Lanala’s eyes drifted to her other two companions Mirelle, who had insisted on coming, and Meryn. The Gold-Eyed Maiden seemed lost in Jonas’ song while Mirelle smiled sweetly at him as he played.
The spellcaster listened to the mandolin and let her mind go to their current mission. Artema had sent them to the long forgotten, ruined city of Budak. There they were to seek out the famous Ikaatan Labyrinth; the only one known to exist on the entire island.
It seemed that Elyn had seen something in her silly scrying mirror. Artema had begun to take the fire mage more seriously with her clairvoyant abilities and listened when Elyn had something to say about Jhana and the Ikaatan Labyrinth.
Within the Labyrinth there was said to be a great and powerful relic. No one had ever laid eyes upon it and none who sought it out ever returned but the former Spymaster seemed to have solved the Labyrinth from a distance and was sending a dangerous clan of bandits after the relic. Nobody really knew what the relic was but it was said to grant great power to the one who could harness it. It seemed to Elyn that Jhana planned to harness that power in her attempt to usurp the Queen. The Order of Ikaatan would put a stop to that.
Lanala didn’t exactly relish the idea of running into Jhana again. After her capture in that cave she didn’t want to think about what would have happened if Artema had not come to save them. She didn’t like thinking about what had become of the people Jhana had already kidnapped. The order never found any of them within that cave and they didn’t have any trail to follow. All Jhana’s talk of ‘compliance’ and the worrying mention of ‘statues’ did not sit well with Lanala at all.
Sweet, dulcet tones from Jonas’ mandolin reached her ears and Lanala was distracted from her troubled thoughts for the moment. She remembered running into Jonas on the road and had asked him where he’d run off to.
“Just to do some work,” Jonas said. “Nowhere special.”
He still hadn’t spoken to Artema since the last time and she was still angry with him for having run off while still injured. The queen’s spy still favoured his left shoulder a bit but the pain seemed to have dulled. Lanala listened to him finish the song he was playing and asked him a question.
“Where does a spy for the queen learn to play the mandolin?”
“Picked it up myself,” Jonas said, with a surprisingly forthcoming answer for him. “In my spare time.”
“I thought you didn’t have any spare time,” Lanala said. “What with being such a busy spy and all.”
Jonas shrugged.
“I wasn’t always a spy,” he said, forgetting himself. His stoic face returned and the look in his eyes hardened. “But that doesn’t matter.”
“What did you do before this?” Mirelle asked. “A bard, maybe? You do play that mandolin so wonderfully.”
“I really don’t,” Jonas said with a smirk. “And, like I said, what I was before doesn’t matter. What’s past is past.”
Meryn grunted in disapproval.
“People with secrets have something to hide,” she said. “And those with something to hide never hide something good, do they?”
“That’s just those street smarts talking,” Jonas said. “You’ve nothing to fear from me. I promise you that much.”
“Of course we don’t,” Mirelle said. “We know you. We’re friends, right?”
“I’d like to think so,” Jonas said. “Though I don’t think most of your order agrees.”
“Artema trusts you,” Lanala said. “So I think that should count for something. Why is that, anyway?”
Jonas sniffed and plucked a few strings of his mandolin.
“I... sort of owe her my life. In more ways than one. She’s responsible for the life I lead now. She put me on this path and picked me up when I was down. That’s all you need to know. I’ll let her tell you if she feels so inclined.”
“So I was right then?” Meryn asked. “You hiding a shady past, Jonas?”
“Not exactly,” Jonas said. “But I don’t dwell in the past. I live now and look forward. That’s all you can do.”
“That’s a good way of looking at things,” Mirelle said.
Meryn grunted again.
“Don’t trust a spy,” she said. “That’s what I’ve learned. You always turn up when things are going wrong. And you’re never seen unless you want to be. So what is it that you want?”
“I want what is in the Queen’s best interest,” Jonas said. “And that is, of course, preventing the former spymaster’s coup upon the throne.”
“I meant with us. Right now. Specifically.”
“I’m not-”
“At liberty to say,” Meryn said, finishing his sentence. “Of course not. That’d be too reasonable, wouldn’t it?”
“Meryn!” Mirelle said. “He’s doing his job! Leave him alone!”
“You don’t need to defend me, Mirelle,” Jonas said. “I don’t blame Meryn for thinking that way. I’d do the same thing in her position.”
“But we’re friends,” Mirelle said. “And I always defend my friends. Even from other friends.”
“I know,” Jonas said. “But you’re wasting your energy. All I can do is show that I can be trusted. Trust must be earned, not given. That is my aim with all seven of you.”
“I trust you,” Mirelle said.
“And I must continue to earn that trust.” Jonas stood up then and slung the mandolin over his back. He peered up at the twinkling stars of the night sky and let out a short breath.”I’ll leave you ladies to your rest,” he said.
“Where are you going?” Mirelle asked.
“Moving on ahead. I have other business to attend to.”
“But it’s dark,” Mirelle said.
“I move better by night. Take care, all of you. The labyrinth is a dangerous place. And Jhana will not be far behind you. Be wary and keep your guard up. I’ll see you all later, I suppose.”
“And when do you think that’ll be, spy?” Meryn asked.
“When it needs to happen.”
Jonas then stepped out of the fire’s light and out of the clearing in the forest. He vanished between the trees as he headed further into the darkness.
...
Meryn awoke during the night with a start. Something within the trees stirred and she was fully awake. Branches snapped and crunched underfoot from something moving toward them. The Gold-Eyed Maiden picked up her mini crossbow and got to her feet. She crouched low and entered the trees, knocking a bolt to the drawstring and fixing it in place.
Meryn held herself tense and held the crossbow steady in front of her. Someone came toward her through the trees, though they hadn’t seen her yet. Meryn held the crossbow to her eye and took careful aim. She still couldn’t tell who it was and thought for a moment that Jonas had returned. Weighing the options, Meryn decided to take a chance and call out to them quietly.
“Jonas? Is that you?”
“Who’s there?” a woman’s voice answered back. Not Jonas then thought Meryn.
Just as she moved to squeeze the trigger, the woman spotted Meryn and raised her hands in the air.
“Whoa whoa! Take it easy! I’m not looking for a fight!”
Meryn eyed the woman up and down. She noted the sword and dagger on her hips and the tanned leather armour she wore. Thin, steel pauldrons covered the woman’s shoulders and her arms and legs were mostly bare. A long, snake-like tattoo ran up her left arm. Bandit Meryn thought, discerning who the woman was.
“Your type are always looking for a fight,” Meryn said. “Stay where you are and drop your weapons.”
The bandit complied and removed the belt around her waist. She dropped it on the ground in front of her and kept her hands raised. Meryn kept her wary eyes on the woman and took a few steps closer. The tattoo on her arm was indeed that of a snake.
“You’re with Fa’rah?”
“Umm... no...” the woman said.
“Don’t lie to me. It makes my finger twitchy,” Meryn said. “How did Fa’rah escape the Honour Guard?”
“You’d have to ask her,” the woman said.
“Don’t get smart,” Meryn said. “Just tell me what’s she’s up to now.”
“I don’t know,” the woman said. “I came out here on my own.”
“Not likely,” Meryn said. “Jhana hired your bloody clan, didn’t she?”
“Umm... what?”
“Tell the truth. You’re making me twitchy again.”
A confident, clear voice spoke then from behind Meryn.
“Oh and we wouldn’t want that, would we?”
Damn it Meryn thought. Always check behind you, Meryn. What were you thinking?
“Fa’rah,” Meryn said, without turning around. “Don’t make me hurt your girl here.”
“As far as I can see, nobody’s made you do anything,” the bandit leader said. “But go ahead. I’d love to see it.”
Meryn took careful aim again but didn’t pull the trigger on her crossbow. She lowered it again. Fa’rah laughed from behind her.
“It’s probably a non-lethal dart anyway,” she said. “You order types are so predictable.”
Three more women came into Meryn’s view and stepped in front of her. She could hear two more step in behind her. Fa’rah stepped into full view and straightened to her full height.
When she stood straight, Fa’rah was even taller than Lanala but still not quite as tall as Artema. Her long, blonde hair flapped in the breeze as she stood and smiled at Meryn. She was in incredible shape and didn’t show her supposed age which was rumoured to be somewhere in her fifties. Fa’rah had thick, strong arms and muscular thighs that could rival Artema. She held a heavy mace in her right hand and waved it in Meryn’s face.
“Are you going to make me use this or are you going to drop that thing on the ground?”
Meryn had no choice. She was surrounded on all sides. After unloading the dart, Meryn let the crossbow slip from her finger and fall to the ground at her feet. Fa’rah stepped closer to Meryn’s face and sneered.
“Good girl,” she said. “Now, Gold-Eyed Maiden, I don’t suppose you’ll tell me where the rest of your little group is hiding?”
Meryn refused to speak. Fa’rah laughed.
“I sort of hoped you wouldn’t. Have it your way, then. You don’t want to speak then you won’t have the privilege of speaking.”
The two women behind Meryn grabbed both of her arms and pinned them behind her back. Meryn struggled but her strength couldn’t outmatch two of Fa’rah’s dangerous bandits. They crossed her wrists behind her and coiled a thick rope tightly around them. When they finished, Fa’rah stepped forward with some tough rags in her hand.
“I’ve heard a lot of stories about you,” she said. “You don’t seem so tough to me.”
“Come over here and say-mmmph!”
Fa’rah had succeeded in getting Meryn to open her mouth and shove a rag inside. She wrapped a second around Meryn’s mouth to keep it sealed within.
“Hmmmph! Mmmrrgggh!”
“Much better,” Fa’rah said. “Finish binding her and bring her to camp. I think somebody is going to have some questions for her.”
“Mmmph! MMMPH!”
Meryn could do nothing but struggle as more and more ropes were lashed around her body and legs. It didn’t take them long at all to render her completely helpless. She found herself lifted off the ground and over the shoulder of one of the bandits. They made their way through the trees and disappeared into the darkness with their new captive in tow.
...
“MMPH! MMRRGH! HMMPH!”
Meryn thrashed and writhed on the floor of the canvas tent but her unyielding bonds did nothing but dig harder into her skin.
The gag stifled her cries of frustration and the ropes kept her immobile. Tough ropes covered her arms and legs and her wrists were bound behind her back. Another rope had been looped between her ankles and wrists, pulling her into a tight hogtie. She tried squirming her way toward the door but the simple act of rocking back and forth tired her out very easily and made no progress toward the door. Meryn held onto the hope that Lanala and Mirelle would be nearby so she screamed into her gag in hopes that they might hear her.
“HLMMMPH! MMPH MMNGH CMMPTMMPHD! HLMMMPH!”
Soon her throat felt raw and she had to give that up as well. Meryn took in several deep breaths and composed herself. She’d been in worse situations. This wasn’t the first time the Gold-Eyed Maiden had been captured, bound and gagged. It wasn’t even the first time that Fa’rah had tied her up. What made her legendary was her tenacity and refusal to give in. Meryn would always fight back and try again. All she had to do was escape her bonds.
Before she could resume struggling, however, the tent flap was pushed open and someone stepped inside. She knelt down to look closer at Meryn and smiled a wicked smile.
“Hello there,” she said.
Meryn took a moment to realize who she was. The grey skin, the dark eyes, the regal, purple robes... it was the former spymaster! It seemed Jhana was indeed on the path to the Labyrinth and the relic within.
“Forgive me,” Jhana said. “But I’m not all that good with remembering the names of useless people. Who are you, again?”
“Mmrrrgh!” Meryn growled beneath her gag. Jhana chuckled.
“Oh come now. Don’t take it so seriously. I knew who you were long before you joined Artema’s pointless Order of Ikaatan,” Jhana said, taking a pause. “You’re the Gold-Eyed Maiden. Even if I didn’t know your name, I could see it from the colour of those pretty eyes, my dear.”
“MMPH!”
“No need to get indignant,” Jhana said. “I of course meant that as a compliment. You really are quite stunning, do you know that?”
“Mmmph?”
Jhana’s wicked smile widened and she leaned closer to Meryn.
“Yes. You’d make a fine decoration for my mantelpiece. Or maybe outside my door. I think I’ll keep you.”
“Mmmph! MMMPH!”
“But I do enjoy seeing you wriggle about in those tight ropes,” Jhana said. “So I won’t apply the solution just yet.”
Solution? What is she talking about? Meryn thought.
“Oh, nothing,” Jhana said. “It’s just an alchemical potion meant to make people more... visually appealing.”
Oh Goddess thought Meryn. You can read my thoughts?
“Don’t be silly. Of course I can. How do you think I became the spymaster in the first place? That isn’t all I can do either, beautiful.”
“Mmmph!”
Jhana moved even closer and kept her eyes fixed on Meryn’s. When Meryn tried to look away, Jhana grabbed her hair and forced her head back up.
“Now,” Jhana said. “Just what do you and your order think you’re doing out here?”
“Hmmph,” Meryn said. She would never say anything to this-
“Such language,” Jhana said. “And don’t worry. I know you’d never betray your precious allies. I’ll let them come to me instead.”
“Hmmph?”
“They’ll be looking for you. But I know how important the relic is to them. So they’ll split up in search of both. All alone. And that’s when they’ll fall right into my lap. Two more pretty little decorations for me.”
Jhana shoved Meryn’s head to the tent floor and stood up again.
“And when the relic is mine, the throne will be too. Have fun, Meryn. I’ll see you in the morning, my pretty.”
Jhana blew her a kiss and stepped out of the tent. Meryn began thrashing about harder in her hogtie. She had to warn the others.
“Mmmph! MMMMPH!”
...
The Labyrinth certainly lived up to its name and the headstrong Lanala didn’t want to waste any time. The two of them found themselves feeling lost in no time.
They knew Meryn had been captured when they noticed her weapons missing and found no sign of her in the surrounding woods. But what it meant was that Jhana was close on their trail and there was no time to lose. The thought of leaving Meryn behind did not sit well with Mirelle, however, and she made it known at every turn.
As they made their way through the confusing, dark labyrinth, Mirelle spoke up again.
“We should have gone back for her,” Mirelle said. “She could be in real trouble.”
“Listen, Mirelle,” Lanala said. “As a former captive of Jhana I can say that she is arrogant and will not do anything to her captives until she deems it necessary. She likes to toy with them first. So Meryn is fine and she would want us to beat Jhana to the relic anyway. We’ll go and save her when we find it.”
“Is the relic worth Meryn’s life?” Mirelle asked.
“If we don’t find it first then we’re all as good as dead. There will be no saving Meryn no matter what we do. This gives us the best chance,” Lanala said.
“It still doesn’t feel right, leaving a friend like that,” Mirelle said.
“I know, Mirelle. But we’ll save her. Please trust me.”
“All right.”
Mirelle almost sounded sad and it almost broke Lanala’s heart to hear. The spellsword was hard to put in a bad mood and the very notion of a sad Mirelle was enough to break even the toughest hearts. Mirelle’s voice went back to its usual chirpy self when she had a sudden thought.
“What about Jonas? Do you think he’ll save Meryn?”
“I don’t know. It’s possible. He did seem pretty busy, though.”
“He’ll help her,” Mirelle said. “I know he will.”
Lanala said nothing more and the two pushed deeper into the winding corridors of the labyrinth. The brown, stone walls all started looking the same and the dusky darkness that surrounded them gave them just enough light to see but not enough to see clearly. Lanala had brought a torch but as soon as she lit it, a gust of wind blew it out. She felt some ancient magic at work in the place and didn’t want to dare trying the torch again for fear of even worse consequences.
When they turned the next corner, Mirelle spotted light up ahead.
“Look there! Do you think that’s it?”
“I have no idea,” Lanala said. “But it’s our best bet right now.”
They approached the dim light and stopped at a glowing symbol on the wall. Lanala examined it and put her hand to the wall, running her fingers against the carving.
“What is that, Lanala?” Mirelle asked.
“I’m not sure,” Lanala said. “It looks sort of like a snake except... different.”
“Different how?”
“For one, there’s no head. And it doesn’t taper off at the tail. It’s one solid shape.”
“That is odd,” Mirelle said.
Lanala touched the carving again and it glowed brighter for a moment. She furrowed her brow and leaned in to look closer at the thing when she heard a shriek from Mirelle.
“Lanala, look out! You were right! Snakes!”
The spellcaster stepped back from the wall and noticed the floor now covered with creatures slithering on the ground toward them. When they got closer to the light, she realized what they were.
“Not snakes, Mirelle. Snare vines! Get behind me!”
“Lanala, I can deal with them!”
“Your magic isn’t powerful enough,” Lanala said. “Help me fend them off but you need to get behind me!”
Mirelle, sword in hand, rushed back to Lanala and planted herself behind the tall spellcaster. Lanala let out a slow breath and held her hands in front of her. She allowed the very bones of the land beneath her to speak within her mind. Her mind then reached out to the air and the clouds above that. She felt the pulsing of electrical energy inside every fibre of her being and sparks began to fly from her fingers.
“Watch my back,” Lanala said.
She focussed the arcing electricity emanating from her hands into sharp bolts of lightning and took square aim at the vines crawling on the ground toward them. With a loud crack, bolts of lightning reduced several of the vines into dust. She did this several times and the effort was taking all of her energy. The vines were struck down in great numbers but there was no end of them. They just kept coming. Lanala found an ancient word in her mind and spoke it aloud.
“Perkkonia!”
A deep rumble shook the very ground beneath their feet and a deafening boom rattled against the stone walls. A tremendous roll of thunder followed by streams of lightning from Lanala’s hands decimated the hordes of snare vines in seconds.
Mirelle watched in awe and didn’t keep her eyes on their back. She felt something tug at her ankles and she suddenly lost her balance. She looked down at her body and several vines were already wrapping themselves around her legs. Mirelle swiped at them with her sword but one of them grabbed onto it and pulled it from her hand.
“Lanala!”
The spellcaster lost her concentration and the spell she conjured dissipated in an instant. There weren’t many vines coming at them from the front now. But behind them were just as many as there had been in front of them. Even if she had been paying attention, Mirelle would never have taken them all.
“Oh no,” Lanala said.
Her energy nearly drained from the tremendous spell she had just summoned, she did her best to zap the vines that crawled toward Mirelle. She managed to make some progress but she suddenly felt something wrap itself around her legs. Lanala was pulled off balance and dragged toward the now fully bound Mirelle with even more vines headed her way. She reached for her staff but a vine wrenched it away before she could do anything. With no energy left to fight back, Lanala was soon wrapped from the ankles to the shoulders in the thick vines.
She searched her mind for the same word again and was just about to speak it when something wrapped itself around her mouth and clung tightly to it. Then more wrapped around her lips, covering them completely.
“Mmmph!”
The same thing happened to Mirelle and the two of them were pulled away down the corner, helplessly struggling and thrashing against the immovable vines. They only came to rest in a dark alcove where the vines that moved them along dumped them unceremoniously against the back wall. The horde of them then moved to the doorway and dug themselves into the wall. They perched themselves vertically and horizontally, acting like prison bars. Soon they made a tiny cell for the pair of them and sealed them both inside.
Mirelle struggled hard against the tough vines that bound her but, despite her deceptive strength, could not get them to budge. She wished she had Artema’s strength in that moment or even Lanala’s. But the spellcaster was faring no better herself.
Lanala strained and tugged hard with every one of her toned and defined muscles but, coupled with her energy drain from the spell, the vines were incredibly strong and would not move.
“MMMMPH!’ Lanala screamed against the vines that gagged her but her voice was little more than a muffled whine.
“Hrmmmph...” Mirelle said. There was worry in her voice.
“Mmmph. Hmmmph,” Lanala said in a sympathetic tone.
Now they were lost, bound, and gagged within this confusing labyrinth and no one knew where they were, much less could hear them. They both kept struggling hard. They’d have to get out on their own if they stood any chance of making it out of here.
...
Meryn continued to writhe and thrash against her strict hogtie but the ropes refused to release her. She was still within the tent in Fa’rah’s camp and had made no progress with her tight bonds. She bellowed in frustration.
“MMMMMPPH!”
The gag stifled her cries and nobody but the guard outside the tent could hear her. A stern woman’s voice shouted back at her.
“Cut out the noise in there!”
Meryn glared defiantly toward the tent flaps.
“MMRRRRGH!” she growled.
“Don’t make me come in there!”
Meryn fought hard against her bonds. She kicked her legs wildly in and attempt to let them fall to the ground. She wriggled her torso and pulled hard with her bound wrists in some vain attempt to loosen the blasted ropes. She shrugged her shoulders, pulled with every ounce of strength she had, and the ropes did nothing. Meryn screamed again into her gag and let her head fall to the floor of the tent.
“MMMMMPPHHH!”
She started breathing heavily and she relaxed into her hogtie in pure exhaustion. Meryn raised her head when she didn’t hear the guard outside say anything. Nor did anyone enter the tent. She furrowed her brow and listened carefully to the sounds outside. Nothing but distant laughter and the sharpening of blades entered her ears. Then she heard someone, moving quietly, step inside the tent and push aside the tent flap. When she looked up, she couldn’t believe her eyes.
“Jmmphnmp!?”
“Shh! Keep it down! Do you want them to hear you?”
The spy, Jonas, crouched before her dressed in a dark, hooded robe. Meryn couldn’t fathom how he had snuck into the bandit camp. Then the thought occurred to her why he was here and she started thrashing about again.
“MMRRGH! MMM MMPHH!”
“Relax,” Jonas said. “What’s wrong?”
Meryn resented being saved. She downright hated it, in fact. Even when Artema had saved her from capture twice, it bothered her to no end. She was the Gold-Eyed Maiden. She didn’t need saving! She was the one who saved people!
“Stop it!” Jonas said.
Meryn ceased her struggles and Jonas removed her gag. He cut the ropes that held her in the hogtie and she breathed a sigh of relief.
“Damn you, Jonas...” she said. “I don’t need saving.”
Jonas smirked.
“Is that what you think this is?”
“Of course that’s what this is,” Meryn said as Jonas continued to untie her. “What else could it be?”
“Think of it this way,” Jonas said. “I’m not saving you. I’m helping you regain tactical advantage. You were in a temporary disadvantageous position. It happens sometimes in a fight. Now you have more numbers on your side and your tactical position has improved.”
Meryn grunted and stretched her tired muscles and jaw. She stood up for the first time in almost half a day. Jonas stood with her.
“Don’t patronize me,” Meryn said.
“I’m not. I mean it. I know you don’t need saving. I’m just here to assist you. That’s all I’m doing. You’re strong. You can take it from here, right?”
“With an entire camp of bandits? You want to fill me in how you got in here undetected, exactly?”
Jonas shrugged.
“I’m dressed like the other men who build the clan’s camps,” he said. “They didn’t even look at me twice.”
“What about the woman they had guarding the tent?”
Jonas reached to his hip and handed Meryn her sword and crossbow. “Those sleep darts come in handy,” he said.
“Where is she now?”
“Stashed in the woods. Don’t worry about it.”
“Right,” Meryn said. “I need to get to the labyrinth.”
“Before you go,” Jonas said. “I have something for you.”
He handed her a rolled up piece of parchment from the pouch at his side.
“What is this?” Meryn asked.
“Directions. They’ll tell you how to get through the labyrinth.”
“And how do you have this?”
“I’m a spy, remember?” Jonas said. “And Jhana was my commanding officer. This is the beginnings of her plan from years ago. We’ve been studying that damn labyrinth for years. I assume she used this initial plan to forge ahead into the labyrinth after Lanala and Mirelle.”
“She knows how to navigate it?”
“Not quite,” Jonas said. “She never finished it. But our people did when we learned she was coming after the relic. And you need to get to it first.”
“Where are you going?”
“After Lanala and Mirelle. They’ll be lost in there. I have to help them.”
“Why?”
Jonas cleared his throat.
“It’s my job.”
Meryn shook her head.
“Whatever. So how do you plan on getting out of here?”
Jonas reached to his boot and pulled out a knife. He sliced open the back of the tent.
“We’re right up against the treeline here. Just head out this way and we’ll disappear like we weren’t even here.”
Meryn shook her head again and ducked into the new exit of the tent. The two of them went their separate ways but Meryn’s thoughts stayed with Jonas. She didn’t understand him. How could a spy seem to... care so much? What was his game? She’d have to ask him about it once this was all over. For now, she needed to get through the labyrinth before Jhana and beat her to the relic.
...
The darkness of their cell surrounded them and the only sound they could hear was their own struggling and muffled grunts. Neither of them had made any progress against the constricting vines that kept them bound and gagged.
Lanala was completely exhausted but she hadn’t given up struggling. Every last bit of effort she could muster went into fighting against the terrible vines that held her. But they just wouldn’t let go.
Mirelle kept her spirits up and fought back hard against her tight bonds but even her boundless energy couldn’t persuade the thick vines from letting them go. None of her struggling seemed to make the vines loosen their grip.
“Mmmmmmph...” they both sighed and allowed themselves to rest for the moment.
They both looked each other in the eye. They knew they had lost. Even if they did escape there was no way they’d beat Jhana to the relic now. The cursed labyrinth would keep them prisoner for now until Jhana found them. It’s all they could do. Mirelle managed a smile under the vines that gagged her and her happy eyes shone at Lanala, who managed a weak smile back.
Their moment was interrupted when they heard someone land on the floor in the corridor outside their cell. A dark shape stepped in front of the vines that sealed them inside the tiny room. Lanala bowed her head and closed her eyes. She was certain it was Jhana. Her fate was in the former spymaster’s hands now.
But no words came from the woman’s mouth. Instead, a man grunted with the effort of slicing through the vines that trapped them inside. Lanala opened her eyes and, when they adjusted, she noticed a familiar face pushing his way through the throng of criss-crossed vines.
“Mmmph!?”
Mirelle sat up straight and met the eyes of the stranger.
“So this is where you two wound up,” he said. “Damn snares.”
He cut away the vines that bound them both and exchanged glances with Lanala.
“You came back,” she said.
“I did,” he replied.
“But the relic. Why wouldn’t you go after-”
“Someone better than me is already on it,” Jonas said. “Come on. I’ll help you up.”
Lanala took his hand and stood to her full height, nearly equalling the tall man that stood in front of her. When Jonas reached down to help Mirelle to her feet, she threw her arms around his shoulders.
“I told her you’d come back!” she said. “But I thought you would have saved Meryn.”
“She doesn’t need saving,” Jonas said. “And neither did you. We’re just regaining tactical advantage. That’s all.”
“Where is Meryn?” Lanala asked.
“With any luck, she’ll be at the end of this damn maze with a shiny relic in her hands and on her way out.”
“Luck?”
Jonas shrugged.
“And a bit of assistance, I suppose. Come on. I’m getting you two out of here.”
He led them around the corner to the left to a rope dangling down from the ceiling. It led up to a hole where daylight shone through and down on them.
“Let’s go now. Start climbing.”
“Thank you, Jonas,” Lanala said. “Really.”
“Don’t give me thanks. This is my job. We need to hurry. Let’s go.”
The three of them climbed their way out of the labyrinth and back out into the sunlight. It was a long climb, for certain, but they returned to the surface no worse for wear. Lanala was still pretty tired but she’d be able to sleep that off when they got home.
Jonas smirked when he heard a frustrated scream come from within the labyrinth.
“Until next time, spymaster.”
They returned to the woods and their campsite from the night before where Meryn stood waiting for them. Mirelle jumped into her arms as soon as she saw her.
“I’m so glad you’re safe,” Mirelle said.
Meryn returned her hug.
“Same to you,” Meryn said.
Meryn and Jonas exchanged nods and then Meryn held out her hand to Lanala.
“Here it is,” she said. “Doesn’t look like much but even I can feel the power of the thing.”
Lanala took the object in her hands and felt an instant wave of darkness go over her mind. The small, stone orb was nothing more than some shiny bit of onyx from outside appearances. But those attuned to magic could feel its effects upon its mere touch.
Thoughts consumed Lanala’s mind about the things she could do with this object. She could absorb its power and become the greatest wizard this land had ever known. She could raise an army of thousands and burn the land to ash. With this thing in her hands she would become... unstoppable. But the price to pay, Lanala knew, would be her sanity. She would lose herself and only the relic and its power would remain in her place. Her friends would mean nothing to her. Her wife...
She gave her head a shake and resisted the object’s pull.
“We need to hide this thing,” she said. “It’s far too dangerous for anyone to handle.”
“You don’t think you could use it?” Jonas asked.
“It would turn me into a monster,” Lanala replied. “I won’t allow that.”
“Could Artema handle it?” Meryn asked.
“No one could handle it,” Lanala said. “It is too powerful for any mortal mind to not be corrupted by its influence. I think I understand why it was hidden before. We must do so again.”
“But where?” Mirelle asked.
“Artema will know. Come on. We need to get this thing as far from Jhana as possible.”
Lanala stormed off into the woods and the others had a hard time keeping up. Jonas kept an eye on their back and was relieved to see they were not being followed. He knew it then. The order had succeeded again.
...
Jonas left the front gate of the Order of Ikaatan’s headquarters with a pain thumping inside his head. Artema had sure given him an earful for not listening last time and letting his shoulder heal. He still felt the effects of the injury but Jonas had become a master at ignoring pain.
As he turned to leave, someone called to him from the gate. He turned around again to see Meryn there. He approached her and they looked each other in the eye.
“So, spy,” she said. “Why did you come back?”
“Listen, Meryn, I know you don’t trust me. That’s fine. I get it. But I am not your enemy.”
“That doesn’t answer my question.”
Jonas sighed.
“I came back because it’s my job to keep you safe. All of you. It’s not that I think you’re weak or that you need protecting. I know how strong you all are. But that is my purpose. Not as a spy but as myself. As Jonas. If I can do some good in the world then I won’t have been a wasted life. I’m here to keep you all safe. And I intend to do that until it kills me.”
“No one is truly altruistic,” Meryn said. “That’s what I’ve learned over the years. You must have some other reason for doing this.”
“Doing good for good people will make me worthwhile, Meryn,” Jonas said. “I need no other reason. I’m sorry that you don’t trust me. I’ll work to earn it, like I said before. But I understand that will take time. Just know that you will always be safe. All of you.”
Meryn nodded and turned around to walk away when she stopped herself. She turned her head to the side.
“Thank you,” she said. “For saving my friends. And for coming after me.”
Jonas cleared his throat and straightened his back.
“Like I said, it’s my job. Take care of yourself, Meryn.”
Jonas turned and walked back into the woods. Meryn heaved a sigh and stepped back into the order’s headquarters. He’s a strange man thought Meryn. But maybe there’s a good man in him yet. With this final thought drifting away into her mind, Meryn stepped inside the living quarters and shut the door to rejoin her allies once again.