🍪🔪I never imagined that my first visit to Germany would end with me being chased by two giant tourists, but it doesn't surprise me, not at all.Â
I slid through the crystalline tunnel, veering in different directions now and then. It seemed like minutes passed before my knees hit the grass with a brutal impact, and I rolled out like a ball. It was very embarrassing.
The laughter of the Glimmson brothers continued to echo in my ear, their maniacal smiles etched in my mind. Just down below, I realized how close we were to not telling the tale. How close the ice blades were.Â
At the same time, other questions arose in my mind. How had they recognized us? How did they know about the chalice, and why were they looking for it? When Mr. Garand told them about the artifact, I knew there were many people searching for it. Even so, I didn't expect so much resistance, much less that they would be willing to kill us for it.
And moreover, how had Ivy recognized the Glimmson brothers? Was she trying to hide something from us? I found this behavior very suspicious and uncharacteristic of her, and in a desperate situation like this, I was hoping she would at least tell us the whole truth.
Rex's voice brought me out of my thoughts. "Come on! Let's keep moving! The town shouldn't be so far away!"
He pointed to a small village beyond the forest, surrounded by golden fields and a crystal-clear lake. The architecture looked Victorian-era, with small wooden houses that gave off a rustic, definitely European feel. Surrounded by the village, an ancient castle stood majestically on a hill.
It took me a while to realize the most important thing: We were no longer in the snow. Instead of long white blankets, we were pressed against soft golden grass that still retained the chill of the melting snow. It was a welcome change.
"This is so different from the United States," commented June.
"Completely different," I murmured.
The village looked like something straight out of one of Ivy's photography classes, with arched domes reflecting the golds and reds of the surrounding autumn forest. In the distance, the snow-capped peaks of the Alps framed the landscape, contrasting sharply with the snowy landscapes of Switzerland.
"I hope the Glimmsons don't follow us here," Ivy commented, tucking her hair back.
"I don't think so…" Rex murmured. "Even so, we should take precautions. Best to get in quickly, finish our business, and leave."
No one objected.
We walked along a path lined with tall pine trees, the likes of which you'd only find in Germany. The crunch of fallen leaves mingled with the fresh forest air, and time seemed to slow down.
"Well…" I dug my hands into my pockets. "If someone had told me I'd end up wandering through a Bavarian forest after taking a train full of monsters, I would have asked for a refund."
Ivy raised an eyebrow. "And who exactly? The maze complaints office? They're sure to have a form for that. Check if you were attacked by a living cookie."
Rex gave a short laugh. "If such an office exists, I'm going to check all the boxes."
"We'll save the best for you, Miles," June laughed, dusting the leaves off her jacket.
"Yeah, yeah, very funny," I muttered. Despite the jokes, I knew we were all nervous, and we knew the end of this adventure was drawing near, good or not. Our biggest challenge was yet to come, and the question was whether we were prepared enough to face it.
"Have you thought about what we're going to do… What we're going to do if we make it through this," Ivy murmured.
"What do you mean?" Rex asked doubtfully.
"I mean, if we survive… What are your plans for the future? After all, we have one year of school left at most, and then we'll go our separate ways."
A silence fell, and the only sound being the sound of our footsteps on the branches on the ground. After a minute, Rex spoke up.
"I want to do something physical… Be a firefighter, maybe. Or help with a rescue. I don't know, I like the idea of ​​jumping into trouble and helping."
Ivy bit her lip. "I want to be an architect. I've always wanted to build something lasting and safe, a masterpiece worthy of a great city." I've already sent applications to different universities in the country."
Rex, who was walking a few steps ahead, raised an eyebrow. "You, in a classroom?"
Ivy smirked. "Why? Just so I can punch?"
Rex stepped back in surrender, and June chimed in. "I'm not sure what I'll do, but I want to research art, and I want to study at some art college here in Europe."
"Sounds great," Ivy said, her blue eyes turning to me. "And you, Miles? Anything to discuss?"
"I never thought much beyond this. I guess I'll finish high school and see what happens. I guess I still have time to figure it out."
"What I'm sure of is that as soon as we get out of here, I'll take a week-long nap, and then I'm going to sue Mr. Bram for every last cent he's got and take his cabin in Switzerland," Rex said happily. "And I'm going to turn it into a fire station!"
We all started laughing, and the laughter died down when we came into sight of the town. Despite its spectacular appearance, I knew something evil lurked behind the facade. The map had to be somewhere in town.
I gulped. "Splendid. I wish they had a bakery. I would die for a cookie right now."
June looked at me with a half-smile. "Be careful what you wish for, Miles. You'll see when the bakery comes to life."
Sometimes I wonder how June always manages to guess what's going on. Maybe she had a gift for divination or was secretly a witch, about to devour us at any moment.
The town was quite lively. We passed through a dark iron archway as we entered the village with a sign that announced "Welcome to Miltenburg." The people, as is typical in these communities, were extremely friendly. As soon as we entered, they smiled and greeted us. Some even went as far as to say, like a film producer who wanted them to appear in his next movie, and a kind man who offered to give us a tour of the community.
"They treat us well here," Rex declared.
"If it weren't for the mission," Ivy began, "I could have stayed here for months. The people here are lovely, as is the architecture. Look at that building over there," she pointed to a facade engraved with the words BANK. "It has a style that harks back to the 19th century, when the…"
"Well," I interrupted, not wanting to listen to a whole course in free architecture, "we have a very important mission. Find the map! The map that should lead us to the Chalice of the Frost. And when we get to the Chalice of the Frost, we'll be free!"
The three of them seemed to support me.
"But first," I added, "We need to eat!" My statement seemed to trigger a variety of reactions. Ivy rolled her eyes, Rex looked at me disapprovingly, and June seemed to agree with me, judging by her greedy smile. "Why are you looking at me like that! We haven't eaten since the Monster Express, and that was over eight hours ago."
"But shouldn't we try to find the map first?" Ivy questioned while fixing her bangs. "I mean, if we start now, we can finish sooner and get out of this mess sooner. For that, we could start asking the locals about the map, and…"
It was June who interrupted her. "Okay, blonde. But I'm sure we have plenty of time. Besides, a little lunch won't hurt anyone, and I'm sure it won't take too much time. And this will give us enough energy for the search."
In the end, we all agreed, although some reluctantly. "I suggest we go to the bakery. I've heard they serve really good croissants in Germany."
"That's French…" Ivy muttered, clearly annoyed.
"Whatever." I hope that doesn't offend anyone.
We arrived at a place called "Frank New Bakery." Judging by its facade, it looked like a popular shop, with price signs and illustrations of pastries and breads, like any European establishment should have.
"This seems too good to be true," Rex said, squeezing his eyes shut as if trying to see through glass.
"Exactly," Ivy added, arms crossed. "No one bakes croissants at noon in a German village."
"Hey, let's not be paranoid. Maybe we need a break. What's the worst that can happen?" June declared, already half-convinced by the smell of freshly baked bread.
"How can you be so tempted by food?" Ivy grumbled, who had no choice but to escort them inside. Rex pushed open the wooden door and was the first to enter, followed by June, me, and finally Ivy. As we crossed the threshold, a small bell rang through the shop.
The interior was certainly strange, but not so strange for a bakery: endless shelves of breads, cakes of impossible colors, and cookies lined up like soldiers. The kitchen, at the back of the bakery, glittered with lit ovens and mountains of flour.
Perhaps the strangest thing was the sack lying on the floor next to the reception desk, scattering some kind of purple sugar on the floor.
Suddenly, a man emerged from the shadows. A tall figure, wearing an apron stained with burnt sugar, emerged from the main oven. He had eyes like glowing embers and a beard as black as the charcoal he used in the kitchens.
"Welcome to my bakery," he declared in a voice that sounded like knives scraping a plate. "Have you come for the bread… or the map?"
We tensed instantly.
"Uh… Map?" I asked. "No, no, we came for… an apple strudel."
"Yeah, right," Ivy muttered sarcastically.
"And who are you, and how do you know about the map?" Rex faced the man, crossing his arms.
"My name is Frank, but in the maze, I'm known as the Black Sugar Baker," he declared proudly, and Ivy gasped. "And I know about the map because my family was entrusted with protecting it, and I won't let you take my treasure."
The Black Sugar Baker raised a giant axe-like spatula and slammed it down on his workbench. Instantly, black gingerbread cookies began to rise from the trays, their red candy eyes glowing with malice.
"They're baked cookies," June exclaimed.
"Formed from the line of those who dared to defy," the baker snarled. "And you're about to join my menu!"
Cookies began leaping from the trays, attacking with crystallized sugar knives. Rex kicked one down so that it crumbled to dust on the floor.
"Bake them!" he roared, holding up a mold as a shield.
"This is ridiculous," Ivy yelled, using a tray to hit two cookies at once.
"Ridiculous?" I asked. "This is the greatest scene of my life!"
The baker raised his spatula like a scepter, and the ovens throughout the bakery began to roar like hungry lions. The trays began to shake, and more black cookies poured out, marching in line like an army at war.
"The recipe is ready," Frank the baker thundered. "Now, let's cook up your destiny!"
We glared at each other, surrounded by cookies armed with candy blades and stale bread shields. I gulped and raised a metal tray as a makeshift weapon.
Rex drew Mr. Garland's sword, as if ready to charge at any moment. Ivy clicked her tongue, probably thinking of something to get us out of this mess, and June was backing up to a nearby table, her eyes fixed on a dangerous-looking bubbling pot.
 The Black Sugar Baker smiled, his molasses teeth gleaming like sharp blades. He raised his spatula again, and the flour in the air began to swirl like a white storm. "Welcome to the final banquet."
In a burst of sugar and flour, the cookies leaped toward us.