Chapter 11

Colton blinked a few times as they arrived in a huge arena and as he fully grasped what he was seeing it was an exact replica of the coliseum in Rome except this one looked like it had only just been built. He took   a tentative step forward only to recoil when he walked face first into something, his hand coming up to cover his nose as the air in front of him rippled. He reached up and patted where his hand had made had come in contact with something invisible only to recoil when he felt warm flesh.

His hand that had been stretched forwards was suddenly trapped in a strong unbreakable grip that only tightened as he tried to pull away. A moment later the air glittered before the a hand appeared, a tough, scarred hand that as he followed it upwards, belonged to a tough and scarred man that looked like he could be one of the original gladiators. He grunted and tugged Colton forwards causing the rest of them to follow meekly behind their friend.

The man stopped at the edge of the arena and with a grunt and a sweeping gesture he instructed the teens to line up against the wall. They exchanged looks with each other before doing as the strange man gestured and it was lucky that they did too because a moment after they stepped back, a maze came into existence right before their eyes. The top of the hedged border at least two foot taller that the tallest out of the group. Everyone gaped before looking completely horrified when the warrior let out great open mouthed chuckles which revealed that he had no tongue.

Emily and Lila covered their mouths with their hands as they gagged at the sight before them. They then turned to each other looking slightly green with their eyebrows raised, silently questioning why the man had no tongue.

He caught their expression and just cackled more, his clean shaven head glinting in the sunlight as he shook it back and forth. He looked up at the sky just as there were two sparks of red that flared bright for a moment before dissolving into nothing. He grunted, turning serious once more as he headed towards the opening in the maze. He glanced back and saw that none of the teens had moved so he grunted once more and nodded his head whilst beckoning with his hand.

Colton gulped and looked between the man and the maze before nodding his head and after taking a deep breath, he stepped forwards, his hand still clasped firmly around Lila’s so that she followed behind him like a lost child. Once they reached the entrance the tongue-less man nodded his head for them to enter the maze. Colton looked over his shoulder at his friends and tried to smile at them but his face only twitched as the corners of his lips tilted up slightly before his face fell back into a frown. Then with a deep breath he stepped forwards, one foot after the other in a slow and deliberate walk until he was 10 feet into the maze and he was faced with a turning. He closed his eyes trying to decide which way to go before he inhaled deeply and did what his gut told him to do; he turned right and dragged his friends along behind them.

The sound of rustling reached them a moment before the maze closed up behind the last of the group. The only light was the dim sunlight filtering between the top of the hedges meaning they were overshadowed by the looming walls of green.  Colton turned back to the group as they shuffled closer together, uneasiness plastered on all of their faces as they tried to find a way out.

“Everyone, keep hold of each other’s hands and don’t let go no matter what. We are going to get the totems and get out of here. All of us.” He waited for them to nod that they understood before peering down his chosen path. It looked just as unsettling as the other path but his gut instinct told him to go this way so that was the path he chose.

They walked for what seemed hours, the girls squeaking and huddling closer to the guys for protection when they heard unnatural groaning and howling, like something was evil was lurking out there somewhere in the maze. They came to intersection in the maze; they could continue straight or turn of their current path. Colton was at a loss, he had followed his gut this far but now he was nonplussed at the fact his gut wasn’t telling him anything.

He glanced back over at his friends and shrugged his shoulders, his red hair blowing in the sudden breeze that whipped around them.  The smell of something disgusting, like bad dog breath swept across the motley group and they all cringed away. Colton hunched his shoulders as he felt the hot breath blowing on the back of his head and when he saw his friends eyes widen, he cringed and spun on his heels just as thick gooey slime dripped onto his shoulder.

“Eergh that is so gross.” He shouted jumping back a few steps and then lifting his head so that he could see what had decided to drool on him.

“Oh my frigging god,” Lila whispered, her face drained of all colour as she backed up a step dragging Colton with her. “What the hell is that?”

Before them stood a ten foot tall dog with the body of a dragon. It’s large talons digging into the earth as it wings twitched before settling against, its tail flicking from side side to side taking out sections of the maze walls as it went. The transition between fur and scales was seamless as both were black as coal. The dog’s head resembled that of a Rottweiler and as it bore down on the 8 shaking forms, they all huddled together and took a step backwards, their faces paling as the giant dog head bared its teeth at them. They were all even more startled when the dog let out a great barking chuckle that vibrated through all of their chests.

“Calm children.” The voice was deep and sounded like it was growling at them, but as  the dog-r=dragon hybrid sat on its haunches and cocked its head to the side they all relaxed somewhat.

The teens exchanged a look before Emily dropped the boys hands and stepped forwards and cleared her throat. “Hello…uh sir?” she stepped back almost instantly when a growl rolled over her and the huge scaly wings beat several times before settling back against the dog-dragon’s back.

“I am not male.” The voice growled after she inhaled deeply to calm herself. “I am female or I was a human female once upon a time. They call me a dragogen, not very inventive I know.  I’m supposed to be terrifying but I can’t be bothered with the act, I have a hot date and you imbeciles are keeping me here. So, here is your choice. 2 of these paths lead you to what you seek; one will send you to certain death. I can show you the safest path, for a price, you will have to give me one of your souls to be bound in a heathen body like mine for the rest of eternity.” She glanced at the group and flicked her tail at the end of her little speech.

The group turned together and they began to talk in hushed whispers, all of them instantly throwing in their words though the main consensus was that none of them wanted to volunteer. Colton looked at his friends and then back at the dragogen. He bowed his head before patting Simon on the shoulder.

“Do me a favour mate?” he questioned whilst the others frantically talked out their options but he knew what he had to do. He dropped his head and sighed before looking into the eyes of his friend. “Look after Xandria.” He didn’t wait for Simon to say anything else. He turned on his heel and walked before the dragogen before his friends had even noticed.

Simon reached out to pull his best friend back but Colton held up his hand to his friend and continued onwards.

“So little male, have you made your choice?” The voice grumbled as she stared down at the petite flame haired boy before her.

“Yes, take me but show the others to safety.” He lifted his chin higher and straightened his back trying not to show how terrified he was, or how sad he was feeling that he would never be able to keep his promise to Excalibur to protect Xandria.

The others noticed what Colton was doing and in an instant they were by his side. Lila wrapped her hand tightly around his arm and pulled him backwards. “No Colton, you can’t they need you, you are the leader, you need to stay and protect everyone with Simon, if anyone should go it should be me, I’m useless and so is my magic, at least the rest of you will have a fighting chance without me.”

The dragogen rolled her head to the side and sighed. “Children make up your mind, this is a limited time offer. Hurry up, we don’t have all eternity.”

Colton went to step forwards again but his friends pulled him back.

“I’m sorry but we will have to find our own way. We go all together or not at all.” Emily said surprising everyone but they all nodded in agreement, except for one of the girls at the back that looked like she would happily trade in one of the others if she was guaranteed to get out of this maze alive.

The dragogen considered for a moment before giving a barking roar as she tilted her head up to the sky and streams of fire issued from her mouth. When the sky lit up with a stream of fire from someone else she nodded her head and stepped back but kept her eerie eyes on Colton.

“Well boy, it seems you have found some true friends here. For you bravery and the loyalty of the friends, I grant you this, you are one with fire in your heart that burns as bright as your hair and your friends can only hope to be as true as you.” The dragogen breathed on the patch of grass before him so that it glowed brightly. The air shimmering around the spot before there, in the middle of the scorched circle of earth, was a ring.  “It is your totem, now go. I can feel evil stirring on the other side and I do not want to see the Morganians prevail, they were always so grouchy.”

With a beat of her wings, the dragogen rose up into the air until the teens looked like ants and then, with a mighty roar she blew out a ring of fire at least forty wide. She glanced down at the ant people below and snorted a ring of smoke in their direction so that it swirled round and round before dissipating at the same time she shivered slightly and then with tongue out and a gleeful look upon her face, the dragogen flew straight through the ring of fire and then disappearing into thin air.

The shockwaves from the dragogen’s hasty departure whistled through the maze, the leaves of the hedges rustling in the hot dry breeze. The group stood staring at the spot that the dragogen had disappeared for many minutes before finally lowering their gaze to realise that only two path options were left open for them. Colton ran a hand through his hair in frustration. His decision could affect the future of not only himself but his friends and family too.  Her let out a grown and stomped his foot before looking over his shoulder at his friends.

Simon smiled at him and patted him on his arm. “It’s okay; we’ll follow you to the end of the earth, that’s what friends are for.”

Colton patted him on his back; it being about as much manly affection that he could show his best friend without full on hugging him which pride wouldn’t allow him to do.

“So where next? My little internal compass isn’t giving me any more hints so I would really appreciate any suggestions you guys can give.” Colton ran a hand through his hair whilst his other hand fiddled with the ring that the dragogen had left for him.

Lila closed her eyes and took a deep breath before stepping forwards, “I say that we go straight onwards, I don’t know I just feel that that is the way we should go.” Her eyes took on a faraway look as she looked down the path and it was only when her brother’s hand rested on her shoulder that she jolted from the reverie and looked up at him with a shaky smile.

“I say we listen to Lila and go straight on, does anyone have any objections?” Simon said loudly gaining everyone’s attention and all of them hastily shook their head and started to link their hand together again. The only difference was that this time Lila was leading.

As she went Lila felt her heart clamouring in her chest and a nervous sweat breaking out across her skin. Is this how Colton felt? She questioned herself as she took another corner through the ever darkening maze. She lifted her head to the sky and saw that it was darkening suggesting that it was going to be night time soon. Lila stopped without realising her feet halting and refusing to go any further. Her movement halted so abruptly that Colton and Simon slammed into the back of her causing her to lurch forwards but her feet were glued to the ground so they stayed still whilst she moved forwards and her arms wind milled as she tried to keep herself upright. She finally managed to regain her balance and glanced over her shoulder to apologise to the other only to realise that their group were missing 4 members. Colton and Simon were staring down the path that they had just come from.

“Where did they go?” Simon questioned as he grabbed Emily’s hand as she too looked up the path, her face paling at the fate of her friends and her body trembling at the idea that there was something lurking out there just waiting to snatch them.

“I don’t know,” Colton whispered his eyes wide. He continued to stare for several minutes, all of them lapsing into silence as they deliberated on what to do.

Suddenly the four of them yelped and exchanged glances with one another before they each started taking steps away from each other so that they were all facing away from each other and were looking down one of the pathways.

“What’s going on?” Colton questioned in a strangled voice, his face going puce coloured as he fought to keep still as he felt his left foot lifting on its own accord and then taking a step further down the path.

Emily was the one who answered this time and she looked so much more serene compared to the others. “I think we have found our paths, remember what Merlin said, follow your heart and get the totem that speaks to you. Just let go.” Before anyone could say anything else they heard Emily laugh before the sound of her hastily departing footsteps reached them.

The remaining three stared at each other before they too shrugged and step by step they moved away from each other, their feet pulling them along into the unknown.

I was going to have one super long chapter but I thought I'd break it up. The next part will have teh rest of the maze situation. I'm workin on it now so hopefully I will get teh next chapter done tonight.