Circles, Chapter 2.1

(I know this entry is a bit long, but I promise it has a kicker at the end that should raise your eyebrows a bit. Not much else to tell you. Been cleaning house, writing on Circles, working on the new cover for Murder by the Acre, sold a couple of cards, battling some stomach problems, read a couple of books, etc. That's my life. What's happening in your life?)

Circles

Chapter 2.1

Into the Maze

"Perhaps it can't adapt to four of us," Glemma said for the hundredth time.

Thomas didn't even bother glaring at her this time. What was the point? She wouldn't stop talking.

"Oh gods," Derry muttered.

Alissa, however, answered, "If the Maze really has existed for thousands of years, groups had to have entered it. I think it's still studying us."

"That doesn't mean it was able to adapt to groups just because they entered before," Glemma said.

"Maybe we're going to the wrong way," Derry said. "We've been walking for three and half hours now." He consulted his pocket watch. "Three hours and 37 minutes to be exact."

"And it's so helpful to exact now," Glemma said.

"At least we know how long we'd have to walk to go back and go the other direction," Derry said.

The corridor ran two ways. They had chosen one at random. Nothing seemed to distinguish either direction. The walls and floor were the same featureless white stone -- or a substance that looked like stone. A strange glowing material made up the ceiling. Alissa had used magick to lift Derry up to examine it, and he said it was cool to the touch. As they walked, the ceiling lit before them and darkened behind them.

They had stopped two times before. Once to allow Glemma time to Shape her clothes. Derry and Thomas had been wearing the school uniform of brown leather boots, brown trousers, cream long-sleeved shirt, and golden vest. Alissa worn the same, but she had removed her vest back at the school and it was lost. Glemma, however, had already changed into her night clothes: flowing white robe with a long silky overcoat. She had jammed her feet into her boots before all the madness descended on the school, but her clothes needed Shaping to keep them from limiting her movements.

Thomas and Derry had stood with their backs to the girls as Glemma removed her clothing and Shaped trousers and a shirt from her robe. She left her overcoat as it was. She had worked quickly because they expected an attack or trap or some other difficulty. But hours of walking had taken the edge off their caution.

The second time they stopped was when they started arguing about the Maze and what they were doing. Derry thought they must have gone in the wrong direction. Alissa believed the direction didn't matter since both directions were still the Maze. Glemma did not want to retrace their steps. Thomas had no idea about what they should do, but sided with Alissa, but only did so because he knew it annoyed Derry.

They also took inventory of their belongings. They didn't have much. Glemma had a silver necklace and several silver rings. Alissa had a pouch carrying derva leaf and her pipe, a compass that only spun aimlessly in the maze, a multi-use knife with two blades and a saw, and a several pendants and bracelets strung with leather cord. Derry had his dagger, three copper pennies, a silver shilling, a tin collapsible cup, and a box of sulfur matches. Thomas had his dagger, four half-pennies, an acorn that he had picked up a couple of days ago, and the Traveling God necklace his mother had given him on his fourteenth birthday.

"Not much," Derry said.

"Well, aren't Aspirants supposed to enter the Maze with only their magick and wits?" Alissa said.

"Yeah, but I could do with an apple right about now," Derry said.

"Don't mention food," Glemma said.

"They're not usually chased into the Maze, either," Thomas said.

"My sister intended to carry a backpack," Alissa said. "Rope and food. A waterskin. Aspirants are allowed to carry whatever they want." Her face saddened. "But it didn't help her."

"At least we have a cup," Glemma said, and she had pulled enough moisture out of the air to fill the collapsible cup so that they could all have a drink.

Now, they stopped again. Thomas sat down, not paying attention as the others argued. He felt exhausted. The weight of his secret made him uneasy. After all, they were in danger, too, but did shared peril give them the right to know the truth? Or as much of it as he knew. Which was precious little, it appeared. The world held dangers he never imagined.

"Hey!" Derry said, pointing down the corridor.

Thomas scrambled to his feet. Fog flowed toward them.

The four bunched together.

"I can't put a shield up!" Alissa said.

Thomas tried, but the magick wouldn't be forced into a shield configuration.

Glemma attempted to push the fog back by calling a wind. She succeeded in clearing a space around them, but the fog rolled around them.

Derry held his dagger at ready. Thomas followed suit.

"Boys," Glemma said. She drew magick to her.

Thomas blushed. He was an Aspirant, not a warrior. He drew magick and prepared an energy bolt. Derry danced power along his dagger's blade until it gleamed.

The fog thickened, clouding out the ceiling light. Soon it was as if they stood in the fading light dusk.

Alissa conjured a sphere of light, but it did little to cut the gloom.

"I think we should get close to the wall," Derry said. "Keep anything from getting behind us."

"Hold hands," Glemma said, grabbing Thomas's.

"Put your hand on my belt," Derry told Alissa who did so. "I might need both hands free."

Glemma pulled Thomas closer until they stood inches apart.

The fog had increased until they could barely see each other even as close as they were.

Derry moved toward the wall. Three steps, two more, several more.

"I must be going down the hall," Derry said, his voice uncertain. "We should have reached the wall..."

He turned and took several steps more before stopping. "I can't be this turned around. The walls aren't there."

Something flashed by them in the fog. Alissa screamed.

"What was that?' Glemma said, her voice quivering.

Thomas conjured a light and channeled as much magick as he could into it. The fog lit up, but the visibility remained the same.

"What should we do?" Alissa said.

"Can you raise a shield?" Derry asked.

"I don't know," Alissa said. "I keep trying, but the conjuration won't form. I can almost get it, but then it collapses."

"Keep trying," Derry said. "No one is better at shields than you are."

"Quiet!" Glemma hissed. "Something's coming."

Thomas extinguished his light and drew up magick for a bolt.

Overhead something huge passed over them, its shadow blocking out the light for several moments.

"Oh gods," Glemma whispered. "Oh gods. What is that?"

"I don't know," Derry whispered. "But I don't think we want it to find us. Let's move."

"Where?" Thomas said.

"Anywhere but here," Derry said.

He led them forward. The ground beneath them changed, becoming mushy and wet. Thomas looked down. He could see greenish mud and what looked like small vines or roots.

Alissa gasped. "I recognize this. The smell, the winds, we're in Nola Scrone. We're in the swamp."

The fog thickened more.

"We're thousands of miles away from Nola Scrone," Glemma said.

"Are you sure?" Derry asked Alissa.

"Yes," Alissa said. "The smells, the sounds ... We're in the blessed swamps! If we could just see..."

Glemma drew magick to her and conjured a wind. The fog thinned, and Thomas caught a glimpse of black water and mossy trees draped with vines.

"It's Nola Scrone," Alissa said excitedly. "That plant is wardvine. It only grows in Nola Scrone."

Derry took a couple of steps forward drawing the others long with him.

Thomas made one misstep in the muck and fell. His hand slipped from Glemma's. The fog flooded back in and swallowed up the other three.

Just like that, he was lost.

"Glemma! Derry!" he shouted, waving his arms around, hoping to touch them.

They didn't respond.

"Alissa!" he screamed.

Nothing. Why didn't they call?

Or maybe they were and he couldn't hear them. He sent out feelers of magick, but the fog reflected them back to him.

He took a couple of steps forward, still reaching out. He panted, feeling lightheaded.

Get a hold, he told himself. They can't be more than a couple of steps.


He shouted again, but the fog swallowed his words. He swore.

"Such language," a woman's voice said.

The fog swirled around him and cleared. He stood on a knoll of moss surrounded by black water.

"Who's there?" he shouted.

The fog parted.

Glemma smiled at Thomas.

She was naked.

Copyright 2011 by Stephen B. Bagley. No copying without prior express written permission from the author. Thanks for reading.

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