Borin knocked on the wall, his scaly claws tapping a hollow spot that echoed in the dim tunnel. "Hear that?" he said, his chest puffing out as the group gathered close, their breaths heavy with hope. "I found a way out, but something about this feels off."
Anya nodded, her blue eyes showing she was impressed. "Good job. Now," she turned to 2749, her voice strong, "punch that wall. Let's see if we can get out of here."
The group stepped back, eyes wide, as 2749 raised his fist in silence. A dark glow swirled around his hand, pulsing like a living shadow. With a deafening BOOM!, he struck the wall, dust and rock fragments exploding outward. A cave like hole tore open, wide enough for three to pass through, a faint, eerie light seeping in from the other side.
Elara held the lantern in one hand and squinted at the light coming through. "Guess we don't need this now," she said, setting the lantern down on the ground.
Borin, right next to her, let out a big cheer. "Freedom, baby!" he shouted, running toward the hole and pushing past 2749.
But the second he stepped through, there was nothing under him. "AHHH! AHH!" Borin yelled, his voice echoing all over as he waved his arms around, his scaly claws grabbing at the edge of the wall to hold on.
Elara and Anya got alert fast, stepping closer to look out the hole. Outside was a huge, dark pit, wrapping around the whole mountain like a shadowy moat. On the other side, they could see flat land under a gray sky, close enough to spot, but way too far to reach, with the deep pit that almost took Borin down.
Borin was dangling there, barely hanging on, staring up at Anya and Elara with big, scared eyes. "Hey, don't just stand there, help me!" he yelled, sounding super freaked out.
Anya and Elara jumped in fast, each grabbing an arm and pulling hard to get him up. "Hey, weirdo, help us out!" Elara called to 2749, who stepped up quietly. They pulled hard, yanking Borin back up, his boots scraping the ground as he landed, breathing hard. 2749 just stood there, looking like it was no big deal.
Elara flopped down on the ground with a big sigh, grinning at Borin. "So, you still wanna go first, stupid?" she teased, pretending to be all sweet.
Borin shot her a mean look, brushing dirt off his robe. He was mad, so he muttered, "Next time, I'm shoving you out there first, see how you like it."
Anya got up, wiped her hands on her robe, and peeked out the hole again. "How're we supposed to cross this thing?" she asked, her blue eyes squinting as she looked down at the pit. "It's too deep. No one's surviving that fall. There's gotta be another way."
Elara groaned, slumping against the wall, her stomach growling. "I'm starving, can't we just jump? We are squire knights already, aren't we strong enough?" Her voice wavered, a desperate edge creeping in.
Anya shook her head. "No way. Look at it." She pointed down. "It's gotta be at least a hundred meters deep, and the other side's just as far. We'd be flat as pancakes before we hit the bottom."
Elara got up slow and walked to the hole. Past the pit, she saw green trees moving in the wind, their leaves shining a bit, but the flat land was miles away. She sighed, her pink eyes looking kinda hopeful but also annoyed. "We're so close, but still so far," she said quietly, staring at the outside world like it was teasing her.
Anya crossed her arms, her blue eyes checking out the pit. "We better find another way fast. There's gotta be some other way outta this place."
Borin and Elara both sighed, looking worn out.
2749 stared at the flat land across the pit, the swaying trees and grass stirring something deep within him. A memory flickered to life, a younger version of himself climbing a tree, laughter echoing as a woman's voice called a name he couldn't grasp. The vision pulled him forward, his feet carrying him to the edge of the hole before he realized it.
Suddenly, a dark glow started swirling around his legs, like a storm, and BOOM!, he jumped.
The loud noise made Anya, Borin, and Elara turn fast. "What was that?!" Borin said, spinning around. They ran to the hole, hearts racing, thinking he fell into the pit. But when they got there, they saw 2749 flying through the air, moving like he knew exactly what he was doing. He landed perfect on the other side, right on the edge of the flat land, standing steady on the grass.
All three of them gasped, their faces lighting up with shock and excitement. "He made it!" Elara cheered, her pink eyes big and bright. Anya nodded fast. "He can help us, maybe grab a tree or something to make a bridge across!"
They were buzzing with hope as 2749 walked over to a tree nearby, his mind still stuck on that old memory. He reached up, trying to climb it like he did in his head, his scarred hands grabbing the rough bark.
Elara put her hands around her mouth and shouted across the valley. "Hey, weirdo!" Her voice bounced off the pit's walls, coming back all weird and echoey, like a ghost calling her name. "What're you doing? Can you help us get there too or find a rope or something so we can get over there!"
2749 glanced back at the group by the mountain's hole, the valley yawning between them. With a slow nod, he dropped from the tree, the dark glow igniting around him once more. A thunderous BOOM! echoed as he launched back across the valley, the air rippling in his wake.
Anya, Borin, and Elara stepped back quickly, their eyes wide as 2749 came flying in. He landed with a loud thud right in front of them, dust flying up around his feet like a little sandstorm. 2749 didn't say anything, just stepped up and grabbed Elara, his arm going around her middle. He picked her up easily, turning her so she was flat across his arm, her body flipped sideways, legs dangling on one side, head on the other, like she was a board.
Elara let out a small squeak, her arms flailing a bit to stay balanced. "Whoa, weirdo, what's this?!" she yelped, looking up at his face. But then her eyes dropped lower, seeing his bare body, everything out in the open now with her at this angle. Her cheeks turned bright red, and she shut her eyes tight. "Geez, you sure you can jump like this?" she asked, her voice all shaky with worry.
2749 just nodded, his face blank as always.
Elara swallowed hard, holding onto his arm tight. "Okay, fine, but don't drop me," Elara said, her voice a bit shaky. That dark glow started up around 2749 again, shadows spinning around him like a wild tornado, and with a BOOM!, he jumped across the valley, the air rumbling behind them like thunder.
While they were flying through the air, Elara looked down, her stomach doing flips at the sight of the deep, dark valley below. It was so black and endless, like a big mouth ready to eat them up, she couldn't even see the bottom.
She glanced back at the mountain they'd escaped from, its rough shape sticking up against the gray sky. Memories hit her hard, years stuck in that awful lab, the experiments, the pain, all flashing through her head like a bad dream.
Before she could think too much, they landed with a hard thud on the other side. 2749 turned her back upright, setting her down on the grass.
Elara wobbled a bit, catching her breath, then stretched her arms out wide, her big Valerius robe flapping in the wind, the black fabric all dirty but still shining a little, like it held some of the lab's magic.
Elara looked around at the flat land, the green trees swaying a bit in the breeze, and the wide open sky up above. A big grin spread across her face, her pink eyes shining bright like tiny stars. "Finally, I'm free!" she shouted, her voice all wobbly with joy.
She turned to 2749, who was still standing there like a statue. "Go get those two here too, weirdo!" she said, pointing back to the mountain.
2749 nodded and jumped back across the valley with another BOOM!, coming back fast with Anya and Borin. He'd picked them both up at once, one under each arm, holding them sideways like he did with Elara. They landed with a heavy thud, and 2749 set them down, turning them upright again.
Borin dropped to his knees, pressing his forehead to the grass with a shaky laugh. "Sweet freedom, I'm never doing that again!" he said, his voice all wobbly but happy.
Elara stood with hands on her hips, the clean air filling her lungs as she gazed at the distant trees. "Mummy, Daddy, I'm coming back," she whispered, her voice trembling with longing. A memory surfaced, her mother's warm embrace, her father's laughter, and a faint lullaby she couldn't quite place. Her pink eyes shimmered with tears, a mix of joy and sorrow, as she wondered how much had changed since she'd last seen them.
Anya stood apart, her blue eyes scanning the horizon, her brow furrowed. Freedom felt hollow with so many questions lingering. Why had Valerius abandoned the lab? And what dangers still awaited them in this unfamiliar world?