A Kingdom of Bloodshed

*¬*Chapter Six*¬*

I've spent the better part of the morning, running in circles. My skin is itchy from sweat, the heat of early summer now beginning to show itself. It's barely the end of May but here, in this court, the heat hits with an unforgiving force. Back at home, it would still feel like the end of spring because of how gentle the weather is, but this? This feels like early summer.

Wiping sweat from my forehead, I keep walking down the straight path I've been on since I left my first puzzle. I haven't come across another one yet. Maybe the maze is the second puzzle, as it's not meant to be easy. I weirdly, haven't ran into one of the other girls yet either. I wonder where they could be, or just how big this maze really is.

Walking along the gravel path, I take in the sounds and the endless sight of green before me; trying to understand why I keep hearing that woman's voice and why she keeps helping me when I need it the most?

The answer evades me. Sighing, I push forward, trying to make sense of this game and how long we're expected to play it for. Coming upon a fork in the road, I am about to take a right when I hear hushed voices just beyond the turn. Creeping closer to the side of the bush, I lean forward slightly to hear better,

"We can't let her win. I have to win. So if you come across her, do anything you can to sabotage her."

"But what about the maze beast?"
"What about it?" "Won't it kill her if she runs out of time? I know Lord Morningsong said that if we come upon the beast we can either fight it or run, but chances are both options will end up with someone dead."

The first girl snorts, her voice dripping with disdain, "I don't care if she dies. Better for me actually, means I can win and get closer to Kazimir." Who are they talking about that they don't want to win so badly?

"Althea cannot win again, this is my game. Am I understood??" The hairs on the back of my neck stand up, they're talking about me. The more I listen the more I can guess who's speaking. Tara. But who's the second one?

Upon hearing their footsteps approach, the second's reply is clearer, "Yes. But I still don't like it." I press myself into the bushes even more, hoping to hide but this place is so open that it's impossible to. Tara appears first, her face holding disappointment then the second woman appears. To my shock it's Bree. Both of them are facing away from me, so they don't notice that I'm half hidden in the bush behind them.

Tara speaks to Bree, "I don't care if you don't like it. She can't win this game, understood?"

Bree sighs, "Understood." The two women walk forwards, turning left and then disappearing from sight. Slipping from the bushes, I stand there for a moment and frown. I knew Tara hated me, but Bree? This just goes to show that I can't trust anyone. Her betrayal hurts me, deeper than I thought it would. Taking a right, so that I'm not following them, I push forward hoping to come across another puzzle to solve.

I've been walking straight for a solid minute, when I see an opening before me, similar to the one with the riddle in it. Throwing my shoulders back, I enter the clearing and look around. There's nothing here. It's empty. Maybe this really is just a clearing and I'm to walk through it. But nothing is that easy? Is it?

My curiosity prickles at my brain, pushing me forward. Pausing just before the threshold, a thought occurs to me. What if it's rigged? There could be traps within this clearing that I unknowingly walk into.

Looking around, I notice a decent size rock next to me. Bending, I scoop it up and toss it into the center of the clearing. As soon as the rock hits the ground, a wooden spike comes shooting up from underneath it, before sliding back into the dirt once the movement settles.