The Phoenix's Soldier's War

Labyrinth's Games

    "That doesn't look safe." Alexis declared. Tarrant nodded in agreement. "Do we have to go in? I don't really think it is needed, do you, Evie?"

    "I think it looks fun." I responded. "Besides, what could go wrong?" I asked. She narrowed her eyes at me. "Okay, a lot can go wrong. Where is your sense of adventure?"    

    "Back on the ship, you know, where it's safe." She stated. I rolled my eyes.

    "Come on, I'm sure everything will be fine. I always wanted to go into one." I said. "The worst that can happen is that we get lost and never come back out." She paled. Tarrant and David glared at me. "What? Did you not want me to say that?"

    "You don't need to scare the living day lights out of her." Tarrant growled. I shrugged and began to make my way towards the labyrinth. "Are you serious? You really want to go in there?"

    "Adventure, darling, adventure!" I hollered over my shoulder. I got to the entrance and waited for the others to come and join me. They took their sweet time in doing so. I only grinned at their reluctance to go into the labyrinth. "Let's do this!"

    "I'm going to regret this." David muttered. I patted his shoulder and then entered the labyrinth. They followed closely behind.

    The doors slammed shut, causing us to jump. Alexis looked at me in worry and annoyance. I grinned sheepishly and smiled.  "At least we haven't been separated." The ground began to rumble. The ground beneath Tarrant opened up. He let out a startled gasp before falling through. Alexis tried to reach for him but was separated by a wall, blocking her from David and I. A cluster of vines wrapped around David and pulled him into their clutches, quickly disappearing from my sight. 

    I stood there for a good while, not knowing what the hell to do. "What the hell just happened?" I muttered. "I spoke too soon, that's what I did. Why do I always do that? What do I do now? Alexis is going to kill me when I find her. David and Tarrant will probably join her." I cringed. "I am definitely dead. They won't let this go, ever!"

    "Welcome to the labyrinth." I turned and a pixie fluttered there. "I am Belle. Your friends are in different parts of the labyrinth, you must journey through and save them all. You will run into challenges along the way that will test your faith and your strengths. You will also gain friends along the way. Enjoy the games." With that, she disappeared in a flurry of glitter and smoke. I stood there in shock.

    "How the hell do you I get myself into this stuff? Never mind, my ass wanted adventure, well, I'm getting adventure. Curse my luck. Curse life. Well, I better get to it. No time like the present." I huffed. "Now which way do I go?" I decided to go left.

    I came upon a fountain covered in wild roses. "Pretty." I muttered.

    "Thank you, I do try hard. The roses are my best yet." I turned and saw an elder woman sitting on a bench. "Not many come through here. My name is Cora. What is your name?"

    "Evie. You planted these?" I asked.

    "I did. The fountain keeps them alive. It's the fountain of memories." She answered. "Just touch the water and your memories will play out in front of you."

    "That's pretty interesting. How long have you been in this labyrinth?" I inquired.

    "Since I was a little girl. I came across the labyrinth after I left my family with my sister and brother. The labyrinth is our home. We each live in different parts of the labyrinth, but we have a strong bond. We get together once a week to talk about our adventures." She explained. 

    "Well, I just got separated from three of my friends, who are most likely going to kill me for dragging them here. I also jinxed us, so, yeah." I explained sheepishly. She chuckled and gave me a knowing look.

    "One of your friends has been trapped in the vines with thorns, correct?" She asked. I nodded. "He is within this area then. I will asked you a series of questions. If you answer each question honestly, then your friend will be set free."

    "Very well." She motioned for me to sit on the bench across from her. I did and waited for her to ask me her questions.

    "It's very simple, I will ask you three questions. You must answer honestly if you wish for your friend to be set free." She said. I nodded to show that I understood. "Very well, we will now begin. For your first question, do you enjoy killing?"

    "Do I enjoy killing? No, no I don't. I hate taking lives, but I will do it if it means winning the war. I do tend to get a little crazy when I get into battle mode though." The rock in front of me glowed a light white. Cora smiled as I looked at her questioningly.

    "That means you told the truth." She answered. I nodded in acceptance.

    "Do you regret coming to this world?" I cringed.

    "Often I do, but I am thankful also. I regret it because I have been dragged into a war and forced to become a leader. Thankful because I have gained children and two husbands." The rock glowed white again.

    "Lastly, do you feel that your old friends have betrayed you?" She asked.

    "Of course I do! They abandoned me because they had opinions that made no sense. They thought I chose what was happening to me. I didn't. All I ever wanted was to be normal." I said. The rock glowed white once more. 

    "You are very honest." She said.

    "Thought it would be better to be honest than lie." I said. She nodded in agreement. 

    There was rustling behind me before a gasp and a groaned was heard. I cringed, knowing that it was David. I turned and he laid there on the ground, glaring up at me. "Can you wait to kill me until we have Alexis and Tarrant?" I asked.

    "I hate you." He muttered.

    "I deserve it." I said. "Thank you for your help, Cora."

    "Of course. Be careful my dear." She warned. I nodded.

    David and I walked for a good while. There were many twist and turns. David groaned when we turned the next corner. "What?" I asked.

    "It's a sphinx. I never did like those things." He complained. "Now we have to answer riddles." 

    "Better than fighting something." I pointed out. We walked foreword before stopping in front of the creature.

    "You must answer five riddles to get past me?" It grumbled.

    "Okay." I answered.

    "The more you take, the more you leave behind. What am I?" The sphinx asked.

    "Time?" David answered after a moment. 

    "Wrong. You have two more tries." It growled. 

    "Okay, love?" He asked.

    "David, shut up. That didn't even make any sense." David blushed.

    "Footsteps." The sphinx purred in acceptance.

    "I am old, but do not age. What am I?" David looked at me, not wanting to answer.

    "Death." I answered. The sphinx once again nodded in acceptance. I answered the last three riddles, only having trouble a couple of times. The sphinx stepped aside and let us pass.

    "How did you know those riddles?" David asked.

    "When I was in middle school, my teacher would stop me at the door everyday and ask me a riddle. I just got good at answering them." I told him.

    We entered a meadow like area. "Oh boy, guest!" Another elder woman, who has way too much energy, bounded over to us. "I am Jazz. My sister is Cora, who I assume you already know, sue to you having marks on your skin. Welcome to my meadow. Somewhere among here is your friend, who I believe is a girl."

    "What must we do to get her?" I asked. She grinned.

    "One of you must drink from two of those three goblets. One has poison and the other two are just plain whine. What do you say?" Jazz asked.

    "Alexis is my sister, I will do it." David declared.

    "Are you sure?" I asked.

    "Nope." He  said. I raised a brow. "Go ahead." He muttered.

    "That's what I thought." I said. He glowered at me but said nothing. 

    I walked over to the three cups and wasn't surprised to see that each of them have poison within them from the faint green glow. It is a good thing I am now immune to poisons. I looked at David and then at Jazz. She smiled at me mischievously. I raised brow at her and smirked. I picked up the third cup and downed the drink. The whine mixed with the poison burned my throat, but I made no reaction. Jazz looked at me in shock. "Expecting something?" I asked.

    "No." She replied quickly. Still looking at her, I picked up the middle cup. I also downed it, once again my throat burned. 

    "Damn, that's awful." I muttered. "Well, I believe I passed the test. My friend please?"

    "How? All three of them are poisoned!" She exclaimed.

    "Oh, I knew that. There is some things you never thought about. One, I am immune to poison. A blessing really. Two, I can see magic and apparently poison glows green." David's and Jazz's jaw dropped.

    "Huh, who would've thought of that?" Jazz questioned. "Well, you won fair and square." She waved her hand and Alexis appeared. She looked flustered and annoyed. She turned to me and narrowed her eyes. 

    "You!" She growled.

    "Me." I said. "You."    

    "I'm going to kill you!" She shouted.

    "Wait, wait, wait, we need to still get Tarrant. You can kill Evie after." David said, holding Alexis back. Alexis glared at him and then turned it onto me. She clamed down slightly, but continued to glare at me.

    It didn't take long to find where Tarrant was. "Hello there, my name is Remus. I am not even going to challenge you for the guy. He is a party pooper. Take him and leave. There is the exit, you may now go." Alexis looked at me with a gleeful and dangerous look. For once, I am truly terrified. "Aren't you going to leave?" Alexis grinned. I let out a scream and took off out of the labyrinth and towards my ship, screaming all the way. In the end, I managed to lock myself in my quarters putting spells up to keep the monsters out.