Luckily for you, Gerald hadn't gone far. In fact, your human revealing charm lets you sense his presence a few steps away from the spot where you've left him. Recognising his name, he stops in his tracks and calls out from the shadows, "Benjamin? Is that you?" You hear the sound of a few branches being pushed aside, a small grunt and out stumbled Gerald from the thickets of the trees back in the opposite direction. "You found the way out, Benny?"

Should you follow the path that your galdr guides you, you'll find that solace comes in the form of a change in scenery. The trees surrounding you start to thin, letting more light filter in between the branches. The creepy sounds of branches and twigs start to grow quieter, as if someone had lowered the volume of the forest, until it was down to a mute. And the air? Less chilly.

Before you know it, you're stepping out into a wide expanse of grassy area, marking yourself safely out of the forest. Next to you, Gerald seems to be changing as well. The human features on his person start to change, as if someone had cast a transfiguration spell on him. His hair starts to shoot up into his skull, leaving his head bald and shiny. His height shortens to that of an average male adult and lastly, his features become more and more plastic-like by the second. The transformation takes a few seconds but once the time passes, Gerald the human has been replaced by a dummy in Gerald's clothing.

Before you could waste time gawking at this, you spot a movement in the distance and look to see a vague, almost-invisible outline stepping out of the forest as well. The person removes the disillusionment charm and an adult stands before you, holding a peculiar object in their hands. "Congratulations on completing your first challenge," the Ministry official says, holding out a rusty can for you to take, "This is your portkey. It will transport you back to the stands where everyone is waiting for you. Be quick!"

The moment he finishes saying this, the man whips out his wand and levitates the dummy up and away from you. Meanwhile, the rusty can starts to glow a bright blue, ready to whisk you away...


OOC: You can now look at the viewing area and other competitors' threads.