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The challenge.
IaSiuu, had been pleased to see Ameryst pass the first test. 
Many, would have looked, at what the Jin had offered and, decided to take it up, on its offer. Ah yes; temptation, power, greed.
Ameryst, would not be tricked by it. Her Parentia, her kith and kin were always looking out for their ‘Ketlevling’ ,.
She had strength of body. The mind, was not as powerful and yet?
What she lacked, re that, was compensated by her ability, to see past, the deception, the lies others sought to bring before her.
In this land beyond the Akademy, this artificially created or was it GENERATED, place, she had now found herself in an open
grassland area.
Before her a pathway, that tailed off in the distance.
A valley, hills, grassland and some forest.
Mountains, could be seen, but distant, very distant.
Her former host was no where to be seen. There were, stories, legends, that Torven had been keen to tell her.
We already know, she had learned, from his telling her, about the Jin. Monsters?
In distant lands so he had told her, you could find the good, the bad and of course; indifferent.
Monsters, ah yes. A varied assortment, to thrill, captivate or kill, even eat you!
Her gems were not so good, not so powerful. However, the sense, by them of danger, gave rise to a tingling across her. A kind of warning system, not to be taken lightly. Becci, had told her, it could save her life.
Any, stupid enough, to challenge her, would not be knowing that she already was pre warned; prepared.
Though her gems were weak, their power, within her, also increased, the potency, of her thought processes.
Muscles and, overall strength, we already know she has, BUT even those could be heightened.
A kind of fine tuning.
The bracelet from IaSiuu and, blessed by others, such as Thoth; had, granted her protections, beyond the gems.An energy, the Ancients, the ‘Gods of creation’ had for millenia harnessed.
Only a few, a very select ‘chosen’ had that power. 
The path, was mostly gravel, as we would know it and,
compressed grass, intertwined with roots. A kind of weave.
Uneven and easy, if you were not careful to lose your footing.
Stumbling, would be, most unpleasant made worse, if you were genuinely, caught unawares.
At least Ameryst, was fairly light on her feet. Her pace picked up as she could see a figure fast approaching. A Ket male.
Somewhat surprised to see her. He smiled and closer to her, introduced himself.
“I am Naij. YOU are ?” Introductions over, he had beckoned her, towards a semi hidden path. Puling to one side, the branches of some bushes, for her to see the path clearer.
“Follow me and be careful.” That was it.
Nothing more, as she, could now, make out the outline of a cave?
Most of the stone walled entrance, was hidden by bushes that were fairly thick a ‘thicket’ could explain a lot. ‘a dense group of bushes or trees.
"a horned owl, perfectly camouflaged, within a dense thicket’.
A shadow over them, as Naij pushed her down, to be hidden within them. Glancing up to see a huge dragon like creature? An animorph? No. A Sxibei. Dangerous to any such as them. IT could swoop and with one gulp. swallow them whole, literally without burping.
Ameryst had laughed at that remark. She was not going to ask if it chewed its food.
As for farting? Now he had grinned, stopping to pull aside the branches and enter the cold damp cave.
“We must eat and drink. YOU. have to enter that creatures den and, recover. a chalice with gems and. made of Drex. Do not. think, that will be easy. Lucky for you. its eyesight is poor and. hearing almost none existent.. HOWEVER..
It has a heightened sense of smell. also known as hyperosmia, is, a condition where, an individual's ability, to detect and perceive smells, is significantly increased (compared to others with a ‘normal sense of smell.).
This, can range, from smelling things more intensely, to becoming highly sensitive to even the most subtle odors. Pleasant or offensive to the nostrils.. the reaction of those exposed to such can result in passive to outright aggression.
On the way to its ‘den’, there are, some nasty critters, who, will do their best, to stop you.
Known as Hodi Gobli, relatives of the ugly Gobble Gobli who will seek to rob you, to the point, of stealing, the clothing off your back.. to coin an appropriate phrase. They will aim to leave you with nothing.
YOU, are strong, very strong but remember. A mob of them is almost impossible to defeat on your own.
Hence I, will go with you. Until you reach the gateway leading you into the courtyard ‘cloisters’, where the creature has its den.
Smiling, as Ameryst, searched the edges, of the cave, to pick up two flasks? The inscriptions on them met her approval re the contents. She popped the cork on one of them to sniff at it before sneezing. A A Ah; ah choo!
Replacing the stopper she tucked both the flasks into the shoulder pack she was carrying.
Naij had tucked a sword into the scabbard, hanging at his side. A large pouch, he had strapped to his waist band; with, some thing, she was not privy to. It looked, like fine dust, sprinkled from it, into the air. 
If, IaSuii, had whispered in her ears, the words were now coming to the fore. “Trust YOUR instincts. If something cannot be other than what it is? Ah yes.
She, was no stranger, to the creatures known as the Gobli..
Becci had ‘spanked’ one of them. In its attempts to spoil a picnic, where, Edram, Delise and Anaset, were ‘basking’ in the sunshine; enjoying.
One touch from them re fresh fruit can turn it into a rancid spoilt mess. IT, had sought out a flagon of sweetened Briar rose.
A liquor, non alcoholic, as we would know it.
Originally, this was one, of the first flavours to be created, for sale re the
Frubu (wash) range of drinks.
Highly popular, expensive and, much sought after, re its original ‘organic’ form. Expensive, ah yes..
To have the Gobli poison the flagon with it hissing, its odious stinking breath, across it, would be enough, to have it ‘soured; undrinkable.’.
If the creature, had thought, them, all caught up in the moment, their concentration elsewhere, watching Edram flying or attempting to; fly ‘kizuu’. (A wooden lightweight, almost balsa wood, framed, box frame kite).
Sneaking into reach for the flagon?
The tingle, across Becci, had, ‘raised her hackles’ one might say. She turned to see the thing with little distance between it and its chosen target. A choice of two actually. IT was also alarmingly too close for comfort re Becci AND her gems instantly responded engulfing the creature in rings of energy.
Killing it? No, Becci had remembered what her Parentia had taught her. Such a being, Ocasa had said, was of no real life threat to them. Amusement, could be had, as they, were sensitive to water. WATER!
not an aquatic for sure.. A hatred or was it FEAR? Lifted up and thrown towards the ‘rvu’ river bank, almost landing in it. Puddles.. It scuttled across them,. squealng, hopping and generally of great, as Ocasa had said; amusement, to all now watching on. In fact howls of laughter would be more accurate.
Finally, it vanished into the forest.
The following as we would know it, morning. Sun rise.. well two actually which might have given Ameryst some thoughts on where she might be? Onica did not have TWO suns.. Dying orange glow to both and weak re the amount of light they generated.
An orange glow, sweeping across the desert, to the far left side of the path they were on.
Desert. If at all possible to be avoided. The ‘sand critters’ could be anything from small irritations, to the skin to the bigger things, stinging varieties. Leaving you with whelps and blisters.
Where they were, was not the least of any concern to Naij. Able to identify areas re the path they were on to take special care over? Plants, that towered above them, with strange leaves and petals?
Carnivorous! Forthcoming relief, at knowing, according to Naij, that they, would NOT, be eating them.
No they preferred, small insects and sometimes of the feathered variety landing to end up, stuck to their glutinous leaves. .
Sap, subdued the meal. Touching that, for them, was not good.. A slight burning sensation; minor irritant.
The sap, had to be carefully neutralised by using another plants leaves. A light acid, rather than strongly alkaline from the toxic sap.
A small tube, in Naij’s hand contained that neutral enzyme which he now passed to Ameryst.
“Keep that safe! “ he had hissed in her ears. “It is not an easy to find the plant we need here. It grows over the far side, some distance in the opposite direction to where we are now headed.”
Elsewhere ..
Ocasa? He, was not alone, in seeing, what was NOW unfolding before their eyes..
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