LogFAQs > #897974509

Apologies. Hard drive decided that it needed to be defragmented yesterday, but I have overcome that, so ... here it goes.

Level 1
The Well / Tunnels

Several entrances to the Pit of Periphetes had been documented by the surveyors of Rostik after the first incident at Vikenti and the early expeditions into the dungeon, and all the years of the Contest had resulted in the creation of a number of new entrances by adventurers trying different methods of avoiding the deaths of their predecessors.

Link had discovered one of those entrances. In the remnants of a house, he noticed a square pit, large enough to admit a single person, that had been excavated in a space that might have once been a pantry. Looking into the pit revealed that handholds and footholds had been carved into one side of the shaft, leading down to uncertain depth. Link nodded once to himself before sheathing his short sword and returning his shield to his back to free up his hands, but he noticed footfalls approaching the house.

"Hold, Elf." Rhona stood at the entrance of the house, her empty hands raised, though her dark eyes gauged the distance separating them. "Looks like you and I picked the same lot. I'm willing to let you go first. No foul play." She had no reason to expect the High Elf to attempt to kill her in cold blood. His people had a code of honor, after all -- unlike her, but one did not deal death unless it best served the goal at hand.

Link raised one hand as a show of agreement before climbing down into the pit, his Elf eyes allowing him to see in the darkness for a short distance. By his count, the shaft descended for roughly ten meters before his feet contacted ground again, showing him tunnels heading off in several different directions. He listened for Rhona, and she arrived in less than a minute, pausing only to light up a small lantern on her belt.

"All right," she said, cracking her knuckles and smiling, "you pick a tunnel, I pick a tunnel, and there we part. Agreed?" He nodded, and she disappeared through one of the openings to his right. "See you down below, Elf. Don't let the Undead bite."

She might have had a small laugh at that, but Link faced the possibility of the Undead with a stone-faced certainty, his short sword and shield returning to his hands.

Above him, in front of a small hill facing the Ruins, Whiskey looked down at the map that he had acquired from Melon, and he squinted at a pile of dead brush at the foot of the hill, noticing a crack in the dirt wide enough to admit him if he turned his body sideways and sucked in his breath. Winter walked up to stand next to him, smoothing his black robes, but he seemed to be in no hurry to hurl a spell at his fellow Dark Elf.

"I can cut the brush, friend, or you can burn it," Whiskey said, not looking up from the map. "Up to you. Might be able to save a little time here." He narrowed his eyes, smiling, but still not looking up. "Or you can try to blow me up, but I'd save that spell for another time, if I were you. Lots of nasty things still between us and the bottom."

Winter returned the grin. "I can spare a little flame. Child's play, really." One quick gesture, and the brush caught fire, burning up so quickly that nothing remained but smoke and a little ash. "After you, then." He made a deep, exaggerated bow.

"You're too kind." Whiskey shook his head. He had no doubt in his mind that Winter was willing to kill him, but both Dark Elves had patience to spare, as well as other enemies that took priority. He offered Winter a mock salute before squeezing through the crack and finding himself in a crude tunnel sloping sharply downwards.

(Cont.)
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-- I Abibde / Samuraiter
Laughing at Game FAQs since 2002.