awashlogs | Into The Forest

[John... Minato follows at a more reasonable pace because he's Minato, brow furrowed a little.]

Are you okay?

[JOHN...]

Yeah, it's fine. [He pushes at some brambles, grumbling as he gets up and begins to walk again.] Let's go this way. So far the path looks straight.

[He wonders if that's good or bad... but either way, in they go, into the darkening pathway, framed by walls of bramble and hedges.

It all seems fine and dandy, anyway, until they keep walking a little ways and come to a fork in the road.

And for Minato, that's when it all clicks.]

Is this... is this supposed to be a maze? [hey, no? He doesn't want this.]

[No weapons are out and John's walking along, occasionally pushing aside stray branches of hedges but otherwise keeping his focus fixed on where he's going. Once they hit the fork though, John stares incredulously before he sighs loudly.]

Fuck no. [Like yes, it's obviously a maze, but he doesn't want it?] Do you think we should split up and each take a path or stick together?

Stick together.

[That answer comes immediately, as he peers down both paths. He can't really tell where either leads... they just keep going into darkness.]

We have no idea how big this maze is, so...

[They should wander together, instead of getting lost apart.]

So we should go to the right. [An executive decision.] Next fork we come to, I'll let you pick where we should go. I cannot believe we're stuck in a maze already.

That's fine with me.

[A shrug! He has no oppositions to whatever directions John picks.

Down the right path they go... and they walk...and walk...and walk........ yikes.]

I wish we had a good way to mark our path. It...would be pretty bad if we got lost in here.

What if we cut up some of the hedges and leave them behind. That could probably work couldn't it? [They're walking a while but he's getting better at avoiding brambles.] There isn't a breeze down here so the path would not get blown off.

Yeah, that's a good idea.

[And so, Minato will casually just draw his sword. It's going to be slow going, cutting up branches and brambles as they go, but so much better than losing their way.

But.

Also.

As Minato is cutting up a branch in front of their newest fork in the road, there's the sound of...a snap, behind them, as if something heavy stomped over some of those branches they're leaving behind.]

[John doesn't have a sword but also he's just going to stare.]

There are way too many people just casually wielding swords here. [Says he who doesn't have a sword and shouldn't be trusted with sharp objects. No, no, he's letting Minato do that and keeping guard.

It's why he pauses when he hears that noise.]

...okay. I do not mean to rush you on your trail-making but I have a feeling we should probably pick a path pretty soon. Like. In the next ten seconds or so soon.

Says the guy with a giant hammer...

[Just saying!! Minato just murmurs that as he continues to work, though--

At least.

Until there's that noise. uH.

Minato also spins around, sword at the ready, just in time for the inevitable, unfortunate minotaur to round the corner, staring at them with bloodshot, beady eyes. Oh god.

... And, remarkably calmly, as he holds his sword at the ready and stares down that minotaur:]

Pick a path, John.

That was entirely Dave's fault. [Grumbling. Now isn't the time to talk about his idiot best friend though and he looks a little

well.

Actually, a minotaur isn't the stupidest thing he's ever fought so he stares at it blankly before he nods very slowly, keeping his eyes on said-minotaur while Minato talks.]

Left sounds good since we went to the right. Do we need a distraction or are you good to turn and run?

[Well.

The minotaur snorts, a hoof pawing at the ground as it eyes them with beady little eyes. Minato drags in a slow breath, and--]

Nope. I'm good to run.

[The minotaur snorts, and lowers its head.

Running now sounds good--Minato turns abruptly on his heel.]

Let's go...!

[It's absolutely going to come charging after them.]

[AND TO THE LEFT THEY GO.

And that minotaur is definitely running after them the moment the two of them disappear down the path. John can hear its hooves as he bolts, turning his head to make sure Minato's keeping up.]

Uh, dude? What are we supposed to do if we can't outrun him? [It's a question that he would definitely love to know an answer to because while he can fly and also turn into the wind he's pretty sure Minato can't.] How good are you with that sword?

[Ha... the minotaur definitely has them beat, too, in terms of speed, which is Not Good. Minato glances over his shoulder, grimaces, and his hand hovers over where his Evoker chills beneath his blazer.]

... If we really have to, we fight. [He'd rather not though.]

I think we can lose it if we take a lot of sharp corners, though.

[It's fast going straight, but... it probably can't turn that fast, right?]

Let's take the first turns we can take, no matter where they go.

Just checking. [He doesn't want to fight in this kind of enclosed space, but if it's between life and death and making sure Minato doesn't die then he'll do it.]

That's a smart plan. If he gets stuck in the bushes and stuff it'll give us time to--right! [And he's immediately turning to his right, grabbing Minato's arm as he goes.]

[Right. Minato goes immediately, moving with John's grip and not at all hesitating to follow. The minotaur seems to crash into the branches past where they'd turned, so--]

It's working, I think. Let's keep going...!

[How the hell are they going to get out of here...? He can't help but wonder, even as they run deeper into the maze.]

[He's picking up the pace, turning back again and cheering a little to himself once he notes that they've bought themselves some time.]

Right! If we can break off some branches or cause a blockade that should slow him down, too, until we get to the end of the maze. The end should lead us outside don't you think? [He's already grabbing his hammer from wherever and pausing just a tad to swing at the bushes and brambles to try and break some branches.]

[Oh--yeah. Minato starts slicing branches as they go as well, trying to properly leave behind enough debris to slow the minotaur down.]

Good idea. I think the end has to be the exit, so we just have to find it--

[Oh.

Well.

They're sure coming up on a dead end.]

[He...slows down, strangely enough, and he's eyeing that dead end even if he looks a little determined to keep going.]

We have two options. We either figure out how to break through the maze, or...we take out the minotaur. What do you think our chances are for either of those?

[The branches slow the creature down, but it's still making headway toward them.]

[Taking down the minotaur? He's pretty sure they can do it. But without getting hurt...? Hm.]

Try to break through the maze! I'll slow it down a bit.

[He can at least do that, turning to face the minotaur properly as it rounds the corner, reaching for his Evoker.]

If you can break through, we'll run.

Got it! [He's not even watching Minato, unaware of the Evoker right now as he takes Vrillyhoo and hauls back to start walloping the wall with the hammer, attempting to break down the wall in front of them. Vrillyhoo's a strong hammer and the wall shakes a little, but it's not breaking through as easily as John wants it to.

Definitely not before that Minotaur gets to them, anyway.

The wall crumbles a bit with every step the minotaur takes, but they're going to have to make a choice here.]

We're not getting through before it gets close enough, dude! You know what we have to do.

[... Guess they have to fight then. Minato grimaces, lifting his Evoker.]

... Okay. Let's do it, then.

[He'll try to at least bring the Evoker up to his temple and fired off before John looks--he doesn't know if he'll be successful or not, but he has to try.

Thanatos, on the other hand, is very visible, especially as it launches a slashing attack the Minotaur's way.]

[He's busy with the wall and pulling Vrillyhoo back, so he luckily misses Minato shooting himself in the head. It's definitely a lot harder to miss Thanatos being summoned though and John turns to watch the creature attack the minotaur who moos angrily.]

Is it normal for your summon thing to be surrounded by coffins? [What the fuck. But he's grabbing the hammer and he's throwing it into his sylladex quickly, bringing his hands together to create a quick cyclone of wind to push and throw at the minotaur.]

[Don't judge Thanatos!!

Minato just furrows a brow at John, shaking his head a little as he lifts his sword.

The minotaur is thoroughly thrown off by their onslaught; it stumbles back, roaring and shaking its head in pain and irritation. Minato, for his part, just offers up:]

It adds to the aesthetic. [So, so blandly.

And then he's lunging forward to try to bring his sword down on the minotaur's head.]

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