Bane's stomach lurched as if he was just ran over- the flame on his finger sputtering wildly, flickering like crazy.
"Where the hell am I??", he screamed.
He blinked, trying to resteady himself. The world around him was pitch black a few moments ago, but now his vision slowly started to stabilize. Jagged cliffs, a sapphire blue river that snaked to infinity. At the center of it all, a massive cave that had a large cavity like a mouth.
The air was thick with the smell of burning wood, mixed with faint hints of fish being terribly cooked.
And then he noticed a group of individuals..
A group of challengers had gathered at the cavity of the cave, all of them looking at him with a hint of curiosity, suspicion but also annoyance. Bane's flame flickered nervously, with sparks flying off.
"Uhmm… H-hello, it's nice to meet you, I'm Bane."
Emerging from the crowd came a tall, well built, radiating authority.
"I am Kael, leader of the Sigil", the man announced, his voice carrying across the ground.
"Seems like your first scenario - no worries however!", he chuckled, "at the apex of the mountain, is a portal that will bring us back home!", pointing at a distant mountain piercing the clouds, smiling.
His eyes then shift from Kael to the distant mountain
"Holy… there's no way I can make it up that!", he muttered under his breath, the flame on his fingertip sputtering like a nervous heartbeat.
"Woah!! your finger's on fire, Bane!", Kael called out
"Oh no… that's just my skill, it's harmless, and to be honest I have no idea on how to get rid of it.." he said awkwardly.
The flame then flickered, as if it was mocking him..
A voice then called from the group. "Hey, don't just stand there, fire-fingers. Come eat before you starve to death!"
"Fire fingers?" Bane blinked. He decided to ignore it since he was about to finally eat.
He awkwardly shuffled over to the makeshift camp at the cave's mouth which then a few more challengers followed him.
"Here fire-fingers, fish straight from the river!", tossing a charred fish towards him.
Bane caught it ungracefully, ignoring the nickname. His stomach growled loudly as he sank his teeth into the fish. "Better than nothing", he murmured, chewing quickly.
He couldn't help but notice the atmosphere as he was eating. The once deafening silence that he was used to at home was replaced with conversation and laughter. Even though the situation he was in was horrible, he had a warm feeling, like he could trust these people with his life.
"Bane.", Kael called, marching over to him
Bane froze mid-bite. "Uh… yeah?"
Kael crouched slightly, and lowered his voice. "Don't worry if you feel out of place. Twas' your first time in Liminal, huh? Must've been terrible."
Bane nodded. "Yeah… never been chosen for anything before. Guess I'm lucky - or cursed."
Kael chuckled, with a hint of regret in his eyes. "Lucky… maybe. Once chosen by the Index, the Scenarios feel like hell. Every challenge feels like the first time all over again. You think you're ready until it feels like you've been thrown off a cliff."
"However", his resolve hardened, "I know there's an end to this. There must be", clutching his hand. "I heard a few rumours… the Index was put in place by the Gods to entertain themselves."
Bane's eyes widened.
"But - if we just survive… if we kill them…", his eyes darkening..
Bane's tiny flame flinched, as if it had been slapped. Sparks jumped chaotically, trembling on his fingertip like a scared creature.
"Sorry. I got a bit side tracked.", he blinked, then shook his head.
He straightened, his voice regaining its usual authority. "Tomorrow morning, we will begin climbing the mountain. Get ready, the trek is not easy and danger awaits us. We will split into groups of three at sunrise."
"Come", Kael added, gesturing inside of the cave. "I'll show you to the guest room",
Bane then stood up, and followed Kael silently, his tiny flame flickering nervously with each step.
By the time he settled on the bedding, his thoughts were hazed. His eyelids grew heavy just thinking of what transpired today…
"Just… survive… tomorrow," he muttered, curling up and letting the warmth of the bed take over him.
And then, with the soft flicker of his finger flame beside him, Bane finally drifted into a restless sleep.