Chapter 4: Shifting Sands

The arena buzzed with energy as the remaining thirty contestants from the Maze of Threads assembled. The air shimmered faintly with threads of magic, an unspoken reminder of the task ahead. For many, the previous trial had tested their limits; for others, it was only the beginning.

The proctor stepped forward, their black cloak billowing in the breeze. “Welcome to the second trial. From this moment forward, your focus will shift from endurance to strategy and survival. In this trial, your goal is simple: collect three emblems by any means necessary.”

The crowd murmured in response, some with excitement, others with unease.

“There are emblems scattered around the arena. Sponsored by the shifting sands corporation – Selling only the best equipment for survival in deserts and similar conditions. Get yours today at the Shifting Sands building in the capital. Situated just past the bridge.”

The proctor continued, gesturing toward a vast stretch of barren terrain beyond the arena walls. It was no ordinary desert. The ground shimmered and writhed, as though alive, its surface constantly changing beneath the influence of invisible threads. “Each of you will begin with one emblem. There aren’t enough scattered for everyone to pass so fighting will be almost unavoidable. We have essence mages on standby encase of injury. To pass, you must acquire two more. The first ten to succeed will advance.”

Whispers broke out among the contestants. A few exchanged wary glances; others, like Kana, grinned as though the challenge had already been conquered.

Daniel Crestfall stood apart from the group, his cocky smirk firmly in place, masking the churn of anticipation in his chest. His fingers traced the smooth edge of the metal emblem in his palm, a single starburst etched into its surface.

“Survival of the fittest, huh.” he muttered, slipping the emblem into his pocket. He glanced at the contestants around him, sizing them up. Weak links to exploit, overconfident fools to outsmart, and... his gaze flickered toward Zephyr Kalyndria... those who posed a genuine threat.

The proctor’s voice cut through the murmurs. “You’ll have two hours. When the sands shift for the final time, anyone without three emblems will be eliminated.”

Daniel rolled his shoulders, confidence rekindling as he prepared to step into the fray.

The contestants were ushered to their starting points, spread out across the vast expanse. The moment the signal sounded, a sharp crack of magic splitting the air, Daniel surged forward.

The sands shifted beneath his boots, rolling like waves and threatening to pull him off balance. He summoned his Nature threads, green tendrils snaking from his fingers to stabilize his footing. The threads extended, brushing against the terrain to sense for traps or hidden pockets that might consume him.

It wasn’t long before he spotted his first target - a younger mage struggling to maintain their balance. Their emblem hung from a cord around their neck, glinting in the sunlight.

“Perfect.” Daniel muttered, a sly grin curving his lips.

He approached, his threads coiling like a serpent ready to strike. The younger mage noticed him too late. Daniel’s vines shot out, forming a barrier that cut off their retreat. With a single, decisive motion, he snatched the cord from around the young mages neck and caught the emblem mid-air.

“Better luck next time.” he said, flashing them a smirk before sprinting off.

As he moved deeper into the shifting field, the challenges grew fiercer. The sands churned unpredictably, forming sudden sinkholes and twisting ridges. Creatures captured from the wilds emerged, attacking any who dared venture too close.

At one point, Daniel found himself facing a snarling hound formed of flame, its fiery eyes locking onto him. It lunged, and he barely dodged, his vines creeping out, attached to his arm to form a makeshift shield. The fight was brutal and draining, the vines and brambles he wielded weren’t a good match for the fire encasing the hound.

It was well known that Nature mages with a strong affinity could control the earth beneath their feet. Daniel had never really tried since he’d assumed it would be too hard for him, especially without any training.

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As he’d thought, nothing happened and the hound lunged at him again, his shield catching fire from its bite.

Then he saw her - Kana.

She was perched atop a ridge. She also had 2 emblems now. Two glinting tokens hanging from her belt. Her green eyes met his, and a wicked smile spread across her face.

“You’re still one short, Crestfall.” she called, her voice mocking.

Daniel’s jaw tightened. “Not for long.”

She laughed, leaning against the ridge’s edge as if daring him to try. “You’re welcome to try. But just know I don’t play fair.”

“What if instead you help me out a bit over here!”

Kana chuckled and jumped down from the ridge. “Fine, if you insist.”

She pierced the hounds mind with her threads and made it turn away, with an image of a bunny, some easy prey, appearing before it. It lunged at the ‘bunny’ expecting a quick meal. “Thanks Kana, I owe ya one.” Daniel said as he lunged at the hound. Creating a sharp blade from the brambles. “If I make it dense enough, no oxygen could creep inside, and it would be essentially fireproof.” As he did so, the hound turned back around, clearly annoyed at his lack of a meal. Only a bit too late did it do this, as it opened its mouth and roared, Daniels blade entered, piercing upwards through the brain. Daniel brought the blade down, and it sliced through its neck, cracking the lower jaw.

Covered in splatters of the hound’s blood, and his own from the brambles gripping his arm. He smiled at Kana. “I would say you’re next, but I don’t see a point. Thanks for the help nonetheless.”

He pierced the hound with essence threads and sucked the remaining life out of it to heal his injuries.

Daniel’s eyes locked onto his next target: a boy wielding Nature threads; he didn’t look too difficult. Unlike Kana, there were no illusions or tricks here; this fight would be raw power and strategy.

The boy, Jacob, stood his ground, the sand forming solid ground where he walked, sending ripples out when he took his foot off the ground. A faint smirk tugged at his lips. “Come to lose an emblem, Crestfall?” he taunted.

Daniel tilted his head, letting the insult roll off him like water. “Funny, I was about to ask you the same thing. Aren't you just holding on to that emblem for me?”

Jacob didn’t bother with more banter. He stomped, planting his foot solidly atop the ground. Shards of earth popped up around his as he caught them in his left hand. A sword springing up to his right.

“Are those meant to scare me?” Daniel joked.

Jacob grunted as he flicked the spines from his left hand at Daniel like a buckshot from a shotgun. Daniel dodged to the side, some still scratching his jacket. Although none even made it as far as a flesh wound.

“That all you’ve got?” Daniel teased, injecting his mana into the pouch on his pocket, vines creeping up his left arm for a shield, brambles up his right for a spear. “No point fixing what ain’t broken.”

Jacob shifted tactics, planting his foot back onto the ground, sending a dense wave of earth to throw Daniel off balance. It surged toward him like a tidal wave. Daniel, not expecting this, fell to the ground. Surrounded by dust, he coughed, struggling to keep his eyes open.

Just encase Jacob rushed him, Daniel placed a ring of acorns in front of himself. Through his blindness, Daniel made out the figure of Jacob rushing toward him and smiled. He knew this might happen. Daniel supplied them with magic, and they grew suddenly, encasing Jacob with a prison of trees. He panicked and gasped. Daniel stood up and turned his back on Jacob.

“You fell right into my trap, idiot.” No longer hearing any movement Daniel turned. Jacob wasn’t there, he peered into the capsule of trees, a hole lay at the bottom. “Fuck, of course he did! I'm the real idiot aren’t I... Jacob.”

A voice from behind and a stone knife laid on his neck. “You sure are Daniel, poor poor Daniel. Should've paid more attention.” Daniel had a counter planned but needed to keep him talking. “Now where are those emblems.”

“It’s not all about winning Jacob, what if we just parted ways here and left each other to our own devices. Whatcha think?”

“What kind of a dumbass would I have to be to give up in this position, at this stage of the fight? Anyway, just tell me where you put your emblems, otherwise imma have to go looking myself.”

“I’d say you’d have to be a pretty big kind of dumbass. That was the best deal you’re getting.”

Daniel had vines creeping up his back over his clothes, just close enough to attack but not quite touching. They tied together Infront of his neck and pulled tight. Jacob fell backwards and was tied to the ground, pulling at the vines around his neck, trying to free himself from the chokehold.

“Your loss.”

Daniel reached into Jacobs pockets, searching for the emblems, and whilst he did this, Daniel created a complete cocoon for him, not touching anything, nothing for Jacob to escape with. At last, he released the chokehold.

“Finally... ooh you have 2 as well? I might need an extra encase someone like Zephyr shows up wanting one of mine. Sorry.”

Once Daniel had gone far enough away, he released his magic on the vines, allowing Jacob to use his own magic on them to escape.

The final minutes of the trial were a blur. Daniel sprinted toward the designated endpoint, the shifting sands threatening to pull him under with every step. He crossed the line, three emblems in hand and his competitive fire burning brighter than ever. Well after this, the final signal rang out denoting the end of this challenge. Only 10 people had passed. The only ones of note were Kana, Zephyr, Himself and Lena, somehow her ‘bestie’ Kaelin had also passed, no doubt with Lena’s help.

As he stood among the ten victors, Daniel couldn’t help but glance toward Zephyr, who had finished effortlessly. The tri-affinity mage didn’t even look tired, his calm, detached demeanour an unspoken challenge.

Daniel clenched his fists. He had made it through this trial, but there were still 2 more.