A figure who had a black cloak around him sat in front of an abandoned shop in the streets of Gord. The shopkeepers constantly beckoned at people to attract customers, and this area was rather very busy.
The cloaked figure raised his head, revealing a set of distinct, cold purple eyes that scanned the surroundings.
'I wonder why the secret door led here?' he thought, looking behind him to the abandoned shed.
There was a small hidden door that he came out from, inside the shop.
The sound of paper ruffling reached his ears and he looked forward to see the same brown paper, this time, presenting information to him.
[You have arrived at the Third scenario. Find Help and kill the godsworn.]
[Hints to pass the trial:
Hint 1:
The first burns to remember.
The second drowns to endure.
The third stands to rule.
The last has not yet chosen.
Kill not the gods who were.
End the god who would be.
Hint 2:
Three are endings that refuse to die.
One is a beginning that must not live.
Power matures.
Meaning curdles.
The cleanest story is the one never told.]
Harley closed his eyes, letting out what seemed to be the biggest breath he had. He couldn't blame the Oracle for frustrating him like this.
A riddle?
'Hahaha, is it because I cried out that I would've preferred a riddle for a trial.' Harley didn't know whether to laugh or to cry.
But the Oracle is really petty.
'I think I have received this hint before, or have I not?' He sighed, standing up from the corner he sat.
One thing about the world of the trial is that he could never tell when a random person would just attack him; he had to be careful, and he had to look harmless.
"Time to go find this 'Help'." He moved, entering the streets.
The roads were immaculate; they resembled modern interlocking which made him surprised. Once in a while a knight on a horse would pass by, seemingly patrolling.
Whenever Harley encountered those kinds of people he would just begin to limp, and would outstretch his hand on the streets.
It didn't take long for him to see a group of knights destroying an elderly man's shop. They all had the symbol of the raven on their capes.
"Please! Please! What have I done?!" The man begged, holding one of the legs of the knight in front of him.
At the end the knight kicked the man away, and Harley could hear the sounds of bone cracking.
"Next time I come for the money, you all better have it!" The knight warned, spitting on the ground before giggling and walking away.
'It's like nobody cares.' Harley thought, looking around.
Every single person here in this side of the street was minding their own business, as if this was a normal occurrence.
'Find help? Is it talking about the resistance?' He wondered, walking down a different, wider road.
There were buildings lined up on different parts of the road and almost all of them were damaged. The kingdom looked like it was about to collapse anytime soon; both its people and itself.
"No!" The scream of a child caught Harley's attention and he turned, seeing a kid blocking a young girl who was being dragged in chains.
The girl was dirty and was taller than the child; she raised her head, revealing a pair of emotionless eyes staring at the boy in front of her.
"Leave my sister alone! We don't have any money!" The little boy shouted at the knight, making the people around turn to look at them.
But sadly, the next moment everyone proceeded with their business.
"Little boy." The knight put a hand on the boy's shoulder, having a creepy smile on his face.
"You know what the king likes more than gold? Fresh, young women that have potential to be expensive slaves." The knight laughed.
"Argh!" The kid tried to punch the knight, and his entire fist turned red and the man didn't even flinch.
He simply shoved the kid away and walked away with the girl.
"Leave her." A voice suddenly sounded from beside the knight and he turned, not seeing anybody.
All of a sudden a person appeared in front of him, and he saw a silver light.
"ARGHHHH!" The knight screamed out in pain, as he clutched his cut-off arm.
Harley looked at the sword again as it cut through the metal. The normal sword he used back on the ship wouldn't even be able to do this.
Before the knight could do anything again, Harley thrust his sword, slicing through the man's neck in an instant.
The people around were now paying their attention to him. He only put the hood of the cloak down and walked towards the little girl. She had a scared expression on her face and Harley broke the chain with the sword before he said one thing to her.
"Run."
Out of fear, the girl ran to her brother and they both fled from the area. Harley instantly vanished as well, leaving a bloodied knight on the ground.
…
The night came faster than expected. Harley sat atop a building, staring at a magnificent castle in the distance.
It was perched atop an elevated land so he could see it clearly. He was currently in the outer kingdom; he couldn't enter the inner kingdom which was much smaller with high-class citizens.
"A place like this, suffering, strife, then all worsened by an unjust king. What exactly is the goal for this scenario?" Harley mumbled to himself, turning to look down at the children playing nearby.
It was the little girl he saved earlier together with her brother; they were currently playing around. Seeing the smile on the girl's face stirred something in Harley that made him smile.
After today he would have only eight days to complete the entire trial and there was still one scenario left.
Harley vanished from the roof. A while later, he entered a building which was an inn and there were people seated everywhere. The door creaked as he pushed it to close and the elderly woman behind the bar raised her head to see him.
"I would like to get a safe room for a night." Harley said, dropping the silver dagger he got from the pirate ship on the counter.
"Ahh, a handsome face I haven't seen around before." She flashed a smile, looking at him from head to toe.
Her eyes then went to the dagger he placed on the counter and she picked it up, looking at him with a raised brow.
"What is this? You want to use this to pay me?" The woman pursed her lips, looking at the carvings on the dagger.
"Hmm, this better be worth something." She put the dagger away, grabbing a single key and giving it to Harley.
"Thank you." Harley bowed slightly.
"Wait!" The woman grabbed his arm, making him look at her with a raised brow.
"You're the one who attacked the knight today right?" The woman said with a low voice, and Harley frowned, looking towards the other people eating and drinking in the bar and no one paid attention to him.
"That was really brave, except from the resistance, no one has been able to stand up to them." The woman smiled, her grip tightening on him.
Harley sneered, a white aura releasing from his body.
The woman froze, shivering as she looked at him and she let go of his hand.
Harley only adjusted the hood of the cloak before he went towards a stairway which led to the upper floors.
'Now that was weird. I should leave first thing tomorrow morning.' He thought, locating his room.
The place was alright for a medieval-style room, having plain white sheets with minimal furniture. The windows showed the view of the chaotic streets but at least he could sleep.
He hadn't slept for more than four days out of fear of something killing him in his sleep.
He instantly collapsed on the bed, putting the silver sword beside him and closing his eyes to get some sleep.
Unknowingly to him, word had reached the kingdom knights that a rogue resistance member was at a certain inn.