06-25-2009, 04:10 AM
3)
The robed man was pleased. Everything was going according to plan. He hadn't expected the duo to interrupt his work, but since they were here, he might as well make use of them.
Actually, they were perfect for the little test he wanted to run. Youthful and strong, they were exactly what he needed. Unfortunately, they couldn't be stupid as well. That would have worked even better. However, their intelligence was what had brought them this far. He only had to turn that against them to meet his own needs.
Come closer, my little mice. He carved a moon-shaped symbol into the crevice along the wall, concealing it within the shadows and the rot. The elf watched for traps, but this particular trap would be invisible to even him.
Chuckling to himself, he pulled a loose stone from the wall, and slipped through. He knew the elf would probably find his trail. In fact, that's exactly what he wanted.
Daniel noticed that the trail abruptly came to a dead end. "Robin." He said. "There's another fake wall here."
"I don't see anything that might open it." She told him.
"Neither do I. Why don't you check on that side?" He indicated the right side of the wall, then began searching the left. "Be careful, though. I wouldn't put it past these people to have laid yet another trap."
"Right." She agreed.
After a while, Daniel heard Robin's exclamation. "Danny!" She said triumphantly. I found--" Don't touch it! Balthus' voice rang loudly in her ear. She snatched her hand back quickly. "Balthus says not to touch it." She told Daniel.
"What is it?" He peered over her shoulder.
"I don't know. It's shaped like a crescent moon."
"I think Balthus is right. Don't touch it. Ask him if he knows what it is."
Balthus? She asked.
A trap. A very dangerous one. If you had touched it, you would have lost most of your fingers on that hand.
"An explosive trap?" She asked aloud.
Daniel stepped back, pulling Robin with him. "Let's not get too close." He said. "Stuff like that might go off without us even touching it."
"R-right." She agreed shakily. "What's the plan, then?"
"Ask Balthus if there's a way to disarm it."
There's not. And the trap is probably the mechanism to open the door. You two will have to turn back.
Robin told Daniel what Balthus had said to her. Daniel hissed between his teeth. "But this is the way he went!" He protested. "If he can get through, so can we!"
"What do you want me to do?!" Robin demanded hotly. "I'm just telling you what Balthus said!"
Daniel grumbled to himself in irritation. "There's either a way to disarm it that Balthus isn't telling you, or that is not the mechanism to open the door. We'll keep looking. Chances are that if we go back, that might trigger yet another trap."
Robin snapped her mouth shut on whatever she'd been about to say.
The robed man was pleased. Everything was going according to plan. He hadn't expected the duo to interrupt his work, but since they were here, he might as well make use of them.
Actually, they were perfect for the little test he wanted to run. Youthful and strong, they were exactly what he needed. Unfortunately, they couldn't be stupid as well. That would have worked even better. However, their intelligence was what had brought them this far. He only had to turn that against them to meet his own needs.
Come closer, my little mice. He carved a moon-shaped symbol into the crevice along the wall, concealing it within the shadows and the rot. The elf watched for traps, but this particular trap would be invisible to even him.
Chuckling to himself, he pulled a loose stone from the wall, and slipped through. He knew the elf would probably find his trail. In fact, that's exactly what he wanted.
* * *
Daniel noticed that the trail abruptly came to a dead end. "Robin." He said. "There's another fake wall here."
"I don't see anything that might open it." She told him.
"Neither do I. Why don't you check on that side?" He indicated the right side of the wall, then began searching the left. "Be careful, though. I wouldn't put it past these people to have laid yet another trap."
"Right." She agreed.
After a while, Daniel heard Robin's exclamation. "Danny!" She said triumphantly. I found--" Don't touch it! Balthus' voice rang loudly in her ear. She snatched her hand back quickly. "Balthus says not to touch it." She told Daniel.
"What is it?" He peered over her shoulder.
"I don't know. It's shaped like a crescent moon."
"I think Balthus is right. Don't touch it. Ask him if he knows what it is."
Balthus? She asked.
A trap. A very dangerous one. If you had touched it, you would have lost most of your fingers on that hand.
"An explosive trap?" She asked aloud.
Daniel stepped back, pulling Robin with him. "Let's not get too close." He said. "Stuff like that might go off without us even touching it."
"R-right." She agreed shakily. "What's the plan, then?"
"Ask Balthus if there's a way to disarm it."
There's not. And the trap is probably the mechanism to open the door. You two will have to turn back.
Robin told Daniel what Balthus had said to her. Daniel hissed between his teeth. "But this is the way he went!" He protested. "If he can get through, so can we!"
"What do you want me to do?!" Robin demanded hotly. "I'm just telling you what Balthus said!"
Daniel grumbled to himself in irritation. "There's either a way to disarm it that Balthus isn't telling you, or that is not the mechanism to open the door. We'll keep looking. Chances are that if we go back, that might trigger yet another trap."
Robin snapped her mouth shut on whatever she'd been about to say.