Young Writers Society

Queenie shifted so she was more firmly between Bobby and the rest of the group. She could sens him trembling behind her. Trying to get out of an anxiety attack, no doubt.

"As I said before," Queenie said to the one with the kid with no small hint of malice in her voice, "I'm Eliza, and I don't know where we are," she gave a quick roll of her eyes to make time for a decision on how much to give away, "That's kinda how these situations work."

She drew a little more attention. Bobby could fade into the background for as long as he needed.

And that was when she gave the only person here she had even a modicum of respect for a proper look. James?

There was a string of words she would probably get slapped for running through her head even if her expression didn't change in the slightest. Why hadn't he given her away? Did he just not care?

Even if he did change his mind on whatever motive he had, it wasn't like she'd lied. She could say that she goes by her middle name. After all, her first name is Queenie. Most people would see that reasoning as good enough.

"Eliza's right," James said with a small nod, looking over to Arryn and Izzy. "Unless someone or something else here shows up to explain where we are, we'll likely have to just figure it out as we go. But I think we can safely assume that whatever is going on, we should tread carefully. I wasn't armed before I came here, and there's probably a reason for that."

He paused, gaze drifting over to Oz. He was the only one, besides the trembling kid, that was really new to James. He wasn't sure what to make of him yet.

"And the name's James," he said. "If no one caught it before."

Oz had a sneaking suspicion that the currently unnamed man had been directing the question towards the boy that had been hiding in the shadows, but Oz wasn't going to point that out. It seemed like the boy didn't want to say much - and that his protector would be quick to shoot down any questions asked.

He glanced at the boy.

Then James's comment registered, and Oz absentmindedly checked the inside of his coat. His knife was still there, thankfully. It only had one intended victim, but he was sure he could remember how to seriously fight with it if he had to.

He squeezed his hand into a fist; the ball of light disappeared. He had his magic, too, and an infinite well of power to draw from. Protecting himself wasn't really something he needed to put a lot of thought or effort into. He'd have to switch his focus to protecting everyone else - if James was right.

Which he probably was.

He eyed the pool of water.

With a quickly uttered spell, he turned the water into a liquid tendril and grabbed the sword that had been tossed into it.

"If we're potentially in danger," he said, giving the unnamed man a grin, "it's probably a good idea to keep this on you. I don't think the pool needs any protecting."

Something registered.

Stretching, he gave Eliza a questioning look.

"You sound like you've been in situations like this before," he nonchalantly commented. When he was done with his stretch, he started moving towards what must have been the exit. "You should tell us about it as we walk!"

There was nothing that could easily get them from behind. If he stayed in the front of the group, he had the highest chance of getting attacked or hurt. He just had to make sure he put enough distance between himself and the others to avoid them getting in the way of any potential conflict.

Queenie rolled her eye and glanced at Bobby. He was shaken, shaking, but he didn't look like he wouldn't be able to follow. She gave him a questioning look and inclined her head toward where their highly annoying new companion had gone. Bobby gave an almost imperceptible nod.

So they followed, Bobby on Queenie's heels, into the...whatever this was.

"Maybe I have," Queenie said in response to his comment, "What of it?"

He hid a frown by facing forward. Why did everything he did have to end in conflict? There hadn't been any ulterior motives to asking. It just made sense to learn more about situations like these, seeing that he was completely clueless and Eliza had experience.

"I've never been in a situation like this before," he said, "so I wanted to learn more about them from someone who had!"

Arryn accepted the sword gingerly and returned it to the sheath at his side. Then get gently guided Izzy in front of him and turned to follow Oz towards one of the doorways... Actually, the only doorway he could see.

"So...what's the plan?" he asked, keeping one hand on the hilt of his sword and the other on Izzy's shoulder.

"Daddy?"

"Shh, not now, Izzy. Later."

James followed after Oz, planning on holding up the rear. Arryn was looking after his son, and Queenie would be watching over the other kid.

"We head out the door with caution, and weapons at ready if needed," James said. "Look after the little ones, keep your voices down, and we'll just take things as they come. It doesn't look like there's anyone here to help us - it's just us - so we need to stick together and watch each other's backs."

He looked over to Oz.

"Oz, are you confident at the head of the group?"

It looked like his plan to subtly take the head of the group wasn't quite as successful as he thought, but he could work with that.

"I am!" he reassured James - and the others. He gave them a smile for emphasis, already trying to guess what dangers might be lurking outside the exit.

James nodded. "Okay then, lead the way."

As they stepped out of the central room and into a corridor, Arryn realised there was another long corridor to the right and one to the left, disappearing around the curving walls of the room, and then there was a path ahead. He twisted to look behind thme but that.... Wait, what? There was no longer an opening behind them.

"Why is there a wall behind us now?" he asked, tugging Izzy a little closer and gripping the hilt of his sword tighter. And that made him wonder why he had the sword to begin with? He could just use his magic...but then...the antimage bracelets. "Shit.... Are we a damn maze?"

As he finished saying that, the entire structure seemed to shudder, causing bits of stone and dust to rain down on them. And then a rolling, echoing roar surged up towards them from the left. Oh, no... Oh, hell no, there were creatures in the maze? Arryn swore.

"I suggest that we do not go left."

Oz's hand immediately went for the knife underneath his jacket.

A maze was one thing to call the place that they had ended up in, but the word that came to his mind first was much more sinister: a labyrinth. Mazes were what he expected to find at a farm; he had wandered through corn mazes once or twice when traveling. But labyrinths, on the other hand? Those were a reminder of a time he didn't like to think much about.

And the roar sounded suspiciously like...

"Oh Iuppiter," he whispered. "That sounds like the Minotaur."

He could fight a minotaur. He had enough magic at his disposal, and could probably fight it with the knife if he had to. But he wasn't sure he could protect everyone else, and there was a very likely chance that the labyrinth was going to shift again.

I know you've never listened to me before, Mārs, he thought. But now would be the perfect time for you to lend me your strength. Please let me protect these people and win against whatever is in here.

James felt a chill run down his spine and dissipate as his will was hardened. Whatever was the cause of that rumbling, he had a gut feeling that they would run into it eventually. If they didn't have three kids among them, he might've been less worried.

He found his hand hovering over his sword, but he didn't want to draw it just yet. They were still in pretty close proximity and he didn't want to have an open blade waving around children. Izzy, especially, worried him, and he was sure Arryn's concern was only multiplied.

"Let's go forward," he said. It was a blind bet no matter what direction they went, but he felt it was agreed that none of them wanted to go left. "Hurry."

Queenie agreed with James's orders just fine. With a glance back at Bobby - he looked like he was considering scaling the wall - she gestured for him to follow and hurried along, away from the sound.

Bobby was nearly silent in her wake, and she had to keep glancing back to make sure he was following. He might take off at any second. She knew better than most that Bobby could be gone in a flash if he wanted to. He was quick, a great climber, and terrified of anything that moved. It would be nearly impossible to keep track of him in a maze.

Oz didn't need to be told twice.

He rushed forward, making sure to stay at a slow enough pace that the others could keep up. He was scared, of course, but he was more worried about the others than himself.

He was hesitant to remove the knife from underneath his jacket; he didn't want to scare any of the children. But he also didn't want to be caught off guard by whatever he had heard roar barely a minute before, and he wasn't sure what magic spell would work best.

He pulled out the knife.

Arryn kept his son close, carefully scanning the doorways and halls as they moved forwards. He didn't like the maze at all. Especially if there were things in it that were roaring at them. He brushed dust and sand oiut of his son's hair, then his own and glanced towards James.

"What do you make of this place?" he asked, tilting his head towards all the different hallways. "Also, what the hell is a minotaur?"