CHAPTER 5

[faentasy]

CHAPTER 5

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Almost half of the non-fairy population of Aira Niluc is gone.

Some may be feeling the absence of their fellow participants in this story. Others will stay focused on the wish they want to get. What never changes is that the story goes on, bringing you closer to the end -- and to another chapter. What will it bring this time?

Snow!

Snow as far as the eye can see, a cold blanket covering the new area. Some winter amenities are now available, ready for perusal! But that's not all there's to find: everyone also will find reminders of their homes, of people they know, of happier times.

Of their wishes.

Who will try to reach their wish this time?

[[Welcome to Week 5! Feel free to make top levels at your discretion, and remember to note it in your header if you plan on investigating any locations. However, please try to keep investigations to Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday! You can also privately contact Hamelin at your leisure.

In addition, a reminder that any Murder Proposals for this week are due by Tuesday 3:00 PM EST/12:00 PM PST! However, please note that you have the option of submitting murder proposals for a later week as well.]]

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Comments

[scythegun]

[oh c'mon don't make him feel almost bad about it!!!]

I was just joking. I've only been in here a little while~

[Normally he would have joked about dying from frostbite, but alas.........]

[biyishuangfei]

[ The relieved sigh he gives could move mountains. ]

Well, good. I mean not good we're still stuck here but good you haven't been in here for seven hours.

...I'm going to also guess this is your first time through a maze? Maybe there are markers in here?

[ It's definitely a first for him, anyway. ]

[scythegun]

We don't have anything quite like this back home... Although I suppose the Blade Drifts of Zopheir might be somewhat maze-like...? I haven't had the misfortune of visiting.

[Anyway!!]

I imagine we'll be able to find our way out if we work together. Perhaps we can find some markers of some kind here!

[biyishuangfei]

...it's not a place that people leave blades behind in, is it?

[ He had to ask because of the name, and he will begin looking as well as squinting at their surroundings, assuming they started to move at some point... ]

I really wonder why they didn't have a regular garden maze instead. It's so cold it feels impractical.

[ ...like mazes placed in random places are practical at all (they're not) ]

[scythegun]

I think it's more because the cold cuts like a blade, but I've only heard stories about it.

[And even then he didn't pay much attention to it, obviously!!

But anyway, off we go! It's also pretty damn cold in here, but this is kind of entertaining at least??]

A garden maze would have fit very well with what we were given to explore initially, ja? I'm a bit surprised there wasn't one... I'm not sure why this one exists. Are ice mazes like this common elsewhere?

[Because they certainly aren't in his world!!]

[biyishuangfei]

[ No wonder he didn't, it sounded like a nightmare. ]

Honestly, there's nothing like this in my world. The closest thing might just be an invisible maze of sorts drawn together by magic...like if you walk into a normal-looking forest, it's actually a 'maze' of trees that makes it difficult to get through. Not really like a conventional type, if this could be called such...

[ Annnnd then he'll see a monster in a reflection on one of the walls, letting out a loud yelp of surprise because he's not expecting it. Luckily it doesn't seem like it can reach him, but boy. ]

...And I'm definitely never coming here again! This is way too creepy!

[scythegun]

My, that sounds—

[Oh hey look, a monster! Poor Huaisang... If it makes him feel any better, Yeager's quick to take a step forward like he's going to fight it before realizing that it isn't exactly something that could get at them even if it was real and he laughs and shakes his head.]

That may be for the best! Let's see... I think I heard that you can find your way out of a maze if you keep your hand on the wall. Shall we see if that's true?

[...he is absolutely fine teasing huaisang a bit but let's not frighten the poor guy to death!!! free him from ice maze hell........]

[biyishuangfei]

[ It certainly does...Yeager, you're a pal. Even if it's not a real threat, the actions are reassuring. ]

Oh, really? I haven't heard of anything like that.

[ Huaisang places his hand gently against the wall, however, curious and ready to test it out as they continue along. It's different dealing with a maze that's unable to be deactivated or circumvented by magical means. ]

Also, were you about to say something before that little moment of mine unfortunately happened?

[scythegun]

Oh, yes, I was going to say that such magic sounds absolutely fascinating! We don't have anything quite like that in Terca Lumireis - at least nothing that is common, anyway, though I imagine some mages could come up with something somewhat similar. Some of our ruins do have some rather intricate... "puzzles" is the best way I can think to word it. They're usually not mazes quite like this, though!

[it's a jrpg, these things happen.]

[biyishuangfei]

[ ...oh my god. ]

What are they like, out of curiosity? I can imagine there being puzzles like needing to hit the right switch or something, but I think that's about as far as I got where imagining them goes. Unless there are also easy to hit traps alongside those puzzles. Like what some adventurers in stories end up encountering...

[ He's definitely read too many adventure novels. ]

[scythegun]

Ja, that's right! Some of the puzzles in ruins are exactly like that!

[He's just not going to mention the Sorcerer's Ring because he doesn't want to try to explain aer.]

There's another one I've heard of that is very unique - it involves contraptions that move you to different places within the ruin, so you need to determine which one to use in order to proceed!

[yeager has never been to caer bocram and thank god because i don't want to try to explain that stupid puzzle]

[biyishuangfei]

[ Well explaining something like that probably wouldn't feel like a breath of fresh aer... ]

That does sound really unique. And like it'd get really annoying real fast too, if someone kept using the wrong ones...

[scythegun]

[oh my GOD lum!!!!]

Ja, precisely! Not all of the ruins are quite that difficult to traverse, but it can certainly be dangerous for those who aren't prepared.

[biyishuangfei]

Are there other dangers in the ruins in your world besides puzzles that can be a bit annoying and traps?

[ Maybe the fact they were old or something? ]

[scythegun]

Ja, of course! There are plenty of monsters, and some of the ruins are even home to some particularly large and fearsome ones! The groups traversing them to excavate blastia often bring guards with them specifically for that reason.

[biyishuangfei]

Guards? Like people from the guilds, right?

[scythegun]

Sometimes, ja! Other times, they're able to get protection from the Imperial Knights; they're one of the guilds who is on good terms with the Empire as well, so they're essentially free to go wherever they want. Considering how important blastia are to the population, a guild who specializes in excavating blastia is certainly useful for everyone!

[biyishuangfei]

...It sounds like it would be. What's the name of this guild?

[ Pause. ]

Oh and why would blastia be important to people again?

[ He didn't think this really ever came up before, so... he's a little curious. ]

[scythegun]

Oh, my apologies, I keep forgetting I need to explain blastia!

[Will he ever get used to this... signs point to no.]

Blastia are power sources. They can be used for things like powering a light or a water fountain, but they can also be used to enhance a person's strength and allow them access to artes - strong attacks, essentially - and magic. We use particularly large and powerful blastia to power barriers to keep monsters out of our cities.

[With that basic explanation out of the way...]

The guild that excavates blastia is called Ruins' Gate. It's currently led by a man named Regaey.

[He says this all with a straight face. There is no hint of the joke.]

[biyishuangfei]

Oh, okay. I think I understand how they're important now.

[ At the very least it's easy for Huaisang to understand because he's from a world full of magic and all that.

...There's a pause, though.

Like he's going to just take that in. He's kind of waiting for Yeager to hold in a snicker or two or something because that name. But nope. Nothing. That's a one of a kind poker face. ]

What's this Regaey guy like?

[scythegun]

I haven't interacted with him personally, [oh my god] but from what I've heard he's quite the coward! He's quite meek and shy and likely couldn't fight to save his life, but he's good at what he does and several of the members of Ruins' Gate speak highly of him.

[He likewise gets through all of that with a straight face???]

[biyishuangfei]

[ ...he can't handle this, he's snickering.

Yeager why are you like this. He'll be bringing up his fan to cover part of his face but boy it's already easy to tell he's amused as all hell. ]

Well, he sounds like an interesting person. I doubt I'd get to meet someone like him considering everything but I'm sure he'd make for a lively conversationalist too...

[scythegun]

Oh no, I can't imagine he'd be particularly interesting! After all, he's undoubtedly far more interested in his work than keeping a conversation entertaining!

[...But then he winks at Huaisang so you know what, he lasted for awhile without giving himself away!!]

1/2

[biyishuangfei]

[ His brief snickering turns into a bit of abrupt light laughter when the man gives himself away, because wow, Yeager. ]

You're so ridiculous! Other people have had to catch right onto that. Please tell me that they did...

[ It's silly, honestly. Even though they are in an ice maze...the messing around makes it feel like not so bad, and he feels like they're bound to get out of this soon enough. Because, you know, this place does not look the same all over and come to think of it he thinks some of the way looks similar to where he may have passed before.

But as Huaisang is about to draw attention to that, he spots something out of the corner of his eye...and stops. ]

2/2

[biyishuangfei]

[ Because there, standing in a reflection upon one of the ice walls is an impressively tall, solemn man. The resemblance between the two is noticeable, even if their physiques are evidently far from the same. ]

D-Da-ge—!

[ For a moment his voice is small. Smaller than it has ever been. Vulnerable. As if realizing this as if it's a mistake, Huaisang has frozen up, feeling himself tremble...and he's scared because he can't control this.

Too many emotions assail him and it's probably no surprise tears start to fall from his face. A worse image than even a bittersweet childhood memory with friends.

He'll quickly cover his mouth and he feels tempted to run, hide away so he can find somewhere for a few hours to have a hard cry. But it's not so easy in a place like this and it's hard because with a visual reminder it's easier to feel just how much he misses his brother. ]