“The labyrinth constantly shifts. The hand can allow you to reach the center, and it is said that those who mastered its patterns could reach the heart in a day. Those I have known spent months or even years down there, and never reached the heart. If they made it out at all.”
Yerin nodded briefly. “That’s about what I would have bet.” She followed Ziel inside.
[The Sword Sage made it out,] Dross pointed out to Lindon. [But based on his records, he must not have gone very deep. He was also weakened severely enough to be killed by Jades.]
The suppression field is gone now, Lindon said.
[For now. And how much of his weakness was the suppression versus the constant effects of being fed upon by hunger madra?]
The yawning mouth of the labyrinth was more ominous now than it had been a moment before. Mercy took a deep breath and dove in.
Where do you put our odds of survival? Lindon asked Dross.
[It’s impossible to accurately calculate odds of survival without a statistically significant number of prior examples. Under these imprecise conditions, I would say that we have better than fifty-fifty odds of making it out alive as long as we retreat before we reach the bottom.]
This isn’t cheering me up.
[Was that the goal? Then cheer up.]
The complete absence of mirth in Dross’ voice did not help Lindon’s spirits.
Eithan threw an arm around Lindon and began to walk with him into the labyrinth. “I believe we have all been appropriately cautioned against leaving this door open for too long. Even more so since the field is down, I think.”
Orthos glanced down at Eithan’s arm. “You were eager to dive into this madness. What kind of plan do you have?”
“Plan? My plan is the same as it has always been. I planned to build up a team of those who can walk into situations like this, together, and solve the problems that no one else could.” Eithan took a deep breath as they crossed the threshold into the musty air of the labyrinth, then released Lindon. “As long as we all survive this, no matter the outcome, I will consider this a successful team-building exercise.”
Lindon pulled the door shut behind them. The stone slammed into place, completing a script that suddenly flared white.
Now they were sealed in.
Little Blue burbled that she didn’t feel well, and even Orthos grunted. “I think these waters may be too deep for the two of us.”
“Nonsense!” Eithan said. “Lindon, protect them.”
Lindon had been about to open up the Dawn Sky Palace void key and hide them away when he paused. “How?”
“The same way you learned to veil them. Let your will flow along the connection of your contract, and extend it to them. Simply intending to protect them should focus the spiritual pressure of this place on you.”
Lindon did as directed, and to his surprise, found it easy. Little Blue gave a relieved whistle, and Orthos examined one of his feet as though looking for signs of damage.
“That’s amazing,” Lindon said, sincerely impressed. “How does that work?”
“You three are bound together on an existential level. In essence, the universe considers you connected. You can work your will through them almost as easily as you could through yourself.”
Lindon noted the implications of that, but the others were moving deeper into the labyrinth, so he simply nodded his thanks and moved deeper.
This room was a long hallway with rows and rows of polished wooden cupboards. All of those Lindon could see were closed and locked, but he felt nothing inside.
He still investigated a few, finding nothing useful. Some had copper rings or wooden hilts, but whatever they had once been attached to had dissolved long ago. Lindon recognized the pieces of what had once been sacred instruments; swords or spears or other devices that had rotted away.
Mercy kept her voice low, so it wouldn’t echo in the long space. “We have some records of the outer layers of the labyrinth. This looks like one of the armories where the Lord-level weapons were kept.”
Lindon’s heart clenched at the thought of what they might have found, and even Yerin gave a disappointed sigh as she pulled off one of the doors and found nothing within.
“Too bad about that field,” Yerin said in regret. “One Underlord spear would have ruled Sacred Valley for generations.”
Lindon suspected that the few good things that had made it to the Heaven’s Glory school had come from inside this place in some way. Even if they hadn’t once been hidden in these cupboards, random junk from the people who built the labyrinth would be treasures in Sacred Valley.