Ignition

Quill's brain was still moving too slowly.

He was still frozen in that half kneeling position, staring at the fading runes, holding the lit torch.

Even when he finally gained back enough sense to run, it was more of an instinct than a proper thought.

'Marked location, what marking..?'

Quill found himself standing in the central cave, completely at a loss on what he was doing. 

Apparently he wasn't the only shell shocked one, considering the fact that even the lizard's footsteps couldn't be heard.

The runes had told him that he had to drop the torch in the Pit of Will, and that the location had been marked. 

However, the question was on how the marking would show up. 

'...Outside! Why the hell am I looking for it inside a cave!'

Cursing to himself, Quill seriously questioned what was wrong with him. The entire trial, something had been bothering him, but even now, he wasn't any closer to finding out what the mystery was.

Quill soon found himself standing in front of the split course. 

The marker was very visible, a bright red beacon that shot straight up into the sky. 

It was located at the very middle of the two sides. 

A pit. Perhaps he would have guessed it if he knew that...this could happen.

Quill stared at the torch. The entire 'flame' was made out of hard rock, yet it seemed to be moving. Like an ordinary fire, the flames seemed to rise up and down, albeit much more slowly. 

He still didn't quite understand how it worked. It had seemed, in that moment that he was simultaneously drained of energy and filled with it.

However, there wasn't time to waste pondering the process behind it. He was fed up of the trial, and the sooner he was out of here, the better.

Quill pulled on his jacket, and stepped out. Eyes focused on the narrow beam of light. He knew where he had to go, this time with the added struggle of racing against time.

The lizard would be behind him soon. 

To end it all, one more time.

---

Quill ran across the snowy plains, gritting his teeth as he tried not to sink into the snow.

The cold was as biting as ever, his teeth chattering in the relentless wind. The mists were still heavy, but sight wasn't his main requirement.

The beacon was to his left, shining brightly through the fog. There wasn't any chance of him getting lost.

'However...' Quill grimaced as he heard loud footsteps echoing in the distance behind him. One advantage about the snowy plains was it's silence, so that Quill could hear the lizard loudly coming behind him.

'...Aren't Lizards supposed to slither soundlessly? Seriously, how did you even get this fat...'

Quill quickly darted towards the left, flinching slightly at the sudden feeling of raindrops assaulting his skin.

The lizard was probably hunting him through smell, so darting between the two sides confused to beast to a significant extent.

Every so often, he would catch sight of it running beside him, letting out a raging howl as it darted to the side, hoping to catch him.

Quill would then cross over, and while it was more exhausting, it was the best way to avoid the lizard.

'The problem is, how much longer can I hold on....!' Quill grimaced, as he saw a flash of red in the snowy plains through the peripheral of his eye.

His speed was slowing down, and the distance between them was getting less with each time. 

The beacon seemed to be getting closer, but there was still a substantial distance.

Sooner or later, the lizard would be right behind him.

---

Quill ducked, rolling back so that he was bent on his ankles. Wincing slightly from the pain, Quill rolled again as another tree collapsed next to him, narrowly missing his foot by a few inches.

Not bothering to confirm the lizard's position, Quill skid forward onto the snow and ran forward, trying to focus on the beacon that seemed to be getting closer with every step. However, Quill still couldn't see any sign of the stony platform or the winding steps.

Not that it meant much, with how thick the fog was, but Quill was almost depleted of energy. The lizard was on his tail, not even giving him more than a few moments to rest.

While the open field did give him an advantage to run farther, it also provided no hiding spot in which he could catch his breath.

The original journey had almost completely destroyed him, but that was when he was moving around in circles a lot. 

Quill groaned as he heard the thumping footsteps of the lizard again. 

Stumbling slightly, Quill changed his direction,l heading towards the rainy side again.

The beacon was close, and so was the lizard. 

---

Quill was ready to cry.

He had managed to dodge every single one of the attacks the stupid Lizard had launched at him. He had gotten so far, almost on the platform.

He had climbed the long winding stairs, trying not to fall in his hurry.

He had managed to quell his fear as he watched the lizard wind around the column holding up the platform, and swallowed down his disgust as he watched it slither up.

He was so close, until he had looked down to confirm the lizard's position, only to see it a few feet away. It had surprised him, and that one second he was off guard was enough for him to miss his footing.

Being on the last step, he had leaned forward and pulled himself up to the platform.

But, in that moment, the lizard had already tried to snap at his leg.

While it didn't pierce through, the pure force of it's head was enough to leave an impact

There was a throbbing pain in his leg, and with each limping step he took, the pain only got worse.

There wasn't any real injury, and if he could afford to spend a few minutes on nursing the pain, it would be gone.

However, the lizard was up as well. Quill was stumbling back, fighting to stay upright through the numbing feeling.

It seemed to getting ready to pounce, drawing itself back on it's legs.

Quill found himself smiling. A similar scene, to the one he had seen only so long ago.

Standing face to face, once again, except that this one was their last time.

Time seemed to slow down, as the moment finally played out.

The lizard pounced forward, matching Quill's smile with it's own toothy grin as it leaped forward, its mangled flesh rippling in the movement.

Quill pushed himself onto his ankles, forcing himself down down on his back.

The torch was thrown out of his grasp, into the raging flames behind him.

Quill found himself screaming at the pain from the impact on his throbbing leg, but in the last moments, there was a laugh.

Quill grinned widely, as the lizard passed over him, just before the scene collapsed into darkness.

Quill was still smiling stupidly, drunk on the feeling as the darkness finally revealed a long awaited message.

A string of glowing runes, flowing in front of his eyes.

[ The first Torchbearer's trial has successfully been completed. ]