151 Entering the Tunnels

The next morning, Alcinous woke up and listened to the reports from his team. They communicated using earrings that were made from the same stone. The enchantment was a specialized spell that his third wife had come up with before she died.

It was still dark and the morning sun would rise within the hour. His hardened face glared Macha's sleeping form. He was furious that this daughter had approached the woman. Now she would be recognizable, which put her life in danger and in turn put their whole family in jeopardy. It was important that only the King and Sierra be able to identify them.

He stared at the tall trees that Miriro hid behind and addressed her through the earring, "Miriro, don't disobey my orders again. Since you taught her the spell on how to gain nutrition from eating anything, I shall forgive you this time. Speeding up the mission is, of course, the top priority."

She watched the two from a distance. Her face held no emotion when she replied, "Thank you, father."

Alcinous stood up and turned to Macha. She laid on the grass sleeping peacefully and he used the tip of his boot to nudge her head. "Wake up. It's time to move."

At first, Macha did not stir. She was tired from staying up late and did not want to wake. Eventually, the annoying boot that kept nudging her head stirred her from her slumber. When she opened her eyes, she saw Alcinous staring down at her. His hostile eyes judged her, like always, which put her in a bad mood. Still dazed, she grumbled, "Fine. I'm up."

They continued traveling at a relentless pace for days. The only breaks they took were to sleep or relieve themselves. A few times Macha recognized the sound of fighting in the distance. It never went on for long and they never traveled close enough to the skirmishes for her to see what or who had died.

The day they passed the Kochi boarder, Alcinous ordered her to stop using her mount. Instead, they proceeded slowly by foot. At times, they stopped for minutes, doing nothing. Those moments always felt awkward for Macha because he never talked to her.

As they got closer to Tyr, Macha realized he traveled about underground. The small red line began pointing downwards, which puzzled her at first. After she thought about it, she decided that it was not wrong and she reasoned that there must be a cavern or something below them.

She turned to Alcinous, right now they waited in silence during one of those awkward moments. In a quiet whisper, she disclosed, "I think Tyr is below the surface."

Alcinous gave her a piercing stare and his amber eyes seemed to glow with anger. He did not give her leave to speak and he wanted to slap the small woman for disobeying him, yet again. After a while, he heard all of his members relay that the area was cleared. He then turned to Macha who stood next to him and barked, "I said NEVER speak unless spoken to." It infuriated him when people disobeyed orders.

His reaction stunned her. "I'm sorry. I just thought you should know that Tyr is below us. The red line is pointing downwards now." After giving her explanation, she activated the ring and showed him the thin glowing line.

He was such an ornery man who tested her patience. In any other situation, she would walk away from him, but this was to save her friends, so she had to swallow her irritation. She balled her other fist in frustration and wished she could punch the crotchety man in his nose.

Staring at the line, Alcinous sneered and gave a curt nod. Miriro had just cleared an area by a tunnel entrance. He turned his back to Macha, not wanting to see her face for now. In a commanding voice, he announced, "Everyone, meet up and scout the tunnel that Miriro is next to. We're going below."

This time Macha heard him addressing other people. She was already aware that Miriro existed, but this confirmed her suspicion that there were others.

Later, as she and Alcinous entered the tunnel, they were hit by the pungent smell of feces and rotting flesh. Her stomach churned and she swallowed, trying to keep down the stomach acid that threatened to spew out of her. She closed her eyes, glad that she had not eaten.

As they crept along, she found the tunnels to be a comfortable height, but Alcinous had to crouch as they moved through the dark passageways. The only light was the faint light given off by the sticks that hung around their neck.

The shafts had various sizes, but most of the time they were barely wide enough for Alcinous's shoulders to squeeze through. As he squeezed through the passageways, dirt scrapped off the walls and fell to the ground. He disliked being in such a confined space and wondered if he should draw his family closer. It would be dangerous for them to be spread out too far. If one of them met a troop, they would be at a disadvantage being alone.

Although the Gabris family currently held the title of the Sathar, they were not trained for fighting in head-on battles. They used stealthy attacks that surprised their enemies instead of the valorous styles that the King and his army adopted.

He prided himself in the fact that no one in Marseille could compare to them when it came down to covert capabilities. Due to their power and knowledge, he only allowed a few of his family members to be seen. Everyone else was known under different aliases and pretended to lead a different life.

Suddenly, a loud clash sounded through his earring, causing his head to jerk. He heard his grandchild, Theodore, cry out and a scuffle began. Without hesitation, he ordered, "Go assist Theodore."

Macha stopped walking and turned around to watch Alcinous. His cold unemotional face reminded her of Tyr when he talked with other people. A dangerous aura exuded from him and his dark brows were knitted. She assumed something went wrong if the Theodore person needed help.

After a while, the fighting stopped and Theodore's shallow breathing could be heard. Miriro's winded voice sounded through the earring as she explained, "He's been hurt badly. I'm bringing him back to you."

When the fighting broke out, Alcinous had pulled Macha into a small rounded room. His second wife, Adama, now appeared by Macha's side. Her sudden appearance startled Macha and caused her to yelp. The woman held her hands up, "Calm down. I've been here the whole time." Her body was still transparent, but her graceful figure could be seen.

Alcinous had ordered her to stay with them, but to use elixirs and a specialized armor to remain invisible. The armor specifically enhanced invisibility potions and allowed them to be used for days instead of minutes. It required a low amount of energy to use, so it was perfect for keeping Adama hidden while they wandered around.

Miriro lugged Theodore's heavy body over her shoulder. His warm sticky blood poured down his back from multiple wounds. His complexion was pale, causing his red hair to stand out against his skin. In the darkness, his labored shallow breaths seemed to be amplified. After making her way to her father, she set Theodore down and started ripping off his armor so he could be healed.

Without hesitation, Adama brought out a medium sized tin and scooped up a green salve made of mistletoe that she gathered during the mid-summer harvest. Her hands glowed green as she ran her fingers along the opened wounds. The large punctures began to close as she moved her fingers across Theodore's back.

When she was finished, she looked up at her husband. "Do you want me to heal them completely or save my energy?"

Alcinous crossed his arms. "He'll be useless if he isn't healed, but we need to make sure you have enough strength in case we're attacked. Heal all of them equally until you begin to feel winded, then stop." He changed who he talked to and used his communication device, "Everyone, come back in. It's too risky to scout around alone."

Despite wanting to keep his family hidden from Macha, it would be extremely dangerous for them to continue on like this. He turned to the small woman and yanked her to the side. His voice was low and threatening, "Never act as if you recognize any of us on the streets. If you ever see us, pretend we are strangers. If not, you put the King's life in danger. Do you understand?"

If they were Freyr's special forces, then it would make sense that they wanted their identities to be kept a secret. She nodded her head, "Yes. I understand. Unless we are introduced otherwise, I will pretend I don't know any of you."

Although Freyr probably assigned them this job, she was still thankful for their help. She would never want to cause them problems even though she despised Alcinous.