Bonded Spirits 2

by Jake Daniel

  “Yes, time has a tricky way of doing that.” He rubbed his chin. “You strike me as someone that’s lived in Aurilon for a very long time. Are you sure you have only been here a few weeks?” He eyed me for a long time before talking again. “You look somewhat familiar, but I just can’t put my finger on it.” After taking another swig of coffee, he stood and motioned me to follow. “Please, come with me.”

  I grabbed my mug and followed Amos out through the back of the castle. I’d not gotten the opportunity to explore since we arrived, so I wasn’t sure what I was about to see.

  I glanced around as we walked and noticed several distinct areas. The one closest to us had several various sized boulders lined up with a row of pedestals. The next was a ropes course, with thick woven rope spanning across a steadily flowing river. We stopped as we reached three tall wooden walls that stood end to end.

  Amos turned and waved his arms in a wide arc. “This is where I’ve successfully trained eight champions, soon to be nine. I didn’t do you any favors by leaving you to figure out the trials by yourself. However, I’ll do my absolute best to ensure you’re ready for the actual tournament.”

  I walked up to one of the freestanding wooden walls and slapped my hand against it. “Interesting. Those boulders look like they weigh as much as you do.” I shook my head as I looked up toward the top of the wall. “And you’re going to train me?”

  The man straightened and slammed the end of his cane on the ground twice. “Precisely.” He continued walking and stopped as he reached a tall row of thick hedges. “This is my labyrinth. I was going to use it this year to train my minotaur, but because of you, that’s no longer an option. Since you took his place, this is where you can expect to spend much of the next week training. You need to be ready for everything.”

  I walked along the hedgerow until I reached the first opening that led inside. “Let me guess, it’s not just a maze.”

  “Oh, you could say that.” Amos laughed and spun his cane in a circle. “Now, what I really wanted to show you, is over here.”

  I followed Amos back toward the rope course, over a small wooden bridge to a shimmering golden statue that was in the shape of a majestic bird. “Is that a phoenix?”

  “Yes, it is.” Amos walked up to the statue which was about as tall as he was. He tapped on it twice with his cane. “I haven’t been able to figure out how to use it, but every champion I have ever trained has spent much of their time here. I’ve been told ancient energy surrounds this place. Are you able to feel anything different?”

  I already knew from the tingling on my skin that there was a good amount of spirit surrounding this statue, but when I closed my eyes, I confirmed it. Swirling strands of spirit formed a tight spiral around the phoenix, lighting brightly and spinning so fast I was unable to separate them. “Yes, this appears to be an incredibly powerful spirit well. I’d probably be able to fill my entire core in the matter of minutes just from standing close.”

  “I knew it! So, you’re able to use it? Will it help you become stronger?” His eyes were hungry, as if he were about to achieve some hidden advantage in the tournament.

  I watched the spirit with my eyes closed for several seconds before opening them. “If I spend some time cultivating, I imagine I’ll increase the ranks of at least one or two of my skills. How much time do I actually have?”

  Amos ran his hand back through his hair and looked up to the sky. “Let’s see, if you add travel, prep time once we arrive, all the paperwork, not to mention the scouting, I’d say… three days.”

  “Three days!? We’d better get busy then, don’t you think?”

  Amos smiled and clapped excitedly. “I’ll go get Mona. She’s going to be your personal trainer.”

  “Can’t you just tell me what I should concentrate on? I’m sure I can get help from my bonded as well.”

  Amos shook his head adamantly. “No. Mona has been with me through each tournament and seen pretty much everything that they are going to throw at you. There’s only one major difference this year, then years past.”

  “And what’s that?”

  “The labyrinth.” He moved and pointed toward the vast maze behind him. “My minotaur couldn’t even make it to the center, and we’d been training for several months already. I was confident he’d make it at least past the trials and maybe win by dumb luck and brute strength.”

  “He had months and couldn’t make it to the center? What makes you think I’m going to have better success than he did.”

  Amos rubbed his hands together and shifted his eyes nervously to the ground. “Well, because… your precious bonded’s lives depend on you making it through. You’ll want to train with Mona before you enter the labyrinth. She will be close by to monitor you, but she cannot give you any tips or help you get to the center.” He let out a nervous laugh. “You see, I need you to be focused. What better than to use the ones you love for a little motivation.”

  My face burned with anger. I instantly regretted not staying with the girls, or at the very least, having them come with me to meet Amos. I clenched my fist and did everything in my power to prevent myself from swinging. I knew as long as my bonded were not standing in front of me, they could potentially be in grave danger.

  Amos chuckled nervously. “Don’t worry, they are quite comfortable at the moment. They should all be sleeping peacefully throughout the maze. However, they’ll be in for a bit of a rude awakening if you run out of time.”

  “I can go now. Let me enter the labyrinth and retrieve them.” I clenched my fists so tightly that I thought my nails were going to rip through the skin on my palms.

  Amos held a finger up in the air. “Ah, let’s not be hasty. Besides, this labyrinth only opens when I want it to be open. I want to make sure my champion survives training. So, that means you’ll need to train before I allow you to enter.”

  “I guarantee you I don’t need to train. Let me in this fucking maze, I’ll show you.”

  “Easy, Logan. Easy. I promise that your girls are safe… for the time being. However, if you don’t do this my way, that could change in a hurry.” He paused and nervously pointed with his cane at the walls. “I borrowed the plans from my brother’s game master.”

  My fists remained clenched as I let out a long breath. “Game master?”

  “Yes, he’s the head of the tournament and comes up with the challenges each year. I have to say, this year was his most ambitious ever.” He paused and pointed at the towering walls of the labyrinth. “It’s truly amazing what being rich and the brother of the king can actually get you. The labyrinth at the castle is a much larger scale, of course, but its lifeblood is basically the same.”

  “Lifeblood? The labyrinth itself, is alive?” I furrowed my brow and looked at the walls curiously.

  “Very much so. At the center is a core, a very powerful, magic core. It’s what dictates the rules within the labyrinth. If you were to head in there now, you’d just be running in circles I’m afraid, and honestly, you and your girls would all probably die.”

  I glared at Amos. “This is the last time you do not fucking communicate your intentions, am I clear?”

  “Quite, I mean, I apologize, Logan, but I needed something to drive you. After hearing about you in the baths with your girls, I knew the love you had for them would be enough to ensure you would give it your all, to get the best out of you no matter what.” He took a nervous step backward. “Remember who I’m dealing with on my end as well. I am only doing this to ensure my champion is putting his best foot forward.”

  “You’re playing a dangerous game here, Amos. You’re lucky I don’t kill you right now.”

  “Oh, trust me, if you only know how many times someone’s told me that.” He let out a nervous laugh. “I’ll caution you, though. Don’t think that killing me is going to help you get your girls back. Quite the contrary. Since I’m the one who created this labyrinth, if I die, then everything inside is killed along with me.”

  “Co
nvenient.” I wasn’t sure if he was lying or not, but I wasn’t willing to take the risk. I looked down to the mug of coffee in my hand that I had forgotten was still there and finished the rest with one gulp. “Fuck. Let’s get started.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Mona exited the castle and motioned me to follow her over to a large table in the distance. “This way, try to let that anger calm down some or you are going to be in for a long day.”

  I shook my head slowly as I followed her toward the table, but said nothing.

  Amos cleared his throat and nodded. “Very well, good luck Logan, I’ll be checking in on your progress periodically. Remember, only I have the power to open the labyrinth. Once you start it, you will only have a finite amount of time to complete it. If you run out of time, you’ll be forced out of the Labyrinth, your girls will die, and we’ll head to the Capitol to make good on your promise, whether you’re ready or not. ”

  I didn’t respond, but followed Mona instead. The dragon woman had a bit fuller frame than Gwen, Dahlia, and Isobel. The two horns on her head curved back and almost looked like a crown sitting atop her head.

  We reached the long table and when I glanced down I saw all of my weapons. In addition to mine, each of my bonded women’s weapons were laid out as well. Although, I was confident all three girls were extremely dangerous without a weapon to aid them. I picked up my rifle and my knife and she led me to the next table which had a variety of leather armor spread across the top.

  Mona lifted an extremely well-crafted piece of chest armor and held it up to my chest. “Hmm, yes, that looks like it will be a perfect fit. She turned back to the table and grabbed several other pieces, including wrist guards, boots, and a reinforced set of leather pants. She held the pants up to my waist and let her hands brush down over my cock as she lowered them. “Yes, that will fit perfectly.”

  I accepted the armor from her and equipped all of it, tightening the straps and securing all the loose ends. It was light and better than any other leather armor I’d seen since arriving.

  Amos pushed a small cart toward us, and I realized that Fapplejack was riding inside.

  “Good morning, Logan, sir. I am here to provide encouragement.”

  I gave him a nod. “Thanks, FJ. Are you feeling any better this morning?”

  The goblin glanced down to his legs and then back up to me with a shrug. “Eh, I’ve had better days, but I’m sure it will improve.”

  I gave him a reassuring smile as I tightened the leather gauntlets around my wrists. “It will.”

  Mona grabbed a set of traps off the table and turned back to face me. “Are you ready?”

  I slid my knife back into its sheath and nodded. “Yes, what’s first.”

  She looked at me with a smile. “First, we test your endurance.”

  “Oh, don’t worry, I’ve had plenty of practice with that. I’m pretty sure I’ll be able to handle anything you throw at me.”

  “Oh? I wouldn’t be so sure.” She licked her lips. “Anyway, how about we start with what Amos has called the gauntlet.”

  I followed her over to a large tunnel-like structure with ropes hanging in all directions, with many crossing each other which prevented a clear path through to the other side. The walls of the tunnel were lined with razor-sharp shards of glass and I could tell that my first task would be to get through this Tunnel of Bullshit.

  She climbed up a few feet off the ground and hung onto a rope ladder with one hand. “This is where you’ll start. It’s your goal to make it through this rope course with limited time.” She jumped down and walked over to the river and pointed inside. “There’s a tunnel that’s underwater. After you clear these ropes, you’ll swim down to the bottom, enter the tunnel, proceed to the other side, and surface.”

  I tilted my head as I inspected the water and spotted the barely noticeable tunnel within. “All the previous champions could do this? Even that minotaur?”

  Mona shrugged. “Stay with me, there’s more.” She walked up the river and stopped as she reached a massive tree. “If you do it right, you’ll exit the tunnel and be inside this tree. You will climb up and exit out through the top.”

  I stepped forward and shifted my gaze toward the top of the tree. It looked like a damn redwood, only much narrower.

  Mona pushed off the tree and motioned for me to follow. “Once you make your way down, you will return here where we started.” She smiled as she walked and her purple tail whipped behind her.

  “That’s it? Seems easy enough.” I said, still confident I’d not have too many issues with their obstacles.

  “Oh, that’s part one. Follow me, I’ll show you part two.” Mona walked back to where we had started and continued on to the area with the boulders. “Here you must lift each of these weights and place them on top of their respective pedestals. Once you have the last one securely placed, you will continue to these free-standing walls.” She pointed to the shortest of the three walls before continuing. “Start with the shortest, pull yourself over, move onto the next, and so on.”

  I waited for her to continue as I eyed the walls. The first was probably about twenty feet high, the second was forty feet, and finally the third was at least sixty feet high. Each one had a thick rope dangling from the middle but the wall itself was smooth as glass, which would make it damn-near impossible to gain any sort of footing.

  Mona walked back in front of me and stopped at the edge of what appeared to be a giant sand box off to the side of the labyrinth. “This is the last part of the gauntlet. You must dig and find a ring of keys. Find the correct key, and open the cage with the stone. Easy as that. Any questions?”

  “Alright, I’m pretty sure I’ve got it. Let’s do this.”

  Fapplejack cheered me on from his wheelbarrow as I passed. “You’ve got this Logan, sir!”

  I gave the goblin a small nod and walked over to the rope course. It had been quite some time since I’d done anything like an obstacle course. Sure, I had experience tying knots, navigating rivers, climbing trees, and all of that good stuff, but nothing like this. I stepped up to the first rope and Mona joined me.

  She ran a hand down my arm seductively as she looked at a small stopwatch in her hands. After letting out a long breath, she fixed her eyes on the course. “Go!”

  On her signal, I gripped onto the ropes and pulled myself up. I flew through the course, maintaining my balance and focus to prevent becoming tangled in them while avoiding the sharp shards of glass on each side of me. I knew that there was no way in hell a minotaur could’ve navigated that portion. He would’ve been stuck or completely shredded by the glass in a matter of seconds.

  I jumped down once I reached the other side and sprinted to the river. I dove into the icy black water and it nearly took my breath away. A shock raced through my body as I submerged. I came back above the water’s surface, took two deep breaths, and on the third I went under. I kicked as hard as I could to reach the bottom. The vision of Rain, the mermaid who pulled me out of the wreckage of Striker’s ship, went through my mind. Damn, I could use her right about now. I kicked harder, and as I neared the bottom, my lungs burned. I turned and looked in every direction, trying to see the way through but could not. After a few seconds, I resurfaced.

  I reached the top and met Mona’s eyes. She looked at the stopwatch and shook her head. “Wasting precious time here. Get back down there and finish this.”

  I took another deep breath and dove, this time keeping my eyes closed. I cursed myself for not thinking of it the first time, but as I descended, a nicely lit path appeared before me. My Sight ability lit up the tunnel in every direction, making it easy for me to see which way I needed to go.

  My lungs still burned, but by the time I was about to run out of air again, I was already rising out of the water. I released the remaining air in my lungs as I ascended the last several feet. I exploded through the top of the water and took in huge breaths. After taking a few seconds to calm my breathing, I began the clim
b to the top of the tree. I wedged myself inside, pushing my arms and legs out against the sides of the hollowed out tree, and began the arduous climb to the top. It was slow going, and I had to stop every couple of minutes to catch my breath. The inside of the tree smelled like a neglected men’s locker room, with five times the body odor. As I exited out through the top, I took several deep breaths and surveyed everything below.

  Mona called out from below and clapped wildly. “You didn’t die! Way to go, Logan!”

  I paused before starting back down the tree and shifted my attention to the labyrinth in the distance. It stretched for what seemed miles in all directions. I knew I was going to need to use every skill I had in order to even sniff the finish line. I stole a second to use my Sight skill, but I wasn’t able to spot any of my bonded women within the maze.

  Mona called out from below. “Come on, time’s wasting away here.”

  I swung my legs over the top of the tree and worked my way down. The distance between the branches made it somewhat precarious to navigate. Still wet from the river, I lost my grip several times as I made my way down toward the ground. However, I gained a steady rhythm after a few minutes and picked up speed as I discovered how to navigate the massive tree.

  That is, until the next branch I grabbed snapped and caused me to fall.

  I was still nearly three quarters of the way up the tree and knew that if I didn’t stop myself before I hit the ground that I’d be a dead man. I twisted as I fell and took a solid branch to the center of my back. My body curved around the branch and it knocked the wind out of me. I stared up for a few seconds but couldn’t bring myself to move. I was afraid I’d broken my back.

  I closed my eyes and navigated the deluge of spirit swirling around me. The melting pot of colors made me want to vomit. I turned slowly on the branch and pushed myself into a sitting position while I worked to compose myself. After I ensured that I’d not broken anything, I continued my descent. I worked up a steady rhythm and lowered myself to the bottom a few minutes later. My legs felt like Jell-o as I hit the ground. I took a second to gather myself and catch my breath.