Lessons of the Maze
The man the party coerced from the tiny closet was called Elmond. After a few tense moments, he began explaining to the group how he came to be in the maze.
Four years earlier, Elmond had been part of an adventuring group that tried to best the maze. However, it seemed that the maze got the best of his party. He was the only survivor of the entire group. He also explained that if it was not for the ring he wore, (the ring his group found upon entering), he would have died of starvation long ago.
“Four years,” repeated Dent.
“You musta seen some interesting monsters and adventurers here, huh, Elmond?” asked Lox.
“Certainly have,” he said, his eyes dark with memories. “Of course, not all have been as welcoming as your group.”
“Well, you are kinda strange,” said Lox.
Venus glared at Lox. “What the young fellow means is that you stand out in a crowd, dear Elmond. Nothing more. He does not think before he speaks about races he does not understand.”
“I take no offense,” said Elmond with a smirk. “I am used to being stared at for my horns and my fur. I just appreciate your lack of hostility towards me, especially in this place.”
“And what do you know of this place?” asked Belasco.
“Yes,” Prynne added, “if you have been here for four years, you must know some of it’s secrets. Perhaps they can be used to our advantage.”
Elmond sighed. “I wish I knew more of this place. If I did, I wouldn’t be standing here talking to you…I’d be free of this dreaded maze. But I can tell you that every month the maze shifts and the halls change.”
“Wow! Did you hear that, Nuttin?”
“That must be some kind of magic, there,” said Nuttin with wonder in his eye.
“Magics above my rank or yours, halfling,” said Elmond.
“You know nothing of my rank, tiefling,” snapped Nuttin.
“Tell us more,” interrupted Lox. “How do the walls change? Do the colors change or do they always look this drab? Is the treasure replenished all the time? That would be wonderful! We got the same rings as you, except there was this court, and this crazy man, and skeletons, and I got angry and I through my ring…”
“Enough, Lox. Let Elmond have some peace,” said Dent, looking suspiciously at Elmond. “Come walk at the front of the line with me. You can help me scout and look for traps.”
“I’ll help you look for traps and doors and treasure,” shouted Lox with glee.
“Quiet yourself, fool,” snapped Prynne. “You’ll have the entire maze crawling out of their rooms in search of us. You must learn to calm yourself and stay out of the way like your old companion there.”
“Now listen here, baldy,” spat Nuttin. “I’ve had about all the lip I’m gonna take from a woman who walks around with hairless feet!”
“Hold your tongue, lest you lose it, old halfling,” hissed Prynne.
“Both of you back down. There is no need for fighting amongst ourselves,” said Venus angrily.
“We want to make it out of here,” said Dent. “
All of us.”
The party walked in silence for long moments. Even Lox seemed to feel the tension in the air and kept quiet. They retraced their steps and went back the way they had come, feeling confident that they had thoroughly searched the area they were leaving. They came upon a door, which Lox checked and found safe.
“All set, Dent,” said Lox with a smile.
Dent opened the door, leading the party into the room. The group stood on a platform that dropped off into clear, fast-moving water. Dent asked everyone to be silent as he stood and listened.
“Sounds like it’s running below the ground,” he finally said.
“Look what I found!”
The box that Lox held had no lock, yet it could not be opened.
“This is tough,” frowned Lox. “There doesn’t seem to be a way to open it.”
“Perhaps it’s a device to drive your kind insane,” smirked Prynne.
“Actually, it has words carved into it,” said Belasco. “Lets have a closer look at that, Lox.”
Belasco reached down and took a peek at the box. There was a dial of sorts carved onto the box with single letters circling seven words.
“Come, Human, Die By Sword Or Spear,” read Belasco aloud.
“Sounds like a riddle to me,” said Dent.
“Who has time for such foolishness? I say we move along,” said Venus anxiously.
“And how do you propose we get across the swift water?” asked Nuttin.
“Some of us are agile enough to make it,” said Prynne. “Guess you’ll be left behind, Ol’ Timer!”
“I think not,” interrupted Dent. “We need to work on this riddle. It could have some effect on the maze, or maybe it can help us, give us a clue on the exit or something.”
“Or maybe treasure will pop out like last time,” said Lox excitedly.
And so they sat. Long moments passed and all that could be heard were mumblings and mutterings about the letters or the words. The party was becoming restless.
“I think I have it,” said Dent finally.
“Let’s see,” said Venus.
Most of the group had lost interest by now. Prynne had her swords out and was flaunting her graceful agility with the blades, while Nuttin and Elmond exchanged heated glances and mumbled ugly comments about one another. Lox was busy asking Belasco about his mask and whether or not he could touch it, or look under it, or have it.
Belasco was trying to help Venus and Dent, but with Lox buzzing about like a gnat, his concentration was shattered.
“Look here,” said Venus. “What if we ignore some of the letters.”
“But which ones…” said Dent. “What if we ignore the letters that are in the words but not around the words like this…”
Dent took one of his arrows and traced the dial in the dirt. He began crossing out certain letters in the words that were not in the dial.
“Com~, ~~man, D~~ ~~ ~word Or ~p~ar,” he wrote in the dirt.
“Come…man…command word…command word orpar!” shouted Dent.
At the sound of the command word, the box popped open into a ten-foot row bow.
“Nice work,” commented Belasco.
“We worked together and figured out the riddle,” said Venus.
“Just as we will work together and figure out this maze,” said Dent with a proud smile.
“Wow, a boat!” shouted Lox. “I wanna get in first…”
The Adventure Continues…
