excellent decisions.

[dramatispersonae]

--

Comments

[dramatispersonae]

You are at the entrance to a hedge maze. It's hard to see very much ahead of you; pale mist curls over everything.

At your feet is a glass dial -- it has only one hand. Marked around its edges are copper numerals: one to thirteen.

[fallinflames]

[looks around and sighs heavily]

... Do I even get a clue first?

[dramatispersonae]

"How many times do you wish your memory shared? The dial is for that choice."

[fallinflames]

[chuckles and considers before squatting down to move the dial of the hand to four]

... I think that's all for now.

[dramatispersonae]

The dial glitters. You may feel a strange tugging sensation in your mind. Something being drawn out...divided up...

[fallinflames]

[closes his eyes breathing a little harder at the weird sensation]

[dramatispersonae]

It stops.

You hear the sound of flapping wings.

[fallinflames]

[cocks his head to the side to see if he can find the source of the wings]

Now... now what?

[dramatispersonae]

Four little white birds soar down into the fog of the hedge maze and disappear.

"Now you capture them, to take back with you."

[fallinflames]

Thank you, Firebird.

[and he reaches down to unlock his wheels before dashing into the maze after the birds]

[dramatispersonae]

The first corridor is a three-way split! Do you go west, north or east?

[fallinflames]

[west]

[dramatispersonae]

There are many dead ends, corridors that loop on themselves, and confusing turnarounds. As you go deeper in, though, the walls change substance around you -- they are no longer leafy hedges, but dark thorny vines.

[fallinflames]

[continues moving quickly through the path, head up and looking around for the birds, though he stays well away from the thorns]

[dramatispersonae]

You feel a prick on your ankle--

[fallinflames]

[slows, glancing down at his ankle]

[dramatispersonae]

A vine is moving to wrap around it!

[fallinflames]

[sword out and slices down at the vine, moving away from it]

[dramatispersonae]

You cut it! It thrashes on the ground behind you. There's a harsh hissing noise that seems to come from all around, from the vine walls.

[fallinflames]

[comes to a stop, looking at the walls]

[dramatispersonae]

They're writhing.