Zafflebrod's College and Preparatory School for the Magically Inclined

[Fenric]

[Dormitory]

Melina smiles in return

Melina. Nice to meet you, Adrian. Can you help me pick through the stuff here? I have a stone of sending somewhere that I can use to call home.

[Ionbound]

[Dormitory]

Melina smiles in return

Melina. Nice to meet you, Adrian. Can you help me pick through the stuff here? I have a stone of sending somewhere that I can use to call home.

Adrian nods and says, "Of course, Melina. Hmm...Let me try something." With that, she mutters a brief phrase, intended to sort the stuff into piles based on relative density...And will probably end up accidentally sending what's left of Melina's possessions flying everywhere.

[Arkhosia]

[Hedge Maze]

Red nods. "You do that. I'll distract them and make sure they're all facing the other way," she replies under her breath.

She creeps down the path a little more, just a few feet past where the group is so they'll only see her silhouette. Then, she leaps through the hedge and runs across the path, her riding hood sailing behind her. There's the sound of Freddie the half-orc collapsing, and then of Red jumping back through the hedges on the other side. Then, there's a couple of gasps, a swallowed yelp, and a guy trying calm the others.

As it happens, this guy is the closest to the hedge, separated from the rest of the group because they all huddled together and are staring at the fallen Freddie. His name is Twinkletoes, by the way. I'm sure Charlotte was able to overhear that name as the people gasp and talk to each other.

Charlotte, as the group huddles, swiftly grabs one of the members and pulls him/her into the hedge, before summoning a similar red cloak upon her and darting out, making sure to keep her face out of view, and arrive by Red.

- - - Updated - - -

Dorms

((Decided caelynn won't be here, actually)
Isaac may, in his search for Merissa, bump into a pink-haired girl in a pale pink hoodie, black scarf, black skirt, and pink boots, the pale-skinned girl warding off the bugs with a combo of a multicolored umbrella used to provide a different target and some sort of powerful eye beam.
Yo kid, need help finding your friend? Cuz I could aid you!
She offers, shouting so he could hear her even if he doesn't stop running.

[5a Violista]

[Hedge Maze]

Twinkletoes the Manly Man is pulled into the hedge. He has a surprised yelp, a scream. It's short and he immediately cuts off - but it's too late. Rainbow colors swirl around him as he is forcibly teleported to the finish.

I suppose there's three left standing, who all need names. James, who wants to be a druid. Faith, the easily frightened. Tessa, the girl whose parents pay the school a lot more than normal. Freddie is unconscious (hopefully?), and Twinkletoes has vanished into the hedge.

Hearing the red riding hood whip through the air causes them all to turn just as Twinkletoes vanishes. Frightened whispers. Faith covers her mouth as if she can hold the scream in, but it escapes through her fingers. She, too, vanishes in a rainbow swirl.

Red, in the hedge, takes advantage of the of the frightened sounds and bright lights to whisper again to Charlotte. "Two down."
"Watch this."

She leaps out again, and crouches over the downed Freddie. His face appears to blur like they often do in Harry Potter movies when a Dementor is near. Seeing this, James flees back down the misty path they came up.

Then, Red looks up. There's a dark viscous liquid dripping down from her lip, and her eyes glow a faint scarlet. She smiles. It's a strange contrast - the dark riding hood (especially dark in this twilit maze) with the offwhite dress, the dark liquid on the pale face, and the red eyes. "Tessa. Dear Tessa. Did they ever tell you why they call me Red?" she asks, as if it's the most innocent and innocuous question in the world.

She looks frightened. Tessa does, I mean.

[Arkhosia]

[Hedge Maze]

Twinkletoes the Manly Man is pulled into the hedge. He has a surprised yelp, a scream. It's short and he immediately cuts off - but it's too late. Rainbow colors swirl around him as he is forcibly teleported to the finish.

I suppose there's three left standing, who all need names. James, who wants to be a druid. Faith, the easily frightened. Tessa, the girl whose parents pay the school a lot more than normal. Freddie is unconscious (hopefully?), and Twinkletoes has vanished into the hedge.

Hearing the red riding hood whip through the air causes them all to turn just as Twinkletoes vanishes. Frightened whispers. Faith covers her mouth as if she can hold the scream in, but it escapes through her fingers. She, too, vanishes in a rainbow swirl.

Red, in the hedge, takes advantage of the of the frightened sounds and bright lights to whisper again to Charlotte. "Two down."
"Watch this."

She leaps out again, and crouches over the downed Freddie. His face appears to blur like they often do in Harry Potter movies when a Dementor is near. Seeing this, James flees back down the misty path they came up.

Then, Red looks up. There's a dark viscous liquid dripping down from her lip, and her eyes glow a faint scarlet. She smiles. It's a strange contrast - the dark riding hood (especially dark in this twilit maze) with the offwhite dress, the dark liquid on the pale face, and the red eyes. "Tessa. Dear Tessa. Did they ever tell you why they call me Red?" she asks, as if it's the most innocent and innocuous question in the world.

She looks frightened. Tessa does, I mean.

Tessa may likely not notice a red ribbon snake behind her and attempt to wrap around her with amazing speed.

[5a Violista]

[Hedge Maze]

"No," says Tessa, on the verge of tears. "No."

At that unexpected moment, the snake (a garter snake? How can such a small snake wrap around her?) (Or, maybe you meant a ribbon comes along behind her, and not a snake? I'm going to assume that, because a redstripe ribbon snake can't really wrap around people), I mean, the ribbon comes up behind her and wraps her up. "No, let me go, please," she cries.

As her tears hit the ground, they shine in a rainbow light as well and she vanishes like the others.


Red smiles, and gets off the downed half-orc. "Good job," she says, no longer whispering.

She stands up. Oh! Idea! She has an idea. "Hey, I have an idea. Freddie is good at finding exits. Come this way a bit, away from him." Away from Freddie. Red walks several paces away from Freddie and waits.

[Arkhosia]

[Hedge Maze]

"No," says Tessa, on the verge of tears. "No."

At that unexpected moment, the snake (a garter snake? How can such a small snake wrap around her?) (Or, maybe you meant a ribbon comes along behind her, and not a snake? I'm going to assume that, because a redstripe ribbon snake can't really wrap around people), I mean, the ribbon comes up behind her and wraps her up. "No, let me go, please," she cries.

As her tears hit the ground, they shine in a rainbow light as well and she vanishes like the others.


Red smiles, and gets off the downed half-orc. "Good job," she says, no longer whispering.

She stands up. Oh! Idea! She has an idea. "Hey, I have an idea. Freddie is good at finding exits. Come this way a bit, away from him." Away from Freddie. Red walks several paces away from Freddie and waits.

Charlotte, grinning, bows with a flourish. She nods, and, still adorned in a red cloak that obscures the body well as well as identical clothing as Red, follows Red.
[COLOR] Thought the same outfit might cause them to think some sort of duo of spirits or demons or other supernatural beings are terrorizing them. It's fun to screw with people, I must say.[/COLOR]
She explains in a low voice.

[5a Violista]

[Hedge Maze]

"That was a pretty good idea," Red replies.

Suddenly, Freddie stirs. He starts to get up, with a dazed look on his face.

In response, Red calls out and begins to run towards him. "Freddie! Freddie. Are you alright?" she asks, before trapping him in a hug. "We were a little lost, but then we heard some screaming. What happened?"

To which he responds, "I don't know, did you see where everyone went?"

[Arkhosia]

[Hedge Maze]

"That was a pretty good idea," Red replies.

Suddenly, Freddie stirs. He starts to get up, with a dazed look on his face.

In response, Red calls out and begins to run towards him. "Freddie! Freddie. Are you alright?" she asks, before trapping him in a hug. "We were a little lost, but then we heard some screaming. What happened?"

To which he responds, "I don't know, did you see where everyone went?"

Charlotte now wears the cloak so that it obscures her whole body and face besides her mouth (which is in a slight grin). She shrugs, playing the part of mute ally for now as she watches the two interact.

[5a Violista]

[Hedge Maze]

"No, everyone is gone," Red responds.

Then, the half-orc says, "Well, we really need to get to the finish." "Oh, right. Sorry."
Red lets him out of the embrace, and they both stand all the way up. "It's this way."

Both Red and Freddie start walking that way, then, in the direction where the exit probably is. Sometimes, one of them whispers to the other (and then, there's the occasional laughter).


((*goes to bed and deadtimes now*))

[Arkhosia]

[Hedge Maze]

"No, everyone is gone," Red responds.

Then, the half-orc says, "Well, we really need to get to the finish." "Oh, right. Sorry."
Red lets him out of the embrace, and they both stand all the way up. "It's this way."

Both Red and Freddie start walking that way, then, in the direction where the exit probably is. Sometimes, one of them whispers to the other (and then, there's the occasional laughter).


((*goes to bed and deadtimes now*))

Charlotte flanks Freddie.
I'm Charlotte by the way, and I should currently be in...
She takes out a schedule.
Apparently this is in fact my class, but being my first day I didn't realize it was. Things have a way of working out, huh?

[Hyperbolic sine]

[Gym]

"It's like a hive, but locusts and moths don't do that, I don't think." Pete looks the inside of the gym up and down before closing his eyes and crossing his arms as he thinks. Fire is his one magical thing, and it would be a bad idea to burn the whole building down. "Can't burn'em out. Probably hundreds of eggs so I can't squash'em all. What'd kill'em? Bug zapper, insecticide, cold chill, water," His eyes open. "Bingo! I'm gonna go find a fire alarm, maybe that'll turn the sprinklers on. They won't wanna live in a soggy hive!" It's not much of an idea, but none of his generally are, but at least he isn't just standing around. He's certainly proud of it at least. "Please don't magic it while I'm inside!" he says as to the volleyball team and the teleported newcomer before running into the cocoon.

"Wait! Why can't we burn down the whole thing? The building can be repaired...as can a soaked silk hive!" Harold yells. If the boys stops, he will explain that he can dimensionally lock the gym for some seconds once the fire has been started: that will cause the flames to consume all the oxygen inside, possibly suffocating the locusts which are not burned and then extinguishing themselves before the lock expires, while making escape impossibile for the insects. If the boy instead goes on with the sprinklers plan, Harold will prepare to shield himself and the volleyball team - again by deviating approaching locusts (towards something that can kill the insects, if he sees such a thing, or simply past them if not) - from the furious swarm he supposes will burst out of the gym as soon as the sprinklers are activated.

[Fenric]

[Dormitory]

Adrian nods and says, "Of course, Melina. Hmm...Let me try something." With that, she mutters a brief phrase, intended to sort the stuff into piles based on relative density...And will probably end up accidentally sending what's left of Melina's possessions flying everywhere.

Melina watches in dismay as her papers and lighter objects distribute themselves around the hallway

eyaaaaa... but... ah... *sigh*

Fortunately, the sought after magic item is relatively heavy in comparison and ends up just a few feet away. She scurries over to it, wrapping what's left of her tail around herself as she goes.

[Ionbound]

[Dormitory]



Melina watches in dismay as her papers and lighter objects distribute themselves around the hallway

eyaaaaa... but... ah... *sigh*

Fortunately, the sought after magic item is relatively heavy in comparison and ends up just a few feet away. She scurries over to it, wrapping what's left of her tail around herself as she goes.

Adrian blushes full body and says, "Oh...I'm sorry. Sometimes, my magic gets a bit wild. I'm glad you found your stone, though!"

[Fenric]

[Dormitory]

Melina shakes her head

It's ok...

She holds the stone and concentrates, and Adrian gets to hear half of a conversation:

Mom: it's me. There's been an incident at school and all my clothes were eaten.

Yes, I'm serious.

Yes, ALL of my clothes, including what I was wearing.

It's not MY fault, I haven't even moved in yet!

Locusts. Lots of them.

Yes, they ate the luggage too.

Yes, I'm SURE it wasn't me.

I love you, too.

She stands there for a moment looking utterly annoyed before beginning the task of collecting her belongings from around the hall.

[Ionbound]

Adrian slowly and carefully says, "I...Um...I could try to help? It's my fault your stuff is blown everywhere. Maybe I could summon something?"

[Fenric]

[Dormitories]

Melina looks up and blinks, and her ears fold back briefly in embarrassment

Huh? Oh! No, it's my Mom... her first reply was "what did you do?". I'm just really sick of being blamed for every catastrophe that happens, you know? That's why they sent me here.

She is actually making pretty swift progress: there wasn't all that much to be distributed

Besides, this gives me something to keep busy while waiting for them to get something together and arrange an inter-dimensional... teleport...

she trails off at the end due to a glowing, sparkling, deep-green anomaly that appears and deposits a box on the floor beside her. She looks over at the letter on top of the box

Here's your leather dress, and one for your friend. We'll send the rest later.

P.S. Uncle Max says to tell her she's quite pretty

[Slii Arhem]

Dorms

Holy heck he actually did something useful! Woo! But no time to be proud of the luck, keep running!
Isaac sighs, but he can get a shot at playing hero. Of course, this inevitably won't go well for him.
Isaac runs for the source of the noise, prepared to open doors if he has to! "Merissa? What's wrong?!"

Dorms

When he finds Merissa, she's quite predictably nude, and holding on to one final scrap of cloth tightly with two hands while the others frantically swats at a single spool-moth which is darting around her. The others have all left, laden down with what was formerly her clothing, but as the scrap poking out from between her fingers gives a pathetic mewl, Isaac will realize just why she's defending it so vigorously.

Honestly, if everything that happened in this school would just stop threatening that kitten patch she's been treating like it's a familiar, she'd have quite a few fewer problems with stress.

[Teachers' Bunker]

"Well, before I go into that, I should ask. Is anyone here known for having...issues...with keeping secrets? It goes without saying that this is all classified," N'alae says, before pausing and glancing about.

She raises a finger to interrupt anyone trying to answer her. "...What happened in here, and should I take this as a sign I should go somewhere else with this?" The Emissary asks, in a bemused tone.

Teacher's Bunker

"Ah, no, this sort of thing happens all the time. Well, not this specifically, but school-wide events tend to crop up with so much magic and so many personalities in one place. Thankfully for the sake of research, we do have sealed, warded bunker-labs that have been untouched by the havoc since the school's inception. The consulting fee for renting one of those bunkers is a fractional amount more, but it is worth the safety." The educator straightens what remains of their clothing and smooths back their hair, "If you're asking what happened specifically, one of the crossbreeds a student made for the fair got loose and started harvesting fabrics. Standard procedure in this situation is to let the students form up parties and deal with the problem with aid and supervision from afar. It helps teach them self-reliance and problem solving. If this was a real threat to anything but modesty, we would be out there." Most of them, anyway. Some of them are truly cowards.

"Did you have any end result or tests in mind? It doesn't do much good to study an artifact unless you know what you're looking for."

Spoiler: Gym

Show

[Class Building]

Harold takes a quick look around, fully realizing what "cloth repurposing" meant. If only the girl with the archon didn't flee from his "protective bubble"...now she was already swarmed by the insects, and there was nothing he could do for her...well, nothing without risking to hurt her (again, spatial magic is the only one he can cast with proficiency). So, considering that the locusts pose a threat only to people's modesty and not life, he does a quick wormhole jump (anyone else would call it "teleport") to the gymnasium, since it was mentioned on the AP before.

[Gymnasium]

The air seems to warp as Harold appears from nothing, then quickly returns to normal. The first thing he notices is the almost naked volleyball team, then the guy in boxers standing next to them, and then the silk cocoon. He stares at it slack-jawed. "Oh hell. Is that a hive?"

[Gym]

"It's like a hive, but locusts and moths don't do that, I don't think." Pete looks the inside of the gym up and down before closing his eyes and crossing his arms as he thinks. Fire is his one magical thing, and it would be a bad idea to burn the whole building down. "Can't burn'em out. Probably hundreds of eggs so I can't squash'em all. What'd kill'em? Bug zapper, insecticide, cold chill, water," His eyes open. "Bingo! I'm gonna go find a fire alarm, maybe that'll turn the sprinklers on. They won't wanna live in a soggy hive!" It's not much of an idea, but none of his generally are, but at least he isn't just standing around. He's certainly proud of it at least. "Please don't magic it while I'm inside!" he says as to the volleyball team and the teleported newcomer before running into the cocoon.

"Wait! Why can't we burn down the whole thing? The building can be repaired...as can a soaked silk hive!" Harold yells. If the boys stops, he will explain that he can dimensionally lock the gym for some seconds once the fire has been started: that will cause the flames to consume all the oxygen inside, possibly suffocating the locusts which are not burned and then extinguishing themselves before the lock expires, while making escape impossibile for the insects. If the boy instead goes on with the sprinklers plan, Harold will prepare to shield himself and the volleyball team - again by deviating approaching locusts (towards something that can kill the insects, if he sees such a thing, or simply past them if not) - from the furious swarm he supposes will burst out of the gym as soon as the sprinklers are activated.

"Because you'll get kicked out faster than a malicious mastermind if you burnt down an entire building, idiot. There are people in this building, hiding in their dorm rooms, they'd all die if they were trapped there by a fire." The volleyball team member reaches out to swat Harold on the head for being an idiot, but the deflecting shield makes her decide it's not worth the effort.

"Just don't do anything dumb. If this is anything about the burrowing mole-pigs, we just have to find the queen and squish her, and the rest will be mop up. We can have someone enchant a few sewing machines to remake everyone's clothes out of this stuff." She picks up her shoulders, stands up straight, and begins marching after Peter determinedly, the rest of them following after her more cautiously.

Meanwhile, within the bowels of the hive, Peter isn't having any luck finding a sprinkler system, and has instead found many wrapped up pouches pulsating in time with the swells and dips of the constant, unending hum the hive is emitting. It seems like every spool-moth in the school is returning to the hive based on the rising volume of the vibrations and extra prevalence of the flying nuisances in the air around him. They don't go after his boxers, instead avoiding him completely.

[School Entrance]

"I... think it worked," Batu says. "Not that it made any difference one way or the other."

[Atrium]

"Even the simplest spell can make the greatest difference if used at the right moment Batu. You could have directed the creature into the wall or into one of the others, or under ideal conditions, off a cliff." Arik comments as he watches the creatures keep their distance. It seemed they had some degree of self preservation after all. "But we should find the teachers, someone must try to keep the order in a school like this." It's then he spots KR and let's the water elementals clear the path towards her. "Excuse me miss, you wouldn't know where we could find the staff, or whoever is in charge for taking care of these kinds of messes?" The elementals will simply attempt to touch any insect that comes near, drenching them in water and then instantly freezing them.

Atrium

Suddenly, the insects surrounding Arik, Batus, and Kr at a distance head away from the atrium, flying back up through the air vents.

Nothing appears to explain this behavior, but perhaps they've all given up on the powerful targets.

ALL AROUND THE SCHOOL

Only a few bugs remain, the rest having gone back towards the gym. Valiant or foolhardy students looking to get their clothing back can head there, but the rest will be otherwise unassaulted for now, except for Merissa, being harassed by that one tenacious bug up in the dorms.

[Darkcomet]

[Teachers' Bunker]

"Very well. The main objective would be trying to discover exactly what it is. What we know is that it's a magical power source of great power, but it is also unstable. Attempts to channel its power for destructive ends frequently result in disaster and unforeseen consequences...and it's potentially linked to a deity from which Commander Vyrn Altaran may or may not be descended from, to hear his theory on the matter. It did seem to react to him once, and what we have managed to glean says it is somehow incomplete," N'alae explains as she retrieves the artifact in question from that pouch at her side.

It's your cliche magic crystal, really, except rough and uncut-looking, none of that brilliant nice-looking gem nonsense, black in coloration. If any of the mages about decide to do some detect magic type thing on it, it does indeed have an immense amount of power within. Meanwhile keen observers may note that that armor doesn't seem to be hampering manual dexterity very much. ...Or at all.

"I suppose you could try to probe for metaphysical connections? A secondary objective would be discovering how to tap into it safely, but discovering its true nature is the priority here."

[Deathkeeper]

Dorms

Isaac sighs and pulls a standard plastic shopping bag out from his emergency stash. He darts forward in an attempt to catch the large beetle inside of it. And then smash it unless Merissa tries to stop him. Smash puny bugs!

[Arkhosia]

Dorms

A 19 year old girl, with violet eyes and her blond hair in a french braid, walks up to Felina and Co.
She is a drow elf, obvious due to her dark grey skin, with a quite attractive form due to her large breasts, wide hips, and lean, slender body, which is obvious due to her state if nudity. A red tattoo of a spiderweb resides on her back dark maroon and stretching to cover her entire back to the waist. She covers her chest with her arms, shivering, though not so embarrassed about her lack of clothing as anyone else is.
Hey, um, do you mind if I join you two here? Y'know, just in case some other magical mishap follows this one?

[OrchestraHc]

snippity

snappity

Gymnasium:

Peter's reason for not stopping is much simpler than the Volleyball captain's. "Can't stop! Already running!" It should also go without saying he's making no promises on that "don't do anything stupid" remark.

He does eventually slow down as he realizes more and more how hard it's going to be to find a fire alarm. Can he even reach the wall through all this silk? Testing it himself he picks a spot of the wall without what is likely huge bulging larval pods about to hatch and and scratches away at the silk to see if he can even peel enough away to reach the wall.

Either way when he finishes, he continues to search through the cocoon at a quick pace. Until he finds something he can actually do, or something else presents itself, it's best to keep moving and look for a new angle than to wait for one come to you.

[5a Violista]

[Hedge Maze]

"Oh!" says Freddie. They take a left. "You're in Practical Emotional Control, too? Wow, that is a coincidence. Some might even venture to call it magic." He winks, and they take a right, closely followed by a left. Jokingly, he says, "You'd better watch out for Red, though. She's pretty good at it."

They take another left. Red looks as if she's anticipating something really soon. It's almost like this was too easy, right? Even in her head, she's mentally counting down. Ten...nine...eight...

"Oh! Look, the exit is just straight up ahead." The mist clears a little, and it is possible to see the swirling rainbow lights straight ahead. It's just a straight shot - maybe a dozen seconds of sprinting and you'll get there. ...four...three...

[Arkhosia]

[Hedge Maze]

"Oh!" says Freddie. They take a left. "You're in Practical Emotional Control, too? Wow, that is a coincidence. Some might even venture to call it magic." He winks, and they take a right, closely followed by a left. Jokingly, he says, "You'd better watch out for Red, though. She's pretty good at it."

They take another left. Red looks as if she's anticipating something really soon. It's almost like this was too easy, right? Even in her head, she's mentally counting down. Ten...nine...eight...

"Oh! Look, the exit is just straight up ahead." The mist clears a little, and it is possible to see the swirling rainbow lights straight ahead. It's just a straight shot - maybe a dozen seconds of sprinting and you'll get there. ...four...three...

The red-cloaked newcomer chuckles.
Trust me, it's something that's extremely practical for me. Really? I'm not surprised.
Charlotte inquires as she takes an apple from a hidden location in her cloak, and begins to eat.
This whole time, Charlotte has been keeping tabs on her surroundings. She's guessing the true way the mazes are run is via elimination caused by other students to find the ones most in need of aid or as a test, and even if Red isn't in fact leading them into an ambush, we wouldn't wanna be defeated by this maze now would we?

[5a Violista]

[Hedge Maze]

There's a snarling growl coming from the mists behind them, almost as if on cue. "Run! We're almost there," Red shouts. She immediately starts sprinting towards the final goal.

As said before, it's just a straight shot to the swirling lights. Sure, there are other detours and paths you can take between the hedges to the right and to the left, but if the goal is to get to the finish, then there is absolutely no reason to go down those paths.

Freddy looks back briefly enough to see a large, inhuman, foreboding shadow behind them: one with flashing yellow eyes. It sounds like it begins giving chase - but, then again, this lighting makes it very hard to see exactly what's going on. In this case, though, sound is enough: it starts running slow, but quickly accelerates. Freddy begins running, as well. His legs are longer and faster than Red's, though - so, in spite of her head-start, he quickly catches up and passes her.

And Charlotte...will she run, or what?

[Arkhosia]

[Hedge Maze]

There's a snarling growl coming from the mists behind them, almost as if on cue. "Run! We're almost there," Red shouts. She immediately starts sprinting towards the final goal.

As said before, it's just a straight shot to the swirling lights. Sure, there are other detours and paths you can take between the hedges to the right and to the left, but if the goal is to get to the finish, then there is absolutely no reason to go down those paths.

Freddy looks back briefly enough to see a large, inhuman, foreboding shadow behind them: one with flashing yellow eyes. It sounds like it begins giving chase - but, then again, this lighting makes it very hard to see exactly what's going on. In this case, though, sound is enough: it starts running slow, but quickly accelerates. Freddy begins running, as well. His legs are longer and faster than Red's, though - so, in spite of her head-start, he quickly catches up and passes her.

And Charlotte...will she run, or what?

Charlotte's eyes widen, and she moves to face the shadow, tossing the apple towards it, and casting a simple light spell on it. She then summons a silver, 10 foot spear, sturdy and completely made of metal instead of containing a wood shaft, and embeds it into the earth so that it can charge into the spear before charging into the duo, and bracing herself.
Heh, this is a test isn't it?
She mutters to herself

[5a Violista]

[Hedge Maze]

The glowing apple bounces off the large silhouette, and hits the ground. As the creature continues nearer, Charlotte will soon be able to tell that it looks very lupine.

That's only moments before the beast leaps out of the mists, at Charlotte. It looks much larger than one could expect. Much heavier than one would expect. Its skin, much thicker than one can expect. Its eyes, flashing yellow.

Freddie makes it into the swirling lights first. He starts to vanish from view. However, Red stops running to see why Charlotte is so far behind. She didn't even start running! Completely foolish. Somehow, she overheard Charlotte's mutterings. "Of course this is a test!" she yells, even as she starts running back towards Charlotte and the beast. "So start running!"

Charlotte won't have any time to reconsider, though - the beast has leaped at Charlotte, with its claws extended. The spear will stop it just as good as it would against a charging rhino.

[Arkhosia]

[Hedge Maze]

The glowing apple bounces off the large silhouette, and hits the ground. As the creature continues nearer, Charlotte will soon be able to tell that it looks very lupine.

That's only moments before the beast leaps out of the mists, at Charlotte. It looks much larger than one could expect. Much heavier than one would expect. Its skin, much thicker than one can expect. Its eyes, flashing yellow.

Freddie makes it into the swirling lights first. He starts to vanish from view. However, Red stops running to see why Charlotte is so far behind. She didn't even start running! Completely foolish. Somehow, she overheard Charlotte's mutterings. "Of course this is a test!" she yells, even as she starts running back towards Charlotte and the beast. "So start running!"

Charlotte won't have any time to reconsider, though - the beast has leaped at Charlotte, with its claws extended. The spear will stop it just as good as it would against a charging rhino.

[COLOR]What about it being a test of bravery, eh? A test to see if you can resist your fear enough to face the enemy?[/COLOR]
Chariotte replies, the last 'art punctuated louder as she thrusts the spear at the beast, darting out of the way and summoning another spear, the first one desummoning after it has finished dealing damage.

[5a Violista]

[Hedge Maze]

"It's not!" Red replies. She stops running; she doesn't want to get too close to the beast. "That was last week. This week's deception! You can't beat the monster this time," she says.

The first spear got caught in the beast's skin and, while it may have scratched it, no visible blood appears. It retreats back to the mists and circles around. Then, from a different direction, it charges out of the mists. It leaps again, claws extended.
This time, however, it sails right over Charlotte and into the bushes. This way, you can't tell which direction it comes out from.

[Arkhosia]

[Hedge Maze]

"It's not!" Red replies. She stops running; she doesn't want to get too close to the beast. "That was last week. This week's deception! You can't beat the monster this time," she says.

The first spear got caught in the beast's skin and, while it may have scratched it, no visible blood appears. It retreats back to the mists and circles around. Then, from a different direction, it charges out of the mists. It leaps again, claws extended.
This time, however, it sails right over Charlotte and into the bushes. This way, you can't tell which direction it comes out from.

Give me credit, it's my first day and no one told me what's already been taught!
Charlotte replies, darting to the exit.