A Test of Courage

Why do men climb mountains? Why do we dive into the deepest oceans? Why do we reach for the very stars? What drives someone to seek that which may end their life? Is it for fame? For glory? To push one’s limits? Or is it merely to say, “I did that.” As countless people had once struggled towards their dreams, so too did Jabez climb the jurou’s mountain. His friends were waiting for him. His family was waiting for him. This was just another part of the journey. One step of many. So he couldn’t give up. No matter how his body ached, no matter how his lungs wheezed, he had to struggle on. There was still so much future left to see.

“Come on, Jabez! Climb!” said Kela.

“You can do it, papa! Keep going!” said Iris.

Jabez gripped the stone wall with all his might. Even though his body was light, it still took all his effort to pull himself up. But he did so every time.

“This way, this way!” said Gatu, pointing upwards. “Good footing here!”

“This root should hold,” said Yev. “You go first, Aba. Then others!”

Everyone climbed up the mountain. Each ascent provided its own struggles, but with so many eyes, ears, and helping hands, their progress was steady. And somehow, it started to get a little easier for Jabez. At first his movements were slow and awkward, but once he got used to things, his instincts took hold, and he could find the right place to grip on his own. Even so, that didn’t mean the others wouldn’t help. Kela and Iris were always there to pull Jabez up when he needed it. Gatu, Aba, and Yev were good spotters as well, helping everyone find the best path to take. They didn’t have tools, and they only carried enough food and water to not weigh them down. What they lacked, however, they made up for in sheer grit. But there was more to this mountain than cliffs and rocky surfaces. The true test had only just begun...

“Tuuli... Where have you gone...” a voice echoed.

“What?!” Jabez turned his head, looking down a dark path. “That voice...”

“Papa?” Iris spoke up. “What was that?”

“Wait here. I’ll go first.” Jabez then stepped down the path, and things grew darker, and darker, and darker... When everything turned to black, Jabez saw a wispy form glow a light blue. Standing before him was the specter of Seela, feeling around the dark like a blind woman.

“Tuuli... Tuuli... Where have you gone, sister of mine?”

“Seela... She’s not here.” Jabez started shaking. “You can’t stay here, either.”

The spirit turned, a hint of a smile on her lips. “Jabez? Is that you?”

“I’m here, Seela,” Jabez struggled to speak, tears in his eyes.

“Did we win? Is Tuuli okay?”

“She is. We made it out because of you.”

“We did? I’m glad. But then... Why are there so many others behind you?”

A cold hand brushed against his back. Jabez turned around, seeing all the Hidden Grove members that perished in the last battle. There were others, too. All the mercenaries who died that day. Some were in mourning, others looked enraged. They cried out all the same, reaching for Jabez.

“It hurts... It hurts...”

“Why did you let me die?”

“It’s all your fault!!”

“I didn’t want to die!”

Jabez shook his head. “I didn’t mean for all this to happen! I did what I could!”

“That body... That body...”

“It’s mad too... The things you’re making it do...”

“No! That’s impossible!” shouted Jabez. But then he looked down, realizing his right hand was moving on its own. It lunged for his throat, choking him. “D-dammit! Don’t... Do this!! You’re not... Here! It’s just... Me!!”

“GIVEITBACK!”

“What?!”

“GIVE IT BACK!!!”

Jabez managed to rip his right hand from his throat and hold it down. Yet all around him were still more spirits of the dead and darkness. So much darkness... He no longer knew which way led back to his friends. All he could do was run. Countless voices called out to him, crying for mercy, for blood, for vengeance. They began blending together, becoming a sea of rancor and regret. As Jabez continued to run, he saw Captain Bowen glaring at him with judging eyes. He saw Ronnie and Bobbie with endlessly bleeding throats. And then, far up ahead, he saw a lone goblin holding a doll.

“No... It can’t be. Shakah?”

“Human... How do you know my name?”

“I... I studied the letter. I found your family...”

“My family?!” Shakah leaped onto Jabez, knocking him to the ground. “What did you do to my family?!”

“I didn’t hurt them, I swear!”

“Liar! Murderer!!”

“No, it’s not true!” Jabez struggled to push the spirit off of him. Somehow it weighed heavier than anything he had ever felt before. “When I found them... I said I was sorry.”

“What?”

“I did... I bowed my head, I pledged myself to them, gave them food, protected them... They’re here now, still alive.”

“Still... Alive? Kela lives?”

“She does.”

Shakah’s arms went limp, and he turned his head up to the blackened sky.

“Kela lives... And Gatu? And Aba? And Yev?”

“Yes. All alive. All safe.”

The spirit wept bitter tears. “The clan lives! The clan lives! The heart... My heart... At ease.”

Somehow, the spirit faded away into mist. Jabez tried reaching out a hand to Shakah, but he was already gone. Jabez then struggled to his feet, searching for the way out. That’s when he saw a figure wearing robes and a steepled hat, walking through the dark with a staff.

“Ozahl? Ozahl!!”

Jabez ran after the spirit, calling out to him. But he never turned around. He just kept walking. Jabez followed, saying Ozahl’s name in vain. It was then that he realized the call of the other spirits was growing distant. After a time, the spirit finally stopped. With his staff, he gestured towards the mouth of a cave that looked like the maw of a demon.

“If you have strength enough to fight for your cause, then go forth. She is waiting.”

“I will.” Jabez walked forward, his tired feet dragging behind. He turned to the spirit, wishing to thank him... But he was already gone. “Ozahl, I wish things could have gone differently.”

Feeling a steely resolve in his heart, Jabez continued. As he did, black torch sconces lit up with flame the same color as the spirits. There was webbing, bone, carvings and paintings from bygone eras in the rock. There were pillars, tattered banners, and so many other echoes of the past. There were wisps in the air like ghostly moths, and a faint, electrifying feeling along his skin. Was it magic? He wasn’t quite sure. What he did know, however, was that the jurou was close. It followed him like a shadow, ever-present.

“Who... Are... You?” a woman’s voice spoke.

“My name is Jabez.”

“No,” the voice spoke again. “I know your name. But I do not know who you are. Are you hero? Villain? Savior? Slayer? Do you even know?”

“I don’t,” muttered Jabez. “But I want to find out.”

“Then what has brought you here?”

“I need to heal my body. I need to find my strength again. I heard you might be able to help... For a price.”

“These words are true. I know many secrets. Many spells. I can help you find your strength. But first... You must find me. Seek the heart of my lair. Spill not a drop of blood along the way... From yourself, and from my pets. If you can do this, I will help you. And if you fail, I will eat you alive.”

“I will do this. Before I proceed, may I have your name?”

“My name?” the voice questioned. “Many moons have come and gone since someone asked my name. You humans care so little for others. And yet... You smell different. Perhaps you aren’t human after all.” There was a pause, as if the voice was deliberating. Eventually, the voice said, “I am Serena. Once upon a time, the people of this land called me goddess. Tread carefully, mortal, and show your respect. Do this, and we may talk further...”

Jabez felt the presence slink away, and he could breathe easy again. Looking ahead, the path was dim. Even with the torches and wispy spirits, it was hard to see everything.

Spill not a drop of blood along the way? I can do that.

Jabez checked his belongings. He still had his shine crystal goggles, his magic bag, and his lockpicks, but little else. He then looked at his sword, undid the strap holding it and its sheath to his hip, then he set it against the wall.

In times like these, all we can do is have faith.

Taking in his surroundings, he decided to gather up some of the bones. Once he was satisfied, he tied the bag shut, put on his goggles, then made his way into the cavern. It wasn’t long until the path turned dangerous. There were narrow walkways over sheer drops, carefully hidden tripwires, ancient runes that released magical ice and fire... And that was just to start. Jabez had to shimmy across walls, evade the snapping jaws of disguised bear traps, and more often than not, avoid getting stuck in the web. He didn’t know if it was truly dangerous or not, but somehow, getting stuck in an ancient spider goddess’s web sounded less than ideal.

Moving up ahead, Jabez spotted a creature slithering through the darkness. With a long crocodilian head, six eyes, and eight legs, it sniffed the air with its tongue like a snake. The creature seemed intent on finding intruders. It skittered along the rock walls of the cavern, sniffing and leering about with its many eyes. Jabez did his best to remain hidden, but it was getting close. He then looked at a nearby patch of web, hatching a scheme. As the creature drew closer, Jabez untied his bag, pointed the opening at the web, then whispered, “Empty.”

Bones shot out of the bag, bouncing against the rocky cavern before hitting the web. This drew the creature’s attention, and it dove for the noisy bones, only to get stuck in the web. It struggled in its bindings, but seemed otherwise unharmed.

Good, thought Jabez. Onto the next challenge.

After more climbing and leaping over spike-filled pits, Jabez found himself in a gigantic cave. There were walkways and moving platforms of stone, as well as countless traps. Swinging blades, blazing fire runes, slamming blocks of stone. It seemed as if the entire place had been built to ward off even the craftiest of intruders. But whoever designed the trap-filled room didn’t account for someone genre-savvy like Jabez. He crouched down, listening to the stone as he knocked on the walls. Soon enough, he found a hollow space in the rock. After prying it open, he found the heart of the trap room. A few tampered gears and picked locks later, the traps inside the room came to a screeching halt. Well, most of them anyway.

Nothing to be done with those magic traps, but at least I can walk through the rest of this.

Jabez moved forward through the room, ducking under and around the various traps. It was only at the end that he realized a fatal flaw in his plan. The same mechanism controlling the traps also moved some of the room’s platforms, and now there was nothing left for him to jump on. As far as he could tell, he basically broke the trap controls in order to turn the room off, so unbreaking it without a better understanding wasn’t going to happen. There was one trick he had yet to try, however. It was something he had noticed about his magic bag. In the past, every time he said “Empty” to expel all its contents, it released them with surprising force. Force enough to move him, especially in his current state. There was no guarantee it would be enough, but he had to try.

Jabez moved throughout the cavern, picking up every little abandoned thing he could find. Bones, rocks, weirdly glowing mushrooms, and rusty bits of metal. The more he filled his bag, the longer it would take to empty. When he felt it was ready, he positioned himself as close as he could to the cliff facing the exit, opened the bag, then jumped.

“Empty!”

Blasting out the magic bag’s contents like a fire hose, Jabez flew backwards over the trap room’s chasm. He saw all the little things he had picked up flying out, bashing into the various traps and making enough racket to wake the dead. In the end, he slammed into a wall, landing on the other side near the exit. Picking himself up, he sealed the bag and proceeded down the corridor.

Jabez expected more traps, more monsters, or perhaps a puzzle or two, but after overcoming so many obstacles, it seemed as if he had reached the end. The hall he walked was eerily similar to the cavern’s entrance, with torch sconces lighting up as he walked towards them. With such flashes of light stinging his eyes, he pulled off his goggles, wiped the sweat from his brow, then continued.

“Serena? Serena, are you there?” called out Jabez. His voice echoed throughout the cavern, eventually fading into the dark. Then something skittered past him. He jumped back in shock, looking around. “Serena? Is that you?”

Jabez looked behind him, realizing something about the torch sconces. Once he was far enough away from them, they started going out. Out of reflex, Jabez reached for his goggles, but he couldn’t find them. Then the last torches faded, plunging Jabez into total darkness.

“Jabez...”

“Serena!”

“Now you’re in my domain. You’ve come so far... Avoided my traps... And my pets... But you failed to recognize something.”

“And what is that?”

“I am a spider. And what do spiders do?”

“They... Lie in wait, ensnaring prey in their web.”

The realization finally struck him. Despite all his efforts, he still ended up trapped in the jurou’s web.

“Serena, was this your plan all along? Isolate and ensnare me?”

“You catch on quick... For a human. I may be an immortal being, but even I need to eat. My body has grown so heavy... It requires nourishment. Blood. Flesh. So give it to me.” A figure in the dark rushed forward, knocking Jabez to the ground. “Give me your flesh!!”

As Jabez fell, he reflexively reached for a weapon that wasn’t there. Feeling a great presence looming over him, he reached out his hands to try and keep it at bay, only to feel his fingers interlock with another’s. And when his eyes adjusted to the dark, he finally saw who Serena really was. She was a tall and elegant figure whose beauty and grace balanced her monstrous features. A feminine humanoid torso extended upwards from the body of a horse-sized black and white spider, and both her many legs and arms ended in dark chitin, fading from the white. Her eight eyes shimmered pure indigo, and long white hair flowed down a smooth, slender face.

“Serena?!”

“I have you now, human. What are your final words?”

“You’re... You’re beautiful.”

The hissing face of the jurou fell silent, and she pulled back a little. “What? What are you saying?”

“I said you’re beautiful. Is that... Strange?”

“You lie. Humans always lie. Always trick. Always hate. No human has ever called me beautiful before!”

“I’m not lying, though.”

“Even if I’m about to kill you? Even if I’m about to feast upon your flesh?”

“Listen... I don’t know how others treated you in the past, but when I say something like that, I mean it. You told me to pay my respects, didn’t you? That you were once worshipped as a goddess? What happened?”

“Time passed. The world changed. And I... Was forgotten.”

Jabez reached out his hand. “It doesn’t have to be that way forever. If you need someone to talk to, I’m here now. And besides, there are still others who whisper of your legend. How do you think I found you? I was told about you by another.”

Serena turned her head, hiding her face with her hair. “People... Remember me? Who?”

“An Ajinian warrior named Demetra. She showed me to your mountain.”

At this, the jurou snickered. “An Ajinian? It must be her...” Serena then gestured to the ground. The web beneath Jabez disappeared, and he was finally able to move, so he knelt before the jurou.

“Serena... My goal hasn’t changed. I need your help. This body of mine has withered from a deadly poison. If I can’t heal, I’ll never be able to help my friends again. I did everything you asked me to. I can’t force you to help, of course, nor would I try. All I ask is you honor your word. So please...”

Silence fell over the cavern, enough that Jabez no longer knew if his word had any affect. But when it seemed the jurou had come to a decision, she reached out her hand.

“Jabez... You who are from another realm, rise before me.”

“You know I’m not from this realm?”

“I know many things... I know the past, the present, and even the future. I know who you wish to save, as well as how you can do it. But...”

“But what?”

“That which you hold dearest in your heart... Cannot be saved.”

“My family? What do you mean?!”

“All jurou can see lines of fate tied to other people’s souls. Much like a web, we are all ensnared in things we cannot control. I know deep within, you fight for a just cause, but if you continue down this path, nothing else awaits but fire and blood.”

“Even if that’s true... Even if I have to sacrifice my life to save the people I love, I’ll do whatever it takes.”

Serena giggled at this. “My oh my... Such bold words from a human. If you truly wish to follow this path, then pledge your loyalty to me. I shall be your goddess, and you my faithful servant. Do this, and I will guide you down this path of bloodshed.”

“I’ll do it.”

Jabez took hold of Serena’s hand. The jurou smiled, drawing him close. With one of her claws, she sliced his right palm open, spilling blood. Then she licked the wound with a long, glowing pink tongue, and the wound sealed. In its place, a purple rune appeared, shimmering with power before fading away. The experience was frightening, and yet... Thrilling.