Axel: Into the Lion's Maw V
Bandages covered the forearm closest to him, ones striped with thin, red slits.
Her chesire smile was so fragile; it twitched on the edge of sobs.
She was going to crush his shoulder.
Axel gripped her wrist. She flinched back, dragging him a step with her. Up close, he could see her lips were split. Flakes of skin dangled off. Spittle flicked from them as she giggle-cried, "Gone. Don't you see? All gone. Just us. Don't you see? Just us and our little audience, like a puppet crowd we stigger and stabble in the auditorium with nothing to do but fear the dreaded Exit Sign at the end of all sho—"
Axel allowed one glance.
The monsters were, in fact, gone.
With that one step, one that the demigod soldiers had unwittedly taken with them, the labyrinth had come to life and taken its own step. The hoards of monsters—their strength and shield—had vanished. There was a fork in the stone tunnel ahead. It ended in two doors, one with a golden archway; another, a wrought iron one.
He was alone with a handful of terrified demigods and a mad goddess.
"They left us," one of the demigods shouted, "Without Ariadne's string…" His fellow soldier—Luke's new favorite—Nakamura?—didn't need to finish the sentiment.
Mary spoke their fears aloud, "Everyone forgets that we all cease. How does everyone forget? You can read and read and watch and watch and drown and drown, but that's all you're doing. Drowning—[1]"
Lieutenant, came the gentle reminder.
The helm was correct: his job was, right now, to keep everyone calm. Something Mary was rapidly undoing.
Mary was far stronger than he. There would be no overpowering her. But, maybe he didn't need to. Ethel needed gentleness after Zeus attacked her. Hiro, his little half-brother, needed slow movements and softness after Hiro's mother had killed herself and tried to kill him. Mary's desperation reflected that same fragility.
"Mary," Axel said, maintaining eye contact, "My name is Axel. I am friends with Chris Rodriguez."
That's what he meant to say.
"I am the Leonis Caput," came out instead. Axel felt like the alteration should scare him. Instead, clutching the helm brought calm detachment. "The child of Hermes was to be under my protection. As these demigods are now. We are rejoining our main force. And I do not like distractions."
Pax would have liked it. It had dramatic flair. He would have wanted to end it with, and hear me roar.
The authoritative tone worked.
Mary released his shoulder and shrank back a step. Her lower lip quivered, making the skin flakes dance. She hugged herself, digging her nails into the scabs along either bicep.
"I can help! Help—help—please—" she pleaded, "I've been down here a long time. A lo-o-o-onnnng time. I've guided many people in the labyrinth."
In the labyrinth, Axel noted. Not through the labyrinth.
"I know the way!" she pranced once towards the golden archway. "This way—oh, all ways are the same, but this way is best same way."
But, Axel knew it wasn't the way. Earlier, the flooring under Kampe and the monsters had glowed dimly. Here, the glow deadended between the two arches. "No—"
Mary had already gripped Ethan Nakamura's arm. She dragged him towards the golden arch. "Hey!" Ethan shouted, unable to keep his footing at her speed.
"We're going to be left behind again!" someone from the back cried.
For an exacerbated heartbeat, Axel remembered babysitting all his siblings after Uncle Frasco had given them several pounds of candy and they sprinted in two different directions. Except, that only resulted in several bags of throw up instead of the potential destruction of the entire demigod force.
"Stop!" Axel roared. He flicked out his lighter, bit his tongue, murmured a word in Maya, and spit into the flame. It quadrupled in size, taking on a turquoise hue. With a flick of the Mist, torches around the room flared to life, providing them a parameter.
He pivoted on his scared troops. "Stay in the protective barrier. We lose no more to the labyrinth on this trip." He sought out someone whose name he knew, someone responsible, and settled on a short brunette in the back. "Ailiseu, keep everyone here." Before anyone could protest, he ran for the golden arch. Ethan just vanished into it, his over-sized armor clanging.
There was no protective barrier, but Alex couldn't have them splitting up into the labyrinth. Ailiseu—he couldn't even remember their godly parentage—was level headed. He just needed them to keep the others there until—
Heart pounding and eyes darting, Axel dashed after Mary's footsteps as the sound retreated into the darkness. He held up his lighter with the turquoise flame. Uncle Frasco could manipulate flames like this for hours—for a whole circus show. Axel had only tried it for brief tricks. He hoped that "protective barrier" would hold.
"Hey! Let go of me, you crazy lady—" echoed ahead.
Axel almost stumbled over Ethan's sword. He must have dropped it in the struggle. Axel slipped his foot under the hilt and kicked it up, snatching it in his left hand. The floor's dim glow had shifted, the light trailing after the kidnapped soldier and mad goddess.
When Axel saw them, he increased his speed.
Ahead, Mary was dragging Ethan towards a pile of corpses.
Thank you for reading! I know this is a short one. But, I hope you enjoyed! Getting a short with both Ethan Nakamura and Mary. I've had requests on both of them and I hope this doesn't disappoint!
I'm hoping to resume our every-other-week schedule with a lovely forecast of dismembered limb jokes. I hope you have an awesome leap day!
[1] Interlude brought to you by Jack's recent existential crisis. Interlude music begins here, preformed by Pax and three weasels. Doo doo to doo doooooo—