Fandom Fairy Tail: Legacy of the Twilight Prophet

[DawnAntalios]

Just as the words left her mouth so did the illusions shimmer. Blaemaux and Latosius now stared at both of them with intent, neither of them saying a word just yet. The tension in the air made it feel like this moment lasted for an eternity while in reality but few seconds have passed. The girls awaited the judgment of the figures and slowly but steadily Blaemaux made her more, nodding.
"So you two say." she proclaimed, raising her hand. "Then we agree too."
"It is decided then." followed up Latosius "The way is open before you. Conquer or be conquered, nobles. And remember... great is the weapon that strikes your foes down but nothing is greater than the vigor of the virtuous."

And thus the two of them vanished and the portal before them widened to ten times of its previous size. Aeris felt both of them being dragged in even though the force was not nearly as staggering than she had anticipated. She closed her eyes as she felt the world shifting around them, the entirety of the palace fading into obscurity and were swallowed by the abyss. It felt like that the both of them had been drifting into the endless eternity as they had been gripped in by an external force, magical tendrils touching them left and right as the very universe unraveled around them...

Then everything stopped. The haze abated, the shadows receded... and now the two of them stood at the entrance of a strange maze. Three ways were open before them, three distinct entrances to usher them into the fray. Just as they were symbolized before by name so did the entrances have the same description above them. It appeared that one final time they were offered a choice where to enter.
"The game begins..." Aeris whispered as she looked around, seeing nothing but an endless abyss around them. "It appears we need to make the first move again... the paths are open... but instead of a theoretical approach this time it is for real."
She glanced at Eias.
"As the Matriarch I believe it is customary for you to choose for us, Eias. Lead and I shall follow - no matter where we need to go to."

 

[Bolts]

She stared up at the visions as they appeared to be thinking. They were probably waiting on everyone's decision before they send anyone in. It would be unfair to give a team a head start now wouldn't it. Still, even with that thought in her mind, it was nerve wracking. Standing and waiting in the darkness brought forth unpleasant thoughts of what was to come. Before she could dwell on them for too long, the visions spoke once again. They had been accepted and it was time to make their move. She prepared her stance to run but it wasn't a normal start to a race. They seemed to be slowly transported to the arena. She closed her eyes as bright white overtook them. Mere moments later, she opened her eyes to see they were in a new area.

Three paths into a labyrinth were all they could truly see. The trials lay before them but they didn't know which lead where.
"So it does..." she piped in. "As for where we start... I have heard that keeping to the left side of the wall is a good idea. Makes getting lost harder." She said extending her hand to lead Aeris in.

 

[DawnAntalios]

Aeris nodded at Eias' comment. It was common knowledge, yes, she herself had heard of this before but never did she need to put this into practice. Nevertheless, she was eager to complete the trials so she accepted the extended hand of Eias as both of them walked into the maze. The darkness around them - though it was unnatural - seemed not to lash out or to harm them. The perpetual midnight served merely as the veil of this realm and not a threatening force which made them quiver in fear. Still, she felt that they needed to be on their guard.

The maze seemed to be endless. The more they delved into its depths the more confused Aeris became. Every corner felt like the same, every turn made her feel that it was the one they just passed through. Though she knew that it was the exact purpose of the building it unnerved her regardless of this fact.
"It feels ominous that it is so silent." she spoke up as they took yet another turn. "The silence is almost deafening... If only there would be a way to track our position..."
Suddenly a little weakness shook her for but a moment. She blinked and shook it off, not knowing whence it came. Looking around she focused her attention on Eias.
"We somehow need to pierce the darkness to find the correct way. I... may have an idea that just might work but I am uncertain about it..."
She looked at her palm where a little light began to flicker.
"I can conjure little orbs to mark our spots where we had previously been. Problem is... this realm is really... volatile to magic. Not in a sense that it is dangerous but more like the fact that I would... likely draw attention to ourselves. Either of the other nobles or different traps which lay here somewhere as I imagine."
She turned to her friend.
"What do you think: should I conjure some orbs for us now? Or you think I should wait with it and conserve my powers for later and possibly avoid the attention of others for now?"

 

[Bolts]

As the delved deeper into the maze, they soon came to realize how enormous it actually was. The light began to dim and there was still an unknown amount of distance they had to travel. For all they knew, they could have walked around in a full circle. When Aeris brought up the option of gaining light, Eias eyes lit up. She did have a point though. They would draw some massive attention to themselves should they.
"I would like some light... but you have a point." she said trying to think. From what she could remember, the lights floated in place. "Say... could you, by chance, create a light away from us. Not too far but far enough we wouldn't be directly in the light?" She said hopeful. If her friend could, it would make tracking them harder and make any of the jumpy teams react without them actually being there.

 

[DawnAntalios]

Aeris was thinking about what Eias said and her words did indeed have merit. If they could utilize her source of magic as both a bait and something that could help them out then it would surely aid their cause in more ways then one. The thing was, she knew not how far the other teams had gotten so far, but she cared not.
"That should be a good idea." she said, looking around for perfect spots. She had looked up in the sky with a tentative gaze. "Let's see if I can conjure up some magical sight above us..."

She focused her efforts to pull out a moderate sized flame orb to illuminate their path and lobbed it up into the sky. Immediately after black, swirling clouds smothered the piercing light in an instant, devouring it without trace. Stunned by the efficiency of the warding magic Aeris paused.
"No scouting the skies I guess." she said with a sardonic smile "Normal plan, your way then."
She now began making small balls of fire, putting them tentatively together.
"The magic should be able to confuse others... if they can even see them." she said confidently "Though the truth of the matter is that I am very uneasy about this environment. Being so well protected and heavily sealed I am not certain what else may be in store for us."
She was finished by the summoning and turned to her friend.
"I made some to encircle you. Some minor protection, nothing else... and they serve as sources of light too. Now to see if mischief could aid us or not..."

She lobbed one ball after another in every direction, dotting the maze just briefly with balls. Immediately some reaction and far-away noises made certain that she was successful... in ways she could not even conceive it. The balls did not only scatter in the small area: they traversed through the walls into other, similar labyrinths to surprise their opponents.
"I... this is troubling." she said "It seems that in THIS particular maze we are alone... but there are other mazes out there with the others who may launch attacks against us in any fashion and nay time. We may be completely caught off guard at this rate..."

She looked around as it seemed that some balls remained around for scouring purposes: from the right side they flickered silently, leaving their mark and showing a path forward... from the left side however they were embraced and consumed by magics of the maze, signaling something powerful lurking there.
"It appears yet another choice is before us. The left path is probably the harder one but it is certain that it will lead somewhere we need to go to. The right path seems to hold no immediate danger though we may never know in this place..."

 

[Bolts]

Eias watched as the orbs flew around in hopes that something would happen. To her dismay, darkness ate at them. Whatever scouting magic anyone held was utterly useless it would seem. Not too soon after, she watched more being spread around the halls. Yells from a distance were heard but no one to be seen.The strange part was seeing the orbs disappear into the walls in a phasing matter. It seemed the others were close by even if they couldn't be seen.
"It would appear that way... Let's stay on our toes then. Those orbs may have made someone jumpy and ready to 'Fight' back." She said as she turned to the halls that Aeris spoke of.
"If I had to guess, the one with no immediate danger is the most dangerous one. It only seems fitting for this game. So... I think we should go that way. Get it out of the way first and have an easier time."

 

[DawnAntalios]

Aeris nodded at her friend's proposal. Looking into the path which seemed to be open for them for the taking she began to walk.
"Let us traverse that one for now then. But be on your guard. I know not what we may find in there..."
And thus they began walking the road lit by the little balls of fire. The maze was eerily silent, only their footsteps lingering in the air as they walked cautiously. Aeris kept throwing out small balls one after another to illuminate their path and she was happy to see that they were entering into a newer territory. They were no longer traversing the same paths all over again which was promising at least - now they were on a track they knew led somewhere.

The more they walked forward the more taxing it became for Aeris to keep up with her magic. The air became thicker and focus became more difficult. She slowed her pace to conserve energy, trying to summon balls only when they were of utmost importance.
"There is magic in the air... or, more precisely, the lack of it." she said quietly, looking left and right "I am not certain yet but we are encroaching upon an area we are all too familiar with... but the calmness makes it difficult to determine danger ahead."
Normally she would have welcomed the silence as their veil but this time it was something troubling. They were alone for sure... but it felt like that they were too alone.

The air - though it was not apparent due to its invisible nature - grew even more heavy in the strangest way: it allowed Aeris to think clearly but it greatly inhibited her to think up words of magic. Slowly and steadily she felt as if her capabilities to cast anything were dwindling by the minute.
"Be cautious, Eias." she whispered "I think we will enter the domain of the first real test. Try to... conserve your magic."
She said as they reached yet another open ended path, this time three separate roads leading to different lanes. All were identical... all looked the same...

 

[Bolts]

As they walked, the halls grew ever more silent. The only thing that Eias could focus on was the steps they took and the light breathing as walking slowly taxed their stamina. It wasn't the most welcoming of areas. She would have liked a little noise. That way she would know there was something around. Something to prepare for that wasn't her own mind.
She looked to Aeris who pointed out the lack of magic as well. She was so focused on her own mind that she didn't even check to see what was going on around them! The air grew thicker as the walked into a strange area. She could feel her mind growing foggy for some reason. As though some information was being blocked by some force. Not too soon after, she felt her chest tighten slightly. Not enough to release air, but enough to tell her something was going on. She felt she knew what trial they were going through. Even though she was glad Aeris was going to be okay for a short time still, she soon regretted the choice. She knew what was about to happen to herself. She shut her eyes and began walking forward, bracing for the pain.
"Come on then. Let's head back into that maze."

 

[DawnAntalios]

Aeris felt a little throbbing in her chest as they proceeded at Eias' behest. She now too had the clear idea of where they headed... and knew that they had to be on their toes. She had no brought any weapon - not like she was proficient with most aside from wielding a sword ever so often - and she suspected that Eias had brought none either. Their wits and will were the ones that were ought to see them through and upon these virtues did they have to rely. She braced herself as she gently grabbed the hand of Eias.
"I think we both know what is coming next." she said, turning to her friend "If you ever in need just hold me hands. I will lend you whatever power I can."
She smiled as they slowly pushed on into the middle road of the maze.

The maze seemed to become more and more complex as they proceeded forward. With her magic slowly ebbing away it was almost impossible to create magic they can back-track on... but perhaps that was the exact intent of those who had designed the trial. Needing to focus on their own knowledge to find the ins and outs of the place by yourself. She felt her clothes weighing heavier by the moment as the air became more harsh as they proceeded: this meant that they were on the right track for sure but it also meant that their advance will be more and more difficult.
"The shadows... deepen." she said as they pushed onward "It is clear we are amidst of the depths of the maze... yet I can barely see anything ahead of us, let alone find us a path... If only we could..."

A lamenting cry shook the entirety of the maze as Aeris froze in place. She quickly pulled herself and Eias to a nearby wall, trying to hide away from whatever force of trickery was coming. Shortly after the walls ahead of them opened and a ghastly cry of anguish laced into magical essence pierced through the wall. It appeared that some other nobles opted to use more... powerful spells to distract their foes than they did.
"Some had found each other in the maze it would seem..." Aeris whispered, feeling anxiety creeping up on her "We must be cautious not to be caught in its effects..."
Even as she said that the air grew chillier, almost freezing to inhale. As she took small sips of air in she felt dread slowly overwhelming her. Panic wrestled to overtake her mind, no doubt an effect of the unholy spell the other noble had sought to cast on all of his or her opponents to slow them down. With the lack of magical prowess to resist the powerful, mind addling effect she struggled to keep a clear head in this seemingly endless darkness. So as it assailed the red-eyes girl did the spell envelop Eias and began toying with her emotions, feelings and her courage - not knowing what the girl would do in the face of despair without most of her magic to protect her.

 

[Bolts]

As they ventured further in, Eias could feel the magic whisking away from her. The cloth tightening all around. Her face slowly went red, only covered by the darkness, as air and blood flow became harder to manage. She could hardly keep up with Aeris, who was much more proficient in this environment, as they continued. She didn't want to take any of the power that Aeris had. She would need it for herself if trouble came. It wasn't safe for one to be weak. If they wanted to survive they would both need to act at their best.

Just as the darkness enveloped them completely, a yell echoed out. At first, she rested against the wall, allowing herself to rest. That didn't last long as the environment began to change. The air grew cold and her mind began to gnaw at her with negative energy. Fear, anxiety, and all other forms of dismay rose in her.

In the darkness, she was alone. No Aeris to protect her from what she could see. In her isolation, a lullaby played through her head lightly. A simple flute pattern that calmed her down in her young days on the caravan. Her adoptive mother taking care of her in a time of need.
She could hardly feel her hands as the air was chilled but she knew where her flute was. With shaking palms, she brought the fine crafted metal to her lips and played her lullaby. She focused hard on the nice memory that was brought on by fear. A light in the shadows.
"Come on, we have to keep moving. Don't want to freeze here." She said in between breaths. She walked while shouldering the wall, being careful with each step. It may give their position away but she had to deal with the mind games at play in the moment.

 

[DawnAntalios]

The cowled figures watched diligently as the contenders were fighting off traps set by them and by the others. None of the realms seemed to be dormant, all five seemed to be in turmoil one way or another. They were silent, observing everything with cold, analytic eyes and were anticipating results from everyone.
"Some are already faltering. A pity." the voice of Latosius said with an emotionless state. "One pair is already on the brink of giving up. Though it is their own fault for picking the hardest trial first... seemingly their nightmares overcame them."
The other form frowned.
"They fall and thus fail. Not everyone can persevere to be the victor." the clear voice of Blaemaux resounded as she looked around the room "Illina is still nowhere to be found. She had gone for quite a while now and should have returned from the commons. Maybe we should ask around for help this time..."
"No." Latosius frowned "Should the populus hear about disturbances like this in a time like this it would be nothing but panic. The games must conclude first before we turn our attention to the matter."
Blaemaux nodded but did not reply immediately. Next to them, Meryl, silently watched how the teams struggled. The game had only started but many of them were already facing difficulties... including Eias and Aeris. Focusing her attention to their domain she inspected their situation next.

Aeris heard the voice of Eias cutting through the creeping fear and she was relieved. A candle in the tempest, a light in the dark to cling to, a breath of fresh air - that is what her friend was right now. Making sure that she was not interrupted she nodded at her.
"As you wish. We proceed... slowly..." she said as they began to move once again. The deafening scream was now nothing more but a memory, something to sap one's mind and fortitude... its effects still lingered in Aeris' mind but she now found a new purpose: to protect the one she cared about the most. The kind lullaby made her feel a bit more at ease and allowed the duo to proceed, to delve deeper into the maze without them faltering.

Minutes had passed which felt like an eternity but they continued on. The darkness that held dominion did not lessen, it merely shifted inwards into a more tricky version of itself. It made the air thicker than ever, making it so that the girls felt its scarcity around them as if they were climbing a mountain. Evidently not many had made this far into the depths for they heard no other sound from external sources save for their own. The magic around here seemed to almost completely nullified, the last trickles of what Aeris could muster were at the cost of her male illusion which she now used as a last resort but she knew it would fade away soon enough. They were proceeding into the depths of the maze quite confidently: twists and turns welcomed the two of them left and right and all impeded their movement towards their goal. The walls seemingly watched them, making sure that everything went as planned. No traps were sprung just now but Aeris was almost certain that something lurked just beyond their reach which watched them... and waited.
"S-so..." she began, her voice quaking just a bit "It is pretty obvious to me that... this is the trial of endurance we have stumbled into."
She looked at her friend.
"How are you holding up? Do you want us to stop for a little bit?"

 

[Bolts]

Eias continued through the darkness as the noise around them faltered. The inital fear was still there, but any lasting effects faded from thought. She continued playing for just a while longer before she couldn't exhale reliably anymore. She braced herself agaisnt a wall as she tried to orient herself in the darkness.
"It's probably the watchers who you sense...For all we know they are on the other side of the wall in the strange magic place." She said waving an arm out though they couldn't see.
She took the moment to understand they had stumbled into the next trial by accident. No light to help them see such a mistake.
"As much as I would like to.. something tells me if we take a break it will only get worse. Even if we are moving a little, we cannot stop here."

 

[DawnAntalios]

Aeris listened to Eias' idea and nodded. Stopping now would only prove more difficult to press on for sure... they had to keep on moving, no matter how difficult it might have been. Bracing herself for whatever was to come they pushed onward with certainty. The weather did not change for a while, it did not worsen but nor did it become better. Aeris had a sneaking suspicion that whoever designed the challenges did so in layers: they gradually became more and more difficult to overcome, allowing the contender to be eased into the trial. She was glad for the no sudden increase in difficulty but she was also a bit unnerved by this. So far only the darkness and the thickness of the air proven that they were advancing and everything went smoothly otherwise. Too smoothly...

Just as if her paranoid thoughts were a signal to the environment around them she heard a grinding noise coming from behind. Whirling around however she saw nothing but Eias and the empty hallways they were approaching forward so far. When she turned back to continue the journey they found a massive wall blocking their way.
"The maze... it is shifting..." Aeris said in horror as she grasped Eias' hand more firmly. The way around them was sealing left and right, threatening to close the girls tight if they did not hurry."
"We must move, now!" she exclaimed, trying to run with her friend as much as she could. Trying to conserve her strength she kept up the hastened pace for as long as she could - which was not a too extensive period of time. Soon finding herself panting she had to slow down as the maze around them still completely turned and shifted around. So much for finding their way out easily...

Still trying to find a safe place to be they arrived at a forked road which lead to two separate ways. Interestingly both had different colored mist creeping in them and above them the mist wrote different sentences. To the left, in the azure blue mist the words "Free of mind" were to be read. On the right in the dark purple mist the "Free of stamina" were to be seen. Behind them, as expected, the road closed up, forcing them, once again, to choose.
"This is just getting better..." Aeris panted "I am sure the descriptions mean much worse than they imply... Which one are you up to?"

 

[Bolts]

As the continued, things didn't get better or worse. They fell complacent to the norm of the maze with its twisting halls and darkness. She could feel herself growing a little weaker as they continued, the clothing tightening more and more. If they didn't find a good place to stand for a moment, things wouldn't look well for them in the long run.
Just as those thoughts hit her, she heard the thuds from behind her. Looking with Aeris, they noticed the walls closing as the maze shifted. Just as Aeris said, they needed to move fast before things became worse. They sprinted as best they could through the halls, occasionally bumping into walls as it turned a sharp corner. The thuds grew more as the reached a strange fork. Mists in halls that read different things.
"Freedom of mind... or stamina..." She said as she tilted her head, breaking heavily. She thought for a moment. Freedom probably meant it would be taken away to the most it could. That being said, mind and stamina were important during this time. For the moment though, they needed their wits. As long as they could think rationally, the would be fine, right?
"Freedom of Stamina. We should go there."

 

[DawnAntalios]

It made sense. Aeris was unsure which one she would have chosen but she agreed with the one her friend decided on too. Though she was not all that keen on losing stamina or worse she knew that it was probably the easier one for them to handle. With clear intent she, alongside with Eias, walked into the narrow path.
At first nothing really happened, the creeping mist posed but an idle threat to them. They were seemingly unaffected by whatever force was lurking here for now and they were just allowed to pass unharmed. That was until they reached a few more meters into the path. Aside from the maze constantly - but now slowly - shifted around to confuse them Aeris felt as if her legs were made from led. Each step was becoming harder than the previous as she struggled to maintain the graceful posture she had from previously. Lifting her arms, her head or even just turning her head around proven to be quite taxing... not to mention the crushing feeling she had not on her chest. She would have whimpered if she had the strength to do it but it felt like a vacuum was crashing over her.

Still, she felt she could not relent. If anything then she had to be strong for Eias and strong for the belief that they could push through this. For a moment she considered to give in to... her feelings. To embrace this situation and revel in it. But she quickly dismissed it... she would not succumb to temptation, not now. So many things that had to be done, so many challenges to overcome... she could not surrender now.

Slowly, she managed to turn to Eias with a smile.
"How... are you holding... up?" she managed to squeeze out the words with as much confidence as possible, trying to make her voice not quiver "This maze's architecture... its... breathtaking, isn't it?" she tried to joke to make the mood lighter.

 

[Bolts]

As the ventured into the maze, things seemed normal. the mist touched them without any affect. For a moment, eias felt they took a wrong turn. Perhaps they should have taken the mind path instead since they already had some endurance trial. It wasn't till a few more steps in when she felt the strange feeling. Her legs felt like weights. Her movement slowed terribly to a near halt. It was even hard to keep her eyes open. Not from fatigue but from the sheer effort it took to keep the muscle going.
"You... said it." She said with a light chuckle. This wasn't the best moment they had but at least Aeris was trying.
"I guess we are in another trial then.. huh? I don't know what is worse. Not having our wits or the energy to keep going." For this moment, she wanted to just lay down. She knew that was a bad idea. Who knew if they would be able to get back up. She could only rely on their forward momentum now.
"How far do you think we are?"

 

[DawnAntalios]

It felt like as if her legs were made out of lead and her energy was almost completely drained yet Aeris felt the need to push on still. Ever so slowly they made their progress into the maze, looking around for quick turns or roads to follow which could potentially lead them to their destination. As she listened to Eias she shook her head.
"No, I don't think that." she concluded "You know how much the people of Ca-Elum love complexity and intricate puzzles... this all is probably still the part of the first trial... seemingly it really wants to test our endurance, mental and physical alike. Seems like that these traps and assets in this maze serve to test us from multiple angles... rather well crafted, I have to say."
She sighed.
"My feet are burning... they surely know how to test the waters the most crucial way possible..."

Their path was now a semi clear one. The mist began to take on a different color than from before, still slowing the girls down but also began working on its new testing phase. Meryl watched them through the other realm as the other observers did but she said nothing. She knew how the mist worked as she helped out in manifesting it. She and Latosius worked tirelessly to push everyone potentially to their limits yet to also make the tests... completable. Still... knowing what lurked ahead of the girls did not make it easier to watch.
"Be careful..." she whispered to herself, her hand curling into fists "Do not be too reckless with your march..."

"We should be... at least half our way there." Aeris said confidently "If there mechanics found in the maze are designed to test us methodically they will get more complex gradually... and if it is of any coincidence this will also mean that we will be getting closer to our goal too."
Hearing the confidence surging in her words brought a smile on her own face. They will persevere, they will triumph - no questions asked. She wanted to push onward as she saw the mist slowly but steadily vanishing from their sight, giving her renewed purpose.
"Another opening seems to be up ahead!" she said, tired but happy "Let us push forward and..."
It was at this moment that she realized that she had to stop moving. Her body - her lungs - was aflame... in the most curious way. Whenever she wanted to force a step forward she felt her breath ebbing. Whenever she tried to rush a bit she felt losing her sense of control. Every step her breath was taken away - literally. The mist now worked within her and within Eias: whenever they would take a hasty step a moment of breathlessness would envelop them. If they kept constantly walking they would just suffocate at this rate. It was almost as if their breathing had been reversed.

"Nghh..." Aeris moaned, clutching her chest as it kept tightening at her constant walking "My... breath... it... stops..."
She had to finally pause for a moment, both her legs and her body being thankful for it. Her air hungry mind tried to find a solution to this: every test had a reason, a meaning behind it and she was certain that this one had as well. They were facing a difficult dilemma: they could rest a bit, taking careful, measured steps in order to overcome the mist's magic... or they could have continued their forced march forward and risk everything.

 

[Bolts]

Eias nodded in acknowledgement to Aeris words. While she was still skeptical, the nobles probably did have a plan for this all. She still didn't like the situation they were in.
Just as Aeris was stepping forward, with passion in her voice, Eias saw her stagger and clutch her chest. Eias hastily stepped towards her to help out but too was hit by the same strange power. She couldn't breath! It was a horrid experience as she fell to her knees as she clutched her chest as well. It wasn't till she took a moment when she could finally breath again. She looked up to Aeris with a shocked gaze.
"Mine... Mine too." She said shakily. Unsure, she began to rise, preparing for the air to leave, which it did.
"It's like when we move, our breath leaves.. but we need to keep moving. How?"

 

[DawnAntalios]

Aeris gritted her teeth as she tried to stay put as much as possible. It seemed like a very tricky trap for sure and one that required coordination to overcome. Slowly, she turned to her friend with a determined look.
"I guess... it is an eloquent way of telling us that we should slow down with our advance..." she said, forcing the words out as she mustered her strength to do so. She forced herself to stand up and began thinking.
"I only have two ideas for now. One is to walk very slowly and carefully, banding together. If we walk like that we may be able to overcome the trial without much problems. However, it will tear at us one moment at a time, every time. It might be taxing but it should be manageable. The other solution..."
She looked at Eias, up and down, scanning her with her own eyes. After moments of humming and thinking she nodded.

"Presumably the trap only activates when YOU move. But it shouldn't when you are MOVED." she said, looking at her feet "I think it might be plauseable for us to advance at a normal pace if you stand on my feet and clutch me tightly whilst I carry you forward. That way you would be spared from the difficulties of breathing and also the stamina loss from walking and I could push us onward in a normal pace for a while. And who knows..."
She chuckled.
"If I ever need some air I will just borrow some from you with a kiss. How does that sound?"

Meryl's eyes widened in surprise from such a silly plan. She knew Aeris did not mind putting herself in harm's way even after she promised to try to avoid it but... this one was absolutely outrageous for the spirit. She almost lost her composure before she calmed herself down, looking at Eias in the orb inquisitively - she wanted to know whether the Muse had an alternative plan or accepted everything that were used as ideas.

 

[Bolts]

Eias took what Aeris said and thought about it. It was true. It would be taxing but it was the only way they would get through there would be some sacrifice. What she brought up next was out of the question. Even though she blushed for a moment, the idea still stood in the open.
"Absolutely not!" She said loudly. She wasn't about to let Aeris suffer all on her own. Besides, lugging her around so much would only worsen the sapping of her energy. If they were going to make it past the trial, they had to both be at the best they could. Even if they had to suffer together.
"As nice as that sounds, I can't let you do that. You're just as important as I am. If you were to stop moving because all your energy was out, then I am left alone when I didn't need to be." She huffed.
She moved closer to Aeris now, with a softened expression.
"Thank you for your concern but we need to do this together, okay?"

 

[DawnAntalios]

Aeris sighed as she looked at her friend. Somehow she was not surprised by the stalwart, stubborn nature of Eias - in fact, she found her refreshingly cute and adorable because of it. As she managed to get a hold of herself and listen to the outburst of the girl she looked at her with a smile then turned her attention to the maze. The shifting seemed to slow down as they delved deeper into the reaches of this magical world so it was only logical that instead of that mechanic they needed to handle the other... sapping tasks ahead of them.
"Right..." she said, nodding to her "So it seems that these are the two things we need to deal with for now: the more we move the more exhausted we become and the less we can breathe. That is... definitely not the odds I wanted to face so early on but perhaps getting them out of the way could be useful. One can only hope that these will not come back later..."

She looked around, trying to find a way to follow again and she saw yet again that the path divided itself into three parts ahead, no doubt two of those were leading to dead ends. She cursed in silence but then she noticed something as she whispered: a faint, purple colored air-puff came out of her mouth. Her eyes widened in the realization: no doubt it was the magical breath they inhaled which made their life difficult... but perhaps this was to their advantage this time.
"Perhaps... perhaps we can use the magic dampening to our advantage this time!" she said, panting, looking up at Eias "This particular trial is all about endurance and neutralizing magic, right? But that means... that the way we actually need to follow will concentrate... magic smothering essences more than the dead ends!"
She managed to twirl around, though a sudden vertgio made her regret her choice but she pushed on.
"Could... could you play with your flute perhaps?" she asked "I know it would probably trigger a trap... but... The magical notes may very well show us the right path, even if momentarily: the instant they enter the right pathway this magic-blocking air should snuff them out immediately and you could find us the right path. Would... would you be willing to play?"

 

[Bolts]

Eias followed behind Aeris as they slowly made their way through the maze more. Each step, she couldn't breath. Each step, her knees felt like giving out. Should they stop, they would permanently be stuck there. In her agony, she stopped just before Aeris. Looking up, she could see the three pathways. She didn't know if it was new trials or not, but she didn't like the looks of it. It wasn't till Aeris pointed out the obvious did she understand what was going on. With a quick nod, she pulled her flute out. I don't know how this will fair with the loss of breath, but I will do my best.
She pointed down the left side first. It took her a moment to think of a song to play but the notes came out with ease. Gently, she turned as she made the notes go down the center, then lastly the right. She didn't know what would happen as she closed her eyes to concentrate. A small moment later, she stopped and looked to Aeris to see what had happened.

 

[DawnAntalios]

In anticipation she looked at the pathways as the notes drifted towards them. A bit of anxiety enveloped her as she watched the notes vanish one by one in every lane completely normally and she was about to curse again at the ineffectiveness of this tactic. But just then the lane to the left began to vibrate and literally consumed the last remaining notes in an absent-minded fury before it returned to normal. Raising her spirits Aeris nodded.
"That will be the one!" she claimed silently, trying to preserve her strength. Turning to Eias she gently held her closer by the hip and hugged her "You did it, Eias! This is the road we must follow. Come now, slowly but steadily we shall progress forward!"
And thus, with conviction, they began to move.

"Interesting." Latosius hummed "One noble team has fallen already, another seems to struggle greatly - but the other three are strong."
"The new Matriarch is not the toughest one." Blaemaux commented "Yet she committed to go through the trial of endurance first... she is either foolish or is just a great tactician. I guess we will have to see."
"Indeed." the man nodded, looking at Meryl "What do you think about the progress, Lady Meryl? You remained quite silent."
The spirit nodded.
"The three team progresses greatly, the new Matriarch and her companion is slowly reaching the core of the trial. I just wonder how they will fare there. You made certain that the main crux of the trials would be the hardest to overcome."
Latosius smiled.
"But of course. That is why we are here, yes?" he smiled, turning his attention to the two girls "I wonder if the tenacity of the Matriarch will keep her going..."

Step by step. Progress by progress. That is how the girls managed to advance in the corridor Eias had scouted out. It appeared that though this part was even more filled with the thick air it was the right way to progress in. Slowly and steady Aeris forced herself to push on, not letting her friend go. Even as her breath ebbed and her head was swirling with an ever increasing frequency she knew that it was time for them to push on relentlessly.
They once again reached a point where the crimson-eyed girl could go no further. Leaning against the wall of the maze she clutched her chest, the throbbing, painful sharp agony coursing through her with vigor. She panted as she held Eias closer, sheltering her.
"The darkness... it is getting condensed... methodically..." she said, nodding "That... is good in a sense. That means... that we are... close to our first goal."
She managed to get in some refreshing sanity as she looked at her friend.
"We can... stay put for a bit. To... catch our breath." she said, managing a faint smile "I... I am very happy... to be with YOU here... Eias. I... would not be able to... to persevere without the... most wonderful person... on this world."
She leaned closer, giving her a quick kiss as a happy gift.
"T-thank... you... for being who you are."
The air around them shifted, whether it was reacting to their emotions or not it was not certain... but the concentration of the magic in it increased - no wonder, they were likely very close to their first goal. The air seemed to seep into their clothes now as well, seeking to dispel any protective magic they had left within it. Soon enough they would be removed, leaving the girls at the mercy of the spellwork that lingered in the halls.

 

[Bolts]

Eias followed along with Aeris as the maze grew darker and darker. She could hardly see a few feet in front of her let alone the paths they had taken. Without any bread crumbs, they had to rely on their senses and instincts. It wasn't the best when their energy was getting sapped with each step as well.
She could feel the hungry powers gnashing at her magic that kept her stable. Soon, there would be nothing left. That and Aeris's illusion would be gone. She leaned in for the quick kiss. This was going to be the last leg of the first trial and something that would really show their tenacity.
"Thank you." She said at Aeris's words of courage. Though, in the back of her mind, Eias now had doubts about being herself.
"A few more moments and we should leg it to the last bit. Get it over with and hope there is some relief at the end."

 

[DawnAntalios]

Aeris nodded to her friend as she looked around. It was getting obvious which way they needed to go, the deeper they delved into the shadows the less forks in their paths did they have. Instead of the obvious misleading action they had to face previously they now needed to face more insidious trials as they reached the heart of the trial. The magic in their lungs was working away, making them to think about every step they had to make... but now as their clothes were saturated with a different kind of magic they were surely to be surprised before the end. Everything seemed to bent on stopping them from reaching the trial's heart.
"Right. I think we should make our move. We are almost there." she said confidently, looking into the distance.

Indeed, at the end of this particular corridor was a strange, glimmering light which was almost beckoning them closer and closer. She knew not why but she somehow knew it to be the correct direction so that was where they needed to head. As they moved forward, however, the magics returned to haunt them. Their steps grew heavy with the burden attached to them, their breath became shallow as they made their careful steps... and now something else returned to fight against them...
Their own attire.

"I think... I think this... this corridor leads to... the destination. Almost... almost there..." Aeris gritted her teeth as she held Eias ever so closely still. She knew that if they were to do it they had to do it together. She felt her clothes tighten now, as before, and was pretty sure that this was yet another layer of difficulty to overcome. Her body was aching and felt bruised but she could not help but to push forward. She only hoped that they would make it.
Similarly to hers Eias' clothes decided to test the fortitude of their wearer. Breaking any magical inhibition they had they began to mercilessly tighten around her waist and around her neck - slowly and steadily first then as they proceeded further ever so slowly it intensified and began more powerful, almost as if they were clawing at her with calamitous intent. Her body never looked as defined as now but it was not without its price - with all the three powerful enhancements working against her Eias - and her friend - had to make her stand: she either persevered... or gave up.