John rounded a bend in the ice, coming face to face with yet another wall, this one seeming to curve gently around, almost as if rounding a great pavilion. The light of the maze was brighter here, John could almost see some kind of brightness through the nearly-opaque wall of the maze, with still seemed to strangely glow itself. John hadn't realized it, but he stopped to stare, trying to peer through the icy wall. He nearly tripped as he tried to move on, his feet would not move. He managed to wrench himself free of the icy floor with a grunt, noticing a thin layer of frost and ice stuck to the bottom of his boots.

This is becoming annoying, I haven't even found this opponent yet, he thought to himself, making his way around the curve. The curve terminated after a few hundred yards, with an abrupt left turn into the area he'd been walking around. A great stone obelisk stood at the center of a circular area. The icy court was perhaps a hundred paces wide. He eyed the obelisk and stepped warily forward, eyeing the pillar of blue-veined stone. Light seemed to emanate from the veins, and the obelisk emitted a steady glow of brighter blue than the icy walls of the labyrinth. The obelisk was not quite as tall as the walls of the labyrinth, but that still made it taller than most buildings outside the Citadel.

He was careful to keep his feet moving on the cold stone.

John might spend another hour wandering this thrice-damned maze, all without seeing a soul. It was certainly big enough.

Unless, he thought, cursing the cleverness of the Citadel monks. If he shouted for his opponent, it would certainly bring him, but it might also bring the monster.

Only one way to find out. The half-giant raised a shout.

"I'm here! Let's get this started, eh?!?"