Inside a wooden cage, in the middle of the Pit, Hellena woke up.

"What happened... where am I?" she asks as while takin in the view..

"The Pit, as we like to call it. Hope it's to your taste, princess." replied Boris.

A look of anger took over her face, soon to be replaced by hatred, hatred of failure.

"Why am I still alive?" she asks with an icy tone.

"I wonder the same. You, who have caused such death, live. All of your followers, dead. Many of my brothers and sisters, dead. What right do you have to outlive them?"

Hellena, in the middle of his speech, realises that she cannot move. Neither her arms nor her legs would listen to her commands.

She quickly glances down, and discovers blood red runes, carved into her flesh. They seemed to emit a red shimmer whenever she attempted to move her limbs.

"So what now? You're gonna keep me here until Vadir surrenders or something?" with no other options, she decides to entertain her visitor.

"No, not quite. In fact, we would be more than happy to send you back to him. After you answer a few questions of mine, of course."

She spits at him, though it only makes it halfway before sticking to a wooden bar of the cage.

"I would never betray my people, you bastard! Either kill me or sleep with one eye open tonight!"

*click*

The runes, which have only shimmered ever so gently, start glowing intensely.

"Ahhhh..." she screams at first. But then, she stops herself, enduring the pain, without making another sound.

"Your flesh shall burn, and heal, and burn again. Until you tell me what I need to know, that is."

Boris then stands up, walking away.

"I have a meeting to attend. I shall see you many hours from now. Do enjoy."

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At the town hall, Omoshiro village.

The Grand Sorceress stood at the head of the table, Boris took his seat on her right, and the Grand Warrior to the left.

Haptky was positioned behind the Grand Warrior, while all other elders were stationed down the table.

"Any news on the princess?" asked the new council head.

"She woke up."

"Finally." she answers, a look of relief on her face. "You have seven days to get what we need from her. But let's begin the meeting first. Haxen?"

"Yes." answers the once mighty Grand Warrior, now reduced to a shadow of even his former weakened state. "Since the first attack thirty days ago, and the recent two skirmishes we had, it's not looking too good. We have lost one hundred and forty two man, with a dozen more missing."

"So either dead or captured. What about the Todtec troops?" asks Boris.

A look of annoyance appears on Haxen's face, but he continues anyway.

"About three hundred, though most of those losses are from when they attacked the northern gate, and we cannot be fully certain of how many died in the skirmishes. But three hundred is the best estimate we have."

"Boris?" ask the Grand Sorceress.

"The prototype was a success. But the supply is very limited, and we lack a way to navigate in the dark."

"So when would we be able to send a squad over?"

"Depends on how long the princess decides to stay quiet for."

"And if she doesn't speak?"

"Then we cut her throat and attack them, mano e mano." cuts in Haxen.

Boris keeps his undignified comment to himself. Haxen did sacrifice himself for the village. He even did it twice. So although his views were rather old school, he still deserved his respect. Plus he didn't want to get into an argument with Haptky's master in front of the whole council.

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After the meeting.

Haptky approaches Boris.

"Boris, I gotta talk to you."

"You want to join me in the interrogation?"

"No. I want to apologise for my master's comments. I believe in your plan, and so do many of the elders, so don't give up."

"I'll try my best. Good luck with your lessons."

"Thank you friend, and may the Goddess bless you." says Haptky while walking away.

"Yeah... the Goddess."

----------------------------------------

Boris sits down, all by himself within a dark room. A tome is laying on the desk in front of him.

'This is pure blasphemy!' he thinks while looking at the tome, though he is scared of voicing his thoughts out loud.

An image of the tree of life was crudely drawn onto the top half of the page. Below, as well as the next page, many tiny letters provided information related to the Tree of Life. And above the drawing of the giant tree, in bold letters, two words were written.

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

KEEP SECRET

'Fucking hell! What's even the point of trying? In the end, it'll all be pointless. Why did you curse me with this knowledge, old man!?'

*Huff*

He stands up, picks up the tome, and walks outside. The sky was darkening, and his prisoner needed to be paid a visit.

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"How you doing, princess?" he says.

She just stares at him, eyes bloodshot, and tears dried up on her cheeks. Yet her mouth remained closed.

*click*

A wave of relief quickly appears on her face.

"Can I ask you something?"

She doesn't respond, only starting daggers at Boris.

"Does the Todtec royal family know about the Hive Mind?"

Shock appears on her face before a look of understanding, as well as pity, takes over.

"What do you want?" she asks, with a little scorn in her voice.

"Tell me, what's the point of living? All we do is feed our executioner, and hope the blade won't fall on our generation. Wouldn't death be a better alternative?"

"What else can we do? Move our people to live with the beasts? Create a settlement and hope no abomination strides in? The only choice is to gather our strength in one spot, and hope for the best. Only cowards choose death."

"Is that why you guys attacked the Helmor tribe, and why you are now attacking our tribe?"

"Why else?"

"All this needles bloodshed! You could've just asked us to join together, and then many more could have lived and helped an-"

"My father tried." she quickly cuts in. "You know what happened to him?"

"What?"

"The Helmor tribe sent us his swords, his armour, and a letter detailing what they did with the rest of him."

"That... is unfortunate. But what about our tribe?"

"Some idiot decided to attack your Monster and got half the village killed. Why wouldn't we attack? "

"I see war has ruined your ability to feel empathy. So let me ask you, how exactly did you manage to sneak two hundred warriors here, in the middle of the night?"

"Well that-" she quickly closes her mouth, realising how close she was to slipping up.

"Well what?"

She went back to staring daggers at him, her lips now sealed once more.

"Just tell me how you did it, and then I'll let you rest in peace."

Silence.

"Alright, see you tomorrow."

*click*

"Ah.." she yelped at the sudden pain once more, but managed to rein in her screech much sooner than the first time.

----------------------------------------

"Any luck?" asks the Sorceress.

"No luck. I'll try again tomorrow. Make sure no one feeds her until then."

"You have changed quite a bit in this past month."

"I went through a lot of pain this month. Lost many people. I would be surprised if I didn't change."

"Alright." she nodded in agreement. "So, any plan B?"

"Yes, there is a plan B. But it would take us a few extra weeks to set up the attack. I don't think we'll make it in time."

"Let me tell you something, I got nothing, and neither does anyone else in that meeting room. We are, quite frankly, hopeless. We lost our two strongest mages, and almost a third of our brethren in a few weeks time. So your plan is really the only thing we have. And though I doubt it would lead to our salvation, when we go down we will take as many of them with us as possible. So don't give up yet."

"Thanks for that. I'll try my best."

----------------------------------------

Meanwhile, at the recently repaired northern gate.

"Ease up men! I'll take over your guarding duty, so rest."

"Are you sure Haxen sir?"

"This is an order!"

"Yes sir!"

The three men stationed at the gate quickly left.

Haxen watched as they climbed down. When he was sure that they were gone, he checked to see if anyone else was present.

This turned out to be an unnecessary caution, but he could never be too safe.

"Haxen, my good friend!" greeted a hooded figure, as he stepped out of the shadows.

"Give me the letter."

"But of course. Catch!" said the hooded man as he threw a parchment at Haxen's face.

Haxen effortlessly caught it in his hands, and opened it up. He nodded to himself a few times while reading through.

"And he is sure Vadir will fall for it?"

"Oh yes! It is quite easy, in fact, to predict Vadir's actions. At least in his drunken stupor."

"How many man will he bring?"

"Vadir would probably try to bring every man, woman, and child with him. How many can you handle?"

"Two hundred."

"Only two hundred? How the mighty Omoshiro tribe has fallen. Although low in number, I believe Vadir can be convinced. Now, your side of the bargain."

"Give me ten minutes." says Haxen while leaving.

----------------------------------------

Ten minutes later, Haxen returns, with a blonde girl on his back.

"Ah, princess, how have you been?" ask the shadowy figure.

"What's... going.... on?" she managed to hiss the words through gritted teeth, the runes burning her skin still.

"Why, you are being rescued."

"Here you go." says Haxen, as he throws her at the hooded figure below.

"Pleasure doing business with you." he says as he catches her. "I'll see you later!" exclaims the hooded man as he makes his way inside the forest..

"Run-"

"Run?"

"Runes."

"Oh, that little thing? Don't worry, I'll turn them off when we get back home. If you decide to behave, that is."

"Be-Behave?" she managed to get out in one go.

"Well, dear Hellena, your brother is about to charge straight into his death, just to save you. Isn't he such a hero? And... well, all you really have to do is sit quietly and wait for him to die. Not so hard, is it?"

"K-Kaleb?"

"Bingo! And in his ever gracious nature, he will even let you take over after Vadir! Of course, there'll be a few conditions, but who could complain about being the queen of three whole settlements? That's like... the whole world!"

"Cow-"

"Cow? What cow?"

"Cowards."

"Why, dear princess soon to be queen, do you call us cowards? We are simply fighting smarter, not harder. That's all."

"Cowards."

"Alright there young lady, I think we've done enough talking for one rescue operation, and I don't appreciate your comments. Now stuff it."

"Cowar-" as she was half-way through calling him a coward, the hooded man clobbers her across the head, knocking her unconscious.

"There! Much better."

*Whistle*

With a pep in his step, he starts jogging towards the Todtec settlement, whistling without a care in the world.