The Legend of the Labyrinth

[Kade Rivok]

Dantin was still unsure about the whole deal, but he also didn't want to be left alone in the dark.  Timidly he stepped forward, letting himself be seen.  He shifted his weight from one paw to the other nervously and looked about, not meeting anybeast's eyes; he really wasn't sure how to carry himself around others.  Even so, he was, reluctantly, more or less prepared to follow along.

[Ebantu the Kararehe]

Pekepeke practically bounced through the air with excitement. Finally, something interesting was happening in the labyrinth; other than trailing Waiata through the dark passages.

[Verdauga]

Ara waited until everyone was looking elsewhere before he checked his map. Although he was only worried about Algirdas seeing it, the others might tell him.

"Right then," Chycer said after concealing the map, "let us resume! I do believe the route to take is.....this one!"
With that Chycer flourished grandly with his paw and strode down an intersecting passageway, ignoring the doors on the sides. "The others will follow," he thought, "This is their only escape, and the bats will surely explore; they'll even help navigate this place."

OOC: Chycer isn't worried about Torunis knowing he has the map, but rather that he know where it is.

[shisteer of nothing much]

Waiata touched a wing to Dantin's shoulder on the way past, giving him a reassuring smile as she flew backwards a few metres, waiting for Pekepeke to catch up.
Waiata gave her sister an enthusiastic grin, then sped up so she was flying just behind Chycer.
"Do you have specific destination in mind or are you just generally exploring, exploring?"

[Verdauga]

Ara glanced behind his shoulder before replying, "I'd love to learn every bally thing about this maze if I could, but I-- and Algirdas, if you ask him-- do have a goal. Blasted if I told you just now, but that's the way things are."

Ara turned a corner, and noticed a doorway at the far end of the corridor. He strode to it, analysing it as he approached.

OOC:The doorway is right in front of the PCs, not in the walls.

[Booklover]

The shrew followed Ara, noticing that he didn't even look at some smaller passages that he passed. Walking quickly, she managed to catch up with him just as he reached the door. From a distance, it looked ordinary - plain and wooden - yet as she got close she saw, although she couldn't see much when Ara was in the way, that it had strange runes on, unlike any she had seen before. Ara studied it for a while, giving time for the others to catch up.

[MathLuk]

Studying the runes have no results. Algirdas turned to his erstwhile rival turned colleague. "I trust you too are stumped, are you not?"

[shisteer of nothing much]

Waiata hung upside down in front of the door, studying the runes casually while she listened to the other beasts and waited for everyone to catch up. There was no point in reading them out more than once.

[Verdauga]

Ara was startled out of his concentration when Torunis spoke. Glancing at the squirrel, he chuckled and replied, "Perhaps, but I have solved puzzles before."
After scrutinizing the door and it's runes for a moment, Ara realized: there was a nearly indiscernible seam in the middle of the door, circling two runes. He pressed it, heard a faint click, and stepped back. The door opened slightly toward them. Ara opened the door fully and whispered to Algirdas, "This first was hardly a puzzle. In lieu of puzzles, what will they have in store for us, eh?" Aloud, he said to the others, "Walk along the sides of the hall until I say otherwise. Obviously, Waiata and Pekpep--- her sister, will not have to worry about this, but all the same."  With that, Ara  stepped through the doorway and held to the right of the passageway ahead.

[Kade Rivok]

Dantin followed cautiously at the tail end of the group, melting into the surrounding darkness.  Like every other beast, he noticed the runes on the door as he passed through it, but as they had no meaning to him, he ignored them.  Listening to the hare leader, he assumed the hare had more experience than himself in places such as this and so followed along, hugging the right side of the passageway.  He thought about trying to strike up a conversation with some beast, but his nerves got the better of him and instead he huddled deeper into his cloak, trying to literally disappear.

[Ebantu the Kararehe]

Pekepeke jumped in alarm as the door opened, then followed the others eagerly. She didn't mind that the hare couldn't remember her name; she couldn't remember his. She flew just behind Waiata, whispering to her sister. "What did the runes say, runes say?"

[shisteer of nothing much]

Waiata was surprised by Pekepeke's startled reaction, having to remind herself that her younger sister hadn't spent as much time roaming the mysterious halls and corridors of the labyrinth as she had, much to their parents' relief.
"Just some instructions on how to open the door, the door. Apparently, the long eared one didn't need them, need them."
Waiata fell into wing beat with Pekepeke, giving her a reassuring grin to let her know that she would keep an eye on her.

[Verdauga]

OOC: A little bit of powerplaying here to move things along.
BIC:
Ara checked behind him to see the shrew and Brink enter the doorway and step to the sides. After a few paces Ara noticed his footstep changed tone, to a deeper pitch. He let the party go forward several paces more before telling them it was safe to walk in the middle of the hall. Ara peered down the hall.
"Well, Waiata," Chycer spoke, gesturing to the end of the hallway, "do you know what is beyond that corner?"

[shisteer of nothing much]

Waiata hung onto the stone ceiling, studying the corner the hare had indicated, recalling the runes on the door and what they'd said.
"No, no. I wouldn't be surprised if it was some sort of trap but I could go take a look, a look. The ability to fly can be handy sometimes, sometimes."

[Verdauga]

Chycer nodded. "We will follow you closely. Wanderer, Brink. Stay close, chaps. Algirdas, stay up with me. Dantin, stay close behind us with Peke, er, Pekepeke."
With that Ara followed the bat down the hallway, glancing at the walls. There was a suspicious lack of runes marking the walls...and then the floor gave way.

OOC:Chycer and Algirdas fell in; they're up in front.