Labyrinth Wall (9780991531219) (2 page)

Swimming is a new experience. Invading my ears and my nostrils, the liquid is at first unpleasant. Within moments, my thoughts move on to the relaxing cool temperature and the satisfying pressure grazing each arm with every stroke forward. Glimpses of smooth multicolored pebbles resting on the mud catch my eye. Lovely chartreuse plants rise up from beneath us. Smooth texture greets my hands when they touch their green tips. The plants might even be edible.

We emerge on the other side of the wall into an expanse of emerald grass and brown trees. Lush blades of healthy greenery stretch far into the distance, and little wild flowers bloom throughout. Unlike the twisted, barren dark trees of the labyrinth, these are bushy with big oval leaves. Some are growing pink and red fruit on them. Each the size of a fist, they cause the branches to dip toward the ground. Everything is displaced from the ebony trees and volcano I’ve always known.

The cleansing water has made my skin a shade lighter. I’m no longer covered in soot. Blue prances around the field happily. It’s tempting to join her, but this place, though lovely, doesn’t feel safe. My gut suggests something isn’t right about our surroundings, and as I wave her back over to me, another figure breaks from the surface of the water.

Darith emerges soaking wet and jumps to his feet. We can’t be more than fifteen feet apart. He probably doesn’t even know who I am, but I’d be a lot happier if he wasn’t always beating me to the punch. He’s either a better thief than me or he reads my thoughts and then acts before I get the chance. He’s cost me so many meals I’ve lost count.

Getting rid of him has been tempting in the past, but there’s never a right moment. That’s how the world works. You eat to survive, and you kill to eat. Operating life like everyone else would make living a lot easier: take what you need and don’t put much thought into the repercussions. Though I’ve taken food in desperate times, I’ve never killed to do it.

Arms hanging limply, eyes wide open, I’m frozen for a moment as we observe one another. Then his gaze shifts to Blue. My body comes to her protection as I dash between them before he has a chance to strike her down with his curved black sword.

“You want to kill her? You’re going to have to get past me.”

Surprise sweeps through his green eyes, and his face tightens. Within a second, his sword is clutched in his grasp and ready for an attack.

“Araina, I never would have guessed ya would have such a big secret. How long have you been protectin’ this nice large meal? Why don’t we split it?”

To hear anyone else acknowledge my name out loud is startling. “Araina” only ever comes from my lips. The guards never say it back. It sounds venomous on Darith’s tongue, but what bothers me most is that he has the nerve to make an assumption about what I would or wouldn’t be likely to do.

“You guessed wrong!”

He attacks and misses. I dart behind him strategically, and he stumbles, attempting to dodge my agile movements. Terror rises in me at the feeling of his sword almost grazing my hand. A slice across his shoulder should slow him down. He’s taken aback by the exposed raw flesh and retreats a few feet. We dance like this a couple more times, aiming to kill, but finding ourselves evenly matched.

When his weapon slices my leg, Blue croaks from behind me. Nausea swells in my stomach at the sight of my blood staining my green pants, but I push past it. My grip on the dagger becomes less steady as sweat invades my palms. The sharp edge of his ebony sword is swinging toward me, but he’s not quick enough. My position is perfect for a good stab into his side.

“The wall! What’s happening?” The color is draining from his face. The labyrinth wall is rippling, and a man bursts right through.

Darith and I do a double take, our gazes fixed on the stranger across the field. A man just came through a wall. This was different from the branch coming through the wall above the boulders. This time, the wall seemed to wave as he jolted through. There was never an actual opening.

In the next moment, he’s on his feet as his head darts about in confusion. His tall, skinny body jolts frantically, facing one direction then another, trying to determine which way to go. Deeply drawn eyebrows shelter the man’s brown eyes that scream fear. He must be running from something. Goosebumps rise on my skin when his gaze lands on me, and he charges in my direction.

The tall brown man with matching hair trips on his loose white pants as he sprints across the field toward us. He screams at me, “Raiyla.”

That word has no meaning to me. Maybe it’s “help” in his language.

I’ve been so off guard, I barely notice Darith preparing to take another blow at me. My body ducks down, and I draw back.

“Friend of yours?” he questions.

“None of your concern, but no.”

He resumes his murderous attempts on my life, despite the potential threat of the approaching stranger. I’m overwhelmed by the situation. It’s becoming difficult to dodge his charges, which prevent me from keeping an eye on the man in white.

If the mystery man is aiming to attack me, I’m as good as dead. Giving up isn’t an option, not in my book. The longer that sword is in Darith’s hand, the likelier chance it will end up striking me. Energy summons from every corner of my being into one punch to his face. He looks dizzy. Next my leg kicks his arm, nearly dislodging his weapon. Retaliating with a shove, he almost knocks me to the ground.

A brief moment passes as we race to collect ourselves. I have to be first. A swift kick from my foot hits Darith in the chest and knocks him back into the pool of water. As I turn to take note of the other man’s position, he’s now upon me and he grabs my injured leg with both hands. My body jerks with fear, my leg kicking him.

Everything is happening so fast there isn’t enough time to process it all: a new place within the labyrinth, an attack on mine and Blue’s lives, and now a man emerging out of a wall.
How did he come through that wall? From where?

My hand signals Blue toward the bushes to take cover so we can regroup. As we make our way, I notice the pain in my leg is dying down. My skin is mending itself. My eyes fall on the man in white who is attempting to regain his composure.

Did he do that? Was he trying to heal me? Is that even possible?

Chapter 2
An Unexpected Decision

Two more figures emerge through the rippling wall. They look like Creators; a man and a woman. One points to the man in white before they chase him across the field. He runs in a different direction, like he doesn’t want them to know I’m here.

Loud splashing interrupts my thoughts as Darith jumps out of the water and gasps for air.

Seizing the moment of his vulnerability, I hasten out of the bushes toward him, hoping to take him by surprise.

“That was new and different,” he announces, already aware of my approach.

Coming to a halt, I roll my eyes. My dagger is snug in my grip. Here comes another round.

“Put that away,” he sputters as he shakes his head. Water sprays from his hair all over me.

Darith’s record of killing for food beats a camel’s record for spitting, yet he’s standing ten feet away from me with his sword sheathed.

Approaching me calmly with his hands in the air, he’s acting like I can trust him, like I should have any reason to.

“Look, I wasn’t ever gonna kill ya anyway, little Araina,” he mutters.

A solemn expression masks my fear, my confusion. My legs start to waver a little, but my inner strength takes control. Rapid rhythm pounds in my ears to the beating of my heart. It’s crucial to stand strong. This is the moment I’ve been waiting for. So many times he has unnecessarily killed. He’s taken so many meals from me. I could kill him in a second.

He straightens to his full height after he’s finally rung his hair out to his contentment. He stands about a foot taller than me with an eyebrow raised. Aside from our matching green eyes, we have almost nothing in common. His olive skin and chestnut brown hair are a contrast from my bright red hair and pale white skin. I’ve never been close enough before to study him so thoroughly. A small scar resides on his cheek, and a string hangs around his neck that disappears under his shirt.

Little Araina?
He doesn’t know the first thing about me…or so I thought. He knew my name, though. The moment has now passed for me to take him down fast and off guard. The longer he stands there, completely defenseless with his sword tucked away, it becomes impossible for me to make an attack on a helpless victim.

“I don’t understand.” My arm drops down to my side.

“I mean I was plannin’ to maim ya a little and take off with the bird. Wasn’t gonna kill ya, though,” he offers, as if that’s some comfort to me. He then walks off toward the wall from which the man and guards appeared.

Blue is still in the bushes and I’m left standing about thirty feet from the pool of water.

“Oh, okay, just maim me,” I mimic him sarcastically. “That’s great to know. Not that I believe a word coming from your mouth, but why weren’t you going to kill me? You kill everyone else you meet.”

He continues walking.

Finally, I follow him curiously. “What are you doing anyway?” I don’t know what game he’s playing, but his actions demand my interest.

My mind races while we cross the field. Walking behind Darith, I’m still tempted to attack, but how can I? I’m better than that. As we near the wall, my thoughts shift back to the man in white.
Who was that man and did he heal me?

“I’ve never seen a rippling wall before. Have you?” He approaches the black jagged wall. His hand nears the coal textured surface then lands on it. My muscles tense up at the sight. Investigative fingers inch across its cracks as he attempts to pull at partially loose sections. Nothing happens.

“It’s not working anymore?”

“Does it look like it’s workin’?” His hands navigate across the area one more time to no avail. His eyes meet mine squarely.

“I’ve never seen something like that,” I repeat, standing at a safe distance, ready to defend myself. “What do you think is on the other side?”

He shifts his weight from one leg to the other so I jerk my dagger up defensively.

“Whoa, now.” He snickers. Obviously unconcerned with my weapon, Darith turns to start walking out into the field.

I stand awkwardly, my arm still extended into the air, holding the dagger.

“Ya comin’?” he calls back to me.

“I’m not going anywhere with you!”

“I’m gonna find out how to get through that wall, which means I’m gonna find the man or the guards that came through it. Ya got somethin’ better to do?”

He has a point. I’m going to find out more about that man, and it wouldn’t hurt to have help. I follow cautiously. Hushed croaks babble behind me. Blue is on our heels.

“If I come with you, I want you to promise me one thing…you won’t kill her.” I motion my head in Blue’s direction.

“I won’t kill the damn bird,” he utters in aggravation, but I think I sense a tone of honesty, if honesty exists in this world.

Taking in abundant tall trees, we walk silently through the landscape. Forming vertical zigzagged trails, different shades of brown bark coat their trunks. Tangled vines of a dark purple color elegantly hang from thick branches. We need to hurry, but food isn’t a necessity to be passed up. Greed takes over. First one, then another, heavy, fuzzy red apple finds a home in my bag.

“Those could be poisonous,” Darith points out upon catching my thievery.

“Not likely. Simul eats these during his announcements.”

“Ya don’t say.” He smiles at me as he proceeds to pick an apple.

Despite our hurry, the fruit isn’t the only distraction fighting for my attention. Sparkling petals of a little flower catch my interest. Nothing so elegant or bright exists in my world. The glittering object’s fascinating beauty draws me closer. My fingers reach down to touch it. Darith strikes my hand, causing me to withdraw with a yelp.

Anger must be lit in my eyes because it bursts within me. Warmth burns in my cheeks.

“Really?” he lectures. “Gonna touch that flower? Not thinkin’, are ya? Have ya learned nothin’ in the labyrinth?”

A couple deep breaths begin to calm me. He’s right. The only flowers in the labyrinth, Darktouch, are lethal. There’s every chance this lovely sparkling flower would have killed me in some vicious manner. Despite the possibility that he may have saved my life, feeding his ego isn’t on my agenda. “I wasn’t going to touch it,” I insist.

“Fine.” He shrugs. “Use your brain, will ya?”

It’s tempting to turn back, to run from Darith. Still, my footsteps follow his. Smug, murderous, he makes me extremely uncomfortable. He said he wasn’t going to kill me, but it’s difficult to rationalize that statement. I’ve watched him since my creation day. Like all the other Mahk, Darith kills to eat.
He’s lying
. He even took that hit at my leg before the man in white showed up.

I’m a puppet and he’s pulling my strings, like the Creators
. At least I’m smart enough to have some idea what he’s up to. Right now, he could prove very helpful in attaining the man in white, but after that we can go our separate ways.