MAZE - The Endless Quest

It was the middle of the afternoon when they finally arrived at the doorway, the one that would take them to the room where the Strength Spirits lived. But before crossing over, Hera summoned Vulcan so they could have a quick conversation.

“We’re not in your old home . The room is just beyond this doorway,” the Empress started, not even giving Forge a chance to speak. “Before we go, I want to talk to you a bit.”

Vulcan nodded. “Ok. Did I do anything wrong?”

“No, not at all. But we don’t know how you’re going to react once we’re inside. So, I’m asking you to tell me if anything feels off or if it becomes too much for you. I’m not going to give you an order for this. I want you to talk to me,” Hera continued.

“I understand. I’m not entirely sure how I’ll react once inside, either. It's strange. I’ve never had any flashes about my life before being captured, but being present in a place like this might change things.”

“That’s exactly why I’m talking to you. We don’t know how you’re going to react, and I don’t want you to hide anything from me. More than helping the Strength Spirits, I want to help you. You are my priority.”

Vulcan stared at Hera, sensing the depth of her feelings through their connection. Hearing it spoken aloud, knowing how much she truly cared, hit him differently. He now understood why Daskka always called the Ophidianite ‘mum.’ There was a long pause as Forge let those words sink in.

“I will, Hera,” Forge said with a serious but soft expression.

The Empress smiled, breaking the tension. “You don’t have to be so serious. This is a good thing. You’re visiting your old home. Just let me know if the influence starts to go up. How much is it right now?”

“It’s currently at 0%,” Forge replied as they walked back toward Helena and the Spymasters.

“Good, good. And what do you want us to do if you have to trigger the Demonic Form? Of course, we’ll step away and let you do that somewhere quiet, but should we stop interacting with the Spirits until you’re better, or pause whatever we’re doing?”

Without missing a beat, Vulcan replied, “I’ll leave the decision to you. I trust you, and I know you’ll have my best interests in mind. So, whatever you decide, I’ll agree with.”

“Thank you for the vote of confidence. I’ll do my best to…” Hera sighed, “I don’t really know. I’ll just do my best.”

Forge chuckled as they headed back to the group. Touching the doorway, they were transferred to a room called Duskwild Enclave, on the 13th layer. This meant the monsters would be around level 40 at most. It was a bit dangerous for Helena, but not enough for them to worry too much.

As soon as they crossed, their tablets buzzed with messages, finally reconnecting to the internet. Before anything else, Hera answered a few of those messages, all coming from Mali. She had access to a specific secure connection in order to contact the Ophidianite during their travels. But instead of sending a full report, Mali simply forwarded all the messages from the Harmony Guardians or anyone else who had tried to contact them.

The final message each day was from Milla herself, providing a summary of how everyone was reacting to Hera and Helena’s sudden disappearance. During the first few days, there were no mentions of them being stuck somewhere, everyone understood that delays were common in the MAZE, so no one was particularly worried. But when they missed the expected arrival date by three days, concerns grew.

The Harmony Guardians, her friends, her dad, and even members of the Alliance became worried. There were even messages asking about Helena from the R&D division. Sovereign Stofin reached the point of sending messages apologizing for giving Hera the title of Aspirant Hero, citing rumors of the cursed nature of the position.

Reading that line made Hera laugh. Sure, it was mostly due to a superstition, but even if there was a curse placed on her, there was a good chance [Wardbearer] would be able to help her with that. The last two people who said anything on the first day were Typhera and Rutigan who offered whatever help they could give.

By the fourth day, Milla had managed to get in touch with someone close to their last known location. This person planned to search for them, though it would take a couple more days to gather information. Unfortunately, this was the sixth day since they’d gone ‘missing,’ which mean that their efforts would end up being wasted. The best-case scenario was if they reached the Dunes of Isolation while it was still locked, that way whoever went after them wouldn't have to search for the pair inside.

Hera quickly replied, explaining what had happened and how the Dunes of Isolation could trap people during a storm. She assured Milla that they were safe, that nothing had happened, and that they had simply been stuck in the MAZE for a few extra days. She also mentioned the dungeon and how they had used one of its rewards to break through the storm but would provide a full report upon reaching the Alliance outpost. Milla’s response came almost instantly, as though she had been watching her messages for any sign of life.

‘I’m really glad you’re okay. I’ll let everyone know. And stop scaring us like that.’

Hera showed the message to Helena, and they both laughed before the Ophidianite sent a reply.

‘I don’t try to get stuck in the MAZE, you know. But I’ll do my best to avoid it happening again.’

Now that they had put out the fire caused by their student disappearance, the two friends finally had a moment to look around. Duskwild Enclave was a dense forest eternally bathed in the orange glow of dusk. The light didn’t come from a fixed sun, though. Instead, some magical effect created the soft, warm hue. During the day, the shadows moved, suggesting the presence of a sun. At night, most of the light came from the ground, glowing up through the mossy floor or deeper within the earth. The room spanned around 15 square kilometers, and a thick forest covered everything.

Mist lingered on the branches of the trees, moving as if it were alive. The cold air filled with the soft sounds of rustling leaves, distant bird calls, and the occasional rumbling of the earth. A canopy of intertwined foliage created a surreal play of light and shadows, making it hard to navigate through the forest. The light coming from both below and above further confused the senses. Hera and the group turned west, using her [Treasure Map] as a guide, until they reached a gentle stream of silvery water. The liquid looked like diluted mercury, but according to the Alliance, it was safe to drink.

They followed the stream, heading deeper into the room and noticing a few ancient structures overtaken by vines and moss. Hera's map marked the area as the Verdant Ruins. According to the map, it was supposed to be a place where a couple of dungeons were located. No one could tell if these crumbling stone buildings were remnants of an ancient civilization or just something placed here by the MAZE. Sometime after passing the ruins, they found the building the Alliance took over. It was a massive greenhouse attached to a lab, with circular corners splitting the wings of the structure. Both sides looked nearly identical, except for the last one, which had pipes leading back to the glass frames of the greenhouse.

"Vulcan, are you okay?" Helena asked.

"I am, for now," the kangaroo replied, keeping his eyes fixed on the structure.

"Just remember that the Alliance might be a bit tense, so our reception may not be that great," Viper added.

"Why is that? They know we're coming," Crimson frowned.

"Yeah, but this is supposed to be a secret location. Even if they know we're coming, seeing anyone might put them on edge," Viper explained.

Crimson seemed uncertain and turned to Hera, who nodded, "There's a good chance they know we're on the way, but since we’re late, they might think we’re spies or something."

As they approached the structure, a group of people emerged from the door, all holding weapons and wearing serious expressions.

"Stop there!" a dwarf at the front of the group shouted. He waited for Hera and the others to halt before continuing, "Who are you?"

"Hera Quetzaveth, Aspirant Hero and honorary member of the Alliance Council. With me are Helena, a friend and ally, and my court, part of my legacy."

The dwarf studied them for a moment. "If you are who you say you are, you were supposed to arrive several days ago."

"That’s correct. We got stuck in the Dunes of Isolation, but we managed to make it here, nonetheless. I imagine you’re going to say you can’t trust my word and ask for proof. May I send a message to my contact to confirm my story, or do you have another suggestion?"

A triton from the team stepped forward, showing something on a tablet to the dwarf. "We know that part of your legacy involves weapons turning into monsters. Can you show us that?"

Hera frowned. "That’s not exactly how it works, but sure."

"Okay then. Call the griffon."

"Sorry, I can’t. We got stuck in the MAZE, and while we were fighting our way out, several of my court members were damaged. They’re recovering and can’t be summoned until they’ve healed. Right now, I can show you the praying mantis or the snake man with spider legs," Hera gestured toward Viper and Crimson.

The triton flicked through images on the tablet, shaking his head, "Can’t you do the dragon?"

"It’s a sea serpent, and no, she’s one of the wounded ones too."

He continued flicking through the screens, "What about the red kangaroo monster? It’s him, right?" He pointed at Vulcan.

Hera placed a hand on Forge’s shoulder to calm him down, just in case, "It’s possible, but his specific form makes him go berserk. He helped us find this place because he was a Strength Spirit, but once he turns into a Daemon, he can’t control himself very well. I have no idea what would happen if he goes into that state near all this."

"Okay…" The triton frowned and kept searching until he stopped, "Is this...a praying mantis?" he asked the dwarf.

The dwarf squinted at the tablet, "Sort of? I think? It's hard to tell. it's mostly hidden."

Hera couldn’t help but notice the pride radiating from Viper and Crimson. Of course, it would be hard for anyone to get a good picture of the [Guardian Form] of the Spymasters.

"Shall we, Crimotra?" Crimson asked.

"Yeah," Hera nodded.

In a quick motion, the twins darted back and vanished, causing the guards to tense and prepare for a fight. They didn’t attack, though. The Ophidianite felt the twins changing forms while [Hidden Frontal Screen] was active. When their transformation was complete, they dropped the skill. Suddenly, a creature with the torso and head of a praying mantis, red and white daggers for arms, and the lower body of a red snake, appeared.

"Holy shit!" an elf gasped, her voice more shrill than she intended, drawing strange looks from the others.

"Is this the thing you were looking for?" Hera asked.

The dwarf and the triton looked between the tablet and the creature several times before the dwarf finally said, "Yeah, I think that’s it."

"You two can drop the form," the Ophidianite said as the group guarding the structure cautiously approached.

"I’m sorry about all this, Empress Quetzaveth, but considering the importance of this place to the humans, we have to be careful."

Hera and Vulcan both smiled, appreciating the seriousness of the situation, even if it wasn’t purely because of their care for the Strength Spirits.

"Don’t worry about it. I understand. I think I’d be more upset if you just let us waltz right in. And please, call me Hera."

"Thank you, Hera. Please, follow me. This facility has a very comfortable housing area if you need to rest. If not, we can start showing you around," The dwarf turned to Vulcan, "I understand you might have a particular insight into the situation."

Forge chuckled, his calm demeanor slowly vanishing, "I suppose that’s one way to put it."

The dwarf nodded, "I apologize if I’m being rude, but I don’t fully understand who you are or how you exist. I'm told considering you’re supposed to be a Strength Spirit. It’s a bit confusing."

"As far as I know, information about how Hera’s legacy works is considered top secret," Helena chimed in, "Not because of the legacy itself, but because of her position."

"Yeah, and I’m grateful for that. But basically, I can attach Spirits to weapons, which in turn gives them physical forms. Vulcan was a Strength Spirit we rescued from humans. He was in the process of turning into a Daemon. I made him an offer: I could try to save him by adding him to my court, or we could kill him so he wouldn’t suffer. I think Vulcan’s presence says enough about which choice he made."

"Oh…okay, that makes more sense. What we heard was that you were gathering Spirits and turning them into weapons," the dwarf replied.

"That’s not wrong, but it sounds worse than it is. I’m not forcing them to become my weapons. It’s something they choose if they want to stay with me. It’s a legacy," Hera sighed, "It’s complicated," deciding not to go into further detail. She wasn’t about to share the intricacies of her abilities.

"Either way, I appreciate the explanation. I’m Bolgo, by the way."

"It’s a pleasure to meet you," Helena smiled.

"And to meet you," Bolgo smiled as he opened the doors to the lab where the Strength Spirits were being kept.