In the past, that place had been the meeting of the races from the surface with an underground one, which was capable of supplying minerals in large quantities. In return, they had obtained the products and knowledge of the surface.

It had been a long and prosperous relationship, in large part because both sides were profiting greatly, and neither was a threat to the other.

Not only were the surface dwellers at a disadvantage in the tunnels, but they didn’t have the ability to extract the riches from the depths of the earth. Perhaps the dwarfs were an exception, but these can’t be said to be completely from the surface. Besides, they are too loyal to betray their allies.

For their part, the inhabitants of the depths had an atrocious fear of a place without a roof, of the sky and of the stars. In addition, their fighting skills were adapted to the narrowness of the tunnels. In fact, their fear of the sky had been one of the reasons for the construction of that great building, within which they felt comfortable.

It is true that there had been wars, but between the surface dwellers themselves. The inhabitants of the depths kept themselves away from those wars. At most, they had taken in refugees, and allowed them to flee to a distant place through the tunnels, safe from fighting.

However, one day, the war also broke out in the depths. At first, the trade continued, although they mainly asked for weapons and food. Little by little, it declined.

Leftover minerals were no longer arriving from all corners of the subterranean society, so some merchants left, as there was no business for all of them. With fewer merchants, there were also fewer products to offer. In addition, the subterranean beings, at war, were more and more distrustful, and their visits were more scarce.

Thus, little by little, the city was losing its main reason for exist, and ended up being abandoned, along with the stone paths or bridges that led to it. It didn’t happen quickly, but the passing of the years and the lack of prospects were a relentless enemy. Over time, the plants claimed it for themselves, and eroded the buildings, with the help of inclement weather and lack of maintenance.

When the central building fell, it covered with debris most of the passages in the ground, which branched off from the great tunnel through which the subterranean beings had come. The rest were filled in by the dirt that had been brought by the wind over the centuries. Some were also covered by the trees and shrubs that claimed the place.

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Goldmi was unable to imagine what that building had been like in the past. She only knew that she must find a tunnel, a way out of their precarious situation. Therefore, she was walking through the rubble, looking for a clue.

“Maybe underneath this… But it’s impossible…” she muttered to herself.

In fact, she had found one of the entrances, but it was blocked by tons of dirt and rock. It was the third she had seen in similar condition, in what looked like a hole that had been buried.

It was then that she heard the sound of the wind, that of the trap she had set. The elf didn’t expect it to hold back their enemies for long, but she did expect it to put them on alert, to force them to be more careful. That way, she might be able to slow them down a bit.

“It’s an arachne. Is strong. Stay away from the entrance,” announced the goshawk.

The bounty hunter was now cursing, as she was caught in the wind trap, though not for long. Her level was too much higher than said trap, and she would soon come out of it, practically unscathed. They needed to hurry to find the tunnel, or get out of there.

“Nothing that looks like a hole around here. I’m going to the next area,” informed the lynx.

“Come here and help me search. I have found three that looked like holes, but are covered, impossible to enter. There may be more around. Sister goshawk, try to find something from above, in my area,” Goldmi asked them.

Her sisters didn’t hesitate to follow her instructions, so the feline didn’t take long to arrive.

“The arachne has freed herself. For now, she isn’t going in your direction,” the bird continued to report. “I don’t see any holes, but several areas are covered with plants or roots. Maybe you should look there.”

While the lynx found a couple more of what seemed totally blocked ancient holes, the elf approached the places that her winged sister suggested, nervous and anxious. She was afraid they would catch up.

In the first, the bushes covered an area of stones, next to a statue so damaged that nothing could be known of what or who it represented. In front of the second, there was a large tree, the roots of which covered a wide area. She moved them gently with Tangle, but discovered nothing but stones. Neither in the third nor the fourth they had more luck.

“She’s coming this way. She won’t take long,” the goshawk warned after a while.

They didn’t have much time left, so they decided to flee the place. There was an area of the wall that the bird had identified as the easiest to cross. They assumed that the plants would move away, and that it would make it difficult for their enemies to follow them after they returned to their place.

Before running away, the elf used Tangle once more to move some other roots away.

“Here’s something. Come!”

Covered by roots, there was a hole in which the sword could barely fit. However, as the roots that dug deep inside separated, the space was enough to pass.

“I’ll watch from above,” offered the goshawk.

The truth is that she didn’t like closed places, so an underground tunnel was a bit scary. Besides, she could report what was happening outside, or that was the excuse with which she convinced herself.

The feline barely took a few seconds to arrive, and both descended little by little, by clinging to a root that was returning to its place. If the hole had no exit, at least, they had found a good hiding place, as far as their pursuers had no means of following them.