Chapter 3

“I ask once again. Name yourself, outlander.”

Standing by the door where there wasn’t anything before, was a buffalo. To be more accurate, it was a guy with the head and horns of a buffalo. He had a human-ish frame but was covered head to toe in brown fur. He wore bright silky blue robes and wore tiny golden spectacles on his nose in a way that made him look as sophisticated as he sounded. The buffalo man leaned against the door, a book in one hand, and his other quizzically placed on his chin. He seemed to only regard me out of the corner of his eye.

Clearly whatever he was reading was much more important, and I was an annoying distraction.

If I didn’t know any better, I’d say he was a minotaur, but that’s not quite accurate. A couple wanderers posted sightings of guys like him guarding the entrance to mazes. They’re a group of travellers that worship a mysterious goddess, and are said to be good luck for people venturing into labyrinths.

“An Asterius…let’s go!” I said, pumping my fist before I remembered my manners. “I’m KK! I’m looking for someone here.”

“A practiced alias. A novice you are not.” He arched an eyebrow, turning his head as he studied me a bit more closely. “Then you must know the dangers of this place.”

“If you’re here, it’s a maze, right?” I asked.

“Correct.” He said, “This is the nine-thousandth labyrinth created to house the dreams of one of goddess Ariadne’s many daughters. May she keep her secrets-”

“And forever remain out of reach.” I finished, covering a single eye with my hand.

“You’ve done your research…” the buffalo man said, closing his book with a satisfied huff. “You may address me as Tycho Wallace. Wallace shall suffice. I appeared here to continue my studies in solitude, so I must warn you as a fellow researcher, that this maze is unkind to trespassers. It is unwise to enter unprepared.”

“You mean it doesn’t behoove-”

“Don’t.”

“Sorry.” I said. “What’s it called?”

“Nothing your tongue can pronounce, I fear…” Wallace snorted.

“Aw, c’mon! At least tell me what its name means…”

Wallace paused for a moment, considering his next words. If I had to guess, he was trying to find a way to translate the meaning while also conveying the grandeur of a place that was, essentially, sacred ground to him.

“In your words; ‘The Fork Between Fading Dreams’.” He nodded to himself. “That I put it in a language as cumbersome as English feels blasphemous.”

“Thank you for your service, scholar.” He got two thumbs up from me, and he rolled his large dark eyes. “Well, wish me luck. Hopefully that buzzkill is still somewhere in here.”

“A colleague?” Wallace asked.

“Something like that.” I shrugged.

“A lover…?” He pressed, and I detected a small hint of sarcasm in his tone.

“Maybe a long time ago.” I shrugged again.

I could tell he was dissatisfied with my vague, non-commital answers, and to his credit, he kept quiet so I could ignore him if I wanted to. Maybe he could tell that I was unsure myself, and was just considerate enough to give me room to think.

The truth was that I didn’t like DD enough to risk my life for him even when we were together, and I didn’t miss him enough to really feel lonely in his absence. Part of me was hoping that by the time I got all the way out here, I’d know exactly why I felt the need to follow him.

“I feel like…If I didn’t look for him, I’d always wonder whether or not he found something worth disappearing over…” I said finally, shrugging my backpack onto my shoulder.

I took a couple steps towards the doorway of the labyrinth with my walking stick in hand, hoping this wouldn’t be the last time I spotted an Asterius, when a voice stopped me in my tracks.

“Rise and be known, Gargantua.”

The ground below my feet rumbled violently for just a second. Right as I thought I was going to be knocked flat on my ass, a tuft of white popped up from the ground in front of me. The ground rumbled a bit more, less violently this time, and the white shape from before emerged to reveal…

A little boy in a brown poncho.

He couldn’t have been more than ten years old by the looks of him, and he was generously four feet tall. His skin was incredibly pale, and his white hair didn’t do him any favors, but he had adorable looking orange eyes, and four arms with joints like a doll’s.

“What the hell’s he so cute for?!” I said, circling around as he pulled a little brown hat out from beneath his poncho. “Why would his name mean ‘big’ if he’s so widdle…!”

“Hand him your bag, outlander.” Wallace sighed. “Your walking stick is your sole means of protection, is it not? Should the need arise, focus all your efforts on fleeing, and he will follow.”

“I’m gonna call him GG…” I said poking at his hat as he made a troubled face.

“Are you listening to me…?” Wallace asked, watching with clear exasperation as I lifted GG into the air above me and the poor thing began to flail helplessly.

“Hear you loud and clear.” I sat GG down, satisfied. “Thank you, Wallace. You really don’t have to do this for me.”

“If I say yours is an intellectual pursuit, then it would be irresponsible of me to let you tread without proper precautions.” He huffed. “The goddess would not look favorably on one of her children behaving in such a manner.”

“A scholar and a gentleman.” I chuckled, watching as GG slipped my backpack onto one of his sets of arms. “I’ll try not to die on holy ground.”

“See to it that you don’t…”

GG marched enthusiastically towards the massive doors beneath the golden archway, and placed all four of his palms against one. Slowly, impossibly, the ancient looking door began to swing open with such little resistance that it almost looked like it was inviting us in.

“No kidding…” I muttered in disbelief as GG puffed out his chest in pride.

A cold wind blew from within the maze, carrying with it a sound that almost sounded like a whisper. I could understand the intent clearly as the sound echoed within my bones.

Enter if you must.

But do not disturb the dreaming.

“Alright, little guy…Ready to go?”