Chapter 305: Truce

The deeper they moved into the fortress, the more sweltering it became. The air was heavy, the rocks around them wet with condensation and came across more collapsed tunnels and scattered debris than they could count. 

Morgana made the decision to stay in the tunnels, her knowledge of the fortress layout becoming especially useful in their predicament. 

This allowed her to locate smaller overhead tunnels that let them pass by several scorpions undetected. 

The tunnels they were in were too small for adult scorpions to travel through and less likely to be used by other scorpions once they grew to a certain size. According to Morgana, it was the safest way to travel through the fortress. 

And just as she said, every scorpion they encountered so far was too weak to be a threat, easily killed with as little as a bite.

Still, it was truly a miracle that they made it so far considering how noxious the air in the fortress was. 

Arsinoe's eyes stung from the hazy fumes, made even worse from the stifling heat, and she couldn't even complain because Morgana breezed through the passages with the ease of a scorpion who was born there. 

The fumes weren't affecting her and it made her irritated, but since Arsinoe didn't know any better way, she went along with her. Fortunately, the harder Arsinoe persisted, the faster her body adapted to the changes. It wasn't as perfect, but she finally caught up to Morgana and was steadily keeping pace. 

There was also an upside to this harsh environment.

Now, she was almost as undetectable as Morgana was, after stopping briefly to learn how to raise her temperature to match her surrounding tunnels. A good thing too, because the further along they travelled, the more abundant the scorpions became. 

Stopping to fight so many would have been suicide.

Still, Arsinoe was less than satisfied with their current arrangement. The tunnels they travelled along were hidden, but as a result they were barely wide enough for two serpents to slither along, and Morgana must have mapped out this route not expecting to have company.

Arsinoe knew she had no right to complain but the harsh sensation of Morgana's scales running alongside hers was too uncomfortable. It was already too narrow and Morgana's wings took up most of the space while Arsinoe's relatively smaller form was pushed to one side. 

As a result, her scales kept  scraping against Morgana's and the wet walls. 

The rising temperature, the tense atmosphere and the closed space made her feel stuffed and extremely uncomfortable. Arsinoe gave a forlorn sigh and wished she could get out of here and breathe some fresh air but she could only hope so for now. 

[We are finally here.] Morgana announced, snapping her from her trance. [There are several scorpion's beneath us!]

Arsinoe peered through a crack in the ground, frowning at the harsh reality. There really were plenty, one misstep and they could fall into the abyss.

[Then let's fight them.] She suggested. 

A distraction from her thoughts would do her some good.

[You can fight them on your own.] Morgana gave an eerie smile. [I only have one target.]

Of course.

[We. We have only one target.] Arsinoe corrected. If Morgana had her way, she would kill the scorpion queen and anything worthwhile while at it, until all that was left were inexperienced baby scorpions.

And if she was in a good mood, she would kill them too.

[Sure.] Morgana casually replied. [Don't look so worried, there's plenty to go around.]

Arsinoe wasn't pleased, as Morgana knew the fortress too well. She had to wonder since when she started visiting it and how many times she has been here already. 

But this was hardly the time to grill her for answers. The tunnel they were travelling along had just come to an end. 

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There was nothing further but pitch blackness, but the updraft of hot air suggested a deeper chasm underneath. They would need to travel lower if they hoped to pick up any heat traces of scorpions separate from the rocks. 

[What now?] Arsinoe asked.

[Depends. Are you afraid of heights?] Morgana snickered.

Arsinoe scoffed. As if.

They began climbing down, taking care  not to displace any rocks, and once they reached a sufficient depth, Morgana located another tunnel they could use to oversee their surroundings. Soon, the wider cave became more clear, enough for Arsinoe to begin picking up traces of movement with [Heat Sense].

Below them was a spacious chasm, a central chamber of sorts where every tunnel converged, revealing a roadmap of destruction that was even worse than outside. 

Between the scorpions going to and fro, there were rocks strewn about, broken trees, piles of scorpion corpses, alongside healthy ones that carried their dead deep inside. 

[What happened here?] Arsinoe asked.

This chaotic scene was not at all what she expected to find, it seemed whatever occurred outside continued all the way in here.

[Does it matter? We should start heading down.] Morgana replied. From her sinister grin, she intended to make full use of their distracted state to progress even deeper.

[Wait.] Arsinoe paused, realising she was at a terrible disadvantage. Morgana never said where they were headed or what they expected to find on the way, she only said to follow. 

Looking down at the crowded chamber where smaller scorpions, bright yellow in colour, marked and darker ones poured out. Their Queen could be at the end of any of these tunnels and only Morgana knew which one. 

Arsinoe wasn't content with being left in the dark, nor was she as trusting as to follow Morgana blindly.

[Why?] Morgana asked impatiently. [Didn't you want to get closer?]

[Not until you tell me where the Queen is.] Arsinoe scoffed.

Morgana fixed her with a puzzled stare. [Why are you asking me? I don't know.]

[Liar!] Arsinoe hissed. [You have to know, you've been here plenty of times, you already know the layout this much. I thought you said we would work together? You just want to keep everything to yourself.]

[Wait, hold on.] Morgana was taken aback. [I've only been here a few times and this is the furthest I've got. I couldn't risk going down before because I wasn't strong enough. I really don't know where the Queen is.]

Arsinoe blinked back tears. [You really don't?] 

[I don't. Believe me.] Morgana replied. [I haven't been down there.]

Arsinoe fidgeted, realising she had made a fool of herself. [You said you couldn't go further. Why? What stopped you before?] 

Morgana leaned closer to peer over the edge, her eyes fixed on something below. Arsinoe followed her gaze towards the shadow of a massive creature that was impaled by a tree. 

It was a scorpion, yet at the same time it wasn't. 

Its body was abnormally large, swollen and grotesque. A misshapen, hulking beast wielding two stingers that were far too large for its frame, double the amount of pincers that was possible to world, and with more limbs than were possible on either side of its heads. 

She had no words. It was beyond nightmarish!

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