Owen Changes His Mind

Epilogue

Apo watched in horror as two monsters converged on Red. No no no, this couldn't be happening. Apo could not, would not let this happen. He wouldn't watch another friend die in front of him. He couldn't. Apo screamed. He ran. As he sprinted past, the scream turned into "Red! Run!" Apo turned to look back as he neared a corner. It worked. Now both of the monsters were ignoring Red and gaining on him. "Go! Go!" he continued, "I'll catch up!" Apo turned another corner and saw Graecie pulling on Red's wrist. He saw them disappear behind another corner. Good. Apo relaxed. It was a mistake. His instincts flared and Apo jumped to the side, just in time. The monster's stinger scraped past his upper arm, drawing blood. Apo ran. There, a crevice to his right. Dodge! He was in. The monsters scraped at the crevice. He wedged himself further in. It was barely wide enough to fit his body. Apo held his breath and pushed further in. One of the monsters lost interest and wandered away. The walls started to press in. He could feel them, but at least Red had gotten out. At least he hadn't had to watch another friend die. A tear squeezed out past the terror. Apo's vision blurred. "I'm sorry Owen," he cried to himself. "I'm sorry, Squidney." At least Squidney had survived his choice, though. It was hard to breathe. Apo looked up and wondered if this was it. Apo thought of Red, running with the rest of them. Finally, he'd accomplished something he didn't regret. He heard a glass bottle shatter. It struck Apo as odd that dying would sound like broken glass.

---

Owen had seen the entire thing. Of course he knew where the group was. He needed to know where they were in order to avoid spooking them. None of them knew he was here, and he didn't want them to know it. Owen had discovered that if he was quiet, the monsters wouldn't attack. That didn't stop the group from whispering to each other and clanking in their armor. It dismayed Owen but it didn't surprise him that the monsters were quick to follow the little group. They ran around corners almost blindly in their attempt to get through.

Owen was a bit condescending about it, he admitted to himself. That is, he was, until Red was the one cornered and Apo screamed, drawing the attention of both monsters nearby. Owen tensed. He held Buddy close in a white knuckled grip. He watched in mute horror as the monsters chased Apo around a large pillar as big as Sock Inc, then into a crevice that was barely big enough for a human- or a demon, or a person. Barely big enough for a person, Owen repeated to himself. Apo stumbled as he wedged himself in. Owen snuck closer. The monsters scraped at the crevice. An echoing squeak interested one of the monsters. Owen breathed out, carefully. The other one scraped against the stone again. Apo's head lolled on his body. Something was wrong. Owen heard Apo murmuring softly to himself. He realized he was a lot closer than he should be. Then he saw the torn sleeve, and the blood. Apo had been stung.

Owen stared. Apo had been stung. What could he do? He didn't have any weapons. All he had was the backpack with food and Buddy. Owen looked down at his friend, the wine bottle who had kept him company during his stay in the jail. Guts had meant it as a jab, of course. Apple wine. Owen looked back up at Apo, dying just out of reach. Owen reached a decision. He closed his eyes and hurled the wine bottle as far away from Apo as he could. It shattered on impact, echoing in the vast emptiness of the dark maze. The monster turned. Come on, come on, Owen silently prayed. The monster took the bait. Light on his feet without any armor, Owen rushed to Apo. Apo wasn't responding. He patted Apo's face and took Apo's pulse. Alive. He was alive. Good. Owen pushed Apo's eyes open. They were glassy. "No, no no," Owen heard himself mumble from far away. He checked to see if the coast was clear, then pulled Apo out with a grunt. Owen knew the monster from earlier couldn't be far away. He hoisted the demon over his shoulder, just as Apo had in the maze before. Owen glided to another hallway, small enough to keep most of the monsters out. "Apo," he pleaded as he went. Luck was with him. Owen made it to the hallway with Apo and the monster didn't see or hear them. Owen set Apo down and put pressure on his shoulder. He grabbed the band around his arm that used to be orange- now it was more of a brown- and used it as a tourniquet to stop the flow of the poison.

"Owen," Apo whispered. 

Owen looked at Apo's face. He was awake. His eyes were open. Oh thank all the gods, Apo was alive. "Don't you remember?" Owen laughed quietly, sitting Apo up and propping his injured arm over Owen's shoulders. Owen hugged Apo, his anxiety too high to register exactly how tightly he was holding the half demon. Apo blinked in confusion. Owen tried to smile, but his eyes were leaking. "You have to survive for the both of us."