I woke up again some time later; there were no windows in the room so I had
no idea of knowing what time it was, which unnerved me. I sat up,
stretching, and looked for Kaia and Kurama. Kaia was curled up on a little
cushion near where my head had been but Kurama was nowhere to be found. I
stood up, frowning a little, and looked for an exit, exploring the room
some more while I was at it.
I had looked around only quickly when we'd come in, and now it seemed much larger. The room was large, circular, and all white. The cushions scattered all over the room were rich colors like royal purple, navy, crimson, forest green, and black. They were velvety and soft to the touch. I prowled the room, looking for some hidden door, a crack in the wall that would symbolize a way out. There didn't seem to be one, however, after close inspection, I found a trapdoor under one of the cushions. I guessed that Kurama had left through the trapdoor, although why he hadn't woken me up puzzled me.
I opened the trapdoor and stuck my head in, sniffing for any dangerous scents. I didn't smell anything, so I shrugged and lowered myself in slowly. The floor was far enough from the trapdoor that I had to let go of the trapdoor and I landed in a wary crouch. All this was accomplished silently, while I kept all my senses on alert for any sound, movement, or smell that would mean there was someone else in the tunnel that I had landed in. I noticed nothing, so I stood up and walked carefully down the tunnel.
Many twists later, I was thoroughly lost and confused so I sat down, leaning my back against the damp wall of the tunnel. Okay then, what do I do know? I pondered this question while digging holes in the sand on the floor of the tunnel with my heels. Suddenly, the sand gave way under my legs and uncovered a deep pit with spikes at the bottom and more spiky poles hanging from the walls. The sand carried me with it and, as I tried to regain my balance, I flailed my arms and my wrist hit a pole. My reflexes reacted before I could even think and I found myself, when I could process things again, hanging about a foot above the spiked floor, dangling by a pole.
Suddenly, with a funny creaking sound, the pole slid half a foot downwards, bringing me even closer to the dangerous floor. I gulped and tried to change my weight around, hanging now by two poles, one in each hand. They kept shifting, always bringing me closer and closer to what I supposed to be sure death.
A sound above me alerted me to the presence of someone else. Whoever it was laughed, a sound that made me shiver.
"So, Fa-Nari, you have fallen into one of my traps. Pretty nice, isn't it?" A touch of pride entered the otherwise cold voice.
"Who are you?" I demanded angrily, "And what do you want with me? And why did you build this?"
"Well, I won't tell you who I am, and I think you'll find out what I want, but I built this, quite obviously, to catch a certain fox. And it looks like my fox has fallen right in."
I didn't like that tone of voice, but there wasn't much I could do in my present condition, "Whatever, whoever you are, could you at least let me out? My arms are starting to hurt."
The person sighed and a platform was lowered to right under me. I dropped and was instantly bound hand and foot. I growled, struggling to get free, but the bonds held me tightly.
"Don't try to get free, my dear, it won't work." He muttered something and started walking. The floating platform followed him, me still struggling on it.
I had looked around only quickly when we'd come in, and now it seemed much larger. The room was large, circular, and all white. The cushions scattered all over the room were rich colors like royal purple, navy, crimson, forest green, and black. They were velvety and soft to the touch. I prowled the room, looking for some hidden door, a crack in the wall that would symbolize a way out. There didn't seem to be one, however, after close inspection, I found a trapdoor under one of the cushions. I guessed that Kurama had left through the trapdoor, although why he hadn't woken me up puzzled me.
I opened the trapdoor and stuck my head in, sniffing for any dangerous scents. I didn't smell anything, so I shrugged and lowered myself in slowly. The floor was far enough from the trapdoor that I had to let go of the trapdoor and I landed in a wary crouch. All this was accomplished silently, while I kept all my senses on alert for any sound, movement, or smell that would mean there was someone else in the tunnel that I had landed in. I noticed nothing, so I stood up and walked carefully down the tunnel.
Many twists later, I was thoroughly lost and confused so I sat down, leaning my back against the damp wall of the tunnel. Okay then, what do I do know? I pondered this question while digging holes in the sand on the floor of the tunnel with my heels. Suddenly, the sand gave way under my legs and uncovered a deep pit with spikes at the bottom and more spiky poles hanging from the walls. The sand carried me with it and, as I tried to regain my balance, I flailed my arms and my wrist hit a pole. My reflexes reacted before I could even think and I found myself, when I could process things again, hanging about a foot above the spiked floor, dangling by a pole.
Suddenly, with a funny creaking sound, the pole slid half a foot downwards, bringing me even closer to the dangerous floor. I gulped and tried to change my weight around, hanging now by two poles, one in each hand. They kept shifting, always bringing me closer and closer to what I supposed to be sure death.
A sound above me alerted me to the presence of someone else. Whoever it was laughed, a sound that made me shiver.
"So, Fa-Nari, you have fallen into one of my traps. Pretty nice, isn't it?" A touch of pride entered the otherwise cold voice.
"Who are you?" I demanded angrily, "And what do you want with me? And why did you build this?"
"Well, I won't tell you who I am, and I think you'll find out what I want, but I built this, quite obviously, to catch a certain fox. And it looks like my fox has fallen right in."
I didn't like that tone of voice, but there wasn't much I could do in my present condition, "Whatever, whoever you are, could you at least let me out? My arms are starting to hurt."
The person sighed and a platform was lowered to right under me. I dropped and was instantly bound hand and foot. I growled, struggling to get free, but the bonds held me tightly.
"Don't try to get free, my dear, it won't work." He muttered something and started walking. The floating platform followed him, me still struggling on it.