Soon, the day of departure had come. It was time Richard moved on to the next part of the training.
Richard had no idea where Kael was taking him or why he wouldn't let Richard bring extra supplies. What he could understand, however, was that wherever he was going--would not be friendly.
--
The sunrise atmosphere was crisp. Richard secured the minor pack, acknowledging the mass of the essentials Kael had allowed him to take: preserved raw meat, a dagger, and a small whetstone.
Kael moved quitely beside him. Richard had never felt such tension.
They reached the mouth of a wide ravine just as the sun lifted above the distant cliffs. Shadows stretched across the rocks, pooling like ink along the edges.
Kael paused, as his cloak brushed the stones.
'This is the Ravine of Ebonreach,' he said, without any emotion. 'This is where you begin. Your task is pure survival. You will traverse through this place and cross it. The path ahead is yours alone. You're to meet me at the other end, in one piece. Do not expect it to be easy, and do not expect mercy.'
Richard confirmed this, swallowing the lump in his throat.
Kael's eyes lingered on him, sharp, assessing. 'Survival is not a test of skill alone. It is patience, perception, and restraint. Every step you take here can be your last if you falter. Keep your senses open. Trust nothing at first glance and move carefully.'
Richard clenched his hands firmly. Kael continued, more gently this time, almost imperceptibly: 'You will learn more about yourself in the next few days....or weeks than you have in your entire life. And when you reach the other side, I will be awaiting--but I do not guarantee that you will come out the same.'
With that, Kael vanished into the gloom, leaving Richard at the edge of the ravine. The sound of his departure faded, and then there was only the wind and the deep, gaping shadows below.
Richard took a deep breath and stepped forward. The walls of the ravine rose tall, the jagged rocks cutting into the gray sky. Each footfall on the loose stone sent minor pebbles tumbling downward, like murmurs of warning.
Every instinct in his body screamed caution.
But he paid no mind to his fear, that's what all these months of instruction was for. Without anxiety, Richard started his descent to the bottom of the Ravine.
The descent took time, but Richard kept his patience throughout because one minor mistake could lead to his death.
On their way to the Ravine, Kael had warned Richard about using mana. He had told him that monsters in the ravine were wildly attracted to mana. Even a little usage of magic would lead to Richard getting swarmed by thousands of mana-hungry beasts instantly.
--
Richard did not waste any time. He started as soon as he reached the surface.
The first two days were peaceful, but by the end of the second day, hunger had started to gnaw at him. There were lessons even in this scarcity: every creek, every minor cluster of moss or roots, became a potential source of sustenance.
His starvation forced him to learn how to draw water from the soil and to distinguish edible herbs from poisonous ones through simple trial and error.
The creatures of the ravine were unlike anything he had faced in the Valley. On the third day, he encountered the first predator--a squat, armored lizard with a tail tipped in bone spikes. Its scales glimmered a little in the soft sun.
It lunged without warning. Richard barely had time to dodge, feeling the rush of wind as the tail swept by. He jabbed with his dagger, piercing a joint between its plates. The lizard hissed, thrashing, but Richard struck again, aiming for the vulnerable underside. When it eventually collapsed, he felt satisfaction, and it increased his awareness: every fight here would require all of his senses.
Again, on the fifth day, a shadow moved across the cliff wall above him--a flying creature, skeletal wings stretched wide, eyes shining a little green. Its screech echoed through the ravine. Richard reacted quickly. He rolled to the side as it dived, and then struck it in one strike.
Each encounter taught him something: patience, timing, anticipation, even understanding subtle signs in the terrain--shifts in wind, slight noises, disturbed dust.
Every night, he patched wounds, and allowed himself short periods of rest.
--
Weeks went by. The ravine seemed endless. Food was hunted, caught, sometimes scavenged. Monsters appeared frequently--each unique: a six-legged predator with mandibles that could crush bone; a serpent-like creature that burrowed beneath loose soil and exploded upward; a slightly translucent shadow that mimicked movement before striking. Each challenge pushed Richard further than he had ever been, physically and mentally.
By the time he reached what appeared to be the heart of the ravine, his body was lean, scarred, and calloused. His hands were cut, his legs streaked with bruises, and his clothes torn. Nonetheless, his eyes held clarity, something that had never existed before.
And then he felt it--a tremor through the stone beneath him, the atmosphere itself pressing down.
An Ebon Fiend!
It was the strongest monster of the ravine as Kael had described. Richard had never seen it, but instinctively, every nerve screamed in its presence.
It was massive, far larger than any creature he had faced till now, with jagged claws and a hide black as shadow.
The fight was brutal but accurate.
Richard dodged its first swipe, feeling the raw power of its strike ripple through the ground. He used every lesson Kael had imparted: balanced stance and controlled maneuvering.
He had every concept of fighting that Kael had taught him in his grasp.
The Fiend roared, a sound that shook loose stones and rattled Richard's bones, but he held his ground, striking the joints and exposed gaps in its hide occasionally, when he got the chance.
They fought for hours. Richard didn't rush, he waited and waited, patiently for the right moment, until eventually, the monster made a blunder. Without wasting much time, he drove the dagger deep into a vulnerable spot, using his muscles to burn through the creature's defenses. The Ebon Fiend collapsed, letting out a final, shuddering growl before falling to the ground with a loud thud.
Richard fell to his knees, exhausted. His breaths were uncontrollable and his arms trembled.
The Ravine of Ebonreach had tested him, and he had survived.
But how was Kael gonna test him after this? He thought to himself, before collapsing to the ground.
--
When Richard opened his eyes, the first thing he felt was the cold. It seeped into his skin, making even his breath burn. The ground beneath him was rough and uneven, scattered with shards of blackened rock.
The Fiend's carcass was gone. Only dark stains on the nearby stones remained, and the atmosphere still carried that strange metallic scent. Richard pushed himself upright, his limbs dense, his vision blurred from fatigue. His body felt like it had been torn apart and stitched back together again.
He stared up at the ridges tall above, tracing the line of sunlight cutting through the mist. For the first time since he had entered, Richard could heed nothing hunting, nothing awaiting.
He stood. His clothes were completely torn, skin bruised, and his dagger was nearly broken, but he was alive. That alone felt almost relieving.
The only thought that anchored him was Kael's promise. 'I'll be awaiting at the other end.'
So he started walking.
Each step was gradual, dragged out by exhaustion. His stomach ached with hunger, but for some reason, there wasn't a single trace of life. He could barely feel his hands. The ravine floor stretched on endlessly, as it's terrain swallowed him.
Sometimes he thought he heard footsteps behind him. Sometimes the shadows moved just enough to make him turn. But each time he found nothing. The mind played tricks when pushed too far. He knew that now.
Hours blurred into days. The air grew drier, thinner. He climbed where the path allowed, resting when his legs could no longer bear his mass. At one point, he stumbled upon a narrow stream trickling between rocks. He dropped to his knees and drank greedily, the cold water burning his throat.
When he rose again, he felt clearer. Lighter. The fatigue didn't fade, but it stopped controlling him. Something within him--discipline, instinct, will--kept pushing him onward.
Eventually, the ravine began to open. It became wider and less suffocating. The echo of his steps no longer bounced back from both sides. He climbed one final slope. The moment his hand reached the top, he pulled himself up--and sunlight flooded his eyes.
He squinted against it, blinking hard.
He just stood there, letting the warmth of the sun sink into his skin.
And then he saw him.
Kael stood a little further ahead. His cloak was rippling in the breeze. He turned as Richard approached, unreadable as always. His eyes moved over Richard from head to toe, taking in the dirt, the blood, the exhaustion.
'You made it,' Kael said simply.
Richard stopped a few steps away, panting. 'Barely.'
Kael's eyes lingered on him, before he replied, 'That's enough.' He glanced by Richard at the ravine.. 'You lasted longer than most would have.'
There was no praise in his tone, yet, to Richard, it was oddly comforting.
Richard lowered his head a little. 'It wasn't easy.'
'It wasn't meant to be,' Kael said. 'Ease doesn't teach. Fear does.' He turned his eyes back toward the plains.
Richard said nothing. He was stunned, to put it simply. Today he had realized that the world contained much more than his minor mind could ever hold.
Kael stepped back and looked down at him. 'Rest, for now. We'll leave this place tomorrow.'
'There's more? Alright...where do we go from here?'
Kael didn't answer immediately. He stared toward the slight line of the horizon. 'You'll see when we get there. It's not as poor a place as the ravine so don't worry too much. For now, you've earned a night without looking over your shoulder, so rest easy.'
Richard exhaled. He could finally let his guard down.
As Kael stood watch, Richard laid back as his eyes traced the evening sky. The sun dipped lower, painting the clouds in deep red and orange.
Kael's voice cut through the wind. 'Get some sleep, Richard. You'll need your strength.'
And as the night fell over the plains, the sound of the wind through the ravine faded, leaving only the rhythm of his breathing--the sound of someone who had fought, endured, and lived to see another dawn.
--