Subterra: Dark Relm

Part 3: "Whispers of War: The Battle for Subterra"

Castle of Eldoria

(Inside the dimly lit, captured castle of Eldoria, King Thalric and his remaining soldiers sit in silence, their hopes fading. Meanwhile, King Elowen and Vorath celebrate their triumph in private, feasting while their soldiers stand guard and patrol the surrounding lands for any signs of rebellion.)

King Elowen:  (grinning as he lifts his goblet)  This is just the beginning. Eldoria has fallen, and soon, the rest of Subterra will follow. Malakar ruled all of this once, and now it’s my turn.

Vorath: (chuckling darkly)  Don’t get too cocky, Elowen. There's a long road ahead. And don’t let the wine do the talking for you. Your soldiers may have taken Eldoria, but they’re not ready for the other kingdoms. They can barely handle the Veyra technique as it is. Without it, they're just easy prey.

Elowen:  (nodding, frowning slightly)  Yes... there’s Queen Selene of Nythoria with her giants. And Prince Kael of Drakara, with his bloodthirsty commander, Varek. They say the mere sight of his army sends kingdoms into panic. But how did they gain such power?

Vorath: (leaning in, voice low)  It’s not power... it’s a twisted blend of human and monster blood. Some ancient sorcery, dark magic that turned them into something else. I am  not so different from them .. and I wanna know there will be battle tournament in Drak...

(Their conversation is interrupted by a soldier who enters the room, carrying a small vial filled with a thick, black liquid.)

Soldier: (bowing)  My lord, the poison is ready. It will kill even the strongest in mere moments. Our weapons will be coated as you ordered.

Elowen: (with a wicked grin) Good. Do it quickly. And make sure nothing escapes our watch.

(The soldier exits. Vorath watches him leave, his expression thoughtful.)

Vorath: (quietly)  Thalric’s daughter managed to escape with her bodyguard. They could be gathering allies.

Elowen: (scoffing) If they’re even alive. I sent one of our creatures after them. It should’ve finished the job by now."

Vorath:  (with a serious tone)   The creature hasn’t returned. That worries me. They might’ve found someone... powerful.

Elowen:  (smirking)  No need to worry. Our scouts are out there, combing the lands. If they find them, they'll be dealt with.

Vorath:   (grinning)   I’ll train your soldiers in the Veyra technique. Once they’re ready, we’ll crush Drakara and Nythoria. And Subterra will be ours.

Elowen: (lifting his goblet)   To the future king of Subterra!

Vorath:   (murmuring)   Yes... of course...

River Edge

(Morning arrives, casting soft light over the forest as Galen, Seraphina, and Damon stand by the river, washing away the weariness from their journey. The tension of the previous night’s escape still lingers.)

Seraphina:  (with a tired smile)   How do you both keep going? After all that... no rest, no sleep.

Damon: (gruffly) Master Orin’s training made us tougher than that.

Galen: (groaning) I’m starving. Damon, you got any food left?

Damon:  (with a smirk) I offered you food back at my house, but you weren’t interested.

Galen:  (grumbling)    "That was hardly an offer-it was barely fit for animals.

Damon: (mocking)  Weaklings always starve.

Galen: (clenching his fists)   l Say that again, and I’ll show you who the weak one is!

Seraphina: (stepping between them)     Enough! We need to focus-we’re almost at the cave.

Damon: (smiling slightly)  Alright, Galen. Lead the way.

Galen: (nodding) The cave is just up that hill, near the middle. There’s a rock blocking the entrance.

(They trek up the hill, the towering trees casting shadows over them as they reach the cave. A massive boulder sits in front of the entrance.)

Seraphina:  (worried)  How do we move this? It’s enormous.

(Without a word, Galen steps forward, focusing his energy. His right hand begins to glow. He strikes the boulder with a powerful punch, shattering it into pieces.)

Damon: (slow clapping, sarcastic) Oh, very impressive. Showing off for the princess, are we? Trying to make me look bad?

Galen: (shooting him a glare) Say another word, and this punch will be for your face.

Seraphina:  (sighing)   Let’s move. No time for this.

(They descend into the cave, lighting torches as they step down the stone stairs that lead deep into the earth. The air grows cooler as they go, and the distant sound of rushing water echoes through the darkness.)

(After what feels like hours, a faint light glows ahead. They step out into a hidden world, standing behind a waterfall. The massive cascade hides the entrance to Subterra.)

Seraphina: (relieved)  We’ve made it. This is Subterra. My kingdom isn’t far. There’s a village nearby where we can rest, eat, and plan.

Galen: (looking up in awe)   This place... it’s like our world, but there’s no sun.

Damon: (curious) The sky reflects light... but how?

Seraphina: (smiling)   You’ll see in time. First, let’s head to the village. From there, we can make our way to Caravyn Kingdom. King Aric is a friend of my father-he’ll help us.