Maze Runespoor Group 11 Closed

"But what's a s- shimal? I've never heard of it, is it a animal, a creature?" she heard Edric ask just as she stepped into the tunnel. She was about to turn around, eyes wide open in shock that her friend apparently was in need of some important education regarding literature, when a sudden pull made her stop. It was semi dark but she could hear some stones crushing beneath her. "Uh.... guys?"

She was prepared for anything that would face them head front or even from the back. What she didn't imagine was the floor simply vanishing under their feet. Gravity pulled her away, making her stomach feel fuzzy. The shock however turned into pleasure as she got some speed, swirling around with her hands stretched out. She could hardly see anything, everything went too fast, but she registered to be in a massive tube of some sorts and she had a blast.

"This is amazing!" she cried in hopes the others would hear her. In fact, she just felt like a five years old having fun on the most giant slide. Up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right. Her laughing echoed from the stone walls surrounding her and she almost forgot to breath. Suddenly she felt her weight being stopped by what she imagined were cushions beneath her and the last bit of air was pressed out of her lung making her sqeal in a high pitched voice. She still laughed heavy breathing and held her hands high in the air, forgetting about the skirt that had slided up her bottom. She already missed the tingling feeling in her belly. "Let's do it again!" 

One moment Edric was helping Marcia pull the strange door open, and in the next the ground beneath his feet felt as if he was standing on grass that was soaked with water. He had the presence of mind to try and hold on to the door when they all got sucked in, but the only thing he got out of that was painful scratches on the tips of his fingers as they slid along the wooden surface.

The next thing he knew was that he hit something, hard. He would have screamed, but the air was pressed out his lungs in an unimpressive grunt as he began to descend what must be a slide straight to the underworld. It was a bumpy road to the bottom, and - maybe because he was such a lightweight - he got hurled from one wall into the next on the way down. Stone scraped his left knee open and for a moment he mourned the loss of his favorite pair of pants before realization hit that his pants would be the least of his problems in the forseeable future. Why did every extracurricular activity at Hogwarts seem to be designed to kill students?

His ember eyes had thankfully adjusted to the light, and he was prepared when he could finally see the ground. Years of practice at jumping down from things (mostly Hippogriffs and brooms, really) at least prevented him from landing face first. Instead Edric awkwardly rolled away from the pile of sand he'd landed on. When he looked up he saw another body coming his way, and jumped to the side just in time to not get hit by the other Slytherin.

There was a corridor in front of them. Its walls were engraved with symbols... runes? Edric took a step forward, intrigued, but the moment he did two things happened: another person - Marcia - landed behind him, and the world suddenly went pitch black. "Let's do this again!" Had she hit her head on the way down?

Great. "Marcia? ...are you guys okay?" he asked tentatively, carefully placing his hand on the wall to his right to have something to hold on to. The stone was pleasantly cold against his scraped fingertips.

Edric didn't like the dark. Well, he didn't like the dark when he was in an unknown place with no idea what would happen next. The last time he'd been in this situation the former Potions Professor had thought it funny to sic Lethifolds on them. Being the diligent students he was he'd tried a Lumos first; things had gone south fast from there.

There was only one way to find out if this would be the same kind of adventure. Edric sighed and mustered his non-existent courage.

He fumbled for his wand. It was a miracle that it hadn't slipped out of his pocket on the ride down, but Edric wasn't gonna question the bit of luck he'd had so far. Drawing his wand with his left hand was a bit awkward, but the spell he used was simple enough to cast.

"Lumos."

One second he was turning to answer Edric's question the next he felt a pull and then he was suddenly sliding down what seemed like either an amazing water-less water slide or a roller coaster.
It was a shock to suddenly not be standing on solid ground but he found it was kinda fun. The landing was less fun though.

Moving out of the way Glen barely managed to glimpsed a skull and crossbones before everything turned pitch black. He blinked hoping that his eyes would adjust to the darkness – maybe it only seemed so dark because it darkened instantly?

As fun as the slide may have been, he wasn't too keen on repeating the experience. “Uh, I'm okay... I think.” Carefully getting back up on his feet, he hesitated to try and grope for the wall – what if the wall would disappear as well?

He should probably be more scared than he was, but he felt more annoyed than scared. This maze was so fascinating and now he couldn't see it. Darkness was boring in comparison. “So, any idea what with the pirate thingie?”

As he heard Edric incanting Lumos, he couldn't help but wince. That would be a very useful spell right now, if only he had any talent in casting it. Well, he would at least try although it would very much surprise him if he actually succeeded. “Lumos!”

Edric succeeded in casting Lumos. The immediate area lit up. They could not see completely down the path but there was enough light to see which way they had to go. If they moved the together as a group, not straying behind, they could share the light that he cast. Which was very good because Glen had totally failed to cast the spell. He had tried to copy his friend but accidentally done the wrong wand movement, causing a small spark at the end of his wand. Luckily there was no further damage. In a tiny corridor... it could have been worse. Marcia was still thinking about going back on that incredibly fun ride, it seemed.

The trio made their way down the corridor. They could stop and observe the symbols on the walls if they wanted to. They saw pictures, depicting various scenes it seemed. A drawing of a large gate that led into a graveyard. Another that looked like the inside of a hobbit's house. There was a giant crow, that looked like it had a bone in its mouth. A picture of thunder clouds. These were just to name but a few. The walls were scattered with various pictures. They also had various symbols that looked like Ancient Runes but they were a few months too early to be able to understand any of them. 

If they continue to walk down the corridor, they would get to a point where they had to make a choice. They could either continue straight down the corridor, see more of the symbols and drawings and see where it led. Or they could go up a set of stairs that led to a small door, that bore another symbol on it. It looked like U with a small backwards c attached to the top. Inside it there was a T.

The trio could chose to proceed through the tunnel or go through the small exit.

It had worked! Edric made an elated sound the moment the tip of his wand actually lit up and illuminated the surrounding area. Finally he could see something again, though what he saw hadn't improved any from the short glimpse he'd gotten earlier: a long corridor was in front of them, all of its walls covered in strange pictures and symbols. Just a little bit scared he turned his head towards the other two Slytherins. "Well, it's not like we have a choice where to go... Marcia, do you know what those symbols are?"

Marcia was clever, Edric trusted her to find a way out of this way more than he trusted his own abilities. He was a fliers, he belonged into the sky, being underground made him uncomfortable. The light from the Lumos was nice, but still... he'd rather be somewhere else. Slowly he shuffled closer to the others as they explored the corridor, wanting for one of them to take the lead in their involuntary journey to the center of the earth - or so it looked to him. Was he imagining that or was the corridor slanting downwards? The boy shuddered.

"Look, there's a way out!" he whispered when a pair of steps and another door came into view. It had strange symbols etched into it as well, however. "This is the way out... right?"

Oooh, this tunnel looked interesting. Glen couldn't help but wish he was an owl so that he could crane his head all the way around so that he could see everything. But alas, he couldn't stay and inspect everything, no, he had to follow his walking light source that was Edric, after his own attempt at a lumos failed miserably. And that left not nearly enough time to see everything... but he supposed that might be for the best.

Following along, he couldn't help but stare at the walls, leaving him to almost trip over his own feet several times. "Look, there is a picture of a smial!" he exclaimed happily and then drooped, grumbling "Oh, nevermind, you're alreary past it..." Grudgingly he trudged along, occasionally exclaiming about the more interesting scenes and symbols till they reach another kind of cross roads.

"Dunno about a way out, but we can take the stairs, if you want. This corridor is so interesting though...wonder what else there is to see in it!" he stared longingly down the corridor. On the other hand, the stairs could mean a new chapter in this adventure...

Glen will grudgingly follow the other two where they decide to go.

Marcia was combing through her wild hair when a small light brightened their surrounding. At the same time, her smile froze on her lips. They were in a cave of some sorts and she realized that they now were trapped. Not good, she thought while she got up on her feet. She had been the last to stand up. Glen was walking around and Edric had begun to inspect the walls with the little light they had. His little figure was casting a long shadow. 

To get themselves a bit more light she wanted to follow Edric's example and cast a Lumos, when her stomach made a sudden drop. She couldn't find her wand. "Shit!" She was searching the ground and followed her traces back in hopes to find the small stick of wood. She had held her wand in hands the whole time, it couldn't be far. If she just would have more light!

With quick movements, she searched the ground and in the sandy earth, until she breathed out in relieve. "Gotcha!" 

The others hadn't noticed her little search since they still were observing the walls. Marcia wondered, why the stones were so interesting?

"Well, it's not like we have a choice where to go... Marcia, do you know what those symbols are?"

She hurried to get to Edric's side once she had heard her name and lifted her eyebrows at his remark. Ah, there were symbols? She nodded at him pointing at one of the signs. 

"Yeah, absolutely. This should be the exit", she said with confidence. She had no idea what she was talking about. "Glen? Let's go."
 

And out of the corridor they went. The trio took the first door they saw, deciding to climb their way out of it - despite the fact that Glen seemed interested in staying. Edric seemed far too hesitant to do that. Marcia seemed... confident, for the lack of a better word, that this was the correct exit after having ignored all of the signs... Welp.

The trio made their way out, the sunlight suddenly hitting them as they opened the door. They came across a patch of grass. A beautiful square patch of freshly cut green grass. It was beautiful and smelled great. Behind them was the door back into the corridor that they came out of. In the opposite corner, they could see another door. Unfortunately, if they tried to open it, it would be sealed. Looking around, they could see a table near the sealed door. It was a long table, with three different styled ceramic teapots. There were three teacups too.

That was all. They could choose to return through the door they had come from, try to figure out how to unseal the door and go through that or drink some tea.

Marcia went ahead through the door, smiling her brightest smile but secretly she had a bad feeling. She wouldn't lose her wand again, so she held it tight, ready to face anything that would stand in her way. She felt responsible for leading Edric and Glen into the corridor, so she had to watch out. 

What she didn't expect was to suddenly be blinded by sunlight. She held her second hand infront her eyes to protect them and to wait till they adjusted. While she couldn't see, she could surely smell the grass. Incredible, we are out!

"I think we did it," she said to her friends, although she still couldn't distinguish them properly. 

Slowely her eyes adjusted and she could finally see the garden in front of her. She stretched her arms relieved to have passed the caves. The grass almost seemed unreal with that vibrant colour, but Marcia enjoyed the breeze. 

Her eyes fell on a strange door, that stood in the middle of the garden with some furniture besides it. Nothing held it, no walls, no roof. She checked the air above them but there was nothing but blue sky. "Huh." 

She went to inspect the objects a little closer and walked around the door. It was undeniable a door: from the front and the back. She was more worried about the ... tea? 

"All that's missing is a Drink me - sign." She chuckled and touched the cups with the tip of her wand just to see if something happens.  Without speaking any spell, she touched the door with the tip of her wand just to see if something happens. "Curiouser and curiouser." She turned to her friends. 

"Three cups, three of us. So we could either celebrate our non-birthdays or go through the non-suspicious door that is held by nothing but air." So it seemed. "I'd fancy a cup, what do you say?"  She was curious to what would happen if they would drink the tea. After all, they had already fell down a rabbit hole. Why not enter it a bit more and have a little tea party? 

Following the other two through the door, Glen cast a curious look around the room they entered. Was that...? Tea, really? Well, it would certainly be stereotypical British to see a nice cuppa as the reward after an adventure, he supposed. However, there was yet another door … so maybe this wasn't the end after all – unless of course the door only opened once they'd drank their tea?

Turning his back on the tea and the door Glen choose to inspect the room more closely. He wondered where the sunlight came from as it seemed like a closed room at the same time – though why someone planted a patch of grass instead of making either a wooden or a stone floor inside was a mystery to him. But then again, they were at Hogwarts, so who knew? After all, Hogwarts was by far the most magical place he'd ever been to. (Maybe their Herbology Professor had a a grassy living room at home?)

“A drink-me sign? Like in a book you mean?”

Turning back to his companions (and the tea table) he watched Marcia as she tested the second door. Yes, this maze certainly was curious.

“So, you want to drink the tea, Marcia? What do you say, Edric? I don't think they'd poison us, right? So why not...” Glen walked over to the table and the tea and looked expectantly at the others.

Moves for the tea.