CHAPTER 8
In Astra City, there are five Houses, with House Frey as its supreme leader. Daxin was a secondary force of the city; it oversaw one of the most important factors in the survival and flourishing of Astra: agriculture.
Daxin was the capital of Astra City, the second largest among all the Houses in Astra City. It was in charge of the Farm Labourers, the planting and harvesting of crops, livestock, and distributing food across all of Daxin and the city as a whole.
The Dome was the centre of Daxin. It was a fortress built to withstand any kind of attack. It was impenetrable and stood tall, reaching even the clouds. It wasn't called The Dome for no reason. It was covered in an invisible force field laced with electricity. No one knew the true capabilities of the Dome, or at least no one wanted to know. The Dome was where the leaders of Daxin resided, including the supreme leader, Alisha Daxin.
The Dome was a state-of-the-art fortress, but Slumborns were not allowed inside. And for the first time in what had been believed to be centuries, a Slumborn was about to step inside the Dome. So one would understand why Damon had different thoughts racing in his mind as he walked behind the overseer.
He looked around him, and for some reason, the entirety of the population at that moment knew he was going into the Dome. They all stared at him, some shaking their heads in pity.
"Poor guy. He's screwed," one boy said. He didn't look to be more than 16 years of age. Damon's eyes flickered to his collar tag; it read "C-W N215".
He couldn't help but wonder who the hell made a 16-year-old a construction worker.
Damon wondered what he might have done wrong. Was he late? No, he wasn't late. And even if he was, being late didn't warrant being taken to the Dome; that's what the matrons were for. He wasn't being hauled; he was being escorted.
More whispers followed, but Damon kept his eyes down, avoiding the stares of everyone. Whatever this was, he'd face it whether he liked it or not. And if he was summoned by her? He'd have to face her.
"Now, let me make something clear to you, Slumborn. Once you get into the Dome, keep your head down," the overseer said as she turned sharply around, staring Damon in the eyes. He didn't flinch, he just remained unmoved, and that seemed to have taken her aback.
She continued speaking. "Keep your head down at all costs. Believe it or not, life is actually easier for you outside of the Dome. Once you get inside, consider yourself dead," she said as she stepped closer to him, way too close. He could hear her heart beating in her chest. "The Matriarchs aren't as lenient as us overseers. They're far worse than you could possibly imagine. Be careful, 352."
Damon nodded his head as he walked forward. He looked back, his mind racing. He was stepping into a whole new world, an uncharted territory. One wrong move and he was a goner. Tales of The Domw had spread across the slums, and he knew it wasn't a place to joke with. He moved inside another terminal, and it blinked to life.
An automated artificial voice came from one of the speakers as it pulled up a tag.
"Please state your ID Tag and your residence section."
Damon paused for a while before answering.
"Dam– Farm Labourer N352."
The lights in the terminal turned green as it displayed 'Confirmed' on the tab. Damon raised a brow in suspense, waiting for something to happen.
"What next?" he asked, but there was no reply. He had never done this before; no one had, so he didn't know how exactly this worked. He decided to call for the attention of the overseer. As he turned around to exit the terminal, the door slammed shut instantly. Damon instantly got alert; he placed his hand on the glass, trying to figure out a way to open it.
He moved over to the other side, tapping randomly on the tabs, hoping it would open, but nothing happened. He accidentally clicked on a button, and the automated voice returned.
'Transport mode, engaged.'
In that instant, a small chamber in the terminal opened up. A small pipe came out, and Damon instantly knew what that meant. Gas seeped out of the pipe, and in a matter of seconds, the entire terminal was filled with gas. Damon's eyes immediately felt heavy. He tried to stay awak, but even he knew that eventually, he'd succumb to the sleeping gas. As he staggered, he couldn't help but wonder why they would need to incapacitate him on his journey to the Dome. It made no sense because it was a one-way trip.
Eventually, after fighting the gas for a little while longer, he slumped on the floor, instantly blacking out.
***
The beast chased fast behind him as he ran. The flames in his Grade 3 weapons had dimmed a little, but they were still burning.
Sage halted, taking a fighting stance. The beast ran with full speed, not slowing down. One lunged at him, but he managed to move to the side, swinging his sword and managing to graze the spider-looking creature a little bit. But that only pissed it off.
The creature had eight legs like a spider, but it was as huge as a full-grown man, with eight eyes. Even Sage could see his reflection in the eyes of the creature.
"Come on, you son of a cunt!" Sage screamed as he struck his twin blades across each other, increasing the intensity of the flames.
This time, he didn't wait. He lunged at the creature, striking its face and leaving a trail of flame across the slash. He landed on his knee, but he was too slow turning around as the creature sent him hauling across the cave and back into the clearing. He stood up grunting, holding his stomach as he gritted his teeth in pain.
He stopped breathing as he looked around him. There lay the bodies of his crew. Some had their bodies split in half. One didn't have his body at all, just his head lying around. Sage was the only one alive, and if he didn't figure out a way to defeat this beast, he'd be joining them soon. And he knew that…