The Trials

by Zee

Ch 9: Pseudo Names

"Alright, now..." Mosina muttered, biting down on a leather strap on Echo's side. She gave it a quick tug, tightening it against Echo's new garments. "There we go! I salvaged the important parts of your plate armour and fit it over your new stuff."

Echo twisted, trying to get a good look at what she was wearing. A black leather suit, similar to Mosina's, covered most of her form. Fastened over it were the metal plates from her old armour.

"At least my neck is protected, now," she said, smiling.

"Hopefully you'll stop getting injured, then," Night Watch laughed.

Echo stretched and walked in small circles, testing out the fit. “I didn't take you for the handy-mare type, Mosina.”

“Well, when you travel as much as I have, you pick up some skills here and there,” she responded, proudly.

Echo stopped in front of her.

"It's a little tight on the haunches," she said, blushing while instinctively avoiding Night Watch's smirk.

"Not much we can do about that," Mosina stated, frowning. "As long as it's not too bothersome."

"No, it's fine."

Echo stopped, taking a deep breath before shuddering a bit.

"Think you can walk, now?" Mosina asked.

"Give me a few more minutes," Echo breathed, sitting down. "Sorry, guys."

"It's no problem," Mosina reassured.

"I could use a little longer of a breather, myself," Night Watch agreed.

The two of them sat and joined Echo, her light crystal and Night Watch's continuing to bathe the room in light. On the opposite side of the room from where they came from was another tunnel entrance, leading into the darkness.

"What else do you think we'll encounter?" Echo asked, innocently.

Mosina's nose scrunched up before she answered, "Well, I'm willing to bet that those spiders were just the first. There's probably more to come as we go deeper."

Echo shuddered.

"Don't worry, you have your shiny new weapon, now," Night Watch pointed out, giving a toothy smile.

Echo slowly pulled out the silver sword from the scabbard on her shoulder, its silver blade gleaming against the white light from the light crystals. She placed it on the ground in between the trio, each of them fixing their gaze onto it.

"So, weapons apparently have special powers down here," she stated.

"Yeah. I'm going to guess that the metal on these blades have special penetrating powers," Night said, smirking.

Mosina rolled her eyes. "Or, they could be specifically enchanted to be effective against the rock spiders. Or rock creatures, in general."

"Meh."

"Spirit guardians, enchanted weapons... I wonder what other sort of perks we'll come by," Echo thought out loud.

"Don't get my hopes up for super powers," Night Watch joked.

"Actually," Mosina said, edging herself closer to the other two. "I haven't gotten hungry or thirsty since we've gotten here, to the Trials." A moment of silence washed over them as Echo and Night Watch came to the same realization.

"...I remember overhearing some veterans talking about their time in the Trials, and how they could block or parry impossibly tough blows," Night Watch added.

Echo stared at her. "So, we do get super powers?"

Night Watch giggled. "I hope we get complimentary tight—"

"We'll just have to see," Mosina cut in.

"Well, I call the pseudo-name, 'Bat Mare'," Night Watch announced. Echo and Mosina visibly gagged. "Echo, yours can be 'Sex—'"

"I think I'm ready to walk, now," Echo interrupted, loudly. She picked up her sword and sheathed it, prompting Mosina to stand up after her.

"You guys are no fun," Night Watch whined before standing up herself. "Seriously. We're three hot mares, alone in—"

"I wish there were a mute functionality in the Trials," Mosina said, falling behind Echo who took the lead.

"Me, too," she agreed, sighing.