Into the Forbidden Place

17. Surprise

Guldar: "If all that the woman told you is true, then let's strike them. But personally, I support this plan because it's a chance to avenge Judith."

The others nodded in agreement. Barely dawn and everyone was ready to fight against Rhys and his team.

They moved forward quietly, prepared to find their enemies lurking behind any wall of the labyrinth. Tim led the way, alert to every sound. Suddenly, he stopped, gesturing for his companions to take cover behind him. They had arrived.

Tim gave the order to attack; with Guldar and Udine they rushed forward with their swords ready for battle. Lenny and Ikara followed closely behind, while Emorah lurked in the shadows, poised to strike at the right moment.

The beginning of the battle seemed easy. Tim and his companions won decisively from the start, using teamwork and coordinated attacks skillfully. The treasure hunters were taken aback, defending themselves somewhat scatteredly against the unexpectedly arriving enemy.

But as the fight progressed, more and more figures emerged from behind the walls. The number of treasure hunters quickly grew, and the small passages of the labyrinth became crowded enough.

Though Tim and his comrades fought bravely, they soon realized that victory would not come easily. The number of enemies kept increasing, and the battle grew more intense. Suddenly, the struggle turned into a fierce and bloody battle, bodies falling as Tim and his companions tried to maintain their advantage against the ever-growing tide of enemies.

At the end, only Tim, Lenny, and Ikara remained standing against the fiercely fighting foes. Standing back to back, they formed a small circle. The treasure hunters swirled around them, and attacks came from all sides. Tim and his companions fought bravely, but the weight of fatigue and exhaustion became palpable as the pressure from the enemies increased.

In the heat of battle, Tim exerted all his strength to defend his comrades and prevent the enemies from breaking them. Lenny and Ikara stood beside him, supporting and helping each other, but they still felt the growing difficulty of resisting the hostile forces.

The clashing of swords and the roaring sounds mingled together. The trio fought tenaciously, but the battle became increasingly challenging. Their emotions were tumultuous, fear and anger swirling within them as the enemies drew closer.

Suddenly, Rhys emerged from the crowd. He ordered his men to halt and stepped forward to face Tim.

Rhys: "I believe the battle is over. Will you surrender, or do you want us to slaughter you?"

The words were heavy. Tim could barely keep his sword straight, but he locked eyes with the big red man. Sweat dripped down his face. Rhys, on the other hand, seemed perfectly rested. Did he even fight? Tim couldn't remember seeing him in the heat of battle. He looked over at his enemies; there were still too many. It would be foolish to resist further.

He slowly lowered his sword, then spoke in a faltering voice:

Tim: "You have the upper hand, you have won. We surrender."

Rhys smiled contentedly and gestured to his men:

Rhys: "Bind them and clear away the bodies."

Tim, Lenny, and Ikara sat by the wall, watching as everyone bustled about. Mara also appeared; Tim was watching her, but she didn't look at them, not even once.

Lenny: "Who might this girl be?"

It was clear who he meant.

Ikara: "It seems to me like she's giving orders, I would say she's some kind of leader."

Tim had to admit that Ikara might be right. She had once gone to Rhys, said something to him, to which Rhys nodded, then quickly vanished behind the walls.

How could he be so foolish, he thought. Yet he still didn't understand what good this was for. Why did Mara want them to be attacked?

Then, as they barely lingered in the small clearing, Mara decisively headed towards them.

She stopped in front of them, hands in her pockets.

Mara: "Give me the key you used to come over yourselves, or we'll kill you one by one."

Tim tried to discern the woman he had embraced in the early hours of the morning, but it seemed as if he had just dreamed her. No, that couldn't be, he couldn't have dreamed her! He still felt the taste of her skin on the roof of his mouth. What a foolish situation! What a fool he was to fall for this trick!

He removed the bracelet from his hand and threw it disdainfully at Mara's feet.

Tim: "Is this what you were looking for last night?"

Mara didn't even acknowledge Tim, she casually bent down, picked up the key. She examined it, satisfied, then tucked it away, turned her back, and quickly disappeared behind the wall.

Only one figure remained a little farther away, as if he was guarding the remaining gatekeepers.

Tim: "Something's not right here. Either there's something we don't know, because none of this makes sense. I can't wrap my head around why they wanted us to attack them when they could have easily ambushed us."

Ikara: "It's much simpler than you think, Tim. These are moving walls, some system controls them, perhaps Otis? This woman used you well, didn't she? You fell in love with her, didn't you? That's why the wall allowed you to meet again. I think that was their plan because otherwise they wouldn't have found us."

Tim wasn't satisfied with the answer.

Tim: "But yesterday Mara found me, she could have brought her companions with her."

Lenny: "You're giving me a headache! Does it matter now? It's irrelevant. Guldar, the others are dead, we don't have the key, and even if we did, we wouldn't know what to do, how to shut down the robot..."

All three of them sat hopelessly lost in thought for long hours. They didn't feel like talking, and they were thirsty too.

Tim: (shouting to the guard): "How long do they intend to keep us here? Is the plan for us to die of thirst? Could you give us some water?"

The guard slowly approached them, released their bonds, and handed them a flask. Then he pointed his sword at Tim's chest:

Guard: "Don't try to follow. But you are free to go wherever you want. I don't understand this part either, because I think it would be smarter to kill you. But if that was the order, then so be it, right? By the way, do you know Aldrin Buzz?"

He looked at all three of them questioningly. The tip of the sword pricked Tim's chest, he stepped back slightly.

Tim: "Who?"

Guard: "See, nobody knows. But you know Neil Armstrong, right? Two hundred forty-two years ago they were the first to step on the moon, well, Buzz was the second. He resented it all his life and tried to prove that he should have been the first because he was a better pilot. I'm just saying, that it's pointless to regret now, make peace with the facts. Just limp at home. Accept that we are the gatekeepers now. Or rather, the Citadel defenders."