The caves are pitch-black and numbingly cold, and Talik quickly summons torchlight, she is a well trained fire mage, even for someone as young as her. She is exceptional at the right times and as an earth mage you aspired to have many of her abilities. Ice encases the tunnel, icicles hanging precariously above you at obtuse angles. For a moment you think you hear a faint sound in the depths of the cave, but then everything is eerie and quiet again. The tunnel leads you to an intersection. Passages branch in various directions, and glowing lines extend like Cartesian lines from where you stand to a mound of rubble at zero, zero.

Alster crouches. "These light lines are just like the ones we saw on Eldonia," the Healer says. "What are they doing here?"

You recall the first time you met Alster in the Medic Gardens in Verdalia. You had been discussing the news about the towers appearance and how they may be sending light across grid lines like these and awakening the tower on Eldonia Island. That's when your teachers and the elder council had suggested you travel up to the Goat in the high mountains and your adventure began. You had been impressed with life in Verdalia, great centres of learning, many shrines and schools and Alster. He had a true passion of inquiry, constantly curious and intrigue by the smallest of things, mainly plants you might add but still an impressive ability to be so driven by curiosity and the love of knowledge. His teachers must love him. You like him just because he is grounded, you allow yourself the fitting pun, and he is kind.

"The Voek must have spent time here," Haden says. "They helped my people make the crystal technology that powers our gauntlets and provides us with energy sources in our past. But everything here has been dormant for generations."

"Maybe we brought them back and with the Voek's return … we did this?" you ask.

"We can't worry about this now," Talik says. "We need to get to the Ruined Lands, remember?"

Haden points to the geometric shapes in the rubble. "That used to be the way. We'll have to try one of these other congruent tunnels."

Without a map, you can only pick one at random knowing that the probability of you finding a path out was high. You start walking. 

The tunnel extends forever in one straight direction, but every now and again you see smaller passages branch at right angles to the sides. Instead of exploring them, you decide to stay the course so you don't risk getting lost and running in circles. But there's no telling how deep the tunnel goes. You shiver. Maybe this wasn't such a great idea.

Suddenly the faint sound you heard before returns. You turn to your companions. "Do you hear that?" But there's no denying it this time. The click click click click grows louder, and it's coming from behind you.

You whirl to see an enormous spider drop from the ceiling, barring your path. It hisses and lunges at you, its mandibles twitching. You panic and run, your companions racing parallel to you.

The walls seem to close in as the spider click click click clicks from behind, gaining fast. It must know these tunnels well. You don't know if you can shake it!

As you round a bend, you spot more light lines glowing in the dark they seem to be tangents of angles shining left and right. "That way!" Haden shouts. Maybe the lines will lead you out of this dark maze — or at least keep you from getting hopelessly lost and out of this rectangular prison.

In the passage Endless Maze there were 10 math terms. List them in Thy Quests to move on. 

Next: E5Q3  Hidden In the Dark