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Katy swallowed as they made it out of the plane. She was somewhere in Europe and about to walk into the school with the rest of Bridgett’s competitors. Two months in a maze. And they have to survive. It was barbaric but traditions never changed. Every seventy years like clockwork the Mazes happened. A rite of passage or some such nonsense. One had to be at least a fourth year student. Meaning at least twelve and had parents or guardians permission. Edgar had even competed in this farce. But she signed up to figure out what was going on. Her mother mentioned the Mazes. A test? A battle? She was not sure. But she knew it would end at the final event at Bridgett’s. How this worked out this way she was not one hundred percent sure but it had that Bridgett’s event was last. Tonight there would a welcoming feast and tomorrow they would all get to see the outside of the maze. It was miles and miles long and just as wide. But the shape and other details, such as what made up the walls were unknown until tomorrow. Then that night they would all be teleported to a starting point. Seven different ones. With one goal. Get to the key in the center and survive. Katy swallowed nervous. She still was not sure this was the best plan to deal with her birth mother. She looked toward Riley who was talking to Jerome. Jerome and she were a team. She had talked Gaivan out of being her teammate but the compromise was that Jerome was her partner. Riley was talking with a boy as tall as he was, but he was dark skinned and had a shaved head. He was Riley’s best friend. Katy always remembered him because his eyes were icy diamond blue. She was amazed by them. His name was Gabriel Hunter, but every for some reason called him Hunt. She never quite got that. It had something to do with the fact he and his dad were big game hunters. She had met him right before term started this spring and he had taught her some Archery. It seems he still takes Physical Education class, even though normally it is dropped after fifth year. She still did not know how they chose the starting points for each school. After all this was a school competition; even if in the end only one person of that school gets the last key. In the last maze there is only one key in the center instead of one per each school. The key unlocks the maze and you can teleport back to the school that is hosting. Katy took a deep breath. She looked at Jerome. “Are you sure you want to be with me?”
“Katy a little late for me to turn back now?” Jerome stated with an exasperated sigh. “And I want to be here. You are as good as my little sister. And after all I do know more magic than you. And will be teaching you the rest of your fourth year and fifth year stuff for your tests at the end of this annoying tournament.”
Katy chuckled. She then grabbed his hand and checked the henna tattoos she had done of the runes. She put them on Riley’s and Hunt’s palms and feet as well. Once they were in the maze she would put them on the rest of Bridgett’s members. She brought enough dye to last the two months. She looked down at the Uruz rune. The stared at her in the dark henna color. She put this on each hand and foot. It would provide speed and strength. To bring about their untamed potential. The most important one was of course Algiz, , protection. This would create a bit of a shield in theory against some of the harsher elements and allow a delay in any attacks and injuries. Not a whole lot, sadly, but enough that it gives them a fighting chance. Riley thought this was a genius plan when Katy had told him over break right before they went back to place their name in the pool for the competition. “It may be too late to turn back, but it does not mean I will not ask you Jerome.”
Jerome rolled his eyes as he let her check the runes. “Do we need to add any when we get in there?”
Just then Hunt and Riley came up. “Hey sis. Ready to win this?” Riley asked.
Katy rolled her eyes. “Of course, I just want to know our starting point.”
Hunt smirked. “Rumor is that we will either start at Cape Fligely, Rudolf Island, Franz Josef Land Russia or Monchique Islet, Azores Islands, Portugal.”
Riley snorted. “Opposite ends, I go for Portugal. I hate snow.”
