Training Camp Day 3 1/2: Jayden's Spirit Trial

Jayden swam after the mermaid with both arms in a stroke and kicking her legs. Heather swam gracefully with her hands at her sides, and her golden tail moved up and down. They swam in the kelp forest, a balance of sunlight and shadowy areas like a twilight zone. Jayden lost sight of Heather and frantically looked for her. "Where are you, Heather?"

She spread them apart; the bundle of kelp emerged, and telepathy answered, "I'm right here beside you."

"I didn't see you."

"Hehe," giggled Heather, placing her hand to her pale, rosy lips, "Scared aren't you?"

"I didn't want to lose you."

"I'm going to be by your side. Further away is an underwater temple."

"Why are we going there?"

"I require your assistance."

"What for?"

"We are going to clear the kelp attached to the temple."

"Sounds easy enough," said Jayden, crossing her arms. In the distance, a shadowy figure was within her peripheral view, and Jayden turned her head to look. From afar, it looked like a stationary submarine with fins. Heather swam in front of Jayden's face and said, "Come on this way." Her elongated fish tail moved out of her view. The shadowy figure was gone.

Jayden followed her. A school of fish swam past her, and then a giant sea bass appeared among the kelp. Up-and-downhill sand beds and plenty of rocks dotted the seafloor. Bottom-feeder crabs, shells littered on the sand, and colorful corals attached to chunks of boulders.

A stealthy predator came within range of Jayden and swiftly charged at her with a huge open mouth. Jayden dodged in time, kicking her legs and going up. She summoned her sword. The creature wasted no time and charged again.

Heather rushed in with a trident and stabbed the 13-foot-long predator. The blood poured out, creating a red mist, and the huge fish swirled. Heather appeared from the mist to Jayden. She grabbed her by the hand.

"Hurry!"

They swam as fast as they could. Another torpedo-shaped predator with red stripes emerged from the kelp, pursuing them, and others appeared, going towards the blood trail above.

"They look like sharks," commented Jayden

"They are called Serramit, with a curled lower half jaw and double row sharp teeth." Jayden, frightened, kept looking back at the Serramit as it gained speed and opened its wide mouth to launch an attack. Missed, almost chopping Jayden's foot. Heather moved downward and dipped under a hollow opening of a giant boulder. Serramit pursed.

Heather looked back at the Serramit and said, "Cast a spell, Watersprout."

Jayden aimed with her hand at the Serramit and shouted, "Watersprout!" A magic circle appeared in the palm, releasing three water twisters that flipped the Serramit upside down. This caused a temporary stun.

"Nice job."

In the distance, slow, shadowy figures came towards them; as they got closer, the three Serramit rushed in.

"Looks like we are going to have to fight our way to the temple."

"I don't want to become fish food. Should I attack them with my sword?"

"The blood spill attracts more of them."

"So, no," said Jayden, raising her hand, "Watersprout!" A twister flip flipped all three Serramits upside down. They crossed them safely and arrived at an underwater temple.

The mermaid turned her attention to Jayden and said, "This is the Temple of Oris." The pyramid temple has several patches of moss and coral attached. Crabs, sea urchins, and small fish move about the area.

"Is it safe, or are there more predators in the area?"

Heather replied, "Once we get inside the temple, we should be safe," swimming to a bundle of kelp. Jayden joined Heather. "What do you want me to do?"

"Remove the kelp."

Jayden did so, which revealed a rectangular window. However, the window was barred. Heather swam upward to another section, pulled out a shell, and sliced at the bottom of the kelp. They floated towards the surface. Heather instructed, "Use your magic to open the door." She tapped the door with the sword, and the dark green door rolled to the right. They entered.

The light disappeared behind them, and they were in the dark, long hallway. Jayden was scared by the unsettling pitch darkness and stayed close to Heather. Thud! Jayden swam into a wall. She felt her surroundings; there was only a narrow way back to the entrance, but Heather's tail gently patted her shoulder from above. Jayden swam up and broke the surface.

In a dark room with two lit torches and a statue in the center. Jayden and Heather made eye contact.

"We are in the sacred chamber of Oris."

"Do we get out?"

"Yes."

Jayden swims to the edge of the brick floor, pulls herself out, and stands. A floating seashell shimmers before her. Jayden is confused about the occurrence and asks, "What's going on?"

"Take the seashell. It will boost your magic ability."

Jayden walked a short distance and reached out to the seashell. Her gemstone glowed. Suddenly, the seashell shrank to a penny-sized orb. She grabbed it but missed. The small orb dashed frantically around her. Jayden twirled around, grabbing at it at every opportunity but missed. The orb went through a wall and vanished. Jayden's eyes widened in confusion at what happened. Splash!

Heather stepped out of the water with her long, beautiful hair covering her face. When she looked at Jayden, her mouth was an overbite with sharp teeth, gills appeared on her neck, and her hands were webbed. Heather got on her webbed feet, high-rise underwear covered her private area, and she walked to Jayden.

"The seashell, did you grab it?"

"I tried, but it shrunk, then it darted around me, and I couldn't get it. It went through a wall." Jayden crossed her arms and stared at the smooth stone wall. She knocked and heard a hollow sound. Next, she placed one hand on the wall and leaned in to hear anything on the other side. Suddenly, the stone wall pulled up to the ceiling, revealing a dimly lit hallway with glowing symbols.

"Ready to go?" Heather stood next to Jayden and inspected her face.

"I am."

They entered the hallway and reached the end. Jayden, confused, said, "What are we supposed to do here?"

"Like earlier, you projected some of your magical energy to power the door. Do the same thing again."

"Oh, is that what I did?"

"Of course, silly."

Jayden laid both hands on the door, and a magic circle appeared, and she channeled her energy into a triangle shape. The wall pushed upward. A spacious chamber with a circular platform; In the center is a practice dummy attached to an iron pole. The platform lights up from Jayden's magic.

"Is that a dummy?"

"It is," replied Heather, going to the dummy. Jayden followed behind, scanning their surroundings, unable to see anything in the darkness. "There's nothing here," said Jayden.

They stood in front of the dummy with a target symbol on its stuffed belly.

"It's powered by magic; we just need to find a switch to light up the place."

How, Jayden thought, unless it's the dummy? Heather explored the platform, leaving her behind. Jayden approached the dummy and pushed it to the side, then it popped back into place. A switch, right? She looked side to side and front to back at the dummy and noticed the mechanic clanking under the metal pole. Jayden concentrated her magic into her hands and channeled it to the dummy, but nothing happened. "Alright, it didn't work like what happened behind us."

Jayden summoned a magic ball of water element and shot it at the dummy. Clank! It moved a little. "I found the switch!" shouted Jayden, excited. Heather returned to Jayden and replied, "How?"

"Like this," said Jayden, summoned another water ball and shot the dummy. Clank! Clank!

"See, it moves."

"It moves very slowly. We will be here for a while."

"If it works, it works."

"I will stand over here," said Heather, distancing herself from Jayden. She continued shooting magical water auras at the dummy; it moved slowly along the glowing tracks of a strange symbol. Some time later, Jayden felt drained. How can I make it go faster? Jayden, growing frustrated at the slow dummy, summoned her sword and slashed at it forcefully. Cccllaaankkk!! The dummy moved across the track and made a quick turn.

"Great job, Jayden. Keep at it!" said Heather, cheering her on.

"Thanks," said Jayden, staring briefly at a cheerful Heather and focusing on releasing more frustrated slashes on the dummy, causing it to dart across the track from one side to the next, making turns. The platform rose, and loud metal clinks and clanks echoed. Walls lit up towards the ceiling. Jayden landed another blow at the dummy, and then something leaped from the darkness to join them on the platform. It was a replica dummy, glowing green but with legs. It charged at Jayden with a running blade on its belly.

"Jayden, shoot it!" shouted Heather. Jayden charged up a water aura and shot at the blade-runner dummy.

"Now we have moving dummies coming at us with attached weapons."

"This is a trial."

"What?"

"A trial for a power-up."

"What if I die in the trial?"

"You lose out on the power-up."

"Do I return home?"

"Definitely do, but you won't be able to enter any trials." TAP! TAP! TAP! TAP! An enemy dummy approaches, splits open at the belly, and hurls itself at Jayden as a rotating blade. She blocks the blade with her sword, but it pushes her back towards the edge.

"Come on, Jayden, do something!"

"Ugh, I-" Jayden felt the edge on her shoes and pushed back as hard as she could. What if I miss? An image of a Manhia in the mud with a bright smile said, "But you didn't."

I don't want to fall behind, my dearest friend, thought Jayden. She powers up, exerting more magic energy; her body glows, and her sword is covered in water. With one free hand, she released three water twisters to lift the bladed dummy upward. She sent a water slash at it, and it fell over the edge. Heather clapped and complimented, "Amazing!"

TAP! TAP! TAP! TAP! More footsteps echoed in the dark from all directions.

"There's more of them."

"Keep on moving."

Moving, thought Jayden, and ran to the control dummy. She slashed many more times and moved around to dodge the incoming dummies. One of the blade dummies charged at her but hit the control dummy. It move. Perfect! She used it to her advantage as the control dummy kept on moving to the end of the track.

"Water Sprout!" shouted Jayden, lifting the remaining dummies to the ceiling and shooting them off the edge. The platform stood still. She looked around, readied her sword for incoming enemies, and Heather came up to her.

"A wonderful job, Jayden."

"Is this it?"

"Mhm. We reached the top of the temple."

"What now?"

"You earn your first seashell power-up."

Jayden smiled and said, "This means I pass the trial, right?"

"One of the five trials," replied Heather, waving one hand to the side. Then the seashell appeared in a golden orb. "Your prize."

"Thank you," said Jayden, reaching for the seashell, and it emerged into the gemstone.

"Heather?" Jayden scanned the surroundings. "Heather?"

"I will be waiting for your return," Heather's voice echoed

"Where did you go?"

Snap!

Jayden felt weak and fell over.