The Seven Wonders of the World

60. The Siege Awaits

Emrun and Shijin jumped back in surprise, as they saw the four soldiers standing outside and facing them. They didn't have any time to hesitate, as soon enough the soldiers would start advancing towards them, with the soldier with the sword holding the blade in front of him menacingly.
The two of them would quickly get into a defensive position, as Emrun would get his sword out and Shijin's arm would burst into a flame to prepare for combat. The three soldiers would start advancing towards the duo, as the one carrying the sword had his eyes locked on Emrun, prepared to strike once he got into range.
As he swung his blade, Emrun parried it with his own as the two swords clashed, with Emrun throwing another kick as he kicked the soldier away.
Shijin also jumped into action, shooting a fireball at one of the soldiers as the fire began to spread across the enemy's whole body. The soldier was forced to drop his weapon, as he tried to put out the flames by dropping to his knees and rolling over on the ground.
Emrun would try to defend himself with his sword but it would soon be overpowered by the sheer strength of the soldier. The soldier would then manage to get the blade of his sword through Emrun's guard, and it would pierce deep into his thigh. Emrun would scream out in pain as the soldier would twist the blade inside of his leg.
“Emrun!” said Shijin, as he rushed over to his aid, but the same soldier put the sword to his neck.
“Don't move, old timer,” said the soldier.
“Alright, fine!” said Shijin. “Take us! And treat his wound atleast!”
“Shijin, what are you doing?!” said Emrun.
“Where else will we get help?” said Shijin. “This is our best bet, now take us!”
One of the soldiers would step forward with a pair of handcuffs before walking over to Emrun and Shijin. The soldier with the sword would keep hold of his sword and keep it pressed against Shijin’s neck, not willing to let him get away so easily.
“I promise you,” said the soldier, “we won’t harm you as long as you don’t give us any trouble.”
The soldier would place one of the cuffs on Emrun and then the other on Shijin, tying them together.
As the two of them were now cuffed together, the soldiers would grab them both by the arms as they started to walk them back towards the camp area.
“Where are you taking us?” asked Shijin.
“To Lakishou!” said the soldier. “Where Princess Odessa can take care of you traitors!”
The two remained silent as they were being dragged by the soldiers, as they were worried about what was going to happen next. They had a bad feeling about what would happen at Lakishou, especially after Emrun and Shijin heard about an ancient demon king being there, it seemed like they were in for a very rough time.

Rater and the rest of the group would slowly make their way to Lakishou, with Zoela navigating with a map in her hand, they knew the front entrance was bait to get captured, so they had established on an alternative way to enter the underground palace.
The group would find their way into the underground palace through a hidden entrance, as they were careful to avoid any traps or obstacles. As they descended deeper and deeper into the depths, the surroundings would get increasingly dark and ominous.
Zoela would point towards a specific chamber towards the bottom floor. “We should go in there.”
“Let’s hope no guards are watching,” said Sora. “They could be waiting for us inside.”
“That's right,” said Zoela, as she would nod in agreement. “Let's hope for the best.”
The group would soon see that there was nobody waiting for them, as they began to walk into the dark chamber.
The chamber was shrouded in shadows, as there was a strange quietness that surrounded them. It seemed like a good sign, but there was also an uncomfortable feeling lingering in the air as the group entered the chamber. Rater would take the first step inside first as he turned his head around to make sure the others were following.
The rest of the group would enter the chamber, as they would also start to feel a sense of unease once they entered the chamber. There was a certain ominous atmosphere that permeated the room, as it seemed to almost be sucking the very air out of their lungs.
Zoela would turn her head around as she looked around at the surrounding area. “We should proceed with caution,” she said, “there is definitely something strange about this chamber.”
“Yeah, no kidding!” said Uyutsu. “What are the oxygen levels in here?!”
They would slowly move further into the room, with their footsteps echoing as they walked. The faint sound of their voices would also echo off the walls, as it only amplified the sense of dread that was present.
Zoela would begin to whisper as she spoke. “We should keep our voices down as much as possible, this place just has a creepy feeling to it.”
The rest of the group would nod as they walked further into the room, as they tried to keep their voice levels down as much as possible. The eerie atmosphere was so thick, that it seemed as if even their own breaths were being swallowed up by the surrounding darkness around them. Yet no matter where they looked, nothing ever seemed to reveal itself.