This took me way too long to get out for how short it is. A little over a week later? I need to get on it better.
...
The darkness pressed into Weiss's mind.
At first, it hadn't bothered her too much. Walking step by step, barely able to see more than a few feet in front of her.
But slowly, it got worse.
Anxiety crept in. It pressed against her skull. Never stopping. Never ending.
She heard noises constantly. The silence of the labyrinth's many halls served her well. She could always hear when something was just up ahead, or just around a corner.
Avoiding whatever horrors lurked those ancient halls was easy.
However, Weiss couldn't shake the sense she wasn't making progress.
Every twist and turn of the labyrinth looked the same.
What can I do?
Weiss stopped at yet another fork in the path. She could continue to the right, or to the left.
Weiss glanced down at her sword, and smirked.
She approached the stone wall directly in front of her, and carved a small arrow into it. The arrow pointed toward the right.
Weiss continued onward, going tit for tat at each fork. If she went left before, she would go right at the next fork.
Several minutes passed before she came across a fork with an arrow carved into it.
So I really am going in circles...
Weiss carved an arrow pointed toward the left, and continued down the new path.
Every time Weiss came across a path with no arrows carved into it, she felt her anxiety drift away, bit by bit.
She was making progress. She could make it out of this.
Something growled behind her. Right behind her.
Weiss spun around, making a blind stab with her blade.
Myrtenaster cut across a shadowy figure's body. It flinched back a few steps.
Weiss quickly retreated, and studied the creature in front of her.
Its entire body was black, save for a white, bone-like mask adorning its face, and similarly colored claws. Its eyes held a red glow, as it sized her up with a predatory gaze.
Remember your training.
Weiss took a deep breath, and tightened her grip on Myrtenaster.
Remember your training...
Weiss held her weapon uncertainly.
I can't remember anything!
It lunged forward. Weiss reflexively stabbed forward.
Her blade sunk into its eye. One of its claws raked her shoulder. The thing's body slammed into Weiss's, knocking her to the floor.
She crawled away from the creature. "I-Is that it? I killed it?"
As she stood up, Weiss became aware of a sharp pain in her shoulder. She looked over, and saw a deep wound.
A growing red stain spread across her dress. She pressed her hand against the wound. She didn't have anything to staunch the blood with.
Weiss picked up the pace, quickly marching down corridor after corridor, and scratching arrows into the walls when she needed to.
The bleeding wasn't that bad, but it did have one unfortunate side effect; she could hear more creatures behind her.
They weren't close behind her, but she could tell something was following her trail. Maybe they smelled the blood in the air. Maybe they could see well enough in the dark to follow the droplets being left in her wake, but either way, Weiss couldn't afford to slow down for a second.
A dark though entered Weiss's mind.
What if there is no way out?
She was moving forward on the assumption that she would find a door, or a staircase, or... something. Whatever she found, she hoped it would allow her to escape.
But, could she really have been the only sacrifice to ever smuggle a weapon inside the labyrinth? Surely, there had been foolhardy adventurers who snuck into the labyrinth, armed to the teeth and well supplied.
But no one had ever left the labyrinth.
Maybe there was no stairwell leading up and out of that place.
Maybe there was no safe haven just up ahead she could catch her breath in.
Maybe there just wasn't any way out. Period.
In that moment, the walls seemed to close in a little tighter around her, and the growl of unseen creatures felt closer.
Weiss mumbled to herself as she looked down at her own shaking feet. "Don't give up. I can do this... I can-"
She glanced ahead, and saw a pair of glowing purple eyes dead ahead.
"No..." Weiss looked behind her. She didn't see anything in the darkness, but at least a few of those things were approaching.
She looked forward again. Whatever was ahead had closed the distance between them.
Her breathing quickened, as she pointed her sword forward. "S-stay back!"
It stood just beyond the reach of her torch's light.
I'm hyperventilating.
Weiss's training trickled back in. She was breathing too fast and too hard. She forced herself to slow down. Her hands trembled. She willfully steadied them. One foot forward.
Wait... which foot do I-
It lunged forward.
All Weiss saw was a yellow blur knock her into the floor and rip her weapon from her grip. Myrtanster vanished into the darkness as it was cast away from her.
Eyes wide, Weiss stared up at the figure above her.
It was a woman. A very human looking woman.
Weiss's eyes drifted to a set of curved horns protruding from her head.
It was a mostly human looking woman.
The woman's Lilac eyes scanned her curiously.
A deep growl filled the hall.
Multiple sets of red eyes watching them from the shadows.
"Hang on for a bit," the woman said. "I'll be right back."
The woman confidently, perhaps even arrogantly approaching the unseen creatures. She cracked her knuckles as she walked.
Weiss hesitated for only the briefest of moments before lunging for her torch and bolting. She slowed only long enough to grab her discarded blade before running into a full sprint.
The hall was long.
The labyrinth had been nothing but twists and turns, but the current section she was within just seemed to go on and on.
The labyrinth's endless darkness gave way to a wooden door. Weiss skidded to a halt, nearly running face-first into the door in the process.
"Does this lead out...?" Weiss smiled for the first time since she 'won' the lottery.
She all but threw herself against the door, pressing against it before noticing a metal ring acting as a handle.
"Please don't be another door trap..."
She pulled the door open, a little too forcefully. She accidentally slammed it against the wall. Ignoring the noise, she forced her legs to carry her onward.
She tripped immediately after stepping over a ledge. A set of stairs leading down were built just beyond the doorway.
Weiss tumbled down several steps before coming to a stop, thankfully unhurt.
She managed to keep a grip on her weapon, but her accidentally thrown torch tumbled downward, leaving embers in its wake.
Shadows crept in all around her. Weiss stood up, and carefully walked down the steps to retrieve her torch.
"Oh, good. The flame didn't go out." Weiss recovered her torch, and prepared to descend to the next floor.
"Actually, the next floor is much better lit. You probably won't need it."
Weiss whipped around, stabbing blindly with Myrtenaster as she spun.
A firm hand grasped her wrist. Weiss dropped the blade immediately.
Weiss stared at the woman from before. She stared back, an amused grin on her face.
Weiss waited, frozen. Her eyes darted to the woman's curved horns, then to her admittedly gorgeous blond hair.
"So... should I start the conversation? Or, do you wanna take a stab at it?"
Weiss blinked. "I-"
The woman's words sunk in.
'Stab' at it?
Weiss's eyes briefly lowered to her fallen weapon.
Did she just-
"I'm Yang. Nice to meet ya." Yang offered her hand, while gave a friendly smile.
Weiss slowly, and numbly, took her hand.
A silence hung between them. Yang eventually released Weiss's hand.
"Not much of a talker, huh?"
Finally, Weiss's brain started to work. "What are you?"
Yang's grin diminished slightly at that.
She glanced to the left. Weiss's eyes followed.
She glanced to the right. Again, Weiss's eyes followed.
Yang leaned in closer. "Would you believe me if I said..." Her voice dropped lower. "I was a demon?"
Weiss's eye twitched. She took a deep breath, and glanced down at her weapon.
Weiss dropped to floor, snatched her weapon, and elbowed Yang in the face as she rose back up.
Yang didn't so much as flinch.
"Okay," Yang said flatly. "I admit that was a bad joke. I apolo-"
Weiss retreated back, and pointed her blade forward.
Yang put her hands in front of her. "Hey, I'm sorry! I'm apologizing!"
"Just stay away from me." Weiss backed down the steps.
"Its not any safer down there." Yang took a step forward. "I can help you out."
Weiss made a weak stab toward Yang to keep her at bay.
"I'm being serious," Yang said, any humor in her features now gone. "If you run off you might not-"
Weiss made a more serious lunge. Yang pressed against the wall to avoid being cut.
Weiss took the opportunity to run down the staircase.
Another wooden door sat closed at the bottom. She flung it open, and found herself within yet another labyrinth.
...
Hopefully, I should be able to get into slightly more interesting territory than a drab stone dungeon next chapter.