The Maze

Aayla kept running for what felt like hours. When she was able to catch her breath, Aayla started to notice some peculiarities. Many of the faded stones on the ground were different colors, and sometimes sunk into the ground when she stepped on them. Nothing ever seemed to happen, though. She could barely make out large objects hidden in the leafy walls near some of the sunken stones. A light barrier appeared whenever she tried to move the branches away to check.

Then there were the statues. Random statues were hidden all over the maze. Some were snapped like creatures, other were more avant guard. They ranged in size from as high as her waist to as tall as the hedges. Those hideous monsters didn't like the statues for the most part. All of them were crumbling to pieces.

More and more of those violent things appeared as she went further into the maze. She deeply regretted not reporting to Ramona or anyone else first before she set out to explore. Noises came out from around the next corner. Aayla hurried back to the previous crossroads to choose a different route. As she hurried down her new path, the noises continued to follow her. Aayla grit her teeth and hurried as silently as she could. She hoped to lose them at the next crossroads.

When she arrived at the next branch in the path, she saw a group of those things in front of her. Aayla hesitated, but the monsters did not. They noticed her immediately roared. With monsters in front and back Aayla was left with only one pathway. She took off running before the archers could shoot at her. The noises grew louder and louder behind her. Aayla glanced back. Now a large horde was trailing her.

The noises disappeared as Aayla sprinted down the pathway. Long and winding, it seemed to stretch on forever. The walls reached up to form broken archways. Overtime, the leafy hedges made way to rough stone walls. The sunlight was completely blocked off and dim torches appeared along the walls. Eventually Aayla arrived at the end.

The pathway opened up into a cavern. An enormous metal door blocked the exit. Guarding it was a massive pile of boulders. Crumbling stone warriors stood guard along the walls. Metal braziers hung from the ceiling and bathed the room in a fiery light. Several broken pillars and smaller statues dotted the area. The stone floor became neat and clean with rough stone blocks unlike the ones outside.

Aayla cautiously entered the room. Upon her first step inside, she froze. Nothing happened for the next several minutes. She started to look for a way out while staying far away from the stone guards and the door. Aayla fiddled with the ends of her hair. Is the door the only way out? Where does it lead? Entering this maze got her into enough trouble already. She might not survive any more. Aayla decided to go back out of the chamber and see if the horde gave up or if she missed another pathway.

Out of nowhere the atmosphere turned tense, like the sudden arrival of a storm on a nice summer day, when she approached the entrance. The eyes of the stone warriors seemed to bore into Aayla. She could have sworn that the grips of the stone warriors guarding the door tightened around their weapons. Aayla backed away. The feeling went away after she stepped back closer to the center of the chamber. Then, the noises started from the dimly lit pathway. Clearly her pursuers had arrived.

Aayla hid behind a statue. The fist monsters soon arrived. They sniffed the air and grimly smiled. Their prey was definitely inside. The monsters poured into the room. Some of the smarter ones curiously looked around. Despite their long-term residency in the maze, none of them had ever come this far. The dark annoyed them as they could barely see. They had become reliant on their eyesight and smell in the maze.

She held her breathe while they explored. The next several minutes passed in fear. She desperately focused on the silver cuff. Since the black bangle works, this one should do something, right? As one of the monsters drew near to her hiding spot, she stepped back onto a stone that lit up and sank into the floor. Aayla jumped out of the way as spears flew out from the wall towards her previous hiding spot. Fortunately, the monsters that were in the way were skewered into monster kebabs. Unfortunately, the rest now knew where she was.

With shrieks of glee, they ran towards her with weapons raised. Aayla scrambled towards the door. The remaining monsters were lured into the chamber with all of the noise. As the last one entered, a loud rumbling echoed throughout the chamber. Dust fell from the ceiling as the room quaked. The boulders started to stick together like magnets. A crude stone giant now stood in front of the door. It roared in fury as it glared at the intruders. The floor cracked whenever it stepped towards them.

The monsters screamed in fear and ran towards the entrance. The stone warriors came to life then attacked the fleeing group. Then the stone giant began massacring the rest. Only a few tried to fight. Most of them either fled or killed each other to get ahead. Aayla tried to stay out of sight, but another monster had the same idea. They both tried to hide behind the same pillar. It charged at Aayla as soon as they saw each other. She barely avoided its spiked club.

The monster slowly forced her back against the wall. Just as it sinisterly smiled and lifted its club to kill her, the stone giant roared in anger as an arrow pierced its eye. It furiously slammed its fists into the ground. The floor rippled like water. The remaining pillars collapsed and the chamber started to go with them. The club barely missed Aayla. Before it regained its footing, Aayla viciously kicked its head. She ran while it screamed in pain.

Aayla ignored the monsters as she sprinted towards the entrance. The shaking became more intense. The chamber could collapse at any moment. Just as she reached the entrance, Aayla heard a loud swish of air to her right. Aayla barely got her right arm up in time to block the attack of the stone warrior. There was a sudden burst of light and she was flung out of the room. Aayla groaned as the force of the strike bounced her across the floor.

When Aayla came back to her senses, she realized that she was out of the chamber. A furious stone warrior was steadily coming after her. She tried to stand but hissed in pain. Several ribs were broken. Then she noticed the round silver shield and gauntlet on her right wrist. Apparently the silver cuff is actually useful for something. The angry growls of the stone warrior and the loud slams of falling rock from the chamber snapped Aayla out of her stupor.

Despite her injuries Aayla was still much faster than the stone warrior. Outside of the chamber it seemed to have gained tons of weight. As she finally made it back to the bright sunlight and leafy hedge walls, the tunnel behind her rumbled. A cloud of dust and dirt burst out of it. Coughing and spluttering, Aayla tried to get away from it. When the dust cleared away, the tunnel had collapsed into rubble. The stone warrior and other monsters were crushed underneath.

Aayla heaved a sigh of relief and sunk to the floor. The new view beyond the collapsed rock was stunning. She could see the hedges outlining a large plaza and a white building in the distance. She couldn't get a good look at it though. A short, happy chirp sounded out behind her then something furry jumped on the back of her head. Aayla screamed and ripped it off, taking some of her hair with it.

When Aayla calmed down she saw a sulking green fluffball.

"Matcha?"

<(T^T)> -- Humph. I came to save you and you threw me away! *sob* Bad cookie hooman! --

"Sorry, sorry! Matcha is a good little gremlin. How did you get in here through all of the monsters?"

< (￣^￣) > -- Monsters? There were only a few stupid ones. Stupid cookie hooman can't deal with a few stupid monsters. --

Aayla's eye twitched. Did all of the monsters follow her throughout the maze or something? She fell down when she tried to stand.

\(QAQ)/ -- Noooo cookie hooman can't die! Don't die cookie hooman! Must bake cookies for Matcha after the save! Yes! Lots of cookies! --

Aayla patted the crying Matcha's head. So that's what she's after. Should have known.

"We really need to get out of here before any monsters arrive. I got totally lost on the way here. Do you know the way back to the entrance?"

\ (>A<)>* -- Leave it to Matcha cookie hooman! --

Aayla picked up Matcha and they both set off for the entrance. Unknown to the human and gremlin duo, long after they left a stone hand burst out of the tunnel's rubble and began to pull out the rest of its body with it.