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Fletcher was still frozen with his eyes locked on the sphinx, waiting for her to break the awkward silence that had permeated the air between them. He nervously ran his tongue along his teeth in an attempt to keep quiet as a few doubtful thoughts crossed his mind. 'Am I supposed to bow to her? Like you do with hippogriffs? No blinking, just straight eye contact and submissiveness?' He went with that strategy -- minus the bowing -- and continued the staring contest with the sphinx. His eyes started to water right away, of course, with that horrible burning sensation you get when you want to blink so very much but know you mustn't. Sphinxes, Fletcher came to realize, were probably the worst humanoids ever to engage in staring contest, because for one thing, they never blinked, and for another, their eyes were deep, dark, omniscient and omnipotent. Her stare said it all. I will kill you if you try to steal whatever I am protecting. Thus it was like a great weight had lifted from his shoulders when the sphinx spoke at last. "You may pass," was all Fletcher heard and the foolish champion took a jaunty step forward. And then he heard the second part and froze once again. Merlin, he was going to be a master of freeze tag once this tournament was over. Really. Anchored to his spot, Fletcher hardly dared to breathe as the sphinx spoke just once more and this time gave him a riddle. But of course; this was what those creatures were known for. Fletcher on the other hand was known for barely being smart enough to pass from one grade level to the next. He listened closely to her riddle nonetheless and once she had finished, Fletcher took a moment to think before speaking. "None. There are no pears on the tree because it is an apple tree." He finished his sentence with a hopeful, pleading please don't eat me Madame Sphinx smile, and waited for the verdict with his fingers crossed behind his back. |
For a few minutes there is no visible reaction from the Sphinx as the champion finally attempts to answer the riddle. No reaction. Neither positive, nor negative. She is just regarding him with unreadable dark eyes with her head slightly cocked to one side, considering his answer. Then, all of a sudden, the Sphinx bows her head gracefully before taking a step back. However not to get ready to attack but rather to move out of the way, allowing the champion to pass. If you were to watch the creature closely, you might notice her inclining her head slightly towards the right door. |
Still glued to his current spot, Fletcher's eyes widened, unblinking, as he waited for an answer. And then, after what seemed like an eternity, she moved. SHE MOVED! "Ttthank you," Fletcher bowed his head in return, hurrying past the sphinx and to the door on the right. |
As you move forward, the door swings open to reveal...yet another path, framed with more high hedges. Tentatively stepping over the threshold, you follow the path ahead slowly. A few minutes and several corners later, there is no doubt about it. The hedges are retreating. Where before you were shut in almost completely, with each branch pawing at you, it's now possible to stride forward without being forced to untangle some part of the cloak or other. Then your foot bumps against something heavy on the ground. The light of the wand reveals not, luckily, an old coffin or something similarly creepy, but the top part of what appears to be a small treasure chest. |
Toddler!Fletcher practically jumped over the threshold of the door, eager as he was to get out of the sphinx's line of sight, jusssst in case she decided to change her mind about eating him. He glanced over his shoulder just once more before walking on, once he was certain that she wasn't going to chase after him. Fletcher lit his wand and slowed his pace so that he wouldn't be surprised by anything jumping out at him. The hedges seemed to stretch on for miles at this height, especially when he turned the corners and only saw more and more of them. After a few moments, however, Fletcher realized that the path was not so enclosed anymore. In fact, the hedges actually seemed to be thinning Maybe the task was drawing to a close?! Eagerly, Fletcher picked up his pace and then his toe caught the edge of something. OOOOMF! The boy went flying and faceplanted in the dirt. "Oucccccch," he muttered, sitting up and rubbing at his child-sized knee. "What the hell was that?!" He scooted backward and used his wand to shine some light on the object. Huhhh. It seemed to be a cute little treasure chest. Fletcher picked it up and shook it to see if it would do anything. |
After shaking the chest, you open it carefully. Sudden brightness illuminates the ground around you. True, the light coming from the chest isn't actually all that bright, but after wandering around in the dark for hours, it completely messes up your vision. The chest is filled with golden runes, glowing faintly. Take them with you; you've earn them. Oh and know this... Decoding their secret message just might prove helpful. Just a little further now... |
"BLURRRRRRRRGHUHHHHH?!!!!" Opening the treasure chest had been a bad idea. Poor little Fletcher's eyes had been blinded by whatever the shiny thing within was. He threw an arm up to shield his eyes and promptly dropped the box. The lid clanged closed once again and Fletcher remained sitting on the ground, rubbing at his eyes. Man. They probably weren't even that bright, in retrospect, but they just seemed so... so... SHINY! He had been totally unpreapred! What had the shiny thingies been anyway? Fletcher stood up and picked up the treasure chest. He held it out at an arm's distance and started walking again. No reason why he couldn't use the box as a light source. Tilting the box away from him, Fletcher flipped open the lid and sort of directed the light spilling out toward the path. With the maze much more illuminated, he was able to walk faster, even on his little legs. He was also able to get a better glance at the runes within. Hmm. A rune puzzle.... |
With the treasure chest safe in hand, the path opens before you. The way out is clear. As you move forward, the cheers from the stands start to cut through the eerie landscape, replacing the silence. You've made it! |
Toddler!Fletcher's little legs were starting to get weary. He had a feeling he had to be close to the end of the maze now, because the hedges were not as suffocating as before and because because..... he could hear something..... something in the air.... Was that......? Could it be......?! Cheers from the stands?!!! Fletcher turned a corner, grasping the treasure box tightly in one hand and his wand in the other. He took a few steps and the hedges started to disappear completely, leveling down to the height of the rest of the grass around. HE'D MADE IT! Fletcher had survived two tasks now! YAAAAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAY!! Cheering loudly for himself and shouting the phrase, "ALL RIGHT ALL RIIIIGHT!" repeatedly, Fletcher raised both of his pint-sized arms above his little body and toddled right on out of that maze. See ya, suckaaa! |
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