LABYRINTH OCT  ROUND 4 PART 10: Transfiguration Forte awoke in a secluded clay room. The floor was covered in grasses and hay. He rested upon a hard, stone bed, cushioned by a straw-filled mattress and some tattered blankets. He smelled wounds. The plaza infirmary. He sat up slowly, his body stiff and aching. His throat burned and his face stung, but the nausea and dizziness had subsided. He was not alone; a shadowy figure stood in the doorway, two piercing eyes staring at him in the faded light. “How’s it hanging, Scarface?”            “I hate this place,” Forte replied quietly, voice weak. “It remind

LABYRINTH OCT  ROUND 4 PART 9: The Last Judgement The mimoselt had managed to climb along the smooth surface of the goalie wall, orb in his maw. He was struggling tremendously, his limbs shaking. A brick was jutting out from the wall and he had to pause on it to relieve the tension. An old cut across his forehead had reopened and his center eye was bloodshot. His small chest was huffing wildly. He momentarily looked back at Forte, an array of emotions in his face, before refocusing himself and continuing up the wall towards the goal post. Trying to conceal himself with his invisibility had been rendered pointless.            If he scores

LABYRINTH OCT  ROUND 4 PART 8: Pietà            “Sphinx?” the rozenich asked, voice raising, edging into desperation. Once again, he was greeted only by silence.            No. No, no. That was… I did not mean to…            “Forte!” Kinsey yelled, tone shocked even through the distortion of the megaphone. “Are you okay? Stars, you’re bleeding like crazy.” The rozenich ignored him. He quickly ambled his way on hands and knees to where the mimoselt’s body rested in the dirt. His fur was ruffled and dirtied and Forte could smell blood that was not his own. He stared at th

LABYRINTH OCT  ROUND 4 PART 7: Bacchus            “This is ridiculous,” Kinsey muttered beneath his breath. His eyes scanned the maze below him. He could see everything from up there, yet he felt so utterly helpless.            “You are upset. Why is this?” the voice slipped from the doorlet’s occupied maw. The kurri refused to take his focus off the playing field. “You’d be upset too if you realized your teammate was going to lose to a runt! It’s stupid! Forte eats prey bigger than Sphinx, but suddenly he can’t stop him? The thing is practically a tripod! This round should be easy!

LABYRINTH OCT  ROUND 4 PART 6: The Deposition Darkness evaporated quickly. He had not been out for more than a minute or two. His chin stung from the impact and radiated throughout his skull. He lifted his head. It felt both heavy and impossibly light at the same time.            “Forte! Get up!” he heard the words ring out, the voice indecipherable. He tried to pry open his eye but when he did so all he could see was a mess of blur.            “You stupid idiot. Get up!” It spoke again. He recognized it that time, as distorted as it was.            L-Linda?            “Don’t just sit there like a