Orthos and Little Blue had scrambled to the top of his head, and Blue was ringing like a panicked bell.
Eithan nudged Mercy’s staff away from his face and spoke. “It’s too bad that time is of the essence, because I don’t know if the labyrinth can seal us in here for minutes or for days.”
Lindon, of course, had no idea either. But it was clear to him that the labyrinth had been twisted out of its natural patterns. Not only did it make sense logically, but he could feel it. The labyrinth’s controller had twisted space to lock them here, which couldn’t last forever.
He looked to the wall a few feet away. “What does that script do?”
There was a slight indentation in the wall, which held a script at about head-height. Ziel answered him. “It’s a spatial transfer script, like the ones on a transport anchor. I’m no Sage, so I don’t know exactly how it works, but it’s written like a one-way trip.”
Lindon guessed that made sense, and Dross chuckled along with his thoughts.
[Yes, they had to ditch their failures somewhere, didn’t they? Those inferior beasts who couldn’t properly adapt to the energy must have been shipped off to the surface.]
“At least there’s a way out!” Mercy said.
Eithan sat on one ledge of the tank. “If I didn’t know better, I would think the labyrinth was trying to kick us out.”
They were being rejected, and Lindon knew it. Subject One had chosen Reigan Shen, so it was blocking their way forward. There was nothing for them to do but retreat.
Or…
Lindon tapped the floor with his foot. “It will be difficult, and I can’t make any promises. But I think I can break through the floor.”
“If that doesn’t wring your spirit dry, I’ll dig through the next floor with my teeth.” Yerin gave him a frown over her shoulder.
Ziel sighed, and leaned his head back against the wall. “What do you think we’re going to do to Reigan Shen if we catch up to him and you’re out of power? You think Arelius is going to smile him to death?”
“I’ve done it before!”
Smoke blew down into Lindon’s eyes, and he blinked it away.
“Very well,” Orthos said solemnly. “I’ll do it.”
Lindon considered very carefully how to refuse without destroying Orthos’ feelings. But before he came to a conclusion, Dross laughed out loud.
[Ridiculous! What can an Underlord sacred beast do to the stone of the labyrinth? Can you sense the layers of aura and authority embedded in this stone? You could not burn away the dust!]
Lindon couldn’t see Orthos, but he could feel the glare that the turtle directed toward the smug, floating spirit.
“Before Lindon fixes you,” Orthos said, “I hope he lets me bite you one time.”
[Try it, beast! I am only as physical as I choose to be!]
Even that conversation tied his stomach in knots, because it reminded Lindon that he might not be able to fix Dross. But he distracted himself with the problem at hand.
“Orthos, are you suggesting you transfer your power to me?”
“It hasn’t been much use since you outgrew me, but yes. I’ll lend you what I can, and then you can send me back to the surface.”
It wasn’t a terrible idea. Lindon still had Blackflame scales left, but every source of power would be helpful. And he wanted an excuse to send Orthos back anyway. This was a relief; now, at least, he would be safe.
“Are you sure?” Lindon asked.
Orthos felt the feelings through their bond and let out a heavy breath. “How else am I going to help?”
A little irritation slipped into Lindon’s relief. Not at Orthos; at himself.
Hadn’t he just said that he wanted to use his power to keep everyone together? And now here he was at the first opportunity, letting someone go.
“Next time, we won’t have to leave you behind,” Lindon promised. “We’ll catch you up to us, no matter what we have to do.”
“This is nice,” Mercy whispered to Yerin.
“Quiet!” Eithan shouted. “They’re having a moment!”
Orthos ignored them, and Lindon felt his fondness in his spirit. “There’s no need. I’m content just being along for the adventure.”
Lindon’s feelings firmed. “I’m not.”
Without further discussion, Orthos’ power began flowing into Lindon. His Blackflame core was already full, so this burning power filled his channels directly. Even wisps of soulfire entered Lindon, though what Orthos contained as an Underlord was much less potent than what Lindon himself had access to.
With the power flowing through his veins, Lindon had no choice but to vent it somewhere. He directed his fury downward, and he guided Orthos’ power with the focus of a Sage and the authority of the Void Icon.
“You should move,” Lindon said to nobody in particular. There was a shuffling of feet and a groan from Eithan, but then Lindon had a bare stretch of floor to work with.
He sent a liquid bar of Blackflame down into the stone.
It still wasn’t easy, even with the support of his authority. The Void Icon was great at removing things, and when the Path of Black Flame melted through stone, there was very little left to melt or burn away into the air. So the small room wasn’t filled with the sorts of toxic smoke that would have asphyxiated everyone.
But the resistance on the stone was powerful. Lindon had blazed through all the power Orthos could spare before the turtle released their bond, panting hard.
“I’m sorry,” Orthos rumbled from on top of Lindon’s head. The hole in the floor was three feet deep now, and wide enough that the others had been forced to back up again.
“No need,” Lindon responded. He used his own power this time, and a flame of his own soulfire. “Just a little more.”
Sure enough, the next room was only a few more inches down.
They broke through into a hallway that could have belonged anywhere in the labyrinth. Lindon extended his perception through the hole and felt everyone else doing the same…except Ziel, who dropped down without any fanfare.
He called back up: “Good work, Orthos. We’ll see you back on the surface.”
“Don’t throw your life away, boy,” Orthos called back. Then he leaped off Lindon’s head, landing on the ledge by the transfer circle.
Eithan tapped his forehead. “Good-bye, Orthos. I’ll punch the Monarch an extra time in your name.”
“And someone bite Dross,” Orthos added. Yerin pushed forward to rap her knuckles on his shell.
“Luck,” she said.
Little Blue gave a determined whistle, and Lindon realized she had been listening quietly the entire time. She hopped over to Orthos and stood by him with hands on her hips.
She chimed out her resolve to protect Orthos, and looked at Lindon as though expecting to see him object. He only felt relief. Together, they could protect one another.
“Be safe,” Lindon said. Then he powered the circle, and the two vanished.
“That’s for the best,” Mercy said quietly, and Lindon agreed. But he wasn’t satisfied.
The rest followed Ziel down the hole after a moment, and Lindon noticed that something was wrong.
He hadn’t felt any fury from Subject One when they’d broken through the wall. If it had tried to trap them and failed, it should have sensed as much and been furious. But he didn’t feel anyone’s frustration transmitted through the stone.