Aspasia

Chapter 24

  >Quinn<

 With a loud clank the doors opened slowly. I blinked in the bright sunshine, before stepping out of the room. I was standing on a stone lab, which was fairly wide. With a shake the stone moved into the sky. I crouched down as not to lose my balance. I drew both swords.

 “Ladies and gentlemen I welcome you to the best entertainment in the universe. Not only that but this is a very special month. We have the returning champion, Aaron.” A voice rang. I recognized it as Balios. When the applause had subsided he continued, “He will fight another ferocious beast made by yours truly. While, trying to save his love, the beautiful Quinn. Quinn is fulfilling her punishment for anarchy. Quinn herself will be fighting the loyal Leo. A fight to the death, shall we presume? Then will make her way through my carefully engineered labyrinth! Welcome all! Let the fight begin!!”

 Smoke unfurled from the stone a few feet away from me. From the smoke stepped Leo. He was holding a sharp sword that gleamed in the sun. He looked starved, and miserable, but hungry for blood. I guess anything they did to him was my fault.  Leo took his time moving.  He watched me through narrowed eyes. Then suddenly, he ran at me swinging the sword. I ducked and rolled. I jumped up holding two swords. Leo ran at me again. I ducked and put my foot out. He tripped over my foot, and fell his sword sliding away. Leo scrambled to get it. I didn’t even try to stop him. When he had grabbed the sword he turned slowly to me. I wasn’t going to kill him. He came running at me again. This time instead of doing a simple maneuver, we clashed swords. I used only my right sword. We stood facing different ways. With a swift kick to the back of his knee he crumpled over. I kicked the sword away from him. A voice rang overhead, “Looks like a killing shot to me!’

     “So you would kill me,” Leo said with a sad smile, rolling onto his back.

     “No, I only want you to sleep,” I whispered. I crouched down next to him. He moved away slightly his expression wary. “Hypnos,” I whispered in his ear. Then with a swift movement I plunged my sword between his arm and his side. Before I did that, I sliced my hand bloodying the end of the sword. I took a bit of his shirt, and wrapped it around my bleeding hand. I stood up. Then, I took in my surroundings. The slab was still floating. But, was in a giant coliseum. There was an audience, but only some looked amused. The others horrified, and some just sad. The maze was underneath me, stretching in all directions. I held up the bloody sword with a false-cocky smile. The audience cheered. The rock slab slowly lowered itself onto the ground, and into the maze. 

 Where to go? “Fire will guide you,’’ a voice whispered in my mind. How could I make fire? My wrist started to burn. I took off the cuff bracelet to look at the burn underneath. It was hot to the touch. I looked at the bracelet, and at the fox on it. Was it just me or did the fox move? Then the figure of the fox jumped off the bracelet and ran down a corridor. I tied the bracelet back on my wrist; I took off after the fox. It led me through tunnels, under-ground, up hills, and took many turns. I had to run to keep up. Finally it stopped, as I halted next to it. Either take a sharp turn left or go forward. The fox swung its head to the left. It wanted me to go first. I went. As I turned left, I came into a wide clearing with a tunnel on the other side. That opened into a clearing that seemed to continue. The exit. I stepped into the clearing, and started to walk across. There was a loud buzzing, and something shot over my head. I threw myself onto the ground. Looking up a giant wasp floated in front of the exit. It jabbed with its stinger, menacing. My swords meant I would have to get close. I had the throwing knives. I grabbed two knives. I threw one of them. It sunk into the wasp’s armor. It came at me, buzzing angrily. I jumped onto the ground. I rolled to the side as its stinger hit the ground where I had been seconds ago. I threw the other knife. It landed in its neck. Thick, clear liquid fell toward my face. I put my arms over my face. They were drenched with the liquid. The wasp fell, and I rolled away from it. Jumping up, I made for the tunnel. 

 I stepped inside the tunnel. It was maybe ten feet across. When I stepped in the tunnel, the entrance immediately closed up. There was a large slab of stone. On it sat a large battle axe. It was a double bladed axe. I lifted the axe. I used my mind and strength to try and open the exit, but it wouldn’t budge. I cursed loudly, and it echoed throughout the tunnel. Why try to open the door, when I was so tired? I tried to snap awake, but my mind was foggy. The air smelled and tasted funny. Gas poisoning. I slammed against the door. It refused to move. I slammed the blade of the axe against the door. It didn’t do a thing. I wasn’t thinking straight. My eyes tried to close, but I refused to give up. I leaned against the door, calling. My knees buckled, and I sank to the floor. Keep awake, keep awake.  I called for Aaron. Maybe I should sleep. I leaned against the door. Please don’t let me die I begged to any god I could think of. “Quinn? Quinn are you in there?” A voice sounded. I wanted to answer, but my voice was gone from yelling. “Listen, I’m going to open the door. Just keep awake for a bit longer.” I tried to sit up, but my body refused to let me. I heard a lot of cursing. The darkness was about to engulf me, when the door open. I rolled out of the tunnel, and into Aaron’s arms. He picked me up, and carried me to the shade of a tree. “Just breathe.” I started coughing, and rolled onto my side. Aaron patted my back. He fetched the axe. Slowly, the dizziness dissipated. After, awhile I was able to stand.

          “How?” I asked swaying on my feet. Aaron put his arm around me, holding me up.

     “Can you walk? Here drink this.” Aaron talked rushed and kept checking over my shoulder. I nodded. He handed me a small vile. I drained it and the dizziness immediately went away. We started to walk through the forest. “This drink was around its neck. I was supposed to get it then come find you. We don’t have much time before it finds us. Your bleeding, that will help it track us. I managed to shake it off my trail. Then I came to find you. I managed to knock the door open with a combination of water and fire. It weathered down so I could break it.”  

           “It? How’d you find me?”

           “The monster. The vile had the cure, and instructions to where you were.”

      “What kind of monster are we facing?”

         “Hydra,” Aaron told me quietly. I was walking fine all the dizziness gone. I held the axe in one hand. We arrived at a grassy meadow. There were trees on all sides.  “Hurry,” Aaron hissed as something crashed behind us. Grabbing my arm he led me into the center of the meadow as we turned on the coming figure. His hand slipped down my arm and encased my wrapped hand. He gave me a funny look, and then smiled. The Hydra lurched into the meadow.