Finally, a NORMAL obstacle.

Sure, climbing wasn't exactly her strong suit, but it was far better than trying to avoid burning alive. Or trying to avoid stepping in gross, slimy, electric hairballs.

Speaking of which-

She glanced back just in time to see Tupu leap over the flames.

A small sigh of relief. She was safe.

She turned her attention back to winning- She was so close! She launched herself at the wall with a slight flutter of her wings and began to climb.

The first handhold she had grabbed for had been slicked with moisture and ice, something she hadnt realized until her talons slipped right off it, and she tumbled back to square one with a surprised squawk, left to watch everyone else continue right past her.

She had been so close.

coding by wulf for template purposes

Round Five has begun!

If You Were in Public School, You Hate Running Now

Even with so many runners vying for first, the last climb up Tunnel M splits the pack. Gembound fall left and right, and others race for the end. The judges have to be watching carefully to see who touches one of the Union Pillars first!

Svartis is on fire extinguisher standby to put any poor folks still at Section 3 out, and may be powerplayed as or @tagged to be doing such!

Current Sections

1. Slip and slide! No runners

2. Um... electrifying. Lady

3. It's just fire. Ivory, Sharp, Hunter

4. Climb, climb, climb! Sorda, Ruby-Beta, Doug, Kalama, Tupu, Pumpkin, Bug

5. FitnessGram Pacer Test. Yew, Hemlocke, Sniffles, Huckleberry

* Tahi-Shei has ICly forfeited!

For your point-tallying convenience, here's a link to a Google Sheets detailing rolls on the current section and who we're waiting on!

---

_{The FitnessGram™ Pacer Test is a multistage aerobic capacity test that progressively gets more difficult as it continues. The 20 meter pacer test will begin in 30 seconds. Line up at the start. The running speed starts slowly, but gets faster each minute after you hear this signal. Ding. A single lap should be completed each time you hear this sound. Ding. Remember to run in a straight line, and run as long as possible. The second time you fail to complete a lap before the sound, your test is over. The test will begin on the word start. On your mark, get ready, ding.}

@Hemlocke @Bug (Ivory) @Scout @Kalama (Tupu) @Yew @Sniffles @Hunter @Sharp @Sorda (Doug) @Pumpkin

The next challenge was fire, which definitely was hair-raising as Hunter zipped into the next section of the race. Okay, stay cool, you got this! Ears flattening against his skull, he bolted through the flames, trying to rush through quickly without catching ablaze at the same time.

Flames licked at his hair, singed his tail, and the hot earth stung his toes, but he didn't slow down for a second, scrambling over obstacle after obstacle. Determination and rhythm worked in harmony, and now that he had reached a sprinting pace, he was unstoppable.

Hunter wasn't going to get first-- not by a long shot-- but he was going to finish this race, dangit!

Finally - the pack up here was thinning out. Runners dropped left and right of it, and its heartrate kicked up with each one. Sometimes it thought it'd seen alien faces among them, and was tempted to glance back and see. Every time, it was just some panting creature.

Hemlocke'd been holding itself back the whole time, though. It'd been keeping to a rather steady pace so it could put on a last bout of speed at the end. Rushing through Hydra was a death sentence for many of the Champions. Break into a dead sprint too soon and you're too exhausted to find a hiding place from the Eyehooks; or - in the case of its most recent, awakening Trial... stung by scorpions and nearly completely paralyzed.

But, it reminded itself, gritting its beak, there aren't any stakes. None but proving how much better intentional design was than the Caves, and to give them all a benchmark to compete against. All to find out what creatures of today would serve the Masters's purposes best.

The alien tucked its wings against its sides and broke into its fastest gallop, tail flagging behind it as it darted for the nearest Pillar.

She was so close, she could cry.

The hybrid looked around - where was Uncle Mercy? Her wings spread wide as she cleared the last of the climb, finding nothing more than a flat out sprint to the end, and dug in her claws, gasping for breath as she bolted, cloak billowing around her in a ridiculously dramatic display.

Kalama had burst from the flames. No longer flaming, but determined to get her place back. At the front, winning, where she belonged. Kalama ran, wings tucked, prepared for the obstacles ahead. The course ahead was a straight shot, until it wasn't. The tunnel angled sharply upward. A difficult and sudden climb, one filled with ice and sharp rock faces. Easy enough for one as skilled as her. Kalama wiggled her tail, and then made to leap upon the first foothold.

And nearly slipped. The rock was slick with ice, clear and nearly invisible. But she held her place. Her climb upwards continued like this, nearly slipping, nearly falling. Wasting time, she thought. She was fuming with the thought. Eventually, the ground leveled out, and she sprinted forward to catch up to those in first.

think "speak"

Tupu bolted once she was free of the fire. She didn't like fire. It was scary. Gerenuk brain say fire bad. But she was ahead, and following the voice once again. She was faced with the same, difficult climb as those before her. She paused, staring up. Before she noticed Sorda, the bird falling from her place upon the wall.

"SORRY" She screamed at Sorda, and went in to lick the buzzard's face. Tupu stood there for a while, torn between helping Sorda, and following the herd. In the end, she chose to climb the path. Follow the herd. Tupu pulled herself away from Sorda, and began climbing the ice, rather leisurely.

Sniffles was able to climb despite their legs not being able to do much, and their spindly body wasn't suited for climbing either. But now, they were on the other side, being commanded to run again. Well... slither. Slither-run? They did have legs.... Having a crisis about whether they biologically were able to run or not was not something they needed to be thinking about.

So they took off as fast as they could.

ok so pumpkin wasnt excited for this part. he's a bird, and while flapping wont disqualify him here, and he does have talons, he's still probably bad at this.

he took a deep breath, walking up towards the steep wall, and focusing.

he ran up to the wall, giving him a nice ole hop and gripping onto a patch of it. he couldn't get a nice grip but the friction was enough that with the occassional flap every so often, he would be able to get up there with struggle but no other hold-up. he was SO close! this was so fun!

eventually he made it to the top, scrambling over the edge, tiny little thing that he was, and he probably wasnt the first, he doubted he was, but he definitely thinks he did good. final stretch!

Cat bolted for obstacles. Cat-dragon. Drat? Was that a thing? Anyway, she bolted for the wall, draconic wings folding back against her back, agility springing flexible spine and small clawed paws for the sheer ice ledges.

They proved to be more difficult than she'd expected, and with a frustrated hiss she circled for another try.