Tyler Harisson Chronicles: The Gryphon's Sacred Blood

Chapter 34: Maze of Death

The Salvana Tower was brave in structure, but Spain decided to permanently abandon it. One thing Tyler knew. The tower was there as if it were evoked in a child's storybook. Upon entering, Tyler thought about unicorns and magical Zeus' circus women because if they could live, why not? Zeus can ask anyone to build him anything he wanted. The stone walls were even and quadratic; even when it was so old as if during the time it was constructed, they were brought to perfection.

"Guys," Hannah whispered. Tyler and his friends waited for her next words. Instead, she faced them and put her finger in her lips, her eyes intense, signalling them to keep quiet as possible.

They nodded.

Tyler felt that this one would be the hardest. Just like the old saying goes, save the best for last. He couldn't stop his head from thinking of thousand possibilities that could make this final part of their quest go wrong. No. He should not fail. Not today. He had already sacrificed a lot, almost died, and left his home and his mum. So, failing was not an option. The world and people's lives were in his hands now. If he failed, it would be the end of the world too. He cannot let that happen. He shrugged the thought out of his head that Dwergloud will rule the world. He also remembered that his dad was immortal. Maybe he, his mum, and his friends will die, but they will not escape Dwergloud. Now that he held the keys of doors that separate the dead, death, and alive, they will all perish and forever suffer in agony. The word forever was enough to make him a little bit brave inside.

Amber turned his gaze behind and locked eyes with him. He also stopped Hannah from walking. Even Pothos froze in his place. The atmosphere turned sulphuric. The air became thick, and the ground grumbled like it has been awakened after a millennium. The whole place roared, and the walls moved sideways, and the slope of the entire Salvana changed. Tyler and his friends tried hard to keep themselves away from the centre and still clung to the protection wall. Amber readied his wand, and Hannah, too. Everyone's alert and have their weapons ready. They were all aware of the fact that every demigod sent to retrieve the last piece of the key had never returned. Not even the tip of their nail, nor their eyelash. Someone, no, something hideous was somewhere hiding behind those walls. They should be as quiet as possible.

Tyler and his friends continued sauntering. Holding the key inside Amber's pocket. Tyler felt that something seemed wrong. He could still recall what Noble Naflamuss told him. The key would glow if it sensed its other part somewhere near. But the key seemed to be quiet. Tyler couldn't take it anymore. He pressed Amber's arm and asked, "Why is the key, not glowing?"

Amber stared at him for a second and then shrugged. "I have no idea. Maybe the last piece is the trickiest one. Let's just keep on clinging to each other and don't try to engage an attack on anything hideous we see." Tyler nodded.

-

As Tyler and his friends traversed the tower's changing slope, they suddenly came across a glowing lake that was partially circled with eucalyptus. They sprinkled with dried myrtle leaves, and floating acorns that not even birds breathe could make them move. A fair-skinned, young man with long, curly, red hair in silk robes was sitting silently beside the lake, leaving a series of incredulous gasps and murmurs of adoration while staring at his own reflection. He would lay flat on his chest, fix his hair, and pole both of his hands from time to time to support his chin before winking and biting his partially bleeding lips in unison.

"What should we do now?" Amber whispered. "Should we approach him?"

"Let's wait for a moment. He might be a lost demigod or something." Tyler answered.

"Or a cursed warrior." Hannah cut in.

"The cursed warrior who fell in love with his own reflection," Pothos informed. "Narcissus.".