The Labyrinth — Kenneth McDonald

This fantasy novella (19,000 words) tells the story of a young wizard who participates in a magical contest that goes fundamentally wrong, pitting him and his fellow competitors against a deadly maze in a desperate struggle for survival. Student mage Keric Olwyhn is reluctant to enter the annual Labyrinth competition, but is ultimately convinced to represent his order of magic in front of the teachers and students of the University of Sacreth. What he and his other competitors do not know is that there is another interested party this year, one that would like to see all four of the student mages suffer gruesome public deaths. The novella is a prequel to the full-length novel Of Spells and Demons.