Ciao again, sorry it's taken so long for this chapter. I half-own Ariadne in this chapter (if I got the name right) but no-one else. Sob sob...I wish I'd thought of them first...

CHAPTER 3

"So...Will?"

Will nodded at Ginny.

"You said you were getting married tomorrow. Who to?"

"She's called Elizabeth Swann," Will said, glancing at Jack, who was busy searching round the corners of the tunnel for a bottle of rum which he was sure that he had dropped.

"That's a strange name," said Sonea. Harry raised his eyebrows.

"Actually, Elizabeth is a pretty normal name," he said. "More common than Sonea, anyway."

Sonea glared at him. "Shut up."

Ginny elbowed him hard in the ribs. "Harry, shut it."

Jack finally gave up his search and sat down, an annoyed expression on his face.

"So, what are we going to do about this whole thing?" Eragon said, stroking Saphira's huge neck.

"I think we've got caught in a time warp or something," Ginny said, thinking. "So there should be some way to reverse it...any of you guys good at time spells?"

Sonea shrugged. "My magic's different from yours," she said. "I'm not going to be of any use unless we need healing, fighting or alchemy."

Jack brightened. "Gold?"

Sonea looked at him oddly. "Not that type of alchemy," she said. Jack looked annoyed again.

A faint roar was suddenly heard from somewhere in the tunnel, causing the walls to shake a little. Ginny looked frightened.

"Jesus, mate, can't you stop the snake from doing that?" Jack said to Eragon. Eragon looked offended.

"She's a dragon, not a snake!" he said. "And her name is Saphira."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Dragons don't have names," he said. "They're just a breed."

Saphira snorted fire at him, causing his robes to catch alight. Harry jumped up and, running around, attempted to put it out. Everyone else howled with laughter.

"I think that was the Minotaur," Ginny said, sounding worried. "It's hungry..."

"Too right it is!"

Everyone looked up at where the strange and slightly squeaky sounding voice had come from. From a grille above them, a small, grinning face looked down.

"Who are you?" Will asked.

"Ariadne," the girl said. "Not that it's any of your business."

Ginny thought for a minute. "Aren't you the one who's supposed to be helping us?"

Ariadne snorted. "No way," she said. "That's my brother down there."

"I can see the resemblance," Jack said, smiling innocently. Ariadne glared.

"Well, good luck to you lot," she said, deciding to ignore Jack's comment. "You're going to need it. My brother's very strong, you know."

Sonea stood up. "We have magic," she said defensively. "And...other stuff. That monster won't be anything compared to us."

Ariadne clapped her small hands. "Maybe, maybe not," she said. "That's why Daddy had you all brought here. He wanted to see if his precious Minotaur was strong enough to withstand people with other special advantages."

Will looked confused. "I don't have a special advantage..."

Jack smirked. "That's true," he said.

Ariadne tossed her hair back. "Anyway, I'll come back in a few hours. You should be finished off by then."

Harry, looking furious, grabbed something hard on the ground beside him and threw it at the grille. It missed. Ariadne, realising that she was under fire, disappeared from above.

"Ha-ha, rubbish shot," Eragon said quietly. Harry glared.

Jack nearly knocked Sonea over in his attempt to get to the object that Harry had thrown. "Rum!" he yelled, grabbing it and sounding delighted. Ginny rolled her eyes.

"Right...people, we still have a big ugly hungry beast to deal with."

Eragon shrugged. "Saphira'll take care of it," he said. "She's faced worse before."

"Well, matey," Jack said, taking a long swig from his bottle. "While you're sitting up there on her back, nice and cosy, we're going to be down here, within easy eating range. And, believe me, I've had enough of being eaten for now."

Will rolled his eyes. "Long story," he said to the others, who were all looking a bit confused.

Another roar shook through the tunnel, this time closer.

"Look, Eragon," Ginny said desperately. "Will we all be able to fit up there, on Saphira's back?"

Eragon shook his head. "She's only strong enough to hold three," he said.

Jack smiled. "Will, Ginny, Harry- it's been nice knowing you."

"What?" Harry protested. "Why do you and Sonea get to stay safe?"

"Because," Jack said. "Sonea happens to be carrying at the moment. And as for me, it would just be a waste of a lot of things if I were left down there, wouldn't it?"

"Look, that's not going to work," Ginny said. "We'll have to find some other way. Harry and I can block it for some time, but-"

The roars could be heard louder now, along with some faint, heavy footsteps.

"Swordfighting's not going to work," Will said. "From what you've said, this creature would kill me before I even had a chance to draw my blade."

Jack rolled his eyes. "Just get behind the snake and let it do it's fancy fire thing."

"She's not a snake!!!!!" Eragon yelled. Saphira, as if agreeing, roared.

"Uh oh," said Ginny, as a large, hairy creature burst into the tunnel they'd occupied for the last hour or so.

"It's the Minotaur!" yelled Harry. Sonea rolled her eyes.

"Understatement of the century."

"Everyone, do Jack's plan!" Eragon yelled as he jumped up onto Saphira.

Jack, yelling rather un-heroically, did so immediately. Followed by everyone else.

Saphira breathed a stream of fire at the Minotaur, which caught alight, roared, and ran off, heavy footsteps thudding.

"Wow," Ginny said, sounding impressed. "Saphira's really something, isn't she?"

Eragon looked proud and stroked his dragon's head. "She says thank you," he replied, smiling at Ginny. Harry looked annoyed as Ginny smiled back.

"That wasn't the last of it," Sonea said. "I have a feeling that it'll be back."

Jack yawned, took another swig of rum, then, on seeing the others' disgusted looks, innocently held it out.

"Anyone else want some?"

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