CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Markings appeared on the ground. Four of them. In a square, about half a football field from each other. The three others were released from their position and I got up.
"Now that we've seen them cooperate so wonderfully, let's get back to having the players compete directly. Once they have taken position, I'll raise the walls."
Whatever that meant, it was assuredly bad for us. Lacking a choice in the matter we all made our way towards one marking each. They were footprints and as I stepped into mine I was glued to the ground. Business as usual. We were all facing into the imaginary square, towards the center. I readied myself, just in case it was a race to the middle.
"In order to win, the player has to be the last man standing. Taking another player out requires to pain them green, for which these orbs are required."
A green sphere the size of an orange appeared in front of each of us and vanished again.
"When it hits a target at high speed it teleports that target to a random, new spot. Once a target has been beaten twice, a third hit takes him out of the game. We start once the walls are up."
From the stone ground walls of black, solid stone emerged. It was a maze, or a labyrinth, growing almost to the ceiling. It was dim with light only coming from above. My feet detached from the markings.
I stumbled forward in the maze and came to a high fire, obscuring an alcove. Set into the wall next to it was a stone board with three tall, identical urns. There was a stone tablet in front of each. One showing a black orb, one a white orb and one both kinds.
"You may pick one urn," the game master's voice whispered in my ear, "to see what kind is inside. Only one. Your task is to label all urns correctly. Right now, all labels are wrong."
I shivered at the sound of the voice and started to think. If all labels were wrong right now...
I rose to my toe tips and reached into the urn labeled with both types of orbs. I got a black one. Confidently I put the black sign in front of it and switched the two remaining ones.
The flames died down, letting me into the alcove. Three green orbs hovered at eye level. I plucked them out of the air and marched farther into the maze.
I took a left turn and another left, then a right. The next obstacle was a set of runes in the floor. If I wanted to pass I'd have to figure out which ones I could safely step on.
There was movement behind me. I whipped around and saw Igor. He held a single orb and was stumped for a second, not having expected me.
We threw simultaneously. Each of us hadn't aimed well in our panic but the orbs exploded on the ground with huge splatters, containing more color than physically possible. We were both sprayed with green droplets and the world shifted around me in a nausea inducing fashion.
I was in a new corridor, looking like all the other ones. With one orb in each hand I walked along the path.
Strained noises came from around a corner. I slowed my steps and peaked. It was Kang, trying to escape the trap he had triggered. His arms were raised with chains holding his wrists. He was spread eagle in the middle of my way and his back was turned to me.
He even had green color on him already. I threw an orb and he vanished. At least I had helped him out of the trap.
I was careful to jump over the trigger plate as I walked past so I wouldn't be ensnared as well.
After a little more walking, always looking out for traps, I happened upon Sven, who stood with his back to me next to a fire alcove.
I walked closer and slammed the last orb his way. It hit him in the shoulder blades and the boy fell forward with a startled scream as he vanished.
Stepping up to the alcove, I hoped to solve the puzzle Sven had been looking at, since I was out of ammunition. There was an empty vat and one filled with a white goo – most likely cum. I shivered and hoped I wouldn't have to put my hands in it.
"Exactly four units need to go into the empty tub." The game master was whispering again. "Not more, not less. And it needs to go in all at once."
Two containers of different sizes appeared. One was labeled five, one was labeled three. There were no graduation marks on the out- or inside. How was I going to get four units then?
After a moment's consideration I figured out a plan. I held the five-cup into the vat and filled it to the brim. Now I had five units. Pouring everything into the three-cup that would fit left me with two units exactly. I emptied the three-cup into the cum vat and poured the two units into it.
Then I filled the five-cup again and poured cum from it into the three-cup, which could only take one more unit.
This left me with precisely four units in the five-cup which I poured into the empty tub. The alcove opened up for me and I reloaded with the three green orbs there.
By my count Sven had taken at least one hit, Igor also one, Kang two and myself one.
I walked by another alcove, thinking I couldn't carry six orbs without dropping one. So I didn't bother with it and tried to spot movements or hear sounds.
It payed off when I heard the frustrated noise of Sven struggling. Closing in on his location, I readied an orb. It turned out, the boy had his back to me again, stuck on the floor which seemed to have become extremely sticky under his feet.
I aimed and he notice me. He had orbs, too.
We threw at the same time and I jumped behind the corner. It was too late, though, and color splashed onto me. I was whisked away and reappeared in a random new part of the maze.
By coincidence, Sven reappeared right next to me. I could have touched him if I had wanted. Instead, I smacked an orb in his face and he felt backwards, vanishing again. He was out of the game.
The place I had teleported to was a dead end. The only way out was to get across a chasm I couldn't possibly jump. Next to it was an arrangement on a stone bench. I saw twelve identical crystals and a scale. Before the game master could whisper anything, Igor rounded the corner on the opposite side of the chasm.
I threw my last orb and tried to dodge back into the corridor. I was hit by green drops anyway.
The teleport brought me outside the maze and right next to Igor and Sven.
The walls sank into the ground.
"Kang has won the Battle Maze taking two hits. Sven was eliminated first. Solved fire-alcove puzzles are as follows. Igor two, Nathan two, Sven one, Kang zero. We'll be back after these messages from our sponsors."
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