Episode 12: Ribashkan
The next morning, sore from battle and the trial challenges, the group of Lidya, Lorenzo, Peter and Marx move on from the makeshift camp they made. Hidden away from the main road, they were able to avoid any possible patrols sent out by Damien. To their surprise though, there weren’t any. During the night they took turns keeping watch. None of them detected any soldiers.
Ribashkan, ancient and traditional name of the trial of balance. Soon, they would approach the village, named Balancor, where the Entralian council resides. Here they can choose to challenge the trial. It is composed of a number of grueling battles against masters of both light and dark magic. While they walk to the village, they continue discussing the trial itself and other topics of interest.
Peter – “Alright, now that we have the two parts of the transmutation spell all that remains is to prove ourselves in the Ribashkan.”
Lidya – “What does the challenge entail?”
Peter – “To start we must battle and subdue two masters of the balance, one will use light magic exclusively. The other will use dark magic. The restriction is that you must use the transmutation spell to transform your weapons into the respective elementally aligned weapon.”
Lidya – “What are they?”
Peter – “The power of darkness favors the scythe. It is said to be the favored weapon of the spirit of death. On the other hand the light favors the staff. Considered by many as a more defensive weapon, it possesses hidden strength and synergizes with light spells.”
Lorenzo – “Quite the big differences between them.”
Marx – “You will have to adapt to each of them. Their combat capabilities may differ, but the fundamentals are the same. The weapon remains an extension of yourself.”
Lidya – “Got it. Wait, what about masters of the balance? What is their weapon?”
Peter – “I… honestly don’t know. I haven’t met any balance masters. That could easily be taken as proof that the trial is rarely completed by challengers.”
Lorenzo – “Hey, I was under the impression you knew everything about this.”
Peter – “Hah, thanks for the compliment, but no. About the weapon though, I’ve only heard rumors. It is said to be crafted from the finest balance between light and dark magic. I’ve also heard it cannot be wielded like a normal weapon.”
Lidya – “All the more interesting. I can’t wait to try it out.”
Peter – “The colosseum awaits then. That reminds me, the council will be watchful.”
Marx – “Indeed, I will meet with them while you take the challenge.”
Lorenzo – “I shall accompany you. My lack of success in gaining a proper understanding of both light and dark magic will make for a poor showing.”
Lidya – “You’re so talented in combat though, why not try?”
Lorenzo – “It is clear that combat alone is not the only thing to be measured here.”
Marx – “True. Then by all means, join me to inform the council of our movements and mission.”
Peter – “Hey, look over there. The vill…”
Before Peter could finish Lidya rushed off. Her excitement over the new challenge had her raring to go.
Lidya – “Catch you at the colosseum!”
And with that, she was gone.
Peter – “Well, she seems quite cheerful.”
Marx – “In all the time I’ve known her, she has always been a bit impulsive, but always ready to face any challenge.”
Lorenzo – “She certainly appreciates the excitement of a good challenge. I feel there is more to it though. Like, she truly strives to become a strong warrior.”
Peter – “You helped train her correct?”
Marx – “Yes, I trained her in the art of combat and taught her most of her fire magic spells. At the moment she has far surpassed me. Her growth as a warrior and her willfulness have gained her a strength I had not seen before. Back there, when she battled Damien, she was able to hold her own, even to the point of actually striking his armor.”
Lorenzo – “Truly, despite the great danger we faced, watching her in combat was inspiring.”
Marx – “The teachings I gave her, plus the experience she is gaining will surely allow her to wield any of the other weapons of the elements. It will be as if she had trained with them all her life.”
At the village entry a pair of guards stopped the group and questioned them. Lorenzo, Peter and Marx explained what they had been through. The guards mentioned that the council would be very interested in receiving the information directly and ushered them through. Once at the colosseum and rejoined with Lidya they stopped to talk for a moment.
Marx – “Alright Lidya, the first challenge awaits. Using the energy of light magic you have to transform your weapon and then face the master.”
Lidya – “Yeah, and then repeat for the master of dark magic, correct?”
Marx – “Indeed. Remember to keep your weapons in mind at all times.”
Lidya – “I know, I know. They’re an extension of my body and blah blah. You’ve told me a million times in training already.”
Marx – Yes, but it is even more important now.”
Lidya – “I’ll be fine, see you after the matches!”
Marx – “Good luck Lidya! And there she goes.”
Peter – “I will head over there too.”
Lorenzo – “Good luck to you as well Peter.”
Both Lidya and Peter left for their upcoming challenges. Meanwhile Marx and Lorenzo made their way to the council, who watched from a wide balcony. As they walked Marx explained the history of Lidya’s twin axes.
Marx – “Those weapons have quite the story tied to them. My mother found them while traveling through Fernal. The council that rules over the trial of fire mentioned that those weapons had been deemed lost. To have found their way to my mother’s hands was fate.”
Lorenzo – “What makes the weapons so special?”
Marx – “They appear to have a will of their own. You see, my mother tried to train me in their use. She even tried to use them herself. The weapons proved unruly. As if they could change their weight on a whim. At least that’s how it felt for me. After many years I had mastered my own ax and the twins were relegated to decoration. That’s when Lidya appeared in our lives. I vowed to train her and one day she picked the axes.”
Lorenzo – “Did she wield them as naturally as she does now?”
Marx – “Not at first, she still needed instruction. A mere few days passed and she began to use them as if she had trained her whole life with them. She moved with both grace and determination. I think her own will overpowered whatever hidden drive those things have.”
Lorenzo – “The whole idea of a weapon with a will of its own is interesting, and rather scary as well.”
Marx – “Yes, my own curiosity eventually led me to search for more clues on them. One day I stumbled upon an old archive. In it a book held a trove of information on mystical and ancient artifacts known as weapons of power. These weapons held such might that they possessed a driving force that led them to unique and powerful wielders. In my haste to learn about the twin weapons I ignored other potential weapons of power, though I did catch a glimpse of one said to have been forged by dragons.”
Lorenzo – “Dragons?! The ones from Brensur?”
Marx – “The same ones, but that’s beside the point. The book described Lidya’s weapons and named them the Twins of Power. The material used to create them is unknown to us. Magic flows through them with great ease. One of the notes mentioned that only one such weapon is active at any given time. It also mentioned that weapons of power are meant to cause great change in the worlds.”
Lorenzo – “Could Damien’s invasion be the cause now?”
Marx – “It is highly possible.”
Lorenzo – “Even if she wields such power, I think Lidya will need all the help she can get.”
Marx – “That is true indeed, and we will provide it.”
Lorenzo – “We have almost reached the council.”
The guard just before the doorway that led outside identified Marx and Lorenzo. He already knew who they were and let them through. This made things a bit easier, considering their mission. Marx and Lorenzo quickly updated the council on their situation and how difficult it had proven to find more warriors. Though worried about Damien’s arrival, the council had faith that the trials would still provide strong warriors to fight against the deity.
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