Labyrinth?????? (3)

  Ether?????? was?????? tossing?????? and?????? turning?????? , and?????? it?????? is?????? clear?????? that?????? he?????? was?????? having?????? an?????? abhorred?????? dream.

  It?????? had?????? been?????? a?????? few?????? hours?????? after?????? he?????? had?????? set?????? up?????? camp?????? and?????? gone?????? to?????? bed??????, but his mind never rested.

  Without much more turning, Ether awoke in a cold sweat from his nightmare. However, once he tried to move, he found he couldn't. The reason?

  The unmoving, possibly sleeping vorstag Silvia is wrapped around him despite a bedroll laid out for her.

  At first, Ether attempted to free himself from her grip, but the more he struggled, the tighter her hold on him strengthened. Bad memories started to emerge from his mind as he became more desperate to be free. He started biting and scratching anything that could help. Chunks of Silvia’s body were bitten off, rivers of blood flowed from her, yet her grip didn't lessen as more and more panic set into Ether's mind. He woke yet again, or rather, he awoke completely; everything he did was in his mind, not affecting reality everything felt numb.

  Rapid breathing could be heard from Ether. This time, he could move, and his nightmare was over, but his mind was always worried. He couldn't sleep; nightmares started to emerge from his mind, so he did the one thing that helps distract himself… work.

  ‘The main objective right now is to get rid of the Minotaur.’

  After deciding what to do, Ether moved out of Silvia’s grasp and covered her out of habit, then moved to bury his thoughts in work.

  Ether’s first thought was to dig a giant hole, not for no reason, of course, it was to make a pitfall trap.

  ‘The Minotaur, despite its height, wasn't that large; it was no wider than a bodybuilder In fact, the only real difference from humans was its head, that of a bull. Following this logic, traps meant for humans would work.’

  As he thought about this, Ether started to dig, piercing the cracks between the stone brick floor and finding dirt and stone underneath. He began to dig mindlessly.

  ‘If I remember, it was 9 feet tall. How deep should I go?’

  As Ether dug further, a translucent window glowing gold appeared before him.

  (What are you doing?) :(

  It was Ra; however, this didn't stop his actions.

  ‘Digging, why do you ask?’

  (It’s so noisy I can’t sleep) >:/

  ‘Do “Gods” sleep?”

  (Don’t think I didn’t heard those air quotes) >:(

  ‘Okay, I’m sorry, but will you answer?’

  (I sleep because I'm conserving energy) >_<

  ‘Like an ancient god?’

  Suddenly, giant waves of pain pulse in Ether’s mind, although it doesn't have much effect.

  (I'm not ancient, don't compare me to the old crones) >:[

  ‘Okay, sorry’

  (Why do you always say sorry?) ‘,:|

  ‘Force of habit or because it's easier to agree than fight.’

  (So you’re just telling me what I want to hear) :|

  Stolen story; please report.

  ‘Yes’

  (You could have lied; there was no reason to be so honest.) :\

  ‘What’s the point, you'll find out eventually, you probably already know.’

  (Whatever, just hurry up and level up if you take forever, I’ll die) :(

  ‘You’re exaggerating.’

  (I’m not though) ;-;

  ‘What exactly do you want me to do about it?’

  (There is nothing you can do yet, but when you can, I’ll be the first to tell you) ;)

  ‘Okay?’

  ‘…’

  Ether, for the first time since he started, stopped digging. As he looked up, he had a moment of realization.

  After realizing how far he had gone, he put down his tools and squatted down with his hands on his face, thinking.

  ‘I’m such an idiot, how on earth am I supposed to get back up?’

  (Yeah, you are an idiot, glad you figured that out) >;)

  He thought of a million excuses.

  ‘I was sleepy, I was just working through my thoughts, I didn't eat anything, I was distracted, there’s no way I did this on purpose.’

  (yeah yeah whatever helps you sleep…Wait I didn't mean…) :x

  (Whatever)

  After he made a million and one excuses, he started thinking with his head.

  ‘There is no reason it shouldn’t be complicated, let’s just climb.’

  Using the pointed edge of the pickaxe as an ice axe, he attempted to climb but.

  “Aaaah”

  He fell to the floor on his back with a crash. It wasn’t his fault; the dirt was too fragile to hold its shape. The hole was too steep to climb out with his bare hands, and the walls were too brittle to start chimneying to the top.

  “Great, how am I going to get out?”

  As Ether lay on his back thinking about how to get out, the lazier he became, thinking about the work he needed to do.

  However, despite all his want of laziness, he would rather work than let the nightmares win, and at least here he isn’t being controlled.

  At that very moment, the ground, and in this case, the walls, were shaking. So far, there is only one creature that can shake the ground like this in this labyrinth. At least to Ether’s knowledge, looking up at the surface, the head of the bull creature stares at him.

  (you got this… see you later) :E

  The goddess Ra has stopped communicating

  ‘What can they do th…wait, goddess?’

  Before he could ponder what that meant, the bull-headed creature started to enter the “trap” that Ether had created.

  *snort*

  The bull-headed monster made its way through the narrow passage; however, it fell for the same issue that prevented Ether’s escape. The brittle walls fell on top of the minotaur and made the minotaur fall for the trap… while Ether was at the bottom. It was collapsing while the minotaur was falling. The situation was dire, yet from this position, nothing could be done.

  Doom lingers above Ether’s head; however, the Minotaur drags against the walls, slowing his descent immensely. In fact, he stopped his fall by simply pushing deeper into the walls.

  It was clear to Ether that his trap would have failed for no other reason than the Minotaur’s brute strength. Yet despite that, the Minotaur’s body stopped oddly, stretching its limbs into more solid areas in a way stuck as well as a perfect ladder to the still shocked Ether… is what I would say if he hadn't already made it halfway to the surface.

  However, just like with anything in life, the smooth rise soon shook as the Minotaur, for some unexplainable reason, didn't like being used as a ladder… I couldn't see why it didn't enjoy having people step on it.

  Huahhhh*SNORT*

  As Ether had climbed onto its face, the Minotaur had let its frustration be known; steam was released through its nose as the bull-headed creature roared. Heat radiates from the cloud of mist made from the steam, making Ether’s climb even more treacherous, as it made it difficult to see and feel due to the burning sensation.

  Rushing to the final climb, Ether pushed his body past his limits now that freedom was so close. At the same time, the Minotaur started to regain its footing as its outstretched leg reached the bottom of the pit, causing it to attempt to reorient itself into a standing position. Before the Minotaur had reoriented himself, Ether was able to reach the surface and out of the pit.

  ‘Finally’

  Ether thought to himself as he lay on his back, but it was too soon for relaxation as the Minotaur started to slam against the walls of the pit, making the pit into a sinkhole growing in size. However, as Ether attempted to escape his end, he had come to a terrible realization.

  ‘I can’t move my legs.’

  Ether had little time to think he used his hand and arms to drag himself back to the camp he clawed his way towards the crack in the wall while trying to escape from the ever growing hole, but Ether could feel it his arms were on the brink of joining his legs in over exertion only a few seconds had passed but to Ether it felt like minutes of him crawling to a destination that felt miles away. Ether could feel his muscles deteriorate he could feel every individual muscle fiber and the space between them until final they gave out just a little bit away from camp in fact he was right in the entrance of it but his body had strained itself with a twist of the torso and arm he layed on his back yet again being out of adrenaline allowed him to think logically.

  Ether could hear the sinkhole stop growing as the sound of the Minotaur slamming against the wall was replaced by their steps instead. Bending his neck, he could see the silhouette of the Minotaur climbing out of the hole that became a crater as the Minotaur could walk out of it with just its feet. However, before it could enter the corridor, where Ether lies, the sound of sliding bricks could be heard as the very walls of the labyrinth had begun to shift, conveniently blocking the Minotaur from progressing as a labyrinth wall slid in front of him, allowing Ether to rest at last and close his eyes.

  ( you’re welcome) :)

  Ether didn't open his eyes, he could hear the words.

  ‘For what’

  (I can’t believe you won’t even look at me) (ToT)

  ‘Uh don't be like that I can’t move’

  (yeah I know) :-J

  (anyway say it) ^_^

  ‘Say what?’

  (don't play dumb you know the labyrinth doesn't just move for you) >:(

  ‘Right thanks for that’

  (more) ;^)

  ‘Oh my sweet goddess in all your mercy how you move that wall with such elegance and prestige that us mortals would never be able to compare to, your divinity knows no bounds only rivaled by your generosity’

  (I wasn’t expecting that much from you) (>w<)

  (but I think you should sleep, this isn't like you) :)

  ‘Aww I like you too’

  (ha ha, yeah definitely need sleep) :’D

  Despite being on solid stone Ether felt as if he was sleeping on a cloud not like he could have chosen something else but still.