Urpho felt as the maze healed slowly; the vibrations rattled his shell, giving a rough vision of what was happening as he looked at the girl in his arms. They watched around them as the floor began to close itself once more, as did the walls around them healing and reforming slowly from magic. The sight was cool as new rock formed from seemingly nothing and in just a few minutes the only thing left was the aftermath, which was rocks that cluttered the ground.
Urpho looked at the young maiden in his arms. Oh, we do not understand each other, Urpho thought, unsure of how to communicate. Her eyes were glued to the floor where the hunter had been, thinking him dead but Urpho shook his head; he would've felt the man's bones crack from the reverberation but he hadn't, meaning he was alive.
The moose looked ahead to the maze before looking back at Urpho and Alariel and gave a grunt, waiting as Alariel hopped onto the moose. Urpho simply walked alongside, not interested in the ride.
The girl was ensnared with herself at the moment and clutched on the moose, who didn't mind as he stepped gently and softly against the water and rock. She was scared. There was only darkness, although the moose provided a glow; if he was gone, she would be blind in this hellish place. The man was looking up at her, and though she was unsure whether he had good intentions or not, she would go with the former due to the hunter's words.
"Hi."
Rami
She then lifted her hand in a wave and the man looked confused. he tapped the ground with his foot before copying the gesture she had done with his own hand, which was more akin to claws and made even her father's hand look like a child's.
That works, she thought inwardly and chuckled; at least it was some form of knowing each other at the moment. She was curious what he was, though perhaps quiet was ok in this moment. They walked uneventfully and silently for a few hours until the moose stopped looking at the wall and she looked confused; there was nothing there just moss and cracks. as the moose turned its head to Urpho and turned back, it put its hoof against the wall, tapping it before walking away.
Alariel looked curious as Urpho turned to the wall and gave it a mock hit, then looked at the moose, who grunted. Urpho looked back at the wall and brought his arm back before bringing it forward once more with vicious strength, punching the wall as it cracked and then collapsed, creating the perfect hole into which the moose promptly entered as the girl just looked wide-eyed.
In the moose's eyes, it slowly began to understand the events unfolding as it would meet another like itself once again. Time seemed to flow strangely here; they were on the verge of their world. In the interstice of another away from this mortal plane, but all is well; they hadn't gone past that barrier yet. Everything was unfolding quickly, as it always did.
They continued their way through the maze as Urpho continued breaking walls to delve further into the maze. a cacophony started to surround them as he garnered attention. after all they hadn't had Amais with them in this moment. Urpho hadn't attracted anything from the water, though they did encounter a different creature who was cackling.
"It's been a while since I've seen contact. do you speak?" he asked curiously in the shadows his voice young and joyous as Alarial tried to discern the figure behind the dark.
"Elm dero eroph rakish, Neeroph?" he asked curiously.
"Semra furu ehyl revro," Urpho spoke the same.
"Oh my, you aren't around here, then, are you?" The man laughed, still speaking the tongue. "But I guess they aren't either," he murmured to himself and laughed.
"Would you like me to give you the gist? most people are old but me, I just got here." he laughed happily before stopping abruptly. "Oh, these things itch like crazy!" he screamed madly in pain and fell as he sloshed in the puddles. Alarial had gulped as Urpho stepped in front of the moose to confront the mystery person but the person quickly stood and backed away from them.
"Hey, hey, calm down there, man; don't come close," the man had laughed. "I was saved by these wicked things. they refuse to die; they can be removed but my mind can't take it all, right now anyway." he laughed.
The young man took a moment to clear his throat before he began.
"Beware of him beyond these walls in the tower that ascends to the land of storms. one being is in that tower you must avoid at all costs. thats what they're telling me anyway but what do I know"? the man laughed before abruptly stopping. "How many have fallen to it? for every speck of sand above, another man dies there too. I mean, what the hell does that even mean? like, can you imagine such a thing?" he laughed wickedly before stopping and thudding hard on the floor. water splashed as he coughed violently before abruptly standing.
"S-Sorry, what was I saying again?" he coughed, clearing his throat, still just a silhouette in the dark. "Have you ever heard of Ranan?"
"Ranan?" Urpho asked curiously.
"Yes, yes, see, you get it, old man. That tower, right? it's not natural from beginning to end. it looks normal, right? you'd expect that but it continues endlessly expanding to places unknown, travels the depths of heaven and hell, and goes places you and I couldn't even dream... but you don't even know about it yet, do you?" he laughed before nodding.
"Ok, ok, well, I've taken enough of your time. I should get going. I need to kill some gunslinger down here. have you met him by chance? He's insane; he calls himself Death. can you imagine that?" the man asked curiously as Urpho looked confused by the question.
"I haven't met such a man here," he said honestly.
"Ah, really, shucks, is this even the right place?" he muttered to himself before shrugging and giving a simple wave.
"Whatever, I'll be off then, thanks," he chuckled before walking, turning his head one way before turning the other seemingly lost and just fiddling there for a second, rubbing his chin in thought and nodding in assurance as he walked away.
Who is Ranan?
Urpho thought as he watched the mystery man stumble through the maze haphazardly, seeming to have no clue what he was doing. The moose simply started to walk, prompting Urpho to follow.