by Jake Daniel
I only had one more round. I’d have to make it count. The cyclops’s mouth curved into a bloody smile as he ran forward, his gnarled fingers outstretched toward my head. I shot as he was within five feet, landing a direct hit into the center of his single eye. He froze and fell face-first to the ground. He took one more strained breath before his body fell motionless. I was pissed at myself for not shooting him in the eye with my first shot, but I’d survived. A moment later, Alysain and another guardian appeared to retrieve the body.
Alysain gave me a small nod as she lifted back up into the air. Shortly after she disappeared, the walls scraped against the ground loudly as they adjusted and closed in further. I ran a hand along the rough leaf-covered stone walls and found a small opening. I squeezed through the opening and exited into a new corridor. I straightened and faced a lion-man who was at least two feet taller than me and covered from head to toe in fur. He reminded me of the cowardly lion from the Wizard of Oz, except this one didn’t appear to be a pussy. He had his muscular back to me and braced himself against the rotating walls, scanning the area in front of him.
I took advantage of the deafening scraping and rushed forward. I grabbed onto the lion’s mane and reached forward with my knife, bringing my arm around toward the front of his body and pulling back with one swift motion. The lion-man reached for his neck and sank to his knees. He fell to the ground with both hands, trying desperately to stop the flow of blood while staring into my eyes. His sad expression turned to calm as he nodded and released his grip on his throat, calmly accepting his fate. A pang of guilt coursed through my mind, but I pushed it out and replaced it with images of Gwen, Dahlia, and Isobel.
I grabbed one of the lion’s sharp swords and slipped it through my belt so it hung at my hip. The area directly in front of me opened up in three separate directions. I closed my eyes and tried to use my Sight, as I’d been accustomed to do recently, but faced an intense pain instead. Whatever magic was being used within this labyrinth was incredibly strong. The pain I felt rivaled a swift kick to the balls, a feeling I wasn’t about to bring about readily if I could avoid it.
The fog horn rang out several more times as I continued to work my way to the center, or what I hoped to be the center. It was a little hard when everything looked the goddamn same. I felt the spirit spinning in my core, yearning to be used. I shifted my attention to my scar and held a hand over it as it throbbed and pulsed in the center of my chest. I worried for a moment that the spirit inside my core was going to burst through at any second, but fortunately it held.
I rounded a corner and the tall stone walls shifted again, nearly smashing into me. I spun against the wall and the jagged stones caught my undershirt, ripping it from my body. Now that I was shirtless, I could see my scar glowing like a damn beacon in the center of my chest. I grabbed some muddy mixture that had not completely dried and wiped it across my chest, trying everything I could do to dim the light, even slightly.
I pushed forward, eventually reaching a stream. I grabbed a couple of handfuls of mud from the shore and as I was about to smear it across my chest, I spotted a tunnel leading down underneath the water and into the depths below. At least Amos got one thing right.
I dove into the water without hesitation and propelled myself through the tunnel. My lungs burned as I dove further, but I continued undeterred. Unable to use my Sight, I ran a hand along the wall of the tunnel and followed it as it finally curved and led back up to the other side. Kicking hard as I could, I burst through the top of the water, gasping for air. I pulled myself up out of the water and tried to regain my bearings. From what I could tell, I was now on the opposite side of the wall from where I’d been before I’d entered the stream.
I was in a large, familiar looking room. It was the same one that I’d seen on the screens when the first group went, the same room with scattered bushes and rocks where the orc had won the first wave. A tall flagpole protruded upright from a large pedestal in the middle of the room. I’d made it to the center of the labyrinth. Before I could fully inspect my surroundings, I heard footsteps and glanced at my rifle. I knew it was pointless since I’d spent all my ammo earlier to take out the cyclops. I held my breath as the footsteps became louder. I hoped that I’d see one of my bonded’s faces come through the entrance, instead it was a human, someone that I’d not expected to see. My heart sank as I stared into his eyes. “Sven?”
The large man froze and met my eyes. The familiar glossed over stare made me pause. Sven was definitely under the influence of something, most likely an influence potion. Sven stepped forward, his face contorting as he neared. The walls pushed forward again, shrinking the room and pushing us toward each other. I kept my eyes focused on his as he stepped forward, a brilliant gleaming silver sword held firmly in his hand.
“I can’t kill you, Sven. I know you have a family to return to. There has to be another way.”
A few moments of silence stretched and he cleared his throat. “I know what the Capitol does to people who don’t follow orders. The consequences of not fighting are too great. I’m not just fighting for myself.”
“We can choose not to kill each other. There has to be a way.”
Sven’s eyes cleared slightly as he shook his head again and brought a huge hand up to rub his temple as if he had a migraine. “They’ll push those walls in so tight that by the time they’re done they won’t be able to tell your ass from your face.” His eyes completely glossed over and I knew I’d lost the real Sven again.
He rushed forward with his sword raised and swung down violently toward my head. I spun out of the way and a sense of pity rose within me. He lifted his sword in front of his chest and rushed in again, swinging wildly. He used his massive body to keep me in front of him as I sidestepped along the wall. He swung down and connected solidly with the wall sending a dull clank across the room. As I kept my eyes focused on him I realized that there were several bodies strewn across the room that I hadn’t seen when I first entered.
I pushed him back and skirted the walls as he stalked me like a boxer in the middle of a ring. He lunged forward again, spinning and catching my arm with his sword before stepping back to recalculate his attack. “Sven, there has to be another way. I don’t want to kill you, but you keep swinging that sword and I’ll be forced to.”
He lunged forward, smashing his sword into the wall next to me, missing me by mere inches.
I caught his wrist and wrenched the sword free from his hand. He growled and fixed his glossy eyes on me. Grabbing his dominant hand, I twisted and threw him up against the wall. I kicked the sword out of his reach and he let out a primal yell. He lifted his arms and wrapped his hands around my neck. There were few men who I met during my life that I felt like could actually choke me out, Sven, however, was one of the rare men who could. I reached down for my knife and wrapped my hand around it. He had my airway completely blocked and I could feel myself losing consciousness. I brought my knife up in one swift motion and sank it into his large chest, twisting it and plunging it in three more times in rapid succession.
Sven’s hands loosened and he dropped to his knees. He looked down at his wound and then back up at me, tears now rolling down his cheeks. “I… I’m sorry, Logan.” He braced himself on the ground and held himself upright. “My sponsor, he gave me a potion… said it would help me.” He coughed and took two deep breaths. “Logan, please tell my family I’m sorry. Find my wife and children. If you can find it in your heart, please, look over them. Win this thing.” He lifted his large hand into the air and slumped over as he took his last breath and his arm fell limply at his side.
I stared down at the man as the color ran out from his face. The walls stopped abruptly and a long horn blast sounded. I whipped my head around, looking for any sign of my bonded. If that was the horn signalling the end of our group’s turn, that meant that I was the last one remaining. I scrambled to my feet and froze. I’d not been able to see behind Sven’s large body earlier, but lying motionless
on the ground, side by side, were the bodies of Gwen, Isobel, and Dahlia.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
I rushed forward, but before I reached them, two strong claws gripped onto my shoulders and lifted me into the sky. A second later, the King’s voice rose across the Labyrinth. “Wave two’s winner, Logan “The Huntsman” West".
Everything around me was a blur. I stared down as I was lifted into the air and watched as two griffon guardians gathered up the bodies of my bonded. Their dead, unmoving bodies.
I was in shock, and it took me several seconds to realize that the griffon guard was speaking to me as she lifted me up into the air. It was Alysain. “Logan, it was what had to be done. All hope is not lost. You’re still alive.”
I couldn’t muster the words to respond. My sadness and shock at seeing my beloved bonded murdered, transformed to cold fury. I would get my revenge, and I knew in that moment that absolutely nobody would stop me. I was dialed in, just as if I were on a hunt.
Alysian set me down on the opposite side of the King from the orc while several guards moved in around me. I saw my image on the massive hovering images above the labyrinth and heard the same chorus of cheers and boos that had met Nekras the Butcher after he won his wave. I clenched my teeth as I heard the King’s laughter. If it were not for the guards between me and him, he’d be dead.
I was completely numb. It didn’t seem real. I’d give anything to wake from this fucking nightmare. I couldn’t move, all I could do was stare at the big ass magical screen floating in front of me. I stared at my countenance on the screen, and the look on my face was unnerving, even to me.
I replayed the events in my head and finally thought about what the griffon had told me. What did she mean, ‘All hope is not lost’? I should’ve known something wasn’t right when I couldn’t feel their presence. Even when I was miles away, I’d always been able to feel Gwen’s energy, but not inside that fucking labyrinth. It made me think they were dead before the round even started. As if they wanted me to find them, to fuck with me.
A loud horn blared, alerting me to the start of the third wave. Before I even knew what I was doing, I tried to walk along the top of the wall and back down to the ground to see my bonded again. I wouldn’t accept that they were actually dead. I only made it about four steps before two hulking guards held up their spears and prevented me from going any further.
The king spun and laughed. “What is the matter, Huntsman? Have you finally realized that you failed them?” He wrung his hands together as a wicked smile crept across his face. “I’ll have to thank Striker for his excellent advice. Pity he gave up his chance to win this year’s tournament for a petty revenge though, wouldn’t you say?”
I turned my head toward King Augustus, and my anger flared. The two guards at his side inched closer to him as if they sensed I was about to rip his head off. I took a deep breath but didn’t say anything. I sized the king up, and calculated my next move.
He was much taller and younger than Amos, and he spoke like a typical rich politician. I still wasn’t sure why Amos wasn’t the king; he was older than Augustus and should’ve been first in line to the throne. Although, I wasn’t sure how that shit was supposed to work here in Aurilon.
“Logan, my boy!” Amos called out from further down the arena wall. “You did it!” The man pushed past the guards and gave me several hard pats on the back.
Mona followed close behind and gave me a sad but relieved look as she approached. She held a hand on the center of my back as she took up a spot opposite Amos. “I’m sorry about your friends, although I’m happy you survived.”
I seethed as I stared out at the labyrinth in front of us. All I wanted to do was kill the King, Amos, Mona, I didn’t care. I just wanted to be near the bodies of my bonded women. I turned my head toward Amos and glared at him. “Now’s not the fucking time.”
Time blurred and I was finally torn from my thoughts by a sharp horn blast. The King grabbed his voice amplifier as he announced the next winner. “Wave three’s winner, Graveborne the Merciless!” Alysain flew high overhead and lowered a pile of skeletal remains down next to the king. It took me a moment to realize that they were not actually remains, but Graveborne himself. Torn armor hung off his body awkwardly, as if he’d been dug up recently after being dead for the past one hundred years. Graveborne stood and a brilliant ball of blue light churned brightly in his chest. The skeleton turned and stared at me with flaming blue eyes before shifting his attention back on the labyrinth.
The King stepped forward and called out the start of the fourth and final wave. “Wave four, take your positions!” With a loud blast of the horn, the last group of combatants were placed, and the battle began. This wave ended faster than any of the others, with the fog horns blaring so close together that it almost sounded like one continuous blast.
After what seemed like only a few minutes, the King cleared his throat and stepped forward. “We have the final champion who will join these three in our last round. Aether the Great!”
They dropped him a short distance from me and surrounded him with his own security detail. I turned slowly and met the man’s gaze through his steel plated mask. He was slightly shorter than me and not nearly as muscular.
I eyed the champion cautiously and didn’t think it could actually be the Aether that I thought I’d killed back at the crossroads between Necross and Dunway. The sniveling bastard that almost cost me and my bonded women’s lives on Striker’s ship.
He removed his helmet and gave me an eerie smile. “Hello Logan, what a pleasure it is to see you again. I told you I’d not stop until I killed you.”
I shook my head and tried to keep my breaths steady. “It’s a shame you weren’t on the boat with those other pieces of shit. You cost Popos and Ferdius their lives. It should’ve been you.” I shook my head and kept my eyes locked on his.
He brushed his hair out of his face and gave me a sneer. “I really didn’t think I’d see you again. I thought you went down with the ship. At least now I’ll get the chance to live up to my promise and make my father proud.”
My fists shook as I clenched them tightly. All the emotion from losing my bonded was about to spill over. I didn’t care how many guards I’d need to kill. The only person missing was Striker. I’d kill him, Aether, and the king as soon as I got the chance.
I thought I caught a slight glossy look in Aether’s eyes, but I couldn’t confirm. He seemed willing enough to fight blindly without an influence potion, but I wouldn’t have put it past his sponsor, whoever it may be, to give him something that would give him an advantage. In my mind there was no way that this son of a bitch would’ve had enough skill to take out nearly fifty other highly trained combatants. He had to be given something to help him in the labyrinth. Maybe someone had to slip him an influence potion just so he wouldn’t run and hide like a small child. I’d let this little bitch escape with his life on multiple occasions. It gave me renewed resolve, knowing that I’d be able to ensure I wouldn’t make that mistake again.
Several hours passed as the King continued on with his fanfare. Round after round of fireworks, parades, and heavy drinking commenced as the other champions and I were forced to stand in place like some sort of trophy. I was still completely numb. I tried to replay the events in my mind, but still struggled to come to terms with everything that had transpired.
Amos walked over to his brother and discussed something in hushed whispers. I didn’t trust Amos, and there wasn’t much he could do at this point to build that trust back. They had a heated argument and Augustus finally held his hand up to stop Amos from continuing.
Amos straightened his white suit and grabbed Mona’s wrist, pulling her back over toward me. His face was bright red as he approached. “Obviously my brother doesn’t believe in rules.” He rubbed his forehead, his hand trembling slightly. “You will attend dinner tonight with the King and the other champions. It’s imperative you watch your back. The final round begins right now. Don�
�t trust anyone, watch what you eat, drink, and where you take a shit. It’s all another chance for one of the others to kill you before you kill them.” He smacked his cane on the ground two times and nodded.
“So you’re saying they are fair game? Why don’t I just fucking take care of them right here, right now?” Amos held up his finger and was about to respond, but I cut him off. “Appearances, yeah, I get it. Fuck your appearances, Amos.”
“Like it or not, you try anything before the final round tomorrow and you will die. It’s as simple as that.” He stole a glance back toward the king as two guards approached. “I won’t be able to help you from here on out. Do know that you are not alone. You have help on the inside that will reveal themselves when the time is right. Keep your head up, earn your revenge, and I’ll be the first to congratulate you on the other side.”
I stepped aside as the guards grabbed Amos’s arms and led him across the wall and back down to the ground level of the arena. Mona gave me a half-hearted smile as a third guard ushered her close behind.
“Okay, champions. Tonight we feast! We’ll make our way over to the great hall in the castle by way of our resident guardians.”
Five griffon women swooped down from overhead and landed next to each of us. Alysain landed next to me and stared straight ahead.
The King turned atop the wall and faced the towering castle in the distance. He held his arms outstretched to his sides as the guardian closest to him wrapped her arms around him and lifted off the wall with him in tow. She soared over the gathered crowd, prompting excited screams and many boos from the revelers below.