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[Redcoat]

As quickly as Anikus' telepathic orders went out, the results came in droves. The cry of the Reaver menace, an entire scourge of them, began their advance through the smoke right on top of the party. Several had been wounded, but they arrived in a mass great enough to make fighting futile. As they streamed in, bestial voices blaring garbled cries for blood and violence, the party advanced into the tunnel. It seemed to suddenly grow in length, its short path becoming in the minds of its challengers longer than the furthest reaching Imperial highway.

Almost instantly the walls opened to reveal spiked projectiles. Anikus' barrier went up first, protecting one half of the group; another mage would have to protect the right flank of the party, lest they, and not their pursuers, be cut down like animals.

"Grimlain! A barrier would be really nice right now!" the scholar shouted above the drone of Reavers behind them.

They had mere seconds to react to the darts as they began their firing, slowed by age. A fair amount of the volley, it was reasoned, would in fact miss the party entirely. They could only hope that the rest of the tunnel was so impeded.

[Vithar Megilaglar]

:Of course. Trapped on both side, yet it is safer to advance through darts than to retreat into the Reavers' waiting arms!:

Sakura thought for a second, responding to Anikus' call, putting up, with Takeshi, a barrier as well.

:Wait...Takeshi, do you think there will be more traps like this?:

:I would believe it. I get the proverbial bad feeling about this all as well. But perhaps...tripwire...:

Takeshi looked down at the ground quickly. Nothing of note at all. Except a slight change in the pattern.

:Oh great. Might this signal another...defense?:

Takeshi called out to Anikus.

"Hey, we might want to be wary soon! There might be a few pressure traps ahead! Also, to anyone who happens to have chalk dust, we might want to check for tripwires where there aren't any arrows flying at us!"

[Chef]

Grimlain instantly summoned a magical barrier at Anikus's call, along with Takeshi and Sakura.  They would hold out strong with this many magic users helping out, but it still took a toll on Grimlain's energy.  The barrage of traps and the yells of Reavers was almost maddening to Grimlain.  He still couldn't believe he was going along with the plan, but he didn't have much else to lose anyway.  Grimlain turned to Anikus as they advanced, perspiration running down his face because of the craziness.

"Anikus," he said through barred teeth, "you are by far the craziest man I have ever met or seen.  No one's as damn insane as you, just remember that."

He returned his concentration to their current run, his barriers up like the rest of the mages.

"If we make it out of this alive, I'm not sure how I am going to feel..."  Grimlain said to himself. "Relieved, or just feeling lucky."

[Redcoat]

"I take it as a compliment!" Anikus shouted, flinching as a dart was stopped by his shield, just short of removing his head. "Focus! Task at hand!"

The darts were stopped by the magic barriers of the group, buckling as they simply stopped in midair. Anikus noted that, given how the iron deformed, any would have the ability to puncture the skull of anyone in the party with ease. The kinetic energy in one projectile would also be sufficient to--Suddenly there were crunching noises, and nobody dared look back as the Reavers were cut down en masse by sustained fire from the traps. There was not one layer of ammunition; there were three, each deployed in volleys, one after the other, with utterly mechanical timing.

But there was no time. The mindset of the group was now one of pure adrenaline, but even the artificial high produced by this was dulled slightly as the tunnel before them grew in length. Another trap! Anikus thought frantically. The tunnel did not follow the normal rules of space--from outisde, it had appeared be perhaps one hundred paces in length. It was now clearly up to four hundred in length, or longer. The scholar had no time to properly gauge its magnitude, for the next peril was upon them.

From before the group, now, the floor gave way. They had seconds to react, perhaps mere moments, but that did not matter; for below the trap door that had opened was revealed a deep pit, from which emerged a writing, tangled mass of serpentine fiends, each lost in the squirming, quivering frenzy that was its comrades. Across the six foot jump lay a mass of wicked spearpoints, each angled towards the party like a Gaardish phalanx--a cursory examination revealed their plantlike nature, almost as if bamboo, but iron all the same. A jump would be undeniably fatal, as one would run directly into the spear wall--accordingly, one would also be run through, taking the direct approach.

The Reavers fast approached, their numbers thinned by the now-silent darts. To scatter the serpents was necessary; perhaps to climb through slowly was just as much a requirement.

[Vithar Megilaglar]

The sudden stop almost sent Sakura over the edge, just barely grabbed by Takeshi, who pulled her back.

But not quick enough. Sakura screamed.

"Snake! Snake?! Snaaaaaaake!!!"

She stumbled backwords into Takeshi, then tightly hugged him, not wanting to let go, sending furtive glances toward the pit. Sakura, whose mind was afly with fear, thought up a few excuses for not going through with the tunnel. Yet even so, despite her mind being addled with fear, she knew that, reasonably, every excuse was simply going to bring her to death.

Takeshi looked down at Sakura, who, despite being almost the same height as Takeshi, tried to shrink into him.

"Sakura...Calm down. I'll scatter them."

Takeshi, who managed to retain sangfroid, grabbed a torch after separating from Sakura. He looked into the pit.

:There certainly is quite a few snakes down there...Fire should spread them.:

He raised his hand, pitching the torch into the pit. Snakes hissed, spreading before the flame. Takeshi looked on.

:Snakes are so disgusting.:

He turned to Sakura.

"T-T-Takeshi...d-d-do we still have to go down there?"

"Yes, knowing Anikus. Do you want me to carry you?"

"I...I...I think I'll walk."

"Ok. If I had known there were snakes, I would have gone before you."

Sakura huddled up next to Takeshi, not wanting to get even close to the snakes, but she knew she'd have to deal with it sometime.

:But I don't have to like it...:

[Lyon]

Telchi drew his swords, falling into battle-calm. With a flash of steel as serpentine as the foe, he began cleaving snakes in two, flicking their twitching bodies into the wriggling mass. "Kaethe, behind me!" he ordered, hopskipping back as one of the snakes struck at his heel with its fangs.

Kaethe screamed and hid behind Telchi as ordered. She muttered a spell and tossed a small fireball into the midst of the snakes, burning several of them to a crisp.

"I wasn't aware you were an Adept," said Telchi conversationally, slashing the head from a spitting cobra.

"I don't do much magic," squeaked Kaethe in reply. "It's not very fun..."

[Chef]

Grimlain tumbled down into the snake pit with the others, smashing a few of the writhing reptiles with his body weight as he rolled.  The tumble caused him to fall over, almost banding his head on a sharp rock next to him.  He sighed in relief, but then a couple serpents climbed onto his chest armor, startling him slightly.

"Damn things!" he said, shooting them away with a minor fire spell.  He arose quickly, making sure there were no more snakes on him in the process.  Massive amounts of these creatures were all over the place, and several others in the party were hacking at them or burning them with magic.  Grimlain held his hand out and cast out a constant flame that burned several of the snakes away in succession.  This method was very useful against the hissing beasts, but there were simply too many to destroy them all.

"This is just great," Grimlain grumbled. "Many spiky traps and now serpents?  This trip just keeps getting better and better..."

[Vithar Megilaglar]

Takeshi snorted derisively.

"Grimlain, I get the feeling that this will be normal with Anikus at the lead."

Takeshi kicked a snake, which conveniently flew through a fireball. The resulting burning corpse scatter the snakes even further towards the edges, lessening the number of the smalls beasts the party would face.

"Convenient. Now we just need more torches to clear a path."

[Redcoat]

Anikus leapt in with his fire magic. It was quick, dirty, even sloppy, but it was enough to scatter the snakes, their hides glistening and bodies writhing away from the flames. As the party advanced post-haste across the ground, revealed by the light were pieces of rusted metal--a skull cap and sword, worn and unusable, were clearly visible on the ground. There was no trace of their owner; not a corpse, not a skeleton--but also a yellowish deposit on the stones below, leaving marks and divots in the stone. A strong acid, clearly.

The scholar didn't stop to think about it, hurrying his allies past the sight. Now was no time to drain morale further. The far wall contained a set of handholds; Anikus, followed by his allies, scurried up them as fast they could, avoiding the spearpoints on the other side.

Checking behind his shoulder, Anikus noted that the advance of the Reavers was right on their tails. Perhaps the next few traps would neutralize them. For now, the jog was on again. The end was now in sight, through a clear corridor...

[Vithar Megilaglar]

They were making fair headway into the hallway when a dull thud reverberated in the hallway followed by an almost imperceptible hiss. In the relative silent corridor, each sound was far louder than expected.

:That didn't sound good. I wonder...?:

Takeshi was answered by a slow, grinding, crunching sound. He looked up. time froze long enough for him to see a large boulder, sitting on a set of ledges. The boulder seemed to be glowing red. Then it started on a slow, inevitable grind straight towards the party. It was just high enough to take the party's upper half off.

:Oh yeah. The situation improved so much...:

Then, as if on cue, the boulder started on a slow, inevitable grind straight towards the party. It was just high enough to take the party's upper bodies off.



"Everyone! Down, lest you lose your heads!"

Without looking to see if the others followed suit, he dove to the ground, knowing full well that Sakura landed beside him.

The boulder approached the party slowly, ever so slowly, passing overhead, subjecting the party to a level of trepidation and intense heat, as of a forge fire, that they had yet to experience. The boulder passed by, seeming to just take its time, as if to torture the intruders. It seemed that even a siege might take less time when the boulder finally passed on to it's next victims.

The air was still warm as Takeshi got up slowly, checking to make sure he wasn't injured, as well as Sakura. He looked back.

:That seems to be going slightly faster than it did going over us...:

He turned to the group, who slowly rose, dusting themselves off.

"Well, that was...ah...exciting. I guess we move on now?"

[Phantom]

Alec stood up and scowled, "Yes I think we should move before anything else comes around to kill us! The sooner we are out of here the better!"

Ria nodded, she didn't like tight places and that boulder over her had made her queazy.

Alec helped her up and the two of them looked at each other, Once we get out of here I am going to punch Anikus! What was he thinking bringing us in here? I don't think anything is worth all this.

I would agree with that.... I think Anikus is a little off his rocker.... Careful though Alec, keep your wits about you, we still aren't out of here.

Alec rolled his eyes. The party began moving again.

[Redcoat]

Anikus checked back. Behind them, now, was an enormous sphere--a boulder of some sort, which had evidently been used as some method of crushing them. It would serve the Reavers well. Suddenly, however, his nose detected smoke. Plenty of smoke.

Before them, the tunnel was on fire. The stonework itself, impervious to heat, was penetrated by dry vegetation along its entire length. The fuel emerged quickly, inviting the flame to advance along the tunnel at an unfathomable rate. As if some cruel deity had ordered it, the air began to flow in the direction of the tunnel's entrance; outrunning the flames was now impossible, especially given their dwindling stamina, and they would be served as adventurer steaks by the end. The only method of escape was through the flames before they advanced into a true inferno.

Out of the smoke emerged minor details. The ground was rough, and through the mire Anikus noted hurdles and small pits. It was an obstacle course--a sadistic, impossible course.

"We must advance," he noted solemnly. "I may not clear these flames well. Ideas would be much appreciated."

[Kamikaze_X]

Thalmir stepped up, his eyes squinted against the heat that emanated from the insidious chamber of hell. He looked to Anikus, then to everyone else. He was started to get worn down, just as his comrades were, however, he did have the strength for a last burst of elemental manipulation. He started to speak up, this voice serious but weary.

"Everyone, I think I can help a bit with this. I am able to manipulate the elements, as you all must know by now. There is no water in the air here, therefore, I am able to help in a different... more indirect way. The human body is partially water, and I can manipulate that way to actually cool down your body and thus make it more resistant to burns and the extreme heat. The thing is, is that it is temporary.. it will wear off after about three minutes, or immediately if I die per chance..."

Thalmir knew this was the only way all of them could get out of that oven alive and with the skin relatively intact. Raising his hands toward his comrades, his eyes suddenly shined silver, with the activation of his magic. By his will, he felt his skin suddenly grow quite cold, as if they were thrown into a freezer. He could tell everyone else felt the same from their reactions.

[Chef]

Grimlain looked ahead as the tunnel was suddenly wreathed in flames.  First boulders, now this? he thought to himself grimly. Whoever designed this tunnel's trap system is a damn genius.  Not even I can see how we can get out of this alive.  Suddenly Thalmir volunteered to do something about it, stepping forward and using some sort of magic to make them extremely cold and more resistant to fire.

"Damn, that's cold!" Grimlain exclaimed, shivering a little.  The cold was one of his least favorite elements.  Nevertheless, it was the only option they really had at the moment to get out of this big mess.  Grimlain looked forward at the flames, knowing what they must do...

"I'm guessing this is the part where we run through the fire like maniacs, yes?" he asked, a cold grin on his face.

[Vithar Megilaglar]

Takeshi looked at the smoke, sweeping it away from his face. It was already hard to breath and see, and the vegetation barely started burning.

Sakura looked around, coughing, when a thought struck her.

"Takeshi, do you still have those silk bandages?" She said between coughing fits.

"I do, why wou-- Ah! Clever, Sakura!"

Takeshi pulled out the silk rolls, measuring out lengths and then cutting the silver silk.

He handed the sections to Sakura, who concentrated on the silk strips, layering a double enchantment on the silk. She and Takeshi helped the others tie the strips to their faces.

"Takeshi, everyone, I've placed a double enchantment on these silk cloths. The first one was a water cast, and the second was an air cast. Breathe in through you nose and out through your mouth."

Everyone nodded and Takeshi spoke up.

"Mind you, this enchantment will last a minute or so. Once it runs out, hope we're on the other side!" Takeshi smiled, although it was hidden by the mask. "Anikus, if you happen to have goggles enough for everyone we'd be delighted if you'd share with us. Oh, and once this is done and over with, Grimlain, help me throw him into the nearest body of water."

[Lyon]

I feel so inferior among these magicians, thought Telchi. Actually, no, not really. He tied the silk strip around his face, feeling slightly ridiculous. Silk becomes Kaethe much better than me, he mentally grumbled. Sheathing one sword, he supported Thalmir's arm lest the ranger be overcome by the force of his spell.

"Easy, comrade. Don't overexert yourself, or we'll all be dead."

[Redcoat]

Anikus chuckled existentially for a moment. The creativity of the team's ideas was astounding, especially given their circumstances, but there was no time to marvel. They had a sea of fire to rush through. He reached into his bag, withdrawing a pair of goggles, placing it in Takeshi's hands, followed by one for each member of the team, and finally himself. His shopping in Otavia, though minor, had been entirely practical.

"With that," the scholar noted, voice muffled by the silk bandages, "we shall be off."

Anikus got on his mark, trying to pick a path through the flames of lesser difficulty. He traced a path with minimal flames and prepared to jump hurdles. He could--he'd done it before, but rarely with a rucksack on him, and rarely with this level of tiredness. Perhaps he would die, but he'd die trying, and he'd die with--

You are not going to die. Nobody here is going to die, and the Quest will go on.

--if they didn't kill him after such failure as this! It was rationalizing, wishful thinking, clearly. A lie of the highest order! Contemptible to resist the truth and gravity of this situation--

But dammit, Anikus, it's the best you've got.

He closed his eyes for a moment and made peace within himself.

"Comrades, affix goggles! Charge!"

Anikus was off first or second; he could not tell. There was no purpose in his staying behind. Perhaps to be better well-done for whatever scavengers may stalk this tunnel, if any, but his charity had run dry. Immediately, he felt the sheer heat as he began long, bounding strides over rough spots and through burning bamboo. The heat, however, was kept at an odd distance by Thalmir's spell; as though the heat were in the next room or further away, of no immediate concern. The smoke hit his lungs like a slinger's lead ammunition, softened by the work of the silk. With every step, his lungs began burning worse and worse, as the spell weakened. But he was alive, and he was advancing. He could only hope that his comrades fared similarly or better.

[Vithar Megilaglar]

Takeshi and Sakura followed quickly after placing the goggles on. The enchantments on the silk strips wore off quickly, lasting enough to get through the thickest of the smoke. They continued on, clearing hurdles with some ease at first, but slowing as the enchantments wore off and the heat began to get the best of them. They continued on though, now most driven by the instinct to survive rather than any instinct to follow Anikus.

:When we...we survive this, Takeshi..., we are toss...tossing him overboard for a few miles of the sea.:

:Sounds...like a...plan:

Even telepathic speaking seemed labourious and tiresome. For the remainder of the sojourn, they remained completely silent, except for somewhat laboured breathing.

[Phantom]

Ria locked Alec with one of her penetrating stares, everything seemed to say, "We will make this and I love you... but just in case...." All in all not a reassuring look. Ria stopped Alec for a moment and Alec felt her power seep into him, she after all was an enchantress of high rank and she specialized in water. Alec could feel the water spell of Thalmir strengthen. Ria looked like she had been taxed. The two of them hurtled through the fire and came out on the other side. Thanks to Ria's enchantment Alec and her seemed to be the best off.... though Ria was obviously exhausted. Alec held her and took of his goggles. It was looking like everyone would be fine.

[Chef]

Grimlain looked ahead at the fire, anticipating the plunge.  When Anikus shouted the orders to charge, Grimlain took a collective breath and jumped through the fires with everyone, the magic protecting them as they rushed through the fiery tunnel.  Fire swarmed all around them, making a few flinch, even though they were readily protected.  Grimlain knew that running through fire without flinching would indeed be a pretty hard thing to get used to.  He followed along in order with the other fire rushers.

So far they seemed to be pretty good, as the magic was showing know signs of wearing off.  Thank the gods for that.  Grimlain hoped to himself that this tunnel would end so they could get of the damned island.  If there was no treasure or anything worthy of value to find here once their little trip was over....he wouldn't react well, to say the least.

"It certainly can't get much worse than tunnels of fire, right?" Grimlain grumbled. "I somehow feel there will be much worse, but right now I can't even imagine how bad that would be..."