The three watchmen sprinted down the stone tunnel, following the path of streaming water. Alex held onto the map and made a turn on the second left with Tucker and Ray close behind. There was no telling how many more of the Empire’s covert forces they would run into. But if there was one thing the team was confident about, it was fighting their counterparts.
“We’ll reach the first checkpoint soon,” Alex pointed out. “Keep an eye out.”
Tucker nodded as he spread out his essence through the tunnels. After constant practice and control, he extended the range of his ability to two hundred meters. Nearly double the amount he could originally maintain. If anything tried to sneak up on them, they would be well aware.
“Do you think there’ll be more of those bastards?” Ray asked.
“Yeah, but it’s nothing we can’t handle.” Tucker glanced back at Ray. “How much spirit essence have you recovered now?”
“Barely enough to summon my companion, if that’s what you’re wondering.”
“What?” Tucker tilted his head. “Have you not recovered any at all since the fight with Serevoth?”
“Nope, and to make it worse, my aura feels weaker.” Ray shook his head in disappointment. “It’s hard for me to draw it, not sure why.”
“Since this is a new discovery, we don’t know how long the side effects will last.” Alex fell deep into thought as they stopped at the first checkpoint. He stared at the turtle sigil at the bottom of the wall. “If we follow the route drawn on the map, we’ll reach the Emerald Tower in fifteen minutes. Will you be able to fight by then?”
Ray gave a firm nod. “I’ll hold my own.”
“Good.” Alex turned to Tucker. “It’ll be the two of us taking lead.”
“What’s the plan? We can’t exactly waltz in there without getting detected,” Tucker said.
“If my suspicions are right, there should be another entrance that the mages from the Emerald Tower use. One that would lead us to the basement.”
“Let’s say we do get into the basement… How would we get out?” Ray asked. “Don’t get me wrong, I want to kill as many of those Emerald bastards as possible, but to do that at the same time as protecting some kids? That’s more than I can chew.”
“We’ll have to backtrack, go back the way we came and into the sewers,” Tucker answered. “Let me take a look at the map. It’s better to have two people know the route.”
“Would fifteen minutes really be enough time for you to memorize that?” Ray asked.
“Fifteen?” Tucker chuckled. “I only need a minute; I was a good student. Memorized a lot more complicated things in my courses than this.”
“Damn, that’s one hell of a skill. I just failed my courses, like every other kid.”
Both of them quietly chuckled. Tucker walked alongside them as they made their way to the Emerald Tower. He passed the map back to Alex. “If we get separated, we’ll try to regroup back at the first checkpoint. Ray, just make sure you stick to one of us.”
Alex held onto the page. “Navigating the magic tower will be the hard part. I’d imagine those mages would have some sort of contraption or mechanism to slow us down.”
“Ha…” Ray scratched the back of his helm. “If only there were a way to just skip all that bullshit.”
As they passed by the second and third checkpoints, Tucker had an idea. A possible thought that hadn’t occurred to him until now. He pressed his palm against the cobblestone surface, sending a faint surge of spirit essence. They were only a few minutes away from their designated exit. With the way the tunnels were laid out, it was possible that they curved around the basement of the magic tower.
Ray and Alex were both on high alert. Even if Tucker’s spirit essence was coiling through the tunnels, there was still a chance that the enemies could close the distance without him realizing. And if they could do such a thing, then they were a cut above the rest in terms of skills.
Tucker glanced at the way they had come. If Luka were here… it would have been different. Earth contractors could find hidden rooms or passages by sensing the slightest vibrations in the area. Something none of them could do. He buried the thought, knowing that thinking about the past wouldn’t change anything. Then, with two fingers, he tapped the stone walls.
His companion had flown out of the tunnel after their fight with Serevoth. Now it was just up to them and their sheer determination to overcome the bastards in front of them. Tucker continued this step like a ritual as they made their way down the tunnel. Then, with one final tap—he heard it.
A soft sound that seemed hollow inside. Tucker stopped and slowly drew his hand back, tapping once more just to be sure. Ray and Alex both stood still, glancing at him as the stone quietly sang back. Tucker’s gaze locked with his comrades.
If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.
“There’s something behind this wall,” he said. “I know the path leading to the Emerald Tower, and chances are, whatever’s behind this wall could be a shortcut.”
Alex showed Ray the map and gestured to the space beside their current position. “It’s possible, but we don’t have a reliable way to breach the wall.”
“We could cut it,” Ray chimed in. “Not the best option, but if Salamander uses his spirit essence, he could cut a door for us to enter.”
Tucker turned to Alex. “What do you say?”
Alex played out the scenarios in his head. It was a creative solution to a difficult problem. One he hadn’t thought of before. The likelihood of the Emerald Tower’s compartments being on the other side was high, but so were the odds of danger. Yet the firm light in his comrade’s eyes told him they were ready for it.
His black eyes focused on the spot before them. “Get ready—if someone’s waiting on the other side, they’ll be expecting company.”
Tucker and Ray nodded, standing to the opposite sides of where Alex planned to cut. The old man’s fingers wrapped tightly around the hilt of his blade. Aura coated the sword’s edge, protecting it as flames surged along the surface. His blade glowed a blazing orange as he brought it towards the cobblestone wall. A sharp hiss tore through the tunnel the moment the heated edge touched the stone.
It was like the veteran was cutting through butter, creating a perfect entrance for them in seconds. Tucker held onto his sword and channeled his essence, forming a bow of compressed wind. The moment Alex stepped back, Tucker conjured an arrow and drew the bowstring while aiming at the darkness beyond the searing stone.
With a final shove, Alex pushed the severed slab of stone inward. The circular object crashed down as a cloud of dust rose into the air. The heavy thud shook the ground. Shapes moved inside, shadows shifting with the slightest bit of movement. Tucker took aim, enhancing his vision with aura to get a clear shot.
Just as he was about to release, Alex’s hand clamped around his wrist.
“Wait,” Alex murmured.
Tucker frowned but listened. He trusted his mentor but wasn’t foolish enough to drop his gaze.
Alex didn’t explain; instead, he summoned a tiny ember. One that was just big enough to light up the surroundings, and flicked it into the room. The flame arced through the air, illuminating the room in a faint orange glow. Just enough to draw their attention, and with it… their bodies froze.
Bodies were pinned against the walls. Upright with their chests peeled open like pages that had been pried apart. Exposed organs glistened in crimson concoctions. Like someone had been testing various mixtures to find the perfect combination that would prolong their suffering.
Ray covered his mouth as he retched.
They were alive.
Every single one of them.
A look of terror filled Tucker’s eyes. Even Serevoth had killed its prey before dissecting them. But the Emerald Tower… They didn’t even grant that mercy to their victims.
Disgust rolled in Tucker’s stomach as he saw what the mages had done. The cruelty shown here wasn’t like the demon’s. It was deliberate, methodical, and he knew that there was more to this than senseless torture. The first to enter was Alex. His expression was grim at the reality before him. Then came Tucker and Ray, who lingered for a moment before summoning the courage to venture into the darkness.
None of them wanted to be there, but they had no choice. In the room filled with blood and torment were the answers they were looking for. Tucked somewhere against the far wall and among the tomes lining the shelves.
Tucker clenched his jaw with a flash of pain flickering across his eyes. He walked to one of the bodies, forcing himself not to look away from the suffering. His legs had been severed but not healed. Just enough to keep them from escaping while filling their minds with agony. The exposed chest rose and fell in small, trembling breaths.
As if fear had become second nature.
Tucker wanted to end their suffering. Every bone in his body told him to do so, but not without answers. They needed to know why this place existed. What the Emerald Tower was hiding in the darkness of their branch. He stepped closer to one of the prisoners and softly spoke.
“Can… can you hear me?”
The man’s eyelids fluttered. He met Tucker’s pained gaze and gave a faint but fragile nod.
Tucker removed his helm and held it beneath his arm. He slowly exhaled, grounding himself as Alex and Ray sifted through one document after another.
“I’m going to be honest with you,” Tucker gently said. “There’s… there’s no saving you. We aren’t the hope you’re looking for, and I’m sorry to tell you this. Truly.”
He watched as the man’s lungs gradually rose. “If given the opportunity, we would’ve done everything we could. But sadly, that isn’t the case. The only thing we can do… is put you out of your misery.”
Tucker waited for the man to process the information, unsure if he even could.
“But… before we do that, we need to know… what is the purpose of this facility?” Tucker softly asked. “Why did the Emerald Tower do this?”
The silence grew longer by the minute, yet Tucker continued to wait, giving the man every ounce of time he had left. Soon, the man opened his mouth.
“T… t-top… left,” he whispered.
Tucker followed the man’s gaze to a blue tome resting on the shelf and then glanced at Ray, who stood to the side. The watchman swiftly retrieved it with light steps to not disturb the prisoner’s rest. Once the tome was taken, Tucker stared at the prisoner and shut his eyes while steadying his resolve. He knew what he had to do. But his hand trembled at the thought of taking the man’s life. Wasn’t there more that he could have done?
“P… p-please… s-save… the… c-chil—”
Tucker’s gaze widened before softening. The man never finished his plea. He had exhausted his strength with each word, but it was enough. Tucker gave a slow, yet firm nod as his aura began to rise.
Verdant energy flowed from him, gently wrapping around the mutilated bodies pinned to the wall. If there was an afterlife for those who lived a righteous life. A place that would accept the ones before him regardless of faith—then Tucker prayed it would grant peace to these tired souls.
The air shimmered for a brief moment as if it were soothing their pain. In the illusion his aura wove, they stood in a vast green field of rolling hills. The warmth of the sunlight brushed against their skin, grass swaying in a spring breeze that carried no screams.
“Don’t worry,” Tucker said. “We’ll save them. You have my word.”
Relief washed over the prisoner’s worn and battered body. His eyelids drifted shut once and for all as Tucker tightened his grip on his sword. With one clean, merciful strike, he ended the man’s suffering before moving down the line. When it was over, Tucker drew in a quiet breath, lowering his blade as his aura faded into the darkness.
Alas, it is snowing quite a bit in Canada.
I kind of regret not buying a snow plow, but it is what it is.
We're slowly piecing together what is going on in the Emerald Tower and what they are doing.
What information will the blue tome hold?
I haven't forgotten about the bonus chapter. I plan to release it on Monday.
1500 Follower Goal - Bonus Chapter (Owed Chapters -> 1)
?????????? 100%
120 Ratings Goal - Bonus Chapter (Owed Chapters -> 0)
?????????? 84%
