𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐃𝐎𝐖 𝐎𝐅 𝐇𝐄𝐑 || 𝐒𝐞𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰

Chapter Thirty-Three: A loyal friend

Chapter Thirty-Three

It had been two days since Matty had told Sebastian she'd speak to the Keepers although she hadn't done it yet. She felt like she needed more time to be able to think about what to say since she was almost completely sure that the Keepers wouldn't agree with anything she had to say.

On the bright side, she had gotten an owl from Lodgok telling her to meet him on the coast and that it was important.

The only problem? Matty was still in school and had at least two more classes before she could leave the castle. But Lodgok said it was important—which obviously, with the pressing problem of Ranrok getting closer to the repository, meant she needed to get there as fast as possible.

So she came up with a plan.

Beg Esme to cover for her and she'll make it up to her later.

"Please, please, Pleaseeee, Esme I am begging you. This is important." Matty said, following down Esme in the hallway.

"So is your education." Esme said, rolling her eyes.

"The owl was from Lodgok, it's that kind of important!" Matty whispered, not wanting to mention Ranrok's name specifically so as to not draw attention to them in the hallway full of students.

Esme stopped and sighed. "Fine. But you owe me big time for this." She huffed. "But what do I tell Professor Sharp? He hates when people even come late to class and you're going to miss it entirely."

"I'm sure you'll think of something brilliant." Matty said, already starting to walk in the opposite direction in the hallway. "Thank you! I promise to make it up to you later!"

Esme watched her go. "That girl is something else." She muttered, trying to find a good story to make up as to why Matty wasn't showing up to class.

***

When Matty arrived at the coastal mine, it was almost completely vacant on the outside—which was confusing. The past few mines had had goblins crawling around everywhere but the outside was dangerously quiet and Lodgok wasn't waiting for her either.

Cautiously, she walked up to the door of the mine, checking her surroundings. She was hoping that Lodgok was okay and that he hadn't been found and taken captive by the loyalists.

Upon entering, she was shocked—this place was huge! Just by the moment she walked in, she could tell this mine was much bigger than the other ones she had explored, even the one she had explored with Amit.

"Look at the size of this mine. Lodgok, where are you?" She muttered to herself as she walked in.

The size of it was almost concerning. Were they manufacturing their drills here? If so, it was important to Matty that she leave no stone unturned. Anything being produced here was helping Ranrok get closer and closer to causing more mayhem than he already had.

There were two loyalists guarding a travel cart and Matty decided that instead of fighting she'd just try to sneak past them—they were far enough away that it was possible and by the time they noticed, she'd already be gone. She didn't want to fight then and accidentally alert the entire mine and then be swarmed by goblins.

She cast disillusionment over herself and snuck past the goblins before mounting the cart and suddenly she was off, laughing a bit as she heard the two goblins babble in disbelief, wondering where the cart had just gone.

On the travel through the mine, Matty heard some of the comments from the goblins around, but one of them worried her the most. "Ranrok will be pleased by our progress!" He said, which made Matty's stomach churn.