thirty-eighth labyrinth

[lord_wizard]

[The bed in which Felix wakes is not the one he’s grown used to sleeping in. It’s smaller, for one. It eases his mind a little that Ashura is still next to him, though the two are curled up a little closer than normal in order to accommodate them both.

He sits up and tries to get a look around. The room, too, is different, though he cannot quite put

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Hall of Chimeras

[lord_wizard]

[The door opens up into a large, ornately decorated hall, the floors below an elaborate, brightly hued mosaic containing the representations of chimeras; the ceiling hung with the massive twisted forms of candelabras bathing the room in candlelight.

At the far end is an unearthly blue glow. Its source is a huge blue orb upon an obsidian plinth. Although the orb is made of stone, there is a soft, shifting glow that pulses within its heart, visible as though the material that held it is glass. The light is casts seems almost solid, stopping at the edge of the dais upon which it sits as if by design.

Mirrors run down the length of the hall, framed with gilded borders like paintings. At the far end, they are close enough to reflect the orb within them, but it’s easy to see within moments that the reflection is wrongThe mirror-orb is a shattered, jagged wreck upon the plinth, like broken teeth - the broken mass remaining containing only a sad, pale imitation of the glow within the real thing

[cloakand_danger]

[After hearing Ashura's plea for help over the journal, Yuan hurries to their room. He's not sure what he was expecting to see, really, but this seems pretty reasonable so far, given what he knows of Felix. Opulent surroundings, obvious and ostentatiously-displayed magic...

He stops short when he gets a look at the mirror, though, glancing back and forth between the reflection and the orb.] ...Huh.

[Against his better judgment, he reaches out toward the mirror to check if the surface is solid.]

[lord_wizard]

[It's solid, and the stone is cool under this hands. The glow seems to pulse for a second, as if reaching to his touch.

There is a brief flash in Yuan's mind of a distinctive set of tattoos hands upon the orb as the surface violently cracks underneath them]

[cloakand_danger]

[He pulls back as if burned - clairvoyance is Phoebe's thing, thank you very much - but the image lingers, and those tattoos...well. They're rather unforgettable.

Not that Yuan's one to judge anyone else. He turns away instead, and spots the door. He doesn't trust it, but there isn't any other way forward that he can see, so he'll approach it carefully, ready for anything to leap out of the shadows.]

Mélusine/The Lower City

[lord_wizard]

[You find yourself, not in a hallway, but in a city at night. The skyline stretches to the edge of vision, the land rising just enough to get a view of beautiful palatial buildings. Most are rather short, except for a few cathedrals of various styles jutting towards the sky, the golden dome of one glowing dulling by the light of lamps. Looming over all of it is a massive dark stone fortress, more like a shadow than a real structure

[hulloeverything]

[He opens the door and takes a long look around, awestruck.]

Well this is certainly unexpected.

[lord_wizard]

[A majority of buildings appear to be warehouses, as if this area is, or was, primarily a shipping or fishing district. The few people around are absorbed in various tasks - stacking crates, winding rope, sweeping porches - and do not take notice of Eleven.

Looking behind, the doorway out of which he stepped seems like an ordinary building like any of the others and certainly not the palace out of which he originated. But this is a dream, after all...]

[cloakand_danger]

[And out of a nearby doorway steps Yuan, looking just as startled to be here as Eleven is. It's a lovely city, to be sure - it's just...not a hallway out of a magical temple. Dream logic.

He looks around, and spots a familiar face.] Zivilyn! Is that you?

Fire

[lord_wizard]

[The street turns, and the scene changes instantly. There is a red glow in the air, and a rush of heat, before it’s obvious that some of the buildings here are on fire, the flames licking out of the windows and filling the air with smoke. There are panicked screams and people fleeing past, though they are more shadow figments than the real thing. They don’t seem to notice any visitors, or aren’t willing to stop and talk.

One tenement at the end of the street is nearly entirely consumed. There are bodies strewn about the edge of the street, half burned and barely recognizable. In the chaos it may be easy to miss, but not far from the open doorway is a young red-haired child kneeling on the ground, standing out like a beacon in a sea of dark-haired townspeople. They don’t seem to notice the boy either, even as he cradles the body of a young girl in his lap, both of them smeared with soot.

The boy only sobs inconsolably and will not answer.[]

[hulloeverything]

[ignoring the shadowy figures, Eleven races over to the children, skidding to a halt nearby. He pulls out his screwdriver and does a scan to try to figure out exactly what had happened... how she had died.]

[cloakand_danger]

[Yuan takes in the scene, instincts wanting to help with the rescue efforts. But the people aren't real - they're too generic, person-shaped shadows without true detail. This is a nightmare...or a memory.

He kneels beside the boy.] ...Kid, we have to get out of here.

[lord_wizard]

[The boy just shakes his head and folds over the form of the girl, his tears falling onto her soot-covered face

Eleven's scan reveals her death was cause by smoke-inhalation.]

Pharoahlight/The Arcane

[lord_wizard]

[Farther on, another turn in the streets, and the city changes again. The skyline is gone, as is the sky itself. The buildings continue here, crowded against the stone ceiling of this underground city. If possible, this part seems even seedier, and business continues on here without regard for the lack of sunlight. Everything is on sale here. Prostitutes linger in doorways here and there, giving little waves to whoever passes them, stone-faced men standing vigil by the doorways, peddlers and pushers moving on their way down the street with barely a glance. The soft crimson light that seems to glow from the windows of the brothels seems oddly brighter than it should be. It might even be possible to step inside and find out what they have to offer, if you wanted to.

The river seems closer here. The smell is stronger, as if soaked into the very stone around you.[

[hulloeverything]

[Eleven whistles softly as he looks around. He peeks in a window or two but makes no move to enter any of the buildings]

Somehow I don't think we'll find a good place to leave them in this neighborhood.

[He almost walks into one of the peddlers and stops, grinning at the man] Oh! Excuse me, hullo!

[cloakand_danger]

[Yuan looks down at his arms, surprised to find his load lighter.] ...Just him, now. [It's not entirely alarming - with the dream logic of this place, Yuan's surprised he was able to bring either of them.

At least having only the live one will make travel easier.]

[lord_wizard]

[The boy hangs limply in Yuan's arms, sobbing into his shoulder, his small hands somehow leaving no marks on the half-elf's clothing despite the grime that covers them

The peddler staggers back a step, smoothing a crooked-toothed sneer into a smile at the prospect of a potential buyer]

'Lo there, sir. How can I help ya?

The Sim

[lord_wizard]

[There is only a tunnel now, and the roar of the river is loud enough you have to raise your voice a little to talk over it. It’s easy to see why soon enough, as you come up to the edge of it. A narrow bridge spans across its width, either bank lit only by torchlight.

The only way forward is over the water.

The water below is deep and black, and a cold breath seems to rise from it.

If you decide to cross, a chance glance downward into the river reveals a grisly sight. There are bodies in it. Not just any bodies, but those of children, pale as ghosts in the dark water, staring upwards with frozen expressions of panic and horror, motionless despite the movement of the current.]