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“So, we just go in?” Tafel asked and looked up at the entrance in front of her. It could easily accommodate a dragon. There were two large doors with a series of smaller doors embedded inside of them. If someone needed more space to enter from, they could push open multiple doors to make the entrance bigger. Off to the side, there was a pile of raw meat and snow, the offering required to activate the temple.
“Yes,” Kim Hajun said and stepped in front of the group. He placed his hands at head height and pushed, opening six doors in the process. A gust of warm air rushed out, turning into steam as it came into contact with the cold air outside. The steam obscured the pile of meat and snow from view before dissipating, leaving nothing behind. When the steam completely faded from view, Kim Hajun took a step inside. “I’m not sure what the Frost Lord trial consists of, but it shouldn’t be too difficult.”
Vur glanced to the side at where the meat used to be. It seemed like a waste, but Kim Hajun insisted it had to be done to open the doors. Vur followed Kim Hajun into the blue, icy pyramid and took a look around. As expected of a place with doors capable of accommodating a dragon, the temple was quite large. However, other than a structure in the center of the room, it was empty, devoid of any decoration or lighting.
“A pyramid inside of a pyramid,” Lindyss said from behind Vur. “How creative.”
“Well, this pyramid has one less face,” Erin said. “There’s only three sides to it if you don’t include the bottom.” The fairy queen flew forward and zipped around the tetrahedron in the center of the room. “There’s a riddle on each side.” She hovered above the pyramid and turned her gaze onto Kim Hajun. “I don’t suppose you know the answers?”
Kim Hajun maintained his poker face as he approached the pointy structure with the rest of the group following behind. He stopped in front of the first face of the pyramid, which was taller than he was, and read the words inscribed on it out loud. “I am the end of your wrath, the beginning of happiness. I am in your heart, yet not in your mind. Hidden in schemes, I do exist. What am I?”
“Move over,” Tafel said, nudging Kim Hajun out of the way with a frown. Her brow furrowed as she read the face of the pyramid to herself. At the bottom of the pyramid, near Tafel’s knees, there was a blank line along with a detachable, crystalline chisel. Tafel turned her head to look at the group. “How do we want to do this? Everyone solves the riddle on their own, and we choose the most common answer?”
“Count me out,” Lindyss said and pulled a chair out of her pocket. She placed it down and sat on it before crossing her legs and leaning back. “I don’t want to look stupid if I get it wrong.”
“Auntie….”
“Nope,” Lindyss said, ignoring Tafel’s sad tone. “I’m not playing. If we ever need to kill or torture someone to pass a trial, I’ll step up, but you and Vur are smart. I’m sure you’ll figure this out.”
“I know the answer.”
Everyone turned their heads towards the quiet-but-deep voice.
Kax’s face flushed red as he cleared his throat. “It’s the letter H.”
Tafel blinked and turned her head back towards the pyramid face. “End of wrath. Beginning of happiness. Inside your heart. Not in your mind. Hidden in schemes? Oh, the H is silent, huh?” The demon rubbed her chin. “I was thinking along the lines of forgiveness, but it does look like you’re right.” Tafel glanced at the group. “Are we agreed then?”
When everyone nodded, Tafel grabbed the crystalline chisel and handed it towards Kax. “You can do the honors.”
Kax scratched his head before grabbing the chisel and approaching the pyramid. He squatted down and jammed the chisel against the pyramid. Surprisingly, the pyramid surface was as soft as pudding underneath the chisel’s touch. It didn’t take longer than ten seconds for Kax to write down the answer. When he put the chisel back into the slot in the structure, the face of the pyramid lit up.
“One down, two to go,” Erin said, placing her hands on her hips. “This is such an easy trial. I thought we’d have to fight things.”
Kim Hajun shook his head. “Not all trials involve fighting. They test all different kinds of aspects. If you had spawned in the plains and entered the Temple of the Wind Lord, you’d have to sit in a room for a week by yourself as a test of patience.”
“Well, it’s a good thing we didn’t get that one because that sounds boring as heck!” Erin said. She looked at Vur’s chest. “Where’s Stella? What’s she doing?”
Vur shrugged. “Not sure.”
“You really have to monitor the people inside of you better,” Erin said and shook her head. “What if someone tries to sabotage you?”
“They won’t,” Vur said and walked around to another face of the pyramid, following after Tafel who had gone ahead. Erin pouted and flew after him, but she couldn’t say anything because Tafel read the second riddle out loud.
“Amelia has no arms and no legs. How far can she travel into a blizzard without praying to the Frost Lord?” Tafel’s brow furrowed. “That’s quite morbid.” She turned her head towards Kax. “By any chance…?”
“Ha—”
“I know this one! I know this one!” Lights rapidly flashed from the tattoo on Vur’s chest before Kax could say anything. A melon-shaped egg tumbled out of Vur’s chest, landing on the ground with a thump and a crack. “Halfway!” Garlic said. “After halfway, she’s traveling out of the blizzard instead!”
Tafel blinked. “I guess that makes sense, but wouldn’t her lack of arms and legs….” Tafel’s voice trailed off when she realized she was talking to a limbless egg. “Alright, unless anyone has a better answer, we’re going with Garlic’s.”
Thanks for the chapter!
Hahaha I love riddles!