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[center][sub]Time: 1:16 - The Forest[/sub][/center]

[hider=Max/Eris]
Once they figured out the puzzle, it went by quickly. As Max stepped from star to star with Eris’ instructions, the lines connected the stars Max walked along permanently. The light threatening Eris grew faster with every step.It grew and grew and grew, covering the first part of Eris’ map of the correct stars until Max stepped on the final one and the light stopped. 

A flash of blue and the clearing was back. Thin, white smoke boiled out from where the tablets had been and a glass table now stood between the pillars. Little wooden carved figurines of a crescent moon sat on it. A voice, almost childlike, spoke the next instructions. 

[color=deepskyblue]“Now in sight, you’ve won the game, not overcome by separate gains so take your spoil but only one. Anymore and we’ll have more fun! The quickest path is to the right but if you’d like a challenge new, feel free to follow you.”[/color]

As the words completed, reflections of Eris and Max stood watching the pair. Both their eyes were black as night, not white or color visible. Eris’ smile was barely there, a poor facsimile of his usual. Max stared out past the pair as if he couldn’t care less but something clearly had the reflection on edge, the tension clear along every line of his body.
[/hider] 

[hider=Lilie/Ben]
A loud grinding rang out as the pair moved to kiss. The light in the eyes of the pot drifted downwards, visible beneath the stone. It settled in its mouth, a long stone slab extending out. A stone, shaped roughly like a heart, shimmered dimly with the ruby iight. A few symbols were carved into the surface and the stone would be pleasantly warm to the touch. 

[color=deepskyblue] “with affection laid bare, continue on your way. Follow east to escape the night or south again to try your might.”[/color]

[/hider] 

[hider=Salem/Victor]
The girl across from Salem didn’t react, continuing to stare without speaking. The whispers grew slightly louder and the mist rolled closer.

Meanwhile, Victor would hear Salem’s questions as if he was several rooms away, still audible but faint.[/hider]

[hider=Aaron/Varis]

Varis handled the shovel with… less ease than he’d care to admit. It was a simple tool but he’d never used one, much less even [i]considered[/i] using one. He was on edge waiting for the boy’s instruction―absolutely never again!―and rocked back and forth on his toes. He hated all of this. He was going to draw a bath as soon as he got home and stay in it until morning if it was the last thing he did. Pull out all his favorite bath bomb combinations. Dump every comforting scent into it and light every candle he enjoyed. Put on something soothing and pleasant, maybe an audio book. Though he may have to have the boy set that up. He always had Gregor set up the speakers at home. It was a complicated, convoluted mess that he didn’t have the time to bother figuring―

[color=f0d705]“Now!”[/color]

Varis nearly missed the mark but he leapt on command. It left a bad taste in his mouth. He felt like a trained circus monkey or a mage, no difference really, and he stabbed the shovel into the tile. But as soon as he did, the tile bucked. Varis screamed as suddenly the tile rolled beneath him and he desperately clung to the shovel, which thankfully had sunk deep enough it held well enough. He barely heard the boy’s warning as the tile shifted again and his foot slipped off the edge. He thrashed about a bit, looking for something to gain a foothold on but he came to the conclusion that somehow these tiles were over empty space. Varis would have swore if he wasn’t too busy screaming as the tile bucked [i]again[/i] and through his utter terror, Varis’ temper was flaring.

He waited for the boy’s next warning and once he felt it settle for a moment, jumped up to dig. He felt something bend under his grip and, while clinging for dear life as the damn thing bucked beneath him again, reached he was clinging for dear life to the head of the shovel. Somehow he;d accidently shoved the handle into the dirt rather than the scooping part and Varis swore, taking the next opportunity to flip it. Unfortunately, it had a slight bend in it in the distinct shape of Varis’ hand. 

Varis cursed under his breath and stared digging as he could, hitting his knees to grip at the edge of the hole he was digging as often as he needed. Although Varis was a weak vampire, he was still that: a vampire. He moved quickly and efficiently, his supernatural strength giving him an edge and when a loud [i]thunk[/i] was heard, the tile stopped shifting and meekly delivered Varis back to the tree. As he stumbled off the tile, the light dimmed back into the normal world and Aaron was no longer transparent. The shovel lay next to the nearest hole and inside was a small chest.

[color=f7976a]“Whatever it is, fetch it.”[/color] Varis demanded, holding his hand out for Aaron to take. [color=f7976a] “I want to know what insignificant, pathetic trinket was worth this debacle.”[/color][/hider]

[hider=Maddie/Amaris]
[color=FC8686]“Of course.”[/color] Maddie responded, gently guiding Amaris to the stream.She wouldn’t say it out loud but having the Countess approach this with her was a relief. She still couldn’t put her finger on it but this place seemed wrong, like she shouldn’t be here doing this. It was nonsense really, probably just nerves at seeing a statue in the middle of a stream with the clear intent of putting her arm in its mouth. And the abyss of lies part of the last riddle but they avoided that color so they don’t have to consider that anymore. 

[color=FC8686] “Wait here just a moment, Countess. I just need to tie the bell onto the statue.”[/color] Maddie said, stopping the countess at the edge of the stream. Maddie stepped into the shallow water and reached into the mouth, tying the ribbon and tugging on it to make sure the bell was secure. It jingled with the movement and Maddie discovered she regretted that.

As soon as the bell sounded, the serpent's mouth snapped shut around her arm. Maddie screamed but it was cut off when the serpent's eyes suddenly became real, stone skin turning real after, and the creature dove into the water, Maddie with it. For a moment, it was silent and Amaris was alone. 

Then, Amaris could see again. Just in time for the stream to bubble and boil and suddenly explode in a massive wave drowning the clearing. The serpent's tail dragged her down, down, down until she hit the bottom where the light didn’t follow. It took a few moments until a single light grew but when it did, it showed very little. The water was cold and getting colder ever passing moment, long strands of plants grew from the rocky floor, and the walls had dark shadows crawling slowly on them. The light shined from where Maddie stood in a seemingly dry space. Maddie felt something cold splash across her foot and stared with horror as a tiny crack appeared in the barrier she was in. The serpent swam up behind Amaris, turning to face her. 

[color=deepskyblue] “To pass my challenge with time to spare, find the lies that I know here. Four truths do bury two simple lies, things that hide within two minds, but careful what you agree is true because that revealed is true to all.”[/color] The serpent's voice was rough and grated on the ears. The serpent swam back into the dark but two more barriers shone. Cassandra stood in one, confused and pale and leaning heavily on the walls. In the other, Mifillia baged against the walls and stared at Amaris with unadulterated loathing. 

But the walls grew brighter, turning opaque, and then flickered into a different position. Each one read the following, left to right:

[color=deepskyblue]“A book with secrets of the lineage holds the name of a father slain.”[/color]

[color=deepskyblue]“The raven smart and wicked, true, is holding secrets back from you.”[/color]

[color=deepskyblue]“One partner now, two partners past, lack all trust in you.”[/color]
[/hider]