Bough -- Logs

The small circular room is quiet and still for the moment, lit only by the torches the mortals and the one rakshasa are carrying... and the sound of the little albino fox snarfing down a piece of beef jerky with eager abandon.

Jareth steps a little closer to the scroll to try and read it in the dim light, "Not sure yet..."

Vibhishana comes closer to Jareth, holding up the torch over the podium so Jareth can work the knot and see what's written upon it.

Nimble fingers work at the knot carefully, knowing this document is ancient and quite likely fragile.

Mikal's smiling focus is on the tiny cave fox, although she's got a mental ear cocked back towards her packmate. She reaches out gentle fingers, brushing them delicately over the soft white fur as she murmurs, "So pretty, little one..." She's a realist, however, and quite ready to snap her hand back out of reach as fast as necessary, should the fox reflexively snap at whatever is touching her fur.

Jareth unties the knot, and carefully unrolls the scroll. It is written, as Vihbishana says, in Sanskrit, and he translates. It is, quite simply, an unsigned welcome, an exhortation to walk carefully in these catacombs, and to -- and at this the rakshasa admits he may be mistranslating the ancient, albeit clear script -- "not let those who cannot venture into the depths go further than their nature allows."

Meanwhile, while the albino fox cringes briefly at the touch, when the touch does not come with a grab, she relaxes quite visibly and continues to snarf -- now louder, as if she's not worried now that there's something bigger and friendly nearby -- the rest of the jerky.

Jareth smiles a bit and says, "That's an interesting way of putting things. Don't let those who cannot venture into the depths go further than their nature allows..." He turns toward Mikal with a thoughtful look, "You feeling fine underground, ma petite lapin?"

Vihbishana nods to Jareth. "Very interesting. I'm not entirely sure what to make of it, to be honest.

Mikal grins delightedly and carefully, cautiously rubs behind one big ear. She flashes that cheerful grin over her shoulder at Jareth, her voice low, "Ah, that makes sense -- and yes, I'm fine! We're in a mandala, aren't we, Vibhishana lord? This is a symbolic exploration of our souls, I think?"

Vhibishana looks around. "I could not tell you for certain... but that seems a logical view of it, Rabbit."

The vixen finishes off the jerky, a bit quieter now, and spends the next several minutes licking her chops at the delicious repast.

Jareth smiles quietly at his rabbit and the fox. He looks around the room and says, "It's certainly going to be an exploration."

Mikal adds with a wave of her hand, "There were walls around the inner city -- three, yes? We had to enter the inner sanctum from the East, which is traditional. I bet if we checked we'd find there were four or eleven arches over the gates too." She frowns thoughtfully, adding slowly, "What else... hm. There should be four directional guardian deities, and the holy of holies is in the center..." Her voice trails off as she thinks a bit -- then she smiles slowly, "The monks. They were at the center; they were in the spot of the holy of holies. So that must mean... that the deity is... is found within each of us?"

Norris is listening to everything, but feels confused. But he's working on it. His brow knits. "Why's that matter, Rabbit?"

There is the faintest of skittering in the darkness. The fox's ears perk alertly, and it freezes, nose quivering as it tries to find the source of the sound.

Mikal is watching silently, kneeling next to Raphael and the little cave fox. Her voice is hushed as she replies, "Because then it means the Architect can never truly rob us of our deities. They are us, Bear." She waits for the skittering to come closer, and adds more softly, her voice drifting from the darkness where she kneels facing the tunnel with her back to her friends, "And we are he..."

After a moment, the skittering stops, or pauses. The fox also holds itself preternaturally still.

Vibhishasa says, also quietly, "The scroll also says that we need to go deeper into the catacombs to find 'what we are looking for.'

Mikal nods, rising silently and retrieving the torch. She takes a breath, then studies the torch to see if it's flickering at all. If it is, that means there's fresh air in the tunnel, and they won't potentially suffocate. "We shall... but carefully, I think. No need to rush foolishly."

He continues, "There's also a bit more here. Give me a moment to translate."

Jareth stays close by the rakshasa, looking at the unfamiliar language. He makes a note to himself to try and learn more of the written word.

Norris hnhs. "He seem t' think he can. And it's not lak he aint doin' a good job, takin' out opposition."

There is skittering from another corridor, now. Something in the corridors around the central well-lit room is circling it, staying out of sight, trying to evaluate the interlopers. Under Mikal's hand, the fox's heart is racing faster now, but it still holds itself amazingly still and silent.

Mikal murmurs softly, still peering carefully down the tunnel, "No. We think he can. That is the critical point, I think." She's cautious, not wanting to frighten or step on the little fox.

Norris's fists tighten at the sound. He doesn't really feel in danger, but the sound still makes him twitch. "Is yew sayin' our doubt give him power, or somethin'?

Mikal shifts her stance, turning slightly to put the torch back in the sconce, then drawing her bow and nocking an arrow, although she doesn't pull back. Quietly she adds, "Cat, stay in the center with Vibhishana, please? Bear, put your back to me, please, so you can cover the two tunnel entrances I cannot easily see?"

As soon as she removes her hand, the fox begins to move, creeping quickly and silently to remain near her, as if sensing her body heat.

Norris nods "Yuh. Kin do." he sets himself up just so, eyes peeting into the darkness, torch held so that he can see without the light getting in his eyes.

Mikal grins and goes to one knee next to the fox, whispering, "Raphael, give him an gentle nudge so he can climb onto my pack if he wants?" She doesn't let her wary gaze drift from the two tunnel entrances, however.

Raphael acknowledges, and nudges the fox. Instead, the fox almost leaps onto Mikal's back, in a manner not unlike Okori might, scrambling a bit for purchase and footing. With a bit of a roll of his eyes and a chuffing sigh, Raphael returns to Mikal's side.

Jareth tips his head, examining the symbols at the bottom of the scroll. He touches each one very, very gently, "Lion, salamander, vulture, snake..." Brows draw together a bit as he tries to figure out just what those creatures might mean. The salamander is fire. Perhaps the vulture is air. It is a bird, after all. He doesn't say any of this very loudly, wanting to give the fighters in the group as much quiet as they need.

Mikal chuckles quietly, "Thanks, Wolf!" and rises carefully to her feet. She faces the dark holes of the entrances and calls out firmly, "Come out and meet us! If you come in peace, we mean you no harm." She murmurs softly, "Wolf says there's a hint of movement down the corridor, but nothing more. It's likely blind too -- he says no eyeshine."

Norris is watching, careful, and he notices the flicker of movement. He makes anaffirmatory grunt at Mikal's comment. "Iffn it's blind, prolly not sommat t' worry about, yeah?"

Jareth murmurs, "I wouldn't assume that."

Mikal smiles faintly, "True. Scent can track in the dark, after all, and teeth and claws don't go blunt when the lights are out."

Mikal thinks a bit, then adds, "From the way the sounds are circling, all these tunnels are connected. Bear, do you want to stay and guard with Cat and Vibhishana, while Wolf and I try to flush it out, whatever it is?"

Norris bobs his head. "Leave huntin t' the hunter. An I'll do th' protectin, like I always do best." he murmurs.

Mikal flashes a quick grin over her shoulder, "Thanks!" With that she lays a finger over her arrow so it stays in place, nocked on the bow. She takes her torch up again in her now free right hand, then murmurs quietly, "After you, Wolf." The big raptor wolf drifts silently into the tunnels, and after a heartbeat or three to give him some space... Mikal equally silently follows.

The two old packmates use bounding overwatch to traverse down the tunnel -- first one moves forward while the other watches their backs, then pauses... and then the second moves forward, passing the first and keeping an eye ahead while the first now watches their back... lather, rinse, repeat.

Norris sets up a perimeter, walking a beat, keeping careful track of all the tunnels as the rakshasa and Jareth keep on reading and translating, and muddling it over.

There's a moment before Mikal moves that Jareth's breath catches and he calls out softly, "Lion, love..."

AS they walks forward into the corridor, she can see, now, ahead of her, one of the sources of the skittering, about twenty yards down the corridor. It is, quite simply, a giant ant. The carapace is transparent but quite thick, and rather rugged and a bit uneven. It stands about as high as her knees -- clearly a threat to something the size of the fox. And, with the way the pincers seem designed to slash and pierce, a threat to her as well. it does not seem to notice the light, however, and the antenna are extremely large and slender, weaving in front of it.

Mikal smiles at that soft breath of warning from Jareth, unafraid -- lions have traditionally been associated with Inanna, after all. She frowns thoughtfully at the ant; she doesn't really want to hurt it if she doesn't have to, and she knows where there's one, it could call a billion more. Good reason not to alarm it, she thinks. She murmurs quietly to Raphael, "Let's see if we can slide quietly past it, yes? No need to bring an entire hill down on us."

Raphael is cautious but nods. The weaving antenna seem to be how the ant 'sees,' in that they weave back and forth in front of it. It would be rather tricky to get past the movement.

Mikal leads the way, lowering the torch before her so its heat will be between her and the ant. She keeps Raphael behind her so he can slip by and continue to cover her, and she keeps the flaming torch between her and the ant.

The heat seems to be sensed by the ant, and it moves backward, the chitinous feet scraping lightly against the stone floor. The weaving antenna seem to very carefully reach out in the direction of the heat, while keeping well clear of the actual torch.

Mikal lets Raph slide gracefully behind her first, before she tries to move by also.

Jareth looks up at the rakshasa and says, "Bear should go with her." His voice is flat and serious.

Vibhishasa blinks at Jareth. "Why for?"

Norris blinks? He looks up from his careful pace. "Huh? Whus wrong, Cat?"

Jareth motions at the diagram and says, "I'm afraid there might be a lion down there. Or something just as fierce." He shakes his head, "It's dancing at the edge of my mind what this means."

Norris looks to the tunnel Mikal went down, and then back at Jareth. "Ah dunno if that's a good idea. Then yer left alone. Rabbit's got Wolf, and they're a team. Yew really think it's bad enough they need me too?"

Jareth arches a brow and looks up at the rakshasa, "I don't think I'll be alone."

Raphael manages to time his movement just right, moving softly and swiftly past the ant, standing on the other side of it. The ant does pause in it's movments, the antennae weaving still, as Raph slips by. The ant seems to be reanimated again after Raph is past it and is standing still. The raptor-wolf lets Mikal know that he isn't quite sure Mikal can make it past the antenna. There is room to slip past the ant, but the antennae are hard to get past... and it might be that the ant is attracted to vibrations as well.

Norris continues to hesitate. "Then yew shoul' come with. Ah caint jus' leave yew alone. No 'ffence, Vibhishasa, but leavin Cat alone is what got him hurt th' first time."

Mikal smiles and silently reassures the raptor wolf -- if he can get by, when he was moving and the torch wasn't, then it'll be easy for her to keep the torch between her and the ant. Plus -- she grins -- she is a tool using mammal, after all! She picks up a pebble from the floor, moving slowly so she remains silent -- then flips it far down the tunnel, away from where she and Raphael wish to go. Cheerfully she adds, [That should draw it away!]

Norris unslings his mace. "Come on. Th' book'll still be here when yew get back, yeah?"

Jareth shakes his head, "No. I think I'm safer here."

The sound or vibration of the pebble hitting the floor yields a dramatic response. With startling speed, the ant has turned, and scampered down the hallway towards the point where the pebble hit the ground.

Mikal calmly watches the ant scuttle off, then turns to Raphael and grins, [See? Easy.] She stoops and picks up a few more pebbles for just in case, then continues her cautious exploration down the tunnel the way they'd been headed.

Norris gets a pained grimace. "Cat, kin ya give me a lil' more n' that? Mikal know what she's doin, an she count on me t' do what ahm tol'. Cause ahm not really good at thinkin up strategy mahself." He gives Jareth a very direct look. "An if you get yourself kilt, she'll kill me. An yew."

It takes a lot of effort to not actually chuckle. He does manage, however, "Norris. Vihbishasa is a warrior. A very skilled warrior. I am not going to be alone here."

Mikal and Raphael head down the corridor. About twenty yards from the room, the corridor ends in a T-junction, heading left and right. In the center of the junction is a large circlular pattern set in the ground. It looks like a highly stylized lion of some sort.

Mikal nods, unsurprised at the encircling tunnel. She stands so Raphael can see past her in both directions, to cover her, and kneels so she's facing the radius tunnel they just came down, and can look at the pattern. She touches it lightly with her fingers, murmuring softly to herself, "Now what do you do, pretty thing? Is there a test? A symbolic conjunction I must notice?"

Norris shakes his head. "S'not th' point. Rabbit made you mah responsiblity. And ah caint just walk away from that unless it's clear that's what's t' be done. He looks back down the corridor, getting a little tense.

Jareth shakes his head and says, "I am my own responsibility, Bear. But if you feel you should stay here, stay."

Raphael sniffs at the edge of the symbol set into the ground ater Mikal starts touching it. In the process, his nose brushes against the stone, and then... there is light. The outlines of the lion set into the circle flare to life, briefly; they fade as Raphael leaps back a half-foot in startlement.

Mikal gives Raphael an amusedly exasperated look, murmuring softly to him, [No fair! In the first place, you're supposed to be providing cover -- what's wrong with you! And in the second place, why does your nose light it up, but my fingers don't?!]

Norris chews over this matter. His face gets scrunched up, because Jareth has put the seed of doubt in him. But surely if there was a problem, they'd hear it, yes?

Raphael apologizes and admits he was curious. The symbol seemed to be very appealing to him and that is why he sniffed it.

Mikal gives him a gently exasperated shove, [Raph, you're on watch! Are you trying to get us killed?! If you want to sniff this, tell me so I can watch while you do so!] She sighs, then adds, [Go on, sniff it. I'm on watch now.] She rises, shifting so she's got the bow ready, turning to cover both directions.

Raphael winces, then pads to the circle again, lightly touching it with a paw again. The circle lights up again, casting a bright luminescence upward. he pads carefully onto it, closely examining the lines. [It's... Sister, it knows I'm Loki.]

Meanwhile, beneath the center room there is a faint thunk somewhere deep below. The floor gives a bit of a tremble... but oddly, the rest of the room does not so much as move.

Mikal frowns thoughtfully, her gaze intent on the hallway. [It named you? ...weird.]

Norris is making the decision, then, to stay where he is. If Mikal needed it, she could always call for help. And just as he makes that decision, the floor trembles, and he takes a step back, wary. "Th' hell?"

Mikal adds thoughtfully, [Does it do anything else? Lever, depress, anything?]

Raphael examines the circle, then jumps up and down on it. [Nothing more than that, it seems. That I can tell, anyway.]

Jareth brushes his fingers over the serpent on the scroll and his head comes up as there's a thunk. His heart stops for a second and he calls out without thinking, "Lapin?"

Mikal giggles in spite of herself at the sight of Raphael jumping up and down on the pattern in the floor! She ruffles his ears affectionately, [Big silly. C'mon, let's keep going].

Norris is studying the floorwork. "Mebbe we shouldn't be staying *here*." he murmurs, looking the stonework over carefully, to see if there's any way the floor would shift or open, or anything.

Mikal frowns thoughtfully, her head coming up abruptly at Jareth's call. She'd like to reply, but doing so may well cause sufficient vibrations to draw the ant back -- if it's not already headed for Jareth. She's faintly relieved he's got two big sturdy warriors with him; then she frowns again: call or not? She doesn't want to worry him, but... she doesn't want to lose the small advantages she currently has of being quiet in the tunnel.

Mikal decides they'll just have to hurry to the next spoke tunnel -- and not disturb the ant in the process! She mentally whispers her plan to Raphael, and the two of them start a swift, assured bounding overwatch for each other down the curving tunnel.

Not long after hearing the 'thud,' there is the sound of skittering in the tunnels now. The sound is loud, and comes from all the corridors, but it is moving away.

To Mikal and Raphael, they see ants -- many of them -- but they are all moving away from the center room. There are a number of small, waist-high openings in the wall, essentially side-=corridors for the ants that they are passing. Shortly, then, going through the curving corridor they come to another spoke, and they find another circular impression on the ground at the T-intersection. This one, instead of a lion, however, has what looks like a stylized flaming lizard.

Jareth shifts nervously at no response from Mikal. She looks to Norris, considering asking his friend to go check on her.

Mikal brightens as the ants appear to be leaving. She looks down at the circle, then grins at Raphael, [All right, mister miracle nose, do your thing again! Then we'll go reassure Jareth.]

The big raptor wolf noses the circle, the same as he did to the last one. Both packmates look expectant.

It makes no response. A touch surprised, he actually noses it, with still no result. Mentally frowning, he steps onto the circle fully... and it still does nothing. He lets Mikal know that he's getting nothing from it, no sort of acknowledgement.

Mikal looks surprised, then intrigued, [Really? All right, let me try this time. You watch.] She waits until he takes position, then reaches down to gently brush her fingers over the circle, idly tracing the wriggly lizardy looking thing. The circle makes no response to Mikal, either.

Norris looks up from where he's studying the floor, not finding anything telling. Maybe it's more magic than stonework. He notices Jareth lookin at him, though. "She's prolly bein' all sneaky and all. Yew know how she is. Big ol' huntress, and all. Ah doubt if they wuz in serious danger, they'd get jumped wi'out makin any noise at all."

Mikal huhs silently, murmuring quietly to the big raptor wolf [I'm not getting anything either. It's not even fading out, like your lion did.]

Mikal looks up briskly, [Well, enough of that. Let's go reassure the others, then check out the remaining symbols.] She rises and, with Raphael, does a swift bounding overwatch to the middle room. Her torch can be seen well before she can, flickering in the darkness.

Very shortly, Mikal and Raphael emerge from the darkness of the corridor, their torch heralding them.

Mikal stands back about 10' from the entryway, murmuring softly, "What's up, guys? Why did you call? Anything wrong?"

Jareth visibly relaxes when Mikal and Raphael return, beaming, "What did you find, lapin? No lion?"

Norris beams, and gestures to Mikal and Raph. "See? Tol' ya they wuz alright."

Mikal looks back and forth between her packmates -- then grins abruptly, "Sillies. Of course I'm fine. If there was trouble, I'd call!" She nods to Jareth, "We did find one! Wolf nosed it, and it lit up, then faded out. He says it knew him -- knew him as, er..." she thinks a moment, then nods decisively, "it said the deific name."

Jareth looks down at the scroll and then up at Mikal as she tells them what they found. He nods slowly and looks at the tunnel they came out of, "What about the salamander?"

Mikal adds, "Er, it was a pattern on the floor, though -- not a real lion." She turns and gestures, "There's a salamander that way, but it didn't react to either of us."

Mikal turns back, blinking at Jareth, "You... how'd you know the salama- oh! There's a map?" She pads silently over, looking curious, "Can I see? Does it show the giant ants?"

Jareth's eyes light up, "Of course not. That's for Bear." He's starting to seem excited, "We heard something while you were down the lion tunnel... I'll bet it was when Wolf stepped on the lion."

Jareth blinks, "Giant ants?"

Mikal giggles suddenly, her eyes sparkling, "He jumped up and down on it, actually, to test it!"

Norris echoes Jareth. "Giant ants?"

Raphael sits and looks dignified, casually licking one paw clean. Mikal nods cheerfully several times, "Oh, yes! But we were careful and didn't hurt any of them. They're blind too, and follow vibrations, so I threw a pebble away from us. Also, after Wolf touched the pattern, they all started streaming away into little tunnels for them." She bends over, indicating her knee height, "They're about this tall."

Jareth pales, "Those... are large."

"What?" She nods to Jareth, "Yep! But not a problem if you don't disturb them. I don't think they're really hostile per se, you know?" She peers over Jareth's arm at the map, adding interestedly, "Where's my pattern, then?"

Norris's brow knits in that way that makes him look like a worried dog. "Well, ah guess there was somethin' to be worried about, but seem like yew took care of it okay."

Jareth smiles and touches the vulture, "There, I think, lapin." He strokes the serpent almost lovingly, "This is mine, I believe."

Mikal hms thoughtfully, then nods, "All right, let's try it then. Wolf, stay here with Cat and Vibhishana, please?" She smiles up at Norris, adding, "C'mon, let's test this out!" She turns and heads swiftly back into the tunnel she'd just emerged from.

Norris bobs his head and follows after Mikal. He's better at following orders, now now he's comfortable.

Raphael is looking a little dazzled by all this, but he sits alertly where indictated.

Mikal mutters softly to herself, "All right. So... the vulture is south, the lion is north, the salamander is east, and the serpent is west. Wonder if that's important?"

Mikal swiftly and carefully heads down the tunnel. By the time Norris arrives at the cross-tunnel, she's waiting for him, glancing warily back and forth. "Go ahead, Bear -- touch the pattern, please? Careful, it lights up brightly, so don't blind yourself accidentally."

Norris steps up to the symbol, looking very curious. Crouching, he runs his fingers lightly over it, to see if that's all it takes.

As his fingers brush against the symbol, the lines flare to life in light, and the light fades as he removes his touch from it. The symbol on the floor is quite clearly similar if not identical to the one in the scroll.

Mikal nods briskly, unsurprised, and whispers, "Come, Norris! We'll hit mine next, then return for Jareth for the last one." She sets a swift pace, glancing around warily still and heading for the southern pattern.

Norris is about to get up and follow, and then blinks as the symbol also calls him by name...but not an expected name. "Hesperius?" he murmurs, confused when he finally rises, moving in step behind Mikal.

Not too long after they disappear down the corridor, there is another 'thud' and another faint shifting of the floor beneath Jareth and Vibhishasa and Raphael.

Mikal and NOrris make their way around the dark corridor again. As expected, they come to a T-intersection, and, also as expected, the circular symbol on the ground is a stylized vulture.

Mikal smiles faintly, glancing down at it, then up at Norris, "Stand watch for just a moment please?" She waits until he nods and is ready, then drops carefully to one knee so she doesn't knock off the little cave fox. She reaches out, brushing her fingers lightly along the pattern of the vulture, murmuring softly in her head, [Hello, Hierophant, old friend.]

Touching the symbol makes it, too, flare to life.

At the same time, there is a third thud and shudder felt in the center room.

Jareth smiles, eyes alight as he hears the third shifting of the stones, nodding as if that's exactly what he expected and wanted. He can feel impatience starting up. The young man is tempted to go down the corridor himself.

Mikal smiles, unsurprised somehow as she distinctly feels a small voice greeting her, addressing her as Inanna. She murmurs a soft prayer of thanks, then straightens and murmurs to Norris, "All right, let's go get Jareth... and check the scroll too. If we're all supposed to be on the stairs instead of the central room, or if we're all supposed to be standing on our own patterns, I want to know before he touches his."

Mikal heads swiftly down the hallway towards the central room, still wary for unpleasant surprises.

At the moment, there doesn't seem to be anything unpleasant... though she does feel her backpack moving and shifting around on her back.

Mikal glances over her shoulder and grins, whispering softly, "Did you get into my pack, you naughty thing? Careful there!" She's still grinning broadly as she emerges from the tunnel into the central room. "Hello! Touched. So, what else does the scroll say? Vibhishana never said?"

Jareth is already headed toward the last corridor by the time both packmates are back in the central room. "It doesn't give us any further instructions, love. Let's go... we did hear the shifting noises, though."

Mikal barks sharply, "Wait!" She looks worried, "Hold on, please. Vibhashana said there was more, but he never said what it was! Also, if we're hearing clunks in here... I don't want to be in the wrong place if a piece of floor vanishes or something, you know?"

Mikal looks inquiringly at the rakshasa.

Vhibishana says, "The part that I hadn't translated yet, is a welcome. I could not translate it right away because it was written in a dialect and mode that is normally spoken only by brahmins or priests, when praying to the gods, which is terribly unusual. The scroll says nothing about these symbols, however."

Mikal looks relieved, "And nothing about not standing or standing in a particular place?"

He shakes his head. "No such warnings, no."

Mikal looks more relieved, and shyly apologizes to Jareth for yelling. "Um... want company?"

Jareth smiles and offers his hand to Mikal, "Let's go."

Mikal beams, almost skipping over to take his hand. She gives him her torch, so she's still got a hand free, and pads silently into the tunnel with him. She's still looking around warily, of course -- it's her nature to do so.

The two go down the corridor, and shortly come to the fourth T-intersection, and again, there is a circular symbol on the ground, this one with a stylized serpent of some kind emblazioned upon it.

Mikal shifts reflexively to stand guard over Jareth as they arrive.

Jareth smiles, fairly certain what's going to happen. He goes to one knee, murmuring, "You keep showing up, old friend." The caress is almost affectionate as he strokes his fingers over the lines. He has his eyes squinted, not wanting to be utterly blinded, but not wanting to miss a thing.

Norris stays, keeping an eye on the floor with Raphael. But his eyes finally resting on the wolf. Wondering if he can see the trickster in the big beast.

Raphael turns his head after a while, staring gravely back at the big young man.

As he touches it, the symbol flares to light as with the others. But this time the light does not go out when he withdraws his hand. Down the other corridors, the other symbols have come to life. And there is a fourth thud and the center ten-foot-radius of the floor drops half an inch. Further, the floor in the corridors -- except for the circular symbols -- also drops about half an inch, as does a path the width of the corridors, running from each of the corridors to portion of the floor in the center of the circular depression. The circular stone begins to move inward, towards the center room, at about walking pace.

Norris starts at the sound, and pulls his mace, watching the floor move, wary. And trusting Raph to watch his back.

Mikal gives a small, startled squeak as the floor abruptly drops under her. She crouches warily, glancing around, then whispers to Jareth, "Follow the stone, please? I'll cover your back."

Jareth smiles and murmurs, "Hello, friend." He stands up and moves after the round symbol of the serpent.

Shortly, the two return from the corridor, and shortly after, all four of the circular symbols emerge from the corridor, converging on the center portion of the floor.

Jareth's eyes are gleaming.

Mikal frowns thoughtfully, then slowly puts her bow and arrow away. She's not sure this is going to be a threat in any usual sense, and she wants her hands free for just in case. She's a bit surprised, wondering what the little fox ate while in here -- she's not seen a blessed thing for either it or the ants to consume, so far.

Once all four stone circles have just about come fully onto the now-depressed floor, they stop, and there is a brief moment of quiet. Then there is another thud, another shiver, then a curious sound: far in the distance, a deep hissing, rushing sound. The floor actually begins to sink, slowly at first, but with increasing speed, though not terribly fast.

Mikal glances around a bit warily, then asks Vibhishana, "Er... any idea what's going on? Does that sound like running water to you too?" She makes sure there's a clear line to the stairs up for them all.

Vhibishana shakes his head, his brow furrowed. "No... not water, I don't think. Too regular for that.... But it feels like we're going down...." The platform has gone down a few feet now, and now the sides of the shaft it is descending are visible; there are a series of cutouts that strongly suggest they can be -- or are meant to be -- used as a ladder of some kind.

Mikal's eyes widen, and she steps over to gently and wonderingly touch them, checking if she can indeed stand on them. When they hold her just fine she looks relieved, and jumps lightly down to the sinking floor again. "Well! This is certainly interesting!"

Norris realizes, when he studies the symbols on their approach, that they move along a depressed track. Very ordered and mechanical. He admires the system, and nods quietly at Mikal's outburst of wonder.

The platform continues to sink. About thirty yards down, though, the shaft suddenly ends, and before them is a broad, rough-hewn cavern.

The platform -- actually a tall plinth of some kind -- is sinking into what looks like a stone sheath. A number of openings are in the side of the sheath, and the bottom-most ones are letting forth an outpouring of glittering sand that makes a hissing, rushing sound as it lets out; Norris can immediately fathom that this is the mechanism by which the platform descends without going Far Too Fast. He can also guess at the counterweights, visible through an opening into an adjoining cavern space, which might be used to raise the platform once down.

A short elevated path runs from the top of the sheath, where the platform comes to a stop, to a small ledge. In the wall at this ledge, is an elaborately-carved archway which seems to be the entry into a finely-wrought corridor.

Almost as an afterthought, the group notices that the cavern is lit by a warm orange light, which seems to be reflected in from somewhere else by great silver mirrors set along the upper rim of the cavern, the light set to focus somewhat on the archway.

Mikal blinks, looking around in confusion, "Whoa... Vibhishana, do your people always build secret places like this?"

Vhibishana's jaw is dropped to his chest, and he shakes his head mutely at Mikal's question, looking around in wonder.

Because the platform is moving slow as it is, Norris speaks up, and comments, to those who will listen, what he's deduced about the structure of the platform, and how it works. His accent is all but gone, and he sounds more like an educated engineer than the simple smith. "Musta taken these folks a long, long time, make something like thos."

Mikal nods silently at Norris's comments, still staring around in awe. Finally she steps over to the little ledge, cautiously stepping of into the corridor.

Norris rubs his hands together. "Only thing I don't get...was it made specifically for us? Or are we just patterns that this place recognized?"

Jareth is looking around with bright, awed eyes.

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Last modified: 2008-Oct-04 19:17:18

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