A Maze or Something [B-rank Exam)

Knight of the Aurora

Elias walked by a perfectly mundane wooden door, he did a double take. What kind of person stuck a stone wall at the entrance to the hedge maze? It seemed a strange thing to say the least, but Aliannah had only said “Wait here” without really defining what exactly ‘here’ meant. Not that Elias even knew what “here” was supposed to be anyways. Besides, something tugged at Elias’ mind, almost begging him to open the door. Also the it was unlatched, nothing could stop him. So he opened the door.

Unfortunately, the hedge maze turned out to be just a hedge maze. Perfectly cut ten-foot greenery lined each side with occasional little stone benches and a bust of some famous person at the first junction.

“Get on over here Elias!” a voice echoed through the maze. It sounded forceful, bright, strangely familiar. Almost like Elaine. Elias’ eyes widened and he set off in a half-run half-walk down the path. “Left!” the voice shouted once he hit the bust.

Elias could barely stop his brain from shorting out. Elaine couldn’t have been there. Mother would have made absolutely sure she never left Minstrel no matter how godsforsakenly rebellious she could’ve been. That woman kept a tight leash on everyone, it was a miracle Elias had even dismantled the wards over his window. Then again, Eliane had always been the prodigy. She would’ve found a way after a year. Oh how she must’ve hated Elias for abandoning her. He had to find her. He had to apologize, beg for her forgiveness. He should’ve changed the plan and made sure Elaine left with him. Elias had sworn to go back and get her away.

Unless it was a trap. Mother had figured out where Elias went, not that it would’ve been hard for her to figure out. He never stopped using his name. Maybe even Eliane, in all her frustration with Elias, had decided to work with Mother just to get back at him. That wasn’t outside of her modus operandi. If only he’d gone back before the year had passed. Elias had learned a lot more about magic and both Elias and Eliane knew their mother well. He could’ve broken her out far more easily. Either way, he followed Elaine’s voice deeper and deeper into the maze. Mother didn’t have much control outside the house. If this really was a trap, it would be a simple matter to free Elaine.

“Thief,” A voice echoed through the hedges. “Ungrateful boy, useless,” it dripped with blood and sliced right into Elias’ eardrums. He knew it all too well. “Don’t you know how much I’ve sacrificed for you? Do you? The least you could do is listen to your mother.”

Elias stopped in his tracks and looked around frantically. He couldn’t tell where Mother’s voice was coming from. He pulled at the aurora, gathered balls of pale red light and flung them at the hedges. Mother had to be just around there. Yet his spells only sailed through, sliced apart by the hedges’ leaves and leaving them unharmed.

“You know you’re not allowed to leave after dark. It’s for your own good. It’s dangerous out there and any number of people could’ve killed you.” The voice paused and Elias could feel a smile creeping into it. “Unless you wanted to see that peasant girl. What was it? Is-a-bell-a,” mother’s voice said with a sneer. “I hope she fucked you good, because now she’s rotting in prison. I have a few favors from the musketeers. Her type is beneath you. I can’t have my oldest dirtying himself with the lowlifes. I already told you that you’d be much happier with Lucia. She’s waiting patiently for you. Then I’ll control her father’s company.”

Anything to gain power. Anything at all. That was mother’s only golden rule. The world belonged to her, all it had to do was listen. Elias had heard rumours that she blackmailed Father into marrying her. So many sneers behind closed doors. He’d heard them. Then his thoughts drifted back to Izzie. Honestly she was Elias and Elaine’s only real friend. The daughter of a well-known butcher. The three used to play together during the weekly deliveries and as they made sure to keep meeting as the years passed. He’d only gone to her place to drop a goodbye letter. Not that mother would have ever believed that story, and she would have destroyed the letter if she’d ever seen it.

“Keep coming Elias, she can’t hurt you,” Elaine’s voice drifted from the ground. Elias started running again. “Mother only came to steal you back, but I planned on leaving anyways. We just needed to be away from the house and her power.”

“Besides, you literally gave your father a heart attack. You disgusting pig. Stealing your family’s legacy. We could’ve risen to be kings had your father taught you everything. Maybe you could’ve found the sword. But now look at it. You’ve ruined EVERYTHING.” Mother’s pitch raised tenfold. The force almost knocked Elias to the ground and drowned out Elaine’s directions. “Now you leave me to tame that little demon I named Elaine. She doesn’t deserve that name. I’d hoped for a bright child to sell off and now no one wants her. Not with that slut’s sharp tongue. She stabbed Lacrifeller’s son with a fork! All he wanted to do was take her on a walk in the gardens! Then and he would’ve fallen in love and I would’ve gained so much more power. My daughter with the son of the richest man on Ishtar would’ve done wonders for the family name. But no, now I can’t even do business with any of his directly controlled assets. She hasn’t had gifts or suitors in ten years! AND IT’S ALL YOUR FAULT!”

Elias fell to the ground this time. Mother’s voice had overwhelmed him. Besides, the whole Excalibur thing was nothing more than a rumor, and Rupert Lacrifeller only wanted Elaine’s body. That asshole would have only dumped her in the pond and walked away, not that he would’ve gotten that far along anyways. Mother was lucky Elias didn’t kill him before Elaine stabbed him. Mother knew Rupert’s reputation. She didn’t even think about how Elaine would’ve felt. Mother’s only emotion was greed.

Elias helplessly covered his ears and curled up into a ball. A sob erupted from his chest.

“DON’T YOU TRY TO SHUT ME OUT.”

Pain and regret seared through Elias’ heart. Every inch of his body shook and his cheeks quickly became stained with tears. His glasses fell off somewhere. Not that he was looking at anything, he’d long since shut his eyes in a poor attempt to stem the tide of tears. Gibbering and crying to himself, the only thing crossing Elias’ mind told him he should’ve freed Elaine instead. She would’ve thrived out in the real world. Yet after a year, Elias could only say he’d become a two-bit mage with a magic he didn’t fully understand. He would’ve died at the hands of simple werewolves if he hadn’t been saved. Elaine would’ve flayed them alive and taught them their place. Hell, by then she would’ve become an ace. But no, Elias let his greed take over and now he’d ruined everything. Snot dribbled onto Elias’ sleeves as he continued to sob. Mother continued to jab at him. Everything was his fault. If only he’d done as Mother asked, everything would’ve been fine. Elaine would’ve been safer away from home. He should have stayed.

“It’s okay, Elias,” Elaine’s voice whispered. Mother’s jeers faded into the background. “Just take the key. I know we’ll meet again soon.”

Something silvery and cold appeared in Elias’ hands. He opened his eyes and he fruitlessly tried to clear away the tears. They only kept on coming. He only caught the fuzzy image of a key. Long and ornate. Elias didn’t take the time to examine more closely as he let out another wail of pain. Why didn’t he just save Elaine? Mother at least needed his mind intact. She would’ve been content lobotomizing Elaine and sending her off to some rich old pervert. Elaine needed to be alright. Elias had to go check.

“Except you’re not getting anywhere in that state,” Elaine continued. “Get up and come find me if you’re that upset about it.”

Elias listened. He didn’t have anything left to do. Mother’s voice completely disappeared when Elias got back to his feet. That’s all it was: a curse. The whole damn maze had been cursed with voices. It didn’t make Elias feel any better. The tears only began to slow as he neared the entrance to the maze.

At least Elias knew what he had to do.

WORD COUNT: 1459 | 1000