The beasts launched towards each other. Xaden didn't need to think for long before he dropped low and scrambled away, sand kicking up beneath his hands as he threw himself clear of the collision point.
The impact hit like a mini shockwave.
The ground boomed, air rippling outward as the two creatures slammed into each other. Xaden was thrown sideways, rolling hard across the sand before skidding to a stop.
"Shit—!"
He pushed himself up, just in time to see the edge of the scorpion beast's tail whip through the air. The massive barb cut through the air with terrifying speed, its path wild, uncontrolled—coming directly towards him.
His eyes widened.
He threw his hand up instinctively. The red energy flickered to life, it was faint nd barely even stable, but it was there at least.
It wrapped around the incoming tail just before impact. The tail slammed into the crimson hold—and the momentum carried through, dragging Xaden with it instead of impaling him.
"—!"
He was yanked off his feet, the red aura tearing apart as he was flung across the sand like a dead weight. He hit the ground hard, the air punched from his lungs as he rolled twice before coming to a stop.
Pain exploded through his body.
But he was alive, even though he was once lying flat on the ground, body aching like minced meat.
"…Okay—" he rasped, coughing, "not doing that again—"
A deafening roar cut him off. Xaden forced himself up just enough to see the lizard beast, the scorpion pinned underneath it.
One massive claw slammed down, cracking against the armored plates. The beast shrieked, its body thrashing violently as it tried to coil and strike again.
The tail lashed—
Missed—
The lizard didn't give it time. It reared back. The ivory horn on its head began to glow a dazzling shade of blue. A low, rising hum filled the air.
"…That's new."
Energy gathered at the tip of the horn, the scorpion struggled harder now. The beam fired. A blinding surge of energy tore through the space between them, slamming directly into the scorpion's body.
The scorpion convulsed as the beam tore through its armor, cracking, splitting, and then obliterating sections of its body.
Sand erupted in all directions.
Fragments scattered.
Then, there was silence. The beam slowly faded.
What remained of the scorpion collapsed into the sand, smoking, twitching once before going still.
Xaden watched on; it appeared there was a winner. In a flash, he realized that watching monster fights while being a nearly powerless human may not be very good for his health, especially since the monster that had just won had its black, beady eyes on him.
He ran.
His boots tore through the sand as he sprinted across the uneven dunes, breath coming sharp and fast.
Xaden risked a glance back.
The creature hadn't followed.
Instead, its massive body shifted, I dived headfirst into the ground, slowly sinking back into the sand. The dunes swallowed it piece by piece, as it had never been there at all.
Xaden slowed, chest heaving, eyes scanning the desert.
"…You've got to be kidding me."
It could be anywhere.
He turned back forward, forcing himself to keep moving. The dunes stretched endlessly, but one rose higher than the rest, a steep incline of packed red sand and jagged rock.
Xaden pushed toward it.
Each step sank slightly beneath his weight as he climbed, legs burning, lungs tight from the dry heat. The wind picked up near the top, dragging grains of sand across his skin like needles.
He reached the crest and pulled himself up.
From up here, the desert stretched endlessly in all directions.
There were no signs of any of the other candidates.
Just the vast expanse of red sand… and silence.
Xaden swallowed, wiping sweat and dust from his face.
The 'ding' sound of the Crucible screen was soon heard as the words appeared in front of him.
[Crucible II: FESTERING]
Name: Xaden Dracinian
Secret Name: Child Of Ruin
Rank: Awakened Candidate
Awakened abilities: Nil
Ancient Artefact: Ariadne's Thread
Environment: Arid Zone
Trial begins now.
You have 120 hours,
Good luck!
The first thing Xaden noticed after reading the screen was the lack of an objective. In the last Crucible, an objective to reach Heaven's Door had been given to him. Now, it was empty. Presumably part of the trial.
He heaved a heavy sigh. Beads of sweat began to drip down his face. He sat down on a rock at the top of the hill and removed his jacket, leaving only his grey inner vest.
Xaden needed to come up with a plan. He couldn't exactly stay on the hill forever, if the heat didn't kill him, thirst or hunger certainly would.
The time he had this time was longer, at least 120 hours, which was equivalent to 5 days. Just a little less than a week. He had time this time, at least. Time was crucial. Time was important; in most cases, time determined whether or not you lived or died.
He looked around him once more, deciding to journey in a specific direction in the hope of finding something that could help him. But where should he go? Everywhere around him was eithr to dusty to see much ahead or just filled with nothing.
A distant roar rattled his core, sending a chill down his spine. He looked towards the direction it had come from, veiled with dust, so he couldn't see too much ahead.
What were the chances that he wasn't meant to go looking for whatever caused that noise?
Another beastly roar came from the same direction as the first, albeit it sounded slightly different.
Xaden fisted his hands, then came down from the elevated platform. Already imagining what's out there dismantling him in slow, painful ways.
He willed the thread to come forth, sending it under the sand directly around him inorder to sense underground threats.
Xaden took a foot in front of the other, and proceeded into the unknown.