Pax RP

Devon would once again have to check himself, as the right corridor had another sharp right turn that then went left, through a much longer corridor until they came to another set of false doors. This time, there was another extra door with another extra symbol-this one a Black Dragon. The extra symbol to have turned up at the ;last door had been a Yellow Star, and it was this one at this door that was lit up, with the corresponding door swung open.

Through this, now the group had three choices-there was a laft, into absolute darkness, a right into another corridor and another opening right next to the Yellow Star door, leading back off into the dark.

From their right the noises came again, their hunter, it seemed, was gaining on them.

Locking onto the sounds coming from the right, the Artificer strode towards the sound of the hunter, intending to meet it head on. It unsheathed it's scythe as it did so, the half faded blade crackling with a sickly green lightning.

Congratulations, your hunger to meet the hunter in the maze has led you on a direct collision course with the wall of a dead end. The noises are behind you now, a shuffling of more than one pair of feet and a dragging noise, as well as a tapping, are coming from back the way you came.

Lilis laughter echoed across the Arena, the Sheeple blindly echoing the sentiment. "Seems the luck may have run out for you, well, one of you at least. You were doing so well too, such a shame"

LONG AGO, UNDER THE LIGHT OF ANCIENT STARS, WE KEPT CREATURES SUCH AS YOU AS PETS. I MAY OFFER THAT MERCY MYSELF, SHOULD YOU PROVE ADEQUATE.

The Artificer retorted, although even it knew how hollow that threat really was. Long ago, under the light of ancient stars, the Artificer led mighty armies of an unstoppable empire. This maze was proving... problematic.

It turned towards the new source of the sound, and braced itself for battle.

Lili snorts, the Artificers comment amused her much. "My dear, if you had any idea what you were dealing with you would know your kind have never had anything resembling my kind as a pet"

Inside the maze, behind them and silhouetted in the little light in there is a creature. This being stands about seven and a half feet tall, and resembles a lizard, though in the manner of a centaur. It's lower body has four legs and a tail, it's upper, upright torso possessed human length arms that were clutching a staff of sorts-the source of the tapping noise. The creatures head was also that of a lizards, though it's eyes, those were milky white. It looked blind almost, though looks can be deceiving. It's body was covered in scales that showed a stripy pattern the colour of ash and rust,and the thing tilted it's hard to the side as it stared at the strange robot. It clearly wasn't blind, and perhaps even more oddly, the staff it carried was made of metal. The reptile put it's staff in both hands, adopting it's own fighting pose as it's milky white eyes began to glow.

"I'd like you to meet my pet Ash Lizard. Although I suppose you could specifically call him a disintegration lizard. I just call him Dizzy" Lili rambled, and Dizzy shot pure white beams out of where his pupils should have been.

"Yeah, like that is a good come back..." Devon's thoughts trailed off as the goat turned around to see the approaching creature. Grimacing, the man darted away from the Artificer as it tossed the glowing copal he held at 'Dizzy' instinctively. The small stone burned in the air, primed as a flash bang in attempt to stun the creature.

Why not have another lizard as an opponent? Groaning in contempt, he snatched up the frozen goat by it hind legs, transforming Handles into something more viable.

'Dizzy' hissed when the flash-bang rock went off, taking several steps backwards as the light actually did blind it. The beams it had shot out of it's eyes flew harmlessly over the Artificers shoulder and hit the wall in an erratic fashion as the creature ceased it's attack so it could close it's eyes and shield them against the harsh light that had blinded it with one hand, the other still clutching the staff however. The monster was incapacitated, for the moment.

Dizzy wasn't the only one that was affected by the harsh flash though, up in the stands Lili herself hissed in a more muted fashion, before she put up both foreclaws to cover her offended purple eyes as she screwed them up in pain and discomfort. The light.... too bright.... she 'hated' light...

Time for a battering... axe? The goat Devon swung above him transfigured its animal body to that of a employable weapon. Still beaming of a dull radiance, a couple palm-sized blades protruded off the wooden pole's end were conjoined to a sizzling blunt point. "Not a strong as my usual style, though it does make up for it in speed!" he roared, slamming his axe on the ground, blasting three lightning bolts which ricocheted off the walls in the direction of Dizzy

Dizzy could hardly be expected to dodge the bolts after he'd been blinded, but he did move back a few steps when he heard the sound of the axe hitting the floor, and waved his staff in front of him point first to try and do some damage to the other prisoners.

The creature hissed again when the bolts hit, causing his chaotic weapons movements to become even more random.

The creature was distracted, now was the time to strike. Watching the creature carefully, the machine timed movements and predicated trajectories as it found the perfect place to strike and, unexpected surprises notwithstanding, split the thing in two.

In utter silence, the Artificer swung the phase scythe upwards as it was activated. The air itself was sliced as it swung, and soon it would split blood cells in two just as it had done aeons ago.

Dizzy shrieked in pain when the machines blade bypassed it's staff, just as it finally managed to open its eyes. The creatures eyes started to glow as the activated blade pierced its stomach and then moved upwards until it bisected its jaw and cut the first half of its brain in two, abruptly cutting off the lizards shriek as it died. Dizzy crumpled after the Artificers attack, no longer a threat, orange blood pooling under it.

"Guess I'm going to have to find another Ash Lizard for my collection" Lili said, less amused than before.

Deftly evading the erratic swings, Devon pelted to the side as the robot lunged ahead, grimacing as his back slammed against a wall. The man stared at the bloody mess the Artificer made. He met unfazed at the scene, only taking not of Lili's displeasure at the wasted pet. "Let's take that other path then," he spoke aloud.

Before going off, he knelt down to lay his axe on the ground. Clapping, his weapon returned back to the pygmy goat, with its whimsy restored. Devon pointed at the staff the Ash Lizard had held to the goat. Understanding, Handles went besides the corpse, attempting to grab it with its long tongue.

The Artificer returned to a standing position, all the while remaining silent. Old programming had kicked in, and in that brief moment the Artificer was at war. They marched and killed in silence, the only sounds puncturing the air being the discharge of weapons, and the screams of the dead.

Barely noticing the goat attempting to retrieve the corpse, the Artificer simply looked up to the ceiling at the direction of Lili's voice. After a few long moments, it turned back towards the maze, and followed Devon.

Handles and indeed, Devon, may well be disappointed at the results of of their attempt to steal Dizzys staff. For a thick black fluid oozed out of the dead pets wounds and engulfed the weapon as well as the body. The goats tongue had managed to wrap around one end, but it sure as hell wasn't going to be going anywhere soon.

"Ah ah ah" Lil tutted, waving a claw at them "That weapon belongs to me now, not you"

As they follow the mans suggestion of going down the left path, they'd find turning into it immediately cloaked them in a veil of perfect darkness... and a wall a very short way ahead.

Lili clapped her claws, suddenly very pleased again "Oh how wonderful! You've just blundered into a different pet of mines spells"

"Blah, blah, blah," voiced the struggling goat. Grunting, Handles let go of the metal staff and slurped back the tongue to his mouth. The bleating beast then trotted back the trail of his master.

Devon was unaware of the creature approaching, having been instead preoccupied by the magical veil ahead. "Oh how wonderful! You've just blundered into a different pet of mines spells." Irked, he attempted to keep his balance in the darkness, whispering at the robots to turn back.