Standing up from that wasn't the most fun I've ever had, but it had to be done. Caretaker watched impassively as I staggered over to the bar, and tracked me with their eyes the entire way. I pulled myself onto the seat, and stared at them. "Whiskey. Neat."
Without a word, they reached down and poured it into a small glass. I checked over my body, noting that I was bleeding all over my clothes, and followed the trail of blood with my gaze. "Any chance I'm going to get infected with something?"
They cocked their head. "Infected?"
"Yeah. Like, germs and such. I have a half dozen holes in me."
"What is a germ?"
I stared at the spirit. Two possibilities. Either they had no germs, or they had no idea germs existed. Magic was around, so both options were completely viable. "How do people get sick?"
"They... simply get sick."
Well, that answered absolutely nothing. I wasn't willing to depend on "magic said no bacteria" so as I was handed the whiskey, I splashed it on my wounds
"Ah, tits!" The move left gritting my teeth as pain washed through me each time. "So, sickness; ah," I faltered, having to breathe a moment.
"I must insist that thy drink is a drink," Caretaker said dryly. "It goes in thy mouth, not the holes in thy person elsewhere." I blinked as I collected my thoughts. Don't say it. Don't say it.
Waiting a moment was prudent, so I gave them a "one moment" gesture. In through the mouth, out through the nose. "Sickness is caused by microorganisms that penetrate your body, well, not YOUR body, but fleshy bodies like mine, and harm you by various means, usually by subverting parts of your body's cells or stealing the nutrients from you. Alcohol is really bad for... most of them? I think?"
"I am afraid ignorance must be admitted regarding this subject. It is beyond the purview of this House, methinks."
"Yeah, I wouldn't doubt it." With a shuddering breath, I splashed my injuries again before setting about fixing them up by salvaging more parts of my outfit. I only had so much of my clothing left, so it was getting to be hard to find material to use. "Do you mind getting me some water?" I thought on that. "A lot of water?"
"This can be arranged." A movement later, a pitcher of transparent liquid was placed next to a glass. "Surely this is intended to be imbibed?" Caretaker looked at me with a crooked smile. Just what was this person? They seemed to be bound or limited, especially because I couldn't get much information from them, but it's not like they lacked will or a personality. It troubled me even more to think about the nature of this place. If it was just the Labyrinth, would they die when I left? Were they 'alive' to begin with?
I took a swig of water before using the liquid to wash the alcohol out of my sores, astonished to see them already beginning to cease their bleeding with scabs. I shook my head once again at the speed at which my body healed in this place. Would there even be scars? Was there healing magic? Why wouldn't there be?
Shut up and bandage yourself, girl. I listened to my inner voice as I wrapped the cloth around each wound after making sure there was no dirt or anything to be caught inside of them. Caretaker watched my actions without comment, something I was actually a little grateful for. I was embarrassed, I realized, that I'd been injured so much by the critters. How many challengers come through here this fucked up after just the second challenge?
Wait, again, this place might not be real. I hadn't even had a sip of the whiskey and my mind was racing. How much intelligence was behind this labyrinth? It could be 'conquered' according to my patron goddess. How long would that take? I admit, I was enjoying growing in power some, but I was also feeling a bit lonely, especially after being given just a slight taste of having companions. I wasn't a party animal by any means, but I liked having conversation partners at the very least. I also was a bit put off by these fights so often. It'd be nice to relax, away from threats.
"Thank you," I intoned at Caretaker. "Anything I can do for you?" They had helped me a lot just by giving me these free supplies.
"Gratitude and recompense are unnecessary. Performing these services is my occupation."
"Occupation? What do you mean?"
They gave me a smile, one that I was beginning to suspect was a bit condescending. "Unfortunately, I am not at liberty to divulge that information."
"Fie," I responded while throwing a dismissive hand at them. Of course, this caused my pain to flare up, so I brought it back down with a wince. "Alright." I poured myself some more water, noting that the water being poured did not reduce the amount in the pitcher at all. I could feel my brow furrowing. It didn't feel magical at all. But clearly, it was. Clearly, this whole manor had to be, each door, the bar, Caretaker, all of it had to have magic, but I couldn't feel any of it.
"Why can't I feel any of the magic in this place?"
"Unfortunately, I am not at-"
"Got it," I cut them off. Some sort of fuckery. If there was a way to feel magic, there was probably a way to hide magic from said detection. It wasn't like mine was particularly good, either, I could just get a weird feel for them. It's not like I could tell exactly what my boots could do, which would probably a big boon if I could.
Huffing, I sat back. "Mind if I bleed all over the sofa for a minute?"
"It is of no consequence," Caretaker responded to me. With permission given, I grabbed the water and sauntered over to the more comfortable place and plopped down. Now, with my aches and pains, I just needed to wait until all of my resources returned.
I sent my attention inward, paying attention to how I was feeling. I could feel magical items, get their sense, what about myself? Could I essentially 'detect' my own magical core? I didn't want to push it right now, due to how overwrought it felt. I could feel it better, though, like a muscle you used more and more and got used to the sensations. I could tell that in addition to having unfortunate issues in my chest when I ran empty, if I went too hard, it would take longer to recover. A trickle of power was slowly filling me from its unknown source, feeling less 'complete' than normal. I likened it to using water on a very dry sponge versus a new one. It took a minute for things to open up and accept the water.
But, it was enough, I thought, to try some poking around. I focused on my sense of magic, trying to get the same feeling as when I checked out magical items. It came readily, as if an eager dog using its nose to sniff out treats.
Upon my senses turning inward, without warning, it was like I was within a vast ocean of everything filled with an immense amount of empty. A horizon of boundless wonder stretched further and further away from me, becoming kaleidoscopic in its murky clarity. Everywhere I looked, I smelled flowers, tanginess, thrumming, rainbows, silky smooth sweetness. It was a sensory nightmare within a wondrous dream, and I passed through the never at a speed which terrified me so badly so badly so wonderful so golden so beautiful so wrongwrongwrongwrongneverforeverneverforevercease
"What?" I wrenched forward, hand on my head. My mind spiked with pain, before fading to a nothingness that made me question if I'd even felt it. "What?" I repeated again.
"Dost thou require assistance?" Caretaker asked from the bar, looking at me with an inquisitive expression.
Simply looking at them, I felt myself blink, and blink again, finding it slow, like I was moving through sludge.
The notification drifted away from my attention as I struggled to form a response. It still felt like I was moving too slowly, but the voice I let out sounded normal enough. "I don't think so?" My senses were beginning to normalize already.
What the hell was that? Was there some sort of issue with looking at myself like that? I shuddered, and realized I could feel my body. Realized? Remembered. That's right, I was alive and a person and had a name and had agency. I wasn't the... that. I looked over at the spirit who had inquired about help. "I... I looked outside of it."
No, that was wrong. I had looked outside of it. What? It. That. Checked nothing at all.
"Outside of what?"
"..." I paused as I realized I was about to say 'Nothing.' "I can't properly say so. It comes out wrong."
"I'm afraid I lack understanding."
"I used my magical senses to look... at..." I fought my tongue, "that. Those."
"Okay," Caretaker responded with no hidden uncertainty.
Why couldn't I say it, even to myself? I knew what I had done, I knew the action I'd taken, but if I tried to describe it to myself, it just came out as jumbled lies.
"How long have I been sitting here?"
"But a moment, dear challenger." They motioned at me. "Barely a few minutes."
Shivering, I put my arms around myself. It had felt like an eternity at the end, and I couldn't describe it. Couldn't? Wouldn't? I gritted my teeth and looked at my hand to ground myself, and blinked when I saw it glowing a soft pink. That was the color of my Mana Bolt, right? I nervously touched my Mana, careful not to look inward again, and was amazed to find it nearly bursting through me. Now that my sense of magic was returning, I realized I felt bloated, too full of energy, like I had just awoken after a long, satisfying sleep with a shot of adrenaline.
Whatever that was must have turbocharged my mana. My logic brain tried to game it as an excellent way to recharge my mana, but the rest of me shoved the thought away with prejudice. No, even the thought of... experiencing... that... again, was too much. It had been a vile and hateful experience. Even if I could begin to comprehend the concept of doing it again, I just didn't want to. Parts had been... had been... beyond, but parts were fully within, and that just wasn't okay. At all.
I groaned, and poured myself some water. "Yet another mystery to solve. I suppose I kind of asked for this sort of stuff, but having it all pile up on me just at the start is slightly ridiculous."
Caretaker took that without comment, simply watching me. I didn't know if they were capable of understanding, or inferring, from my words what I might have meant, but it didn't matter. I was too frazzled, too upset to really care. Whatever... that... wasn't, it sucked. No more inward observation, even if a small part of me was pumping a fist at incrementing another skill. Of course, I wouldn't be able to find out what it was until I got to a Lens, but given the circumstances, the likelihood that it had been my newest skill, Observant, made sense. I just hoped similarly overwhelming circumstances wouldn't be necessary to increase its potency.
I stayed there, sitting, for a small time, letting my wounds slowly shore up and marvelling at the extra mana I felt coursing through me. It was definitely more than normal, and though my skin stopped glowing, I could still feel the power burning inside. It felt a little overwrought, but not in an entirely bad way, more like your muscles after an intense workout. My guess is that magic was a physical force within my body, and having this much power in me was doing something, but without better knowledge, I had no idea what it might have been.
Before my Endurance felt restored, I got up and started stretching, wincing at the ways my skin pulled at the little bites. I looked at them and could tell that my motions were irritating the scabs, but I couldn't help it. If I really wanted to recover, I needed a proper meal and rest, which wouldn't happen here. I fished out the last of my 'rations' from my bags and chewed it down while I got moving.
Was I rushing this? Maybe, but after my experience, I really kind of wanted to just... not be here. This place, while obviously 'safe,' didn't feel like a proper place of rest. This was a test chamber, with danger lurking without and ahead, and I wasn't finished. Whenever I had a project or something at school or work that was almost finished, sleep would be nearly impossible unless I made sure it was done. I wasn't going to be able to rest properly with one more fight ahead of me, so the fight had to happen.
A few minutes later, my reserves felt restored, my meal was eaten, and I was feeling properly limber. I checked back at Caretaker, who had simply watched my warmup dispassionately, like normal. I sent a thumbs up their way. "If I don't see you again, well, thanks for the help."
They nodded their head. "I will remember thy comments about microorganisms, methinks," saying the unfamiliar word slowly like they were tasting it, "so I thank thee for introducing new knowledge to the House."
"Ah, uh, no problem." I kept my thumbs up, awkwardly. I was moving fast. Should I take more time to think about what hadn't happened? More time to consider what 'A Challenger' might be? Maybe. Probably. But In this moment, I could feel my confidence beginning to fray, and I wanted to simply rest. I could feel my mind turning back toward the zombie-infested streets and just how panicked I had been to get through them, but I shook my head to keep it in the present, and shoved the thoughts in a box and closed it. Compartmentalize. Survival first. Trauma later.
The usual, eh?
Without letting myself delay any longer, I strode toward the proper door and pushed my way in.
This time, the transfer wasn't immediate. There was a delay as I stared off into the nothing, a white void extending in every direction from me. I worried for a moment that something had gone wrong, but the next instant brought about a more sensible location. Well, 'sensible.'
I was in a tunnel that barely allowed me to stand up fully and smelled of sweat and blood, an unpleasant combination of odors that immediately had me covering my nose with my free hand. Ahead, perhaps a dozen steps or so, a set of stairs ambled upwards toward a light that shone down into this tunnel. It was made of some kind of brick, or stone, and well-maintained, but the stains that covered everything and the overwhelming stench that touched my nose belied a storied past.
If it had a past at all, and wasn't just a momentary creation of the labyrinth.
I could hear the dull roar of people talking, cheering, and yelling above. A glance backward just showed a solid wall, telling me the only way I could take was up. I trod forward a little bit, seeing the landing at the end of the stairs extend slightly, enough that I couldn't tell where the destination actually was, or what it was. Sighing with a mix of determination and annoyance, I made my way up to find that the walls here at the top of the staircase were adorned with weapons of all kinds. Whips, maces, morningstars, swords, knives, if you could think of it, it was here. I looked at my spear, then again at the wall, and shrugged. Maybe I could find something I really liked here?
Alas, it was not to be. My hand simply pushed through any weapon I intended to grasp, proving to simply be an illusion of some sort. I scowled at that. "What is even the point then? Who are you trying to impress, labyrinth?" Of course, no answer was provided, so I checked ahead again. A grate was installed in the tunnel, allowing me to see beyond into an arena. Entirely stereotypical, at least from my vantage point. Dirt covered the terrain, mostly flat, and a few pillars were scattered throughout it. I tried to get a look at the grate on the other side of the arena, to possibly see my opponent, but no such luck would be afforded to me. Without ceremony, when I even approached the gate, it opened quickly and some invisible force booted me forward into the light.
Cheers and the thump of feet on the ground accompanied my arrival, so I was very surprised and put off to see that there were almost a dozen floors of stands - and they were all empty. The presence of thousands of bystanders could be felt, but not seen. It led to an incongruence that almost sparked a headache in me, and I wondered if some sort of magic was at play. Duh, magic is at play.
The gate across from me pulled up and a humanoid shape was shoved forward in the same manner. A shortish figure staggered out before finding their footing. Their hair tumbled out behind them in a long ponytail, and they were armed with a solid pair of armaments, a wooden shield and a sword that looked to be well-used. They were armored, too, at least with some sort of chain shirt and baggy pants. My breath caught when sharp brown eyes took in my appearance, and took on a sad expression.
"Ah. I was not aware that this labyrinth would be cruel as well as dangerous."
I couldn't speak, not for a moment, as I stared at Rachel, who shook her head. "Specter, I am afraid you have made me angry, so I will do my best to make this quick." True to her word, she started forward at me, weapon at the ready.
"Rachel?" I blurted, finally finding my voice. "Rachel, is that you?"
Her expression turned to a snarl. "Cruel indeed. Enough with this."
"No, Rachel, it's me. It's Allison. I'm not a creation of the labyrinth." I held out my hands, and seeing my spear in my hand, I dropped it as well. That gave her pause.
"Allison is dead."
"Well no, well, yeah, but no." Still wary, I rubbed the back of my neck and bit my lip. "I definitely died, but I guess in the labyrinth, it doesn't, I guess, take?"
Her eyes narrowed at me, chain shirt tinkling while she repositioned. Her advance had halted, but she was still ready to pounce. "How can I know this to be true?"
"Uh. I uh. I dunno?" I looked to either side of me. We were almost yelling, having to in order to be heard over the 'crowd.' "It's not the first time. My first foray into the labyrinth took me out."
Rachel eyed me, breathing evenly. I took that as permission to continue. "Ah, uh, when we went into the tunnels, and Nathan betrayed us at the end, you remember I shot you, right?"
One of her eyebrows rose. "You shot me? Is that what happened?"
I nodded. "Yeah. You were losing the fight-"
She scoffed, cutting me off. "I was doing fine."
"He had you on the back foot, and I could see it. I appreciate the valiant defense, but I had to make a decision, and I realized that with him 'just'", using air quotes on the word 'just', "wanting to do some murders, I might be able to trick him without giving up the secret, so I made you escape by shoving you in the portal." Rachel looked miffed, slightly, but motioned for me to continue. "Once I got you out, he came over to heckle me, and I used the big bug corpse to give him a nice shock and take myself out."
"That is... difficult to believe. But you are standing before me, and you seem far more coherent than Caretaker, so I will take that at face value for now." I blinked at her mention of Caretaker, but was more surprised when she dropped her weapons, ran forward, and hugged me. "I am glad you are well."
Awkwardly, I patted her back, the rough chain shirt making this very uncomfortable. "You, too, Rachel. You too." Who knew she was a softy?