Eryka

Fuhua's dark, hunched form disappeared into the skyreachers, and Eryka took a deep breath, her lungs aching, before she turned around.

"Alethea..." she whispered. "You do realize he can run away whenever he wants to, and either get caught or snitch on me?"

She didn't answer, but she could feel the goddess's thrum in her veins. The buzzing wasn't there before she arrived at the Spring—was it a reminder to complete the trial?

I can give you hints. That fellow of yours will have to go on his own—you're one of royal blood, and this requires more strategy than skill with a blade, Alethea said. Eryka jolted and the thrum in her skin picked up speed.

Relax, Eryka! she laughed. Don't be so scared. I won't stay inside your head forever.

Good. Eryka smiled as she faced the sun and started walking. Having a goddess in her head could prove useful.

There will be docks at the east end of Esmuig. You can grab a boat and set sail, and you'll soon come upon the Roundabout, Alethea continued. Will you fail me, Daughter of the King?

What kind of a question is that? Eryka asked back. I'll be ready even if Altos goes up in flames.

♦

Eryka had plenty of experiences being a public figure but still being able to hide in plain sight. The people of Esmuig now know her royal face and her commoner face—which was something she wasn't used to. Everyone in town was rushing along with panicked looks on their faces, and knights were marching in the streets. The news of their attack finally reached the public.

She glanced away from the opening in the shrubbery and stood before walking again. Her feet never stepped beyond the border of the skyreachers and no one in the sand-forests spotted her moving towards the docks. Everything was going as planned.

Great job, Eryka. We're about five minutes away from the docks, Alethea congratulated.

Twigs cracked in the distance. Eryka's head shot up to reveal a skinny farmhand with a nine-tailed cat whip clenched in a hand.

Her fingers itched to snap out her war fans, but she stayed perfectly still. It was no use trying to melt back into the undergrowth as the boy called out, "Who are you? Are you lost?"

"I don't want to hurt you," she called back while she strapped on her nose and mouth flap. It wasn't much of a disguise, but it could be another step away from being sent back to the palace. "I won't hurt you. I want to help." The boy quickly hid the whip behind his back but it was no use.

She grimaced as she chanced a step forward. "We all hurt and help at some point." With that, her war fans sprang into action as she ducked and swept his feet out from under him. The farmhand gasped as his back slammed into the ground, but Eryka was already running as fast as she could.

That was a risky move. He wasn't dangerous, Alethea objected.

It would be risky letting him go back without a scratch, she shot back. It was true, even though all her weapon-handling time was geared towards not killing. She didn't hurt him, not really, but she refused to walk away without getting a head start.

No one else stumbled upon her in the woods, and eventually she reached the docks. The flap of her robes would do nothing to disguise her in the throng of people. Someone was bound to discover her.

She dunked her hair in a water barrel and smeared her face with sand. The nights were too cold to rip up her robes, so it would have to do.

She pushed away some branches and walked into the docks. Big, boxy ships bobbed in the water while canoes and small boats lingered not too far away. Women weaved through the crowds cradling baskets while men argued prices and hollered to one another from separate ends of the docks.

A modest craft will do, dear, I don't think you can charm an entire crew into rowing one of those armored ships for you, Alethea suggested. Eryka's lips pinched together as she fought to not rise up to the challenge. She was right, after all, she wasn't that good.

A scruffy-looking man with a hat pulled low over his eyes snoozed next to a canoe. She pasted on a bright smile before threading through the parade and shaking his shoulder.

His hand flew up and gripped her wrist while eyes flashed from under his sailing hat. Once he realized it was just a disheveled-looking girl, he sighed and released her arm. "Sorry, lassie. You shouldn't sneak up on someone while they're sleeping. Rude, that is," he grunted. His voice was like barnacles being scraped off from the bottom of a boat.

Eryka clasped her hands behind her back and tried to make her smile shine like the sun. You'll look like someone's peeling your lips off, Alethea chided.

Come back to me when you make yourself useful, she thought as she said, "Sir, I need to go to the River Roundabout. Would you so terribly mind taking me there?"

The sailor lurched up and almost kicked her in the leg. "The River Roundabout? The one that Gerd went to and threw a coin in so Afonso would love her? That place is cursed, I tell you! Ask any sailor in the harbor and they'll say the same thing."

"Are you any sailor?" Eryka asked, her voice honey-sweet.

"'Course not, my grace, I'm the captain of the Cometwave!" the sailor boasted with his chest proudly puffed out. "Sails as fast as a comet flies! That's what I say, anyway. Catchy, eh?" He grinned at her with a mouth full of yellow and missing teeth.

"Yes, yes! Quite catchy," Eryka assured him. "So, captain of the Cometwave, will you show your bravery and sail me to the Roundabout?"

The sailor studied her, clouded gray eyes sweeping her up and down, before he said, "I'll take you to the River Roundabout, but only if you pay."

Eryka bit her lip as her hand drifted to her neck. Everyone carried a pouch around their neck holding all their coins, but her embroidered one lay abandoned in her room at the palace.

"I don't have any money," she said. "Can I give you anything else?"

"A sailor's greatest love is gold and treasure," he growled. "Give me something that shines or the deal's off."

Her hand drifted to her pocket. The silver watch that showed the sun and its journey across the sky. Before she could think twice, she whipped it out and slapped it into his hand.

"There you go. Silver, gleaming, and polished." This sailor was so arrogant and cocky, and not to mention a cheapskate going around demanding money for travel in a filthy little raft like his. Eryka almost spit on his black leather boots, but she settled for a smile full of deadly poison. He grinned as his grubby fingers curled around the watch. I'm sorry. She blinked back the tears that threatened to spill.

"Well, hop on in, lassie. I can't go around tellin' you how fast my boat is without givin' you a firsthand experience!"

She clenched her hands to keep from strangling him as she settled into the rocking boat. The sailor climbed in behind her and the boat shook wildly as he squirmed and readjusted himself. He hefted the oar into his hands and began rowing. The water splashed as his oar dipped in and out, and the wind tousling her hair was cold and relaxing in the heat. Her heart was still thudding in her chest after handing over the watch, though, and her fingernails were digging into her palms.

Relax. It's just a watch, she told herself, but tears still pushed at her eyes.

"Don't worry, it's normal for the wind to sting!" the sailor called, mistaking the reason for why she was wiping her eyes. "Just sit back and enjoy the ride!"

How can I enjoy this? I just traded the watch for a boat ride to retrieve a coin. A coin! She sniffled and wiped her eyes again.

Eryka. Alethea's voice was cold and distant. Stop blubbering over a timepiece. If you want my help, you have to make sacrifices and go through with this.

The goddess's voice was like a fly, buzzing and annoying. She couldn't slap away the goddess, but in that moment she wanted to so badly. She refused to answer and tipped her head back so the sun glared in her eyes. When she closed them, starbursts of light exploded and fizzled away.

If only she could stop dealing with her problems like she could stop seeing the sun.

The captain didn't talk to her after that, and she didn't talk to him either. It wasn't his fault she gave the watch to him, but Alethea forgive her, her flesh burned with hatred for the man. He was probably going to sell it, and her prized timepiece would pass hands like a game of cards.

Eventually, the canoe bumped into land, and she opened one eye to see the captain offering his hand to her. "We're here, at the River Roundabout," he said with a grim smile. "You sure you don't wanna go back? I'll give you back your watch."

She rose and stepped out of the boat without his hand. "Keep it. Can you come back for me in an hour?" she asked.

He climbed back into the boat and sat down. "'Course, lassie. I hope you accomplish whatever you're doing." He gave her a soft smile, one that grandparents give to their grandchildren, and her heart started to melt. She looked away and focused her gaze on the island as the sailor rowed away.

Do you know the legend about the River Roundabout? Alethea asked as she marched through the wild undergrowth.

Of course Eryka knew. A girl in Esmuig named Gerd lived a life on the streets, all alone and fending for herself. One day, she saw a noble who lived in the castle, and she was drawn to him. He was important while she was a throwaway, a mistake, so she knew she could never approach him. She spied on him whenever he was out in her town, and by the day she fell more and more in love with him. Unbeknownst to her, the noble Afonso knew she was watching and was drawn to her the way she was to him.

While Gerd was begging for coins on the sidewalk, Afonso came up to her and deposited a single gold coin. She was so happy and grateful that she stole a boat and sailed all the way to the River Roundabout and buried it. Back then the Roundabout was a place for wishing, wishing for something you wanted more than anything else in the world. She wished for Afonso to love her and buried her coin along with all the others. However, Casimiro, the god of death, hated Afonso's dead grandfather. His grandfather invented a new medicine that defeated a fatal disease and therefore extended life, so Casimiro didn't like that very much.

Casimiro visited Sesen, the goddess of wishes, and struck a deal with her. "If you corrupt this girl's wish," he said, "then I'll allow one person in the entire world to have all their wishes come true."

Sesen accepted, but she had her own tricks up her sleeve. She made Afonso's wishes all come true, and one of them was for Gerd to love him and for them to be together. However, Sesen's cleverness wasn't enough. While Gerd sailed back, an army of her dead ancestors sprung up from the island. They fought the tide and swam after her in the sea. Gerd sailed on back to the docks of Esmuig, the one wish burning fiercely in her heart. She left the boat in the docks and she sprinted as fast as she could to Afonso's castle, the skeletons of her dead ancestors chasing after her. She made it to the drawbridge before they caught up to her. Afonso heard the commotion and tried to reach her, but it was too late. The hate of her ancestors about their love was too strong, and they killed Gerd. In his despair, he drowned himself in the moat surrounding his castle, and he reunited with Gerd in Casimiro's realm. They spent every day in the afterlife together, freely loving each other without boundaries, but legend says they constantly run and hide from Casimiro's prying eyes.

Now the River Roundabout, once a place for wishes to come true, is a cursed island. The coins used to wish were probably still buried in the ground. No thief would dare come to this island—they were scared and flighty enough.

Why do you want Gerd's coin, anyway? Eryka asked Alethea.

She was true to what she wanted. She died for her love, she answered.

Eryka rubbed her shoulders and shivered. Her skin prickled like eyes were watching her. She flicked out her war fans and crept along the island, her breaths heavy in her ears.

"I can't fight a saola, I had to go get a coin that a poor girl buried," she muttered.

The leaves whispered against each other. It sounded so much like voices that Eryka kept glancing over her shoulder, but nobody was there. She came up to a stream with a raft bobbing in the water, and Alethea whispered, This is where you need to go.

She stepped onto the raft and the wind caught in the sail. It swam along peacefully, with birds singing and the water rushing. The stream wove downhill until the raft bumped against a stone wall set into the ground.

TAKE THE BOOK, SOLVE THE RIDDLE, AND NAVIGATE THE BLACK WATERS was inscribed on the stone wall. She shivered as her fingers touched the ice-cold cover of the book. The spine cracked as she opened to the first page.

The book guides you, Alethea explained.

Wow, Eryka could've never guessed that. She rolled her eyes and muttered, "Now, how does the stone wall open?"

Read the book.

"Great advice. I see why you're the goddess of truth," she whispered as her eyes traveled down the page.

To get past the stone barrier, you must simply wish it aside. The River Roundabout was once known for being the place that grants wishes, so to get past the first obstacle you must stay true to its origins.

How silly of her, not to think of wishing a hunk of stone aside! It would never work. She exhaled as she said, "I wish for the stone wall to move."

A rumbling in the ground sent the raft rocking and Eryka stumbling. The stone wall sunk into the dirt with an ear-piercing screech. She sighed and stared into the gloomy blackness. A thick branch rested against the inside of the dungeon, and after picking it up she struck it against the wall. The tip burst into flame and she walked into the darkness.

You didn't even have to read the book for that one, Alethea commented.

Maybe having you in my head isn't so good after all, she just as nonchalantly suggested.

The reader will walk forward with the torch until they come upon an intersection. One path is full of traps while the other holds a man who is cursed to stay forever in this island to right his wrongs, she read. Sure enough, when she glanced up from the book a V greeted her. Both paths led into darkness.

Who was the man? Well, if she chose a particular path she would find out. She swept the torch left and right, desperately trying to peer into each path. When her eyes were still blind to what was ahead, she sighed and took the right path.

A man's voice drifted to her as she walked. "I didn't have a choice... He was coming at me, a crazy look in his eye... it wasn't my fault, I swear!"

She must've gotten the cursed man. Would that be easier or harder than traps? Eryka flipped her still-drying hair and attempted to wipe the sand off her face. She would need to apply more on before riding back with the canoe captain, but for now why not look good in front of the man she had to do... well, what did she have to do? The book didn't say.

The torch illuminated a circular chamber with glass on the ceiling. Since they were underground, though, the glass was blocked with earth. She could really appreciate some sunlight right now. As she walked forward, a skinny man stared up at her. Wrinkled skin hung off his face, and he had a tortured look in his eyes.

"Maeven... Please, I'm sorry..." he whispered and covered his eyes. Tears dripped off his fingers.

An idea flashed into her head. "It's okay, my friend," she said as she reached out for him. When he flinched, she drew her hand back. "I've forgiven you for what you've done to me. Stop tormenting yourself and find a way out of here."

"But, Ven, I'm cursed to this island! They won't let me go!" he wailed.

He will hurt you. He's slowly going mad, Alethea said, her words choked as if she forced them through tears. Poor boy.

Eryka snapped out her war fans. "Do you want to be free?" she asked him in a whisper.

"Yes, please, Ven! Please save me!" he screamed.

She never killed anyone before. She never watched the eyes of a person dim without the light of life, never watched a body thud to the ground by her hand. Is it easier if the person wants you to kill them? If it will be better for them to die than to keep on living?

She had no idea, and she didn't want to find out. "Friend, how do you get out of here?"

He curled up on the ground without looking at her. "Don't end up like me, Ven... I'm supposed to be a guardian, my blood the key to unlocking the chamber, but I can barely stand up to my enemies..." He continued crying silently, great waterfalls of tears flowing down his face.

Eryka bit her lip and helped the man stand. She steadied him as she flicked open her fan. He stared into her eyes with the truth shining through. He was seeing clearly, and that meant he knew she was not Maeven, but a wanderer coming to seek Gerd's gold coin.

"You have done the crown a great service, mi servicile," she whispered, and she closed her eyes before plunging the spokes of her fan into the man's heart. He gasped before he fell to the floor. Her fan spokes were slicked in blood, and she fought not to retch as his blood seeped over the floor. She knelt and shut the man's eyes. He didn't deserve to be enslaved in this chamber, going mad and never glimpsing the sun.

She pushed the tears back with a hand as an engraved circle in the middle rumbled and gave way. It fell with a clatter and she peeked inside the hole. Darkness greeted her—she couldn't even tell how long the drop was.

Well, his blood certainly unlocked the next room, she thought grimly. Already the way his body fell, all fight gone like the blood running down his shirt repeated itself over and over in her mind. As she lowered herself into the hole, the tears she held came seeping out. Stop crying. You gave him a better end, she told herself, but still the salty tears ran down her cheeks and on her lips.

Eryka didn't fall long. She was suspended in the air for only a few moments before her feet hit the ground, and she almost staggered over from the impact. She cursed to herself before plucking the book out from her robes pocket and held the torch close to the pages, but not close enough to catch fire.

After you accomplish the task, you will fall into a long corridor. Many entrances await you. You must go through all of them and collect the items you find at the end.

Sure enough, when Eryka rose her torch many gaping holes in the dirt loomed above her. The shadows that mirrored the crackling of the flames flickered against the ceiling. She sighed, a long sigh that carried her distress across the corridor.

Anyway, I've been meaning to ask—why are you here if I have the book to guide me? she sourly asked Alethea.

I'm here in case you need a little extra help, and I admit I am curious to see the princess of Altos in such high-risk action. Alethea's voice was light and amused, as if she was watching a game instead of a girl solving puzzles in order to get a gold coin.

Of course it was for entertainment purposes. She rolled her eyes and dragged her feet to the nearest hole. The man's eyes, unfocused and dark with the shadows of death...

She didn't even know his name. She knew the name of his friend, Maeven, who was also dead.

As soon as she entered the room, torches lit on the sticks attached to the walls all the way to the end. An elegantly painted box waited at the far end, but her eyes snapped away as tall piles of mud and dirt turned towards her.

"Sho'na la kees a," they rumbled as one. Eryka's legs were made of paper while her hands felt as clumsy and heavy as metal. She lifted her fans, but the earth creatures were in no mood to rush. They slowly moved towards her and churned the ground beneath them up into dust.

Okay, okay. These things weren't human. They were piles of dirt, for Alethea's sake. They didn't have lives or feelings like people did. She took a deep breath and hurled a fan at one of the earth creatures.

It rumbled as the fan embedded itself into its chest, but it was slowly sucked inside as the gash knitted back up.

"Are you serious?" she yelled so loud that her voice echoed. She lost a fan to a pile of rocks! She sprinted towards the monster that chewed up her fan like a piece of skyreacher bark and slashed it multiple times before leaping back.

All of her cuts healed back without a trace. Were these things invincible? Were they only defeated by magic?

"Give me my fan back or I'll slaughter you!" she screamed while her tears kept falling. Each time she tried to collect her composure it crumbled back into ash. Why did people have to die? Why was taking a life so easy?

Take it slow. Think about the ground and these creatures. How are they connected? Alethea urged her.

They were made of the same thing, that much was obvious. But, wait...

The other half of the room had a wooden floor. If she could just draw them over to the wooden side, would they not draw up the earth to regenerate?

Eryka tore past the creatures and hit the ground. She rolled over to the wooden floor and pushed herself up, her blood racing in her veins. "Come get me! Or are you just gonna eat up my fan, you idiot?" she shouted.

They turned and slowly churned towards her. She waited and waited, her breath caught in her lungs, until one finally climbed onto the wooden floor. She spun and lashed out her arm, and her fan cut right through the creature's middle. It rumbled before blowing away into dust.

Another stepped onto the wooden floor, and she crouched and jumped. She kicked the monster and swung her fan down. The spokes buried themselves in its head, and it roared before disintegrating like its companion.

Two fell upon her at once, and she snatched her fan from the air before she spun in a circle and threw her fan like a disk. It cut right through the creatures and she caught it again. They too fell into piles of dust, and her second fan clattered to the ground. Eryka breathed out finally and dropped to the ground. She inspected her fan and groaned when some of the spokes were broken and jagged.

"Rocks," she muttered. She craned her head over her shoulder to gaze at the painted box. It seemed to glow with a type of energy, begging her to open and discover the item inside.

"Can't I come back and do this tomorrow?" she complained. Her bones ached, and her fingers cramped whenever she flexed them. For all her training, Eryka never prepared to be in combat for this long. To be fair, she never prepared herself to fight lifelike piles of dirt and rocks, either.

No, child. Open the box, Alethea ordered.

She crawled to the box and shoved the lid off. She rummaged her hand inside before lifting up a pair of goggles. "What are these for?"

Try them on, Eryka, the goddess coaxed.

She strapped on the goggles and glanced around. Red shapes moved off in the distance. "What do the red things mean?" she asked aloud.

The goggles indicate nearby monsters. The creatures you see in here used to be kind, with magic flowing along with blood in their veins. When the Thieving Witch took the magic, the creatures fought and didn't allow her to take it from them. She grew frustrated and instead turned the magic to evil, so now they kill anyone that's not their kind.

She pushed herself to her feet and went back out into the corridor. The witch even affected foreign creatures. Did her greedy hands never close around the things she wanted?

She braced herself as she stepped in the next room. No monsters greeted her this time. Instead, it was just a maze.

A maze. Paths with too many turns were bad luck in her country. There were too many choices, so that increased your chance of choosing wrong. That's why the village paths only had one or two turns, because too many options were frowned upon. Some argued that it was lack of freedom, but those were the ones who had no religious belief. They deserved to rot in the kingdoms' prisons.

Immediately Eryka recoiled and tried to back up, but the gap in the wall closed and trapped her in. She spun around and tried to punch through the rock, but as soon as her fist met the closed gap she hissed and winced. Her knuckles seared with pain and beads of blood appeared on her fingers.

Great, now she was injured.

She glanced back at the maze, torches once again lighting around the whole room. Something's at the end of here that I need, she reasoned with herself, and without rethinking she plunged in.

Mossy walls rose around her. Eryka wrapped her arms around herself and tried to breathe in and out for counts of five. Five was a good number. Five was the number of points a star had, and she gazed up at the stars each time she went to bed, and going to bed meant sleep and sleep meant escape from pain and sadness—

Get a grip, girl! Stop spiraling and stay straight! Alethea commanded a little shakily.

Eryka rubbed her eyes and begged her heart to slow down. It was just a maze, after all. She shouldn't feel so trapped in a path surrounded by leafage. She tipped her chin up, the way she always did during a counsel or when she was being paraded out in public with her parents, and wove through the passageways like an elkey leaping up a tree.

The book never gave specific advice for each room. It just left off with the information about the items and cut right to when you were finished.

"Are you lost, honey?"

Eryka glanced over her shoulder quickly, and she raised her hands when she found a woman smiling at her. She had green skin and pretty blue hair that floated around her waist. She appeared to be forming out of the wall of the maze, half of her arm still caught in the leaves and branches. She was outlined in bright red thanks to the goggles.

The woman giggled and bowed as soon as she was fully formed. "Hello, my darling! My name is Luelle. I live in this maze—in fact, I created it."

"You obviously don't know Esmuig, or any kingdom that reigns in Desiertoes," she replied dryly.

Luelle ignored the comment and flashed an even brighter smile. "I love deals, don't you? Especially one with a little..." She pursed her perfect, pink, bow lips and tipped her head to the side while she searched for the right word. "...zing to it."

"It depends on the deal, leaf lady," she said.

"Ah! A smart one! Very good, very good indeed. Some intruders just say yes immediately. No good, I say! Be more cautious, I say! But alas, they never listen," Luelle sighed while she fluttered her lashes. Eryka clenched her fists to refrain from hitting the woman.

"So, what's the deal?" the princess asked.

Suddenly, Luelle flipped a knife into her hand. "I cut off a hand, and I'll take you to the treasure at the end of this maze. What do you say?" she asked with a manic smile spreading across her angled face.

Eryka flipped her own war fans into her hands and returned a sweet grin. "Why don't I just cut off yours?"

Luelle shook her head and arced her hand. "No negotiating! It's a one-and-done deal!"

She dodged out of the knife's way and slashed the metal spokes at her. Luelle landed a perfect backflip and spun when she was back on her feet.

"Hey, greenie, this isn't dance class," she barked at her as she ducked another attack and slashed.

"Maybe not just dance class, my dear princess of Altos." Luelle beamed at Eryka's stunned look. "Yes, I know who you are, my darling! Now, why don't you take off this infuriating goggles so I can get a good look at you." When Eryka didn't move, she clucked her tongue, bent down, and plucked the goggles off her face. "That's better. What's the point, honey, when I'm standing right in front of you?"

"I don't know if you have minions to take over your dirty work if you fail," she retorted as she spun a fan towards Luelle's kneecap. She missed, but it still hit her shin, and the wood nymph seethed before she revealed an emeici. She dove at Eryka and attempted to stab her with the iron arrow, but she kept deflecting with her metal fan.

"Is that all you got?" she snarled.

Luelle showed that crazy smile again. "Not quite." Suddenly, the pressure of her emeici was gone, and she staggered back. The woman was nowhere to be seen, but her voice floated around like she was standing right in front of her. The princess glanced around and walked in a circle, her ears tuned for her annoying singsong voice. "You see, I am one with nature, and nature is one with me. As long as I am here, you cannot beat me. Do you wish to surrender your limb now so you can get what you want and leave?"

"Never," she answered simply. "I don't want to think of the things you'll do with my hand."

Suddenly, a glint of blue hair flashed in Eryka's peripheral, but before she could react her face collided with the ground. Luelle's musical laugh tinkled in the maze, and she spat out dirt before steadying herself with her hands.

"Brave little Eryka, heir to the throne," the nymph sang as she approached her. "Will the king and queen miss you? Will they demand for that foreigner boy you're traveling with and cut off his head?"

The mention of Fuhua sent her to her feet. "You don't know him. You don't know my parents. You don't know me," she spat as she clanged blades with the woman.

She feinted to the left but slashed on her right, but Luelle only deflected her fan with the knife and spun away, a maddening laugh bubbling from her lips. Eryka growled like a thylacine before lunging forward.

She smacked Luelle's emeici out of her hand with one fan while plunging the other through her stomach. The shock registered in the nymph's eyes before she pulled her fan out and she collapsed.

When she walked past, she raised her foot to kick the nymph, but then firmly placed it back on the ground. She wouldn't close her eyes and mourn her like she did the cursed boy, but kicking a corpse wasn't necessary or polite. She would turn in her grave if Luelle killed her and then kicked her body. Eryka closed her fans with a snap and continued through the maze after she picked up her goggles.

It took a while before she finally reached the end. There were no traps—she guessed Luelle was confident in her work. Another painted box, exactly the same as the first one, rested on the wooden floor.

"A cursed man, dirt monsters, and wood nymphs. What next?" she asked before she kicked open the box. She gasped as she lifted up the deer horn knives. Two metal crescents crossed each other to represent deer antlers, and they were very concealable. Between monster-seeing goggles and awesome weapons, this challenge would be over in no time.

Nicely done, Eryka, but maybe you could've killed Luelle a little less... snarky? Alethea suggested.

No way, she answered as she plunged back into the maze. She was a sarcastic little pika, so I was a sarcastic little pika too. She could almost hear the goddess's exasperated sigh as she navigated the maze once more.

Once she returned to the entrance, she slipped the deer horn knives under her sleeve, along with her fan, and relished the silence of the hall for a moment. Killing was no easy feat, especially on a pampered little droplet of water like her. Was this what the Assassin's Guild felt like? Nobody talking because they wanted to savor the quiet, because they believed it would save them from the clamor of their victims inside their minds?

No. Only cruel, heartless people joined the Assassin's Guild. She walked into the next room, her hands tucked inside her sleeves for preparation. When the torches ignited, shiny black water awaited her. It ran for only a few feet before a giant rock wall blocked the surface.

Living in a desert, Eryka never listened to the rush of water, or saw any lakes or streams. Today, though, she couldn't walk four feet without having to go across water. Her limbs ached at the thought of swimming. Do I have to take my weapons? I don't think I can swim with all my clothes on, she asked Alethea as heat seared across her cheeks. In Desiertoes, servants weren't allowed to dress and undress the royalty—seeing anyone's body was a very personal thing. Even though nobody was around, her skin crawled at the thought of leaving her robes and sandals behind.

Put on your goggles, she answered simply. She did as she was told and grimaced as a big smear of red roamed in the water. How could she fight a monster underwater?

Well, she would just have to dive in and find out the hard way. She took a deep breath and dipped her legs in, and then her whole body. Once her body was accustomed to the icy, breathtaking cold, she dunked her head under and swam under the rock ceiling.

The low ceiling continued, and her lungs almost immediately ached. This is ridiculous, she complained to herself. I'll surely drown before I fight any monster.

Something caught in her peripheral, and she turned to see large bubbles floating up all around her. The grass on the sand floor shook violently while the bubbles streamed everywhere. Eryka swam towards an air bubble, stuck her nose inside, and breathed in. The ache in her body lessened, and she sent thanks to the god of the sea and the goddess of the air before moving on.

She left her goggles behind along with her sandals, for fear of them sparking in the water. Actually, where did those goggles come from? They were too high-tech to be created in Desiertoes, so that meant either they were kept in that chest since magic was around, or the Knu-svits created them...

Yes, the Knu-svit mountain tribes were responsible for those goggles, Alethea said. Those goggles are the only ones still around, though. They require a little magic to make. Both of those are true—the monster-detecting goggles were a legend among the magicians, treasure no one could ever find. It was buried until someone found it and kept them in the River Roundabout, and of course you know the tale of Gerd and Afonso.

How much would those goggles be worth today? How many magic-hungry heathens would kill for such an item? Instead of literally anyone else, Eryka was the one who accepted the trial and found those goggles. They were lost for centuries, for millennia, and now... she had them.

She kept breathing in the air bubbles until a dark mass circled ahead. She wasn't close enough to see any of its features, but she could tell it was the monster she spotted earlier. She swam closer and unsheathed her new deer horn blades.

Those won't be any use here, nor your fans, the goddess added when Eryka moved to take out her war fans.

Well, underwater and weaponless, how could she kill the thing? Hopefully it wasn't as sassy as the wood nymph. She would stab herself if this creature smack-talked her like she was someone low, someone that wasn't the last heir to the throne of Altos.

She kicked her legs faster and spun her arms like cart wheels before she stopped. Air bubbles were still rising around the creature, but air wasn't the problem. The sea monster was so wrinkled, so ugly, she cringed so hard she was worried her spine would snap.

Its big, blank eyes bulged out of its oval head, and its blue-gray skin was so shriveled and wrinkled any weapon thrown at it would probably be stuck in the folds. Its tail swished back and forth, but it was shredded, torn, and holed like cheese. It was huge, long, and fat, and didn't appear to have claws or sharp teeth—she could swim right by and not experience any trouble.

At least Luelle was pretty to look at, she thought grimly. Suddenly, the ugly thing shot toward her like an arrow. She gasped in surprise before her instincts kicked in, and she shot herself down to the ocean floor. Without even hesitating, the thing whipped around and followed her.

As she kicked and maneuvered, forcing the monster to turn around and around, she tried to free her blades. If she could just aim at the eyes and throw correctly, she had a chance. When she swam upwards, she freed a fan, flicked it open, and took a quick glance before she threw. Eryka looked back and almost groaned at the sight of her fan slowly sinking to the floor, and the beast unhurt.

She missed. Her guess wasn't close enough.

She swam back down, but the creature wasn't fast enough to turn after her. It ran headfirst into the ceiling, and shards rained down as it bellowed in anger and agony. Her lips curled into a smile as the beast freed itself and once again began its chase. Now she could understand why Alethea warned her against her weapons. They weren't needed.

Rocks sunk to the bottom, but they weren't high enough to block her way. Eryka hugged the sandy walls of the passage and forced the monster to turn in the opposite direction every time she did. Once again, she shot towards the ceiling, and the creature broke into the rocks and got stuck This time, though, it wasn't as easily surprised. It roared and swung its tail all around, and she escaped too slowly. Its tail hit her and sent her flying, and she sunk to the bottom. Small cuts all along her side started to bleed and send red plumes into the water.

She popped her nose into a bubble and breathed heavily. She never swam before, and her technique was probably too taxing for her. The palace was too far from the ocean to go and swim there, so she never learned. What was the point, anyway, for the princess of the desert to learn?

If she went on a quest ordered by the goddess Alethea and half the dungeon was full of water, she thought wryly. The monster pulled itself out and was searching for her, but lying there, on the ocean floor, she wanted to sleep for a whole week...

The beast spotted her and charged. Its stomach was a few feet above the floor as it sped through the water. Eryka flung her arm up, deer horn knives in hand, and the blades raked its stomach as it misjudged the distance and swam right above her. It howled before tumbling to the side and fell until it hit the bottom.

She placed her hand over her chest, her heart hammering inside. Suddenly, the ceiling cracked, and boulders started falling and crashing everywhere. There was no time to pick up her fan that she dropped earlier—she turned in the direction she originally swam in and flailed her arms and legs. Behind her, rocks broke off and fell into the water, but she didn't look back as she desperately kept going, begging for fresh air, land, the end of this quest—

There, the shore! Sand sloped up into a hill, and the rock ceiling ended only about twenty yards ahead. Her arms churned faster, her legs cutting through the water, until finally she dragged herself out of the water and fought to steady her dizzy gaze in front of another painted box.

"Goggles, knives... What next, maybe some equipment so I can breathe underwater and fight at the same time?" she gasped. She pushed away the lid and peered inside the box. Metal armor greeted her: chestpiece, helmet, pants, the whole deal. It was made of symi, a liquid metal that could be cooled to turn into a light and flexible solid. Knights wore heavier armor, but for a simple training match or for any average person who wanted to be protected in a fight, symi armor was the most popular.

Will I have to fight something at the end of this? she asked as she took up the armor. Another entrance behind the box led her around the water and back to the hall with all of the possible rooms.

Maybe, Alethea answered (so helpfully, Eryka could plan out her attack step by step, if she needed an attack.) She collected her goggles and sandals before she stepped back out and fitted her armor on.

The last door seemed to laugh at her, a yawning mouth waiting to swallow her up and condemn her soul here. She gulped before forcing herself through.

The torches lit once again, but they didn't stay on the walls. The flames leaped off the sticks and slithered to the center of the room, and they stacked and molded together before a man made entirely out of flame raised his arms in welcome. "Friend, friend! Come and rest your weary bones! You must be tired of all the battles you went through!" he called, his voice like warm honey.

Eryka almost jumped into his arms, almost asked him to lead her to where she could rest, but she dug her heels into the ground. "I know who you are," she whispered.

He bowed with a grin full of flickering fire. "Ignatius, at your service."

She stepped back, goosebumps popping on her arms despite the fire man's heat. Ignatius was one of the most manipulative people in legends. He specialized in lying, cheating, stealing; all of the stories that involved him always came with the message to never be like him, never do the things he did. He wasn't involved with Gerd's story, so why was he here?

Ignatius's most famous story was the one where he tricked a girl named Anahita. Anahita was beautiful, kind, and loved by her village. Ignatius was currently running away from Casimiro, the deathbringer, who wanted to extinguish all light from the world and was after him for being a boy of fire. He disguised his true fiery form and passed off being a normal guy. Anahita saw him passing by in the street one day, and they were instantly attracted towards each other. She asked him to meet her by the water, which he did. The girl loved the water, and the pond by her house was her favorite place to go.

As you can imagine, Ignatius was uneasy as soon as he arrived. He promised Anahita anything she wanted—as long as they didn't go near any water. She was upset, but since she was so drawn to him she agreed. They met every day for weeks, but as each day passed Ignatius became crueler to her. She cried every time they met, asked him why he was so rude when she gave up her favorite place to be with him.

He revealed his true form, and Anahita was horrified. She stood there in shock while he burned her with a single gust of flame, laughing at her screams. The village learned of her death and searched for Ignatius, but he was nowhere to be found, long gone. Ignatius never loved her. He found her to be pretty but grew tired of her because the light that made her so attractive dimmed, not spurred on by her joy of the water.

Immediately, Eryka drew out her deer horn knives. "Why are you here? You and Gerd don't have anything to do with each other!"

He tipped his head. "Did we?" he mused. "I don't know what they said about me. Why, I did so many things, it must be hard for you mortals to keep track." He smiled and did a twirl, like he was showing off all his deeds in the flames that made up his body. "Poor Gerd loved fire. It kept her warm, cooked her meals, but both of those things were hard to come by. You should hear what she whispered to the flames. We were best friends, and I kept all her secrets." He laughed, a long and deep sound that made her shiver.

"You're not friends with anybody. You manipulate every person you see for your own gain!" she accused.

"True, true, Princess Eryka." She didn't even flinch as he said her name. She was done being surprised for a lifetime. "I don't think my charm will work on you, though, will it?"

She raised her blades and smirked. "Don't bother trying."

Ignatius pouted. "Aw, bringing out the sharp stuff so soon? You're all action and no talk."

She began to pace around him, but the demigod didn't make a move. "Around these parts that's very effective," she said, and then she lunged.

He didn't even turn around as he caught her wrist. She bit back a scream as her flesh sizzled and he laughed heartily. "Do you not understand? I am a demigod, I am immortal, and you wish to fight me? How foolish are you?"

Eryka stabbed her knife into his back, but the metal only grew red-hot and heat crept steadily towards her hand. She dropped the weapon and stumbled when Ignatius let her go.

She collapsed to her knees and fought back the tears when she saw her hand. Around her wrist her skin was black and charred, and pain struck like lightning bolts all up her arm. Now she had to fight with her left hand, which would be a bit more difficult.

"You see, girl, I have no weakness! That armor will just work against you, and it doesn't even cover your hands." He clucked his tongue, bent down, and lifted her chin up. Now only pleasant heat emanated from his fingertips instead of burning pain.

"I... I can defeat you," she hissed out through clenched teeth. His smile widened, and he stepped back with a flourish. She hoisted herself up to her feet and clenched her hand into a fist. Everyone has a weakness.

But what was his? Fire could be defeated by water, but there was no water here...

Not in this room, but in the other one... If she could just draw him into the river... but how?

Well, first she had to get in the other room, and that was easy enough.

She grabbed her weapon and backed up. "Where are you going, dear princess? You aren't running away, are you?" Ignatius called gleefully, the flames making up his body flaring in delight. He bounced after her as she stumbled into the wall. She groped for an exit behind her, but he was still drawing nearer and nearer, that wicked smile still on his face.

There! She dashed back into the main corridor and rolled when the demigod lunged for her. She sprang back to her feet and almost sighed when the river rushed next to her.

Ignatius groaned when he saw the river. "I persuaded a pretty girl to give up the water for me, and now I'm back here again," he grumbled. "Ah, I remember the days when Casimiro sent every fiend he had after—"

Eryka screamed when she hacked at him again. He only clucked his tongue condescendingly and plucked the knife out of the air. "You really need some practice," he said but gasped when he narrowly dodged her other knives. He grinned as he brushed ash that used to be dirt off of his clothes. "Now, that's more like it."