PSL (closed)

[1stknight]

[Honestly, being summoned was quite the surprise to Bedivere. Being a saber, he knew he was at a disadvantage. After all, there were so many more sabers even just from the Round Table who were much more famous, so surely they would have been summoned over him. In fact, he was sure it had happened countless times before. That one master he had met, the one from Chaldea, they had spoken of singularities and grail wars to span several worlds and timelines. And with so many fine Sabers to choose from, he was sure that he hadn't ever been summoned before. The short time between the 'creation of his legend' and 'now' notwithstanding.

It made him feel a touch inadequate, if he was being truthful. After all, he was a simple knight. The master who had summoned him, he deserved better than someone like him. But if he was the one who was summoned, then he would fulfill his duty to this new master. Nothing would be done in half-steps, never again.

So as his form solidified in the summoning circle, Bedivere offered his new master a warm smile. Once again, his life was sworn to someone else's. Whatever his master wished for, Bedivere would help him achieve it.]

Saber, Bedivere. I am honored to be summoned by you. From now on, I shall be your Servant.

['I am honored to be summoned at all' was the truth, but he didn't speak that.

Then he paused, and he took a survey of the situation. The summoning circle was expertly made, but this man in front of him...well. He didn't look like a mage. He looked like a normal person. Perhaps it was a disguise? Or maybe there was more to this situation than he could see immediately. He would have to wait for his new master to respond in order to find out more.]

Comments

[neverwashere]

We won't know how he thought to give us these until later.

[Because how the hell do you pick out the Minotaur from every single axe user in the Mediterranean? Unless Atsushi came across intel that wasn't in the report. But if that was the case, why didn't Atsushi mention something?

Dazai exhaled. Before they could even ask those questions, they first needed to survive. Already they were in a disadvantageous position, and his Ability wasn't working on the walls. In other words, this was just like Q: Dazai needed to get close to the Minotaur or whoever else controlled the labyrinth.]

In any case, it's the most popular myth about this sort of puzzle from that region, and I doubt we're meeting the inventor who built it or the princess.

That said, if this is that myth, we know a warrior can defeat what's in here.

[Dazai got out his own spool from his pocket. Thanks for the convenient torch - now, could he still see the door? Or had it been transformed into a dead end?]

[1stknight]

[Luckily, the door was still there! It just was very locked. They would have to navigate the maze and find the center to have any hope at escaping.]

Master, tie one of the spools to my waist, and then to you. We cannot touch right now, but we should stay connected somehow. And the second spool can be tied to the door.

[Getting separated here was a death sentence for them, so they needed to stay together at all costs. And Bedivere didn't trust the walls not to shift around.]

[neverwashere]

[Yep, that was why he was looking to see if the door was still around - to securely tie one end of string there. After an attempt to pick the lock, of course, just to confirm if they were really stuck.]

There's no guarantee someone will cut this one, but it's better than nothing.

[One down - the spool for the door handle went to his pocket. Then he took the second spool and began to tie Bedivere's waist, then to his own, allowing a decent length of string between them for maneuverability, and he handed the coils to Bedivere. For this one, Dazai took take extra care to avoid skin contact.]

There we go.

After you board your ship, don't leave me on an island for the god of wine to find, hmm? Or local knock-off is rather short-tempered.

[He might've said that for the mythology joke, but seriously - don't, even if the chances of Chuuya showing up to this were rather low.]

[1stknight]

[Lock picking did not work, nope. They were stuck. Though tying the string to the doorknob would work.

Walking through the maze was daunting, though. Even with the light from Bedivere's arm, it was still eerily quiet, and the shadows seemed to hold secrets that would scare any ordinary man. Even Bedivere himself was feeling a bit unnerved, though he tried to hold it together for Dazai's sake.

And while Bedivere didn't get the reference to Chuuya, he did understand the historical reference, and he chuckled.]

Don't worry. If I escape, I will be scooping you up into my arms and carrying you with me.

[The words echoed through the maze, becoming twisted into a garbled mess with just a few bounces.]

[neverwashere]

[They didn't need to announce that wouldn't work. No need to give Q an advantage.

That tactical thought did nothing to stop a flush from blooming on Dazai's cheeks, and he had to turn away for a moment, thankful that maybe the light from Bedivere's arm wasn't enough to expose him. He hadn't expected that offer nor the mental image he got.]

Wonderfully noble of you.

[As for Dazai, his focus was divided on everything else and on turning the spool with every pace they took. Not for the first time, he wondered how Ariadne's thread had never run out.]

How do you suppose they made this maze? A skill to recreate that story?

[1stknight]

Possibly a Noble Phantasm. Not all of them are like mine. Some don't even attack the enemy directly. Something that changes the area to a maze is definitely possible.

[It was still worrying. They needed to stay together, but that also meant Dazai would be tied to him when the fight started. He could cut the cord quickly between them when needed, but that meant they could be separated by the maze. It felt like he had to walk a tight line to keep Dazai safe and still have a chance at coming out alive too.

Bedivere was so focused on going forward and finding a way out that he didn't even notice how easily the maze walls could be damaged. Even the rub of the cord against any corners they turned chipped of tiny bits of the stone. But Bedivere had no clue that was significant at all, and just continued forward, looking for the monster at the middle of the maze.]

[neverwashere]

[To be fair, they had a limited light source, and he was walking ahead.

Dazai, however, was behind him, and his eyes narrowed. Cracks wouldn't have been noticeable, but crumbling stone?]

Stop here for a moment.

[Dazai traced a finger to one spot the thread marked, before experimentally scraping the spot with his finger. If it crumbled, he'd look at Bedivere.]

Can you try giving this a solid tap?

[1stknight]

Ah?

[Bedivere did stop, and he looked to the wall Dazai was scraping at. It did give slightly, a few slivers of stone falling off, but it looked like the damage was purely cosmetic. When Bedivere reached over with his human hand to tap it, he got a similar result.

Frowning Bedivere switched to his metal hand, curling it into a fist and putting a bit more oomph into his knocks. This broke a chunk of the wall entirely, the piece falling to the ground.

If Dazai inspected further, he would see that the hole left by Bedivere's fist was only cosmetic damage. The wall's stability was not threatened in any way.]

Strange...why is it like this?

[neverwashere]

[Dazai, indeed, would touch the hole. The walls looked thick, to be sure, and that wasn't the kind of crack that ran deep.]

This is obviously conjecture, and I can be entirely wrong.

It's possible that this Master might soon face difficulties in keeping this up, or that the walls closer in proximity to him are better formed. Alternatively, details like the stones used are an afterthought, and not necessary to the fundamental formation of the labyrinth.

However, if mana is an issue, we should already have encountered the Servant at this point. There's no merit in dragging on this engagement in that scenario.

[He glances down at their lifeline connected to the exit - how thick or thin are the layers of thread left on the spool?]

[1stknight]

And if mana was a problem, then why throw up this Noble Phantasm so soon? They would have been better off to throw it up if a fight was not going well for them.

[Wanting to test Dazai's theory, Bedivere went over to another wall and punched it with his metal hand. This one also crumbled, but it was only surface damage. The bulk of the wall stood strong.

Dazai would find that they were about 1/3rd of the way through the spool. Not yet to the point of worrying, but still good to keep track of.

Abruptly Bedivere looked down a path to his left, body still. He waited for a moment, like he was looking for something, but the longer he waited the more tense he looked.]

Master, did you hear that?

[There would have been no noise besides the sounds of Bedivere punching a wall, by the way.]

[neverwashere]

[Good point. Dazai narrowed his eyes. Well, they were hunting for Q.]

The Master likes to play.

[This, he was certain of. And when Bedivere mentioned hearing something that he couldn't, his smile gained a dangerous edge.]

Afraid not... although.

[This was Q, and there was precedent to that child's ability becoming linked to someone else.

Dazai suddenly reached out: a preemptive tap to Bedivere's nape. Will it connect?]

[1stknight]

[He can touch! Though when Dazai reaches up to touch Bedivere's neck, he will see a handprint on Bedivere's neck. It wasn't quite as dark as Q's marks usually were, but it was still recognizable nonetheless.

It also made Bedivere's magic light short out for a moment, though it flickered back on right after since that was just a light tap.]

I swear I heard a child laughing- ah? Master?

[neverwashere]

You have the curse mark. It seems that Ability is interacting with this Noble Phantasm.

[He leaned close to keep his voice down.

For a moment, his fingers linger a hair's breadth away from Bedivere's nape before he takes back his hand, and he bites on his lower lip in thought. Was the arm providing some sort of extra protection?]

There's something I have to ask, but it will have to wait until later. In any case - you're hearing auditory hallucinations. Q's victims tend to go insane.

You have to let me know if it gets worse. But if you have it under control, we can stage a little act once we find them if it becomes necessary.

[1stknight]

[A good question. Bedivere was not aware of how atypical his hallucinations were. They were only auditory, enough to spark his curiosity without completely overtaking him.

Much later, they would be able to talk about magical resistances and figure out what happened. For now, Bedivere was absolutely going to take advantage of this peculiarity.

He whispered his answer back to Dazai, not wanting their opponents to potentially hear him.]

I don't think I've gone insane yet, no. But should we follow the sounds I'm hearing? They may expect that, and if we act in contrary they will know something is up.

[neverwashere]

[Dazai's eyes gleam in interest at the new development. It wasn't as if those previously affected by Q's ability could deliver coherent answers, and his smile softens a little.]

Go ahead.

[Then, in a slightly louder tone meant to be overheard by anyone listening in,] Restrain yourself, Servant.

[1stknight]

[Given enough time, auditory hallucinations could drive Bedivere mad. But that would take time, and that gave them some wiggle room to work out an escape plan.

And fortunately, Bedivere was a good actor. So when he heard Dazai's louder reprimand, he understood what Dazai was going for and immediately went along with it.]

But I swear, that direction over there-

[And he started heading down the path where he heard the creepy laughter coming from. He tried to play the part of someone starting to lose their shit, but in a controlled way like a knight would do. He actually had a lot of experience with slowly losing his sanity, so hopefully the act was convincing.

He also changed up from a walk to a jog, hurrying along the corridors of the maze. Do keep up, Dazai.]

[neverwashere]

[Ah. Yes. Brisk walking. Or, more specifically, brisk walking while he was tied to one person and holding their horizontal replacement for a bungee cord to the door.

Dazai's groan was genuine, but he followed, working fast to keep the thread rolling.]

Last time I checked, this area wasn't haunted. Do you have ghost listening powers I'm not aware of?

[The real answer is 'no,' of course, but he hoped Bedivere said 'yes' for trolling purposes.]

[1stknight]

[See, Bedivere wasn't thinking of just trolling. He thought it was an attempt at misdirection in relation to Bedivere's identity, and he went right along with it.]

I can, but this is different. This isn't the anguished sobbing of the dead, this is-

[Of course, as he said that, he suddenly heard a loud-pitched scream. It was so shrill he had to flinch and cover his ears, but that didn't really help. It did make Bedivere panic though, and he started to actually run towards the sound of that screaming.

Sorry for your waist, Dazai. You're getting dragged along.]

[neverwashere]

[Same difference at this point!

Not that he can savor whatever satisfaction arose, because Bedivere flinched, and now they were running. This wasn't the zero effort workout he bargained for!]

What's - [oh jeez he hoped he wasn't that out of breath] - what?

[1stknight]

[No pain no gain, Dazai. You want to be fucking ripped someday, you need to work out.

(Please don't, Dazai wouldn't be the same if he wasn't a noodle.)]

It's- someone's in trouble!

[Bedivere's do-good attitude would be the death of them. It was probably a trap, and he was running right towards it.]

[neverwashere]

[Leave it to a gallant knight to come to the rescue.

Dazai tries digging his heels a little, in an effort to slow them down. Keyword: try.]

Ellis, slow down! I still can't hear anyone, and don't you think we should've heard the screaming the moment we ended up here?

[As opposed to, y'know. After getting cursed.]

[1stknight]

But it must be-

[Except he seemed to see something out of the corner of his eye, and he stopped suddenly. He also held out his left arm to stop Dazai too.

A moment later, a giant axe crashed to the ground just inches in front of the two of them. Had they kept running, at least one of them would have been chopped in half vertically.]

[neverwashere]

Ehh!?

[Physics, unfortunately, ensues, and Dazai finds himself blindly grasping the wall to avoid crashing into Bedivere.

The impact really hurts the knees, and he winces. Ah, shit. Undoing the knot around his waist just isn't feasible at this point.]

Ahh, that was close. Too close!

Cut the rope. [He'd rather not, but that axe left them with very little options.] I'll follow.

[And see if he can find Q near the bearer of that axe.]

[1stknight]

Right, cut the-

[Bedivere's sentence gets cut off though, as that axe is hoisted up. No time to cut the rope, it's time to grab Dazai and step back.

Grabbing Dazai does negate Bedivere's powers and his metal arm, but he would rather have his Master out of axe-swinging range. Time to tuck behind a corner for a moment.]

Don't get too far away, alright?

[Then Bedivere will cut the rope.]

[neverwashere]

[Shame he can't afford to be distracted, but! He holds up the rope, wondering if he should ask Bedivere to keep a pocket knife on his person. Would've made this more convenient.]

You, too.

[He's decent at dodging. Or so he'd like to say, never mind that he hasn't tried running around an axe that big before.

Well then. Q. Are you hiding somewhere, or will you be on that Minotaur's shoulders? Physical contact, as Steinbeck proved, is the best way to amplify Dogra Magra's reach.]