Elmar looked around in the realm of plenty. There was an obstacle course. A space for running with rocks thrown in that needed to be sidestepped. A big pool of water that needed to be swum over with a rope over it hanging by a bean that looked like it was about to fall. And things were swimming in the water. Red things.

But the deer were gone. It had happened just as Hades had promised. Elmar hoped that their souls were in a better place now. Their biggest vice was their thirst for power. Probably.

“Really, Hades? Why the obstacle course?” Called Elmar, but he was not answered. With a sigh, he got up and went to the first part of the course. He tried walking but found that the earth was unbearably hot. He looked down; his feet were bare.

So, he started to run. When the earth was nearly burning under his feet, he got onto the nearest stone and jumped to the next. The coolness of the stones was a balm for his slightly burned feet.

When he was at the last stone, he nearly jumped in the water when he noticed the red things. White fangs flashed from their mouths. If Elmar died here, would he die for real? He preferred not to find out.

Technically, he was no longer needed for the plan. Hades could lure someone else here and have them retrieve all three items. As Elmar had made the life-extending rings in such an enormous number, it would even be easy to snatch one from the younger orphans.

This was a test. The obvious thing to do was to jump and catch the rope. Elmar had even played this game when he was younger. But the beam awoke no trust in him.

It was a rotten thing and bits of wood fell into the water below. Elmar weighted his options carefully. But he was forgetting one thing: He was a mage, not a common adventurer.

Except, he only knew how to enchant and a little of fencing. But what was the difference between the normal spell and the enchanting process? Was there even one. And what did he lose to try and see?

He knew an ice enchantment, and he knew that if he merged it with water it was going to be stronger. He breathed in deeply and stood up as much as the stone allowed him. The ground underneath it was burning now.

Ice of yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

Shine with an edge made of marrow.

For the waters are deep, and the road is steep.

And I wish to take this dip.

He clapped his hands the way he saw Lena do occasionally when she worked a spell, and for a few minutes nothing happened. He sweated on the stone and was just wondering if the fish were going to attack him when he saw it. A block of ice emerging to the surface.

The fish immediately attacked it, but another emerged, and then another. Their fangs worked almost too fast for Elmar to see, but he knew that the spell had a time limit. He needed to make a leap of faith.

He jumped on the nearest block of ice, and it sunk a bit. Fish snapped at him from below, but he didn’t pay them any attention. He was too busy jumping onto the other block of ice.

Halfway through, the rope fell into the water, confirming Elmar’s fears that it would have done so. He kept jumping, but just as he was about to jump on the last block it sunk. No new block raised from the depths to replace it. Elmar didn’t have time to recast the spell. He jumped and barely made it to the edge of the pool.

He felt pain in his right leg, and he saw a fish lodged there. He took a stick and began bashing its head until it was dead. Then he brought it close to himself and examined it.

It was red and had silver eyes. Long, shark like fangs jutted from its mouth. There were golden flecks in its scales. He took it with him and looked around. The table with the chairs was there and Hades was waving him over.

Elmar made his way to the deity, and he placed the dead fish on the table. Right in Hades’ biscuit plate. The frown that the God gave him was more than worth it.

“What did you learn?” Asked Hades, picking up the fish with two fingers and then throwing it to the side.

“That you are the worst teacher ever?” Answered Elmar, sitting down.

“Sarcasm won’t get you anywhere, mage. Now, what did you learn?” Hades was smirking at him. With a wave of the hand, the biscuit plate was gone and a smaller plate with a slice of cake appeared in its place.

“That what works for enchanting can be turned to a normal spell,” said Elmar. He nearly helped himself to a biscuit when he remembered where he was. Hades’ eyes twinkled with unreleased laughter.

“Yes, and now I will give you a free grain of knowledge. Think the incantation, and you will still get the spell to be cast. Not as powerful as if had you spoken it, but it would work. Try it.”

Elmar turned his chair so that he was facing the pound. He hadn’t managed to freeze it while speaking, but what if he merely wanted steam to raise from it? He began to think inside his head.

Fire of the sun, bane of the moon.

Show yourself, wash yourself in these murky waters.

So, that, the beings in there can feel your caresses.

So, that, the beings in there can feel your wrath.

So, that, the beings in there can feel your desire.

Fire!

A loud explosion sounded from the pool and fish flew everywhere. One landed in Hades’ cake. Elmar couldn’t help himself. He burst out laughing.