Chapter 790: 'Not so secret anymore' Passage
"If you stay close to it...will be fine," Princess Helena bashfully inford Hao Xuan.
He didn't think much of it and simply accepted.
"Alright, lead the way."
But then he reached back and picked up Ma Jiang like a stray kitten and placed her in between them, "You stay in the middle. Your mana won't last long this way if you keep draining it so quickly."
"Wha- Let go!"
Taken aback and more than a little confused by Hao Xuan's actions, Princess Helena still flashed a smile towards Ma Jiang, "Lord Hao Xuan is right. Lady Ma Jiang should stay beside ."
"Yes, sister Helena."
Ma Jiang imdiately cald down and her entire deanor changed in the blink of an eye. To her, Princess Helena had beco sowhat of a role model in the few months she had spent with them so hearing a single sentence from her was akin to a gift, a gift she would never turn away.
She pushed Hao Xuan away while innocently smiling towards Princess Helena who returned the gesture with a courteous smile before looking behind her.
"Rember to stay close and don't make a noise. If you get separated then stay where you are and I will co to find you."
"Yes!" x2
Both the female guards replied in unison whereas Princess Inara gave a slow nod. She seed a bit of it, lacking the energy to do even the most nial tasks. Yet Princess Helena recused herself from continuing that discussion with Inara.
Princess Helena was in the lead while Ma Jiang and Hao Xuan followed closely behind with Uri, Princess Inara, and the guards bringing up the rear.
A minute later they had already taken the first steps into the valley. The first thing Hao Xuan noticed was the green tint that the surroundings had taken.
So fifty ters down they ca across the layer of dark green and black misty clouds that covered everything in sight. They acted as a curtain separating the world above from below.
Hao Xuan's tongue and nose itched the more he breathed. The air tasted "spicy" for so reason. Upon reaching the layer of mist that carpeted everything below, Princess Helena reached out her right hand.
The green and black mist rumbled before slowly parting like the red sea, allowing the group entry to the valley's depths. At that point Hao Xuan's gaze was attracted towards one of the gold rings on Princess Helena's extended hand.
One of them which held a dim green ruby brightened for a fraction of a second to reveal a hidden rune inside. It was so quick that no one else noticed it. And if Hao Xuan wasn't paying attention and observing every little movent she made he would have missed it too.
The radius of five ters around Princess Helena was crystal clear. No poison dared crossed that boundary and all the turbid air that was too thick to even see through was kept at bay.
'A word of power.'
Hao Xuan only needed a montary glance to confirm its origin. It was a glyph and from the looks of it quite an old one. Extrely simple with just three lines intersecting and twisting around one another.
In front of them was a stone stairway leading down into the inky depths.
Princess Helena took the first step and started her descent. Hao Xuan raised his foot but hesitated for a mont upon sensing the power of a law. Several laws in fact.
But he didn't have much ti to ponder why or whose laws they were before Ma Jiang landed a sharp elbow straight into his ribcage. He instinctively tried to avoid it but ended up jumping down.
"You shi-"
"Shhh!"
He tried to curse but was stopped by Princess Helena who was looking straight ahead with an austere expression. Hao Xuan gritted his teeth at the smirking Ma Jiang before looking in the sa direction as Princess Helena.
There was a misshapen corroded skeleton blocking their path.
Princess Helena bent down and touched its yellowed skull. The mont her hand ca into contact with it the bone turned to white ash and turned to dust.
Hao Xuan couldn't understand why her expression was so grim. Was it that odd to find a skeleton in a poison valley? So he leaned in and asked in a low whisper, "What's wrong?"
Princess Helena stood and cleaned her finger with a black cloth.
"This wasn't here before. We passed through here just a day ago and it was clear."
From the looks of it whoever the skeleton originally belonged to was trying to climb back up the staircase and died just before reaching the exit.
"Maybe soone wandered in?" Hao Xuan suggested. It was quite possible, or so he thought but she shook her head without giving it any thought.
"No one can walk in. They would be turned around before reaching the first layer of miasma. Only soone that has already been here could find their way back."
"Then it's soone you brought before."
Princess Helena looked behind them before shaking her head again, "No, everyone that I have ever brought with is here. We never use this place unless it's an ergency."
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