Autumn Leaves (A Llorumi Fanfiction)

Revised Chapter 17

A/N Hi everyone, Lauren here. Thank you sooo much for your patience while waiting for my sister and I to publish! College has been brutal and I've been so mentally exhausted when it came to this story I just couldn't properly edit it. (It could still use improvement). Hopefully the next chapter will be out no later than two weeks.

Anyway, Happy reading!

The motorcycle I was on let out a roar and the tires screeched as we came to a dramatic stop, causing a spray of gravel as we skidded to the side. The sound of other cycles quickly followed, and I waited impatiently as the other motorcyclists turned off their vehicles one by one. After a long and winding ride, I was thoroughly light-headed and disoriented, which was their goal. Wherever I was now, I knew I would not be able to retrace the location, but it didn't matter to me. Even with their endless turns and long drive, I still had a feeling I was somewhere I knew. The air was heavy with humidity, and a strong earthy smell of dirt pervaded my nostrils, unpleasant, yet oddly familiar to me.

The person I sat behind, the unpleasant biker leader, climbed off the motorcycle. Seizing the opportunity of his distraction, I quickly tore off the blindfold, allowing dim light to flood my eyes. I blinked and then froze as the biker leader approached me, holding out a hand. "Welcome to our base," he said, grinning. I ignored him, shock rippling through me like a bullet.

I knew this place. I blew half of it up.

The tunnels under the palace, a part of my past that I had tried to forget. We happened to be in one tunnel that wasn't severely affected by the explosion. Some of the beams supporting the walls of the tunnel were cracked, others collapsing into themselves and bending at precarious angles, making me question the stability of this place. Further down the tunnel, a line of motorcycles was parked against the wall, covered in skull stickers and other dark things. The whole place was lit by small yellow lights, hung at intervals along the tunnel sides, casting eerie shadows and illuminating the rough walls with a dim glow.

"Veil?" I heard the man ask. I looked down, realizing his arm was still extended towards me. Putting on the mask of Veil, I swatted it away and climbed off the cycle with ease. He didn't bat an eye at the action, only putting on a tougher face.

Since when did he become a gentleman?

"Dalwin, you're in charge of her. Make sure she doesn't do something crazy," he told the shorter teen, who had just dismounted his bike. Dalwin nodded, moving to stand next to me. I realized then that the other bikers who traveled with us were gone, probably further down the unstable tunnel. I glanced to the right where the tunnel branched off, trying to peer further down it just as Dalwin shoved me in the shoulder. I turned to give him a ferocious glare but then realized that the leader was already disappearing behind a bend in the tunnel to the left. I spun on my heel and caught up to him with Dalwin close behind me.

For a while, we walked in silence. I kept my head down, pretending to be disinterested in my surroundings while discretely I was making a mental map of the path we took. Even though I had explored the tunnels a lot when I was the Jade Princess, I still needed to keep track. The tunnel we followed was mostly straight, but other tunnels lined it. I noticed that some of the other underpasses (ones I could see) collapsed, others collapsing; a death wish for those who entered them. I also noticed a few new tunnels freshly dug out that weren't there before. It seemed that this gang had plenty of time to make additions.

After approximately ten minutes of walking, I began to feel a soft vibration, like music but not of hearing range. I looked up and noticed the tunnel was getting wider, the light growing brighter the further we walked until finally, we crossed into a new section. The room we entered was massive, a cavern with stone walls stretching almost further than I could see, and brightly lit. People of all sizes strode about, some in jovial groups, others more subdued. Tables were set up all about and there was a bar at one end of the base, handing out drinks to the bikers. Some were drunk and starting fights with other members while a few who had one too many drinks were passed out across tables. The place without a doubt, reminded me of Laughy's.