The labyrinth of monsters (a Hermitcraft and third life AU fanfic)

Chapter 1 - Grian

I wake up in a dim hallway. 

Crouched low to the ground, my vision poor as I try to adjust to the light. Stone walls rise up either side of me, running along into the darkness. The only light is coming from small slits in the ceiling, barely enough for me to see more than 10 blocks either side of me. Heart racing, still trying to figure out what is going on, I crawl to my feet. 

A sense of nausea fills me and my vision turns black for a moment. Obviously, I haven't stood up for a while, and a wobble precariously from my position. A single feather floats to the ground and I pick it up. It's ragged, and a pale purple colour. Where had it come from?

I look around for any kind of bird, stopping short when I catch sight of a huge pair of wings protruding from my back. They're feathered, and the same colour as the feather. Had I always had those? With a growing confusion, I search through the holes in my mind for any recollection of having them. Come to think of it, I can't seem to remember much except basic education and my name. Grian. Not a single thing about why I'm here - or where here is for that matter. But something inside tells me it isn't good. 

Before I can do much else, I hear a sharp whisper from behind me, and snap my head back to find the source. No one's there, except another passage running off the one I'm in now. 

'Hello? Who's there?' I question, with a voice sore from disuse. No one replies, but a second voice  comes in after the first. 

'Who is it?' They ask. 

'They're new.' The first voice responds. 'I've never seen them before.'

'Dangerous?'

'Probably not.' 

'I can hear you, you know? Who's there?' I speak again, letting a hint of anger into my voice. Both of the mysterious people instantly shut up, and I step closer, growing bolder with every passing moment. 'Tell me who you are!' I fall silent as a low growl rises behind me, sending an uneasy prickle down my spine. Turning around, I can barely see the shape of a person, prowling towards me on four legs, with large dog ears and a torn red shirt. They growl again, continuing towards me. Something that looks suspiciously like blood drips from their mouth, and I stifle a scream. 

In an instant, someone's grabbed my arm from behind and is yanking me down the passage I saw earlier. We stop, and I get a good look at my rescuers.

I was right about there behind two of them, and they're both around the same height. One, the one who'd just pulled me to safety, had golden hair and pure-red eyes - even the whites were red. They wore a sleeveless red bomber jacket, plus a red t-shirt and trousers. The other person has brown hair and eyes, and wears a black t-shirt with a yellow 'i' on, and green cargo shorts. I look between them, incredulous, but red-eyes speaks before I can.

'First word that comes to your head. Now.' 

The question throws me off, and I quickly glance over at my wings, and, without thinking, reply with 'feathers'.

'I'm pancakes, and this is panic. They're not our real names.' The same person speaks again, and I recognise them as the first speaker from before. The other stays silent.

'Why pancakes?'

'Why not pancakes? Come on, we need to get going. Before that dog-man gets you. We'll explain everything as we go.'

There seems to be no better option, so I follow behind the two strangers, deciding to stay quiet and let them talk. 

'So, I'm just guessing you know as much as the rest of us when we arrived here, right? Absolutely nothing except your name?'

'Yes?'

'Good. We're in a maze, and for some reason, some of the other players in here want to kill us. We know very little about them, excluding the fact that if you see one of them, you run.' 'Pancakes' continues to speak, and I nod back to everything he says. 'There are currently 25 of us, excluding you, and...'

'24.' 'Panic' corrects quietly. 

'24 of us - Sorry - and we all live in the only safe area of this maze. That's where we're going now. We should be nearly there?'

'It's right around here.' Panic sounds confident, and we turn another corner, facing a deadend.

'Are you sure?' I question back. 'There's nothing...'

Pancakes grins at me, pressing a hidden button on the wall. Right before my eyes, the entire wall falls away, into the sides, and I'm left gaping at it as the two enter. 

'Everyone has that reaction when they see it the first time.' Panic grins. I blink, quickly entering and turning in time to see the wall return to it's former position.

'How does it do that?' I ask breathlessly. 

'Redstone, and a lot of spare time.' Pancakes replies. I turn around, and gasp again as I'm standing in a huge, sunlit area.

There's grass underfoot, and the walls stretch away, making the whole place a perfect square. Small houses line a trampled path ahead of me, while trees, and animal pens and fields of food fill most of the remaining area. Pancakes and Panic are still standing in front of me, smiling.

'Welcome to safety! Get used to it.' Pancakes grins. 'I'm Tango, this is Impulse. But outside of here, call us by our nicknames.'

'Why?'

'Because if not, the others will know we're there. Don't ask why. But only call us by our real names in here.' Tango explains. 'And you are?'

'Grian.' I reply, looking over as what looks to be a ninja comes running over, with white hair and a mask covering his mouth. A scar runs across his right eye, which is bloodshot and red. He smiles.

'Newcomer?'

'Yep. Me and Impy him in the maze. Just as confused as the rest of us.'

'Always good to have newcomers! Especially when some of the others end up... you know...' the ninja glances over at Impulse, who is openly glaring at him. 'I'm Etho, by the way. And you are...?'

'Grian.' Tango answers for me, placing a hand on my shoulder. I shuffle away slightly. 'I'm just about to give him the tour.'

I try and smile back, but I can't seem to focus on anything except Etho's words. What he was suggesting. 

'Come on! I'll show you around.' Tango grins again, and I follow him away, my mind still buzzing with questions and realisations. 

Someone's died. 

Chapter 1? Already? 

And no writers block yet?

WhAt?