Catherine was ready to give in to tears. "Na-Na!" She called weakly, sitting next to her dogs and fumbling for a cigarette as they tried to nuzzle her back into action. "Maybe she'll come back, just let me smoke and we can go. Just one cigarette." The dogs sat like sphinxes on either side of Catherine as she took a drag, one hand on Chewy's back.
"Oy! You there, little girl!" Catherine's shoulders stiffened. This situation she had gotten herself into was like the book she had been reading in some ways, yet completely unique in others. This voice belonged to something to harm, or help her. Slowly, she turned, finding herself looking up at a tall marble statue, much like the statue of Adonis, only without the benefit of a fig leaf. It was stark and white, chiseled abs, biceps, and… Cat blushed.
"I am not little, and I'm 22 years old, which I believe makes me a young woman." Catherine said, carefully averting her eyes.
"You look pretty short to me, love." Only his head moved as he spoke. Cat realized she was still sitting down. Scrambling to her feet, she brushed herself off, much more comfortable with this vantage point anyways. "Ah. That makes more sense then. What is it you are doing here, love?"
"Trying to make it to the castle beyond the Goblin City." Catherine took another drag.
"Why on earth would a fragile looking thing like you want to go there? It's a horrible place. You should stay here, with me." The Adonis winked, and Cat blushed again.
"A-As tempting as that sounds, I am now looking for two things in this Labyrinth." Catherine said with a sigh.
"Oh really?" He asked, his voice silky, smooth.
"Yes, my niece, Kennedy, and my cat, Nagi. Or Na-Na." Cat sighed again, sniffling a bit.
"Well, that's too bad." The Adonis smiled. Cat melted a little bit, and both of the dogs growled, barking at the talking statue.
"Chewy! Creature, Knock it off!" Her order was not heeded. The Adonis sneered a bit at the dogs.
"Why not take to the tunnels?" He suggested, a gleam in his eye that seemed familiar to Catherine, though she couldn't place it.
"How do I get to the tunnels?"
The Adonis motioned behind Cat. What was once a wall covered in ivy was now a dark, foreboding archway. When she faced him again, his face was a mask of revulsion.
"Creature! You can't go peeing on everything you see. He is NOT a fire hydrant." Catherine tugged at the leash, pulling the dogs towards the tunnel to enter.
The dogs backed slowly into the tunnel, watching with suspicion as the Adonis's eyes flashed one blue, and one green. A satisfied chuckle filled the Labyrinth as the tunnel entrance filled in, leaving Catherine shrouded in darkness.
