"Good luck Keeper and remember, strength alone can't accomplish this task." the Master warned, as Erza let her fingers on the hot metal wire of the lantern that he passed.
Her mind was devoid of questions now, Frederik had explained everything in a way which left no room for doubts. It is a test, a test to determine strength? Wits? No, it was supposed to increase her power. Simple as that.
With a nod, the pinkette advanced towards the entrance of the catacombs, as the old iron gates closed behind her; leaving only the insufficient, flickering fire in the lantern alive, as darkness enveloped her once again.
'Time to advance.'
It had been about half an hour of walking now. Straight. Absolutely, no twists or turns. And as Erza had delved further into the foul smelling tunnels, the place had been lighted up with small torches on either sides; lending the crystal blue eyes the ability to see without the help of the lantern that she carried.
The pinkette passed through a range of low arches, descended, passed on, and descending again, arrived at a deep crypt, in which the foulness of the air caused the flambeauxs on the walls to rather to glow than flame.
At the most remote end of the crypt there appeared another less spacious. Its walls had been lined with human remains, piled to the vault overhead, in the fashion of great, ancient catacombs. Three sides of this interior crypt were still ornamented in this manner. From the fourth side the bones had been thrown down, and lay promiscuously upon the earth, forming at one point a mound of some size. Within the wall thus exposed by the displacing of the bones, she perceived a still interior recess, in depth about four feet in width three, in height six or seven. It seemed to have been constructed for no special use within itself, but formed merely the interval between two of the colossal supports of the roof of the catacombs, and was backed by one of their circumscribing walls of solid granite.
A few seconds of examining the skulls that lay down on the dust layered ground, Erza was still trying to think of how to get to the lake that Frederik had mentioned.
'There must be a way...'
But that little mantra was all she came upon in all the time she was inside here. Now, the silence that surrounded her was turning to be unnerving, creating a feeling of being underwater or something.
But gradually she became aware that a long, dark passage was stretching out in front of her. Strange thoughts kept recurring in her head seeing this passage, this tunnel. Finally putting words to those thoughts, "What’s in front of me? What exists here that I’m unaware of?" she questioned to none other than herself; her voice a husky, rhythmic whisper.
The young woman finally came upon a fork and took the left one; starting to meander down its narrow path. She noticed side passages branching off to the left and right, their destinations unknown. All of the side paths appeared the same as the main tunnel: murky and foreboding, as endless in their black expanse as the main passage. Their openings seemingly inviting to deviate from her present path, to take a sojourn within their confines.
'So, what’s to tempt me to stray from the main tunnel and explore one of the many branches? Will I be able to find my way back to the main tunnel? I’ll never know unless I decide to chance my luck, skill and desire against them. With the number of side tunnels I’ve passed so far, I figure I’ll have plenty of time to wander down one or more, later.'
Glancing behind, the tunnel appears to end just a few steps away.
'How can this be? Is there some force pushing me forward down this forlorn tunnel?'
She took a few steps further down the tunnel and turned quickly to see if the tunnel’s back wall has moved, but wasn't able to see any sort of movement, other than the end of the tunnel is still there, just behind her. A sense of panic begins to well up within her mind. With a tremendous force of will, she quells the panic.
'There’s nothing that can be done about what’s behind me, I need to concentrate on what’s ahead. The shot of panic helps, it forces me to pay more attention to everything before me. Since I can’t return, I need to make sure of my path ahead.'
With that, Erza once again reached a fork, taking another right turn. The path ahead was empty too, she simply found her way to a dead end. She didn’t know why, but the lack of obstacles had been slightly disturbing. Surely she should have met something or someone by now though? It felt as though the maze were luring her into a false sense of security.
Just then, she heard movement behind; and spurred on her heels, coming face to face with an unworldly creature. Unlike anything she had come upon before.
A group of slumped, bipedal humanoid-like entities, scrambling and crawling on all fours. Their bodies appeared emaciated and doglike. Their skin was gray and pale, hairless, rubbery or even scaly; with a bestial face.
As Erza's eyes fleeted over them, she quickly came to the conclusion that there were about a dozen or more of them.
Some of these creatures, struggled to their feet, swaying dangerously as they stumbled towards the pinkette's direction.
'Time to act.'
In a heart beat, Erza would begin wafting with pure poisonous mist, as energy seemed to whirl about her. What seemed like a deep crimson would whirl into her, as a cloudy, wispy like aura of red would form around her. Without giving her adversaries a chance to advance on her, the Dragon Slayer launched herself forward.
She'd burst, the aura swirling behind her in a helix from her speed. Then she'd swing a left hook at the nearest ghoul, then plant her foot and whirl back the other way through the air with a spinning heel kick aimed for the side of its face. Being a Slayer, the enhanced strength that Erza possessed would be revealed; as the Ghoul would rocket towards one of the side walls of the catacomb. A loud thud would reverberate around due to the impact and a small crater like impression would be created on the wall.
Another creature would advance towards Erza, as she'd aim for two gut punches on him and land a shattering uppercut. Then she'd move past it and get a strong grip on its frail looking, scaly shoulders and attempt to whirl him into the ground, causing the ground beneath to crack slightly.
As she was preoccupied with the one she slammed, another one of the creatures took the chance and attempted a slash with its elongated claws. Erza tried to side-step but was a tad bit late, thus resulting in her getting cut on the arm. Without another thought, she leaped high into the air, while delivering a haymaker to the side of its face and a front flipping kick to the back of its head; moving forward and attempting to mush it in the ground.
'How many of these are there exactly?!?'
Two more of these horrible ghouls flunged themselves in Erza's direction, as she landed on the floor flawlessly. Out of instinct, she'd coss her arms in front; calling forth a shield made of pure poison, causing the creatures to collide with it and fall back with astonishment.
Just then, Erza would aim her hand towards them, causing a arcane circle to appear; as several scale shaped masses of venom would rocket towards their direction.
They made sounds which sounded like panicky screams, albeit something similar to a moan of agony. Once more, Erza came up with conclusions in her mind; 'Too many of them... I'll need to do something better!'
With that, her eyes fell on the roof of the catacomb. All of them were actually in a recession of the tunnel itself, something like an extension; meaning that if something were to happen to this place, the rest of the place would be safe.
In a fleeting second, as a flurry of ideas and possibilities stormed her mind, Erza looked up to the roof; while inhaling deeply and cupping her hands around her mouth, in a way similar to that of a trumpeter.
"Poison Dragon's....." the deathly silence was now replaced with an ear-splitting sound, as a huge tornado composed of pure venom charged to the ceiling. "Roar!~"
At the completion of the spell, the whole place rang with echoes of Erza's voice and the ground seemed to vibrate ever so slightly. The ghouls must have sensed it too as they shook their heads in all the directions, trying to understand what exactly would happen next.
The ceiling had already started crumbling; huge chunks of rock falling down, shattering like a frail piece of glass.
'Time to escape!'
The pinkette simply rushed out of the way she had entered the place, as it had miraculously showed up and not actually blocked the ways that she had used in the past. It seemed like every part of the Guild strived to help its members in one way or the other.
Panting a little, Erza now stood at some distance away from the crumbling extension, as the ghoul's screams filled her ears in an echoey way.
Waiting for some more time, staring into the wall of stones which formed an obstruction to the recession, Erza hitched up her courage.
She took that first step into an uncharted area; as the smell of poison flooded her sensitive nose. With each succeeding step, her confidence increased.
'Yes, I think I’ve made the right choice, although there’s nothing here to justify that feeling. The further I get from the main tunnel, the more this passage begins to take on the qualities of that tunnel: dark, lonely and forbidding. The tunnel’s wall once again continues to stay close behind me, always just a few steps from where I’ve just been.'
She noticed this tunnel also has side passages and crossing tunnels. Some appear to lead back towards the original tunnel; others lead off in unknown directions.
'Again, the choice is mine. Do I maintain my current course, or strike out in an alternate direction? And what criteria should I use to help me make that decision?'
"Believe in your senses." Desdaro's voice echoed, flooding her mind, as a smile of nostalgia tugged on her lips.
As she passed by the numerous side passages, she now began to hear sounds, not words, but more of a feeling.
'It’s like the hint of a summer storm when there’s not a cloud in the sky. Almost like a shiver that suddenly runs down your back.'
With trepidation, she could sense a possible danger, yet at the same time, relief. The sense of danger comes from the unknown ahead of her, while the relief comes from an inner sense that she's not really alone. The further down the tunnel she walks, the more distinct the sound becomes. A low voice whispers from the dark, caressing her body like a breeze within this airless realm. Her ears strained to make out the words but there’s nothing more to hear.
Reaching the opening of another branch, she heard a distant whisper, like the sound of a leaf falling from a tree, calling to her from the dark depths of the side tunnel. The whisper sighs, "Try me! My path is so much easier for you to walk. You can’t get lost on my path." Shaking her head, Erza tried desperately to clear her mind of the insistent whisper. Stepping to the side, the sound fades back to nothing. Curious, she stepped back in front of the tunnel and the whisper returned to torment her, to taunt and goad her forward.
'Why would I want to take the easiest path? What would make that interesting in a place of so much dark sameness?'
The whispers continued. Its voice taking on the haunting tones of a defeated man. "Follow me," it murmurs. "My path is not the easiest, nor is it the smoothest. But if you will step upon my path, you will know deep within your soul that it is the only choice."
She pondered the message of the ghostly whisper.
'What would make this path so much better if it’s not the smoothest or easiest to travel?'
Spiking up her courage, she spoke down the tunnel at the whisper, “Why should I listen to you? What gives you the right to tease me with your riddles?”
No sound is returned to her ears, not even an echo, just the lingering words of the whisper. She stood and tried to peer past the darkness trying to discern the truth.
“Why would this be the choice of my soul?” I wonder aloud. “What is this voice trying to tell me?”
“Should your choice be based upon the ease of the path ahead,” the whisper seems to reply, “or what you can learn from the path?”
“And what can I learn from this path over any other path?” Erza questioned.
“Truth, perhaps, or maybe the measure of yourself,” the whisper sighs.
She once again pondered the meaning of the whisper’s words. 'What is my measure? It’s true that so far the tunnels have been easy for me with a smooth floor and guiding walls. Is that all that I want, an easy path before me?'
She takes a hesitant step down the path. Nothing happens. The scent of venom calls her forward, as the whisper seems to cease to nothingness.
She took a few more steps down this new tunnel and tripped over a rock on the floor. Picking herself up, she brushed off the dust from her hands and knees. The pinkette's palms felt like they’ve been scraped to the bone. She can barely see the blood flowing from her hands but she knows it’s there. She can feel the ache of the bruises on her knees. Disliking this path because of the pain it’s caused her so shortly after the choosing, she turns to retreat but her way is blocked. The tunnel walls have closed behind her so quickly that she doesn’t have a chance to reverse her previous decision. There’s nothing to do but continue down this new tunnel. The realization finally hits her that once a path has been chosen, there’s no turning back; unless you're in mortal danger.
'At least I know to be more careful now.'
As Erza stood there thinking about this new decision, this new tunnel, she notices the back wall of the tunnel slowly inching towards her.
'I don’t have any choice now; I have to continue down this path. I know deep inside that to remain in this spot would be fruitless. Sooner or later, whether by my own steps or the push of the tunnel wall, I have to continue to the end; at least until another cross path appears.'
As she walked down the tunnel, the whispers from the side passages hint at the ease of their paths. She rests beside one of the cross tunnels and hear its whisper coaxing her with words of ease and comfort. The young woman is sorely tempted to change direction and take the path that offers less torment.
But she think to herself, 'Is this my measure? To give up and quit when the path gets a little rough?'
Pulling herself up from her resting spot, she turns her back to the mesmerizing whisper and continues down the path that she has followed so faithfully.
Slowly, like a new dawn, a soft light sets the end of the tunnel aglow. At first, the Dragon Slayer thinks that she's seeing things, that her eyes are playing tricks with her mind. But the glow remains and slowly, ever so slowly, the glow intensifies. This was so different from her other experiences thus far in this maze of tunnels that she stops and thinks, 'What’s at the end of the tunnel? What’s that light mean? Should I try to find another tunnel or should I continue on to the end?'
The warmth of the soft glow feels so good within the coldness of the black that still surrounds her, not to mention the soothing scent of venom. Remembering that for each step she takes forward, the tunnel wall behind her will swallow up where she's been, Erza started taking hesitant steps towards the light, still unsure as to what the light is or represents.
Majestic. It was the only word that came to her mind as she watched the huge snake resting in the lake of toxins. It had cocked its head up at her arrival and now stared lazily at her, hissing in its native dialect, which Erza was able to understand easily.
It was a gift. She could understand all the creatures. Each and every one of them.
"Frederik sent you here?" it questioned.
"Yes."
"Well, I'm supposed to test you. Check whether you're worthy enough to consume the poison of this lake and increase your power. So that you can walk among the greats of Savage Skull...."
There was a pause in which the snake seemed to analyze her.
".... But I won't allow it so easily. Not unless you can answer my riddle. Answer on your first guess - I let you pass. Answer wrongly - I attack. Remain silent – I will let you walk away from here unscathed."
"Okay." she said. "Can I hear the riddle?"
"First think of the person who lives in disguise,
Who deals in secrets and tells naught but lies.
Next, tell me what’s always the last thing to mend,
The middle of middle and end of the end?
And finally give me the sound often heard
During the search for a hard-to-find word.
Now string them together, and answer me this,
Which creature would you be unwilling to kiss?"
Erza gaped at it.
“Could I have it again… more slowly?” she asked tentatively.
With a blink, it recited the whole poem once again.
"All the clues add up to a creature I wouldn’t want to kiss?"
It merely hissed at her with a mysterious air and Erza took it for a yes.
She cast her mind around. There were plenty of animals she wouldn’t want to kiss. She’d have to try and work out the clues...
“A person in disguise,” Erza muttered, staring at the snake, “Who lies… er… that’d be a - an impostor. No, that’s not my guess! A - a spy? I’ll come back to that… could you give me the next clue again, please?”
It repeated the next lines of the poem.
“‘The last thing to mend,’” she repeated. “Er… no idea… ‘middle of middle’… could I have the last bit again?”
It gave her the last four lines.
“‘The sound often heard during the search for a hard-to-find word,’” said Erza. “Er… that’d be… er… hang on - ‘er’! Er’s a sound!”
The snake smiled at her.
“Spy… er… spy… er…” Erza muttered, pacing up and down. “A creature I wouldn’t want to kiss… a spider!”
"You pass." It spoke as if it was no big deal, and backed away a bit in the lake.
"You should drink this poison and that'll be all."
Amazed at her own brilliance, Erza proceeded to the lake.
~15 Minutes Later~
After drinking the venom that Glaurung had to offer, Erza could feel an immense power surging through her; as all the wounds on her healed themselves.
She let him know of her gratitude and walked through the passage behind the amphibian, for it had promised that the way would lead her straight to where she came from. To Frederik.
![Grand Master [2000]](https://i.imgur.com/SGD5XSW.png)
![Master [1000]](https://i.imgur.com/AQXM4xC.png)
![Senior [500]](https://i.imgur.com/Nmfn8cD.png)
![Novice [250]](https://i.imgur.com/lrYlde6.png)
