Labyrinth Wall (9780991531219) (6 page)

Darith and I shoot each other glances.

“Do you remember me?” Darith taps his black sword. “She and I were fighting when you found us.”

“I’m telling you, I don’t remember anything. I’m sorry, you must have the wrong guy,” he insists with a tone of sincerity, as if he wishes he could tell us better news.

I replay the scene in my head and feel certain it was him. The dimple on his chin is hard to forget. The face of the man with the healing hands doesn’t fade from memory easily. I recall a name the guards yelled out as they followed him through the field: “Korun.”

“Korun, that’s what the guards called you,” I tell him.

He shakes his head as if the name is familiar to him, but he doesn’t seem ready to own it.

I drop back behind him to join Darith. “That treatment they filled him with really screwed him up.”

“Great. He won’t be able to answer a single question.” Darith sweeps deep brown hair from his eyes.

It’s been hours, and our bodies are beginning to tire. There’s absolutely no way the woman is actually taking us to the field, it would have been a much quicker journey. Despite that obvious fact, we know what waits for us if we turn back, so we keep moving forward.

The tunnel comes to an end where we find an old ladder. The ladder extends so far above us I can’t even guess how high it goes.

“That’s it,” I declare. Everyone looks at me. “I’m too tired. There’s no way I can climb that right now.”

Darith’s in no shape to argue, leaning breathless against a rock wall. “Okay, let’s take a break. I’ll keep watch so the three of ya can try to get some sleep.” He catches the woman’s arm as she begins to sit. “And don’t get any bright ideas. I’ve got my eye on ya.”

Her expression is rebellious, but she nods with understanding.

“You better tie her arms for added security.” I offer the thick rope from Korun’s cell. Darith ties it around her wrists before attaching it to his own wrist. For added measure, he keeps a tight hold on it.

There’s nothing comfortable about the rocky floor, but my back is accustomed to the discomfort. Our guide turns constantly in an effort to establish a pleasant position. Evidently, she has no success. Her obnoxious squirming sounds keep me up only a few minutes before my tired mind and body take over and soon I am in my dream world.

Strange sights occupy my dreams: fresh water cascading down from one rock pool to the next and cozy homes built into giant skinny minaret rocks. Voices speak to me, maybe those who have gone hungry after not paying their obsidian taxes. Blue makes an appearance like always, but this time she’s among her kind in the castle…and she doesn’t know me at all. After that, the man in white falls from the labyrinth wall again. This time he’s confident, aware of himself, as he crosses the field toward me. For some unexplainable reason, I’m scared. It seems right to run, but my body remains frozen. His hand extends to land on my heart. Then I feel something so strong, so frightening within me, that I think I might die.

I jolt awake, drenched in perspiration. My fast-paced breathing and the heavy pounding of my heart make my head hurt. Everyone else is still asleep, except Darith, who stares at me with a smile on his face. “Bad dreams, little Araina?”

His tone is condescending as always. My lips purse tightly. Sluggishly, I lie back down. Everything goes blank this time as I make a conscious effort to fight away the dreams and nightmares.

Pounding footsteps wake me. My eyes jerk open to find Darith has drifted to sleep. Heavy eyelids and tight muscles tell me I’ve been asleep for a while. My mind takes a moment to verify the sound echoing down the hall before I’m on my feet, waking my companions. “Wake up. Hurry!”

Darith jumps with alarm. I shake the man in white. Korun wakes peacefully despite the chaos.

“Ladies first.” Darith nudges our guide toward the ladder. She hesitates, so he pushes her. Forcing her up, Darith follows close behind. The guards are drawing near. As I make my way through the dark shaft, practically devoid of light, the thought of our capture becomes comical. It’s not as if they could really do anything worse to us than the lives they force on us in the labyrinth.

The torch is withering and slowing down my escape. The others are now far ahead of me. Trying to hold the thing in one hand as I steady myself with the other isn’t very practical. A jerk travels through the ladder from down below, almost causing me to lose my grip completely. Evidently they’ve reached its base. The guards are yelling obscenities, claiming I’ll be dead in a minute.

I’m not a huge fan of the dark, but I’m running out of options. “Hope you three can feel your way up. The light is about to go out.”

The object releases from my hand, and dancing flames travel past my legs as it descends. Reflective orange light forms a ring outline of the tunnel. It soars down and then disappears.

Men scream in pain. Evidently, the guards received my gift. I’m moving much faster now, though I haven’t quite caught up to the group. It’s so strange to be traveling with a group at all. In fact, it’s not just strange, it’s uncomfortable. Mahk don’t have friends. We don’t rely on anyone but ourselves. Once they get me to the other side of the wall Korun came through, I’m headed my own way. For all I know, they can’t be trusted to let me live.

Unfortunately, we exit the tunnel into yet another dark strange place. There must be some light, but its source isn’t identifiable. The place is dank, drenched in the smell of rotting flesh. My boots make squishing sounds against whatever coats the ground.

“This is some lovely field you brought us to.” Darith still has a grip on our guide’s arm.

“Sh,” I insist. The room is quiet, almost silent, but some faint sound is repeating around us. At first I can’t make it out.

Raspy breathing. There’s someone in the room with us.

Korun seems to have heard it as well. “Is there someone there? Hello?”

Our guard’s voice rings out, echoing in the space as she speaks, “If you take them and let me go, we‘ll deliver a group of additional Mahk to you in the morning.”

Our company has formed a circle. Our weapons are in hand. Breathing quietly, I strive to discern what’s moving all around us. Whatever is in here has us surrounded. This can’t be good.

About ten Nabal emerge from the shadows into view. She has brought us into the Blood Caves.

As much day-to-day killing that goes on in the labyrinth, the Blood Caves still make me sickest. The Nabal inhabit the Blood Caves, murdering any Mahk who wander to the caverns and eating them. As if the average Mahk hadn’t already caused me to hate my own kind enough, the cannibalistic Nabal only fan the flames.

“We don't make bargains with anyone, especially not a Creator,” a raspy voice sprays his hateful words at our guide.

That serves her right. Being eaten to death will come as less of a trial if I get to watch a Creator die with me.

Barely visible in the dim light, the Nabals’ motions are jerky and robotic. They wear dirty patchwork robes made from Mahk garb. The Nabal that spoke leads the attack. Like angry bulls, all of them charge toward us, clubs and maces in hand.

Chapter 6
The Blood Caves

We're fighting them off the best we can. They assail us wildly, using not only their weapons but biting with hungry mouths.

The leading Nabal's teeth latch onto Korun's wrist, causing him to let out a low shriek. He looks angry now. In retaliation, Korun quickly wrestles the cannibal to the ground. He snaps his neck.

It doesn't feel like it's been even five minutes since we exited the tunnel, but the guards are beginning to emerge at our backs. At the same time, more Nabal are joining the fight from other caves. There must be at least twenty Nabal and possibly even more guards.

The Nabal are ruthless with their attack. Launching at me with his club, one bashes at my arm. He punches twice before his frighteningly long, rigid fingernails drill into me. A swift kick to his knee tips his balance, allowing time for my dagger to make an appearance. I could slit his throat in a second, but I hesitate as he turns to face Korun, who throws a rock at him. I knock him unconscious from behind with the butt of my dagger.

Mercilessly, weapons submerge into opponents as the altercation rages on.

So many bodies fill the dark cave. It’s nearly impossible to make out Darith or Korun among them all. Finally I spot them. Slouched to the ground, I hope to be overlooked as I back toward them.

Korun must have found an axe. He handles himself fairly sufficiently with the deadly weapon. He doesn't appear to be a trained expert by any means, but he's still alive.

As the guards continue to flood the cave, I’m trying to determine how we can possibly survive this massacre. Even if all the Nabal kill the guards or vice versa, we still wouldn't be able to fight our way out of here.

Warm liquid flies across my face. I reach up to wipe it off my cheek, only to discover it’s blood. A potential escape is about as likely as finding a blooming flower in these caves, but the blood triggers an idea.

Darith is still connected by a rope to the guard who led us here. Fighting my way into whispering range, I tell him the plan. Then I inform Korun. Korun’s sweaty and blood-stained hand grabs my wrist briefly, a look of contest in his eyes. I shrug violently as my head gestures around at our situation, conveying our lack of alternatives. We don’t have many options if we want to live. He doesn’t seem very pleased, but he concedes.

Both of them continue warding off attacks. They keep an eye on my back. Attempting to be discrete, I steal three robes from the dead Nabal. Only a minute passes before I’m wearing my long dark patchwork robe. Darith and Korun swiftly wrap the bloodied robes I’ve provided around their bodies. Now we look like the enemy.

Nabal continue to fight the guards and die. New Nabal infiltrate the cave. It isn’t long before we join in their fight, pretending to be part of their people. Despite lacking a weapon, our guide fares adequately between Darith’s protection and her agility. Bashing savagely, we claw at the guards, hiding our weapons beneath our robes. Adrenaline overcomes me, and in my fight for survival, madness takes me over. Wildly and without restraint, I’m tearing at the bodies around me. We have successfully executed the first part of the plan, but we aren’t safe yet.

Darith’s next action is the indication to move forward with our escape. He violently smacks the back of our guide’s head, causing her to pass out in his arms. Korun and I push toward him, pretending to fight for her. Meanwhile we begin to gravitate toward an entrance to the cave. For a brief second, it looks like a Nabal will give away our cover as he stares at us, unconvinced. He needs confirmation. My teeth hastily sink into the guard’s skin, ripping a small chunk from her arm. Wretched sour taste coats my tongue. My actions haven’t swayed the Nabal, but my distraction has given a guard the chance to attack him.

The rest of our escape proves to be very simple. Darith carries the female guard as if she weighs nothing. Other Nabal don’t question our authenticity when they see the blood and partial bit of flesh hanging from my mouth. The few that try to challenge us for the “meal” we’re hauling are easily fought off between Korun and me. Bile chokes my throat before her skin is spit from my mouth.

The crunching of bones beneath our feet as well as screams and clashes of metal fill our ears. We flee, trying to find our way out of the giant interconnected caves.
Who knows how many dead Mahk have accumulated in this place through the years?
Jolting nausea resonates in my stomach when my mind processes not only the disgusting caves, but the bite out of the guard. It’s fortunate I’ve never killed someone to survive because biting a person’s arm alone makes me feel terrible. How the Nabal can stand to live off other human meat astounds me.

As we press forward, it’s as if we’ll never find our way. One dank and moist room after the next, we navigate in the dark. It can’t be long before the Nabal will discover our charade.

Light shines ahead, luring us from the accursed home of the cannibals. My nose catches flurries of fresh air once we approach the exit out of the caves. The beating of my heart is still abnormally fast as we leave the abhorrent place behind. Even though I knew of the Blood Caves, I never truly understood the extreme grotesque nature of the Nabal. There is a loss of humanity in their wild eyes. Like rabid beasts, they live only to fill their own needs, no matter the expense.

As we slip away from the wretched place, I catch one last glimpse. We have to hurry, but my companions pause, observing miles of labyrinth entry points at the base of the incline. It is a sight to see, but we have no time.

“Hurry,” I disrupt their observations.

We work our way down the jagged mountain rocks. Our approach to the dark labyrinth passageways abates the fear. I lead our small group to the closest corridor.

Nearing our entry, we spot a couple different Mahk battling over scraps of food. One man bites hastily into a juicy fish. His meal reminds me of my own hunger. He’s oblivious to the uncomfortable black rocks he perches on or the gray smoke that chokes the air around him. Korun surely senses my initial instinct when he catches me eyeing the man
—
the instinct to steal anything he’s got.