Unbroken

Chapter 2: Never-Ending

We now know how the Great War finally came to a close; but where one historical event ended, another began and we now journey alongside the Tidesinger as he slowly fell further and further as the Prime Song weighed him down

Hidden in a woodland of Ardonia, the foundations of secrets are laid as a meeting is held to discuss what to do about the remainder of the Prime Songs. We could cut it short and simply tell you what they decided to do in the end, but it is all the more enjoyable for you to discover everyone's opinions - and just who is involved, since that will come in handy later on...

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The woodland area between Nestoria and Sendaria were among the calmest, stillest areas of Ardonia – very few people trod the paths between the clans until the beginning of the Great War. Before then, they were only a danger to those clad in red, as tangling with those clad in blue or yellow would be the end for them and, hence, very little occurred in those areas of fauna and flora.

At night, the canopy of the trees flowing lightly in the breeze would cast a strong shadow on the grasslands below, blocking the light of the moon shining bright as ever, only the smallest of beams breaking through the branches. It was cold amongst the trees, but that was never a problem for anyone who walked through. The only disturbance on most nights were the foxes as they leapt from bush to bush, diving in and out of cover, the young ones chasing each other's tails and rustling in the leaves.

On this particular night, the foxes were scared out of their amusements chasing rabbits by footsteps disturbing the ground on which they wandered. It was unusual for anyone to be walking this path late at night, but it was more so that an Ardoni would be. This Ardoni had hidden his glow under thick black robes and a hood over his head to disguise his horns as he walked, for if anyone were to identify his colour, let alone his markings, it would unravel everything that he had spent so long developing. He chose his walks carefully during these times, ensuring that no patrols would cross his path and he frequently looked over his shoulder to make sure that no-one followed him.

He had made this walk only twice before, but tonight was more important than ever and thus, he had to be more careful where he tread.

He took one last double-take over his shoulder to check behind him as he deviated from the trodden dirt path and darted behind a denser group of trees. In here, no shadow could be cast from the moon's luminescence as not a single beam slipped through the leaves overhead. It only added to the Ardoni's disguise as he blended in well with his surroundings. If he were to be caught here, all he need do was stand incredibly still and pull the hood over his glowing eyes behind a tree and no-one would suspect a thing. He liked it like that.

The secrets he kept.

The lies he told.

It made him feel... Powerful...

With one last leer over his shoulder, the Ardoni bent down to the ground and began feeling his way along the grass, hooking his fingers, and searching for something to latch onto. Whether he knew where it was or not, in the dead of night and shadowed by trees, his eyes failed to adjust. Eventually, after following the ground's edge and patting the grass, he found a handle and he pulled, opening a trap door in the ground. A small, low orange glow emanated from below, beckoning him down the wooden ladder. He smiled and his white teeth beamed, knowing what was down there – this was just one of his many secrets, one of his many lies. Silently closing the trap door above him, he climbed down the ladder and landed in a dusty corridor, lit only by small Redstone torches, periodically dotted lining the stone and gravel walls.

He kept his hood up and his robes on as he traversed the corridor, hearing the low crackle of the flame torches growing louder as he got closer to the end. The single corridor gave way to several openings, one wide pathway leading into what seemed to be a large hall where other Ardoni of all clans, except Voltaris had gathered around a rock table, their coloured markings littering the room and lighting the stone around them. As he made his way to them, he kept his footsteps light and swift, the only fluctuation in his pace was to slow as he passed by a barred cell. He gazed into it for a moment before continuing onwards.