Inslee tightened her shoulders. She came here for one thing: power. She had prepared herself to die for it. So why was she hesitating now?
"I will take the trials!" Inslee shouted into the darkness, as much to convince herself as to convince whatever else was listening.
As soon as her words rang out, torches lit themselves down a long corridor, almost blinding Inslee with their sudden appearance. The hallway led forward from where she stood, and nothing but darkness remained elsewhere. Clenching her jaw, Inslee stepped forward. As she continued to walk, she came to the realization that the corridor was much longer than the breadth of the tower as viewed from outside. Was she even still in the tower? There was no way to know.
Pondering these mysteries, Inslee finally reached the end of the hallway, which opened into a small room. Ahead of her lay three heavy oaken doors, each with a metal symbol upon it: a snake, a lion, and a dragon.
Make thy choice.
Inslee wasn't sure if she was actually hearing the words repeated or simply recalling what she had heard before. Either way, it was obvious she needed to decide on a path. Examining the doors, she hoped she interpreted the symbols correctly. A creature that slithers on the ground, one that stands proudly atop it, and one that rules the skies. If she was correct, the door bearing the crest of the dragon would lead to the most difficult trials, ones that would offer the greatest power.
Taking a deep breath, Inslee marched forward and pushed open the solid door, stepping inward as she did so. Once again she was enveloped by darkness. However, this time was different, although Inslee was not sure how yet.