The One

FOUR

Wolf rubbed his face, "Did I mention high obstacles yesterday? "
Morten and Chaser were standing next to him, Roran was staying well away from the ledge.

" Yes, we jinxed it alright. " Morten replied.

The men had been rudely awakened and led towards a ravine of some kind,
overlooking a beautiful gloomy jungle area unlike anything most of them had ever seen.
It felt like a big water cave, but as Morten squinted he realized it was simply a big, slow waterway through the jungle, said jungle forming a tunnel around it.
Only the water had been spared from lush plants.
Big arrows were painted on trees and rocks to indicate where they should go.

The first? Led off the cliff, into the water.

The next was painted on a gigantic rope net that had been strung up between two massive trees that stood with their roots deep in water.

" So.. " said Chaser, " we have to climb down, swim and get back up again?"

"Our young guest!" A voice called, making them all jump.

"Our first test,
will be the last for many of you."

Many men looked around in some confusion, but Morten could see him now,
a man in beautifully made robes was walking along the cliff side in front of the many men that had come from all over for this.

He was slightly tanned, dark hair with a round and friendly face.
It might have been the man from the cart,
but Mortens memory was failing with his nerves on fire.

"This, what you see before you, is only the start.
Follow the arrows and you will reach the finish.

There's only a few rules,
you may not injure each other and all obstacles have to be overcome."
He said loudly, as he continued his walk down the rows of man.

"The first 10 will pass. Two from each region."

Morten looked around at Wolf,
who had a pretty bad night with frequent toilet visits.
He wasn't sure if Wolf would make it.

He had been motivated to do his best and help Wolf beat Roran.
But Now? He might end up with Roran. Should that bother him?
At least he could try and beat Roran?

"But first!" The man called.
"You were all given clothes, the same clothes, it is important you are wearing all items given to you. We would prefer it if you do not take items not included." He looked around at some of the men scrambling.
"Weapons are not allowed, I would also advise you to remove valuables."

Morten sighed, he had been clinging to his shirt the last few days. But it was time to go.
He took it off, revealing the scratches from the damn bird.

Wolf smiled beside him.

Morten shrugged, "what?"

He nodded at Chaser, who had joined Roran.
Morten looked around and spotted them, both looking very pale and empty but for their lower arms and the ugly blob on Roran's neck.

Morten had expected at least a weird tattoo on becoming a chief somewhere on Roran, but maybe that's what the fishing one was about?

"Let the games begin!" Called the man loudly as he walked away.

Morten was momentarily confused, was that the sign to go?

Then an Ashen sprinted for the cliff, slipping around as he reached the edge trying to get down.

Morten blinked in shock as the other man started running towards the edge as if their lives depended on it.
It turned into all out chaos as men started slipping and falling left and right.