Wura
How long had she slept?
Her eyelids heavy, Wura slowly emerged from slumber.
Darkness greeted her first, before her eyes grew used to the dim light. She felt lighter now, her pain had faded, no doubt thanks to Nath's balm.
Two silhouettes stood out in the cave: one was clearly Nath… but the other?
She jolted upright, instincts flaring.
— Wura! You're awake! Nath exclaimed, his usual cheer bubbling through as he leaned toward her.
— Nath… she murmured, still dazed. How long have you been conscious?
— About an hour…
Her gaze immediately slid toward the other figure, sitting against the wall nearby. She recognized that boy with the faded haircut, the one who'd ignored her earlier. Her chest tightened.
— Nath! Get away from him! He's an enemy!
The boy let out a deep sigh. Nath, waving a calming hand, tried to ease her fear.
— No, don't worry. Ru isn't an enemy. He beat Nissi… and now he wants us to look for the amulets together. It's not a bad idea, given our state. At least he can still stand.
— You're too naïve, Nath. What if he's another Nissi?
— Don't make me laugh, Ru replied dryly. That girl was insane. And by the way, I caught you mid-air like a cannonball to the chest. Without me, you wouldn't even be in one piece right now.
He had a point. Despite his attitude, he had saved her from a deadly fall.
— Just to be clear, he added, I'm only here to help Nath. If that bothers you, you can leave.
A flush of anger rose to Wura's cheeks.
— It was a joke, Wura! Nath panicked, waving his arms. Right, Ru?
He shot Ru a pleading look. Ru turned away, visibly irritated.
Wura took a deep breath.
Egotistical or not, if he could be useful, she wouldn't oppose him, not now.
She sat down in a corner of the cave, leaning her back against the wall, away from them.
— Ru told me how you fought Nissi to save me, Nath said softly. Thank you… really.
— It's nothing, she replied with a faint smile. Anyone else would've done the same.
— Nissi was your friend, right? Has she always had those marks on her face?
— We grew up together. Her brother and she are like family to me. And no, it's the first time I've seen that. I don't understand what happened to her…
— Those marks looked like vévés symbols. If she was gentle by nature, maybe what we saw… was possession.
Wura's eyes widened.
Possessed? Nissi?
***
Ru
— And if that's really the case, we have to help her! Nath shouted.
What's wrong with this guy?
— You're joking, right? Ru shot back, incredulous. You barely escaped death, and you want to run straight back to your killer?
— Nath, Wura said softly, he's right. You're not in shape, and we need to finish this trial.
Seeing Wura, Ru understood she would've done the same, tried to save Nissi if she could. But she'd had to choose.
Ru had never bothered with friendships. Never wanted to. Watching them now, he remembered why. Attachments were chains, cracks where regret seeps in.
— Get some rest, Nath, he murmured. Tomorrow, we'll go after the amulets.
Silence settled.
Soon, all three drifted to sleep in the hollow of the cave, cradled by the wind's breath and the lurking threat of dawn.
***
Wura
The next morning
— Finally! There it is! Nath shouted. I'm picking something up!
Wura and Ru turned toward him, tense with anticipation.
White flashes flickered in Nath's eyes, he was in a trance.
— I can sense five. All gathered in one place, he continued.
— Five? That's a lot…Ru frowned. Feels suspicious.
— Suspicious or not, it's our chance to finish the trial, Wura countered. What are we waiting for?
Without hesitation, they set out. The source was barely fifty meters away. Soon, they reached the gaping entrance of a rocky cavern.
— They're in there, said Nath.
Inside, a dim glow washed over the stone walls. Jagged stalactites hung from the ceiling. Nath led the way, focused. The signal grew stronger, until he stopped. His eyes swept the space before he stepped closer to a dome-shaped rock formation.
Hidden on its surface were five small leather pouches, sewn tight at one end.
— These are them… the amulets, Nath whispered, relieved. On three, each of us grabs one, okay?
They nodded.
— One… two… three!
In perfect sync, they each seized an amulet. They'd done it.
Wura burst into laughter and held out her fist. Nath grinned and bumped his against hers.
A wave of joy rose between them, when suddenly…
A crack. Then another. And another still…
The ground trembled. The stone dome quivered, then slowly rose, like something awakening.
Wura's face went pale.
— Run! Nath screamed.
No one needed to be told twice.
— Told you it was suspicious! Ru panted as they ran.
— Is it an iblis? Wura yelled. Why were the amulets on it?
— Not exactly, Nath gasped. It's a golem. Man-made. I bet the organizers placed it there. To keep the amulets safe, we'll have to beat it.
— Fine. Ru and I will handle it. Stay back.
They spun around.
The golem towered before them, monstrous.
Its body was a mass of piled stones, spikes jutting from its shoulders and elbows. Two hollow pits burned where its eyes should have been. A rocky carapace covered its back, where the amulets were embedded.
Ru drew his dagger. His fists would be useless. And this thing had no weak points.
In a flash, Ru lunged. The blade came down and screeched against stone.
Every strike was the same.
Ru fell back, breath ragged. The golem lunged forward, its massive fist slamming down. The ground split open between Ru and Wura. A direct hit would've crushed them both.
They stared at the creature, stunned.
— We need something to crush or break it, Wura said, pressing her palms together to illustrate.
— Yeah, but unless you've got a mountain in your pocket, we're out of luck, Ru shot back.
— Did someone say crush? came a voice from deeper in the cave.
They turned. Two girls were walking toward them.
The first had long hair tied into thick sections with brown cords, each ending in a heavy tuft. She wore loose reddish-brown leather shorts, the color of clay, and a light brown cloth band wrapped around her chest. On her back hung a colossal hammer.
Wura's eyes widened. That hammer? She carried it like a simple bag?
The second girl's skin was dark as ebony, her full lips framing a soft, graceful face. A long ponytail, bound in neat segments, reached her lower back. Her short green bazin dress swayed with each step. Around her waist, a line of daggers gleamed beside a woven raffia pouch.
But Wura couldn't look away from the hammer girl. How could she even walk with that thing?
The girl smiled, leapt, swung her weapon back and screamed.
With an earsplitting crash, her hammer smashed into the golem's skull.
The creature collapsed like a sandcastle.
She landed gracefully and exhaled with satisfaction.
— Well, look at that, she said, examining the rubble. Two amulets stuck to its shell. Mei, come see! We haven't even started properly and we've already found our two amulets! What luck!
Her companion nodded. Nath, Ru, and Wura stood frozen.
— T-Thank you, Nath stammered. You saved us.
— Don't mention it! she said brightly. I'm Awa Kora Zaki. And this is Meisana Sarugi. And…
— We just cleared the first trial! they shouted in unison, high-fiving each other.
Meisana stepped toward Nath and reached out a hand.
— You're injured. Let me see.
— Sarugi? Nath repeated, stunned. As in… the governor of the Forest Tribe?
— Yes, Awa replied. The Forest Governor is Meisana's father. And the Mountain Governor is mine. What about you two?
Wura's heart skipped a beat. Should she bow? Greet them properly? Why was she even wondering that now. When with Hézo, son of a governor too, she'd felt immediately at ease…
— I'm Nath Sokagi, from the Forest Tribe, Nath said. This is Ru Kisra and Wura Sina. We just found our amulets too.
Meisana took Nath's arm. Her eyes shimmered with the light of trance. She undid the bandage, revealing a deep red wound. Wura looked away for a moment, then back, fascinated.
A green glow enveloped the wound. It closed slowly, leaving only a thin cross-shaped scar at the center of his palm.
— Incredible, Wura breathed. I thought only priests could do that.
— Healing, like divination, exorcism, or summoning, is one of their specialties, Nath explained. — But Meisana must have a healer loa.
— Correct, Awa confirmed.
— And you? How can you walk around with that hammer? Wura asked, amazed.
Awa laughed.
— We'll probably be fighting each other soon, right? No way I'm giving away all my secrets!
She stuck out her tongue playfully.
— Yet you just gave away mine, Mei murmured, her gaze sharp.
— That's different! They guessed!
— Hopeless, Meisana sighed, rolling her eyes.
Wura watched them closely. She envied that bond, that easy friendship. She'd only ever known that with Ciel… and that was long gone.
When Meisana finished healing Nath, she did the same for Wura and Ru.
Her power flowed like warm energy, mending everything it touched.
Wura felt renewed, as if reborn, every ache gone.
Then the two girls took their leave.
Wura and her companions had cleared the trial. Nath was safe.
And with a long, weary sigh, she finally released the weight on her shoulders.
At last.
It was over.