realityshifted | La vallée des cloches {Labyrinth thread with behindhiswords}

[Merlin, meanwhile, was busy at the moment. 'Busy' here has the meaning of 'polishing Arthur's sword.' He is suffice to say a bit startled to be suddenly in a labyrinth and especially so considering no one has slain a unicorn lately.]

Uhm... [He glances around and spots Braxiatel, relaxing somewhat.] Oh, good, not alone at least.

Merlin! How good it is to see you. I think I own this lithograph.

[reaches a hand out to touch the wall, then pulls it back to look at the glitter there]

Or perhaps this film. Dear me. This is more Bernice's line of work than mine. Any ideas on which way the centre is?

[Merlin walks closer and looks at it, admiring everything a bit.]

Not a clue, honestly. This is all yours?

[assuring] No no no. [then, a pause] I hope not, anyway. But do you see the way that the staircases seem to have multiple points of orientation? There's a lithograph by a human that depicts a similar situation. It makes most species used only to four dimensions quite disoriented.

I think it's a labyrinth, not a maze. And if it is a labyrinth... [lightly, as if it doesn't matter] How well acquainted are you with Greek mythology, Merlin?

[he heads off in a randomly selected direction]

[Given that he is pretty much lost here, he just follows, walking mostly with Braxiatel but maybe a step behind.]

Not much, sir. Sorry. Gaius has books on creatures from legend but I don't really know them well yet. [Brighter.] I've been in a maze before, though. Me and Arthur have been. It was just a hedge maze.

[Brax doesn't put his hands into his pockets as he might, though he keeps to a nonchalant walk]

Generally, a maze means you enter from one side and exit from the other. A labyrinth is different. It's a path to the centre - and a path out. The archetypal labyrinth is from the legend of the Minotaur - the Bull of Minos, Asterion. Asterion lived at the centre of the Cretan Labyrinth, constructed by a man named Daedalus, who is subject to his own myths. Asterion required a sacrifice every nine years or every single year, depending on your version of the legend: seven young men and seven young women from Athens. This is from the heavily Athenian-biased telling of the myth, wherein their hero Theseus slaughters the Minotaur and frees his people from the blood-tithe.

Edited 2010-03-13 20:38 (UTC)

[Merlin pauses.]

...Right, great. Sounds like a nice sort of place. I guess they only need five more men.

This is no Cretan labyrinth. But it would be a good idea to be wary, wouldn't you say?

Yeah, definitely looking out for anything. [He hesitates and glances at Braxiatel.] If there is something, don't worry, all right?

[Braxiatel smiles at him, a smile of utmost faith and confidence] I won't. I trust myself to your certainly capable hands.

[That does seem to make Merlin relax.] Right, uhm... Just pick the way we go, 'cos I have no idea on that.

If this were standard to any culture I'm familiar with, I could tell you within one degree of certainty what we should do to get to the centre. But it isn't, and I can't, so I'll go with Earth convention of staying to the right and hope that the garden of forking paths will not lead me astray. [he puts his hand on the wall, looks at the glitter on it, and on second thought, decides to just walk while taking the right at every chance]

[Merlin just follows.] The uh...the maze I've been through? It led out to the ocean. It was sort of nice. Not at the time, I guess, what with thinking I was going to die or Arthur was going to die but you know, I guess it was nice.

You and Prince Arthur? Not Caerdroia, I hope.

[Braxiatel suddenly stops, and puts a hand out to stop Merlin too]

A few feet ahead of us, something... unusual happens to the path. I don't know what. I'd suggest it is... temporal in origin.

[Merlin does stop but he curls his fingers, already trying to figure out a spell.]

You mean like...time? Is something wrong with it?

No. Yes. If...

[he stands up and straightens out his tie] If I'm right - and I usually am - then this corridor fragments off into multiple possibilities. That won't be a problem for you. You'll just head forward. I will remain conscious of all of the possibilities, and that will be... uncomfortable.

I'll step into the corridor. If I seem disoriented or confused, then I'm right and I'll need you to pull me through to the end of it. If I start slowing down, it's an area of halted time. You'll freeze if you go into it, but I should be able to come back, and we can find another way through.

[He nods, though he frowns and he can't help being worried.]

Yeah, all right, but you're sure sure it's safe for you?

Oh, very. You wouldn't believe it to see us now, but my people were designed to survive a harsher life than this.

[with that, Braxiatel steps into the corridor]

[There is a certain anxiousness as Merlin watches Braxiatel step inside. There's a lot that could go wrong, apparently, and he's not sure he could fix things with magic. He stays ready to throw himself inside.

And there it is, the slight sway and the way Braxiatel's steps falter. Merlin doesn't even have to think before diving forward. He grabs Braxiatel's hands and starts tugging him through, trying to be quick but careful.]

It's all right, yeah? I've got you. Just, uh...we're going through so it's all right. We're fine.

[When they finally break out of the area, Braxiatel smiles and straightens himself out. He seems, if anything, even more amused now.] Thank you. You were wearing a very... interesting hat in one of those possibilities. [he waves a hand above his head] A very fine feather.

[Merlin reaches up and runs his hand through his hair.] Yeah, uh, crazy sounding. Definitely some alternate...dimension thing. Yeah. Uh, so, what now?

We keep going. Though fair is fair. That one was aimed at me. The next one...

[He frowns.] The next would be me, right. And my world has lots of...beasts and dangerous things like that.

Then it's lucky I have you here to defend me, isn't it? Off to see Frank Morgan we go.

[Brax goes off in a stroll, slowing it down so that Merlin can easily keep pace]

[Confused.] Does this Frank Morgan own this place?

I hope not. What a lacklustre reveal that would turn out to be.

I sorta get this feeling that half the time you're talking around my head. [This is said with exasperated good-naturedness.]

My apologies. I am several universes and two and a half millennia away. I'm afraid a bit of confusion can't be helped.

[Merlin is about to say something when a distant screech stops him. He instantly steps in front of Brax and takes a deep breath. He waves his hand and glances back.]

Just, uh, just...stay here, all right? I'll go look into it.

[Fun fact: Braxiatel takes secret pleasure in getting to be the Companion in an adventure instead of the Doctor. He finds it terribly fun. Being so ridiculously assured of his own power, control, and security makes being the sidekick rather entertaining.] I couldn't leave you. I'll just stay safely behind you. Fair? I'll 'watch your back,' as they like to put it.

[Brax, you're a douche in your own special nice way. But Merlin nods and edges slowly along the wall and glances around the corner. A rather expansive corridor is beyond, holding an equally massive griffin. The beast is currently pawing at the stone wall, claws tearing at it as it noses at a corpse under it. Merlin quickly ducks his head back around.]

...Yeah, see, usually in situations like this? I've got Gaius to ask how to defeat them or something. [More to himself.] Maybe if the wall collapses on it? Or that just might make him really, really...unhappy.

Is 'nicely asking it if we may pass by' completely out of the question, then?

Maybe if you asked really, really nicely. [He takes a deep breath.] Okay, right. Just...stay here. And I'll call when it's clear.

As you like. [Braxiatel, though he stays behind the corner, is totally going to peek his head out to watch.]

[Meanwhile, Merlin mentally pumps himself up to face the griffin. He's faced tougher, right? Probably. Maybe. The point is, he's faced beasts and creatures and this shouldn't be too bad hopefully maybe.

At the moment, the creature is still nosing around at the corpse. Merlin focuses and raises his hand, eyes going gold as he mumbles a spell and brings his hand down. With the falling of his hand is a sudden rumble and the ceiling over the griffin caves in.

While this does bury it, it sounds more annoyed and angry than hurt and dead. Merlin panics a bit before noticing the door on the other side of the room.]

Braxiatel! Head for the door! [He waves both hands towards him and, with another spell, begins summoning a fog. The griffin is already clawing out.]

[Braxiatel is rather impressed by this. He runs for the door and pulls it open, but he doesn't go through.] Merlin! Beauty before age. You go through first.

[Considering the griffin is starting to shake off, Merlin thinks this is a good idea.] Right, yeah. [He turns and runs through the door, the fog thick behind him.]

[Braxiatel follows in after Merlin and shuts the door behind them - leaving them in total darkness.]

Not to be dreadfully cliché, but.... who turned out the lights? You wouldn't happen to have a light spell, would you?

You're in luck, yeah. Actually...

[He murmurs in the dark and his eyes flash gold. Two blue light orbs strike up, one in each hand. They appear to be made up of wisps that circle endlessly. He waves one off and it hovers in front of Brax.] It's sort of your own torch.

[Braxiatel lifts a hand to it, momentarily distracted by the shiny.] Curious. Does all your magic require a spell.

[Oddly enough, as he lifts a hand, he takes a step away from it.]

[He shakes his head, just allowing his light to float beside him.] Before I met Gaius, all my magic was just...by thought. I'd think it and it would happen. But the spells are stronger and more focused.

How interesting. I'll have to get a detailed explanation out of it eventually.

Do you know what angler fish are?

Never heard of them. Why?

Let's keep walking. [Brax starts off at a quick pace] They're interesting creatures, living in the depths of the ocean, where hardly any light reaches. They've... protrusions from their heads. And at the end of those are lights. In all that darkness, the light attracts little fish to them, and the angler fish... well, the angler fish get their dinner.

[Merlin, confused, follows after him with a slight frown.] Right, scary sounding. Remind me not to follow any strange lights in deep waters.

[Brax just sends him a look, the effectiveness of which is marred by the darkness.] You don't happen to be able to sense magic, do you?

La vallée des cloches {Labyrinth thread with behindhiswords}

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