Chapter 11: The Labyrinth
Hey everyone I'm back with a new chapter. Sorry about the wait but I wanted to make sure I got it right. I hope you like what I have planned. Please Review and Enjoy.
In Heatherfield, Cedric was walking to the back of his bookstore where a crystal ball was. Pouring sand on it the crystal ball glowed allowing Cedric to see Phobos.
"Cedric, I'm becoming impatient on good news." Phobos said.
"I've found an inversion point between Meridian and this earth bookstore. The store will provide a perfect cover for searching for the girl." Cedric said.
"Once my sister is identified we must slowly bring her into our confidence and then right into our trap." Phobos said before his image went away.
Walking out Cedric looked to see Loki reading some of the books.
"These mortals have quite the imagination." Loki said.
"You know I could use some help in my search." Cedric said.
"And I could use a servant who keeps his mouth shut, but life is full of disappoints." Loki smirks before going back to his book.
At school, the teacher was wiping the chalkboard with his tie.
"I think you'll find that you appreciate the time you've spent this term studying the uh…uh." He said trying to remember.
"The origins of Myth." Taranee finished.
"Yes thank you." He said taking out papers. "Now your midterms. Some of you performed well while some of you failed to perform at all."
Handing one to Irma she gasps. "Are you sure this is mine? It's my terrible handwriting…I got a B! Yes that means I can get a D on the next one and still pass."
"Me too." Hay Lin smiles as they high five.
"Taranee please see me after class." He said causing a shocked look to appear on her face.
At the Silver Dragon, Jane was walking through the front door to see Caleb struggling with the customers.
"Hmm I don't know. What do you recommend?" A man asks.
"That you hurry up. I got more customers." Caleb said.
"Uh waiter, my wife asked for water with no ice."
"Then tell her to wait until it melts. You people wouldn't last a day in Meridian." Caleb grumbles.
"What's Meridian?"
"I think it's one of those fancy places downtown."
"What's the Schutzian Chicken look like?" Walking over to the couple Caleb was about to grab their plate when Jane ran over and stopped him.
"Uh okay Caleb there's no need for that." Jane said before turning to the couple. "I'm so sorry." She apologized as Yan Lin walks over.
"Okay Caleb I think we can spare you from upfront for awhile." Yan Lin said.
'Suits me, are they always like this?" Caleb asks taking off his apron.
"So uhm any news on when your old waitstaff will be coming back?" Jane asks nervously.
"I'm sorry Jane but no." Yan Lin sighs.
"Oh…thanks." Jane frowns as she walks out of the restaurant.
Back at school, Taranee was talking with her teacher.
"I'm very disappointed that you failed to turn in your essay." He said surprising her.
"Wait what?" Taranee asks.
"If you couldn't finish in time you should have asked for one of those things." He said trying to remember.
"But I turned it in a day early. It was on Theses and the Minotaur." Taranee said.
"An extension that's it." He remembers.
"It's on my computer I can email it to you the second I get home." Taranee begs.
"I'm sorry but a deadline's a deadline. You get an F." The teacher said walking out.
Down in the basement of the Silver Dragon, Caleb was making copies of the menus with Blunk nearby.
"Ugh I miss the days when Thor and Neo did all this annoying work." Caleb grumbles.
"Ooh how it do it?" Blunk asks.
"I don't know how it do it. All I know is this machine will make identical maps of Phobos castle for all my field commanders after I finish copying today's yummy shrimp specials." Caleb said as Blunk examined it. "What's a matter? Too big to steal?" Caleb smirks as he walks away.
Grabbing a stool Blunk examined the copier closely and ends up pressing his face against the screen causing it to make copies of it.
At Will's house, Will, Irma, Cornelia and Hay Lin were trying to figure out who the monster was while Taranee was still sulking.
"So any idea on who the monster might be?" Will asks.
"The mage said all we had to do to reveal a beast in human form is touch it with the Heart of Kandrakar." Hay Lin said.
"Well I can't go around touching everyone with a crystal remember when we thought it was Ne—" Instantly Will frowned along with everyone else as they thought Neo was never coming back.
"Sure wish we had a God of Thunder to help." Hay Lin sighs.
"I can't believe he lost my essay." Taranee said completely oblivious to what was going on.
"Taranee we all mourn your loss, but the world has been invaded by monsters and now we don't have any Asgardians to back us up. Focus!" Cornelia said.
"He's obviously looking for one of us." Irma said.
"We don't know that." Will said.
"Please. He comes here, he's searching for a girl our age. What do you think he wants? A Babysitter?" Irma asks sarcastically.
"What if one of us is his secret evil granddaughter?" Hay Lin suggests.
"There's only one explanation. He lost it." Taranee said still ignoring them when Susan walks in.
"Hey guys, Will has extra math homework so you're gonna have to say goodbye." Susan said.
"Mom, Mrs. Rudolph didn't give me extra homework." Will said.
"No I did, when I read your midterm report." Susan said.
"Help me." Will begs.
"Okay the little straight line between 2 numbers means you subtract." Irma said as they all left.
Sitting at her desk Will sighs as she thinks about when Neo and Thor left to return to Asgard.
"My home needs me but you have my word I will return to help with Phobos." Neo said before disappearing.
Will tightens her fist as she wished he could have lived up to that promise as she missed him so much.
Across the street from Cedric's bookstore, the girls plus Elyon were standing there.
"Why this bookstore? Why can't we get our study guides at the mall or the library?" Hay Lin asks.
"Because the mall Bookstore doesn't have a tall hunky manager." Elyon said.
"With jet black eyes and a devilish smile." Cornelia adds as they walk across the street.
"Maybe if I retrace his steps I'll find my essay in a bush or on a curb." Taranee said following them.
"Hello, where are your middle school textbooks?" Cornelia calls out.
"All over I'm afraid." A voice said.
As they entered the store Cedric walked over to Loki who was still reading and grabs the book out of his hand.
"I'm guessing you never learned manners in your primitive world?" Loki assumes.
"The girls are here, it's time to fulfill our agreement." Cedric said.
"Oh fine, you people are no fun." Loki sighs as he stood up.
Making his way to the girls Cedric walked out. "I'm still getting organized."
"Oh I totally understand, I'm Cornelia."
"Elyon Brown."
"Rick Hoffman." Cedric said using a fake name. "I'm sorry about the mess, it's taking me a while to sort everything."
"I totally understand." Elyon said as Blunk crawled in from the vents above.
"Old store, new flies." Blunk said eating the bugs off the flypaper.
As Hay Lin was walking down the aisle looking at books she didn't notice Loki nearby. Snapping his fingers an illusion of Neo ran past Hay Lin causing her to look up.
"Huh? Neo?" Hay Lin follows the figure until Neo stopped in front of some books and disappeared just as she appeared. "Neo? Neo?"
Hearing her Irma, Taranee and Cornelia run over to her.
"Hay Lin, what's going on?" Taranee asks.
"I-I thought I saw Neo." Hay Lin said.
"Look Hay Lin I know you miss him, we all do, but you heard his Uncle he's dead." Cornelia said.
"I guess it was mind playing tricks on me." Hay Lin sighs when she looks up to see strange symbols on the books. "Hey guys look."
"This writing looks just like the warning we saw." Taranee said.
"I wonder if the writing is the same inside." Hay Lin said reaching for the book but once she touched it the four of them disappeared causing Blunk to gasp.
"Girls then no girls?" Blunk said confused when Elyon walks by.
"Girls? Girls?" She called but saw no sign of them.
When Hay Lin put the book back, she and others looked around.
"Did you guys just feel something?" Hay Lin asks.
"Bored?" Cornelia guesses.
"I felt it." Irma said as Taranee looked around.
"Uh was this aisle as big as this when we walked in?" Taranee asks.
"Uh oh. I broke the bookstore. All I did was touch this." Hay Lin said when the books started to glow.
"I know this is a lousy cliché, but let's get out of here!" Irma said as they ran for their lives.
Running down the hall they saw that what they thought was the store had expanded greatly into some sort of maze.
"Wow, he renovated quickly." Irma said.
"This is not our world." Taranee realized before looking down. "Oh no! Quick everyone back up, take two right turns."
"Why?" Cornelia asks.
"Because we made two right turns. It's a Labyrinth like Theseus and the Minotaur." Taranee realized.
"I got a B on that." Hay Lin said.
"Shush, she's being smart." Irma said.
"We can't just stand here, but we're gonna get lost unless we have something to lead us back. Cornelia, give me your sweater." Taranee said.
"How are we gonna find our way back by leaving my sweater behind?" Cornelia asks before pausing for a second and realizing what she was gonna do. "Oh no, not my sweater."
In Will's room she was trying to figure out her math homework when she heard a knock at her window. Getting up she opens the window to see Blunk jump down scaring her.
"Ah! Blunk?!" Will said startled.
"Big trouble! Come!" Blunk said.
At the Silver Dragon, Will and Blunk were explaining what happened to Yan Lin.
"It must be an inversion point, to Blunk it was as if the girls just disappeared." Yan Lin explains.
"Alright, but the question is can they get back?" Will asks.
"Depends what's on the other side. Without you and the heart, they have no powers." Yan Lin said as Caleb walked out.
"This steak has been dropped on the floor. How could she possibly know I did that?" Caleb asks showing a steak with a big footprint on it.
"Caleb, there's trouble." Yan Lin said.
"Girls, then no girls." Blunk said snapping his finger.
Back in the Labyrinth, Taranee was unraveling Cornelia's sweater so they would have a trail back.
"All those nights sitting on a hand-carved cedar sweater hanger for nothing." Cornelia grumbles. "What did that Theseus guy find at the end of his maze anyway?"
"A murderous monster with the head of a bull." Hay Lin said causing Cornelia to freak out.
Entering the bookstore, Caleb and Will followed Blunk to where he saw the girls disappear.
"Where in the bookstore?" Caleb asks.
"Blunk said in the back." Will said as they stopped at the shelf where Blunk was. "Where?"
"Nowhere, that problem." Blunk said.
"Where were there no girls?" Caleb asks.
"Everywhere no girls." Blunk said when Will noticed the Meridian writing.
Reaching towards it she and Caleb disappear as Blunk was still talking causing him to freak out.
In the Labyrinth, Cornelia, Taranee, and Hay Lin were trying to figure out where to go.
"I say we go this way." Cornelia said.
"We came from this way." Taranee said pulling the string.
"This way." Irma said noticing a light at the end of a hall.
Walking towards it they saw two chairs in front a chimney with a green flame coming from it.
"Someone who reads this much books should be teaching evil." Irma said.
Noticing a door Cornelia opens it to reveal multiple servants in a large kitchen. As they made their way down a woman with brown hair noticed them and gasped. This was Trill.
"You can't be here, follow me." She said leading them outside.
At the start of the Labyrinth, Caleb and Will found the string.
"What do you think is on the other end of this?" Caleb asks.
"My guess, a very unhappy Cornelia." Will said.
"You could say that." Loki said emerging from the shadows surprising them.
"Hey you're Neo's Uncle." Will recalled.
"Yes and I've come to help. I know which way your friends went but you better transform." Loki advised.
"Right." Will said as transformed into her guardian form.
Racing after him, they followed Loki to where the string ended and came face to face with Phobos.
"You!" Phobos said startling Will.
"Caleb get back!" Will said.
"No, never back!" Caleb said jumping on a ladder and sliding towards him.
"Very good work, Loki. Now finish the job." Phobos smirks surprising Will as Loki threw a dagger breaking the ladder causing Caleb to fall to the ground.
"Wait Loki? You're the guy who sent the Destroyer after us." Will recalls. "You're not Neo's Uncle."
"I was, to both those things, but let's just say things happen in a short period of time." Loki said walking over to Phobos and standing next to him. "Frankly I don't know what Neo and Thor saw in helping you girls."
"They truly are pathetic." Phobos said when suddenly lightning lit up the sky causing Loki to tense up. "What's a matter? Scared of a little lightning?"
"I'm not overly fond of what follows." Loki said.
As the lightning got closer a large bolt crashed through the ceiling and Thor appeared in front of Caleb and Will causing them to smile.
"Thor!" Caleb said as Thor charged forward and grabbed Loki slamming him against the wall.
"Very well. I'll deal with you myself." Phobos said when suddenly the bookshelf behind him was sliced in half. Turning towards it the entire bookshelf fell on him.
"Honestly I leave for a few weeks and this happens?" A familiar voice said causing Will's eyes to widen.
On the other side of the bookcase Neo stepped out in his Asgardian armor.
"N-Neo? Is that you or am I dreaming?" Will asks as Neo chuckles.
"It's not a dream, Will." Neo said when he heard movement. "Come on we gotta move." Neo grabs Will's hand and runs out causing Will to smile seeing it wasn't a dream.
"What are you doing here?" Thor asks.
"Hello to you too brother. How much magic did the Allfather have to muster up to send you and Neo here now that the Bifrost is gone?" Loki asks.
"I thought you were dead." Thor said.
"Did you mourn?" Loki asks.
"We all did. Our father—"
"Your father." Loki interrupts. "Did he tell you my true parentage?"
"We grew up together, we played together, we fought together, we raised Neo together. Do you remember none of that?" Thor asks.
"I remember a shadow. Living in the shade of your greatness. I remember you tossing me into an abyss. I was and should be king." Loki said.
"So you join up with my enemy to harm the world I promised to help? Earth and Merdian are under my protection." Thor said.
"And you're doing an amazing job. These people are slaves to Phobos and when I conquer this world I'll take back what's mine." Loki said.
"You think yourself above them?" Thor asks.
"Yes." Loki nods.
"Then you miss the truth of ruling brother. The throne will suit you ill." Thor said.
"I am a king!" Loki yells.
"Not here! You give up Phobos, you give up this pointless dream, you come home." Thor said grabbing Loki.
"No." Loki simply denies.
Growling in anger Thor picks up his hammer. "Listen brother."
Before he could finish Cedric whacks Thor with his tail sending him flying down the staircase and crashing down in front of Neo, Will and Caleb.
"I'm listening." Loki said when Phobos digs himself out of the pile of books.
"Who's the fool who dares attack me?" Phobos asks.
"My nephew." Loki said.
"If that one is here the other Guardians must be nearby." Cedric said.
"Send out the Tracker." Phobos orders.
Running out of the castle, Will and Caleb turned a corner as they grabbed Neo and Thor just as the guards ran past them.
"Not gonna lie, when I pictured us reuniting I thought it would be—" Before Neo could finish Will grabs his face and kisses him on the lips surprising him. "Happier." Neo finishes.
"I thought you were dead." Will said hugging him tight.
"Dead? Why on Earth would you think that?" Thor asks.
"Your brother told us Neo died saving Asgard and you were in mourning. We were so sad we couldn't think straight." Will said causing Thor to growl.
"Loki, he used this trick on me and Neo when we were banished, he tried to lower your guard so he could kill you." Thor said.
"Will, listen to me, I'm not going anywhere. We're here to help you guys as much as possible." Neo assured.
"Wait, we? There are more?" Will asks
"We brought some backup, we just happened to go first." Thor smirks causing Will and Caleb to grin.
On the outskirts of the city, Trill and a few other citizens were gathered around a bonfire as Irma, Taranee, Cornelia and Hay Lin were eating some food they all brought.
"This is wonderful food, but I'm afraid we can't eat it all." Taranee said.
"Once you told us you were the Guardians everyone brought a little something. But why did you come here all the way from Earth in human form?" Trill asks.
"Well we were looking for a history book when we thought we saw an old friend." Hay Lin said.
"Let me refill your drinks." Trill said walking away.
"Why isn't anyone else eating?" Hay Lin asks.
"Uh Hay Lin I think this is all the food they have." Cornelia said.
"Kinda puts a lost essay into perspective." Taranee said as Trill walked back.
"When Phobos took the throne, a light went out on this land. Our men are jailed, our crops are stolen, we have no security, nothing for ourselves, but our dreams. I hear things working in the kitchens, they saw Phobos has a sister on the other side, could this be true?" Trill asks surprising them.
"Are you sure?" Hay Lin asks.
"The true heir to the throne, they saw she has no idea who she is or that she was even born here." Trill said.
"Still think it's one of us?" Irma asks.
"If only you could find her first. For years we've suffered under Phobos. Forced to work in his castle, his stables, his mines. We always have hope, but I fear we hope in vain." Trill said.
"We'll find the true heir and bring her back to you, we promise." Irma said.
"But why would Phobos look for someone who might replace him?" Cornelia asks when they heard a loud roar.
From the shadows a ghoulish looking man with a pointy hat and an ugly dog appeared.
"The Tracker! Run!" Trill yells as all the civilians ran for their lives.
As the Tracker spun his flail he threw it at the girls when suddenly a bolt of lighting struck down in front of them and a shield appeared blocking it.
The girls looked in shock to see Sif, Johan, Astrid, Heather, Rayla and Amora standing in front of them.
"So this is Merdian huh? I can see why they need our help." Sif said looking around.
"Where are Neo and Thor?" Astrid asks.
"I sense they are nearby, but I felt they needed our help more." Amora said.
"Hey you're Neo's friends." Hay Lin smiles.
"Yep and we're here to help." Heather said turning to them.
"Protect their friends. I can handle this." Sif said stepping forward as she drew her spear.
As they stepped back they saw Sif and the Tracker walking towards each other before Sif sprinted forward.
Throwing his flail Sif jumped over the chain as it flew into the bonfire scattering small flames everywhere and smacked Tracker in the face with her shield knocking him to the ground.
As his dog charged at her Sif raises her spear and blocks it with the blade before pushing it away.
"Wow she's good." Cornelia said impressed.
"One of Asgard's best female warriors." Johan said.
Pulling back his cloak Tracker releases a swarm of bats at Sif who raises her shield trying to block them when suddenly multiple lighting bolts rain down frying the bats.
Looking up they saw Thor and Will fly in.
"I had everything completely under control." Sif said.
"Is that why everything's on fire?" Thor smirks.
"Thor you're back!" Irma smiles.
"What am I chopped liver?" All of the girls gasp as they turn to see Neo and Caleb running towards them.
"What? But how is this?" Taranee stutters.
"Neo!" Hay Lin said as she, Cornelia and Irma hugged him tightly.
"Can we save this reunion for after we deal with Tracker?" Caleb asks.
"I got this." Thor said walking towards Tracker who growls at him. "I accept your surrender." Spinning his hammer Thor whacks Tracker in the chest sending him flying through the air.
Looking at Thor his dog whimpers before chasing after his master.
As the Guardians and Caleb look at Thor in shock Neo turns to them. "So, back to Earth?"
Returning to Earth, Yan Lin greeted them as they returned to the Silver Dragon.
"Thor, Neo so good to see you. I've been swamped during the afternoon shift." Yan Lin said causing Thor to chuckle.
Sitting down the Asgardians explained everything to them.
"So wait, Loki the God of Mischief your brother and your Uncle is now fighting with Phobos?" Cornelia asks.
"And he lied about Neo dying so we would be easier to kill?" Hay Lin asks.
"And he's doing all this because your father won't make him king?" Taranee asks.
"Pretty much." Thor said.
"Wow and I thought I had family problems." Will said.
"Oh by the way, everyone this is Amora. It's thanks to her we were even able to get back now that the Bifrost is being rebuilt." Neo said as Amora stepped forward.
"I look forward to fighting alongside you all." Amora said.
"Wait you're all staying here to fight with us?" Irma asks.
"Until Phobos is kicked off his throne." Astrid said.
"Well that's great but there's one thing I'm not so sure about." Hay Lin said pointing to Rayla. "I'm not sure how people will react when they see you."
"Don't worry I've got that covered. Prepare to meet…Human Rayla." Rayla said putting her hood over her head.
"Yeah I'm not sure that's gonna cut it." Caleb said.
"Just wait you haven't heard my impression." Rayla said. "Greetings fella humans, human fellas. I sure do like hanging out with other humans and talking about human things like money and starting wars." She said leaning on his shoulder.
"Not bad." Neo chuckles.
"I'll see what I can figure out to help our Elf friend in the meantime I think we have enough room for you all." Yan Lin said.
"Thank you for your hospitality Yan Lin but this time we won't be staying for free." Thor reaches into his bag and pulls out a small sack. "This should help cover our expenses." Dumping it in Yan Lin's hands everyone looks in shock to see the sack was filled with gold and diamonds.
"Uh yeah this will do." Yan Lin grins as she led everyone upstairs to their rooms.
The next day, Jane was walking to the Silver Dragon and was about to open the door before letting out a sigh.
"I don't know why I keep getting my hopes up." She said as she opened the door to see Thor in his civilian clothes holding menus.
"Welcome to the Silver Dragon, how many will it—Jane." Thor smiles seeing her.
A big smile forms on her face as she runs over and hugs him tightly happy to see him again.
"You have a lot of explaining to do." Jane said letting go.
"I completely understand, how about you order something, and we'll talk?" Thor suggests sitting her down. When she opens the menu, she lets out a yelp. "Huh?"
Looking at the menu they saw the menu had been replaced by a photocopy of Blunk's face.
"Blunk." Thor sighs.
