hisapprentice | [Puzzle 018]

[Puzzle 018]

[For house 48]

[A typical day in this house begins with Luke up and about, making breakfast and tea. Whether Firo shows up to have any is up to him. School's back in session and he needs an earlier start, that's all. This morning is no different, Luke pulls on his sweater while walking into the kitchen, headed for the refrigerator. It's when he pulls open the door that everything gets weird - starting with the whole room losing its household vibe and becoming much more...archaeological.]

[Action]

[Incredulous adventures aside, Luke finds it difficult to adjust to the busier lifestyle that comes with school starting and warmer weather ending. It gets darker, colder, Luke grows lonelier. He's out and about in the autumn sun, off to his usual stop at the bakery (okay, okay, one of his three or four usual stops) when a brownish figure passes him going in the opposite direction.

Luke stops. Spinning left, he sees the figure retreating down the path the way he came, and though all logic tells him it can't be real, he takes off running after it.]

Professor! [Because there is no one else. It must be him.] Professor, wait! Just- hold on a minute, please!

[Luke did not realize a vision from the past could hurt so much. When Layton's back and top hat fade into a false mist and then nothingness, Luke has run himself all the way back across the village, nearer to the rec center. Out of breath and out of spirit, he sits down on a bench to stare at the dirt.

Today is awful.]

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[Firo tries to follow Luke's gaze, eyes peeled for anything sketchy. Of course, pretty much this whole place looks sketchy to a guy who doesn't regularly explore ruins or nonfiction books.

He shakes his head, not even considering Luke's rather logical offer.]

C'mon, you don't really wanna do that, do ya? It could take forever!

[Not that he has anywhere to go.]

[So. Firo would rather have an adventure. Luke wishes more than anything he had his satchel with him but that isn't the sort of thing you bring to drowsy fridge-browsing breakfast. Shame on him, not being prepared.

Nothing to be done about it now.]

Then we've got to go on ahead. Don't worry, I'll go first.

[Firo's never done this before and Luke thinks himself more agile and capable in an emergency.]

[Firo blinks and reaches out to grab Luke's shoulder. Hold it right there, kiddo; not only is he offended, he's concerned for Luke.]

You? But what if there's one a' those traps or somethin'? You could get hurt!

[Shoulder-stopped! Luke looks over said shoulder with a frown.]

The truth is, I don't think I could disarm a trap by force if I had to. But I do think you could. [Firo is taller and stronger and if he breaks a little in the process it will fix itself, although Luke certainly hopes he doesn't break at all.] Besides, I don't want you to get lost.

I... fine.

[He doesn't sound happy about it, but he can see Luke's point. Reluctantly, he releases his grip.]

But if you see anything dangerous, you get behind me, all right?

I'll think about it. [It's a gentleman's duty to protect his friends in danger. So he'll think about it.]

It's probably going to be dark and I don't have anything with me to help this time, so watch your step.

[Then he starts down a dim hall. It is approximately where another room in the house would be, but it soon takes a sharp left that doesn't exist in Luceti at all; contrary to Luke's prediction, the narrow hall is lined with flickering yellow torches (the fire sort) and decorated with hieroglyph murals.]

You better think about it quick...

[Firo is not above simply grabbing Luke and tossing him out of harm's way. He looks small enough.

Through it's a useless gesture in the darkness, Firo nods that he'll be careful. He's relieved when they reach light, however dim.]

You know what all those pictures on the walls mean?

I only wish I did. Maybe they'd give us a hint or something. I know which way they're read, but that's about all.

[The bigger murals depict stereotypically Egypt-esque things: people presenting gifts to pharaohs or worshiping animal-headed gods. The smaller hieroglyphics trail along the top and bottom...and at one spot, down the side.]

Oh. Look, that's interesting.

[Firo stares at the pictures without the slightest bit of comprehension. He glances at a god with a cat's head and wonders what the hell kind of drugs these people were doing.

At that comment, he turns to Luke.]

What's interestin'? It all looks pretty weird to me.

This is the only place on the wall where they all go down like that. Don't you think that's weird?

[When they get out of this Luke is going to get Firo some Egypt books from the library.]

I wish I could translate these, maybe there's a reason why it looks this way.

[Firo just shrugs.]

...Yeah, I guess so.

[He considers the wall again and his eyes light up as he--miraculously!--has an idea.]

Maybe we're supposed to break it down. Like there's a passage or somethin' behind it?

[Firo expects to put his fist through solid rock, doesn't he?]

There might be a passage, or directions for how to find one. For all we know it might even turn this whole thing off.

[Luke jumps for a torch from one of the brackets, so he can hold it closer to the pictographs and try to find a pattern.]

[One of the pluses to immortality: if you break your hand doing something stupid, it'll repair itself for you to try again.

Firo nods, encouraged that Luke didn't immediately shoot down that idea. His expression of pride turns to one of confusion when Luke remains in front of the spot.]

Hey, get outta the way. You don't wanna get hit by rocks or anything if this thing does break.

[Yep, he's definitely getting ready to kick it down.]

Hm? [Get out of the way? What- Firo looks like he's ready to hit something.] Y-You're not actually going to try to break this wall, are you?

[Nevertheless, Luke ducks to the side. He knows better than to stand in the way of Firo's fist.]

[He nods.]

Yeah, I am. What else is there to do?

[It's a rhetorical question. As soon as Luke is safely out of the way, Firo throws a front kick as hard as he can.

But will it work..?]

[Kicking is marginally better than punching. Luke flinches and holds his hands over his face anyway.

The kick connects solidly with the wall - Firo should feel it, there's no passage back there - but it does send several of the symbols inward. Almost like buttons. Somewhere in the walls beyond, there's an audible click and soft rumble.]

Oh no.

Damn it!

[There's definitely nothing back there, or else he'd try again.

Firo barely has time to express his disappointment before he hears that far off sound. He glances at Luke, already feeling a twinge of guilt over whatever he just screwed up.]

The hell is that?

I don't know. Sounds like that are never good in places like this.

[The rumbling crawls closer; when Luke tries to step away from the wall, he realizes why.]

It's the floor, Firo!

[His torch waves around sort-of-frantically, while he stares at a dusty, widening crack that spans the width of the hallway. On cue the process speeds up, both widening and dropping the crack. A trapdoor with hidden hinges?]

What the hell?!

[He grabs for Luke's collar and tries to pull him away from the opening. It may not do any good, but it's the only thing he can think to do to try and make sure he doesn't fall in. Though Firo doesn't think it so clearly in the moment, he'd never forgive himself if he got Luke hurt.]

What're we supposed to do?

[For once, Luke doesn't mind the collar grab, because he thinks it will keep them both from dropping or tripping.]

What if we-

[The rest of his breath dispels as the floor falls open in one quick swoop beneath him, before he has a chance to push off and jump. Tricksy thing, opening larger than it looked like it intended to.]

[Firo doesn't see it coming. There's not even time for him to curse as the two of them plummet through the air.

He only has a quick feeling of disappointment that he couldn't save Luke, and then fear as he waits for them to hit the ground.]

[They don't fall for long! It's a bit of a rough landing on a smooth, sloping rock floor - like a slide. They'll slide the rest of the way to the bottom. Luke's torch goes out. He 'lands' after the slide in a messy roll, and stays on the ground, trying to get his bearings in a much dimmer room of some kind.]

[Firo lets out a grumpy yelp as he lands on the ground. In a second, he's hauling himself to his feet, wildly looking around the room. His eyes haven't adjusted yet, so there isn't much he can make out.]

Jesus... Luke, you okay?

[Sounds like Firo made it. Luke sits up, squinting; the torches in this narrow but tall hall are bracketed higher, so the light isn't as good.]

Y-yeah. I'm okay. What about you?

[By some miracle, his hat is still on his head. There might not be much to save his sweater, though, torn and scruffy as it became on that slide.]

Fine, fine.

[He sounds grouchy but not pained.

He realizes he should apologize--he did set that thing off--but decides to save that for later. Or never. Instead he moves closer to Luke and peers down the hallway.]

Any idea what this part is supposed to be?

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