Scroll Of Wrath [BETA] COMPLETE

|Chapter 10.2| The Inevitable

The city carried on as if the search for the human had nothing to do with them. Merchants sold their goods, families bought their food, and the streets were alive with dance, song, and revelry. But beneath this facade, the Kesmes were under immense pressure. Atlas, a historic city vital for trade between tribes, risked losing its neutrality if they offended one of the five great tribes. The fact that the Celestials lived in the sea made them indifferent to the land's turmoil, adding to the city's tension.

Bloodhounds were deployed in droves, hunting for the human. No one knew what the human looked like, but the Celestial King's insistence left them no choice but to find one, even if it wasn't the right one.

In a quiet alley, a circular drain cover lifted, revealing the brown eyes of a young woman. She climbed out, dragging a cloaked figure behind her. She looked down into the manhole where Erebus remained, looking up at her. "Wait here. I will return for you all. Do not leave this place until my instructions." She did not want them causing trouble.

Erebus nodded. She checked her ears were fastened on properly and then held on to the slender wrist of the cloaked figure, unaware of how red his face was under the hood and led him out of the alleyway. Her plan was simple: get him to the Great Kesmes, who could sort things out. She did not know much about the Celestials, so she could only hand over her problems to a trusted adult.

They moved out of the alley into a small street, Ahqi trailing closely behind her. The urgency of their situation kept them silent, their footsteps barely audible against the cobblestone floor. Ahead was a daunting shadow she was all too familiar with—a bloodhound. She paused and pulled Ahqi quickly into another narrow alley. She peered out anxiously, there was a bloodhound coming down the street. She withdrew her head, her heart beating wildly. Celestials were way too eye-catching. If they saw Ahqi, they would capture them both; Ahqi would be fine, but her identity would be in danger.

She peeked out again and saw that the bloodhound had stopped and was now talking to two more bloodhounds. She wanted to cry. Why were they multiplying? What was going on?

Ahqi watched her hand holding on to his and couldn't stop himself from speaking. "Hada-" Before he could even finish his sentence she had turned around, her hand placed over his mouth, her eyes looking up at his fiercely as if annoyed. "I told you to stay quiet! No matter what."

His heart was beating widly but he nodded obediently.

"Hadassah, what are you doing? And who is this?"

The sudden question nearly made her jump out of her skin. She looked to the opposite wall of the alley as Cyrus stepped through the stone wall, looking at them both curiously.

"Cyrus, what are you doing here?" Hadassah said, trying to keep her voice steady despite her adrenaline spiking.

Cyrus crossed his arms, looking between them. "Are you having an affair? I thought Rahn was your mate?"

Ahqi blushed, averting his eyes. He had been given specific instructions not to speak, so he could only bear his heart beating wildly as her hands warmed his up. Hadassah shook her head vehemently. "No, it's not like that!"

Cyrus narrowed his eyes. If that wasn't the situation, then his initial conjecture seemed to be accurate. "You need to find your Great Kesmes, right?"

She nodded quickly.

Cyrus sighed, clearly torn. "Fine. But you owe me an explanation later. Let's go." He held onto both of them and dragged them through the walls of the alleyway.

They moved swiftly through the narrow passages, Cyrus leading them with confidence. He stopped suddenly, signalling for silence. The murmur of voices grew louder, and they could hear the bloodhounds discussing their search.