Musnuf was curious about one thing. It seemed that the Green Dragon flame refused to harm its user. Instead, it was harmless with no sensation other than something flowing over your skin. He’d been amazed by this aspect when he’d first created the flame. Perhaps, it has a Soul Aspect to it. He was more than grateful for it at the moment since he was dragging on something using his chains up a hill.

It was one of those blue-eyed leopards. It was clawing on the ground trying to get away. He felt a little bad about it. It refused to attack him, a testament to the laceration on its side. Instead, it was just trying to run away.

Don’t worry buddy, you’ll be fine. He’d trapped it in the surrounding mountains and he had a specific person in mind when he’d captured it. Dragon Flower.

He made it up to the top. He didn’t want to make eye-contact with Dragon Flower. She was smart enough to know what he was doing. If not, she would figure it out.

He let the chains stab down into the ground and created a giant circular wall of fire to keep the leopard inside. Then he let it go.

The leopard looked to the ground, confused as to why it was let go and then it started running away. Musnuf crossed his fingers when it reached the barrier and it burst through it with no problem.

He could spot the blood draining out of Dragon’s face. He derived a sick pleasure from it. Revenge does feel good.

He was ten minutes into the fourth part of the test. He’d spent the third session going around hunting for it. It was time well spent expect, there was a problem. The leopard spotted Dragon and veered as far away from her as possible. Dragging it all the way here had traumatized the poor thing.

Sorry, buddy. He had an immediate idea as to motivating it. His constructs of illusion could pass through the barrier and he formed a ball of green fire.

He had it hover around it. That pushed it upto Dragon. It still refused to go after her.

“I can help.” He heard a voice in his ear and jumped off the ground with fear. It was the bandana disciple. He hadn’t noticed her at all.

He grabbed his dagger but she just shook her head. “I don’t want to fight you, despite your tirade of insults.”

“You can’t say you don’t deserve them.”

She just shook her head and started rooting around in her pouch. She took out a small pouch filled with fine powder. She put her hand out so he could pick it up. He didn’t move.

She grabbed his wrist and placed it in his hand. “Put this on her clothing and let the wolf get a whiff. He’ll go crazy for it.”

It’s Beast Bait. He was familiar with it. It was a must for any hunter.

He started bouncing it on his hand. It was close to the fifteen minute mark. Dragon had opted to use her rings. He had a five minute window.

How do I get this in there!?

“Do you have more?”

“I do.” She took out two more.

“Is that it?” She nodded.

He grabbed both of them and started thinking. His noggin puttering around putting out an idea, rejecting in and then his brain exploded. He started laughing. “Do you have a ring?”

“No…”

“Trust me, I just need a bronze ring and we can get that mountain!” He stared at her with a ferocious intensity and excitement. “If I had one, I would use it myself. You can’t tell me you don’t have a single ring?”

She sighed and relented. He grabbed the ring and dipped it into one of the pouches. Beast bait was quite effective.

He let the green flame wall down and dispelled the illusion haunting the leopard. The leopard had no qualms with running away the first chance it got. The bandana disciple was waiting for it. Her name was Tranquil.

Tranquil restrained the leopard and Musnuf erected a giant brick wall to conceal Dragon’s sight. He threw in the ring and the pouch of beast bait.

She came with the leopard at her tow. She’d wrapped her chain around its stomach.

“We have to go down.” He started descending the mountain.

“But what about my ring?”

“It’s in there.” He pointed back at the platform. “Dragon will think it’s hers. I tried to throw it as close to the platform as possible. If she picks it up, it's her funeral.”

“And if she doesn’t?”

“She will. I made it very prominent.” He’d cast an illusion over it where it would pulse with a sharp light. They were reaching the base of the mountain and he dispelled it. If she’d noticed then that was good. Either way, he was coming out on top. He was going to win. He had to win.

“Do you have any more Beast Bait? I need as much of it as I can.” She just turned her hands upward in the ‘nothing’ gesture.

His heart was beating in his ribcage like a jackhammer as the mountain flattened. The noise didn’t even register with him but he knew exactly whose mountain was down. It was Tiger Flower. That left bandana disciple, Dragon Flower and Treasure.

Tiger was deposited on the ground and she came bounding over. Her face was a mask of fury. She hated losing. Just like me.

11 Disciples. That meant 2 mountains were getting four disciples and one was getting three.

Tiger would go to Dragon’s mountain. She was going to back her sister to first place.

“Can I get another ring?”

“What?”

“Just give it to me, please.”

She started chewing her lip. Thinking, calculating but she’d already given him one. What harm was another one?

Boy, is she going to regret this.