Stone Sacrifice ✔️Chronicles of Grey BOOK ONE [COMPLETED]

Chapter Twenty-Five

Once a place the public could roam and see the riches of the Kings lines, the Kings Maze was built with strength. Solid walls several feet thick and fifty twigs high were built with massive stone blocks. It had taken the time of four kings to build it, and for several kings, the labyrinth wrongfully named a maze was used not only to see the riches of the king but also for parties, celebrations, and meetings with the rulers and lords. It had been a grand place, and though everything was overgrown and no riches remained, it was still grand.

Filled with hundreds of passages, including hidden ones used to show the more exclusive people, it was shocking with its height. Most was on the ground level, but there were also places up higher which you could climb to, which had mostly been used for maintenance. those places were once hidden behind golden plaques or shields or painted carvings, but now they stood open and from them sprouted plants and vines and other things that seeded inside it.

But the deeper we went into the laberynth, the more signs there were of danger. A broken arrow stuck in a crack in the wall, a stain of blood on stone, footprints in the mud not yet dried from the last storm that were not of man or even of animal, skeletal bones left along the edges, somehow forgotten by the hungry creatures we called goblins.

Then there was a roughly drawn line gouged into the grass and dirt between a passage that would lead us closer to the centre, and upon the wall next to it was a mark which looked like an M sitting beneath a W with a line crossed diagonally through both. Next to it sat another symbol, this one a backwards S and two lines intercepting the top, pointing forward. Most would not know what these meant, but I knew, and the others knew of my knowledge as well so they looked to me to translate.

"Boǡk goaĥń." I whispered in the ancient elven tongue. "It means something similar to pass only for death by goblin." I grimaced. "It means the goblins consider this their territory. It is a warning, telling us our death is imminent if we go further."

"The whole maze is their territory." Jaz whispered with a frown.

"Clearly not. They must use the outer reaches only to hunt, but if we pass further, it is trespassing on their territory. They will hunt us until we are dead. Out here, they only hunt for convenience of our closeness. It probably explains why some people survive long enough to escape."

Goblins are extremely territorial, once their ancestors had been elves, and many of the Elven traits passed down to them, such as the love of riches as well as being so territorial and protective of their homes. Their excellent eyesight and hearing had also been passed down, and though goblins had no magic, they were dangerous just the same.

I backed up the horse. "It's almost dark. There's a passage a few twigs back that the horses can fit inside. We should stay there the night."

"There's still plenty of time. We can cover another arm of distance yet." Said Aitch, though he and the others still followed.

"We could." I agreed. "But if we are delayed at all, we won't make it to the next hidden passage large enough to hold the horses. Best we stay here for now."

There were no arguments and after I found the proper stone to push on, a piece of the wall pushed in with it and we coaxed the nervous horses inside then went in ourselves.
That night, we were safe. None except those who knew where the passages were could find their way in, but though this was true, none slept soundly.

It was hard to sleep soundly when you could hear the scurry of goblins climbing the walls around us. Goblins were more creatures of the night, like blood drinkers or bloodbats, who held a nocturnal schedule and roamed the nights expertly.

And loudly.

I fell asleep listening to their calls that were almost, but not quite, elven, and I dreamed of drowning.