Izik and his group advanced through the dimly lit corridors of the crypt it seemed to go on for a while, like being stuck in a fever dream.

  "How long does this go on for?" Azeri grumbled. "Why would whoever make this labyrinth even make it this long?"

  "Maybe to discourage wanderers?" Ari pondered as she adjusted her glasses. "The feeling of it never ending might make it seem pointless to some."

  "They certainly had too much time on their hands…" Izik sighed.

  "W-wait," Ari whispered loudly. "Listen."

  Faint groans came from ahead of them as Ari cast a ball of light in front of the group.

  The group were then met with four of the same formless creatures, wrapped in torn cloth, what remained of one. They wheezed and moaned as they were pressed themselves against closed doors,

  "These things again!" Azeri stopped in her tracks.

  "These ones are smaller," Borgis created a ball of spiky stone in his right hand. "They're also thinner." The small ball compressed to the size of an orange as it shook. He threw it at the four creatures, raining a hail of spiky rubble, tearing the creatures. The four pulsing red spheres fell to the ground, flesh twirling around it.

  "Got you!" Azeri pointed her finger like a barrel as compressed water formed at her fingertip. She fired four shots at each throbbing bundle of flesh, and two of them flattened like sludge.

  Izik ran as he stabbed the other two with his scorched dagger, as they, too, were reduced to ooze.

  "They were trying to open the door?" Ari wondered.

  "Could they be past explorers?" Izik asked.

  "Most likely," Borgis agreed. "Or they could be something else entirely. We do not have enough information."

  "Let's go ahead, then." Azeri took a sip of the esper fluid in her possession.

  "Allow me," Borgis huffed as he pushed the door open, revealing a dark room that seemed stretched to no end by the darkness.

  Ari cast a larger ball of light, illuminating the place. A statue of a man holding a torch with his left hand and the head of a beast in the other. Behind it was a large platform leading to a closed gate. A three-headed dragon with rubies attached to their heads stood atop the gate. In front of the dragon stood a rubble of charred bones and fragmented skeletons.

  "Whoa!" Ari gasped with excitement. "This statue looks like paintings from kingdoms of Vestia before the Dawn of Calamity. Could it be that they have escaped the continent and hunted down the Mittegods?"

  "Whatever it is, they sure seem egotistic." Azeri said. "For ones that lost an entire continent," She snorted.

  "My tribe's ancestors trace back to the warriors of Vestia." Borgis stared at the statue, respect oozing from his eyes. "They did everything they could to fight the unspeakable beasts that emerged from that dreadful event."

  "Oh," Azeri's tone dwindled. "Sorry, Borgis."

  "It is okay, young Azeri." Borgis replied. "The Age of Blessings came with discrimination for those who were not favored by the gods. They have reaped what they've sowed."

  "That does not mean everyone is t blame for what happened afterwards." Izik added.

  Borgis nodded on agreement.

  "There seems to some text under the statue, Ari approached the statue and leaned towards the text. "It is from Jermian text, from Vestia!"

  As soon as Ari touched the text, the door behind them closed shut behind the, as three panels emerged from the ground, each of them facing a bowl under the statue's head.

  "Was that because of m-me?" Ari yelped."

  "It doesn't matter," Azeri said. "Let's keep going."

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  "O-okay." Ari cleared her throat. "The servant of the Great Lindwum always desires in threes," She traced the words with her finger. "The first one hungers for the earth, the second yearns for the essence of the heavens above, while the third thirsts for the seas. Her Master never allowed all at once, but Man's life was her only key."

  "Dragons were considered servants for the gods." Borgis said. "Bullharts carry on this belief."

  "Does that mean we need to give the statue these three things?" Azeri asked.

  "What if we don't?" Izik added.

  "A small experiment should show us," Borgis said as he created a sizable slab of stone and pushed it in front of the dragon statue. The rubies on each head glowed fiery red as each head rained fire onto the slab of stone and smoked filled the space. After a few moments, the smoke cleared out and a mix of molten rock and glass.

  "Great," Azeri clasped her hands. "Now we know how the bones were here!"

  "It sounds simple enough." Izik said. "Look at the bowls under of the dragon heads. The head on the left hungers for the earth, so we need to give it a piece of the earth. The head on the right needs water."

  "What about the middle head?" Azeri replied. "What is the essence of the heavens?"

  "I'm not sure," Ari said and took out the book from the tavern from her satchel. "Maybe the book has something about it."

  "I'd say we can do two of them and try to force our way in for the third one." Borgis huffed.

  "Do you not see the skeletons lying on the floor, Borgis?" Izik retaliated.

  "The earlier explorers my grandfather sent here were not strong," Azeri said, her fingers on her chin. "Maybe we can use Borgis as a shield."

  "Hmph." Borgis nodded in agreement.

  "This doesn't sound like a promising idea…" Izik muttered. "But I guess we have no choice."

  "Okay, let's do it." Azeri exclaimed. "I'll provide the water," she walked towards the right panel and channeled blue aura to her hand and touched the panel. The bowl slowly filled with water until it almost full.

  "And I will provide the earth." Borgis let out a grey aura and touched the panel on the left. The bowl slowly accumulated dirt, as if it were awaiting a seed. "Get ready," he said as raised a wide shield made of steel.

  "You can make steel, too?" Azeri asked, eyes wide at the width of the shield as she hid behind it. It was the width of four bulky humans lined up together.

  "I am Borgis the Golem, a golden knight in kingdom of Abrahymia. I can do much more than rocks, you are Azeri."

  "Just be careful," Izik sighed as he got behind him, along with Ari, who held her book tightly.

  The group slowly approached the dragon, cowering behind the shield erected by Borgis. As soon as they drew close to the statue, the center head of the statue glowed red as fire sprang forth from its mouth, clashing with the steel shield. The shield started shining bright orange from the excessive heat.

  "Urgh!" Borgis groaned as the temperature started reaching his arm but kept pushing.

  "I'll help," Azeri said as she sprayed cold water on the shield and Borgis' hand, which quickly evaporated.

  "Izik!" Borgis yelled as they started closing the distance to the closed gate. "Break it open!"

  "Okay," Izik pulled out his dagger and cloaked it with bright red aura that turned into compressed flame around the blade. He threw the dagger on the gate, sticking to it. Izik closed his hand and the dagger grew brighter and brighter until the dagger exploded on the gate.

  "Did that do it?" Borgis squinted, as if it would help clear out the smoke.

  "Damn it," Azeri groaned as she started breathing heavily. "It didn't even budge.

  "Watch out!" Ari yelled as the other two heads started to shine and flame emerged from their mouths.

  "Blast it!" Borgis screamed as he thickened the slab of steal to block more, but the heat from three were too much, and some of his arms sizzled.

  "Borgis! Drop the shield!" Izik yelled as he latched onto Borgis.

  Borgis complied and dropped the shield. Izik then summoned a strong gust of wind that propelled everyone backwards to the panel. As soon as everyone was out of the platform, the fire ceased.

  "That was close." Azeri groaned as she drank from her esper bottle.

  "Let me take a look at you arm." Ari said to Borgis.

  "Tis nothing but a light burn," Borgis looked at his arm, reddened from the heat.

  "I can help." She quickly healed and breathed heavily.

  "Thanks, young Ari." Borgis looked at his healed arm.

  "Mm-hm," Ari nodded with a smile.

  "We need to find out what the middle one is, or we can't get out." Izik said as he stood up. He opened his hand as the dagger flew back towards him and sheathed it. "Haven't you found anything, Ari?"

  "Not yet," Ari said as she picked up her fallen book. It was open on a random page from the fall. "Wait a minute! I think I found it!"

  "What is it, young Ari?" Borgis said as he stood up.

  "Can we try again? The panels, I mean. I will take care of the middle."

  "Right." Borgis affirmed.

  He then walked to the left panel and channeled his left aura, filling the bowl with dirt. Azeri did the same with the right panel as the bowl filled with water. Ari then walked to the panel in the middle and let out a smooth green aura from her hand, the same kind she uses to heal. The panel absorbed it and the bowl grow vines that blossomed into a single flower.

  The dragon heads shook as their mouth closed and the gate beneath it opened to the group.

  "We did it!" Azeri cheered.

  "What was the essence?" Izik wondered.

  "Life," Ari breathed heavily. "Healing is the same form of life, and as the Great Ones gave us life, so do we give life to them."

  "Are you okay?" Izik asked

  "Yeah, using too much esper just takes its toll on me." Ari said as she placed her hands on her knees. "I never was gifted with much esper…"

  "Have some," Azeri offered her esper bottle.

  "Thanks," Ari took a large gulp and coughed. "That tastes funny," she said as she handed it back.

  "It has a bit of kick to it." Azeri chuckled.

  "Well done, young ones," Borgis gave a thumb's up to the group. "Let's get moving!"

  Everyone cheered as they continued their journey, the worries of the past trial stayed in the room they left. Onwards they went deeper into the dark crypt.