Firetide

20- The Dungeons

Hey guys, It's Friday! I was on holiday and because I hadn't posted I got paranoid that it would be terrible and you would all hate it xD. I got over it eventually. Anyway, this is a good one, I hope it's worth the wait...

"Wake up, Dan!" says an insistent voice.
"Mmmhmmmmm."
"Wake up, we need to go!"
"Mmhmm. No." Dan grumbles, burying his face further into the pillow to block out Maya's persistent talking.
"Dan, I found a lost document written by Henry Ward Beecher!"

Dan's brown eyes open in an instant and he sits bolt upright, not bothering to shield his eyes from the glare of sun through the meticulously clean ice of the infirmary.
"What? Where?"
Benny smiles mischievously. "Not really," he signs, grinning. "Tricked you! Maya told me to sign it."
"A betrayal of the worst kind, Benny," Dan yawns. "I'm not sure I can forgive you for such a heinous crime."

"Sorry," Benny signs, not looking particularly sorry whatsoever.
"Well, I may find it in my heart to forgive you..." Dan says, pretending to think deeply. "If you go and play with Rania so I can talk with Maya for a moment."
"Yes!" Benny signs and races out the door and down toward the lake.

"How're you doing?" Maya asks Dan, striding across the room to perch on his bed.
"Surprisingly adequately, considering my previous escapade," Dan says tiredly, reaching for his glasses on the bedside table.

"Though you must admit, recruiting Benny to your diabolical scheme was cruel, I was in the middle of a nice dream."
"Oh yes," Maya says, a smirk flickering into being on her face. "Though I'm not sure nice is the right word. It was rather entertaining."
"What? You were there?" Dan says urgently, his voice an octave higher.
Maya laughs at his expression. "Of course not, there wasn't nearly enough room for three!"
A look of utter mortification manifests on Dan's features. "You can't tell Cessa, Maya! I'm begging you-"

"Kidding," Maya assures. "I'm kidding, Dan, I'm not that cruel. Though I might make a habit of reading you while you're sleeping, it's not my usual style, I admit, but it's strangely realistic."

"Oh my pumpkin king, just stop it!"
"Fine," Maya laughs. "Tell me if you change your mind."
"I'm fairly certain that I will not," Dan says stubbornly. "Where is Cess?"
"Good question. She was here since you were admitted last night but now she's gone! I'm not sure if I can read her from here..." Maya crosses the room and opens the door, peering around.

Suddenly Maya rushes toward Dan. "Cessa's gone crazy!" she says urgently.
"What? That's ridiculous," Dan protests.
"No, no, I'm telling the truth! Up at the castle, I can hear them, someone tampered with the ice weapons, they're supposed to be a distraction and turn to vapour before they hit anyone but they didn't well you know that because you're here but anyway Cessa is furious!"
"I don't understand, Maya, you talk too fast!"
"Argh! Do I have to spell it out for you? The ice weapons were only supposed to distract you, not actually attempt to kill you! Someone tampered with the magic and Cessa is mad!"

Dan looks more horrified than he was before, if that is even possible.
"Alex," he mutters. "I'll bet anything it was him."
"Yes, and Cessa would too! She's on a rampage, looking for him, shouting at everyone and setting fire to things!"
"Because of me," Dan breathes, awestruck.
"Oh, get over yourself."

"Right. Um, yes! We have to stop her!" Dan vaults out the bed with all the grace of a dying, drunken fish and bursts out the door, still in his too-small pajamas.

He grabs Maya's hand and half drags her up the hill toward the Elibrium, the ground slippery beneath their feet.
"Careful Dan, I can't keep up!" Maya pants, pulling at his arm.
"I've had practise," he replies. "Alex chases me around with his sword whenever he's angry, which is the majority of the time." They screech to a halt as a burst of fire shoots toward the sky from the centre of the labyrinth, located on the east of the lake.
"You don't think..." Maya breathes.
"She's in there?" Dan finishes.