Edric came a few steps closer to the princess, narrowing his eyes as he studied the runestone. Sure, it was smooth, clean and had some runes etched into, however it still looked fairly ordinary.

"It looks like a rock with some runes scribbled on it," Edric remarked, skeptically

The princess shook her head. "Yes, because it isn't meant for you. But for me. From where I stand, it's glowing with a faint blue light, radiating mana that seems to draw me in. I noticed it immediately after waking up."

Thinking about it, the princess receiving that runestone, while he didn't, made sense, in context of the trial. In the end this was still a 'trial', not an insurmountable quest. So the trial had probably known that the princess lacked survivability and granted her that runestone as compensation.

He couldn't be sure, however. It might've also been an incredible stroke of luck. Still, it was a bit frustrating that he didn't receive a runestone.

He had to depend on himself and the old sword he had been given. But it didn't feel like it was enough.

"So, what are you waiting for?" Edric asked.

The princess' hand twitched, applying weight on the small runestone. Before she knew it, it seemingly disappeared, shattering into many small fragments, but the mana remained. Slowly, it was drawn into the palm which had crushed the runestone.

It wasn't a sensation she hadn't felt before, being born into the royal family the ability to manipulate mana came natural to her. But the mana she controlled never reached the extent of the incoming influx. At first it wasn't noticeable, though as time went on she gradually realised that something within her body began to change.

She couldn't pin point what exactly, but she felt it. A shift, something that made her stronger. The power that rested within her had awakened.

"So?" Edric asked. "Did it work?"

"It did," she said.

Edric raised a brow. "Out with it. What can you do now?"

She shook her head. "I don't know yet."

Edric frowned. "Great, just great. That's very reassuring."

"I just absorbed it," she replied, her voice calm. "It takes time."

Edric bit back his frustration, keeping himself from yet another passive-aggressive remark. Sarcasm wouldn't be of any help now. He took a deep breath, collecting his thoughts.

Even if the princess didn't know the extent of her powers, at least she had them. He on the other hand, was left with a tunic that offered some protection and a sword-not very sharp, but still a sword.

For now, there was no immediate danger in sight. Overall, their situation could've been much worse. There were still many questions, however. What exactly were they meant to do in here?

"So, what do we do now? Any ideas?"

"For the moment, not really."

Though Edric found it hard to believe. The princess, judging by the fact that she'd immediately recognized the runestone, definitely knew more about this trial than she led on.

He glanced at the princess, who had turned to the barren landscape. There was something about her that made him feel uneasy. He shook his head.

It doesn't matter.

He shifted his gaze to the horizon, where in the distance the fire was still raging. The wind carried ash across the cracked earth-and then somewhere between them and the blazing inferno-his eyes caught something. A jagged silhouette against the gray sky.

"Princess," Edric muttered, narrowing his eyes. "You see that?"

"A city…" she replied.

Edric nodded. "Then let's move."

Without exchanging another word the two set off. Climbing down the fractured hill they made their way into the wasteland. Their descent was slow and treacherous. Loose gravel slipped under their feet, the sharp edges of the fractured stone made every step a gamble.

Sword in hand Edric lead the way. However a reason to swing it never appeared before their sight. The wasteland was eerily quiet - save for the wind and the sound of their own footsteps, which seemed unnervingly loud against the oppressive silence.

The landscape before them stretched endlessly, a sea of burnt remnants. The ground was cracked and scarred. Blackened trees, that had once been swallowed by fire, reached towards the sky with bare, gnarled branches. Some still carried a faint ember.

They walked for hours - endless hours, the sky didn't change nor did the horizon; and the city did not seem to draw any closer.

Then, finally, something came into views. A cluster of dark spikes, tattered tents sagging under their own weight and the remains of makeshift barricades. A camp. Long abandoned, but a camp nontheless.

Exhausted, they claimed it as their own and made halt for the day. In the center there was the outline of a fire pit, blackend stones forming a circle. A brittle stack of wood leaned beside it.

If only I had a flint or even a stick…

"Let me try," the princess' voice sounded from behind.

Edric didn't object. He watched as she crouched beside the pit, arranging the old dried out wood with care. Then she raised her hand, fingers steady, eyes closed.

A moment passed, then the wood caught flame. He was surprised, unsure whether it was something she was capeable before coming to this place. Or perhaps that was the power of the runestone.

Dropping down besides the fire he rested his back against an old log. Letting out a sigh his gaze swept over the camp.

It was a small, run down and insignificant place. However, if observed by the right eye, it could tell much of this world's history.

A broken shield, half-buried in ash, with an unrecognizeable coat of arms. A rusty cooking pot hung in one of the torn tents. Lines -perhaps tallies- scratched into the wood of a collapsed crate.

Someone had once fought to survive here.

Under the banner of someone else's war.

Maybe someone is still fighting, Edric thought, the picture of the distant fire vivid in his mind. Maybe that was the answer to what they were supposed to do in trial.

The fire crackled softly, casting long, shifting shadows across the ruin. Edric leaned forward, warming his hands.

"Are we staying here for the night, or continue moving?" Edric asked.

"We stay," the princess answered. "I doubt we'll find a safer shelter anytime soon."

Edric nodded in agreement.

After a while the princess spoke again: "I think there was a war going on in these lands, or maybe still is."

"Yeah, I came to that conclusion as well," Edric said, his tone grim. "Maybe we're meant to finish it."

The princess didn't answer right away, taking her time to ponder his words.

"We might also have been thrown into the aftermath of it."

He mulled over her words. It certainly was a possibility, but it would make things more complicated. What were they even supposed to do then.

Whatever the case, they wouldn't find the answers today…

Edric's attention suddenly snapped away from his thougths as he heard a faint sound. Immediately he stood up, motioning for the princess to stay quiet.

Slowly unsheathing his sword, as to not make any sound, he approached the camp's makeshift barricade of wood, leaning against it. Positioning himself close to the camp's one opening.

Whatever was that was approaching them, knew that they were there. The fire gave it away. But he could still take it by surprise.

The footsteps came closer, uneven and weak. Though he wasn't swayn by that, there were many beasts intelligent enough to feign weakness and put you off guard. He wasn't about to make that mistake.

The sound grew louder, each step followed by a ragged breath. It sounded human. Edric's muscles tensed and the grip around his sword tightened.

The princess also stood by now, hidden behind a tent, her palm pointing forward, ready to cast whatever magic she could. When the stranger was close enough he moved. In a swift, fluid motion Edric swung around the corner, his blade swinging with the momentum of his turn.

Before his sword struck true, Edric stopped.

The figure had dropped to its knees. It, or rather he, was covered in blood, his leg deeply wounded.

Edric lowered his blade slightly, pointing it at the strangers head.

The stranger raised his gaze, his eyes stained with desperation and fear.

"Please," he stammered out weakly. "I'm not here to fight. Help… me."

And then he collapsed.

The princess cautiously approached, palm still pointed towards the stranger, high on alert.

Edric knelt beside the stranger, inspecting him. The man was still breathing, uneven and ragged, but alive. But not for long, his wound continued to bleed.

The stranger wore a battered backpack, strapped loosley across his shoulders. Hesitantly Edric reached for it, searching for anything that could be of use.

Inside, he found a half-empty waterskin filled with alcohol, and a bundle of some old cloth.

"Help me carry him to the fire," Edric said.

"You want to help him?" the princess asked. "How do we know he's not some sort of skinwalker?"

Edric had considered that possibility too. Truthfully he wasn't sure the man lying before them was really human. However if he was, the thought of leaving him to die didn't sit right with Edric.

It probably the wisest decision, but it felt like the right one.

"That's a risk we have to take," Edric explained. "There's a chance he knows more about this place than we do."