Ruby-Beta stumbled through the tunnel out of Hydra near the end of the trail, but alive nonetheless. It was disappointed - hadn't the Sentinels done better then near the back? But it was also relieved - it had survived and it had done what it had set off to do. A weight felt lifted from its shoulders, the legacy that it had felt nipping at its heels from hatch was finally gone.

At last, knowing that it had made it to safety, it let itself sink to the ground, panting heavily, blood slowly dripping from the wound that had been opened once again. It's eyes were blurred from the bright lights and dehydration, but they rolled around until they were looking at Vargas. Did I make you proud? It hoped it did.

The brush of the Merchent's fingers were a relief. The pain was only a temporary thing, far overshadowed by the sweet release of sleep and chrysalis.

exit

He was properly tired by the time he arrived back in the Tunnel, but not nearly to the extent some of the others were struggling and gasping and collapsing on their sides. He was mentally counting those that had made it and, upon realizing they were a few short, quickly turned back towards Hydra with a look of shock. "Wait...some of them didn't make it! We should try-"

Too late. The Merchant was already walking past and a finger was brushing his feathers. A loud squawk echoed through the tunnel before Glory went silent, asleep, awareness blinking out like a light.

He was... so tired. Jim swayed a little on his feet as Vargas made his little speech, not really hearing any of it. He noted distantly the Merchant's touch sending everyone around him into their chrysalis with a violent jolt--that looked painful, but he didn't think there was any avoiding it. The fox closed his eyes, sighing. At least now he could rest.

--exit

Hours of trekking through the sand and countless embarrassing, painful failures had turned Captain's glossy black coat matte. Nevertheless, the buffalo still had some fight left in him! "Scurvy dog," he spat when the Merchant came for him, tossing his horns at the masked figure, and was rewarded by the heavy impact of a magical bolt and a flash of splitting pain before he knew nothing more.

--exit

The Masked Merchant was NOT TRUSTWORTHY. Zhusha watched with narrowed eyes as gemstone after gemstone dissolved into dust in his hands, and the brush of his hands sent even the survivors collapsing into their chrysali. With a burst of flapping white wings, Zhusha tried to make a break for it--he didn't want to submit to whatever unholy ritual this was--but the magic struck him down anyway, and cinnabar engulfed him.

--exit

The world had lost meaning to Fleas. To Fleas the time, the world, her existence, had shrunken to the scant miliseconds when her paws hit the ground. Then she felt the twinge in her muscles. The raw, stinging pain in her paws, scraped by salt. The unendingly distant horizon came into blurry, indistinct view as smears of color. Her paw lifted. And then those miliseconds ended. She ran on nothing but the instinct to keep moving.

But inevitably, mercifully, she ran out of cave, the entrance to tunnel P looming. She froze, unsure what to do. There was nowhere else to walk to. Consciousness slowly trickled back in. "I--I did it?" Rasped her voice, low as a whisper. "I di--"a bolt of pain scoured through her. She tumbled to the ground, the merchant's black robes filling her vision. As her crysalis crept around her, Fleas last thoughts were an almost casual reflection on how this death actually didn't feel that bad.
"When I speak"
When I think

;exit fleas, mutating to take glory's thumbs, eyhook wings and tail (extending her normal tail to grow like a bald RAT past its usual furred end), and using the general mutation to grow porcupine quils beneath her fur!

Galleon was exhausted by the time she reached the exit. Both mentally, emotionally, and physically. Her efforts to save others were for naught. She was forced to walk past the dead who lost their lives in the salt plains. All dead before she had the opportunity to help. She finally reached the exit.The sandshark panted heavily, using these free moments to rest.

She was lucky enough to watch what the masked merchant did to the other contestants. The single touch sent them to their chrysalises. She stared as he approached, too exhausted to fight, but still willful enough to mutter a single "Get it over with." When the merchant's touch came, she was relived. At least for a little while, she didnt have to do anything but recover.

;exit Galleon, mutating to take rows of mouth/throat teeth from sandworms, and One's stripe pattern

This post is for round 10

Aran is in pain but he keeps moving. There is nothing else he can do. Getting out of this trial - getting out of hydra - is the best thing he can do for himself right now. He can tell that something's happened - the bird's eyes can see that someone's hit the floor. The only thing he can do is move on. There's no words from him, nothing.

And then a spell surrounds him. Aran can feel anxiety that is not his. There is panic - and through it his target gets away. It takes the barasingha far too long to reorient himself, heart still racing.

The heat is getting to him now. Especially with how expansive the flats truly are. It feels like it never ends. But like the others, Aran keeps going. He will not let himself die - even with the injuries he's sustained thus far. He goes. All of them do, just like sheep.

Round 11

He reaches it. Shade - protection. A slightly chilled area away from the rage of Hydra. Away from the creatures aiming for his - and the other's - death. As more and more gembound filter in, Aran wonders how so many got to live. Surely it would be worse? There is some missing - but the barasingha never did pay attention to who was who. So he's not exactly sure which creatures are missing from the pile.

A big purple guy who makes Aran pause for a moment says some words. Yes, some did fare better than others. Aran wishes he could say he was at the top of the group in top shape, but he simply is not. But he did survive, and even if he didn't win anything he did make it out.

He moves to attempt to leave, to get out of here before they can get into any more trouble - but before he can he's already chrysalized.

Exit