Denizens of the Labyrinth

Jazmel got dressed and when he came out of his room, Sadé had completed her tribulation and was sitting in the living room eating. She saw him and flashed him a smile, she did not look that much different, but her Mana was considerably darker and purer than before. This told Jazmel she had crossed over and progressed into tier I as a Seeker.

“Completed I see.” She mused and Jazmel nodded.

“I heard you cry out.” She pointed out and Jazmel acknowledged it.

“I have never felt pain like that before.” He confessed and she nodded in understanding. This was something even Jazmel could not hide.

“Usually, Seekers and Rankers are preparing their bodies for the labyrinth. But the impurities within the body sometimes need to expel beforehand. For someone who had not been prepared for the Seeker trials at all, I can imagine it would have been a lot to manage.” She assumed.

“But we both made it through, so well done on becoming a tier I, Seeker.” She congratulated him and he smiled, suddenly shy.

“Let’s go and see what this ship has.” He offered and she jumped off the settee to her feet and followed him out.

They left the room and began their own discovery of the galleon. Jazmel had read about ships this big, but to be aboard one now. As it sailed in an ocean, he was not sure truly existed was amazing. The wind whipped through the ship and the bitter salt water sprayed aboard the ship each time the broke through a wave.

The galleon was four floors and four masts. Jazmel had not seen anything the size of this ship ever before and to think someone had built it made Jazmel be surprised also. There were no ship hands or sailors aboard, Sadé and Jazmel did not see a single person beside other Seekers. Groups had also gotten aboard at the same time as Jazmel and his friends. They had kept to themselves so far, but they seemed equally suspicious of one another too. The ships sails were rigged tight, and the masts were positioned well and with his eyes, he could see that Mana was being used to propel the ship. Mana was being used to pilot the ship too! This was a wondrous creation. The first one he saw was Patton, he was sitting beside Bannerman watching over the seas as they travelled. Bannerman noticed them and beckoned them over.

“I can see the tier tribulation went well.” Bannerman congratulated him. Patton also congratulated him too, they shook hands. Katie was not with them though.

“Where is Katie?” Sadé asked and both shrugged.

“She said she wanted to explore the lower parts of the ship.” Patton explained.

“We should look for her.” Sadé pointed out and Patton rose, dusting himself off. Bannerman rose too and they decided to look for their new friend.

Stairways were at the front of the ship and at the back, being near the bow they headed down and Jazmel had to force himself to breathe. The ship’s sides were reinforced glass in different sections where the wood provided windows and they saw beneath the waves. Jazmel could see fish and other sea life as they swam around the ship as it sailed onward, towards it destination. His eyes told him that Mana was within the sea too and he could pick out different fish that were clearly creatures of Mana and were formed from it.

This floor was rooms for whoever was staying on the ship. Many different rooms that to Jazmel’s surprise. They were shielded from his eyes. Mana blocked his vision from piercing the rooms. The four descended again and this floor was warm, hot with the running of the ship and its functions. Again, there were no ship hands or sailors to be seen and as they looked around, they discovered the engine room.

The engine that ran the ship was as huge as the galleon was massive. It churned, great pistons turned in rhythm as Mana pumped life into the ship and Jazmel figured this was used to propel the ship at the speed it was going. The speed was steady, and Jazmel could tell they were going at a speed a ship without Mana would struggle to maintain.

But still this floor, there was no sign of Katie, and this began to worry the group. They walked completely around the engine room and then descended again. To the bottom floor of the ship. This was a cargo space; boxes and wrapped things were strewn around but Jazmel could see that a section had been cleared away. He motioned for the group, and they nodded, Bannerman moved off to the side to get around. As silent as a wolf stalking its prey, while Jazmel led Sadé and Patton through the cargo.

The sound of movement could be heard and as Jazmel moved through the opening between two wooden boxes that were bigger than him. He spotted Katie down, crouched and hugging her stomach. She gritted her teeth before rising to two unsteady legs and prepared for a fight.

She was surrounded by five others, before they could react though. Jazmel had drawn his sword and had it at the throat of a man who had his back to him. As he did this, Bannerman leapt from above and landed in front of Katie. He grabbed the throat of the woman who had been fighting with Katie. She was startled and he held her throat and held her left arm away from them both. It held a dagger, that he squeezed out of her hand.

“Who are you!” the man with Jazmel’s sword beside his throat, stuttered out.

“Her friends.” Patton said, finally appearing. He strolled over to Katie and helped her up, she leaned on him, but her eyes told everyone she wanted to fight still. Patton gave her a potion and Jazmel watched as she downed it and began to heal rapidly.

“Why were you attacking her?” Jazmel asked and the man hesitated, but he tickled him with his blade and the man stood rigid.

“We merely asked her where she was going, and she would not answer. So, so we were trying to get the information out of her.” He said and Jazmel clenched his jaw. Patton was livid, his hackles were raised, and Jazmel watched as Mana formed in his hands.

“Wait.” Katie huffed out, she was healing but slowly and she downed another potion to right herself.

“Do you agree to a duel?” she asked the woman who she had clearly been fighting before. The woman did not take her eyes off Bannerman who had clearly gained all her attention.

“What are you wagering?” the woman said. Still in the claws of Bannerman who had not looked away or taken in the other members of this party.

“Skill for skill?” Katie said, Jazmel was a little confused, but he kept his silence. Focusing on keeping this man in check.

“Deal. Get this man off me!” the woman growled, and Katie simply stepped aside from Patton who backed off. Bannerman grunted, letting go of the woman. He stayed where he was, his claws of Mana still out and his eyes not leaving her face. He stepped back and to the other side, beside the rest of their party, alone but clearly unfazed.

DING!

DUEL ANNOUNCED

SKILL FOR SKILL

READY?

The system sung into their minds as they were witnesses and Jazmel stood off to the side with Sadé, his sword now sheathed, but at the read beside him.

Katie unravelled the chain around her waist and began to twirl it and spin it around her body in slow, lazy arcs. The woman retrieved her dagger and Jazmel realised she was dressed in dark colours and strips of fabric wrapped both arms and legs in a unique way. She looked like an assassin and when he saw the wicked curved blade in her hand, he realised she might have been one.

Katie moved first, she tossed her chain in the air and then as it came down, she kicked out. Directing the chain with her foot. It bent around her and flew out with such accuracy that even Jazmel was shocked. The woman deflected the strike, barely but Jazmel could tell she was stunned. A few more strikes like this happened and then the woman was merely stepping out of the range of the strikes.

Shadow self.

The woman said and her skilled formed beside her, a form of herself. Completely made from black Mana. It split and ran ahead of her, and she darted to the other side, running in a figure eight towards Katie. Katie spun and twirled. Using the chain as a pendulum and letting it wrap around her body, she flung out both ends, and they struck both the running assassin and the version made from Mana.

To Jazmel’s surprise they both vanished and from above the woman dropped down, but Katie clearly was aware as she rolled out of the way and flung her chain out, it caught the dagger hand and then with a pull she jerked the woman forward. She then threw her chain behind and rolling forward, she caught it, and, in this motion, she trapped the woman’s own dagger beside her throat. She threw her chain through the same rafters that the woman had dropped from and then she pulled. Hanging the woman by neck and arm.

“Yield.” Katie said and her voice was strained and filled with anger. This was the most serious Jazmel had ever seen her, he could tell right away this was the precipice of an unpleasant situation.

“I do not.” The woman said and Katie yanked the chain, throttling her. The man made to step forward, but Jazmel had drawn his sword again and this time without putting it beside the man, he merely showed its length. He was faster and after his tribulation, he was filled with energy. The Mana building in him was fighting to escape.

“Yield!” Katie asked again and the woman, who was choking wanted to fight against it, but she could not, and she was struggling to breath with the chain wrapped around her.

“Yield Lena!” the man who was closest to Jazmel and Sadé shouted. He clearly cared for this woman, she looked into his eyes and surrendered.

DING

A WINNER

A SEEKER HAS YIELDED

A SKILL WILL BE GIFTED TO THE WINNER

The system announced and Katie let her chain unravel. She pulled it to wrap it around her body again and Jazmel watched as she walked towards the woman. Everyone in the chamber froze to see what would happen. The woman who had been fighting to catch her breath, stood but did not raise her dagger. Katie looked at her for a moment and then slapped her. Hard in the face.

“How would I know where I am going? Each gate opens somewhere random, doesn’t it? Idiot.” She growled and then without looking back she made to leave. They follow her, Sadé then Patton and then Bannerman. Jazmel was the last to leave but he held his sword and sheath out and dared the party to follow them.