[Preceptors Ruin: Subterranean Maze]
'So these runes are like a guideline for these ruins? That still doesn't explain that light, or the numbers, or anything!'
Leo took a step forward into the hallway leading him further down into the ruin. The whole labyrinth seemed to follow a imposing style of architecture, trimmed with gold and draconic sigils all over.
It wasn't anything he had seen before, which made it all the scarier, despite being a chump from the slums, the nobles would flaunt their wealth so often when passing by he could recite every single detail on their daunting carriages and their embroided attires.
He couldn't fathom whose property he just stepped on, dragons were a forbidden topic in the empire.
Who would dare consecrate a temple in their name?
Luna had once told him an old legend about the dragon kings and their disputes over heaven, perhaps to scare him from doing things he shouldn't do - and it certainly worked.
"This story goes back a milenia, when the Three Dragon Monarchs still roamed the earth.The Scarlet Star, *** —"
A screeching pain rattled his brain as he tried recalling the memory, a pain so focused it felt like his brain was being pressed on by a molten rod of iron.
"Ouch!"
Leo leaned against a the nearby wall nearly tripping down the stairs as he held onto his ears, a bloodshot pattern drew across his eyes at the same time as a bell resonated through his mind. He tried sitting down on the steps, hoping to quel himself by tensing up his muscle. And it worked, though only slightly.
'What the hell just happened!'
The flying runes made a swift appearance again, still pointing down into the abyss - completely ovlivious to his condition. One thing he didn't think of trying before was grabbing the runes, of which he rashly tried to do. But as he reached his hand out as if demanding an explanation they just dodged his hand, wrapping around and continuing their stream downstairs.
"Who are you!"
Silence, only an echo rebounded off the walls and back.
"What do you want from me, damn!"
He flung his arms around, even trying to stab the runes with his sword.
Meanwhile the fire was steadily making its way down the ramp, after engulfing the moonlight it was now ready to Illuminate the deep and dark pits of the abyss.
'These flames are a pain in my ass too! I definitely died and now im in Iad.'
No point in wasting his breath or energy anymore, he'd just have to accept it and move forward. The air was dusty, and the stairway filled with vines, the marble was impressively intact despite the rest of the place looking like it was thrashed by lightning.
'I just want to see my sister one last time... '
His sorrow was cut short as he frowned deeply.
'Whoever made these stairs sure had good legs, probably some athletic noble huh.'
After several flights of stairs, Leo had finally reached a point where some light revealed itself from around the corner. The runes appeared, this time weaving in and out into a sphere the size of his palm - the little magical ball sent out a stream of essence forward and into his pocket, lifting the tiny dial out and placing it at the heart of his palm.
Leo just let it happen, his wishes wouldn't be respected outside, and it seems like they wouldn't be here either.
The dial latched onto his palm as the runes unfolded and wrapped around the back of his hand, fusing the structure to his hand.
From his palm a golden ambiance shot out, acting as a beacon for the path ahead, because as he turned the corner it was fairly evident the runes were here to help him - much to his annoyance.
"So you're giving me a torch now - finally making yourself useful!"
Directly infront of him was a series of unlit hallways, it was now very clear to him the purpose of the runes, they would give him aid in some sort of way, wether it be information or a helping hand - like a torch.
'I've heard of this kind of thing before, Luna had something similar during her mercenary tests.'
What Luna had used was slightly different. Instead of a detached message like Leo had been seeing, Luna carried a little owl sigil that would be imbued with instructions to relay to the test takers.
'I carry nothing like that though...'
There's still much that he had left to learn, without a proper education there would be no way to know, and even then who's to say the empire had the answers he sought, or that they'd ever give them to him.
Anything could happen in this place, Leo simply accepted it as another adage of the forest.
'Subter - Subtereena - whatever maze huh. Good thing Luna told me her secret to leaving the cornfields, just keep following my hand and then im right out.'
Alongside her main jobs, Luna would often undertake tasks like farming and whatever else she could commission from the guilds, being relatively safe she'd often take Leo to the cornfields and collect the little baskets left behind by a contracting farmer.
'I'd get lost through there so often! One time I spent a whole night while she looked for me.'
Leo smiled internally before placing his hand on the rightmost wall, the trick was simple - in a Maze with the goal sat at an edge, picking any side and following it through would eventually lead you to the end, much like in the cornfields, of course he couldn't know where the end was, but it was a solid bet.
With a bit of luck he'd eventually make it to the end.
'Here goes.'
He waltzed his way around, Illuminating the surroundings as he went by. Each branching path was homologous in design and layout, every right turn he'd take lead to a path that repeated to no end.
Of course it wasn't as easy as taking the rightmost path. Occasionally, there'd be doors that wouldn't open, or rather that he couldn't open. Sometimes he'd come across statues of dragonic-like figures, sometimes there'd be nothing but long, monotone hallways.
That was all until he reached a certain room, one that stood out from the rest, this chamber held a massive red and decorated carpet. It stood tall with vine pillars made of stone and several windows in its walls.
'Stone windows? Why the hell would you have windows in a tomb?'
Clearly whoever created the labyrinth had some twisted sense of fashion, in Leo's world windows made of anything but glass was seen as a poor attempt at imitating wealth, often dubbed 'poor man's light'.
'Feels like a cave in here...'
Leo let out a wheezing cough, the dust had filled his lungs to their limit - and that was easy to understand.
Across the cornice that lined the ceiling there would be tiny square holes punctured through the structure, acting as ventilation for the entire maze, but as it was now becoming evident to Leo - going deeper meant he could no longer enjoy the occasional lulling of the wind rushing through the corridors.
Other than his thoughts and footsteps, it was the only thing keeping him sane and on his feet this whole time.
'It's not that bad — yet, if the fire blocks me this deep in then I'll definitely die.'
Keeping his cool he turned back around, there would still be several paths he passed by that could get him to the end, or that was his idea before a crackling shriek blared through every stone and right into his ears. Suddenly there was more to the maze than his footsteps, emerging from the dark a rather familiar creature appeared.
The runes danced across the air.
[Crab Eagle]
[4,314,786,091]
'It's that same number!'
Something was different this time, two things to be exact. Though the number was the same, it had now gained a tittle.
The creature slowly crept in to reveal itself, continuously wailing in misery.
'It's the same one-'
It was not the same eagle anymore, the beast now boasted a thick flat carapace on its head, and from its wings drooped down the legs and arms of a crab - using the floor as its sharpening tool. A crab and an eagle - fused in a revolting turn of fate - two mortal enemies forced to fight as one.
'...'
He was speechless, not only was the abomination terrifying but it looked pained, pleaing for help in a format of screams and struggled kicks.
Leo took his sword from its makeshift seathe and tried banging it across the floor in hopes of scaring it away, by no means was he ready to fight even a little mouse, let alone the monstrosity that threatened the path forward.
"Away! Away!"
Usually worked on dogs, but this was an Eagle, and a crab. Maybe a bear would scare it away.
"Wroagh!"
The eagle advanced anyway, flinging sparks off its wings as if to make a mocking statement.
It continued its advance indefinitely, leaving him not much choice in the matter, it was either fight or pray to find an exit on the other side. Neither were promising, but if there was one thing he knew was that the runes agreed with his judgement on the matter.
They pointed straight at the crawling eagle.
Leo was preparing himself for a fight, a real one this time.