The drums started up again.
Lieven was the first to his feet, gliding across his room in a set pattern as he sought the exit.
Kira remained in place, studying her surroundings
Being the first out of the labyrinth wasn't enough.
For a puzzle like this, she needed to up her game. Not just win but do it as elegantly and prettily as possible. Form and function, two halves of the same whole. They were the foundations Haldeel society was based on.
Lieven paced in a circle, the butt of his staff pointed toward the ground. From his movements, Kira assumed he had almost found the way out.
Instead of hurrying to start, Kira remained in place, waiting as the music built in intensity.
The pattern would show itself. She just needed to wait.
Kira tapped the butt of the staff against the floor in time with the drums, each tap sending out flares of light that spread like ripples on a pond through the ground below her.
The ripples met the wall and cascaded, exposing a small distortion in their pattern.
There.
Kira moved, darting forward and sliding through the small opening next to the floor in an instant.
Jin dove after her, barely escaping before the exit was concealed again.
Kira straightened from her crouch before rotating the staff in a flashy figure eight. First with one hand then the other, switching off in a continuous movement.
She spun, her staff a whirling dervish before her as she danced on light feet across the floor.
She dodged as a section of the wall sailed toward her, avoiding it by millimeters.
She planted the butt of the spear against the ground, using it as leverage to launch herself into the air. She twisted, flipping over the pit that had suddenly opened up.
With cat-like grace, she landed on the opposite side, only to sprint forward and run up the next wall.
Kira grabbed the opening to the next floor and pulled herself up.
Jin hummed as he followed her onto the second level.
Burnt umber slashed at her. Kira bent backward, barely escaping Lieven's staff. She straightened, blocking the next attack.
Sparks flew as their staffs collided.
In the next second, they spun away from each other as a transparent wall popped up from the floor. Kira turned on her heel and sprinted in the opposite direction.
Several similar exchanges played out over the next minutes as they fought their way to the third floor.
They broke through the barrier at the same time. Abruptly, the floor pitched below her, rotating around the edge of the labyrinth.
Kira raced counter-clockwise to the floor's movement. It took only seconds to realize her actions wouldn’t offset the speed.
She kicked off one wall, then the next, using them to keep her forward momentum before diving onto the next level.
Once again, Lieven and Kira reached the next floor within seconds of each other.
By now, they were both breathing hard, the labyrinth pushing their limits.
Despite that, there was no time to rest.
