Feeling my body being kicked out of the window free falling head first into my impending doom I also feel Marry clutching my body tightly and hear Lanc and Marcs surprised screams of shock.
''I don't want to...'' Screams the Ursa full of fear and the dwarf shouts. ''I'm just too great to...''
''What the...'' I hear Bron surprised outcry before making contact with the water surrounding the ruins.
Not knowing what is happening I activate my 'Astral Movement' stopping time. Stepping on the water surface I stop mine and Marry's impending collision. Phasing through the nearby sanctuary wall, princess carrying the redhead into the room behind it. Placing her there I return outside. There I find Marc pissing himself mid-flight and Lanc desperately clutching his guitar. Clutching both of them under my arms I also prevent heir impending collision with the surface of the water. Again phasing through the pyramids outer wall I return with the two guys to where I just deposited Merry. Deactivating 'Astral Movement' time returns and the four of us collapsed onto the floor from the remaining kinetic energy in our body's product by our free fall.
''... die!'' I hear Marc scream and Lance shout simultaneously when they hit the floor, me and Merry collapsing on top of each other.
''Are we dead?'' Asks Merry me laying on top, looking down at me with big sapphires like eyes and slightly parted lips. -Beautiful-
''No we aren't dead otherwise what are you doing here in the user exclusive haven!'' Scolds Marc her standing up.
''Shut up Marc!'' I shout at the bursar being pissed at him of losing the lovey-dovey mood between Marry and me.
''Sif is the right man. Now is not the time for PISSING each other off.'' Says Lance gently reminding the bursar of his wet pants.
''Thanks Lance, I appreciate it you being the voice of reason,'' I tell the dwarf standing up myself and pulling Merry up with me.
''Fuck reason I just want a moment of silence to check if my instrument is still intact!'' Say the dwarf stroking lovingly a few strings of his guitar and checking the sound.
Seeing the dwarf touch the strings like a lover his mistress all of us can't hold back and hearty laugh easing the tension created by the overall situation.
''Hey stop laughing. Haven't you crazy people ever seen a musician checking his instrument?'' Lanc asks us pouting a little bit still stroking the strings making his pose even more hilarious to the eye. Minutes later we all calm down and look around. Finding our selves at a corner of two corridors that have only our immediate environment illuminated by brightly shining stones in the sealing we are looking into the abyss in both possible directions. The walls down here in contrast to the floor we where previously on don't have any corners connecting the walls with either floor or sealing, just rounded edges. This together with the green marble and smelly air gives us the feeling of being inside a creature instead of a building.
''What should we do?'' Asks Merrymaking big eyes at all of us.
''I would say let's go left... or right? I don't know let's just move around!'' Says Marc when I feel the two energies acting up again, this time filling my mouth with blood that I reflexively swallow making me a bit pale.
''Is everything ok Sif?'' Asks Lanc me concern and worry apparent in his voice.
''Fine have just eaten something wrong on my birthday yesterday,'' I tell the group and hope to have settled the matter of me being pale.
''Happy birthday Sif.'' Whispers Merry in the ear inaudible to the others.
''Congrats!'' Says Lance putting his guitar back on his backside.
''Yes, yes. Could we please come to a conclusion of where to go?'' Asks Marc slightly irritated by all of us.
Feeling the powers in my body pulling me to the left I say... '' Let's go this way!'' ... and walk together with Merry into the left corridor activating the in the sealing embedded stones, illuminating a portion of it.
''Why this way?'' Asks Lance me a bit perplexed and catches up to us.
''Pure female intuition,'' I tell him half honestly not wanting to tell him that my classes have started to activate a full four years too early.
''Ah I know that one. We man call it gut feeling.'' Interjects Marc following from behind.
Moving down this corridor that must be part of an until now undiscovered region for five minutes we find doorframe like carvings in regular intervals with words in the old An-Elfen language embedded in what would be the doors.
-Cave of the Dead- I read in different evolving accents of the An-Elfen written language on the stony immovable doors to our right and -Dragon's Sanctuary- on those on our left. Not wanting to frighten my companions I keep this bit of information to myself.
After going further for two more minutes we find our selves at an intersection. The corridor to our left is flooded, the one up ahead seems free and the one to our right has the floor partly caved in. ''Strait ahead it is!'' Says Marc wanting to go into the only empty looking corridor.
''What a moment!...'' I say stop the Ursa mid-step and pick up a few stones from the broken floor in the to our left.
''... Just to make sure.'' I tell them and throw my handful of stones into the empty corridor. Suddenly spears shoot out of the walls, cutting through the air in the corridor. Just when said spears retreat back, the floor vanishes for just a moment showing us an endless abyss below that gulps down the stones I just threw in the corridor.
Hearing nervous hard gulping sounds from my companions I wordless take another handful of stones and throw them in the Flodden corridor. In a sudden little light show, the stones seem to disintegrate when touching the water.
Hearing even harder gulping sounds from my companions I take the third handful of stones and throw them into the with the broken floor. Just when some stones should fall through the open space in between the bricks intact bricks appear for just a millisecond before vanishing showing the stone floating in between the broken floor bricks.
''WTF?!'' I hear Merry cry out in astonishment. Looking at the Ursus I can see even parts of his black fur turn white.
''Thanks.'' I hear Marc mutter to me when seeing me look at him.
''I would say we go left.'' Announces Lanc, when I feel Merry pressing my hand supportive telling me all I have to now.
-Well done- I mentally translate her action an feel a real actual closeness to the red-headed jin.
Leading our group step by step over the illusion of a broken floor the corridor up ahead opens up to a big now suddenly illuminated open space.
Walking into the open space I hear sounds of astonishment from all my companions. And astonishing it is. Except for the still bricked marble floor, everything is part of an otherworldly night sky dome showing of ancient constellations predation this universe.
-This universe blueprint- I instantly recognize the shapes of the major concepts like Life and Death as well as the minor ones like Love and Hated. Averting my sight from the dome and looking up ahead I see frameless gates held closed by two stony unmoving giants.
-Golems- I identify the gatekeepers mentally. Seeing my companions enchanted looking up to the dome moving ever closer to the gate. Following after them I feel danger lurking near the gate and surly in the next moment I can see movement just below the gatekeepers. Sprinting in front of Lanc using 'Astral movement to shorten the distance I'm just fast enough to push the dwarf out of a lightning fast blades trajectory.