Complete Eastern Brisshal Lost Runes

[Crimson Ruby]

One step, another step, ears twitched and tail swayed. Ruby leaned closer to the door, bending her body and allowing the orange whistle to dangle on her neck.

'The curiosity killed the cat' was an old saying, but nothing was more fitting for a cat Explorer than that.

Before her, an enormous wall of stone had a bulky stone door as the sole obstacle between the exterior and the mysterious interior. The door was carved with arcanamancy runes, that maybe or maybe not gave any hints about a way to enter into it.

Ruby neared it, with a brief caution that was soon betrayed by her hands tracing the rough texture of the door, soon closing her eyes to gently rest her ear against it. Perhaps there was a mechanism? Or only magic could open it? The question lingered, with Ruby wondering with closed eyes and swaying tail.

She needed to figure out what was behind that gate no matter what.

@Kyra Vashtana

 

[Siondhe]

She'd taken a wrong turn. She was sure of it. The directions may have been simple, but as she stared at the fog-covered map once more, Kyra couldn't help but curse herself silently. She'd been sure that she was taking the right path when she'd started out, but now...well, now there was nothing that had been described. In fact, it was everything that hadn't been described.

She had just been about to turn away, when the sight of another individual caught her attention. The small, feline looking humanoid seemed intent on whatever they were doing - the rune-covered wall before them appearing to hold their interest. Kyra waited a moment, debating on what to do, before taking a light step forward and speaking aloud, her own fox-tail and ears perked up in response to her sudden uncertainty.

"Uhm...hello! Are you looking for something in particular? Or are you just...taking an interest in the runes? It's a rather interesting...err...wall?...if that's what you're in to!"

She beamed a smile, hoping that her awkward words couldn't somehow drive away the other indiviudal - her one hope in finding the location she'd been trying to make her way towards. Giving caution to the wind, she decided there was only one thing she could do now.

"You uhm....wouldn't happen to be from around here, or familiar with the terrain, would you? Seems I've...well, this is a bit embarrassing, but I've managed to get myself a bit turned around. Sort of. Entirely. I'm lost. I'm entirely lost."

 

[Crimson Ruby]

Ruby's ears twitched subtly at the noise coming from behind, but initially she gave no thought to it, focusing mostly on working her way past that obstacle. She had no strength or powerful arcane skills to just push it open or dispel it, so whatever that puzzle held in front of her, she needed to solve without much work around it.

The noises from behind eventually stopped just being something in the background, turning imponent and now worth of attention, especially when followed by a voice.

Ruby turned around, swaying her tail when spotting the fellow beastfolk.

"I am trying to get in, but this puzzle is being tougher than I expected." Ruby said with a sigh, peeking at the girl again and tilting her head.

"So you are lost? Everyone should know Eastern Brisshal, it is the starter-" Ruby paused, with her ears perking up.

"Ah! You are a newcomer?" She asked, turning her back and working on the puzzle again, humming.

@Kyra Vashtana

 

[Siondhe]

She cocked her head to the left as the other mentioned attempting to solve the puzzle. She'd not considered it a puzzle before that, but as the other beastkin drew her attention to that fact, Kyra couldn't help but become interested - puzzles usually meant secrets, secrets meant reward.

"A puzzle? Oh! And you're trying to solve it? Is there some special reward in behind it? Do you have an inkling in what it might be? Or what the puzzle itself is a representation of? Or..."

Her voice faltered as she realised that she had quickly crossed the distance between them in her excitement. She'd entirely forgotten her dilemma, instead lost in the possibility of solving the unknown, of finding secrets that perhaps - just perhaps - others in this world didn't already know.

She flashed a smile at the other, realising that she'd intruded upon their own work. She'd know other games where such individuals would become protective, not wanting to share whatever was to be found.

"I am new to the game. But...if you want some help, I'd be more than willing to assist you in figuring out...this. Assuming that you're okay with that, that is...?"

She waited, her torso leaned forward, eyes closed and beaming smile on her face, as her heart beat faster - hoping for the chance to become more involved. To do something other than just wander around lost and confused in this forest. Perhaps she'd even learn something useful here!

 

[Crimson Ruby]

Ruby twitched her ears, glancing at the girl that seemed to be fairly interested in the puzzle herself. The number of questions was a bit overwhelming, however, and Ruby did her best to repeat the questions in her mind a few times so she would process the answers the other girl wanted and needed.

"Yes, I am trying to solve it so I can get into these ruins..." Ruby gestured to it, turning to face it and breathing a sigh when noticing that was much harder than she expected.

"The puzzle looks like a maze, like the ones where you find in those small game books? But it has like... Four entrances and four destinations, and whenever I put my finger away, all the progress is lost, so maybe there is a secret under it..." She frowned, tightening her crossed arms before the girl suddenly offered help and company.

Ruby turned to look at her, looking at the beaming smile for a moment and twitching her ears before nodding. "Coming with me? You are new, and that can be fairly dangerous-" Her ears then perked up, and she turned to look at the puzzle.

"Wait, four... Four entrances... Four destinations... These ruins are probably meant to be visited by four people, but two of us should suffice, we can cheat by using both of our hands each." Ruby widened her eyes, pausing and glancing at Kyra with a concerned expression for a moment.

Would it be worth bringing a newcomer with her in that? It could be dangerous for the other girl.

@Kyra Vashtana

 

[Siondhe]

Her head had cocked to the side, torso leaning forward as she studied the puzzle. She'd heard the others words, explanations of the puzzle and a warning of danger. They had come, as if from a distance. Even with her enhanced hearing, the puzzle had enraptured Kyra, to a point where she'd lost focus on the world around her for a brief moment.

"Two hands...follow the paths... it's certain possible. There may be some issues where the paths overlap, but perhaps a single side completed first? So long as the connection isn't severed...have you tried using two hands yet? Does it override the progress of the first when the second is placed? Or perhaps...perhaps if you start all four, but only move two...it shouldn't require consistent movement..."

Her eyes flicked sideways towards the other, and she beamed a smile as she realised that she hadn't responded to anything the other had said. Tilting her head to the left a bit more and closing her eyes, she tried to put on an apologetic look.

"I'm sorry, you said something about danger? I...well, I can handle myself a bit...I mean, I think I can. This isn't my first ever virtual reality, at least. The combat controls seemed a bit complex, but I think I got the handle on it..."

Her eyes were drawn back to the puzzle as her curiosity almost overcame her focus once more. If there was one thing she knew, it's that she wanted to find the secrets behind the puzzle. Enough so that she was willing to risk the danger the other had briefly mentioned.

 

[Crimson Ruby]

Ruby's ears twitched at the girl's words, some sort of monologue followed by questions that Ruby didn't quite have an answer for. Her head tilted, and she mused about the many possibilities that were being offered while also realizing the other girl wasn't listening to her at all.

"I really don't know. I haven't tried yet." Ruby muttered, taking a step forward so she could rest her hands on the puzzle, feeling its magic prickling her soft skin.

She then tried one quick test, noticing there was no overwritting, only loss of progress when a hand slipped away.

"Seems like the only issue is not letting it go until we are done." Ruby said, casting a glance to the girl and noticing how intrepid she was in a way. She could grow into a good explorer in the future, if she took that path.

Swaying her tail, Ruby lowered in a curtsy. "I am Crimson Ruby. If you really want to follow along, then it is fine. I will make sure to protect you as much as I can." Judging her lower level.

Ruby then nodded toward the puzzle, resting her hands on the two entrances of the runic maze. "Can you take the other two?" She asked.

@Kyra Vashtana

 

[Siondhe]

She'd almost yelled out as the other stepped forward and touched the maze. Almost, before remembering that she herself was only along for the ride - this hadn't been her discovery, nor was it her area of expertise. Still, the fact that she had become so invested in it brought some amusement to Kyra.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Crimson Ruby. I'm Kyra. Kyra Vashtana...but you can just call me Kyra."

She nodded as the other directed her to the opposite side, placing her hands on the puzzle and feeling the tingling sensation that the magic within the puzzle caused against her finger tips. Somehow, it felt envigorating.

"I'll let you go first, and then once you've reached the end, I can try my own paths? That way we don't have to worry about crossing over one another, and having to restart or anything silly like that."

She let her eyes run over the puzzle as she spoke, trying to trace out all the possible routes she could take, noticing that the paths were somewhat easy to follow - although they did intersect in a few places. She hoped that wouldn't cause any sort of problems, as they went along.

"I hope this works..."

She muttered the last bit, not realising she'd said it aloud, too intent on the puzzle itself - and the thought of finding what lay beyond and behind. There was something entirely euphoric in the experience, and she'd forgotten her original purpose, lost in that excitement.

 

[Crimson Ruby]

"It is nice to meet you too, Kyra." Ruby smiled to the girl, swaying her tail as she turned to focus on the runic maze, nodding quietly to her words. "That sounds like a plan. I will tell you when I'm ready." She said, carefully making sure she wouldn't miss the path her hand had to trace until it finally reached to an end.

When she was done, she nodded so the girl could give herself a try... And whenever she would be finished, the gate's runes would glow intensely, causing a vague rumble that made Ruby take a step behind, gently tugging the girl away from the door if she didn't back away, frowning while watching the door opening in a slow pace.

Casting a glance to the girl, Ruby would reach for her sword and nudge.

"Let's go?" She said, calmly taking her steps toward the entrance of the now wide-open dungeon...

... The way the path worked was nothing short of magical.

In a moment, what seemed to be a small entrance on a stone wall turned out to be a whole world inside of it.

The two beastfolk would find themselves on the top of a cliff, seeing the endless labyrinth that went all the way into the horizon, creating an overwhelming sight that made it quite hard to be figured out. The path down to the wider maze was a maze itself, strange and unknown, so gargantuan that it would take days and days just to wander through it.

Ruby breathed a surprised sigh, and soon her eyes grew wide at the sound of the stone impact.

Looking behind her back, the stone door had closed once again.

@Kyra Vashtana

 

[Siondhe]

Kyra's hands traced the path, stepping backwards at the soft tug from her new companion. She watched in awe as the doors slowly slid open, seeming to move in slow motion. She peered at the central area, trying to get a glimpse inside as they moved, her impatience clear in the swishing of her tail, and the bouncing movement she made between her feet.

The moment Ruby gave a nudge, her sword drawn, Kyra would step in behind - her own scythe raised and ready in her left hand, the chain dangling from her right palm, seeming to chatter with each step. Her feet pattered on the ground as she followed Ruby through, her excitement rising until she couldn't contain it anymore.

As the two came to a stop atop a cliff face, Kyra let out a squeal that echoed the area around them slightly, drowned out only by the sudden sound of an impact. She glanced back - as Ruby did - to find the doors closed behind them, locking them into the maze. The sudden clenching in her heart reminded her of where they were, and the danger that they could be in here.

"That...that normally happens, right? That's nothing to be worried about? I mean, I'm sure in games like this, you'd expect the doors to close behind you. Especially in...in caves. Where they need to be explored. Should we try pushing them open? Maybe they open. They must open."

She felt the panic in her own voice, could hear it on the air between them. She forced a breath, closing her eyes as she tried to still her heart. She was sure the other beastfolk could probably hear it too, the steady rhythm that announced her sudden shock.

"Maybe there's another way out. Another door we have to find. That could be it, right?"

 

[Crimson Ruby]

Kyra's excitement was vaguely contagious. Ruby was excited to explore those ruins as well, but the way Kyra was so eager about it brought some warmth to Ruby that quickly hurried to explore it deeper as well, albeit with a certain degree of caution since it was still an unknown dungeon that could be filled with traps.

Though, in the same way the girl was so excited, she turned out to be filled with panic in her voice and actions very soon, which was something that caught Ruby's attention, glancing at the girl that had her eyes closed at the moment before slowly reaching her tail with her own, gently wrapping her tail on her's.

"I told you I will protect you, didn't I?" Ruby said, squeezing her tail around Kyra's softly in a reassuring way.

"It will be fine." She smiled, peering at the enormous maze, then around for a moment before nodding. "Every place you can enter, you can leave... And this place is so big it is impossible it doesn't have an exit to somewhere else." Ruby nodded, crossing her arms and keeping her Jian close just in case.

The monsters in a dungeon near the beginner's area should be an easy one, right?

@Kyra Vashtana

 

[Siondhe]

The soft clutch of the other's apendage calmed Kyra in ways she hadn't expected. Nodding, her eyes still closed, she let out a long, broke sigh before forcing her vision open. Clutching her scythe tighter in her left hand, she steadied herself in preparation for moving onwards.

"You're right...besides, there's nothing learnt if no risk is ever taken. We've gotta take some risk here, if we want to know what secrets lie within...that, and the exit. Yeah. The exit thing too..."

She shifted her weight onto her right foot, glancing around her as she considered their next possible move. She could see numerous pathways before her, each seeming to lead in a different direction - as if there were unlimited opportunities to be found here. Her hesitation led her to glance at the other again, wondering whether she should follow, or lead.

"Alright, so which way do we head? My usual go to, is the right. But...I'll defer to experience here. I'm just here to make notes, I guess. Oh, and provide support - if it comes to that! I can do illusions and healing, and buffing and that sort of thing! Plus...scythe."

The words were rattling out of her now - the excitement paired with the nervousness causing her to speak more than her brain could filter. As she mentioned her weapon, she gave the chain a slight tug, causing it to rattle against the air. Her ears picked up the soft echoing, and she felt her tail twitch in agitation again, before she calmed herself. There's so much to explore, to find...think of the secrets to be unlocked! And you get to be a part of that!

 

[Crimson Ruby]

"You would be a good Whistle." Ruby smiled at the girl's words, taking the orange whistle on her chest and reaching it to her mouth before blowing it.

The whistle howled, announcing the next exploration... To the depths of the unknown, like every explorer would do.

"I can do a bit of all that too, so I think we got each other covered." Ruby swayed her tail, looking at the other girl and unwrapping their tails as she readied her sword. Its starry blade gave a faint dim light to them. Aside from her blade, Ruby soon opened her mouth, allowing a faint flame to escape from it. A flame that beated gently with her...

❰ Sol's Flame ❱

Ruby turned to Kyra, letting the flame hover near the girl.

"This is my friend's flame. It should help to light your way." She said, then peeking at the paths they had, and deciding to follow Kyra's lead.

"To the right then."

Spoiler: theme

Moving to the path on the right, Kyra and Ruby would soon find themselves reaching a wider corridor. It was a long, long straight line, with the two of them being surrounded by walls that were so high it was impossible to see its top, with the darkness hiding its true height.

The darkness also didn't allow the two girls to see just how far the straight line went to... All they knew was that they kept walking, walking and walking... And nothing seemed to change too much, at least not yet.

Still taking caution with each step, Ruby twitched her ears, trying to pay attention to any sound stimuli before slipping a question.

"Kyra... How long have you been playing?" She asked.

@Kyra Vashtana

 

[Siondhe]

She covered her ears slightly at the call of the whistle, the sound seeming to pierce her very core as it rang out over the area. Whatever it signified, was beyond Kyra - all she knew is that the pain it left behind was none too enjoyable, and something she hoped wouldn't occur frequently.

As the other called forth a burst of light, and began leading off to the right, Kyra ventured a step behind. She let her ears focus on any dangers ahead, trusting them to catch any sign of a threat far before her eyes - especially in this dark.

"Uhm...not long...I think it's been...well, a few hours, actually. I dropped not long ago, but got separated from the others...a lot of this is new to me - but the general gist of the game is pretty simple. I've got some experience with other mmos, including some VR ones. Nothing as intense as this, but enough to give me a baseline...of sorts."

Her words seemed to bounce off the walls as she followed the other girl, her scythe pulled in close to herself to keep it from clanging against the wall. She considered remaining silent, before her curiosity got the best of her.

"What's a...Whistle? I mean, aside from the one you blew on, of course..."

@Crimson Ruby

 

[Crimson Ruby]

The path continued almost endlessly, with each step echoing its sound in a way that those more attentive would notice that it reverberated so far it was impossible to catch when it ended. It could be a terrifying thought, what if they were walking in a path that never ended?

Ruby didn't want to think about, focusing on her conversation with Kyra. "That's a shame, they didn't try to find you?" Ruby asked, wondering if the girl was actually lost or outright abandoned. Some people were like that to others after all.

"I'd say you are a pretty hard sight to be missed." Ruby held back a chuckle behind a small smile.

When she questioned what was a Whistle, Ruby swayed her tail, stepping a bit closer. "A Whistle, or an explorer... or even a death's torchbearer, is a member of Explorer's League." She reached for her whistle, tugging it to show.

"You can find out who is one by these." Ruby said.

Meanwhile, the path both of them were taking widened a bit more, giving about 20 feet of space between each wall, making it feel more like a hall than a corridor now.

@Kyra Vashtana

 

[Siondhe]

She followed along behind Ruby, her feet padding the ground softly as the darkness seemed to stretch on, further and further. Their voices seemed to echo slightly as they spoke, regardless of the volume they used. The entire thing was eerie, putting Kyra into a feeling of unease as she tried to figure out if they were making any headway.

"Oh, I'm sure they're looking for me. Well, maybe...we uh...we got split up when there was a bit of an occurence. We made it to this one place, and then...well, I kind of got enraptured by something I saw and got split up. I couldn't find them in the safe zone we were in, so I figured they had left and maybe backtracked a bit...I thought I could just head out and look around the area a bit, before making my way back to the safe zone. I...well, I kind of got a bit lost...more lost...but that's when I came across you!"

Her tail swished in response to the answer regarding the Whistle, making it somewhat clearer. She considered for a moment, her own visage as an explorer. Wandering the unknowns, trying to find new places that had never been found before - blasting that whistle in recognition. Her ears twitched at that though, remembering the loud noise that had caused such pain to her. She shook her head, trying to push away the memory.

"Is the whistle-blasting a requirement of the role? Or just something that some people do...for fun?"

 

[Crimson Ruby]

Ruby listened attentively to the girl, paying attention to her worries and making sure to stay wary about her surroundings while she tried to share some of the attention with her. "That sounds like what usually happens to newcomers. There is always something that gets in the way... It is almost like the game wants to make these situations right off the bat to see if it can snatch the life away from you." Ruby said, reminding herself of her own first experience. Though at the time she had no idea about the UI-Lock issue.

At the question, Ruby twitched her ear and tried to ponder about it.

"The whistle is for a lot of things. But it is mostly for communication. It is a whistle, after all, it is used to call attention." Ruby said, pausing and looking at Kyra.

"I whistled because I always like to-" Before Ruby could finish her sentence, a rumble managed to cut her words short, and her eyes shifted around, wanting to understand where it was coming from.

It was when she realized the walls were moving... And moving toward them, probably meaning to crush them really soon.

"Time to run. Hold on tight-" Ruby exclaimed worriedly, trying to pick Kyra up in her arms, carefully to not get herself cut with the giant scyther before blasting off at full speed. Her dynamism made her dancing bells crackle and echo their sounds as she erupted in speed... The walls were slowly moving and narrowing the path, but since they couldn't know just how far they needed to rush, it was hard to have any hope of an escape.

Ruby gritted her teeth, speeding up even more before while her legs screamed for her to stop. At some point, they could finally spot the end of the tunnel...

Though, it was way too far.

@Kyra Vashtana

 

[Siondhe]

Kyra

She listened intently as Ruby explained, not only the common occurences of the newcomers to the game, but as well the purpose of the whistle she wore. Kyra nodded as she walked, unsure if the other could see her in the dark that surrounded them - or if they were even paying attention to begin with - but content to follow her guide silently, for the moment.

The words cut off as Ruby suddenly stopped short, her body shifting as Kyra picked up the sound of rumbling all around them - the walls grinding as if they were going to come toppling down on top of the pair. Instead, something worse began to occur - they began to inch inwards, as if planning to close in on the two entirely.

Before she could react, she'd been swept up into Ruby's arms, the slightly larger girl carrying her without much concern for the small amount of weight that Kyra presented. She could do little but hold on, as they dashed towards the far end of the corrider, the walls continuing to close in as they seemed to crawl across corridor.

"Uhm...Ruby, I don't mean to pressure you, but I think you need to go faster!"

She felt the magic suddenly erupt from her body, as she released the pent up energy, the Adrenalistic Boost spell she'd had stored up releasing, and providing a boost of energy to Ruby before Kyra could even consider what she'd done. She'd only looked into the spell once, knowing that it created some benefit toward's a target's haste.

As the girl beneath her seemed to speed up ever so slightly, Kyra couldn't help but look down at her hands, wondering what exactly she'd done, and how she could repeat the action when she needed to, if she ever did.

@Crimson Ruby

 

[Crimson Ruby]

"I am trying!" She answered with a hint of worry in her voice. There wasn't enough time. What should they do?

When the haste magic touched Ruby, it quickly reacted with her dynamism, causing a momentary crackle of energy that matched perfectly.

Maybe way too perfectly.

After one, two, three faster steps, an explosion of speed suddenly sent Ruby and Kyra rapidly forward. Ruby was fast, yes, but she has never ran this fast. She could feel her body piercing the air, almost ignoring its resistance while her legs became an incomprehensible blur.

She held Kyra tighter, knowing what could happen if she accidentally slipped from her arms.

The walls between them continued to close in, but at the pace they were running, the end of the tunnel was reaching quickly, very quickly--

They were saved!

...

If it wasn't for a twist of fate.

In such a blast of speed, paying attention to the surroundings or breaking the run immediately was impossible.

With a step, Ruby felt a pressure plate sinking under her feet.

A click was all her sensible ears could hear, with her eyes following down to notice something opening on the floor ahead.

"Sorry-!" She yelled.

Seeing how close to the end they were, Ruby thrusted the girl forward while trying to break her run.

With the momentum, the girl would manage to be tossed out of the tunnel, either by falling or by landing depending on her dexterity.

Meanwhile, Ruby couldn't manage to stop, and the opening floor soon got her falling in it, only managing to save herself when her hands held the ledge of the pitfall, holding on tight as she dangled for her life.

Were it in normal conditions, maybe she could pull herself back. But there were only a dozen seconds until the closing walls were to start touching her.

@Kyra Vashtana

 

[Siondhe]

Kyra

Everything became a blur as the twinned spells caused their speed to increase beyond what Kyra had ever expected to happen. There was little she could do, but pull herself closer to Ruby's body, clasping her eyes tight against the wind that buffetted them - as well as trying to tune out the closing world around them.

Suddenly, she felt as though she was flying, the words of the other lost in the wind. Kyra felt her chest tighten, the speed clearly too much as she felt light and heavy at the same time, as if sailing through the air. Wait but I don't feel Ruby's...

Her eyes opened with a flash, and she suddenly realised that she was flying - clearly having been tossed by some means. Barely able to react, she slammed into the ground, her left shoulder taking the brunt of the force, before she rolled a few metres. Dazed, the pain beyond anything she could imagine, she found herself staring at the closing walls moving towards her, before remembering that there was another there.

"Ru...bee....Ruuuubbyyyy....."

The words came out in a painful moan, as Kyra forced herself to roll over. Seeing for the first time the hole in the floor, and the fingertips clasping the edge. A shake of the head, and she was stumbling towards the hole, tripping twice before making her way to the edge.

"Hold...on...I help..."

She reached forward, grasping onto the other's hands as she called forth the magic once more, forcing her pain away with the healing spell she had in her inventory. The sudden change in her body caused her to react with a forceful pull that she would not have been able to do just moments before.

She barely managed it - pulling Ruby up at the last feasible second, the girl landing atop Kyra in a messy pile, just as the walls closed over the hole - barely milimetres from their feet. She could see the frazzled look of the other girl, and she couldn't help but giggle.

"Hi, it's nice to see you. I'm Kyra, and I'm not used to being covered by beauty."

She laid there for a moment, giggling at her own joke as she tried to recover from the experience that had just occurred, her mind still reeling. The excitement in her body still coursing through her like electricity. Wow. This is...wow...