Chapter 75: Candace, And Veronica

I had forgotten to ask Mex about how to get there, but I couldn't turn back. I did remember where I had to go to get there for the most part.

So, I bolted out of the house but slowed to close the door quietly. Once it was latched, I took off running to the front gate entrance of the Keep.

There were no guards at the gates as I ran out. I was surprised by that, but I guess they were more just for show, considering who Mex was.

I didn't really have the time to be worrying about that right now, and I took off running. Though not too fast, I didn't want to gas myself as soon as I got started.

It was still mostly dark, but the sun was slowly starting to lighten the sky as I ran down the path to where I would be training with Grovel later. Once I arrived, I looked to the northwest.

I was looking for the top of the Maze that I had seen before but noticed a path. That hadn't been there before, so I had to assume Mex made it and started to run down it.

This path was jungle-like, similar to the one to go to Wataluga's area, and it was almost identical in the way that it looked. I wasn't paying that much attention, though; It was starting to get very light out, but now I could see the massive three-story-tall grey stone building about two hundred meters in front of me.

Then I saw her, sitting proudly at the entrance, eyeballing me. It was Max's fuck buddy and my best friend, the Sphinx; I was too late.

"So, looks like you don't get to just sneak around me!" Candice said with triumph, but I didn't have time for her games.

I walked up and then straight past the giant Sphinx. I kept going without even looking at her, and she didn't seem to like that.

"HEY! You can't just go in there! You have to answer my riddle!" Candice shouted at me, and I could tell that she was turned to face me from the projection of her voice, but I just kept walking.

"Sorry, I don't have time for your games. I also don't have to answer any of your questions, and you can't do anything about it," I said as I entered the Maze, but then there was another Sphinx waiting inside for me, and I rolled my eyes.

A guy just couldn't get a break, but they couldn't harm me, so I wasn't sure if I should be worried about them or not. Mex has said that they couldn't hurt me, but he also said that they were going to make my life a living hell if they caught me.

"So you are the one that has Candice all worked up? Not much to you, but you have seemed to get under her skin, and she is my little sister, so I don't think that I will let you pass," The more enormous Sphinx said as she blocked my way, and I groaned but ran straight at the massive creature.

The Sphinx was surprised and unable to react to me as I dropped down and slid on my shorts underneath the creature. The moment I was past the older sister, I was up and running again.

"HEY! That is not how this works!" The Sphinx called out after me in anger, but her voice was already starting to fade as I put more and more distance between us.

I was glad that I was able to get free from them, but now I had no idea where I was going. The inside was all smooth grey stone, unlike the rough texture of the outside. I had remembered it from coming in, but there was nothing to indicate which way to go.

At first, it wasn't too bad if I took a wrong turn, and the dead-end would be right away, but after the fourth fork in the path, the wrong paths started to get longer. That meant that I had to spend more time backtracking, and when I got back from my second long walk back, the girls were waiting for me.

"Think you're so smart! You won't fool my sister, Veronica, twice!" Cadence called out to me as I approached, and I rolled my eyes.

"Oh, then that means that you are the one that always gets tricked? Wait, don't answer that; I have something better, I said as I walked up to the two Female Sphinx that was blocking my way.

"You want to ask us a question? What makes you think that we will answer you?" Veronica asked as she looked down at me, but I just shrugged.

"Maybe you do, maybe you don't, doesn't really matter to me," I said as I looked the girls up and down like I was sizing them up and then asked them a question. "How many Sphinx does it take to screw in a light bulb?"

Both creatures looked thoroughly confused, and that was exactly how I thought that they would react.

"The answer is over there," I said, pointing down the hall that I had initially come from, and both of the Sphinxes looked over at the same time.

I ducked down and ran through Veronica's leg, and then out from behind her, and started to run again, but this was going to keep on happening if I let them stay behind me. Not like I had a lot of options at this point, and I guessed that I would just have to keep dealing with them.

Then I heard a dongling noise coming from ahead that sounded strangely familiar. I listened as I got closer to the sound. Soon, as I progressed further, I was able to hear the sound more clearly, and I knew what I was hearing, the Blue Oyster Cult and Will Ferrell had engraved it into my head.

Now I just had to listen to know what way to go, and the sound of the Cowbell got closer and closer, but then something weird started to happen. As I got near to the sound, the sound started to move away from me, and then I stopped, and so did the Cowbell.

Oh, you have got to be kidding me! Now I had to chase this Scaredy-Cow around the Maze?

"Ha! Found you!" called Candice, and she and Veronica came barreling around the corner.

Great, now this has just become a Looney Tunes skit!

I had no choice but to turn and chase after Jessabell cause I need more Cowbell!