As Agate got through the thick of the smoke, coughing, they found themselves completely behind. As though the sky itself was mourning the cockatrice's failure, rain began to crash all around them, and the distance sound of roaring became deafening. Uncertain, the cockatrice landed on the ground, the torrent of rainfall soaking their feathers and making it too hard to drive upward-- there were no rising drafts, only the crashing rain.

The sound was concerning, however, and they didn't dare stop to find out what it was. They raced after those they had fallen behind, glad that they had used their wings for most of the marathon thus far. Their arms were tired, yes, but their legs were raring to go. As they fought to keep up, however, it quickly became apparent that they couldn't just outrun this danger. A massive wall of water turned down the twisting path behind them, and with terror, they scrambled for the wall, bolting up every little purchase they could find. They were fast enough to avoid the wave, but the water crashed just inches bellow them, and their eyes bulged.

The current was fast, and they still couldn't fly-- they would be stuck here until the water passed, or... Just behind them, they spotted the skull-wearing fossa getting carried along by a log. "Hang on!" They squawked, their voice drowned out by the violent sound of the storm and the flood. They lunged off the cliff face, flapping their wings as they managed to scramble and find purchase on the flat surface.

Agate didn't know who this gem was, but they had already made their decision-- they need to stick with whoever they could. Allies would not help them in the Trials, perhaps, but it would make all the difference at the finish line. "Are you quite alright?!" They screeched over the rain. "What is your name?!"

agate is staying with mayngo!

Shango was happily--or, at least, blithely--wandering along the floor of the ravine, now. The canyon was narrow--almost too narrow to fly through, not that he could properly fly anyway. The hybrid wasn't sure how far they had left to go, but he was content in the moment: it was raining, the rain was only growing heavier, it was cooling, foggy, the wind picking up.

It was--of course--a storm.

Shango felt in his element, though when others began to cry out--to leap skyward, or for the ridges--he turned and glanced sharply behind him. Alarm took him--a wall of water was hurtling through the pass, coming up behind him.

Shango turned, leaping into action with a swift bound, ghostlight eyes widening. His magic welled up instinctively, and he willed himself to be taken airborne, to glide over the water with the storm's wind beneath his scalefeathered wings. On this new wind he glided, and banked--and realized quickly that he could hardly see past the thick fog. Eyes narrowed, head lowering and ears flattening against the battering torrents of rain. He swept low, but not too low, his winds keeping him safely over the water but close enough to see it clearly. Twice he accidentally dipped in, barely lifting himself out before it truly caught him, and adrenaline sharpened his reflexes so that he was twisting and angling second-by-second for his life. Logs, mud, even boulders went flashing by beneath him, and he turned, peering back as he glided for those who may have been taken by the flood.

For once, he didn't seem to feel the need to bellow "STORM," probably because by now, it would be clear to everyone.

Shango will NOT be pushing ahead, but remaining behind for those who might need aid.

Reseda watched out of the corner of her eye as the fox was thrown over the cliff...but it seemed that it was too quick for the spell, saving himself from certain death. Disappointing. She made no visible clue of this, however, or that she'd even seen it happen. She simply continiued on, trailing behind the cloud of smoke as it began to dissipate in the drizzling rain.

But then it wasn't drizzling rain, and instead of downpour of the likes that Reseda had never seen before. She glanced up, hissing as a drop of water got in her eye and glanced back at the roaring water. For the first time, her eyes widened a bit with surprise at this turn of events. As if they needed more testing.

The torrent was growing closer and closer but she already knew what she was doing. There were plenty of rocks around - a nice big one was wedged in the cliffside. She flicked her magic towards it, dislodging it, and set it rolling steadily behind her. She simply turned away, continuing to trudge on as if nothing was happening. Behind her, she felt a shift in the rock as the water hit it, spraying over and around, drenching her, but otherwise missing her. She was able to keep her footing as the worst of the flood was diverted by the rock. It was a strain, but she continued on coolly, caring little for how everyone else was faring.

Reseda will be moving on

BLACK OPAL
now is the climax the story that gives the demons and angels purpose

Plodding beside Asimona, the Black Opal regarded her for a moment. She was a mighty creature, huge, powerful, but still too fresh. With a long trek from here to the Dead Marshes, the Opal figured he make conversion to pass the time, maybe offer some friendly advice while he's at it. "He's right ya' know, He croaked to her. "The Desert Rose, he's right. Helping others out here, it's well... it's hazardous, the only thing that matters is surviving, and sometimes, that means looking out for just yourself." The eel-creature slicked back his fins and gave her a sly look. "Anyway, that's what I should say. He scoffed. "And he's one to talk. He and his brother are inseparable... lucky bastards." The Opal stretched his neck and raised his eyestalk to see if could spot the brothers' position, but they must have been too far down the trail. "There is something to be gained by teaming up, but the only gembound you can truly rely on" He coughed shot her weary, yellow, stare. Is yourself. The Opal coughed as smoke tickled his lungs. Really? "You have good heart, Diamond... He paused, coughing some more."Don't let it get you killed..."

...Damn turtle-bird. He hissed, carrying on.

The path soon began to narrow, high canyon walls rising on both sides. The Black Opal looked down, kicking some stones with his webbed feet. Did this used to be a river bed? He thought, noticing the smoothness of the rocks. As rain droplets dripped on his back, he looked up at the sky. Ominous, dark clouds loomed above them. The Opal spread his fins, enjoying the pleasant, moisturizing drizzle, but he couldn't help but feel uneasy. He'd never seen this much rain in Hydra before. "We should hurry." He said, noticing the puddles forming at his feet.

It wasn't long until it was full on downpour, waterfalls spraying down at their sides. A part of Opal wanted to roll around in raising water like newborn gemling, he had never encounter this much in his life! He knew better, however, because something wasn't right.

Then there was rumbling from behind.

The Opal snapped his head around, and his eyes grew wide. For the first time in a long time, felt true fear. A monstrous cascade of water, higher than the Matriarch herself, was rushing towards him. It swept up everything in its path. He flattened his fins in terror. "Oh SHIT!" The Black Opal bounded forward and threw himself into a belly slide, riding the slippery path down in a last ditch effort to out maneuver the flood, but was too late. In a cruel twist of fate, the very water craved for all his life, now threatened to kill him.

The wall of water crashed into him like a boulder. Swallowed alive, the Opal found himself being pummeled by rocks and longs as the violent, swirling currents thrashed him about. Although he was in no danger drowning, the debris and coppery silt irritated his gills. Without his bearings, the Black Opal's was a tumbling mess of murky water. Just my luck I'd fucking die like this! He thought sourly.

From Mesa, to smog, to canyon, this was an incredibly varied Cave. A labyrinth, then, they'd have to find their way through?

The dog kept a careful grip on the talon, making sure not to dent it with his teeth as he trotted through the Crucible, shaking his head to keep the light rain out of his ears. But it only grew worse, drizzle worsening into a downpour, and he found himself ducking his head to keep the water out of his ears and eyes.

It was the roaring that caught his ears first, and he turned to face the sound, tilting his head. That... didn't sound right. 'What is that?' and then... a flood! His eyes widened and, voice muffled by the talon, he yelled, "Run!" twisting and breaking into a gallop, feeling the beginning of the flood lick at his heels.

And then he was being swept up into the water, sucked off of his paws. He yelped, denting the talon as he clenched it in his teeth, beginning to lash out with his paws in an awkward swim--only to be further dazed, having yet to fully recover from the first, as a log slammed into his head. But, perhaps, it was a good thing, as he was able to surge upwards, slinging himself over the top of it, straddling it.

Speech. Thought.

Styx is: staying behind to help

Asimona followed Ru, the matriarch's head clasped in her jaws. She glanced over as another champion joined, the eel-creature she hadn't really noticed before. A glance at its gem and she could guess what its name was. Her brow furrowed a bit as he spoke and every part of her wanted to disagree with him...but he had been through this before. Perhaps he had failed or made it through, it was not clear, but the one thing that was certain was that she knew little compared to him.

Rely on herself? She still struggled, sometimes, with her own self-worth, as a person, as a dragon, as a mother...how could she rely only on herself for survival? Of course, she would not lean on Ru or Agate for protection, but if the time came that she was to die, wouldn't it be better to have friends that would help rather then go on your own? It had come in handy in the desert and she'd saved the fossa during the climb. So far, teaming up was proving a far better strategy then going alone.

She could not say anything, however, with the matriarch's head still clamped firmly in her jaws, so, instead, she blinked and gave him a small nod to confirm her understanding. That would have to do for now.

She stayed by Ru as they went down the canyon and a rumbling behind them caught her attention. The rain had begun pouring and horror clamped down on her at the sight of the flood. She growled through the trophy she held and opened her wings to fly. Immediately, she knew that she wouldn't get far above. The rain was too heavy, the fog was too thick. She called for winds to twist around her and she jumped into the air, pushing the streams of warm wings beneath her wings to keep her above the waves - not so high that she was lost in the fog, keeping her eye on Ru as best she could.

"Can you hear their voice?"
"Find the one who'll guide you."
To the limits of your choice.

tags:
notes:

Asimona will be following Ru, whether staying behind or pushing forward

The fossa stumbled after the others, prize carefully tucked away in his skull, pain making him bare his teeth beneath his mask. He swung his head as he went, trying to see everything at once for fear of missing something important, wishing for the first time in a long while that he had both eyes instead of just one.

But he managed to trail the others, shaking his head repeatedly to try and clear the water that was pouring in the holes. He squinted, barely making out the dog yelling 'RUN', and bolted without knowing what they were running from, staggering sideways as he went. A flat log floated passed him and, just before a large wave went passed, he coiled his legs and leaped, landing atop it and sitting, looking around and holding his injured leg off the ground.

Looked like his luck was turning around.

Mayngo is: staying behind to help

Yoosung hauled.

The Will o' the Wisp trailed behind his head, struggling to keep up with him as he bolted, running as fast as he could through the smoke, holding his breath, before breaking into the canyon. And he didn't stop there, even as he began to pant, sneezing around the feathers that tickled his nose. He had to be careful not to crush the wing in his mouth, fighting the urge to clench down as he ran.

And then there was water pouring down on their heads. There was a roar, and someone was yelling to run, and he sped up, dropping his ass and running even faster, as fast as he could...

He only took a moment to look back over his shoulder, wild eyed, spotting the others--some of them that the water had caught up to had jumped onto logs so, when a log went floating by, he did the same, slumping over the top of it with a yelp.

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

Yoosung is: moving ahead

The Crucible, in its absence, had become far more tempestuous than Garnet Five-Seven-Nine remembered. One of the Gembound's (clearly the one that kept shouting STOOORM like a fool) conjured rainfall had somehow become a torrential downpour, massive raindrops spattering against its shell as it hopped from ledge to ledge. Large ears tilted back, catching the rumblings of something massive on the way, and the water running down each plateau was gradually pouring into larger and larger streams.

This has not been in the prior trials.

Water thundered down the pass, coming into waves and surges of nearly twelve feet. When one was a hybrid barely weighing two pounds, and not even three when wet: that was bad. Garnet Five-Seven-Nine scrambled up to the highest ledge it possibly could, feathery trophy halfway in its mouth by this point. With a wall of floodwaters basically tickling its tail, it sprung toward the center of the path (there was less of a likelihood of getting dashed across some rocks) with wings outstretched just enough to carry it about three feet and stabilize it.

With the tumultuous waves crashing around its, the creature sucked in a deep breath, and withdrew every part of its body into its shell as best it could. It was an instinctive action, when faced with water and natural buoyancy, but Garnet Five-Seven-Nine was placing a lot of faith in not winding up with its organs exposed via shell-smashing.

Garnet Five-Seven-Nine is advancing.

Ru trotted down the winding tunnels, rain from that storm creature dotting their hide. They occasionally glanced back at their group. They were unsure about the newest addition, the Opal, so it was best for it to be prepared in case anything happened. Plus, the fact the group had expanded to four members made Ru nervous. Were there one more, it'd be too many to keep track of at once at ease. The rain was coming down harder now, instead of a patter the rain roared, coming in sheets. The Opal was talking to Asimona, words that would sow doubt, and by extension perhaphs threaten Ru's place.

Opal was not wrong, but it was a truth that Ru did not want out in the open. It glanced back once more. It paused in its steps, noticing that one of their teammates was not with them. The Agate. It stifled a sigh, and dropped its trophy, placing a hoof on it so that it wouldn't drift away in the rain water, which seemed to have picked up in strength. The rumble of thunder began once again. It turned back.

"The Agate...." It's voice trailed off into a meek, unflattering sound. That was not the rumble of thunder. Thunder did not last that long. A wall of water behind them, nearing massive heights. This was nothing that Ru remembered from previous trials.

"Run." It whispered fearfully. And without another word, it grabbed its finger and began to gallop off in search of a place to ride out the water.

The canyon bended sharply ahead, and a shelf upon the wall provided a small divot. Ru climbed with the desperation of a gembound drowning, tucking its body best it could against the wall, waiting for the flood to roar past.

Ru is staying put