AbyssalRoadTrip
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Abyssal Road Trip - 210 - Hope is my prison
🕑 Added 2022-06-25 12:09:36 +0000 UTCAmdirlain’s PoV - Maze
As a chime’s impact rang out, Amdirlain again found herself on the pool’s edge within her space. Stepping into the water, Amdirlain quickly washed off the blood trails that crisscrossed her body. She’d pushed through four times to handle an increasing number of Tier 6 before stopping to meditate and let it reset. The fifth time she’d hoped to reach Tier 7 before another ringing chime interrupted her. While she waited for the next chime, she considered the latest combat summary.
[Combat Summary:
Maze Guardian - Tier 1 x 258
Maze Guardian - Tier 2 x 514
Maze Guardian - Tier 3 x 1,026
Maze Guardian - Tier 4 x 2,050
Maze Guardian - Tier 5 x 4,098
Maze Guardian - Tier 6 x 928
Total Experience gained: 280,732,000
Fallen: +56,146,400
Fallen Level Up!
Scion: +56,146,400
Scion Level Up!
Sora Master: +56,146,400
Sora Master Level Up!
Psion: +56,146,400
Psion Level Up!
Warrior Monk: +56,146,400
Warrior Monk Level Up!
Death Strike [M] (65->67)
Ki Movement [M] (46->48)
Ki Flight [Ap] (24->27)
Suppress Target [J] (7->10)
Tremor Sense [J] (27->30)
Agile [S] (90->91)
Metacreativity [Ad] (18->20)
Psychoportation [M] (12->14)
Silent Storm [S] (110->111)
Telekinesis [M] (21->24)]
The jump in Tier 6 had turned the fighting into a time-consuming process, but fortunately, her Ki and Psi abilities provided a continued edge. They represented a challenge to her capability when working together, so the battles had pushed Skill increases and experience.
Better than the 300-odd Tier 6 the first time.
“Amdirlain, how many gods will you end up bringing about?”
At the first sound of Ebusuku’s voice, Amdirlain had spun around, only to find no one present.
“That wasn’t a Spell,” Amdirlain said, looking around for any lingering trace of Mana. “How the heck did I hear her? What gods, Ebusuku? Why am I getting the blame for bringing about gods?”
Amdirlain’s mind churned with possibilities, but with no way to prove or disprove them, she forced herself to stop. Rubbing her hands down herself to strip the water away with the friction, she continued to wait. When the pulse of sound came, it was only the barest sensation of vibration picked up by Tremor Sense.
Teleport placed her in the main corridor and, feeling the vibrations still within the stone, immediately teleported again. Her previous explorations cut off nearly a day of running, but it was still far distant when the pulse came again. Repeatedly teleporting caused the passageway to stutter around her, with the barest moments spent orienting herself between each.
Hearing fighting from further in the maze when she finally isolated the region surprised her, but it helped her find them fast. When the fight came into sight, she found an Elven male, taller than herself, clad in leather armour and wielding a thin metal quarterstaff. He moved fluidly while using it to keep a pair of massive shifting-hued hounds at bay; the shoulders of each hound came up above his hips. As she took in the scene, the weapon guided a dog’s lunge past him, and he flowed beside it, using its body to shield himself from the second’s one attempt to close.
Murderous bloodlust burned in the hounds’ auras, and she didn’t bother to check further. As the second tried to manoeuvre behind the Elf, Amdirlain teleported close to the nearest and unleashed a full forced front kick. The kick, intended to launch it into its partner, instead burst through it, and the spinning ends coated the corridor in blood. The second turned to run, and Amdirlain planted her front foot and blurred through a sweep that added its remains to the mess.
[Combat Summary:
Chaos Hounds, Large x2 (50%)
Total Experience gained: 1050
Fallen: +210
Scion: +210
Sora Master: +210
Psion: +210
Warrior Monk: +210]
The Elven male gaped at her and it took some time for him to collect himself before he finally spoke in clear Celestial. “Who are you, and why are you naked?”
As he spoke, he’d locked his amethyst gaze on hers as if desperate to ignore everything below her shoulders. Amdirlain took a moment to look him over from the short multi-hued hair with various earthen shades, a lightly tanned complexion, and amethyst-coloured eyes.
Though his ears were as pointed as any Elf she’d met, his features were solid and handsome rather than the ethereal beauty most possessed. Her examination took in his deep-set eyes, bladed nose, and sturdy cheeks before it continued onto his full mouth, rounded chin and a solid jawline. His broad-shouldered frame carried plenty of muscle, with the way the cloth of his shirts and pants clung to bulging muscles. Despite all the bulky muscles, the evasions she’d seen from him showed grace and speed.
[Name: Roitar Lasgweloth
Species: Petitioner
Class: Guardian
Level: 42
Health: 9,212
Defence: 260
Melee Attack Power: 278
Combat Skills: Club [M] (21), Staff [M] (7), Short Blades [M] (24), Heavy Blades [M] (34), Recurve Bow [M] (12)
Details: Petitioner seeking promotion into the ranks of the Goddess Opilni’s celestials. A long-term member of his nation’s military in life, he gained Guardian from combining Ranger and Fighter at level seventy.
Trial rating: Easy. ]
Analysis
[Opilni:
A lesser Goddess worshipped among the sub-terrain and surface elves of Unqua. Her followers are common among guards of both settlements and caravans. Aspects: Protection, Safe Passage, and Healing.]
“Two dogs were trying to eat you, and you’re worried about a bit of skin?” asked Amdirlain, focusing primarily on the remains. When they vanished and left behind the keys, she smiled and collected the pair from the ground.
Wonder if he’ll end up with the experience boost once he’s a Celestial?
“I’d already dealt with others, and it’s not a bit of skin you’re showing—you’re naked,” countered Roitar, his voice rising in pitch.
Amdirlain nodded understandingly and then deliberately put a hand to her chest to attract his eyes with the motion. “It’s what happens when you're not wearing clothes. My name’s Amdirlain, and you are?”
“In life, I was Roitar Lasgweloth; the Lady Opilni has yet to grant me a name in her service,” stated Roitar. “What do I have to do to complete the trial?”
“Well, there are a few options for that,” stated Amdirlain, and Roitar shifted his gaze to look at the wall beyond her.
“I take it your people have an issue with nudity?”
“It’s improper for a female to be naked except alone in their husband’s presence,” insisted Roitar, his tanned complexion deepening to match his nearly black hair.
“Sorry, but get over it. When attacked, you need to be watching your attackers' movements, not worrying about seeing my arse,” said Amdirlain unsympathetically. “Plus, to be blunt, focus on what’s important. Presently you’re dead and hoping to get into your Goddess’ service as a Celestial; do you think anyone’s social rules will matter if you get destroyed?”
“How is it you know why I’m here?”
“I know a few things, and the ringing in the air you’ll have heard means there is a trial ongoing. Since you don’t look like a Maze resident, that makes things obvious,” replied Amdirlain. “Have you seen any chambers with children in them?”
“All I’ve found so far is empty passageways. Who would trap children here?” Roitar asked.
Amdirlain hesitated for a moment, and a prickle of guilt stabbed her before she brushed it aside. “It's complicated. Think of them as spirits, you’ll be able to see those aligned with your Goddess’ aspects. I knew some freed from here by being given one of these keys. After they got out, they went into the service of the same Goddess as the one undertaking the trial.”
“How did you get here?”
“I chose to keep others safe,” admitted Amdirlain. “Ending here was the very unexpected price I paid for how I went about it.”
“Were you a spirit as well?” Roitar asked curiously.
“It’s complicated, but I wasn’t Mortal,” conceded Amdirlain
“You say that, but how do I know it's complicated, and that’s not just an evasion, so you don’t get caught in a lie?”
“I’m not giving you my life story—I’m frankly sick of doing that—and there is too much of my history that I don’t know,” retorted Amdirlain and held out a key. “Did you collect the keys that would have appeared from the other dogs?”
“Appearing as they did with no way to identify them, I thought it would be safer to leave them.”
She almost snapped at him but bit the words off and exhaled sharply. “I guess that’s fair; I had the advantage of knowing about them.”
“Will you tell me how I get out of here?”
“The immediate options I know about are: use a key to quit, or walk the corridor of choices. The key for you is a way to admit defeat and run away, but for the residents of the Maze it's a way out safely. A key will also let you through the flames atop the stairs, but it's considered a partial success.”
“Will you show me where these corridors and stairs are?”
“I can do that right away, or you can help me get a few others safely out of here.”
Roitar blinked at her ready offer and paused briefly. “How do I know we should even release them?”
“Other than my word for it, which I know is meaningless as we’ve just met, you don’t,” replied Amdirlain, and held up the keys. “You could carry these, and if you don’t like them, don’t give them a key.”
“You’d leave it up to me?” asked Roitar but didn’t make a move to accept them.
When her snort escaped, Amdirlain didn’t hold back her smile. “I won’t force you to give anyone a key.”
Disgruntled, Roitar's sharp tone chewed out his words. “You’ll give them one regardless, won’t you?”
At her quick nod, Roitar sighed, and Amdirlain beat his objection. “Not regardless. I’ve found things in here I wouldn’t let loose, but what I do is my choice, not yours.”
“Safe passage is for travellers, not prisoners held to ensure others' safety.”
“Those taking the trial seem to get placed in areas matching their Deity's Mantle. If you want to leave them here, you’d leave entities that share common values locked away..”
“If you know so much about this maze, why are you still in it?”
“Right now, I could leave with one of these keys, but I gave three away already, and I've promised to gain a few dozen more for others,” admitted Amdirlain.
Roitar started stripping off his armour, and Amdirlain put a hand out to restrain him. “What are you doing?”
“You look like my shirt will fit you, then you wouldn’t be naked,” stated Roitar. “You should wear my armour as well.”
“I don’t need your armour, and if you’re not wearing a shirt underneath it, it will be uncomfortable, and you’ll hamper yourself,” replied Amdirlain. “Do you think it’s wise to hamper your ability to protect someone?”
“You being naked will hamper my ability to protect you.”
She continued to block his attempt to remove the armour, and Amdirlain tapped the closest blood splatter on him before she stepped away. “You can choose to take your armour, shirt, and whatever else off, but you have zero chance of getting me to wear it. I don’t need the protection, and it would hamper me.”
When Roitar opened his mouth to protest, she started cycling Ki, and the phoenix pattern flared beneath her skin. “I’m not a Mortal, in case that wasn’t clear. Do your people tell Dryads or other woodland spirits to wear clothing?”
“We mainly deal with earthen spirits, though I understand the surface elves deal with woodland ones,” corrected Roitar and stopped to scratch the back of his head bashfully.
Amdirlain held up a cautioning hand. “Well, I’m not any of those, so don’t make assumptions. My Teleport transports nothing but me in here, so it would just fall off the first time I needed to do so. Would you like to see if you can recruit more celestials for your Lady?”
“What do you mean?”
“Those trapped that you help might well choose to enter your Lady’s service if you make a good impression.”
Roitar blinked and almost spat out his words. “You wish to enter my Lady Opilni’s service?”
“I meant the children you’ll find in the Maze,” replied Amdirlain. “Though depending on your Lady’s tenets, I don’t think I’d be opposed to helping her cause where I can. Anyway, would you prefer I just guide you to the corridor so you can leave, or will you help?”
“And if I choose to leave?”
“It’s back this way,” Amdirlain said. Without hesitation, she moved to lead the way.
When after a half-dozen steps, Roitar didn’t follow, Amdirlain glanced back. “You coming?”
His churning thoughts were loud enough that Amdirlain deliberately stopped listening, despite its diminishing her sense of any potential attacks. He followed quietly, not saying anything despite Amdirlain dispatching another three sets of dogs in the space of a few corridors. Each time the fight ended, she snatched up the keys before he got close to them, the bundle of eight becoming awkward clasped in one hand.
When they reached the chamber, Amdirlain gestured towards the stairs going down.
“As promised, the corridor of choice is below; be careful of the trapped mosaic edge. For the barrier of flames, you need a key.”
“You claimed them all,” noted Roitar.
“You’d already chosen to leave some behind,” countered Amdirlain.
Roitar moved towards the stairs going down and stopped at the top stair. “Are you coming?”
“You do not want me in that corridor with you,” laughed Amdirlain.
When his gaze narrowed suspiciously and he took a step back from the stairs, Amdirlain motioned for him to relax. “It's intended for those taking the trial. The walls crushed me when I tried to walk it, and I ended up in my assigned chamber.”
“And you are saying this is the way out?”
“The one I spoke to about it told me that mosaics release another key to tempt you to leave after you’ve seen various life choices. The one mosaic I got allowed to step on was a nasty what-if for me. I don’t know what yours will be like,” explained Amdirlain.
Glancing between her and the stairs down, Roitar again moved to strip off his armour, and this time Amdirlain didn’t stop him. The shirt beneath it followed, and Amdirlain didn’t fuss about admiring the view of his well-muscled torso, though as Roitar re-donned the leather cuirass on bare skin, she winced slightly. However, when he held out the shirt to her, Amdirlain made no move to take it.
“If you won’t wear it, fine, but you can at least use it to fashion a rough bag to carry the keys,” stated Roitar and simply tossed it to her. “Would you like me to bring the keys back to you?”
“If you don’t mind, I’ll watch from the stairs and collect them from a distance,” replied Amdirlain. Rather than ruin the shirt immediately, Amdirlain simply bundled the keys up in its cloth. “I hope you do well in Lady Opilni’s service.”
“You mean that, don’t you?”
“Why wouldn’t I?”
“You asked for help, and I didn’t agree to provide it, yet you still wish me well,” observed Roitar. “I’m not sure many people would do so in those circumstances.”
“It's your choice, Roitar,” replied Amdirlain. “Can I ask a question? It might be too personal and, if so, my apologies.”
“I’ll certainly listen.”
“Why are you taking a trial to become a Celestial?” asked Amdirlain, holding up a hand to get him to wait. “I know promotions don’t require them unless the petitioner wants to keep all their memories.”
“I died in a battle, and I don’t want to risk forgetting those I fought beside, as many I’d known for years died earlier in the fighting. For me, this was a way to protect the memories I have of them. Not all of them followed Lady Opilni, and it's likely we’ll never meet again, so I don’t want to forget,” explained Roitar, his gaze momentarily going distant.
“That makes sense; memories of friends and family are something to be cherished.”
“You seem to know many things. How do you know what requires a Petitioner to go through a trial?”
“You answered my question, so it's fair I answer that one, though I doubt you’ll believe me,” replied Amdirlain and deliberately paused. “I used to be a pseudo-power.”
Roitar blinked before his eyes went wide, and Amdirlain caught a tremble in his hands. “You’re a dead god?”
“No, I had a Mantle, but I hadn’t made it into the divine ranks,” countered Amdirlain. “A pseudo-power is the term I’ve heard used.”
“Are those around here in the same situation?” asked Roitar, his voice barely a whisper.
“Yes, every one of them is an entity from one world or another whose worshippers died before they made it into the divine ranks. Accepting the worship cut their existence short, so if they can get free, it's an opportunity for a second chance,” explained Amdirlain. “That’s a big if, as those undergoing a trial don't have to help them. The one I know who walked the path freed some that recalled hundreds of trials. Most of them became Archons, but one was an Astral Deva.”
“Isn't there only one world?”
Amdirlain kept her smile contained and quickly picked an approach to explain. “Have you ever seen the night sky?”
“Only once; my people don’t normally go to the surface; I preferred it to when the sun was burning in the sky,” replied Roitar. “Are all those lights worlds?”
“No, they’re suns that are very far distant. Most of those suns have worlds that circle them, and some among them have several species living upon them, though many are uninhabited.”
He had to shake his head, having found it impossible to picture the number of worlds involved. “If I meet them and I agree to help, how long do you think it will take to get them safe passage?”
“Roitar, it's a maze, and this is the first time I’ve been in this region,” replied Amdirlain and pointed towards the illusionary wall that concealed the tunnel. “What do you see there?”
The questioning look he shot her way regained the suspicion from earlier. “It's a stone wall.”
Rather than argue, Amdirlain walked straight through the wall; she then waited for a few seconds before re-entering the chamber.
“I’ve heard of such deceptions, but I had thought nothing would deceive my people’s gifts with stone,” offered Roitar, his gaze roaming over the stonework.
“I’ve got an ability that lets me see through it, but some are tougher to get through than others. Beyond it is a connection to the main corridor where I’ve found scores of branches for regions like this. Each region has only one or two similar groups, some nice and some foul. However, they seem to vary in size and the number of occupants. There could be a few spread out over kilometres in here, or there could be scores.”
“Well, my shirt is already off. Why don’t you put it on, and let's go find some to rescue?” asked Roitar.
Taking the keys from the bundle, Amdirlain flung it back at him, Far Hand letting it smack him square in the face. “Put your darn shirt back on so the armour doesn’t chafe; your body reacts like Mortal flesh and blood, so keep that in mind.”
“I’ve no provisions,” Roitar stated thoughtfully after his shirt and armour were back in place.
“There is food and water in the chambers; my friend reported no issues with it, but it causes the time perception of residents to drift. If you’d rather not risk that, I’ve got an ability that can provide you sustenance, but it might seem a little odd,” offered Amdirlain.
“In what way?”
“It determines what your body needs and delivers a paste directly to your stomach,” Amdirlain explained and wrinkled her nose. “Since the paste looks weird, not having to eat it is a good thing.”
Tapping his staff against the ground, Roitar headed back towards the Maze’s corridor. “Let’s see how many we can find before I’m in need, and I’ll decide then.”
“Not worried about getting lost?”
A confident smile lit up his eyes. “I’m a trained Ranger; I can always retrace my path through tunnels to places I’ve been.”
“Guardian, so Ranger and Scout at level seventy. Can I ask why you hadn’t taken more classes yet?” asked Amdirlain, and Roitar froze in surprise.
“I had been planning to retire from the military and learn magic when a war against the Warped Ones broke out,” explained Roitar. “Do you know so much because of your previous status?”
“Warped Ones?”
“A twisted species, they use mental powers to distort the bodies and minds of other species, using them as tools of conquest,” explained Roitar. “It’s not understood why they even do so since they live in vast underground lakes and the deepest reaches of the oceans. The sighting of a living member of the species is rare since they act through those they control. They look like Elves but have green skin and webbed hands and feet.”
“Thank you,”
“Since you know about my classes, what are yours?”
Amdirlain almost dismissed his question but had to admit the fairness and gave the barest information instead. “My Prestige Class is Pure Scion of the Sun, and I have three base classes: Sora Master, Psion, and Warrior Monk.”
“I’ve not heard of those,” Roitar said and paused in consideration. “Do you have any tunnel you wish to explore?”
“I’ve never been here before, so why don’t you pick?” offered Amdirlain.
His aura shifted and lost some suspicion as Roitar nodded towards the tunnel they used to approach the chamber. Before she moved, he darted to get ahead of Amdirlain, and the burst of sudden embarrassment made his reason clear.
Guess he doesn’t want to watch my arse.
After a few hours of walking, Amdirlain doubled the keys collection. When Roitar offered his shirt to fashion a carry bag, she halted and grabbed a handful of her hair instead.
Her ruthless yank caused Roitar to gasp in shock. “You just yanked out your hair?”
“It regrows,” Amdirlain said with a shrug. “I’ll braid these together and make a line to string the key on.”
“How can you do that to yourself?”
“Pain is relative, and to me, that was nothing. I wouldn’t do it to someone else, but I can make a line from this,” Amdirlain replied, not taking her focus from the keys.
With multiple Far Hand effects sustained at once, she quickly had the long hair formed into a cord. Tying the end through one key’s handle to function as an endpoint, she threaded the rest onto the cord. When she combined a score into a bundle, she braided another line and started afresh. Roitar’s expression made his upset state clear, and he turned to look away as she worked.
“What do the children do if the hounds find them?”
“Hide or die; this place isn’t kind.”
“Why does it even exist?”
“Because it’s necessary,” replied Amdirlain; when she started moving, Roitar hurried to get ahead of her.
The chamber they found at the end of a zig-zagging corridor was a perfect rectangle some eight metres across and nearly twenty metres long. Against each long wall was a neatly tended herb garden filling the air with rich aromatic scents, and a pathway split the chamber down the middle. A carefully set boundary of river stones ran along each garden’s inner edge, while along the long walls several trained grape vines grew on stone trellises.
Amdirlain went to point out a shadow behind the vines, but Roitar didn’t need the help; his gaze already fixed on it, he moved to crouch on the pathway in line with it. Analysis showed her every plant in the garden near him had a medical use, but there was nothing dangerous if he touched it.
“Are you alright?”
“Go away; the monsters will come.”
The little voice sounded like a boy, and Amdirlain moved forward to pass Roitar a key; with his attention focused on the shadow, he took it unthinkingly. When his skin came into contact, he inhaled in surprise and looked up at Amdirlain. The angle of his gaze gave him a view that had him blushing to the tips of his ears, and he almost gave himself whiplash, fixing his attention back on the shadow.
“You did that on purpose,” whispered Roitar.
“Grow up. Not everything is about you,” Amdirlain huffed and nodded towards the shadowed space.
“Would you like a way out?” asked Roitar and offered them the key. “So you could go places without monsters.”
“The monsters go everywhere; we need to hide in our safe places when they come,” replied the voice. “You need to find somewhere else to hide, this is my spot.”
Crouching down beside Roitar, Amdirlain could make an Elven child clad only in loose pants who looked suspiciously similar to Roitar in their features. Amdirlain tried to push aside any illusion with True Sight, but their Elven form didn’t blur.
“I’m Amdirlain.”
Does the Maze adjust the occupants to match the trial participant to get a favourable reaction? One way to get rid of potential issues. It might be part of the purpose of the fruit, blur the entities' self-image. The minor stuff no longer matters, so I’m me if I’ve got four legs or two. One point of evidence doesn’t make proof, though; let's see how others we find are.
“I’m Orta. Why have you got vines drawn on your skin?”
“Do you like them?”
“I’m not sure. They’re pretty, but they don't look happy with thorns drinking blood,” replied Orta and motioned towards the key. “What’s that thing?”
“It will let you out past the Maze’s barrier,” answered Roitar and stretched his arm further towards the child to present the key.
The child wiggled from the hidey-hole and carefully stepped between the plant rows. The boy was tiny, maybe six or seven years old; upright, they wouldn’t even reach Amdirlain’s waist. His skin matched Roitar’s tanned complexion, but his hair was an earthen tone instead of black. When he timidly touched the key, Orta’s gaze widened, and he snatched the key away and clutched it to his chest.
“I get to leave?” asked Orta.
“Do you know where there are any others?” Roitar asked, and Orta nodded quickly in response.
“We’d appreciate it if you show us so that we can get them to safety as well,” said Amdirlain.
“My friends get to leave as well?”
“Are your friends nice?” asked Roitar. The caution that had been clear in his aura had vanished upon seeing the child.
It's why charities try to give their causes faces for people to relate to; harder to dismiss their plight.
Orta considered the question before he shrugged. “Sometimes we argue, but mostly.”
Roitar nodded and gestured for the boy to come closer. “I’m Roitar. Why don’t you walk between us and give directions? There are hounds about, but we’ll keep you safe.”
“Monsters have killed me before, it happens,” Orta said matter-of-factly, and Roitar inhaled sharply.
“Are there any chambers you know of with plants that your friends don’t live in?” Amdirlain asked.
“Dozens.”
Smiling at him, Amdirlain extended a hand. “Could you also show us them on the way to meet your friends?”
Orta didn’t hesitate to take her hand and jumped over the last rows of plants. “Okay.”
“Roitar, would you tell us about your Lady’s tenets as we walk? I’ll make sure nothing gets either of you.”
Orta led them through the maze with an ease that spoke of long familiarity, following a path that took them through occupied and vacant chambers alike. In each case, where a child was visible to Roitar, their form was a variant of his Elven species. The first chamber where the only sign of its occupant was its aura, gave Amdirlain more proof of her theory.
When she peered into the hidey-hole tucked away between two rocks jutting from the chamber’s wall, she found a serpentine form coiled at the back. With its aura showing a human-like face surrounded by a cobra’s hood, Amdirlain’s immediate guess was Naga, and Analysis provided confirmation. When she’d set a key down at the entry to the naga’s hidey-hole, it licked the air and slithered carefully forward. A single nudge of the key with its nose had prompted it to swallow it whole. Its tail had writhed about with its aura glowing happily. With its celebration completed, it had slithered from its hole and started on its way.
“Where did the key go?” asked Orta when Amdirlain stepped back from the hidey-hole to watch the departing Naga.
“I gave it to the Guardian Naga that was here; mortals that died out had revered its protective nature,” explained Amdirlain as she watched the Naga’s undulations slip it between shrubs near the chamber’s exit.
“If it was a protective being, why couldn’t I see it?” asked Roitar suspiciously.
Amdirlain gave him a smug smile that didn’t make him any happier. “Its idea of protecting was killing those that threatened its loved ones before they struck.”
And you don’t need to know the rest.
“That’s not an approach, my Lady favours,” Roitar grumbled.
“I’d say that’s why you couldn’t see it,” replied Amdirlain. “I have no problem with her reactive approach, but I’m not worried about the Naga’s proactive one either. There are some foes that if you wait for them to attack openly, you're in for far more trouble.”
“You shouldn’t assume someone will attack,” countered Roitar.
Amdirlain waved him off and nodded towards the Naga, though he couldn’t see it. “Can’t judge every world by your standards. There are things I’ve met that it's not if they’ll attack, but when. Don’t make me explain Gnarls to you; they’re not a pleasant topic. Thank you, Orta. Will you lead the way to the next chamber?”
It took them days to reach and escort the children to the barrier. This Maze region was scores of kilometres across, and Roitar had needed time for reverie along the way. Every foe encountered had provided keys until Amdirlain’s collection numbered in the hundreds. She now carried them secured in a makeshift bag she's fashioned from a freed child’s gifted shirt.
Roitar didn’t shift his gaze from the barrier until he could no longer see Orta waving from the other side. “Do you think you have enough keys now?”
“I’ve far more than I had expected you to help gain. Honestly, twenty or thirty spares would have been great,” answered Amdirlain and patted the bag.
“What do you plan to do with them?”
“There are a bunch of spirits in the same region as me that were the focus of worshipers seeking help with strategy and tactics. After I give them all keys, I’ll explore other regions and pass out keys to those I like. The others will be stuck until the next trial, but at least they’ll have a key to get out then.”
“Making yourself the judge of them?” Roitar probed.
Amdirlain raised an eyebrow but held back a retort that he’d been ready to judge the children he’d not met. “I’m learning. I’ve let others make the rules before, and it didn’t turn out so well. From now on, the only person’s moral compass I steer by is my own.”
The strength of her gaze had Roitar shift about nervously, and he changed to a safer topic. “You said the corridor’s trapped?”
“The mosaic boundary of the squares; I didn’t trigger any trap landing on the first picture directly.”
“Why would they trap the border then?”
“Don’t pass out from the visions. You won’t like what happens if you hit the border,” Amdirlain replied. “I won’t enter the corridor, but I can help you from the stairs if you want my help. If there is any sign of my presence on the stairs causing instability though, I’ll have to leave you to it.”
He seemed ready to reject the offer but stopped and nodded. “I’d appreciate the support.”
“Could you do one more thing for me?”
“That would depend on what it is,” Roitar said, though there was no suspicion, just caution.
“It shouldn’t cost you anything and might help your Lady.” started Amdirlain. “I’d like you to deliver a message, but I’m not sure how you’d get in touch with them. Have you heard the names Bahamut or Moradin?”
Roitar twitched at her mention of Bahamut and quickly nodded. “The God of the metallic Dragons I recognise, but not the other. Why do you ask?”
“Would you be able to have someone let a servant of Bahamut know that I’m in the Maze? When they speak to them, ask them to pass the word to Ebusuku that I’ll get free when I can, and I’d like it if she could help your Lady.”
Hopefully, she can help her gain access to at least the Erakkö world.
“Ebusaqu?” asked Roitar
“Not quite its Ebusuku,” corrected Amdirlain and nodded when Roitar repeated it correctly.
“I’ll see it done as soon as possible,” declared Roitar.
“Thanks. Oh, also, let Ebusuku know that I’ve heard her voice. I’m unsure why or how, but every time I’ve heard her, it's like she’s been trying to address me.”
“Why don't you go deliver keys so they can get out now?”
"They've been in here for many years, so waiting until the next trial won't hurt. I want to ensure I'm on hand if I can help you."
Roitar took a steadying breath and started down the stairs. Amdirlain let him get halfway down before she followed and paused at that mid-point while he dallied at the mosaic’s edge. The picture in the centre was of a large mushroom grove, the caps well above the group of people clustered beneath them. Ahead of him was a long corridor, but unlike her own experience, Amdirlain could see a stone door left ajar at the far end; rather than it fading into the distance.
A long step carried him across the mosaic border, but when his back foot touched it, his posture stiffened and his aura flared with regret. It was a long minute of waiting before his body relaxed, and he shuddered from whatever he’d seen. When he’d recovered enough to glance back, a key rattled onto the now blank stone at his feet.
“Another key? Does it think facing regrets are enough to flee this place?” asked Roitar, in a case of false brashness.
“Some people’s regrets they find hard to face and facing a lifetime of them one after another might be too much for them. No one should judge what brings another pain,” countered Amdirlain.
Roitar bent to pick up the key, but Amdirlain held out a hand, and the key leapt into her grasp.
“I’ll get the keys. You can focus on what’s ahead,” cautioned Amdirlain.
A square at a time, he progressed, and while mainly each only caused his aura to flare, there were others where whatever he’d seen rocked him to the point of screams. Each time he came to his senses, Amdirlain retrieved the keys from a distance and occasionally steadied him with Far Hand. When his hand finally touched the door, Roitar simply disappeared, and Amdirlain heard the double chime ring out.
“Best of luck, Roitar,” whispered Amdirlain.
Rising, Amdirlain relaxed her grip on the key she’d been holding the entire time and nodded upon seeing the white flames had returned to stone.
“At least plenty will get free next trial.”
Her return to the known gathering point was far slower, using a steady pace to ensure she didn’t stress the bag. When she reached it, the auras—minus three—were all present. They didn’t even move, but through the mental static, she saw the bundles of keys floating about without her or the satchel visible.
After she set enough keys into the hidey-hole and stepped back, one among them rose. From their aura's shape, the individual who’d announced her promise stood and ushered them one at a time to claim a key.
Comments
Glenn Wright
She would have had to been able to bring it with her; this region is basically days of straight running away. Also yeah obstinate, she didn't like someone else insisting she dress when it would put them at a disadvantage.
StormyAngel
The chapter title is pretty apt. Amdirlain's not really imprisoned by the maze anymore, so much as by her own hope for what she can accomplish here. It's nice to see things are working out so far. Although, I do feel like Amdirlain's being needlessly obstinate about the nudity, since it's not like the hounds are actually enough of a threat to damage her dress if she put it back on and just fought a bit more carefully. Anyway, thanks for the chapter!
The Void
I love Amdirlain’s new moral compass. She is a true blue Chaotic Good alignment.
