by Alyssa Breck
Omin was beside her. “Did you try to teleport in?”
Alayah shook herself free of his hold. She avoided his probing stare. An astral projection into the maze would have meant a faster end to the contest. The contest would have been about who got the layout faster, or who cheated better. The elders knew that, and they must have rigged the maze so that one couldn’t teleport through it, Alayah thought.
“Whatever you do, do not teleport, okay?”
“Why? How did you know not to?” Alayah asked him.
He looked around and whispered, “The reeds.”
Alayah turned towards the maze. She felt pain from the push in her joints. It had felt as though something tried to wrest her soul from her body, her heart pumped twice as fast. The reeds, bright green strands that moved restlessly in the dark water, looked fragile. Amidst the pain, Alayah felt a strange pull by them. It felt like a voice in her head and a nudge in her bones.
“Do you hear something?” she asked Omin.
“No.”
The others had started swimming into the entrance, the gate of reeds, a dark watery deep. Alayah closed her eyes for a moment. She tried to concentrate, to still the loud boom her heartbeat made in her ears. Just before the sound found a voice in her head, it was gone. She braced herself again and started toward the maze. She could just make out Omin’s feet as he disappeared into the darkness beyond.
The reeds gave off a greenish effervescence that reflected off the swimmers in front of her. As she went on, she came upon a dark path. Several swimmers had gone that way. Up ahead, there were about five pairs of moving feet. She paused, trying to listen to the voice that kept coming and going in her head. She wondered if the others heard it too. Omin said he didn’t.
Alayah swam straight on. She found that every time she tried to get off the central path, to take a left or right turn, the voices became louder, like the sound of many children talking all at the same time. Like a warning.
Alayah looked around for Omin. He must have taken one of those turns. Up ahead, the path ended in a wall of reeds.
Alayah came to an abrupt stop. She turned around, but the long empty path had all turned to reeds. Her gills opened and closed rapidly as they did when she felt pure, undiluted fright. She kept turning on the spot. She was caged in a prison of reeds.
“Omin,” she called.
Nothing. The voices had all gone quiet. Then, she felt a shadow pass behind her. She whirled around again, but there was only the dark ocean. The silence was so deafening, she wished for the unsettling voices to return. Behind her, she felt something, and her gills began pulsating.
She turned around slowly.
“Hello, Alayah.”
Alayah jumped and pushed her back against the reeds which pushed back with unbelievable force. In horror, she tried to swim upwards, out of the maze, but she bumped her head against an invisible barrier there. A little winded, she floated back down. She shrunk against the wall of reeds.
The creature that stood before her spoke with the voice of a woman. On closer examination, Alayah saw that it was nothing like she had ever seen before. It was swathed in a flowing white robe that covered half of its body. It had a woman’s face, large dolphin eyes that didn’t blink. The creature’s fins that started from the middle of its head and went out of sight, the rest were shrouded in the white cloth.
The thing stretched a spindly arm towards Alayah. “I’m willing to do a favor for a favor, Alayah.”
“H-how do you know my name?” Alayah trembled.
“I know every name. I know those who need favors too.”
Alayah panicked, she looked around, for a way, a path out of the prison of reeds and this monster. She called out again. But the dull, echoless rebound of her voice confirmed her deepest fear. She was alone.
“Let me show you the way out. You could win,” said the creature. It advanced on her.
“And what do you want in return?”
The dark dolphin eyes moved for just a moment. They focused on her armband. Its triangular mouth opened for the first time, serrated teeth shone on the greenish illumination of the enclosure.
“Your magic armband, Alayah,” it whispered.
“No!”
“Give it to me, and I shall show you a quicker way out of here.”
The monster's arms, like sinuous ropes, lunged at her. Alayah made a fist and tried to shoot a blast of energy from her band. The beast was faster. It hit Alayah’s hand off target and pinned her against the wall of reeds. Its mighty hand latched across Alayah’s mouth, blocking her gills. Alayah struggled. She kicked out, but the creature was powerful. Its other arm took hold of Alayah’s magic band and began pulling it off.
Alayah was losing consciousness as the creature’s hold shut off her air. The dark eyes of the monster bored into hers, and they soon began to flow with the current and out of focus. Alayah’s head spurned and swam. Then there was silence.
Chapter 4
“You are one piece with your band, Alayah.”
The voices. A million voices like a million tributaries but flowing as one and falling over the cliff of an unnamed place in her head. The sounds were back, distinct and whole.
“You must leave in one piece.”
Alayah’s eyes flew open. Her armband was already halfway down her wrist. Acting on instinct, she spread her fingers. The armband stuck, and in that brief moment, the monster’s hold loosened. Alayah pushed with all her might. The beast fell backward, its eyes wide in surprise. It faltered.
Without much thought, Alayah sent out a blast of astral projection, shooting her magical band into the creature for good measure. The monster tried to evade Alayah’s shots but didn’t quite make it. The blast caught it in the face, disintegrating a quarter of it. Pieces of flesh and teeth sprung into orbit around its head. It screamed in a guttural gargle of pain.
It lunged at Alayah one more time. “The magic band is ours!”
Alayah sidestepped. The monster tripped, and its head went into the reeds. Alayah brought down her armband. The monster’s head exploded in a mishmash of gore and water. Its body began to dissolve against its white robe.
Alayah turned around and there with her stood the Supreme Leader, his wreath of gold tilted on his head as if it had been hurriedly put on. His pouch pushed against his robe. Alayah stood before him, noticing for the first time how tall he was.
“Your mother would have been proud of you.” His voice boomed in the small enclosure.
Alayah bowed before him. “Your Grace.”
“Rise, my child.” His smile was a congenial twist of his firm lips. “You fought well today, I might say.”
“Thank you, sir.”
The Supreme Leader looked at the remains of the monster as it floated up the embankment of reeds.
“Disgusting monster.” He gazed at Alayah. “Do you mind telling me what he asked you?”
“He?”
“Oh, yes. Perhaps I should explain.” He rubbed one of his double chins. “The Fahagos is an outlier monster. He’s a mercenary, always available for the services of the highest bidders. And you, my child, have a huge price on your head by going after the Legacy Stone.”
“It was sent to stop us? By whom?” Alayah asked.
“Not to stop you. To kill you and your friends.”
“But who would want to do that?”
“That’s a question begging for an answer, my child. I can only assume someone doesn’t want us to find the Legacy Stone.”
Alayah thought about the voices. The leader’s eyes probed Alayah’s worried face.
She looked around the wall of reeds. “They helped me.”
The leader’s eyes widened, and he bowed to her. “It seems they approve of you. For the purpose of this contest, the reeds are given a free hand to behave however they choose. They can work against you. Or for you. If you know how to listen to them, that is.” The leader raised his head and winked at her.
“So the voices are acting like..
.guardians,” Alayah mumbled.
“Yes, young siren. I always knew you were special.”
“But the monster, he wanted my magic armband.”
“Your magic armband would leave you vulnerable to his attack. It’s what allows you to project your magic. You did well but now you need to get back to the game with the others.” He folded his hands. “You shouldn’t speak of this to anyone.”
Alayah glanced at the bottom of the reeds. Her body felt sore. “I-I understand.”
“Ah, I think I have overstayed my time with you. I can only cheat the system for a moment. I have to go, Alayah.”
The leader flicked his wrist at a side of the wall, and the reeds parted, revealing a long, dark path.
“Hurry now, Alayah. You might still win this battle.” The leader turned around and teleported into the reeds.
Alayah clenched her teeth and breathed as much oxygen as she could. Determined, she started down the path, swimming as fast as she could.
Every time Alayah came upon a cut in the path that split in two, the voices sang in her head. She would move on, and the voices would stop. Further down the track, she saw the body of a contestant floating along. It was the Sebtahn she had seen earlier. A quiet, young boy. His hands were stuck in the reed, his wrist missing its magical band. He was too weak to fight the monster and too young to die.
She had no time to feel sorry for one of her adversaries.
“Help! Help!”
It was Omin’s voice. He was in trouble.
Alayah swam faster through the winding path of the maze, the reeds whizzed past her in a greenish blue hue.
“Omin!” she called. “Where are you?”
“Alay!”
Someone was behind her. When she turned, she saw Corey, his ponderous shoulders working like heavy machinery, propelling him toward her. His teeth were bared in a cruel sneer. Alayah swam faster, but she knew Corey’s reputation.
Nevertheless, Alayah let the current pull her towards Omin’s voice.
“Alay, help!”
Left turn, right turn, the voices screamed in her head. She weaved through the maze like a dolphin. Corey gained on her. His strong arms were like the snout of a shark piercing through the water, inches behind her feet.
Omin called again.
Alayah made a left turn. The voices screamed in her head, the cry of many children mourning the death of time.
Then all became quiet.
Alayah swam into a deserted path with her heart threatening to leave her chest. She turned around in time to fend off Corey’s onslaught, but he had disappeared.
Alayah searched desperately.
“Omin!” she called.
“I’m here.” It was a faint voice.
Alayah searched in-between the reeds. She parted them, peering into the blackness beyond. Then, she felt something grip her feet and let out a shriek.
She bent down to see Omin’s face half buried under the reeds.
“Omin! How…oh!”
She began scraping the muddy ocean bed. She pulled Omin’s shoulder free. His magic armband was gone.
“What happened?”
“M-Monster,” he gasped. “It was too strong for me. I couldn’t fight it.”
Alayah caressed his tired face, noticing his tunic was torn in several places. “It took your armband, or did you drop it?”
“I don’t know.” Omin coughed.
Alayah looked around. It was a dead end. They were running out of time, she could feel it. If either of them was going to win this contest, or even make it out alive, they had better hurry.
Omin tried to move and cringed in pain. “How did you find me?”
“I heard your voice and knew you were in trouble.”
“I should be the one saving you, not the other way around,” he muttered.
Alayah smirked as she searched the floor, and the reeds moved without her touching them.
A shiny light caught her attention. “Oh, it’s here. I found it. Not everything is lost.”
Grabbing the armband, she swam back to Omin and helped him secure it into place. “You have your magic back. Try not to lose it again.”
He smiled, and Alay felt the blood rush to her cheeks. Her friend was handsome when he smiled like that. Grabbing his arm to pull him with her, she urged him, “Come on, let’s get out of here.”
Omin jerked his arm away. “You should go and leave me here. I’m tired, and you can still win this.”
“I won’t leave you behind to be attacked again.”
His face became serious, and he looked at the ocean bed. “I was distracted. It won’t happen a second time.”
Alay floated in front of him, lowering her head to try to peek at his face. “Teamwork, remember?”
Alayah felt a shadow behind her but brushed it off. More reeds moving.
When Omin raised his face, he was smirking, but his eyes, suddenly, widened in shock. “Alay, watch out!”
Alayah looked back and saw Corey behind her. He had returned, catching her by the neck. His hold was like a vise.
“Omin,” she gasped.
“He can’t help you,” Corey snarled, using his free hand to throw an invisible wave at Omin, which knocked him back into the endless sea.
Alayah moved her hands forward in an attempt to grab her friend, but her strength was leaving her because of the lack of air going into her lungs. Sneaky bastard.
Wriggling around in Corey’s grip, she weaved and pushed, trying to exhaust her opponent as she did. It worked. The male siren lost his grip, and she pried his arm off her neck. Quickly swimming backward, she touched her armband and used her powers to pull water together into a moving block of fluid. With all her strength, she whipped it around. The force of it knocked the wind out of Corey and threw him back.
She shrieked when she felt arms on her shoulders.
“It’s just me,” Omin said. “He’s coming back, we need to go.”
Alayah didn’t look back to confirm Omin’s claim. Instead, she grabbed her friend’s hand and quickly swam out of the corner, dragging Omin with her.
A triumphant song echoed in her head as she swam, Omin in tow. Alayah knew they were almost out of the maze when she heard the crowd cheering once more as she emerged out of the labyrinth into the brightness of the lumonithes.
Chapter 5
The first day of the games was over. She had won. Against all odds. Corey came third after Omin. Two other contestants had lost their lives, and the crowd mourned their loss but didn’t ask any questions.
Alayah didn’t dare talk about what had happened. She was glad she survived. That didn’t make the games less frightening. There was a risk that some could lose their lives. She had no idea that the risk would become real. Others had perished in other years, but not because of hired monsters sent by an unknown force to stop them from finding the Legacy Stone.
While the games were taking place during that week, the contestants weren’t allowed to go back home. Instead, they all had quarters in a secluded part of the arena. The rooms were small, but she didn’t need much space to rest. At least, she had food and clean clothes to wear. There was also a gathering area where some of the contestants had stopped to chat and mingle while the others were using the fighting rooms to practice. She had seen Corey venting his frustration with punches against a sandbag. He stopped when she walked by and sneered at her. There was only a way to describe him: asshole.
She twisted and turned on her bed, wishing that she could stop her thoughts and sleep. A knock on the door made her sit up.
“Who is it?”
“Omin. Let me in.”
“It’s open,” she mumbled, lying back again and folding her arms.
Omin entered the tiny compartment and looked around before his eyes aimed at Alayah. “Aren’t you going to eat?”
“I was waiting for a quieter time. I can still hear the chatting in the food area.”
Omin smirked and closed the door behind him. “What are you
going to do about Corey? Are you going to report him?”
“He’s one of the favorites. I’m sure it would be useless. He always gets away with everything.”
Omin sat on a small chair on the opposite side of the bed. “He could have won if he hadn’t stopped to hurt you. I’m trying not to lose my cool and punch him in the face.”
“It would disqualify you if you did that.”
“I know. I still need to be here to protect you from him.”
Alayah sat up and looked at her friend. “Why?”
He folded his strong arms. “Why what?”
“Why do you want to protect me?”
“You’re my friend, and I like you.” He smiled, and it reached his green eyes. “You are strong-willed and kind. I respect you and your ambitions.”
Alayah grabbed a pillow and hugged it before leaning forward.
“Why doesn’t Corey like you?” Omin asked.
Alayah shrugged. “It’s a long story.”
“You used to date, didn’t you?”
She looked at his face. “That was before the academy when I thought Corey was a nice guy and really liked me.”
“Corey has always been selfish.”
“You didn’t go to school with us. How do you know?”
“Even if I was homeschooled, I know Corey from the academy. He’s an arrogant brat, and he doesn’t like to be contradicted.”
“Yes. All the big qualities of a prince,” Alayah muttered. “They might want to hide the prince identity, but everybody knows that it’s Corey. He’s too selfish and arrogant not to be the prince.”
“Not all princes are like that,” Omin protested.
“I have no idea, Omin. I’ve never seen a prince, only the king and his four wives when they leave the Coral Palace.”
“Why did you break up with Corey?”
Alayah combed her black and purple hair with her fingers, trying to untangle the knots. “You are curious today.”
Omin leaned down and entwined his fingers, his muscles bulging and his armband moving. “Do you still love him?”