Artemis Unveiled:The Descent

Untitled Part 49: The Archer's Awakening

However, when Felix mentioned bringing the chieftain to the camp, whether true or not, Aria couldn't help but feel worried. After the military meeting at the blue stone fortress ended, Neven returned to the tent, finding Aria still looking gloomy. Her responses to any questions were sharp and irritable.

"Who upset you? It can't be me, right?" Neven sat on the bed, raising an eyebrow at Aria, who was lying down.

"It's not you, no one," Aria snapped. She pulled the blanket over herself, turning away and covering her head. Neven tugged at the blanket, but Aria held it tightly over her face.

"What happened today?" he asked.

Aria held back for a while, then suddenly sat up, angrily saying, "I ran into Felix again. Guess what he said..." She didn't wait for Neven to answer before shouting, "He said he would bring the Aether chieftain to negotiate with Sage Solon to take me to Aether."

Neven pursed his lips, smiling.

"You're laughing?" Aria crossed her arms, annoyed.

"He talks big, claiming he can bring the chieftain. Even though I saved his life, he doesn't respect me, which shows he isn't reasonable. But if he can indeed bring the Aether chieftain, his identity is not simple."

"Felix? Impossible. He looks like someone with no manners."

"Tomorrow, I'll inform the legion not to let him near the camp. If he wants anything from you, he can only bring the Aether chieftain."

"What could he want from me?" Aria asked. "He's been in the camp for only a few days. We don't even know each other. It's not like he fell in love with me at first sight or something," Aria scoffed. "Anyway, I seriously threatened him. If he mentions taking me to Aether again, I'll have him arrested. Or I'll kill him with my sword," Aria said fiercely.

"You can't even lift a sword," Neven raised an eyebrow.

"You can keep teaching me," she said angrily.

"Your swordsmanship is... difficult to teach," he said, raising his eyebrows even higher, looking disdainful.

The day after Felix left, Voidmarsh welcomed an unexpected guest... the leader of the Aether people.

When the chieftain arrived alone at the gate and announced his name, the entire camp erupted. To everyone's surprise, the Aether chieftain was a frail old man with a head full of white hair. He was so thin he looked like a skeleton, with sunken eyes and a fluffy black feathered cloak that didn't fit him at all. His eyes, however, were exceptionally sharp, as if they could see through everything. Sage Solon quickly got the news and ordered the gates to be opened to welcome the chieftain.

Aria climbed up Sable's watchtower, looking at the bustling crowd below, feeling a bit apprehensive. For her, Felix's promise had turned into a frightening reality.

"They actually have a chieftain," Sable said in a sharp voice.

"What did you think they would be?" Aria asked nervously.

"A bunch of scattered sand... zombies in graves... the living dead... freaks... shadows in the night..." Sable rattled off a list of descriptions. "What's he doing coming to our camp alone?" he asked.

"How would I know?" Aria said even more nervously, her voice weak.

As the chieftain slowly walked toward the blue stone fortress, he suddenly stopped at the watchtower and looked up at them, his gaze fixed on Aria.

Aria stepped back in surprise, and Sable gasped, muttering, "We're doomed. He must have heard me badmouthing him. Oh no... he heard... oh God... he's coming up..." Just as Sable finished speaking, the sound of creaking wood echoed from the ladder.