Monoceros was almost nostalgic. It wasn't quite like Hydra [which had soured in his memory after the trails, anyways] or even Canis, but it was still dry, and hot, and carved with canyons that looked awfully fun to parkour in. But Connie was here to do an entirely different and far more official parkour course, so he had to stay focused!

His wings remained tucked close to his body- he didn't intend on using them, since he wasn't all that great at flying in the first place, but he didn't really want to risk accidentally fluttering a bit and getting disqualified.

He was small and nimble, and had no problem weaving through the crowd and leaping over the hurdles.

...Man, Star would've been having a blast if she was here.

The Huntsman was still questioning its decision to participate in this at all. Compared to the hydra trials, this was pathetically low-stakes, with none of the risk he'd found so compelling. And he was in between molts, still bearing the wooden exoskeleton, so he couldn't do anything to risk his reputation.

But really, Huntsman had no reputation of any kind. He'd really done nothing of note other than the aforementioned hydra trials. The Olympics were a good chance to put himself 'out there,' so to speak, and any potential rewards he got from placing well were just a bonus. Or at least, that was what he was telling himself as he stood at the starting line.

As soon as the call sounded he broke into a sprint, thundering forward on three sets of limbs and clearing obstacles with ease, even without the help of his wings.

A shame that Harvey couldn't have gone to Monoceros with him. The whole reason Richter had even decided to participate in this event, other than testing his athleticism, had been to give running an obstacle course as fair of an attempt as his own familiar had in the past. Safety came first, however, and he couldn't deem the minimal shelter available from regular temperamental gusts here enough to risk the walleye rabbit's presence as a spectator. Instead the little Lesser was situated a cave away, entertained by a platter of succulent greens he'd gathered before heading off to compete. Hopefully, despite having a bottomless stomach, his friend would be distracted long enough by it for him to finish and return.

Never too focused on winning to snub his fellow contestants, each one he happened to notice padding up to the start line was greeted similarly. He hopped in place and waved a paw at those gathering at either side of him.

"Let's, ah, all do our best, right?" A most unnecessary question, but he at least was trying to be supportive of others. After all, once the race was fully underway, he likely wouldn't have any breath to spare for such niceties.

Caught up in the moment of giving everyone brief recognition, the bellow to get moving didn't register nearly as quickly to him as those who simply didn't care. Ears twitched, but the word "go" only became recognized as the beginning signal once he realized already most beside him had kicked up dust and advanced a fair few paces ahead. A wince seized Richter's shoulders, and he dipped his head in embarrassment before bounding off. Light on his feet, a natural leaper, only when his mind wandered did obstacles nearly thwart his run. If not for speed, the occasional misleap upon ground not quite as stable as it appeared to be would've sent him sprawling with a foot trapped in one of the holes crumbling into existence behind him.

Auddie has never been in this room before. Perhaps that's one underrated good aspect of this whole Olympics thing, he supposes. Seeing places you otherwise wouldn't have thought to explore. He's not exactly built for the climate, but his natural form is resilient in the face of the raging wind. You might think it's less emboldened by the multitudes of hurdles to cross, but Audland's being by base was packed with a hidden spryness. He only needed the proper start to spring.

Using the incredible musculature hidden in his tail underneath all the fluff, Audland is able to (just barely) catapult himself up over each obstacle.

This competition is mostly likely hardly even a concept in the train's mind. It is here now, and there is a path before it. Despite any obstacle, it must traverse. It rolls up to the first obstacle. It stares at the first obstacle. It looks at the first obstacle. It is in front of the first obstacle.

And it does not move. Is it because of all the people around? Too embarrassed to do anything besides clear the obstacles using magic? It is unclear how the train even directly knows not to use magic, but perhaps given the amount of blatant visual cues, it is not hard to figure out.

Come on, train. We know you can do it... Everyone cheer for the train please.

[Origin Cave]

Obstacle Course

Round 2!

So far, so good. Nearly all of the gembound were able to navigate their way through the gorge, a show of agility and speed and quick thinking when it came to the hurdles and obstacles set in their path. A couple fell behind the pack and need to still clear the rest of twists and turns, but for the majority...the walls open.

Now, the path veers right through the heart of the cave - skirting by and beneath the Twister. There are no obvious obstacles here, but they must push through the unrelenting wind to make it across this section of the course.

Current Placements:

1. Face the Twister! - Nebula, Nidhogg, Bauxite T-One, Coilean, Surgis, Triage, Eira, Conleth, Huntsman, Richter, Audland
   
   
2. The Gorge! - Chromite T-One, Titivilus
   

@Nebula (Eira) @Triage @Richter @Titivilus (Audland) @Bauxite-T-One (Coilean) @Surgis @Nidhogg (Chromite T-One) @Conleth (Huntsman)

Still with the pack, Surgis could already begin to feel the energy in her chest, the veins in her neck flaring into action. She would not let anyone pull ahead if she could help it. Ducking her head down and horns forward, Surgis pushed onward, digging her nails into the rocky floor below her to avoid being knocked over by the wind.

Hair whipped this way and that, and she had to squint at the dirt being kicked up, but she was still going strong.

Chromite made it back to the starting line. That hadn't been the right direction in the SLIGHTEST. But it'd gotten lost, after all, so it went back to the start to begin again. Whatever spurred its internal logic wasn't on clear display, here, but it paused completely before Titivilus. "We have to run. Are you running?" it asked, staring at the flesh-train. "It is this way."

Instead of moving forward, it just stood there, thinking, its mandibles moving aimlessly as its mind wandered unknown and meandering paths. Then it blinked at Titivilus. "We are supposed to run the obstacle course. It is a test of our ability. It is this way."

But in encouraging the train, it failed to actually... move, itself.

@Titivilus (for interaction)

Nidhogg squiggled. That was the only real way to describe his movement. His heritage was hulking, long-limbed Valkhound, weird oilbeast, and alligator; the resultant locomotion looked sort of like a gecko in fast-forward. Currently he was darting along a narrow ledge, which was technically part of the track but dangerously close to a steep drop-off, close beside the howling Twister. His low body was an advantage, here; he didn't have so much wind resistance that it'd pick him up and fling him, and he was just heavy enough that one couldn't call him "lightweight," either.

He didn't speak: his many eyes were on the prize, which--in his mind--was more freedom from that asshole Vargas. He wasn't sure what he'd have to win to claim something so he figured he'd try to win ALL of it. Whatever "ALL" ended up being. He hadn't exactly researched this, going in.

The wind tore at his quills, leaving a sea of glowing-tipped black rippling along his spine as he continued his squiggling along the course. Moments later he was leaving the wind behind, having successfully navigated past it, albeit having left hard scratches in the dust to mark where it'd nearly gotten him.

Okay! He could do this. He wasn't at the very front of the pack, but he wasn't at the back either.

His ears pinned down as he pushed through the wind, panting softly as he tried to make himself a bit more aerodynamic, but it didn't work as well as he wanted and he found himself getting pushed backwards, making him groan slightly like a child.