Chapter 184

There were many 'oohs' and exclamations from the crowd. Amaris spun in her chair and looked at the King. She knew that she had seen the carving in the tunnels at the oracle. She had not been able to read. However the story from Homer who had written about it said that the Menotaur was killed. How was it that he could be here now? She was now wishing that she had asked Christos to translate it for them that day. Amaris looked down at the two men that were being held at the beginning of the maze. Her eyes then scanned the maze to see if she could see the menotaur anywhere in the maze, but she saw no sign of movement. Jason moved beside her. The movement got her attention. She looked at him, and he was smiling. She was not sure what would make him smile, but she had a feeling that she would find out before long. The King began to speak again. "It is time for our challengers to enter the maze." The King raised one arm and pointed to the guards below who let go of the two brothers and then turned and removed the silver cuffs that they had placed on each of them. Lyle rubbed his wrists, while Adam looked like he was sizing his brother up to take him out at the start. The King must have spotted this too, and knowing that if one of the brothers was dead before they even got into the maze, it would not be much of a game. The King waved the head guard over, and whispered into his ear. The guard backed away, nodded and ran all the way down to the starting area. The King raised his arms and quieted the low clambor from the on lookers. The head guard dodged out of sight for a moment and then returned to the starting area. He walked up to the back of Adam first and before Adam even knew he was there, took out a syringe and stuck it in his neck. There was instantly an uproar from the watching crowd. The other two guards near Lyle grabed his arms once again while the head guard walked up to him and did the same. Both brothers were unconscious and on the ground withing seconds. The four guards that had held them, paired up and each took an arm of one of the unconscious men and started to carry them into the maze. They went in different directions at the first split in the maze. They carried them into the farthest corners of the maze that they could get them at the end nearest the start. The guards dropped them onto the ground and came back out. The King watched silently as all this took place. Once the guards were back at their post at the start, he spoke again to the crowd. "I have decided to make it a little more interesting. Both men have been sedated so they will be starting in the maze alone. Not only will they not know where they are or where the menotaur is, they will not know where the other is either. I think this will make the contest more interesting. Now we wait for them to wake and we will see what they will do. In the meantime, I will have refreshments served all around." The King waved his hands and a long line of scantilly clad women and a few men walked out with what looked like vendor boxes on a strap around their necks with anything from popcorn to hot dogs to drinks. Amaris even saw one that had what she thought might be candy apples. The King was definately putting on a show. Amaris looked at Jason who was not paying attention to her, instead he was looking to the back of the box. That was when she noticed that Persia was no longer standing next to him. Amaris wanted to get his attention to ask where she had gone, but was afraid that if she had escaped, Amaris would alert the King. She sat quietly and said nothing. She decided to go back to scanning the crowd. She was able to spot Nicholas and Giorgos, but those were the only two that she was able to find. The two of them appeared to be on the move in the crowd. She looked for Alexis ans Andreas, and also for Christos and Marco, but she was not able to make them out in the scramble of moving people. Finally the King seemed to get bored of waiting and called the head guard to the box once more. "How large a dose did you give them?" The guard flushed and replied. "They should be waking any minute sire. That was the smallest dose I could give them that would actually know them out." The Guard explained. The King pursed his lips and then said "Very well. I was hoping that we would have some action by now. This waiting is very boring." The King sounded more like a spoiled child. The guard hurried away. Amaris was sure that the man was hoping that they woke up soon too. There was an 'ooh' from the crowd as Amaris spotted movement in the maze. Adam had started to move. Amaris' eyes quickly flicked to Lyle who still was not moving. Once again he was a grubby heap on the ground. Adam had now stubled to his feet. He was still goggy from the injection. He began to move through the maze. Unknowingly he was stumbling back the way that the guards had brought him in. Adam was almost back to the beginning of the maze. Amaris' eyes shot back to the place where Lyle lay still unmoving. Adam got the start and tried to move out of the maze. The two guards that were posted there pushed him back. Adam ran forward again and tried to force his way by, but the other two guards had come forward now and helped push him back and redirect him into the maze. Adam stopped and looked around. He said something to the guard that was still nearest to him and the guard lifted his arm in the direction that they had taken Lyle. Adam nodded with a sneer and took off in that direction. It seemed that they adrenaline spike from trying to break free of the guards had made his head clearer, because his movements were much more steady now. Amaris was now worried. Adam had been jealous of his brother, and was sure that he would not hesitate to harm or even kill his brother to save his own life. Adam had been lucky in finding his way through so far, and was closing in on his brother. He drew closer. Amaris knew that her powers did not work in this place, but she closed her eyes and concentrated. She wished that Adam would get lost on the way to Lyle and run into one of the other obstacles. She wished for Lyle to wake up and get out of the maze safe. Just then a cheer went up from the vampires that were surrounding the box. Amaris opened her eyes.