Stolen by the Rebel King
Chapter 128: The Maze III

Chapter 128: The Maze III

The sound started out akin to the deep groaning of a slumbering giant. As the stones shifted, the noise intensified. Each movement was accompanied by the grinding of stone against stone, producing a jarring, earthy resonance that reverberated through the maze’s intricate design. Occasionally, the sharp clinks and clanks of stone meeting stone would break the rhythm.

The walls seemed to come alive. Pebbles and clouds of dust started to rain from above. Some of the walls started to crumble and fall directly into the ground, disappearing under the surface as if it had never even been there in the first place. What was left was just a patch of dirt on the ground, bare and without any grass.

The debris never fell too far off into the path so they didn’t have to be too wary of getting crushed by a stray rock.

"Uh... Atticus..." Daphne looked down to the ground, her face blanching when she felt the tremors turn more and more intense. "I think we might have to go."

"Daphne, watch out!"

Without another word, Atticus grabbed Daphne’s hand and yanked her away. It was right in time as well; a stone wall erected from the ground out of nothing, quickly soaring to the skies just inches away from Daphne’s back. Any slower and Daphne would’ve gone up with the wall, trapping her fifty feet above the ground and at the top of the maze.

If she could survive the sudden impact.

"Goodness!" Daphne gasped.

Her palms were pressed against Atticus’s chest, her eyes wandering as she eyed the wall that could’ve taken her life. For a second, she hadn’t even noticed that Atticus had her in a tight embrace, holding her close to his own body, almost as though he was afraid that if he let go, she would disappear. Atticus’s own heart was racing a mile a minute at the thought of Daphne being so close to death. If they were separated, Daphne’s odds of survival were very low.

"We should stay put. Make sure to stick close to me," Atticus said. "It might be dangerous to move around when we don’t know which areas could spawn a new wall."

"Or which ones would fall," Daphne added.

She pointed to the wall on their left― or at least, what should’ve been a wall to their left. It was gone, now showing an empty path lest for the thornhound that stood just a few steps away. The beast looked equally as confused as them, befuddled by the moving cage it was trapped in. But when it realized that fresh blood now stood just a couple of feet away, it bared its teeth and began to growl.

"Wonderful," Atticus huffed. "So much for having both prey and predator in here. It’s starting to seem like we are the prey."

"The attendees are all nobility and royalty." Daphne frowned. "Surely Prince Nathaniel and the rest of the Raxuvian court would know better than to put everyone in danger? It could cause a full blown war."

Atticus brandished his sword, shielding Daphne behind him.

"There will be no war if all the leaders are dead," he replied. "That would be a perfect way to get rid of an entire bevvy of reigning and future kings and queens and leave him right at the top of this new pecking order."

The thornhound growled ferociously, bending down and preparing itself to pounce. Atticus readied his weapon as well, clicking his tongue in irritation.

"Stay behind me," he instructed, holding out an arm so that Daphne was guarded. "If any of the walls nearby move, let me know."

She nodded at first, but when she remembered that Atticus wasn’t able to see her from the way they stood, Daphne said, "I will. Be careful and good luck. Let me know if you need me to help, whatever it may be."

Atticus looked back, throwing a confident smirk her way. "Luck? Who do you think I am?"

***

"You’re amazing, Brother Alistair!"

"Of course." Alistair chuckled, flicking the blood of his sword before returning it back into its sheath. "Who do you think I am?"

It had only been mere minutes since they were let into the maze and Alistair had already successfully slain a beast. The majestic moonlit direwolf was on the ground, having just breathed its last. While they weren’t sure how a forest guardian had been placed here in this sick cage as an animal to be hunted down, Alistair wasn’t about to complain.

They were fairly easier to kill as compared to their darker counterparts, the thornhounds. If the Raxuvian court had decided to chuck a direwolf here, it must be for a good reason.

Drusilla walked over, carefully placing the pouch over the beast’s carcass. It turned into a puff of silvery dust in an instant, disappearing within the pouch. That was one kill successfully secured.

"We’ll need something better than that," Alistair murmured with a frown. "I could hear the howl of a thornhound just now when we first entered the arena. There must be more dangerous creatures in here."

"Could it also be where King Atticus and Sister Daphne are?" Drusilla asked, handing the pouch back to Alistair for safekeeping. He kept it without sparing it another glance and they both began to journey deeper into the maze.

"If it is, then King Atticus is in it for a treat." Alistair scoffed, a scowl forming just at the very thought of Atticus, recalling his smug grin when he heard about his benefit.

"Daphne would be nothing more than a deadweight for him to hull around within the maze. He now has to protect her on top of securing kills for the title of champion. That man thinks just because he got an extra half an hour he’s undefeatable. What arrogance!"

"Brother, I remembered something..." Drusilla bit her lower lip, clutching onto Alistair’s sleeve. She lightly shook it. "Sister Daphne did bring in her wedding ring..."

That caused Alistair to scoff. "So what? It’s not like she can use it."

"She can’t," Drusilla affirmed. "But that doesn’t mean that King Atticus isn’t able to as well."

Alistair stopped in his tracks, intrigued by Drusilla’s words. He paused, turning over to look at his younger sister, who batted her eyelashes innocently at him.

Drusilla always had a face like a doll. Even from the moment Alistair had first laid eyes on this younger sister of his, he knew that she was a precious new addition to their family that had to be fiercely protected. In his eyes, she was too fragile and good for this world.

Thankfully, she was able to harness her magic, unlike that useless Daphne. If not, Alistair couldn’t bear to have his precious little sister face the dangers this maze could bring.

"You are brilliant, my little butterfly." Alistair laughed, gently cupping Drusilla’s cheek with his hand. His thumb lightly caressed her smooth skin, watching as Drusilla blushed beneath his touch.

"I am not sure what I did but I am happy to be of help, Brother," she said bashfully.

"Oh, you did more than just help." Alistair grinned. "I think I might’ve just discovered the way to guarantee King Atticus’s disqualification and my inevitable victory."