A faint smell of fresh air drifts from the tunnel to the north. As much as Edgar would like to exit this gloomy maze, he has a sneaking feeling that there is more to it than what he has seen so far. He reluctantly decides to continue exploring.
A single sconce set in the same wall illuminates a strange mechanical apparatus. Edgar decides to take a closer look.
The device appears to be made out of metal, with odd inlays made out of a material reminiscent of mother-of-pearl. Edgar cautiously pushes the blue button in the center of the odd object.
Continue...
Pick up the knight
As frightening as the chess piece is, Edgar decides to keep it. He senses that this little knight is important somehow. He then turns his attention towards the low tunnel beneath the device.
Enter the tunnel
The tunnel is pitch black for several feet, then Edgar can see light ahead that is not from the unusual lamps lining the maze walls, but from the sun. As he exits the tunnel, he sees the exit to the maze. Looking behind him, he notices that the tunnel led him to the room just north of the room where he elected to continue exploring the maze rather than leave it immediately. He even sees an elevated section of the floor marking the route the tunnel led him. Happy to have this strange labyrinth behind him at last, he continues north, towards the outside world.
Return...
This room is distinctly different than the others in the maze. At first glance, it seems to be a dead end, but there is a low tunnel beginning at the base of the wall to the north.
The button grows bright and then vanishes. The device then splits into four identical pieces, which slide away on four tiny tracks, revealing a small, deep hollow in the cave wall. A tiny metal rack smoothly slides out of the hole, and on the rack is perched a small chess knight.
The black knight feels unnaturally cold in Edgar's hand. Though it has been carved into the traditional shape of a horse's head, there is something ominous about this horse. Its teeth are bared and almost fanglike, its mane is amazingly wild and unruly, and its eyes are downright menacing. It makes Night Mare, personal steed of the Lord of the Dead, look like a docile pony.
