The corridor ahead leads you to another crossroads. Turning left, then right, Krista leads your army to yet one more gold-panelled door. This time, the hoof print impression looks larger - and the door is angled, so that the top is set further back than the lower end.
“God! I hope this is the end of our trek,” says Rachel. She paces back and forth on the spot.
“Watch out!” Anarosa jumps to one side, to avoid Rachel’s equine flank.
“Oh, I’m a centaur - for heaven’s sake! You should give me some room!”
“Hey, calm down!” You trot up to Rachel and squeeze her hand. She looks restless and strained. “Are you alright?” you ask.
“No, Ben! We’ve lost Deirdre and Sigmund! And I don’t mean to snap at anyone - but I feel hemmed in, after all these tunnels. I want to see open skies, and fresh green…”
“…meadows to run in,” you smile, finishing her thoughts. “Me, too! We’re outdoor beasts. I feel restless being here, as well. But right now we have to see this mission through. We need to stay focused. Take it easy for a moment.”
Your mate nods and takes some slow, deep breaths. “Okay - I’m ready to move on. Sorry, Anarosa! Anyway…,” Rachel points to the impression on the door, “…you or me?”
“Go right ahead,” you encourage her.
Rachel trots up to the door, and carefully raises her foreleg high, to cock her hoof into the impression on the angled door. As expected, a golden glow of energy dances along your girlfriend’s foreleg and across the entirety of her form, before disappearing. Then, with a rumble, the stone door lifts upwards.
All six of your remaining party enter the circular chamber beyond. It is a huge affair, with a dome-shaped ceiling - at the centre of which, is a round hole that permit’s a ray of daylight to shine down from the top of the hill above. Human-sized busts of Roman-like figures are set against the wall - and from the appearance of them, you guess that they represent the Ancient Greek Gods. They are laid out in a regular circle around the chamber. A dozen stone pillars support the roof, and there are two circular pools set into the floor, near the centre of the room. One is a pool of water, some four meters in diameter. The other pool - of similar size, but sunk lower into the marble floor - also looks like water, but different somehow.
However, you all stop as the party already present turn to face you. Shivers run along your lengthened spine, as you finally come face-to-face again with Cedius.
Your enemy climbs down from the far side of the chamber - descending from a bust of a woman. One of her dark eyes is missing - the other is an onyx gem, now clutched in the hand of the rogue satyr master, who regards you all with a gloating smirk.
He isn’t alone, of course. The satyress Amalthea - now sporting some half-healed scars since her fight with Krista on the beach - stands behind the deep pool of water, ahead and to your right. An orb is held between her hands. Another satyr stands besides her. To the left of Cedius (as you look at him) is an albino-haired satyr, armed with a serrated dagger. He stands behind the second, sunken, pool.
“That must be Glaucus!” Rachel hisses in your ear. “He who butchered Deirdre - and who stabbed Ixion!”
You nod in agreement, and grit your teeth in suppressed rage. The sight of the rogue satyrs alone, is enough to make you squirm. However, there are another two reasons why your blood feels like ice. Harry and Marina - both under Cedius’ control - are present. Harry is a fully-fledged snarling tiger, crouched before the watery pool. Marina stands rigidly to attention - a knife clutched in one hand. Both of your friends show no flicker of relief upon seeing you - but their eyes twitch madly, as if screaming silently for release from their mental bondage.
Cedius walks slowly to the dead centre of the chamber and stops. The mere sight of his lecherous, leering face, makes your skin - and fur - crawl with repulsion. Besides you, Rachel shivers with her identical feelings. Krista growls menacingly, but remains still.
“So - you have made it, after all! Welcome to the heart of the Labyrinth!” Cedius declares in his raspy voice. “ ‘Tis a great shame that you two…,” he points to yourself and Rachel, “…will never now join my tribe! Never mind - you are just in time to witness my victory. I have seized the Eye of Hecate!”
“But not yet the Eye of Zeus!” you retort, with some relief.
The rogue leader laughs. “It is only a matter of time! The bust of Zeus is missing from the other gods here - but that jewel must be hidden in this chamber. Ahh…” His gaze turns to Dick and Anarosa. “You children were taken from us. Come to me! Our tribe will soon rule the island. You will both share in the spoils of our victory! The human tourists we take prisoner will be your objects of lust to be converted into our new brothers and sisters!”
Anarosa shakes her head emphatically. “No, Cedius! Kaymarl has freed us from such perversion!”
Dick takes a hoof step forward. “Kindly release our friends, you blackheart! And surrender to us!”
The expression of your enemy turns thunderous. “You will address me as Master - young ones!”
“I renounce you, Cedius!” Dick snaps back. “Master Kaymarl is the true leader of our kind!”
“I see…” With a hiss, Cedius’ eyes focus on your other satyr ally. “And you, Minerva? What say you, who also now hides yourself behind human attire?”
“I am also free of the base urges which you fostered in us!” the satyress retorts. “You are no master of mine - but I would urge you to abandon your greed for power! Too many people have died already! Give up this madness, before more deaths result from it!”
“Abandon my efforts…!?” Hah!!” Cedius barks a staccato laugh. “When complete victory is about to fall within my grasp!?” He gestures to his remaining satyress accomplice. “Am althea - beloved apprentice of Bellona! Show our guests what is happening elsewhere on the island!”
“Certainly, Master Cedius,” the now-scarred Amalthea smirks. She murmurs a spell as she rubs the crystal orb she holds. A three-dimensional image is suddenly projected above the orb, revealing the fight - apparently as seen through the eyes of a satyr - between the rogues and the Management troops. Individuals on both sides have been injured - some also lie on the ground, dead. In addition, one of the pens that had been holding the captive rogue satyrs has been busted open, and now stands empty.
Then Amalthea passes her hand over the orb. The projected scene changes. Next, you all see a new battleground. The satyr, from whose viewpoint you are witnessing the fighting, charges towards the centaur communal hall - alongside other, glazed-eyed satyrs. Ixion, Themis, Nessus, Theo, and the rest of the haras present - along with Kaymarl’s non-hypnotised flock - valiantly hold the attackers back, with arrows, nets, javelins, and shields.
At Cedius’ signal, Amalthea cuts off the projection. The rogue leader gloats at your dismayed party. “As you see, we are still able to conduct the hypnotised satyrs of Kaymarl against that meddler Ixion, and his kind!” Cedius’ face turns serious. “Where is Bellona? She left this chamber, to intercept you.”
“Shhe is in ther last cavvern,” snarls Krista. “In pieces!!”
There is a brief moment of astonishment, and fear, in Cedius’ dark eyes - you notice. Then the satyr hides it, as he glares at your weretiger friend. “Then you can all join her, in death!” He snaps his fingers at Harry and Marina - then laughs, as his puppets move to attack you.
“Fight your friends - if you have the courage to do so!” Cedius taunts you all.