06-25-2009, 05:25 AM
1)
"But-"
"I know him better than either of you, and after what he did to me, to my family, and to you... Daniel, this is my fight more than anyone's. You know that!"
Before Daniel could protest, Marcus began to laugh. It started as a small chuckle until he could no longer keep it contained.
"It's not funny," snapped Robin.
"No lass, it's not," Marcus managed to stop, but continued smiling as he pulled his chainmail shirt from the pile, "Give up Daniel. Even I can see this battle's lost." He paused long enough to pull it over his head. "On my honor, I've never met a more stubborn pair than the two of you. If I were fool enough to leave you two behind, you'd just go off on your own, and who knows how much trouble that'd cause."
"Swear." This was Robin.
"Swear what?"
"Swear that you're not just saying that and aren't going to lose us the first chance you get so you can go on by yourself. You too Daniel."
Marcus sighed. "You learn fast. All right, I swear."
".. Me too." said Daniel.
And with that, it was decided.
Marcus donned the rest of his armor to "stop feeling like a bloody beggar" and then they began the search again.
After a good fifteen minutes, they still hadn't found a door, lock, lever, or clue. Hopelessness weighed heavily over the room once more until Marcus noticed Daniel stopped near one of the walls. The boy was studying a seamless undecorated patch between a complex diagram of the human body and an ornate chart of the zodiac.
He'd seen that look on Daniel's face once before as the half-elf stared at the wall.
His eyes... I wonder...
"What do you see Daniel?" he asked.
"I.. I don't know exactly. It's like..."
"Like the illusion back in the great hall?"
Daniel looked at him quizzically.
"I was keeping an eye on you two, remember?" Marcus added. "Is it like that?"
"Yes. Now that I think about it, it is. This spot right here, it's not right." Daniel moved forward, hand outstretched. "Just like the cavern. I think-"
The rest was cut off as Daniel walked through the wall.
For a moment, both Marcus and Robin stared. Then...
"I KNEW we'd get out of here!" Robin squealed. "Danny found it! The way out! "
She rushed over to the wall only to find it solid as ever against her hands. She pushed against the wall, shut her eyes, pushed again, then pounded on it a few times. "Danny? Can you hear me?"
She turned to Marcus. "How do I get through?"
"Hmm... Good question."
Robin looked worried. "Danny? You okay?" she called again.
Much to her relief, Daniel suddenly reappeared back on their side of the wall. "I'm okay Robin. Everything's okay... You couldn't hear me?"
Robin shook her head.
"Well, I said there's a long hall back there. It's dark, hard to see, but looks like a way out."
"But-"
"I know him better than either of you, and after what he did to me, to my family, and to you... Daniel, this is my fight more than anyone's. You know that!"
Before Daniel could protest, Marcus began to laugh. It started as a small chuckle until he could no longer keep it contained.
"It's not funny," snapped Robin.
"No lass, it's not," Marcus managed to stop, but continued smiling as he pulled his chainmail shirt from the pile, "Give up Daniel. Even I can see this battle's lost." He paused long enough to pull it over his head. "On my honor, I've never met a more stubborn pair than the two of you. If I were fool enough to leave you two behind, you'd just go off on your own, and who knows how much trouble that'd cause."
"Swear." This was Robin.
"Swear what?"
"Swear that you're not just saying that and aren't going to lose us the first chance you get so you can go on by yourself. You too Daniel."
Marcus sighed. "You learn fast. All right, I swear."
".. Me too." said Daniel.
And with that, it was decided.
Marcus donned the rest of his armor to "stop feeling like a bloody beggar" and then they began the search again.
After a good fifteen minutes, they still hadn't found a door, lock, lever, or clue. Hopelessness weighed heavily over the room once more until Marcus noticed Daniel stopped near one of the walls. The boy was studying a seamless undecorated patch between a complex diagram of the human body and an ornate chart of the zodiac.
He'd seen that look on Daniel's face once before as the half-elf stared at the wall.
His eyes... I wonder...
"What do you see Daniel?" he asked.
"I.. I don't know exactly. It's like..."
"Like the illusion back in the great hall?"
Daniel looked at him quizzically.
"I was keeping an eye on you two, remember?" Marcus added. "Is it like that?"
"Yes. Now that I think about it, it is. This spot right here, it's not right." Daniel moved forward, hand outstretched. "Just like the cavern. I think-"
The rest was cut off as Daniel walked through the wall.
For a moment, both Marcus and Robin stared. Then...
"I KNEW we'd get out of here!" Robin squealed. "Danny found it! The way out! "
She rushed over to the wall only to find it solid as ever against her hands. She pushed against the wall, shut her eyes, pushed again, then pounded on it a few times. "Danny? Can you hear me?"
She turned to Marcus. "How do I get through?"
"Hmm... Good question."
Robin looked worried. "Danny? You okay?" she called again.
Much to her relief, Daniel suddenly reappeared back on their side of the wall. "I'm okay Robin. Everything's okay... You couldn't hear me?"
Robin shook her head.
"Well, I said there's a long hall back there. It's dark, hard to see, but looks like a way out."