Book 4 | Agent 34 and the Last Gem

Chapter 40 | Return to the Zena

Agent 34 woke up with Ismara in his arms. She was nestled under his chin, her arms wrapped around his body. He gently lifted her off of him and stood up, yawning as he stretched. Ismara soon followed pursuit and woke up as well, waking up Grime as she did.

"Good morning you two," the Ar'gual said as he sat up. "I enjoyed that much needed rest," he told them.

"You deserved it after spending so long forging these," Agent 34 told him.

"Eh, I'm not done yet," Grime coughed. "I will need to make some for all of the Destigems once I go back to the Zena with you all,"

"You're gonna come with us?" Ismara exclaimed in excitement.

"Mhm," he nodded. "but first, we need to go to the old Zena to find that gem,"

"Right," Agent 34 grabbed his sword off the ground. "Let's go get Venon and save Renya,"

~ ~ ~

Venon flew through the storm, rain falling off of his covered scales. Three passengers sat atop his back, each covered in a different cloak that sealed their skin prevented the rain from getting to them.

They weren't even to the Zena yet, but they could see the madness that had ensued after their departure.

Somehow, a few of the soldiers from their last battle were still wandering around meaninglessly, their minds brainwashed into thinking that evil is their true nature.

As for the Zena itself, it was slowly collapsing upon itself. Multiple walls had been smashed down, probably by the evil soldiers to find food and water.

"This doesn't look good," Grime said, looking over their new threat. "The clue said something about a secret room. Do you know of any secret rooms in the Zena?"

"I personally don't," Ismara confessed. "I haven't been to the Zena in a full year or so. Last time I was here was for that battle and it was up in the sky the entire time,"

"How about you, 34?"

"No," Agent 34 recalled. "Not that I remember,"

"The spies," Venon called back to them. "Remember that incident, 34?"

"I remember Sercon asked if I wanted to help with it, but didn't exactly know what it was that was going on. I never ended up helping with it and Thad sent us to go announce to Renya of my twin's downfall,"

"Yeah, well," The dragon explained. "I remember a few people talking about it. There was apparently a secret room somewhere in the Zena, hidden in a hallway. There was a staircase that led down into a secret worshipping room or something. The freaky thing is, the spies built the thing completely by themselves. No one knows how they did it undetected,"

"So it's just somewhere in the literal tons of hallways in the Zena?" Ismara asked.

"Yup," he laughed. "Remember Calvin Evilslayer? Yeah, he's the one who led the fight against the spies and defeated them,"

Suddenly, Venon was slammed out of the air. He began to spin, quickly trying to regain his balance and direct his attention to whatever attacked them. Once he did, he spotted a figure in a red cloak hovering in front of them, black energy covering their fists.

"Who might you be?" The attacker asked.

Agent 34 choked and prepared to step forwards and introduce themselves. Grime beat him to it, however.

"We are the Traverials and we have banded back together to flee Renya," Grime exclaimed.

"Who's the Traverials?" Ismara whispered to Agent 34, who shrugged at her question.

"Didn't one of them leave the country?" The red cloaked being asked.

"And I came back after they messaged me," Grime spoke up. "They said they needed my help,"

"Is that so?" He asked. "Well it doesn't matter, you're all going to die anyways,"

"Why? What wrong have we done to you?" Venon asked.

"I was hired by Braunick as a spy for the Zena and was recently promoted to watch over this land and make sure no one enters and no one leaves. If they do," He traced his finger across his neck.

Agent 34's head popped up. "What if you let us go," He began. "If we told you we might know where a gem is?"

He crossed his arms. "I'm listening,"

"We found a clue for the last gem," He explained, everyone on the dragon beginning to panic and tell him not to show him. "and you said you were a spy correct?"

"Yeah, but what does that have to do with anything?"

"The clue says to go to the secret room in the Zena," The elf explained. "and we don't know where that is,"

"So you were coming for the gem? Not to flee?"

"No," Ismara told him. "We were getting the gem and then fleeing,"

"I thought the Traverials were better than this," he said. "I am Deathbringer. I already know your names. Thad, Barjual, Harper, and Linx. Now, follow me to that secret room,"

Agent 34 froze. Thad, Barjual, and Harper were all in a group called the Traverials?