Chapter Text
Taako wasn’t used to being completely unable to see in the dark. The idea had always terrified him. The only thing that anchored him was his hand touching the wall, but even that felt like it could fall away at any second. Was this how humans felt all the time?
“We have to start moving, kid.”
Taako swallowed, his throat dry, his mouth dry. If he took a step he could walk right into some kind of trap, or worse, just nothing, falling forever. “I can’t,” he whispered, trembling. Kravitz had been able to see into his nightmares just as easily as his dreams and he’d used that to his advantage.
A hand reached out through the darkness, patting Taako’s hip because that’s as high as the dwarf could reach. Taako reached out in turn - one hand still flat against the damp stone wall, the other firmly on Merle’s shoulder. “I know the way,” Merle said. “Been walking these tunnels for years. Just stay close, keep your hand on my shoulder.” His voice carefully level, calm. Like he was talking to a child, which was kind of weird, Merle didn’t seem like the fatherly type. But it did help. As Merle took a careful step forward, so did Taako. He didn’t fall into nothingness.
“Okay?” Merle said.
“What about that light spell?”
“Still up,” Merle replied grimly.
“Shit.” Taako continued to follow, step after tentative, blind step. He wasn’t alone, and having proof of that, just having a hand on Merle, made the darkness less horrible . “How are you so chill about this?”
Merle chuckled. “Lost my darkvision ages ago. ‘Bout the same time I lost my eye. Sucks, but you make do. Now, let’s see... Kravitz’s spell is more powerful than mine but it can’t last forever… ah, here we go...”
It seemed to take forever but they came to the edge of the spell’s radius eventually. By contrast darkvision was practically blinding; Taako blinked a few times to adjust, glancing back behind them. It was like a wall of shadow, impenetrable, and the power of Kravitz’s magic thrummed within it. At least it had a limit. He shivered and turned back to whatever had caught Merle’s attention.
“This’ll lead us up to the surface,” he explained, gesturing at a rickety wooden ladder that reached up and up out of Taako’s range of vision. Taako eyed it skeptically; it seemed like it would crumble at the slightest weight. Sure enough, as Merle hefted himself onto it, it swayed slightly.
“Hold up,” Taako said, crossing his arms. “You really think I’m just gonna follow you up there? I told you, Taako ain’t giving up. I’m not going back to the beginning.”
“I wasn’t going to! I told Kravitz that to throw him off, you know, little double-cross. It's clever.”
“How the hell am I supposed to believe you?”
Merle pondered this for a moment, then said, “Good point. I cast Zone of Truth!”
“What the fuck,” Taako said, just as the spell settled over him - a different sort of feeling than Kravitz’s magic, or even Taako’s own, a benevolent sort of force rather than the raw and dark power that still exuded from Kravitz’s orb of darkness behind them. He tried to resist it automatically, but he was too late, it had caught him off guard. “Dude, come on. ”
“I didn’t resist it. Taako,” Merle said, looking him right in the eyes. “I am not leading you back to the beginning of the labyrinth.”
“But you’re fuckin’ - you work for that asshole, you called him sir and everything.”
“Everyone down here works for him, kid. Shitty job market. Doesn’t mean I have to like him.”
Taako huffed, glancing back and forth between the ladder at it reached above their heads and the ominous darkness still lingering behind them. “Well, guess I don’t have a choice,” he muttered, and began to follow Merle as he ascended the ladder. It felt like it would fall apart under his hands, but it held, as long as he moved slow. “How much farther till we make it to the castle, d’you think?”
“Depends where we come out. And what Kravitz’s next move is. Not that he’ll be too hard on you. Oh, by the way, don’t look down.”
Taako, of course, looked down, and though it felt like they had barely begun to climb he could no longer see the floor below, nor the ceiling above. He sucked in a breath, feeling for the umbra staff hanging at his hip. “Not too hard on me my ass,” he said, trying to slow the pounding of his heart. “He stole my sister, what the fuck are you talking about.”
“Nah, he likes you, I can tell. Guy could’ve thrown anything at you; the cleaners, the fierys... but he wants to keep playing his game. I can’t lie, remember?”
If Kravitz liked him, he had a funny way of showing it. Taako laughed, shaking his head. “Yeah, whatever.” He kept his mouth shut, though. He didn’t want the spell to pull anything embarrassing out of him, like how he was still thinking about how soft Kravitz’s eyes had gotten when he looked at Taako, how sincere he had sounded when he’d insisted Taako wasn’t stupid.
He focused on climbing. No way in hell would he develop a crush on that shitlord, not even if his face looked like it was carved from marble and he looked at Taako like he was something really, truly impressive. He had other things to worry about. Like getting to that castle, getting to Lup, in half as much time as he should have had.
The ladder seemed to stretch into infinity, but eventually they reached a round opening in the ceiling, the light that hadn’t been visible from the tunnels now bright. Merle hefted himself up, then extended an arm to help Taako climb over the rim of what appeared to be a large vase in the center of a lush courtyard, surrounded by walls of hedges that rose above their heads. The sun was still high overhead but lower than it felt like it should have been, time manipulated at Kravitz’s whim.
“Alright,” Taako clapped his hands, in a better mood now that they were out of the dark, dank tunnels. “Which way to the castle? Time’s a’wastin’.”
“Now hold on just a second,” Merle said. He looked a little winded from the climb, wiping his brow.
“Tired, old man? Can’t keep up?”
“Listen,” Merle began. “Kid, Kravitz already stole half your time and he barely gave you enough as it was. That ain’t the worst he can do to you if you keep pissing him off.”
“So what?” Taako snapped. He barely looked at Merle, inspecting the hedges and the various paths from the courtyard, trying to glean any sort of indication of which path to take. Predictably, they all looked identical.
“I’m just saying, offer is still open, I can take you back to the beginning any time you want. Not much worse than getting stuck here.”
Taako spun around to face him. “You said you weren’t leading me back to the beginning!”
“And I wasn’t lying! But at some point you have to admit when something’s a lost cause!”
“Lup wouldn’t,” Taako said. “If it was me trapped in that castle she would never give up, and neither will I. You know what I think? I think you’re a coward, and Kravitz scares you.”
“You’ve got me there,” Merle agreed.
“Well, I’m not.” This was a lie, but he was trying to think the way Lup would if she were in his position. Lup was smart, and brave, and strong. She would burn the whole damn place down if she had to. “And no one’s making you go any further. Actually, you know what? Just get out of here already if you’re not going to be useful!”
Merle looked sad for a moment, but he shook his head, threw up his hands, turning away. “Fine! Don’t listen to the guy who’s been stuck down here for ages, no, I don’t have a clue how things work here!”
“I don’t need your help!” Taako shouted after him, but he was already out of sight, waddling down one of the paths. “I’ll make it on my own,” he muttered. He didn’t need Merle by his side. He didn’t need anyone who was going to keep dragging him down, anyone he couldn’t trust not to turn him around. For all he knew Merle was still planning to trick him anyway.
There was truly no distinguishing between the four different paths, but he could see the spires of the castle toward the east, so he trudged in that direction. Doubtless it would take him the wrong way, but he didn’t have much else to go on. He took random turns, lefts and rights, and eventually came back to the same crossroads - the vase in the center identical. Rolling his eyes, but determined not to get frustrated, he chose another path.
Once again, a few minutes later he found himself back at the crossroads.
“Alright,” he groans, “what the literal fuck.”
“Would you like a scone, dear?”
Taako startled, turning around. Sitting on a rock by one of the hedge walls was the tiniest, oldest woman he’d ever seen. Her hair was bright white and she wore a patchwork skirt, her eyes disappearing into her wrinkled little face when she beamed up at him. At her feet was a little wicker basket, filled with mouthwatering scones.
“They’re not cursed or anything, are they?” He asked, taking a few cautious steps closer. Nothing was how it seemed in this place, he knew that by now, but she honestly just looked like a nice old lady. And he was starving. "Not poisoned?"
The woman laughed. “Oh, no, just scones. One copper for a scone.”
Taako hesitated a moment, then shrugged, digging some change out of his pocket. “Sure, hit me with one of those bad boys.”
She took the cooper, and he took a scone from the basket, sitting down cross-legged in front of her. The bake was perfect, firm on the bottom and soft on the top, and he realized how hungry he really was once he started eating.
“My name is Paloma,” the woman said as Taako ate. “I deal in scones. And also prophecies.”
Taako raised his eyebrows, swallowing down a mouthful before he spoke. “Prophecies, huh?”
“Yes. I see the paths you might take. I help guide the way.”
“Well, I’m sure as hell not making any progress now,” he sighed. Trust Merle to leave him at a dead end.
“I can help,” Paloma said firmly, patting his hand. “No tricks. One gold for a prophecy is fair, yes?”
“Shit, yeah, if it’s actually helpful. Why not?”
She held out her hand, wrinkled palm up, and waited. Taako shrugged, pulling a gold coin out of his pocket for her. It couldn’t hurt to give these prophecies a try. After pocketing the coin Paloma reached into a bag at her side, carefully taking something out which she held out to him in the palms of her hands. It shone like a diamond, teardrop shaped and shimmering not unlike Kravitz’s crystals. These didn’t give him the same feeling like he was being watched, though, only that they radiated with powerful magic. Paloma tapped the crystal with the tip of her finger and it shattered in Taako’s hand, leaving drops of silver on his hands and on the ground, a gust of smoke appearing where it had been. Paloma’s eyes turned white and her head fell back as she looked at the sky.
As she spoke her voice changed - deeper, and like many voices were speaking through her. “Sometimes the way forward is also the way back.”
Taako waited. Paloma slowly returned to normal, eyes back to strikingly dark brown, and she smiled at him pleasantly.
“And that means…?” Taako prompted. With all the drama he’d just expected… more. Preferably some specifics.
“Oh, I do not know,” Paloma shrugged. “Probably exactly what it says.”
Taako closed his eyes and took a long, deep breath. Of course. “Yeah, great.” He began to stand, but Paloma’s hand shot out and grabbed his, holding him back.
“Wait!”
When Taako looked back he was startled to see that her eyes had gone white again, just like before. In that same strange, otherworldly voice she spoke again, looking directly into his eyes. “You will have a choice to make. Remember: there is always a third option!”
The fingers around his wrist finally loosened their vice grip and Paloma slumped back, this prophecy seeming to tire her out. Still she offered him a smile and held the basket out to him. “That one is free. You need to hear it. Now, you must find her. She will find you first if you don’t hurry!”
Taako’s heart leapt. “You know about Lup?”
“Hurry now! Remember the prophecies!”
She shooed him away before he could ask any more questions, ushering him across the little courtyard like there was some sudden urgency. With a frustrated sigh - but knowing he at least had something to go on, even if it was maybe bullshit, he chose a path - the one vaguely in the direction of the castle - pondering the witch’s words as he went. Sometimes the way forward is also the way back. What the hell was that supposed to even mean? If it meant anything.
Exactly what it says, Paloma had said. Maybe he just had to be so logical about it that he cycled back around to illogical. Which, admittedly, seemed par for the course around here. Feeling utterly stupid, Taako stopped before he could get any further down the path, before it could turn him back around to the beginning again. And then he turned around and began walking the path backwards, glancing behind him to keep an eye out for any loose stones or roots to trip on.
This time, he could have sworn that the path took longer before it turned around. And when he took a turn, still stepping awkwardly backwards, he finally found himself in a new part of the maze. Taako laughed out loud, shaking his head. Exactly what it meant, indeed.
Maybe Kravitz wasn’t too far off, he allowed himself to think for a self-indulgent moment. Maybe he was clever enough for this.
Taking the maze backwards was slower going, but at least Taako felt like he was making some progress now. This part of the labyrinth, despite being out in the open air rather than underground, was eerily quiet. Before he’d heard the stray bird chirping, a gerblin just out of eyesight cackling at his misfortunes, someone laughing at him. Now the stones were still, the air dead. There was something cruelly beautiful about this place, Taako realized, something so strange and other and nothing like the world that Taako knew, but so full of magic that it crackled through everything. In a way he itched to figure out it’s secrets, for more time to understand the strange creatures that lived here. If he wasn’t so desperate to find Lup, if they wouldn’t be trapped here.
His thoughts were interrupted by a glint of light out of the corner of his eyes.
Another one of those bubbles, drifting through the air - following him, staying just out of sight. He acted like he didn’t see it for a little while, kept walking, until it dared to draw closer, and then Taako snatched it from the air. He half expected it to pop in his hand, but now that he was holding it, it was solid crystal.
“Gotcha,” he said with a grin, peering into it. It wasn’t clear anymore, sort of foggy inside. “You in there, Skeletor? I know you’re watching.”
It took a moment, as if hesitant, but the swirling fog in the crystal parted, and he could see Kravitz’s stupid handsome face in the crystal. Smirking at him, amused by the whole thing. “Ah, Taako. What a pleasure.”
“I’m sure it is.” Taako tossed the crystal up and down as he continued walking, keeping an ear out for trouble. “You could just come say hello, don’t have to be creepin’ on me.”
“I wouldn’t think you’d be so unwise as to challenge me again.”
“Not a challenge, homie, just bored.” Taako came to a crossroads, where one path seemed relatively clear and the other was riddled with fallen branches and rocks to climb over. He was loathe to do any more work than necessary, but he chose the path with more obstacles. He really felt like he was finally getting the hang of things. “Your dwarf buddy went ahead and fucked off, as I’m sure you already know.”
“What a pity, it seemed you two were becoming bosom companions.”
“Gag.” Kravitz chuckled at that, and Taako couldn’t help but smile too.
He expected Kravitz to let the bubble pop, to leave Taako alone again, but for whatever reason he stayed on the line. Taako knew that it probably wasn’t smart to keep holding onto the crystal. He was essentially letting Kravitz spy on him, and he needed every advantage. He should smash it right now. But on the other hand - Kravitz could fuck with the Labyrinth, and him, at any time. He probably had dozens of the crystals to send out. He wasn’t giving Kravitz any advantage that he didn’t already have, and it was nice to not walk in silence anymore.
“Am I getting warmer, Bones?” Taako asked, looking at Kravitz in the crystal. “Any closer at all?”
Kravitz laughed. “Oh, nothing is so linear in a place like this.”
“Worth a shot.” Taako let his hand trail against the wall as he walked to check for hidden openings, but his fingers just came away covered in glitter. Kravitz was certainly committed to a certain aesthetic. “So you built this whole place, huh? Cause it looks… ancient.”
“Because it is. The labyrinth has been here far longer than I. But I’ve had a very long time to perfect it. Fine-tune each and every trap.” Kravitz leaned forward almost eagerly. “I trust it’s up to your exacting standards.”
Taako had to wonder why Kravitz would care what he thought of the place. Maybe just to make it easier to torment him. His thoughts wandered to Merle’s words earlier, he likes you, and he pointedly ignored them. What did Merle know anyway? “Thing is,” Taako said wryly, swinging a leg over a fallen branch and continuing on, “if offer any more feedback you’ll just make things tougher, and I really will be needing my sister back. Though I suppose I’m already headed into an impossible deathtrap.”
“Oh, never impossible. It’s always possible to make it through. Whether you do or not is up to you.”
“And what’s really waiting for me at the center?” He had come to another hedged section of the maze now, and tried in vain to peer through the thick brush, or climb up over the hedges, but they were covered in tiny, barbed thorns, so he quickly gave up on that endeavor.
Kravitz smirked. Taako really, really hated how hot that looked on him. “Now, what would be the fun in telling you that?”
“I’m just getting the feeling that the way through the labyrinth was inside me the whole time or some bullshit. But I do appreciate your dedication to drama.”
“Give me some credit, dear - no one’s ever gotten to the center before, I’ve had a lot of free time to plan it out.”
“Free time you spend stealing people. Such a cool, fun hobby,” Taako said. He had to remember that. Had to remember that even if he enjoyed talking to Kravitz, even if he found some fun in this challenge, some fascination with this strange and terrible and beautiful place, if he didn’t win he would lose Lup. This was just a game to Kravitz, but not to Taako.
Kravitz watched him a moment, face carefully neutral. Now that the fog in the crystal had cleared Taako could see more of the scene - mostly Kravitz’s face, but seemed to be sitting on a throne of some kind, built out of bone. “I only do what I’m asked, Taako,” he said, oddly serious. “Rules are rules.”
Taako couldn’t even argue that, though he wanted to. He had asked for Lup to be taken - even if he hadn’t intended for it to happen. The intent didn’t matter, just the request, the right words spoken, and Kravitz and his gerblins had carried out his wish.
He had asked for her back, too, and he was being given that chance.
Before he or Kravitz could speak again, an enraged shout rang out from nearby, along with the clang of metal and the gleeful shrieks that could only come from a gerblin. Kravitz’s brow furrowed in worry, and he leaned forward, as if to look around for the source of trouble. “What was -”
“Smell ya later, my man,” Taako interrupted, and tossed the crystal into one of his component pouches. It barely fit, but it would do. The gerblins on the other side of the hedges sounded absolutely delighted. And if Taako had learned anything about this place, it was that when a gerblin was pleased with the situation, it couldn’t mean anything good.
He hesitated. Whatever was going on up ahead wasn’t really his problem, he could just… ignore it. It would be shitty, but hey, he was on a tight schedule. But as he was struggling with the decision, the voice called out again - this time, calling for help.
“Son of a bitch,” Taako huffed, and made his way toward the sound.