What I thought to be about three days later, I was again taken from my cell. IN the days that lead up to it I had fought in the pits once more. I was exhausted. Mentally and physically. I'd only had a break the night before, and Id caught snippets of conversation from people I'd passed in the halls saying that Feyre and I's first trial was going to take place soon. Our only trial together. Then we were on our own. I had a feeling Feyre and I wouldn't see each other much after the task. I hadn't seen her since we'd given Amarantha our names and I feared we wouldn't see each other again.
The guards pulled me from my cell, taking me to a new room that I had yet to see. I still wore the bloodied clothes I'd been given three days ago. The blood had dried, barely visible on the black clothes. My appetite had practically vanished in the days I'd been fighting. I had put on a brave face when I fought, tried to conceal the fact I hadn't slept in days with the violence.
But I'm sure as I walked down the halls toward whatever I was to face by Amarantha's request I looked like I was crazy.
The guards took me to a massive arena, larger than where I'd been fighting. It was a large torch-lit cavern. The crowds were louder here as everyone crawled out of their rooms to watch the mortals die.
The crowd parted as I walked by, my sister was standing at the edge of the arena and I wondered why they always brought her places before me. Feyre was peering over the edge and someone approached her from behind, reaching out their hands as if they were going it push her. I called out, shaking the guard's hold on me as my sister went dumpling into the pit.
I ran, jumping in after her. My sister was face-deep in mud when I pulled her up, "You okay?" I asked her. She nodded, wiping some of the mud that had dirtied her clothes.
I looked up, seeing we were in a trench about twenty feet deep, surrounded by some type of disgusting slippery mud that smelled absolutely atrocious. I looked up, immediately spotting the red-headed queen who looked so very amused at us. That was when I knew something was up.
I looked around again, beginning to become frantic there were turns and twists in the trenches and I realized we were in a maze. Why would she put us in a maze? Was it a test to see how fast we could get out?
The queen's voice sounded from behind me, "You say you're resourceful, Danika." she laughed, but I didn't turn around as I tried to analyze why she'd put me in here, "Let's see how well you work under pressure." I turned then, facing the queen, "You're skilled in a fight," She leaned her chin on her hand on the throne, "I'd like to see you fight this." She held up a hand gesturing to whatever was here with us. I spun, my eyes searching for whatever threat she planned for us to defeat.
I looked up at the crowd, trying to find where their eyes were trained beside the two of us. My eyes caught on flashes of gold being passed as they bet on our lives. Lovely.
"Release it," Amarantha called. I stiffened, as my brain went on full alert. There was a slithering noise in the mud. Getting closer.
I grabbed my sister's hand as the other unsheathed my daggerâat that moment I really wished I had something a little bit bigger.
The crowd quieted to a soft murmur. I could feel the vibrations on the ground as whatever was released came for us. I closed my eyes, allowing my other senses to take over. The slithering sound was getting louder. The mud had blocked any sense of smell I had. The vibrations on the floor were getting more intense with every passing second. This thing was fast.
I snapped my eyes open, pulling my sister with me as I ran the other way from where the vibrations were originating. Usually, I'd say not to run from a predator or opponent, but I just had a feeling about it. And I trusted my instincts.
It was gaining on it, I could feel it in my bones. Like a second sense that told me when danger was coming.
I spared only a glance behind us, trying to gauge how far away the creature was.
And then I saw it. Right as it came around a bend.
It was a worm. A giant fucking worm with really sharp teeth. It was fast and gaining on us. I took a sharp turn, pulling Feyre with me. I turned immediately after. The worm was large. Really large. It wouldn't be able to turn as fast as us due to its size. If we turned constantly we might be able to lose it.
I turned to the left once more, slowing my pace. The worm's slithering sound grew distant as it went around the maze trying to get to us.
Think, Danika. Think.
Faerie Wyrms. Giant Faerie Wyrms.
There are only so many species I'd learned about. But I'd had to come across whatever that was before. There were three types of worms I remembered learning about.
The Adisene wyrm was giant and blue with prickly spikes that poison you if you touch them. They always creeped me out. I didn't see much of the mystery worm but I don't remember it looking blue and spiky.
An Ocaline wyrm wasn't dangerous to humans, only faeries. It looked like a normal wyrm but possessed an airborne poison in its scent that caused hallucinations and sickness for faeries so I didn't think that was the wyrm here.
Lastly, the Middengard wyrm. It seemed like the most likely option. It looked relatively normal aside from its size and really sharp rows of teeth.
On the bright side, no type of wyrms possessed any senses besides taste and smell. They couldn't hear or see. And that would be an advantage.
I felt so smart.
I went over my knowledge of the Wyrm, trying to figure out how we would defeat it.
The vibrations on the floor were getting closer and I took Feyre again running through the maze away from the vibrations. Until one of us came up with an idea on how to kill it.
Until then we needed to become invisible. Undetectable.
I slowed the two of us down and very begrudgingly stepped up to the wall of the trench we were in before smelling the mud.
It was awful. I coughed as I tried not to throw up.
I had a feeling it wasn't mud. But I refused to think about the possibilities of what it could be.
"What are you thinking?" Feyre talked softly.
"The wyrm is blind. It relies on scent to see." I looked at the mud internally cringing as I realized what we needed to do.
"We need to become invisible." Feyre put together as she looked at the mud. I nodded confirming her suspicions as I reached my hand out taking a scoop of what I really hoped was mud before I ran it across my chest.
Disgusting.
I turned and took another scoop as I began covering myself along with my scent. From the corner of my eye, I watched as my sister did the same.
The mud went everywhere on us, only sparing the space by my daggers so that I could still grab themâeven if they were practically useless against our current enemy. I looked at both of us when there wasn't an inch of myself that wasn't covered. Feyre wasn't better off.
I looked at my sister telling her to follow me as I began running forward, trying to navigate the large expanse of a maze.
I noticed something up ahead. I squinted, looking forward. It was a large tunnel. I probably shouldn't put us in a corner without a way out, but my instincts were yelling at me to go in. I thought about it for only a moment before I rushed in, followed by Feyre.
I stopped, looking around the dark tunnel. The walls were stone in there. The only mud was on the floor. I turned around in the tunnel, looking at the space.
Something white caught my eye and I looked closer. As it came into view it took me only a moment to realize what it was.
Bones.
Human and Faerie alike.
Bones.
Bones can be sharp when broken.
Sharp things make weapons.
Weapons mean advantage.
I just needed to use that advantage. I couldâ
"Girls," Amarantha's voice called out, "You're ruining everyone's fun!" she giggled, "Come out!"
I didn't care. I walked over to the bones, picking up what seemed to be a femur before I snapped it in half over my thigh. I took one of the pieces, bringing it closer to my face to inspect it in the dim light of the tunnel. I touched my finger to the sharp edge I'd created, finding it pointy enough, I turned to my sister. I handed her the bone pieces. "Do this to the rest. I have an idea." Feyre took the bones, inspecting them as well as I began to walk out of the tunnel.
Feyre called out, "where are you going?"
"I'm going to make a trap."
âââ · ãï¾â: *.â½ .* :âï¾. âââ
A/N: I'm like rlly tired right now, cause I'm trying to pull an all-nighter to get my sleep schedule back on track, so I've had a lot of caffeine. So this might be gibberish. My apologies.