Tension hung in the air like a dense fog as Maelstrom watched the group with his piercing eyes. The portal of dark energy pulsed beside him, emanating a sense of desolation that sent a shiver down the spine of even the most experienced warriors.
"A simple test of sight," said Maelstrom, his words echoing in the silent arena. "You will be taken to a desert I have created specifically for this test. There, I will play the classic ga of coin toss and fortune telling."
"Classic coin toss?" Alina asked. She had lived in a library for hundreds of years, so it was only natural that she didn't know it.
Og'tharoz, with his serious tone, answered her. "It's a ga that basically consists of guessing which hand the coin is in."
"Sounds easy, doesn't it? But know that the real difficulty lies in speed and accuracy." Surtr said.
Bloody Lily clenched her fists, feeling the exhaustion still weighing on her muscles, but determined not to let it get to her. Beside her, Kaizen stood firm, his eyes fixed on the pale-skinned demon, as if trying to decipher so secret hidden in his elegant posture.
"Co on," said Kaizen. "If this is the next test, then so be it. We're ready."
Surtr gave a wry smile, clearly amused by the group's confidence. "Very well, then. Let the next test begin."
With an almost imperceptible gesture, Maelstrom moved his hand, and the black portal began to grow, swallowing up the arena around it. In the blink of an eye, everyone was enveloped by the dark energy, feeling a violent tug that transported them to another reality. When the darkness dissipated, the group found themselves in the middle of a vast desert, exactly as Maelstrom had described.
The sand dunes stretched endlessly under a sky tinged with blood red, and the sandstorm in the distance created a constant murmur, like a distant whisper.
"Welco to my domain," said Maelstrom, his voice now carrying unquestionable authority. "In this desert, the only constant is uncertainty. Let's see if you can see beyond appearances."
He raised a hand, revealing a gold coin shining brightly on his white glove.
"You'll only have one chance, while I'll have three rounds. If you guess the position of the coin in the three rounds in sequence, you win; if you get it wrong, I'll be the one to win.
"Ready?" asked Maelstrom, his voice echoing like distant thunder.
"Yes."
Maelstrom tossed the coin upwards, a golden arc glowing montarily against the ruddy sky.
The instant the coin reached the highest point of its trajectory, Maelstrom leapt with inhuman speed, his black robes blending into the desert environnt.
Suddenly, the wind began to blow with surprising force, whipping up a sandstorm that obscured everyone's vision. Fine grains of sand scratched the skin and entered the eyes, making it almost impossible to see anything clearly.
Kaizen raised his arm, trying to shield his eyes from the storm, but he could barely make out the hazy shapes of his companions.
"Damn it, he's using the storm to blind us," shouted Andrew, squinting to see better.
Alina tried to cast a protection spell, but the sand interfered with the concentration she needed. "I can't see anything!" she exclaid in frustration.
"We need to focus sohow. We only have one chance!" shouted Bloody Lily.
Og'tharoz, however, seed strangely calm in the midst of the chaos. He closed his eyes, letting his other senses take over. mories of ancient tis surfaced in his mind, when he played this very ga with Maelstrom in a ti so distant that it had been lost in ti. The feel of the wind, the way the sand moved, everything was familiar.
"I rember," said Og'tharoz, his voice low but firm. "I've played this ga before."
Kaizen, on hearing this, turned towards Og'tharoz, although his vision was still blurred by the sand. "What do you an?"
Og'tharoz took a deep breath, trying to concentrate. "Maelstrom always uses tricks. He wants us to believe that it's impossible to see through the storm, but there is a pattern. Listen to the sound of the wind, feel the direction of the air currents. We can use that to our advantage."
Alina and Xisrith exchanged a quick glance, both trying to find so logic in Og'tharoz's words. The sandstorm seed impenetrable, but there was a certain cadence to the way the wind blew.
Maelstrom landed gently on the ground, the coin now hidden in one of his hands. The storm abated slightly, just enough to allow the group to see Maelstrom's figure standing out in front of them.
"First round," he said, a sardonic smile on his lips. "What's the hand?"
Kaizen looked at Og'tharoz, trusting in the demon's wisdom. "What do you think?"
Og'tharoz closed his eyes again, concentrating on the sounds and vibrations around him. He rembered how Maelstrom used to tilt his head slightly to the right when trying to trick his opponents.
"It's an old trick," he thought aloud.
"Right," said Og'tharoz at last, with a conviction that made Kaizen nod without hesitation.
Maelstrom opened his right hand, revealing the shiny coin.
"Impressive," he said, his smile disappearing for a mont. "I see your senses are still as sharp as ever Og'tharoz."
"I don't think we should touch the past, Maelstrom. Otherwise, I'll stop holding back and I'll kill you." Og'tharoz said, glaring hatefully at Maelstrom.
Surtr's butler bowed his head and agreed. He closed both hands again, letting the coin disappear between his nimble fingers. The sandstorm around them subsided even further, revealing a circle of clarity where everyone could clearly see their companions. The tension in the air was palpable, like electricity before a storm, each mber of the group feeling the weight of the next move.
"Round two," said Maelstrom, his tone defiant but with a hint of respect. "Let's see if you can do it again with a new challenge."
At that mont, Maelstrom's figure seed to blur for a mont and then suddenly, like a cell, he duplicated himself.
"A clone?" Jayaa asked.
"Clones... That's his specialty." Og'tharoz replied.
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