Chapter 7: Desert Requiem (6)

There were only few men stationed, compared to before.

Soon we reached the door where we previously stayed with Nora and the others.

A man guarding by unlocks it for us.

The door creaks open and we stepped inside.

"Aerra!? Aeron!!?" Nora gasped.

We both looked the around. Nothing seemed to change. Nora ran up to me and hugged me. "How you've been?" she asks, latching onto me with an arm. I hugged her briefly.

"I'm actually fine. How about you guys?"

Stray walked towards us and ruffled both my hair and Aeron's, "I'm happy to see you both here but it's actually wrong timing" he says.

I looked around and the children was surrounding us. I greeted them one by one.

I just realized I don't remember their names well.

"What do you mean?" Aeron asks him, as I just watch them.

Strays sighs. "It has been a series of events ever since you two were taken away..."

I hear something shuffle beyond this room. I looked at the slit under the door and a shadow moved away. The sound of footsteps went further away too.

The door is left open and unguarded.

How strange—

"...so I think Cerguz is now really impatient and wants to deliver the orders the collector is nagging him about, with or without powers." Stray concluded.

Damn it! I wasn't able to listen to everything he just said.

"And seeing both of you here means he sent the two elite mercenaries away, correct?"

I stood up and nodded along with Aeron.

"This means he's waiting for us make a move. If we try to escape now, he will surely make it look like he had no choice but to stop us and take you both down in the process. This way, he can get the order packaged and at the same time wash his hands when Faram and Giles return as if he's not at fault."

"But this might be our only chance..." I retorted. "Now is the best time to escape. The door is unlocked and unguarded. There are few guards in the passages. And for sure, five guards will be outside the base and two scouts stationed in the nearby cliffs. That never changes. So if he's trying to lure us now to escape, I say we take it head on."

They all looked at me in surprise.

"Okay. I don't even know how to start with that but..." Stray murmured as he walked to the door and tried to peek outside. "Well, she's right. No one is outside."

"He has set a trap for sure" Nora retorted anxiously.

"If there are, I'm sure it's by the egress of this place. My best bet is that the moment we step outside, that's when he will act out."

I closed my eyes and let them argue about it for awhile. I focused on my surroundings.

Drowning in the feeling of being in a room full of people, I sense something watching us rather maliciously but the feeling is not coming from this room.

Cerguz is really watching us now. He's waiting.

I've never felt so much malice like this before.

He might be really anticipating.

I can show them my darts and tell how we can destroy this place but how to set it all in action?

First thing's first—

Cerguz must be taken down.

But if Stray comes along with me to face him, Cerguz will surely be vigilant and extra cautious.

"Aren't there any secret passages we can take to lead us all out?" Aeron grumbled. "I mean after taking Cerguz out that is..."

Secret—?

Hmm. Now that you think about it,

Stray told me that I have a kind of stare– like I keep a lot of secrets in my mind. if I do come alone, he might be less cautious.

And for the secrets in my mind...

"Even if I say there is one. The point that we leave the base is like playing right into his trap. These are all just a game for him now." Stray uttered as he sat down the ground with the children.

A game...

his favourite game 'Catching a Liar' was it?

Well I'm not good at lying but...

If I use my stare and my secrets—

"So what do we do? Is there no other way?" murmured Nora as she but her lips in frustration while brushing her hair aback.

I stared at her hair—

I remembered Aeron said it can explode.

Ah.

That's it.

"There is one. Let's beat him on his own game." I say as they all focused their attention on me. "He's watching now, more than ever so let's play with it. I have a plan. But it involves your hair Nora."

I sat down the floor with them as Aeron came and sat beside me. They all are waiting for me to talk.

"The guards outside will senselessly rush back in with any commotion big enough that disrupts the silence. That's where you will come in Nora, you need to set an ample amount of hair around the base that can cause several explosions later on. Stray, you know how use the portals best, right? Go to the lowest floor accessible and leave the portal there open, when you come back here to the surface, jam the portal into hyperdrive. It will cause this entire place to sink down. When the collapse begins, Nora— that will be your cue to start the explosions. Make it big or consecutive. I'll leave that up to you!"

"Right!" She nods in a grin.

"Aeron, you will lead the children near the egress. If the explosion went off and you see all seven guards rush in, that'll be the time you will flee with the children. If there are some other aside from the seven guards, I trust your fighting skills to finish the job, yes?"

"No problem! But wait— where are we going? We still need to at least set a place to meet up, right?" Aeron asks while Stray nods, "Beyond the pits, you will see small rocky hills. Turn to those areas and you will see a shallow cave. Wait for us there."

And then Stray looks at me, "and Cerguz—? How about him?"

"You said before that once he plays his favorite game, his area of domain— the perimeter where he can watch people or paralyze them, will go off because he concentrates more to the person he's playing with. So I will play that game with him. I will stall him as long as I can and if I found an opening," I explained as I took the black box Master Faram gave me and showed it to them. "I will throw him this. A sleeping dart. Master Faram gave it to me."

I looked at Stray, Nora and Aeron sequentially, studying their reactions as I went on. I can see how much they are wondering how I came up with these.

"But to play on the safe side, if ever you finish your part, Stray I need you to come back for me. We'll try to take Cerguz down if ever my plan fails. I doubt Cerguz will paralyze all of us immediately since he likes to underestimate his opponents, right?"

Stray nods. "He will love to duel with us if given a chance for sure but let's hope it won't come to that!"

"Okay then," I nodded. "Stray and I go first. It takes a rough estimate of two to three minutes to get to his quarters. When I come in and start to play his game, his area of domain will start to dwindle. Nora you will go out next. Take as many guards down as you can while Stray will do the same. Aeron, you don't need to fight any guards if it's not really necessary. Take in a surreptitious action while heading towards the egress."

I took a deep breath and I eyed all the children. "You will need to follow Aeron in silence and keep away from any men in cloak, okay?"

They all nodded and assured their obedience and that they will be good. I commended them back.

"Nora, when you're done, go to the egress and make sure Aeron and the kids are really out. After that, wait for us. We will need to close the only egress to make sure no one else will follow us. Can your fire or explosions do that?"

"I can use my fireballs to cause the ceiling of the exit to collapse. That will close it up!"

"Perfect!" I sighed in relief.

"Wow, Aerra. Exactly what kind of training Faram had put you under?" Nora says, as Aeron cuts in. "Exactly! I was wondering as well."

I nervously laughed as I recalled all my training. It had nothing to do with this though.

Right?

"Let's do the chatting later. I'm sensing Cerguz more and more. He's becoming more impatient by the minute. If we don't act now, I have a bad feeling Cerguz will initiate the chaos himself. I don't want to wait for that door to come flying open." says Stray, standing up. "Aerra, you ready?"

I stood back up as Aeron and Nora did so too.

Aeron is staring at me, I can see it in the corner of my eyes. "I'll be fine. I have a plan to win his game, Aeron" I said as I turned my head at him.

He quirks his lips in a corner.

"Just don't give me a reason to make Cerguz my life mission b-because I will... if he...." he stops for moment and just sighs in defeat. "I trust in you." he finally concluded. I can see melancholy in his eyes.

I'm no longer your damsel in distress, brother.

I thought to myself as I smiled at him.

"Aeron, can you give me a hand?" Nora hollers as she combs her hair down to one side. Aeron took my hand and gave me a light squeeze before turning away.

I look at Nora as she's already preparing to cut her hair all the way.

I feel bad for it but—

It must be done.

I meet Nora's eyes as she just smiled at me. "Don't worry. It's fine. It will grow back. See you later, okay? Best of luck!"

She knew I'm guilty.

I smiled at her and turned to Stray.

"Okay, I'm ready." I told him as he just stood there eyeing me in silence. "What is it?" I murmured.

"You keep getting interesting." He replied impassively in a sneer as he turns about and walked towards the door.

I stepped outside as he closes the door behind us.

"Don't forget to summon me if that sadistic bastard tries anything funny with you, got it?" He says patting my head.

"Okay. Thanks, Eri!" I beamed at him. It's actually nice to call him by name if no one is around. I then began to walk off.

Time to set everything into action.

This time for sure, we will escape.

Mama, Papa, we'll be home soon.

As I went on I realize Stray wasn't behind me.

I turned to look at him,

He was still near the door standing in silence, "What's wrong?" I asked.

His head is turned to the side, his eyes are looking down, while his hand covered his face with his knuckles touching his nose.

His face is red too.

"Eri?" I called out.

His shoulders rose momentarily .

"Just call me Stray for now. " he stated in an impulse. "I can't concentrate if you keep calling me by name"

Why—?

Oh! Maybe... he's more used in being called Stray?

"Okay. Let's go, Stray."

He sighs as he walks up to me nonchalantly.

And then went walking together at the same pace.

Forward and onwards.

—No turning backs now.

I can feel Cerguz's malicious watch growing as we get closer to where his quarters is.

Don't worry, Cerguz.

I'll be there soon.