The journey continued in silence. The group returned to their previous methods of observing the world, and Kress remained angry at everything they past. Kat just sort of hovered around the group, finding it rather easy to flit around everyone now that she had wings, and was thoroughly enjoying the mobility they provided her.
"We are approaching the tournament barrier get ready" Kat's relaxation was interrupted by Gareth.
Just moments after Gareth had spoken up Kat felt something wash over her and looked around to see what was going on. "Do not be alarmed Kat, what you have experienced is the passing through of a potent magical barrier. It's strength made its presence known but do not worry about it harming you"
"Right… what's it for then" asked Kat
"To hide the tournament grounds and keep out the public" said Nixilei
Kat looked around searching for the tournament grounds that Nixilei had mentioned but only saw the same flat planes that had accompanied the rest of their journey. Sensing Kat's confusion Green asked "What's wrong Kat? I don't see what there is to be confused about"
"I mean, where is everything? Didn't you say this was the tournament grounds?" asked Kat
"Well, yeah? What did you expect a coliseum?" asked Green
Kat didn't say a word letting the silence carry on until Kress shattered it with all the social grace of a jackhammer on Sunday morning "Hahaha, you thought it'd be a coliseum. What an idiot. Why would there ever be a coliseum here"
Nixilei not missing the opening said "Considering the coliseum in the city we just left it as not an unreasonable assumption. Plus in the richer areas there will likely be a coliseum for the tournament to take place in"
Kress clicked his tongue in annoyance "What a waste of money. You either make them too small and they get trashed or you make them too big and no one can see shit"
"That's because the big guys like to waste money and make people think they're cool" said Green
Gareth paled a bit at that and seemed to look around for something but seemed to not find what he was searching for. Casting a worried look at Green he bit his lips and held his mouth shut.
"Ha, wasting money is right, though I suppose if they are gonna waste it on anything at least it's shit everyone can enjoy and not them getting fat on taxes" said Kress.
"Actually, once you start talking about particular prestigious coliseum projects, especially the oldest of the lot, they are actually used as training grounds for apprentice enchanters, utilising the exceptional amount of space to layer enchantments over each other and across the whole thing in a quantity over quality approach that wouldn't work anywhere else.
"They are actually a rather fascinating piece of history and have rumoured to have had some unforeseen consequences in upper continent where they have more powerful apprentices willing to use their time coating a 12-acre surface. That isn't even accounting for the higher-level enchantments made to facilitate interesting and unique challenges
"Oooh, fascinating history lesson there"
The group whipped around to face this new voice they didn't recognise. It was a strangely echoey androgynous voice that seemed to be right behind them, but somewhere else at the same time. Searching around they couldn't catch site of anyone other than each other. Kat was particularly surprised at this because her true sight hadn't failed her yet. *Does this mean whatever it is, is too strong for me? Or are they just hiding some other way that I don't understand?*
"Did you know you guys are the third group to arrive? Decent I suppose, but compared to the other guys who have been here for an hour you are quite late"
Kat pushed herself into the air, hovering with her feet around the same height as Gareth while he was on his horse and pooled her energy into her ears to try and hear something.
"Then again, I guess you are still an hour early anyway, so perhaps it isn't my place to complain here"
Kat found that the voice wasn't coming from just one place. It was coming from several, all just behind the various party members excluding herself. Kat readied herself for the next line the being spoke and was quickly rewarded
"And it seems you have a fifth teammate, how strange for the unfortunate four, though I suppose they do make that a requirement, so I shouldn't be too surprised"
Kat homed in on the nearest copy of the voice to her and noticed something strange. It wasn't coming from behind everyone, but instead it was coming from the grass near everyone's feet. Kat stared intently at the blade that was making noise near Green and kept watch on it.
"Oooh, looks like someone figured it out. Quite the surprise too, especially considering it wasn't the scout. Then again, flying around is cheating, you can figure it out so much easier that way"
The spot Kat was staring at suddenly had a surge in the grass growing upward into the sky past Kat seemingly endlessly. As the grass was shooting up parts of it were brushed aside by a slender arm wrapped in countless vines of varying shades of green. This was followed by the rest of the persons(?) body that left the group slightly confused.
In front of them was a figure clad in vines and flowers, spiralling around and weaving in and out to provide the semblance of clothes and decency. This was disturbed however by the slight pulsing and shifting that each of the vines went through instead of the figure breathing with there chests as you might expect.
It was hard to say if that figure was male or female. Calling them a plant would be more accurate than either of those terms. It had a humanoid body but nothing seemed quite right, the chest area was too small, the arms and legs too long and the head was missing a nose. The eyes looked more like they were carved into the figures head than things that could function and yet even that expectation was betrayed as they moved to examine the party one by one.
Quickly manufacturing a fake hat out of leaves the figure then tipped it towards the group and bowed. "Congratulations on figuring me out, let me introduce myself properly to you, my name is Thyme, much like the spice, and the unit measuring the passing of the moment. Sadly I didn't get any time magic to further continue the gimmick, but I suppose there isn't anything you can do about that"
Gareth placed his right hand over his heart in a sort of salute and inclined his body forward as much as was reasonable on a horse "I take it you are the overseer for this current tournament location. I greet you as Gareth, leader of the unfortunate four, thank you for taking charge of this event"
Green and Nixilei for their parts hopped of their horses first but repeated the gesture, Kress saluted but did not bow, and Kat, well she actually missed the actions of the group as she was too busy examining the strange plant man to pay attention to the proper etiquette of the situation
Thyme made an attempt at what Kat could only guess was a laugh, but instead sounding more like the crushing of bark. "Indeed I am, and I'm glad you like the name. Some of my finest work in my opinion, which is a shame because they don't let me host these things too often.
"A real shame actually. I mean what's a dryad to do in between those few hundred years of mating cycles other than host tournaments really. Sure some fools train but our bodies are just weak constructs, anyway, hardly makes a difference to train them I say.
"Though I suppose none of you would really know what I mean. Well perhaps the flying one might have an understanding one day, your energy source is a very strange shape"
"Wait you can see my Demonic Flame?" asked Kat
"If that's what you want to call it sure. Got myself these special eyes here" said Thyme as it pulled out their left eye and held it up as an example. "Did some mighty fine work on this one if I do so say myself. Gives me that bit of extra information, and everyone thinks your nuts. It's the perfect combination"
Finishing it's sentence Thyme crushed the eye in front of the others eliciting a gasp from Kat and Green but then proceeded to immediately regrow the lost eye as if nothing had ever happened, not even so much as flinching from the rapid restoration. "Welp, enough fun for just the moment"
Waving its' hands Thyme started to force the grass surrounding the party to encircle them "I suppose I should take you to the rest of the competitors"
