Dragon's Maze

The biomancer Vorel narrowed his eyes at the troll and clasped his hands tightly together. He pulled his palms apart, making a cage of his fingers, and a tiny sea of turquoise light churned between his hands. As he spread his hands open, the sea of light expanded, growing and shimmering, and a shadow grew within it. A deep, shuddering moan emanated from the center of the spell, and with a blast of wind and sea-spray, a monster of tentacles and carapace emerged, rising as high as the bridge. The leviathan cast one row of its eyes on Varolz, and its tentacles engulfed him, lifting him away. Jace could hear the troll’s roars through the leviathan’s muffling appendages.

Jace and Emmara looked at each other then dashed across the bridge. Vorel and the Simic delegation followed along behind them. They crossed through the Golgari gate and continued down a tunnel. Darkness swallowed them.

THE STING OF JUSTICE

The Azorius guildgate was an arch made of arches, faultless gray stone bent around a curve, architecturally perfect in pattern and form. A bank of steps swept up to the gate, and the great triangle of the Azorius guild symbol hung above like a watchful eye.

Azorius guards halted Jace and Emmara, and Vorel and his remaining Simic warriors behind them. The guards didn’t advance until the moment Jace put one foot on the first step, at which point they whipped their swords out and crossed them in front of his path.

Lavinia stepped down the stairs toward them. Behind her was Kavin, or Lazav with Kavin’s face. He wore a thin smile on his lips, an expression that the impassive Kavin never showed. It struck Jace suddenly that Kavin was probably dead.

“It’s good to see you, Kavin,” said Jace. “You’re looking well. Much better than when I saw you last, in fact.”

“Still meddling in guild affairs, it seems,” said Kavin. “Spreading lies, interfering in a guild competition …”

Jace nudged an Azorius guard’s blade out of his face with his finger. “I don’t suppose you could let us pass,” he said, looking to Lavinia.

Kavin leaned in close to Lavinia and whispered something in her ear.

“The maze-runners may pass,” said Lavinia. “But only them. Beleren and the rest will remain behind.”

“I’m not going through without them,” said Vorel, flanked by his Simic followers. “And no guild of archaic rules-worshipers is going to stop us.”

Lavinia lashed out with law magic. Dazzling light blasted out from her, and when Jace’s eyes adjusted again, each member of Vorel’s entourage was enveloped in a glowing sphere of Azorius runes. Vorel’s soldiers were held frozen, incapacitated, unreachable.

“Release them!” Vorel shouted.

“They were trespassing on Azorius territory without a writ of passage signed by, or special consent given by, an authorized Azorius official,” said Lavinia. “But you and the elf may accompany me through the gate.”

“What are you up to?” Jace demanded. He asked it of the shapeshifter, but Lavinia answered as if the question were addressed to her.

“I now understand that the Implicit Maze is a test of our cooperation,” said Lavinia. “Of unity. The maze-runners shall proceed through unharmed, as our guild’s founder would have it. That is the true path to victory for all of us—and the path that will prevent a dire catastrophe.”

“Did he tell you all that?” Jace asked, jutting his chin at the vedalken man.

“Even with your criminal memory intrusion, Kavin is far more knowledgeable about the maze than you ever realized,” said Lavinia.

“Kavin is dead,” said Jace.

Out of the corner of his eye, Jace noticed Emmara shooting him a look. Then she narrowed her eyes at the shapeshifter.

“Your lies have a note of desperation to them, Beleren,” said Lavinia. “It’s time I got you off the streets of my district.”

On a hunch, Jace prepared countermagic, but he felt his spell suppressed, perhaps from the Azorius guards, or by some consequence of the huge Azorius symbol staring down at him.

“I’ve waited a long time to say this.” Lavinia summoned twin bracelets of shimmering runes around Jace’s hands. “Jace Beleren, by the authority of the Azorius Senate, you are under arrest.”

“What are you doing?”

“You are wanted by the Azorius Senate for conspiracy and high crimes against the public order.”

“You damned fool,” said Jace. “You need me. I know you know about the verdict. This whole place could go.”

“The maze is Azorius magic. Leave it to us. For now, this is my district again.”

“You’re making a mistake,” said Emmara. “Don’t do this. We need him.”

“Emmara, go,” said Jace. “Take Vorel. Catch up with the other maze-runners. I’ll find you.”

“I’m not leaving you here,” she said.

Kavin put his hand on Jace’s shoulder, to lead him up the stairs and into Azorius territory. Jace gave him a withering look, but kept himself calm.

“Emmara, you must,” he said. “Just get to the end, without violence if you can. Go.”

***