Roxane

Chapter Six

"Up first, we have Eunike of Good Victory, and her dragon Vasilis the Queen. She is at the entry line to the maze, all her weapons stripped from her, compasses, maps, cheat sheets - they've all been removed. Her only source of help is her dragon. On the horn, the iron gate will lift, and Eunike will enter. Upon stepping in, a timer will start. You have fifteen minutes to find the exit. If you don't make it out before fifteen minutes, your reputation will be killed in this town, and you will be forbidden to enter the competition again. If you hear me saying that there is one more minute, and you don't think you will find the exit, you can forfeit, by getting your dragon to perform their only magic. Fire. If I see fire, you will be taken from the arena, and your fate will never be known by anyone. At any point throughout the time, you decide to forfeit, the same routine will be followed. If you make it out, and someone else makes it out, you will dual to the death. If more than two make it out we will decide the two with the best time, and the third will follow the ones who didn't make it. Any more than that makes it out - same fate. Now, Eunike of Good Victory, and Vasilis the Queen? Are you ready to enter your unknown fate, and possible victory?"

Roxane was crying. Silently sobbing as she looked at Eunike. No. That was all she could think.

But Eunike answered with a yes. Yes, she was ready to commit her potential death.

The iron gate lifted with a groan that reverberated through the stands, through the people and obstacles. Eunike hopped onto Vasilis and the two entered. The huge hourglass was tipped, fifteen minutes counting down.

Eunike took a right. Turned around. Took the left. She took the next right turn, narrowly missing the edge of the crate walls. Then another right. Right, back, left, right, right, back, left, left, right, left, left, left, back, right. Eight minutes left. She was nearing the center of the maze, the most difficult part. She didn't go straight for her guesses though. She rose, hoping to see the exit and guess which way to take, not realising the clear plastic sheet covering the maze, and sent her dragon raming it's head into the roof. And then Eunike had the same fate. Vasilis started falling. Eunike's steam was heard from the stands. The sound of the dragon hitting the ground, then Eunike's scream quickly being cut off. Three healers were sent in, one judge, and one obstacle planner.

A week later, rumor had it that her body had been taken from the arena on a stretcher, her body covered in a blanket, all traces of the injury covered. Vasilis hadn't been seen again.

Roxane's sobbs were covered by the sound of horror from the crowd. The front of her tunic was soaked, her hands sore from wiping the tears away.

"Next up, we have Aileen the Torch of Light and her dragon Zopyros the Glowing. Same routines have been followed. Are you ready, Aileen the Torch of Light, and Zopyros the Glowing?"

This time, Roxane almost jumped up and screamed at her to stop, to rethink, to go home. But she didn't. She sat, fear and sadness being replaced by anger.

Aileen went in, and paused before making a decision on where to turn. She took a left, and sped right past the opening to the next row. She reached a dead end, and turned around, zooming into the missed opening. Took a right, a left, a right, a left. There, she stopped her dragon. The crowd was silent, the commentators pausing, the judges reconsidering. Roxane scanned the roof for any sign of fire. None came. It was a long minute before they realised that Aileen had gone on foot. Nobody could see her, not even the commentators, and so no one said which way she was turning, if she was turning at all. Roxane gleaned to the hourglass and gulped to see that there was barely any time left.

A commotion took place outside the arena, and the crowd lost interest in figuring out where Aileen was. A commentator was trying to use Eirene's dragon to fly up and see when Aileen went. Eirene was refusing. The commentator was getting irritated. It was when Eirene started threatening the commentator that the time ran out. No one noticed it though. The crowd was riled up, everyone yelling at Eirene and the other woman, the judges were yelling at them to stop. Thanatos noticed though. She tried to get between the two women, and tell them, but she was pushed away. It was chaos. Maybe Aileen had been counting down the minutes because suddenly fire shot into the air. That got everyone's attention. Thanatos took the opportunity to tell the commentator that the time had run out.