The True Test

[Max452]

OOC: Haha! Then you should name him! lol

Ian patiently, and embarrassely, waited for Maude to treat his wound. "All right, all right. I'll leave the boar alone." He stated, glancing at it briefly. She surely was becoming attached to the beast. He tried not to let out exasperated sighs at each of her points. She was helping him out; an action he truly appreciated. At the mention of her taking watch, he instantly opened his mouth to retort that he would do it again, but shut it closed when she demanded it in a challenging tone. "Fine." He stated, feeling a bit flustered for many reasons; one, he got scolded by his crush, two, his crush had the power to beat him up in his condition, and three, he found himself unable to deny her requests despite his own protests. "Good night." He echoed as he went to find himself a safe place to rest. He couldn't climb, not in his condition, so he found himself a nice rock to sleep against. It was a good thing Maude took watch, for within seconds, Ian realized how exhausted he was and instantly fell asleep.

Morning rose, and Ian promptly followed Maude's routine of waking and riding the boar. Maude was right, he was healing nicely and didn't have any more trouble with the wound in his side or shoulder. As the afternoon sun beat against them, Ian discovered, along with Maude, that they were close to his scroll. He took out his map, studying it and his surroundings for a brief moment, before hoping off the boar. "Thanks." He patted the boar as he gazed at a dense path to their right. "Its this way." He told Maude. "Its too narrow for the boar." He told her as he proceeded to walk the path, cutting down obstacles in his way as he did.

Assuming Maude was behind him, Ian led the way to a clearing, after enduring the surrounding foliage that seemed to want to suffocate them. It was so dense, that the sun seemed to have fought its way to the clearing they now found themselves in. In the middle of this clearing, sat a mischievous looking orange werecat on a stump, and next to it, laid a scroll.
Finally! You've got here! You know how long I'd had to wait for you? The orange, a bit fat, cat, stared irriatebly at Ian. By, golly! If you hadn't come today, I would have just ate this stupid thing out of sheer boredom! Why I agree to this stupid task is beyond me! Creme! I want a gallon of creme extra for this, Roland! The werecat glanced up into the foliage as if shouting at someone.

Ian glanced behind him, at Maude. "Is he crazy?" He whispered to her as the werecat ranted on and on about creme and waiting on Ian.

I heard that, human! The werecat glared at the male two legged. If my siblings hadn't agreed to this stupid test, then I wouldn't be here! And thus, wouldn't be exposed to your ugly face! He glanced over at Maude. You're pretty, so your not included with him, but if you don't shut your boyfriend up, then I'm going to claw his face off!

Ian's eyes widened. "What?" He glared at the cat, annoyance slowly becoming his dominant emotion than surprise and shock.

Stupid siblings....making me do this...extra creme ROLAND! EXTRA! The cat boomed.

"Um, can I just have my scroll?" Ian asked, unamused by the werecat's behavior.

The werecat sent another glare at Ian. No respect! You know, if it wasn't for me and my kin, you wouldn't be able to attend this exam, let alone have a chance to become a Rider! Ungrateful! He snapped his teeth with a hiss.

Ian stared blankly at the werecat. "Can I please have my scroll, Mister Werecat, sir?" Ian asked, trying to sound polite, but as usual, his voice lacked that emotional hint and sounded more insulting.

The werecat heckled and hissed. FINE! Ian had a bad feeling; the werecat agreed to easily...
You must answer my riddle if you wish to have your scroll! Now, since all the werecats guarding the scrolls get to choose their challenge, this is mine! The cat sat haughtly down on the scroll before reciting his riddle:

Pronounced as one letter,
And written with three,
Two letters there are,
And two only in me.
I'm double, I'm single,
I'm black, blue, and gray,
I'm read from both ends,
And the same either way.
What am I?


Ian blinked at the riddle. He never was good or bad with them, but he never really saw use to them either. He sighed. He wished Gladia was here; she was good at riddles. Ian glanced at Maude for a moment, thinking about the answer.

No! You can't have her help! The werecat seethed.

Ian rolled his eyes. "I wasn't going to ask, I was merely..." He trailed off, realizing what he almost admitted. ...getting inspiration... That would have been more of a confession than he would have liked. he didn't even know if Maude even thought of him in a positive light.

Sure... The werecat eyed Ian with disbelief. He continued to watch this human as he thought out his riddle, noticing how his eyes seemed to be moving in thought and concentration. Finally, he noticed, the boy seemed to have found an answer.

"An eye! That's the answer!" Ian declared, quite confidently.

Correct, human! The werecat snorted and lifted his rear off the scroll, but Ian noticed a dangerous glint in its eye. However, for annoying me, this is what you shall receive! The werecat extended its claws and proceeded to mangle the scroll into pieces.

"No!" Ian shouted and ran over to stop the werecat. The werecat laughed and hissed at Ian before running off before he could get attacked by the human boy.

The werecat's laughter echoed in Ian's ears as he stared dejectedly at the mangled scroll. It was beyond salvagable, and without magic, Ian wouldn't be able to repair it. "Agh!" Ian growled out in frustration, kicking the stump for good measure. "Stupid cat!" He stared at the many pieces of parchment, trying hard to fight the urge to cry. He had failed! He sat down against the stump, saddened that he wasn't able to prove himself in this exam. He hadn't even managed to get his scroll. "Stupid cat..." He muttered, staring at the parchment as its pieces began to float away with a small breeze. "It looks like I just failed..." He sighed, not daring to look up at Maude. There goes his dreams. All torn up by some stupid cat.

[Trinn]

OOC: haha, nice! Now I have to think of riddles! uh-oh lol

Maude blinked at the sunlight that streamed into the small circular clearing. It was really quite beautiful. New and strange flowers grew here, and butterflies with beautifully colored wings fluttered above. The only thing that detracted from the beauty was a rather grumpy looking werecat. Maude stared at the creature in amazement. She'd never seen a werecat before, and she felt rather disappointed in this unkempt best. He was really quite nasty to Ian, she thought. Hearing the riddle now, Maude crossed her arms and thought if over. She had never really tried answering riddles before, and she found she wasn't very good at it. As soon as Ian gave his answer, it all made sense, and she felt silly for not getting it herself.

"Hey!" She called out at the cat when it began to rip apart Ian's scroll. "Stop that you hairy beast!" she shouted at it. The werecat ran off, and Maude chased after it, tempted to follow it and make it into dinner. "That's not fair!" She called after it, shouting in anger. Turning back to Ian, she found him sitting dejectedly on the stump. She walked over to him and watched as some of the scroll fragments blew into the wind. Acting quickly, she snatched them up and put them in her bag. "All master Roland said was that we needed the scrolls to get into the ruins. Keep the pieces of it, Ian. That will be enough!" She said, trying to reassure him. "Come on! Help me collect the pieces! You've come too far to fail now!"
***

The inside of the glacier dripped icy water onto Eva's head. She pulled the hood of her cloak up and over her skull, keeping it dry. She walked next to Eos into the great icy structure. It was rather like a maze inside. Swallowing hard, she looked at Eos, and the dragon returned her stare. This is a maze. she said with realization. And I bet that scroll is in the center.

Eos nodded, then said, I can burn us a way through... Eva almost let her, but then shook her head.

No. We must do it the proper way. Placing a hand on Eos's warm shoulder, they walked forward into the maze.

[Max452]

OOC: Hehehe. It doesn't have to be riddles. I just did it cause its easier than thinking up something elaborate. lol. I'm just as lazy as that fat werecat. lol

Aradan nodded along with Teza Mae. "That is reasonable, and a wise path for us to follow." He glanced back at Jason. "If you are ready then, we should go." Aradan began to pack up, moving quite fast with his elven blood.
You think I can fit three people? Veryan asked Aradan.
If I move the saddle downward a bit, I think so. I'll let them ride on the saddle, and I'll go use the wool. Would that work?/i] He asked Veryan.
I think for awhile. I don't want my scales to hurt you though. The black dragon addressed his concern.
It won't be too bad. The forest isn't too far, so it won't take too long. Besides, what other option do we have?
You can leave them. Veryan bemused.
That is just mean, Veryan. We're suppose to all be in this together.
I know, but you asked, and I answered. Veryan chuckled as Aradan began to adjust the saddle to fit them all, having finished loading his things in the saddle bag. "Hang your things, here, it will make the flight more comfortable." Aradan told the siblings as he pointed to the saddle bag.

***
Seth listened quietly as Glory talked about her family. He smiled after she finished. "Your parents have accomplished a lot; its no surprise that you are the same." He complimented her. "Maybe when this is over, I can meet them." He told her before sharing with her about his family. "Its just my parents and I. My family are farmers. Nothing to thrilling as yours, but we have our fair share of adventure, I think. My father is really great with people and animals. We mostly raise cattle and grow wheat to harvest and sell." He sat back and thought a bit more about his parents. "Father enjoys reading stories too me and loves to tell jokes. Mother is a bit more reserved, but her heart just surrounds you with her love. She's ever supportive of me and encourages me to do things like other kids. She never said I couldn't do anything; which I love about her. I hope you can meet them; they'll like you." Seth smiled at Glory. "I hope I can make them proud as a Rider. My village was so excited to learn. I could tell Mom was a bit scared of me coming here, but she said that she knew I was meant for great things. I hold onto that thought whenever I get discouraged." He shared with her.

***
Ian glanced up at Maude, hearing her words. She was right! There was no use giving up. There might be a chance he could still pass! Getting up, Ian quickly helped Maude collect the scraps of his scroll. Finally, he seemed to have collected them all; he placed them securely in his pack, so not to lose them. "Thank you, Maude." He gave her a sincere smile. "Thanks for keeping me going." He glanced over to the path that the werecat had run off to. "If I ever find that fat cat, I'm gonna beat him to a pulp." Ian stated before turning back to Maude. "Let's go find your scroll. We only have two days left." He reminded her, before setting off again.

[Trinn]

OOC: Ohh, gotcha. Perhaps I'll stick to the maze then for Eva haha.

Jason looked up at Veryan, wondering if the dragon would be able to support flight for very long with all of them seated upon his back. Perhaps he should just let Tezza go off with this elf for the rest of the exam. He would trudge away by himself to the dessert. Almost immediately he cast away the thought. What if the elf tried taking advantage of Tezza? He couldn't have that. And besides, Tezza wouldn't allow him to go off by himself. Taking the light pack from his shoulder, he placed it where Aradan pointed and wondered where he should sit on the dragon. He had flew with Caedus before, so he was at least used to riding dragon-back. Sitting three on a dragon, however... That could be a different story.
***

Maude shrugged off Ian's thanks. She tried to tell herself that it didn't matter to her if he passed or not, but the thought felt wrong when she tried to believe it. She wanted Ian to pass, if only to prove that she could support not only herself, but another as well. "We'll need to continue on foot from here. Look, there's a path, where that werecat went off. My scroll won't be much farther off..." Setting off again, Maude began down the path. As they went along, she rather hoped to run into the werecat again. She didn't support animal abuse, but this seemed like an exception...

Eventually the path turned in the opposite direction of Maude's scroll. Treading off the path now, Maude unsheathed one of her swords and began hacking away at tree limbs and other brush in her way. She made a mental note to sharpen her blades once the exam was through. The sun had bled into the evening when Maude at last hacked through the final branch and stumbled into a mossy clearing. The sound of water was nearby, and Maude was reminded of her dry throat. But thought of quenching her thirst vanished when she noticed a tall figure looming in the center of the clearing.

The Kull towered nine feet tall, and he was covered in thick, burly muscle. A war hammer rested on the ground next to him, where he stood at ease with his arms crossed over his chest. Large horns curled over his skull, and he grunted now at the sight of the two humans.

"At last!" He said, and lifted his hammer into his wide hands. "I've been waiting ages for you tiny humans! Now, which one of you must I smush?" His accent was thick and throaty. Maude understood him well enough though.

"That would be me, Kull." She said, stepping forward and away from Ian. "And you will give me that scroll I see tucked into your belt. It's mine." The kull threw back his head and laughed.

"Oh little human girl, you will crumble under my hammer before I give you this scroll." Maude felt a primal sneer light her features. She felt more animal now than human. She lived for battles like this. "I was ordered not to kill you, but we shall see." The kull laughed again and flexed his muscles.

Screaming out a war cry, Maude unsheathed both her blades and rushed at the Kull. She shot to its right and slashed at its exposed side. The kull dodged, and Maude noted it's rather slow and clumsy movement. What she lacked in strength, the kull lacked in speed and agility. Bellowing out at her, the kull swung the hammer with one hand at Maude, aiming for her leg. If the blow hit, Maude knew she would have a broken leg. But that would not be the case. Leaping up, she jumped over the swinging hammer. The kull was still recovering from his swing when Maude attacked again. She aimed a barrage of slashes at the creatures chest. Killing him would probably earn her a failing grade, she new. In fact, she knew that she and the kull were on the same terms with that. That's why this fight would be great. Two warriors in mental sync.

The kull brought his free hand up to block her swords, using a thick gauntlet as a shield. She aimed lower, managing to slash his leg. The kull laughed at the cut. Urgals loved war, everyone knew it. The kull probably enjoyed the pain of the wound. He reached out during a break in her attack, faster than she had expected he could move. His hand closed around her throat and he dragged her into the air. She kicked her feet, trying to escape. One hand dropped a sword to come and clutch at the Kulls thick fingers. She felt herself getting lightheaded from lack of air. The kull laughed as he slowly choked her into unconsciousness. Determined not to fail, Maude brought her one sword up now and slashed viciously at the Kulls wrist. A spray of blood fanned across her face and the Kull howled in pain. He dropped her, and she fell flat on her back. With the wind now knocked out of her, she rolled to all fours and slowly and painfully got up. Thankfully the kull was occupied with his own wound to try attacking her.

The wrist she had sliced was bleeding freely now, and it seemed she might have struck a main vein. She was up on her feet now, both swords in hand. The Kull growled something in his own language, and, with still bleeding wrist, picked up his hammer once more and came at Maude swinging. It was all she could do to backpedal and hop away from the giant weapon. On the last swing, she was too slow. The very tip of the hammer struck her shoulder, and something in her bones popped. Spots bloomed in her vision from the pain. And yet she ignored it. She had to defeat the kull! The immense urgal made to start up another siege of hammer swings, and this time Maude knew what she had to do. On the first swing, Maude ducked and rolled under the hammer, popping up right in front of the Kull. He had no choice but to follow through with the attack, fore the momentum of the swing would not allow otherwise. Maude leapt up, thrust with one blade and stabbed the Kull deep in the shoulder. Using that as a handhold, she swung herself up and onto its back. Her other blade came around to caress the kulls throat.

The kull released his hammer and gave a horrendous war cry into the air, throwing his head back. Maude bobbed her own head to avoid one of the large curved horns. "Surrender Kull! Or your head is mine!" She shouted into it's hairy ear. The kull continued shouting, until his groaning subsided altogether. At last he threw his hammer away from him in defeat. Carefull, Maude let herself back down to the ground. When her feet hit the earth, she swayed dangerously, wanting to collapse from the pain in her shoulder.

"Now give me what is mine!" She demanded, pointing at the scroll in the kulls belt. Before acknowledging her, the kull first pulled the blade from his shoulder and tossed it at Maudes feet. Only then did he reach into his belt and remove the scroll. He threw this too at Maude's feet. "A good fight, little wasp." he said to her, though Maude could hear hate in his voice. "Just know, if I had been allowed to kill you, you would not be celebrating." Snorting at her, he retrieved his hammer, and then lumbered away into the woods. The last she saw of him, he was bandaging his wrist. Turning to Ian, she gave him a smile. "We did it." That was all she could manage, however. The pain from the crushed bone in her shoulder overcame her, and she passed out before she hit the ground.
***

Eva assumed they had been traveling the maze for at least an hour. She was shivering now from the icy cold of the glacier. The only sounds were dripping water and the clatter of Eos's talons on the icy ground. "What do you think?" She asked Eos, coming to another split end. "Left, or right?" Eva stood slightly to the left, looking down the icy tunnel. Eos was examining the right end of the fork. A sudden rumble shook the ground savagely, throwing Eva to her stomach, where she slid a few feet into the left fork. To her horror, an icy wall was coming up between her and Eos. "No!" She screamed, and clumsily got back to her feet. Eos had trouble turning around in the tight quarters of the maze, and it was obvious she wouldn't be able to turn in time. Nor could Eva reach her in time. The fall and the icy ground had eaten up valuable time. When she at last reached the wall, it was already fully erected. She pounded against the icy barrier furiously. On the other side, Eos released an inferno of flame. The fire did nothing. Eos...

Yes. We must continue on alone now. Do not fear, Eva. We will see each other again at the end of the maze! Race you there. Eva smiled at Eos's reassurances.

Fine. A race, then! Turning on her heels, she dashed off down the tunnel, slipping a bit as she went.

[Tismri]

Teza Mae moved to place her things in the saddlebag as Aradan pointed to it. She nodded her thanks to him and then looked at Veryan.
"May I ride you, Veryan?" she asked him politely. She knew some dragons, no matter the assumptions of the situations, would not appreciate just anyone climbing into their saddle and looking to be flown wherever they pleased. She wondered briefly about the seating arrangements; she hoped there would be enough room for all three of them on the young dragon. However, she decided that those arrangements would have to be coordinated between the dragon and Rider, and instructions given to her and her brother.
~~~~~
Gloriann smiled as she listened to Seth talk about his parents. She could hear the affection in his voice and knew they meant a lot to him.
"They sound like wonderful people," she told him. "I would love to meet them one day. I hope you can meet my family, too. I'm sure they would love to meet you."
Sundavar uncurled and stretched, yawning widely. Then she stood and gazed at the sky. I think we have waited long enough, she said. The day moves on, and we are no closer to our scrolls than when we began.
~~~~~
When Tally pulled the arrow out of the ground, Tylon examined the damage done to his poor cloak. The hole was small and round, but to him overly noticeable. He stared at it regretably; that was probably his favorite article of clothing, and he wore it nearly every day. Tati was going to have a lot to answer for ruining it.
He turned his attention to the girl as she introduced herself. "Well met, Talia Celesti," he told her, taking her hand politely and briefly brushing his lips against it; it was a custom for meeting girls and for him a well-developed habit. He smiled as she asked where he was from.
"My siblings and I hail from the capital of Ismalia," he informed her. "My father is Prince Tristan, cousin to the Queen Mother, though they are as close as any brother and sister." He looked at her quizzically for a moment or two. "And you, Tally? You are from Alagaesia, I can tell, but from what part? The lands are vast places indeed."

[Max452]

OOC: Maude! You rock! lol Oh, and did she dislocate or break her bone? I'm thinking its broken...lol

Ian's pulse ran fast as he had watched Maude fight against the Kull. At first, he wished that she didn't; had wished to step in and fight in her stead for fear of her safety. But no, this was her task and so he refrained for her sake, despite the displeasure that coursed through him. He watched with a grimace as she fought the kull and at one time, almost interfered but was astounded by Maude's craftiness and agility. She was really a great warrior and that made him fall for her more. Finally, when it was over and she had retrieved her scroll, Ian ran to her side. His eyes widened in terror as she seemed to pass out. He quickly reached her, catching her before she hit the ground. He did a quick survey of her wounds and realized that hit to the shoulder was a dangerous one. He considered using magic to heal her; to ease her pain, but knew, somehow, she would be angry with him if he did, not to mention he would have to face Eva's wrath.

Gingerly, Ian laid Maude down. He went straight to his pack and pulled out bandages and the familiar ointment. Upon inspection, Ian knew he had to remove Maude's tunic to properly treat it or at least create a sizeable hole. Normally, such contact and exposure would make Ian blush like a beet, but his concern for Maude blocked out those emotions. Taking the less offending route, Ian took out his knife and cut Maude's tunic, right above the shoulder. He'll have to promise to get her a new one later. When her shoulder was exposed, Ian generously placed the ointment onto her wound, noting that it was an internal problem, rather than an external. He could really do nothing until the exam was over. Finishing the application of the ointment, Ian began to tenderly bind her shoulder in place, as not to jolt it into further damage. He wrapped the bandage around her shoulder and led it diagonally across her chest and around back to keep it secure. It took him a considerable amount of time, but finally after an hour of making sure nothing else was wrong, Ian lifted his crush from the ground and proceeded to head back to their favorite boar. They would have to find a place to rest tonight, as Maude was in no condition to travel.

Ian travelled through their cut down path back to the boar. "She's hurt; we'll camp here." Ian informed the boar in the ancient language as he found a safe spot for them to rest. "Keep her warm, will you? I'll watch over you both tonight." He spoke to the boar as he placed Maude down on a makeshift bed made of leaves he had found. He sat beside her and the boar, intently watching for danger as he listened to Maude's breathing.

***
"Me too. I would like you to meet them." Seth told Glory with a smile. He heard Sundavar move and nodded to her. She was right, they had to get moving. Hyperion awoke soon after and Seth quickly gathered and packed their things. Finally, they were back in the sky, and heading straight to the point where they were anticipating to separate, despite Seth's reservations not to.

**
Having finished preparing the saddle for his new friends, Aradan addressed the Ismalians. "Princess Teza Mae, you shall sit in the front of the saddle and Prince Jason, you behind her. I will sit on the wool in front of the saddle." He informed them. He smiled then, as the Princess asked Veryan permission to ride him. That was a good idea on her part, as Veryan wasn't too fond of carrying others; last night was an exception since they were in danger.

The dragon thought for a moment, but then replied to Teza Mae. You may, two-legged princess. The dragon's voice was low and always reminded Aradan of thunder. "Up we go." He positioned himself beside Veryan to help the Ismalians up to the saddle.

[Trinn]

Taking Tezza's lead, Jason also asked, "And may I ride upon you as well, great dragon?" He waited for Tezza to be boosted up to the saddle, and then graciously accepted Aradan's help up as well. Once he was settled, he waited patiently for their journey to commence. On a side track, he also was annoyed that he wasn't seated between Aradan and Tezza. The way she had been looking at the elf... it left him feeling annoyed.
***

"I knew it!" Tally blurted out. "I mean, I thought you were of noble birth. You and your siblings are more beautiful than normal folk. And more graceful, too." Now knowing who it was she spoke to, Tally curtsied deeply to Tylon. "My family and I hail from the south of Alagaesia, in the village of Celesti. I'm sure its nothing compared to your birthplace."
***

Maude awoke sometime in the night, feeling disoriented. She made to get up, but stopped when a sharp, stabbing pain traveled from her right shoulder and down her arm. "Ah!" She cried out from surprise of the intensity of the pain. Looking at herself in the moonlight, she realized her arm was bandaged, and she was snuggled up against the boar. The fight with the Kull returned to her, and despite the pain, she felt elated. She had retrieved her scroll and beaten that hulking urgal! "Ian..." she called out, wondering where her travel companion was. He must have been the one who braced her shoulder. Which felt broken in a million pieces from that giant war hammer. "Ian." she called again, feeling irrationally worried about him.

OOC: haha! Maude's a toughy. And her shoulder has been broken. Into a few pieces. lol And there are some cracks in the bone in her arm, earned from the reverberation of the initial blow.

[Tismri]

Teza Mae smiled as Veryan accepted her, glad that she had started peaceful relations with the dragon. She graciously took Aradan's hand as he offered to help her into the saddle, and settled herself in the seat. She was a little concerned about the seating arrangement. In the past, whenever she had ridden on Caedus, one of her parents, or Jason, had always been sitting behind her. She was always in the front, and usually grabbed one of his neck spikes for support. With Aradan in front of her, her only means of support would be to wrap her arms around his waist After the fiasco she'd gone through when she woke up that morning, she was more than hesitant to do such a thing. She was sure just that amount of physical contact would cause him to think of her in terms that would not be very positive or appropriate. She decided that if she could, she would try to refrain from touching him, instead trying to keep her balance with just her legs in the saddle.
~~~~~
Glory returned Seth's smile, despite the fact that she knew he could not see it. Then she went to gather her things, packing her bedroll and pack into Sundavar's saddlebags.
"Seth..." she called to him as she prepared to mount the saddle, "Do you think...maybe we would both have time to get each of our scrolls? Because I would much rather finish this together, just like we started it."
~~~~~
"Whoa!" Tylon called out as Tally curtsied to him; he never was much of one for fanfare, as his connection to the royal line was a bit more distant than most. "I think 'beautiful' is pushing it for me and my brother. Heritage doesn't make attractiveness; at least, that's not the only determining factor." He listened as she explained where she came from, and gave her a sly smile. "See, that's what I meant. You come from a village, but I think the word 'beautiful' would apply much better to you than it would to myself."

[Max452]

Veryan glanced at Jason. He snorted. You may, two-legged King-Prince. The Black dragon acquiescence to the boy as he allowed the Ismalians to ride him. Once they were properly secured, Aradan easily hopped onto the makeshift saddle in front of Teza Mae. "It might be safer if you hold onto Teza Mae, Jason. And you to me, Teza Mae." Aradan instructed as Veryan began to move out of the cave, once out, the black dragon quickly took to the skies; urgent to claim their scrolls. They headed quickly toward the forest.

It was several hours before they arrived and Veryan hovered the large foliage forest, waiting on the next instruction. "Where is your scroll, Teza mae?" Aradan asked, turning the left side of his face to make eye contact with her.

***

Seth pondered on Glory's request. He didn't really want to leave her, but he was worried about the time constraints for the exam. After a moment, and much with Hyperion's encouragement, he agreed to Glory's option. "I think it would be safer. We can conquer what ever comes our way with two Riders and two dragons then by ourselves. We'll go get yours first, since I think that's quicker." He told her, allowing her and Sundavar to take the lead.

***
"What do you think our brother is doing?" Tatiana asked Thane, musing on Tylon's exaggerated movements, as well as the girl he was speaking with. "I think we should see to this new guest. I want my arrow back too." She glanced over to Thane briefly before heading over to Tylon and Tally.

OOC: So many T's! lol I almost wrote the wrong name!

***
OOC: Gotcha, Trinn! Poor maude...that must hurt!

At the sound of his name, Ian darted over to the now awake Maude. He glanced around him briefly, making sure they were safe before kneeling next to Maude. "Don't move. You've hurt yourself pretty badly; broke a few bones, I wager." Ian gently pushed her down, hoping not to cause her any more pain than she probably was feeling. "How's the pain?" He asked her as he turned to rummage through his pack for something. When his hands returned in front of him, he held out to her some water, food, and a green looking twig. "The twig has some pain relieving properties." He explained the last item. "Learned that from your Father too." He smirked lightly as he offered the items to her.

[Trinn]

Tally felt herself blush. Being called beautiful, by a noble! "Thank you." She said, her voice soft from shyness. She felt she had just received a great honor. It was then that she noticed the sister and brother coming her way. She was taken by surprise when the brother, older than Tylon it seemed, took her hand, made an elaborate bow, and kissed her hand. She was really blushing now.

"The name is Thane, and quite a pleasure it is to make your acquaintance fair maiden." Tally blushed, hardly knowing what to say.

"Thank you, m'lord." She said, curtsying deeply. "My name is Talia Celesti. But you can call me Tally."

"Duly noted, My lady." Thane said, winking at her.
***

"It feels a lot more than a few broken bones!" Maude complained, wincing at the constant, burning pain she felt in her shoulder. It was agonizing just to sit down again. In fact, she couldn't help but whimper slightly at the motion. "I'm useless now." she said dejectedly. Spying the twig that Ian brought out of the pack, she was able to smile briefly. "Thank you, Ian. You're quite resourceful. I'll have to tell my father that you take especial care to listen to his lectures." She took the twig first, her only thought to make the pain go away. She wasn't sure if she couldn't stomach food in this state. The twig was meant to chew on, to get the juices. Eating the bark and wood would do no good. Placing the merciful green stem in her mouth, she chewed on it gratefully. It had a rather minty taste. It would be an hour before the salve of the twig would kick in. So she chewed and closed her eyes, resting gingerly against the boar. "I'm sorry, Ian."

[Tismri]

Teza Mae hesitated for several moments after Aradan prompted her to hold on to him. Then, considering the really had nothing to lose and it would be safer to hold on, she put her arms around him, trying to not hold on too tightly.
For a while, the trip seemed awkward, but soon she got used to the silence and settled in. She noticed again how strong but lithe the Rider was, and she could feel his muscles whenever he shifted position. She tried not to focus too much on that, or on how close they were. She could see why Mother fell for a half-elf.
After the hours passed and the verdant forest appeared beneath them, Aradan turned to ask about her scroll. She formed a picture in her mind of the map as she gazed down at the section below.
"It's near the northmost part," she told him, "Almost to the corner between the test boundary and the Marshes."
~~~~~
Glory smiled as she mounted Sundavar's saddle, glad that Seth had agreed to stay with her. The dragons then took off and angled themselves toward the northeast sector of the testing grounds. She felt a slight churn in her stomach. The Marshes. Even the word sounded foreboding to her, and she was not thrilled at having to go there. And from the expanse of the misty plains spread out underneath her when they arrived, she felt there was good reason to be unnerved. The ground looked and sounded alive with snakes, lizards, toads, and even more unpleasant things.
~~~~~
Tylon dipped his head when Tally thanked him for his compliment, his smile remaining on his face. "You're welcome," he told her. But then he was interrupted by his siblings; Thane stepped right in between him and Tally and immediately started up his flirting.
"Look, Thane, your embarrassing her," he groaned. Mostly, he was just annoyed. Thane seemed to do this to every girl he ever met, especially the ones that Tylon liked to some degree. He sighed and began the introductions, pointedly pushing his brother back several steps. "Yeah, Tally, this is my brother Thane, and that's my sister, Tatiana." He indicated toward Tati. Then a thought crossed his mind. "Hey, Tally, would you like to join us for dinner later this evening? Your family's invited, too." He added the last part hastily just in case she thought differently for any reason.

[Max452]

Tatiana raised a humored eyebrow at Tylon and Thane. It looked like Thane was imposing on one of Tylon's infatuations again. She sighed. These boys. "Let her breath, you two; she isn't dinner." She brushed passed her brothers with all the elegance of a Princess. "It is a pleasure, Tally. My name is Tatiana, but I much prefer Tati." She greeted Tally, before turning to Tylon. "Where's my arrow?" She demanded. "I never said you could have it pulled out."

***
"All right, sounds like a plan" Aradan mentally nodded to Veryan. The black dragon headed into the designated location. After another hour, they made it to their location. Finding a safe spot, Veryan landed. Aradan immediately hopped off, after carefully removing Teza Mae's hands. He offered his hand to Teza Mae to help her off.

***
"You're not useless, Maude." Ian told her gently as she chewed on the twig. "It's just another challenge to face. Once we're out of here, I'll fix you up real good; my Mother taught me a few tricks on healing." He told her, not intending to sound boastful. "Besides, you still have two good legs and a good arm - we can still make it." He told her. "Rest, Maude. We still have a few hours until dawn. Sleep." He gently placed a hand on her good shoulder, pushing her down. He brought over some fern leaves he found and placed them on her. "I have watch tonight." He uncharacterisically smirked at her, as if challenging her to speak differently.

***
"Its a bit...squishy here, isn't it?" Seth commented as his boots landed onto the Marshland floor. "It smells moist and salty too." He grimanced. "I have an eerie feeling about this place." Seth stated as he heard Hyperion rustle his wings as he folded them to his body. Your scroll is here, Glory? Hyperion gazed about, feeling unnerved about this as his Rider. Lead the way, I will guide Seth.
"I'll be fine...though perhaps that will be a good idea." He relinquished an impending argument as he stepped in mud. He couldn't see well here. The ground was not even and the smell and uneasy feeling was throwing off his senses. He made a note to train himself more and better after this exam.

[Trinn]

After Tezza was off the dragon, Jason dismounted himself, a practiced motion from riding Caedus. Caedus was actually a bit harder to dismount due to his much large size, bigger by far than the kind Veryan. The woods were filled with birdsong, but besides that, seemed oddly still and silent. He loosened the sword in the sheath at his side, ready for a fight. Would Tezza simply be able to find and take her scroll, or would there be more to it than that... He knew, somehow, that there would be an obstacle. Just what it might be, he couldn't fathom.
***

Tally curtsied a third time, to Tatiana. The sister seemed far more regal than her brothers. "A pleasure to meet you all." She then looked back to Tylon, brown eyes astonished. He had invited her and her family to dinner with him, nobles! "I would be delighted to join you for dinner!" She agreed quickly. "I will have to ask my family first, however. In fact, I should probably go find my mother. I snuck off when she wasn't looking and I'm sure she's worrying over me... If you'll excuse me, m'lords, m'lady." She bobbed another curtsy, which was somewhat difficult to do when not wearing a dress, and dashed off towards the tents she had abandoned her mother and father at.
***

Maude nodded, feeling to tired and pained to argue with Ian. She felt worried, though, at the mention of healing. Sometimes magic worked fine for her, but at other times... it did strange things. She was half Ismalian, so it was no real surprise. Perhaps she would have to tell Ian that... in the morning. She tried not to grimace as he pushed her softly on her good shoulder. Even that pained her ruined shoulder on the other side of her collarbone. "Thank you, Ian. I may not wake up easily." she added, before gratefully drifting back into unconsciousness. The twig was starting to do its job.
~~

The morning brought fresh agony. Maude awoke with tears in her eyes. Sitting up, too quickly, she gasped and looked about for Ian. "Knock me out!" She begged him, standing and walking stiffly over to him. "Knock me out and throw me over the boar. It hurts so bad." Maude hated how weak she sounded, but the pain of the broken shoulder, untreated by a true medic or a magical healer, left her feeling woozy and lopsided, not to mention full of stabbing, burning, twisting, and pinching pain. "Knock me out. Just hit me in the head and put me out. The journey out of the woods and to the center of the boundary will be easier for both of us then. Knock me out. Just for today's journey. Please, Ian." She begged, grabbing him by the front of his tunic with her good arm.
***

The maze seemed to be endless. Eva estimated that she had been wandering it's length for at least three hours. What was worse, as she went on, the sound of Eos's mind had become softer and softer, until it vanished all together. The maze was giant, if it was keeping her from touching Eos's mind. Either that, or there was other magic at work here. Trudging along, hugging herself with her arms to keep warm, and slipping occasionally on the icy floor. After what felt like an endless amount of wrong turns and dead ends, Eva entered a passage that began to widen out at the end. It took a sharp turn to the right, and Eva found herself in a wide glacial cavern, arcing heavenward. Sunlight poured down through the hollow shaft of the center of the glacier, lighting up a pedestal in the center of the floor. Eva scurried over to it, where she saw a scroll resting atop the ice pedestal, which had been carved into the shape of a dragon. She gingerly lifted up the scroll and unrolled it, glancing at its contents. Now she would be able to reach the ruins! Now she was closer to passing this exam! Unable to stop smiling, Eva sat down near the pedestal, awaiting Eos's emergence from the other side of the maze.
~~

An hour or two later, Eos finally emerged, looking tired and frustrated. "Eos!" Eva exclaimed, and all of the sudden she could feel her dragons mind, as if they had never been separated. There had been magic at play, after all! Rushing to Eos's side, Eva hugged her dragon's leg, relieved to be reunited with her. "We've got the scroll, Eos!" The dragon threw her head at the sky and roared in triumph, the sound bouncing and reverberating off the glacier walls.

Let us be gone from this cursed place! Eos begged, fanning her wings and looking longingly up at the sunlight coming through the top of the glacier.

"Agreed, Eva said, and without further ado climbed up to her dragons back. Eos leaped powerfully into the air, gouging the ice floor with her talons. Eva tried not to touch Eos's scales. They were ice cold themselves. Eos flew upwards in a vertical spiral, until at last they escaped the glacier. Eos leveled out, catching the air with her wings and soaring still upwards. Free at last! she exclaimed, and Eva couldn't agree more.

[Tismri]

Teza Mae took her hands off Aradan after they landed, and took his hand as he offered it to help her dismount. She really didn't need help, having easily jumped off Caedus' back in the past. But it still seemed polite to accept offered assistance.
Once she was off, she gazed around, looking for her scroll. She stopped when she spotted an oddly shaped tree. It was large, and the was a hole right through the center of the trunk. She spied to the left the beginnings of a spiral staircase inside. She followed the sight of the tree upward until she saw, there at the very top, something like a platform upon which rested her scroll.
"I think I found it," she told the others, and without hesitation, went inside the tree. Once she was inside, the opening closed behind her, sealing her within.
It was dark within the tree. Teza Mae had to walk carefully as she took slow, steady steps upward. After a few seconds of walking, something started to glow on the interior wall of the tree. It seemed like a child's drawing of some sort, depicting a queen on a throne. Unintentionally, she brushed her hand against it, and in her mind she saw herself sitting on the throne back in Freia. The entire court, and her family, were kneeling before her. However, she did not see her mother anywhere, nor anyone who might be her husband.
No, she thought to herself. There would be only one explanation for such a scene. Her mother would have somehow died. No! It's not real. I refuse to believe it! The image faded from her mind, and she was back inside the tree. Just an illusion, a vivid dream. She paused for a moment to collect herself and continued her ascent.
The next picture that presented itself was of the queen from before pointing at a door, and another person kneeling before her. Curiousity got the better of her, and Teza Mae touched it. In her mind, she sensed insuppressable anger, and she was pointing to the door of the palace. Before her, Jason was kneeling, weeping, begging her forgiveness. She was banishing him.
It's not real, it's not real, she told herself, although the sight felt as if it was right before her, and she even felt emotions that were foreign to her right now.
The more she climbed, the more and more scenes were depicted. Every time she passed one, she found herself unintentionally touching them somehow--usually in the form of her tripping and falling against the wall. Each image that presented itself to her mind depicted her as a tyranical Queen Mother, merciless and angry, bringing terror and misery to her people. They progressively got worse as she climbed. She saw herself grow paranoid, giving the order that every woman in her family be hanged for treason--she watched Tati die. She never saw Jason after his banishment, and Thane and Tylon soon followed. She took what she wanted and destroyed what she didn't. Finally, upon a door that promised to lead outside, there was one last picture. The queen was jumping off a tower. Teza Mae guessed what it would be before she even touched it.
Upon contact with the picture, she felt utter despair fill her. There was no reason to continue living; her people hated her, her family was dead or banished. Her country was at war, most of her villages devestated.
There was snow falling. The flakes floated gently down in front of her face. She wondered what it would be like to be a snowflake. No worries or troubles. Just a thing of beauty, gently gliding downward. She leaned forward. She wanted to be a snowflake. She didn't want to be queen. She felt her feet leave the edge of the tower. The ground below rushed up to greet her.
Teza Mae wrenched the door open, and glorious sunlight fell on her face. The stupid scroll was sitting in front of her, the scroll that she had suffered all this misery to obtain. She didn't reach out and take it. Not at first. She just curled up on the floor and cried, trying to forget everything she had seen. All her fears of leading had passed her by, all the reasons that ever crossed her mind that she might be unfit to rule.
Finally, she shook herself. It was not real. For whatever reason, those images were presented to her, but they were not real. And now she knew what to avoid becoming. Whatever happened, whenever the day came that she became the Queen Mother, she refused to become that. Resolutely, she picked up the scroll, not even bothering to look at the contents, and turned away. She looked for another way down; she refused to go inside the tree again. She spotted a rope ladder to the side, which she pushed down. She took a moment to dry her face, to attempt to hide the emotions that had tormented her. Then she climbed down and found Aradan and Jason again.
"I got my scroll," she told them, her voice tight in an attempt to hide the ordeal she had just suffered through. "Let's get out of here."
~~~~~
Glory looked around after they landed, looking for a sign that might be her scroll. At first she saw nothing; just dense mist and fog.
"I...I think I see something," she said after looking around for a while. There was a light ahead. It seemed to be just floating there, existing on its own. She remembered from class that it was a magical phenomenon known as a werelight. As she walked toward it, another appeared nearby. She went after it.
Glory, wait! Sundavar called trying to follow her. But the fog around the girl condensed and made her impossible to see, and Sundavar couldn't even sense her anymore. Glory turned for a moment and panicked slightly when she couldn't see the others. She couldn't see anything except for the gray mist, and the werelights. She had no choice now but to follow them.
The next was a bit farther away, and in between, there was deep water. She knew she didn't want to fall in; she couldn't tell how deep it was, and there might be any manner of creatures in it. She jumped, and landed nearly on top of the light. She looked around for the next one. This one seemed to be moving, slowly, in a pattern. She noticed that the water seemed to be shifting, and realized that the werelight was above dry land that was moving around with it. She had to wait several moments before it got near enough, and then jumped to that one. Once on it, the dry land seemed to carry her around, not slowing down in its patterned movements. The next werelight was stationary again, and Glory waited until her platform was close enough to it, jumping once again.
She continued like this for a while, sometimes walking, usually jumping from light to light. One time, she nearly missed a moving platform, landing into the water and grabbing onto it with her hands. As soon as she fell in, she heard a distinct hiss, and turned to see a snake swimming through the water. It opened its mouth wide and showed a pair of long fangs. The inside of its mouth was pure white. Glory shrieked out in terror and tried to clamber onto the platform, but she felt the snake graze its fangs over her leg, scratching it. It wasn't a deep bite, but she thought the poison might affect her anyway.
Eventually, she found one last stationary werelight, brighter than the others. It was hovering just above a pedestal that held her scroll. The instant she took it, the mist cleared away, revealing bright sunlight. It also showed her just a few yards away from where she began, and she saw Seth and the dragons waiting there. She began to limp over to them.
Glory! Are you all right? Sundavar asked, concerned about her limp.
"I got bit by a water snake," she said. "It's just a couple of scratches, but I think I might have some venom in my bloodstream."
~~~~~
Tylon smiled at the eagerness Tally displayed at his invitation. He really hoped her family might agree. She seemed like a nice, interesting girl. He turned when Tati asked for her arrow.
"Uuuuhh..." he said, looking around. "I think your arrow might have just run off that way," he informed her, pointing to where Tally had gone. He gave his sister an accusing glare, lifting up his damaged cloak. "And look at what you did! You put a hole in it! Couldn't you have shot my boot or my headband? I really liked this cloak!"
~~~~~
Marola sat down outside the tents she and her family had set up, letting Lyta play nearby but keeping her in sight. She knew all her children were scattered around, but trusted that they would all make it back in time for dinner. She glanced around the crowd nearby, wondering what Marcus was up to.

[Max452]

Ian was startled from his watch by Maude's painful cries. He turned toward her as she begged him to knock her out. "What?" He looked at her with a horrified look. "No!" He shook his head. "I won't hurt you!" The thought made him want to gag. "No, Maude! Just...just...sit down okay!" He wouldn't hurt her. "I'll make the pain go away, okay! But I refuse to hurt you!" He told her as he ran off really quickly, but not before shoving some twig in her hand. "Guard her, boar!" He yelled back at the boar as he disappeared into the thicket.

Ian felt frantic as he stared at the ground, looking for the ingrediants he needed. He remembered Master Kyler's recipe for a pain balm. The juices of five plants together created a soothing balm that worked well for pains in the muscle, joints, and bone. Ian only managed to collect 4 before the exam started, now he desperatly searched for Kingsfold. "Where are you, where are you?" He was gone for 10 minutes before he found it. It wasn't much, but it was enough. Ian raced back to the clearing where he left Maude and the boar. "Just hang on Maude, I'll make your pain stop, I promise!" His shaking hands began to mix the ingredients that he had placed on a rock. He used another rock to smush them together. He managed to make a good amount of blue paste. "Okay, Maude! Come here!" He went to remove her bandage so he could see her wound better. The next step, he would be pasting her shoulder and hurt arm with the blue paste, hoping that it would numb or take away her pain.

***
"Princess Teza Mae!" Aradan shouted and raced to the tree as he spotted it close behind her. "Hey!" He yelled at the tree. He was half tempted to use a spell to command it to open, but Veryan stopped him. This is her test, Aradan. We cannot do anything but wait. The dragon told his Rider, but Aradan was filled with annoyance. He took out his sword and was about to struck the tree, but halted when Veryan repeated his words. This is her trial! You cannot interfere! The dragon replied knowingly. His black neck arched up to look at the tree. Remember, this is a test. Our Masters wouldn't place us in life threatening harm. He reminded both Jason and Aradan.

Finally, what seemed like an eternity, Aradan spotted Teza Mae climbing down. He looked at her closely when she stated she had her scroll. Her eyes were red and her voice strained. "Are you all right?" He asked her, concerned.

***
"Glory!" Seth called out to her the moment he didn't smell her presence. "Glory!" He called out again and could sense his Dragon and Sundavar's uneasiness. "Glory!" Seth shouted once more and just charged ahead, desperatly trying to find his friend. "Where are you!?" He shouted and stumbled into the mud when his foot caught a rock. Panic filled him. Where was his best friend? Do you guys see anything? He called out to Hyperion and Sundavar.
No...the mist is far too thick. Hyperion answered and gently helped his Rider up. We can't go anywhere.
No! I will find her! Seth defiantly pushed Hyp away and tried again to find his friend. He tripped once more, getting a gash along his head from a rock he nicked. Seth growled. He was no good here! He needed to find Glory!

Seth continued onward, falling and tripping as he went, but finally, Hyperion stated that the mist was clearing. I see her!
"GLORY!" Seth called out, mud and blood covering him. His senses were immediately assaulted by Glory's scent. And he found it much easier to walk, well in his case, run toward her voice. "Sit down!" He commanded her in a panic, worried voice. When Hyp notified him when she sat and where her leg was, Seth immediately traced her leg to find the wound. The next thing he did, was find the punctured wounds and suck out the venom himself. He spat out the blood he tasted and then went back to sucking on her leg again, hoping to get the venom out.

***
Tatiana growled out. "WHAT? You let her take it!? That was a gift from Grandmother!" Tatiana stared at Tylon with a menacing aura. "YOU! Get that back! And you're lucky that's the only hole I made!" She jabbed her finger into Tylon's chest. "Get my arrow back or else I'll shoot up your cloak!" She threatened before marching off in seething anger toward her Mother. She needed to get away from her brothers before she actually drew blood from them.