Welcome to Gaia! ::

Cesc wasn't entirely sure why he'd signed up to be a part of this. In some strange way, it seemed fitting -- a month or two after his birth, he'd been part of this self-same hedge maze, getting pooped on by birds and dodging axes and getting caught in blizzards and viewing a unicorn. Now, here he was, a month or two after his growth, back in the maze.

He'd left his cane behind, worried about damaging the item in the maze. But as he walked in, something else formed in his hand -- a large, curved sword, a scimitar. He curled his fingers around it, the weight reassuring in his hand. He pointed it toward the ground. He had no sheath, and no desire to cut either of his companions.

The landscape was different from the last time he'd seen it. No flowers, no healthy green shrubs -- brambles and fog and, this time, he could see other figures.

... other guardians? Cesc narrowed his eyes.

No...

He was the only Raevan in his group. He smiled at the other two men. He hoped, somehow, that this scenery would belie its ease, the opposite of the other trek he'd taken in this maze. He knew them, just barely, and didn't want them to have to deal with swinging axes. Or living, strangling vines. Or poop.

But then, they all had weapons, so...

"I guess that's the only thing we can -- oh!" Cesc held out a hand as the fog fluttered around Justin and a hedge wall appeared. He broke into a smile, floating forward and plucking out a leaf from the man's hair. "It's alright, last time I was here, we ran straight into the wall first, too."

As soon as he stepped into the maze, Ian regretted his decision to sign up. He was terrible with scary things, even just darkness, so what had possibly convinced him that this was a good idea? He didn't know, but he felt very stupid and very anxious.

He was glad, though, that he wasn't alone. Justin and Cesc were here, armed as well, though likely much more capable than he. Hazel-green eyes stared down at the fire poker in his hand, heavy, dark iron with a nasty point and flare on one end. He was worried he might toss it when swinging it, but... Maybe it wouldn't come to that.

His attention was drawn away when Justin and Cesc started talking, and he managed an anxious little laugh when Justin ran smack into a wall of the hedge maze. This was all too reminiscent of a beloved movie, and knowing that only made him even more hesitant. "Last time? You mean there was another hedge maze?" The thought that Cesc might know what he was doing was comforting, but not by much. He glanced around and took a breath, his hand squeezing around the iron in his hand. "So which way now?" As he glanced though the fog, Ian could make out some strange shapes moving in the distance. The distinct limp and wobbling gate were enough to give him pause, jaw tightening. Were those...no, they couldn't be.

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Almost immediately, Cesc felt as though his words were a jinx. No sooner had he finished speaking then a giant appeared out of what seemed like nowhere, its footsteps ripping apart the landscape. Immediately, the Sigel's wings flared, the feathers becoming sharp and bright and extending suddenly much wider than their previous length. His fingers tightened around the scimitar, and his eyes went bright and true gold, his heart pumping in his chest.

"GET TO SAFETY! RUN!" Cesc's low lilt became rough and loud as he darted upward, taking flight. He had no blessed idea how to use a sword other than the general 'pointy-end-goes-in-enemy' philosophy, but he circled around the giant and carved a deep slice where he assumed the creature's Achilles tendon was.

Was it effective? It looked gruesome, at the least. Thoughts of the jungle bubbled in the back of Rhedefre's mind.

Justin tumbled dramatically to the ground as a giant rose from the soil beneath them. It was utterly alien and more than a bit frightening. but, well... It looked like something out of a video game. Nothing as specific as a giant tree from Suikoden or one of the colossi from SotC, sadly. Suddenly, it began to slowly stomp its way towards them.

"Well, s**t." Cesc went in low, Ian high - after a fashion. Justin watched the fire poker bounce off of the giant face. With an angry snarl, its hand swept out, tearing up a nearby hedge. Justin ran forward, ducking under one uplifted foot to strike at the back of the other. His baseball bat really wasn't the best weapon for this, he thought sourly. Jumping back, he tripped over something. Oh, that damn poker. Snatching it, he looked around for Ian. Luckily, that bright head of hair was visible even in the misty gloom.

"I don't think I signed up for this bit," he mumbled before calling out. "Ian, come get your metal stick! Does anybody know if a giant has weak spots?" Although he was more than a little unnerved, this was honestly just as fascinating as he could've hoped it to be - just like a video game!

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