Left or right? Two wrongs don't make a right, but taking too many left turns will. The spindle seems to be out of thread. She said it would lead me to the center of the maze, but there is nothing here. It's not even a large space. I can't imagine that this is where they keep poor Asterion.
There's barely even enough room for me to stand, let alone an eight-foot minotaur. If Paz hadn't sent me down here to keep an eye out for him, I'd be a little concerned about that encounter. Oddly enough, it's that guy sneaking in behind me I'm worried for. Weird kid. I probably should have sent him home with a warning, but he looked harmless. Although now that I've lost track of him in the maze, I'm feeling a little ashamed. What am I going to do if someone finds him and realizes I'd have had to let him in? There goes my pension.
Okay, no panicking. I just turned left two turns ago, so I'll go left now, and make lefts every other turn. That sounds...plausible. Now what am I going to do about the spindle? I know it leads to the entrance, at least, but it won't go on from here. So...as long as I keep my head I can find my way back here, and then from here to the entrance. I guess. That doesn't really seem like a good idea, but what else can I do? My dress is pretty sturdy or I'd tear and drop some scraps. Whatever. I've been down here for hours already. Must be close to the center. Why did they have to move him into a godsdamnned labyrinth, anyway? This was so much easier when he was in the nursery.
Okay, every other left, right, shit. Is that the spindle? Shit. Okay. That's fine. Still able to get out. Right, left, right...why are there so many echoes in here? The ceiling's practically in my face! I am not all that tall, either. How does Asterion get around in here?
Gods, what if I am in the wrong labyrinth? Yeah, I'd say that was silly, too, if I weren't on my fifth circle around the stupid thing. Sixth, maybe? I don't even know. It would explain why the spindle ran out halfway through--oh, Erysichthon's balls, there it is again. This is getting ridiculous. Fine. Just gonna sit here by the spindle for a sec and take a breather. No point in running around, ha ha, in circles. Or something.
Ugh. What am I sitting in? Why is the floor sticky? Why am I even asking myself this when I know there's a six-year-old minotaur wandering around here? Hera only knows if he's even potty-trained yet.
No, wait--it's red. Aw, shit, what is this? This is not going to look good if Asterion has hurt himself while I waltz around out here. Paz will kill me, no joke.
I'll just leave handprints on turns I've taken. That'll work, right? Must make the best of a situation. Maybe it's not a bad situation. Not yet. Maybe he caught that scrawny kid by accident. Maybe I can pass that off as part of this year's tribute. No one comes down here anyway, I can drag the body into one of these side chambers.
That was not an echo. I heard that. Sounded like a kid crying. I think I'm getting close. Have to be, haven't passed any handprints. Except now the floor is sticky again. For crying out loud.
There is the fucking spindle again. Right next to...that weird kid who followed me in, oh shit. With Asterion crumpled at his feet, and I can almost hear his stupid little cow-voice bawling for me, for his Ari. Holy stars, who is this other guy? What kind of an asshole goes out to kill a little kid? I don't care if Asterion wasn't what you'd call entirely human, that still sucks. Where did he even hide that sword? Big fucking hero, cutting off a six-year-old's head. Now what am I going to do?
It's Indie Ink challenge time again, and this week's prompt of "where do we go from here" came from Alyssa. I challenged Sunshine, whose response can be found here.
