Sien gathered the strength to stand up and finish the dungeon. He walked slowly but his eyes were focused on the path ahead. This time he didn’t whisper that he killed Sam, he whispered that his death wouldn’t be in vain.

The double doors were four times the size of Sien, who was as tall as any thirteen-year-old boy. One side of the door was made of light wood with an engraved mighty knight on it. The other side was made of dark wood with a dark mage engraved on it. They were showing the battle between the hero and the evil. Another text shined above the entrance.

“It's time for a new hero to arise. Shall we see if he is up to the task?”

Behind the doors was a long room with a throne at the end of it. There were countless skeletons scattered throughout the room. Some had armor on them while some had robes of a mage. The skeleton on the throne was different. He didn’t have any clothes, only a silver crown on his head. 

The moment he stepped into the room the door closed and all the torches suddenly lit on fire. The skeleton on the throne moved, picked up the sword, and stood up. The skeleton with a crown smashed the first skeleton on the ground with its sword. Accompanied by the sound of crushing bones were silent screams as if the bodies were still alive.

“Why… Do I hear screams?” Sien asked himself confused by the task given by the dungeon. 

Another skeleton was getting smashed into bits as new screams echoed through the room. The smashed skeleton rebuilt itself and was still screaming. Silently but the screams were present. The third skeleton had clothes that Sien seemed to remember. This skeleton had the loudest screams and he knew that voice. It was the voice of Sam.

“Sam? The souls didn’t leave the body… and this one is tormenting them?!” Sien concluded.

The boy raised his saber to fight the skeleton but a bone flew past his face, making a scratch on his ear. The skeleton with a crown threw the bone as a warning to the boy. Sien lowered his saber at the sight.

“But… I don’t stand a chance…” His voice trembled with the body.

The doors that were once closed, opened again, giving Sien a way to escape this mischievous place. Tempted by the way out of this test, Sien crawled toward the exit. But he hesitated once he heard more screams behind him. He gently touched his saber, thinking about the current situation. He gripped it tightly and turned around to face the skeleton.

“You wanted to test if I’m fit to be a hero? I’ll show you just who I AM!” Sien shouted as he ran at the skeleton with a sword. 

With a sloppy swing, he reflected the skeleton’s sword away from the screaming soul of the dead. The skeleton’s arm froze in place and its head turned toward Sien with one swift turn. Sien, scared, took a step back. The skeleton then looked back at the dead under his feet.

“No… I’m not letting you torment them any longer!” Sien shouted as he swung his saber at the skeleton. 

Skeleton understood Sien’s intention of stopping his task. He regarded him as an intruder he had to get rid of. The skeleton began attacking Sien, widely swinging his sword to attack. Sien was able to block each attack in time but after each attack, his hands were blown away. If not for the hand guard his saber might have flown off his hand. 

Sien was slowly forced back, against the wall with no escape. This time he didn’t parry the attack but ducked down and kicked the skeleton’s foot in the hope that it would fall apart. His leg couldn’t move. As if he hit a wall. The skeleton took notice of the boy’s attempt and kicked him away.

Sien got all the air knocked out of him with that one hit. He coughed, trying to grasp every bit of air back. His mind was clouded in confusion. He snapped back once he heard the skeleton getting closer to him. Sien saw the door wide open but his eye went back to the skeleton.

“No… Matter… How… Strong you are… I won’t... I won’t surrender!” Sien gathered the strength to stand up and fight the skeleton. 

The skeleton raised his sword to swing it at the boy from above. Sien ignored that fact and remained focused on his opponent’s neck. He dived in, his saber moving toward the neck. The skeleton’s sword inches from his back. Sien gritted his teeth awaiting the pain on his back from the skeleton’s sword but it didn’t come. He heard the sound of a bone hitting the ground. Once he cut off its head the skeleton stopped moving.

“I… I did it?” Sien whispered as he took a step back and fell to the ground. 

The skeleton with the crown crumbled down into pieces. A sound of relief filled the room as the other skeletons turned into dust.

“They are free... Rest well.” Sien gently whispered.

A way out appeared behind the throne. He took a deep sigh and stood up to leave the room. On his way, he looked at each corner. Remembering where each skeleton lay down. He stopped for a moment to watch the place where his master’s skeleton was.

“I’ll finish my task. For your sake… Sam… Watch me from above.” 

The tunnel behind the throne was a long one but this whole time Sien could see the light at the end of it. The steps he made echoed through the tunnel. Making it feel as if the tunnel was longer than it actually was. The sound of steps was later accompanied by the sound of flowing water.

“Do I hear a river?” Sien whispered.

Once he reached the end of the tunnel he saw a big circular room with blue flowers on the ceiling yards away from him, giving light to the whole room. Almost the whole floor was covered in dark liquid that was streaming inside by the holes in the walls. There was a small altar in the middle of the room and a bridge connecting the tunnel with the altar.

“Took you long enough.” A familiar voice shouted from the altar.

Hearing his voice, Sien ran to the altar. By the end of the bridge stood his master with his skin and bones intact. Well and alive. Sam wanted to show off something he found but before he could even reach for it, Sien hugged him tightly and sobbed under his coat.

“Woah. Are you alright kid?” The man asked, confused by the boy’s action.

“I thought… I thought you died up there! And then there was a skeleton that had the same coat as you! And he screamed with your voice.” Sien loudly explained between the sobs he made.

“Wait. Screamed with my voice?” Asked Sam even more confused.

Sien explained everything that happened once they were separated. Of course, like a kid, he colorized his actions and took out the parts of him crying. Sam was left with an open jaw when he heard the part about his skeleton that screamed with the same voice as his.

“You did well and passed the test. Mine was easier since I only had to pick the right item. So what kind of reward did you get? I got this sword.” Sam showed a silver sword that he hid behind his back to surprise Sien.

“There is a reward! I didn’t get any! Maybe the crown was the reward!” Sien wanted to go back and check the room once again but he stopped once the room began shaking as if the earthquake suddenly occurred.

The altar opened and a small pedestal arose from it. On it, there were two rings in the shape of claws with a chain on them connected to the bracelet. Sien was the first to check the mysterious item. This time Sam didn’t stop him or question the situation.

“Is this my reward?” Sien asked, thinking of trying the jewelry on.

“Might as well take it. I got a sword so you can take weird rings.” The man waved his hand showing that Sien was free to do whatever he wanted with them.

Once Sien put them on, the ground began shaking once more. The streams of black liquid bursted out of the holes. Filling the room with more liquid. Before it could reach their feet the stream stopped and all the dark liquid moved toward Sien’s new jewelry. It looked like the claw rings absorbed all the liquid in the room. Revealing the stairs down and a new way out.

“How is that… possible?” Sam questioned the scene that happened right in front of his eyes.

“Was that magic? Are those rings magical?” Sien inspected the claws up close and swung them. As he did that, in the air appeared black lines but after a moment they disappeared. Sien tried again this time making an “S” in the air. The same thing happened. “I can draw in air. Amazing!” Sien, excited with his new jewelry, drew more things in the air.

“Is that all it does?” Asked Sam, figuring out the purpose of those claws.

“I think so.” Sien tried doing different things with it like flicking the fingers or pushing them forward but nothing happened.

“There must be more to it. But I guess we’ll find out later. Let’s get out of here.” Sam grabbed Sien by the shoulder and led him down the stairs.

Sam fell to his knees as he was expecting the exit from this place but in front of him was one more door keeping them inside. It didn’t have any handle or lever near it. Pushing it did nothing.

“Just let me out of this place! I want some fresh air! I’m… suffocating…” The man panicked.

The doors suddenly opened and Sam bursted out of the dungeon to finally touch the grass. He looked forward and above to check if there were any more walls or ceilings of the dungeon. He was welcomed by the sight of a green forest and bright blue sky.

“Master. I think those claws were the keys out of here.” 

“There was a keyhole? I didn’t see any.”

“No. There was a symbol and once I drew it in the air the gates opened.”

“Sien. I think I know how those claws work. My master once told me. He said that with only muscles alone I can reach certain heights but with magic, I would reach greater ones. As a peasant I don’t possess any magic. He told me about this ancient technique that first mages used. They are called runes. Thanks to them, normal people could use spells. Maybe that thing can make magical runes!” Sam explained, imagining the possibility of using magic as a peasant.

“Do you know any runes?” Asked Sien, hoping to try using the runes.

“Unfortunately… No. I’m not a mage and have never seen one…” 

“What if we find one and ask him?”

“That depends on a mage. My master told me about a few that he met. They didn’t want to share their magic knowledge with normal people.”

“Then we just have to find a good mage! Onward to our next destination!” Sien took out a saber and faced in the direction he was walking.

“Wrong direction…”

“Onward!” Shouted Sien once again as he turned to the left.