Pan

the Lightweaver hasten shown herself in many years. . . but this time she wanted to find the perfect being. Whomever pleases her desire will be showered in riches. and that's all the scroll said.

She paused sweat trickling down her neck... wait there was something more, a list of dragons, no a list of dragons names. She scanned the list "P- p - pa- panther?" she muttered. She looked to the bottom of the page, "wait and something else?' she said unsteadily. It read 'There is one last place for the dragon who can make it here before dawn.

She paused and thought of her family who at the time was in poverty and needed this money desperately.
she thought aloud saying "Well we are considerably close and I will most definitely make it there before dawn."

She arrived at the shining gates of the Lightwevers domain. Aside from her five others were also at the gate. Astonished she walked unsteadily toward the dragons asking "Are you also here for the final spot?"

There were many murmurs then a dragon stepped out and said "Well I'm pretty sure that's my last spot!" he snarled. Shocked at the dragons reaction she hung her head down and walked away.

Suddenly the golden gates meandered open slowly . . . A dragon dressed in golden clothing stepped out and announced that there has been a misconception among the Lightweaver and she has decided to let everyone in.

Spry with excitement she entered the place, or what she thought was the place. It was like walking into the nothing, you couldn't hear anything see anything heck you couldn't even smell anything. Then The announcer set fourth challenge, they explained it thorough " This maze is your first trial, I welcome the day with a show of light,
I steathily came here in the night.
I bathe the earthy stuff at dawn,
But by the noon, alas! I'm gone."

She thought attentively of what the announcer's riddle meant, then suddenly she realized the jeopardy of the riddles words. "If I don't make it out of here by noon," she paused "I'm a goner." . . .

Then the announcer said " It starts in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, I wish you luck." Then the announcer disappeared as mysteriously as it appeared. All of the dragons lunge forward into the maze leaving me standing there alone . . .

But that didn't bother me. I thought more carefully of what the announcer said about the show of light, it seemed to stick out of the riddle a little too much " Show of light?" She muttered; Then it st-rook her maybe the Lightweaver want's to see a show of light. But how? She hesitated because she knew that the Lightweaver wanted to see them use their light magic but unfortunately she was gifted with wind magic.

So perhaps she could send wind though the maze to know the easiest way out, then the announcer appears and says " There is one hour remaining. "

She calmed her mind to find where soft but subtle wind was brushing though . . .

The announcer says "Ten minutes remaining!"

Then she senses a disturbance in the breeze, the breeze seems to whisper to her to turn right, then left, she felt like a helpless rat scurrying for her survival. She finally saw the light of day at the end of the maze.

Then she heard a mummer saying "Cheat- attack." A dragon wearing a ghostly white mask with soulless black eyes charged at her a trail of black staggering smoke followed it. She couldn't run and listen to the wind at the same time, she had to risk it...

The announcer said "30 seconds remaining."

She leaped out running as fast as she could . . . 29
She felt as if she was going to collapse . . . 28
The dragon inched crosser . . . 27
She didn't know if she was going to make it . . . 26
The dragon in the mask struck her leg . . . 25
Her blood trickled onto the floor . . . 24
She felt dizzy from the blood loss . . . 23
The light felt farther away . . . 22
She blacked out and she couldn't see anything. . . 10 , 9 . . .
Her talons touched marble . . . 8
She made it out!
She gasped for air, she couldn't believe that she made it through the first trial.

A servant of the palace came out dressed in gold lace draped on her wings and body, "To those of you who have made it this far, the Lightweaver has decided to give you all a temporary room in her palace until tomorrow morning. We will get you all situated once you come in."

she lymped in pain, towards the palace. Upon Pan's arrival she was showered with medical assistance, by the time she was done Pan's leg was bandaged up completely, she asked in a hushed tone, "How long will it take to heal?"
The servant dressed in lace, perks her ears at you, "Oh- I didn't think you were talking to me-. About 3 hours for a full recovery."
"Thanks; Do y-you know where my room is?" Pan sighed
"Of course, on the 3rd floor, I'm pretty sure the filth door on the left is open." she smiled, extending her paw up.

Pan continues up the stairs dragging her numb leg behind her, she assumes the second trial is tomorrow since she would only have the room for one night. But she wondered what happened to the other dragons that didn't make it through the maze, she shook her head in distress, "They're gone." she stifled.

She entered a large marble room with pillars in the corners and gold lace draped over the windows, a huge white and gold bed in the middle, "wow."she gasped, astonished at the beauty.

That night she tossed around back, and fourth thinking about the mighty kind Lightweaver, was that a lie she thought dithering about the second trial. She sat up talking to herself, "You almost died today, tomorrow you're going to give it your all, don't let other dragons get to you, be the Pan I know can pull through anything." as soon as she drifted asleep, she was out cold.

Pan immediately woke up as soon as the mornings light touched the marble. She stood up and began to unwrap the gold wraps placed on her legs, there was nothing left of the scar, it was gone, astonished she began to pase around to wear off the numbness it left behind. As soon as the numbness faded. She began to comprehend a plan for the second trial, but she didn't know what the second trial was. So Pan sauntered out of her room listening diligently to the other conversations to try and pick up information about the second trial. As she had instantiated everyone knew as much as she did. Every dragon was on edge, only a handful of them looked sleep deprived, I might use that to my advantage, she thought.

She approached a dragon who looked as if they were swimming in their thoughts, "Hi-do you know anything about the second trial, I'm sure we could exchange information." she said wittily.
The dragon's pale yellow eyes shifted towards Pan, he groaned, "Well i couldn't sleep all night there was bickering all around me, I did hear something about a mirror, but what do you know?"
Pan looks at the dragon adroitly and says carefully, "I know as much as you do-,"
The dragon exhales, and says "I'm going to go get some rest,"

Then the announcer steps forward and says, "The second trial, will be outside, all are expected."

Pan scurried outside the, there were hundreds of gold rimmed mirrors embedded with white stones and a smooth white face of what looked like a bird two legged beings face.

The announcer pranced out and said " You will be trapped in a room. The room has only two possible exits: two doors. Through the first door there is a room constructed from magnifying glass. The blazing hot sun instantly fries anything or anyone that enters. Through the second door there is a fire-breathing dragon. How does one escape? Step up to your mirrors, you have until tomorrow morning. I wish you all luck."

As you approach your mirror a thick black haze starts to drip out and consume you whole. The next thing you know your in the mirrors dimension, it's a small gloomy room that has two doors, she remembers one door has, The blazing hot sun instantly fries anything or anyone that enters, and the second door has a fire breathing dragon. She thought for a moment "They want you to pick the fire breathing dragon, but the first room has a magnifying glass powered by the sun-" she mumbled unsure, but something unsettled her why did they have until tomorrow morning to get out? she gasped "I have to wait until night, because the magnifying glass is powered by the sun."

a couple hours later . . .

She has been counting the hours just to be safe, finally she steps towards the first door . . .
She extends her talon towards it . . .
She turns the knob slowly, "This is it," she says hesitantly,
The door creaks open slowly, Pan enters waveringly . . .

She was correct the room just had a huge magnifying glass in front of the exit door. As soon as she had made it out, she could see that there were only 5 dragons out, she decided to confront the closest dragon near her,
"Hello-," Pan said unsteady.
The dragon's dark eyes hovered to look at her "Hey...," the dragon said in a scratchy voice,
"How did you escape?" Pan asked,
"Ha- don't tell anyone but I exited through neither of the doors, I broke out." He scoffed,
"How?" Pan said clearly bewildered.
"Well I used my light magic to break the ceiling, shh." He'd chuckle, "How did you get out?"
Pan felt wordless, "Well I went through the first door-"
He'd howl with laughter, "No wonder you took so long."

Then suddenly a guard of the palace came out of the dark eyed dragons mirror. The guard's shining gold armor gleamed in the sun, The guard lunged at Pan, or so she thought. Within a blink of an eye the other dark eyed dragon was pinned on the ground, the guard exclaimed, "You cheated at the trial so, here forth according to the Lightweavers law you will be executed." The guard pulled out a sword with a golden handle similar to his armor. He pinned the dragon down, lifted his sword above his head and swung it downward, 'shinggg' The dragons head lay there life-less. You hold back a sob, 'why you think, why must so many die?'

By now there are 50 dragons who successfully made it without cheating. The announcer steps out and proclaims, "You have made it; The Lightweaver has prepared a feast for her children who have made it thus far, as always all are expected." Then they continue back to the palace leading us to the feasting room.

Once Pan approached the palace, she was greeted and asked if she had any injuries, she said no and continued into the palace. She looked around the room astounded at the beauty, there was a crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling, there was also a huge gold and marble table in the middle of the room aligned with the tables were chairs fit for a queen.
As soon as everyone had entered, the announcer said, "Find the seat embroidered with your name."
Pan looked around nervously. "Panther?! Really!"she mumbled, "Oh wait, there's my chair." she'd murmurer.
She noticed the same guard that had killed the dark eyed dragon, they were coming close to Panther's chair, they dragged it away from the table, and lined back up against the wall.
The color drained from your face, "Th-that was Panther?" she said in a hushed tone, She shook her head, "Now is not the time to get distracted."

As soon as all of the dragons were seated the announcer stands up and gives a toast, "Good luck to you all. Eat up and rest well."
Later the food was passed out to her, Pan's mouth watered she hadn't in what felt like a century. Once all of the dragons were satisfied, they started to leave and head back to their original rooms. Pan followed their lead and headed back to her room. The sun began to set over the horizon, and all was calm and quiet.

As usual she woke at the crack of dawn, Pan told herself, "Put on your game face this is the last trial." She said choppily.

She darted down the hall, turned the corner speedily and entered the meeting room. The announcer's eyes shifted towards Pan, "Why are you so early?" she said in an insignificant tone,
Pan's tail twisted with irritation, "I'm always the first one here."
"Oh." The announcer replied dryly.
As soon as the other dragons filled the room, the announcer stood up tiredly and said,"Welcome all to the final trial, No riddle is required for this trial," the announcer cleared her thought "You will pass over a gorge using your light magic, Oh and one more thing your wings will be bond with magic." The announcer pulls out a scroll, unwinds it to show a huge sealing charm.
Your wings twitch in anticipation, every dragon lined up and got a ceiling charm attached to their wings. Once it was Pan's turn she stepped up hesitantly the announcer touched her wings and mumbled something then yelled, "Next!"
Once Pan stepped away she couldn't feel her wings, they drooped and dragged behind her.
Shortly afterward every dragon's wings were sealed we all walked to the gorge, Pan looked down at the gorge, there wasn't a bottom that she could see... she thought. Then a huge shadow soared across the sky
she looked up, and up and up, then she saw what had created the shadow,
"It-it's the LightWeaver." Pan's sweat trickled down her neck. The Lightweaver is colored in various shades of yellow. Her fingers and toes are long and spindly; her rabbit-like ears are lengthy as well. She sat on her throne floating over the gorge, her pale yellow eyes beaming with excitement.

The announcer steps out for the final time and says "All dragons begin!"
All of the dragons around me created a lightbridge almost instantly but that didn't bother Pan what did bother her is the fact that she would have to find a way a crossed with her wind magic, she took a deep breath and concentrated, then a wind bridge appeared, Pan took her first step, she staggered a crossed the bridge, she looked a crossed at the other contestants then suddenly ten of the other dragons bridges failed and they were consumed by the darkness.
Pan quickly looked back at her bridge, "concentrate," she reminded herself,
She whipped head forward to her bridge. . . half way, she reassured herself. She could feel the Lightweavers stare, it felt like she was being burned. She knew if she focused on her stare she would fail. every step felt like she was going to f- her foot slipped out from her, she closed her eyes in a panic.
But realized that she had maintained the bridge. She inched towards the end, 'you're so close' Pan thought, just a couple more steps...

Once her talon reached the ground, the bridge broke and she hung to the edge of the gorge. But she pulled herself up in time, and laid on the ground lifeless, she grasped the grass trying to catch her breath.
She managed to stand she stood quivering from the pain.
A guard rushed over and took her talon and raised it high and declared, "The winner, is-"
The Lightweaver sped her wings, infuriated she roared "Your flight is wind, seas her and bring her to me!"

Pan's eyes flickered with anger and fear, Pan knew she couldn't fly which gave her a huge disadvantage, her only choice was to run, she bolted a crossed the ground, "I need to get away." she said panting. She herd the Lightweavers roars in the distance. Her vision began to blur, 'Not now, no, keep going' . . .

Pan had blacked out for a moment, ' I- I gotta gooo' she thought, she was moving faster than she could comprehend, she had three guards on her tail, but that wasn't all. . . a giant shadow soared above her, she looked up in horror, cold sweat ran down her neck. The Lightweaver reached down and grabbed Pan!
Pan bit her talon, which enraged the Lightweaver, "How dare you live off of these grounds." she roared
Pan felt as though every moment she was being burned, the Lightweaver laughed saying, psychotically "That's the mark of the sun, it will kill you soon."
Pan's eyes flickered with anger, "But i thought you said whomever survives long enough will be showered with riches!"
The Lightweavers eyes grew sad "I see the truth. Though it wounds my heart. No being is perfect so I will never be satisfyed!" she roared

Pan used her wind magic to blow wind in the Lightweaver's eyes, the Lightweaver screached saying "Not my perfect eyes."

Pan managed to escape that day . . .

But when she came home her parents were dead, Pan's eyes filled with tears, her eyes darted around the room then, written on blood on the wall were the words . . .