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Marlo huffed and crossed his arms. He was wet, he was cold, and he'd previously just suffered from shock due to witnessing the most terrifying thing in his life. Marlo was running out of whatever patience he had left. "Up." He drew in a breath and let it out. A breath that was very clearly 'I am mad and I am huffing to show my displeasure'. "Unlike you, we lack wings. And unless you can turn into some kind of magical bird taxi service, the only was we can go 'up'," finger quotes were used, "is if we take to the trees."

The trees looked awfully brittle and not very 'user friendly'. "So mind telling us how to get 'up' when we lack the technical mechanics for the power of flight?" The tree did not look friendly in any way, shape, or form.

Hector was thinking. He was standing in the rain with his eyes half-closed, mulling it over to the point where Marlo could nearly see the hamster furiously burning up the wheel. He was very still. When his brain finally came to some conclusion, he looked at the other boy with a clear, brilliant smile of realisation and said, "Hey. Idea. Get on my shoulders."

What?

"I'm serious," insisted the cavalier. "Get on my shoulders, son. We both lifted the axe, we both have to get up, right? If I'm wrong you can -- I dunno -- you'll get a free hit, but pony up already, Xanis."

Hector shook his head to rid himself of any overfriendly ravens, and was already bending over (there were no gay jokes, though there was a judicious amount of eye-rolling where Marlo couldn't see). "Have a little faith in me, Xanis," he said, shooting him a quick middle finger before cupping his hands for footholds. "I wouldn't have asked if I didn't think I could take you."

Pause.

"Just hop up before this gets any -- creepier-sounding. Okay? Yes? Hit it."

The middle finger went ignored. Both boys were irratible, so Marlo could hardly get upset over slight snappishness. Plus he was going to have to trust Hector not to just let him fall into mud. That meant quips about the jewelry and color choices would have to be held off, at least until his feet were back on the ground.

As soon at the raven started to nest in his hair, Marlo felt bad for Hector. Having a raven on your head, in your hair, in the rain, was not pleasant in the slightest. Still, from the top of Hector's shoulders, he could see something. That something looked like a tower. "Okay, you can set me down now." He waved a hand at the raven, shoo-shoo bird, don't bother me no more. "Some towers looked to be down the eastern path, and so, your sleeping beauty awaits in that direction."

The raven stared after Hector in utter bafflement, and was -- for once -- apparently at a loss for words. After a moment, however, it gathered its wits, alighting again on the handle of the forgotten axe, and lifted the whole thing into the air with an astoundingly improbable flapping of wings, just as though it were no more than a twig. It flew through the air, for a moment passing directly overhead like the Sword of Damocles, and then ahead of them -- where it promptly dropped the axe in front of the two boys. The blade came very close to their toes.

"Perhaps you've forgotten something," it suggested, sounding a little stung.

Marlo didn't seem keen on sticking around either. He was cold, wet, and had a craving for that damn blue raspberry bubble gum again. The sooner they found Hector's brother, the sooner her could go home, (at least this was his hope). But as soon as he was off with the cavalier, he was stopped in his tracks by the raven, only now, the raven had just narrowly missed removing a piece of his person.

There was a moment of 'How the hell is that even possible?' followed closely by a '******** I don't know anymore'. The axe had weighed enough that both boys had enough trouble with it. Why did they want it, an axe that neither of them could properly wield let alone use? The fact it had been dropped precariously close to his foot did not help the case of the forgotten axe. "We could hardly lift the thing and you expect us to take it with us?" It probably did. Why else would it make an attempt to lop off a toe or two? "It'll take the both of us." He looked at Hector, who was going to try anyhow. "Or do we want to ask the magic bird to carry it for us? After all, it didn't seem to have any trouble with it." He looked at the raven. It was probably laughing at them.

"It is a rainy day," said Hector.

But nonetheless, he gave an irascible, big-lung sigh and beckoned Marlo over. "One hand each," he said. "Let's see how far we can drag it. We're not going to get airlifted out of here any time soon, son." He was already gripping the handle. "Let's go."

It was still as heavy as ever, but at least they might drag it.

The axe dragged on behind them as the two boys walked -- but daunting, far more daunting, the road dragged on ahead.

[Congratulations! You have completed the puzzle section of the Introduction Stage and your characters headed to the Prince's castle . . . aren't they? You are, until tomorrow, free to write as you please in this thread. However, please stay on the road. Stage One begins tomorrow!]