The Legends of Anigma: Ethiel Archer | ONC 2023

PART XXVII

After examining several replicas of the fragment — their appearance, weight, composition, texture, and more — it was clear that they were all indeed the same in every way. There was no illusion or some sort of deception of perception by magic or any other means.

They all had the shape of the bottom half of a pyramid, and on the top part a hole had been carved neatly. Intricate designs and patterns on it seemed ancient and divine. The composition material some polished stone; however, it seemed decievingly metallic and matt surfaced. Upon holding, they the replicas felt cold and rather heavy — yet like a warm feather.

"This is finding a needle in a haystack — worse actually..." Ethiel gently let the replica in his hand up in the air.

It levitated back into the swarm.

"There has to be some way, right?" Maya asked doubtfully.

"Let me try magic." Tifa chanted and pointed her glowing staff at the surrounding replicas.

"Found anything?" Red Wings desperately neared her, his eyes expectant of a nod. He only wanted to get out of there. Nothing else.

"The magic isn't working."

"What? What do you mean it is not working?!" He got edgy again.

"I figured that," Ethiel shook his head and lightly squeezed his eyes with his fingers in a massaging movement. "Using magic in this trial would be like cheating, so most probably the cave spirit has already imbued the replicas with a counter magic." He glanced at the cave spirit.

"You are correct." The cave spirit said.

"You and your bloody trials are an epitome of insufferable annoyance, you — you — you sadist with pride!" Red Wings snapped at the spirit and stomped the ground. "This is torture!"

The spirit was undisturbed and unworried, floating calmly.

"He won't even respond!" Red Wings threw up his wings in frustration. "Argh! Veer! You got any bright ideas?!"

Lord Veer smiled at the swarm, and for some reason, Ethiel didn't feel like that smile was out of amusement at Red Wings' behaviour.

"If we were to make a random guess based on pure instinct, practically the probability of choosing the original fragment would be one in thousands. Luck is not to be relied on and our skills are irrelevant to the trial — all skills but the mental one." Lord Veer said, looking around at the swarm.

"Oh good grief! I couldn't have thought of that in a million lives! Say something that is not obvious, Veer!"

Keeping Lord Veer’s view in mind, Ethiel continued to examine more replicas in hopes of finding the original fragment to no avail. No difference was found in a single one of them and time was flowing like water.

Ethiel stopped examining it, while the others continued. By then, he knew that examining wasn't going to take them anywhere. He thought of randomly choosing one fragment at one instance, but shook off the idea remembering Lord Veer’s logic. The trial started to seem impossible since there was literally no way they could've found the original fragment since there was no way to distinguish which fragment was the original one. Only the spirit knew.

That thought suddenly got stuck in his head. Only the spirit knew, he thought, since it was the one to place the fragment in the swarm.

He looked over his shoulders at the spirit.

The spirit's luminescent, wise eyes met his, and strangely he felt that the spirit knew that he knew what needed to be done.

"This is the Cave of Truth," he said to the spirit, "these are the trials of wisdom. Each of these trials was a pillar of wisdom, testing and teaching us in a sophisticated way. The same applies for this trial. You said you placed the fragment among the replicas and you said we were 'free to examine' implying indirectly that it wasn't of any use since that was never the purpose of the trial. Nobody can pass this trial unless they were insanely lucky. However, you never said we can't ask you. One of the wisest thing to do is to admit that we know nothing 'cause that is the first step in the path of wisdom, in the path towards enlightenment. It is wise to ask for aid when you are not enough."

Lord Veer had started to chuckle softly.

The cave spirit didn't say anything, but there was a sense of impressed feel in its eyes.

"Can you please tell us which is the original fragment of the Pyramid of Lomeyin?" Ethiel asked.

At once, the cave spirit nodded and opened its palm flat. All the replicas burst into ash-like sand — all but one. Gently, the original fragment levitated to the spirit's palm.

"Commendable." The spirit said. "All of you did well. Even you, Red Wings." It gracefully swished its hand at them and the fragment flew smoothly in their direction.

Ethiel grabbed the fragment.

"O spirit that guards the Cave of Truth and guides the seekers, thank you very much for your help." He bowed in gratitude.

"The coming trials will not be as easy," the cave spirit ascended higher as the suspended sand started to stir a storm. "You shall need to summon your everything if you wish to earn the Pyramid of Lomeyin. Mind you, you may lose your life in your chase if you lack the resolve and strength you think you have. Strengthen your resolve and sharpen your focus, that is my advice to you, to all of you."

The sand storm became so wild and windy that Ethiel raised his hands to cover his eyes a bit. His clothes started to flutter like a wild flood of water.

"You have my blessings, Ethiel Archer. May you bring balance to Anigma once again. Remember, be wise." Only the daunting and wise, luminescent eyes of the spirit were visible as it blended with the storm.

A big circle glowed beneath Ethiel’s feet. A pillar of light emerged from it and engulfed him and his group before the storm could become wildest.

When the light vanished, the statue of the grieving woman was in front of him. He was at the entrance of the cave with the fragment of the Pyramid of Lomeyin in his hand.

"We did it..." He whispered, sighing out all his fatigue. "We did it..."