The True Test

[Tismri]

Gloriann stood nervously with the others in the foothills of the mountains. She had decided to take this final exam after all. Sundavar and Seth had a lot to do with convincing her, and she'd finally allowed herself the courage to try.
Now that she was finally here, though, she felt her spirit flagging. There were wild dragons in there...and who knew what other dangers lurked as well? She scooted over next to Seth and grabbed his hand, letting him know how fearful of this place she was.
"I don't want to go in there, Seth," she whispered to him. But she knew there was no backing down. Even now, the instructors were pushing the students toward the wilds of the mountains so they could pass their survival test.

Teza Mae was bouncing on her feet with impatience. She wanted to get in there! This test was what she had been living for over the past 200 days, training with all her might to show that she was able to survive. She wasn't afraid or nervous. She was exhilarated. She grasped her bow tightly as she pushed forward with the crowd, eager to get in there and show everyone what she was really made of.

[Trinn]

Jason stood next to his sister, looking calm but feeling incredibly anxious. What if he failed to protect his sister? He would never be able to live with himself. He made stock of his weapons once more. A bow and arrows, long sword, and a short dagger. It would have to do. He wished that they could use magic in this suicidal exam. He had been practicing using the magic the way Master Roland ha suggested. He had met with both success and failure with the method, but to his pleasure, quite a bit more success. Jason looked about the crowd, recognizing other students. He wasn't too worried about them. It was the wild animals and mostly, the wild dragons. He looked at Tezzie. She was quite obviously eager to get in the boundary and risk her life. Why wouldn't she be? He thought with dark humor.
****

Eva sat atop Eos, waiting for the exam to begin. She am the dragon had been training vigorously since they had learned if te test, and Eva felt fairly confident she could surpass whatever challenges lay ahead. Eos was with her, and Ian. They would be able to overcome anything. She spotted Glory close by. Eva ha decided she would stick with her cousin and protect her too. She then spotted Maude. Vans's daughter looked eager, crouched on the balls of her feet waiting for the test to start. That girl made Eva feel odd, like she was staring at a dangerous animal. Eva hoped that Maude would become friendlier with time. Perhaps if they could help each other out during the test...

[Max452]

Roland stood in the midst of the man-made field that led into the barrier of the final examination. To his right, lay a tent that had prepared packs for the students, whilst to his left, laid scrolls. The one eyed elf watched the students gather in anticipation, fright, and excitement. He had taken every precaution for this exam, he and the other teachers, to prevent any lives from being taken. Roland and scoured and searched for the best challenges, and had made sure, that if any student was in danger, a nearby teacher would be able to step in before any life-threatening situation occurred. Months. It had taken months to prepare everything.

***
Ian stared at the entrance of the exam; a large stone archway that was big enough to fit his masters' dragons and then some! Along the archway, lay an enormous wall that border the examination territory. It was covered with foliage and other plants, indicating that the massive wall had been here for some time. How was that possible? Magic probably. Maybe Master Roland wanted dramatic effect? Ian sighed at the thought. If Master Roland took that much effort to design the outside of the exam...how much more did he take for the inside? Ian glanced at his sister and her dragon. He would do everything in his power to protect her.

Ian had spent months preparing and training himself for this. He did not want to be a burden, nor be dependent on magic. So, everyday he would train his physique, his skills with the weaponry, and even spent time studying the herbs from his herbology class with Master Kyler. Anything to grant him the advantage of survival. He even made sure he knew how to treat wounds without magic. Now, Ian felt that he was at least capable of not dying and was even pleased to find that his body had strengthen and that he even had lost his baby fat on his face, giving himself a more angular appearance - he was looking like his father every day. Not t mention, he had grown a good foot. He took in a deep breath. He felt confident he could protect Eva and Eos, even despite the lack of a dragon bond; which he was still sadden he had not yet received after his rigorous training.

***
Seth felt Glory's grip, and equally sent back his own squeeze. It'll be all right. The squeeze communicated. He stood next to Hyperion, who was shaking with anticipation. Seth could feel the ground tremors. Stop it! Seth finally communicated, fed up with his feet being attacked.
Sorry. Hyp did his best to calm himself. I'm just nervous.
Me too.

***
Roland nodded to the other teachers once all the students were assembled. He gave them all a warm smile before greeting them.

"Welcome to the Skulblaka Mountains, my dear students. I am pleased with those that have decided to take the examination. As you know, for one week you will need to survive within the walls of the marked territory that we have established. Within these walls you will find many creatures and obstacles that will challenge you and your bonds to your limits. Be warned: this exam is not to be taken lightly nor is for the faint of heart. As teachers we have done our best to prepare you for the challenges you will face, but remember, that there are more important things than success. This exam is meant to overall strengthen you in both mind and body for the duties and responsibilities you will encounter once your time in New Doru Arabea is complete." Roland pointed at the tent filled with packs. "Each student will be given a pack filled with 3 days of rationed food and water, along with a cloak and bedding and other supplies that vary from pack to pack. For the things that are found lacking in the pack, you will need to locate within the land. This is a massive territory, filled with all the supplies you need to survive; it is only up to you to find it. The use of Magic is prohibited within the walls; due to our own spells, and those of the land - you will not be able to use magic no matter how hard you try - so I do not suggest it; it is an immediate failure of the examination."

Roland then pointed to the other tent filled with scrolls. "Each student will also receive a scroll. Inside, you will find a map of the land, as well as an "X" mark. This X mark indicates the location of another scroll; each location differs. You will need a scroll in order to complete the next step in your examination. Once you do find the scroll, you must deliver it by the seventh day of the exam to the ruins you will find in the center of the boundary. Without this scroll, you cannot enter." He glanced at the students, gauging their reactions before continuing. "However, if you do find yourself with a scroll, and have entered within the ruins, be mindful, and do not let your guard down, for another challenge will await you." He gave them all a small smile. "Remember this as well, students, we the teachers will be mindful of your performance within the boundary. Should any wish to drop out or is gravely in danger, cry out "Master, I need you," and one of the nearby teachers will appear within seconds to your aid. Know this: there is no shame for needing help. Your completion of the examination will be graded not only on you reaching the ruins, but on your performance."

Roland motioned toward the entrance and stood under the archway. "You are the new generation of Riders and leaders of our countries. This is not an easy burden to bear. Be ever mindful of your training, but also be mindful of yourselves, for it is easy to lose when we are not careful." The elf alluded. "Gather your packs and scrolls (and open them only once you are inside) and enter these Mountains, my dear students. May your sword and teeth be sharp and may the stars watch over you." he inclined his head respectfully to those present, indicating the end of his speech. He raised his head and gave permission for the students to collect their items before entering.

***
Ian fell in line to gather the equipment he needed. Once done, he made sure that his swords were sharp and placed well for easy access despite his pack. He placed his scroll in his pocket, remembering that he cannot open it until he was inside. He glanced over to Eva once she was also done. "Ready?" He asked her as he made his way toward the entrance.

***
Seth carefully placed his pack on and grabbed his scroll. He mentally sighed. He couldn't see his X mark once he opened it. That's why you have me! Hyperion assured and nudge his Rider before they found Glory at the entrance. I'm glad you can read a map then... Seth sighed as he entered the archway, sensing multiple dangers inside. He let out a breath. This was going to be interesting...

[Jay]

Jaygon nodded a different points throughout Roland's speech. What a glorious day this was the students were finally ready to show what they had learned. Jaygon had faith in these students still in the back of his mind he felt a little doubt, just a hint of worry. He quickly dismissed it looking at the other teachers. A slight breeze blew Jaygon's silver hair back behind his head. Jaygon moved towards Roland tying his hair in a top knot, "You make a good speech Roland, much better than anything I could've come up with."

[Tismri]

Glory felt Seth's reassuring squeeze, and she was glad she had such a strong friend. Without him, she likely would have decided against this exam, or would have stayed close to Ian and Eva the entire time, though she knew they were likely going to be more focused on protecting each other than her.
Just think of all that awaits us in there! Sundavar said with glee, her watchful eyes observing the forest. I always wondered how my wild kin lived differently.
I'd rather not... Glory replied. When she thought of what awaited them in there, what mostly came to mind was dragons and animals and poisonous, man-eating plants.
She listened carefully as Ebrithil Roland explained the rules of the exam. Kinda like a treasure hunt, it seemed. She was glad she knew well enough how to read maps. She wondered how much trouble Seth would have. What if Hyperion's perceptions were off and they missed their mark?
She glanced up to see the two of them coming toward her and Sundavar. She was rather glad her friend couldn't see the fear that still lingered on her face as she tried to put on a brave front.
"Well...I guess it's time to go in," she said. She grabbed a pack, putting her scroll inside for safekeeping, and with her friends, went into the mountains.
~~~~~
Teza Mae grabbed a scroll and a map and practically leapt into the bounds of the exam field. She went in a good distance, though she stayed slow enough for Jason to keep up. Then she opened up her scroll to examine the map.
"Looks like my scroll's in the northwest quadrant," she said. Then she opened her pack to see the equipment in there. Basic survival gear, it seemed. Rope, compass, waterskin, a couple days' rations of bread. "Hunting is going to be a must in here," she observed. There was a hunting knife in there, but Teza Mae knew she probably wasn't going to use it much. She would rely more on her bow. She repacked everything and looked around for her twin.
"C'mon, slowpoke!" she called to him. "I want us to be the first ones to the ruins with our scrolls! I bet we can do it in less than a day if we try hard at it."

[Trinn]

"I don't think it matters who's there first!" Jason called out to Tezza, hurrying after her. "This isn't a competition, you know. Just an exam." He looked in his pack as he followed close to his sister. Dried meat, water, and kinder for a fire. That would help the first night, though they would have to gather more as they went. Finished with his inspection, Jason slung the pack on his shoulder and stepped up to Tezzie's side to walk beside her. He wondered if they were waisting their time taking this exam. Neither of them had been able to impress an egg yet, and even if they did their duty was to Ismia, not Alagaesia. He thought for sure it was a waste of his time. He had to figure it the root of the problem with Ismalian magic! Master Roland had helped, but there had to be some sort of "cure". He would find it, he promised himself. Sooner or later.
***

Eva nodded to Ian. She was more than ready, even if a little nervous. She slid off Eos to walk between her brother and her bond. They passed through the archway, and Eva felt a bit intimidated by its girth and height. Even Eos looked small underneath it. But they were through the gate now. Eva unrolled her scroll and looked at the writing. The next scroll was I the west of the boundary. "Ian, where does your scroll take you?" she hoped that they wouldn't have to part ways. She also watched Glory, hoping her cousin was safe with Seth.
***

As soon as the word was given, Maude launched forward to the head of the crowd, snagging a scroll and a pack. As she hurried towards the entrance arch, she could feel her mothers eyes on her, worried no doubt. But Maude thouht the exam would be simple, minus the wild dragons. After all, she had spent her entire life in the wild. Surviving nature's trickery would be easy. Once through the archway, she paused only Lon enough to check her scroll before rushing into the rocky foothills of the skulblaka Mountains.

[Max452]

Roland smiled as Jaygon approached. "You flatter me, Jaygon. You know as well as I, that you are the better speaker. I only uttered what I thought was truth." He gazed at the archway as the remainding students disappeared on the other side. "The examination begins, Jayon. Excuse me, but I must be stationed in my tower." He gave him a polite incline of his head and motioned toward one of the many towers upon the walls of the border. This was were the volunteering teachers would be stationed, in their own individual tower, overlooking and watching the students in their perspective quardrant through magic. The boundary was a circle, divided into six quadrants (Northwest - The Forest Region, West - The Skulblaka Mountains, Southwest - the Ice Lands, Southeast - The Prairies and Plains, East - The Desert, Northeast - The Marshes; with the Main Archway to the South), with the ruins in the middle of them all. Roland smirked. This was going to be challenging for the students, indeed, from the moment they stepped in, until the moment they walked out.

***
Seth felt the shadows elope him as he entered the forest; he could smell the different flowers and plants, along with the feeling of the air becoming heavier and dank. He also could hear the different birds fluttering above them, along with other domesticated creatures; nothing threatening...so far. "I thought this was going to be a mountain?" Seth let out. "But the ground feels soft and moist...not like the Beor's where its a bit more rough and dusty." Seth turned to where he could hear Glory and Sundavar breathing. He dug into his pack and retrieved his scroll. "Where are we going Hyp?" He opened his scroll and showed it to the dragon, who was a foot taller than he.
By the look of it, and by the scale on the map...we need to go southeast, across a small mountain terrain. It'll take us about three days to get there. Hyp explained and tilted his head so one of his eyes could peer at the map more closely. He turned to Glory and Sundavar. Where does your scroll lie? He asked them.
"Well, it looks like I'll get the hike I wanted after all." Seth chuckled as he rummaged a hand in side his pack. He felt his cloak, some packages of food, bandages, a filled waterskin, and a knife. And then something occured to Seth.

"Hyperion, how can we go southeast? Didn't we enter in the south?" He felt the dragon huff.
Well, according to the map, which shows us where we are, it says we need to go southeast...but you're right, it also shows the main archway is in the south.... Hyp snorted, suddenly confused. Wait? What just happened?

Seth also noticed something else. Where were the sounds of the other students? He remembered hearing them enter before him and after...and he knew for sure that he and Glory entered together; he could hear them right next to him. "Was the archway a magical tool that separated us with the rest of the students?" He asked aloud.

***
Ian felt a shiver run through him as he walked under the archway with his twin. They were located in some desert. He blinked. How was a desert in the Skulblaka Mountains? He glanced at Eva when she asked where his scroll was. He turned his head away from the desert, feeling slightly unnerved. He retrieved it, opened it, and glanced at it with a small frown. "I'm going Northwest, toward the Skulblaka Mountains; we'll be able to travel together for a bit before I have to go on my own." He frowned more at that thought. He glanced around again. "Where are the others? I thought I saw Glory and Sundavar ahead of us, but now they're gone." Ian turned to look at Eva and Eos, a worried look in his eyes. He turned around and looked at the archway, only to look at a ruined archway. "It looks like Master Roland placed a spell on the archway...we've all been separated." He looked at the map again, and then at Eva's map. They would have to cross a bit of the desert to reach the mountainous range, where they would have to part. "If all goes well, we'll only have to be in the desert for about 2 and half days (maybe a day and half flying with Eos)...but reaching my scroll will take me another 2 days, leaving me another 2 and half to get to the center again, but it looks like it'll take me 3 days to reach the Ruins." Ian grunted. "I swear he's doing this on purpose..." He grumbled about Ebrithil Roland, knowing that he meant to separate him from Eva and Eos. "What about you, Eva? What is your time frame?" He asked, briefly glancing at the sun. They would have to hurry soon.

***
Roland stood in his tower, looking through a huge scrying mirror before him, as he watched the students in his quadrant look dumbfounded in their various locations. They didn't see that one coming. He chuckled. He was still good at suprises. Now, the real challenge and survival truly began. How would his students fare? And would they realize his words before it was too late? He hoped so, for it was very important for them to learn this one principle: Unity.

[Tismri]

Gloriann looked around in surprise as their surroundings changed. Seth and Hyperion and Sundavar were all still here, but none of the other students were in sight. She worried briefly about Ian, Eva, and Eos, hoping they'd all stayed together. Knowing them, if they'd been separated, they would spend a lot of their time trying to find each other again.
"Um...We're in some kind of dark forest," she told Seth, although he probably knew that already be the smell. "I think the mountains are around us. We're in a valley of some sort, a pretty big one." She looked at her map, locating the X that marked her scroll, and compared that location to the one on Seth's map. "From where your scroll is, mine seems to be seventy kilometers north and about twelve east."
We should be careful when passing over that mountain terrain, Sundavar noted, tilting her head slightly. It sounds to me like a good nesting place. I think it will have many caves, some natural but most clawed out by mother and father dragons to lay the eggs in a safe place.
~~~~~
"Well, it matters to me!" Teza Mae replied to her brother. "I want to be the best here, someone everyone will respect because I earned it." She started hiking northwest, but soon her foot slipped as the ground suddenly sloped steeply. She hadn't even noticed that they were standing on a ledge cut into a mountain.
"Whoa!" she called out. Instinct she had developed while out with her father told her to grab ahold of a nearby tree branch to keep herself from falling. She skidded down and was soon hanging by the tree.
"How the bloody hell did we end up here?" she called out to Jason, her eyes widened. She didn't care about her language at the moment, surprised as she was.

[Trinn]

Eva glanced more carefully at her map. Icelands! That was her destination. How were there icelands here though!? She felt herself frowning as she thought. So it was ok for the masters to use magic to create this test, but not for the students to use magic to get through it! Eos had a thought, and Eva agreed. There was bound to be some sort of magical obstacle for them to get through. "Eos and I will be able to stay with you for the first day... After that, we have to split ways. I'll be headed south, you north into the forest. Come on. We better make haste. Eos will fly us west!" Eva hopped up to the saddle and awaited her brother. When he was safely seated, Eos leapt into the sky and angled west. The boundary walls could no longer be seen, but Eva was certain they were probably hidden by magic as well.
***

Maude hadn't tread far when she felt an odd lurch in her stomach. Where she had been standing in the foothills, she now found herself in a field of tall grass. The plains! Being out in the open fields made her feel uneasy. There weren't hardly any places to hide in case of danger. That meant she would have to fight. The thought made her feel thrilled, rather than afraid. And if she encountered a wild dragon... She wouldn't be able to kill it. Dragon life was nigh to sacred for her. One of he things she had learned from her mother and father had been that dragons had been nearly extinct during the Empire War. If her moths regretted anything, it was killing dragons. Turning her thoughts to survival, Maude looked at the sky and gauged her direction. She had to move northwest, to the forest. Ignoring the rustling of the talk golden grasses, Maude fell into an easy trot. She wouldn't have time to waste because of her restriction to foot travel. If only she had a dragon...
***

"Tezzie!" Jason shouted as he watched her nearly fall off a cliff. He dove forward, sliding on his stomach to grab one of his sister's arm. Any anger he had felt towards her instantly dissipated in the face of her mortal danger. He was stronger than she was, so it was relatively easy to pull her back to safety. "Tezzie are you alright!" he felt shaky and sweaty. "by the shards and emeralds! You almost died! This test is outrageous!"

[Max452]

Seth frowned at Glory's explanation. "You're going northeast?" He asked for clarification. Hyperion then interjected. Is that toward the Marshes? The young dragon asked, peeking over her shoulder to gaze at her map. I don't like the idea of us being separated. He added.
"Nor do I. It seems that this exam is truly to test ourselves..." Seth's frown deepened. This would be a hard test indeed. It would be wiser for them to band together, as there were many unknown dangers in this new man-made land. Who knew what type of creatures their Masters had retrieved to test them. "How long of a distance is it til we must part?" Seth asked, his tone a bit tense for once; he was afraid for Glory and Sundavar.

As they were speaking with one another, Seth's ears heard a quiet rustling sound to their right. Jerking his head, Seth motioned them all to quiet. "We're not alone..." He could hear the sound grow larger. Whatever was coming toward them...it was big. "Guys....I think we should..." He stopped speaking for one reason: it was suddenly silent.
I smell something...devious...Hyp declared softly. Seth slowly unsheathed his sword, his eyes closed, a habit it had gathered when he needed to seriously concentrate on his surroundings. He tilted his head to his right, using his right ear to listen for any sound. He could hear....ragged breathing...and not just one owner...but three....the breathing stopped shortly. "We're being hunt--" Seth began to whisper when Urzhad jumped out of the foliage and toward the group. The two other urzhadn appeared on the other side, seemingly trying to corner them all together.

OOC: jeriah, feel free to be the big bad bears!

***
Ian hopped onto the saddle, quite used to riding Eos now. He had a frown on his face as Eva recited their plans. he did not wish to separate; he could not protect her or Eos if he wasn't around. "Do you have enough clothes, Eva? It'll be cold in the Icelands. We've never been in any cold weather for a long time period...you can have my cloak! I'm just going to the Mountains. And make sure you guard yourselves! Eos, guard Eva well! who knows what kind of challenges you two will face!" He continued blabbing on and on about how they should take care of themselves, a usual sign of his worry.

As he was babbling, a wailing screech echoed in the air, making Ian gritted his teeth in pain as he clasped his ears. In the distance, a group of Fanghur were heading right toward them and it seemed, they had found their next meal. Them.

OOC: Trinn, feel free to be the Fanghurs too. I just figured we all might want some action...lol

***
A howl echoed the mountains near Teza Mae and Jason. Snarls soon followed. The pack of Shrrgs were on the hunt and they had now caught the smell of their next prey....

***
The two Nagras were stationed at a small watering hole that was surrounded by the tall grass of the prairie. They snorted at one another, declaring a fight for the water before them; it was perhaps one of the safest watering holes for miles. The larger one, with a large, dangerous husk charged and his opponent met him with equal force. Their collision caused a great ruckus in the silent grass...

[Tismri]

OOC: The place is crawling with critters! lol.

Gloriann frowned, not liking the fact that she and Sundavar would have to separate from Seth and Hyperion. She felt safer around him, especially since he was more confidant using a weapon than she was. Alone, she was afraid she might end up resorting to magic and thus failing the test.
"I think...I'm pretty sure we can stick together until we're at least past the mountains," she said, studying her map. Then she looked up, suddenly alert as she heard the noise of some large animal nearby. Actually several. Before she knew it, they were surrounded by the creatures.
"They're bears," she whispered to Seth. "Really really big ones." Slowly, trying not to attact the attention of the bears, she pulled a long pipe and a blow dart out of her pack and loaded it. "One will be down in about a minute, but there are two others. I think they're hungry." Sundavar growled threateningly. The bears were bigger than she was, but the dragon still looked ferocious with her Rider threatened.
One...two...three, Glory thought and, in a flash, raised the pipe to her lips and blew the poisoned dart straight into the bear's neck. It was a deadly concoction her parents had created with their knowledge gained of plants from wandering the land for so long, potent enough to kill even a two-year-old dragon if aimed right. Still, it would take almost a minute for it to take the full effect, and that was her one chance with the dart.
The bear she hit roared in rage at the pinprick of pain it felt, and as a signal, all three seemed to charge at them. Sundavar jumped up on the one closest to Glory and buried her long fangs in its neck, clawing on it to keep it still. The one with the dart reacted a little more slowly, its movements rapidly becoming more and more lethargic, but it was still quite deadly for the moment.
~~~~~
Teza Mae took her brother's hand as he helped her back up onto the ledge. She rolled her eyes at his protest to the exam. "What did you expect, a walk in the park?" she asked him. Though admittedly, the seeming teleportation to nowhere had unnerved her a bit. She thought for a moment or two about where and how they had landed there.
"I wonder...was this where we were supposed to end up? I mean...since it was obviously magic, I wonder if we got sent to the right spot." She mentioned this curiousity because she knew it would catch Jason's attention. He would probably want to research it, because it would lead to his further investigations into Ismalian magic.
Her thoughts were abruptly cut short by the sound of howling wolves. She shuddered; there were timber wolves in the lands surrounding Freia. She'd watched her father kill a pack of them in order to protect them while they were all out on a family hike. But these didn't sound the same. They sounded...louder. And far more menacing. She drew her bow and grabbed several arrows, ready for anything. Now she was glad they were on a ledge; wolves generally couldn't climb, so the pack would have a difficult time reaching them...probably.
"Jason," she said, her quavering voice betraying the bravery she was trying to express. "Are there any tall trees close enough for me to climb?"

[Trinn]

As soon as he Fanghur began screeching, Eos tilted dangerously to the left. The call of the small wyverns disoriented the dragon, making her feel dizzy and unbalanced. Eva held on tightly to the. Eco spoke in front of her, gritting her teeth against the sound of the Fanghurs. She remembered learning of them in a biology class with master Tismri. They're call disoriented their prey, making he crash and become harmless. Eva dreaded that she couldn't now use magic. "We have to kill them now!" Eva shouted, trying to draw out her short sword. It feeling clumsy about it. The. Features were drawing closer to them by the second. Suddenly Eos released a pillar of golden flame at the little dragon-like beasts, and managed to burn one to a crisp. It fell heavily back to earth. "Keep it up Eos!" Eva encouraged. The screeching lessened for a moment, the. Returned with fury. Eva fume, racking her mind for a solution other than magic.
***

Jason made an effort to remain calm. He could see the first shaggy fur of a wolf creeping up under he cliff ledge. A tree!? He searched the immediate area with a sweep of his eyes. Further up behind them he spotted a skinny but tall tree, surrounded by red and purple wildflowers. Grabbing Tezza by the arm, he rushed the both of them further up the cliff to the tree. The snarling of the Shrrgs was louder now, and Jason risked a glance over his shoulder. Those weren't mere wolves! They were the size of four month old dragons! His speed ubconsciously picked up, and when he reached the tree he nearly threw Tezzie up it. He turned back to face the wolves, drawing his own bow from his back. He took an arrow out of the quiver straped to his chest and knocked it carefully to the bowstring. He pulled the weapon taught, took aim, inhaled, and released. The arrow flew true, hitting the first Shrrg in the eye. The arrow must have penetrated into it's brain, for it fell heavy to the ground, the remaining eye going misty in death. The remainder of the pack snarled as if outraged. Jason felt more afraid then ever, but he was thankful for the trai ing from his mother and father. He readied a other arrow, trying to calm the mad beating of his heart.
***
Maude had traveled for perhaps an hour when she heard a tumultuous noise off to her right. She instinctively halted and. Touched in the tall grass, hoping it was enough to hide her. She waited for minutes, listening to the noise. It was like two rocks colliding together. The earth even tremored slightly. When she was sure the threw wasn't directed at her, Maude rose in a half crouch and crept towards the ruckus. After a while she caught sight of the source. Two furry beasts fighting over a water source. And beasts they were! Gigantic, ferocious boars! Maude watched in fascination as the two creatures tore at each other with their tusks. She watched the primal battle until it's end, when at last one boar, defeated and bloody, tred away from the water and off into the plains. Too bad for him, Maude thought. He was traveling in the direction she must go. Letting the boar go ahead of her a good distance, she stalked quietly after it. The only weapons she had brought had been her two swords. She should have remembered to bring a bow or other projectory weapon. An hour later, the boar staggered and fell, exhausted. This was Maude's chance. Creeping ever closer, any skin of her tread drowned out by the beasts ragged breathing, Maude drew one blade and prepared to kill the creature. It would provide great food for a week and then some! With a wild shout, Maude rushed out of her cover and charged the beasts neck. The boar didn't even budge, just looked solemnly at her as he prepared to die. Maude thought he even looked a little sad. She hadn't prepared for this. Many times she had hunted in the spine and killed for food without a thought. But this seemed somehow different. This Boar seemed more intelligent. Skidding to a halt, Maude stopped her attack and backed up a step. The boar continued to watch her. An idea suddenly came to her. Reaching out, she touched the coarse fur of the boar, by his shoulder. The animal shuddered at her touch, as if it wanted to flee but simply was unable. Reaching with her mind, she touched the boars. It felt wild and foreign, and a little outraged by her mental touch. I am a friend she told it, speaking fluent elvish. It was one of the languages her parents had taught her, along with dwarvish and urgalian. Her urgalian was still a bit rough... I am a friend she repeated, and the creature calmed. Even wild animals understood the ancient language. It was the tongue of careful truths. Maude allowed herself a small smile. This journey would maybe not take as long as she thought...

[Max452]

Seth nodded to Glory. Bears. And it sounded like Big ones. His eyes remained closed as he listened to their breathing. He could hear Glory begin her attacked, as well as Hyperion snarling, followed by Sundavar's own threatening growls. In his mind, he imagined all of them, their positions and attitudes. Glory's mark had hit, he could hear, as the bear growled in irritation. Then the attack began!

Hyperion expanded his wings, flapping them in a threatening manner, allowing himself to appear bigger than he actually was. The move seemed to startled the Urzhad that was his opponent, and furthest away from the two leggers. Taking that small hesitation, Hyperion attacked the bear, who was fairly bigger and meater than the young dragon. Hyp went straight for the juggular, his teeth sinking into the flesh, causing his opponent to shrieked wildly.

Meanwhile, Seth positioned himself with Glory; two opponents against an Urzhad increased their chances. He was confident that Hyp and Sundavar could handle their own. He could hear the slowed movement of the beast and guessed Glory had blown her trademark darts. He followed the sounds of the ragged breathing and then charged, his blade ready to sink into the side flesh of the beast. The next thing Seth knew, his feet were dangling dangerously in the air and he had to grip both hands onto his blade, which he discovered was embedded in the beast's side, closer to its back; his feet had kicked its arm, helping him guage his location. Well, the beast must have tried to block and Seth was lucky enough not to get slashed. Seth grunted, hanging on and kicking the bear so that he would remain at the back, further from the dangerous claws. His arms burned, but he knew he had to keep this up or the beast would retaliate, drugged or not. Seth then felt himself tip backwards. His closed eyes scunched up in concentration and surprise at the same time. The Urzhad was following backwards...right on top of him! Seth tried to get his bearings, but being in the air was not helping his senses! He didn't know where to go without getting injured! "Glory! Be my eyes!" Seth cried out as he continued to feel himself tip.

***
Ian hissed through the pain; those screeches were unbearable! He felt Eos waver dangerously and instinctively Ian's hand went to grip the leather strap to steady himself, but the act caused his ear to be exposed to the menacing screech! "Agh!" He hissed again, but then heard Eva's frantic cry. He forced himself to focus, else his sister was as good as dead! He wouldn't let anyone harm his sister! His eyes burned with a righteous fiery as his ears ached from pain, causing his head to throb and a small trickle of blood to flow from his nose. He unsheathed one of his swords. "We're no good in the sky! We don't have bows!" He cursed himself for being a close range fighter in that moment. Ian's ears were momentarily relieved when the creatures stopped their dangerous shrill once Eos attacked their companion. It gave Ian a moment to think, however briefly. The young magician was tempted to use magic, but stilled himself. "Eos! Get me close to one of them! I'll jump on and you handle the other!" He cried out, furious that Eva was being harmed. He was going to end this, Einarson style! He twirled his blade, a habit copied from his father.

***
Roland watched on in his tower as Maude had managed herself a ride. He smiled. She was a resourceful one. He was almost certain she was about to kill the Nagra, but at the last moment, seemed to change her mind. She had seemed to take pity on the beast, and in the end, made a pact with it of sort. A good warrior. He gazed over the plains, an advantage he had. She had better hurry soon. Another danger was about to present itself...

OOC: Very clever Trinn! I didn't know I had provided Maude a furry ride! hehehe

***
The creature slithered in the plains with elegant ease and familiarity. It had made itself home in the last few months it was placed here, feeding off of the mighty Nagras and other large beasts that dared to enter his territory. His tongue flickered out, tasting a new scent nearby. A new meal. The 20 foot large snake held its head slightly off the ground as it hastened its direction toward this new foreign scent. It tasted delicious. New. He had passed by a dead Nagra on his way, and was about to feed on an easy meal, but the new smell was intoxicating. If he ate now, he would have to wait another day before he digested completely...and the prey would be gone. He much preferred live, running, prey.

[Tismri]

Glory took a few steps back from the charging bear, hoping she could just dodge until the poison did its work. But when Seth returned the charge, the huge creature reared up, leaving dangling several yards above the ground, hanging by the hilt of his sword. She felt frozen as she watched. The bear seemed furious at the wound, though its reaction continued to be slow and clumsy. Then it began falling backwards, Seth's weight pulling it down.
"Seth!" she called to him, rather terrified. Immediately several spells came to her mind which could save him, but magic was forbidden for this exam. She heard him call out to her and thought of how she might direct him. "Swing your legs hard forward until you hit it," she said. His feet would just about meet the bear's armpit. She hoped that by hitting it with all his force would cause the dying bear to rotate away from him.
She ran forward until she was right next to the bear. She hoped she was right, because she was right beneath where the thing was going to land if Seth couldn't spin it away. "After you kick it, let go!" She held out her arms to catch him. This was going to hurt, but he'd be less injured if he landed on her rather than the ground at least.
Sundavar made use of her enormous wingspan and strong flying muscles. She wrapped her wings around the bear to restrict its movement, while her claws tore bloody, gaping holes deep into the flesh on its limbs. She kept her jaws fastened around its neck, tightening and shaking with increasing vigor. She knew she would be triumphant. She was a dragon! She refused to be bested by this dumb beast.
~~~~~
Teza Mae nearly released her arrow as Jason started dragging her away by the arm. As her brother shot her into the tree, she flawlessly caught a tree branch and pulled herself up. Then she looked down. She was nowhere near high enough. Those enormous wolves would need only to straighten to their full height and she would be in their jaws. She continued shinnying up the tree, and then looked down, her eyes bulging.
"Jason, are you insane? Get up here!" Her brother was still on the ground, aiming arrows at the Shrrg. Of course, the only thing on his mind was making sure she stayed safe. That was ever his top priority. Getting good footing, Teza Mae loaded her bow and drew it back. It took her but a heartbeat to find her target, the jugular of the wolf that was closest to her brother. She fired and loaded a second in moments. Still, her heart sank. There were six or seven in that pack, and they easily overcame the obstacle of the cliff ledge.
"Stand clear, Jace," she called, grabbing a multitude of arrows in hand, lining them up between her fingers. It was a technique her father taught her, for when speed and accuracy, but not precision, were needed. One after another, she aimed the arrows into the sky, aiming them so they would fall in a scatter pattern over the Shrrgn. Because of how big the creatures were, she was sure most, if not all, her arrows were going to hit, and with the force of gravity pulling them from the sky, it might be enough to nail them to the ground. At the very least, the would be distracted for a moment. "Okay, when the first arrows start landing, Jason, I think the best bet would be to get in close. They'll be alert for my arrows and won't notice you." I hope... she thought, starting to become paranoid that she may be sending her own twin to his death.

[Trinn]

Eos tried valiantly to straighten her flight, but the screech of the fanghurs was persistent and unbroken. Eva joined her mind
more fully with her bonds, hoping their minds together could overcome the fanghurs. She even tried attacking one of the creatures mentally, but she couldn't pierce into it's mind. It was strongly and strangely blocked. The wyverns were more intelligent than she had thought, and Eva remembered now that they were thought to be cousins of the dragon family. Clasping her hands over her ears tightly, Eva blocked out the sound of the screeching, though it was impossible to block completely. Focus through my eyes, Eos! Eva cited out to her. Eos did so, and her flight steadied noticeably. A challenging snarl now rang from the dragon, and she charged into the flock of fanghurs. Eva didn't dare release the hold on her ears to use her sword, for fear of unbalancing Eos. She was worried also about Ian. He wanted to jump onto one of he wyverns!? Eos was agile, she would be able to catch Ian, but only if the other fanghur were dead and gone. Even with her ears covered, she felt and heard Eos's vicious growls as the dragon snapped out with her jaws and caught another fanghur in her teeth, whipping her head about and successfully breaking the creature's back. There were three left now, and the screeching became faltered. Apparently they had not expected two of their numbers to be dispatched already. Eos's flight again steadied, and the dragon rushed another of the creature's more confidently, this time biting off a wing and sending a fanghur into a death spiral.
***

Jason nodded, his mouth too dry from fear to give Tezza a verbal response. He carefully returned his bow to his back and drew out his long sword. He waited, heart thudding largely, for Tez to make her move. He heard the twang of release from her bowstring, the hiss of arrows flying up into the air, and finally, the buzzing whir of arrows returning. The shafts fell upon the wolves equally, hardly any missing the chance to penetrate fur and flesh. The wolves howled in surprise and anguish. Jason almost whooped in elation when two of the wolves fell from mortal wounds. The four remaining wolves had been pierced in various places from the arrows; in the back, the side, and the paws. Without hesitation, Jason rushed into the group of remaining giant wolves, brandishing his sword above his head. He reached first a wolf that was trying to pull an arrow out of its side. He slid his blade into the thick muscle of it's throat before it realized he was there. Without pause he pulled his sword free and twisted around to impale another beast through the ribs and into the heart. Now the wolves were aware of his presence, and they turned away from their wounds to focus on him, a true threat now. His only consolation was that one wolf was impaled to the ground by several arrows through his front paw. He whimpered and stopped moving every time he tried to dislodge them. That gave Jason room to focus on the other wolf, which was circling and snapping its jaws. Suddenly the wolf pounced. Feeling frantic, but also oddly calm, Jason ran towards the leaping wolf, running nimbly underneath it. He brought his sword up above his head and sliced the length of the wolf's soft belly, spilling out it's intestines. The wolf fell dead, and as Jason turned around to deal with the last beast, he was surprised to already find it leaping at him.
***

Maude had rested with the boar for only a couple hours, sitting against its side. She had carefully put dirt over the boars injuries to stop the bleeding, and the animal seemed headed already towards recovery. She figured she could wait another hour for the boar to build its strength and energy back up. What time she lost now she could easily make up for by riding on the boar. The sunlight was pleasant here in the plains, warm and soothing. There was even a gentle breeze blowing across the grasses. Maude resisted the urge to fall into a doze. And a good thing too. The boar began snorting nervously, swinging it's head back and forth to scent the air. It suddenly sprang to its feet and trotted away from her, causing Maude to fall backwards without its body there to support her back. Getting to her feet, she yelled at the animal in the ancient language. It trotted several yards away before finally listening to her and stopping. Wondering what had spooked the beast, Maude looked about. She couldn't see any other boars, nor any dragons in the sky. About to shrug it off as strange boar behavior, she stopped when she thought she saw a strange motion in the nearby grass. Her eyes froze on the spot. Everything suddenly seemed very still, and very dangerous. The silence was broken when a large, thick shape sprang out of the grass like a spring, hissing ferociously. Maude, unable to help herself, screamed in sudden fright and instinctively turned and ran from the unhinged, hungry jaws that had been aimed at her face.

She could feel the breath of the giant snake at the back of her neck, and she pushed herself faster away from it. She realized with a chill that the snake could easily swallow her whole, and perhaps her furry boar friend too. Maude kept on running until she was almost back to he boar. The terrified animal was rooted to the spot. And worst of all, she could hear the speedy slithering of the snake close on her heels. If she passed the boar, the snake would probably kill it instead of her. Knowing what she must do, Maude slid to a halt.

She heard the hiss of the snake again, and knew it was pouncing once more. Putting a hand on the hilt of one sword, she twisted and unsheathed it in the same motion, placing the blade strategically above her head. Instead of biting down on her skull, the snake impaled the roof of it's mouth on the blade. The snake screeched in a terrible sound of pain. Maude hadn't known snakes could screech, but she supposed this wasn't an ordinary snake. Saliva dripped down the sword and onto her hand. Disgusted, Maude tore out her sword from the monster's mouth, leaving a long open gash. The snake seemed incensed by its injury. It coiled itself up tightly in a defensive manner. It looked like a small hill.

Maude noticed the snakes color then when the scales flashed in the sunlight. Scarlet and emerald. Beautiful, really. But in nature the most beautiful things were often the most dangerous. The snake struck again, and Maude dodged it's head and brought her sword down on its neck. She was able only to shallowly cut the snakes tough skin. Before the snake could withdraw, Maude reacted quickly and threw herself onto its neck, behind its head. The snake began to thrash wildly, almost dislodging Maude several breathtaking times. When the snake paused it's wild movement for a second, Maude unsheathed her other sword and brought the points of both blades down hard. She impaled the snake through its neck, severing the spine. The snakes head flopped uselessly to the ground. Maude remained on the neck for a moment, feeling a bit in shock. When her nerves felt calmer, she slid off the creature, panting. Behind her, she thought she heard the boar snort in relief. Still slightly shaky, Maude wiped the blood off her sword on the grass and then went to inspect the snakes head. The mouth was open in a death grimace, and when she looked more closely at the fangs, she saw that a clear, thick liquid was dripping from the tips. Poison. Maude felt sick with relief that neither she nor the boar had been bitten. And then, she smiled. Nature was ever resourceful. Carefully, she used her swords to remove both fangs. It was gruesome and bloody work, but Maude felt satisfied at the end. She placed a fang through her belt on each side of her hips for easy access. She cleaned her blades once more and replaced them to their sheaths on her back. Maude turned to the boar, feeling a bit exhausted now from nerves. Her large friend watched her with eyes that seemed more trusting than ever, and Maude felt gratified. "It's time to go now." She said to it soothingly in the ancient language. The boar simply continued to watch her. Moving to its side, she grabbed a fistful of the tough brown fur and pulled herself up onto its back. The boar remained still. In the ancient language, Maude directed the boar onwards.

OOC: Thanks! I thought she was going to kill the boar too lol.