Weiss stood at the mouth of the cavern, and glanced up at the sky.
It was probably the last time she'd ever see it.
"Your sacrifice today will not be forgotten!" bellowed a man behind her. "You sacrifice, for your family, for your people, will be remembered for the coming decades!
"Today, you join the ranks of those noble heroes who sacrificed themselves for the greater good!"
Weiss rolled her eyes. No one saw it, her back was turned to the mob behind her.
They talked of 'her' sacrifice like she had made any choice at all.
The city's bishop continued to shout and play to the crowd. Despite the strength of his voice, Weiss found herself tuning it out.
Slowly, she rolled a black marble back and forth in her hand.
To the north of the city Weiss called home, along a snow capped mountain, lied the entrance to the underground labyrinth. Nobody who ever went in came back out.
But every year, a sacrifice was needed. Somebody had to enter.
Somebody had to die.
It was decided the most fair way to do this was with a lottery. Every man and woman in her town drew a marble from a box.
If you drew white. You lived.
If you drew black...
"The time has come..." the bishop said. "For this, brave, brave young woman to say her final goodbye's to her family. One sister, and one father."
Weiss took a deep breath, put on a brave face, and turned around.
Her older sister hugged her immediately. She leaned close to Weiss's ear, and whispered, "Don't give up."
Weiss nearly laughed at that remark.
Instead she just nodded.
Her father approached next, holding a leather cloth wrapped around numerous flowers. Wordlessly, he handed the rather large bundle to Weiss.
The bishop approached immediately. "Mr. Schnee... sir? You don't mean for her to take those-"
"They're just flowers," her father said quietly. "She always loved this kind. Surely she should carry some comfort with her, yes?"
The bishop seemed hesitant, before slowly nodding. "Yes, I suppose... that's... fine."
Weiss eyed the bundle oddly.
"Do the Schnee name proud." Weiss studied her father's face. It lacked any sign of emotion.
Stiffly, Weiss turned back toward the entrance to the labyrinth.
It didn't look much different than any old cave.
Two heavily armored guards stood in front of it.
The bishop approached her side, and handed Weiss a single lit candle. Its wick was painfully short. She wouldn't have more than half an hour's worth of light.
Weiss wordlessly accepted it, and walked forward.
The guards parted as she passed.
"Go forth, brave Weiss! And know that your humble sacrifice is for the betterment and protection of your people!"
Slowly, the mouth of the cave drew closer. Her eyes strained against the wall of blackness ahead of her.
She saw nothing beyond it.
The bishop continued his prattle as she went, his boisterous voice growing fainter and fainter with every step she took.
As she entered the cavern, Weiss instinctively held the candle out in front of her. The sunlight streaming in behind her slowly faded.
After a few moments, when Weiss was certain she was out of sight, she stopped.
She looked down at the bundled flowers in her hands.
This is my father's final gift to me?
Flowers.
Anger flooded Weiss's body as she threw the bundle against the cavern's stone wall.
The metallic ring it made gave Weiss pause.
She approached the bundle slowly.
Peeking out from under the leather wrappings was a glint of silver.
Is that...?
Weiss crouched down, and pulled the leather away.
Myrtenaster!
Her custom made rapier. Weiss tore the blade free from its floral concealment.
Her father had given her a weapon.
He could have really gotten into trouble for this...
The sacrifice wasn't allowed to bring anything that could prolong their own survival. Whether that be food or water, or a weapon.
Weiss dug through the bundle, tossing flowers aside as she went. There was more hidden inside.
A torch, which she immediately transferred her candle's flame to.
Some basic rations, which wouldn't last more than a few days.
And a canteen of water, which probably wouldn't even last one.
Weiss didn't know what would happen next. She couldn't go back the way she came, but she didn't know what was ahead of her.
No one left the labyrinth alive. And she couldn't have been the first person to ever smuggle a weapon in.
Her sister's words echoed in her mind.
'Don't give up.'
False hope? A distinct possibility.
But, if there was even a chance...
Sword held firm in her left hand, torch held high in the right, Weiss strode boldly forward.
Her eyes held a steely gaze, as her heels clicked against the hard stone floor.
Weiss kept her chin up, an air of superiority hovering about her.
Her confidence vanished the moment she came upon a door.
It was ancient. The door was built from thick, carved stone. A large metal ring was affixed to the front of it.
Taking in a shaky breath, Weiss crept forward.
She put the torch down, and reached out.
Her fingers weakly grabbed at the cold metal.
This is it. Point of no return.
Weiss briefly glanced back toward the entrance of the cave.
As if I really had the option of going back.
She pulled.
Her body strained to drag the stone door open, inch by inch. The sound of stone grinding across stone filled the cavern.
She kept her sword at the ready, waiting for something to leap out at her.
But, nothing ever did.
The door completely open, Weiss quietly picked up her torch and passed through.
She was no longer inside a cavern. She stood within a stone passage.
The hall was no less dark than the cavern she had just exited.
Deep within the passage, Weiss faintly heard something clicking.
She crept forward.
It sounded metallic, like a piece of moving machinery.
She squinted against the darkness.
Halfway down the hall, a length of chain stretching from a hole in the ceiling, to a hole in the floor was moving by.
Some unseen mechanism pulled the chain into the ceiling, link by link.
Beyond the chain, stood a massive stone gate. Far too big for Weiss to possibly open by hand.
And then, the clicking stopped. The chain ceased its movement.
And then reversed its course. Rapidly.
Some unseen force dragged the chain into the floor in a blur of motion.
Weiss's eyes widened, as something slammed behind her.
She ran back to the door, and found that it had shut. There was no ring or handle on her side.
Weiss rammed her shoulder against the door, pressing with all her might. She couldn't get it to budge an inch.
Huffing in frustration, Weiss returned to the massive gate.
It stood wide open.
"Some kind of trap?" Weiss approached the gate.
She really couldn't go back now.
Weiss had to move forward, deeper into the labyrinth.
Off in the distance, deep within the dark halls, she heard noises.
Skittering.
Crawling.
Growling.
Weiss took a deep breath. "Don't give up." She took a shaky step forward. "Don't give up... don't give up..."