Adam clambered over large debris of collapsed sections of wall, hoping to escape the armored lizard behind him that slowly walked and smiled as he tapped his sword against the wall. The creature knew he was hunting and he was enjoying every bit of it.
"I refuse to die here by this sick, twisted monster. I have to get out of here."
The thought ran through his head. He was scared and shocked, but more so than anything, he had to keep moving or he would die here. The one thing he so selfishly clung to was his life.
Adam managed to climb up onto a broken section of the wall, cutting open a nasty gash into his arm and managing to find himself standing on top of the white wall. This place was beautiful; however, it was also a labyrinth, the walls and flooring ever-shifting and continuing to move. He was so in awe, he almost forgot the chase was still on. The lizard man slowly climbed his way up. Drool poured down his mouth and his eyes wildly focused on Adam.
Adam continued to run. Blood poured down his arm, his breath labored, and sweat dripped from his head. He found himself at the edge of the wall a dead end. He wiped the sweat from his brow. The humidity inside this cave had made him hot, but that wasn't what he was worried about. It was jump or die.
The creature slowly continued to tap its weapon, now against the ground, as its maw opened to reveal two rows of sharp teeth. It was a black, scaly humanoid with yellow eyes. Its tail whipped around behind it as it dropped down and prepared to lunge.
Adam tried jumping to the next wall but the distance was well over ten feet. His hand barely grazed the ledge, but he fell, the creature lunging after him with no regard for the danger of the fall. Adam slammed against the ground. His head ached and his vision went blurry, but he slowly dragged himself upright. The creature slammed against the wall and crashed beside him, with no indication of self-preservation. It seemed mindless and did not care for pain as it slowly collected itself and began its slow walk toward the injured boy.
His heart still beating and fear wracking his brain, Adam ran and continued to run with no intention of stopping. His legs burned and one of his arms swung wildly. A tear ran down his face as the creature loomed behind him.
"How the fuck did I end up here? Am I going to die?"
He rounded a corner. At first glance, he panicked and punched the wall in frustration. It appeared to be a dead end.
However, it wasn't. There was a small enough crawlspace he could fit into. He rushed to it, throwing himself into the tunnel regardless of the danger inside. He wanted to live more than anything. The creature, realizing what he did, rushed over and attempted to follow. It screeched loudly. The glow of its yellow eyes as it peered into the dark tunnel frightened Adam even more. It stared silently as Adam crawled deeper and deeper.
It was dark, and he continued down the tunnel, afraid and injured but unwilling to stop moving.
He hit his head against the wall. His skull spun, even in the darkness. His body began to give out, but he simply could not. He fought his brain to keep crawling. Blood softly splattered against the ground every once in a while and yet in his mind, he had to keep moving.
"I don't want to die in a hole like this. I don't want to die having done nothing. I don't want to die being no one. I want to live. I want to live like the people in stories."
He continued to drag himself forward, deeper and deeper into the tunnel, until he found a light that poured into a walled section of this massive labyrinth. Here, a beautiful tree rested in the center of a clear pond. He dragged himself toward the water, little by little, making his way to the edge.
He let his body slowly be enveloped by the cool waters that rested around the tree.
His mind wandered as his eyes began to fade. Blood poured into the water, and he peered up into the cave ceiling.
"At least I found a beautiful place to take my final moments."
Adam floated throughout the small pond and continued to ponder, hoping he would get a strange answer like before.
"Is this what you meant… really? Waking up in the middle of a maze with a man-eating lizard?"
His thoughts drifted into his mind. But nothing came back. He shrugged and opened his eyes. The water felt warm because of his blood, he assumed but his injuries felt much better, strangely. He made the attempt to move and his body ached slightly, but his head and arm no longer hurt. He looked forward, through the clearing, into the pond, and at the tree where wisps of moss hung low from its branches.
In front of the ancient tree lay a podium with an inscription. It appeared to be in a language he could understand. Adam hyper-focused on it before looking anywhere else. He wanted to know what it said. He walked through the water and stood before it. He ran his hand across the plaque.
Was it a story or a memorial? He couldn't tell. He simply took in the first words he had read in a long time, fascinated by the engraving. It read like a eulogy for someone long forgotten, in a place in the middle of a maze.
"When the darkness first struck, his sword was there. When it blanketed our continent, he was there. When dawn was needed most, he had come. When heroes were needed, he forged the path for them to walk. When a sword could not be made, he wielded the light itself. When corruption overtook him, he did what most could not do. He ended his life. A hero once fabled under The Green Star. To our hero, and to our Father born to combat the darkness May he forever rest within this haven. And may none ever disturb your slumber to awaken you once more."
Adam stepped back for a second and looked down at the floor, thinking about what he had just read. He recalled stories of old legends of heroes in his storybooks heralded by green stars.
"The stories were true, then. People like that truly did exist. This could change everything. My books weren't less than real… they were built off real people."
This excitement made him jump up almost immediately. His eyes widened and happiness overtook fear and worry. His feet felt as if he were stepping on clouds. The plant life glowed with a soft green, pulsing from the roots of the tree and flowing across into the water. Adam now stopped and truly took in the pond. This was no ordinary water. It was a vibrant crystal blue, unlike any he had ever seen or bathed in.
He really took his time to look around. This sanctuary was blocked in except for several small tunnel entrances that led in from different places among the white walls. Just beyond the pond lay the dead: skeletons of monsters and humanoid creatures alike strewn about.
He turned back and several black lizards had crawl into the sanctuary.
His heart remembered the fear it once had.
"It was those damned lizards, will those damned creatures continue to spite me?" he thought angrily.
He quickly searched around, looking for a place to hide. The only reasonable spot was up in the tree. The moss hung low and dense. He felt bad for climbing what he believed was someone's gravestone, and as he climbed, he whispered softly into the air:
"Please forgive me. I'd rather not get eaten by a damned monster."
He ascended to the very top and found a sword buried where the branches began to diverge from the base. It was a beautiful white blade, gold guard, and a red gem embedded into the pommel. An amulet hung from the guard.
He crouched down, hoping the monsters wouldn't find him, while also touching the sword because… he couldn't help it. The blade was beautiful and sharp; simply touching the edge had cut his skin. Blood poured onto the blade and it hummed slightly.
Three of the lizard men had stopped in their tracks. Their eyes widened and they snapped their heads toward the tree, slowly walking over. Their wicked mouths opened, revealing horrifying smiles. Adam's heart started to beat faster. He panicked and started climbing higher.
"Did I mess up? Do they know I'm here?" he thought, continuing to climb.
He watched the creatures' eyes slowly fixate on his position. Panic overtook him. He rushed back down to where the sword was and screamed at the monsters.
"COME ON THEN! IF YOU'RE GOING TO KILL ME, DO IT ALREADY! I'LL TAKE ONE OF YOU WITH ME, YOU FILTHY DAMN CREATURES! I WON'T GO OUT WITHOUT TAKING AT LEAST ONE OF YOU!"
The lizard men made low, guttural noises, as if laughing at him. They slowly walked toward the tree, each one drooling. Their eyes pierced into his soul. They knew he was afraid.
Adam looked down at the sword and amulet. His blood ran down the white blade. He grabbed the amulet, wrapped it around his wrist, and attempted to pull the sword.
It hummed softly on his wrist as he strained, trying to rip the blade free.
Adam felt deep sorrow and guilt for desecrating this grave for disrespecting the one who had shown him his books were not just fairy tales, but truths. This was someone who proved that legends could be real. He grabbed the blade and pulled upward with all his might… but nothing happened.
He screamed out as hard as he could.
"COME ON, YOU GODDAMN SWORD! LET ME USE YOU! I HATE SWORDS AS MUCH AS THE NEXT PERSON, BUT LET ME WIELD YOU, DAMMIT! IF I CAN'T PULL THIS SWORD, I SWEAR I WILL NEVER PICK A DAMN BLADE UP AGAIN!"
An echo of laughter burst into his mind a voice deep and rich that startled him.
At the bottom, the lizard creatures began their ascent up the tree.
Panicked, Adam climbed higher again, abandoning the sword. In his head, the voice rang out:
"Who dares awaken me by cursing at the very blade they wish to use?"
Adam sighed deeply in frustration.
"How many fucking people are going to talk in my head…"
He could feel the amulet hum this time with something like amusement. A strange calm washed over his heart.
"Your name is Adam? A white-haired child of disaster…""I offer you an accord. Pledge an oath to my call, and I will assist you in your greatest need."
Adam paused. His mind calmed, his heart steady. He looked down.
The lizard men were climbing the tree. Their eyes locked onto his, drool spattering from their monstrous jaws. He wanted to live. He wanted answers. He wanted to escape this cursed place and find out who he truly was.
"I accept your offer. If it means I can see tomorrow then yes. I accept. I don't have time to hear the conditions."
The amulet hummed. A blinding light erupted from it, surrounding him. Adam closed his eyes, bracing for the worst.