World of Mazes

" You saw my wounds- or lack of them. What grabbed me was pure illusion, but one my mind accepted as real. I felt it, couldn' t escape its clutches, was terrified of it. I' m not so sure I know how to stop it, even after looking through the grimoire. This," he said, tapping the small brown leather- covered book, " contains much information, but it can' t tell everything I might encounter."

" The walls were filled with clutching hands," said Inyx, her eyes, distant, as if she focused on those creatures. She sat down beside Lan and shivered. " How horrible."

" We' ve been through worse, you and I."

" Being apart was bad enough," she said. " But the way we' re forced apart is worse."

" I know about Luister len- Larrotti," he said. " Something similar happened to me, but it was much more pleasant." Lan remembered the times in the Suzerain of Melitarsus' mansion. He' d been imprisoned both magically and physically, but the bonds were less damaging for him than Inyx' s had been for her.

She turned blue eyes to look into his brown ones. In the nest there was neither day nor night, only a perpetual twilight. But most of the people slept now, preparing for the assault on the room. For the span of several heartbeats, Inyx and Lan said nothing.

He took her in his arms and pulled her closer. Their mouths brushed lightly, then the kiss deepened into passion. All they' d been through kindled their need for one another into a raging desire.

" Lan, I-"

" No talk," he said. " This is the time for action." His mouth crashed into hers again, this time with lips slightly parted. Tongues lightly collided, danced about, then began erotically caressing.

Their hands moved and unwanted clothing vanished as if by magic. The only magic was in their need for one another.

Lan cupped one of Inyx' s breasts and felt the life pulsating within her body. No matter where they touched one another, what they did, it fed their passions and pushed them to a fever pitch.

For a moment, Inyx stiffened and held him away. The memory of Luister len- Larrotti still haunted her. She' d been used, abused, turned into a slave and a whore. Then she relaxed and urged Lan on. With him it was different. She did as she desired, not as another dictated.

Locked together, they surged and peaked, then lay side by side, arms circling one another' s sweaty body.

" It' s been a long time since I' ve wanted to make love," she said. " Since Reinhardt." She shuddered as she said that. LenLarrotti had used that image to hold her; the power of her husband' s memory had been shattered forever.

She remembered him fondly now, but she could go on. She had gained the strength to go on.

" Tired?" Lan asked.

" Yes. It' s been a hectic day and this:" She sighed deeply and snuggled closer. " It took the last of my energy."

" Are you sure?" he asked, his fingers lightly tracing patterns over her naked flesh. Everywhere he touched tingled and glowed. Lan used the spell for cheating weakness. Like all spells, it had its drawbacks. The energy they both got would leave them even more drained after the effects wore off.

It seemed like a good tradeoff to Lan.

And to Inyx.

" This hidden corridor is the real entry point to the room," said Lan, sketching the approach for the benefit of the others. " The doorway appears open, but the spells guarding it are incredibly active. I don' t even want to think about trying to go through that way."

" How do you know these things?" demanded Knoton. " How will our gaining entry into this particular room aid any of us to escape the Twistings?"

He faced the mechanical leader. In subtle ways emotion played across that metallic visage. Lan wished he knew what those mirrored emotions meant.

" You wish to leave this maze, right? We- the humans and hybridswill help you do that, but first we have to destroy what' s in the room. We' re being held inside the Twistings by its power. Destroy it, destroy that magical hold. Only then can we truly combine forces and break out of the maze."

" The mechanicals feel its pull also," he admitted reluctantly. " You can destroy this fetish if we gain entry?"

" I' ll be truthful about it. I think I might be able to. I' m no sorcerer, but I control certain spells. I' ve been practicing the one required to rob the fetish, as you call it, of its power. We might able to destroy it then. But I can' t promise that. What I can promise is that controlling whatever we find in that room will give a big edge in helping us escape."

" Why?" The mechanical still appeared skeptical.

" The Lord of the Twistings' power resides in that room. The greyclad soldiers obey him because of what he holds there. Remove it, or threaten it enough, and the Lord must respond. Only with such an opening can we act."

" We mechs will not be used as shock troops. We will not bear the brunt of the fighting."

" It' s going to be an equal opportunity for all to die," said Inyx. " Lan, Krek, and I have scouted this place. Just looking draws the maze creatures. All of them."

" Even the ones from deeper levels." Knoton didn' t appear happy with this prospect.

Lan decided not to pursue this line of inquiry. He hadn' t known there were deeper levels to the Twistings. That fact didn' t make it any easier- or harder- accomplishing his mission.

" We' re agreed, then?" he asked. " We cooperate? All of us?"

" You lead?" asked Knoton. The mechanical obviously had reservations. He respected Inyx and her fighting ability, but that didn' t mean trust went with it. This interloper fresh to the Twistings presented an even riskier proposition.

" I will. I can ' see' the traps in the floors. The maze creatures don' t trigger them; we do. The magics guarding the room are potent. I can lead a small party through the hidden corridor. From there, we get into unknown territory. This is all the further Inyx and I reached." Lan paused, then added, " With your help, Knoton, we can break through and crush the Lord' s power."

" For five years I' ve roamed the Twistings," said the mechanical. " For five long years I' ve built my hatred for the Lord. This is the first real opportunity to vent it. I shall follow- but cautiously."

" You and Inyx can work out the details," said Lan. The woman nodded assent. She and Knoton had a working relationship that he and Krek didn' t have with the mechanical. And Lan Martak wanted one more night' s sleep, even sleep troubled by nightmares, before again confronting the magics guarding that single room.

He' d have been better off staying awake. The nightmare quality of his dreams gave him little rest.

" My men mark the way," said Knoton in an accusing tone. He wanted Lan to know that they wouldn' t be led into the maze and left helpless and confused as to direction.

" It won' t do much good," said Lan. " I tried doing that when I first entered the Twistings. Only Krek seems to have the knack for finding his way around. The magics don' t work as effectively on him."

One of the mechs trotted back and spoke quietly to Knoton. Knoton shook his fist.

" What you say is correct. The markings vanish even as we make them. It is not this way in other parts of the maze."

" The Lord most carefully protects this area," said Krek. " We are not too distant from where we encountered him. I believe he keeps whatever it is in this room because of easy access. If he needs to recover it quickly, there is not far to go."

" There won' t be any treachery on our part, Knoton," Inyx told the mechanical. " We risk just as much as you in this."

" I wish that I could believe humans."

" Not all of us are like the Lord."

" Enough are," he said sullenly.

Lan stopped and thrust out his arms to stop the party' s progress. He' d " seen" one of the patches of floor glowing a dull amber. The other traps had been marked with different colors. This one was not only at a variance, it hadn' t been here when he, Krek, and Inyx had passed before.