Alfred had to sit down after the onslaught of earth-shattering news he received from the rest of the group.
"This world really is crazy huh..." He muttered to himself.
"To be honest I’m not sure how you missed all of that information." Alison was looking at him in disbelief. "Even Maya knew who they were, and she never pays attention to anything."
"Hey, I take offence to that!" Maya crossed her arms - and then shrugged. "Or well, I would if it wasn’t completely true. At this point even so civilians know a very basic version of their story."
"I guess that’s what happens when you stand in the sa place for a week." Alfred sighed and stood up.
"Yeah you should really stop doing that, the fact that you can sleep while standing up is honestly more creepy than impressive."
"You don’t get to lecture about what’s creepy, I’ve heard stories from your subordinates." Alfred glanced at the blonde guard in disapproval. "Not when you stalked a suspect for so long that he developed a paranoia."
"It’s not stalking, it’s called staking out." Maya rolled her eyes.
"Not when you do it for a month and make sure the suspect knows you’re never too far away."
"Enough!" Alison glared at both of them. "Are you five? Alfred, don’t antagonise her - Maya, you know your thods are questionable, don’t defend them."
"You gave authority over him?" Cassian was surprised.
"I wouldn’t have if he just kept to what he was supposed to do, and sat on his ass in the fortress - but nooooo, he needs action, so that’s what I gave him - since he does a guard’s job, he answers to like any other mber of the Verdant Watch."
They all froze when a deep bellowing roar ca from beneath them.
Calen could feel his heart beating as the ground shook under him - the sound was the sa one that normally announced the nightfall, but it was noon now, which ant they were near the beast’s lair.
"It’s still asleep." Alison exhaled in relief.
"How can you be so sure?" Cassian whispered.
"Because if it wasn’t we would be dead already." She started walking again. "Co on, we haven’t got all day."
***
They were over halfway through the tunnel by the ti they encountered the first enemy. It was a fat, hairless and eyeless blob with short limbs ending in comically large claws.
"Is that... a mole?" Calen squinted at the creature.
"Used to be, yeah." Maya confird. "Now they’re like a really shitty version of the Chirrix, they have the claws, blindness and sensing vibrations, but they kinda forgot to add the speed, strength and cooperation."
"They’re essentially sacks of fat with so very sharp blades attached, I don’t think there’s a single case of soone dying from this critter." Alison nodded. "In fact they’re one the few corrupted creatures that are actively hunted, because of how good their claws are for weapon making."
"What do you call them?" Elira queried.
"Well, officially their na is Burrowers, but people usually use a different one..."
"We call them Fatties." Maya snickered "While the na may be stupid, I think it’s very important for the morale - you know, to have a corrupted creature we don’t have to fear, but can ridicule instead."
"That’s oddly... wise of you." Alison raised an eyebrow.
"You wound !" Maya gasped in faux indignation. "But yeah, I heard that from Lady Sylara once, and just happen to agree with it."
"Figures. Alfred could you kill it, so that we can continue?"
Alfred nodded, and leapt into the air, landing squarely on the bulbous monster - before the monster could even react, it had a blade going through it’s skull.
"Can I have the parts? I’m kinda short on money." He asked.
"You know the rules."
"All things found in the tunnels belong to the mining crew." He recited I’m a mocking voice, and then grumbled. "I’m gonna ask Lady Sylara for a raise."
"So we just leave it here?" Cassian asked.
"Basically, it just needs one more thing." Alison approached the carcass and stuck a blue pebble into its stab wound.
"What’s that?"
"Sothing that will alert the mining team they need to bring sothing to transport it, and prevent any scavengers from finding the body."
"Smart." He nodded.
"Let’s get going, I want to get out of here as soon as possible."
***
They’ve encountered only three more Burrowers in the tunnel before ti they saw the end of it, but that wasn’t the surprising part;
"Stop." Alison hissed, her eyes alard as she stared at the wall.
Calen obeyed the command but inspected the wall in front of them - he couldn’t really see anything out of order, was it sothing invisible?
"What is it?" Cassian whispered.
"There are guards watching the entrance to the Order."
"And that’s bad because...?"
"Because that wasn’t the deal, they weren’t supposed to enter the tunnel until it was finished, why would they..." Alison’s eyes widened. "Alfred, they can’t see you."
"I guess I can just hang back here." He offered. "You can tell what was the commotion about once you get back."
"You don’t have to." Isara smiled, and took out a neatly folded gray cloak. When everyone stared at her she added: "I always keep one on in case of ergencies."
Once Alfred was undetectable and they slowly approached the guards as of nothing happened.
***
"Halt, who goes there!?" A middle aged man with an impressive mustache yelled.
"We’re from Mountainfall." Alison announced. "The final installation is taking place today, and we’re the advance party - you should’ve been notified about this."
The guard scanned the party and then visibly relaxed.
"Apologies miss Alison, yes we were notified, and that’s precisely why we’re here.*
"How so? The deal clearly states that you are not to enter the tunnel before the work is finished."
"We’re sorry to break the agreent, but our mission is very important." The other guard, a young man with thin facial hair clearly trying to imitate his older colleague, said. "We need to catch that traitorous bastard, and we were hoping he would co with you."
Alison chose her next words carefully.
"Are you talking about Albert? What on earth did he do to deserve such a harsh description?"
"He and his master were both accused and convicted of collaborating with the Serakhiin to bring down the human race once and for all." The older guard explained.
"Oh really? And how did you get evidence of these heinous cris?"
"Grandmaster Arthur revealed their cris to all of us, and for his service was appointed to lead our order into a brighter future."
"I see." Alison slowly nodded. "Well, we have to go now - the installation crew will get here in half an hour or so, so keep that in mind."
She turned away to leave, but the guard stopped her by grabbing her arm.
"Wait, you’re harbouring a dangerous criminal in your city - we have the utmost respect for Lady Sylara, but she needs to transfer the traitor here if out cooperation is to continue."
Alison pulled her hand out of the guard’s grasp and looked at him coldly.
"As you’re surely aware this isn’t my call to make, but if you provide Lady Sylara with undeniable evidence of his cris, I’m sure she’ll gladly release him into your custody." She looked at her companions. "Co on guys, we’re leaving."
***
Once they were out of the earshot of the guards, Alfred took of the invisibility robe.
"Collaborating with the Serakhiin my ass." He hissed. "Master dedicated his whole life to fighting the Blight and helping humanity, if he even thought about doing sothing like that his oath would have killed him."
Cassian looked almost as pissed off as Alfred.
"Father always said that those who don’t have the brand will break their oath sooner or later, and it seems he was right." He exhaled sharply. "How dare they disrespect soone so honourable and virtuous!?"
"While I’m not as passionate about knightly virtues as those two, it certainly stinks of corruption and betrayal." Maya agreed. "I wouldn’t be surprised if that Arthur guy was the one to befriend the Blightborn."
"He does sound sketchy, especially since I’ve never heard of him, and I know everyone from the round table." Alison rubbed her chin.
"He got knighted very recently." Alfred explained. "He returned from his battle trial wielding a strange sword, that he insisted was an artifact bestowed upon him for his deeds during the trial. After that he defeated most of the Order in duel and very quickly risen up the ranks."
"What’s a battle trial?" Elira asked.
"It’s a ritual we ca up with in the order - we send a person into the wilderness for two weeks to fend for themselves, it determines whether they’re ready to beco a knight or not."
"Who wants to bet he got that sword from the Blightborn?" Calen sighed.
"I don’t think so." Alfred shook his head. "If the sword contained any Blight soone would have noticed, considering how many aura users we have."
"Maybe they can hide it, or worse - they used sothing else, like in that knife."
"Either way, it seems like our destination after the next temple will be the Order." Isara interjected. "We can’t leave Alfred to deal with a murderous gaggle of knights on his own, can we?"
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