Chapter 02: Trial of Avarice

Once entering the room on the far left of the trial room, Surlent ended up finding himself within an ancient ruin castle from many eons ago. But what kind of castle? Surlent himself did not recognize this place. Either way, the first test was to begin.

“W....Where am I?” Surlent thought to himself as he clutched his head after feeling a brief bout of pain.

“This is the Trial of Avarice, Child of Rudra.” Gomorrah's voice replied to the mage telepathically.

“Trial of Avarice?” Surlent pondered.

“Remember dear Surlent, only pick the treasures that you can only open with the power of your Jade.” Amrita said to Surlent telepathically. “Avoid the non-marked treasure. Got it my dear?”

“And don't take treasure from monsters.” Gomorrah added.

“Yep, I got it.” Surlent replied back as the telepathic communication ended. Now it was time for Surlent to explore this new area.

Surlent started to explore this castle. So far so good. Surlent still kept his guard up in case enemy monsters challenged him to a fight. It is better to be safe than sorry after all.

Once entering the castle library, the first fight with enemy monsters began. The monsters appeared to be books with illustrations that came to life before the young mage's eyes. The images were that of three creatures that looked like living wheels with monstrous, almost demonic faces attached to them. The faces seem to breathe like normal living beings would, but to Surlent, these wheel fiends come off as anything but normal.

One wheel smashed into the young mage, making him slightly yelp in pain. Surlent casts a faerie light spell to damage the group of wheels back. The spell seemed to be an element the fiends were weak against, much to Surlent's dumb luck.
Another wheel came rolling at Surlent, lightly, but painfully, nipping at his legs. “Ow....Oww...Curse you all!”

Now, Surlent retaliated against the fiendish wheels, casting a holy ball on them. One wheel vaporized out of pain sight, with two more to fight off. “One down, two to go!”

One wheel tried to ram into Surlent to damage him, but the mage grabbed out his “Blue Swallow” chakram blade to throw back at the creature, making it crash into one of the bookshelves. As it did so, it appeared to be hiding a secret room or two behind it. But first, Surlent had to finish these monsters off before exploring that secret area.

Surlent now summons a couple angels, as they make the sign of the cross on the two wheels. One died, and the other severely weakened, much to Surlent's relief.

“Skree....SKREEE!” The weakened wheel cried out as it fled from battle, like the coward that it was.

Now with the fiendish wheels out of the way, Surlent decided to travel the secret corridor hidden behind the fallen book shelf. “I wonder where this leads to...?”

Surlent now found himself in a secret castle chamber, which was filled to the brim with treasure chests and treasure bags. Six of the treasures were marked blue by the rebirth jade, while the other eight were not. “I am so glad Dune and Kidd are not with me now. Who knows how much of this treasure they would hoard to themselves.”

“If you have the urge to open treasure boxes, only open the azure blue treasure boxes. Those are the treasures blessed by the Rebirth Jade. Avoid regular treasure boxes.” Amrita's words rung back to Surlent, as he remembers to take only the treasure marked with the Rebirth Jade.

“Very well...I shall follow that rule.” Surlent thought to himself as he made his way to a blue treasure chest on the right side of the room. In it was a magic scepter, known as the “Angel Guard”. This weapon help enhanced the mystical and intellectual abilities of the one who wields it. “This will come in handy.”

Right before Surlent's eyes, the opened chest vanished. Next to a regular treasure chest, was a blue treasure bag. Surlent opens the bag up. “Oh nice! There is 50,000 Ragu notes in here. This might come in handy sometime.”

Surlent started to open up the other three blue treasures bags. In them, were a life leaf, a magic leaf, and a small bottle of Amrita elixir. “Nice...I'll keep these just in cast.”

There was now one more blue treasure chest that was waiting to be opened up. Inside, was a peculiar looking, white ceramic flask of what was called “Mantra Water”. This flask piqued Surlent's curiosity. “Mantra water? What could that possible be?”

“Read me Jade Bearer.” The chest spoke to Surlent. “Read what is at the bottom of this chest.”

Surlent looks inside and reads the inscription. Thankfully, the writing was in the human language. “This sacred water shall empower those of the sacred, and dis-empower those of the profane. Use little at a time, for a little goes a long way.”

“Interesting.” Surlent said to himself as he kept the Mantra Water near him. Right there, the chest finally disappeared.

Right before his very eyes, Surlent's surroundings were starting to change around him. The room turned a fuchsia color, before disappearing from sight. What came in its place, was now what appeared to be the castle throne room. In the throne room, there was a royal purple throne, with red and gold trim carpet leading up to the throne. The walls were pale gray, with no cracks in sight. There were painted portraits of the alleged rulers and nobility decorating these spotless walls.

But one thing in particular stood out to Surlent. Behind the throne, there appeared to be a huge mirror that was covered up with a strange black substance that can only be removed with a water mantra. Nothing seem to reflect from this blackened mirror. “Hmmm... I wonder why the mirror is all smudged up?”

Surlent started to eye the royal purple throne in the front of the room. His curiosity is starting to get the best of him. “I wonder what I will happen when I sit on this throne?”

Surlent made his way down the halls, leading up to the throne. Surlent started to gently sit himself on the seat, being surprised with how comfortable it felt. “Man, this feels great. I can now....”

“Your highness! Can we enter your chamber?” A deep, gruff male voice asked. Surlent obviously did not recognized who it belongs to.

“We have special gifts to offer to you royal sire.” A couple calmer male voices said out loud.

“Huh? Sire? What is this?” Surlent thought to himself, feeling a little bit suspicious of the whole situation. He now wonders what would happen if he let these men in. “At my command, you may enter!”

The doors to the throne room opened up once more. To greet Surlent, there were three men who happen to be merchants, carrying a huge amount of offerings to what they believe is their king. The man in the middle is a heavy set leader of the merchants, with a tan colored turban, with his white beard standing out against his mostly covered up face. He wore a tan scarf, a mustard yellow robe with white trim, and tan sandals.

The two other merchants looks quite identical to one another, as if they were twin brothers. They wore the same dull green pointed turbans, their faces were covered with matching dull green scarves, ruddy red mantles, and tan-beige robes that fell at their feet. They carried bags, jars, and boxes full of valuables, from precious gems, to the finest of cloth made in far away lands.

Not knowing these men, Surlent felt a little iffy about the situation, especially knowing that they are carrying what appears to be normal goods, not goods blessed by the Rebirth Jade. But for now, Surlent decided to humor these strange men for a bit. “Okay, show me your good oh dear merchants.”

The merchants showed off their valuables to Surlent. The merchant leader started to brandish the precious gems, saying enthusiastically. “Look at these gems! There are diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and even, Alexandrite!”

Surlent found the gems very beautiful, but was still feeling rather uneasy. “Ummm...Well....”

“We also have the finest of weapons!” One of the twin merchant exclaimed.

“And the finest of liquors and elixir.” The other twin merchant shouts in excitement.

Surlent felt much more wary of these men, than amused by his goods. “Hmmmm....”

Two voices started to ring out loudly in the room. Surlent recognize those voices belonging to Lord Gomorrah and Amrita. “The mirror....THE MIRROR!”

Surlent gets off of the throne, and checks out the blacken mirror behind him. “The mirror? What about the mirror?”

“Use a water mantra on the mirror.” Gomorrah commanded.

“It will reveal the truth to you Surlent.” Amrita added as Surlent faced the blackened mirror.

“Very well, I shall do as told.” Surlent said as he gotten himself ready to chant a water mantra, facing the mirror while doing so. With the help of the Angel Guard scepter, he casts a water mantra to wash the blackened filth off the mirror, restoring it back to pristine condition.

With the mirror restored, a beam of divine light shot out of it, making the merchants scream in terror, but was totally harmless to Surlent. The screams started to get less human and more monstrous, as the divine beam worked its cleansing magic. The beam has died down, and Surlent has broken the wicked spell around him.

The castle was now in a dilapidated state. The walls were crumbling and growing vegetation and fungus on them. A musty foul smell emanated for the ruined palace, with the throne now destroyed, as if a demon of wrath tore it to shreds. The royal rug was torn and frayed to pieces,
With the painted portraits being in shoddy condition, with the eyes of the subjects torn out.

In front of Surlent, there were no longer merchants, but three hideous monstrosities, alongside snakes, insect swarms, and toads. The middle creature was an obese demon, looking across between a toad, a snake, and a man. This creature still wore his merchant garb, but his true form has been revealed, much to his dismay.

The other two merchants were just as monstrous as their leader. They were still wearing their merchant garb, only they transform into an uncomfortable hybrid of human and insect. “You rotten.... Now you know who we are!”

“Time to send you back to the abyss from where you came!” The toad demon roared in rage.

Surlent did get alarmed at first, but then regained his senses, getting ready to fight these foul fiends off. “No! It is time you guys met your maker, not mine!”

The fat demon summoned a black mist over Surlent, causing black rain to sprinkle on the mage. It did a little damage, but at least Surlent didn't get sick from it. The two insectoid entities clawed, nipped and stung him, but Surlent counterattacked with his Angel Guard. While striking down the two demons, Surlent noticed that they were weak against this weapon, much to the mage's relief.

“Oh wow! Looks like this weedy little thing can fight back!” The fat demon taunted. But his gloating turned to pain, as Surlent started to bluntly jab the demon in his stomach with his staff, making the creature feel great pain. “OWWWWWWWWW! AAAAAAACK! You... You...”

Surlent wasn't going to just attack the demons with his ultimate staff. He was planning to use holy and fire elemental spells as well, knowing that demons hate those elements. Three birds made of pure fire started to fly at the three fiends, pecking and burning the enemies' eyes out in the process, blinding them for good.

Just as Surlent was ready to cast more spells, the fat blind demon grabbed the mage's ankle, making him fall to the ground. But he still held the Angel Guard in place, as it started to glow with pure light. Out of the staff, mystical crosses started to ambush the blind demons, making them foul smelling blood in the process.

“No! No! You're too strong for us!” The fat demon cried out his death cry.

“No...No! GRAAAAH!” The two insect demons wailed as their joined the leaden in the abyss.

Much the Surlent's relief, the demons were dead for good. But he was left exhausted from the scratches, insect bites and stings. The mage felt so dazed, he thought he was seeing mirages when his environment changed from a spooky, dilapidated castle, to a room within the Gaph fortress. Surlent then started to feel drowsy, as his glasses slid off his face, and his eyes starting to slowly close.

“Surlent....Surlent!” Amrita's voice whispered to Surlent, as she gently patted his face with her right crystal hand. “Surlent! Wake up! You done great my dear!”

With a few gentle pats to his face, Surlent Started to slowly open his eyes. Amrita aid the mage with helping him get his glasses on. Surlent Smiled, as he got on his knees to greet Amrita. The glass crystal woman was filled to the brim with an elixir in a rather gorgeous shade of blue, matching his Rebirth Jade. “I....Succeeded?”

“Yes Surlent. You passed this first test.” Amrita said gently to him. “Take it easy so I can nurse you back to health.”

Amrita started to brush her glass strands of hair away from her breasts, as she begins to undo one of the tiny lids on them. Surlent was caught off guard. “Ummmm... Eh heh....”

“It's okay Surlent. It's not what you think it is.” Amrita said calmly, almost in a loving manner. “This is the Jade Restoring tincture. It will help heal you completely, as well as help you Rebirth Jade reach it's full potential. Now, lay down on my lap and relax.”

Amrita sits in an “Indian style” position having lay down on her lap, his head facing her right breast. Amrita puts her right head behind Surlent's head, with his mouth up to her “nipple”, sucking in the elixir greedily. He wraps his arms around Amrita's crystal waist, letting himself get healed by the bottle woman. To Surlent, it was not loving in an intimate way, but more loving in a familial, maternal way, like being with the mother he never had. Surlent mind was getting more at ease now. His body was being slowly restored back to health, with the Rebirth give a dull, faint glow in the process.

Now, all of a sudden, melancholic memories started to flood Amrita's mind, making her shed medicinal tears in the process. “Surlent....Surlent....(sob)....(sob)”

Memories of Amrita's human life started to flash back to her. She remembers having a baby of her own. It was such a beautiful baby in her eyes. She would do anything in her power to keep her baby safe.

But alas, she sacrificed herself to bring her infant to safety, in the arms of a benevolent Matra Maid. The Mantra Maiden promised to keep Amrita's infant safe and sound. Knowing that her baby will be in safe hands, Amrita peacefully passed away from the blood she trying to escape, as well as protecting her child.

Amrita still wonders to this day what became of her child, and if he even survived long to reach adulthood.

Once Surlent drank up the Jade Tincture and absorbed Amrita's medicinal tears, Surlent back to sitting position, making eye contact with the sitting bottle woman. Surlent noticed that Amrita was crying, as there were blue tear stains on her translucent face. “Hey, have you been crying Lady Amrita? Is there something wrong?”

Amrita shook her head and let out a forced laugh. “Me? Crying? Ummm... Don't worry about me, I'll be okay.”

“If you insist.” Surlent said as they help each get back up on their feet and stand, turning towards the doorway out of this chamber.

“Come on dear Surlent. Lord Gomorrah awaits us.” Amrita calmly said to Surlent, as she holds onto his left hand, and escorts the mage back into the main chamber, where Gomorrah awaited them.

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