Hafen soon arrived at where Matteo's cries originated and discovered an activated rope trap. He glanced at the ground and spotted a few blueberries scattered around. He also investigated a broken arrow stained with fresh blood. "They were here. Matteo must be hurt. Did they go back to the camp," he inquired. He turned around to head back.
However, a sudden, freezing breeze swept through the forest.
Hafen shivered, and his hair swayed with the wind. He rubbed his arms for warmth. "The temperature just dropped," he noted with a slight panic. He scurried through the forest.
The cold seeped into Hafen's bones, and a strange lethargy crept in.
Hafen stumbled and nearly fell. His vision blurred, and the trees seemed to twist into menacing shapes. Feeling a hint of exhaustion, he shook his head and tried to clear his mind. "I won't make it back before I freeze to death," he mumbled, and a condensed vapor escaped from his mouth with his breath. He scanned the area for shelter. He spotted a small underground snow cave, partially hidden by a patch of leaves. "Not sure how that got here, but that will have to do," he muttered and stumbled towards it.
Inside, the cave was damp and steep. The floor was covered in moss, and the air was thick with the smell of wet earth.
Hafen slid down into the absolute darkness, and he landed with a soft thud. He took a deep breath and held out the sheath of the katana. He used it as a walking stick to navigate the dark.
The eerie air grew colder and spread the smell of damp earth and decay.
Hafen suddenly tripped on a rock and fell down the steep slope. He tumbled and rolled with a groan.
At the bottom, the cave opened into a large chamber. The walls were lined with a strange, luminescent moss that cast an eerie, blue glow across the chamber.
Hafen's breath fogged and turned to mist. He trembled uncontrollably, and his grip on the katana wavered. His teeth chattered, and his eyes scavenged around. "So cold," he whimpered as frost appeared in his eyelashes. Glancing down, he noticed his predicament. He lay on a frozen lake.
The floor was covered in a thin layer of ice. Aquatic plants had frozen in place, and the ice groaned under his weight.
While his ears rang, Hafen groaned and stood back up. He carefully shuffled across, and the ice cracked with every step.
Alarmed, creatures flew from the ceiling and dispersed in a frenzy. They chirped. In addition, low, guttural growls rumbled around the frozen lake.
"What are these sounds," Hafen inquired and closed his eyes. He focused and sensed his surroundings.
The chirping sounds came from small bat-like monsters. Thick fur covered their bodies. Two wings, made of a thin membrane of skin, stretched between their elongated fingers. They had large ears and a long, snout.
The growling sounds originated from the darkness of the frozen lake.
Hafen couldn't see them, but he could feel their vibrations through the ice. He looked for a way out of the frozen prison. His body almost gave out as he had lost feeling in his fingers and toes. He tried to generate some warmth by rubbing his arms.
Unfortunately, it was of no use. The cold was relentless.
"This trap was disguised as a cave. I need... I need to get out of here," Hafen stammered. His thoughts became jumbled, and he struggled to think clearly. He glanced at the katana in his hand and groaned in frustration. "What am I supposed to do with this," he interrogated and grimaced.
The katana remained inert.
All of a sudden, the low growls loomed closer, and their rhythmic footsteps became louder. They approached him from all directions.
Hafen's eyes darted back and forth. His heart hammered against his ribs.
Just then, a salivating zombie pounced from the darkness. Its jaw was unhinged, and rows of jagged teeth lined it.
Hafen scrambled away and barely evaded it. His feet rapidly slid against the ice, and he collapsed to his knees.
The zombie crashed onto the ice, sending a web of cracks across its surface.
The ice cracked apart under it, and it plunged into the freezing water.
Hafen stared at the hole in the ice, and a chilling realization settled in. "Zombies," he whispered in horror.
More zombies lurched towards him and groaned with terrifying motives.
Hafen focused, and his mind raced with strategies. He recalled his father's training, searching for something, anything, that could help him.
A memory, clear and vivid, surfaced in his mind.
Hafen sat by Henry's desk, surrounded by books. He attempted to solve a complex puzzle, but he couldn't figure it out.
"You're thinking too hard, Hafen," Henry advised and loomed over him.
"I don't understand. The pieces don't fit," Hafen complained with a frustrated sigh.
Henry smiled and pointed to a piece he had overlooked. "Sometimes, the answer is right in front of you. You just need to look at it from a different perspective. This puzzle is designed to teach you about survival. It's not about forcing the pieces to fit. It's about understanding how they work together," he elucidated. He took the puzzle piece and placed it in the right spot.
Hafen's eyes widened in shock. "How did you see that," he sought to know.
"It's the same concept in strategy. You don't complain about the pieces. You guide them. You work with them, not against them," Henry concluded and patted his son's head.
The memory faded.
Hafen looked at the katana in his hand. A flicker of understanding dawned in his eyes. "Work with it, not against it," he whispered. He took a deep breath and readied the katana.
The katana majestically glowed with a blue light, merging with the moss's light.
In an instant, a zombie lunged from behind him.
Hafen reacted swiftly and swung the katana in a wide arc. He focused on the moisture and energy in the air. He thought of the cold, not as an enemy, but as a resource. He let his intentions flow through the katana.
The zombie, sliced in half, collapsed to the frozen ground.
At the same time, a wave of water erupted from the blade and pushed the zombie back. It struck the walls of the cave.
The ice on the walls shimmered and melted. Water trickled down the walls and pooled on the floor.
Hafen opened his eyes in wonder.
The katana dripped water.
Hafen swung it around and tested its capabilities.
Water collected around him and moved with his swings.
"I can control water," Hafen deduced, and a small smile formed on his face.
The sliced zombie twitched on the ground, and its upper torso attempted to crawl towards Hafen. "I'll kill you! Where is my princess," he exclaimed.
The other zombies groaned and approached with the same intensity.
Hafen's smile vanished, and he pointed out, "You can speak human." He backed away and readied the katana again.
"Where is my princess," the zombie repeated and clawed at the ice.
"Princess," Hafen asked, and he tilted his head.
"My princess. I'm... I'm going to kill you," the zombie roared and thrashed on the ground.
With some sense of intelligence, all the other zombies joined the chorus. They all roared with ferocity, "You'll die by our hand!" Driven by an insatiable fury, they charged towards Hafen. Many of them slipped and fell.
One of them reached Hafen and struck a mighty punch to the back.
Hafen staggered but quickly recovered. He swung the katana and conjured another wave of water. "Stay back," he demanded.
The wave slammed against the incoming horde.
The zombies stumbled back. They slid on the ice and crashed into each other.
The crawling zombie suddenly grasped Hafen's ankle.
Hafen tripped and fell to the ground. He kicked the hand away with a grunt. "Let go," he yelled.
The zombie's grip tightened. "Release my princess. We need her," he gurgled.
Hafen winced in pain. He looked at the zombie's face and recognized that not all zombies were mindless monsters. Even so, it's them or him. He reluctantly raised the katana. "I have to survive. I'm sorry," he apologized and cleanly sliced the zombie's head off.
The zombie's grip loosened. His head hit the ice, and he finally went still.
Hafen took a deep breath and slowly stood up. He looked at the bloodstained katana.
The other zombies stopped their advance. They stared at their fallen comrade, and a flicker of shock flashed in their eyes.
One of the zombies stepped forward. He wore tattered robes. "You will pay for this. We will find her," he growled, and his voice was deep and resonant.
Hafen's eyes widened in recognition. "You were at the funeral. Why are you here," he stammered and took a step back.
The zombie's face contorted in rage. He charged forward and proclaimed, "You will die!"
Hafen felt a flicker of dread. He was facing a new kind of enemy. These zombies were not mindless creatures out to eat him. They had a different purpose.
Seeking to beat his adversary up, the zombie roared and threw a punch.
Hafen sidestepped the attack, but his eyes opened impossibly wide.
The zombie shifted and elbowed him with incredible speed.
Hafen stumbled back and gasped for air. He clutched his stomach and winced in pain.
The zombie smirked and skillfully slid on the ice towards him.
Hafen took a deep breath and blocked another punch from the zombie. "These are not like the others. They're intelligent just like Brad," he reminded himself. Just then, he fell forward as another zombie kicked him from behind. He crashed onto the ice and coughed.
"Get ready to die, boy," the robed zombie mocked. He grasped Hafen's ankle and swung him into the ice on his other side.
Hafen slammed against the frozen ground. He clutched his head and complained, "Ouch."
The robed zombie dragged him across the ice by his leg.
Zombies have appeared in the trial. Will Hafen be defeated? Will he fail the Trial of Survival?