The Legend of the Labyrinth

[Kade Rivok]

OOC:  PLOT TWIST 

IC:
Groggy from the fall, Dantin carefully rose to his footpaws but stumbled heavily against the stone wall.  There was a twinge of pain in his right leg, but it didn't seem like anything was broken or sprained at least.  Steadying himself, the mouse looked about the corridor they had been dropped in to; he was grateful for the torchlight, but felt bad for Waiata as he could tell that she didn't feel much the same.  Out of habit, he felt at his back, making sure his daggers were still in place, and was about to reply to the bat when he noticed... something.  It was like a low rumbling in the back of his mind.  After a second, he realized that it wasn't in his head, it was a sound.  He froze, fear gripping him.

"Wh- what is that?"

[Booklover]

The shrew pushed herself to her footpaws, wincing as she stepped on a particularly large stone she hadn't noticed in her shock. She'd known there'd be traps, but she hadn't expected something on this large a scale. Pitfalls and spikes, those she'd expected, but a whole room falling was beyond anything she'd seen before. Whoever had hidden this rumoured treasure really did not want anybeast to get hold of it. How they'd managed to rig it so turning those rings in that way caused the floor to fall without being too unstable she didn't know.

She was so wrapped up in her thoughts she hadn't noticed the low rumbling noise until Dantin asked his question. In a way it reminded her of the roar of a river, although it was very different. Ominous.

"No idea. Nothing good, I'd wager." She spoke softly, for a reason she couldn't explain.

[Verdauga]

"The torches are lit from oil fumes," Ara noticed. Some mechanism must have lit them when we fell. My, these Labyrinth architects were quite ingenious. Pity their traps rotted away. He believed the room would normally have slowly descended, but it had aged to the point of failure.

Ara was about to light his torch when he noticed the bats on the ceiling squinting down at the others. With a sigh he refrained. After a moment's thought and looking down one end of the corridor, Ara switched the torch to his off-paw and drew his sword.
"All right, mechaps and chappesses," he said, mustering more than his typical bravado, "Ah don't much fancy these locks and doors naow. Get to the sides, and stay there, unless Ah say so," he spoke to Brink, Wanderer, Dantin, and Torunis. Looking at the bat sisters, he added, "Ye too; just stay on the ceiling. Follow me; right then!" he finished as he strode down the hall, peering into the inkiness.
"I deserve anything coming to me now..." he thought grimly. This was on him.

[shisteer of nothing much]

Waiata followed silently, her senses taught as she stayed to the side and flew close to the ceiling, uncomfortable for more than one reason. The sounds echoing and bouncing off the walls were more than what her party were making and much more menacing. The walls were mostly devoid of runes and the few warnings shown were very dire, and vague. It also appeared that there had been more, but it had been brushed away, leaving faint traces and shapes that served in making the young bat even more nervous.
Waiata checked her sister was behind her and close enough that anything trying to harm her would first have to go through the larger pekapeka. Nothing would hurt Pekepeke while Waiata was alive to prevent it.
She touched the hilt of her small dagger, reassuring herself that she was armed. She'd never felt the need to use the small knife until now, but she was grateful she had it. Pekepeke wasn't the only beast that would potentially need her protection.

[Sebias of Redwall]

Brink followed Ara in silence. His initial reaction to deep, forbidding rumbling was to grip his club handle. He gulped slowly. Blood's Gates! I wonder what that was. He glanced at Ara.

"Hey, Boss," he whispered, "Any idea where we are, or how much closer we are to our destination?"

[Verdauga]

Ara kept his voice low. "...I thought our destination was up there. Mah only  plan now is to get out. But something doesn't seem right. Stay off to the sides now; wouldn't want ya tah get hurt." He waited for the hedgehog to move to the walls so he could check his map. "I doubt it'll help much, but it's at least some idea of direction." he thought.

[Sebias of Redwall]

"Oh. Aye." The hedgehog shot a glance at the others. "So, uh," he continued in the same, low tone, "about our... new companions. Do you think they'll be a liability? What do you plan to do with 'em once we get to the end of our search?" This question had been bothering Brink for a while.

[Verdauga]

Chycer gave a slight chuckle. "I'm rather sure the bats have seen more of the labyrinth than they ever wanted to. I plan to get them back home. Their family must be worried by now. As for Dantin and Algirdas," he whispered, glancing back at the two, "I doon't know. I might have them come with us. Torunis is not the same squirrel as when he left, and Dantin might want a group he can trust." Ara shrugged. "It's their choice, really."

[MathLuk]

Algirdas should not be so surprised by random traps, but he always managed to land his footpaws into every single one of them. Every single time...

"If all of you could be so kind to not whisper, the world would be a better place." The squirrel moaned at Chycer, who was still deep in conversation with a hedgehog whose name was yet unknown to him. "Now, should we proceed?"

[Verdauga]

OOC: I figured we were still walking forward.

[Sebias of Redwall]

The hedgehog shrugged at the squirrel, and grinned. "Well, some things are best not spoken aloud. But fine, whatever floats your boat, mate." He winked.

His eyes caught sight of an object fixed against the tunnel wall. Whatever it was, it looked like it had been there for a long time. "Say... What's that?" Brink took a few steps closer to it, reaching out slowly with his paw. "It kinda looks like... like metal slab or somethin'."

[The Skarzs]

  Stoneater could smell them now. Its eyes flickered slightly, but did not blink. The caves and tunnels turned and split, but it knew every path. All it needed was the direction of the scent.
  It let out another earth-shaking grumble, turning down one path with intense purpose.

[Sebias of Redwall]

The sudden rumbling underpaw caused Brink to freeze. His stomach felt like a cold stone had been dropped into it. "T-that didn't sound louder to you all, did it?" he stammered.

[Verdauga]

Ara would have halted the party, but they weren't moving forward anymore. "Waiata," he said, keeping his voice just loud enough to reach the bat, "Go back the other way, ahead of the rest of us. Tell me if you come across anything out of the ordinary. Pekepeke, stay in between her and us. You four," he addressed the others, "Follow the bats. I'll be keeping watch this way."
With that, Chycer lit his torch from the oil lamps and held back, waiting for the otherbeasts to leave before he did.

[shisteer of nothing much]

Waiata flew in the direction she'd been directed, her senses alert and her wings quiet as she flew on, careful to keep herself under control. Better to fly steadily and quietly that to whizz about stirring the dust, or whatever else there was to stir.
Judging she was a sufficient distance from the rest of the party, she slowed to their pace, maintaining the gap as she scanned the walls, floor, ceiling and darkness ahead of her. The walls were covered in scratches, as if something had brushed past with sharp edges, and the runes were mostly obliterated, enough remaining to prove their previous existence but too worn to read. The floor and ceiling had the same scratched wear and tear and, up ahead, it was all basically the same.
At least I'm not being blinded anymore. Waiata thought, forcing a smile as she moved her ears backwards and forwards, constantly searching for further sign of danger. She knew Pekepeke would be doing the same and the older bat was glad her sister had been placed behind her.
Out of harm's way. She thought, then had to correct herself. Well, out of immediate harm's way. Anything that could hurt Pekepeke could probably deal with me quite efficiently.
Waiata touched the hilt of her dagger, reassuring herself. I'm armed and ready for anything.