The Expedition into Ephraim's Labyrinth [EPIC QUEST/NOIR/PRIVATE]

Lynne continued to fry the ingredients in the pot as he let out a soft hum, keeping the jolly tun underneath his breath even as he continued to hold a conversation with Noir. It seemed that he had entered his flow state, the cooking keeping him calm as he did something he knew very well. He tossed in some cut-up bites of some tuna which he had marinated in soy, vinegar, honey, and a bit of some grain alcohol he seemed to be carrying on him. If there was anything that was his priority while at the madame's it was gathering ingredients and recipes.

"Eventually, but first I wanna find out more about the world, the recipes and the ingredients that make them and the best ways to cultivate, gather, or hunt them." He said pausing for a moment as he started to move on to plating the dish, letting out a soft sigh to himself as he walked closer listening to her questions. "Not in the way you have, I've heard rumors of those who carry staffs but I never expected to meet one of you."

Reaching down he would slide a bowl to Haku before sitting down next to the magician giving her a bowl as he sat down with his own, unscrewing his flask once again to take a sip of the grain alcohol he had to loosen himself a bit more. It was clear that he had been through some stuff but now he felt like he could relax, even if it was in the middle of some odd underground woods. A fact that had started to dawn on Lynne as he began to realize what she had said to him at the end there. He slowly pulled the fork away from his mouth as he turned to look back at her.

"You entered a labyrinth?" He turned looking up, tilting his head with a soft hiccup as he seemed to be lost for a moment, before looking down at the ground. "Like you entered a maze and it lead to her manor, for what purpose would she have done that?"

"That sounds like a good idea, I love to explore and learn new kinds of stuff too." Noir felt happy to be able to meet another knowledge seeker, it seemed Lynne was very passionate about what he was doing. However, his remark about her kind made her raise an eyebrow. "What kind of rumor, if you don't mind sharing it with me?" She hoped the feline chef could share it with her.

The food smelled so good and when the chef passed a bowl of his cooking to her, Noir's eyes sparkled and in instance, her stomach growled. Haku's stomach growled as well, creating a harmonious hungry music together with Noir's. "Excuse me, I can't help myself."

It seemed the way she entered the area was uncommon and made her wonder if nobody made it this far... "I don't know either. I had been going to several strange places ever since I entered the labyrinth."

As Lynne was questioned and was given answers to his own all he could focus on for the moment was the sound of her growling stomach. He looked up at her and pulled out a ladle as he stirred the stew/porridge mix together before suddenly scooping it all up into a bowl for her and handing her one. He'd even pour one out for Haku and for himself before suddenly taking a seat next to them as he let out a deep sigh.

"Well rumors are rumors y'know, they're usually a lie with a bit of truth in them." He said as he twirled his spoon around in the contents of the bowl. "They said that there were people who could change the world around them with just the wave of a stick, that they were the chosen people meant to guide and protect us."

After he finished speaking there was a bit of somberness to his tone, he stopped eating for a second as all he did was play with his food. There was something clearly on his mind another thing about the rumors that he had heard and it was as though he didn't want to share it with her. However, his lip would begin to quiver as it seemed the trust he had placed in her would take precedence as he gave in. "They also say that they're the ones who put us here, the ones who made our world, and the ones who can take it away."

There was a deathly silence that fell on the air when he finished his statement, the night around them had gotten inexcusably dark even as they might notice that there were no stars in the sky at the moment and it was as though they were alone in a cold dark void with only their camp existing within this space.

"Thank you for the food, Chef." Noir felt the warmness from the bowl spreading throughout her body. The food's smell became more alluring to the magician's nostrils and as she took a spoonful, it was a party inside her mouth. The ingredients harmonized well with the spices, bringing an indescribable level of satisfaction to her stomach. Even Haku howled as soon as he tasted the food before basically forcing his head to the bowl to lick it clean.

"I see," Noir responded as she heard the first part of Lynne's words. As the feline took his time to continue what he wanted to say, Noir patiently waited. Although her eyes couldn't stop staring at the chef due to her immense curiosity. The moment the cook finally spoke again, Noir's eyes widened.

"Put all of you here... and can take it away... that's..."

It was hard for the magician to continue her words and the silence made her feel even worse. "So basically... some magician trapped all of you here... But why... Oh my God..."

Noir wondered, since it was called Ephraim's labyrinth, was he the one who trapped all of them here? But he let professors enter the labyrinth, that was enough to prove that he didn't hide anything bad... right? But what if he sent professors down here to check on everyone who lived here...? Noir wasn't sure, there was a lot of theory within her mind at the moment.

"I am not sure if you would trust me, but my only intention for entering this area is solely to explore it, nothing else... But I am sorry for what they've done... I truly am."

As Lynne heard Noir's theories based on the stories that he told her he didn't really have much of a reaction, he couldn't understand the gravity of what she meant. He just stirred the food around in his bowl for a moment, taking a second to blow on it. He would take a second to make sure that all of them were set up to eat before he even considered sharing his words again. With his head tilted to the side he sat down with his bowl staring into the food as though it were space itself.'

"Y'know, I don't know anything like that, I was born where I was raised." He said as though it were matter of fact, though he believed what he said he still couldn't think there was malicious intent behind it. "I just figured everyone has a maker, so somewhere down the line, they made my ancestors. I guess if you're right that's rightfully messed up, but I never thought about it as such."

After he finished his sentiment he would stick his spoon into his bowl and take a big spoonful of the stewed porridge he had made for them, swallowing the bits of meat, stewed vegetables, and a hearty egg that had been placed ontop. As he ate he seemed to lose his worries for a moment, the odd face he had with the scrunched-up eyebrows disappearing as he let out a long sigh of happiness. He would give her a gentle nod as he turned to look back at her. He was eager for her to taste his food, and if it weren't obvious enough he wasn't quiet for long.

"We can figure that stuff out in the morning though, go on and try your food we'll need as much energy as we can if this place is half as mysterious as you make it out to be." He said with a gentle purr hanging on at the end of his voice as he went back to chowing.

"I... I'm not sure either, that was just a theory. I hope what I said wasn't true..." Noir looked down, feeling bad for saying her thoughts to Lynne. The magician would slowly lift up her spoon and taste more of the chef's cooking. As she took another spoonful to her lips, she felt more and more refreshed. It was as if her fatigue was gone as soon as the food filled the hollow within her stomach. "Your cooking is very tasty, Chef. What is the name of this dish?"

It would take Noir less than a minute to finish her food, she almost wanted to ask for a second serving but while her stomach would be very happy, being in a food comma was never that fun for her. "Thank you for the food, Chef. The meal was very delightful. I hope I can taste the four-course meal you mentioned earlier soon."

After cleaning up the eating utensils, Noir would get ready to get some rest. Hopefully, they could get a peaceful one...

Her feline friend seemed to lose his appetite a little bit, but a good chef never lets food go to waste. He ate his food slowly eventually finishing all of its contents and making sure to feed what he could to Noir's beast before putting a lid on the rest. He put a blanket over it to keep the heat so they could easily rewarm it in the morning for breakfast. Although soon after he would start to prepare for bed just as well.

"Well, I'm just glad that I found you, and yeah if you wouldn't mind me coming with you after this I'd love to see the world you come from." He said in a somber, but ultimately cheerful voice as he got started to prepare a bed for himself with some leaves and his stuff from his bag. He was lucky to have grabbed it before they left, pulling out two more blankets for them both. "I promise that once we get to a proper kitchen I will make you the best meal you've ever had."

He got himself all comfy within his bed as he stared into the stars up above them, they were false and they both knew it in their heart. There was a great mystery to this place, one that they were getting closer to the core of with every room she made it through on their journey, and there would be revelations for them both to make soon enough. He let out a yawn but didn't seem to fall asleep yet looking at the environment around them along with the false sky and his face would furrow briefly.

"I hope you find whatever it is you're looking for in here." He said with another yawn following his eyes, nodding and blinking as he started to pass out slower and slower, although his unease never set. "I wish I knew what I was looking for...zzz"

Hearing how the feline chef was willing to travel together with her made Noir happy. "Of course, I don't mind, you are a very good companion and your cooking tastes great." The magician would help the feline to set up the bed, "I will hold on to the promise then, Chef."

Whoever made the star in the sky was pretty good, although Noir could tell it was fake, it still gave her a peaceful feeling as she stared at them. Lynne's hope made Noir wonder about what she was looking for in the labyrinth, she just wanted to know what lies in the labyrinth and, to be honest, she found a lot of interesting stuff. But how far she would go to find something else? Perhaps like ancient knowledge or something? But as Noir was lost in her thought, it seemed both of her feline companions had fallen asleep and with that, she thought that it would be good for her to try and get some sleep as well. "Good night, everyone."

The night was peaceful, or at least it would be like that for the first set of hours, just enough for them to get a fair amount of sleep without the sun rising. It was slow and creaked upon them like the moon rising through the sky in the world outside of the labyrinth, a creature moved through the darkness of the woods making it towards the smell of the camp. Chef Lynne didn't even notice as he stayed in his sleeping positon, lost in his dreams as he seemed to be pawing at the air as though he was trying to catch something that wasn't there.

There was a gentle creaking that came first, it blended with the sounds of the crickets that made up this false environment around them, but it would start to harmonize and even begin to overshadow the sounds of the lesser creatures. The singing, the chittering of the insects was there, but louder and it would soon start to infiltrate their camp. Though there was no doubt that Haku and Noir would be the first to notice it without the light there was no way for them to see it.

There was only sound, a sound that got louder and louder until what waws just one buzzing creature had become so loud it was as though they were being surrounded by a swarm, although the chattering of crickets had been peaceful and kept him asleep until now even Lynne was beginning to wake up as his head turned and his body began to roll around in his sleeping spot.

"H-huh, stupid bugs can you take care of that...." His words were drifting and trailing as he tried to go back to sleep but let out a soft groan as he covered his ears with his paws and kept grumbling. "I was having such a good dream, what kind of bug is making that noise?"