Heroes' Journey: To be the Strongest, Be the Weakest

A BIT OF RUNNING

"WAKE. NEXT. COME. READY." The voice boomed over the speakers, answered by sleepy groans.

"Come on! Let's go! Hebridean, choose blue." Magpie instructed, strutting around before heading over to the other Hogwarts tents.

"Blue? What does she mean, 'choose blue'?" Hebridean mumbled, grabbing an apple. No one seemed to know, so Hebridean just shrugged and headed out to meet up with Hermes.

"How's it goin', Heb?" he said, munching on some chips. Hebridean shrugged.

"NOW. HURRY." The rest of the students filed out, getting on a line that snaked ahead. "RACE. THREE. TWO. ONE. RUN." Startled, Amaterasa pushed past, knocking people aside and being the first over the starting line. Instantly, the rest jumped to their feet, and it was on. "OBSTACLES." As soon as the voice boomed, the entire track disappeared. Some students had to be levitated out. Most were holding onto one of the weak ropes for dear life. The rest were swinging ahead, one of the fastest slowly reaching the horizon.

"Outta the way, slimy Slytherin!" Musculier yelled, throwing Magpie into the air. Wordlessly, she dived back down and was propelled by Krishna well ahead of the Gryffindor. "Oh yeah, that's not cheating!" He yelled.

"QUIET.ADOLESCENT." Musculier sneered in the voice's general direction, powering forward. "JUMP." The track reappeared as the students followed the command. Hebridean raced over to the fence where Amaterasa was being tended by a nurse.

"Are you OK? What happened?" he gasped.

"I got stuck in the silly track. Didn't jump... Ow! Just keep racing, Hebridean." Amaterasa winced, waving him off. "Good luck!"

The first students had crossed the line, and a time limit had been set up. Fifteen minutes, jumping from floating pole to floating pole. Krishna and Musculier were going head to head, well into the last part of the race. Soon, their names were announced over the stadium, Musculier getting ahead by a whisker.

"Where's Hebridean?" Hermes asked from the sidelines. "Amaterasa and I couldn't see him anywhere!" Krishna shrugged. Magpie had been running around the track, but she hadn't seen him either. "There's just five minutes left!" Hermes gasped, "He better hurry up!"

"HALF-MINUTE." Hebridean looked around, startled. He couldn't get to the finish line in thirty seconds! Then he saw something. Why was a vaulting pole on the track?

"Ten seconds to go! Where is he?" Amaterasa noted, staring out into the Sun's glare. "He's not going to make it!" A cheer started up in the stands.

"Five. Four! THREE! TWO! ONE!.." Magpie shrieked, ducking away. Musculier looked up and got a big surprise.

"Did I make it?" Hebridean asked, brushing himself off and watching the pole finish its fall. Hogwarts broke into a cheer, yelling out to him. Well, most of Hogwarts.

"Bleeugh!" Musculier groaned, getting up from the floor. "A cheater, that's what you are, Slytherin! And you couldn't find someone better to land on than me, eh? CHEATER!" Hebridean just laughed and walked away, wheeling Amaterasa to the tent.

"You OK?"

Amaterasa grinned, "Yes, Hebridean. I'll be able to walk fine tomorrow." She rolled into her hammock, wishing everyone luck on the next challenge as she fell asleep.