Star walked out through the wall behind the firewarrior with her bow at the ready. She quickly scanned around her before letting out a long breath and lowered her bow. "Not as I thought." She turned around and watched as Cliffhopper walked out last with Drummen next to him smiling and talking to each other.
"Ahh... The first group through the wall... Congratulations... Please have a rest over there. After the mark has ended we shall start the second trial in the ritual." Star looked at the benches and nodded. She waited for the firewarrior to move and as a group they relaxed waiting for others to join them on this side of the wall. She looked around at Mouse who was signing to him. "Mouse says, this is part of the entrance to the keep. The noble families live here, as well as the Supreme. It is a safe place." She looked at Mouse. "Have you been in here before?" She saw his nod and more hand signals. "He says, he spent nearly a year in this part... Apparently there used to be a beautiful garden not far from here, but was pulled out for this ritual."
Star sighed. "How sad... To destroy something beautiful so some guard could be chosen."
"He said, he thinks it was for other reasons, and nothing to do with the ritual..." Star looked at the silent Mouse in thought. "You know a lot more than what is going on here, don't you?" She cursed as he nodded. "One day we will have a nice long chat about the things you know." He signed again. She sighed and looked at the firewarrior. "What did he say?"
"He said. Yes, but this isn't the place nor the time to talk... This city has ears everywhere, and those ears all report to the same person... Better to talk about those things far from here." She looked around. "What do you mean? I don't see anybody around." He looked at Mouse's fingers and cursed scanning around them again. "Are you sure about that?" She saw Mouse nod. "He also said, relax... They will think something has gone wrong... Its better to just sit and relax like they told us."
Star nodded, and looked around her taking it all in. "It is very different on this side of the wall. It isn't noisy, nor is it dirty." She looked at the ground. "This side is very clean... Even the roads are not dirty."
"You won't find anything considered trash on this side of the wall. We like to keep it as clean as possible." Star turned and looked at the attendant who had spoken to her. "Why is that?"
"Hehehe... To keep this place safe... The Supreme is here, and if there is any filth, they may think there are spies around... You can't have any spies here in the keep... Dangerous for the people living in the Capital." Star nodded. "That makes sense." She heard footsteps behind her and saw the firewarrior standing near her.
"What about if there is a war or something, would you let people in here then?"
"Hahaha... No way. By the time they get through the outer section of the Capital, the soldiers here, would make the enemy pray to retreat... Those walls you were all able to pass through are very special... They can't be climbed or even dug under... There is only a very special way to get through."
"But there are doors for people to come and go..."
"Yes, there are doors, but those doors, are always shut and locked. So, it is a prison for people on the inside as much as it is a paradise for those on the outside wanting to come in."
Star nodded and looked at the attendant. "How often are strangers allowed in the keep?"
"Never except for during the first and second trial of the ritual... Even leaders from other lands, always end up meeting in other sections of the Capital... Here is the most secure section of the entire city." Star sighed. "If that is the case, don't people get bored being locked up in here?" She saw the attendant waving his hands at her. "Not at all. There is lots to do around here, and those things will always keep our attention." She looked at him. "Can you give some examples of the things you do?"
"Sorry... That is a secret. I know my tasks, and do my tasks... If people heard you asking questions like that, they'll think you are spies or something." She watched as he leaned towards her taking a sniff, before leaning back. "You aren't spies... You are here for the trials... So its better you just sit over there and wait... I'm sure others will be here joining you soon..." Star nodded and watched the attendant walk off towards the wall smiling. She turned to the firewarrior. "That was strange... He sniffed me."
"Do you think that he was one of those drones?" She turned and looked at Mouse who was staring at the attendant shaking his head. "Mouse what is it?" He started signing at her. "As he said before... To many ears." She cursed and watched the wall as other groups made their way through the wall and the area they were in was starting to fill up. She nodded and stood silently near Mouse. "I will be looking forward to that discussion... If that was what I think it was, than would other things be around here somewhere?" She saw his nod and signed. She turned to the firewarrior who looked at her with a grim look. "They're here... He can feel them... Many of them... Hiding..."
She cursed and touched her bow. "Remember what he said... We need to focus on this first, before we deal with them... Come enjoy being first through the wall." She cursed and let her bow go. She walked forward with her group and stood watching the the others around her. She turned around.
"The full mark has passed, and you are the groups who made it through... Now to the next trial... An accuracy trial. Everyone here will be given a tag that they have to tie around their arms, or legs... The idea is that you have to collect the colored tags before others get yours. The teams who collect the most tags moves to the final challenge."
"Can weapons or skills be used?"
"Yes... But no deaths... We are in the keep grounds after all... We don't want to dirty the street. We can't cause any unnecessary trouble to the people that live here..." Star looked at the others in her group and tied the colored tag around her arm. "You each have a corner, and you can only carry two tags at the same time, so you have to keep returning to your base. You have half a mark to prepare. Good luck... May the creator light your path."
"Gather around... Hey Star... Star!" She looked at the firewarrior. "What?"
"Stop daydreaming, you need to focus." Star looked down at her feet and nodded. "Yes. I need to focus..." She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and let it all out. She opened her eyes and looked at the firewarrior. "I am ready... Whats the plan?" She watched as Mouse took a step forward and started signing. "He said this one is all about stealth, agility and speed. I will do the attacking and stealing... The rest of you can stay here and defend." Star looked at Mouse in confusion. "They said you can only carry another colored tag with you at one time... How are you going to take them all?" She watched him sign shaking her head. "I'm sure I have some abilities I can use in this round with my scouting and all."
"He said. no need. The third trial is where you and Harnio get to shine... Leave this one to him and us. Harnio and you should rest, and only move if they others get overwhelmed." She looked at him with a sour look. "So, you do know about the trials?" He looked at her and shrugged his shoulders with a grin, and stepped forward. "You've heard the plan. Mouse is the one attacking, and we all defend... Star and Harnio are in reserves.
Star stood in the center of their base cursing and scowling. "Don't feel bad about the situation... He said the walls have ears... I trust him, I can sense batterys around us everywhere... He is right... Why do you think he is suggesting we are used in the last trial?" Star shrugged her shoulders and looked as the other teams prepared to start. "We are the only ones who have the advantage in the third... Open spaces, outside the Capital... Your ability to see at range, and my wide range attacks." Star looked at the back of Mouse as he stood yawning and bored. "He has a brain, and he knows how to use it... If I played some strategy games with him I would lose every time." Star stood silently and let out a sigh. "See, that is better priestess... Just have some fun in this trial."
"The half mark has passed... The time to collect the colored tags has begun!"
Star watched as Mouse took a step and vanished from her sight. She cursed as he stood in front of her and gave a tag, before vanishing again. "He is fast..." She saw Harnio nod in agreement. "This is how he gets to places, this is how he knows what he knows. This is also how he kills. A one man killing machine." Star nodded and silently held out her hands as the pile of colored tags started to grow.
"Look, even the brothers are bored... They are standing there with nothing to attack, since Mouse is removing all the competition." She nodded. "He really is strong, and we need him on our team." She watched as he appeared in front of her and handed another colored tag. She looked at him. "Aren't you going to go get more?" She saw him shake his head and pointed to the pile of colored tags in her hand, and than pointed to the field. "Are you telling me you took them all, and there is no colored tags out there left?" She cursed as he nodded his head. "You have some talent Mouse... Sorry for doubting you."
"All the tags have been collected it seems one team has all the tags... They will move forward to the final round... We will need to collect all the tags and reset to find out the other team that will compete with them in the final trial." She saw the attendant motion them to the side, where they were resting before and sat in silence with the group. She ignored the brothers complaining, and Harnio talking to Mouse constantly. "Mind if I sit here?"
She nodded at the firewarrior and turned back to stare at Mouse. "Why don't you like Mouse... Harnio doesn't like anybody, but he really likes Mouse." She shook her head. "It is not about like or not liking him. I can see he is very strong, but I sense there are many things he is hiding from us."
"I think there are reasons, and he is right... This is not the place... See look around you at all the eyes watching. He wanted to end this trial as fast as he could, so they don't see all our abilities." Star nodded. "That's what Harnio was also mentioning."
"They are both smart... Sometimes I wish I was as smart as they are... You already know I can't read or write, but they can, and both of them could wipe this entire keep." Star nodded in thought. "He is here to help... He really wants to be a guard... He may have other tasks that he has to do, but you can see he has nothing against us, so let him have his secrets... He will talk when he wants too." She smiled and looked at the firewarrior. "When did an ass, become so wise."
"Ahh... There it is... I knew it would be coming."