Our trek through the maze was short and uneventful. Despite the hedge walls being tall enough to block out most of the sky and being dozens of feet thick, the flamethrowers made short work of each obstacle. It took us less than twenty minutes to breech the other side. The inside of the maze kind of reminds me of the gardens from the white city. Hundreds of sidewalks snake through the massive fields of flowers, statues, and trees. Most of the statues, shrouded in an air of mystery, depict some sort of human with deer antlers wearing a toga.
As we traverse the vast garden, a mile away, a spire peeks over a small forest, likely the temple. My guard remains silent, and the silence is deafening. Not a single shell is in sight. The stillness is so profound, it feels eerie. It's as if the world has been muted, our steps and the clink of armor swallowed by the silence. We're being suppressed. I attempt to alert Hearon, but my voice is stifled. Instead, he looks at me, perplexed, attempting to respond. His eyes widen as no sound escapes. Without hesitation, he tightly grasps Azu and Zack, halting our group.
The rest of our guards continued forward without realizing we had fallen behind. Hearon motions to Azu, asking for her notebook. She obliges it and gives it to him. A few seconds later, he shows us what he had written.
"When we reach the edge of the forest, we go around. This is the work of a Soundless. Perhaps a Fairy is involved in the spell, masking its effects from us. They are likely lurking in the forest." We nod, following his lead. The rest of our group continues unabated. How have they not noticed yet? I'm tempted to shake one of them, but Hearon restrains me. Is he considering using them as bait? It's a chilling thought, even for Hearon.
It takes us maybe thirty minutes to reach the edge of the forest. The guard continues forward, but my group follows Hearon as we break off, skirting around the wooded area. No one notices us. I keep my gaze on the forest, and the lack of sound plays tricks on me. Hearing nothing is maddening. Just as we are turning towards the temple sound comes rushing back, my ears ringing at the sudden influx of activity. An explosion shakes the area as smoke rises from inside the woods.
"Seems they killed the Soundless." Zack comments.
"Yes, and they will notice we have abandoned them. We need to move. If we are lucky, all the shells will be there with them." Hearon starts to jog, and I fall behind.
"How come they didn't notice?" I can't help but ask.
Another explosion rocks the ground, a scream echoing out. Azu grimaces beside me, "None of us noticed. If you hadn't been there, we all might have fallen into their trap." I don't get a chance to dwell on this as the temple comes into sight.
It's a beautiful building. Made of marble and gold, runic decorates the building. It's not very big, maybe two stories tall and as big as a large house. Steps made of gold descend from the small hill on which it is situated. Black marble pillars line each side fo the staircase, a stark contrast to the white of the building.
More explosions rock the forest, multiple plumes of smoke billowing out and staining the sky. I can't help but feel bad. I know they are supposed to be our protection and be expendable, but I still don't feel good about leaving them to die. Wow. When did I start caring? I shake my head, following my group up the stairs. A small plaza decorates the front of the temple, the white bricks glowing in the sun. For how old these ruins are, they are unnervingly clean and intact.
Zack grabs my shoulder, shoving me behind him. I start to argue back when I notice an armored creature headed our way. It looks like a knight, with plate armor covering its whole body. The helmet is shaped like a rectangle with a small slit for its eyes. Only this thing is made of a very dark wood. The sound of a groaning tree follows its every move. A cape made of vines flaps behind it, and a shield of bark and a sword with a blood-red blade is held in each hand.
Azu gasps, "A blood guardian." Hearon moves beside Zack, but he moves his spear in front of Hearon, blocking his way. The two stare at each other in a silent exchange. Heraon's face darkens, his rugged face marred with wrinkles, but he steps back.
"What is that?" I whisper to Azu as Zack starts stretching. The knight plants itself before the doors of the temple, slamming its sword into the ground. The white bricks crack, vines snaking through the plaza.
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"It is the singular shell never defeated in diver history. The only one ever seen still stands at the entrance of the Steel Lake maze. Hundreds of divers have died trying to access the labyrinth underneath it, and their bodies remain in that cursed place."
I shudder, glancing at Zack, "Then what are we doing letting him fight it on his own?"
Azu shakes her head, worry creasing her face. "If anyone has a chance against it, Zack would be the one. We might not have been able to kill it, but it shares a similar build to regular guardians, so it should have the same kill point."
She doesn't elaborate as Zack spins his spear nonchalantly, a smile forming on his face. But this isn't his usual smile. No, it almost looks psychotic, his eyes glimmering with a dangerous light. The guardian pulls its sword out, squaring its shoulders, but Zack doesn't give it a chance to prepare. He clears the entire plaza in a single bound, slamming his spear into the monster's chest. The ground shatters where he took off from, the cracks spreading to us. I have to lean forward to keep myself from being flung off the hill, the wind from his leap whipping my hair back.
The guardian raises its shield, shoving Zack off, and vines explode from the ground, speeding towards him. He spins his spear, slicing off the vines with pinpoint precision. He takes a few steps back, spinning and flipping as he dances among the barrage of attacks, each attack flowing into the next. It has to be the most beautiful thing I have ever seen, like a dance with death. The vines surround him in a ball, and the wooden knight raises its sword into the air, the blade morphing into a long, slim blade. It slices down, cutting the ball in half, but Zack is already gone, having moved to the creature's side. He thrusts at its head, and the monster steps away. Zack lets go of his spear, the bandaged blade piercing the guardian's helmet. Zack catches the very end of the weapon, jumping back a dozen feet, a feral smile on his face.
"It's dead, right?" I ask Azu. The guardian slumps, the hole in its head remaining.
Azu's face has gone completely white. "Something is wrong. That is not Zack." I glance at Heaeron, who has a death grip on his shield and a face just as pale.
"He doesn't look that different to me-" I don't get to finish as the guardian shutters to life, red liquid coating its armor.
Zack laughs, a chilling coldness in it, "Yes. YES! SHOW ME WHAT YOU'RE MADE OF MONSTER! ENTERTAIN ME!" His face contorts, a twisted smile scaring his handsome features. He laughs manically before lunging at the creature. The ground shakes as Zack slams his spear into it, who swiftly dodges, the entire plaza shattering.
"HOLY SHIT!" I stumble, and Hearon grabs me, planting his shield in front of us. The metal rings out as pieces of bricks pelt the slab of steel. I peek over the rim, watching the carnage unfold. The knight has multiple red blades hovering around it, and small drops of red liquid hover around Zack. Blood. But how can it create it? I don't get an answer as I watch, speechless, as the small orbs shoot at Zack, turning into small, hardened blades. He laughs and effortlessly dodges them, deflecting the guardian's own attempt at combating him. The creature grabs the hovering swords in a barrage of blades that I struggle to follow, the ground becoming a canvas of slashes. White and red merge into a blur of motion as the two fight at a speed I can no longer follow.
"What do we do?" Neither of my companions said anything, as speechless as I was a few moments ago. I duck below the shield, my mind completely blank. He's more of a monster than the real ones. I grab Azu by the shoulders, shaking her violently, "Wake the fuck up! You know Zack the best. What the hell is happening to him?" She stares at me silently, her expression unreadable.
"PTSD." Hearon mumbles, "We should have known he would not be fit for battle so soon. We put him in the worst possible situation." He hangs his head, leaning it against the shield. PTSD? Are they fucking with me? I've seen what that can do to a man, and they still brought him out here in that condition? I grab Azu, trying to get her attention, but she has completely zoned out. For the love of God. I rear my hand back, slapping her as hard as I can. Her head snaps to the side, but her eyes stare at me, a look of anger sparking in them.
"Get your fucking act together. You're the only one who can stop him. Do something!" Azu rubs her cheek. I know that didn't hurt, but the shock seems to have helped her regain her senses.
"Thank you." She whispers, determination hardening in her eyes. She stands, walking out from behind the shield. The wind whips around us as the clash has only gotten more intense. Through the sound of chaos, Zack's insane laughter can be heard, chilling me to the bone. Azu pulls out her bow, notching an arrow, "All I need is one second!" She yells.
"NO!" Hearon yells, jumping over the shield, but it's too late. She releases the arrow, tears in her eyes. I don't have time to process it, as there is a flash of red and then silence. Zack has gone completely still, his face completely blank. The guardian is facing us, and Zack's spear has pierced where its heart would be. The creature crumbles into dust, only its sword remaining. But my gaze is fixed on Azu, a feeling of dread filling my body. Her right arm has been severed at the shoulder, the limb plopping onto the ground as Azu follows it to the floor, unmoving.
"Azu?"