The ancient road leading up the side of the box canyon had been easy for Morgan and Issa to find. When they’d ridden through the scraggy orange hills for a few miles, they started to make out the stony sides of the northern edge of the canyon. Following ridgelines from there had been easy, and soon they’d broken through some scrub into a humid valley filled with twisted little trees with fragrant, oily bark and leaves. A roadway ran in switchbacks up the southern side of the rocky box canyon. The road had been carved, blasted, or molded somehow out of the very rock of the canyon wall. While not wide by modern North American standards, it was comfortable to ride up side by side on their roladii.

Loose scree made the footing a little dangerous, but the roladii were sure-footed beasts, and Morgan and Issa weren’t in a rush. They took the path at the roladii’s natural climbing pace, which was about twice as fast as they could’ve climbed on foot. Little lizards scurried in and out of their hiding spots between loose rocks, and a wren of some sort warbled from the branches of the scrub that grew tenaciously in the rocky soil. The sun was warm but not uncomfortably so, and the journey up the old road turned out to be a rather pleasant interlude.

“This road is impressive work. Do you think they used magic to make it?” Morgan asked Issa when they were about two-thirds of the way up the canyon wall.

“I’m sure some earth-attuned Energy users were responsible. How else could they carve through miles of solid granite?”

“Well, where I come from, they blast through rock with explosives to make roads in the mountains. I haven’t seen anything like dynamite here, though.” Morgan shrugged.

“Your world sounds fascinating, Morgan. I think I’d like to see it someday.”

“Hmm, well, there are some amazing things to see in my world, but I think this world has it beat in the awesome sights department. Maybe someday we’ll learn how to teleport or something, and you and I can make a quick visit for some tourism.” He laughed at the notion.

“I thought you said Energy wasn’t in your world? I think it would be hard to teleport there if there isn’t any Energy!”

“Well, I’ve been thinking about that; Tiladia told me that the reason we know what dragons and fae are is that Energy might have touched our world in a stream or maybe even just a trickle. It could still be doing that, right? Maybe there’s a way to get there with magic. Maybe not, though. Tiladia said that sometimes Energy flows can move.”

“I didn’t know that, Morgan! That’s interesting,” Issa said, absently rubbing Gopp’s neck while she rode, lost in thought. Morgan smiled to himself, watching her ride. He leaned over and patted Munch’s shoulder.

“I got pretty lucky, didn’t I, boy?” He said in the roladii’s ear.

“What did you say?” Issa looked back at him.

“Nothing, just talking to Munch.”

“Hmm.” Issa shook her head and picked up her pace a little. Just then, a raptor of some sort screeched and dove out of the sky into the canyon below them and snatched some kind of rodent in its talons, lifting it and flying off to the north.

“Poor bugger,” Morgan muttered, patting Munch again.

Soon enough, the rocky road climbed up over the lip of the canyon wall, and a new scene unfolded. It seemed they’d climbed out of the box canyon valley into another, higher valley, this one surrounded on three sides by rolling orange hills. The road they’d climbed out of the canyon continued to the south through the center of the little valley toward the ruined walls of a great stone keep that sat against the southern hills. “Looks like we found it, Morgan!”

“Yep! I can’t imagine there’s more than one citadel in these hills. Let’s feed and water the roladii, and I’ll strap on my armor.” While Morgan pulled his heavy scaled armor out of his storage ring and started to strap on his greaves and vambraces, Issa summoned feed bags and water buckets from one of her pouches and saw to the roladii. By the time she was finished, Morgan was ready for her to help strap his scale vest to his arm and leg armor.

“What a hassle it is to put on this heavy armor! I’m glad my chain shirt is so light.” She pirouetted teasingly, demonstrating her nimble footwork.

“Well, this armor is great, though. It stopped a blow from Spineripper, and that guy was as strong as a grizzly bear.”

“Is that a fabled beast from your world?”

“Well, you know what a bear is, right? Grizzlies are just really big, famously pissed off bears.”

“Ahh, got it.” Issa gathered the feeding supplies from the roladii when they were finished, and the two of them rode the rest of the way to the crumbling keep walls.

The keep seemed totally abandoned. Morgan had entertained ideas of skeletal guardians or trolls or something, but it was silent save for the occasional warble of the little speckled birds that called this area their home. When they came to the rotten, half-fallen gates to the courtyard, they decided to tie the roladii outside with a fresh bucket of water and some scattered feed. “They should be fine for several days, even if the water runs out; roladii are hardy beasts. If they grow desperate, they’ll break their leads and find water,” Issa said.

Morgan looked up to the crumbled battlements and imagined what the keep had been like in its prime. It wasn’t a massive structure, but it was large, and the stonework was well done. He imagined the men and women who lived and trained here had been proud of their home. Together the two adventurers stepped through the shadowed gatehouse and into the courtyard of the ancient structure. The square was approximately fifty yards wide, and most of the stairs and doorways along the outer walls had fallen into piles of rubble. The only apparent way to advance was through the large opening leading into the main keep. The door itself had rotted to just a few pieces of hanging planks along the edges, allowing a view into the shadowy interior.

Morgan called forth his sword, and he saw Issa did the same, and they advanced up the rubble-strewn steps. The entry hall of the old keep was dappled in sunlight that came through cracks in the walls and ceiling, both large and small. Morgan could see the remains of a decayed wooden stairway off to his right, but a large opening directly in front of them led to an even larger space where some motes of blue light dancing in the air caught his attention. He activated his Azure Sight skill, and the darkened corners of the room immediately sprang into focus. Nodding to Issa, he stepped forward, eyes glowing blue, to the doorway and peered within.

The large, echoing chamber must once have been a banquet hall or something similar. The floor was laid with smooth flagstones, and the walls were decked in crumbling plaster. High beams and exposed rafters lined the ceiling, and piles of rotted and petrified wood made Morgan imagine rows of tables and benches. At the far end of the hall, a series of blue motes danced in a basketball-sized, spherical pattern. He looked at Issa, and she just nodded, and the two of them walked slowly toward the sphere of motes. When they were about fifteen feet away, the motes expanded and began to spin more quickly, and then a clear, masculine voice emanated from them, “Do you come to undertake the challenge of Swordsworn Keep?”

“Um,” Morgan said, then glanced at Issa. She nodded, and he continued, “perhaps. Can you tell us anything about the challenge?”

“I will give you more information if you prove worthy to enter.” The robust, ringing voice echoed through the hall.

“How does one prove they are worthy?” Morgan pressed, and the blue motes flared more brightly and spun in a large circle around Issa and Morgan. After a few seconds, they collapsed back into a ball, and the voice rang out.

“I can see that you both value the path of the sword. To enter the Swordsworn Keep, you must prove that your ability with the blade is greater than that of a novice of Von-dak.”

“That’s a Shadeni name. The ‘dak’ part means he was a noble or knight,” Issa said quietly.

“Was Von-dak the swordmaster that founded this citadel?” Morgan asked.

“That is correct, seeker. Will you undergo testing?”

“Is it dangerous?”

“All tests of the blade carry risk.” Though flat in tone, the voice seemed to carry some derision in its answer. Morgan looked to Issa, and he could see some worry in her eyes.

“Give us a moment to consult.” The lights didn’t respond, and Morgan stepped back a few paces and looked into Issa’s eyes. “If it’s just me that has to take the test, I’m willing, but I doubt it will let us both go in if we don’t both pass the test.”

“Yes, I agree with that. It’s scary, but I want to try.” Issa squinted her eyes in a slight, determined scowl and nodded once while she spoke. Morgan took her hands in his and continued to stare at her for a moment, and then he nodded, turning back to the ball of lights.

“Alright, I’ll take the test first.”

“Very well. Madam, please step to the area behind me.” It paused while Issa complied, and then the ball of motes flared brighter than ever, swirling into a large circle around Morgan. The circle of light spread down to the ground and then about fifteen feet into the air. Morgan stood in the center of the blue, radiant barrier and wondered what he’d have to do. He didn’t have to wait long before a hissing stream of red smoke rose out of the ground and began to solidify into the form of a humanoid skeleton. The red skeleton wielded a two-handed sword, at least as large as Morgan’s, but it was straight and double-edged. Without a word or a pause, the skeleton sprang into an attack.

Morgan parried the blow and countered with a riposte that the skeleton sidestepped. There followed a series of back and forth feints, slashes, and parries that Morgan found easy to keep up with. He allowed the match to continue without using his styles or abilities for several minutes, trying to feel out the skeleton and see if he could beat it with just his basic forms and raw speed and strength. The skeleton managed to land a few minor blows against his armor, and he returned the favor but never did enough damage to dismantle or destroy his opponent. Finally, fearing there might be a time limit or rule of strikes, Morgan began to launch his Fighting Crane attacks.

He used his flurry attack first, after parrying a savage sideways slash, and it proved effective, battering through the skeleton’s guard and bashing it backward into the barrier. The skeleton stumbled but then recovered its strength and charged him with a vicious flurry of its own. Morgan dropped back into The Crane Defends the Nest and easily knocked aside the skeleton’s attacks. Then he pushed forward into a devastating downward thrust using The Crane Takes a Minnow. His blade slipped beneath the skeleton’s sternum and sheared through its spine. It collapsed and dissipated into red steam, and the blue barrier shrank down into the ball of motes.

“You have passed the challenge and are worthy of entry to Swordsworn Keep.” Morgan gave a half-bow to the ball of motes and then walked to Issa.

“I had to fight a skeleton. Will you be okay? Your sword mostly does piercing damage.”

“Do not question the fairness of the trial, seeker. Your comrade will have a fitting challenge.” The clear tenor of the voice took on a stern tone.

“I’m ready for my challenge,” Issa said, giving Morgan’s arm a quick squeeze, then she stepped into the center of the room. A moment later, she was obscured from his view by a tall, glowing blue barrier. Morgan listened with every fiber of his being, but he couldn’t hear any sounds of battle. He tried to see through the barrier with his Azure Sight, but again, he was thwarted. He waited nervously, pacing back and forth for what seemed like hours, but he knew it was just minutes. Finally, the barrier disappeared, and Issa strode out of a small cloud of red mist. She had a few cuts on her arms, but she was smiling in triumph. “I had to fight a clay golem with a rapier. It was almost exactly my size.”

“I guess you weren’t lying about being fair,” Morgan said, watching the dancing blue motes warily.

“You both may proceed into Swordsworn Keep. Are you ready?”

“Hey, you said you’d tell us more after we proved ourselves,” Issa said, stepping toward the lights.

“I can tell you that the Swordsworn Keep is populated by enemies meant to challenge individuals or parties that enter. Along with the battles you will undoubtedly face are other challenges intended to teach you valuable lessons of the sword. Master Von-dak put part of himself into the keep in order to pass his knowledge to worthy pupils. Should you survive, you will surely come out closer to mastery of the sword.”

“Is there any way to leave?” Morgan asked.

“Of course. If you return to the entrance room at any time, you may touch the anchor stone to return to this chamber. You are only allowed one entry, however.”

“Let’s do it, Morgan! What is life without adventure?” Issa grabbed his hand and squeezed.

“Alright. Send us in.” Morgan held on tightly to Issa’s hand while the blue motes once again started to surround the two of them.