Great, fine, how hard could this really be, Cain looked out over the maze with mixed feelings. On one hand he was sure that he could do this and get glitch back, on the other he was still seriously annoyed and contemplating that this all being a dream and that if he closed his eyes he'd wake up in his bed his absent minded lover and everything would ok. Yet the chance that this was real and that he had thirteen hours to get to the castle was too great. Grunting Cain started down the hill, after pulling his hat into place firmly on his head.

The terrain was similar to the fields of the papay, dry, dusty and dead. Although the fields now, thanks to Dg's magic had started to make a recovery this place was certainly in need of her touch. Kicking up a small cloud as he descended Cain reached the bottom, and immediately pursed his lips in a sardonic grimace shaking his head. It was irony to be sure, and Cain coughed politely to alert the person in front of him whose back he was facing and was relieving himself in the small pool. The bedraggled, craggy faced munchkin almost spun around flashing Cain a full frontal, stopping just before and straightened himself out before squinting at Cain.

The munchkin came up to about Cain's sternum, which was bout average for a munchkin, he wore and odd assortment of mismatched, thread worn clothes. A loose puffy armed shirt under a vest, sturdy boots and a purse slung around his hips that sparkled when it peaked out from his shirt.

"Excuse he sir but I'm needing to find the entrance of this maze, I'd be much obliged if you could point out the door."

Grunting the little fellow waddled over to a metal spray can, dogging his steps Cain followed, hoping that he was being lead. He was annoyed to find that was not the case, instead he was distracted by the sounds of tiny gossamer wings and small little bugs that swarmed his face. Swatting them off Cain looked down at one that had fallen by his feet, an elf or more commonly a fairy was looking up at him with such a gentle look in her eyes that any other person would have been moved. Cain was not any other person, elves were a capricious lot not to be trusted, so he had no objections when the munchkin started chasing them down and spraying them with whatever was in the can. As they dropped he counted off

"57, 58,… what not going to raise a fuss and blather on about thinking fairies granted wish and were nice little things?"

"You obviously have a job and far be it from me to get in your way and say your horrible, now about..."

"I'm not horrible! I'm Hoggle!" the munchkin declared. It was clear he had a bit of a thing about his name and Cain did not press the point that he hadn't been calling him horrible.

"Right, now about the door into this labyrinth, do you know where it is?"

"Maybe. 59... 60!" Hoggle did little jump, still thrilled about his count and blatantly uninterested in supplying Cain with what he wanted to know.

"Well? Where is it? where's the door?" The irritation was creeping into his voice, and Cain attempted to calm himself. Demanding information was going to get him nowhere, and as an ex-tin man he had some, ok a lot of experience coaxing information out of people.

"Hmm? What door?"

"The door into the labyrinth! Am I asking you the wring question or something?"

"Well yea, you've got to ask things the right way to get answers here."

"Fine, how do I get into the labyrinth?" next recourse was to pull out his gun, palming the familiar weight of it at his side Cain waited to see if he'd done right?

"Ahh! Right there." Hoggle turned and gestured grandly behind him, a door that had not been there before, swung outward fog pouring out as the hinges creaked.

"Great, thanks for the help" eager to make up for lost time Cain stepped forward and into the labyrinth, not bothering answer Hoggle as ask him if him if really going in. of course he was going in, why else as for how and where the door was in the first place?

It was eerie inside, the stone walls must have been there for ages, moss grew and trees had started to over take the maze. It was nothing like Fen Aqua, even after years of neglect the entrance to Fen Aqua had been clear of debris and still looked absently cared for. Touching the wall Cain inspected the construction, concluding the area he was in now had been built after using most of the larger stones on the main area. Small stones piled in a loose formation, if he had a pick he could easily had knocked down a wall of two from the looks of it.

"Cozy isn't it?"

Cain's quick in take of breath was all that showed he had been surprised by Hoggle who no was laughing to himself. relaxing his arm from its automatic reach for his gun Cain eyed the pesky munchkin with ill concealed annoyance.

"Now would you go left or right?"

Swiveling his head to look both ways, the tin man shrugged. They both looked the same and there was no clues as to which was a better choice, he briefly lamented not studying it more closely when he had the hill advantage point.

"Well you're going to get real far" Hoggle scoffed

"Fine, which way would you go then?"

"who me?" the craggy faced man paused for a moment in consideration "I'd going either way."

Rolling his eyes, Cain's response was bitter

'That was really helpful now if you don't mind...' picking at random Cain turned to go

"You know what you're problem is? You take to many things for granted! Take this labyrinth for example. And even if you get to the center, how do you plan to get out? Huh? Didn't think about that did you?"

I plan to pull out my gun and make that stuck up prick Ambrose to tell me how to get out. He didn't say it out loud, but he wanted to. Maybe he did take things for granted, was that why his foolish slip had caused all of this?

"I'll be fine, thank you kindly for your help Hogwart"

Hoggle sputtered something about his name not being Hogwart and not blaming him for warning him, But Cain's back was to him and the Tin man kept walking. He had wasted enough time chatting with Boggle, Hogtie? Whatever, and there was still a maze to solve.

It stretched on as far as his eyes could see, no turns, twists, nothing. Just an endless path that continued on towards the horizon, the minutes stretched on and the normally cold headed able to continue on for long stretches without caring Tin man was starting to get worried. What if this was just a circle around the whole labyrinth? Kicking a wall Cain slumped down to his haunches, he needed a plan, a hint a clue. Something to get himself back on the right track and through this mess.

"Allo!" A tinny voice from no where addressed him. Eyes rolled in their sockets as he tried to find the source, it called to him again and Cain jumped. A small blue worm with a red scarf was sitting on one of the small rock protrusions.

"Did you get say hello to me?" his voice was full of doubt and really who could blame him. Cain had been almost everywhere in the realms and Animals were rare. One could find the normal variety of animals anywhere they looked, Animals on the other hand were scare and some breeds extinct to all knowledge.

"No, aw said 'allo! But that's close 'enough why don't cha come on in an meet the missus"

"I do thank you kindly for the offer, but I need to be getting through this labyrinth. You're… a Worm right? You wouldn't happen to know that way would you?"

"Who me? Nah just a Worm. Now why don't you come in an have a spot of tea with us?"

"Sorry but I've got to solve this puzzle, and there doesn't seem to be any turns, openings or anything"

"Sure there are! You just ain't looking right, why there's one right in front of you"

Frowning Cain stared at the wall opposite of him, it didn't look like an opening. In fact it looked like any other wall he'd passed so far, hard and rock and no way past.

"That's an opening" standing, he started to walk forward, not sure he believe the Animal.

"Sure is! You just got to look at it right. Go on, try it out"

Hands lifted in front of him Cain took slow cautious steps forward, sure that at any second he was going to walk right into the wall and the Worm was going to get a good laugh about. Closer, closer…..

"See there what did I tell ya."

"Huh." Impressed Cain couldn't think of a better answer then that to give. Grinning now he turn back to the Worm.

"Hey wait!" the Worm called

" yes?"

"if ya keep on this path ye'll be heading start for the place." The little Animal seemed quiet pleased with itself as if it had been trying to get someone to listen to him and while folks did they always missed the last part.

Cain's grinned turned into a smirk; it was about time things started to go his way. Sure he could try to navigate the path alone and meet the other munchkins and Animals that no doubt were somewhere in this maze but then he'd be passing over help. And he didn't want to be lectured again about taking things for granted. Shaking his head at the irony Cain nodded his head at the Worm and took off at a loupe down the path that was indicted. Unlike DG he didn't have this insane urge to take the long road in doing things, he want out of this little nightmare and to be back in bed reminded Glitch in several different ways who he was. Thoughts along that vein put an extra spring in his step and more conviction in his goal.

Word count-1775