"Look, this is it, my lord," announced one of the soldiers accompanying the leader in the golden mask, pointing to a pile of branches and leaves covering the base of a mountain.
"That's right. This is it," Jock confirmed as he surveyed the scene. What appeared to be a door lay hidden beneath the natural cover. "Alright, soldiers, clear the entrance. I order you!"
The soldiers hurried to remove the leaves and branches with the swords attached to the shafts of their spears. Once the entrance was cleared, a dark and spacious passage was revealed. They prepared torches and began to enter. The opening was large enough to allow ten people to pass through at once.
"My lord, they've entered," reported the spy observing them from afar, communicating with his general through a device.
"Excellent, boy. We're already in position and ready to attack," replied the general in a firm voice. "Prepare to seal the entrance on my command."
"Yes, sir. Awaiting your instructions, sir," the spy responded, remaining alert among the shadows.
"Wow! This cave is enormous," Ron exclaimed as they advanced through the tunnel.
"It sure is. It's huge, and the walls glow when the torchlight passes over them," Alita added, marveling at the luminous effect cast by the stones.
"Yes, it does seem that way, girl," Ludra commented, always in a defensive stance as she circled and protected her leader, 'X'.
"Relax, Ludra. Everything's fine. There's no danger here," 'X' said calmly, noticing the tension in their bodyguard.
"No, my lord. As your personal bodyguard, I must always remain vigilant," she replied without lowering her guard.
The group continued walking through the tunnel for some time until the soldier who had fallen asleep at the start quickened his pace and approached the leader.
"My lord," the soldier addressed the man in the golden mask. "This tunnel is massive. I don't know how long it'll take us to find the entrance."
"Patience, boy. According to this map, we're close to one of the passages that leads to the castle," the leader explained calmly, carefully studying the parchment.
"Hey, kid… Dall, right? Weren't you the lazy one who didn't want to wake up when I called earlier?" Jock asked, looking at him with a mix of curiosity and reproach.
"Uh, yes, sir. That's me. My apologies for that," Dall replied, scratching the back of his neck nervously.
"Well, don't waste our lord's time asking silly questions when he's busy reviewing the map. Not only did you show up late, but now you're asking nonsense," Jock scolded sternly.
The young man bowed his head at the reprimand. "Yes, excuse me, sir," he murmured before retreating to the back of the line. His companions couldn't help but tease him.
"Oh, Dall! Always so clever. We knew someone would call you out sooner or later," one of them joked.
"But I… I…" Dall tried to justify himself, but another soldier, this time with a female voice, interrupted him.
"What? Are you already tired of walking? You should've said so before joining," she quipped sarcastically, provoking laughter among the group.
"My lord, though the boy does have a point," Jock interjected respectfully but with concern. "We've been venturing deeper into this cave for hours, and I don't see any sign of an exit. There's no indication we're getting close anytime soon."
"Patience, my friend," replied the Lord of the Golden Mask, his voice resonating with calm authority. "According to the map, we're nearing the final stretch of this route. Soon, we'll reach Reedalia unseen. Apparently, this path was one of many emergency exits designed by the realm for evacuation during an invasion or catastrophe." He paused, as if reflecting on his own words. "I regret not having inspected them before this tragedy occurred."
"My lord, please don't blame yourself. It's not your fault. And I apologize for being so impertinent earlier," Jock said humbly, bowing his head in respect.
Meanwhile, the soldiers at the back began to grow impatient. One of them broke the silence with a question that had been lingering in the air.
"Hey, the Lord of the Golden Mask… he's the king, right?" one soldier murmured quietly.
"Yes, yes, he is," others whispered in confirmation, spreading the rumor.
"But then why does he wear a mask like us?" another asked, intrigued.
"Well… to look more imposing, I guess. I don't know," speculated a female voice, shrugging.
"We wear masks to hide our faces so no one can retaliate against our families," added another soldier, his voice trembling slightly.
"To be honest, I'm not thinking about any of that. All I care about is avenging my family. Later, the king will explain why he wears it. For now, let's just do as he says," interjected yet another soldier, trying to end the discussion.
"And what about that other kid who also wears a mask and glasses to conceal his face? I heard he's the leader of a resistance," commented another soldier, shifting the topic.
"I doubt it," responded someone skeptically.
"Well, that's the gossip I heard."
"And why did they bring those kids onto a battlefield?" interrupted another soldier, steering the conversation toward a more pressing issue.
The murmurs continued, weaving together into a sea of hushed voices. Dall, who had been reprimanded earlier, couldn't help but smile ironically upon hearing his comrades' complaints.
"Well, and they said I was talking nonsense," he muttered to himself, shaking his head.
"It seems your soldiers are growing restless, Ari… I mean, Lord of the Golden Mask," Rodelos observed, approaching the leader with a mischievous grin.
"Well, it was to be expected. This path feels strange to me, as though we're walking straight into a trap," remarked 'X', interrupting Rodelos with a serious and calculating tone.
"That's true, sir. That's why I'm staying alert," affirmed Ludra, adjusting her defensive stance as she walked close to her leader.
"So you noticed it too, young man. Well, you're quite perceptive for your age. To be honest, this place feels odd to me as well," Rodelos added, joining the conversation.
"Silence, all of you! Don't bother our king!" Jock scolded, raising his voice to restore order.
"Our king!?" exclaimed Ludra and 'X' simultaneously, surprised.
"I thought that mask was just decorative," Ludra commented, studying the leader with renewed curiosity.
"Well, I did realize it was important, but I didn't think he was a king," admitted 'X', scratching the back of his neck with a confused expression.
"Silence, both of you!" Jock insisted, frowning deeply.
The Lord of the Golden Mask raised a hand to calm everyone. "I don't believe this is a trap, my friends. A person I deeply respect and trust completely gave me this map to fight one more day and save my people," he explained, pointing to the map with determination.
"Well, if you say so…" murmured 'X', still skeptical, "but I still think it's a perfect spot for an ambush."
At the rear of the group, Ron and Alita walked in silence, listening to the murmurs of the soldiers. The gossip flowed like an overflowing river, becoming more distorted with each retelling.
"Well, there sure is a lot of gossip here," Alita remarked with an ironic smile. "It's like the broken telephone game—each person twists the story a little more."
"Ah! It does seem that way, Alita. These soldiers may be good warriors, but they're not very bright," Ron replied, crossing his arms. "They jump at anything, and that's their weak point."
"Well, you actually said something smart for once," Chiki interjected, giving Ron a mocking grin.
The group continued onward until, suddenly, the route ended abruptly. Jock hurried to the leader with urgency.
"My lord, there's no path here," he reported, pointing to the void ahead of them. "I think we've walked into a trap."
"No, I don't believe so," the Lord of the Golden Mask countered firmly. "Godar would never deceive me. He gave us all the tools that have served us well so far."
"What's going on? Why aren't we moving forward?" Alita asked as she noticed everyone had stopped. Nakia quickly flew ahead to scout and returned to report: there was no path beyond.
"It's strange. According to these plans, there should be a path ahead, but it ends here," the leader reflected, studying the map intently.
Suddenly, bright lights flared up in the upper parts of the area, illuminating everything like a theatrical spectacle. A cold laugh echoed through the air.
"Well, well… if it isn't the army of fools?" Blaget sneered from the shadows, his voice dripping with disdain. "Now you're all at my mercy." More spotlights activated, revealing a horde of soldiers armed to the teeth.
"Quick, everyone retreat and get out!" the king ordered, but it was too late. An explosion thundered behind them, sealing the exit with an avalanche of debris.
"You're not going anywhere," Godar declared, stepping into view beside Blaget with a triumphant smile.
"You! But you were my trusted confidant, a great servant to the realm," the king exclaimed, disbelief etched across his features at the betrayal.
"Fool. You should have died back then, and this time you won't escape," Godar replied coldly. "You were naive to trust me and fall into this trap. You should have listened to Jock."
"This smelled like a trap. I told him," 'X' muttered under his breath, lowering his head as tension thickened the air.
Without warning, Godar fired an arrow tipped with a viscous liquid toward the golden mask of the leader. The substance began to dissolve the material with a sharp hiss.
The king tore off his mask immediately, but when everyone saw his face, a wave of shock and horror swept through the group.
"You?" Godar gasped, genuine surprise flashing across his face.