[Quest] The Trials - Part II - Printable Version

Shango followed along, doglike, content with his hovering Wisp. He didn't mind the heat, so much, and he immediately sprang up at the sight of one of the dust devils in excitement, bawling "STOOOOORM!" in approval.

He did not, however, like the dry air. He wanted storms; he wanted rain. He wanted to go into Hydra and make water fall, and thunder crash. And he wanted to do another trial, too. Shango had little else to do, no other goals--well, nothing other than to return to the three stones to which he'd prior given life. But at the moment, he still saw no danger: he wasn't really smart enough to, nor had he been unlucky enough to confront any of it in the prior trials.

Oblivious, then, the poor hybrid pranced up to Hydra's entrance, and sat to peer out, listening intently to the Masked Merchant. He tried, as he did so, to summon a second wisp to join the first. He wanted a few circling by the time the trial started; this new magic he'd been taught seemed to be able to throw quite a few of them, all at once. Neat!

This will be fun. Good. Stooorm, were his only thoughts.

Indelia had wandered for a few cycles alone. She didn't really know where to go, and wandered everywhere.

She had been in Canis when something in particular caught her eye. A group of gembound, following...something. It had intrigued her, moreso than anything else she'd seen recently. She thought about leaving, and not following.

A second later and she was going after them, wondering where they were going. It didn't take long for that question to be answered. They were going into a tunnel she had never seen before. She followed.

The tunnel was hot. Hotter than anything she'd felt before. She almost thought about turning back, but she persisted. It's not like she had anything better to do. But still, the heat and wind were terrible. She felt like she was going to be knocked off her paws!

And as the group finally stopped, she listened to the one leading them. And immediately frowned. A trial? Death? She did not want to die. She was still young! There were many gembounds to meet, even if she hadn't actually done much to meet them. But the chance was still there.

But if she did this...she wasn't sure she'd live. So with just a brief moment's hesitation, she took a step back. "I followed out of curiosity. And boredom. But hearing what might happen...I can't do this." Another step. She looked at the chrysalises, wondering where they had come from, before she turned tail and fled.

-exit Indelia-

Speech. Thought.

Kalama was prepared. She followed behind the Merchant, dogged and impatient, clambering over even as the harsh heat beat down on her dark feathers and wind whipped at what it could reach, mixing feathers with grit and sand. Her beak was soon parted in a pant, a mixture of pure anticipation and the sheer heat of the tunnel. She'd win. She knew she'd win. She had nothing to lose and everything to gain.

She eyed the chrysalises briefly, her gaze lingering on the pink one in particular caught her eye-it reminded her of the one she'd found. Were they related in some way? Not that she'd ever use a chrysalis. That was a cowards way out, she was not afraid of death, she was too crafty to succumb. She'd become even more crafty once she won.

She noticed a familiar crocodilian tail, and turned, instantly recognizing Imp. He still had a full neck of mane, much to her irritation. But he was one of the few people here she knew. She resolved to prove she was better than him in this trial, even if their fight had gone not... as well as she'd planned. She narrowed her eyes, and turned towards the Merchant. She meandered her way through the crowd, following Imp, and made sure she was at the front of the gathering before she spoke.

"I, Kalama, will participate. There is nothing in there that will kill me." She declared, as loudly as she could, attempting to one up all those who'd chosen to join the trials. If she said the words, they would have no choice but to become true. All the gembound would know her name, and her bravery, for when she'd come out victorious. This was where she belonged, where she felt nearly unstoppable. She puffed out her feathers, and stood as vertical as she could, head tucked to hide her ruff of down, to show herself as the beacon of courage.

Speech. Thought

Death...?

Having the challenges spoken aloud, implying and directly stating that death was a possibility, made Eythan's ears flicker back with hesitation and uncertainty. Bright eyes moved to and fro rather shamefully, for he had failed to find any stones to aid in the opening in this cave. Regardless, he had come to see what the deal was with this barrier (like a good little Bonebound, right?)

"I'm not going to participate. There's too much at stake for me," he chirped with a bow of his head, his justifications hurried and tumbling over his beak. His gaze shifted over to Kalama, standing at attention. A child. Maternal instinct kicking into overdrive, he furrowed his brow and placed a paw in front of her. "Don't you dare go around thinking stupidity is bravery, Kalama."

Wow, unexpectedly wise advice, huh?

The kitten hadn't come.

The caves-damned kitten hadn't come.

It had taken him a bit to realize, but finally he had noticed that there was no tiny blur of black. He had sighed in nothing short of sheer exasperation, but kept trotting--he was already on his way, after all, and there were so many Gembound that he didn't want to let go on their own. So he kept loping with the crowd, a Will o' the Wisp floating beside his head.

He listened as the Masked Merchant spoke, and sighed. 'Yeah, I'm gonna die.' He was definitely going to fucking die, wasn't he?

"I'll go." and that was that.

I've been on a lonely tripdragging along a lonely shadow

Death be my dignityExecute hemlock philosophyPoison fills the cup of the carpenter

Naja couldn't say he had ever seen so many Gembound gathered in one place before.

They were trailing behind a large, robed, masked figure unlike anything that he had seen before, and he drew himself up, tongue darting out to taste the air. 'Oh, what is this?' The massive cobra began to slither, following along at the tail of the gathering, contemplating what might be inside this new Cave. It was new, yes--he had explored all of the caves in his Cycles, and this one was one he had never before seen.

As the Merchant began to speak, he worked at coiling himself, all thirteen feet slowly rounded until he was a heap of scaled muscle. It was definitely interested and, while there was a threat to himself, it would be an interesting study. So he drew himself up, tongue darting out to taste the air, and spoke up, "I shall."