140 Evan (1/2)
”Uncle Ken, I still can't reach Catalie or anyone, figure it out quickly, it's getting hard to breathe in here”
Ken closed his eyes and shoved all the other thoughts aside as concentrated on the riddle before him
”What can kill all beings, but save us too, too much of it is bad, but not enough is horrid?” Ken was repeating the riddle word by word
”Come on, Uncle Ken”
Elrond was struggling to stand straight as he couldn't breathe in as normal.
”I got it” Suddenly Ken opened his eyes,
”Sun, What can kill all beings, but save us too, too much of it is bad, but not enough is horrid?, it's the Sun”
Just as he said, the wall crumbled and shook the entire cave
”The wall, it's moving”
When the wall completely opened, there was nothing but darkness on the other side
”Uncle Ken, let's go”
Elrond took out his bow from his back and slowly moved towards the darkness as the dwarves quickly came before Elrond and walked first inside the darkness
Fortunately for them, everyone had bound energy and the ability to create fire using the battle energy or they would have to walk without any light.
While walking aimlessly with a little light, Ken couldn't see any light coming from the other side of the cave and the only companion to the party was the deathly silence.
”Help Me”
However, a woman's sudden cry for help stopped the party at their step
”Wh-who's there?”
”Please somebody help me”
The woman called out for help again as the dwarves and the elves trembled slightly in a mix of fear and shock
”Where...where are you?”
Elrond wanted to go search for the voice but before he could take a step, Ken stopped him by holding his shoulder
”Uncle Ken, somebody needs our help”
Ken shook his head and then he took a deep breath yet Elrond and the party was able to see the alarm in his eyes for some reason
”HELP ME”
The woman shouted louder as her shout echoed through the dark cave and the previous sweet feminine voice slightly changed into a deep voice
”Uncle Ken”
”Stop playing!” Ken's shout startled the party and when they were wondering about Ken's action, they heard a woman weeping
”Ken”
”Ken”
The dwarves and the elves softly called out for Ken but he was still looking rigid and then the weeping turned into a giggling sound
”ONO VARA VERGARI!”
”Queen Aathreya”
Ken mumbled as he was having difficulty in concentrating and couldn't stop his body from shivering
”Ah Ken”
A dwarf in Ken's party pointed at the darkness as the party formed a defensive formation
”What's that?” Ken saw six red eyes emerging from the darkness
”Uncle Ken”
Elrond's panicked voice brought Ken back from the shock and Ken mustered up all his courage
”Men, when I say, cast a powerful fire blast as you can and throw at the eyes”
Despite the six red eyes looking at them, the men quickly started to gather all their bound energy and created a fireball and waited for Ken's order
”NOW!”
The moment Ken ordered, the men attacked the six eyes with their spells but when the spells blasted and lit the cave, they saw a nine feet tall woman with six red eyes and flesh on her face was peeling off as she revealed her bloodied teeth with a grin that sent a chill through their spines. The fire was quickly extinguished and the darkness enveloped the cave again but the men would not forget the horrible face they just saw.
”You low lives”
The sweet feminine was echoed through the darkness as the men stuck closer together to defend each other
”Piok kokereo aerrauid osa robas kies caed, eoccok, coksro, monho?”
(how many years I've been caged, hundred, thousand, millions?)
The men looking around as the voice came from everywhere
”un du first viior eka got eru né one mar vers”
(and the first visitor I got is no one but vermins)
”ono ach néiat scere nosu, Aathreya”
Ken shouted at the darkness as the voice disappeared for a moment
”QUEEN!”
The cave crumbled before her shout as the men were forced to kneel on the ground by an invisible force
”Queen Aathreya”
As she said, a small flicker appeared in the darkness as it flew towards one of the dwarves and landed on him
”what-what be this?”
The dwarf tried to brush away the small light dot
”NO! JOFRAD!”
The dwarves screamed seeing the dwarf burnt to ashes before their eyes as the mad laughter of Aathreya reverberated the cave
”Uncle Ken, something...something is happening...to...me...”
The mad laughter of Aathreya continued as Elrond stuttered and seemed to be in pain as Ken saw Elrond's eyes turn red
”Elrond!”