Chapter 121: Chapter 112: Hostage rescue

Levin sat in the now mostly silent dark stone room, listening to the sounds overhead as he tried to gather what information he could about what was going on up there. That heavy shaking had ended quite some time ago. He knew for sure it had something to do with Asaren. He knew from the beginning she would come for them, and clearly she had.

Perhaps he should feel at least a little bit concerned. It’s quite clear from what he’d gathered that these dark gnomes had Asa as their true target from the beginning. They keep referring to her as “the key,” or something like that. Meanwhile, the two of them were called “inheritors of the void key.”

This would mean that if Asaren was here, then she’d stepped right into their trap. However, from the strained silence in the room, it was pretty easy to see that Asaren had somehow turned their trap back around on them somehow. He had no idea how she might manage such a thing. These gnomes seemed incredibly powerful. How would Asaren even begin to take them on? But, it was pretty clear from their captors’ reaction that those loud bangs from a while ago were not in their plans.

[Damn it! What’s going on?!] Their current jailer, Kalga, cursed. They could not visibly see anything in there, but there was a very regular and rapid sound of clothing rustling coming from around leg level. Identifying sounds without visible sight was one of the things Asa had trained them to do, and this sounded very distinctly like this guy was doing a rather energetic version of a sewing-machine leg.

“He seems pretty agitated.” Rolwen commented, clearly trying to engage their new ‘friend’ in conversation.

“The earth mana is dropping.” The boy said, sounding a little freaked out himself. “Is this… this is supposed to be the person who taught you to use magic, right? What is she doing?!”

Confirmed. These guys seem to know an alarmingly high amount about them.

“Hell, I don’t know either. We’re locked up down here and blind. Couldn’t tell you even if I wanted to.” Rolwen said.

“Mmm…” The boy grumbled.

“By the way, what’s your name?” Rolwen asked. “You said you had a friend named Sam who was here, what about you?”

“I… uhh… I use a local name… it’s Terlu.” The boy said.

“Hah! Well, I’m Rolwen and he’s Levin. We’re using local names too.” Rolwen said. “Well, anyway, Terlu. How about you tell us what these guys want with us? You keep talking about ‘key’ this, and ‘inheritors of the key’ that. I really don’t get what you all are talking about.”

Actually, Asaren had told them that Tia called her meditation technique ‘Key to the Void.’ She didn’t really understand what Tia meant by that, but it’s apparently supposed to be something significant from back on Earth. He wasn’t about to call Rolwen on this, though. It’s pretty obvious he’s playing dumb on purpose.

“I don’t really know,” Terlu said. “These guys just came and grabbed me in the middle of training and said the high priest gave them a mission straight from Iuutel, and I was coming with. I’ve heard about as much as you guys about it. Can’t you think of anything?”

This kid seemed really careless with information earlier, so this is probably not an act. He really doesn’t know what ‘Key to the Void’ is all about. If this were an act, he’s pretty darn good. Levin really can’t imagine a person being able to feign ignorance to such a degree without training.

Just then, there was a familiar sound of rock shifting, followed by some very sure and purposeful footsteps. Someone else had just entered, and the sound of clothing rustling from Kalag’s direction suggested he was standing up quickly in response to this arrival.

[Bring the kids up top. We’re using them for hostages.] The new voice said with a commanding tone.

[Eh? What? You serious?!] Kalag stammered in a confused voice.

Levin felt his stomach drop as the footsteps made their way across the room. Of course, he should probably have known it would go this route, but…

[Seriously?! You need to use that plan? Just how is this little elf girl giving us that much trouble?] Kalag grumbled.

The new guy didn’t respond to his comment, but in a way, the silence spoke volumes. That question was just asked by the guy who got benched due to a concussion Asa had apparently given him. It didn’t take much imagination to guess at what kind of face the other guy might be making, even if they couldn’t see it.

***

The route they took to get out from the underground was different from the one they’d taken to get in. It seemed that whatever Asa did made it impossible for them to just open a hole directly to the surface, so instead they got dragged down a tunnel for a while before finally emerging a short distance outside the city.

[How in the shit-hole did this happen?!] Kalag demanded as he stepped out from the tunnel ahead of them.

As Levin and Rolwen surfaced as well, they saw exactly what he was talking about. Somehow, the entire city was now surrounded by a thin wall of forest. While it was thin, the trees were of pretty respectable size. Each could easily rival a willow tree.

These trees were not here before. There was no question as to who was responsible for this. Only one person they knew had ever shown this kind of ability with plants. The real question was how she’d managed to grow such a thick wall in such a short time, and also why. He really couldn’t see how surrounding the city in trees could benefit her. And, besides. These trees were not just on the outside, they were also still quite a bit shorter than the ruby wall, only coming up to just shy of half the height.

[Those trees target earth mana. All the plants that girl uses do. It’s the reason the earth mana is dropping so fast.] The new guy explained. [Actually, those trees started out on top of the wall. We had to break off the top to stop them from consuming the entire thing. They fed on the pieces of the wall they fell with and became this.]

So, that must explain the loud sounds they heard earlier. It was their response to Asa trying to destroy the wall with these plants.

Levin was conflicted as the new guy grabbed him by the wrist from behind and that Kalag guy did the same for Rolwen and they were marched forward toward the wall on the other side of the thin line of trees. Asaren had created this situation that got them out of this crazy barricade these gnomes had kicked up, and now they were being taken back inside. It felt like they should try something in order to run away, but he couldn’t see a way to escape from these guys who were holding them. Not with their hands still cuffed behind their backs in blocks of stone anyway. It would make running very difficult.

“It’s fine. Just go along.” Rolwen whispered.

Levin looked at him, trying to figure out what his fellow student was thinking as they started to pass through the trees.

“Focus on the sensory part of your fire kata. There’s something on the other side of that wall. I don’t think these guys have the best spirit senses if they can’t detect something like that.” Rolwen said.

“Hey! What are you whispering about?” Terlu demanded from next to them.

Rolwen just turned to him with a huge grin.

“Plotting our escape. You gonna tell these guys here?” He challenged.

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“I…” Terlu stammered. “Well, I kind of HAVE to! I told you already, they have my friend!” He said in a harsh tone.

“Well, you know what you have to do. Go ahead and tell them.” Rolwen challenged again with a fully confident air.

Levin watched this exchange and wondered exactly what Rolwen was trying to do. Was this the plan? Is he trying to mess with Terlu’s credibility or something by throwing off a bunch of false alarms.

Well, there was only one way to know for sure. He needs to do what Rolwen said and focus on his flame kata. He’d fallen a little behind Rolwen at this stage, but he was still able to use it a little.

[Hey, what are they squawking about?!] Kalag demands as he holds Rolwen’s arms a little tighter and unbalancing him.

[They are saying something about an escape plan.] Terlu says.

[Yep, we’re going to escape from you as soon as we get to the other side of this wall.] Rolwen boasted, this time in Elven so the gnomes can understand him.]

[Ha! Good luck with that!] Kalag sneered. [Just make sure you’ve got a good hold of the other. Let’s go! Alright then, wonder kid. How about you open up the path for us?] He said, directing the last bit at Terlu.

Terlu nodded with a nervous look and ran forward to the wall. He placed his hand on it, and a moment later the ruby crystal wall simply seemed to retract around a certain point, creating a passage through in the form of a tunnel for them.

A gust of wind hit them through the tunnel as soon as it was open. Terlu had a pretty spooked reaction to it, suggesting this was not exactly something normal.

Kalag and the new guy were hesitating a little bit too, but there was also a bit of an air of impatience from their body language, which was pretty easy to read by touch due to the grip they had on their arms.

[It’s probably just a wind imbalance due to the lowered earth element.] Kalag said. [Let’s get going!]

[Yes, I agree. Kid, you…] The other guy began, but they were promptly interrupted by a massive blast of heat from behind them as the entire world lit up with orange flaming light.

Not even a second later, the ground in front of him was covered in flowing water that was washing over his hands and knees as Levin tried to push himself up and figure out what was happening.

“Get in the tunnel!” A female voice shouted as Levin tried to get his bearings.

“Come on!” Rolwen said, grabbing Levin by the shoulder and pulling him to his feet. It only just barely registered to him that Rolwen’s arm was out of the rock cuffs somehow, but he couldn’t dwell on this.

He could see everything to the right of him was burning, and everything to the left seemed to be completely flooded. The water from the left side was flowing over and dousing the flames. Levin’s stuttering brain was still trying to process what was going on as his feet stumbled forward with Rolwen’s help.

There was a very loud roar from behind them, immediately joined by a second equally fierce roar. It sounded like the roars were coming from a lion, but an absolutely gigantic one.

The primitive fight-or-flight section of Levin’s brain recognized this, at least. It was a large predator, he had to run. He scrambled forward, stumbling and slipping as the water was also filling the ruby tunnel, making the smooth gemstone way too slick to keep his footing on.

A short distance in, they found Terlu, also scrambling his way through the tunnel in absolute terror as he looked back at what was going on outside.

There was a sudden gust of wind, and then there was a strange fourth person in the tunnel.

It was another child, looking to be somewhere around age 5, just like them. They were completely bald, but they were wearing a rather finely made dress in a design that Levin recognized as Elven from when they were living back in the elven town Asaren was born in.

She, if it was a she, definitely seemed to be an elf. Her ears were pointed, and not the short pointed ears like Terlu had. They were long, and definitely of the elven variety.

Most striking of all, though, was her sickly-looking ash-grey skin. It would normally be hard to tell in the low light of the tunnel, but seeing her next to Terlu who also had that same skin color made it pretty hard to miss.

This new child was hovering slightly off the ground, which kept her from slipping around on the gemstone floor like they were. And so, she was able to reach down strongly and drag Terlu to his feet.

“Levin, Rolwen, is this one a friend?” The child demanded, using English and obviously familiar with their names.

That was when it finally clicked for him. If he were to imagine hair back on her head, this girl would look exactly like Asa. Asa likes to dress in the style of the Hidan, lately. She doesn’t have any elven-made clothes. So, this left only one reasonable explanation.

“Tia?!” Rolwen asks in disbelief. “Uhh… ye… yes! Well, sort of.”

“Alright.” Tia said, and then turned her attention to Terlu. “Hey, you! Seal up the entrance on that side!” She ordered in a tone that booked for no nonsense.

Back outside the tunnel, there was another large burst of flame, and more roars of a powerful beast. There was a large body out there of some kind. The creature seemed to have 4 legs, wings, and the body was definitely covered in some kind of fur. Whatever it was, it seemed to be fighting the two gnomes that had been previously holding them.

“Now! Seal the entrance!” Tia demanded again.

“Ah! Uhh… Right!” Terlu stammered and put his hand on the gemstone wall. A moment later, red crystal grew over the way they’d just come in from, blocking them off from the flames and the chaos going on outside.

With the immediate threat over, Levin just stared up at Tia. He had so many questions right now. But, the number one question that he just couldn’t help having right dead center in the front of his thoughts, despite it being the least important on the list, was ‘why is she bald?’

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