>>6330391>Turn 35/40>Floor 39/40After stepping on the warp panel that Gyles had rigged, you and Crowley reappear in the middle of what must have once been a hedge maze. You use the word ‘once’, as it appears that someone must have decided that they weren’t going to reach the goal the traditional way. Several man-sized holes have been carved through the shrubbery, allowing one passage without the need to find their way through the puzzle. Inspecting the hedge wall closely, you poke at it with a finger, only to recoil at first touch. A trickle of blood runs down your finger. These things were sharper than they appeared.
“These holes have Butch written all over them.” Crowley says. “There’s no way that man would have the patience to go through this maze the regular way.”
>“Can’t say I blame him. This looks like it would have been a huge pain in the ass. Thank the Goddess we got to skip this, am I right?”“Perhaps you shouldn’t brag about that too loudly. They’re going to have a lot of questions for us when we reach the top. Have you prepared what you’re going to say?”
>“It’ll be fine. I’m a quick thinker.”Crowley wrinkles his face in concern, but does not vocalize his thoughts. The two of you step onto the warp panel, finally ready to put an end to this stage of the contest.
>Floor 40/40Upon reaching Floor 40, you feel the familiar sensation of the desert wind. It was unlike the artificial air you’d felt as you’d climbed the tower. This was real. As was the warm sun that was beaming up above you. You shield your eyes, sensitive from having not seen those rays for almost three days now. Three days without the sun. How Pyrrho could put up with hundreds of years of that was beyond you. It would be enough to drive anyone mad.
“Ahh, Tristain! You made it!” Saoirse exclaims.
The floor you were on was none other than the very roof of the Tower of Illusions. Several tables lined with food and drinks had been set up, and it was here that you found the other contenders lounging about. True to Pyrrho’s words, Saoirse, Uriyan and Butch were here. The former was waving towards you excitedly, while the latter were currently stuffing their face with the food and drink provided to them by the Yasha. Sitting at the opposite end of them were Leonora and Arios, who both regard you coldly.
>“Thank the Goddess that nightmare is over. I’m looking forward to eating something edible for a change.”As you begin making your way towards where the food is set up, your path is blocked by the movement of several Yasha. They’d been watching you behind another massive table, this one set up with numerous translucent orbs. A closer look at them revealed that each gave their observers a peak of the various tower floors.
