Amias kept walking. He wasn't sure how far down he had gone, but he noticed a pattern: the deeper he went, the more of these wooden soldiers appeared. It pissed him off. Unlike the friendly undead, these soldiers were anything but friendly, having already tried to kill him multiple times. Their armour was made of the same wood as the maze, intricately crafted with almost unnatural precision. What unsettled him most was that they seemed sentient, yet when he destroyed one, it was nothing but wood. So what were they?
Does magic exist now?
He was lucky to be immortal; otherwise, he would have been dead by now. It wasn't that he fought often, but rather that this labyrinth was a deathtrap. Water was scarce, and there were almost no resources to be found except from the corpses that had remained. The only way to get food was by hunting the deadly creatures that roamed in its depths. Only the beasts that had adapted could survive here. He was the sole exception, no longer needing sustenance or rest.
With a weary sigh, he pressed on.
what were these soldiers guarding so fiercely? Whatever it was, it didn't matter. They were in his way, and all he wanted to do was get out of this damned tree and be out there on the nice, cool grass below. He pressed on, descending farther; by this point, he had lost track of how many floors he'd passed. Then, finally, something changed. Something was different from the all-too-familiar maze.
He was no longer facing a maze or another set of stairs but an intricately designed door. Its sides were framed by carefully crafted pillars, and above them was a flat roof adorned with a silver statue of a moose. Everything shimmered like pure silver, the craftsmanship flawless. His gaze lingered on the moose. It was majestic, its sprawling antlers branching out like the very tree he was trapped inside.
I swear, if that thing comes alive, I'm going to cry, he thought, cautiously approaching the door.
Nothing happened.
Huh. Lucky me. He let out a relieved breath and pushed the door open
and his eyes widened.
Before him stretched a vast plateau overflowing with life. Wildflowers of every colour flourished in the soft grass, with a dense forest looming in the distance, and the air was fresh in a way it never was inside the maze. But even then, this was inside the tree. A whole sprawling world that had been hidden within it. He turned, instinctively reaching for the door, but it was already shut.
He tried to open it. It wouldn't budge.
"..."
"I'm so screwed," he muttered.
Then, a rustling sound behind him made him tense. He turned, and there, standing in quiet majesty, was a moose.
Its silver fur shimmered as if woven from silver, and despite its massive frame, it moved with an impossible silence. Its sprawling antlers resembled the ancient tree, and glowing veins pulsed beneath its hide like rivers of blue light. Runes, with the same luminous blue, traced patterns along its ridges, and its eyes were deep and infinite, holding centuries of wisdom and looking like the stars themselves.
The very presence of the creature exuded a calm serenity that settled over Amias like a gentle tide.
Maybe it's nice?
Tobi descended yet another staircase, preparing himself for whatever awaited on the tenth floor. A spark flickered in the distance, a gleam of light moving toward him. As it drew closer, he saw it was a person.
They stood at odds for only a moment before, in an instant, their swords clashed. Sparks flew as they locked blades and he got to look at his opponent now in this short moment.
His opponent was an undead soldier, but unlike the others he had fought, this one had only recently died. She wore silver armour, adorned with engravings on her shoulder in an unfamiliar yet oddly familiar language. She had striking blonde hair, with blue eyes, and no sign of decay like the other undead. What made her even more unusual were her pointed ears.
An elf.
She moved with speed and precision, using her free hand to strike with a dagger. Tobi dodged, blocking yet another swift slash aimed at his head, then barely avoided her next attack as the dagger shot toward his throat. They broke apart briefly before she lunged again with her sword, which shone silver.
If there are elves here, do they live here? Or is there a portal? he wondered unsure.
As she struck, he used fire from his hand to blind her momentarily, seizing the opportunity to attack. But she was already gone, leaping high into the air and landing with inhuman grace despite the slick surface of the maze.
"Elves are truly too perfect," Tobi muttered under his breath.
She pressed forward, aiming for his shoulder. He barely managed to block her relentless strikes. Every time her sword came down, her dagger followed, leaving him no room to counter her at all. He stumbled back, narrowly avoiding a killing blow, then rolled aside just as her sword slammed into the ground. Rising quickly, he retaliated, aiming for her head.
She parried with her dagger, then wrenched her sword free to swing at his torso. The blade connected, but his robe absorbed most of the force. Still, the impact hurt with a deep, bruising pain rather than a piercing wound. He held firm as she went for his heel.
He stepped on her blade.
She drove her dagger toward his throat.
He tilted his head slightly, letting the blade graze his mask. Then, in a single, clean motion, he grabbed her wrist and swung with his other hand and decapitated her head.
"It is unfortunate you died. I'm sure you were much stronger in life. May you find peace in the beyond," he murmured, watching as her corpse ignited in his flames.
He stood there a moment, pondering.
An elf. Here.
Did they live in this tree? Had they built this maze? It would explain the architecture, yet something didn't quite add up. He had no recollection of elves being here, though perhaps that was simply because of his cloudy memory.
With no answers, he simply continued forward; he needed to find a place to rest for he was exhausted and still had no idea what creature lay beyond in the mirrors.