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.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

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?

This part?

[Luke doesn't think his extinguished torch is useless, but it is plenty useless for giving off light; he'll keep it for other purposes, just in case. This leaves him squinting around, almost backing into Firo, and listening as closely as he can.]

Well, I don't hear anything...moving out there. ['Out there' being down either end of the long high corridor.] So, probably no mummies.

Great. That's a comfort.

[He checks for his knife again and this time he withdraws it from his jacket to hold it. It can't hurt them to be ready.]

Which way? You see any, uh... clues or somethin'?

[He feels silly using vocabulary better suited to a detective novel, but he can't think of a better word.]

Most of what I see is really dark and fuzzy.

[He did see Firo pull the knife. Means a lot, that he's choosing not to say something about it. Luke turns toward the slide's direction...only to find that the wall has closed behind them.]

Well, we can't go back the way we came. Which way do you want to try?

[After falling like that, he's not sure where their house would be in relation to this. Would it even matter? Firo glances both ways, then shrugs and points to the left (with the knifeless hand, of course).]

That way. Since it doesn't really matter, right?

I don't think it matters. Even if it does, I'm thoroughly lost now. Can you reach one of those torches up there? [Luke's best jump will not get him near one.]

[one of the joys of being around Luke: he makes Firo feel tall. He nods and moves to the wall, careful not to lean on it or touch it this time. He can reach the torch on his tip toes.

Torch aloft, he gestures forward and tries to fake enthusiasm he definitely doesn't have.]

Let's move out.

[Luke makes everyone feel tall.]

At least we've a bit more light now. [In future, Luke must be careful. He might pick up that damnable accent of Firo's someday.] I know this isn't very exciting for you, but it could really be worse, all right?

[Either one could be alone in the false ruins. Or mummies could arrive and chase them. Luke sets his shoulders and starts off down the left hall.]

[House 48 Action!]

[House 48 Action!]

[House 48 Action!]

[House 48 Action!]

[House 48 Action!]

[House 48 Action!]

[House 48 Action!]

[House 48 Action!]

[House 48 Action!]

[House 48 Action!]

[House 48 Action!]

[House 48 Action!]

[House 48 Action!]

[House 48 Action!]

[House 48 Action!]

[House 48 Action!]

[House 48 Action!]

[House 48 Action!]

[House 48 Action!]

[House 48 Action!]

[House 48 Action!]

[House 48 Action!]

[House 48 Action!]

[House 48 Action!]

[House 48 Action!]