Artemis Unveiled:The Descent

Untitled Part 60: The Amber Gaze

Aria jumped, startled to realize there was someone else in the room. Out of the darkness emerged a massive white form, slowly approaching them.

Aria looked at the Chieftain in terror.

"Do not be afraid. It is a tiger-beast," the Chieftain said with a reassuring smile.

A gigantic white tiger-beast appeared before Aria, and she felt as though all the strength had been drained from her by fear. The beast was enormous, capable of easily killing any large creature. Its amber eyes gleamed coldly as it stared unblinkingly at Aria.

Mistral approached her, its warm breath brushing over the scales on her hand. Aria stumbled back in fright, catching a glimpse of its sharp teeth hidden in its mouth.

"Aether women are strong; they can single-handedly kill a pack of beasts," Mistral said. "I doubt this girl could be the one we seek."

"She needs time to awaken the power in her bloodline," the Chieftain replied.

Mistral turned his head, his cold gaze fixed on her. "I'll ask you one more time: do you really think she's worth revealing our identity?"

The Chieftain responded calmly, "Perhaps one day, the future will give us the answer."

Mistral turned his head, his cold gaze fixed on her. "I'll ask you one more time: do you really think she's worth revealing our identity?"

The Chieftain responded calmly, "Perhaps one day, the future will give us the answer."

"Let's hope so." Mistral settled beside the Chieftain, his tail gently swaying. His amber eyes remained locked on Aria, and his massive jaw tilted slightly, as if pondering something.

"Let's make a bet," the Chieftain continued, his voice steady and confident, with a profound look in his eyes. "She is the one we've been searching for."

Mistral's whiskers twitched, and a complex emotion flickered in his eyes. "If you're so sure, who am I to argue?"

Aria felt like she was trapped in a bizarre dream. The talking tiger before her completely upended everything she'd known in over two centuries. Since losing her memory, the world had only become more bewildering.

After finishing her conversation with the Chieftain, Aria walked out of the grand hall, her mind swirling with confusion and unease. However, Neven and Alexander were nowhere to be seen. She looked around and finally spotted them on a chain bridge.

"You could stay here with Aria," Alexander suggested softly, his tone filled with concern. "The Chieftain hopes you'll stay. Going back won't change the situation in Voidmaesh. Sage Solon's successful retreat was already a stroke of luck."

Neven frowned, his voice calm. "I can't waste the time I have left here; I have more important things to do."

Noticing Aria approaching, Alexander smiled slightly and signaled Neven to turn around. As she drew near, Neven's expression softened, and a warm smile appeared on his face.

"What were you two talking about?" Aria asked as she walked up, her voice tinged with curiosity.

"We originally planned to escape in a few days," Alexander sighed, a hint of resignation in his tone. "Neven and I found a way out, but we didn't expect the Chieftain to grant us permission to leave today."

"When you shattered that statue, I thought we wouldn't live to see another day," Alexander remarked with a touch of reproach. "You should've pretended to barely defeat Felix instead of taking your anger out on that giant bird statue. That way, we wouldn't have drawn the Chieftain's attention, and we could've left Wind Valley once Aria recovered."