The tournament (Contestants please sstart posting.)

[Aizen Teresaga]

A lukewarm breeze that recklessly tossed the woman's long black braid was the first indication that she had reached the shore. Even from where she stood, the horizon was overrun by the growing storm that encroached upon their Realm. Raven Kanzaki sighed lightly; she had never been fond of storms, and tried to avoid them as much as possible.

She had not traversed too far, for the Sea was home to her; she had trekked the way by foot, carrying simple objects with her. She favored her Primary Physical Weapon, a Naginata. It was a scythe-like weapon, it's shaft made of Mahogany wood that was capped by a blade of steel approximately eighteen inches long. It's width expanded from one inch to two and a half, and jutted at an angle that left the tip quite sharp. A tiny chain, hooped on each end of the links, allowed it to remain strapped to her back. Around her waist she kept a flask of herbs such as Lavender, which she had discovered allowed her to remain calm in the most dire of situations. She also used these to treat certain wounds and poisons--a skill she had picked up long before she came to train as an Apprentice under her Mistress Gabriela. Even now, Raven could see the woman perched upon a boulder formation, a silhouette on the cliff edge against the darkening sky.

Raven peered down at herself; was she presentable for such a tournament? She had decided to dress lightly once more, bearing her familiar black breeches. Tucked in, she wore a loose cotton shirt that replaced her torn blue one; much like the sea, this shirt was a brilliant Jade Green. Her bustier remained black, the leather reinforced with the small plates of steel that acted as her armor. Her usual black boots were instead replaced by black slippers. The wind had done little to keep her hair at bay; her ebony bangs framed her eyes in a manner that the sharp green optics could clearly be seen, even in contrast to her pale, porcelain-colored skin.

Pursing her lips, Raven trekked onward, slowly making her way towards her Mistress. There had been a strong reason for her coming here. Ever since her first test against the Water Mistress, which had ended in a stalemate, and the dangerous spar she had against the Fire Wielder Ash, Raven had wanted to expand her horizons, and her ability of Water against other Elements. A tournament had been decided upon, and she knew that it was the perfect opportunity to see how far she could go, and what she required to improve upon if she ever wished to pass on her knowledge as an appointed Mistress.

When she had finally arrived, she realized that there were directions there for her. Quickly her eyes scanned over it; was this a part of the tournament? A challenge to see if she was even worth participating in? As a spy in her former life, Raven had become adept at unraveling mysteries. While her logic was not perfect, she was skilled at seeing things that others often overlooked. Narrowing her gaze, Raven peered down at two forms that appeared to be scrolls. Contemplating her choices, the woman stooped and pushed the first scroll aside, scanning the contents.

An old man wanted to leave all of his money to one of his three sons, but he didn't know which one he should give it to. He gave each of them a few coins and told them to buy something that would be able to fill their living room. The first man bought straw, but there was not enough to fill the room. The second bought some sticks, but they still did not fill the room. The third man bought two things that filled the room, so he obtained his father's fortune. What were the two things that the man bought?

Well this is interesting...Raven reflected to herself; it was a riddle! She had finished reading the riddle once, and decided to read it three more times. Four was, after all, a number that always brought luck to her. Soon, she began to work the knowledge of what she knew of the riddle, and what she suspected would lead to the answer. As possibilities flickered into her mind, a tiny smile appeared on her face, and she neatly rolled the scroll again. Finally she stood, and after a moment of finalization decided she had at last reached what she believed was the right answer.

Now Raven wandered over to Gabriella, taking a moment to dip into a courteous bow towards her Mistress, before taking her place behind the woman. It felt natural to stand with the woman whom she would--in a manner of speaking--be representing.  

[Aizen Teresaga]

Raven smiled, nodding to the newcomer. She keenly observed the manner in which he moved, and what it was about the area that reacted to him. It had become clear that he was a Master, and Raven bowed out of respect for the man.

The chilling drizzle was comforting against her skin, the tiny droplets of water condensing upon the flesh's surface and dripping down in streaks. Her bangs were damp, matted against her cheeks to keep the fly-aways at bay from the Wind. The storm was surely closing in on them, and Raven silent cursed herself for one of many weaknesses. She rocked back and forth upon her heels, now; her hands were clasped behind her back. Leaning inward, she dropped her voice to a quiet whisper, projecting her answer towards Gabriella, "I can tell you, the answer to the first is..." She allowed her voice to trail off, choosing to answer with another skill that she rarely used in this world.

Instead, she projected her answer in a manner of the mind, the answer bubbling up inside of Gabriella's imagination. As an Elementalist, Raven's strongest Element was Water, and her personal Daemon, the black Panther Jesta' solidified her connection to it. Jesta' herself allowed for a multitude of traffic to flow inside and out of the mind that was known as "telepathy". Because Gabriella shared the connection with Water, it was more natural for the woman to hear Raven's mental voice than any other Master or Mistress of another Element. Wavelengths passed much easier through Water than any other Primary Element.  

[Aizen Teresaga]

A faint smile appeared on her lips, and Raven nodded silently. She dipped into a more informal curtsy as she slipped away from near her Mistress, and over to the right side of the boulder. It was a moment of relief to feel the comfort of dry air. Turning, she looked past what she knew was the barrier in which water did not penetrate. Even the rain that had fallen onto her skin was now gone and on the other side.

It was unlike most of the other Water Apprentices; Raven did not simply will the water to bend to what it was that she wanted, but first asked. Often the exchange went unnoticed; there had only been an instance in which Raven could not wield the Water--a great war among the different realms of Elements. They had been dark times, and the world had since recovered from it. Such a tournament would almost be a small reminder of that larger war held; hopefully it would be more peaceful. Raven decided to kneel by the ground, closer to the water on the other side. Now, she would silently call upon the water, and begin to practice the exercises her Mistress had trained the Apprentices for. A smooth sphere of water was beginning to form outside the barrier; it would be much larger than any sphere she had ever created, easily the size of a bowling ball. It was there that Raven meditated on holding its shape for as long as she could.