Shandris walked Delaryn into the testing area before the portal. There were quite a few applicants, but a pair of girls were waiting for them in particular. One had long teal hair and a lighter build. She had deep silver eyes with a particular shine to them that only really existed in those connected deeply to Elune. The other was a tall, muscular girl with a long, thin spear at her back. She wore a purple hoodie over her trainee uniform. After looking for a moment, Delaryn noticed a small nightsaber cub staring out from the hood. It barked as they approached.
"Hi." The purple-haired girl waved casually before stuffing her hands back into her hoodie pockets.
"Hi." Delaryn echoed from behind Shandris. The girl cocked her head to one side as she regarded Delaryn.
The other girl offered a friendly smile to start with, then extended her hand. "I take it by the fact that our leader is dragging you along that you are joining our team?"
Delaryn chuckled nervously. "That seems to be the case."
Shandris interjected, getting between all of them. "Girls, this is Delaryn. She's an Ambusher with mixed specialty."
The spear-user nodded. "I've got a taming and tracking specialty. My Name's Raene and I'm aiming for the Huntress role. Nice to meet you."
"I happen to be a healer, but I'm here because I can also stand on my own two feet when it comes to athletics and fighting. My name is Amara. Very nice to meet you. I am not aiming for a specific role, I just want to help the guild."
Shandris smirked, pointing at Amara with her thumb. "That means Priestess role."
"Ah... I feel a bit outclassed. I'm not sure what I can do that the three of you can't." Delaryn admitted self-consciously.
Shandris patted her hard on the back. "You're a pure ambusher so you've got better experience scouting and performing sneak attacks."
Raene nodded. "Shandris and Korra and I are more suited towards fighting head on."
"Uh..." Delaryn looked around.
Raene smiled and pointed over her shoulder. "Korra is this cub, here. She's my mount."
Delaryn blinked at the little cat. "Seems like you're the mount right now..."
Raene huffed lightly. The other girls laughed. Shandris chimed in. "It does look like that, huh? But you'll see. Or maybe you won't have to, hopefully."
"Hopefully." Delaryn bowed deeply and respectfully, in a way that was far too formal for the girls present. At least, that was the look that they offered each other in response.
"I'll work hard to support everyone with what I do best." She was pulled out of her bow by Shandris and brought to the side of the group as someone else approached. They could be heard but not seen at first, with heavy armour making a metallic noise as plates overlapped. Delaryn stammered and pointed.
"W-Warden!"
"Not a Warden." Raene corrected. Delaryn breathed a sigh of relief before the girl added with a smirk.
"The Leader of the Wardens."
"What?" Delaryn felt her soul leave her body.
Maiev looked over the possible troop, but only really saw one of them, despite the few seconds of commotion from ones she would call rabble. She stared down at Shandris.
"We will accept a lucky few into our ranks. Just so you know."
Delaryn covered her mouth and glanced over to see Shandris's reaction. The Warden's were one group within the Sentinel's Guild. They tended to handle everything from managing tests to security for any of the Guild's most prized vaults, but they were also supposedly called in for difficult tasks not fit for the regular guild members. They tended to recruit warriors. It was an honour to be considered. The one standing before Delaryn was
'A-Another collectible! Maiev! Another collectible statuette is standing right before my eyes!` She gushed internally. Then the offer that Maiev was presenting to Shandris hit her and she glanced over to see their Leader's reaction.
"Decline." Shandris waved her hand dismissively. Delaryn's face went ghostly pale.
"I wanna do my own thing. You understand."
Maiev sighed. "I do. Let us stop holding up these proceedings for everyone else. "
Delaryn looked past the Warden and noticed a few other groups that were waiting to start. One group in particular was looking at them rather jealousy for having the attention of Maiev. The Warden returned to the front of the portal entrance and spoke in a loud tone.
"Alright. As you all have likely gathered, the trial involves survival within the Dungeon Gate. This means defeating enemies, gathering food for yourselves and keeping your own protected. That includes other teams where possible. If you fail, there will be another chance to take the test. If you lead to someone else falling in the trial, however, you will never be given another chance. With that being said... There has been a change in plans." She eyed Shandris's group suspiciously.
"It seems some of you planned for this. The test will now require applicants to gather information about messages being sent back and forth between orc villages."
"W-what!? But that favours scouts!" One of the girls from the jealous group shouted.
Another chimed in, pointing towards Shandris, who was smirking cockily, absorbing the stares with her arms crossed.
"Isn't this special treatment?"
"There is no special treatment." Maiev clarified.
"Then how-"
"It is clear that the group which specialises in scouting will be able to gather information more efficiently. This is why you are complaining? Are you serious!?" Maiev boomed. All the kaldorei quieted down.
"Is there anything else? Good. Go in. If you run into trouble, seek a proctor. I will also be present near the entrance should anything occur."
Delaryn whispered to Shandris. "It's a shame they assumed straight away that you cheated to get that information."
Shandris stared blankly at her. "Oh, I totally cheated."
"Huh?" Delaryn stopped.
Shandris grinned, grabbing Delaryn's hand to drag her along. "Come on!" She winked and added in a lower tone with a wink.
"Cheating is also a skill."
Malace seethed. "Dammit... It's so unfair. We're TRYING to join the Warden's but the test favours the only girl that disrespects their name with her fowl tricks!? Uuuugh!" She stomped forward, punching a tree.
Jin's ears drooped. She lifted a hand. "C-careful."
Vela knelt down, tracing her hand over some unique tracks. She looked up. "Hey... Got something."
The Warden hopefuls were Malace, Jin and Vela. The three girls had joined with the intention of impressing Maiev and the proctors, only to have the modus of the test change out from under them. Luckily Vela, a lithe, short girl knew a little something about tracking. She had ghostly white hair tied back in a long braid.
Jin was a green-haired elf with faded freckles over her cheeks and a powerful set of measurements for her chest, hips and waist.
Malace was the last of them, and the leader. She happened to be the most athletic, and the most frustrated because her only skillset was somewhat invalidated by her only weakness, stealth. She had hair that was quite rare; the colour of falling leaves. It was tied up into a high ponytail.
"God dammit!" Malace shouted, sending birds up into the air.
"Hey hey..." Vela sighed.
"Mal... The noise." Jin warned, seeming in an awkward spot to have to correct the girl's behaviour.
"Fine." Malace scoffed.
"Wouldn't have been a problem if we could just fight."
"Maybe we can?" Jin remarked.
"The other will get information faster, with less attention, but we can still just proceed as normal and get it all through kills and combat."
"Hoho." Malace grinned, enjoying that idea.
"Girls!" Vela raised her voice. When she had their attention she pointed down.
"Proctor footprints. Heavier set, but thin. Which means a woman in heavier armour. But... She's being pursued by a heavy figure with a wider footprint. Bare. That means an Orc."
"Why's a Warden Proctor getting chased by an Orc? Doesn't make sense..." Malace thought out loud.
Vela looked over them. Too close with not enough disturbance. "Looks more like one is walking with the other."
"Together?" Jin gulped, looking around with a shrinking posture.
Malace lifted a long brow. "Probably just taking a hostage."
"That could be true." Vela nodded evenly. Something about it rubbed her the wrong way, but it was the best explanation.
"It may be a good idea to let me take the lead here. I can handle scouting and-"
"Listen... We already agreed that I'm the leader. Right, Jin?" Malace remarked indignantly.
Jin avoided looking at either of the two girls. "I just want to pass the test. I picked Malace because she would help us pass the test."
"That's right." Malace nodded.
"I would-"
Jin continued. "But now that it's changed... Vela does know how to track and scout a little."
Malace pointed. "I-I'm not gonna let you take the glory from me! I'm the leader. When we pass the test, Maiev is gonna see me as the one that led us to victory! That way, I'll get a fast pass into the Warden's division. You girls as well... Under me, of course." She explained.
Vela sighed. "I don't want to push the issue too much. That's fine. I was just offering. You can even take credit for-"
"I'll lead." Malace repeated. The two other girls nodded.
Miles away, at the same time Delaryn also traced tracks. She followed them slowly and methodically while observing her surroundings. The plains were not perfectly flat, they rose and fell like waves which allowed small groups to hide in the little creases in the country. This worked in favour of both them and the orcs, she reasoned, moving carefully despite being on a timer. Surprisingly, the group did not pressure her to be quick about her work. They seemed content to wait as long as it took for safe, accurate information and Delaryn was happy to provide. She carefully crested the hill in front of her, not allowing herself to show too much of a silhouette as she peaked over to scout the other side by sight. She was shocked when she noticed a pink figure laying face down in the grass with light teal hair. She almost didn't process it for a few seconds, then it dawned on her all at once and she hoarsely whispered into the Comm.
"B-body. There's a body here. It's Kaldorei."
Shandris's voice came through, some chatter was cut and the noise in the background went quiet.
"What? You sure?"
"Of course I'm sure. I'm looking at a body. She's stripped down, face down in the grass. I think it's a Warden."
"That doesn't make sense... How's a Warden gonna get caught and stripped down? This is a beginner Dungeon." Shandris commented.
"Whether it makes sense or not, that's what I'm looking at..." Delaryn insisted.
"I'm going to go down and-"
