That's My Promise

In the twilight of a new day, the two figures climbed up a long and stretching path of steps carved into the stone of a single solitary mountain. Weathered by age and time, the steps were even missing in places

The leading figure held his head high, he walked with a long staff reaching slightly past his head. Stopping, he turned to watch the sunrise with an appreciative smile. As the sun began to shine on the top of the mountain, he turned looking back down the steps.

The second figure was slacking ten steps behind, "Master," Panting he was practically crawling up the steps. "How- how many more steps?"

Looking up the steps, the older man looked up. "Hmm," A slight smirk crept onto his lips. "I would say, Fifty? Maybe more."

The younger man collapsed with a huff. "We've been walking for hoursss, how am I supposed to survive the trial if I die before even getting there." Meekly looking up, he saw a smirk on his master's face. Huffing the boy began to pick himself up. "Laurence!"

Letting out a bellowing laugh, Laurence hit the step in front of him a few times with the bottom of his staff. "Come on now Lauri, you're almost there." Continuing up the steps, Laurence practically skipped the last dozen steps.

On his knees, Lauri looked to his left at the valley below. Far into the distance, just on the horizon. Lauri could only just make out a cluster of buildings, a few tents. A single thought crossed his mind. 'Almost home.' As he was about to stand, the face of the mountain was hit by a gust of wind blowing his hair across his face. Blowing it out of his face, a second thought crossed Lauri's mind. 'If I don't cut my hair before going home, someone's going to try and put me in a dress.'

Picking himself up, Lauri clambered up the rest of the steps. Reaching the end, he crawled a small distance before collapsing on the ground. After spending a few minutes in this state, Lauri knew he couldn't put off what was to come any longer. He would finally stand up, but not without a large sigh showing his displeasure at the situation.

Looking ahead, Lauri could see his destination. The place Lauri and Laurence had been travelling to was a crack in the side of the mountain. Lauri might have called the space cosy if one of the walls wasn't missing, replaced with a drop leading to your death.

Shivering at the thought, Lauri put more distance between himself and the steps.

Coming to stand next to Laurence, Lauri followed his master's gaze. At the far side of the hole in the side of the mountain, a hole in the stone wall stared right back.

Lauri looked into the dark cave ahead of him. At first, fear ran through his body, a cold sensation draining him of what little determination the long and arduous steps had left him with. The boy's lightly tanned skin grew paler as he kept looking into the darkness. Laurence's voice boomed next to him, helping to ground the boy back into reality.

"And here I will leave you. Your trail awaits my dear pupil." Resting his hand on Lauri's shoulder, Laurence looked at the young boy with a soft smile. Letting out a soft sigh, he shook his head. "To think it has only been a year since you have been under my tutelage, I feel like I could have taught you more. Like how my master taught me…" Laurence's voice trailed off.

Nervousness racked Lauri's mind, yet he still looked up to his master with a smile. The man who had protected the village since he was Lauri's age. Countless scars adorned his tanned skin from countless fights, and long blond hair tied into quaint braids made him look like a warrior with no equal. Lauri was no small boy, standing a head taller than the other boys his age, which made the fact his master towered over the boy even more intimidating. Even the man's staff with its little dangling trinkets was taller than the boy.

"I'm- I'm going to do my best, master," Swallowing, Lauri looked back into the dark cave that would serve as his trial. "I just…" His mouth grew dry. 'Don't know if I can do this alone…'

Seeing his pupil go quiet, Laurence stabbed his staff into the stone with ease and turned, bending his neck slightly to lower his eyes so they were level with Lauri. Lightly shaking his pupil's shoulder, Lauri looked into his master's eyes. "I will tell you what my master told me, Lauri. You will walk into this cave with two things, that which scares you and that which drives you." With a large finger, he tapped it into Lauri's chest. "It is up to you to decide of these two, which you will leave inside the cave and which of these leaves with you."

'That feels easier said than done,' Gritting his teeth, Lauri shook his head. "I'll do it, and I'll come back out, master. I- I need to." Reaching up, he held the necklace around his neck. It wasn't anything interesting, a small polished stone tied around his neck by entwined plant fibre. A gift he had received upon becoming an Awoken. "For everyone back home." 

Seeing his resolve strengthened, Laurence smiled. "Remember, this is what you have been training for the past year. After this is done, and you reach the Goddess' altar, you will unlock the next step of your journey. You have your knife?"

Blinking, Lauri enthusiastically nodded. Reaching down to his waist, Lauri drew his knife. It was as small as the name would suggest. Boasting a blade five inches long and a handle only long enough for Lauri to comfortably hold it with one hand, Lauri made it in his fourth month under Laurence's tutelage. Gently holding the handle with his fingers, he held the blade with his other hand. Holding it up to his master as if it was ready for inspection.

Laurence looked at it and then nodded. "Good, remember Lauri. A knife is one of the most important tools you can wield, not only can it be used for offence, or defence. It can also be used to prepare food, skin a kill and a variety of other tasks. Do not lose it, and pray your craftsmanship holds up, because if it breaks you may never leave the cave."

A shiver ran down Lauri's back.

"Do you have your bag?"

Lauri again nodded. Sheathing his knife, he lifted the satchel dangling under his left arm, the leather strap slung from his right shoulder down to the left side of his waist where the bag resided. "I don't leave home without it," Lauri faintly smiled. "You taught me that."

Returning his pupil's smile, Laurence faintly chuckled. Bringing his hand up, Laurence ruffled the boy's hair. "What a good student you have become." Laurence fell quiet, gazing upon Lauri. He squinted.

Lauri frowned, 'You're thinking the same thing as me, aren't you? No matter how much faith you have in me, the chance of me dying is the highest it's ever been…'

"I'll be back, Laurence! I'll show you, you and everyone who has had faith in me, that their faith has been placed in good hands! You, Granny, Merry, Rich, everyone!" Lauri froze, although he meant to instil faith in his master. Lauri's burst of determination had come out as a shout.

A shout aimed directly into his master's face. 

Lauri and Laurence stared at each other. Lauri was in shock at what he had just done, whilst Laurence was in bewilderment that someone had shouted directly into his face. However, it wasn't long before Laurence broke out laughing. The giant of a man's laugh bellowed into the surrounding area causing birds sitting comfortably in a nearby tree to flee into the air under the belief a Fiend was about to attack them.

Seeing his master laugh, Lauri couldn't help but laugh with him. The two laughed for some time, master and apprentice.

'If this is how we spend our last moments together,' Lauri's smile grew wider and wider as Laurence's laugh showed no sign of stopping. 'I'm so happy this is what will be remembered.'

After a few minutes passed, the sun had begun to rise to a degree that the light began to stream into the crack in the mountain, illuminating the mouth of the cave.

Laurence's laugh steadily died down as he took a breath before exhaling. "Well then," He wrapped a mighty hand around his staff, pulling it from the stone. "I suppose it is time for your trial to begin." Rising, Laurence looked down at his apprentice. Laurence's previous kind tone swapped to a voice of authority. "My apprentice, today your trial beings." 

Lauri straightened up, Laurence only ever used this tone when he was being serious.

"The trial has two objectives, to acquire the core of a Fiend in this cave and to offer it to the Goddess's altar, remember. The higher the quality of the core is, the higher the quality of the blessings the Goddess will imbue you with. I'm sure you remember from our lessons and all those books you love to read. But I will go over this once more, for clarity's sake." 

Laurence held up three fingers as his attentive listener watched on. "Within this cave, there are three tiers of Fiend: Husk-born, Risen and Awakened. You may only be my apprentice, but a Husk-born should not give you much trouble. Husk-born are generally only trouble for normal humans. If you give it your all and with a little bit of luck, you should be able to defeat a Risen, as that is what you are almost on the same level as after all." Laurence's expression dimmed a little as he looked into Lauri's eyes. "Lauri, if you come across an Awakened," Laurence grabbed Lauri's shoulder, the look in Laurence's eye sent more shivers through Lauri's body. "Run."

Lauri gulped. "H- Hell of a pep talk." He whispered.

Blinking, Laurence stood back up to his full height. His voice returned to its previous relaxed tone, "The odds of you running into an Awakened are slim, there should be only one or two roaming this cave, and it is quite vast so the odds of you running into it are slim. Little to none, I would say." Patting Lauri on the back, the boy was almost thrown forward. "Give it your all, Lauri, just don't forget what I taught you." Stepping to the side, Laurence made way for Lauri.

Taking a deep breath, Lauri stared into the cave. Although its darkness had been slightly illuminated by the newly risen sun, in the back of his mind Lauri knew that only more darkness awaited him within. Taking a moment to enjoy the warmth of the sun on his back, he stepped forward.

'This is it, this, this really is it.' Emotions flooded through Lauri: Fear, happiness, anxiety, glee, love, sadness. 'There are so many secrets my master can't tell me, so many things about what it means to be an Awoken that I can't know until this trial is over.' Despite himself, Lauri couldn't help but grin. 'How is it I'm so scared but also so excited?'

Reaching the mouth of the cave, Lauri paused. This was it, no turning back now. About to step through. Lauri couldn't bring himself to do it, not before saying one more thing to his master, but what? Thank you for everything you've done? Tell Granny I'll be home soon? Tell Merry I love her? Lauri blushed at the thought. Biting his lip, Lauri called out to his master. "Hey, old man!"

Laurence had been lost in his thoughts, not expecting Lauri to stop, looking up he raised an eyebrow. "What kid?"

Lauri stayed still for a moment as he mulled over his thoughts. Swallowing, Lauri turned to look at Laurence, his eyes reflected the light of the newly risen sun.

"You were the best teacher I could have ever asked for."

Not waiting for a response, Lauri began running into the mouth of the cave.