"Well now, let's forget about them, everyone important is here" said Thyme with a big smile pulling hard on the wheel he set up it started spinning wildly "Round and round the wheel it goes, where it stops… is honestly really easy to figure out. It's traveling at a constant speed and…" Thyme started to trail off as everyone stared at him blankly.
"Well, I guess if your not quite as strong it's quite hard to work out…" said Thyme "I guess we can just awkwardly stare at this wheel as it winds down then"
And that is exactly what the groups did. The wheel kept spinning, it was clearly a well made construction, minimal friction and could spin with only the slightest touch. So Thyme's forceful approach meant it didn't look like it was stopping anytime soon.
"Well" said the god crusher holding the wheel "My mamma always used to say that it ain't awkward unless you point it out. We could have happily watched the wheel turn with bated breath, but now you've gone and made it awkward for everyone by pointing it out"
"Right, thank you Jeff" said Thyme as he subtlety took out one of his eyes and placed it in his hands to watch the wheel.
Kat noticed this, focusing on Thyme's eye Kat found that there didn't seem to be any magic around it, but what caused even more confusion was when he opened his eyes again. With both of them securely in his skull. *Ok that's just cheating. I might have insane regeneration but I'm pretty sure it isn't that good.*
Finally the wheel started to slow. The tension had completely vanished from the groups and when it finally ended on the scout symbol no one even battered an eye.
"And… We have a winner, the scout class is first" shouted Thyme "Come on up here"
##
The following section is from Green's perspective.
Green walked forward projected a confidence she didn't really feel. *Don't use phase, don't use phase, don't use phase.* Chanted Green trying to avoid pushing her mana into the phase rune contained within her cloak. We trained for this. You are the best scout here. We know this, we are one of the youngest groups to reach D rank.
To further distract herself Green started examining her competition. The first person her eyes fell on was the God Crusher with a sling. *John, well known for his handyman jobs. His reaction speed is probably the worst out of the scouts here but his eye for detail probably rivals mine, I think… Um a sling is a good weapon for short to medium range, better than my bow if we are in close combat.* Green's nervous gaze flicked around the groups and was put off by the fact she hadn't even walked halfway to the platform.
*Ok, um what else do I know. Um he has a slight favouring on his right foot but this seems to be natural rather than injury related, um…* Looking for other people to examine Green let her eyes drift past the cursed team member, she didn't know enough about why they all looked the same to make proper observations just yet. Switching instead to Clive Green tried to figure out what she could. *Ok, um, winterwood bow, or perhaps petrified vallen oak, either is great for holding enchantments. Um, gives off the impression that he's kind of old but that can't be right because of the tournament rules. He looks human same as his wife but he doesn't walk like one. Could be a beastkin but I don't see any indents from his ears um… Oh we are here.* Green stopped and turned in place so that she was facing the groups now pretending that she had noticed she was in place already abusing her fast reactions.
"Excellent" clapped Thyme "Now, let's get one of you to pull a sheet of paper out of this box" Thyme pulled a plain looking box from behind his back.
*Please don't ask me please don't ask me* "I'll have to ask" Thyme's eyes wandered across the contests as he glided back and forth choosing to morph into the stage around him instead of walking "Greeee" holding the box towards Green with a smile on his face "Grace, she was the first up so Grace" turning back to face the elf with a bow and a bow.
Grace reached into the box nonchalantly before jerking her hand back out. Attached to it was a squirrel wearing a messenger sash. Thyme laughed as he grabbed the squirrel and healed Grace's hand "Ah that never gets old"
Opening up the tube on the squirrel who immediately calmed itself upon entering Thyme's hand Thyme unfurled the message and read it out "The first event shall be, the obstacle course"
Thyme's voice boomed and the ground seemed to shake at his command. First the grass shifted the teams still standing in place moving them too the front of the platform. Behind the platform grander changes were being made.
Trees and vines sprouted from the ground, pits were dug and walls of hedges sprouted all in short response. Green forced as much mana into her eyes as she could comfortably to try and observe the course as it went up. Her vision zoomed in slightly around twice as powerful as normal human vision, much weaker than Kat's own. *Oh no, everything is twisting and bending way too much I can barely make anything out. What a waste of mana.* Quickly dropping the mana from her eyes she tried to calm herself down and absorb the mana lost in the empowerment as quickly as possible.
Eventually the course solidified but Green didn't bother trying to examine it closer because the course was heavily obscured be vines growing over the whole thing. *It's fine Green, everything will be fine. Sure you can't see the course but you trained for this. Your parents trained you for this, Nixilei trained you for this… And your grandparents, and your grand grandparents… Ok, ignore how much my family loves forcing obstacle courses on young children*
*Focus on the positives, like how there is less fire, a lot less fire, and poison darts. I mean, there are probably less poison darts right?* "Hey Thyme, does your course contain poison darts?" asked Grace
Grace! Why would you ask that. "Oh yeah tonnes. I've set up darts for days" said Thyme
"Darts for days?"
"Darts for days"
*Why! Why would you confirm that. Green tried desperately not to just bury her head into her hands. What is it with powerful individuals and poison dart traps? I've been to ancient ruins so old that the walls crumble. BUT THE DART TRAPS STIL WORK.
*Wait, does this make my parents extremely prepared? Did they know this would happen?* While Green was contemplating if her parents were actually wise beyond their years with incredible foresight and didn't simply enjoy torturing their daughter Thyme was admiring his work.
"Well then everyone let me explain the rules of this obstacle course" said Thyme as he brought the scouts together.
"First rule, only scouts are allowed to participate in the course. They are to receive no assists from anyone else in any way
"Second rule, you are allowed to keep your armour and weapons on you as long as they are made up of materials weaker than Elder Hacon leather in untreated form. You should know this already considering it is tournament standard but if you have broken it already tell me now and you won't forfeit.
"Third rule you may use any spell, or enchantment on your person
"Fourth rule you may not cast spells on your opponents. This includes both beneficial and detrimental effects.
"Fifth rule, once the course has started you cannot leave the course bounds unless you are starting from the beginning
"Sixth rule, everything not covered in the rules is allowed. If it is an oversight too bad for me"
Thyme stopped and waited for anyone to come forward with illicit items or questions about the rules. Why is he pausing like this? Is he looking at me? Green tried to track Thyme's gaze but his strange wooden eyes made that task difficult. I don't think he's looking at me…
"Well then if you have nothing left to say, and nothing to hand over let us approach the starting line" said Thyme.
Waving his hands Thyme created a sturdy wooden staircase leading up towards the obstacle course. The top of the staircase ended at a section that seemed to have a number of suspended platforms set around a metre apart. A difficult jump for a civilian, but not for a scout.
The participants lined up at the base of the stairs. Getting into their various running poses. Clive looked ready to pounce on the stairs and run on all fours, Grace stood leaning forward slightly on the balls of her feet.. John stood there with his legs spread slightly. Green was about to get in position as well when Thyme started speaking "I appreciate the enthusiasm but, the starting line is at the top of the stairs…"