[TWS] Chapter 303 – A Riddle for Your Thought

“What the hell was that even supposed to be?!” Grea yanked her hair while groaning in annoyance. “How was that of any help?!”

“I have to agree with you there.” Civienne nodded with a deep sigh. “We should have interrogated that woman for more information. She even confirmed she has it.”

“Which would have ended badly for us,” Asterios pointed out. “Even if she says that she doesn’t intervene, I don’t think that includes things related directly to herself. Could you sense even a shred of her presence?”

The queen shook her head. “No. Not in the slightest. I know you are right, but it’s just so infuriating. It’s like she came here just to make fun of us. What if she’s working with the cult and means to mislead us instead of helping? It doesn’t sound like you know her too well.”

“It’s true that we met only once, but from our brief interaction, she didn’t appear as someone inherently evil,” Silvia replied. “And if you are bothered by that fleeting laugh at the end, I’m fairly sure that’s just her thing. She left exactly the same way last time, right?”

“Yeah, she did,” Asterios confirmed. “And while her final words were nothing but confusing, we’ve just learned that they weren’t actually as meaningless as we first thought.”

“Sure, but watch your step? That can mean literally anything!” Grea continued to tug on her black hair. “Previously, she actually put her name in that sentence, only making it confusing. Now, what do cultists have to do with feet? Are there any notorious feet fan clubs in the nation?”

“If we go by that notion, I think a traveler organization would be a bit closer to the target,” Selene said.

“In any way, we are quite a big group here. Let’s just try to think about it together and see what we can come up with. Having Imadil, Cynthia, and Queen Civienne with us to share their knowledge of the elves should make it a bit easier too,” Asterios suggested.

“I’m not sure how watching your step can lead to the cult,” Cynthia shared. “We’ve technically been doing that since the beginning, no? If it meant paying attention to where the traitors and moles go, our monitoring teams are doing a great job even right now. Plus, we had and still have your shadowy familiar to aid us.”

“Well, since that woman said to watch our step, maybe we should focus on what we do or did,” Bryn chimed in. “Should we backtrack a little bit and reconsider all the actions we have taken until now?”

“What if you are looking into it a bit too deeply?” Imadil asked. “The last one had its answer right in the open, right? Pretty much in your face?”

“None of the three words feel like key ones like the lady’s name in that other sentence. Every single word can have multiple meanings if we focus on each of them.” Tina’s shoulders slumped slightly.

“Miria?” Asterios turned to the panthergirl. “Maybe you have some ideas?”

“You know that I’m not as good at smart things as the rest of you, Master.” She kept avoiding his eyes with her adorable ears lying flat on her black hair. “I mean, what else could she mean other than to be careful? That’s what you say when you want to warn someone about something so they don’t stumble over a tree root or things like that, no? You are supposed to look down to see what’s below you and then avoid it, right, Master?”

“Wait…” Ast’s eyes suddenly widened and his gaze dropped to the ground. “That’s it! Miria, you are a genius!”

He lunged at her and pulled the panthergirl into his arms, hoisting her up and starting to rain unending kisses on the soft skin of her exposed neck while spinning in circles.

“Ah! Master! Hahahahahaha! Stop! It tickles! Hahahahaha!” Miria held onto him with everything she had while laughing and twitching without restraint. “Ahahahaha! Really! Stop! Hahaha! I’m gonna peeeeeeee!”

They gradually slowed down until Asterios finally brought them to a stop. He looked up at his beloved mate and she looked back down at him, panting openly with slightly flushed cheeks. Asterios brought her back to the ground and Miria rested against his chest, still slightly dizzy. Taking a deep breath, she nuzzled her face into his neck and purred lovingly.

“You are one of the smartest girls I know so don’t you dare say things like that,” he whispered into her ear.

She leaned back to glance up at him and a shy smile painted her pretty lips. Miria stared into his mesmerizing eyes for a moment before pulling herself closer and stealing an affectionate kiss from her master. He played along and gently caressed her back with one hand while leading the other to twirl her tail just the way she liked it.

After they parted, she remained by his side, letting Asterios continue to gently embrace her as he turned to the queen.

“The undergrowth. These corridors aren’t all that is to it, are they?” he asked.

“There are many areas just like this one or Imadil’s smithy all around the underground part of the capital. But, what does that—” The queen’s face suddenly twisted in realization. “There’s no way…”

“I’m afraid that there is. It wouldn’t be the first time they hid in plain sight, right under everyone’s noses.” Asterios chuckled wryly. “How far down do these go?”

“Deep. A lot of the tunnels come from ancient times but only the upper layer is available to the public, right where we are currently located,” she answered. “But even so, everything is constantly monitored, and none of our suspects wandered off into any suspicious regions. Even your familiar accompanied them.”

“Deep enough to reach that place?” He raised a brow at her.

Civienne’s mouth drew a tense line. “No one knows that area exists. It’s a tightly sealed temple built right after that event exactly for the reason of securing the surroundings of the remains. The entire vicinity is completely cut off. It’s impossible to break in.”

“And all the pieces suddenly start fitting in.” Grea hit her palm with her fist. “If there’s anyone knowing a lot about impossible things, it’s definitely us.”

The girls chuckled together as Asterios smirked softly. They certainly had quite some experience with the impossible. Multiple times.

“I think we should hold a quick strategy meeting with your friend,” Asterios said, casting a glance at the duo of elves.

Civienne noticed the gesture and nodded lightly. “You are right. This is an important topic to discuss. Imadil, Cynthia, I apologize, but we will have to leave before all the tests are properly concluded.”

“That’s alright, Your Majesty. We didn’t notice any issues during the practice spars so you can take the weapons with you,” Cynthia replied with a polite bow. “We’ll return to our work. There are still pieces of equipment we haven’t finished.”

“If there will be anything that we can help with, just let us know.” Imadil bowed too.

“Let’s move there right away.” Asterios stepped closer to Civienne and extended his hand.

The queen graced the Spellsong family with one last nod and took it. To make the travel faster and much easier on the passenger, Umbra aided the transfer with his own shadows. Just a moment later, Asterios and Civienne resurfaced near Althea’s cottage. A crimson gate arose next to them and the girls walked out of it to join the pair.

As they approached the cozy, wooden hut, the door opened in front of them and the emerald-haired owner showed up with a curious expression.

“I did not expect an unannounced visit at this time.” Althea glanced between him and Civienne.

“It’s for a good reason,” Asterios said with a small smile.

“Don’t just stand there, then. Come in and let’s hear it.” She waved everyone inside and they obliged.

Leading the group to the resting area, Althea sat them all down and brought out some clear water in a jug. She sat down next to the queen while Asterios and the girls took over pretty much the rest of the table.

“So, what is it?” The Dragon lady raised a brow at them.

“He thinks the cultists infiltrated the sanctum,” Civienne revealed, which induced the other brow on Althea’s face to rise too in a show of slight shock.

“I mean, it would make a lot of sense,” Grea interjected. “Like, if the cult gained access to that temple you mentioned, then there’s a chance they also managed to somehow penetrate into the lair. That could be how they retrieved the supposedly dead Elder from his resting place without anyone noticing anything. Assuming there are passageways somewhere below it.”

“That would be something unthinkable, but I’m fairly sure the temple encompasses the entirety of the lair. In the end, it was built as an additional shielding layer around the Tree, since as you know, part of it is sealed in the ceiling,” the queen added. “But to think that it could have been breached and desecrated…”

“As surprised as I am with this news, I’m inclined to agree with them.” Althea stroked her chin. “It is unthinkable for anyone to get so close without me noticing anything. But, this sealing chamber and the presence of the Tree do hinder my senses quite a bit.”

“The question is, how did they learn about this?” Civienne asked particularly no one.

“Could it have been the missing Elder?” Miria tilted her head.

“If his death truly was faked, then they already had to know about the part of the temple that exists underneath the lair so they could break in from below and aim for the burial grounds.” Selene repeatedly tapped her finger on the table. “They must have found out about this place way before that moment. Perhaps there was a leak back during its construction if we also assume that this organization’s roots reach ancient times and are linked to True Dragons as my Lord discussed with Lady Althea previously.”

“I think this is worse than it sounds,” Bryn joined in, capturing everyone’s attention. “We previously considered their main goal being the World Tree. If they truly have infiltrated this sanctum, which I assume consists of a place where the trunk pokes out on the other side of the ceiling we see here, that would mean they already have secured the way to hurt it.”

“Oh no…” The queen’s hand tightened into a fist.

“Yes, there is a chamber with the stump above us,” the Dragon lady confirmed with a slow nod. “It’s part of the formation keeping the Tree’s energy as hidden and suppressed as possible.”

“That’s bad…” Miria shook her head. “We have no idea how much time we have left before they complete their super poison…”

“They have clearly been working on it for a long time. You found the traces of their activity in our kingdom that date far into the past. Their research is clearly slow. We can only hope that they still need years if not decades to complete it. Especially after we recently intervened and ruined many of their operations all around the world,” Silvia commented.

“Hope or not, we have to do something.” Asterios looked at everyone. “First, we should confirm if this temple around the lair truly has been compromised and serves as their main base of operations. Can we get there from here or the palace?”

Civienne shook her head. “No. As I mentioned earlier, the entire place is, or at least was supposed to be sealed shut from the outside. The first place an intruder would look in for the way here would be the palace.”

“And just in case the sanctum would have ended up breached, it shares no connections with this inner part where my lair is,” Althea continued after her. “I was supposed to protect and oversee the Tree from the inside while the sanctum served as a shield from the outside.”

“But, some of the secret, hidden tunnels that descend from the undergrowth definitely do reach it,” the queen added. “They are also definitely filled with horrific beasts, monsters, and plenty of traps to discourage anyone who stumbles into them.”

“So, there’s a way,” Tina mused.

“Our only option,” Grea agreed.

“And possibly how they got there too,” Selene pondered out loud.

“What after we find that sanctum, manage to get inside, and confirm that the evil cult is using it as their hiding place?” Miria asked.

“We have to quickly strike them down,” the queen answered firmly. “And everyone who is involved.”

“We still don’t know how they contact their agents on the surface. Before we go, we should prepare everything we can and simultaneously remove the traitors as we launch our offensive on their base to cut off their communications,” Asterios suggested. “Even if we have missed some of the moles, this should at least greatly slow their intel network.”

“I would consider sending a small, elite team for the scouting mission, which will also be the main force of attack. In case they are discovered, the operation can begin instantly. And even if they aren’t, a big group traveling through the corridors poses a high risk of getting spotted and ruining the element of surprise. The enemy might be monitoring their surroundings,” Silvia shared her thoughts.

“Accurate observation.” Althea nodded with a satisfied smile. “I’m sure Civienne can arrange for our army to observe all the traitors and stand by for the order to immediately execute them all at the same time.”

“I’m joining the strike team too,” the queen stated, and judging by her fierce glare, there was no changing her mind.

The Dragon lady shook her head. “And so will I. But you will have to delegate someone trustworthy to lead everything above the ground. Perhaps the Spellsongs. You have already partially brought them in.”

“I think Imadil and Cynthia are the perfect people for this!” Miria beamed at them. “Especially since Master can now contact them directly from anywhere!”

That earned the panthergirl a slight raise of a brow from the queen but she didn’t seem too interested in asking for elaboration at this very busy moment.

“I’ll brief my squad about this too in case they could be of use to them,” Tina suggested. “We are all here to help. I think it’s easier to find an excuse for an outsider to accidentally wander into an area where the presence of the local soldiers might appear suspicious and turn some heads.”

“I appreciate it. I’ll be sure to personally commend your team’s efforts to the Human King after everything is done.” Civienne skipped her head at the blue-haired girl. “Let’s not waste any more time and begin the preparations, then. I’ll be leaving you first. Asterios, would you mind letting me borrow your familiar’s ability to transfer me to the surface? I would rather not risk making any weird moves like suddenly coming out of the lair without ever getting in right now.”

“But of course, Your Majesty,” Asterios replied. “He can stay with you and help pass any messages quicker and safer.”

“Good. We’ll meet at the entrance to the corridor leading to the workshop from the undergrowth’s side. Your familiar will let you know when,” she added, stood up from the table, and got swallowed by a deep shadow a moment later.

Althea sighed heavily. “Things are quickly getting out of hand… We’ve taken it for granted that our people would be safe from our enemies after the pretended fall of the Tree and look where that has led us…”

“There exists no such thing as a fail-proof plan.” Grea snickered. “There are always things you are unable to predict.”

“How are you feeling, though?” Bryn asked. “Should you really be joining us on this mission?”

“Even if I wasn’t well, it’s just impossible for me not to take part in this as the guardian of the Tree and the Elf Nation. But, thanks to your aid and support, I shouldn’t drag you all down. I’ve recovered enough strength to pose a serious threat against those cultists,” the Dragon lady answered appreciatively.

“I don’t doubt that.” Asterios smiled at her warmly. “And I’m personally looking very forward to seeing a real Lesser Dragon in action. Perhaps I can learn a thing or two about being one of our kin from you.”

“To think I would ever get to teach a True Dragon what it means to be one. And without the threat of death looming over my neck, that is.” She chuckled to herself while shaking her head.

“Let’s eradicate those pests from this realm once and for all!” Miria cheered.

“And find the cure for your poison-induced illness while we are at it.” Selene smirked softly.

“I just hate the fact that we didn’t get to see all that awesome armor and other stuff the crafty elves are preparing for us.” Grea clicked her tongue. “I’m gonna turn those assholes inside out for ruining my expectations!”

They all laughed together and Ast’s party excused themselves from Althea’s home. Asterios resurfaced above the ground first and let Tina jump out of her gate to go and talk with her squad. The other girls remained at their own homes to rest a little while he wandered back down to Imadil and Cynthia with the goal of informing them about everything that was coming and their role in it.

In about four hours, things couldn’t be more ready. The trusted investigation officers were gathered in the strategy chamber with the elf duo as the brain of the operation on the surface. They monitored the situation of the selected troops and Tina’s subordinates, who had been assigned a traitor each, tailing their target and waiting for the signal to strike.

To ensure that their communications were perfect and prepared for any unexpected issue, Asterios decided to leave Umbra with them since his skillset fit the role perfectly. In case he and the rest of the reconnaissance squad would need Umbra’s help, he could always jump to them at any time. Granted, nothing interfered with his abilities.

As for the members of the scouting party, besides Asterios and the girls, there were obviously also Althea and Civienne. They considered taking Fievedem too, but two Summoners should be plenty already, so she received some tasks above the ground too.

After the time to assemble came, everyone met at the gathering point, made some final checks, and headed into the winding corridors of the undergrowth. Civienne led the way, guiding them through a plethora of maze-like tunnels. None of them expected so many passageways. To some extent, that network of corridors resembled a complex set of roots that belonged to the capital city at the top.

It felt quite fitting.

And Althea later explained that many of them must have come from the Tree of Life during its prime, when its actual roots ran through this earth. After its disappearance, only those hollow burrows remained as a reminder of the elf nation’s past greatness.

That felt quite magical.

After what felt like an eternity of wandering through the darkest depths of the Garden of Sinners, they reached their first obstacle. The path Civienne had led them through, finished with a dead end. A wall of natural-looking wood obstructed their way forward.

“Did we take a wrong turn?” Miria asked while adorably scrunching her nose.

“No. We have arrived at our destination.” Civienne shook her head. “This is where our journey really begins.”

She came closer to the wall and placed her hand on the sticking-out roots, whispering something under her nose. A few seconds later, the passage rumbled as all the tree roots covering the wall retreated to the sides, revealing a massive, stone gate. It was intricately carved and decorated with a myriad of sigils all over its surface.

The queen withdrew her touch, created a blade of wind around the finger of her other hand, and made a shallow cut in her palm. With a graceful flourish, she flicked it at the gate, sprinkling it with her blood just like they had seen her do back in the palace during their first trip to Althea’s lair.

But, a frown soon appeared on Civienne’s face as nothing happened this time.

“And it looks like someone has truly broken the security measures placed over this gate to the restricted areas,” Althea commented wistfully. “All those symbols should have started glowing already. Right now, this is no more than a big slab of stylized rock.”

“How will we get through, then?” Miria frowned too.

“The good, old-fashioned way.” The Dragon lady chuckled lightly. “Mind giving me a hand, Asterios?”

He nodded and the two of them approached each wing of the massive doors, close to the center. They placed their hands on the hard stone, locked gazes, and counted to three. On three, draconic mana flared into the air as they both pushed with all their might, scales appearing on the skin of their arms. With some struggle, the two Dragons forced the gate to open just enough for everyone to walk in, revealing the continuation of the passage.

An even darker tunnel awaited them. And the air on the other side felt way more dangerous and deadly.