Merryn flopped onto the last stair, dragging in burning breaths. Should have looked for another way. She gulped in another breath, then stood. 

The room was large and gray, there were four pillars at different ends.

Long black ordinate tapestries hung on poles by the walls, they are the only decoration. This place wasn't right, everything was off about it. 

The shadows under the tapestries should have ran along the floor, but instead they went up the wall onto the ceiling. The only light came from globes on the ceiling. 

A sensation of just before falling crept up inside. She grabbed a pillar as the floor was gone. No, it's still there. 

At the left end of the room another staircase, again leading up.

A low chuckle filled the room. She spin around. 

"Hey!"

No reply.

She ran up the new flight of stairs, it was shorter then the last. On this level several hallways intersected. Now what way? Left? Okay, fine left.

Glowing globes floating above half bowl steel bases lined the walls, turning on one by one as she passed.

A metallic armored humanoid creature passed by, it had faintly glowing runes etched onto its armor, he crouched.

"I am the caretaker here. Fail any challenge here and..."

He paused; as did her breath.

He ran a finger across his neck.

She swallowed hard. 

He stood with an arm stretched out and pointed down the hallway. 

"Go."

She took off down it. 

The globes lit the way, several paintings of people and landscapes decorated the walls between them.

An intersection appeared at it's end. It wasn't empty, she skidded to halt as a little porcelain doll in a frilly pink dress was sitting at the middle with its legs sticking straight out under the filly dress. 

A monotone music played from it, a large wind up key on its side turned slowly around.

The doll's lurched forward, its curly hair flopping forward over it's blue painted eyes. Moving in slow motion onto its cracked hands it pushed up and stood, the hinges of its mouth creaked as it opened.

"Of pictures eight and light divine, fix the order or thy life be mine." 

The hairs on her arms and neck stood and a tingling marched down her neck. Was this a cursed spirit? 

The doll's mouth opened wide and flames streamed out, the heat searing her arms face. She jumped back, then rubbed face and arms chasing away the heat. Perhaps this wasn't the right way to go?

She turned around.

The doll blocked her way. 

"Only one way. You forfeit the game?" Its eyes glittered. 

All her skin tingled. Magic of some sort, had to be. Had. To. Be.

She went back.

So too the doll. 

It stood quietly; the shadows cast by the light darkened it's brow. 

Pictures of eight? Divine light?

She rubbed her forearm and walked around careful not to turn around. It said pictures and lights. Pictures and lights. Lights and pictures. Ah?

On closer inspection the paintings were in an odd order between the globes. 

She paced the hallway inspecting each painting. How many? Count them? 

None totaled to eight, the same with the globes. 

Humm... 48 pictures, and 24 globes. Eight? She rubbed her wrist, frowning.

The pictures blurred from staring at them. Rubbing her forehead, she closed her eyes for a moment. Relax, can't blast through this. 

She took one down, rolling it in her hands, then putting it back on the wall.

The doll stepped forward, the gears grinding and clicking.

"First mistake is made two more to pain."

Oh-oh. Now what? Count them again? Length, width, the diameter? Gods, what if its the color? Another amount? 

She sat down slowly on the floor and untied all the pouches dumping them into a pile. Ahead it hadn't moved the doll's glass eyes glinted.

She sorted the various items into smaller piles, potions in one, thief picks in another. A linen thread was tangled around one of the metal tools, she put it aside.

It was probably pointless, but sifted through everything again just in case something could help. 

Picking up the thread again, she fiddled with it. Wrapping it around thumb and pointer finger bouncing it. Of course! She jumped up going over to the nearest globe. It'll be rough, but should work. Keeping the thread wrapped around thumb and pointer finger, she measured the nearest globe.

The span of a hand from palm to the thumb is about six inches. What if .. 48 pictures ÷ the 6 inches of the globes? Eight it always comes up as eight. But eight what, eight pictures?

Between each of the globes were four pictures over lapping leaving no room for any others. Taking the pictrues down her hands shook. Forty eight total. 

Eyeing the doll, it hadn't moved. 

With a picture in hand, she went back to the wall again. The globes were spread several feet from the others. Walking over next to the wall, she stepped heal-toe counting each one.

Eight steps. Maybe?

Repeating this the amount is consistent. This should... 

She places the picture eight feet next to the first globe, then stepped back her breaths shallow and heartbeat loud. 

The doll's eyes flashed. 

"That is... correct."

Alright, then. She placed the rest also eight feet apart between the remaining globes. The doll still blocked the way. Was something missing? 

She breathed in. 

"The globes." She nodded. Just do it.

A few minutes later she placed all the globes on the floor, and replaced eight between the pictures.

"One more mistake will sign your fate." 

The words echoed through the hall.

Her hands shook while taking them down again. Eight, eight, eight, eight, starting to hate eight! 

Arrg! Picking up a globe in each hand, she nearly shattered them against the wall. Two Of course!

She took the globes placing them back, but left out every second one. 

"That is ... correct thou may pass." 

It went over to the wall, fading as it did. 

Merryn raced down the hallway on the right, another flight of stairs loomed. Several hours passed before reaching its top. It was like this place was taller inside then out, some sort of old magics at work. 

The animals were more aggressive, old less used magics cropping up, what next? 

Unnamed chuckled. 

Ah, right an old god awakening. It seemed like people too were different somehow, but as to what it was hard to pinpoint. Only Parcival and Han seemed unchanged. 

Bending over hand on knee, she dragged in hot breaths. The air was thick, she struggled to draw in a breath. Sweat driped off her forehead, she wiped it away. Not a single port stone, how did these people get around without dying from old age?

She froze.

A soft crinkling filled the room ahead. It stopped. 

What trap or puzzle will it be this time? The tiles? Drapes coming to life? The hallway on the left crashing down? It was hard moving into the room, every wisp of her being howled; just run back down.

The walls were curved with odd shaped windows that also were curved fro the top, the sides, then went straight down with a flat bottom. Most of the tiled floor was covered with a fancy ornamental blue and black rug, stepping on it, she went over to the odd window ahead. 

Crinkle. Cackle. Pop.

"Gah!"

The carpet under foot shuffled, and rolled up and down in a wave. 

She stumbled back back peddling away. 

The carpet bubbled, steam hissed from them as they burst. 

Oh gods.

The edges of the carpet turned black and crinkled cracking again randomly.

Dark veins slowly threaded throughout it from the blackened edges and pulsed merging at the center forming an intertwined circle. 

The carpet levataed, twirling around it self becomeing taller and thiner, and taking on a humanoid outline. 

She backed further as it tightened in on itself, smoothing over the humanoid outline. Details of a shadowy robed woman emerged. 

Not just old magics here, but dark, ones grandmother spoke of during the yearly Moon Out. 

Reality was far worse. She swallowed hard as the shadowy fourm lightend to that of a woman.

The woman had white hair up on a tight apple bun. Her eyes were an unblinking milky white that seemed to be far too aware. 

Her eyebrows, lashes, and lips weren't much better and were of bright red that contrasted with her translucent porcelain, heart shaped face. The woman wore an elaborate red and white tight dress of a criss crossing checker pattern. Her nails like silver talons were long and filed to a point.

"Welcome, won't you sit down?"

She startled at how soft and musical her voice was, guess in part expecting it to be more like a harpy's screech.

"I'm tired of all this. Where are my friends?" 

The woman ignored her and pointed to a chair near the window and bookshelf.

Manners would be wise with this one. The hairs on her arms kept raising and lowering, with every movement the woman made.

"I don't feel like sitting. What is your name if I might ask?"

The woman turned exactly to where Merryln stood. 

"Rouge. I will give you your next challenge. I don't know of your friends, it's hard to keep tally of the scrubs that are brought here." 

She walked over to a candle on a table, ran her fingers over it and the wick lit immediately.

Merryn choked back a gasp. Apparently not enough as the woman smiled some.

"If you win, then go through the right corridor. You find the newest scrubs in there, perhaps they are who you're looking for. If you lose-" 

Rouge paused, staring straight at her.

Her red rimmed lips parted into an odd smile, like that of a dragon looking down at it's next meal. 

Merryn's stomach became acidic and clenched, she stood as streight as possible fighting an urge to rub her arm.

Rouge brandished two gleaming rows of delicately pointed teeth. While white they had a pink tint between them, as to what it was? 

"Then I will skin you alive." Rogue's gaze was oddly intense.

She shivered. 

"Tell me then, what is it you want?"

Rouge cuped her hands as she went over to the large lamp at the end of the room. She flicked her wrist upwards, a sword dropped out of the air. She caught it with one hand. 

"You ever play hide and seek as a child? I'll be 'it'. 

She sliced the blade back and fourt. 

"Don't be caught too quickly now." 

Rouge came over and pinched the side of her face. 

"This will only be temporary. If you win that is."

Her hand flowed over Merryn's face, and touched her eyes. 

She blinked, all was hazy, then this faded to black. Her breath stuck in her throat, she hyperventilated and wheezed.

"What did you do!" She shreaked.

She backed away hands held out, tryingto find something, anything! She smacked into the chair, tripped and fell to her knees.

Rouges voice appeared before her. 

"You will have to the count of five to hide. If I fail to find you, your sight will be restored. If you find me first I will let you pass."

Shuffling now.

"Their are five ball bearings in this hourglass. When the last one falls, I will seek."

Rouge's breath hot on her neck, her nails trailed down stinging. 

"The count starts, now." 

A trickle of sweat came down her neck. She wiped it away; it smeared? The sharp tang of blood filled her nose. The scraches hit full fource. She cuped her neck, shaking.

Scrambling forward, holding her hands out they slapped into a wall? 

Ping. 

Crap!

With the wall guiding her she followed it. A while later smacked into a hard, flat surface. Quickly running her hands over its tops and sides. A table. Following its end to nothingness! 

"Aaaah!" 

landing on to her side, she slid down several steps. 

Clink.

How many was it? Hide. Hide! Hide now!

She crawled around witha hand out in front. Her fingers brushed a hard and smooth object next to the wall that headed down. She grasped it. She flitted her hands into space and almost tipped over forward. More stairs. Going back she cluched the banaster and worked her way down. 

There was a faint smell of roses and sandalwood. The stairwell ended and the wall led to a door, the scent was strongest here.

She followed the wall in the room cautiously. A bedroom as there was furniture and a bed so far. A cold breeze blew on her hands, following the wall led to a window carved into the wall. Another wall to right. Back over to the bed she ran both hands down it. Maybe go under it? 

Tink.

Four! 

Fugh! The window. Back over at it she pulled up onto the ledge. Her heart doing a bouncing act in her chest and throat. 

Dink!

Reaching out the ledge extended some from the window, but not much. 

Footsteps.

Following the window all around she bumped into a small hard object on the left. 

It seemed big enough. Stupid hands shook making it hard to pull up onto it. She strattled it clinging tight. 

Footsteps were closer now.

What if this is her room? Idiot!

Whats that fluttering?

A soft pita-pat-a and scratching. 

"I know you're near, I can smell you. Fear wraps you and betrays you."

Rouge snarled. 

Fanning her hands out led to nothing. 

Clank.

"Come out child the game is over. I tire of this."

She scrambled back inside. Rogue was there in an instant her fingers flowing over Merryn's eyes. Blinking and her sight flooded back.

Rouge sniffed. 

"Before I became blind, you know how I got the stripes on this dress so bright red?" 

talons

Rouge traced a talon along the top of her hand, cutting a thin line before she could move away. She caught a blood drop on its tip and licked it. 

Merryn backed away runing back and out almost going back down the stairwell. No! Not after all that. 

She swung around 360° on the pads of her feet and ran down the right corridor.

While near the top of the tower, Rouge's laughter echoed behind her. 

At the toop a long halway that led to another door. Peaking inside the circular room it was dark and mostly empty. Parcival and Han both were slumped on the floor. 

"Parcival, Han!"

Bending over she patted Parcivall's shoulder.

He moaned and frowned.

"Hey!"

He squinted and rubbed a bump on the side if his head. 

"Where?"

"The Tower of Focus." 

He arched his eyebrows and shook his head. "The gods save us."

"Did you see who took you here?

She patted Han's shoulder until awoke. He muttered, sitting and squinted at the light that steamed in though the window.

"We have to get back to the elders and warn them of a traitor."

"So you-"

"No." He looked away as if thinking.

"I was cold-conked from behind. Then woke up in here."

Han pipes in. 

"I might have seen something green boots with silver threading."

"Not much to go by but better then nothing."

They got up and headed to the door.

"Wait."

Parcival turned. 

"What is it?"

She went over and hugged him quick then went out.

"We better hurry up they seem to have mistaken me for some one else." 

Parcival walked beside her as they went back down the stairs.

He blinked repeatedly. 

"Who's mistaken, you?"

"The elders and the guards. Some one tried to assassinate Raimo."

He startled and his face became a wall.

"They walk, but are dead." His voice was low and cold.

He stiffned. "Did you say this was The Tower of Focus?" 

"Yes." 

"If we don't leave this tower by sundown we will be stuck in here permanently. This is one of three of the Old ones towers. Anyone that tallys too long will gradually have all energy drained. At sundown its doors lock and the windows disappear."

The glare from the sun was now half its current size.

"I'd say it's twilight we have a half hour of Civil twilight before it fully sets."

Civil twilight?

They sprinted down the stairs teo at a time. Han bounded down several at a time, his tail swinging back and fourth and reached the bottom first. 

The long shadows that sprayed across the white walls were angular and thin, they move at random angles as she followed. 

A monotone melody played downstairs dampened by the distance, sharpening as they descend.

A child like giggle raised the hairs on her arms.

"Do you hear that?

Han's ears rotated back and fourth.

"Yes, it's coming closer what ever it is."

A small figure streaked out the corner of her eye. 

"What the hell was that?"

"The sun has almost set what ever it is ignore it and sprint to the exit. Now!"

She grasped both of the men's hands chanted mentally the sprint spell. It's warmth flowed over to them. They raced to the exit. 

Outside the last rays of the sun sank below the skyline.