The flame of the torch licked the air like a snakes tongue, giving off a noxious black smoke. The smoke rose in the cool night air until it was out of range of the light given off by the torch. The crude light flickered and danced on the stones giving the impression the stones were alive. The black portal ahead sucked in the light, giving away nothing about what it contained.

The hand on the torch belonged to Zephyria, a Druid of no small fame. He had come to this place in search of his Wey, the trial of fear every Druid had to endure every ten new moons. He stood at the entrance breathing deeply, trying to contain the welling fear inside of him. Who knew what awaited him on the other side of the portal? It was different every time and relied on the persons imagination to provide the focus of the fear. What was the portal going to dig up from Zeph's mind this time? Last time it was his loss of faith, it tricked him into believing that there was no Deity, no reason for belief. He had crumbled at the thought, the posibility that there was nothing in his soul, just emptiness. He lay there for hours unable to move, paralised by the fear of nothingness. His mind was being played with and he totally believed that the point to life was; nothing. The emptiness he fealt, the holloness of disbelief. It crushed him as he used his faith like a crutch, stabalising him mentally, allowing him to continue living, working and interacting with people. With that gone what was the point? Where was the point in carrying on?

Eventually the effect of the portal had started to diminish, it was not designed to kill or permanently harm, just to test, to question. The last experience had left Zeph a diminished man, it left him questioning everything and everyone, but mainly it left him questioning who he was. Eventually, after almost tearing himself apart mentally, he had rebuilt the essence of who he was and it had made him a better, stronger person. He was more able to deal with the trials of life, more able to help the people he was instructed to help, more able to serve the Deity.

Now his time had come again and the fear started to well up. Zeph could almost taste it in the back of his mouth, the fear coming up from his stomach. What would the portal do to him this time? There was no way to tell, apart from to walk through and take the trial as prescribed.

Zeph steeled himself, and took the small steps to the entrance of the portal and dissappeared......

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I know its a bit late but I thought I would do a tribute to the summer solstice but doing a very basic mock-up of Stonehenge. Done is 3dsm as usual and pscs'ed to add writing and tweak levels slightly

Hope you enjoy this one