By the time the knock came to wake Hydro, he was already dressed in a boiled, mottled-gray rhinoskin breastplate strapped at the sides. A coat of chainmail hung over him, protecting any uncovered flesh. His cotton pants allowed air to circulate through the day, and the black-leather boots would be comfortable enough with the foot-length sack of down feathers placed in the bottom of each.
The necklace he seized in the first trial stared back at him from the dresser drawer he hid it in. He wanted to find out more about its history, but so far he had only uncovered what Cain told him before the first trial—that if this was the prize, then it could make denied blessed and grant Hydro the ability to use power even if the source was not physically present.
Wear me, Prince Paen. Together our bond will win this trial. The girl's voice was enthralling; since the first trial, it had caused Hydro to pick it up multiple times. But when he did so, the scales would clench down, biting his fingers and drawing little specs of blood. The trance would break then. Or others would come and knock on his door, like what happened the day before with Cain.
"May I help you?" Hydro had said. He had just started skimming The History of Epoch.
"You took the labyrinth's prize?"
"I do not know what you are talking about." Hydro tried to close the door.
"Eirek told me he saw you pick up a necklace. . . . Where is it?"
"I picked it up, yes, but left it there."
Cain searched his eyes. Hydro didn't blink. "You lie." Cain tried to move past Hydro.
"I would not think about that, Prince." Hydro grabbed the hilt of his blade.
Cain traced his arm diagonally down, then looked back at Hydro. "The prize belongs to Epoch. To my family."
"Your family will need a new prize now."
Cain's brows furrowed. Hydro unsheathed his sword a little—just enough to hear it come out from the scabbard. After that, Cain left without a word, and Hydro went back to studying his dry text—receiving no additional answers.
If you wear me, the others will not be able to steal me. Keep me for yourself.
He put a piece of clothing over it and pushed the drawer back in place. The last thing I need in a trial of wit is my own leaving me in the form of a talking necklace.
After Hydro sized himself up in the mirror, he made his way to the lobby and found he was the only contestant there. To the left of Guardian Eska, Senator Numos stood with his cane out in front of him, the dark-gray mockingbird sigil as poignant as ever on his overflowing silk robe. A vast majority of the lobby was illuminated by the light filtering in through the stained-glass windows on the side of the lobby's door. Above, half-circles—one red and one blue—symbolized the rising suns.
Conseleigh Luvan led the other council members as they made their way down the winding steps. He wore a buttery-yellow silk shirt with lines of black and buttons of silver. The outfit gave Luvan an albino appearance; his eyes looked more russet than usual. At the rear, a younger man in his late thirties wore an orange fleece, nearly matching the color of his hair. If Hydro remembered correctly, his name was Riagan. And Ethen wore a vest coated with leaves and a black shirt underneath that exposed his scarred upper arms. The three men sat themselves behind three wooden tables placed in the lobby. Conseleigh Tundra stood to the right of the tables near Guardian Eska—showing her seniority and, Hydro assumed, that this was her individual trial. She wore a silky blue gown and ice-clam pearls around her neck. Her left hand relaxed on the table, opened, and returned back to her hip. A pair of keys sat where her hand had been.
Hydro caught a whiff of honey perfume and turned to see Gabrielle walking into the lobby; she was trailed by Zain. Hydro assumed each of them would provide little competition, considering the amount of damage they sustained in the labyrinth.
Gabrielle was lightly armored, clad in a half-cut leather top coated with a purplish material covering past her midriff and the Gracie's embroidery on the upper right. How much protection could it provide in combat?
Zain wore a short-sleeved version of his regular outfit. It was an academy outfit, that much was obvious even without the red Gazo's embroidery on the upper left side.
At Finesse, Hydro and his classmates had also worn uniforms. His father had bought ten for him, solely to cut down on the laundry. Hydro didn't miss those days; the uniforms always choked his neck and suffocated his body, completely unsuitable for a midday event.
The others showed up shortly thereafter, at which point Tundra began her speech.
"Contestants . . . the orbs are in place; it is now your task to bring them back. You will come forth, one at a time, when we call your name. From Luvan, you will receive your riddle; from Ethen, your maps; and from Riagan, you will receive a tracking device to be placed around your ankles. The latter is a safety precaution."
Safety precaution? If it truly was a safety precaution, then why didn't they wear them in the labyrinth? No. There were places on the Core meant only for a guardian's eyes or the eyes of his apprentice. Soon Hydro would see those places for himself.
"Prince Hydro Paen," called out Tundra.
Hydro strode forward to the tables of walnut wood, where straw-woven baskets lay filled with various things. At the first table, Luvan handed him a piece of parchment, curled and tied with a red ribbon. Next, Ethen handed him a scroll. At the last, Riagan gave him a black band with a metal square on its outer side that had flashing a green light.
While the others received their things, he strapped the band to his ankle. The other two items he wouldn't open quite yet. Depending on what the riddle said, he may need to seek information in the library. But he wondered how much good that would actually do him, considering the times he was there before proved to be fruitless. If anything, though, it would allow him to read his riddle in solitude.
"Prince Cain Evber," Tundra read.
Cain walked forward wearing a leather vest with white chainmail underneath. He glanced at Hydro and then redirected his gaze back to the conseleigh. His black gloves were similar in color to Eska's; strapped over his back with a silver chain for each were two metallic black batons.
"And lastly, Eirek Mourse," finished Tundra.
Hydro grinned. You certainly called it right; the commoner will be last, and I will be first.
After the commoner received his things, Tundra spoke again, "Contestants, you now have all the materials you will need. The trial will end when the first contestant enters the lobby carrying his or her orb, or five hours from now—whichever occurs first. Good luck, and may the Twelve and the Ancients be with you."
Tundra exited the room, and the rest of the conseleigh followed—each carrying a woven basket. Hydro did not know where the commoner went, but Zain, Gabrielle, and the Garian were heading upstairs, leaving only Cain and him in the lobby. Hydro glanced at Cain. When the look went unreturned, Hydro ascended the stairs, noticing on the way that Tundra's keys still laid on the table. She must have forgotten them.
When Hydro entered the library, he settled himself on an eccote wood table in the far right corner. He rolled the map out in front of him, holding its sides down with a pen holder and coaster already on the table. He didn't examine it though. What good would that be if he had no idea what to search for? He plucked apart the ribbon and opened his riddle.
If water is blue, why must this one be red?
It's not harmful though, just simply misread.
Give yourself, let it settle, and once you do,
You'll find the stain you made changes back to blue.
Once you speak the words that you need to speak,
You may find yourself holding what you came to seek.
Hydro's eyes glanced from the riddle to his map. Water. He needed to focus on lakes. Seven of them were spread out across the map: Finis, Darse, Crimson, Dolob, Lufmrah, Penase, Funjhi.
How am I supposed to know which lake is red? He looked toward the scale of the map, the closest lakes—Funjhi and Lufmrah—were a league away. Funjhi was to the north and Lufmrah to the east. Darse was the farthest, but it was close to Finis, which was on the other side of the mountain range. That was four leagues though. Dolob and Crimson were on opposite sides of the Core, to the south of Guardian Eska's estate. Penase lay to the northwest. Hydro assumed it had to be one of the five northern lakes, for the southern ones were farther than the rest of them. Still, the word crimson lured him. Are these the lake's actual names, or are they clues as well? Damn riddles.
Hydro tapped his fingers on the wooden table. If he didn't leave soon, the other person with the same riddle might solve it before him. An epiphany struck him. Rising from his chair, he went to a small podium placed before the columns of books—it was a search machine that let you easily find any books by keyword, author, or title. Hydro typed "spells of power" into the search bar, and after loading, a green light shot out from the podium and wound its way around the library. Hydro followed it to a catch-all book titled Power's Spell. If he was going to change the water from red to blue, he would need magic. However extensive his training was at Finesse and with Professor Haruko before that, this particular spell remained foreign to him.
He took it and returned to his desk to browse through it. It was organized fairly well; once he located the spell, he memorized it, tore the page from the book, and walked over a few rows. He removed a random book, which he promptly replaced with the spell tome. Try finding this now.
Grabbing his things from his table, Hydro made his way downstairs to the lobby. Those keys were still on the table. Did she forget them? Hydro took a closer look at them—they weren't for rooms. He grinned wider. The Twelve take me now. He grabbed them and headed out the doors.
The hot midday air greeted him. But if these keys proved to be useful, he could be free from the suns' wrath soon enough. He looked to the right and walked down the steps. From exploring the surrounding estate during that first week, he knew where the hovercrafts were kept. This should make traveling much easier.
Around the estate, a large crimson tent with golden flaps had been set up next to the habitat arena. Once inside the tent, Hydro stood in the shadows of five hovercrafts, evenly spaced throughout a quarter of a mile. Now it was just a matter of finding which one matched the keys. On the fourth try, he managed to successfully start one. Dust kicked up in the air, and the smoky-gray anitron hovered in its case just as the craft did. These trials are too easy. Adaptability is key.
Hydro inched out of the tent and noticed someone walking in the raw heat. It was Gabrielle. Beware of the girl with black hair. Was she going after his same riddle? If she was, she was headed toward Penase Lake. He would have time before she got there. Hydro shifted the craft into a higher speed and drew up the roof to block out the suns. As he flew past Gabrielle, he saw her face twist in curiosity. She yelled something, but Hydro couldn't hear from inside.
"Which lake to start with first?" Hydro spoke to the steering wheel. He laughed. He couldn't believe it actually worked. Everyone else had to travel by foot—but time was no issue for him now. "Might as well start with the ones farthest away." As he drove past the estate, he saw Zain vanishing toward the north into the desert.
He passed ash trees and cacti. Lizards crawled over the sandy floor; but for the most part, the ride was empty of sights. In a matter of minutes, the estate vanished behind him, and the mountain range that loomed in front became larger. It took him twenty minutes to travel—but had he been walking by foot, he wouldn't have even reached a league yet.
Hydro stared at a calm blue lake. At least there is some challenge to this game. He doubted that Finnis Lake on the other side of the mountains would prove any different in color, but he needed to check. He guided the hovercraft up the steeply inclined terrain, parking next to a small tree with leaves. It wasn't so dead here.
From the craft, his view of the lake was obscured. It needs to be here though; the map says it does. Hydro exited the hovercraft, feeling the heat again. A lizard crawled on the ground. Use some liquid, could you? Hydro spat and hit the lizard on the head. Another crawled on his foot, and he gave it a little kick, sending it down the inclined hill.
To his left, a mound of boulders gradually progressed up the side of the mountain range, connecting with a rocky wall that circled around the area for another mile. I can still climb. Even if the Garian wasn't with him, he was going to prove to himself he climbed mountains, not hills.
With ease, Hydro traversed the mound of boulders until he was able to see over the rocky wall. The water was still and calm in the mountainous basin, flowing out into a river on the far north side. But none of that mattered. It was blue. He brushed his hand through his hair and leaned against the rock. The wind hit him and cooled him with a wisp of the lake's water.
Hydro traveled back to the hovercraft and took the scroll out from the passenger seat; he laid it on the hood, bending over it to keep it from flowing away. Five other lakes remained unseen. Two were far south, and if Gabrielle was his competition, it did not seem like she was headed that direction. Zain wasn't headed that direction. No one was.
Hydro focused on the three options left then—Penase, Funjhi, and Lufmrah. Decisions. If it was at Lake Funjhi, Zain may be his opponent. If he went to Lake Penase, Gabrielle may be his opponent. Neither, Hydro thought, would pose much of a threat—he could always steal the orb from either of them afterwards. That left Lufmrah and perhaps a different adversary—no competition or no orb? Still, it was the best place to start. Hydro rolled up his map and got back into the craft.
The ride there was the longest ten minutes of his life. Once at the base of the lake, his heart sank. It was blue. No, this has to be it. This has to be it. Hydro slammed his fist into the steering wheel. Then, he saw movement. He squinted and noticed a long, white pier extending across the lake's diameter. A person's indistinct figure stood on the pier. Hydro exited the craft, sprinting toward the person. If someone else is here, then perhaps I'm still right? But why is it blue?
As he got closer, Hydro noticed red starting to filter throughout the lake. The riddle's been solved. He looked to the pier and noticed the fiery hair of Cain. Prince Evber stood up and readjusted his glasses as Hydro pounded toward him.
"Even with cheating, you are too late. The riddle has been solved already."
Hydro noticed a slight cut from Cain's hand, still dripping blood to the pier. In the middle of the pier, right in front of Cain, was a rotating blade lodged in a circular underwater flask.
"I did not cheat. I merely adapted. Tundra laid the keys on the table for everyone to see. I am the only one who took them." Hydro walked closer, his hand moving toward his hilt. "And just because you solved the riddle does not mean the orb is yours."
Cain chuckled. "Do you intend to take my orb, the same way you harbor the labyrinth's prize? You probably do not even realize why this is the lake."
What did it matter? Hydro chortled. "Amuse me."
"Lufmrah is harmful spelled backwards and misread. If you relied on skill more than carelessness, you would have figured it out too."
The motor hummed. There is not much time left. Hydro looked at the lake, the red dye was expanding. I need to finish him before I take the orb, otherwise I will not be able to use power. Turning his hip away from Cain, he gripped his sword. Fast. I have to be fast. He turned back and swung at Cain, catching him on leather padding, but missing flesh.
Before Hydro could even try another assault, Cain reached behind his back and attached two metal batons together. Once together, he fingered the slit in his padding. "I did not think you would strike so dishonorably. You shall pay for that . . . Prince." Cain pushed the buttons on each side of his elongated baton, and his dual-sided halberd formed, ready for use.