Aislyn laughed at Zeke's empty offer to pay for their drinks. For a moment, she considered offering to pay herself before quickly remembering her plan to escape. The change in thought soured her expression, yet somehow sent a sense of excitement through her. Escaping might not be her specialty, but getting away with things definitely was.
They were quickly approaching the exit, but the woman didn't say anything about it. If they thought the exit was still twenty, thirty feet away when in reality it was five, they wouldn't predict her plans to escape. On top of that, she would be able to get out first, due to her high vantage point and straight path. She would be able to get a reasonable lead towards the exit, and they would be left without direction. Perfect.
As the trio continued onwards, the straight path Aislyn took was soon moved along a different direction to the path Rey and Zeke had on the ground. This was her chance. They couldn’t reach her now, so if they noticed her escaping, the two men couldn’t pull her down.
More specifically, Rey couldn’t pull her down.
From what she could see, Rey and Zeke had a long, winding path to the exit, while Aislyn had a short, straight one. She could get away, as long as they didn’t notice her leaving for at least a few ticks. She put her plan into action, the maze changed and twisted around the woman’s legs. Rey and Zeke were laughing and talking below her, taking no notice of her increased speed. She was just a few meters from the exit. Home free.
But, of course, Ionu had to mess everything up.
Her eyes were open, she had a hedge in front of her, a bridge to the exit. She blinked, and the bridge was gone. Now it was a fork in the road, with a path dividing her from the exit. She threw a look over at the two men weaving their way through the hedges. Aislyn hadn’t guided them for a few chimes now, yet neither of them had taken a wrong turn. Petch. Zeke was accidentally leading Rey right to the exit. They were going to get out before her if she didn’t hurry up. Her eyes drifted back to the scene in front of her. The exit.
Unfortunately for Aislyn, walking was quicker than shuffling, and with Zeke’s energetic pace, she was quickly falling behind. The woman was barely eight feet from the hedge guarding the exit, yet the men racing ahead of her were going to reach it first. If they did, her plan to escape were all but dashed. She was going to have to try something else.
Rising shakily to her feet, the woman felt her bare feet sinking into the bush. There was no guarantee that she would actually be able to stand for the few short seconds she needed, but she was going to have to try. Her feet stopped sinking about half a foot down- just enough leverage to allow her to walk on top of the hedge. She had a clear path to the exit, while the men below her had to go around twists and turns to escape. Sucking in a breath, the illusionist began to walk, promising herself she wouldn't look down.
One step.
Two steps.
Soon enough, she was at the missing bridge; Ionu’s cruel trick. The final hurdle in a race against time. She had no way to go around, nor did she have the opportunity to change course. She either had to abandon her plans, or jump.
But of course, stubbornness always prevailed.
Aislyn held her breath, and, making what could possibly be the worst decision in her life, she jumped.
Her ankle gave out when she landed, tossing her off balance. The hedge she landed on gave out beneath her, and with a string of curses, Aislyn fell backwards, back into the maze. The very place she was attempting to escape. Her curses ended when she hit the ground, though a striking pain in her ankle began to pulse. Petch. She knew without looking that Rey and Zeke had seen her fall. Really, who wouldn’t? She had gone crashing down a good few meters ahead of them, but that didn't mean they didn't see her. And if they had seen her, they knew what she was doing. The woman had just jumped over their heads for sake of a quicker exit. There was no denying her plans now. But unfortunately, that plan hadn’t bought her much time.
The woman had begun running the moment she hit the ground, but even with the path to the exit memorized, she had at very most a thirty tick lead. She had the advantage, but not for long.
Now that the men knew, there was no doubt they were going to quicken their pace. The group still had several turns and forks in the path to pass by in order to escape, but in that respect, Aislyn had the advantage. Before she had fallen, the woman had gotten a good look at the path ahead of her. As long as Ionu didn't completely flip the maze, she was ahead. But even then, she had at very most a thirty tick lead. That was no where near enough, not with Rey in the form he was. He would catch her, easily. She had to try something else.
Aislyn looked around as she moved her way to the edge of the maze. The only thing remotely useful that she could see was the exit, though what good was that? She couldn’t block it, or change it’s position by force…
But she could make it look like it wasn’t there.
Sending a prayer to Ionu, the illusionist threw an illusion up on the maze's exit. She had the advantage now. Zeke didn’t know about her power, and from what Rey had done earlier, the Dhani wouldn’t tell him. There was no way he could explain how the exit had just disappeared, and therefore couldn’t convince Zeke to leave.
Or, at least, that was what she hoped would happen.
The woman paused at the edge of the maze. Now came another dilemma. She had to get away onto uneven pavement without Rey or Zeke catching her. The problem? She was shoeless.
Aislyn hadn't quite planned that part of her escape out. Rey still had her shoes from when she had clambered up onto his shoulders and out of the maze. Petch. She had liked those shoes. Good, sturdy, reliable boots. Easily a couple gold, but there was no turning back now. She had to go. No way the woman could be caught after the scene she had just made.
And so, for the second time in under a chime, Aislyn made a split second decision, running as fast as she could away from the god forsaken maze she had been trapped in for so long.
Something sharp jabbed into her foot as her feet hit the ground, but the pain only registered at the back of her mind. She was running on adrenaline, and really, she should have already been halfway down the block. The woman couldn’t stay near the maze. She had to get out. Now.
So the illusionist ran, her trick on the maze exit disintegrating after it was out of her sight, her failsafe finally gone. Fear overworked her brain, but in the moment, a smile crossed her face. Aislyn Leavold- or, as she had claimed earlier in the evening, Nise- disappeared into the Alvadas night.
They were quickly approaching the exit, but the woman didn't say anything about it. If they thought the exit was still twenty, thirty feet away when in reality it was five, they wouldn't predict her plans to escape. On top of that, she would be able to get out first, due to her high vantage point and straight path. She would be able to get a reasonable lead towards the exit, and they would be left without direction. Perfect.
As the trio continued onwards, the straight path Aislyn took was soon moved along a different direction to the path Rey and Zeke had on the ground. This was her chance. They couldn’t reach her now, so if they noticed her escaping, the two men couldn’t pull her down.
More specifically, Rey couldn’t pull her down.
From what she could see, Rey and Zeke had a long, winding path to the exit, while Aislyn had a short, straight one. She could get away, as long as they didn’t notice her leaving for at least a few ticks. She put her plan into action, the maze changed and twisted around the woman’s legs. Rey and Zeke were laughing and talking below her, taking no notice of her increased speed. She was just a few meters from the exit. Home free.
But, of course, Ionu had to mess everything up.
Her eyes were open, she had a hedge in front of her, a bridge to the exit. She blinked, and the bridge was gone. Now it was a fork in the road, with a path dividing her from the exit. She threw a look over at the two men weaving their way through the hedges. Aislyn hadn’t guided them for a few chimes now, yet neither of them had taken a wrong turn. Petch. Zeke was accidentally leading Rey right to the exit. They were going to get out before her if she didn’t hurry up. Her eyes drifted back to the scene in front of her. The exit.
Unfortunately for Aislyn, walking was quicker than shuffling, and with Zeke’s energetic pace, she was quickly falling behind. The woman was barely eight feet from the hedge guarding the exit, yet the men racing ahead of her were going to reach it first. If they did, her plan to escape were all but dashed. She was going to have to try something else.
Rising shakily to her feet, the woman felt her bare feet sinking into the bush. There was no guarantee that she would actually be able to stand for the few short seconds she needed, but she was going to have to try. Her feet stopped sinking about half a foot down- just enough leverage to allow her to walk on top of the hedge. She had a clear path to the exit, while the men below her had to go around twists and turns to escape. Sucking in a breath, the illusionist began to walk, promising herself she wouldn't look down.
One step.
Two steps.
Soon enough, she was at the missing bridge; Ionu’s cruel trick. The final hurdle in a race against time. She had no way to go around, nor did she have the opportunity to change course. She either had to abandon her plans, or jump.
But of course, stubbornness always prevailed.
Aislyn held her breath, and, making what could possibly be the worst decision in her life, she jumped.
Her ankle gave out when she landed, tossing her off balance. The hedge she landed on gave out beneath her, and with a string of curses, Aislyn fell backwards, back into the maze. The very place she was attempting to escape. Her curses ended when she hit the ground, though a striking pain in her ankle began to pulse. Petch. She knew without looking that Rey and Zeke had seen her fall. Really, who wouldn’t? She had gone crashing down a good few meters ahead of them, but that didn't mean they didn't see her. And if they had seen her, they knew what she was doing. The woman had just jumped over their heads for sake of a quicker exit. There was no denying her plans now. But unfortunately, that plan hadn’t bought her much time.
The woman had begun running the moment she hit the ground, but even with the path to the exit memorized, she had at very most a thirty tick lead. She had the advantage, but not for long.
Now that the men knew, there was no doubt they were going to quicken their pace. The group still had several turns and forks in the path to pass by in order to escape, but in that respect, Aislyn had the advantage. Before she had fallen, the woman had gotten a good look at the path ahead of her. As long as Ionu didn't completely flip the maze, she was ahead. But even then, she had at very most a thirty tick lead. That was no where near enough, not with Rey in the form he was. He would catch her, easily. She had to try something else.
Aislyn looked around as she moved her way to the edge of the maze. The only thing remotely useful that she could see was the exit, though what good was that? She couldn’t block it, or change it’s position by force…
But she could make it look like it wasn’t there.
Sending a prayer to Ionu, the illusionist threw an illusion up on the maze's exit. She had the advantage now. Zeke didn’t know about her power, and from what Rey had done earlier, the Dhani wouldn’t tell him. There was no way he could explain how the exit had just disappeared, and therefore couldn’t convince Zeke to leave.
Or, at least, that was what she hoped would happen.
The woman paused at the edge of the maze. Now came another dilemma. She had to get away onto uneven pavement without Rey or Zeke catching her. The problem? She was shoeless.
Aislyn hadn't quite planned that part of her escape out. Rey still had her shoes from when she had clambered up onto his shoulders and out of the maze. Petch. She had liked those shoes. Good, sturdy, reliable boots. Easily a couple gold, but there was no turning back now. She had to go. No way the woman could be caught after the scene she had just made.
And so, for the second time in under a chime, Aislyn made a split second decision, running as fast as she could away from the god forsaken maze she had been trapped in for so long.
Something sharp jabbed into her foot as her feet hit the ground, but the pain only registered at the back of her mind. She was running on adrenaline, and really, she should have already been halfway down the block. The woman couldn’t stay near the maze. She had to get out. Now.
So the illusionist ran, her trick on the maze exit disintegrating after it was out of her sight, her failsafe finally gone. Fear overworked her brain, but in the moment, a smile crossed her face. Aislyn Leavold- or, as she had claimed earlier in the evening, Nise- disappeared into the Alvadas night.
