Chapter 570: What you are best at

Standing atop the walls overlooking the distant underground city of Ugburk, Aiden was looking sternly at the horizon. Small dotted shadows, tiny silhouettes were steadily growing as they marched closer and closer to their encampment with a steady pace.

"[Reptilian] How did they even know where we are?" He muttered inwardly. From what he learned from the processed memories of Zark the archbishop, and from the reports of the other captains of the rebel forces, their base should have been a carefully hidden secret even from the High Priest himself. Everyone believed in their cause, everyone was deeply invested. Some lost family members, just like the ex-archbishop and Tolliah. Others were forced to a fate vastly similar to the little girl's, be used as a toy, an object of pleasure or reproduction. 

Again, others were forced to slave labor and be doomed to fight as gladiators, soldier's without a will of their own. 

None would be stupid enough to trade their only chance for a brighter future for a few measly coins. Greed may be rampant in the eyes of humans, but for them, in this underground realm, it didn't have that much pull. Especially compared to the illicit dream of freedom, family, and a better future. None would betray this community, and go against the family they found amongst themselves for some temporary benefits.

Still, even without any potential leaks, somehow the High Priest has precise knowledge, information about their location. How did that happen then? What went wrong?

'Did they follow us when we came?' Aiden pondered, shaking his head in dismissal just a few seconds later. 'No, that would be impossible. I should have seen it. What is it then? How did they-" 

It suddenly dawned on him. Aiden's eyes went wide, he turned his attention to the large underground hall's ceiling as his bewildered gaze slowly settled into that of a deep dismaying frown. A scowl settled on his lips, he sighed at the revelation.

"[Reptilian] This presence. This being, the Ancient One." He shook his head and clenched his fists in anger. "Obviously, he would convey what he can see, after all, he is spying on me non-stop."

A murderous glint flashed across his eyes as he shifted his attention back to the distant, approaching army. 

"[Reptilian] If that is what you want… Sure, let's play this game then." He muttered as a vicious, predatory grin slowly stretched across his face.

If it's a bloody battle this so-called Ancient One wishes, he will give it to him…

—

"Urgh… Where… Where am I?" With a painful grunt, Scarlet pushed herself off from the rocky ground she had suddenly fallen to. One moment she was standing on the plateau, arguing with his brother and the team that there was no point in lingering any further and that they should return… while an instant later she suddenly found herself in some dark and damp cave.

"Where the hell is this place? What happened?! BROOTHER!" Confused and unable to process the events and her surroundings Scarlet shouted. Yet, besides the resounding echoes of her desperate cry that continued to ring as it bounced from wall to wall, there was no other response at all. 

Though worried, she was also trained in the most unexpected of circumstances. She had to survive day by day during her life as a gladiator. Oftentimes she was thrown into an arena that resembled a monster spawning nest rather than anything normal. 

Through blood, sweat, and tears she learned the most important rule whenever she had to fight the unknown, whenever she had to try and survive…

Scarlet took a couple of deep breaths, she expertly began to control the rhythm of her breathing, inhaling only small pockets of air, that she then kept down in her diaphragm for a bit before slowly exhaling it, causing her heart to calm and return to a steadier pace bit by bit.

When she felt that she overcame the chaotic storm in herself, only then did Scarlet stood up and step away from the moldy cavern wall she was using as support so far and take her first careful steps towards the dark and eerie looking entrance.

Though she was not thrown into complete and utter darkness, as a faint, pale light that came from somewhere deeper below the tunnel connecting into her natural rocky chamber, it only gave dim lighting at best. It still cast a shroud of obscurity to the chamber she fell into, making it an impossible task to inspect her immediate surroundings and instead suggest a slightly more dangerous objective to the lost girl.

"Hmm… I guess, there's no other option…" She muttered only a couple of breaths later. She slowly swayed her attention towards all corners of the darkness of her room, trying to glean more out of her weird starting point, sadly without any success. Seeing the futility in her first task, she quickly shifted her mindset and turned her full focus on the blurry trapezoid the light coming from the hallway cast onto the tunnel's dusty floor.

"Well… whatever… I'm sure my brother is looking for a way to get me. The best I can do for now is to investigate. I need to understand where I am, how I got here, and most importantly… how to get back." She muttered to herself, making it sound more like a mantra that would drive her forward, and battle the nervousness, the scare that was trying to dominate her soul and body. 

She couldn't deny that she was scared. After escaping the decade-long horrors, she no longer wanted to be left without her dear brother. She couldn't imagine a life without Drake… or the rest of her friends in it…

As she recalled the image of a long black-haired boy that probably shared a similar fate with her currently, a small hint of pinkish hue spread across her cheeks. She couldn't deny the steadily growing affection she was cultivating inside her heart, keeping it tucked away.

Scarlet shook her head, pushing these thoughts to the back of her mind once again. She had to focus, she had a task, she had to find a way out of this mess she had fallen into.

"Enough wasting the time. I need to find my way back to them, and for that, I need to check where in gods' name am I." She muttered, giving a verbal command to herself. "Get up Scarlet, move your butt, and do what you do best!" 

Giving it one last heavy, long exhale, she clenched the handle of her daggers tightly, shifted the lingering hesitant look in her eyes into that of a determined zeal, and gazed directly at the dimly illuminated hallway once again, and slowly took her first steps.

…

Just when she was about to step out and check out the source of the faint light, suddenly a bright shine exploded from behind her. Strange, wobbling, magical sounds filled up the small cave. Not even a second later, the air tore apart sending invisible torrents of energy to ripple across the space, further distorting it.

---

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