Owen Changes His Mind

1. What if...

...Apo knew who Owen was before Owen realized it? What if that changes Apo's behavior?

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Present time:
Apo is in the maze
Owen is finally venturing into the maze to find and make up with his friend

He'd suspected it for a while now. It had to be. The man was old enough to be the human in charge who razed Apo's village to the ground. Something about the way Owen had called Apo's name triggered a deeper memory, one he'd thought long gone, of a man leading a charge crying "Attack!" Apo had picked it apart logically, one piece at a time, the only way he could.

The possibility kept him from going back, like a tiger pacing at the gate. Owen was his friend, his best friend. Owen was a hunter, trained in combat. Owen cried that he'd wanted to apologize. Owen was disciplined and patient. Was he a good actor too? Did he know? Did he suspect? Was that what kept him in the clearing while Apo hid in the maze?

When Owen finally did venture into the maze, calling Apo's name and an apology, it seemed too good to be true. Apo knew not to trust it. There were certain things in the world that could never be trusted. (He knew himself to be one.) But the allure of friendship, of camaraderie, was too strong. He hated himself for it, but Apo gasped Owen's name and clung to both of their promises.

As he rounded the bend, Apo didn't see what Owen saw. Apo raced towards Owen, hoping he'd be wrong and his friend wasn't a killer like him. But then Owen's face twisted, and his words twisted, and Apo knew Owen had remembered. Owen turned his back to Apo. "I'll give you ten seconds."

Apo didn't give Owen more than one. He attacked.

Surprised and unarmored, Owen went down fast. Apo had been aggressive. "Owen wake up," Apo shouted, shaking his friend's shoulder. He looked back the way he had come, then up at the sky. He had plenty of time, but his thoughts felt jumbled and fragmented. He looked down. Owen was awake, unmoving, staring him down from the ground with hate filled bloodshot orange eyes.

Scratch that, he had no time. Apo grabbed Owen's spear and arrows, chucking them into a ravine. Then he grabbed Owen, slinging his friend over his shoulder in a fireman's carry. Then Apo began to scream, and run.

He ran like hell itself was after him. Honestly, it was- Apo was carrying hell back with him on his shoulder. He wanted to throw Owen down. He wanted to kill Owen for good this time, this man who had murdered all of Apo's kin. But he did neither of these things. Instead, Apo ran and screamed. He screamed that Owen was down, and he needed help.

Who should he run toward? Who would help a half demon like him? Gracie was out. She'd believe Owen, not because she was gullible but because Owen knew how to manipulate her. Rasbi would be out for the same reason. Owen stuck to her like glue. Apo gritted his teeth. He had only one chance to get this right. Red. Red was a level headed human, despite whatever he'd done to get in this God forsaken maze. And Bek. She knew how he'd felt. She knew what it was like to not be forgiven. She'd given him a second chance. She could help him give Owen one, too.

Gracie was there at the entrance of the maze. "What? What? Apo!? Owen! What happened?" And he was past her, screaming all the while, "Owen needs help! He needs help! Owen needs help!" Of course she followed them. This was going all wrong, it was so delicate and it was going all wrong.

Apo ran. He ran as if his life depended on it. He didn't see Red anywhere. Crap. As Apo ran into the tiny sliver of forest left, he realized Owen had been trying to yell, too. That couldn't happen.

He saw a group from clearing B. They were mostly unfamiliar. "Bek! Where's Bek!? Owen needs help!" Apo shouted, his voice going hoarse. Unfamiliar faces mixed with familiar but unfriendly ones and Apo's heart sank.