding a set of stairs—actual, normal, visible stairs—that spiraled upward.

But there was no handrail, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that it wasn’t over, that the ground was going to drop out from underneath me at any moment.

Thankfully it didn’t, and I soon came to a second dark doorway. I ducked through it, finding more darkness beyond.

Ezzie said.

I said.

Ezzie said.

I said.

Ezzie said.

I took a deep breath.

Ezzie said.

I took a single, probing step into the hall. The space within smelled of iron, and the floor was surprisingly sticky; not enough to impede my progress, but enough to cause a slurping sound as I peeled my sole free and took another step.

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I jumped and pulled my legs up just as something huge sang whistled through the air beneath me.

Ezzie said.

I complied.

Ezzie said.

So, probably not hammers then. But I didn’t want to ask what we were really dealing with; fear on my part didn’t seem like it would help, given what we’d just gone through in the last room. I said.

Ezzie said.

I said.

Ezzie said.

I said. It seemed obvious, now that she’d said it.

I stepped back into the hall. One more step, and there was tap against my ankle. So I jumped the hammer—I’d keep thinking of them as hammers—that was slicing through the air beneath me.

Oof, slicing. Poor choice of words. But I could hear the things, the way they cut through the air, practically singing with speed.

I took a few more careful steps and Ezzie tapped my shoulder. I ducked and kept moving. She tapped my waist and I threw myself onto the floor, the hammer whistling over my head. That was a little more awkward, but okay.

Another step, a second, a third without incident. Waist and ankle. I dove forward, both blades howling as they cut through the air above and below me. They were obviously blades. Shit.

I rolled as I hit the ground, another tap against my ankle coming before I’d even stood back up. I threw myself into the air without any forward momentum. I got to my feet before the ankle tap came again, and this time I easily jumped it.

But the next tap came faster, in about half the time, and the following tap occurred the moment my feet touched the ground.

So the blades came faster if I stood still, but I could rest for a few seconds if need be. And if I found a single blade that was high or mid, I should be able to rest indefinitely.

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I stepped forward and jumped the low blade, quickly getting out of its reach.

Ezzie said.

I nodded and kept moving. Another jump, another duck, then I was on the floor; I was up and moving, I was diving over a double blade. Then taps to my shoulders and ankles.

I jumped slightly and ducked my head, contorting myself into a cannonball and hoping—praying—that the upper blade wouldn’t take the top of my skull off. Both blades passed by harmlessly, and I was so surprised that I hadn’t been wiped out that I almost lost my balance when I hit the ground.

Two more quick steps, then I slid feet-first to avoid a pair of high and mid blades. High low, mid low, low high. Then I hit the doorway.

You completed the Trial of Trust.

2/3 Trials completed.

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