He moved slowly, careful to stay balanced with every step. The bridge was wide enough to comfortably walk on, but the threat of certain death if he slipped made him extra cautious. The fortress loomed ahead of him. The nearest entrance into the maze was offset from the bridge. If he slipped and slid down the slope, he would fall to his death in the moat.
From his vantage point, he could see people making their way up the slope. Some ran as fast as they could, trying to outrun the danger. Others moved slowly, crawling on all fours. One person was nearing an entrance to the maze when, suddenly, their foot slipped out from under them. They fell to the ground and started rolling down the slope. Roran heard them cry out as they reached the edge and dropped into the moat. Their scream was cut short.
Swallowing his fears, Roran stepped up onto the slope. Putting his weight on his foot, he took another step. His new boots gripped the slope with ease and Roran took a for more steps, gaining confidence as he went. Erring on the side of caution, Roran climbed straight up. If he slipped and fell, he would slide back down to the bridge. Reaching the wall of the maze, Roran carefully worked his way along it, making the short trek sideways into the entrance.
Just as Roran thought, it was an oversized hedge maze made from stone. The corridors were wide enough for two people to walk abreast and the top was open, allowing the spectators to see in and watch the carnage. The announcer had said that there were death traps inside the maze. Given that the entire fortress was made from stone, Roran doubted there were any moving pieces inside, meaning the traps would be simple. Still, Roran didn't like the idea of slowly working through a series of obstacles.
The walls of the maze were tall but were thin enough that Roran could grab them with his hands. Reaching up, Roran jumped. His fingers didn't quite reach the top. When he landed, his boot slipped on the slope and he almost tumbled down it. Wiping the sweat from his brow, Roran tried again. His fingers brushed the top of the wall but he couldn't quite grip it. He landed hard on one leg, avoiding falling back down the slope.
Finally, Roran took the rope off his neck. The hook was large and sturdy, more than strong enough to take Roran's weight. Holding the rope in one hand, Roran jumped up and tossed it over the corner of the wall. It caught and Roran was able to grab onto the wall with his legs. Grabbing onto the hook, he slowly pulled himself upward until he got a good grip on the wall and was able to climb on top.
Above him, the crowd roared. Looking up, Roran saw people cheering and pointing at him. A sharp whistle split the air and Roran looked to Kell and Nul, who gave him a thumbs up. Roran waved back. Naturally, the announcer couldn't resist making a jab.
"Well, well, well. It looks like the devious murderer from Millgrove is making another sly move. I'd call it cheating but he technically isn't breaking any rules."
From his new vantage point, Roran could see most of the arena. Most of the bridges had a handful of people guarding the end, waiting to ambush those willing to brave the maze. Roran doubted many of them would actually make it to the next round. The once exception being Morena.
The cruel swordsman was waiting patiently by a bridge, his blades drawn and a couple of bodies laying next to him. One of them twitched occasionally, prompting Morena to stab them again. He looked up and saw Roran, then threw his head back and laughed. Morena laughed so hard he doubled over and slapped his knees.
Roran glared at him, eager for the chance to put a blade through him. Pushing away his bloodlust, Roran focused on the task at hand.
The maze wasn't very deep, but the pathways were long winding, taking advantage of their circular nature and doubling back on themselves. Roran started by looking to the middle, where a large opening marked the center of the maze. From there, he traced a path back towards himself, memorizing the route he would take if he fell. Then, moving carefully, Roran started walking along the wall.
Putting both of his hands out to help balance, he carefully walked heel to toe along the wall. Beneath him, he could see the twisting maze and its little traps. As Roran had guessed, the traps were simple and made of stone. The first was a pitfall with spikes at the bottom. The second was a spiked bar placed at head height. Roran winced as he saw someone stumbling through the maze a little further ahead, clutching a bleeding wound on their face.
As the paths twisted together, Roran saw more people had fallen victim to the simple traps, rushing into them headfirst in their haste. One was at the bottom of a pitfall, spikes protruding from their body. Another had run into a stone blade crossing the pathway at neck height. The resulting mess made Roran sick to his stomach. Roran made a mental note of each trap and hammered the path into his memory. Getting lost would be fatal.
Reaching the center of the maze, Roran found a large basin full of medallions. They shimmered gold in the sunlight, the King's faces stamped into each one. Looking back the way he came, he saw three people guarding the bridge he had crossed. Three people he would need to deal with before he could drop a medallion into his basin. Sighing, Roran squatted down, and hopped off the wall.
He landed with a thud, the impact jarring him slightly. Brushing it off, he headed towards the large basin, keeping an eye out for any other gladiators. The basin was similar to the one waiting outside the maze, the only difference being the pile of medallions. Picking one up, Roran grimaced.
"I figured as much."
The medallion was huge, larger than his hand, and it was heavy. Heavy enough that holding it in one hand was difficult. He would need to use both hands to carry it comfortably, leaving him defenseless. Except...There was a hole in the medallion, right at the edge. Looping the hook back around his neck, Roran slid the hook through the hole. It was a perfect fit. The medallion was heavy, but carrying it around his neck was manageable.
About to turn and leave, Roran paused. He picked up another medallion and hefted it. Grimacing, Roran settled it atop the first and pushed the hook through. The weight was cumbersome, but Roran could manage. With two medallions in his possession, Roran turned and headed back the way he came.
Weighed down by the medallions, there was no way Roran could climb back up on the walls. Even if he managed to get up there, walking along the thin edges would be precarious. Roran would have to navigate the maze back.
He entered the pathway and turned the first corner, only to be run over by another gladiator. The weight of his two medallions threw him off balance and Roran tumbled to the ground with a thud. The gladiator landed on top of him, blood and tears streaming down his face. It was the gladiator that had run headfirst into the spikes.
"Please," he said, "please help me!"