[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/obbQoJI.png[/img][/center][@Omni5876] [@Duoya]

Karya was awake well before Athena's announcement. As an early riser, normally she'd have been buzzing with energy from the get-go, but the headache that made its presence known as she sat up reminded her of last night's excess. As did the branches growing across nearly an entire wall, and the soil on the floor.

Yeah, this wouldn't exactly help Arn accept the living arrangements.

Thankfully, either Athena or the school's magic had set a fresh glass of water on the bedside table. Blinking away bleariness, she sipped at it. Classes would start soon, and she'd have to shake off the hangover before then. As well as put other issues right before Arn got up. She placed down the glass and hurried over to the plants, placing her hands over the pot once more, speaking the incantation clearly. Vines started to shrink and uncurl themselves from shelves - knocking down several books in the process. Cringing, Karya set about gathering them up. Damage to provided school property wouldn't go down well. [color=76c429]"Ehh, sorry Athena!"[/color]

It was just then that the bathroom door opened. [color=76c429]"Ah, morning!"[/color] Karya's smile was more of a grimace as she faced Arn, with her arms full of books, and the still-considerable overgrowth shrinking behind her. [color=76c429]"No need to worry! It's all under control! Eheheh..."[/color]

Hopefully this wouldn't set the tone for the rest of the day.

[hr]

The morning's start didn't diminish Karya's enthusiasm as she headed into the sprawling arena, clad in leather armour, her bow and quiver on her back. Her fingers clenched around the map. After what she'd heard yesterday, about the disappearances and worse, she HAD to do well at this.

At Vermont's announcement, her stomach dropped. Anyone who failed would be removed for a year? She closed her eyes, shaking her head. No, no, she couldn't let that happen. She couldn't wait a year. Not when it came to such urgent cases. The clang of metal jolted her from her thoughts - with no warning, Vermont had taken off running. The students' cue to start.

Karya launched into a sprint. Agility and endurance, two vital skills for a ranger. As she'd been taught, she kept her breathing as even as possible, gradually building up running speed. Focused as she was on surpassing those ahead of her, a sudden [i]thwack[/i] took her by surprise. A glance over her shoulder revealed arrows raining down on the students in the back. Blunted arrows, but they still struck hard enough to knock a guy over. Karya winced, but as she recognised who he was, her sympathy diminished. Especially as she witnessed the fiasco with the boy who tried to help him.

She pressed on, conflicting thoughts nagging at her. This whole situation was far from fair. She was no stranger to harsh training - nature was also harsh, for all its wonders, and those who lived in it had to be prepared to face its dangers. Yet punishing someone for something that wasn't their fault? How was that helpful? It was only fear of failure that held her back from intervening. Fear of losing the chance to grow stronger, to look into the cases, to find Xanthe...

In the end, however, her community-focused mindset won out. Clenching her fists, she turned back and sped towards the struggling young man. Adventurers typically worked in teams, so what good was an adventurer who left their allies behind? Hopefully the teachers would see that. And as somebody used to running, she could catch up. Surely she could... [color=76c429]"You ok there?"[/color] she called, placing herself beside Toma just as Dex unleashed another arrow. She grunted and staggered as it struck her shoulder, but she didn't fall. Her natural defenses meant the blow barely hurt.

[color=76c429]"C'mon, there's no time to lose!"[/color] As she gripped Toma by the arm and rushed forward, she spotted someone else doing the same for another - Calven, helping out Ixius. Karya sped up her pace. She and the other student would have to do as good a job of catching up as those two did.