17 Chapter 7: Desert Requiem 6 (1/2)

There were only few men stationed, compared to before.

Soon we reached the door where we previously stayed with Nora and the others.

A man guarding by unlocks it for us.

The door creaks open and we stepped inside.

”Aerra!? Aeron!!?” Nora gasped.

We both looked the around. Nothing seemed to change. Nora ran up to me and hugged me. ”How you've been?” she asks, latching onto me with an arm. I hugged her briefly.

”I'm actually fine. How about you guys?”

Stray walked towards us and ruffled both my hair and Aeron's, ”I'm happy to see you both here but it's actually wrong timing” he says.

I looked around and the children was surrounding us. I greeted them one by one.

I just realized I don't remember their names well.

”What do you mean?” Aeron asks him, as I just watch them.

Strays sighs. ”It has been a series of events ever since you two were taken away...”

I hear something shuffle beyond this room. I looked at the slit under the door and a shadow moved away. The sound of footsteps went further away too.

The door is left open and unguarded.

How strange—

”...so I think Cerguz is now really impatient and wants to deliver the orders the collector is nagging him about, with or without powers.” Stray concluded.

Damn it! I wasn't able to listen to everything he just said.

”And seeing both of you here means he sent the two elite mercenaries away, correct?”

I stood up and nodded along with Aeron.

”This means he's waiting for us make a move. If we try to escape now, he will surely make it look like he had no choice but to stop us and take you both down in the process. This way, he can get the order packaged and at the same time wash his hands when Faram and Giles return as if he's not at fault.”

”But this might be our only chance...” I retorted. ”Now is the best time to escape. The door is unlocked and unguarded. There are few guards in the passages. And for sure, five guards will be outside the base and two scouts stationed in the nearby cliffs. That never changes. So if he's trying to lure us now to escape, I say we take it head on.”

They all looked at me in surprise.

”Okay. I don't even know how to start with that but...” Stray murmured as he walked to the door and tried to peek outside. ”Well, she's right. No one is outside.”

”He has set a trap for sure” Nora retorted anxiously.

”If there are, I'm sure it's by the egress of this place. My best bet is that the moment we step outside, that's when he will act out.”

I closed my eyes and let them argue about it for awhile. I focused on my surroundings.

Drowning in the feeling of being in a room full of people, I sense something watching us rather maliciously but the feeling is not coming from this room.

Cerguz is really watching us now. He's waiting.

I've never felt so much malice like this before.

He might be really anticipating.

I can show them my darts and tell how we can destroy this place but how to set it all in action?

First thing's first—

Cerguz must be taken down.

But if Stray comes along with me to face him, Cerguz will surely be vigilant and extra cautious.

”Aren't there any secret passages we can take to lead us all out?” Aeron grumbled. ”I mean after taking Cerguz out that is...”

Secret—?

Hmm. Now that you think about it,

Stray told me that I have a kind of stare– like I keep a lot of secrets in my mind. if I do come alone, he might be less cautious.

And for the secrets in my mind...

”Even if I say there is one. The point that we leave the base is like playing right into his trap. These are all just a game for him now.” Stray uttered as he sat down the ground with the children.

A game...

his favourite game 'Catching a Liar' was it?

Well I'm not good at lying but...

If I use my stare and my secrets—

”So what do we do? Is there no other way?” murmured Nora as she but her lips in frustration while brushing her hair aback.

I stared at her hair—

I remembered Aeron said it can explode.

Ah.

That's it.

”There is one. Let's beat him on his own game.” I say as they all focused their attention on me. ”He's watching now, more than ever so let's play with it. I have a plan. But it involves your hair Nora.”

I sat down the floor with them as Aeron came and sat beside me. They all are waiting for me to talk.

”The guards outside will senselessly rush back in with any commotion big enough that disrupts the silence. That's where you will come in Nora, you need to set an ample amount of hair around the base that can cause several explosions later on. Stray, you know how use the portals best, right? Go to the lowest floor accessible and leave the portal there open, when you come back here to the surface, jam the portal into hyperdrive. It will cause this entire place to sink down. When the collapse begins, Nora— that will be your cue to start the explosions. Make it big or consecutive. I'll leave that up to you!”

”Right!” She nods in a grin.

”Aeron, you will lead the children near the egress. If the explosion went off and you see all seven guards rush in, that'll be the time you will flee with the children. If there are some other aside from the seven guards, I trust your fighting skills to finish the job, yes?”

”No problem! But wait— where are we going? We still need to at least set a place to meet up, right?” Aeron asks while Stray nods, ”Beyond the pits, you will see small rocky hills. Turn to those areas and you will see a shallow cave. Wait for us there.”