In Tehtra, following the gathering of the shadows, the badger lords dispersed to their designated locations, where their armies awaited them.
Troba—or rather, Galatea, disguised thanks to Meliradal's magic—walked cautiously. She was visibly shaken by what she had witnessed during the meeting with the seven members of the Shadow Council. Her mission was clear: she had to inform her queen, Strongia, about everything that had transpired in order to prepare them for what was coming.
The place was vast, and one could easily get lost, but fortunately for Galatea, the buildings were marked with distinctive colors that identified each shadow army. As she searched for her assigned position, something caught her attention: a hooded figure darted across a nearby alley. His dark, furtive silhouette aroused suspicion in her. Without hesitation, Galatea decided to follow him.
She entered the alley quickly, but the figure had vanished. "Perhaps it's just my imagination playing tricks on me," she thought, attributing the strange sensation to the eerie atmosphere of Tehtra. Just as she was about to leave, a cold gust of wind from one of the side passages caught her attention.
Following the trail of the breeze, she inspected the trash bins and a stack of boxes. As she approached, she felt the same draft again. Carefully moving the boxes aside, she discovered a hole in the ground hidden beneath them. Inside, a ladder descended into the darkness. Without hesitation, Galatea began to climb down, treading cautiously on each step.
At the bottom of the ladder, a dark tunnel stretched out before her. In the distance, she spotted the same hooded figure she had been following. He seemed indecisive, staring at three tunnels that branched off ahead. Finally, he chose one and moved forward. Galatea followed from a safe distance, relying on her special glasses to see in the dark without the need for torches or fire.
After some time, they heard voices in the distance. The hooded figure stopped abruptly, hiding among the shadows as he listened intently. Galatea did the same, inching closer to hear as well.
Suddenly, the hooded figure pulled something from his pocket. Small flames shaped like birds came to life in his hand, partially illuminating the tunnel. A hologram appeared before him: it was Tejod, observing from the projection, summoned by General Bleko.
Bleko explained that they planned to betray him. Galatea, concealed in the shadows, listened attentively to every word, careful not to make any noise that might reveal her presence.
When the conversation ended, Bleko decided to venture deeper into the tunnel. Galatea followed, maintaining a prudent distance. But then, something unexpected happened: Bleko suddenly collapsed, unconscious, onto the ground.
A shiver ran down Galatea's spine as she watched a hideous creature dragging Bleko toward a dark chamber. Her skin prickled when she noticed that the creature wasn't alone: a grotesque scientist with rat-like features stood beside it. It was Meloc.
"You've done well, my dear Gibrido," Meloc rasped as he stroked the motionless body of Bleko, now strapped to a gurney. Galatea suppressed a grimace of disgust. "That thing is revolting," she thought to herself, struggling to maintain her composure. But something else chilled her blood: Bleko bore the same insignia of the Black Shadows displayed on one of the walls in the chamber. "If they did this to their own people… I can't even imagine what they'd do to me."
She averted her gaze and noticed Blajon and Tertrol conversing in hushed tones nearby. However, what truly captured her attention was Meloc, who seemed thrilled as he stood before a kind of metallic coffin. Galatea wondered what could possibly be inside that object, but she knew getting closer would be far too risky. She decided it was best to retrace her steps and report everything she had seen.
Fortunately, Galatea had the foresight to mark her path with chalk from her belt. Following the marks, she retraced her steps through the tunnels until she reached the entrance. She quickly climbed up the ladder and sealed the opening behind her, ensuring no one could find it. Once outside, she carefully scanned the alley to see if anyone was lurking nearby. To her relief, there was no one; it seemed the citizens avoided this area entirely.
Without wasting time, she began searching for the sector assigned to the Yellow Shadow army. She walked several blocks, observing banners hanging from each building, marked with the distinctive colors of the shadows. However, hers still hadn't appeared. She noticed the entire area was fenced off with barbed wire, likely to prevent ordinary citizens from entering. From a distance, she saw some passersby, but none approached this zone, reserved exclusively for the residences of the six shadows.
Finally, she arrived at the sector assigned to the Yellow Shadow army. Compared to the others, their territory seemed smaller, and even their building was modest compared to the imposing structures of the other factions.
Upon entering, part of her army greeted her with curious looks. Two soldiers quickly approached, revealing themselves as her daughters thanks to the disguises created by Meliradal's magic.
"Mom! Why were you gone so long? What happened? How did the meeting go?" they asked anxiously, surrounding her with concern.
"Calm down, girls, I'm fine," Galatea replied calmly, though her urgent tone hinted there was no time for detailed explanations. "But listen to me: we don't have time for explanations right now. It's time to call the queen and warn her."
Immediately, Galatea pulled out her communicator shell and called her queen.
"Hello, Galatea!" Strongia responded calmly, though she detected something different in her voice. "You sound very agitated," the queen remarked after hearing her speak hurriedly.
"My lady, we have no time to lose," Galatea said, unable to hide her urgency. "It seems something dangerous is brewing in the shadows. There's a group planning to overthrow Tejod himself."
"Well, that could work in our favor," Strongia replied after a moment of reflection. "If they destroy each other, then we won't have to face them."
"Yes, my lady, that would be ideal," Galatea replied quickly, though her worried tone did not diminish. "But that's not all. They're developing a powerful weapon to eliminate that badger. And if they manage to use it against someone as powerful as him, it won't be long before they turn it on the rest of us."
"You're right, my dear," Strongia admitted gravely. "It's wise to stay vigilant."
"But that's not the only concern, my lady," Galatea continued, lowering her voice as if fearing she might be overheard even through the shell communicator. "In addition to those six faction leaders in the shadows, there are seven other… unsettling figures, like something risen from beyond the grave."
"Seven figures? Like the creature that came for you?" Strongia asked, visibly alarmed. "What horror… We've never seen anything like them in action, but if you say even the faction leaders fear them, it means they're extremely dangerous."
"That's correct, my lady, that's exactly what I fear," Galatea confirmed solemnly. "And there's something even worse, my lady. When the Marine Dawn arrives… it will be the moment when Urugas awakens."
A tense silence settled on the other end of the line. Strongia knew what that name meant. The threat posed by Urugas was something even the bravest dared not face.