[PP-F3] <<Search for the Hoya>> (Miaki & Clarance)

[Miaki 0]

"Crap. Medusa? The creature that upon making eye contact with will turn the person to stone?" Miaki grabbed the hair hidden under his hat with his left hand. "How do you fight something like that? Especially if it is marked as an immortal object!?" Miaki was thinking fast about their next course of action. He searched around the room for an alternative way out.

[Clarence 0]

"Hey Miaki, can you hear me?" I yell, my voice echoing through the secret hidden room. I quickly start running around the room, looking for a way up to the above room with Miaki, but there are no ladders or anything to get up to the floor."Ugh crap. Miaki!" I yell again.

[Miaki 0]

"Clarence?" Miaki looked around the room frantically, frequently glancing at the door that was sealed. He cursed under his breath. He was trapped. If Medusa found the room and brought the door down he'd have no way to defend himself. "Okay Miaki focus. One problem at a time." He said to himself his mind racing. He closed his eyes and entered a meditative state to think more clearly. 'Right. Two immediate problems. First, the Medusa in the next room. Second, Clarence's disappearance. There is nothing that can be done at the moment about Medusa so let's focus on finding Clarence. The laws of SAO are fair so we can eliminate a unexplainable disappearance. No use of teleportation crystals. No getting killed. The most logical explanation would have to be a trapdoor of some sort.' He broke from the self-induced trance-like state and searched around the floor for a trapdoor, banging random stones.

[Clarence 0]

"Miaki!" I yell as loud as I can. I start frantically running around trying to find a way out. There are two different doorways in the room."Oh great a choice umm left or right, ugh." I complain, trying to pick between the doors.

[Miaki 0]

Miaki smacked random stones and had no success in revealing a trapdoor. "Alright. What did we do when we entered the room? Did either of us lean on something?" Miaki looked at one of the wooden chairs beside a wooden table. "Maybe if I sit down..." Miaki walked over and sat in the chair he recalled leaning against causing a trapdoor to open. "The solution presents itself."

[Clarence 0]

I quickly look up and see the trap door re open."Miaki ugh finally we have a issue!" I call up to the floor above me."There are multiple doors we can take, well two really, but I don't know which one I should go through!" I yell to Miaki.

[Miaki 0]

Miaki glanced down and saw the coast was clear. "No point in staying up here." He said leaping down. "Two doors.... Hmmm." He walked over to the metal door on the right and peered through it. The corridor was dark but the night vision potion made visibility clear. "Okay this one goes immediately around a bend." He said as he walked through the door a little. "Dang it. It branches off in two directions. How about your door?"

[Clarence 0]

I walk over to the door on the left and opened it. Immediately a hand slowly started to reach out toward me. I slam the door shut."Nope, nothing over here. Lets go to your door." I say a little nervous as I approach the door on the right."So we split up or go the same way?" I ask Miaki, hoping to get the answer I want.

[Miaki 0]

Clarence walked up to Miaki has he was trying to decide what to do next. "Well this quest involves a Minotaur. Now if I remember my Greek and Roman mythology, the Minotaur was a monster in a maze that gladiators had to fight. Or was it that they put him in a labyrinth to keep him from killing others?"

[Clarence 0]

"I think it was it was put in the maze to stop it from killing people. Maybe that the creature we have to fight." I say, getting pretty nervous at the idea of this."Wait a minute, doesn't the map change by itself as you walk through it. This is going to be fun." I say in a very sarcastic manor.

[Miaki 0]

Miaki checked his map which only returned him with an error stating that the map data couldn't be found. "There goes trying to use a map. We're sticking together on this one. No way in hell I'm facing this thing by myself. This passage is as good as any I suppose." He said while drawing his blade and walking towards one of the paths.

[Clarence 0]

"Great no maps...."I muttered to myself before I follow Miaki down the corridor, while drawing my daggers."Okay, so should we attack the Minotaur when we see it or try to run?" I ask Miaki, trying to figure out if we should run and hide or stand and fight.

[Miaki 0]

"I'm guessing we'll have to fight it." He said while leading them around several corners. "The problem with this maze is that we have no idea where the goal for it is. It could be in the middle or anywhere for that matter."

[Clarence 0]

"Yeah you're right." I say and continue following Miaki through the winding paths.I wonder If I can track it, okay got to concentrate. No not that way, or that way, wait there it is!I smile and almost yell and start running, trying to pull Miaki along, not even saying what I just figured out.

[Miaki 0]

"Whoa! Hold on a sec-. Clarence!" Miaki dashed after Clarence who was running with a purpose. Miaki rounded a corner and made sure to keep pace with Clarence as he lead the way.

[Clarence 0]

After a couple minutes of weaving through pathways and back tracking, I finally came up to a big open room, where in the middle was a big cage."I think I found it." I say and smile, pointing at a creature that is in the cage."So how are we going to approach it." I ask Miaki, still panting from the running we just did.

[Miaki 0]

Miaki was regaining his breath and looked at the cage in the center of the room. "I think it's sleeping." Miaki whispered. The minotaur in the cage had it's head down and the eyes appeared closed. "Look around for the Hoya amulet. We could possibly grab it and get out if we're lucky." But Miaki knew in the back of his mind that likely when they grab the Hoya or try to leave that the flag boss would be activated.

[Clarence 0]

I give him a thumbs up and begin walking around the room, checking for any chest or compartments that would hold the amulet. After a couple of no luck I go over to Miaki and try to help him search for the Hoya amulet."Any luck?" I ask, seeing that on this side there were lots of untouched shelves.

[Miaki 0]

Miaki checked around a shelf that displayed various books and vials. "Nothing. I swear it has to be around here somewhere." He shoved several manuscripts out of the way and looked behind them. "Nada."

[Clarence 0]

"Ugh!" I yell and throw my hands up in the air, knocking some things down in the process"Oh crap...., wait Yes!". I yell quietly. I pick up the amulet and show it to Miaki."Look what I found." I say happily. All of the sudden the Minotaur started to move in it's cage."Crap" Is all I said before the cage broke open and it turned around and glared at us.