Pokota's Plight

Chapter Thirty-seven,

By Relm

Every time Amelia came up to a fork in her path she would have three ways to choose from. And each time she picked direction that path ended up being the wrong one. She would come face to face with a dead end and have to back track to where the paths forked off. But Amelia didn't have to make a decision as to which of the two remaining paths she should take as one of them always turned into a wall. This was just like the first fork she encountered. And like that first one the path she came from also turned into a wall.

Though it was extremely creepy it was helpful for Amelia. No matter what if she went the wrong way the maze would show her where she needed to go. Amelia should have been happy with this fact but she was anything but.

With each step she took she felt the eyes on here. She was being watched even though she couldn't see who it was. Whomever or whatever that was watching her was doing so ever so keenly as if it was waiting for Amelia to make the wrong move. And then POW it would pounce.

It could have been Amelia's overactive imagination at work. She was tired, stressed and on a potentially dangerous quest. Amelia had every right to be paranoid. But you see it wasn't just simple paranoia at work for the Sailune princess. She had caught sight of it. It had been in the corner of her eyes and only for the briefest of moments but Amelia seen it. Something large and dark. One second it was there and the next it disappeared into the maze walls.

Such a feat wouldn't have been possible had this been a normal garden maze. But with one that was magical and living it wasn't odd at all. But had Amelia really seen something or was it her mind playing tricks on her? Amelia didn't even stop to ponder this, she just kept on going focusing only on her goal. Or at least that's what Amelia wanted to do. She wanted to block all scary and non-productive thoughts out of her mind but they just kept seeping their way back in.

Like let's say Amelia did see a would be attacker... Why hadn't it attacked her directly yet? What was it waiting for? And if the maze didn't want Amelia to take the flower why was it seeming to lead her right to it? The motivations were murky just like Amelia's confused mind.

Amelia's fists clenched tighter at her sides. Her anxiety levels were at an all time high. She had no way of knowing that she was nearing the center of the maze but she knew she was. It was hard to explain but Amelia felt a lot of dark energy in that maze. This miasmic energy wasn't visible but she could feel it to depths of her core. It was like Amelia was surrounded by death so thick that it threatened to choke her with each breath she took. This death had no stench but still it reeked that it made Amelia want to hurl.

The deeper Amelia got into the maze the more she was aware of the energy. It made her weak and want to collapse to the ground. Had it not been for the other source of energy coming from the center of the maze Amelia might have done just that.

This second source was a stark contrast to the first. It wasn't death but life. There was no other way Amelia could describe than that she felt the glowing light of life. A flower that could grant wishes would have to have very powerful magic. So Amelia knew this energy was the flower.

The further she got into the maze the stronger the energies felt, both good and bad. Amelia knew she was getting closer. She would be at the center soon.

'Don't worry Pokota.' Amelia thought to herself. 'I'm going to do whatever it takes to get that flower and bring it back to you. I promised I would help you and I will not go back on that promise. Your kingdom needs you. I... need you... Just wait for me for a little longer. I'll be back soon.'

Though Amelia made these promises in her mind there was no way Pokota would hear them. With magic Amelia might have been able to project her thoughts but Pokota was in magical stasis.

...

She is thinking of him. Mdagi mused with a sad smile. Her fear is very strong and it's justified. She is in grave danger after all. She should be thinking of herself but he is the most present thing in her mind.

Her heart is quite pure. Purer than any human I can remember... Lmonul admitted.

That is only because your mind is muddled with memories of those that hurt us. You can't remember those that were good and honest. Vlln explained.

Lmonul remembers nothing because there was no good souls. All wretched and greedy! Whatever goodness they profess is just a front! Give it time and you will see the true colours of this one. She is no better than the ones that harmed us. She will show herself. Ckhaly snapped at Vlln.

How so Ckhaly? How will she show us her 'true colours'?

She'll run when it gets too hard and abandon her 'friend'. Or she will use the flower selfishly for herself. Our stasis will keep the prince alive indefinitely. Why would she need to waste a wish a man that will never die? She will use it for herself. Ckhaly concluded.

Do you wish to make a bet on that Ckhaly? Vlln dared him.

Before Ckhaly could take that bet Mdagi interjected. Vlln you will not make bets of this sort. Her spirit, heart and character are not something we will make hasty judgements on. Things will be as they are meant to be. Ckhaly could very well be correct but at the same time he could be very very wrong. I would rather pray for someone's success than bet on their integrity.

Such passion dear sister. Do you see things we are not privy to? Vlln wondered.

Mdagi didn't answer. She had said all that she wanted to say on that subject. The rest was up to fate and the inner strength of a person's heart and soul.

...

It came in waves. That sickly feeling of complete gut retching nausea. One moment it rolled to be followed by a wave of pure positive energy. It lifted up one's spirits making think they could do anything right until that next wave of horrible energy rolled in.

The constant sensation really made Amelia want to throw up. She had never sensed such vile energy before. It was so bad that it didn't matter to her that she received momentary spurts of relief. If anything that made the experience worse. Her body couldn't get used to feeling so awful so each sickening wave just seemed to get worse and worse. But there was another reason for that. Amelia was getting closer to the center of the maze. The corrupted power that coursed through each vine, thorn and twig came from that point.

The calming uplifting bursts of energy were from that magical flower. Amelia was sure that once she held that bloom in her hands she wouldn't feel the sickly miasma of the maze. It was just a matter of summoning the will to get to it.

She came up to another fork but this time there was only two paths. Dead ahead or to the right. Amelia's gut told her this was it; one of these paths would have her at the center. This thought should have uplifted her. She was almost there all she needed to do was walk a few more steps and she would be half way to saving Pokota. But even though Amelia's gut was sure it was also a betraying thing.

One step further and Amelia came crashing to the ground. It wasn't just nausea anymore it was pain too. She clutched her stomach as she curled into a ball on the ground. Her body contorted with each heave but nothing came out of Amelia's mouth but disgusting noise. The dry dead grass under Amelia crunched loudly under her body as she laid there moaning. Stray blades stuck to Amelia's hair and clothing poking her at odd angles but Amelia couldn't even register it. Her body was far too consumed with the pain associated from her dry heaving to acknowledge anything else. The waves of positive energy weren't even doing anything for Amelia. The evil was just too strong.

'Is this how Pokota was feeling some days?' Amelia miserably wondered. Many times she had seen Amelia in obvious pain during their quest to fix his ailing body but Amelia had never imagined how bad it had been. Thinking about it now was a sobering reality. If it had been this bad for Pokota and he could still continue on then why the hell was she still on the ground for?!

Giving herself the mental slap she needed Amelia rose to her feet on shaky legs. She just needed to make it to the flower then it would all be okay.

Since she felt she was so close and one of those paths was dead ahead she knew this was the right way. Stepping forward Amelia didn't even look back to see what the maze was doing around her. If she had she might have been disturbed by the fact that maze completely sealed behind her. She was going the right way but now there was no way out. Would the maze give her an escape once she had the bloom in her hand? Or would her bones also litter the ground like the dead animals outside the maze?

These were things that Amelia was not thinking about at this moment. She didn't have time or energy to waste on pondering things that would surely put herself into a further state of duress.

The path Amelia was narrow and long. With each torturous step she took the path behind her disappeared. She couldn't even hear the maze do it. It was quick and silent that the Sailune princess didn't even notice anything was amiss. However what Amelia did notice was that no matter how many steps she took she didn't even come close to the end of the path. It felt like the maze was moving around her making the simple pathway a long stretch of endless green.

'Why is this taking so long? Is the maze doing this? Am I even going anywhere?' Amelia thought to herself. She was tempted to look back and see how far she had become but her gut told her that wouldn't a good idea.

Just as Amelia was about to give up the end finally showed itself. The pathway opened up to a large circular area with a pedestal in the middle of it. The pedestal wasn't made of marble or any other kind of stone but was part of the maze. It grew out of the ground swirling its branches and vines in a circular pattern with a single flower growing from its center.

Any ill feelings Amelia felt at that moment were banished by the sight of this flower. It shimmered and glowed with all the colours that graced its soft pedals. Swirls of white, blue, purple and teal a beautiful array of colour that a stark contrast the blackness that surrounded it. It was hard to say what these black things were just by looking at them but as another petal shed from the flower the discarded piece quickly withered and turned black.

"I did it! I found the flower!" Amelia exclaimed while stepping into the circular area surrounding the pedestal. The path behind was completely engulfed leaving Amelia stuck into a room with walls and no exits. At this point Amelia had only two ways of getting out of this maze. One of those would be to destroy her way out or to fly. Since she had no magic both methods would be very difficult. She wasn't thinking about this at this time as she was mesmerized by the flower before her.

She felt it calling to her and slowly Amelia was drawn towards it. It was more than just a pretty flower it had power. Power that she had never felt before in her life. It was like bathing in the pure light of heaven and having that brightness be absorbed into your body, mind and soul. She felt no pain, no fear, no worries... just bliss. Everything that was ever bad in Amelia's life seemed to melt away from her mind making her feel wonderful. She even started to forget why she was there. This daze was short lived after a good shake to her head.

"Yes Amelia it's pretty but you came here to do more than just stare at it." Amelia scolded herself. She reached for the flower slowly fearful for what might happen once she plucked the bloom away from its' home. Amelia took a deep breath and then quickly yanked the flower out.

The feelings of bliss wrapped around Amelia once more but she was too tense to notice it. Inside she was ball of nerves cringing and waiting for the worst. She even had her eyes squeezed shut in fear. But there was nothing but silence. Amelia felt no strange energies nor did the maze start to implode.

Relieved Amelia let out the breath she had been holding and she opened to her eyes.

Crouched before her on all fours staring a very menacing stare was a large beast made of vines and thorns.

"GRAAAHAHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" It screamed in Amelia's face a horrible inhuman scream.