Chapter 29 – Day Five
Submerged in the depths of a heavy sleep, Mira found herself dreaming again.
"That was close. You almost fell for Malberic's imitation of me," Wildwing said as he appeared to her.
"He made it seem like you were dying," she protested.
Wildwing's expression seemed to soften with understanding, but he shook his head.
"We're all in danger here, but you have to finish the maze, Mira. You've got to play by his rules for the moment … and not fall into the traps along the way. I'm trusting you to keep our friends safe."
Mira nodded.
"I know. I'm trying. It's just so easy to mess up."
"You're almost there, and I know you can do this," Wildwing said encouragingly.
"I wish I could find you."
"Grin has to come first. I've got my own task to complete while you save him."
Wildwing stepped back as he spoke, and he seemed to grow uneasy.
"I have to go. He's watching for me. Don't give up, Mira."
And with those words, Mira lost sight of Wildwing in her sleep, and quickly awoke to see the other ducks beginning to rise. It made her feel better to think that the number of ducks with her increased with each day. The team was almost complete.
"Hey, how'd you sleep?" Duke asked as he walked over to her and helped her up from the bed.
"I'll sleep better when we're back on Earth," Mira sighed. "But it's good to wake up and see you guys."
"Of course, we're not leavin' you," Duke said with a smile.
Mira smiled and nodded, but then she grabbed her pack and started for the door.
"We should get moving and find Grin. It feels like Malberic's making things harder each day."
The ducks followed her out and into the labyrinth. Tanya began to look for more of the markings they had seen the other day, but the black walls of the maze showed no signs of the blue carvings today.
"I just wish I understood more about this place," she said in frustration when all of the walls began to look the same.
"From what I've seen, this Malberic doesn't let much slip past him," Duke said with a grim tone. "He seems to prefer keeping us in the dark."
Mallory walked alongside Mira on the left and put her hand on her shoulder.
"Thanks to Mira, we've made it this far. Just a day or so more, and we'll be back on Earth."
Mira didn't return Mallory's smile or her confidence.
"I just wish so much of this didn't depend upon me. You all are strong, smart, and skilled. You can do so many things that I will never be good at. And yet, I'm the one faced with these challenges."
The ducks grew quiet until Nosedive spoke up and moved to Mira's right side.
"That's not giving yourself enough credit, girly-girl, even if it is pointless to try to match my skills."
The other ducks quickly scoffed at his response.
"Mira, definitely has you beat when it comes to brains," Tanya insisted.
Duke walked up in front of Mira.
"Don't be so hard on yourself, sweetheart. Look at all you've done in rescuing us!"
"Yeah, not just this time, but with the sorceress, too," Mallory agreed.
Mira smiled.
"Thanks, guys. But still, you're the real heroes. Back in Anaheim, I'm the one sitting on the bench, because I'd just be in the way anyplace else."
The ducks exchanged some concerned looks. It was true that they hadn't let her do much when it came to fighting crime or Dragaunus in Anaheim. And Mira was still learning how to skate. They had sometimes joked with her about her clumsiness on the ice, but perhaps it bothered her more than they knew.
"Hey, look," Mallory said, turning to her again. "You don't need to have the same kinds of skills we do to …"
Mira suddenly raised her hand and shushed her.
"No, hear me out," Mallory urged.
But Mira stopped her again and motioned that she wanted to be able to listen. The ducks stopped, and they noticed a faint pounding.
"Do you hear that?" Mira asked.
"It could be Grin," Nosedive said eagerly.
Mira nodded and listened again. The labyrinth had led them into a space with several passages that opened around them, but as Mira listened, she thought she could tell where the sound was coming from.
Leading them on, she followed one path and then another until they reached an opening again. There was no one in sight at first glance, but Mira noted that the ground was entirely different here. A strange kind of dirt was laid bare before them, and as they approached, they found that in the center, there were stones outlining the edge of a pit.
Down within the pit, Grin was moving from side to side, pummeling the walls. A series of different colored doors lined the walls, but no matter how hard he struck them, he remained trapped. Grin's eyes were completely black, and his brow was furrowed in anger and rage.
A strange transparent blue surface covered the top of the pit, and at first, Mira thought it might just be the glow of magic, but as they drew closer, she realized that it was firm yet flexible, like some kind of membrane.
Duke reached out and touched the membrane covering the hole in which Grin seemed trapped. It gleamed under his touch, but it remained solid. Nosedive tried pounding on it, but nothing happened and Grin didn't even seem to hear him.
"Stand back," Mallory said, and she pulled an explosive puck from her utility belt. After pressing the center, she threw it at the membrane. It exploded as it hit, but when the smoke cleared, nothing had changed.
Mira walked forward and reached out to touch it, but as her hand connected with it, it grew soft and her fingers began to pass through it. Mira drew her hand back. When the ducks tried the same thing, it remained firm.
"Looks like it's up to you again," Tanya said.
Mira nodded as she stood up and assessed it again. Duke placed his arm in front of her.
"Hold up, I don't like this."
He pointed to what was happening with Grin in the room below them.
"We've all agreed we're not ourselves when that elf's magic is upon us. If you go down there, kid, what's to stop Grin from throwing his fist in your direction?"
"Nothing, but he's not going to get out of there on his own," Mira said.
Mallory nodded, but she also appeared anxious.
"So what's the plan when you get down there?" Tanya asked.
Mira moved around the edge of the circle. All she could see were the doors and white walls and a white floor. The doors all appeared the same except for being different colors.
"I can't see enough from up here to decide. But I think I've got to help Grin find a way out. I won't be able to reason with him when he's like this. I'll just have to stay low and try to evade his fists while I'm taking a look around."
"We could try to distract him," Nosedive offered.
"You can try, but I don't think he'll hear you," Mira said doubtfully as she prepared herself to go in.
Mallory stepped in front of her and seized one of her hands with a firm grip.
"Don't let your doubts get in the way down there. We believe in you."
Mira smiled gratefully, and the other ducks nodded as she glanced at them. Looking up at the sky, she saw that they were losing time, so she jumped towards the barrier over the pit. Her body passed through it like it was water, except without the getting wet part.
Once she landed, she had to immediately duck as Grin swung his fist towards the door behind her. He didn't appear to see her, but he was still trying to get out.
Mira remained crouched on the floor as she looked around. The ducks were shouting overhead, but Grin didn't heed them. Being closer to the doors didn't seem to offer her any other clues. To avoid being stepped on, she had to keep scrambling to a different part of the floor.
In the midst of the constant distraction of avoiding being struck by Grin, Mira managed to notice that there were six doors. Each was a different color: red, blue, purple, green, orange and yellow.
As she kept moving around on the floor, she noticed that her hands passed over strange grooves and indentations that made the surface of the floor uneven.
"Grin, please calm down!" she pleaded, as he nearly stepped on her again, but he didn't hear or notice her.
Fleeting thoughts passed through Mira's mind as she realized she would have to make a hasty decision. I can either try for some of these doors, or I can try to find another way out of here. Something odd is going on with this floor. But I have to decide quickly!
If you think Mira should try the doors, select Chapter 30.
If you think Mira should investigate the floor, select Chapter 31.
