Morte, the lost Heir (ONC 2024)

14. Accept and deal with it

Dupe stayed away for a short time. They recognized his wing flaps from afar. The winged one hadn't even landed before trying to signal something it had seen from afar.

Curiously, they gathered around him. Dupe's heart raced as he gasped for breath, his mind racing with the possibilities. "It looks like someone is waiting for us, sitting on the ground!" he said, his voice filled with fear. "I think it's a trap. Is there another option? Can we go around that place, for example?"

They studied the map, their eyes tracing the intricate lines marking the labyrinthine canyon. The place was mysterious and dangerous, with multiple paths leading to the sepulcher. But this was the only spot where the figure was sitting, precisely the one that couldn't be bypassed.

"I think this was planned," Keenan said, his voice filled with suspicion and determination. "It can't be a coincidence that the Loyalty awaits us here!"

"Then let's go!" Tobi decided.

"This is a trap!" Dupe shook his head.

The team moved on more cautiously, keeping an eye on the rocks for anything suspicious. When the man spotted them, he stood and walked towards them, raising both arms to show he was unarmed.

"Damian wants to talk to you. Follow me!" he said as he approached them.

"What, everyone's going? But this is a trap! Even a blind man can see it!" Dupe exclaimed when he saw everyone silently following the strange man.

"They could have attacked us from behind one of the rock walls... so let's hear what he wants!" Elgatto encouraged.

The man led them to a narrow passage and indicated for them to go that way.

"There? No, thank you, we're not walking into this trap!" Dupe tried again.

"Is Damian there?" Aura asked. Seeing the man nod and confirm the way with his hand, Tobi immediately started walking first. Then the elf girl wanted to go next, but Elgatto grabbed her arm to wait, wanting to go second.

"Come on, let's go chat. It'll be fun!" Dupe's concern could be heard behind them.

They could only progress through the narrow passage one by one, and in some sections, they had to climb the rocks to move forward, as the opening was so small.

"This is passage's end; get ready!" the dark elf turned back, and for some reason, he whispered. They drew their swords and proceeded cautiously. Prepared for battle, they leaped onto the clearing, but in the middle of it, on red spread-out carpets, sat only Damian, surrounded by the bluish-gray rock walls.

"This is still a trap!" Dupe whispered again, gripping his sword tightly as he advanced. He kept an eye on the rock walls for anything suspicious. However, the others also cautiously approached Damian because the situation was unbelievable.

"You expected an attack, but I am unarmed!" Damian sat on the carpet before the small group and offered them a seat.

"We have our swords!" Tobi replied, and when he sat down in front of the Loyalty leader, he placed his sword in his lap.

"Maybe archers are hiding on the rock wall!" Damian laughed, entertaining himself as everyone scanned the rock walls at his statement. "We already know each other, gentlemen. The fight was good fun! I haven't had the pleasure of meeting the ladies, or rather... oh, Aura! You've found yourself quite a team!" His voice dripped with sarcasm.

"Why did you want to talk to us?" Tobi asked.

"I know Morte is the topic. What else? You are looking for him, and you have probably realized by now that we are Sol's agents. We won't let you down to the Sepulcher!"

"And we can assure you that we will find Morte and rescue him at any cost! We won't let the deceitful, treacherous Sol take the throne!" Tobi replied. "We know what Sol did to ensure Morte never escapes from the sepulcher!" Tobi began, intending to continue, but Keenan nudged him meaningfully. There were certain things better left unsaid to others, so Tobi reconsidered his words and continued, "Morte is my friend, and I cannot let him die down there!"

"Your friend, huh? And the others follow you in this madness! Well, I called you here to talk, to make you an offer, because frankly, I had no desire to ambush you and finish you off in your sleep. You are quite an amusing little team. I sympathize with you! My offer is, if you give up this plan and turn back nicely and go home, then money and power await you." He opened a small box beside him filled with gold coins, then continued: "By power, I mean you'll get positions at the court." The sense of betrayal is overwhelming as the villain reveals his true intentions.

He placed the small table beside him before them and put a pre-written contract on it. "It says that you renounce all your vile plans against Sol. Only your names, along with the gold and which positions you can choose from, need to be added. I think it's a generous offer."

Tobi sat with a poker face, staring straight into Damian's eyes. "I reject it. I'm not interested in gold or power."

Damian scanned the others, and seeing that no one objected, he closed the chest lid filled with gold. "I expected as much!"

"Really?" Tobi asked.

"I told the truth about the situation; I didn't come alone. If you don't sign the contract, I'll give the signal, and you'll die right here!"

"I said it was a trap!" Dupe shouted, jumping up with his sword held in front of him. The others followed suit, but then Damian raised his arm, and suddenly, warriors leaped at them from the rock wall, catching them off guard and unable to defend themselves.

Minutes later, they all lay pathetic and bound on the ground.

"I'm sorry!" Damian said, standing before them. "I lied to you! There are no archers. And although I should kill you on the spot now, when I said I sympathized with you, well, then I told the truth. But it would be best if you didn't go down to the sepulcher. So, we'll leave you here, and the vultures will do the dirty work for us. I feel a little sorry for you; it's so barren here, poor things... Accept and deal with it!" he laughed, then walked away with his companions, leaving the small group to their fate.

The Loyalty team placed the confiscated weapons and backpacks on the red carpets and carried them towards the other exit of the clearing, which led to Sepulcher. They put them in a pile there.