I wake up and suddenly, I feel no pain at all in my ankle. I can move it normally. I get up and look around. Was it the medicine that had this effect on me? And when I look around, I can see much better than the day before, as if my eyes had adapted—though it still wasn't ideal.
I see the woman who helped me the other day coming toward my bed with some food—it was fried mushrooms.
"Thank you… Is it… Is it because of the medicine that my ankle doesn't hurt anymore and that I can see better?"
"Yes, for your ankle, it's the medicine, which comes directly from the supreme magic of the deadhorse. He doesn't want the Babylonians in his trials to be disadvantaged because of injuries… As for your eyesight… I've heard that Babylonians tend to see better over time and get used to it."
I nod. So that's why I felt in such good shape. After eating my fill of fried mushrooms, I get up, thank the family who welcomed me, and leave them. I would have liked to stay longer, but Daïs's trial is today and I have to find my allies as soon as possible.
So I start walking through the streets. With my vision slightly better than the day before, I can make out the buildings—all made of stone, and it feels like they have the same light-absorbing property as the walls surrounding this underground city.
On my way, I pass various Daisians. I was afraid they might be hostile, but strangely, they were actually happy to see me. The same went for the few participants I saw in the distance. It was as if these trials were some sort of gladiator games. I ask one of the Daisians—a rather tall man—if he has seen my friends after I describe them to him, but he just shakes his head.
I continue exploring and come across a square with merchants around, selling goods to other Daisians and even to some participants. Maybe, with some luck, I might run into my group. So I go around the stalls—some selling trinkets and souvenirs, others selling minerals and weapons, still others selling clothes and mushroom-based food.
It really felt as if I were in the heart of a village. They behaved like real, sentient people.
Unfortunately, after making a full round of the market, I hadn't run into any members of my group, so I keep exploring, trying to find the way to Daïs's Tower of Babylon. While I'm looking at one of the public maps, I feel someone behind me—and something sharp and metallic against me. I panic, but I don't dare turn around. The person starts speaking, his voice deep.
"Don't move, you filthy half-human."
I obey, not wanting to get killed, and stay completely still.
"What do you want from me?"
I feel a hand grab my hair and pull it slightly back, making me let out a small cry of pain.
"A redhead, with green streaks, green hair, and above all… a felkaï. That guy, Zyvari, told me he'd pay me well if I brought him your lifeless body."
I let out a nervous little chuckle—anxious laughter. Why does everyone want me dead? Can I just get, like, five minutes without being threatened? Is that too much to ask?
"What's that going to get you? You're just going to kill an inno—"
I'm cut off as he smacks the back of my head.
"Innocent or not, you're a half-human, and as the Holy Humanist Book commands, all beings who aren't human must die."
"Oh, damn… You're a Hegemonist."
Of course there were Hegemonists too. There are two main religions in this world: the Carmenists, who treat all species as equals, and the Hegemonists, who, on the contrary, harbor an unspeakable hatred for half-humans. The capital of the Hegemonists is "Human Hegemony." I had never met one before.
"I don't like working with a Zyvari, or with half-humans in general, but if I get the chance to mix business with pleasure, I'll take it."
My legs start trembling. Was this the end for me again?
"Stop!"
A voice shouts, as someone suddenly sends a massive wave of water toward the two of us, soaking us and throwing us off balance. I fall, and so does he.
I can finally see the face of the one who attacked me and tried to kill me. Judging by his skin tone, he's from an island, though I don't know which one. He has tanned skin, blond hair with part of it covering one eye, blue eyes, and he's wearing a blue polo shirt over a white shirt, with black pants whose legs are rolled up. His hair is tied into a short ponytail. He looks just a bit younger than me. As I suspected, he's a Sanian—a regular human.
"Who do you think you are?!"
The boy protests, but within seconds, there's a sapiere pressed close to his throat.
"Get lost… Now."
I can now see the girl who just saved me. She's also a Sanian, with blond hair tied into side ponytails, a rebellious strand of hair sticking out, and beautiful blue eyes that remind me of my mother's. She wears an open purple jacket, a gray camisole with a pink ribbon, and a black mini-skirt.
The man growls slightly, gets up, and leaves, but not before shooting Roxy a murderous glare.
"Watch yourself. Relatio won't always be there to save you."
I watch the man leave, then turn to the woman who saved me, who offers me her hand to help me up.
"Sorry if I got your clothes wet, but it was the best way to save your skin."
I take her hand and stand up. My clothes are soaked, but it's warm enough in the cave that I'm not freezing. The girl in front of me bows elegantly.
"My name is Relatio… well, that's my stage name. I'm one of the potential heirs of Komedie, the 67th Deadhorse of Comedy. And to whom do I have the honor of speaking?"
"Roxy, and I'm the heir of the 94th."
Hearing this, Relatio smiles.
"Deception and comedy are almost intertwined. You're a valuable ally, I can feel it. Are you alone?"
I shake my head and quickly explain my situation to her.
"Oh, so you've lost them… I think I remember seeing the group you described, but judging by the time—almost noon—I'd say they're probably at the tower, waiting for the trial to begin. I know the way! Follow me."
She had spoken at an exceptionally fast pace, and barely had she finished her sentence when I was swept away—she had taken my hand, and we ran together, almost blindly, through the street. I tried not to trip, and after a few minutes of running, we arrived in a huge square. With some difficulty, I could see that we were now at the Tower of Babylon. I saw about a hundred people waiting—some alone, others already grouped up.
Relatio and I started going around each group, and eventually, I recognized Lesky. I ran toward her.
"Oh my god… I missed you all."
"Roxy!"
Lesky cried out, happy to see her ally safe and sound. Pendo gave me a small smile, while Aristeus was just as excited as Lesky. I then introduced them to Relatio and explained everything that had happened since I lost them. Aristeus then told me what they had been doing.
"After we saw you go down, we tried to follow you, but we couldn't see anything… Pendo thought you were dead, but Lesky and I didn't stop searching for you… We had to go all the way around to find the only entrance… And then, exhausted, we looked for you in the streets but eventually gave up… We were tired."
I smiled. It was rare for people other than my parents to worry about me, and my heart warmed slightly. Those words gave me a deep sense of joy.
"Good thing you ran into that family," Lesky said. Then, suddenly, a deep voice echoed.
"Hello, I am Daïs, Deadhorse of Darkness. Thank you for coming. You have all answered the call to my trial… which I will now explain."
The voice echoed through the entire cavern, but there was no figure, no form—just a voice speaking.
"You will form twenty teams of five and enter the tower. Your goal is to retrieve a Seed of Darkness—there are ten of them hidden in this gigantic labyrinth. If your team brings back a seed, you win my trial. You may ally with other groups or try to sabotage them, and I remind you that any death during a challenge is not permanent—you will simply be disqualified from the trial and lose. You have twenty minutes to form your groups and strategize. Then, I will invite you to enter the tower to begin my trial. Good luck, Babylonians."
The voice fell silent. So, it was a collection trial, a race, and potentially a combat challenge… In teams of five. Luckily, our group was already naturally formed: me, Lesky, Aristeus, Pendo, and Relatio would team up, and we began strategizing.
"Pendo, you'll be able to see in the dark, right? You can guide us."
She nodded.
"Yes, I can see clearly. You can count on me—I'll warn you of any danger. But of course, you'll still have to fight…"
Relatio smiled.
"Let's share our abilities… I can mimic skills I've seen, but only for a limited time."
Lesky tried to light a flame, but it was instantly absorbed.
"Normally, I use fire magic… but that's not going to be very useful here."
Aristeus placed a hand on Lesky's shoulder.
"Don't worry. I'll be useless too. As long as I haven't participated in a trial, I can't get stronger."
"And technically, I'm not going to be much help either…"
Pendo sighed.
"Well, that means only Relatio and I can use useful abilities… No problem. Roxy and Aristeus, I'm counting on you to use your weapons. And Lesky… Can you fight?"
She shook her head.
"No… Sorry for being useless."
Roxy shook her head.
"Every trial has its advantages and disadvantages. You'll be very useful in another challenge, I'm sure of it."
Lesky smiled and nodded. Those were the words she wanted to hear—they lifted her spirits.
"Alright… Then let's win this trial," Relatio said in a motivated tone, looking at the team. The doors of the tower opened, and we began walking toward the entrance… ready for the trial.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lore informations
Rule of equity : This rule means that every participants have the possibility to be healed up temporarly for the challenge. If they win, they keep their states. if they loose, they get back their health problems before the challenge
Hegemonism : A minor religion which is very present in the "Human Hegemony" country. They believe that humans should dominate every species and be the only species in the world. Their believers are only humans and they can be pretty extremes. Their sacred book is named the "Saint Humaniste Book"
Human Hegemony : Capital of the Hegemonist religion, it is situated right next to Holy Carmen, they have gone through a lot of rivalities. Their country is bordered by a natural river separating it from Holy Carmen, The 15th Council and the Protectorat of Kaia. It's a country only composed of humans, any other species are banned from it and killed on sight
Sanian : Humans, they are 50% of the world population, they are the most simple races known but that win over all the other races thanks to their majority
Komedie : The Deadhorse of Comedy, They seek the ultimate comedian, the one who can play any roles and seeks to become the greatest actor.Their heirs can copy a skill they have witnessed for 10 minutes but have a cooldown of 10 minutes before being able to use another one
Death of Babylonians : A person is eliminated when they dies, however, no one can die during a challenge of the deadhorse, if someone die during the challenge, they get revived and are considerated as "failing" if their team totally loose. However, between the challenges, they can die from outside events such as murder, health problems, etc