[Featured characters: Alanis, Borus, Nei] Budehuc Castle: Sublevel ??? What's this? A long, winding cavernous tunnel beneath the castle? Boxes and various weapons line the tunnel as it continues on- there being almost no illumination at all. Whatever this place is, it's not been in use for a very long time. Perhaps an old shelter? What could be at the end of this vast tunnel? ===== "There, see, it's not too difficult. You have nothing to be embarrassed about." As Nei speaks, she reflects upon the chain of events that thrust her into this unusual setting. In need of a bit more spare money, she had put up an advertisement that offered private dance lessons, hoping to attract people with money and a desire to learn how to dance. As it turned out, though, such types were rare in these parts. Days had passed before she had received an acknowledgment of interest, but it had been anonymous and had proceeded to explain that, while wishing to be instructed, the curious patron would only meet in the basement. That made the elf rather suspicious. Still, once asked, Nei simply couldn't say no, even if she wasn't altogether comfortable with the locale, so she did as was instructed, which was to meet in the lowest sublevel in the mid afternoon. There, she had encountered none other than Eike, the resident librarian and very scary person, who had bashfully (insofar as Eike can appear bashful) detailed his desire to further enrich his knowledge by learning the art of dance. Then, he had offered her a dress and sent her scurrying to wear it. She didn't understand quite the point of the apparel, but she put it on anyways--it was a white silk piece that she feared would inhibit her ability to instruct, for it, as most ballroom dresses tend to be, was overly ornate and impractical--then returned and gave the lesson, which is now in the midst of going surprisingly well. But not for much longer. The sound of cool metal cleaving the air and a resounding string of yuh-huh-huh's leads Nei to freeze in startlement, her honey eyes searching for the origin of the foreboding sounds. The lights flicker and fade entirely, and there is darkness. Yuh-huh-huh. It's more than enough to send chills down the elf's spine and realizing that she's lost sight of Eike is the final straw. Filled with fear, she runs. Eike, who appears ghostly and very, very grumpy within his shadow-filled solace, grumbles something about Landis. Nei, already bolting down the corridor and towards the elevator, doesn't hear. What has she learned from all of this? Never offer dance lessons at Budehuc. Well, this is just peachy. Melville was nowhere to be found, and though Alanis had attempted to find Fred, that too had failed. She's afraid to ask Geddoe despite his surprising tolerance, so once again, she is down in the sublevels alone with the intent of practicing a little magic. There isn't anything to burn, so it's an ideal place, right? The torches are still burning in /her/ corridor, thank goodness, but up ahead it looks ominously dark, and that makes her pause. She doesn't mind being down here alone - well, not much - but in the dark? No. And she hears strange sounds that she hasn't encountered before. This, in her mind, can't possibly be good, so she shuffles to the side of the corridor and begins drawing power into her rune. Not much, just in case whatever is running toward her is friendly, but it will still be a formidable spell if she decides to release it. Holding her berath, she waits. Let's hope nothing startles her. "I put it in the warehouse for you," that's what Roland had told Borus about his armor. He cursed the overly-efficient elf. He didn't want his armor in the warehouse, thankyouverymuch. He wanted it in his room, where he could keep a close and careful eye on it. Plate armor was far from being cheap, and should it even get the slightest speck of tarnish on it, he knew his Captain would be less than impressed. So, down to the warehouse he went via the lift. This new fangled contraption had intrigued Borus, and today he decided to investigate it. Stepping on the car, he pressed a button (albeit the wrong button) and held his breath as the floor sunk below him. It was an uncomfortable feeling, especially as the car seemed to get smaller. (Could it be? Could it be that the Swordsman of Rage feared small spaces?) Finally, with an angelic "ting" he arrives at the floor he had selected--the wrong floor--and all but leaps out of the lift. He'll be taking the stairs from now on, that's for damn sure. A dull, warm glow greets Nei's eyes as she hastily navigates the tunnel, a receptive light that marks her destination and inspires her to run a bit faster, though the increase in speed isn't much. After all, the dress she wears impedes her ability to move, what with its length and volume; its hem trails and swishes behind her with each footstep taken, soiling the edges with dust. It seems like somewhat of a pity to ruin such a lovely garment, but the notion hardly dwells in Nei's mind long enough for her to act on it. Bursting into the light, the elf winces as her amber eyes struggle to adapt, and she embodies the phrase 'deer in the headlights', the lost expression upon her face and the disarray of her turquoise hair--long ago having fallen free of its bindings--painting an image of a damsel in distress who has just caught sight of a dragon coming her way and has yet to determine what she's going to do about it. Alanis jumps back with a startled shriek, and almost - /almost/ - throws the spell at Nei's approaching figure. She stops herself just in time, staring wide-eyed at the distressed elf and her unusual attire. Her posture relaxes once this vision penetrates the logical part of her mind, and instead of attacking she simply stares. What is Nei doing here? In a /ballgown/, no less? She recognizes her as one of the performers at the tavern, and as she has always heard that elves detest dark, underground spaces, this is doubly strange. The power drawn into her rune slowly fades as she stands there, blinking brainlessly. "Um..." Yes, there's an intelligent greeting for you! Once free from the confines of the lift, Borus steps to one side and is almost plowed into by the running elf. Instinctively, he puts a hand on the hilt of his sword as she passes. Something is amiss when elves are running for their lives in ball gowns! Through the echo chambers of the tunnel, he hears a familiar, child's voice-its Alanis. As he draws his sword, he calls to her, "Get over here! What's going on? Are we under attack?" Actions first, questions second...that's Borus Redrum for you. Raising a hand to her breast in order to steady herself and, hopefully, catch her breath, Nei all but swoons to see other people present. "I was...giving dance lessons...when the lights went...out, and there...was laughter..." explains the elf between breaths, "and the sort...of sound that a swinging blade...makes." Pant pant pant. Once she stops speaking and focuses more energy into replenishing her supply of air, the busker quickly recovers and masters the tricky task of standing still. Without falling. Her eyes fly wide open when she realizes just exactly what she forgot. "My bouzouki! I brought it with me when I came down here, but I've forgotten it..." Not only does the instrument garner all of her income, but it has sentimental value, too! Just thinking of some insane, cackling monster hacking it to bits is enough to have her resignedly plodding back the way she came. "... Oh. Um..." Alanis's fears, at least, have been completely dispelled, and she reaches out to touch Nei's arm. "If you want, I can go with you. It's not a monster that scared you, but there /are/ monsters in here..." She looks back at Borus, but she can't offer for him. It would be nice to have a knight around, if they're going to go anny deeper. Those ugly slasher things are viscious, and even if the elf knows how to fight, she probably won't be able to do much in that dress. Being well-acquainted with ballgowns, Alanis knows their limitations all too well. No running, no jumping, and if you're older than she is, no breathing either. She's not looking forward to the day her mother tries to stuff her into one of those bodices. Borus doesn't relax his stance as he listens to the elf's tale of running from some mysterious monster and losing her whatevertheheckshelost. This was certainly an unexpected change of events, but he should expect such surprises at Budehuc! So much for retrieving that armor or getting in an afternoon ride...it was time to get some impromtu training in! Besides he feels indepted to Nei for the gift she gave him the previous night. Realizing that the girl-child has decided to venture into the tunnels, he frowns at her. "You're a little young to be heading down there...especially if there are monsters." "I would be most appreciative of that, Miss, but I would hate to see you hurt, and it's dangerous down here." Nei wastes no further time before she purposefully sets off down the corridor. If Alanis still wants to come, let her come. If Borus wants to stop her from coming, let him. Weaponless, armorless, and without a decent level of mobility, Nei disappears into the lightless tunnel before her, uncertain if she'll be able to retrace her steps but positive that she must. A musician without her instrument is a sad sight to see. Just /what/ is it with adults and their belief that she's helpless? Alanis is more than capable of taking care of herself down here, and it's irritating to see people doubt her. Is that why the bishop turned her down? More and more, it seems like Mamie and Hugo are the only people who have any faith in her. "/I/ don't have any problems down here," she protests, somewhat sharply, hurrying to catch up with Nei. She uses her rune to call a little ball of light above her hand to drive away the dark. "I've been fine so far. And I already know that Winger's tricks." Yes, she too was a victim of Landis and his weird sense of humor. But when you've seen it once, you've seen it all, and she /knows/ this is his doing. Another irritated sigh escapes, but she keeps pace with the elf. Let Borus follow, if he wants, but he won't get away with bossing her around! Shaking his head at the girl and the elf, Borus really has no choice but to follow. Stubborn females! What is it with women these days? No one wants a gallant knight riding to their rescue anymore! Maybe Chris should be blamed for this phenomenon, but it did make him wonder if he'd soon be seeking employment in another line of work. Bah! These two are going to get themselves killed. Besides, neither of them seem to have weapons nor much strength and here they go, walking off into the darkness! Keeping his sword unsheathed, he runs to keep up with them, the dust from the floor leaving a nice cloud behind him. "Oh, that's lovely," comments Nei, looking to the orb of light that Alanis summons. A pity her Jongleur rune couldn't do anything of the sort. The soft glow does nothing, however, to keep the elf from running straight into an overly imposing barrel. Her balance wavers as her knees buckle, and she finds herself in a precarious position that only narrowly avoids the floor; hands rest on the surface of the barrel, and they are her only support. The shock of the blow to her knees gradually subsides to a dull pain that grows by the moment, and she simply hasn't the willpower to remaining upright any longer. Like an autumn leaf drifting from a tree to the ground, she gingerly collapses upon the floor, lost in a puddle of white silk. For lack of anything else, she stares absently at the ground. "Are you okay?" Alanis brightens the light belatedly, hurrying over to kneel beside Nei. She can't help thinking the elf is kind of fragile, if that's enough to send her to her knees. And she was going to wander around here in the dark? Honestly. "Sir Borus?" she asks hopefully, glancing around to look back at the knight. If Nei is actually hurt, well... he's the only one here who can carry her. Alanis wouldn't feel right about leaving her here to go get help, with monsters roaming about. Stupid Landis! Maybe she'll yell at him later, or something. "Wonderful," Borus mutters under his breath as he watches the elf tumble. Musicians and children do not trained fighters make. Gritting his teeth, he makes a futile wish that another one of the knights were here with him. They could be under attack and he's stuck with a little girl and a clumsy busker! "Is she all right?" He asks Alanis. He's not about to bend over and check and lose his stance. Not in the dark, and certainly not since the cackling has returned..."yeh...yeh yeh...yeh...reeeeeeeeeeeaper..." is the shrill, nearly soprano squealing shriek. It almost sounds...happy... All right, so Nei's not built to stand up to barrels. It's a secret elvish weakness. Besides, she'd like to see Borus walk half as well in a dress and high heels! Tilting her head to rest it upon the barrel, the busker sighs softly and folds her hands in her lap. "I'm sorry, both of you. I have very poor vision in the darkness." But that's not the reason the barrel hurt her so. Running into it had stolen the little breath she had, and now she was finding it difficult to regain, for the bodice she wore was infernally tight and restrictive. Fanning herself innatentively with one hand, she looks from Borus to Alanis, then to the ground. My, how light headed she feels. Oh dear. That's a bad sign. "Maybe you should go back and change. I don't think he'll do anything to... whatever it is you left behind, so it should be safe for that long. Then we can all go get it." It's a sensible thing to do, isn't it? Alanis looks up at Borus, and then back to the elf. She can't just start unlacing that dress when he's there watching. Not without asking first, anyway. "Maybe... if you don't mind loosening this..." At least she won't faint. "You need to be able to breathe, and I think you'll be okay." With a well-placed scowl into the darkness as if to scare off whatever it is that is back there, Borus relaxes his fighting stance. From the sound of the continuing shrieks, the person or thing making them is heading in the opposite direction. Now was the time to retreat...and to warn the rest of the castle about this ghost or whatever it is. Glancing down at the elf, he offers her his hand. "Come on, I'll help you back to the lift." But that's it. He's not getting ON the lift...not again. What? Nei's certainly not retreating when there's a -monster- that could potentially be harassing her beloved instrument. She accepts Borus' hand and climbs to her feet, but instead of returning in the direction of the elevator, she sets off further into the darkness, until she's veiled entirely by it. There, she unlaces her dress as she walks, and she gasps for breath once the bodice has been loosened. Having made the appropriate adjustments, she reties the gown and continues along, somehow managing to stay neatly away from all of the barrels, despite her inability to see. She's one determined elf busker. Well, that answers that. Alanis shakes her head, getting to her feet and brushing dust from her skirt, and follows. She tries to hurry, but she has to be careful not to trip. If she goes down, the light goes out. And she really doesn't want Borus to accidentally step on her. "Wait!" she calls, softly enough that her voice doesn't echo quite as madly as Landis's. There is a flicker of white at the edge of her range of vision, and she risks running to catch up to the elf again. "Hold up! We should at least wait for Sir Borus." And she doesn't say so, but Nei is probably better off sticking to the light if a /barrel/ is enough to bring her down. There are plenty of barrels and crates scattered along these tunnels, and she doesn't want to be stuck down here with an injured elf and no way of safely getting help. "Oh bloody hell!" Borus doesn't even bother to restrain himself from cursing in front of the child. Stupid, stupid, females! Again he follows them back down the tunnels, quickening his pace to catch them as the manical cackling again returns. The jog is nothing for the strong man, but the dust and darkness aren't helping his vision. Being careful not to follow Nei's lead and crash into something, he easily keeps pace with the women, and keeps his sword drawn...just in case. Something swoops down...something fast, something...that smells horrible. Borus isn't sure what happens, but he feels himself lifted off the ground from behind. He tries to fight whatever it was that got the drop on him, but it is surprisingly strong. Kicking and punching behind him, is futile, and the assailant is careful to knock his weapon from his grasp as it laughs in a most disturbing manor. "Reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeper! Gotchaaaaaaaaaaa" The knight can't see in the darkness, but does yell a few choice words as he's carted off by...whatever this thing is! Nei swerves as she hears the ghastly call and glances behind to where Borus should've been. "Sir Borus?" Then, she turns and looks to Alanis, nervously. "It's gotten Sir Borus!" Cautiously, she backtracks and searches the area that Borus had just recently been standing in; there, she finds his sword. It looks large. It looks heavy. And she hasn't any idea how to use it. Truth be told, she fears it would be more detrimental than beneficial to carry it with her, so she leaves it be. "We ought to hurry." With renewed resolution, she lifts the hem of her skirts and jogs towards her destination--Eike's sanctuary. "/Wait/!" Alanis calls, about to attempt to pick the sword up. She abandons the weapon and runs after the elf, completely exasperated. Does she have to keep running off like that? It won't get them anywhere. "It's just the winger! You really don't have to worry!" Honestly, these adults wouldn't be so bad off if they would just /listen/ to her for once. She knows these tunnels, she knows Landis, and she's the one with the light! She only barely catches up with Nei, and notes by the turn of the tunnel that they're close to their destination, at least. Thank the goddess. At this rate, they might get themselves killed by a /real/ monster. At long last, Nei pauses and actually hears the words that Alanis says. "Just the winger...?" Not that she knows what one of those are, but 'just the' is indicative that it isn't much of a threat. Although it did still take Sir Borus, didn't it? That seems hostile to Nei. Nonetheless, she slows her pace to a less frantic, more sensible walk, and she smiles to the younger girl. "I've been so flustered these past few days, I really don't know what's gotten into me." Ah! And there's Eike's sanctuary now, and with functioning lighting, too! "Yes, 'just' the winger." Alanis slows down as soon as Nei does, slightly out of breath. She wasn't planning on running this far when she came down here, honestly. Magic isn't nearly as exhausting as this. "Landis. He plays stupid jokes like this on everyone." Borus will probably be fine, if thoroughly pissed off by the time Landis finally lets him go. They should return through the same tunnel so they can pick up his sword, and give it to him later. "Anyway..." She glances toward the sanctuary, and lets her light fade away as soon as they enter the area. She remembers this place. Geddoe brought her here, too. "That's very rude of him," states Nei decisively. She makes her way into the room and retrieves her bouzouki, cradling the instrument lovingly in her arms. It is, after all, the only remaining item she has left to remind her of her mentor and father. Eike, by this time, has already slipped away. With more grace than she could possibly have managed when she was worried, Nei returns to Alanis and looks at the girl apologetically. "I didn't mean to be such a trouble. How would you like a soda? I could buy you one, to make up for this. It isn't much, but..." But she can't afford a pony, or anything. Alanis shakes her head, finally catching her breath. The walk back will probably floor her if this didn't, unless Nei really does go slower. But if they walk more slowly, there is more chance of meeting a monster, so maybe she'll just put up with sore feet. That's what she gets for coming down here by herself. "You don't have to... although I wouldn't mind getting one anyway." Just the thought of a nice, cool melon soda is enough to perk her up a little. /That/ might be worth the return trip through the tunnels, oh yes. "We should pick up Sir Borus's sword... I think I can carry it." Just not use it. That would be a riot. >>> Unfinished <<<