The Labyrinth
Endlessly, the water pooled into the dark abyss. "Come, follow me." Called the Phaylinx ahead of me. I shivered, and followed. Down, endlessly down, the stairway spiraled, deeper. Will this never end? I thought, legs aching.
But I did not want to know what awaited me at the bottom; carefully I closed my mind to that subject. "Phaylinx... Phaylinx!" I called; he had refused to tell me his name. It wasn't quite that though, he just refused to answer me. "Come, follow me." He called. Those same words, echoing endlessly down the endless stairwell. "When...?" My voice faltered, betraying my fear, it numbed me. "When will we - will we..." I gulped. "...get there?" The last words came out in a low whisper. "Soon." The Phaylinx called. Always the same answer.
Lucifer. The one word, my name - light-bringer - sent chills running along my spine, hairs standing up on the back of my neck, it had never sounded so unearthly before. "Who's there?" I demanded, whirling. I lost my footing on the slippery stone steps and fell, tumbling headlong down the staircase. I smacked heavily into something and clutched at it, anything to stop myself from tumbling down into the unending abyss below; I wanted to go back - to be in the sunlight! Maeistas was waiting for me up there; I knew he would welcome me back. I had to get out of here! Breathing heavily I scrambled up, staring wildly about. The Phaylinx was the one who had stopped me going down the stairs; he stood looking at me, waiting. For what?
I shook my head, horror consuming me. "No!" I choked out, and turned to flee up the stairs.
It had been hard going down, but going up was even worse. Before I had gone a hundred steps, my legs were screaming with pain. The Phaylinx had not followed me, but I could feel his - his presence on the stairs below me, and I had to keep going. The terror of staying here in the dark, with only the flickering flame of the Phaylinx's torch, terrified me more than the pain in my legs, more than I had thought possible. Down there, even my shadow had been transformed into some terrible monster, leaping and flickering on the stairs behind me.
I ran in the dark, sometimes on all fours. The water slid past me over the stairs, where did it all come from? The flow was weaker here; I knew I must be coming near the top. I felt dizzy from climbing those spiraling steps but I would not allow myself to stop, I had to get out!
Then, ahead, a light. I only saw it because I had become so used to the dark, and though it was weak, it was a light. My legs didn't want too, but I forced them to move faster, almost slipping on the wet, slimy stone stairs. And then I turned once more and cried out in relief, I lunged forward, free-
In a split second I had lost my foot and hit my head sharply on the cold rock, and then I slid down the stairs.
Before my eyes were even open I was up and reaching for my dagger. I glanced around quickly, turning in a full circle; when I was satisfied I was safe, I sat down to put my head in my hands. The same nightmare, four nights in a row now. Would I ever break free of it? I had never seen the light before though; I had never made it that far before slipping. Maybe it meant something. Maybe it didn't. Maybe I was just going insane.
I lay back on my blanket and stared up at the stars, picking out the constellations I knew, and the ones I had made up. The marble was cold and soothing beneath by outstretched fingertips; I closed my eyes, hoping to sleep. But even out here under the stars, sleep would not bless me with its presence. I wondered if I even wanted to sleep - would the dream come back? Maybe it was better to stay awake.
The ruined walls of the pavilion rose around me, and while they had at first seemed welcoming, they now seemed forbidding. Slowly I got up again, packed up my things, and made my way out. Maeistas was there as I had been hoping, curled protectively about his part of the ruined pavilion. I laid a hand gently on his nose and he opened one large bronze eye. Lucifer, He rumbled in my mind, Why are you up so late?
