Mythical Creatures, Elves, and Danger, Oh My!

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Seems like a bold move. I'm sure it will get the attention of the instructors and those evaluating us. Zoe replied. Through all of this madness she had almost forgotten that they were being judged on these endeavors. She wondered how they were being watched and figured some small creature may be tracking them or something and that would explain the small rustling noises.

Zoe believed that Asher and herself had made a decent show when they had to kill those animals and was sure Storm and Vale's efforts wouldn't go unnoticed sice they had attacked one of the lead instructors. Zoe was determined to continue these trials with the same caution and performance so Asher, Vale, Storm, and herself could hopefully be placed in a decent tier. She wanted to be recognized enough to be trained and released to take doen enemies as soon as possible. Thay way she could get a jump start on trying to combat the movement that targeted the elf species and the destruction of their territories.

Zoe reached the clearing ans stopped a few feet shy of it. She liked the darkness of the forest and also wanted to remain hidden from potential attackers in the sky. When she got word from Storm, then she'd expose her loaction. Not now though. Now she just stood with her bow in a tight grip and arrows resting in her other hand.

Zoe watched Asher step forwards, not thinking that was a good idea. She was about to speak up and tell him to get under the trees again when she saw him step back. She realized with dread that she had been too late to warn him when she heard wingbeats that were too close to belong to Storm or Vale.

It's fine. Just stay under the trees and be prepared to take cover from any projectiles. Any clue as to what's up there?Zoe replied, stifling a sigh.

Her question was soon answered when she saw flames cast down at her. A tree in front of her caught ablaze. "Asher, follow me! Quickly! "Zoe actually called out as she ran away from the flames. She would fall back until Storm and Vale arrived and then she would try to come out and shoot.

Storm spotted a fire dragon far up ahead circling a clearing. Oh no...She realized this as Vale had and also put on a burst of speed. She wasn't pleased with a creature targeting Zoe, especially a dragon that also happened to be a flame type. Storm watched anxiously as the creatue blew fire down below. Zoe could be burned to a crisp!

Storm definitely wouldn't let that happen. Storm picked up her speed again, almost at full speed. She was covering a lot of distance quickly and the flame dragon was soon in a closer range. She continued her assault, anger fueling her as she got closer and closer. She wouldn't let this dragon kill her friend. Storm screeched like a bird would as she flew full on into the dragon with her claws outstretched. This was her preferred method for her first attacks in the air, as it was a more bird like tactic. Upon striking the dragon's side, she propelled herself off of it and balanced herself a few meters away. She flew higher to get a better vantage point of opportunity to dive and looked to Vale, waiting for his charge for her to strike again.

Zoe heard a familar screech and knew that Storm and Vale had arrived. This was a relied to her sice now she would have the help of Storm and Valw to get them through this. Also, if they defeated the fire dragon than Zoe and Asher could ride atop their mounts to find the temple. This would be easier than having to travel by foot with a more limited vantage point.
 
Asher grimaced slightly as he heard Zoe stifle a sigh, her stifling doing nothing to prevent the sound from reaching his ears, especially with his elevated sense of hearing. Feeling the first fire projectile come down, Asher didn't move as he sensed that it was going to miss him. He did tense, however, when Zoe called to him aloud. He had hoped that the dragon would only try to smoke them out, and if they didn't appear it would move on and forget that anything had ever happened. Now that Zoe had yelled it probably knew that they were there without a doubt, and would also know their current location. Shrugging it off, Asher backed up a few paces in accordance to what she said. The other elf seemed to want to engage in a retreat until Vale and Storm arrived, which Asher deemed as a good enough plan of action for the moment. We should try to branch off in another direction a little bit. He probably knows where we are by now, if we change locations he might miss the next few shots. He said quickly, turning about so that he could move both back from the dragon as well as away from it.

Hearing a screech that he recognized as Storm sound from above, Asher nodded to himself. Think you can fly down here and pick us up? Also, does this thing have a rider? Asher called out to Vale, knowing that the griffin would also be close by. His companion seemed to consider it for a few seconds.

Alright, I'll see what I can do. Get into the clearing and away from that fire, I'll get Storm to distract him while you guys get up here. Being stuck in a forest fire wouldn't exactly be all that great. But no, no rider. Vale sent back, rocketing after Storm towards the clearing. Storm reached the fire dragon slightly before he did, which was no surprise as they had already determined who was the faster flier, and slowed his pace slightly so that she was in the clear when he started his own charge. The griffin decided that he had some time before Asher and Zoe made it into the clearing, in which time he could help Storm deal with this dragon.

Asher nodded once when Vale finished his sentence, the wood elf grabbed Zoe's hand. Vale's going to pick us up. Storm's got the dragon distracted for the moment, so he's going to come down in the clearing. Let's go. He said quickly, dragging her a few steps forward. Most of the trees nearby were now on fire, and getting to the clearing would be no easy task, but Asher was confident that they'd make it work. I'll tell you if any trees feel like they're going to come down, can you tell me if there is anything blocking the path? The wood elf asked, not waiting for an answer before moving off at a fast job. It wouldn't be long before the dragon returned its attention to the forest and the riders presumably in it, and the longer they waited to get into the clear the more likely it would be that the entire forest would start falling down on them in a flurry of flame and smoke.

Screeching at his new opponent to take its attention off of Storm, Vale rammed it head-on as Storm had turned it slightly to the side with her attack. Fastening his beak around the dragon's neck, Vale tried to snap down but realized a few seconds later that it wasn't going to work. The dragon's scales were too thick, he would need time if he wanted to bite through them. Instead kicking the other beast's head and using it to propel himself away before it could spit any fire at him, Vale could see Asher start to emerge into the clearing. I'm going to pick Zoe and Asher up from below, I don't want them caught up in a forest fire. Can you keep his attention for a few seconds while I do that? Vale requested of the Storm, not waiting for an answer as he dived down towards the clearing. He intended to pick them both up in his talons, it would be faster than landing properly and then taking off again. He would be able to drop Zoe onto Storm's back, and he and Asher personally had a procedure for when they needed to transfer him from Vale's talons to his back.
 
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Yes, I was planning on running around to the other side. Staying in one place is fatal now.Zoe said. She had felt like an idiot for yelling to Asher, but she had been so preoccupied with fire and this impending danger that she forgot to use telepathy. Zoe followed Ashe back a few steps when he obeyed what she had said.

Storm, shred this dragon! I'll be there to help as soon as we escape this fire. I trust you to be able to hold him off, remember the maneuvers we practice.Zoe remembered to use telepathy this time, but her voice inside Storm's head was a bit louder than usual.

Storm watched as Vale charged the dragon and kicked at its head. She decided to take this time to reply to Zoe when she could.Don't worry about me, I can handle him. He has no rider so I'm not holding back. I am leading the attack and maybe Vale is working on helping you guys. Talk to Asher.Storm replied quickly.

Zoe heard the answer and nodded even though Storm couldn't see it.Zoe felt Asher grab her hand and released it for a second. She shrugged her bow onto her back and threw the arrows into her quiver. Then she grabbed his hand againand let him drag her forwards. Alright, Storm told me she'll take care of the dragon until we're in the air. Zoe replied as she jogged along. She tried to stay at Asher's side instead of running ahead so she could alert him of anything blocking the way.

Zoe held a tree branch aside for him as they passed, relasing it soon after. She used the side of her foot to slide a rock out of the way as well. She also made sure to place a hand on his shoulder and turn slightly so they avoided a path that had many small, sharp rocks that she didn't want to pierce Asher's bare feet. They had eventually made it to the clearing. Zoe hesitated before stepping put ito it, looking up at Vale diving down and Storm preparing her attack.

Storm nodded at Vale, understanding the message. Then she readed to attack again.
Storm screeched again and raised higher than she already was. Then she tipped over and sent herself plummeting in a downwards spiral. Once she reached the dragon's level she flipped and sent her tail smacking right against the dragon's face with a loud crack as it collided with tough scales.

The fire dragon reared his head back and then tried to shoot flames at Storm as she leveled out. Storm was quick to spit ice saliva at him. It missed his eyes and hit the side of his face. The dragon ceased to try to blow fire and shook his head but the liquid was already frozen. Storm watched as the dragon's heat melted the ice off. Well that was no good.

Storm chraged forwards again and dropped down a few seet at the law moment. She scratched at the dragon's more sensitive underbelly, raking her claws across the smooth surface. The dragon growled and rose higher away from her claws. He blew a stream of flame on her direction, but she dodged quickly. She was preparing to attack again, hoping Vale would pick the riders up soon.
 
Concentrating on the sound of the fire crackling around them, Asher could hear that many of the trees wouldn't stand for much longer. The dragon's fire had been intense and quite hot, to have set such moist land on fire it must have packed much more of a punch than the wood elf had initially expected. Cursing again at the destruction of the environment, which was his fault, Asher moved off the thought and decided to lament and groan about it later. At the moment, getting out alive with Zoe was his main priority. Hearing a slight crack as the other elf pushed a branch aside, Asher lifted his head slightly when he felt the heat start to subside a little bit. They must have made it through the main section of the fire and were nearing the clearing. Tugging on Zoe's hand once as he felt a tree start to tilt over to get her out of the way, the wood elf winced as a log crashed down behind them. That had been close.

Alright, I see you. Just keep moving and I'll have a clear shot. Vale gave a heads up to his rider, who acknowledged the message with a brief confirmation. The griffin was rocketing down towards the clearing, planning to pick both riders up without getting tangled up in the trees. It would be a bit of a complicated maneuver, especially with the flames, but Vale was going to make it work even if it meant getting a little bit scorched. Also, you may want to give Zoe a bit of a heads up as to what's coming. The griffin added, not particularly wanting to have to deal with a writhing elf in his talons as he tried to fly them over a forest fire at a considerable height. Asher nodded out of his telepathic connection with Vale in response to the recommendation.

If I'm not mistaken, Vale's right above us. Instead of landing he'll be taking us up in his talons, he'll drop you onto Storm's back from there. When you're in the air try to keep as still as possible, but don't go limp otherwise you'll fall out of his grip. Asher briefed the other elf quickly, releasing her hand once he sensed that they had reached more or less the middle of the clearing. Feeling a great gust of wind from above, the wood elf braced himself and prepared to be lifted.

Coming down on the clearing with a speed that would only seem to make the maneuver even more difficult, but in reality assisting Vale in not getting his feathers caught on fire, the griffin descended on the clearing where he could see the two riders. Asher was still midstride, but that would work fine. Vale preferred to scoop while his target was still moving, it cleared up some problems about generating momentum and retrieving a sudden weight. Assuming that Asher had already spoken to Zoe, Vale didn't hesitate before clamping his talons around both rider's shoulders. He was careful not to skewer them with his nails, instead managing to position himself so that his talons went in between their arms. While both elves were rather light, they were large and awkward to carry, and Vale quickly flew himself up to try and dump Zoe on Storm before he lost his balance or dropped one of the riders.

Asher sensed the griffin struggling, assessing from the noise that Storm was a little bit too far away to be reached all that quickly. She was a bit lower in the air, while the fire dragon was ascending with Vale. Think you can drop me onto this thing? Asher questioned the griffin, who immediately grunted in disapproval.

I'm not letting you get on that thing, case closed. I'll manage. Vale said stubbornly, but Asher sighed.

He won't be able to shoot fire at me if I'm on his back. I can take his wings out and we'll be golden. This was my fault anyways, I might as well fix it. The wood elf argued, equally as stubborn as his literally bone-headed companion. Knowing that it'd be safer for them all if he dumped some weight, Vale reluctantly gave in.

Alright, let's do this. Positioned in three... The griffin started to fly forward through the air. Storm seemed to be recovering from her last attack, but the fire dragon still seemed to be concentrated on her. At the very least, he wasn't looking up where Asher was about to drop on him. Two. Vale said, flying forward so that he was above the other beast. One. Dropping now. The griffin said, letting go of Asher and making sure that the wood elf was going to make contact with the dragon before bee-lining it towards Storm. Here's Zoe. Vale said, unnecessarily, to the dragon before more carefully positioning himself for his second drop. While he and Asher had done this kind of thing a lot, he wasn't sure if the other pair had, and didn't want to accidentally drop Zoe to her death if Storm wasn't there to catch her.

Letting go of Zoe, Vale quickly flew back to where Asher had landed on the fire dragon's back. As the rider had said, the dragon wasn't able to shoot him with flame due to the elf's position, but that didn't stop him from trying as he spat fire all over the place. Asher was clinging on grimly, straddling the dragon's flanks with his legs as he stuck close to the beast's neck in order not to get set alight. Gradually the elf worked his way backwards, his feet finding the joints of the dragon's wings, however the fire dragon sensed what he was trying to do and abruptly started tumbling through the air and attempting to throw the rider off. Mind distracting him for a moment? Asher called out to Vale, for while he wasn't going to fall off he wasn't going to exactly be able to do anything until the dragon calmed down some.

Without responding, Vale dropped a few feet of elevation before sprinting up towards the dragon and ramming it in the stomach with his head. As the beast's weak underbelly had already been weakened by Storm, the creature sent out a bellowing roar in pain and stopped its flailing for a moment. That was all the time that Asher needed as his swords came out and he tore the tight skin covering the beast's wings that enabled it to stay airborne before running down the creature's tail as it started to frantically try to stay in the air. Managing to make his way to the end of the tail despite the thrashing that the dragon was now displaying as it tried to fly with cut wings, Asher jumped off. Vale was already prepared for this and caught his rider neatly, racing away back towards Zoe and Storm as the fire dragon made a clumsy decent towards the ground. It wasn't a high enough altitude to kill the creature, but it would put it out of the induction after that.

About to say a word of relief to Asher, Vale did a double take and a sigh as he spotted two more figures that had been approaching for some time. The griffin just hadn't seen them because he had been focused on the dragon. These two were a team of one griffin and one pegasus, and this time they had their instructors with them.
 
Zoe was a bit panicked now. This was almost like the nightmare she had last night. Except this time the fire was driving them out of the forest instead of into a cave. She hoped that her dream hadn't been an omen and that she and storm would die here. That wouldn't be pleasant at all. Zoe wasn't all that good in stressful situations and was currently trying not to hyperventilate. She let Asher grab her hand and was yanked forwards. She looked back to see that a log that should have crushed the two's bones right then, had fallen with a loud boom onto the ground instead. This made a gust of debris to be scattered and Zoe turned away before she got any dirt in her eyes.

Zoe watched as Asher released his grip on her hand and rushed into the clearing. Zoe followed Asher quickly and looked up to see Storm had finished grappling the fire dragon, but was still distracting it. Also, Vale was approaching very quickly. What was he doing? he couldn't land here, especially with that much speed. Zoe was about to brace herself for an unfortunate collision when Asher informed her that vale was going to scoop them up. She relaxed slightly, but was worried about talons gripping her at such a speed. Zoe was also discontented by Asher's warning that if she went limp she would fall to her death.

Zoe watched as vale descender and closed her eyes. She felt his talons grip her under each arm and felt a rush as her feet left the ground. She opened her eyes wide and looked down to see that the clearing seemed to be retreating. She followed Asher's instructions and flexed some of her muscles to avoid going limp and plummeting. This flight was much less enjoyable than being atop Storm's back, that was for sure. But Zoe was glad that she would be reunited with her dragon and would be out of the fire. She watched with a slightly solemn expression as trees crackled and burned, becoming engulfed in the bright orange glow. She also hear the thump of branches and trees following. Now was not the time to be lamenting the flora though and she looked to the fire dragon and Storm.

She sensed that this was taking some effort on Vale's part, also Asher seemed to be unusually quiet. Well, he didn't come off as the talkative type to begin with, but he seemed focused on something else. Most likely a telepathic conversation with Vale. What was that Wood elf up to? Also, how was he going to get onto vale's back? Zoe was pondering this when she watched Asher be dropped onto the dragon's back. Was he trying to get himself killed?! Zoe managed a quick telepathic message, I don't know what you were thinking, but i'll pretend it's reasonable. Brace yourself and try to do some damage with your sword. I'll help as soon s I can.

Storm looked to vale as the griffin quickly approached her and steadied herself in the air now that the dragon was distracted. She was prepared to receive her rider and was eagerly waiting. Zoe was dropped and managed a decent landing on Storm's back, not wobbling much or hurting herself. that was good enough for her. She quickly situated herself into the saddle, managing a relieved smile. Now we're truly starting these trials.Zoe said to Storm.

Storm looked back at her rider in agreement before looking forwards to focus on the main conflict. She heard the dragon bellow as Vale attacked its already damaged underbelly. Storm winced upon instinct when the dragon's wings were cut. That would prevent the dragon from flying for quite a long time. Those wounds didn't heal easily. Storm was glad the threat was neutralized and was silently triumphant with the teamwork that they had displayed, but she pitied any flightless dragon. Sure she wanted to flay the dragon herself from almost harming Zoe, but Storm understood how valuable flying was. Decided to think of this matter later, she turned and saw a griffin and pegasus approach with riders atop their back.

Zoe pulled her bow off of her back and grabbed a few arrows too. She looked over to vale and Asher with a half smile. "Alright. Now that we are all nice and back together, let's get down to finding that card. But first, let's take these two down. Storm will take the griffin if you'll deal with the pegasus."she said to the others.

Storm flew forwards the meet the griffin, now about twenty meters or so away from it. Zoe squeezed Storm's side as a signal and the dragon balanced herself in the air. Now that they were balanced, Zoe pulled back an arrow, held her breath, and loosed an arrow at the enemy griffin. well, she assumed the two approaching were instructors meant to attack since the other students would be off to find the card, not mess with others.
 
Hearing Zoe's message, despite his situation Asher grinned a little bit. The smile was quickly wiped off his face as the dragon turned on its back, forcing the elf to cling on tight and latch his hands onto the creature's sharp scales - giving him a few cuts as they dug into his hands. How did anybody ride this thing? Vale's features were a lot more comfortable, despite the fact that they sort have had a rocky feel and weight to them. Perhaps this was just a riderless creature however, maybe its rider had died before in service to the academy. Asher immediately felt bad, gritting his teeth at the thought before quickly dismissing it. He didn't have time for sentiment at the moment. Once he was safely back on Vale's back he allowed himself to relax a little bit, though he sensed that his companion wasn't doing the same.

What's up? He asked with a sigh. Could they go ten seconds without another attack?

A griffin and a pegasi. Heading this way with riders. Vale responded, sounding equally as weary. Hopefully after they had dealt with these two they would be able to start looking for the card and get out of the arena.

Turning his head toward Zoe as he heard the other elf speak, Asher nodded. Apparently what Vale had said was true then. "Sounds good." He approved, following as she spoke non-telepathically since when she didn't have her telepathic connection opened up directly with him it took extra energy for the wood elf to retrieve the line and speak into it. Besides, this way Storm and Vale could hear as well. "I think we can safely assume that these two will be rehearsed in working together and will be more danger while they're able to contact and help each other. Vale and I'll try to split them up, we might be able to herd the pegasus to the side and out of your way." The elf said after a moment's thought before nudging the griffin with his feet to get him going.

Flying towards the two approaching creatures, Asher leaned forward on Vale's back and got ready for the griffin to sprint. If they were going to separate the two, they would have to go right down the middle then shove the pegasus away from the griffin. Luckily for Asher, the wind had died down some and since Vale wasn't sprinting yet he had a pretty good picture of Zoe shooting an arrow and the sound of the two creatures approaching. Let's use her arrow as cover. Go. Asher told Vale quickly, and his companion burst into full-speed and rocketed forwards. The griffin's rider seemed to be an archer as well, however had focused his arrow on Zoe - releasing a bolt in her direction - and didn't have time to redraw before Vale was upon them. When he was in the middle of the two creatures, Vale suddenly changed directions and barged into the pegasus' side. Ramming it through the air and away from the griffin, Vale flipped over and pursued it.

Behind him, the instructor seemed to consider shooting an arrow at Asher and pursuing the pegasus before deciding to play along with the two inductee's plan and engage the dragon and other elf in a fight. Loosing another arrow in Zoe's direction, the man urged his griffin forward.

Despite the fact that Vale was fast, the pegasus was smaller and more agile. Soon enough, it became a game of Vale dodging as the pegasus tried to strike him with its hooves instead of the pegasus dodging as Vale tried to snap at it. However, Vale was still capable of getting away each time the horse tried to strike, and soon enough its rider seemed to decide that the fight was getting nowhere. Unlike Zoe and the other instructor, this one didn't have any arrows, instead having swords similar to Asher's from what Vale could see. Abruptly, the pegasus withdrew. Vale prepared to chase it in case it tried to return to the other griffin and instructor, however instead started when he recognized the pattern of the horse's movement. The rider was going to try and jump on his back, and most likely engage Asher in a swordsfight. The rider's going to try and jump on. Let's get out of here. Vale said to Asher, but the elf restrained him.

That's the only way this fight is going to end. I say we go for it. The wood elf said determinedly, seeming already set in his plan.

But you can't see in the air! This is going to be suicide. Vale protested, eyeing the pegasus as it circled around them.

Then stay still. Or we can try to lure the rider onto the ground, that might work as well. Asher responded, and Vale reluctantly began to loose elevation. He tactfully made it seem like he was fleeing the other pair, and the pegasus followed them. There was another clearing below, this one a lot smaller than the last, but it would work for their purposes. Taking a deep breath to ready himself, Asher adjusted his weight on Vale's back in preparation of an airborne fight. There was no doubt that they'd have to take the rider on in the air first, but after that Asher might be able to get him on the ground while Vale held off the pegasus.

Once Vale was only a few meters off the ground, looking to the pegasus and instructor that he had simply run out of space to retreat, he tried to stay as still and balanced in the air as possible. Asher's hearing was decent at this point, it would be enough to fight. The instructor jumped off his pegasus, descending onto Vale's back, and Asher jumped up and turned to face him. Immediately, they began sparring: the instructor's blades had already been out, but then again so had Asher's. After a few light blows had been exchanged, the two swordsmen testing out each other's abilities, the instructor went for a hard hit with a direct thrust at Asher's chest. The wood elf ducked, using the opportunity to run forward and shove the instructor off Vale's back before jumping off after him. It had worked out well, the fall was small enough to be able to land without much hindrance and the clearing would be more than large enough for a few minutes of fighting.

The pegasus had been waiting for its rider to jump back off in order to catch him, however with this new occurrence seemed confused as to what to do. Vale didn't give it time to think, regaining some elevation and charging the horse.
 
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Zoe doubled over as the arrow whizzed by her head. She popped up again and urged Storm forwards. Zoe could deal with shooting while in motion, but it wasn't as convenient as being still. The Dark Elf volleyed more arrows at her enemy, dodging the arrows he had sent out as well. One nearly grazed her face and she decided to be more careful. She would need to get closer. A charge on Storm's part would do just fine. Alright, Storm. Forwards charge. I'll be sending arrows over your head so be careful.she telepathically informed her dragon.

Storm burst forwards towards the griffin now that it had been separated by Asher and Vale. Zoe held on tight for now, anticipating the stunt Storm was bound to pull off. The griffin braced itself, but no hit would come yet. Storm tilted onto her side so her wings were fully extended at a vertical angle.Zoe grit her teeth, adrenaline and instinct to hold on fueling the grip her legs had on Storm's sides. Storm banked to the side behind the griffin and leveled out. Zoe felt the change in orientation and took that as her cue. She sat up in her saddle again and eyed her target quickly. Then in a fluid motion she raised her bow, notched an arrow, pulled the string back, and loosed the projectile. The arrow hit its mark in the griffin's ankle. Not a clean shot on Zoe's part, but it had at least made a hit due to their surprise assault.

Zoe glanced over to see that Asher was now somehow in a clearing sword fighting the instructor and Vale had charged the pegasus. Well, they seemed to be in good condition now. Zoe flinched as Storm lurched forwards, preventing an arrow from hitting Zoe. Are you asleep up there?Storm asked, clearly pissed off that her rider seemed to be preoccupied.

Sorry. I'm still not quite used to having to be mindful of those other than ourselves. Zoe replied, guiding Storm away from a few more arrows. From what she could tell, this instructor was a decent archer. Too bad Storm had quick reflexes. But unfortunately for Storm and Zoe, they couldn't win this fight playing defense the whole time. Zoe and Storm couldn't dodge the arrows forever and Zoe was having trouble with dodging and returning fire. The two partner groups seemed to be at a stalemate with the griffin rider slowly gaining an upper hand. Storm and the griffin seemed to be wary of each other, dodging in a few directions but hesitating to charge. And Zoe and the instructor were just exchanging arrows.

Time to step things up. Charge the side and I'm going to take a risk and jump off. Keep an eye out for me to try to catch me. We can gain some height so you have a higher reaction time.Zoe suggested. This idea was risky because if she was thrown off and Storm was caught up with the griffin, she'd plummet to her death. Still, if Asher was taking a chance with his strategy in engaging his enemy, she would too. She couldn't hold on for long fights so it would soon be do or die anyways. All it took was one arrow to send her to her death.

Storm seemed hesitant, but she was always ready to take a bit of a chance. She was confident enough to catch her rider, though it may be a bit sloppy. Storm flapped her wings hard and rose into the sky, the griffin rising with them until both were high in the air. Storm took a deep breath and charged forwards at the griffin's side. Zoe threw her bow over her shoulder and held an arrow in her hand. She rose from the saddle, careful to balance herself. When Storm was close enough, Zoe jumped off of her back and towards the griffin. The griffin couldn't dodge in time and soon Zoe had landed. The rider was shocked and tried to swing at her, but Zoe swiped out and scratched the rider's cheek with her arrow. A gash opened up on the instructor's face. Then he pushed her leg and she fell backwards.

Zoe held a scream in her throat, unable to release it. She reminded herself that she had practiced this a few times before and moved her arms and legs so she oriented herself in a crouch. Storm made it under her and Zoe landed on her back, muscles shaking from the daring effort. Zoe took a seat and hugged Storm's neck for a moment as she caught her breath. Let's try later. for now, give them a taste of your ice breath.Zoe said after her mind was a bit clearer.

Storm nodded, silently admiring how Zoe had recovered. Then the dragon obliged with a roar as she rocketed forth again. She opened her maw and spit a glowing blue liquid that surprised the griffin and rider counterpart. The ice hit the griffin in the face and the creature began to wipe at its face vainly. The rider covered the mount by sending more arrows at Zoe and Storm.
 
Landing in a crouch, Asher quickly oriented himself in the new space. The instructor had recovered well, coping with his fall well by performing a small tumble in the air and landing on his feet. The wood elf didn't have much time to think as what he suspected was another elf swiped at him. Asher jumped back half a step before planting his feet determinedly, he met the elf's second blow with his own sword. They were both fighting with double-bladed longswords, from what Asher could tell, and wondered briefly if they had been intentionally sent after him and Zoe. Their skill sets seemed to match quite nicely. Blocking two more strikes from the instructor and feeling the way the male moved, Asher started to close out the rest of the distractions from around him. He could feel the looseness of the instructor's posture, this elf was pretty confident in his abilities. Asher decided to teach him a bit of a lesson.

Abruptly taking the offensive, the wood elf took two steps forward - his blades becoming wheels of light as he unleashed a fury of hits and swings. The instructor was forced to do a retake on his strategy, going from a rather minimalist approach to a more full-power one. He was forced to retreat as Asher kept swinging at him - one blade swiping at his knees, the other at his neck, the next close to hitting the joint of his arm. Asher had no qualms about giving the instructor all he had, if he couldn't cope then he wasn't fit to be an instructor at this academy. The wood elf knew that he was considered gifted, especially for his age, but this other elf was at least a good few years older than him and should be more experienced. Asher's expectations were fulfilled as the elf deflected each of his blows in turn, however they both knew that he couldn't keep up like that forever.

Driving the other elf backwards a little bit at a time, Asher concentrated on both what he was doing but also what his opponent was doing. The fact that he was countering all of his blows ensured the wood elf that the instructor had more to offer, he was just waiting for the right opening to start his own offensive back up again. Asher didn't plan on giving him an opening, however all accomplished swordsmen had a specific strong spot where they could take advantage of a strike or angle from their opponent and turn it against them. Asher just hadn't hit that strong spot yet, and while the wood elf tried to confine himself to the blows he had already executed, trying to wear the instructor down as much as possible before he turned the tide back against him. Working off of only his previous strikes, however, was extremely limiting and as the instructor realized what Asher was doing, his blocks became stronger as he could predict what the wood elf was going to do next.

Deciding to quit while he was ahead, in a sense, and deciding that he had covered enough ground to retreat a little bit, Asher took a sudden step backwards and away from his opponent. The two swordsmen circled for a few moments, both of them recovering from their last bout.

Vale hounded the pegasus away from the clearing, knowing that the horse would be able to land in it due to its smaller size. If that happened, the griffin wouldn't be able to provide much help for Asher. Fueled by this knowledge, Vale created a powerful barricade - ramming and hitting the pegasus every time it turned its attention off of him and towards the clearing. Vale had full confidence in Asher's skills, especially when on the ground, and was content to battle it out in the air with this over-glorified horse. Eventually, the pegasus saw that it was getting nowhere and turned on Vale. A pegasi wasn't exactly built for combat, and didn't have any uses that Vale knew of except for its pointy hooves, but the griffin knew that if it had survived this long it was going to be a force to be reckoned with nonetheless. Soon after, the two were circling much as their riders were - exchanging blows every now and again. Vale managed to get a few lucky strikes, clawing at the pegasus' flanks, but other than that they didn't make much progress.

Back on the ground, Asher skid back on his heels after being pushed back by the instructor. At this point, they had begun combat again and seemed to be equally matched. Ducking under the instructor's inevitable swing, Asher regained a little bit of ground by shoving the man like he had done to get the instructor off of Vale earlier. Now that some ground was between them, the two ended up circling again. Asher wondered how long this elf was going to fight for, it seemed that this battle was pretty pointless. Now it was just a battle of stamina and seeing who could outlast the other. Asher wondered how Vale was doing, but didn't spend too much energy on the thought and instead focused on what he was doing.

Realizing that the circling around was just taxing his energy, Vale wondered if there were any other tactics he could employ to defeat this stubborn horse who refused to be beaten. As he was wondering, however, the pegasus managed to fly into him close-quarters and land a few strikes on his head. Since Vale's head was made of bone, this didn't do much, but it did leave one crack in the griffin's skull that was quite painful for him. Screeching in annoyance, Vale regained his energy and charged the pegasus. Managing to ram into it before it could dodge, the griffin drove it through the sky. At some point, he must have dislocated some joint of the delicate being's wing and the horse began to flounder in the sky. Neighing in panic and beginning to fall, Vale looked at his opponent with something akin to surprise. When had that happened? He wondered, though didn't decide to linger on it as his opponent fell towards the ground. It managed to stabilize itself towards the end, performing a semi-graceful landing in the forest not far from the clearing.

Hearing something fall through the air near him, Asher grit his teeth slightly at the thought that it might be Vale before realizing that it was too small to be the griffin. As the instructor suddenly made a retreat into the forest after the sound, the wood elf decided that it must have been the pegasus. Nicely done, what did you do to it? Asher called up to Vale, who seemed to hesitate for a few seconds.

I'm not sure. Suddenly it acted like it's wing joint was messed up, but I think it might have been an act. Anyways, we'll talk later - I'll pick you up in a second. The griffin responded, diving down towards the clearing and scooping his rider back up. After he had Asher in his talons, Vale looked towards Zoe and Storm who seemed to fairing decently well.

I guess it would make sense if it was an act. The instructor and I were at a stalemate, and from the sound of it you two were as well. There was nothing more to be gained from the encounter. Asher commented thoughtfully, before patting the leg his griffin had picked him up by. I think we're high enough, feel free to drop me. The rider said, and Vale dropped him before doing a quick tumble in the air and catching the elf on his back. The two started to fly back toward Storm and Zoe at speed. Do you guys need any help? I think we're done. Asher called out to Zoe, despite it taking extra effort on his part to open back up their telepathic line.
 
Storm spit again, but this time the instructor managed to guide the griffin away. It seemed the griffin didn't need to be able to see with his instructor guiding him, but the creature's senses were still hindered. It had stopped clawing at the ice on its face for now, though Zoe assumed it was painful on the eyes and would leave some damage. Probably not permanent blindness, Zoe hoped not. She wanted to defeat these two, but not by blinding them. She knew how valuable seeing was, just how Storm had not been happy to see the other dragon lose its flight abilities. Zoe wondered if when this was over they all got to talk to the instructor. Zoe wanted to learn more about archery from her rather skilled opponent.

Storm dodged to the side as the rider kept sending arrows after them. Unfortunately, one hit Storm in the shoulder. Her scales prevented any bad damage or it being lodged, but it had left a red gash that would be sure to sting when her adrenaline would wear out later. It was only minor though, so Storm could bear the pain. Zoe seemed concerned. Are you okay?she asked.

I'm fine. It was just a little cut.Storm responded, shrugging off the injury. She raised higher into the air, gliding above the griffin to get a moment of thought. How would they defeat these enemies? They seemed to be pretty equally matched for the time being. Zoe had observed that her assault on top of the griffin had worked well. If she had to, she would execute that same plan again. Zoe's bow was still on her back and she had the arrow still. She held it in her teeth and willed Storm to drop. The dragon tilted forwards and tucked her wings, plummeting as Zoe held tight. The griffin was currently flying up to meet them, which wasn't anticipated. Zoe decided to improvise and swung herself from the saddle as Storm passed the griffin. She landed on the back of the griffin once more, a bit sloppier though.

Zoe struggled to maintain balance and ended up falling on top of the rider. This accident had surprised the rider as much as Zoe had been surprised. The instructor struggled to balance and ended up falling from their saddle. Their griffin screeched in terror, not feeling the weight of its rider and not being able to see. Zoe made another rash decision, not wanting to accidentally kill an instructor. She swung her leg over the griffin. "Down, dive! I'll guide you to your rider! Quickly!"she yelled at the beast, arrow dropping from where it had been clutched in her mouth. She couldn't even lament the loss of her arrow in the heat of the moment.

The griffin was desperate and even let its enemy guide it as it dropped down. It reached its rider and Zoe yelled, "Grab! They're right there!"She had to shout since the wind was noisy in a free fall. The griffin reached its claws out and managed to grab its rider. With that, Zoe patted the creature on the top of its head and stood up. She jumped off and landed on Storm's back. The griffin had to land with its rider clutched tight. Zoe counted that as a victory and let the two go.

Zoe was safely atop Storm and was catching her breath. She was leaned forwards on Storm's neck as she re cooperated. Storm flew evenly, done with fancy maneuvers for now. Zoe's heart was racing and she sat up slowly, hands clutching the saddle unconsciously until her knuckles were white. She shakily released her grip. Where the hell did that move come from?Storm asked, amusement in her mental voice.

I...have no idea....But wasn't it soooo awesome!Zoe replied. She smiled and gave Storm a light punch. You got that griffin right in that eyes!she praised.

And you somehow avoided falling to your death.Storm added, making an odd sound alike to laughter.

Storm flew towards Asher and Vale. Nope, all good here. Did you see what I did? Wasn't it cool? Sorry, I'm acting childish...But I'm so excited!Zoe replied.

Storm rolled her eyes and mentally said to the two, Don't mind her. She's on an adrenaline high.

Zoe managed to calm down enough to ask, So, how did you guys do? Was it an amazing victory?
 
Seeing the ruckus up ahead, Vale was about to make a sprint for the falling instructor when Zoe seemed to start riding the griffin down to fetch the rider. Blinking once in surprise, Vale steadied his flight path back out. What's happening? Asher questioned his mount, not sure what to make of the griffin's strange and sudden lurch of movement before he leveled back out again. Don't tell me we have another opponent. The wood elf was prepared to sigh again, however cheered up a bit when the griffin didn't seem all that tense or aggravated, unlike how he would be if they had another enemy incoming.

I'm not sure exactly what's happening, but Storm hit the griffin in the eyes with her ice stuff so he's blind and I think Zoe must have lost her balance when she tried to pull a boarding move... She knocked the instructor out of his seat, then she guided the griffin back down to retrieve it. Vale said tentatively, unsure what to make of the spectacle. Asher didn't respond as the wood elf didn't seem to know what to make of the explanation of the event either. He did smile slightly in amusement as Zoe's voice spoke in to his brain, obviously elated and filled with adrenaline about the entire event.

Unfortunately, no, I didn't see it. Asher said. But Vale ensures me that it was quite the scene. He added, not wanting to crush the other elf's excitement. As for our victory, it was more of a stalemate. I don't exactly have any grand tales to tell, but I think I might have out matched that elf rider if I had been given a little bit more time. As it was, Vale took the pegasus out and the rider retreated after that. The wood elf informed Zoe about his and Vale's side of the battle, a bit embarrassed about not having had such a victory as their partners but knowing that it couldn't be helped. Apparently Vale's not even sure if he took the pegasus out, apparently it sort of faked an injury. The battle wasn't going anywhere either way, we were matched pretty evenly. I fancy that the rider knew that he was going to loose and ordered a retreat, but that's just me being delusional. Asher added lightheartedly before moving on.

Anyhow, it looks like we finally have the all-clear to start after the temple and the card. I wonder if any other teams have found the place yet. The wood elf commented, urging Vale to start flying. He personally doubted that the temple would have been too close to either the start of the arena where the riders had entered, or the end of the arena where the mounts and other creatures had started. Either way it would have been too easy to locate it - either from the air with the mounts, or on the ground with the riders. Should we try to look through the middle section of the arena? It seems that would be the most obvious location, but it would make sense anyway. Asher asked. Vale was already moving in the direction that his rider had specified, thinking along much of the same lines. Asher changed his telepathic lines to the one he had with Vale. Are there any other flying things about? He questioned, already anticipating their next battle.

There are a few, but I think they must be the other students. There aren't many of them though. The griffin responded readily, having already surveyed the area for threats. Besides, I would hope that they're done messing with us for now - it's about time they give others a bit of attention. Vale added, his head still smarting a little bit from the kick the pegasus had gotten in during their battle.

That's true. Asher agreed, relaxing a little bit. We should probably try to hurry nevertheless though, before we get back on their radar. He commented. Vale agreed.

Should we try to move a little bit faster? It might be better to get this over with as soon as possible. The griffin sent to Storm.
 
Zoe praised her dragon with a pat on the neck as well, stroking Storm's smooth, black scales. The dragon seemed to purr, producing a rumbling noise in her chest that wasn't as aggressive as a growl. It sounded more like a lazy growl that couldn't escape her throat. Zoe knew by now that the odd noise was a good one and it meant that Storm was content in some way. Zoe couldn't blame the dragon, being pleased with the outcome as well. Zoe's heart beat slowly returned to normal, but the light quaking of her muscles remained.

Zoe's mood was taken down a peg when she had realized her blundering mistake. See? Of course Asher didn't see anything? Zoe face palmed, though only Vale would be able to notice. Storm seemed amused at this, glancing back at her rider. Gah, sorry. Of course you couldn't see it, maybe heard it cause...Damn. I really got to get used to this. Zoe said telepathically.

Way to go, genius. Just insulting blind people now. How low have you sunk?Storm asked jokingly.

Oh shut it, you over sized lizard. Zoe replied, momentarily breaking off her telepathic connection with the dragon. Storm's amusement showed in her eyes now, but others couldn't tell what exactly had went down between the two.

Zoe removed her hand from where it had been pressed against her forehead, shrugging things off for the time being. She focused on more important matters, like hearing how Vale and Asher's battle had went. Hm, that's unfortunate. But, hey. You didn't die. Also, you may think you didn't do well because you didn't have a definite victory, but think about this. You just matched the skills of an instructor. You know, those skilled people that are employed to teach others because they are so talented? Yep, you have the same skill level. And that's pretty freaking awesome if you ask me. Zoe reassured, speaking her mind truthfully.

After that had been said, it was time to discuss the matters of what they were to do next. Finding the card was what was obvious, but how they'd go about the situation wasn't as clear. She planned having them fly around and look down at the area, since that would be the most efficient way to locate a structure from above. The middle would be more obvious, since it isn't easy to access from any starting point. We should check around that area first.Zoe agreed.

Storm looked out and spotted just a few more creatures and riders in the air, but they didn't look hostile or seemed to notice them. Storm figured that they were also looking for the temple. There were only a few of them though. Storm wondered if there were few simply because others had found their card and succeeded, some were lost, or if some even died. She didn't want to think about how many people may have met their demises at the hands of instructors or other beasts. Storm could never think of being part of an instructor pairing where she'd have to kill new students. She hoped that Zoe wouldn't become an instructor any time soon. Storm was pretty sure it wouldn't happen since Zoe cared more about fighting in the war than teaching others to do that.

We should pick up the pace. I'll let Zoe do a lot of the hunting since she seems to have pretty good vision and doesn't have to focus on flying.Storm replied as she flew forwards, gaining some speed.
 
Waving his hand dismissively at Zoe, Asher shook his head at her apologetic words. Don't worry about it. I heard a bit of something, but usually I'm at a disadvantage due to the air and wind because it blows sound around and disorients everything. The wood elf clarified. But again, it's no problem. I'm used to it. He added, dismissing her apology again. He did smile a little bit at her next words, perking up a little bit but careful to avoid getting too worked up about his skills. He hadn't been sure if the instructor had actually been working at his full capacity, after all.

Vale nodded to Storm as the dragon acknowledged his words, eyes scanning the tops of the trees closely. He was used to doing the eye-work for Asher as they were permanently in this situation, so he didn't have any problems with both flying and searching at the same time. The griffin descended a little bit so that he was closer to the ground and it would be easier for him to see things. The fire that the fire dragon had started was starting to go out, thankfully, as the damp nature of the forest got the best of it. It did seem to have cleared quite a few meters of space, however, and when Vale voiced that fact to Asher the elf grimaced. Yeah, that was a pretty bad call on my part. The rider said apologetically, and Vale changed the subject after tapping the wood elf on the shoulder with his tail to say that it was fine.

No point lingering on what's past I guess. Just make sure not to scare me like that ever again, alright? Vale said, demanding another apology from the rider and a promise to not get fire blown at him by a fire dragon without Vale directly around ever again. Sooner rather than later, the griffin spotted something strange penetrating from the tree tops. It was a mixture of brown and green and looked rather like a tree, and Vale wasn't sure if he was just seeing this or not, but as he changed course slightly and flew towards it he was sure that it was the top of some sort of construct. I think I might have found something. The griffin sent to Storm, circling around the point experimentally. Asher sensed this and started to sit up.

Can you land? The wood elf questioned, but the griffin didn't bother to respond as he just shook his head. There was no clearing around the space, the trees had clearly overgrown the building or whatever it was. Shrugging the fact off, Asher swung his leg around and reached out to Zoe. I'm going to check the place out, want to come? He said, assuming that Vale had told Storm of his finding and that the dragon had informed her rider in turn. Not waiting for an answer as Vale positioned himself over the tip of the construct, the wood elf slipped off his companion's back and touched the tip of what Vale suspected to be the temple. Pausing to absorb the vibrations coming off of the object, Asher waved a hand in the air as an all-clear sign. This is it. You should probably come down. He sent to Zoe before congratulating Vale and starting to slide down what appeared to be the temple's roof.

While the wood elf didn't sense anything inside the temple, he couldn't feel any vibrations coming from the ground as his feet were on the structure. Waiting for Zoe to come down so that she could get a visual in case anything was below waiting to eat him, Asher held his position on the temple's roof.
 
Zoe was looking down at the trees. She also noticed the spot where the fire dragon had destroyed quite a few trees and left fallen logs with black scorch marks running down their lengths. Zoe still smelled the ashy smell that came with forest fires,which was not pleasant of course. A few embers were blazing, but it had seemed like the worst part had settled down a bit. That dragon really had done a number on this area. And to think that only a little while ago Zoe and Asher had been weaving out of the forest as the fire raged on. Now it seemed a bit more peaceful and quiet. She wasn't running for her life and trees weren't being taken down left and right. For now she just felt the steady feel of flight and the movements caused by Storm flapping her large wings up, then down, then up again and so on.

Zoe then thought about towards the beginning of the induction when Asher and her had to kill those poor animals. She still remembered the yelp that had pierced the air when her arrow had struck one of the Tibicena. She remembered the look in their eyes when they drowned in their own lifeblood. She remembered the great mysterious beast that Asher had to execute. Such noble creatures, sent to their death with such short notice. She regretted having killed the creatures, but it was either that or they killed her. Then she never would have been able to live and try to get rid of the king who would have wiped all of the beasts out anyways. She thought of their deaths to be a sacrifice for this cause, to prevent the death of more of its kind and plenty other races. This didn't console her much, but it was a better train of thought than making herself feel even more guilty. She had more important things to focus on and could lament later at night if she made it out. Which at this point, she was more confident in success.

Storm seemed to understand that her rider had been reminiscing on her actions in these rather brutal trails. What has been done, has been done. There is no sense in getting worked up about this. Besides, we have to focus on finding the temple with the card in it so we can get out of here. I have had my fair share of violence and scares as well.Storm connected with Zoe telepathically and said.

I guess you're right.Zoe sighed.

Of course I'm right. I'm always correct, aren't I?Storm replied, electing a smile from Zoe.

Storm soon spotted the odd structure like thing as well. Like Vale, she also circled it and looked at it. Zoe perked up, regaining her sense as she refocused on the task at hand. I think it's worth checking out, but I can't land here.Storm replied, finding whatever the peculiar thing was to be interesting. Storm swooped down much closer to it and after Zoe heard Asher, she swung herself out of her saddle to and landed carefully on the structure below. Storm felt her rider leave and looked down. Way to leap off without warning.the dragon commented but received no answer except for a shrug from Zoe.

Here I am. Good job on Vale's part since I was sort of spacing out a bit up there. Zoe admitted, following Asher down onto the rood of the temple.
 
Asher was standing up on the structure, trying to battle his way through vines and other clinging materials that seemed to be trying to trip him as he moved. As far as he could hear, there weren't any dangerous creatures about, but from above the canopy of trees he couldn't exactly tell. Deciding to just take the risk and jumped down off the roof and onto the floor of the forest. It was probably an equal risk thing, as if he had continued down that roof blind he might have stepped on a thorn, poisonous plant or possibly even a quiet snake. None of those options appealed to the wood elf very much as he whipped out his swords upon making contact with the ground and preparing to slice at anything that might try to attack him. There was only silence. Feeling around for the door to the temple and trying to make as little sound as possible, Asher slipped inside the structure; leaving the door open for Zoe.

While he had been on Vale's back, Asher had gotten slightly disoriented and he only just realized that they were now on the west side of the arena - the exact place where he had felt the big monster shambling around earlier in the induction. The absolute silence around the area suddenly coming to mind, Asher tensed up as he tried to hear anything that would signify even a little bit of life around. With his feet on the temple, he couldn't feel any vibrations coming up from the ground and he abruptly realized that the giant creature could literally be right behind him. Be careful, and try to make as little noise as possible. He called quickly to Zoe, palming what he felt to be a card and slipping it into one of his pockets.

Remember the giant creature that I was telling you about before? The one that they were trying to distract when we came in? I think it might be around. Asher said, making his steps as light and soundless as he was physically able. He started to exit the temple through the door, recalling with a wince the slight creak it had made when he opened it, but froze when he heard a light sound from a few meters away. It was like a light wind, but it was coming from a few different directions. Staying absolutely stock still from just behind the door, hoping that he hadn't been seen as he recognized the wind sound as breathing. It was too heavy to be Zoe's, and again, it seemed to be coming from different directions. Concentrating hard, Asher felt a pit of despair settle in his stomach as he realized what it was.

A hydra {image}. And not just a small one like the human River's had been, this one was absolutely huge. Zoe... I might need a little bit of help here... I'm halfway sure that there's a hydra a few meters out. Mind giving me a bit of a visual? Asher said tentatively, afraid to move; his telepathic voice even quiet as he tried to stay as silent as possible himself.
 
Zoe followed after Asher. She pushed vines away as well. One slapped her in the face on accident and startled her into grabbing her bow. She figured it wasn't a bad thing to have right now and didn't put it away, though she felt a bit silly for being startled by a plant. She had fought a pack of Tibicena, a fire dragon, and a griffin and had been startled when a plant had hit her. This was one of the times where she was sort if relieved that Asher couldn't see that.

It was deathly silent, which worried her. She looked around and saw that the roof ahead was covered with more thick plants. It seemed like a bad idea to trudge into an area where she had low visibility and no sense of possible danger, so she decided to follow Asher off of the rood.

Zoe watched him jump down and followed soon after, landing lightly. As he went in, she got distracted by a telapthic message from Storm. Well, anything? she asked.

Zoe replied, We are on ground level now and Asher just entered. It looks like a large stone structure that is covered in dense vegetation. I don't hear anything and that's a bad sign.

That's odd. I don't hear anything from up here either. But something smells....off. Be careful down there since I can't make it easily through the vines and it would be really hard if I had to try to land.Storm replied.

Okay, I'll be careful. I'm going to see what Asher's up to in there, you keep watch from above.Zoe replied, ending the conversation.

After she ended it, she heard Asher say something in her mind. Oh yes, the beasthe had mentioned that had yet to come up. But how could it be so silent? She heard a slight creak and rrealized it must be Asher. Then she heard his quiet voice telling her to come and help out with a hydra...Oh no...This couldn't be good. Of course the tenple would have a big challenge.

Zoe pulled a few arrows from her quiver and quietly entered the temple. She saw Asher a few feet away, but was more concerned of what was behind him. The temple was huge inside with stone walls and only one known method of escape, being the door Zoe had just entered. Sitting about 20 meters behind Asher was a giant, green scaled hydra. It had four heads currently and they seemed to have just awoken, eyes slowly adjusting. Their large nostrils took in the scent of the two with big huffs and Zoe could have sworn that her heart alnost stopped. This beast was considerably larger than Storm and had tree more heads than the dragon...better to bite with.

Giant...Hydra. Thick green scales, four heads that have woken up. Long tail, no wings evident. This stone room is large with this door as the only exit....The beast is about 20 meters behind you....Oh shit...Zoe said, her response quiet as well een though it wasn't like the hydra could hear.

Zoe managed to tell Storm, Hydra...Giant sary hydra. Oh god...

Storm's eyes widened a bit. She turned to Vale. There's a hydra in that temple. A big ons. Oh no...Do you think we can start clawing our way down there? We can't land, but maybe we can find someplace to fall?
 
Zoe's description of the beast didn't help Asher cope with it any better. The wood elf tensed up even more, if that was even possible, but forced himself to keep breathing. Inhale, exhale. He had to stay calm or else he'd do something stupid and get both himself and Zoe killed. He could hear his new partner approaching the temple and was about to yell at her to stay out, but at that point it was already too late. According to her report, the beast had already awoken and they didn't seem to have much of a chance save fight it at this point. Feeling the card in his pocket, Asher took a moment to get his nerves back under control. He had done crazier things in the past, he could deal with this as well. A voice at the back of his head did ask him what it was, exactly, that had been crazier than fighting a hydra without Vale but he ignored it.

Right. We're going to have to see if we can work this out. As far as I'm aware, if you cut off a hydra's head it grows back again... Your arrows might be our best bet, since you'd be able to perhaps blind it by shooting it in the eye, but I'll see if I can injure it without cutting one of it's heads off completely. Also, these guys usually have a pattern of attack, since in order to coordinate themselves they have to react quickly without having to worry about hitting another head. Give me some time and I might be able to figure it out. Until then, I think we'd be best off trying to retreat. Asher briefed Zoe quickly, cutting off his telepathic line with her as Vale started yelling at him in his head.

A hydra? An actual hydra? First a fire dragon and now a damn hydra? What is your problem? The griffin was extremely agitated, and Asher knew that if he didn't say something to his companion soon Vale was going to barge right into the temple and get the hydra to start attacking. Seeing as Asher didn't even know what type this hydra was, he knew that would be a very bad idea.

Pull yourself together. Whatever you do, don't try to break into the temple - we don't need to agitate this guy anymore than we already have. Try to see if you and Storm can find a clearing nearby to land, and wait there for us to get there so we can take off and get out of this arena. Have you got all that? Asher commanded the griffin, who reluctantly saw sense and started to gain elevation so that he could look around the arena and figure out if there were any clearings nearby.

Asher says that if we try to break into the temple they'd be screwed. He seems to be under the opinion that he and Zoe will be able to run and dodge all of its attacks and meet up with us in a nearby clearing. Do you see anything? Vale said to the dragon, displeased with the idea but knowing that there weren't many other options.

Breathing lightly, Asher started to move slowly towards the door and Zoe. It might be worth slowly backing away from the door. He said to her, concentrating intensely on the sound of the hydra's breathing from behind him. He really should have heard the sound earlier, at this point it was a little bit too late to do anything about it. Hearing a burst of sudden movement from one of the heads, Asher dived forward and tackled Zoe to the ground as a pillar of fire flew past his head. Run! I've already got a card. He barked at the other elf as jumped back onto his feet and helped pull her up before running away from the temple as fast as he could.
 
Zoe felt as if she were frozen in place. Her posture was a bit more ridgid and her breathing had slowed way down, though her heart was racing in her chest again. This wasn't fair. They were training to fight soldiers, not giant hydras. Zoe watched as the creature looked her and Asher over, its four heads probably discussing how these intruders should be dealt with. And none of the methods would be peaceful judging by the gleam in all four sets of beady, reptilian eyes. They were more beastly than even Storm's eyes, which were icy blue and held more evidence of intelligence. Not that hydras weren't smart, it's just that the wilder ones tended to be more primal. The same occured in other more malevolent creatures.

Zoe listened to what Asher said. Her arrowd would be more helpful for being lethal than a sword now, since if a head was sliced off than two more would grow in its place, which wasn't good. She wouldn't look forwards to trying to shoot its eyes out. She could when stadning in place, but Zoe knew that if arrows starting flying than the hydra wouldn't just sit like an archery target. It would attack by breathing some deadly concoction or biting them in half with those raxor sharp sets of teeth in each mouth.

Zoe was also down for retreating, not wanting to engage such a creature. She heard Storm in her head next, The silence is nerve wracking! Get away from that beast! I know you're feeling pretty confident due to the reebt successes, but this is different since it's a giant hydra for goodness sakes!

Oh trust me, a lot of my confidence flew out the door. This thing is intimidating, but if worse comes to worse then we'll fight.

No, you'll run! I can't risk losing you again. Just get out of there!Storm replied, urging her rider tobe cautious.

Storm heard what Vale had said.I don't like this situation one bit. I know they're capable fighters, but it isn't easy for only two people to take down a giant hydra! I think we should go down and help, but I can't get down there so I guess we should at least land somewhere. Then maybe we an see if it's wise to try to walk through the forest into the main temple entrance.Storm replied.

Then she looked out over the forest. A short distance aeay from the temple she spotted a clearing. It wasn't too big so they'd have to take off and land one at a time, but it was doable. Storm flew over to it and descended, landing as neatly as she could. Then she tore down enough vines to get out of the clearing so Vale could have room to land.

Zoe was backing towards the door when she saw a few of the hydra heads open their jaws. Oh no, this wouldn't end well. She still was surprised when fire shot forth and was glad wgen Asher tackled her to the ground since for some reason she didn't think to move. Zoe heard Asher and accepted help up. When he ran out of the temple, Zoe followed at a sprint, potentially running for her life.
 
Third head to struck. First head moved. Fourth head lunged... Asher was keeping track of the movements of the hydra as he ran, forcing himself to focus on the enemy behind him and Zoe despite the fact that he already wanted nothing more to do with it. All of his senses were focused on the giant creature behind them as it lumbered out of the temple, spitting fire after the fleeing elves. Asher blinked once as he realized that the beast seemed to be setting the temple on fire - or at least that was what it smelled like. The scent of burning metal was starting to creep through the forest, and Asher briefly entertained the fact that this was the second time he'd set a forest on fire today. Wasn't he on a roll? He was quickly jolted back to reality when another pillar of flame shot after him and Zoe, however as the hydra squeezed out the temple door it didn't manage to be all that accurate.

So that was third, first, fourth, fourth, first, second then third... The wood elf quickly recounted to himself, ears up as he tried to keep the hydra within his sights. So far only the third head had spat fire, it was possible that the third head from the left was the only one who was able to do such a thing. However, the elf was quick to recognize the fact that the beast's second and third heads had a method of motion that was extremely similar. That paired with the fact that hydras all were born with three heads, Asher came to the conclusion that somebody must have cut either the second or third's head off and it had grown into two hydra heads. If that were the case then the second was going to be able to breathe fire too.

The middle heads have fire. I don't think the rest do though. Asher said to Zoe quickly, allowing himself to break out of his mental reverie for a moment before he went back to counting. As he heard the second head start to open its mouth, he tensed a little bit. Duck. He barked at Zoe telepathically as another pillar of fire went above their heads. Luckily, this hydra seemed to be a more wild one and was a slow learner. If it had been a bit smarter it would have recognized the fact that the elves were good at ducking, but might not be able to escape the fire if it was burning at their feet and on the grass. Asher didn't want to wager on how long it would take the hydra to come to that realization, however, and put on some extra speed after ensuring Zoe was still present beside him. Have you found one yet? Asher yelled towards Vale, desperate to start finding a clearing so that he and Zoe could get away from this hydra. He couldn't take the time to dig his feet in and find a clearing himself since he was mostly focused on running.

One and a half turns east from the last flame. The griffin responded quickly and shortly, knowing that Asher didn't have time to hear a speech from him at the moment. The 'turns' system was something that they had developed together, and while it wouldn't make much sense to an outsider Asher understood where he had to turn. He didn't bother to thank the griffin, as he was still concentrating on the hydra's attack pattern, but Vale wasn't expecting a thank you. It would be enough if Asher got out alive and in one piece in his book.

Grabbing Zoe's arm, Asher pulled her to their left for two reasons: the first was that the third head was about to attack again, and the fourth was also darting forward, however that was also the direction Vale had mentioned. This way to a clearing. Storm and Vale are waiting. The wood elf said quickly before sprinting off again. He had figured out the hydra's attack pattern at this point, as it was a wilder beast it hadn't been that complicated to figure out. Pay attention, I'll tell you when to move if it tries to throw fire at us again. Asher told Zoe, grateful of their telepathic connection. Trying to speak in these conditions would be akin to suicide.

Vale was tracking the two rider's progress from above, able to mark their positions by the giant tongues of fire the hydra was emitting. That and the ground seemed to tremble as the beast moved, the shaking trees giving Vale a pretty good idea of where it was. He was making for the clearing as well, however was ready to chance diving into the trees if Asher needed him to. They're coming your way. Think you can lift them both? Once the hydra gets into the clearing I'll try to distract it. Vale called out to Storm, determining that the two riders were making fast progress. They'll be on you in maybe half a minute. The griffin estimated, putting on some extra speed so that he was going to be able to round on the clearing and charge the hydra when it emerged after the two riders.
 
Zoe ran after Asher, surprised by how deft he ran even when blind. Zoe ran passed Asher before she turned back. As Asher ran by she loosed an arrow at the hydra since now it didn't matter whether she shot or not since they were being pursued anyways. The arrow hit the snout of of one of ths non fire heads in the right eye. The creature roared as it continued its pursuit, blood dripping from the arrow lodged in the eye. A lucky shot, but a hit. One eye down, possible2 more to go.Zoe said as she began to spribt again, catching up to Asher soon enough.

Zoe jumped aside as fire burst forth from one of the dragon's mouths. She felt its heat behind her but missed the flames that had threatened to lick at her heels. And now there was fire. Of course. Since the encounter with the fire dragon hadn't been enough. Zoe regained her balance and ran back towards Asher, throwing vines out of her face. But for the most part, she could navigate this area.

The hydra was crushing trees as it pursued its targets with flames and fury and Zoe was way too frightened to try to shoot at it anytime soon. Zoe heard what Asher had said. Nice observation. was all she could muster in this stressful situation. This day was proving to be rather eventful.

Zoe then listened to Asher's command and ducked, dodging the flame.Then Zoe was tearing across the forest yet again, glad she was a decent runner when it came to short bursts, but much longer and she'd begin to tire.

Zoe let Asher pull her arm and followed his turn, assuming he was communicating with Vale. In the situations today, she had learned to trust Asher's words and actions without hesitation. His lesson yesterday had helped enforce the idea and these events further did so. Even though thy had only known each other for a day,Zoe had a lot of trust in Asher, even if Storm was still skeptikal.

I can. I'll get Asher on your back as soon as you're free.Storm replied.

Soon Zoe burst into the clearing, spotting her dragon, she wasted little time in vaulting into the saddle. Hop on.Zoe beckoned.

Storm didn't wait and grabbed Asher with her feet instead as she lifted off of the ground. Sorry, I don't know what Storm is up to but I guess we have to get out of here fast.Zoe added.

Storm lifted Asher carefully, emerging from the clearing. Then the dragon made her way over to Vale and deposited Asher atop the griffin's back. Storm wasted no time in banking to one side and spitting ice at one of the hydra's heads. Should we flee or fight? You said you have the card.Zoe asked.
 
As he had been concentrating so strongly on the hydra in addition to running, Asher hadn't heard Zoe shoot and was surprised when she declared a hit. Nicely done. He praised shortly, sounding rather flat but unable to muster much else as he kept track of which head was attacking and after that which one would attack next so that he could ensure that neither he or Zoe would either get burnt or snapped in half. Despite the fact that the hydra was huge and able to crash through trees, it wasn't big enough to do so without effort and in order to get through the forest it had to slow down a good bit. As it was, Asher was alright with dodging fire, but he dreaded what would happen if the other regular heads got into range as well. He didn't want to play tag with four different, carnivorous heads after him.

Hearing a slight change in the attack pattern, the head that Zoe had hit becoming suddenly quite wary of the two running elves, Asher took that into account quickly. That head fell back, trying to shake the arrow off while wailing in agony. Good, I think you took that one out. Asher added to Zoe, recognizing the fact that the one head out of action was slowing the entire creature down even more than blundering through the forest was. At this pace, they would be able to outdistance the creature - though Asher did wonder how long it would be until he or Zoe started to get worn out. It seemed like they were both good at sprinting short distances, but he personally wasn't all that great at long distance running. Especially at this kind of speed. Hopefully all of that wouldn't be relevant, however, if Storm's clearing was nearby.

You're nearly there. Vale encouraged from above. Just a few more seconds. The griffin added, preparing to charge the hydra the second it came out of the forest and give Storm some space to take off. Seeing the riders emerge from the trees; Zoe vaulting onto Storm before the dragon picked Asher up in her claws. Soon enough the hydra's first head came snaking out of the trees and Vale screeched from where he was situated high in the air and began to plummet down toward the clearing. He shot past Storm as the dragon took back off, using his head as his shield as he rammed the hydra back into the trees before quickly trying to retreat back upwards before it managed to snap at him. Unfortunately, Vale wasn't quite fast enough and lost one of his back talons, but it was a small price to pay as he rocketed away from the beast after seeing that Storm was in the clear.

Leveling out near the dragon and relaxing as Asher was deposited on his back, Vale was ready to high-tail it out of the area. Yeah, I got it. Asher assured Zoe, fishing in his pocket and drawing out the card. While the elf couldn't see it, it appeared to be a Jack of Diamonds. Asher held the slip of paper tight, not wanting to accidentally drop it after all of their trouble and slipped it carefully back into his pocket afterwards. Vale started to fly back to the arena's entrance, Asher going silent for a few seconds. Well, that happened. He said at last to Zoe, only just beginning to register the mad chase they had just escaped from. But I don't think we would have been able to get another card even if I hadn't gotten one, I think that hydra might have set the temple on fire. The wood elf said suddenly, remembering the smell of melting metal.

His suspicions were confirmed as a powerful telepathic voice suddenly broke into their heads.

"Attention all inductees and instructors. The forest temple has just been burned down, along with this year's tribute items. I repeat, the forest temple has been burned down. The induction is now over, all surviving students may now return to the main hall. First aid and refreshments will be provided. The induction results will be presented at the main hall within the hour. Bixby, Zoe and Undoeme, Asher as well as their companions should report to the arena's main entrance at once."

Asher shifted in his seat slightly when he and Zoe were called to the main entrance. "I hate it when I'm right." Asher said aloud with a sigh. "I just wonder if burning down the temple gives us extra credit or takes it away from us." The wood elf said to Zoe with a slight groan as he laid down on Vale's back. He was pretty sure that he'd be sore for days after this. "Nevertheless, at least it's over." Asher concluded, ready to put the entire event out of his mind but knowing that he wouldn't be able to do that until they met with whomever wanted to meet them at the main entrance. Vale had already been heading back that way and didn't change course, but he did pick up a little bit of speed now that hey had a definite location. Besides, the griffin was growing wary now that the adrenaline rush was subsiding and the crack on his head from the pegasus was still smarting.
 
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