Abbigail crossed her legs and sat on the ground. Placing her hands on her knees, she straightened her back and closed her eyes. Breathing steadily, she entered a state of mediation, or did Mr. Finch call it meditation? After she felt relaxed, she entered the second trial: Intelect.
"Intellect, am I gonna solve riddles?" No sooner than Abbigail had that thought, one appeared before her.
I cannot be saved though people try
When fun is had they say I fly
I am money I can be spent
I can be wasted but never lent
When she finished reading it, an hourglass of sand flipped over and the sand began flowing. A thing that eats everything, it must be some kind of monster, but what? Abbigail racked her brains. She's gonna fail the Ender Trials. She watched helplessly as the last little pool of sand started seeping into the bottom half. Time is running out. Wait. The answer to the riddle is…
"Time!" Abbigail shouted out loud. The hourglass stopped flowing and the wall on which the riddle was inscribed melted away, revealing a portal. Abbigail stepped through into a second room. Another riddle greeted her.
Two men before you stand your success they hide
One always tell the truth the other always lie
One to your crown the other to your demise
What question do you ask to claim your prize
Abbigail breathed out. This is simple. She had done lots of these sort of logic puzzles with Darlene. Although she always came to the answer first. She walked up to the wall and answered,
"I would ask one of them, 'If I ask you are you the one to my crown, would you answer yes?'"
The wall vanished and revealed another portal. A gomoku board appeared in front of her. On it was a half-played game. The black pieces were clumped together, clearly at an advantage. However, they were surrounded on all sides by the whites, with no wiggle room to play with.
On this board a game awaits
One move will decide it s fate
The whites take the turn, which is you
So spot the spot, and win, or lose
It wants me to play as the white pieces. Abbigail surveyed the board. The key to winning, she knew, was to make two lines at once, so that the opponent cannot block both. There are only three such moves. A double three, a four and a three, or a double four.
One area caught her attention. A three was perpendicular to an edge. On both side there was a single blank spot. However, if she placed a piece right on the border, it would become a four and then…
She touched the spot. A white piece materialized out of the table and a black one appeared in response to her move, blocking the four she just made. However, at the same time, she had constructed another potential spot for a four, right on the edge. That would lead to another four, and another, and then,
"Double four!" She shouted triumphantly. Abbigail placed the final white piece to make five in a row and the wall revealed a final portal. She walked through and found the same victory verse that was in the Strenth Trials.
Excellent The riddles you solved
But next is the test of your resolve
Your past vill haunt you and you must
Come to terms and do them just
She returned to the hall and resumed her crosslegged position. Come to terms with her past? How can that be tested? After a long time of meditation, she finally walked into the final Trial.