“Where are we?” Sophia asked as they walked through the wheat field.
Tyrex looked around but only saw wheat. “I have no idea. I've never seen anything like this next to my village.
“Well how did we get here?”
Tyrex felt the bruised flesh on his neck where the needle went in. “They drugged us.”
“The Council of Elders weren't kidding about these Trials.”
Tyrex nodded. “We need to be on guard for anything else they throw at us.”
“Where are we going?”
“I have no idea. Just going in one straight direction. This could all be apart of their test to see if we get lost or not.”
Sophia hung onto Tyrex's arm as they walked. She didn't want to get separated and have to do this alone.
Before they even had a chance to get lost, they came to a clearing in the field. A large temple made out of mud and sticks reached high into the sky. An open doorway of darkness in the middle beckoned them.
“Ever seen this before?” she asked.
Tyrex shook his head. “I've never seen a structure like this before. It looks like it was built by ancient Jeorns. Our huts are built from mud and clay but we stopped using sticks eons ago.”
“Well what are we waiting for? Let's go in.”
Tyrex put his arm out to stop Sophia. “Maybe I should go in alone.”
“No way in hell. You're not leaving me out here to be tied to post and burned alive.”
“What is hell?”
Sophia sighed. “Just an expression from Earth.”
“You're right. You'll be safer by my side. At least I can protect you.”
Sophia had a smug look on her face as they approached the doorway. Cold air hit them in the face which was a nice change from the blazing fire before.
They descended stairs into the black with the only light coming from the sun behind them. The deeper they went, the darker it got.
They finally reached the bottom floor to find a large room lit by torches. Each wall had a strange script on it that Sophia didn't understand. There didn't seem to be anywhere else to go except the way they came.
Tyrex went to one of the walls that had writing on it and ran his fingers along it. “This is definitely ancient Jeorn.”
“Can you read it?”
“This is a language that hasn't been in use for centuries. Anyone that knew how to read this has been long dead.”
Sophia laughed. “That's great. So what do we do?”
Tyrex examined his surroundings. “This is just another test from the Elders. There's got to be a lever or button to press that will reveal a door.” Tyrex pointed to the wall opposite of him. “Try to find anything.”
Sophia went to the wall and ran her hands across the surface. All she could feel was the deep grooves of the writing that had been etched onto the wall.
“I can't find anything.”
Tyrex began to feel around on the floor. “Don't give up. There's got to be something.”
Sophia continued to feel around the wall and her foot stepped onto a tile that sunk into the ground. She heard a click sound. “Uhh Tyrex, I think I found something.”
Tyrex hurried over and examined her foot. “Be careful. I want to make sure this isn't a trap.”
“Oh great. If I lift my foot am I going to explode?”
Tyrex looked straight ahead from where Sophia stood. A small square hole had opened up in the wall. “Don't move for a moment.”
“You don't have to worry about that.”
Tyrex examined the hole and fit his hand inside. He reached until his fingers grasped a lever. He twisted until a click sounded. The wall next to the hole shuddered and began moving up into the ceiling, leaving a cloud of dust behind.
“I think we did it,” Tyrex said.
Sophia stood still. “Can I move yet?”
“Should be safe now.”
Sophia lifted one foot up and stepped away. Nothing happened. “Glad that's over.”
Tyrex entered the next room. “We're not out of the woods yet.”
The next room was three times the size as the previous one. On the other side stood two pedestals that were ten feet apart. A large pit of spikes divided the two sides. Columns of stone placed every few feet made a pathway to the other side. Torches lined the walls like the room before it.
Sophia whistled. “What a lovely room.”
“I hope you're joking,” Tyrex replied.
“Of course. This room is terrifying.” Sophia got close to edge of the pit and looked down. The pit wasn't too deep but the spikes looked very sharp. A fall wouldn't kill you but the spikes certainly would.
“I'm going to go across first to find a safe path. Then I'll come back to get you.”
“And why do you think I'm going to let you go first?”
“Because you are a female.”
Sophia crossed her arms over her breasts. “And what is that supposed to mean?”
Tyrex suddenly felt very hot. He began to sweat even more than he did when he jumped through the fire. “Well I meant that a male is usually stronger and faster than a female. At least on Jeorn. Is it different on your planet?”
Sophia knew that things were exactly the same way back on Earth. But she was representing her entire race of humans. She wanted females to be known better. “No, back on Earth females are treated as equals.”
At least it was sort of the truth.
“In this case, I believe I am stronger and faster than you.”
Sophia laughed. “You don't hide your feelings.”
Tyrex cocked his head to the side. “What would be the point of hiding them?”
“You're right. There is no point. You can go first. But be careful.”
Tyrex nodded. He looked out at the pedestals and then down at the stone columns. There were many different paths but straight through the middle looked the easiest.
Sophia kissed him on the cheek. “Good luck.”
Tyrex winked. “This will be easy. I won't need luck.”
Tyrex jumped to the first column and waited for something to happen. No darts out of the wall or flames shooting from above. He breathed a sigh of relief and jumped from column to column in a straight line.
He made it to the other side with relative ease. “Not so bad,” he yelled across the pit.
“What are the pedestals?” Sophia yelled back.
Tyrex examined the pedestal on the right. It was made out of stone like the columns he jumped across.
A wheel parallel to the ground was set on top of the pedestal. Tyrex turned it and saw the wall in front of him begin to move up as he turned it further. But it only went halfway up. As soon as Tyrex let go of the wheel the wall came slamming back down.
“Is there anything you can cram under the door to keep it propped up?” Sophia asked.
Tyrex looked around but found nothing. “Doesn't matter. I wouldn't be able to leave the wheel long enough to put something under the door. I'm going to need your help.”
Sophia stepped to the edge of the pit and looked at the same stone columns that Tyrex stepped on. “On my way.”
“No wait. Let me come back and help you across.”
Sophia shook her head. “I don't need your help. This looks easy.”
“It will be even easier with two people. One slip and you'll be gone.”
Sophia couldn't argue with that logic. She stepped back from the pit and waited for Tyrex.
Tyrex jumped to the first column and then the next. As he landed on the third column, the stone beneath him began to crumble. He lost his balance and wheeled his arms. The spikes in the pit were going to have a new friend.
Sophia screamed.
Tyrex began to fall but was able to jump at the last moment before the column collapsed. His hand grasped a new stone column that was off the straight pathway. He dangled by one hand, his feet barely grazing the points of the spikes below.
“Oh my god, Tyrex!” Sophia wasn't about to let him fall to his death. She jumped to a stone column that hadn't been touched before. She quickly assessed a pathway of columns that hadn't been stepped on yet and that would also get her to Tyrex the fastest.
Tyrex's grip on the edge of the column was beginning to slip. He tried to find a foothold but his feet kept slipping on the smooth stone.
Sophia jumped from column to column until she made it to the one that Tyrex was hanging from. She reached down to the one hand gripping the stone. “Give me your other hand, Tyrex.”
Tyrex shook his head. “No, I don't want to pull you with me.”
“Dammit Tyrex. Give me your fucking hand!”
Tyrex had never heard a female use such harsh language before. She truly was from another planet. Tyrex strained as he reached up with his other hand. Sophia grasped it and pulled hard, her every muscle doing its job.
Sophia was able to lift Tyrex up enough for him to pull himself up the rest of the way.
They both collapsed into a heap of heavy breathing on the small stone column. “You were right about Earth women.”
“And what was that?”
Tyrex kissed her. “That they are equal with males.” Tyrex stood up and helped her up.
“We better get off this or we'll both be at the bottom of the pit. We need to each step on columns that haven't been touched before.”
Tyrex agreed. “I'll go right and you go left.”
Sophia nodded. They both jumped to their respective columns. One after another until they both stepped on the other side at the same time.
“Lets not do that again,” Sophia said.
“Don't have to tell me twice.”
They each went to one wheel and began to turn it. The wall started moving upwards until it finally reached the top and stayed there.
The room beyond was complete darkness.
“How many couples survive the Trials?” Sophia asked, standing before the unknown abyss.
“Hard to say. I never knew that the Trials were so dangerous. When I heard of people dying, I believed it to be that they never found their Intended.”
“Well we aren't going to let those Council of Elders win.”
Sophia took his hand and they both entered the darkness.