Chapter 5

The Trial

A flurry of activity erupted from the candidates as soon as the trial administrator had declared it open. Footsteps echoed off the icy surfaces, people slipped and fell to the floor, and there was a general push towards the interior openings of the caverns. Meredith chose to not partake in it and held Eddie back. She didn’t want to get trampled just to get inside the cavern first; not when it hardly mattered who made it back first or last, so long as they made it reasonably within the timeframe. Nor was Meredith alone in this, as Emil tapped his foot and yawned while watching each of them take off.

“Surprised you’re not the first in there, Floaty Boy,” Meredith called out, barely heard over the stampede.

“Why bother? I can just float over all of them, right?” To emphasize his point, he lifted himself a few inches off the ground and then touched back down without slipping. “I’m more worried about you. Not falling behind, are you, Meredith?”

“Don’t think I need your sympathy. But the way you’re standing almost makes it look like you want to team up,” she said to him, adding a wink at the end. He scoffed at the notion, and offered nothing more. Meredith shrugged and faced towards Eddie, her companion still playing with the magic that was in the air by creating tiny frozen orbs. “Ready to go? Seems like most of the area has cleared out.”

“Might as well,” Eddie said. He shook his hand and the ice crystals largely dissipated, though some remained as a crust on his fingertips. He waited for her to walk past him to the crossroad just ahead. When she reached it and looked back, she wasn’t surprised to see Emil there. Meredith couldn’t help but stick her tongue out in the boy’s direction.

“Any heading you think we should follow, Eddie?” Meredith asked.

“I’m not a compass.” Not that Meredith felt a compass would have helped them in that situation, regardless. With Eddie having given his say in the matter, Meredith put a hand to her chin and contemplated the roads that were available to them.

Whether or not another candidate had taken any path, each and every one of what looked like eight different halls was open to them. Some climbed upwards, and some were level. Others looked to wrap around or turn into a slide that went downwards. It was a bevy of options with no clear answer of which to take or if they even connected with one another. Shrugging to herself and leaving the choice as a gamble, Meredith strode straight down the middle path that was level with them, taking care to not slide along the ice. Eddie took that precaution by grabbing her pack once more.

Meredith made sure her best friend was secure before shuffling along the path, which slowly became narrow and almost jagged. Trying to avoid their clothes being ripped at the sides, Meredith turned her body and sidled through the passage sideways. A glance in her periphery told her that Emil had decided to separate from them at long last.

“This is a tight fit, Mera,” Eddie wheezed out. She cast him an apologetic glance, but could finally feel the air open up a bit. The passageway lightened. With an extra push, Meredith and Eddie broke out into a larger cavern. “Whoa…spectacular…”

“Yeah…something like that…” The cavern, now that it was opened up, was a blinding white hue, glittering with garland and icicles that peppered the entire landscape of the natural construct. None of the ice there threatened to fall, despite a couple icicles emerging from the floor and blocking otherwise accessible paths. The more Meredith looked around the beautiful space, the more she felt that she’d made the right, if random, choice. From this very room alone there were multiple branches, with one like a ramp that led upwards to a door in the cave walls, and another straight ahead. In another corner of the room was a bridge that crossed to another room, though its treacherous surface wasn’t inviting. “So…Eddie, you know anything about this Frost Apple? Not exactly a normal delicacy you’d find in Lumarina.”

“I actually don’t know anything. First I’ve ever heard of it,” he said. Meredith couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed, yet also couldn’t blame him for it. Knowing something to do with a frozen climate after living in an area where snow had graced them maybe once wasn’t something she expected him to know.

“Must be something important to the area, though,” she said. “Maybe it’s a sort of magical object that exudes an aura which keeps this place cold. Or just food for the local wildlife.”

“Speaking of, we haven’t seen any of those monsters yet. We should be on guard.” Meredith pat her belt as a response. She was always ready for an attack; there were times her occasional impulsivity worked out. “Now…which way to take…and where to find it…”

“Maybe we use magic?” Her suggestion came off as flippant, complete with a shrug and a short yawn in the frigid air. Not that Eddie made light of it, rounding on Meredith with a wide-eyed expression. She just couldn’t figure out if he thought she was crazy or, far less likely, brilliant. “Not that we have any idea what this Frost Apple is or whatever, but if, by chance, it is a magical object, could you track it?”

“I’ve…never thought of that.” Eddie soon began stroking his chin, nearly lost in thought. Blowing out just a bit, Meredith could see her breath frost upwards before dissipating. Her body shivered and she rubbed her covered arms. The night outside had to be making this place colder than anyone was comfortable with. Eddie was starting to mutter to himself, periodically raising his hand and watching the frost crystals disappear from his fingertips. Choosing to leave him alone with his thoughts, Meredith stepped towards the center of the room.

From her new position, the scope of the room, and indeed the cave itself, became quite a bit more obvious. Rotating slowly, Meredith could see every passage, feel every breeze. On an impulse, she closed her eyes. As she did back on the plains, every change in the breeze and every icicle in the room felt as if it was speaking to her. There was no map provided to her brain, but as her breath slowed, that mattered little. Beyond the labyrinth of ice and snow were pinpricks of light, swirls of darkness and small, unidentified forms. Her mind could only reason that the last of those were monsters, and a map of them was in her brain.

“I got it!” Eddie called over. Meredith’s eyes opened, the lights disappearing, and she gave a bemused smile to her best friend. He approached her slowly, careful to not fall, his hand outstretched and swirling with ice. “You’re right. I could feel it the moment we came here, how much magic has touched this place. Maybe it’s the result of a multitude of Frost Apples. If I stretch just the tiniest bit, I can sense the source of that ice power and lead us to it. It’s my first time, though, so we may not find them…”

“Aw, that’s okay! You’re a magical genius, Eddie!” Meredith assured him, taking him in a quick headlock and rubbing her knuckles against him. His ears turned pink, but when she let go of him, he pointed towards the bridge of ice that led deeper in. “Looks dangerous, but if you say so. Eyes front, I’ll play defense.”

Keeping their eyes peeled, the duo inched forward until they reached the bridge. Meredith put her foot forward and touched to it, hoping that it would hold under their weight. There were no signs of it cracking as she continued to place pressure down upon it, and when they were finally standing firm, it held beneath them. Eddie’s expelled breath upon discovering this tickled Meredith’s ear. After testing her foot one more time, Meredith continued to shuffle them across the bridge, one short step at a time. As usual, Eddie clung to her, but she could hardly blame him; the drop below into a pit of icicles did not look inviting.

Breath by breath, step by step, the two continued. Each twitch of a muscle made Meredith fear the bridge was cracking, but it held fast, and after some time, they made it to the other side. They caught their breath as they clutched to the slippery walls.

When Eddie recovered, quite some time after she had, they quested forth again. This time, the passage was wider, and Meredith grabbed for her sword, just knowing some manner of beast would be there the second they exited. Eddie got the implication, because he hung back as they emerged into the next area.

Nary a step in, and Meredith swung her blade. Just in time, too, as whatever beast was laying just beyond made a snarling lunge for her. Instead, it caught to the edge of the blade and was flung aside, crashing into something shaped like a frozen waterfall. Sliding in, Meredith looked towards the enemy she’d attacked, finding a pale-blue wolf that hissed and snapped at her. The wolf howled and lunged forward once again. She pushed her bodyweight to the side and slid out of the way, cutting the ice floor with her blade and slicing upwards, right into the creature. It yowled and attempted to bite at her until she directed a foot and kicked it.

The wolf went flying off into the frozen waterfall again. It didn’t stir, and moments later disintegrated into icy dust.

“Monster of some sort…Eddie, it’s safe to come out already,” Meredith called, retracting her blade and hooking it on her belt. Eddie poked his head out of the passage to glance around before crawling along the ground and climbing to his feet. Meredith rolled her eyes. “You can help out with magic if you want.”

“I am helping with magic. I’m detecting a magic source, which seems to be right below us. No idea if it’s the Frost Apple, though.”

“Doesn’t matter,” Meredith said. “Found our path down, though.”

She pointed forward, and Eddie followed the finger to a frozen slide that twisted and turned before depositing itself on a lower level, obscured by the translucent, icy floor. Falling with it were other frosty tendrils, like roots, alongside the ice that had formed from the falls that were here once upon a time. Eddie swallowed, shook his head, and then clung to her one more time.

Meredith grabbed his pack to haul him up further and skated forward on her shoes, aiming for the slide. Eddie gripped tighter, but she didn’t slow down, and her manic grin that soon followed made him grimace. As they reached the slide, she jumped and landed on her butt with a great, “Woohoo!”

“Please no, Mer-urp!”

Motion took over, and Meredith could see the green that was tinging Eddie’s face as they proceeded down the slide. Laughs echoed from her own lips, leaning into each curve to make sure they didn’t fall off. Eddie was trying his best to not vomit, scream or both. The frozen falls and roots trailed down with them, becoming less and less common the closer they came to the bottom. Meredith held her hand out to touch to one of them, a bit of frost coming away on it, but not feeling too cold.

Little time was left to consider the composition of everything that was frozen there. The bottom was fast approaching, and with Eddie still clinging to her like his spirit was going to fly away, Meredith knew she was responsible for getting them to (roughly) solid ground in a safe manner. Bringing her legs together, Meredith angled them with her feet just slightly apart. The slide began to untangle itself for the final descent which soon served as a chute that almost launched the duo into the air. With her legs pointed forward, she righted her body and touched upon the ice perfectly…at least until Eddie’s weight intervened and sent them both toppling onto the cold surface.

“Never again…nope…no way…” Eddie groaned out. His hand pushed against the icy floor but kept slipping. Meredith had no problem with standing and offering a hand to him. “I hate this Mera. I didn’t sign up for this…”

“Oh, suck it up, Eddie. As Guardians, we need to be prepared for any kind of terrain, like that one told us,” Meredith said. Once Eddie was standing, she folded her arms and frowned to her best friend. He looked no happier than she did.

“One issue with that,” he said to her. “I’m not trying to be a Guardian!”

Meredith opened her mouth to respond, her eyebrow twitching just a bit, when Eddie held his hand up. Just as they had been earlier, frost particles were rising from his fingers. However, from where they were now, she could see that they weren’t just wafting off the surface of his skin, but actually traveling in a direction (despite disappearing before ever reaching their destination). Like a dog with a scent, Eddie moved his hand around. The particles, however, consistently traveled in the same direction, deeper in the hall, where a white glow was emanating from.

“Think that’s the path?” Meredith asked. She slammed a fist into her palm and cracked her knuckles with a grin. In answer to her, Eddie stepped forward and began to lead the way. Meredith let him, holding to her sword in case any more creatures chose to assault them.

Not a single one appeared the farther they walked in, as if whatever they were approaching drove all the monsters away. With Eddie in the lead, and her muscles relaxing, Meredith took the chance to observe the area where they’d landed. The frozen waterfalls had stopped just short of the floor, covering up the little caves and passages that dotted this lower level, while the roots that came from up above were less frequent, the giant plant that was their source not reaching this far down. The observation made Meredith’s stomach sink, and she shared it aloud.

“I think we went the wrong direction.”

“No, the source is right ahead,” Eddie said. Meredith rolled her eyes and pointed upwards. He caught sight and followed the direction to the ceiling, which looked sheer and translucent, showing all the roots that continued to ascend.

“Not that, Eddie. I meant the Frost Apple. I’m pretty sure it’s on an upper level, otherwise why would roots be this far down?” she said, a huff on her lips. This statement gave Eddie some pause while he examined the space above. Soon after, he shrugged.

“Maybe there’s a path this way?” It was as good a suggestion as any, and with nothing else to go on, Meredith continued to follow her best friend until the room widened and the bright light assailed both of their eyes. “Ah…it must be a magic core!”

“Oh great, not more magic talk…” Meredith said with a shake of her head. Still, she couldn’t deny how intriguing the object that sat before the pair of them was.

On first glance, it looked like a frozen fountain, the water that had turned to ice connected to every wall of the cavern. As Meredith stepped closer to it, however, she could see there was a glow inside, like a power that was pumping through the cavern, keeping it as frigid as it was. She touched a hand to it, surprised at the mixture of cold and warmth that it exuded.

“It’s not much, Mera,” Eddie pointed out. He also placed a hand on it before continuing. “Where a high concentration of magic gathers, magic cores form to sustain the habitat of the location, even creating monsters as protection. It must be connected to the desertification or something…”

“Oh, no, far more ancient.” The noise made Meredith jump, reaching for and extending her sword at the unexpected voice. Eddie slid backwards, as well, placing himself behind Meredith. Both breathed in and out, watching their visible breaths, as the owner of the voice circled around the fountain and revealed himself. Meredith didn’t release her tension, but gave a soft sigh of relief that the man who had spoken was familiar, if unwanted. Not that he seemed to realize it, as he continued speaking. “They say where magic cores form is where magic used to be at its strongest: where the ties of magic once held the world together.”

“Y-you’re from the church,” Eddie squeaked out. He remained behind Meredith, though the man with the bowl-cut hair hardly noticed. Despite his unasked-for information, he’d already abandoned his acknowledgement of them to look at the fountain. After a quick growl, Meredith looked down to see the black-furred, white-eyed dog at his feet.

“Didn’t know you were taking the trial…” Meredith said, once it was evident the man wasn’t going to give any more information freely. The dog continued to growl at the pair. “You didn’t seem the type.”

“Trial?” he asked, looking at them again. His dog growled again, earning a look from his master, before the man tapped his chin and his eyes widened. “Oh, right. This is a trial site. Silly me…I guess that means it wouldn’t be here…”

Meredith wanted to ask just what the man was talking about, but something inside told her not to. Her hand shook on her sword while she watched the man touch the fountain one more time. Eddie was also shaking, his mouth zipped tight. The man, “Bowl Cut” Meredith decided his name was, continued to tap on the fountain, as if he found it a curiosity rather than anything of actual interest. The whole situation appeared odd, especially with the large dog that was now gamboling around the fountain. “Er…”

“Apologies for the intrusion, young ones! I’ll be on my way!” he said. The suddenness of the statement made Meredith blink, as did the jovial manner with which it was said. Eddie’s swallow was audible, the tension having not disappeared. That was evident from the fact she still had her hand on her blade. “Come, Cario! We may not have found one of the weapons, but I suppose what we have should be enough for a test on the Metropolis’ regiment!”

Weapon? Test…? The man’s inadvertent words echoed in her brain, and even Eddie flinched at them. Although, on further consideration, that could have been because of the dog named Cario, who didn’t look happy to see either of them nearby. Meredith’s grip tightened as Bowl Cut began to walk away from the fountain, licking his lips with a skip in his steps. Cario bounded ahead of him, yipping as it did so in emulation of its master. A near-whistle of relief expelled from Meredith’s lips, and she even felt Eddie’s similar breath on her neck.

“Oh, can I ask, though…” Meredith’s breathing spiked again, turning her head a fraction. “How did you find this place? It’s not easy to locate for a trial-goer; I merely had helpful guides.” Cario barked with glee, receiving a pat on the head.

“Coincidence,” Meredith answered. Bowl Cut licked his lips again. His eyes were alight with a foreign emotion, the same wet lips now stretching wide. The sight was so unnerving, Meredith couldn’t help but ask her next question. “Why did you come here, anyway?”

“Mera…” Eddie’s hiss didn’t deter Bowl Cut from answering.

“Searching.”

“For?” Bowl Cut’s lips seemed distorted now as silence emanated. Cario had stopped playing, its white eyes zeroed in on them, flickering red.

“A weapon of tremendous property. You haven’t seen one, have you?” Bowl Cut said. His tongue slithered out again to lick his lips, and Meredith could swear to hearing skittering now interrupting the silence. She shook her head. “I thought not. Though they usually exude magic power, so I thought perhaps Cario had smelled one here, but a singular one can be deceiving. Not the first time I’ve made that mistake, after all, though at least this place didn’t burn down…”

“Wait a minute…” Eddie’s tremulous voice came back in ripples off the ice walls. The twisted grin was maddening now, and Meredith shook her head. It was too flippant. Too unaware of the implications of such a statement. It only meant… “There was a town on the news that…”

“Oh dear, someone’s perceptive.” Meredith raised her sword just a bit. Flashes of black invaded her vision, as though the man before them was stained with darkness. Bowl Cut was continually licking his lips now, his freckles distorted and his fingers wiggling. “That’s a problem. I might have uttered a few things I didn’t mean to, and to Guardian candidates no less…

“That’s…problematic.”

“Eddie, down!” Her foot moved on instinct and kicked backwards. The sudden movement sent Eddie off balance while her leg tripped him. He fell and lay sprawled on his back, while Bowl Cut raised his hands upwards, grains of darkness floating towards the ceiling. Cario was now barking and snarling, eyes on Eddie. Meredith focused on Bowl Cut, his grin maddening as the swirling darkness coalesced overhead. “You had no intention of letting us out of here the moment you saw us, right?”

“Shhh. I can’t tell,” said Bowl Cut, holding a finger to his lips now. The darkness overhead burst, blasting through the ice ceiling above them. The chunks rained down on them and Meredith slashed her blade to cut one up, while Eddie used indiscriminate fire to eliminate any projectiles sailing for him. That seemed to be the least of their worries. “But I don’t like dirtying my hands with extra effort, and I’ve no more time to waste here.”

“Good! No use beating around the bush, then!” Meredith called. Putting weight on to her foot, Meredith pushed off, sliding along the slick surface straight for Bowl Cut. He licked his lips again in response and quirked an eyebrow. “What were you saying about weapons and the Metropolis? Who are you? And why are you interfering with our trial?”

“Cario,” Bowl Cut said calmly. The dog bounded from the man’s legs, though not for Meredith. She grimaced and turned towards Eddie, hoping to warn him. Thankfully, he was already acting as he sent a gust of wind from his joined palms. The magic impacted with Cario and sent it flying back to its master. Meredith swung down at the man.

The distraction, unfortunately, had been enough.

Darkness took form, a sickle-bladed leg swinging down in time to block Meredith’s sword. Her eyes looked up and widened at the form of what was dropping from the ceiling. No, more like it had been created where the ceiling once was.

“What kind of…magic…is that?” Eddie questioned, grunting as he tried to stand. Meredith looked to Bowl Cut, whose leering grin hadn’t faded, but in light of the situation appeared all the more grotesque.

“To answer your questions, girl, I had no intention of interfering with your trial until you stumbled upon me. That’s an issue I have to remedy, or, you see, the Corps’ best could get involved at an inopportune time for myself,” he said. With every sentence, he was taking a step back, towards the slide that had sent them down there. “As for everything else. Well, just think of it as the reason I have to get rid of you. I have big plans, after all, eeheehee.”

The unsettling laugh sent a shiver down Meredith’s spine, but she didn’t let herself falter. With an effort that was more difficult than normal, Meredith pushed her sword and sliced across the leg that was in her way. The connecting force sent her sliding backwards, away from Bowl Cut. More than that, the creature that had stopped her assault landed in the space between and gave a chittering roar.

Taking the shape of a giant mantis, black in color with gleaming red eyes, the creature cut into the ice. Little particles of darkness were fluttering off its body, and its giant mandibles snapped and cracked. The creature wasn’t even fazed by the cold around it. Meredith forced both of her hands to grip her sword.

“Well, I think that’s all. Cario, shall we go? Have to make sure the preparations are set before the Corps gets wind, or the shadows will be useless to hide in,” Bowl Cut said, his chuckle high-pitched and eerie. He snapped his fingers now and his dog was back up again, like it was never wounded in the first place. Meredith would have questioned it, but the mantis was swinging a lifted sickle down at her. She spun her sword around, planting it into the ice and pivoting around. The attack just missed her.

“Hey, stop there!”

“No, I don’t think so. Have fun with my pet! See you around, Little Guardian…or not!” With another snap, and another swirl of darkness, a giant bird was formed. Bowl Cut jumped on top of it, floating upwards through another crack in what remained of the ceiling as he mocked both teenagers with a salute. Meredith ripped her sword out and dove to the ground while the mantis struck again.

Roots and chunks of ice began to fall from the ceiling, the entire cavern shaking from the event. Among the falling debris was what looked like the quarry of the trial’s search, the Frost Apple. In that moment, Meredith couldn’t bring herself to care. In fact, there was nothing she could care about, except for the threat in front of her. Even the one that had summoned it, and whatever his plans were, fled from her mind at the sight of the mantis preparing both forelegs to come slicing into her.

Scoffing a bit, Meredith twisted her body to land on her stomach, and with a free hand sent herself sliding with greater speed. The legs missed her, breaking up the ice and leaving them in clumps. She tossed her gaze back to see Eddie stand, leaning against the icy fountain. The mantis took notice as well.

“Crap! Eddie, run!” Eddie shook his head, in time to see the mantis swinging a deadly sickle at him. He pushed against the fountain, slipping away from it and falling onto his back. The blade-leg struck against the fountain and rebounded, causing the creature to screech. Meredith returned to her feet and skated on a beeline for the creature, blade back in her hands. Eddie was scrambling again, the fear present in his eyes as he tried to get away. The mantis was no longer paying attention to him, perceiving Meredith as the greater threat. “That’s right, ugly…right here…”

A chirp and a chitter preceded the slash. Making sure to lean into the momentum, Meredith swung her blade up and blocked it, cutting deep into the appendages. The mantis screeched and recoiled, allowing Meredith to slide under its midsection. With a heave, she cut upwards, into the underbelly. More furious screeches followed suit as she slid out the other side. Eddie was sliding down the passage ahead of her, away from battle.

“I’ll find us a way out!” Eddie screamed. His feet trampled all over the surface to get a foothold, while Meredith nodded in answer. She kept her eyes trained on the mantis, only to see its wounded midsection stitching itself up. The legs were swinging outward, as well, even if it was just the blunt side this time.

The attack caught her on the chest and sent her into the wall a short distance away. She hit the surface and slid down with a scoff, but had no time to catch her breath. The sickle leg was relentless in bearing down on her, all of its intent solidified in impaling her. Meredith grunted and flung her sword towards it, barely stopping the attack and straining against its force. Her feet scrabbled on the ground, unable to find enough purchase to put more force behind her counter.

“Come on…come on…” she groaned. Her back hit the wall, sliding up and down with not enough traction to move better. The chittering grew louder.

As the pressure on her blade increased, something hit the ground with a thwock. The distraction made Meredith turn her head, noticing that the object which had dropped was a Frost Apple, still fully intact. Her body started folding in on itself, the sickle nearly piercing her breast. There was nothing else to do but act.

With as quick a reflex as she could, Meredith took one hand from her sword and grabbed for the apple. Then she hurled it, straight for the creature’s head. Her aim was true and it struck, exploding into a frozen mush that covered one of the black creature’s eyes. Its grip slackened and Meredith found the clearance needed to slash up, wounding the beast. Once she was free, she spun around and tried to slice through the leg, not quite cutting it off. It began to quickly reform.

As if the cavern decided a double assault was necessary, a rain of ice, roots and bursting Frost Apples fell. Gravity sent them into the mantis’ back while it screamed and flailed, banging into walls and sending a shudder through the area. Meredith pushed back a little, and that’s when she saw the boy floating above, sending the rain of ice on her opponent. Unable to help herself, she grinned at the assistance.

“Yo, Meredith!” Emil said with a wave, both of his translucent blades visible. “Need some help?”