Schemes, Betreyal, Collapse

{PLEIADES POV}

Sitting on a broken column made of withered stone, I looked around and saw the cohort getting ready. First were the ten new members—some were sparring against one another, while others were looking around the camp and focusing on the camp's inhabitants.

To the side, Cassie was talking with Nephis, while Caster was off helping the artisans. Kai and Effie were relaxing, with Kai training his bow-drawing, continuously pulling the string of the bow back and forth.

While I was lost in thought, Regis was acting as my shadow, while the other two were wandering the camp, observing the people working and performing their tasks.

Creating a long stick, I drew in the dirt. Making a circle, I added a small stick figure outside it, and near the stick figure, I drew an oval shape.

The circle represented the Dark City, the stick figure symbolized the statue of the Slayer, and the oval indicated where the Nightmare Creature holding the Moonlight Shard was.

Now named the Slayer's Rest, we planned to go there to retrieve the Moonlight Shard.

Afterward, we'd take a week-long break before heading to where the Cursed Herald was holding the Dusk Shard. Following that, we'd retrieve the Dawn Shard at the Hollows.

Taking the shard held by the Lord of the Dead would happen during our journey through the catacombs to reach the statue of the Builder.

However, this plan was not entirely set in stone. Since the Lord of the Dead was a tyrant, it would require more preparation.

If an opportunity arose to kill it during the journey to the Builder, we'd take it.

Dropping the stick to the ground, I kicked dirt over the drawing and walked toward Nephis. As I approached, she glanced at me and dismissed a young man who had been talking to her and Cassie.

Bowing to both of them, he scurried off to sit by a fire with two others.

Nephis turned her attention to me and blinked.

"Yes" she said simply.

I snapped my fingers, concealing a small dome around us without the other two noticing.

"Say, what do you make of those other guys?" I asked, and she threw a glance to the side.

Seemingly hesitant to answer, I cleared my throat.

"LADY CHANGING STAR SAYS SHE WILL MARRY ANYONE THAT TELLS HER 'HELLO'!" I yelled.

Nephis almost broke her stoic facade. Cassie, slightly surprised, quickly understood and placed a hand on Nephis's shoulder.

"It's fine," Cassie explained. "He put up a barrier that prevents sound from escaping. It's like that one memory Caster has."

As Cassie finished, Nephis observed the camp and saw no one react. Throwing me an expressionless glare, I feigned fear and took a step back.

With a sigh, she answered, a bit of anger present in her voice. "Well, they're only here because I couldn't decline the offer Caster presented."

I already understood the situation but still gave her an expectant gaze. She dropped her head with another sigh, this one longer than before.

"If I don't have a good reason to decline the offer, it would look suspicious to him. Don't worry—it'll be fine."

I nodded along, my gaze landing on the man wearing scaly armor. "What if they ambush us during the expedition?"

Nephis shook her head. "Then we fight them. That's the only way. We can also use them as fodder."

"Fodder, huh?" I muttered, glancing at the recruits. They were a mixed bunch—some strong, others green. Their loyalty was questionable at best.

Pointing discreetly at the man in the scaly armor, I added, "That one. He doesn't seem like the type to go quietly if things go south."

Nephis followed my gaze, her eyes narrowing. "You're observant. He's one of the more capable ones. If he turns, he'll be a problem."

"Capable," I echoed. "Or overconfident?"

Nephis tilted her head, her silver hair catching the dim light. "Both. He's a gamble, like the others. But that's why we're bringing them along now. Better to test their loyalty when we're prepared for betrayal than when we're not."

Cassie, silent until now, added softly, "They're still people. They might surprise us."

Letting out a dry chuckle, I glanced at her. "People surprise me all the time. It's usually not a good thing."

Nephis ignored my remark and gestured toward the camp. "We'll keep them under observation. I'll assign them to tasks that keep them too busy to plot."

"Smart," I noted, folding my arms. "But what about Caster? If anyone's going to cause problems, it's him. He's too… eager, and deceptive, we might not even know when and how he decieves us."

Nephis's expression darkened, her usual stoicism briefly giving way to frustration. "Caster is a zealot, but he's predictable. He won't act unless he thinks he has a guaranteed win. As long as we stay ahead of him, he'll stay in line."

Tapping my chin thoughtfully, I asked, "And if he gets that 'guaranteed win'?"

"Then," Nephis said coldly, "he'll learn he was wrong."

The three of us stood in silence for a moment.

Finally, I broke it with a wry grin. "You know, it's moments like this that make me glad we are so comftorable with talking to one another."

Nephis raised an eyebrow. "Moments like this?"

"Planning for betrayal. It's very inspiring."

Cassie let out a soft laugh, and even Nephis's lips twitched in what could have been the ghost of a smile. The atmosphere lightened slightly, though tension still lingered in my mind.

"Well," I said, clapping my hands together, "I'd better get back to pretending I trust everyone here. Wouldn't want to ruin the illusion."

Nephis nodded, dismissing me with a slight wave.

As I turned to leave, I caught Cassie's gaze. Her pale eyes held a mixture of curiosity and concern. Even if she wasn't really looking at me, I could tell something was eating away at her.

(It'll be fine,) Sunny sent over silently through the connection. (Just another day in paradise.)

From my shadow, I heard Regis tsk. "I was gonna say that." I gave my shadow a look and smiled.

'Yeah, it'll be fine. Not like fate has anything to throw at me that I can't handle. Easy peasy. Not even Weaver himself could beat me easily.'

**********

{3RD POV}

Within the expansive halls of the castle, Gemma walked through, followed by three of his personal guards, who trailed just far enough not to be by his side.

Looking ahead, Gemma saw the closed door leading to the throne room. Another meeting was underway. This one would either prove to be another show of Gunlaug's supposed authority or something genuinely important.

As he approached the door, two guards stepped forward and pushed it open for him. Entering the room, Gemma instinctively lowered his gaze to avoid meeting the Bright Lord's visor.

Stepping aside to stand near Kido, he offered her a subtle smile, which she returned in kind.

His heart fluttered slightly but was immediately snuffed out when the Bright Lord's voice echoed through the chamber.

"As always, it is great to see you all so earnestly serving. Now, I will get to what matters."

'Figures. Nothing important' Gemma thought, but the Bright Lord's next words almost made him look up.

"We have embedded ten of our most trustworthy hunters within that wretch's cohort, and I hear they will be heading to the Slayer's Rest. Is that correct, Tessai?"

At the Bright Lord's words and gaze, Tessai flinched but maintained his slight smile. "Yes, Lord. They will be heading to subjugate the Nightmare Creature that has made its lair there. During that time…"

A sinister smile crept across his face. "…they will assassinate not only the wretch but the rest of her cohort."

As if suddenly remembering something, Tessai stumbled over his words and hastily added, "Apart from Caster. He's in on it too."

The Bright Lord rested his head on his right hand, letting out a wistful hum. "That so? It would seem everything is going according to plan. I trust you understand the rewards in store should they succeed… and the punishment should they fail."

Tessai shrank under the Bright Lord's gaze, swallowing hard. "Yes, of course! They are among the best of the best. I assure you, they will succeed, my Lord."

Nodding, Gunlaug was about to speak again when Gemma raised his hand, daring not to speak without the Lord's permission.

Gunlaug turned his attention to him, tapping the armrest of his throne. "Yes?"

Gemma looked up, careful to keep his gaze on the Bright Lord's body rather than his eyes.

With a heavy tone, he began, "About three months ago, there were massive tremors that shook the city for hours. While we are not yet completely certain of their cause, we now understand a small extent of the damage it caused."

The Bright Lord hummed with interest. "Oh? It would seem you are hard at work as always, Gemma. Continue."

Clearing his throat, Gemma replied, "Thank you for your praise, my Lord. It brings me the greatest of joys. Now, regarding the damage, the catacombs where the Lord of the Dead resides… they have collapsed completely."

Next Chapter: Ordinary Bunch

A/N: Hi Everyone. Lads and Ladies, after a whole week of no chapters i'm back to it, the chapters will be like they usually are, every day from monday to friday.

And thank you guys for reading, to inspire me to write more leave a bunch of comments so i can interact more with you guys.

Sincerely...