"Hey, it's that moron again." Lily pointed to Augustus from a distance, then her eyes snapped to the woman beside him, "You found her? Congratulations. We were worried."
"Did you think I would get taken alongside her?" Augustus smacked his face seeing her nod, then he clicked his tongue, "If I wanted to disappear, believe me, I would have."
"Nah, you couldn't even if you wanted to." Lily sighed, turning to Arlene who tended to Aaron with her brows furrowed, "Any ideas how we could uh, leave this cave, brother?"
"What do you mean?" Augustus sat Aurora down near a wall, turning to Lily with his brows furrowed, his pupils narrowing to needlepoint, "Don't tell me it's what I thought."
"Exactly." Lily affirmed with a thumbs up, then turned her back to Augustus, pointing in the direction of their entrance, "I've tried. There is a barrier blocking us from leaving."
"A barrier? It should have opened after all the demons in the cave was slaughtered." A cold wind blew, and Augustus scratched the back of his head, turning to the trio confused.
"Why would you even come here?" he questioned, pacing around and waving his index finger, his eyes narrowed to slits, "One-way dungeons are just vile. There's no good thing."
"Well, we saw a weird group exit the cave and Aurora convinced us to walk in." Arlene replied honestly, sitting besides the resting Aaron, "We thought there would be valuables."
"Was she the one that told you I said it was okay to get in this place?" Augustus raised his glance to the ceiling, taking a deep breath then exhaling, lowering his gaze to Aurora.
Lily crouched, questioning a silent Aurora, "Why'd you tell them that? It is both stupid and confusing. You all nearly died here because of that. What if we had avoided the cave?"
"I am sorry, I should have investigated deeper. I didn't know that there would be some goblins in here…" Aurora explained, coughing audibly, "Thank you for rescuing us, Ylil."
'Hmm.' Augustus narrowed his eyes, then he turned to Lily, his eyes as cold as ice, "I'd guess you want that upgrade, do you not? Find and wipe out that little imp, my dear Lily."
Lily stood to her feet, spinning her daggers in her hands as she stepped into the dark, "Oh, with pleasure. Just head over to the entrance so it'd be easier for me to find you all."
Augustus nodded, walking to Aaron and hefting him over his shoulder. He turned to a frowning Arlene and nodded to Aurora, "She can't stand. I can't carry two people at once."
Arlene nodded, walking to Aurora and helping the pained woman to her feet, leaving Augustus to walk ahead. His gaze scanning the area, 'That Aurora is hiding many secrets.'
——
"The wind is strong tonight, isn't it?" A grey haired man with piercing gold eyes spoke as he stepped into the moonlight, lifting his gaze to the sky, "The blood is thick in the air."
Before him, countless men and woman battled with swords. The battlefield spanning a hundred thousand metres was shrouded in a bloody mist, bodies dropping by the second.
The grey haired man held his arm behind his back, his war armour adorned with gold flaming dragon engravings. A huge golden spear stood pierced to the ground besides him.
This place was called Hell's Abattoir, a deserted plains at the edge of Verxon reaching into the Hilion Cliffs, and it was the court of slaughter amongst immortal palace regents.
"It is windy." A young girl — half the man's height — replied him, sitting on a massive rock with her embroidered dragon cape floating in the wind, her piercing purple eyes icy.
The man laughed out loud, then he reached his hand and grabbed the spear beside him as the earth trembled, shattering to pieces beneath it as he dragged the spear out, "Haha!"
"You mock my entrance?" A frowning man rode through the battlefield, the countless warriors battling with not a single one daring to lift their sword against him, "Little one."
His long golden locks scattered into the wind, his piercing azure gaze locked on them as he patted the head of his mount, a silver stag, its big antlers gleaming in a silver light.
"They say when a tempest steps into the battlefield, nothing can stand against it." His eyes shone as the man held his spear and dashed forth, shattering the earth beneath him.
The golden haired man waved his hand calmly while the grey haired man swung his spear, and a fierce collision of wind and shadow occurred, blowing everything else away.
"You haven't changed, have you?" The spear bearer spoke watching the golden haired man repel his descending spear with nothing but his hand, their gaze locked, "Arynon…"
The golden haired man sighed, grabbing the spear of the bearer then crushing it in his grasp, throwing a fist and punching hard, sending its bearer flying into the air, stunned.
"I wish every night that I would." Arynon sat on his mount, his silver robes with the crest of a crashing tide swaying in the breeze, "That is what we all pursue, am I right?"
"I am sorry, but your business with Mol and his mistakes is a menace to the order." A cold wind blew as the child opened her mouth to speak, her porcelain face remained cold.
Arynon sighed, clicking his tongue then hopping off his stag. He waited for the fallen haired man to rise, then his lifeless eyes exploded with determination, "It'll be over soon."
"No, it won't." The young girl stood to her feet, staring down upon Arynon with a cold, prideful and ancient gaze. She laughed, "You should stop, or I will be forced to branch in."
"An elder goddess? I'll be honoured." Arynon bowed, then pulled out a gleaming azure blade out of thin air, pointing it at the young girl, "One day, the shadows will eat the sun."
"I will gladly wait for that day. The day this madness would consume the whole world in its fine glory." The young girl breathed in then exhaled, "Until then, avoid my children."