The Species of Power [Draft 1]

Chapter 34

Ruth and Margaret had walked in silence for a few hours when they started to let their guard down. In that hour, nothing truly eventful happened. There were no attacks, or monsters of any kind; just twists and turns that seemed to lead to nowhere. 

In Mox's labyrinth, their steps did not leave footprints. There was no way for them to leave behind any trace; they had tried everything they thought of. They gave up eventually, and kept going. 

Because of Margaret they moved slow, which irritated Ruth more as time went by. For too long they came across nothing. They grew tired, hungry, and they started to ache. 

"Can we stop?" Margaret said after four long gruesome hours. "Just for a little while, so I can rest my ankle."

"Alright," Ruth said. "But not for too long, I want to get out of here as soon as possible."

The girls sat down with their backs against the labyrinth wall. Margaret lifted up the leg of her pants and examined her ankle. Ruth didn't bother looking down, she wanted to keep her eyes peeled for any sort of changes. Something had to happen at some point.

"So," Margaret said as she stopped inspecting her ankle. "How long were you and Mark in the first temple?"

"In the temple itself," Ruth said. "One hour, tops."

"Then why is it taking it so long for something to happen?"

"I don't know," Ruth said. "Maybe Mox is waiting for our strength to drain so he can strike. Maybe he hasn't had contact with anyone in a while and he's entertained, and he won't let us leave until he is bored with us. Maybe he is testing our patience, and if we prove to have acceptable patience then he'll let us out. I don't know what his plans are."

"What if he keeps us here until we starve?"

"Then we starve." 

"Great," Margaret said. "That's just fucking great! I mean, starving, the best way to die!"

"You didn't have to come with me," Ruth said. "You could have stayed up with the peacelings and ate trail mix without any worries!"

"Well clearly I didn't!" Margaret said. "I went with you because I wanted to be useful and I can't fucking change that!"

"So shut up about it then and stop complaining!"

Margaret opened her mouth to speak but in a split second everything changed on her face. Her eyes went wider, and mouth remained agape. Slowly Margaret looked down towards her stomach. Ruth followed her eyes and raised her hand and covered her mouth, to stop herself from screaming. A black spike had emerged from the wall and pierced through Margaret's body. Before Ruth could say anything, Margaret's body vanished. Ruth was alone.

"Alright!" Ruth yelled as she stood and drew her weapons. "I am tired of this shit you show yourself right now!" 

The tall black walls started melting before Ruth's eyes. It spread out until it rested like a thin liquid on the ground. Around Ruth, everything was black, with the only light coming from the crystals above her. In front of her, the black liquid started to bubble, and from it emerged a human silhouette. Soon, the liquid morphed itself and transformed into a man. He was a man with pale skin and frightening green eyes, and slick black hair. He wore a clean black suit and an oddly charismatic smile. He carried himself with a sort of swagger, but somehow one would be able to tell how dangerous he was, just by looking. That way anyone who looked upon him knew that he was not to be crossed.

"Pleasure to make your acquaintance," he said. "Sorry I had to remove your friend from the situation, but she seemed a little reluctant to stay so, I suppose I was doing her a kindness."