Aerial Race, All Are Welcome - Emerald Prize!

[Othniel]

Othniel and Savinia wove in and out of a group of rocky spires, testing their maneuverability and making the race a little more interesting. They had finally caught up to the group, though the obstacle put them a little bit behind. Up ahead, a natural bridge crossed the gorge, and Othniel debated. Up or down? Savinia made the choice for him, diving like a falcon and eliciting a very unmanly squeal from her rider. That squeal echoed through the gorge, and the frequency was just enough to stir some loose dirt, which in turn stirred gravel, then stones, then a few actual rocks. Uht-oh. Othniel's keen ears detected the slide, and he urged Savinia to go faster. "Careful, little one," he called to the child riding just ahead. "Logo, mind the falling rocks."

[Callie]

Callie heard the squeal, but incorrectly assumed it was her newest friend singing with her. After all, sometimes Logo sang with her and his singing incorporated grunts and groans and all sorts of other odd noises, why wouldn't Othniel's? Of course, most noises didn't make rocks begin to dance, though Othniel's sure did. They were dancing and moving and falling...wait, falling rocks? Callie stopped singing to look more closely at the stones that were tumbling down. They were everywhere, an obstacle course of debris. Nodwin had already noticed, long before the pint sized princess on Nodwin's back. This was one time that being a baby hippogriff rather than a full grown one was an advantage, allowing Nodwin to weave through the falling rocks slightly easier. Callie clung to Nodwin as they maneuvered their way through the gorge, holding her breath almost the entire way. It was with a huge sigh of relief that the duo made it out, with bruises from only a few of the smaller rocks showing up on Callie's delicate toddler skin.

Free of the falling rocks and stones, Callie called back to Othniel. Carful wif those roks. Dey can bweak yew bones, and dat no be berry nice. Go fasder and fasder and getted out ob der, obiekaybie?

[balerion]

Balerion sees the contestants nearing the end of the mountain pass. Callie seems to be in the lead but there is still time to catch up and beat her! Your next obstacle will be the petrified forest. Watch of for those trees, if you get hit it will do much more damage than any normal tree would. Also there are bats who love finding new sources of food. You will probably want to do your best to either avoid detection or go as fast as creaturely possible.

[Othniel]

The air grew cool as they flew deeper into the depths of the petrified forest, the darkness growing as they went. Savinia's breath puffed from her nostrils in small clouds as they flew, weaving around the columns of the ancient grove. Her ears swiveled toward the sound of many fluttering wings and batty squeaks, and Othniel grunted his acknowledgement. "I hear 'em girl." He urged her to travel faster, swooping past the child and her mount and gaining a short lead.