BLACK OPAL
honestly i thought that i would be dead by now

The first step into the unknown is always the hardest. In the Black Opal's case, it was a step into Canis, a cave he might have known once, but could no longer remember. Looking out over the room, his eyes widened.Wha-? Before him lied a sea of bones, remains of a massacre. It looked like the gruesome layer of a giant, voracious monster.

And he thought Hydra was full of death.

Belly low to the ground, the eel-creature slunk quietly across room. There appeared to be no one around, but he knew better than to stomp around loudly in unknown territory. No rotting flesh. He noted, glancing at the piles of bones around him. Whoever these belonged to, they've been dead for a while. Cautiously, the Opal plucked a rib bone and snapped it in half.

Hey, there was a gem in here.

The marrow's no good.. He thought disappointedly. It had been eons since he ate and he didn't get a chance to hunt during the trial. This guy's been dead longer than I thought... The Black Opal looked around the room once more, his eyestalk twisting in every direction. He blinked worriedly. What.. happened?

Suddenly, the Opal felt dizzy as the gravity of it dawned on him.

The world he knew was gone.

Opal Three-Seven-Six finds, nestled just under the surface of the long bone, a slender streak like a mineral vein. It at first glance appears to be a discoloration, perhaps diseased bone: a thick black line showing gray through the thin layer of bone. If examined more closely, it becomes clear that this is a gemstone: a streak of Jet.

Detect Magic could unveil whether this gemstone still holds magic.

@Opal Three-Seven-Six

DESERT ROSE THIRTY-FIVE
how quickly the hawk becomes a dove
when faced with the barrel of a gun

Thirty-Five had been out for about thirty minutes, and was a bit busy having his brain blasted still by the thought of all that was going on. He'd fled to an outcropping higher up on the cave walls, staring down at all the death littering the floor like trash.

He was in a graveyard of failures. The idea set a pit in his stomach. Of course, this is where they dumped the bodies of those who didn't succeed the trials. The conclusion wasn't hard to come by, but it sent the desert dragon into a panic when he realized it. Had they been sent their to die? Stuck between a grave and a desert? The idea sent a ripple of unease against Thirty-Five's scales, brilliant blue eyes casting out over the swath of death.

He had to find food, soon. He hadn't had anything to eat in the entirety that he'd been awake, and he was getting hungry. A sweeping gaze looked out over the rest of the room, despite the very sight sinking hopelessness farther into Thirty-Five's brain.

An odd purple against the dusty bone-white caught the dragon's eyes.

Straining, Thirty-Five pushed himself to his feet, willing his muscles to connect to his nervous system once more after a particularly strong introspective session. Long, tan wings fanned out to either side, a few experimental flaps warming up the blood flowing in the thick skin. After a beat, the dragon pushed himself off the cliff edge and drifted slowly down, circling to alight near to the eel creature.

This close, Thirty-Five recognized it as one of the other champions. Had they all been released, then? Thirty-Five shut his eyes to the thought, shaking his head before approaching his fellow champion. Orange claws clicked over the rock as he stepped gingerly over remains.

He paused, unsure how to start. A simple uneasy "hey" found its way out before the dragon had time to think, though, stopping at a respectable distance away. He had no clue if this creature would be one of the more aggressive types. Instead, he turned his head, looking out to the death surrounding them. "Have you seen the Overseer?" His voice was tinged with worry. Something was going on, and he needed answers, though he doubted this champion would have any more information than what he'd already had.

@Opal Three-Seven-Six

BLACK OPAL
honestly i thought that i would be dead by now

The Opal shook his head, regaining his bearings just in time to see the Desert Rose approaching him. Wait. I know him.. The eel stared at him, yellow eyes cold and suspicious. He'd recall seeing the sandy dragon in past trials, circling over head, scouting from the air. This was also the same champion who had a brother he worked with--a slender blue, canine-creature-- they were as thick as thieves. The Opal wouldn't be surprised if the Desert Rose recognized him as well, he was the only slimy fish-champion to make it this far.

Tossing the rib to the side he rose up, yellow eyes trained on the dragon. He spread his neck-fins and clutched the ground, tense, ready to bolt if needed. Just because he recognized a fellow champion didn't mean he knew what he was capable of. The Opal's eyestalk flicked around, searching for the brother. Perhaps this was a ruse, to jump the Opal, he certainly wouldn't put it past them.

Then, the Desert Rose asked him a question. The Opal squinted as an awkward silence fell between them. "No." He finally croaked. Come to think of it, no one has really seen Overseer Vargas since they rehatched. There was another long pause before he asked. "Where's your brother?" It sounded more like a demand, and his tone was distrustful. Clearly, he wasn't worried about the brother's whereabouts for the sake of small talk.

@Desert Rose Thirty-Five

DESERT ROSE THIRTY-FIVE
how quickly the hawk becomes a dove
when faced with the barrel of a gun

The dragon wasn't blind to the fearful and cautious reaction of the fellow champion. His head slunk low in a sign of submission. He wasn't here to harm, and he had yet to see if his brother stayed around or went to explore as he claimed. Orange horns scraped the ground as Thirty-Five's tail swished behind him, threatening to sweep dusty bones from their perches.

This wasn't a trial. Not this time- he had no reason to lie. Though he had no reason to tell the truth, either, it was easiest to say what this champion, Opal, if he remembered, would want to hear. His long neck raised as the front half of his body stepped to the side, putting a wing between the Opal and his own body. "I.. Don't know." The hesitation was palpable and not what he'd intended. Perhaps the situation had startled him more than he realized. Swallowing a dry gulp, Thirty-Five tilted his head to the bones below. "I apologize if you're on edge. We're not on trial, as far as I know, so uh.." His lungs inflated in a deep sigh as he turned his gaze to the graveyard around them. "I don't mean to impose. This is all.. New. Too new."

Thirty-Five's claws dug into the sandy cave floor below, his tail thrashing ever so slightly more. "I didn't know if you knew anything. My brother and I can't make heads or tails of... This." An orange claw moved to flick at a bone, sending the light femur careening into a pile of other remains.

If only he knew if this were a trial. The sinking feeling that it was weighed heavy on his gut as he turned back to the Opal, making no attempt to bridge the gap between them. "I understand if you don't trust me, especially with my history. I don't expect it." He hesitated, unsure how to continue. He found himself sighing again. "It'd be best if we were on well terms for now while we face the unexpected. I don't intend to harm you. I have no reason to." A half-body bow was offered at this, Thirty-Five's head dipping down once more as his chest scrapped the sand.

"As- well, for my brother- perhaps I should look for him. Just know that if you see us again, we- I, at least- don't mean any harm unless you give it to us." Satisfied with his explanation, Desert backed away and gave a few flaps to soar away, heading away before the Opal could try anything.

Edited in an exit due to both of our inactivities
@Opal Three-Seven-Six