XXX
The sun had disappeared for well over an hour, but the sky still held on to a dark blue with the clouds mere puffs of smoke. From were I sat I could see specks of stars dotting the sky. Clyde took another hearty drink of the soured blood wine before plopping down in his seat to tell us how the maze came to be.
"As I mention before," He started with a croak then cleared his voice, "everything here in the maze was part of a country. The only things that are left over from that time is the town below us, the castle and of course, the garden. Everywhere else has been warped by the walls and by the carnage of the monsters that now live here. I lived in town with my family; running a small butcher shop with my wife and sons." Clyde paused for a moment then breathed to center himself. "The King," he said, clutching the top of his knee, "had a young son, whom he adore. Every year to celebrate the child's birthday the king would put on a big spectacle for the town and country to join in. A festival one year, a large-scale scavenger hunt the next and so on. When the boy was eleven, he demanded that a game be made in the prince's honor. Whomever could come up with the best game and beat him at it could make whatever request the king and it would be granted."
"Naturally, everyone in the kingdom raced to come up with the best game, till one day a traveler happened to pass by. When he heard of the challenge, he went to the castle and asked to make use of that part of the garden beyond the gate for his game. The king allowed it since he didn't think any harm would come of it. It was on castle grounds after all. The traveler took a whole day I heard to set it up and when the young prince entered it, he never came out. Hours passed, and the boy never returned. The king sent in his men, but they never could not find the boy. The travel then went in and brought the boy out. Having lost the game, the king was forced to for fill his promise."
"Let guess, he didn't." Joey said crossing his arms as he sat back in his seat.
"Correct. The King didn't put a limit on what could be asked so the traveler asked for half the kingdom. When the king said no the traveler then asked for the life of the prince." A collective groan filled the room but said nothing so the vampire could finish telling the story.
"The travel was put under arrest and the festivities continued and the contest was forgotten. Then in the middle of the celebration a loud scream was heard. I still remember the sound and feared it was my boys, but they were in their beds. Another came and took us a moment to realize it came from the castle. There was one last cried and the silence that followed curdle my blood. It was the silence that follow death. When morning came, we learned the prince had disappeared into the maze and presumed dead. The king with mad and tried to enter that part of the garden but his advisers held him back. Not of the guards they sent in to find the body ever came out. When they tried to force the traveler to enter, he again asked for his reward of half the kingdom. Before anyone could stop him, the king killed the traveler at the gate. Our king was never the same after the loss of his only son and slowly our country fell into ruin."
"Is that when the maze started?" Mai asked when Clyde paused for a moment. The vampire shook his head. "No, the maze didn't begin until a year later. The body of the prince was never found and no matter how many people went pass the gate not a single person ever returned."
"Wait, so the garden stay the same?" The vampire gave Yugi a short nod and breathed out wearily.
"Yes, and our madman of a king forced his people through the gates to bring back his son. If only I left sooner, then my family wouldn't have suffered what happened next. On the anniversary of the prince's disappearance another stranger went to the castle. A relative of the slain traveler who wanted the reward his brother had earned. The king tried to kill him too, but the new traveler revealed himself to be a sorcerer. All over the kingdom the voice of the sorcerer was heard saying, "My brother entertained your prince and was robbed of his reward. So now this kingdom must entertain me" After that, the first walls went up, cutting our country off from the rest of the world.
"Day by day, walls appeared out of the ground splitting the land and people. I tried to leave the town with my family, but people flooded in from the countryside speaking of monsters invading parts of the land. It was madness. Nowhere was safe and there was no leader to take charge. The more people that flooded in the town the more the king could use to force into the garden. Having enough, the people took up arms against the king and sorcerer. We killed our king, but the sorcerer fled into the garden. I was here on the castle grounds that day hoping that our terror would be over, but we made it worse. That day was the last I saw the sun and my family. A darkness rolled over the sky and with-it demons and monsters descended on us. From the sky. From the ground. With nowhere to run humanity was devoured down leaving people like me. When I rose as a vampire, I looked for my family, but they were gone. Slaughtered by a pack of flesh-eating zombies. I could barely tell what parts belonged to who and was forced to bury them in one big grave."
It was hard to look at the vampire who patted his eyes with a small cloth. Thankfully, he didn't burst into weeping and cleared his throat to keep from doing so. A full minute passed to let him rest from his tell and he fold the clothed saying without looking up. "I've collected myself. Now, is there any question you all have?"
Yugi breathed hesitantly and we all turned to him as he asked, "If you killed your king, how was the next ruler picked?"
"Why the one who killed him took over. He is the one who started that tradition, but the king cursed him. The sorcerer heard the cursed and made it real."
"What was his curse?" I asked next.
"That no one be allow to leave the kingdom till the maze is solved."
The crackling of the fire was the only noise in the room as we all sat. "But I don't understand, wasn't there a rule that one could leave if they asked the ruler?" Mai asked.
"Ah, you're referring to the rule made by the last queen. Yes, amendments to the game can only be made by a dying ruler. They can be for better or for worse but asking to leave is different from being allowed to leave. As kind as she was, she wasn't clever enough."
"Wait! Couldn't one of them just said the game is over!" Joey jumped in and the vampire sighed saying, "That is when the beast was made. To end the game. I should add that each rule cannot replace another, instead they build on one another."
"I see," Yami commented. "So, the rule of challenged was made when I killed the last ruler as a cursed against me."
"Yes, but your time is nearly up. It should be noted that each ruler, including the first died in their fiftieth year of rule." Yami glared at how easily the vampire waved him off like yesterday's news. Through the link I had to calm he down before he shove Clyde into the open fire he was carelessly sitting next to. Being throw against walls may not kill him but he could still burn to death. Not easily but I'm sure Yami would happily hold his head in the flames and watch as the vampire's skin melt off his face and bones turn to char. I know because for a moment I saw it in his mind. I jerked in my seat as I turned my head away from the image which didn't do me any good. Milda gripped my hand and I could just barely hear her ask me if I was alright. "I'm fine." I mumbled out as I lashed out at Yami's marks. I felt better when I saw Yami jump and looked at me. I gave him a look of disapproval. Violate thoughts would get us nowhere and we needed him to concentrate on finding clues in Clyde's words. Thankfully, there were others who stuck to the task at hand.
"So that is why the garden was so important." Yugi said not noticing or not caring about what was happening between Yami and me. "All the other puzzles are diversions."
"It would seem so, all but the King's puzzle of course with the newest rule of the maze, but even that is no use to anyone who wishes to leave." Seto said dryly. Clyde now looked confused by their words.
"But the walls...they disappeared when the north puzzle was solved." Clyde started.
"But I didn't solve it." Yugi corrected. "I reset it back to the way it was supposed to be. Someone left the puzzle nearly finished but something felt...off."
Clyde shook his head not wanting to believe what Yugi was saying and said, "But when I removed the puzzle in the west the area fell into chaos."
"I removed the south puzzle and no chaos has erupted there." Seto said. "If the puzzles are so important then why all the inconsistency?"
"To distract us." Yami reply and Yugi nodded agreeing with him
"Yes. The rules, the walls, the puzzles and even the beast, none of it ever matter. The only thing that needing solving was the garden. The first and true puzzle."
"The maze is a living maze." Yami went on from Yugi, "The sorcerer said, "entertain me" and disappeared into the garden. The sorcerer has been watching generation of captives run around destroying themselves and everyone around to escape."
Joey scoffed drawing the red eyes of the demon to him. "No way. How that guy be still living? I know powerful sorcerers can live a long time, but his magic would eventually run out on him."
"The mutt is right," Seto comment as Joey shouted "Hey", but was quieted by Mai who elbowed his arm. "It's possible that he has been feeding his power on our misery, or even on the lives taken in the maze. Only," He stopped and looked at me for a moment. His cool blue eyes scanned me as he thought about his next words carefully and asked, "Clyde, as far as you can remember, were any of the rulers after the original king human?"
"Well, no. The one who killed the king turned into a spider demon right after the king uttered his curse."
"So, then, Persona being a human ruler is an anomaly." Yami turned to Seto unsure if he liked where his cousin was going with this information. I was with him since I really didn't want to be the queen of anything. I just wanted to go home.
"We have two rulers, right now. We could use this." Yugi said and Seto turned to him. The amount of mental communication that travel between the two in seconds was scary to watch since none of us could see what they were planning. "Seto," Yami said in a light tone that hinted his impatience with their scheming, "what are you planning to do with my mate?"
"Nothing that would endanger her, right Yugi?"
"Look, um 'you'?" Yami arched and eyebrow and Yugi rolled his eye's saying, "I don't know how to refer to you okay. Just be glad I didn't call you 'demon'."
"You could just call me 'King'."
"Yeah, no, I rather bow to Persona than you and that happens to be an option right now." Joey coughed so not to laugh, and Mai turned to hide her smirk. I bit my lip to tell Yugi that I didn't want anyone bow to me, but I didn't trust myself not to smile or chuckle. Oddly, Yami seemed assumed by Yugi's quip and said with rich pride, "You may call me by my dead name." Seto snapped his head to his cousin. "Are you sure you want to use that name again?"
Yami didn't bother to look or replied to Seto as he stared at Yugi. "You may call me, Atem." Seto closed his eyes and sighed. Yugi blinked not understanding the value of the name the demon king had given and Seto doubt he would even care.
"Okay, Atem," Yugi repeated flippantly, "up till now we been running around chasing after clues and letting the maze push us into decisions that were never really ours to make and only benefited the maze. But something glitched the game to giving us two rulers and it wasn't just your actions."
"Persona."
"Right."
"Huh?" I looked between the two hoping I didn't need to ask from someone to just explain it all. Yugi turned to me asking, "Persona, do you remember saying how weird it was that everyone was dropping clues around you. Did you know that you are the first human to reach the inner maze and not died or turn into a monster? Master Clyde," Yugi looked over the vampire, "were humans ever plentiful in the maze?"
"No, they've always been scarce. The sickness among the vampires is not a new problem. It just happen to escalate when the demon king made the no human policy."
"But one slipped in and made it to the castle."
"There were plans to make lady Persona a demon." Milda spoke up. I glanced at her, but she looked down at her hands saying, "Forgive me my lady, but those plans were change when the King chose to overlook it."
"More like they tried and failed." Yami huffed.
"We weren't aware that she was already your mate my King."
"But even with the mark I still human."
"Worse, you have your own power, Persona. You forced me to bend to you. You held everyone back in the other room. I may have been wrong in thinking that you won't turn into a demon." I turned to Seto. I felt a cold sweat at the back of my neck as the idea of slowly losing my humanity frighten me. Yami glanced away and through the link I felt guilt as well as hurt.
"No." Yugi echoed through the uncomfortable silence. There was a reassurance in his voice as he spoke to the room. "Persona may be mated to a demon, but she is still human at her core. If she were anything else this glitch wouldn't have happened."
"I suppose that's true but what are we to do with it?" Seto had asked the question but I could see in his eyes that he know the answer and merely didn't wish to be the one to say what our next step should be. He didn't need to since Yugi would do it for him.
"Persona," He said turning to me, "you can go through the gate without Atem's permission without being tied to the castle."
"No!" Yami said standing up and the flames from the fireplace burst out nearly burning Clyde. "We can not send Persona into the garden."
"It may be the only way- "Yugi cried.
"No one has ever return! The reason rulers are not to enter the gate is because it is a death sentence and a ruler must exist to keep the maze going." Yami explained.
"She wouldn't go alone!" Yugi stood facing Yami. "I will go with her!"
"I can not let you do that either!"
"I don't need you looking out for me!"
"I agree with 'him'." Mai said over the demon and sprite earning a look from the group.
"But Mai- "
"Yugi, we have two rulers. If anyone should go in it should be 'him'." Mai motioned at Yami.
Joey raised his hand saying, "I second that."
"Hold on." I said, "Before we start arguing who should go in, I want to point out that the rules say that the ruler has to remain on castle grounds and wondering pass the gate breaks that rule."
"A good point Ma'am." Clyde said walking up to Yami and Yugi. "But it is possible that the magic of the maze has not yet adjusted to the change. The fact that the king's servants are this here are proof." The vampire motion to Kirk and the five guards at Atem's back. "Even if they swear true loyalty to him the others would cease to exist. If I understand what your friend is saying, we are experiencing a brief lapse in the rules. If the garden is the key, then we only have a limited time before the demon king is dealt with and things go back to normal."
"I don't plan on dying vampire," Yami said with a glare, "but if one of us needs to go in then it should be me."
A chill rushed down my spine and the memory of the dream flash in my mind. Yami standing at the entrance of the gate, bleeding to death as Seto's roar echoed in the garden. "No." I said lowly. Yami smiled softy at me but I shook my head saying, "No, I will go."
"Persona, if there is a limit to my time then I should pass the gate."
Milda's hand squeezed mine. I could feel her eyes asking me to not push the matter, but all I could see was the castle falling and the blood dripping through Yami's fingers. "My lady," Milad whispered, "you can't go. You're in no..."
"Persona, let him go through." Mai said over Milad.
The distant sound echoed outside making the window rattle in their frames. Seto stood up from his seat with a groan. "We can finish our plans later." He said snapping his fingers. Another exploding boom echoed, and the doors of the room banged. "My King! The town is under attack! Please open the doors!" Shouted one of the elder witches.
Clyde moved next to Yami in a blink of an eye saying in a rush whisper, "Demon King, we must keep her Majesty hidden from your other subjects if we wish to take advantage of the situation! The elder witches will see a change in her!"
"Yugi could make her small!" Joey said. "He's done it before." Yami looked over at the grown sprite asking, "Can I leave her to you?"
Yugi frowned. "Do you need to ask." Yami then turned to Clyde. "And you?"
The vampire bowed, "She is my Queen. I will protect your mate." Another boom sounded causing the lamps in the room to shake.
"Enough about who will protect me! The town needs your help!" I said as the doors banged with more pleaded shouts. Yami nodded and Yugi turned me small again. Milda gently pick me up and hid me in her hands. Yugi returned to his regular size as Clyde instructed my new guards to act as if Yami was still their King. They looked at me and I nodded my head. "Follow Clyde's lead till I say otherwise."
The door opened and the elders rushed in with news that a horde of mountain trolls broke a hole in the wall surrounding the town. "And there are vampires hiding among them, my King! From the old Lucian horde!"
"My vampires should be here shortly!" Clyde said but Yami interrupted saying, "Let Seto and my shadows handle them. I want your horde here in the castle!" Clyde nodded and stepped back. "Seto, I want you to took the orc guard along with as well. Kirk, I want you with a second command outside the castle." Yami said as he walked out of the room with the two following him.
"Joey, my friends" Mai said. The wolf hugged Mai and ran after the group to join lend his aid.
Ode and Bora escorted Milda and Mai with me and Yugi hidden in their pockets to the royal wing to wait in my room. Ode stood in my room while Bora guard Yami's and we keep the door between the two rooms open. Clyde and my guards took over watch in the halls. Once settled into the rooms Yugi turned me back to my normal size and chose to become human size as well.
Here we were forced to wait as terror ripped through the town. No news was given to us. No one was allowed to enter till Yami or Seto return. Clyde and the new guard were sure they could keep me safe. Ode and Bora were ready to act and either Yugi, Mai and Milda were always with me, but none of it help.
Sometimes, evil just has the upper hand.
xxx