The Legend of the Labyrinth

[shisteer of nothing much]

  Waiata squeezed Pekepeke's paw gently, giving her a reassuring smile.
  "I do too, Peke, peke. I'll get you home alive, alive."
  Disentangling herself from Pekepeke's grasp, the older bat gave a frustrated sigh and flew into the middle of the room, glaring at Chycer, Brink and Algirdas like a stern mother addressing her naughty children.
  "No bickering please, everybeast, everbeast. If any of us want to get out of here alive, we need to stick together, together. If that involves finding some imagined treasure first, so be it, be it. We'll need to get passed that monster somehow and the best way to ensure he doesn't sneak up on us while we're looking for the way out is to take him down, him down. So, so, enough of the fighting and let's put our heads together to think of a way out of this mess, this mess."
  Waiata studied each creature, waiting for a response and hoping fervently that it would be a positive one. The constant light, combined with the almost equally constant arguing, was beginning to wear at her patience.

[Verdauga]

Ara shook his head, more to himself than anybeast elsee. "We can think about it when we get to the treasure room. Arguing here won't do any good. Now this hall runs for a way, and I'm following it, whether or not you follow me. If you want a chance to rid ourselves of that monster and leave this trap, you'll follow."
So saying, Chycer strode down the hall.

[shisteer of nothing much]

  Waiata watched the long eared creature uncertainly for a while, not sure who to follow. Both beasts seemed sure of themselves and equally sure that the other was wrong. Chycer had a map, though he'd tried to hide the fact. Algirdas didn't have any means of navigation, to her knowledge. On the other paw, the hare's map was leading them further away from her home, so maybe that wasn't such an advantage. Ara seemed set on finding some mysterious treasure that, although she'd lived in the labyrinth her entire life, Waiata had never heard about, while Algirdas' alleged goal was simply to get out alive, though why he wanted daylight, she had no idea.
  The young bat shifted uncomfortably, her thoughts on the matter still leaving her undecided. Chycer knew where he was going but was searching for some sort of valuable item, Algirdas had no way of navigation but was looking for the right thing, in her mind.
  Wait, no way of navigation? Waiata frowned, searching her mind for confirmation and finding it. She couldn't let a beast wander in dangerous territory without any idea of where to go.
  "Pekepeke, pekepeke, I'm going with Algirdas, Algirdas. He needs somebeast to show him the way, the way. Are you coming with me or going with the hare, the hare?"
  Normally, the older sister would make sure Pekepeke stayed with her, but she suspected that this was the more dangerous course to take and she decided to let Pekepeke make the decision herself. If she chose to go with Chycer, this could be the the last time they see each other outside of Dark Forest.

[The Skarzs]

  Algirdas nodded in satisfaction as Waiata made her decision. This would be good. The bat could certainly help him navigate the dark corridors. She was the only smart one.

[Sebias of Redwall]

Brink stared at the bat with disbelief. He couldn't believe it. Why were they all encouraging the rabble-rouser? The hedgehog trusted Chycer wouldn't have come down here if there had been no chance of ever getting out - his boss was smarter then that ...Right? He shooks his head to clear it from the doubts. Then again, maybe splitting up was the best choice. Some of them would at least have a chance at getting away from the monster.

"I'm going with Chycer," he said finally.

[Verdauga]

  Ara hid his surprise when Waiata chose to follow Torunis. "Doesn't she realize she couldget killed? That Torunis has no plan to get out of here?" Reassurance came when Brink stayed true, but that wasn't the end of it. The Wanderer, Dantin, and Pekepeke still had to choose. "The bat will prbably follow her sister. The shrew must be reveling in all this dissension, but she has to pick a side, for good or ill. Dantin's the one I'm worried about. He'd be useless when we face that thing, but maybe he won't... Desire of life is a strong thing, after all."
That's what they were deciding. How much they wanted to live; what seemed safest. Three more choices had to be made, and they were using precious time.

[Ebantu the Kararehe]

  Pekepeke bit her lip in anguish. Every part of her wanted to stay with Waiata, but she had been given a task and she would not forsake it. She took a deep breath and tried to steady her voice, knowing it would try to shake and tremble when she spoke. "You told me to watch after Dantin, Dantin, so I'll go with whoever he chooses to follow, follow."
  There, she had done it. Pekepeke sighed and crouched down, covering her head with her wings.

[Kade Rivok]

Dantin really didn't like all this pointless in-fighting, but it looked like there wasn't anything he'd be able to do to stop it.  If the groups were splitting up, he had to make a decision.  Ara had won himself a few points when he'd pulled the mouse to safety earlier, so Dantin knew he wasn't bad, per se.  On the other paw, though, the hare also seemed rather intent on finding treasure first before escaping.  But the young mouse cared little for treasure and simply wanted to leave.

As for Algirdas, Dantin wasn't fond of his rather gruff attitude, but the squirrels goals aligned with his own.  Plus, Waiata had decided to travel with him, and the bat sisters were the only beasts down here that the mouse really trusted.  He'd pretty much already made his choice when Pekepeke spoke up.  With a look of slight bewilderment, he gazed at the bat who was obviously torn regarding her own decision to follow him.  He wasn't sure what had driven her to make that choice, but he knew he couldn't possibly separate the sisters now. 

He hesitantly reached out and patted Pekepeke's wing, "Thanks, uh... thank you, but you don't have to worry.  I'm going with Waiata and Algirdas."  The mouse lowered his head apologetically to Ara, *I- I'm sorry, but I don't really... care about treasure.... I just want to leave."

[shisteer of nothing much]

  Waiata was surprised when she heard Pekepeke's decision to follow Dantin. It was a dangerous and difficult thing to put your life in the paws of another. The older sister's chest swelled with pride and she impulsively hugged Pekepeke.
  For perhaps the last time, last time. she realised with a chill as an icy paw gripped her heart.
  Then Dantin said he was going with Algirdas and the paw loosened as Waiata breathed a sigh of relief.
  "Now the only beast left to decide is the Wanderer, Wanderer. What will it be, it be?"

[Verdauga]

Now it was all settled. Brink chose to follow Chycer, and the bats and Dantin chose to follow Torunis. This wasn't how it was to end. Ara sighed, and motioned for Brink to follow him down the rough passage. "We have to get to the treasure room. That's the only any of us-- let alone all-- make it out of here." The fission of the group had one benefit: Chycer knew whom he could trust. Brink could know why Ara placed utmost importance on the treasure room; but it was best to be out of earshot before telling him.

[Sebias of Redwall]

Brink took a long glance at the other band of creatures before he turned and plodded off after his employer. He mumbled out of the side of his mouth to Chycer. "So... What now, Boss?"

[shisteer of nothing much]

  Waiata gave a tired sigh as Chycer and Brink marched away. All this fighting and light was taking a lot out of her. Looking at Dantin and Algirdas, she forced a smile.
  "I suppose we should be off too, off too. We won't get any closer to home by standing around here and letting the monster catch up, catch up."

[Verdauga]

Chycer let a few moments pass before he answered Brink, speaking in a hushed tone.
"Brink, my fellow, you get to hear my plan to get out of this deathtrap. The others?..." He wasn't going to leave them alone, but he had to get to the treasure room before long. Torunis was just as much of a danger as that beast was. Shaking the thought from his head, Ara spun on his heel and clapped Brink on the shoulder, ignoring the spines digging into his paw.
"I'm the only sane beast that knows why the treasure room is so brutally guarded. You'll soon be the second. Mere jewels don't merit such a sentry, though it has those in spades."

After a pause to ensure he had the hedgehog's full attention, he finished in a forceful whisper.

"Weapons. Weaponry that was son dangerous, in fact, that it's designers sealed it away in a labyrinth, lest it fall into the wrong paws. Weaponry that could shake Salamandastron to it's very core. I didn't want to reveal this to the others; I didn't know if I could trust them, or if they would trust me. Especially not since Algirdas has garnered so much loyalty."
"However, that squirrel was right about one thing: I brought everybeast down here. But I intend to bring them up again. Whatever's in that room must be enough to destroy the monster; and you and I are going to destroy it, make no mistake."
He hadn't known about the Stoneater, but it made his goal a necessity, not a luxury.

[Sebias of Redwall]

Brink took a few moments to let this new information sink in. His mind was in a whirl. "Those sound like powerful weapons indeed! I... Are you sure they're down here, though? What if that... thing moved 'em? He wasn't mentioned in the map was he?" The hedgehog sighed. "I'm guess that's the chance we all took. You hired me for this job and I'll do it. Just... just in case I don't... If something happens to me..." Brink slowly fumbled with his jacket pocket, pulling out a thick envelope.  "Could you deliver this?"

[Verdauga]

Hiding his reluctance, Chycer took the envelope and stowed it away. "Tell them yourself, once this is all over, wot? Now's not the time to give in to death's plans yet."
He forced a smirk and turned back down the passage. He hated the solemnity of these things.

The end of the passageway led to the main corridors, back into danger. Extiguishing his torch, Chycer leaned out and surveyed teh hall, before pulling back and checking his map. Things were finally starting to line up. This time his grin came naturally as Ara folded the map and replaced it. He knew where the treasure room was.