Omega's Rebirth-Chapter 420: The Tunnels ()

The tunnels of the inner citadel were twisted and unending, it was not beyond what Neveah expected but even so, navigating through the pitch darkness of the tunnel proved tasking.

Not for the first time, Neveah halted the group with a raised hand, crouching down, she placed a palm down on the ground and reached out with her senses, studying the tunnels for any signs of movement.

It had been about an hour since Neveah’s instincts begun acting out, strangely alarmed and Neveah could not tell exactly what danger she was sensing, but she knew better than to doubt her instincts.

The first few hours going through the tunnel had gone by uneventfully and by Neveah’s map, they had covered reasonable ground.

So far, they had only met a few dead ends which Neveah had still been able to navigate her way around but somehow, Neveah knew it was unlikely they would go unnoticed for much longer.

There were eleven people going through the tunnels, if the intensity of magic Neveah could sense in the tunnels were anything to go by, Neveah knew the dwarf king would sense them eventually.

"How is it?" Menarx asked from beside Neveah.

"Nothing yet, it has been a few hours already and I do not have a good feeling. We should hurry." Neveah said back as they continued on their way.

They walked for a few minutes more till they reached another dead end, a sealed off tunnel.

"It’s another dead end." Lodenworth said in a low tone.

"We are on the right path... If ahead is a dead end, there should be a false wall somewhere." Neveah murmured as she felt around the tunnel walls on both sides.

"I think this is it." A dragon lord whispered and Neveah walked over to his side of the tunnel, placing a hand on the wall, her hand went right through it and Neveah passed a glance to the dragon lord, nodding in approval.

They went through and continued on their way.

They had been walking for another half hour when a strong tremor shook the tunnels, halting everyone in their steps.

Neveah crouched down again, reaching out with her senses, she studied the situation of the structure and realized it immediately.

"It’s moving." Neveah announced.

"We should make haste." Lodenworth suggested.

Neveah shook her head slightly, if the tunnels had begun moving, making haste would not get them anywhere any sooner.

"Wait for it..." Neveah said, letting the tunnel shift as much as it wanted to.

They could only feel tremors and slight vibrations but soon, the path ahead of them was sealed up.

"What now?" A dragon lord asked.

"The tunnel moved in a certain angle..." Neveah murmured, still studying the situation of the structure with a palm on the ground.

It took Neveah a moment to determine exactly how the tunnel had moved and where all the paths had been shifted to.

"Double back, I still know the way. We have only an hour left, hurry." Neveah announced, turning around and heading back down the path.

_______________

The dwarf king sat on his throne, watching the three members of his council pace around anxiously with a bored expression on his face.

A dwarf guard rushed into the hall, a panicked expression on his face.

"How be the outposts?" A council member asked immediately.

"My King, outposts three and outposts seven be taken! There be five outposts left unconquered! We must send out reinforcements!" The dwarf guard announced.

The council members exchanged looks before turning to the dwarf king for his words.

"The dragons take the outpost, yer already know this will happen. Yer wish I dispatch citadel guards to the war front? Nay!" The dwarf king made clear. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

"If citadel guards go to surface, who protects citadel and king?! Dragons will never find citadel, the outposts guards knew the risks, we must focus on safety of citadel." The dwarf king decided.

"My King, outpost guards number in the hundreds! We cannot watch so many be annihilated for the trouble we stirred!" Another council member exclaimed.

"Don’t yer raise your voice in me presence!" The dwarf king roared furiously, his bushy beard rolling down to the floor as he jumped to his feet in fury.

His heavy breaths echoed across the hall, his beady eyes wide with rage.

"Inner citadel be safe. This be all that matters. Thousands of lives and royal blood be here in inner citadel, outpost guards be dispensable." The dwarf king insisted on his opinion.

"Yer there! Dispatch more guards to surround the king’s hall. And more to guard the tunnels, I switch the tunnels hourly as added measure...wait out the battles." The dwarf king decided as he took his seat again.

The council members exchanged anxious looks as they watched the unbothered countenance of their king when hundreds of dwarves would be killed on the surface.

But this was always how it had been in the hidden city, as long as the hidden city stayed protected, everyone else was dispensable.

This was also not the first time the dwarf king gave orders to abandon his own people, absolute control of the tunnels were in his hands, no one could enter or leave the citadel without his command.

The hall was left in silence but that was only until a unit of dwarf guards rushed into the hall in panic.

"My King! Citadel be under attack! Dragons are here!" One of the dwarf guards announced in a rush.

The beady eyes of the dwarf king widened in horror as he jumped to his feet, glancing about in panic.

"But...but I switch tunnels! How do dragons get here?! How?!" The dwarf king roared in rage and terror.

"My King! You must escape to a safe place! Dragons be headed straight for the palace!" A dwarf guard suggested quickly.

"Who leads dragons here?!" The dwarf king demanded.

"My King, it be the cruel ruby! He has come in person!" The dwarf guard announced.