Amazon glanced up as the yeti-creature approached and breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm fine. Thanks." But now there was a problem. The only place to go was back in the flood water. If she did, she didn't know if she'd be able to keep her head above the water. But then again, she realized that it was no longer raining. Perhaps the water would recede soon, or at least slow its pace.

Amazon decided that there was no other way forward. "We have to go back in the water. There's no other way forward." She wasn't going to fall behind anymore. She took a deep breath and jumped. Her gamble, it seemed, paid off eventually. At first, she was swept away by the water, but then it grew calmer and more shallow until even Amazon was able to find her footing and splash out of the flood, coughing up water and shivering.

She looked up. They'd reached the marshes now. She glanced back at the yeti, a little concerned, but started off. Almost immediately, she found herself beginning to sink. She squeaked and struggled against it, but found herself unable to free her legs from the mud.

Reseda glared into the haze, her eyes dotting around to observe the vultures and the dead, ominous trees. It was damp and hot and she didn't like it. And with her leg injured, well, getting through would be more difficult. However, there wasn't any turning back. Not that she would ever.

So started forward just as the strange dragon-thing came swooping down next to her. She glanced over, a little surprised that someone was walking with her, also a little defensive that they were just trying to gain her trust. But...they seemed honest enough. "Reseda," she mumbled around the feather in her mouth. An ally would be helpful, definitely more helpful then an acquaintance or an enemy. And even more helpful turned against the brothers.

She jerked her head, gesturing forward. "The brown dragon and the blue fox. Don't trust them. They attacked me out of nowhere. I think they may be working for the Merchant to test us." She narrowed her eyes forward and began limping onwards, already used to the rhythm of her feet. She was careful, stepping through the mud, around the water, her eyes on the vultures and any other threats from the other champions, perhaps. She didn't care if Imp was keeping up with her or not. She would continue on until she caught back up with those accursed brothers.

Reseda is moving on

The Dead Marsh was as ominous a place as its name and Asimona felt a chill run down her spine, despite the fact that it was still pretty damn warm and she was still sweating a lot. Ice dragon in a desert cave did not make a good mix. She didn't really notice, though, she was still soaked from the floodwater.

Ru, thankfully, had made it through, as had the opal. The agate creature had made it as well, but had fallen behind them now. She glanced back, a little concerned for them, but she was primarily worried about keeping Ru around. She still owed them a lot - Asimona couldn't fail them.

She stepped forward, eyeing the ground in front of her, setting down the vulture's head that she still carried. "It might not be safe to cross over like this. Let me try something." She sucked in a deep breath and send magic into her throat. On her exhale she breathed out a breath of freezing wind and shards of ice and instantly froze the mud and water wherever it touched. She aimed in a line in front of them, solid enough for them all to cross (hopefully). The water had seeped into her wings now and the ice covering the hole the sandworm had torn open had been destroyed in the flood - she didn't trust her ability to fly now. She carefully tested the ice path and, seeing that it held, picked up her trophy and began to step forward, glancing back occasionally to make sure that Ru was still keeping up with her.

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

tags:
notes:

Asimona will be going with Ru, wherever going forward or staying behind

Eventually the rush of the flood slows down to a crawl. It is even longer before Ru feels safe enough to climb down from their shelter. The rock is slippery and wet, nothing they have experience navagating. It feels a jolt of fear whenever it places his hoof down on a jutting piece of the cliff. It is relieved to hear from Asimona's report that it's group is alright--though they seem to have doubled in size at some point.

Eventually they make it down the cliff side, miraculously unharmed aside from the aching wound upon their neck. It is a simple flesh wound, so Ru doesn not worry. It is nothing broken that wont heal. Simply cause it pain. After some time they finally exit the canyon, and come face to face with the dead marshes. Grey and brown mud as far as the eye could see, with the dark skeletons of trees sticking out of the mist here and there. The thunder cat clears the gas, saying something about bad air, and Ru has to wonder, for a moment, if they had anything to do with the flood. But it cant imagine a gembound possesing that power. But the thought is still in its mind. Something to test later on.

"The storm cat is right. Don't inhale the gas. And take care, your steps are even more dangerous here than on the dunes." Ru calls out. Ru wishes it could not smell. The marsh is as foul as it remembered. exponentially so.

Ru nods at Asimona's words. "That is smart. Have you ever tried freezing fruit? Or perhaphs gemstones. Both seem interesting." Asimona breathes a stream of ice on to the mud, freezing it solid. Safe to walk on. Its a relief, with Shango and Asimona within its group the dead marshes may not be so deadly. They take cautious steps on the path that Shango and Asimona had laid out, and pray they dont sink into the mud. There is no god to recive Ru's prayers.

The ice underneath their hooves unceremoniously cracks, and Ru is sent knee-deep into the mud within seconds. Ru's memory short circuits, the knowledge that flailing will simply cause them to sink faster long replaced by sheer panic. None of their magic will help them out of this. None of the spells they can remember how to cast. They attempt to flail their hooves, but they barely move. If anything, it just causes them to sink deeper, until they are up to their chest in the mud. The whole thing is quiet, oddly so. And Ru grows more tired with each flail, until the most it can do is keep its head upright.

DESERT ROSE THIRTY-FIVE
here's to my yesterday

Thirty-Five panted hard as the water levels receded and the canyons widened, causing him to lose purchase on his hopping paths. The rain was soon gone, too. The output made sense- they were already at the marsh, where Hydra's waters collected and festered into poison.

The dragon safely dropped to the ground ahead of the other groups. That lizard was nowhere to be seen. Good. All at once, the spent energy slammed into him like a wave and his legs almost gave out, a wheeze sighing out of the beast as he hunched over. His muscles twitched painfully as he screwed his eyes shut. Hot air blew out. He knew this was coming. He'd saved his wings for this, but caves did it hurt. Hopefully he wouldn't have to use his legs for the rest of the trial. Vargas couldn't fly, as far as he knew.

Exhausted, beat, and wet, the sandy dragon was certainly not having a good time. With a huff, he readjusted the feather in his mouth as he prepared himself for flight.

Blue caught his eye- his brother survived. The dragon gave Five-Four-Six an encouraging nod despite his faint grimace and a simple word. "Survive."

With that, Thirty-Five beat down hard, lifting into the air and scraping his wingtips into the drenched mud below. His legs may be out of the game, but long, gliding flight is exactly what the dragon was built for. Strong beats let the Champion ascend into the air, eyes watching his brother below him.

And with that, he angled forward, attempting to rise away from the gases he knew all too well.

Desert Rose Thirty-Five will be moving forward.

BLACK OPAL
oh father tell me do we get what we deserve

When water's current had calmed enough for the Black Opal to swim through, he left the safety of the eddy. He was a little bruised by the pummeling, but it was nothing serious. With only his his purple head above the surface, he cruised down the flooded ravines. The currents mostly did the work for him, all he had to do was steer. With a good rest and his skin thoroughly moisturized, never before had felt so refresh. Though it wouldn't be long until Hydra's heat would eat it away.

His eyestalk caught sight of Asimona and Ru making their way down, the creature that called himself "Imp" however, was nowhere to be found. He wondered if he drowned, which would be a pity. The Opal found him rather entertaining. If it weren't for his wings, the "Imp" would have looked exactly a log,. The Opal didn't come across any winged logs on his way to Dead Marshes, so maybe the little squirt lived.

Plodding onto shore, the Black Opal followed Asimona, Ru and a couple others into the treacherous bog. His memory was fuzzy at best, but he recalled many succumbing to the toxic gases and quagmires hidden within the marshland. The water was dangerous here- he learned that the hard way on his first trial. However, this was the Black Opal's favorite spot in Hydra, mostly because the mud felt nice on his feet.

Simple pleasures, it was simple pleasures that kept the fish out of water going.

"It's best to avoid the water altogether." He told the others, carefully leaping from one tree root to another. He eyed Asimona freezing over a path for Ru. It seemed like a good idea, but the Opal didn't trust it. Frozen things rarely lasted long in Hydra's heat. He leapt across the next path of tree roots, narrowly avoiding a plume of toxic gas. "Stay near the trees if you can, the ground's usually firm around their roots." He coughed, shaking his neck. This advice was mostly directed at the newbies. It was strange, back then, he would have kept this nugget of wisdom to himself. This time, however, it was different. The ice dragon, the "storm" cat, the Imp, even the agate and star rose quartz, they were all starting to grow on him a little. It was disgusting.

I'm going soft. He thought grimly, giving the others around him a cold glance. Would they take advantage of him? He could get himself killed like this. Like--

Suddenly, off to the side, there was a crack then a great splash. Someone fell? The Opal whipped his head around. The Rose Quartz.. Asimona's "friend" had fallen through the ice. It now seemed to be stuck in the water, flailing. The Opal dug his claws into the roots. It's sinking fast! Wait.. why did he care? No doubt Asimona would try to rescue it. Just move on, it's a lost cause His mind ushered as he watched the dragon-horse sink to its head. Survival is more important. The Opal took last glance at the dragon and her dying friend, trying to sever the part of him that pitied them. Shaking his head, turned away.. then paused, and pinned his fins.

"Damn it!" He hissed.

Against his better judgment, the Opal found claws carrying him over to his fallen comrades. Perched on the nearest bundle of roots, he stretched his neck out to get a better look. "Hey you!" He called out to Ru. "Stop moving! You'll make it worse!" The he cut to Asimona, his yellow gaze was sharp as the Matriarch's talons. "Unless you have a spell, find them something to grab on, quick!" The Opal scanned the area for near by trees that he could possibly break over for the sinking dragon-horse, all the while cursing himself for getting attached to this merry band of idiots.

Opal Three-Seven-Six is staying behind
@Asimona @Quartz Five-Two-Four

Labradorite Five-Four-Six watched his brother for a few beats, ears flicking back briefly. With a huff, he nodded, and turned to go running through the marsh.

If there had been a section of Hydra he hated most, it was likely here. He was half-unsure of which way he was going, even-- but he found it smarter to follow the faint shape of his brother overhead than anyone else, or to follow his own nose. He didn't stop, and he didn't take time to look at his own surroundings.

He only cast, and he watched the dragon, as the winds beneath his feet guided him quickly through.

Labradorite Five-Four-Six is moving forward.

Lapis Ninety-five

Oh, you fool, there are rules, I am coming for you
Darkness brings evil things, oh, the reckoning begins

It took some time, but as the rains began to die and the flood waters began to drain, the great bird finally found the opportunity to hop back down onto the canyon floor. At first, the waters still swelled around her legs, but as she waded onwards, the water levels dropped around her. She felt her feet sinking into muddy silt, and knew that she was almost there. Cocking her head from side to side, she slowly took in the sight of the marsh.

The water came scarcely up to the tips of her ankles now, and, knowing something of the marsh's tricks, she moved through it carefully, one elegant step at a time.

Exhaustion, though, tugged at her. She felt her lungs beginning to ache and her vision beginning to swim as she breathed here. Although the only sign of her failure was a slight lowering of her head, she felt the aches and pains of her fall beginning to tug her down, and struggled to shake it off. She had to get to the end.

She could still do this.

It wasn't so far now.

---

"Speech."
"Thoughts."

Quartz Eight-Six-Zero hated to admit it, but it seemed Amazon was right. The only way forward was to go back into the water. He watched carefully as Amazon went back in before quickly following her. The water led them away, eventually trickling down enough so that it wasn't nearly as bad and Amazon could move forward.

Almost immediately though, she began to sink. His eyes widened. He had to stay here. He moved to solid ground and quickly began to think up ways to help her before it was too late.

860 is staying behind

The dead marsh stretches on, the haze only seeming to thicken, the mud ever-deeper. It is exhausting to press through, every step a struggle, the air poisonous to those flying through it and burning the eyes and throat. Mayngo, Amazon, Quartz Five-Two-Four and Lapis Ninety-Five are all struggling, mired in the muck; Eyehook Vultures begin to appear in the skies high overhead, circling... waiting.

Those stuck must attempt to free themselves. Others may choose to aid, or sabotage, those they are near to, or may take no (or another) action and simply focus on their own survival. Attempting to aid or to sabotage in this treacherous swamp is a dangerous choice: it will put the would-be rescuer or saboteur in danger, and out of reach of help. Failing an attempt to aid or sabotage will put the Gembound making the attempt into deep danger, unable to be helped, and should they fail to save themselves with a second roll, they will perish. If any of the Gembound currently stuck fail to free themselves, and are not rescued, they will likewise die.

Rolling a critical fail will inflict a severe injury and cause the character to fall farther behind. Please post & roll only once.

Click to view current placement rankings.

1. Garnet Five-Seven-Nine
2. {empty space}
3. {empty space}
4. {empty space}
5. Lapis Ninety-Five, Yoosung, Desert Rose Thirty-Five, Labradorite Five-Four-Six
6. {empty space}
7. Reseda
8. Imp
9. Shango, Amazon, Quartz Eight-Six-Zero, Asimona, Quartz Five-Two-Four, Styx, Opal Three-Seven-Six
10. {empty space}
11. Agate Two-Three-Six, Mayngo

@Yoosung @Amazon @Shango @Opal Three-Seven-Six @Quartz Eight-Six-Zero @Labradorite Five-Four-Six @Agate Two-Three-Six @Desert Rose Thirty-Five @Lapis Ninety-Five @Garnet Five-Seven-Nine @Quartz Five-Two-Four