Untold Trials

Desert Trial

The harsh sun beat down on the lone figure trudging through the seemingly endless valleys of sand, the winds stirring up those sands just enough to scour away all of the moisture in their skin, even with how wrapped they were in light airy cloths. They reach up to rub sand from their protective goggles for a clear look around before they push aside white cloths flapping loosely at their side to pull free the water skein tied to their hip, hidden just beneath their shirt to lessen the chance of sand seeping past the lid.

With peeling and parched hands they pry off the lid and bring it to their similarly peeling and dried lips, the movement of parting them causing a split and a trickle of blood they ignore as they tip their head back and the skein up to take a draw of the miniscule water left inside. They felt so depleted of water that even just that small drink could be felt the entire way down, soothing but not enough. Regardless they screw the cap back on tightly and retie it to their hip before continuing on.

The brief pause had the sand piled around their feet enough that when they start to move again it catches them a bit, their hands move as if to stop themselves and it seems as if they may not fall for a moment, but then that relief is lost to the wind when they begin to tumble down. The sands unforgiving as they grasped at them, twisting and turning to try and stop themselves but there was nothing to slow them and they were already so tired. Eventually they decide to attempt to control their fall instead of stop it, and with that in mind they manage to turn so their feet were aimed towards the bottom of the hill of sand. However that relief is just as short lived as they can now see the sand at the bottom begin to dip inward, sands shifting downward into a presumed pocket of air. If they continued this path they would be buried.

The wild scrambling to change their course or stop themselves began again, but it was too little too late and their feet met with the dip in sand, their head soon disappearing under as well. The sand they had brought down in their descent poured down on top of them as their legs hit sand at the bottom and they crumpled. They curled around their head, thinking this was the end.. But after a time the feeling of sand pouring down slowed to a halt and they didn't exactly feel packed in. With some pushing and squirming they're able to get out from under the pile of sand, panting hard and breathing in blessedly cold air. It was dark aside from the opening they had fallen through, so when they initially looked around it was hard to see much more than just more sand, they reached up to scrub their goggles clean and then push them up to see better.

After catching their breath they push the rest of the way free from the sands and climb to their feet to move past the blinding light to look around better, it seemed to be some sort of natural cave made of hardened sand. While relieved to be alive they knew better than to simply trust this, as there would likely be creatures dwelling in these natural caves.. However, this could also lead them to their destination, they couldn't pass such a chance up and knew they needed to explore further. So with a sigh they brush out as much sand as they could and carefully take the head wrappings off to shake out their messy dirty hair, then they give one more longing look to the hole above before sighing and reaching into the satchel at their other hip.


They pulled out a long tube and turned the white top with a silence shattering set of clicks, the liquid inside the tube began to glow a bright but gentle blue at that and they held it out above their head as they chose a path and started down it. Once they reached a fork in the dark tunnel they pulled out a knife to stab into the floor, carving an arrow deep into the sand that pointed in the direction they chose. They were sure to make it deep and obvious enough that it had little chance of disappearing the moment they turned their back, call them paranoid but it made them feel a little safer, and allowed them to stall moving deeper and further away from their entrance...

Their journey into the caves went on for a while, with quite a few twists and turns and occasionally they would come across their own markings and make new ones as they took different paths. Uncertainty dragged at their feet but they pressed on, knowing they were unlikely to get lost despite the confusing lay out. Eventually they stop, squinting ahead in the dark where they swore the cave seemed to give away to a void of nothing. Taking a deep breath to steel their resolve they press onward, and the tunnel does open up further, but rather than a void it seemed to give way to a huge cavern. The floor of the tunnel dropped way with the bottom quite a ways down, but a sound filled the cavern that gave them more hope than anything else had yet. The sound of running water. They reach into their back with one hand and hook the glow stick to their belt with the other, quickly pulling out and loading a flare gun which they aim into the darkness, covering their eyes and praying- they shoot and then immediately drop down in case it hits a wall and comes flying back. It did in fact hit a wall, but miraculously ricocheted downward more so before properly slowing and blooming out. They sigh in relief and straighten to look over the huge cool cavern, the air in here almost sweet with moisture. If they had tears to shed.. Looking down they could see the underground river and a laugh broke past their lips.

Not wanting to waste the time they had with the flare they quickly pull out the folded climbing hook they had and it's short rope, attaching the rope to their belt and popping the axe part out to lock it into its readied position. They move to the edge and find a space to lower down on to, carefully starting their way down, the sand being a good mixture of hard enough to hold them- usually- and soft enough to drive their small climbing axe deep into. On the occasions where their axe digs out too much sand they simply hold onto their previous purchases and turn their face away, waiting and hoping. It was tense and slow going, their flare goes out before they even make it half way of course, it's lifespan a measly forty seconds, but with the light of their glow stick they manage. Needless to say they're relieved when their feet meet the ground and, after a quick check to be sure it's totally solid, they collapse down into an exhausted heap to pant and let their muscles relax after such a strenuous climb.

They don't linger long however as the need for moisture and water drove them back to their feet and towards the sound of running water, where upon arrival they collapse back down to peer into the water, unclipping their glow stick to hold over it and look inside. Seeing no immediate threats they dip a hand in and bring it up to wipe the water over their face, a tearless bit of a sob rolls out of them and they hold that hand to their face, laughing hysterically after. They had no idea if it was drinkable but it was better than nothing.

After a moment of mental and physical reprieve they set to work making a camp, pulling out two more glow sticks to set up as they start to peel off their cloths to flap out away from the water, then their clothing beneath that is peeled off to be shaken out and they move back to the water, nervously checking again before dipping their feet in. While it wasn't the safest idea they almost gave into the desire to sink beneath the surface and allow the water to sink into every pore. They decide against it and simply brush water over their skin a small bit before redressing, they do however dip their head band into the water before tying it around their head to hold their hair back, relishing in the water dripping down their face.

After dressing once more and flicking off their extra glow sticks to conserve power, they follow along the water to see where it flowed from. After some time they find several holes in the walls where water poured from. Thinking this was their best chance at clean water they leaned over to take a sip from one, it was.. Still dirty but at least it was running water. They pull out their water skein to finish off what was in there before holding it beneath the stream of water to fill it. They could hear more water running from holes further along, possibly larger than this one- but thought that may be too dangerous, as more water could lead to mud, which could lead to slipping and falling, and in this darkness? That could lead to drowning. So, they settled with one of the smaller offshoots, and it's for that same reason they don't follow it when they start to explore again. In their moment of decision making they realize.. They forgot to mark where they had come in from.. Well hopefully if they needed to go back the holes in the side of the wall would be obvious enough.

So with all of that in mind, they start to follow the stream down its path, once again holding the light up until their arm gets tired and then just sort of holding it out for a bit, until eventually it ends up clipped to their side with a sigh. They feel as if it's been a good few hours of following the stream with no luck, it had led into another tunnel but the tunnel had been wide and dry enough that they felt secure in following it for the time being, and it was a good marker to keep from losing track of where they were in the penetrating dark. The growing chill told them they were going deeper, or it was getting late out.. Possibly both.

It isn't until their legs start to get wobbly that they realize they should probably rest and eat, not that they were looking forward to their ever so tasty nutrition block. So they sigh and plop down to pull out one of said bars to unwrap and start eating with distaste, at least it was something to eat that wouldn't spoil quickly, and since it was smaller they could fit more in their pack.
After eating and drinking more they simply rest for a few hours, but once they start to get sleepy is when they get to their feet, pulling their cloths around their arms more and tying them to try and fight the chill that threatened to seep into their very bones. It was exhausting to go from such extreme heat to such extreme cold, but they pressed on regardless as they weren't fond of the idea of sleeping in such pitch darkness.

As they continue on they eventually reach the end of the stream before it travels deeper into the earth where they could not follow, their first glow stick having died and been replaced already they were nervous to go further, rather than making a decision there they decide to press close to the wall of the tunnel and lay down to sleep for the night.. Or day.. They did not know for certain. Once they clicked off their glow stick they held it close as it would still be warm for a time after, but they were too uneasy to rest for quite a long time after. Eventually they fall into slumber whether they want to or not...

Their dreams were filled with darkness and fighting, power coursed through them as they unleashed attack after attack against people they did not know, their terrified faces burning themselves into their memory... then the dream shifted and they were standing at the head of a ship, staring off into the seemingly endless expanse of space. Someone approached, spoke of a group that they were apparently tracking.. But it was too muffled to understand...

When they finally woke it was with a start and from even more vague and incomprehensible dreams, they stop in their tracks and look around the darkness "shit" they whisper, then groan and move to lean against a wall. Their legs were so tired.. How far had they walked in their sleep? Why did their head pound so much, was it stress from sleepwalking and their nightmares? Or was it something else.. They take care to pat themselves down first, the glow stick they had been cuddling seems to have been left behind but the rest of their belongings were still secured in their various places. With a sigh they start to reach for their last glow stick.. But something stills their hand. Something seemed to tell them that they didn't need it, that their goal was close. Their heart started pounding at the thought and they took a deep breath before they began to follow the feeling, which served to make their head pound more and if they could see they had no doubt their vision would be blurry.

Thoughts became sluggish and harder to process and their very instincts began to tell them to turn back, that it was dangerous, but something else told them this was the way. Their footsteps are slow for many reasons, but they try to tell themselves it is only because they are being careful. They aren't a very good liar. They turn a corner and pause as they see someone, how could they see them with it being so dark? It made their blood run cold, but they slowly started approaching as their thoughts cleared and became sharper, the other person approached as well.

Finally they were face to face and they realized the person they saw.. Was themselves. This was it, it had to be, what they came for... Their breath hitches as understanding began to dawn on them. They began to see more of themselves in the mirror, much more, all of their flaws and imperfections. Every single trait that they lied to themselves about, ever truth they hide.. Even the good ones they denied of themselves. In that moment they understood everything about themselves, what really drove them, who they really were through and through.. And while it could have easily driven them mad, or driven them into denial, been rejected.. It didn't. Instead they found a sort of peace, and in that peace they found their answer. They felt their worth, and found it to not be quite as wanting as they had thought. Tears streamed down their face but they hardly noticed it. Without the lies they told themselves, the insecurities, they could see that they were beautiful, kind, imperfect. They aren't sure if it was the reflection that stepped forward or they themselves, but soon they were embracing and that true reflection of themselves slowly joined with them and disappeared, leaving them standing in front of an empty mirror and crying.

The deep and indescribable understanding began to fade and they wept, knowing they would once again begin to doubt themselves, that they would once again think themselves ugly. Once the understanding is gone they wipe their tears, then jolt as a spray of sea water blasts them in the face. They splutter and wipe it away quickly to look into the mirror once more, and this time they saw a dark cave, and beyond that cave was the sea. They knew this is where they must go next, they knew they mustn't hesitate.. So they step through the mirror, shivering at the chill and masking their face against the icy waters splashing into the cave. They look back to see some version of themselves standing in front of the mirror holding something, so they turn to try and see it better. Their eyes widen as their double's face lights up with a bright glow of something in their hand, their own face lighting. They look down quickly.. And find the missing glow stick in hand, and when they look back up there is no longer a mirror.

Another wave splashes into the cave more violently and nearly knocks them over, they know they don't have time to think about it now so they flick off the glow stick and stache it so that they can pull out the climbing hook and quickly attach it to their belt. If they wanted to live they had to leave the cave before water filled it and drowned them or swept them out to sea... So ends the trial of the desert.