A World Of Decree: And The Seven Laws

Waking early in the morning was never an easy task. Add the stress of your entire Guild and performance onto that, and you got yourself a real parade of nerves and anxiety. Faibel was usually a tough nut to crack, but today, he felt as if every breath had to be taken with caution.

Mooks reassured Faibel that they would be getting picked up somewhere around noon, however, the anticipation building in the morning was only adding to Faibel's unwanted stress. A final meeting was called upon by Mooks in the Guild Hall, but only Atlas Leo and Cartuja showed up. The rest were either in classes or doing something that was apparently more important.

Faibel took off his glasses, giving them one last polish before the Bureau arrived. "I have high expectations that I won't let you down, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous." He said, staring back with a blank expression. "It's the middle of the day so I won't be able to use any magic," Faibel looked at Mooks one last time to reassure the plan, "You're positive you want to send me?"

Mooks nodded, "Without a doubt."

Leo nudged Faibel on the shoulder, "You better win this! You hear me! Cuz if you don't, we won't get to have fun in the tournament!" He chuckled.

Faibel gave the tiniest smirk possible, "I won't lose... I promise."

…

Mooks stayed a little longer to discuss a few more things they should all consider. Jokes were told, strategies were implemented, and confidence was high. By the time noon rolled around, only Faibel and Mooks remained at the Guild Hall. They packed their things, and headed to the train station where the Bureau had asked them to be ready.

Faibel had a fresh pair of semi-tight clothing for easy comfort and maneuvers, a small bag containing snacks and refreshments, and of course, his glasses. Mooks carried nothing at all except his words and his sight for observation. There wasn't anything else he needed, so he mainly just came as support.

A few minutes passed after noon, and a small train-like cart rolled around on the tracks at the underground Princewood station. It wasn't small, but it seemed to have the availability to only fit about 20 people or so. It was coated in a silver lining, covered in thick glass, and the edges were outlined with Obsidian. Surprisingly, it looked quite fancy.

As the small train rolled around, a man no older than thirty stepped out with a piece of paper tucked into his shirt pocket. He had a dress shirt tucked into his pants, and wore over expensive looking boots to be conducting a train with.

He grabbed the paper, unrolled it, and started scanning it with his index finger like he was looking for something. "Ah, here it is." The man said, finally finding what he was looking for. "Faibel Sanders from Endless Sun." The man locked eyes with Faibel, waving for him to bring himself closer.

Mooks took the lead, reassuring the man that he is escorting the boy for the time being. The man had no problems, so he led them on board. The tiny array of seats on the train was very cramped, but their comfort made the tight space almost unnoticeable.

Faibel adjusted himself next to one of the window seats, unwillingly giving Mooks the aisle seat. There were a few other people towards the back row of seats giving Faibel and Mooks a few looks of confusion, and silently laughing to one another behind their backs, but neither Faibel or Mooks even cared to look back. It's as if they were two crows in a field of mice.

The train made a few more stops, picking up other contestants along it's way, that is, until they finally arrived at the Capital of Harvoria: Warcester. Since the train kept entering tunnels and submerging itself further underground, Faibel wasn't able to see the glorious streets and houses of the capital, which only led to him wanting victory even more.

After the train stopped, everyone got off in an orderly line as if they were back in middle school. Everyone getting off the train was expecting some sort of station to greet them. Perhaps a golden lining of bricks and diamonds to align their paths. Maybe a complimentary buffet for their participation. Or even some introduction from the Bureau themselves.

However, their expectations didn't even come close. After taking their first few steps onto what seemed like an unswept floor and dim lights above it, everyone's hopes were shattered. The exit door of the train led to a hallway that circled around a decently large perimeter. The hallway was narrow, unclean and had exactly eleven doors separated a perfect distance away from each other.

The man conducting the train reassured that all the passengers get off immediately, except for the ones who are not competing. Eleven different individuals got off, including Faibel, and the rest stayed on.

The man got off as well, leading each person to a specific door around the circular hallway, and telling them to wait until further instructions were given. Any belongings had to be either left in the train, or by the doors. Faibel obliged, taking one last sip from a water bottle he carried in his bag, and patiently began to wait in front of the steel door facing him.

A few minutes passed with nothing happening until a green light replaced the dim one in the hall, and the doors swung open automatically. Faibel assumed that was their cue to enter, so he did, as did everyone else.

Just as he stepped onto what seemed like a pile of dirt underneath him, the door shut behind him instantly, and the surroundings became as clear as day.

The ground everyone was standing on was split into 18 different sections. Each section was leveled with another, but each section was drastically different from the rest. For example, Faibel was standing on a section of dirt, while another person was standing on a section of metal. Each section possessed some element of magic, giving people the free space they needed to express their talents. There were even a couple sections of just water and lava, but luckily they were off in the most outer edges of the perimeter where no one stood.

As for the area, the surroundings were all placed into a tower-like enclosure. It was like the cylindrical shape of the Grandmaster's keep, but much, much larger. The walls were made of cracked bricks and missing ladders. A very small spiral staircase circled the tower they were in, but most steps were either broken or missing, giving the perfect illusion of what everyone must do.

Looking up only showed an empty midnight sky with stars that didn't seem to shift or change in any direction, so the light in the area was limited. Only the faint glow of green peeked in through the closed doors, but it wasn't enough to light up the perimeter they were in.

In the middle of the tower stood a small black c.h.e.s.t with a keyhole in the middle. The c.h.e.s.t was attached to a small podium, so moving it wasn't an option. Faibel strictly remembered Mooks telling him to look out for a short blonde girl, a man with an eyepatch, a woman with a blade like Paris's, and basically anyone that seemed a bit off. Luckily, after a quick and thorough examination of his opponents, Faibel didn't see anyone out of the ordinary, lifting some of his spirits from the start.

Finally, a man appeared in the middle out of a flash of grey smoke. Faibel had to double take to make sure what he was seeing was correct, but the man in the middle was indeed Flint Evermore; the same man who was cursed by Osiris. Faibel was glad to see him recover, but seeing him sure sent a chill down his spine.

The old man waved his hands to everyone, clearing his throat before giving his introduction. "Greetings Contestants! You are here because your Guild believes you are the Ace they have to offer. This is the second time in history of the Gilded Throne that we have given this stage as a preliminary round. Usually, this is a stage for the top 10 that make it, but we've decided it's best to see what this year has to offer with such amazing talents that arise from the unknown!" He paused, waited for the slight applause to finish, and continued.

"This stage is specifically designed to test your strategic abilities, and of course, magical as well. Facing you here is a c.h.e.s.t that will not only secure your victory for today, but grant you and your Guild a passage to the tournament." Flint coughed, prompting him to clear his throat again. "A key will open the c.h.e.s.t, but it is up to you how you acquire said key. There are two keys, but the first one to open the c.h.e.s.t will be crowned the winner. You may also use your talents to leave you the last one standing, which will also secure your victory." Flint gave another smile and a wave, vanishing into a thin cloud of smoke.

A few people looked confused, while some already started running towards the c.h.e.s.t, only to find it securely locked and immovable. There was one person who started to climb the wall, reaching the first set of broken stairs about 20 feet high. Others caught on, and started climbing the wall as well.

Sooner than later, the remaining contestants either started climbing the wall, or using their magic to knock off the others trying. Faibel however, didn't move a single muscle. He observed everyone like an eagle in the sky, watching everyone's movements and actions carefully.

There was another person on the opposite side of the tower observing, giving Faibel the knowledge he needed of who his main opponent will be. Surprisingly, it was a kid about the same age as him, wearing nothing but white clothes and a confident smirk. The kid had a sharp jaw, brown hair, and the eyes of a beast in the field. He locked eyes with Faibel, forming a smile he knew would scare him.

The kid started walking over towards Faibel, being careful not to get caught in any of the action happening around him. Faibel did the same, meeting eye to eye with him in the middle.

"So you're a smart one I see." The kid said, "Name's Crypto."

Faibel gave him a wry look, "Faibel."

Crypto chuckled, "So, you gonna join the rest of these morons and climb this pointless tower?"

Faibel nudged his glasses forward, "What gave you the idea they're not wrong, and we're the morons?"

Crypto crossed his hands with intimidation rising through the edges of his mouth, "I like your confidence, Faibel. It's a shame that only one of us will win." Crypto quickly caulked back his fist, and hurled a punch straight into Faibel's nose, knocking his glasses right off and sending him into the dirty ground below him.

Faibel didn't even see it coming, and especially since it was mid-day, his reflexes and fighting instincts dropped to their absolute lowest. Faibel spat out a few drops of blood, and wiped the remains off his broken nose with an unpleasant expression.

Just as Faibel was about to get back up, another punch greeted his jaw, sending him flying back to the ground like a bag of sand.

Crypto cracked his knuckles, staring back at Faibel like he was a mere insect on the ground, "Why would a Guild send someone like you. Worthless, untalented trash with a power level of zero." Crypto didn't even laugh, walking off to join the slaughter going on in the walls behind him.

More blood came out of Faibel's mouth, but he laid flat on the ground, spitting it out just for it to land on his clothes. The ringing feeling in his jaw and nose wasn't subsiding, but the feeling of Crypto's words hit harder than the punches ever could.

As Faibel stared aimlessly at the endless height of the tower above, he couldn't help but feel like a literal pile of unwanted trash on the ground. He stared at the stars, watching people fall and get back up on the tower walls like flies in a cage. Crypto was getting the closest out of all in reaching the top with his magic, and Faibel couldn't do anything but lay there, motionless, and defeated.

Faibel knew that Mooks believed in him, he knew that his friends believed in him, and he knew that even Calvin believed in him. Somewhere, somehow, Mooks was watching him lay on the ground, and that burned through Faibels pride like a fire in a bookstore.

He slowly picked himself off up the ground, grabbing his broken glasses, and readjusting their correct posture on his nose. Both lenses were cracked, but he could still see the stars above as clear as ever. His first step back on his feet was wobbly, but after leaning on his knees and spitting out the leftover blood in his mouth, Faibel was back on his feet.

After getting back up, he looked up once again, unable to get a certain sight out of his head. There was just something off about the stage, and the task they were given. His mind raced with probabilities, and the answers kept spreading into numerous amounts of probabilities.

"IT'S MINE!" A voice came from above like a strike of lightning. Faibel glanced up along with everyone else, seeing Crypto grab something from a tiny platform at the top of the tower. The look on Crypto's face was enough for everyone else to lose any hope left of winning, but for Faibel, looking up one more time was all he needed to see the answer.

Faibel wasn't sure what Crypto had grabbed, but the answer lied in the stars, and not the platform. The stars were aligned in a perfect constellation, representing the symbol for Aquarius; one of the twelve Zodiacs. Star to star, dot to dot, line to line, it all aligned perfectly. Although it didn't mean much, the only thing Faibel could think of was the section of water in the far corner of the tower.

Crypto started on his descent, and seeing Faibel running towards something gave him an uneasy nerve he couldn't get rid off. The Others would also start to interfere with Crypto, giving Faibel just enough time to dive into the water unoticeably.

Faibel took off his glasses, placed them on the ground, and dove inside the 10 foot wide section of water inside the dimly lit tower. At first, the darkness made his vision even more blurry, but his breath was the main limiting factor, prompting him to go back up and inhale another large chunk of air into his lungs.

As Faibel puffed his cheeks full of oxygen, he began his second descent. The pressure of the dive drove his head into aches and pains, but his drive kept him going past his physical limits. Just as his oxygen stores were seeming to run low, and the darkness in the deep made it impossible to see, his hand bumped into the ground.

Faibel began to search as quickly as possible for something other than just a smooth floor. He exhaled the expiratory reserve volume he had remaining, giving him a few extra seconds and sending air bubbles back to the surface.

His c.h.e.s.t began to tighten into a knot, but his hand finally came across something out of the ordinary. He quickly flipped over and used his legs to propel himself back up to the surface as fast as his heart could manage.

"GGHHIUUUUUGH!" As his head exited the water, the air entered his lungs faster than ever before. He pulled himself up from the water, coughing up spurs of water and letting his lung breath normally once again.

Faibel looked down at his hand, and a bright, golden key was clenched in between his fingers. After gripping it tightly, he picked up his glasses, and started running as fast as possible towards the center.

Crypto dropped to the ground, plummeting anyone in his way and running straight towards the middle behind Faibel.

With Faibel's shoes and clothes being soaked, his speed took a drastic hit, and he nearly slipped after running across a smooth surface of the sections. However, he jumped over what seemed like a section of thorns and spikes, barrel rolling to the center like a piece of tumbleweed.

Faibel stretched his hand from the ground towards the keyhole, but it stopped just an inch too short when Crypto suddenly grabbed himself onto Faibel's leg.

"Don't you dare!" Crypto yelled as Faibel continued to reach for the c.h.e.s.t.

Grunts of pain started escaping Faibels's mouth while Crypto kept pulling on him, and the key slowly began to travel further and further away from the c.h.e.s.t.

"What you said before," Faibel started as his mind kept pushing him forward. "My Guild sent me because they believe in me." Faibel loosened Crypto's grip with a kick, "They believe that I can get them into the tournament." Another kick landed on Crypto's face, and all the others began rushing over towards the middle.

"Even if I can't help them in battles… And even if I won't be the reason they win.." Faibel's voice became louder and louder, piercing through everyone's ears like the cries of a warrior. "I will be, THEIR PA.S.SAGE INSIDE!" Faibel kicked Crypto one last time, finally able to escape the devious grip placed on his leg.

Faibel stabbed the key into the c.h.e.s.t, and a single flicker of darkness instantly flashed through the tower like someone flipping the light on and off really quickly. Faibel gently slid to the ground, trying his best to get his rapid breaths under control. The fact that everyone else in the tower had suddenly vanished didn't even faze him. All he did was lay his head back, and stare at the stars once more.

Another flash of smoke appeared, and Flint was back with a rewarding grin. Flint stretched his hand out to Faibel, giving him the slight help he needed to get back on his feet.

"Congratulations," Flint said in a calm, soothing old man voice. "Faibel Sanders of Endless Sun. You've been granted passage into the Gilded Throne!"