Maze of the Beast (location)

"The Glus has been sliding through the dimness of the Maze, enlarging it & mending the walls."

- Doran in Secrets of Deltora

The Maze of the Beast is a series of partly-flooded white caverns hidden beneath a sheet of flat rock and the Silver Sea in Amethyst territory. It is known for being the home of the Glus, which, according to a Toran folksong, was placed near the caverns by a girl named Little Enna.

The Maze is a complex, partially flooded cave system made of soft white stone. An eerie blue glow lights the caverns, and milky water drips down its walls and hardens into stone, often trapping unsuspecting victims. The Glus uses its sticky spray of white threads to trap prey, build within the Maze, and mend holes. Because of the constant dripping of water and the Glus's method of hunting, the shapes of corpses can often be seen in the Maze walls.

History
The Maze of the Beast is part of Toran folklore and was referred to in The Deltora Annals several times. Josef believes the Toran folk song "Little Enna" tells the truth of how the Glus was originally a sea worm, placed near the caverns by a young girl.

Secrets of Deltora
Doran mentioned the Maze and the Glus in his travel guide.

The Deltora Book of Monsters
Josef wrote about the Maze, particularly the Glus and Ranesh's experience with it.

The Forests of Silence
The Maze was one of the seven locations on the map that Endon created for Lief and Barda's quest. Based on facts gathered from various travellers' tales over the years, a gem was believed to be hidden in it.

The Maze of the Beast
Lief caught a glimpse of the Maze when he touched the Opal. Later, when he, Barda, and Jasmine had been captured by pirates, they were thrown into the Maze along with Milne, a mutinous pirate. Milne was attacked and eaten by the Glus, but the three companions evaded the beast. They wandered the Maze, searching for a way out. After some time, Lief felt the Belt grow hot. He dug the Amethyst out of a pillar while Barda and Jasmine continued to roam the Maze to distract the Glus. After he had safely recovered the Amethyst, Lief found a small gap in the Maze wall. He enlarged it and found that it led out of the Maze and into the shaft of the blowhole. Because the tide was rising, seawater began to pour into the Maze. Stalked by the Glus, Barda and Jasmine reached the shaft and climbed into it with Lief. The Glus was more concerned with protecting its home than obtaining a meal, so it mended the breach in the Maze wall instead of pursuing the companions.

Isle of the Dead
The Maze was mentioned when Lief and Barda awoke in the Dreaming Dunes after spending ten days aboard The Lady Luck. Lief realised they had travelled a great distance south along the Amethyst coast, all the way from Bone Point, past the Maze of the Beast and the estuary of the River Tor, and had arrived at the tip of Amethyst territory.

Furthermore, Laughing Jack mentioned that the Amethyst w asbeing carried by the Ak-Baba to the Maze of the Beast.

The Blowhole
Atop the headland that covers the Maze is a blowhole that abuts the Maze but does not connect to it. Some believe that the blowhole spray is caused by the Glus, but in reality it is caused by the force of the tide in the small shaft. The Maze blowhole has claimed many victims, including Enna and the pirates Nak and Finn.