THE APPRENTICE II

9

Hazel's eyes shot open when a cracking sound omitted from above her. Great disappointment washed inside her when she realized it wasn't all a dream, that it was all real. Her eyes widened at the sight of the spokesperson peeking through the gap.

"Hey, hey!" She scrambled up from the ground and waved her hands furiously. "Hey! Can you...can you help me?,"

"You haven't entered the labyrinth." He observed and leaned on the well. She stared at the opening that was leading to a tunnel.

"I don't want to, I'll never get out,"

"You have no chance of getting out if you don't bother trying." He lectured to her and shook his head. "It is possible to leave, you know? I've seen four other creatures do it,"

"Four?!" She repeated and leaned on one of the walls for support. "Well, how many other creatures have been stuck here, anyways?,"

"15." He thought for a little while to convert their numerical system into her's. He observed the look of dread on her expression. "But they didn't have magic like you do, none of them did,"

"Neither do I." She lifted up her hands for him to see that were shaking and crushed with dried blood. Even the air stung her skin and the polluted environment certainly didn't help with her healing. "I can't do magic without my hands, even if I had the strength to gather enough energy this...damned place can give,"

"Then you're hopeless." He challenged and shrugged, then almost smirked at her reaction. "You don't believe that you are, do you?,"

"I don't even know. Maybe I got angry because I knew it was true." She sighed and sat down on the floor. "Hey, if...if you can, I need food and water- to survive,"

"I'll do the best I can to gather your sustenance. I must tell you, there's an occasional supply of water in the labyrinth,"

"What about food?,"

"Most of the food is not suitable for human consumption, but I suppose I can find a way for them to integrate some items- it's your right,"

"Oh, I have rights, now." She mocked and laughed humorlessly. The two went silent and she sighed audibly. "I never got to know your name,"

"Kaar, but you mustn't use it with others around,"

"Why not?,"

"Because I'm not from Havoc, not originally. I was from the planet of Huir-la, I've been their spokesperson for 8 years,"

"Why?" She was unable to control her look of disgust and confusion. "I'm sorry, but Huir-la's beautiful and Havoc is...well,"

"I know, I know. It wasn't by choice." He chuckled lightly. Kaar sat down on the edge of the well and debated on telling her. "They were going to put me in the Labyrinth as a punishment through trial, but they decided I would be more useful for them as a translator,"

"See, where I come from and almost everywhere else in the universe, the trial is before the punishment,"

"Not here. They feed off of vengeance and are prideful and cunning," He revealed with a hint of hatred in his voice. "Being sentenced to the Labyrinth is a sugar-coated term for being sentenced to death,"

"Thanks," she mused "what did you do, then? Why were you supposed to be me?,"

"It wasn't what I did- my daughter, she was young and foolish, fell in love with someone from the tribe of Baldoor. She convinced him to elope with her, to run away, but the tribe labeled her as a...a hostage taker." He explained with several pauses to think of the proper words to use. "They were going to sentence her to death, until I imposed. They found out I could speak multiple tongues and instead, used me as a spokesperson,"

"So they've been like this from the start, huh?" She clicked her tongue with disdain. "This needs to stop, they need to be stopped,"

"Which is something only you can do: you're the only one who's ever had this much pull and influence on the universal counsel." He explained and leaned in closer "but the only way you can help us is if you survive,"

"So that's why you've been so nice to me," she pieces together "don't count on it, I'm essentially useless,"

"That, and because you remind me of her. In human years, you would be the same age when I last saw her. I suppose it would be wrong to look for a daughter in someone else, but I'm just a Laan,"

"What's her name, your daughter?,"

"I'd prefer not to say it, because then it would be too real." He cleared his throat when his voice started to quiver. "You need to get to the Labyrinth before you die of starvation,"

"But what if I fail?,"

"You'll die trying." He stood up from his seat. "I won't tell you there's hope, I won't tell you that you can make it because it doesn't matter what I say,"

"It matters what I think." She continued and tears started to brim in her eyes again. "But that's the problem, I know I won't make it. Stephen's not here, no one's here to help me,"

"Do you do everything with this Stephen? Are you incompetent without him?" He inquired and her eyes travelled down to her feet when she recalled the 5 years without him. "Seems not."

Kaar walked away from her and left her alone. She inhaled deeply and walked towards the tunnel that revealed a labyrinth with walls about 10 feet high. The tunnel shut from behind her and was nothing but a wall. She turned back around to try and see if she could still go back, but there was nothing. Spending more time in Havoc meant she had to spend more time in a dark-energy territory. She was stuck in the Labyrinth and had no choice but to go on.