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[center][sub]Time: 2:41 - The Forest[/sub][/center]

[hider=Lilie/Ben]

The hands shook with a loud grinding as they closed slowly around the scepter and retreated into the bush. The trees slowly shattered into glittering particles of light. Four square columns took their place, alternating black and red, and the brush retreated into the ground as if growing backwards. A rectangle of black marble sat on a wide base but the grinding sound returned as portions of it retreated into the ground. Red and white marble was buried beneath the black marble and pieces of that melted right before their eyes until a perfect statue of Geoffry Noila stood in front of them. The black marble robes covered most of him, carved from white, and the red marble in his eyes seemed to glow. The scepter was now in his right hand.

The Statue cracked his neck before staring at the pair in front of him, his well known frown deepening as he judged them. He stepped forward but stopped at the edge of the base. 

[color=deepskyblue]“Beyond the mortal lifetime did a threat tear us asunder. Tooth and nail widen gaps few of us remember. Our meals in peril and lands ransacked, the Families nearly cracked. Family Noila bore the burden of tying them back together. 

First knelt those who revel in slaughter. Their kin cared not for ruling lands so long as their metal stained red. Their sister shied away from it, content with scrolls beyond, while those who walked between the feuds knelt next to us. The whispers of the second brought the next to heel soon, those who dallied with dulled blood and earned our rightful scorn. Eventually the Council rose with time we did not have and bound the threat away again with chains of ink and pen.

But one single truth still simmers to this day: your friends are close and your enemies are closer. Found the Council and be set free but fear the one that doesn’t fear me.”[/color] As he finished speaking, his left hand opened like it had been before the bush disappeared.
[/hider] 

[hider=Salem/Victor]

The mage sighed and with a flick of his wand, the ground rumbled briefly and the trees on the edge of the horizon trembled and shuffled closer. Meanwhile, the vampire lunged at Salem with his sword out. His sword arm was twisted oddly, like it had been placed on upside down.
[/hider]

[hider=Maddie/Amaris]

Maddie frowned at the set up, looking over the images. Frankly, seeing the vampires younger and… happy made her feel uneasy. She’d been trained to expect vampires to be stern and serious and maybe even a little cruel for the betterment of humanity. The unease compounded with the idea that they’d be playing with people’s lives. These challenges were so odd, Maddie wouldn’t put it past their proctors to have one exam affect another. What if they bet wrong and in doing so, made that person’s challenge more difficult? 

Maddie chewed her lip at the Countess’ suggestion. The only reason a vampire couldn’t give their heart away to someone would be social obligation but ultimately, the only people who truly couldn’t afford to give their hearts away were mages. It made more sense to place a bet on a mage rather than a vampire but she wasn’t sure which one. The only one she’d had any interaction with was Aaron and he was a Starag. Of all the people, he would know better than to fall in love. Maddie was certainly not in love with anyone so that cut it down to the other two nobles mages. 

[color=FC8686]“I think a safer bet would be one of the mages. Vampires can fall in love with anyone with some exceptions while mages have no rights to that whatsoever.”[/color] Maddie leaned into the Countess to whisper in her ear. [color=FC8686]“And Aaron definitely has more sense than to do something so silly, especially since his partner is Count Sinnenodel, so that leaves us with the Astorio and Eve mage.”[/color][/hider]