61 Chapter 26: The Artifact of The Ancien (1/2)
Surprised to hear a familiar voice after quite some time I turned around.
When I did, I was overcome by joy and confusion as I was happy to see my friend Geo Birchwood after several days had passed… Yet, I wasn't certain if I could trust him,
as he too had been personally requested to partake in the expedition.
Doubtful about the situation I found myself in mustered up the courage to confront Geo with what had happened.
”Geo… Are you aware of what has transpired in the past few days?
Or rather… are you in with the rest of them?”
Geo looked confused as if he didn't have a clue what had happened.
I sighed…
*sigh*
”The survivors, teams Ragnee and June brought along… Are you here by their orders, Geo?”
Geo looked at me, as he wasn't sure what to say, although now he was certain something must have happened back there, he too decided to confront me with his findings.
”Indeed, I came along by request of Ragnee and June, but boy! Can I tell you,
that I didn't expect to find what I encountered in the caverns…
You know, I was brought along for the safety and recovery of the survivors and fallen,
Inside… I encountered all our fallen brethren, most slaughtered by what seemed like a great battle, an ambush maybe? Others… had a less fortunate end… as they had been turned into the goblins playthings before getting slaughtered, so I was sad to find even your dear friend Yami to have been crushed by rubble…”
Geo looked away with pain in his heart as he noticed the news was even more difficult to bear for his dear friend Michael…
Hikari worried about what Geo was talking about looked at me,
then at Geo, and as she looked back at me, she turned her head.
”Friends…? You… Lost… Friends… Too…?”
I looked at Hikari as I broke down in tears, unintentionally I gave in to my needs as I tightly hugged her. Tears streamed down my face as I let go of all the pend up frustration and sadness…
After a short while, I wiped and dried away my tears as I realized Hikari too,
had lost her friends…
”Y-you… lost your friends as well?? Life must be hard for all of us…”
I said trying to create a smile on my face as to not worry her.
Then I turned to Geo and began questioning him about the survivors.
”Geo, you told me you were brought along for the retrieval of survivors and dead bodies, right?
Knowing Ragnee and June, they must have given you the order to move out once they returned… So, can you tell me who made it out of that hell?”
Geo wasn't sure what to say but obliged with my questions as he wanted to find out what transpired before he went inside and everyone laying dead on the ground.
”Ragnee and June had few companions with them if I remember correctly…
Sheila the girl with bow and arrow and the cute priest from the church, you know,
the one with white hair. I think her name was Shelly?
To be honest… those two and June were the only ones who returned from team serpent,
not to mention I didn't see anyone from team shield either… only to find them dead in the caverns.
Rika the brawler girl with hot passion had survived but was exhausted, which is why they left her at the entrance to rest up. As for team fang, which you were part of if I remember correctly. All members of the rogues association had come back almost unharmed, together with Maria, the fire mage. Of course, Ragnee had come out as well, but she didn't seem to be doing okay… As if she was struggling with something on her mind.
Just before everyone had left towards the Sharoo for their report I heard the other rogue members say they needed to meet up with the king at the capital, don't know what that was about… eventually, Maria volunteered to stay with Maria as the others needed to leave.”
Geo looked at me as if he was waiting to fill him in on what had happened in his absence.
I looked at Geo, knowing I had to tell what transpired I mustered the strength to do so. Meanwhile, Hikari noticed it was difficult for me and firmly held my hand. As if to say, that she was there to support me.
”Okay Geo, with a heavy heart... I will tell you what transpired, as I owe you that much...
You see, we were all brought it, seemingly not just for the exploration of an uncharted area,
but really...
Ragnee and June had received a secret mission from the king...
A mission to get rid of those close to or accompanied by us ”Summoned”.
As we went through the caverns in search of the so-called ruins, we got ambushed by a ridiculous number of cave dwellers. Or ”Goblins” like how you would call them...
We stood our ground and everyone was hanging on to dear life, as our only option to escape got blocked by them...”
I breathed in deeply keeping Geo in a slight bit of suspense,
before uttering the name of the beasts.
”Tuskan Trolls.”
”One had let the goblins to us, and as we tried to fight off their leader we soon found out that we were already outmatched. I am alive today because of the heroic actions of not only my dear friend Yami but also the leader of team shield ”Brendan”.
As he pushed me away just before the troll could squeeze me like a bug...
As if we didn't have enough trouble dealing with one of them, suddenly two others arrived as some of us tried to run for their lives… resulting in what you have most certainly come across as you are now where I am.”
Geo looked at me in shock and could only reply with one word as he uttered it in disbelief.
”Painful!”
He then quickly proceeded to ask as now he wished to know if I knew what the serpentine twins their secret mission was.
”Shit… that must have been one hell of a struggle… But, Michael, tell me.
Do you know what their secret mission was?!”
Again I sighed as I remembered how impatient Geo could be most of the time.
*sigh*
”you never change, do you?”
”Exactly! Haha, so, what happened next?”
”As the others held off the Tuskan Trolls, Ragnee ordered Yami and me to examine the shrine inside the area you to have been through. As we were there we wanted to quickly report what we had found back to them, but, before we could…”
I looked away, tightly gripping my chest as the tension became heavier than ever…
”A loud explosion could be heard, quickly followed by huge piles of rubble that fell from the ceiling and surrounding walls. Blocking off our path, but as I was still standing in the opening towards the are of the shrine, I knew at that moment, the rubble would crush me and end my life… But just before that happened Yami pushed me back allowing me to escape the rubble, which then ended up crushing her instead…
Soon after I could hear June laughing at our failed attempt for survival…
even laughing Yami her noble attempt to save my life… Soon after Ragnee began to apologize as she didn't want this to happen, but couldn't defy the demands of the king…
They then proceeded to tell me the only one left alive in that room why it is what they did…
I appeared the king, like the tyrant, he wants to keep the throne to himself…
But with us ”Summoned” having unrivaled prowess, he came to fear the possibility of us defying him… Not to mention that he, himself was aware of what I had done during the tournament of beginnings, which is why he made them conduct the secret mission before anything could fall out of hand. Making sure I was out of the picture…
Soon after they left me alone to die without a word, which is probably when they send you for the retrieval of the bodies.”
Geo was trying to process it all as he had carefully listened to my story, not too long after he reacted as he now finally understood what transpired before his arrival.
”Ah! At last, I truly see!! Hurting my friends like this…
I do understand that at least Ragnee wasn't in a position to defy the king as that would not only have cost her own life but also that of her clan members…
”I Geo will personally see to the defiance of the king, as I will avenge those innocently killed by those trying to harm my friends!”
Geo stood up all fired up as he had now basically finished his mission.
Thinking about what he should report he turned around once more.
”Say… wasn't the story they made up about the ruins of ancient times all made up?”
I looked at Geo as I didn't know where this was going.
”Yes… Why do you ask?”
Geo pointed to the large crumbled bedrock structures as he answered my question.
”Because it seems like there are ruins here, aren't there?”
”Yes! You're right, you see, Ragnee informed me in secret with a letter hidden inside the skull I had taken with me for extra protection that even if June used it as a ploy that Ragnee had suggested, Ragnee had found the entrance beforehand and decided to cover up the pathway with an artificially made shrine, she also included into the plan with June, making sure she wouldn't find out about it while allowing me to get out alive.”