Following the Troll was more difficult than L had assumed it would be. Its feet made no sound and it moved at incredible speed, considering its large size. L had to keep her distance and almost lost it a few times, luckily she could see through the dark and caught the disturbed dirt before it settled. They wound through the tunnels for what had to be over an hour but the Troll never seemed to falter. L didn't know how it was doing it, Trolls shouldn't have these abilities. She rounded the next corner to catch up when she was brought up short.
The Troll she'd been following had stopped and was on its hands and knees; L was eternally grateful for the small loincloth it wore around its lower body, she might never have recovered if it hadn't been there. She pressed herself against the wall and watched, wondering what it could possibly be doing. She kept her senses sharp, those that worked anyway, and heard the grunting of the Troll when it finally stood up. It didn't bother to look around or brush off the dirt, instead choosing to pick at the loincloth before heading further down the tunnel.
L followed carefully once it was out of sight and when she reached the spot where the Troll had been kneeling, she was surprised to see a grate in the ground. She squatted down and stared through the bars, it wasn't her prison and it did appear to be occupied, though L didn't know whether to feel relieved or worried.
"Did someone order room service?" L whispered, the sound echoing around the small cell.
"L?"
Robbie looked up and L could see the relief in his eyes, he looked like he'd been crying and she noticed spots of blood on his knuckles, as well as the side of his forehead.
"L, is that you? What's going on? Where are we?" Robbie asked frantically, jumping up from the metal cot that looked like it had had a good kicking.
"I don't know yet and I'm not sure I want to, we have to find Bryce and get out of here. There's something about this place that doesn't feel right, something bad."
"I know, I can't transform in here either, it's too small... and I've had a splitting headache since I woke up."
L nodded, it would have been beneficial to have his Dragon form but it wouldn't have helped him get out through this tiny hole anyway.
"It's okay, I'll get you out."
L didn't know how she was going to do that, she couldn't phase with Robbie and she certainly couldn't cut the bars without having a few hours to spare.
"Any ideas?" Robbie asked after the moments ticked by. "How did you get out of your cell?"
L proceeded to tell him while she looked for a lock, or something that was keeping the grate closed.
"And you can't extend that to me?"
"No, it won't work like that... ugh!" L was beginning to get frustrated again, there was no visible lock and she had no idea how she was going to get Robbie out.
"It's okay, L, we'll figure something out," Robbie tried to reassure her.
"This is just typical though, we were on track to go get my parents and then it just had to be derailed by something. And Trolls nonetheless, people don't get ambushed by Trolls- Keepers, don't get ambushed by Trolls."
"Oh, is that what they are." Robbie sounded surprised.
"Yeah, and what was that one doing here just now?"
Robbie frowned up at her, "I don't know, it just stares down at me and grunts repeatedly. It felt like it was trying to tell me something, it's done that twice now since I woke up, but I can't understand what it's trying to say."
L was just as perplexed, is that why a Troll had gone to her cell, to check in on her? But why? L took a deep breath to calm her frustrations, she was just gaining more questions.
"We need a plan, there has to be some way to open it and the Trolls know how. We have to get it to come back."
"But what do we do when it does come back?"
L could feel a plan starting to form, it was risky, especially if these Trolls were as fast as they had been in the forest. There was a chance they'd catch her and she'd end up back in her prison, or worse, they'd find her too troublesome for whatever they had in mind. And yet, L knew it was their only option for getting Robbie out sooner, and finding Bryce.
She whispered the plan to Robbie, who didn't seem keen on her taking risks but didn't object. L nodded and watched him retreat into the far corner of the cell until she couldn't see him, no matter how hard she pressed against the grate.
"That's it, now stay still until I give the signal."
"Okay," Robbie called.
L had everything crossed this would work, she sat back on her knees, reached up and rubbed at her nose. The dried blood started to come away, but as it did, fresh blood began to drip. L knew it would, she'd been counting on it. She reached a hand up and let the blood drip into her palm, just enough to make a puddle. She ripped her other sleeve with her free hand and used it to dab her nose when she was done.
L reached down and splashed the blood all over the bars of the grate, getting some on the tunnel floor and herself. It all added to the effect she was going for. She stood up and retreated to a dark recess in the wall nearby, she hoped Robbie was ready. She inhaled deeply and let out an almighty scream, the echoes made it sound like someone was being ripped apart; yet more embellishments to add to the theme she was going for.
She knew the sound would travel far in these tunnels, the Troll would definitely hear it and have to come looking. She hid in the shadows, watching and waiting impatiently, her frustrations over being caught by Trolls, was vying with her frustrations over constantly being waylaid and diverted. Suddenly, she caught movement at the end of the tunnel, something was coming at speed. L tried not to dwell on how these Trolls were so fast, she needed to concentrate on getting Robbie out.
She watched the Troll slow as it drew closer, its wide eyes seemed to be taking in the scene while its brain tried to comprehend it. L wasn't sure what she'd think if she came across this, but she'd definitely check on the prisoner under the grate- thankfully that's exactly what the Troll did. It kneeled down on the ground and pressed its face towards the grate, though strangely it wouldn't get too close. That was to their advantage because it definitely wouldn't be able to see that was Robbie was still in there.
This thought was confirmed when the Troll grunted loudly, it straightened up and to L's amazement, it waved a hand over the grate. The metal clanged and sprang up, L felt her jaw drop, that was so obviously magic- but Trolls didn't have the ability to use magic. What in the world was going on here? She watched the Troll lean its head under the rim of the opening. L snapped out of her confusion and sprang into action.
She ran at the Troll's behind, using her Ogre strength, she pushed and watched the Troll tumble down into the cell.
"Now!" L shouted, using the Troll's momentary daze to jump down into the gloomy prison.
Robbie was with her the moment she hit the ground, he held onto her and she jumped as high as she could, using whatever abilities would help her and Robbie clear the opening. They landed in the tunnel with a shared sigh of relief. L turned to look down into the cell, where the Troll was starting to stir.
"Come on, it's bound to have a way out of there and I don't want it catching up to us, not in here anyway."
L took the lead and they sprinted down the nearest tunnel, L took them in various different directions in an attempt to put as much distance between them and the Troll. Which was made all the more difficult considering she didn't actually know where she was going. They took a short break after several minutes, but they couldn't stop for long, the plan needed work.
"How are we gonna find Bryce in this maze?" Robbie asked between breaths.
L stared down two tunnels that intersected the one they were in.
"I don't know, it's hard to keep track of the ones we've been in. I can't be sure that the tunnels themselves aren't changing around us."
Robbie sighed, "Somebody definitely didn't want their prisoners leaving this place." He stretched his arms and legs, "Do you think the Trolls built it?"
"No, it's too advanced. I mean, yeah they may have magic now but this is too intelligent for them. And that's not me being insulting, it's just a fact."
But whoever had built this place, Robbie had been right, they did not want anyone leaving without permission- or a guide.
"Well I can't transform in here without getting stuck so I'll be pretty much useless if we have to fight our way out." Robbie stated, his expression filled with agitation.
"It's alright, we'll just have to think of a way around this place without bumping into the Trolls."
L scratched her chin, accessing the library of Keeper information for something that might help them. Just as before, it held nothing that would be of any use, they were on their own.
"We need to find out if the tunnels are changing first, because if they are then this will just be impossible."
Robbie stared at the tunnels, "And how are we going to do that?"
L sighed, "I'm gonna have to mark one, I know I said it was a bad idea but it's all I can think of. I want you to stay hidden, I'll be quicker on my own. I'm gonna run as far and as fast as I can until I get back here."
"And if they are changing?" He asked critically. "We'll lose each other and be in a worse position than when we started."
L felt herself deflate, he had a point, and if they were changing then who knew how long it would take her to find Robbie again- much less get to Bryce after that.
"L..."
"I know, I'm thinking."
L's was running through scenarios, ideas, and theories that might help them, labyrinths weren't a specialised subject in any species.
"L..."
"What?" L turned to Robbie, wondering if something was wrong.
He stared back at her blankly, "I didn't say anything."
"Then who...?" L span on the spot, she'd heard someone calling her name, but since it was just the two of them she'd assumed it was Robbie.
"Who, what? L?"
"I heard someone calling my name..."
"L..."
"There it was again, didn't you hear it?"
But from the look on Robbie's face, he hadn't heard anything.
"L..."
The voice was faint and slurred, as though the owner wasn't fully aware they were speaking. It sounded familiar and with a shudder that shook L's whole body, she realised who it was.
"Bryce?" She called back.
She didn't expect an answer, she was starting to understand what was happening.
He was communicating with her telepathically, like he had with Emilia when he'd been hurt in the Keeper's cavern last year. L knew Elves possessed the ability but she didn't know it was possible for them to communicate with others in this way. There was certainly no mention of it in her library. She tried to communicate back but there was no way of knowing if it worked, Bryce didn't sound coherent enough to let her know.
L had no in depth information on how the link worked, Elves always struggled to explain it, but she could feel something pulling her now. Just like it had with Emilia, she knew it was pulling her towards Bryce. L briefly explained what was happening to Robbie, he appeared skeptical.
"Are you sure it's not a trap?"
L nodded, "It's kinda like the connection we speak through when you're transformed. You always know when it's me, don't you?"
"Oh I see what you mean. Well, I guess you're leading the way then."
He gestured ahead with a smile and they quickly followed the pulling sensation. It was almost guiding L's feet, taking her through the tunnels; although at one point it wanted her to pass straight through a wall in an attempt to go directly left. They eventually found a way around and kept on going. One startlingly turn almost had them walking headlong into a Troll, but luckily L pulled them into a dark recess before it saw them.
They waited until they were positive it had gone, before they continued on their path. They must have been walking for at least an hour, maybe two, when the feeling L had started to increase.
"We're close, be careful and keep your eyes peeled."
Robbie nodded, sticking close to L while watching their backs. They walked cautiously now, the feeling L had was pulsing away in her mind.
"L..." Bryce's voice called out to her.
"We're coming."
She tried to call back, unsure if it was even possible. She knew it only happened when an Elf was badly wounded, with no other point of help, but usually it was only to other Elves they were close with.
L remembered Emilia saying it was because she and Bryce were siblings, that they shared a bond. But then why was he able to reach out to her? It had never happened to a Keeper before, so that couldn't be the key. L didn't want to linger on the thought of what kind of bond was needed. She wasn't ready to dig that deeply, it was far too soon.
She was extremely grateful when they rounded the corner of their current tunnel to find a metal door cutting them off. L was almost positive Bryce was behind it, she could feel it. The only problem left was how they were going to get in. It was bound to be locked, and if the grates had been anything to go by, it was probably sealed with magic too. L wasn't ready to give in to her frustrations, she'd been doing that too much recently and it had to stop.
She was a smart, strong, capable Keeper and she would think of a way to get them through this. She heard Bryce calling her name again and ran to the door, she pulled with Ogre strength and nearly fell backwards when it opened easily. To her bewilderment it hadn't been locked, the door was now wide open for them to go in.
"I guess it wasn't locked then?" Robbie asked, he seemed to be hiding a smirk behind his hand.
"Shut up," L narrowed her eyes playfully, her confusion vying with relief.
She couldn't understand why they wouldn't lock Bryce's 'prison', that is until she creeped inside and her almost smile evaporated. The room behind the door was much like hers and Robbie's cells; carved from the stone itself, dark, windowless, but this one was three times the size and it didn't have a metal cot.
L stared open-mouthed at the instruments on tables, they made her want to scream and cry. She pushed away the gruesome images of tortured victims in her mind and gawped at the only other thing in there; a small metal cage that dangled from the ceiling. It looked just big enough to fit L but barely anyone bigger, and certainly not a full grown Elf. But there was Bryce, stuffed into the cage and bursting out at every opening, his body looked wrong.
L pushed down the bile building in her throat and rushed to stand under the cage, staring in horror. She couldn't see clearly enough to check him over for injuries, but she could see his face and it had been beaten to a bloody pulp. It was clear he was barely conscious, his state definitely explained why the telepathic connection was tenuous. Was this the fate she and Robbie would have faced next? Would Bryce be okay?
L shuddered at the thoughts that sprang up unwittingly, "We have to get him down."
Robbie nodded, "I've got this, you might want to get back."
L immediately understood what he was going to do and she stepped out of the room altogether. She watched for anyone coming while Robbie transformed; the cell was just big enough to hold him, crouched and pulling his neck in. He didn't waste any time in slashing his claws at the chain holding the cage up. L was worried for a moment that it would be too strong even for Dragon claws but the cage fell suddenly.
Robbie caught it easily and laid the cage, and Bryce, on the ground. L made a mental note to work on her own Dragon claws as she ran back into the room, skirting around Robbie's large hind leg to stand next to the cage. Robbie pressed a claw against the bars and carefully cut them open, releasing Bryce from his prison. To their shared horror, Bryce's limbs didn't loosen back to their original shape. He was scrunched up like a deformed pretzel and his eyes were rolling.
"Bryce?" L kneeled down, pressing a hand to his bloody face. "Bryce, can you hear me? It's L, I'm right here, and so is Robbie... we're right here with you."
Bryce didn't react, L couldn't even be sure he was aware of anything right now.
"We need to get out of this place, I need to heal him before..." L couldn't say it, she didn't even want to think it.
Robbie transformed back and kneeled by L. "If anyone can get us out, it's you. I'm sure there's a way, we just haven't found it yet."
L nodded, she stared down at Bryce's blood caked hair and slackened expression. They had to get out, she wouldn't lose him like this, she refused.
"Are you ready, because we're gonna move fast?"
"What are you gonna do?" Robbie almost sounded worried.
"Everything I said I wouldn't." L stated.
She was done playing by rules she didn't understand, it hadn't gotten them very far. She'd had Bryce as a guide to this room, but now they had no help and no clear route back to the outside world. L had had enough, she waited for Robbie to say he was ready, then she picked Bryce up gently in both arms and began to run. She had to go slower than she wanted since Robbie couldn't keep up with Supernatural speed; it did give her time to mark the walls they passed with Werewolf claws.
It had seemed like a bad idea before but now she was hoping to bump into a Troll- they better be ready for her if that happened. She and Robbie soon came across a few of the paths they'd already used and managed to choose a different route from there. L was sure they must have mapped out two-thirds of the labyrinth of tunnels when she started to see something brightening in the distance.
L couldn't quite believe it at first but the closer they got, the more obvious it grew.
"It's the outside!" Robbie called, spurring them both to run faster.
They burst out of the tunnel to a starry night sky, the forest beyond was silent except for the sound of wildlife. L tested her magic immediately, happy to feel that it was working again. She carried Bryce over to a nearby tree and set him down softly, she kneeled down and started to check him over. He had extensive injuries, some she couldn't identify or treat, not with her limited medical knowledge.
She started trying to heal the things she could help with, while Robbie stood guard. They probably should have gotten further away from the tunnel opening before she did anything, but L was worried Bryce wouldn't have that long. She slowly eased the pain and stiffness in his limbs, straightening them out to a more comfortable position. Bryce didn't make a sound throughout, his eyes just fluttered.
L began to treat the external injuries she could when she felt something whoosh by her left ear. Her heart began to race and she knew what was happening before she heard Robbie say her name.
"L, you might wanna arm yourself."
Even in her head, Robbie sounded concerned. His transformation had been instantaneous and she sprang into action just as fast.
L was ready, she threw a barrier over Bryce and turned to face them. Her eyes widened at the sight of ten Trolls, all armed with clubs and who knew what kind of magic, charging towards them.
"Oh, crap."