Dawn broke softly over Ikanbi, casting long shadows across the bamboo forest. The air was thick with expectation, the tribe gathered silently around the stone chamber at the edge of the village. Ben stood before them, his eyes steady and voice calm but resolute.
"Today, each warrior will prove themselves alone. No groups. One man, one beast. This is not just a test of strength, but of spirit, patience, and skill. You have four days to complete your hunt. None shall die."
A murmur passed through the militia, a mixture of nervous energy and fierce determination. Weapons were checked, bows strung, spears sharpened. Each man moved with the quiet focus of one stepping into the unknown.
One by one, the warriors slipped into the dense jungle, swallowed by the green labyrinth where beauty masked deadly danger. The forest was alive with silent watchers—giant beasts lurking just beyond sight, their eyes gleaming with hunger. Every rustle could signal prey or predator.
For hours, each warrior tracked the signs—the broken branches, disturbed earth, faint scents carried by the wind. The chosen beasts were fierce: massive creatures with claws sharp as blades, hides thick enough to repel arrows, and cunning minds honed by the wild.
When the moment came, the hunters faced their quarry alone. The battles were fierce and desperate; strength met strength, will clashed with will. Some wrestled great beasts in muddy rivers, others danced with death among thorned vines and sharp stones. Yet through sheer determination, skill, and endurance, every warrior emerged victorious.
On the fourth day, the jungle held its breath as one by one, the warriors returned. Each bore the mark of the hunt: the beast they had felled. The tribe gathered around the stone chamber once more, silent but proud. Ben and Twa Milhoms moved among them, inspecting each kill with a knowing gaze.
Ben lifted his voice, steady and clear. "You have shown courage and resilience. The trial is more than a hunt—it is a lesson in respect, discipline, and survival. This is how we grow stronger—not just as fighters, but as a people."
The warriors looked to one another, the weight of their accomplishment settling like a mantle. The jungle beyond waited, ever hungry, but so did the tribe—hungry for strength, for unity, for what was to come.
As the sun set behind the distant peaks, the fire pits glowed softly in the cooling air. The trial had ended, but the true journey was only beginning.
One by one, the warriors returned to the massive stone doors that stood at the threshold between the known and the unknown. Each man dragged his hard-won offering behind him—a brutal testament to the hunt, bloodied and formidable.
They approached the heavy doors in silence, the weight of what lay beyond pressing on their shoulders. The forest seemed to hold its breath.
The first warrior stepped forward, placing his beast carefully before the doors. With steady hands, he reached out and pushed against the cold stone. The doors groaned and then, with a thunderous slam, shut tight behind him.
A shock rippled through the waiting crowd, the sound echoing like a challenge across the clearing.
One by one, each warrior repeated the ritual—approach, present, enter, and the slam of stone sealing their passage.
Though the unknown awaited behind those doors, the tribe stood firm, the unspoken bond of their shared trial growing stronger with each echoing slam.
The heavy stone door slammed shut behind him, echoing through the chamber like a final heartbeat. Darkness wrapped around Ben's, thick and silent, broken only by the faint glow of ancient symbols etched into the rough walls. The air pulsed with an unseen energy — a reminder that this was no ordinary place.
A low voice filled the space, deep and calm, speaking without form. "Prove your worth by facing the trial alone. Strength, cunning, and heart shall be tested."
Before him, a passageway opened like a mouth into the unknown.
Ben's stepped forward, the weight of his offering beast's fang heavy in his hand. The corridor ahead was swallowed by shadows that seemed to breathe and whisper. Each step felt heavier as illusions began to stir — shadows shifting into faces, fears, and failures. Memories flashed, doubts clawed at his mind, but he steadied himself, breathing slow and deep.
The whispers grew louder — voices of those who never passed, warnings of weakness and defeat. Yet Ben's pressed on, eyes fixed on the dim light at the passage's end. The test was clear: the mind must conquer what the eyes could not see.
Emerging into a cavern vast and alive with unseen roars, the air thickened with the scent of earth and predator. His offering beast, summoned by unseen hands, materialized as a spectral form — larger, fiercer, its eyes blazing with primal fury. The fight was not to kill, but to face the essence of the wild itself.
Ben's danced with the apparition, every move a battle of wills and skill. The beast struck with terrifying speed; he dodged, parried, and countered, learning its rhythm. When the moment came, he disarmed the shadow without violence, his heart steady, his spirit unbroken.
Beyond the cavern, a narrow path wound through trials of earth and water — thorny vines snagged his clothes, rushing streams chilled his bones, and slick stones threatened to send him falling. The path was a crucible of endurance, each obstacle demanding more than strength: patience, balance, and resolve.
Finally, he reached a quiet clearing bathed in soft light. A stone altar stood simple and silent. Placing the fang on the altar, Ben's felt the weight of his oath — to protect, to serve, to honor the balance of life and death.
The air shimmered. A warmth spread across his skin as an unseen force marked him — the faint glow of a new ring burning into the left side of his forehead. The trial was complete.
The stone doors opened, releasing him back to the world of the living. Ben's breathed in the air of Ikanbi, changed — stronger, wiser, and ready for what lay ahead.