The Lost Labyrinth (Book I of The Labyrinth Trilogy) Chapter II: Insecurity

by Jace X. Anders in some place dark...and DUSTY; huh, must be my room.

Chapter II:

Insecurity

“The Lost Labyrinth?” asked Cloud, unsure whether or not these boys were pulling some kind of prank on him or not.

“The Lost Labyrinth is the name we have for this maze, the center of what you’re in right now. C’mon out and I’ll show you what I mean,” offered the deep voiced-figure.

“Wait, how can I trust you?” Cloud demanded, taking a defensive stance.

“This bloke catches on fast!” one laughed, while the deep-voiced man cut him off with a wave of his right hand.

A grinding noise sounded as the elevator starting it’s downwards trend.

“Just grab my hand and I’ll show you!” the deep-voiced man shouted, reaching out to attempt to grab Cloud’s hand.

“No way!” Cloud said, pulling back.

Wrong choice.

The floor of the elevator seemed to drop underneath Cloud; forcing his instinct to grab onto the deep voiced man’s hand.

“Help me, damn it!” the deep voiced man shouted as the other boys standing around quickly grabbed various parts of his body and pulled backwards.

Cloud firmly planted his feet onto the wall - which wasn’t very hard given the amount of rust on it - and focused on pushing upwards.

The deep voiced man and the other boys pulled backwards with a final heave and pulled Cloud onto the stable grass.

The doors behind Cloud closed; cutting off the terrible sounds of the screeching from the saw blades underneath the elevator floor.

“Damn…you…catch on…fast…” panted the deep voiced man, heaving heavily as he stood up; brushing himself off.

“Yeah…I guess…” Cloud heaved, still on the ground; desperate for a full breath of air.

“So, gotta name, Noob?” the deep voiced man asked, though rather sternly as he said it.

“Tell me yours first,” Cloud dared, pulling himself up to the man’s gaze; although he was several inches shorter than the deep voiced man.

“Is that a threat?”

“It might be,” Cloud replied cockily.

“Well I certainly don’t see you wielding a giant sword, so I don’t think you’re in any position to make treats. Or talk the way you’re talking, for that matter,” the deep voiced man replied darkly, walking away.

“Cid, you’re in charge of keeping him out of trouble for today,” ordered the deep voiced man as he walked past a boy around fourteen or so.

“What? Why me?” complained Cid, very upset by this new motive.

“Because you’re the newest Noob around here and the most immature. Perfect for this crick.”

“Hey!” Cid shouted, angrily.

“Just do it,” said the deep voiced man as he disappeared behind the hill as he walked down the path leading down below.

“Fine,” huffed as he exaggerated a slouch.

The others stood there, just watching Cloud as he stood there uncertainly.

“Well, what are you standing there for? Scene over! Go!” told Cid to the others as he shooed them away.

“Sorry about that,” apologized Cid as the others walked away, still looking over their shoulders. “They’re all hyped up about a new Noob.”

Noob, crick, bloke, the words swarmed around Cloud’s head like a disturbed raged hornet’s nest.

“What do those words mean?” wondered Cloud aloud.

“Huh? Oh, Noob? Crick? Bloke? Just the slang around here. You better get used to it, and quick, bloke, or you’ll have a whirlwind of a headache trying to figure it all out.”

“I think I already have that,” murmured Cloud under his breath.

“Huh?”

“Well, what do they mean?”

‘Oh. Well, Noob is short for newbie, crick is like…well…it doesn‘t really have a meaning, I guess. We just sorta use it to insult someone. As for bloke, well…it means “man”, sorta. Like “Man, that was cool!” You know?”

Cloud half nodded, half shrugged.

“Ha! I know what you mean!” laughed Cid, “I’m the second newest Noob here. Well, I was the newest after Ned, but…well…he’s dead. So I guess that’s that.”

“Dead? In a labyrinth?”

“You’d be surprised,” Cid said darkly, “In this place, you’re only safe in the Center, really.”

“Center?”

Cid shook his head.

“C’mon, I show you around, and explain things as we go.”