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The cavern walls shifted, the molten seams closing as though the Trial Master's presence had kept them alive. The oppressive heat lifted slightly, leaving only the steady glow of fire crystals embedded in the rock.
The Orc matron who had wagered their trial stepped forward from the shadows, tall and commanding, her tusks glinting in the firelight. Her golden sword was slung across her back, but her expression held no hostility—only measured respect.
"You've passed," she rumbled, her voice echoing like stone grinding against stone. "The Trial Master has acknowledged you. Few outsiders survive its wrath, fewer still tame its flames."
Nico pushed himself up with Garrick's help, still shaky. His golden gauntlets flickered faintly, a living echo of the Salamander flame.
The matron's gaze fell on him. "You carry fire recklessly. Yet the core within you has drunk deep and endured. That earns recognition."
Oliver bowed slightly, his hand still holding the drifting ember from before. "So the Salamander elemental… it's truly ours now?"
The matron nodded. "Yours to wield, if you have the strength to keep it." She extended a large hand and dropped a pouch heavy with garnets into Aether's palm. "And the wager—5,000 garnets, as promised. Earned, not given."
Garrick nearly choked. "Five… thousand…?!"
The matron's tusks curled into something like a smirk. "Spend them wisely. Garnet burns through careless hands as quickly as fire itself."
Behind her, several Orc women murmured amongst themselves, eyeing the party with new curiosity. Outsiders earning respect through a Trial was no small thing.
Anne peeked from behind Oliver, wide-eyed. "They actually… respect us?"
Sorrel, ever dignified, brushed soot from his fur. "Respect comes when you endure their fire, not before. Today, we proved ourselves. Though…" He gave Nico a sharp look. "…barely."
Nico grinned, flexing his still-burning fists. "Barely's still a win."
Oliver turned the ember over in his hands. Its warmth wasn't harsh like before, but steady—like a heartbeat. He thought of the Salamander elemental waiting to be awakened fully, and how much more dangerous the path ahead in Avernal would be.
He glanced at Nico. "We survived this… but you can't keep throwing yourself at everything headfirst. One day your core might not save you."
Nico shrugged, smirk never fading. "Then I'll just burn hotter before it breaks."
Zack snorted from the shadows. "And you call me reckless."
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