Chapter 817: Taking Over The Troll Mountain (6)
She hesitated for a moment longer, before finally accepting the gesture, moving to sit beside him. The weight of whatever had been bothering her hung in the air between them, but Orion knew that she’d open up when she was ready.
"So..." Bella began, twiddling with her fingers. "When we all split up, I got trapped in some kind of alternate dimension. I was forced to carry out a bunch of trials and they were really hard... like really fucking hard. There was a point where I think I lost my mind."
Orion didn’t really say anything but what he did do is listen, watching intently as Bella began to grow more agitated and angry the more she thought about it.
"I’m sorry... it’s just... I felt so ugly. My regeneration could hardly keep up. I was scarred from head to toe. You could no longer call me human with how I looked. I was just a mannequin of wounds, but I found somebody. A dragon who took me under her wing and trained me. It was fun and she never made fun of how I looked until I went back to the underworld... and fuck... no matter what I did, people would always stare at me. Trying to find work was hard. Trying to find love was hard. I had become so strong that I easily killed whoever talked bad about me, but..." She trailed off once again before putting on a fake smile. "... whatever... my body is fine now so I shouldn’t be complaining."
She let out a long sigh before leaning her head against Orion’s shoulder. "Just let me stay like this for a bit. I’m so tired..."
The next morning, Orion and the others woke with a renewed sense of purpose. The discomfort of the troll barracks, with its massive, stinking beds, was behind them. Despite the lingering grime they all felt from the night before, no one complained; they had endured far worse. Gathering their gear and ensuring everyone was ready, they silently agreed it was time to leave the cavern.
They made their way through the dimly lit tunnels, guided by the faint light that spilled from cracks and holes in the stone. Orion led them down the paths farthest from the center, the familiar prison tunnels where they had once been held captive. Each step echoed off the cold, jagged walls, the oppressive feeling of confinement fading the further they went.
As they ventured deeper into the labyrinth of the cavern’s outskirts, the air began to feel different—cooler, thinner. The oppressive weight of the mountain above them seemed to lift as the tunnel opened up into a vast underground ravine. And there, stretching before them, was a city.
It lay nestled in the deep crevice of the ravine, abandoned and eerie. The structures were carved into the sides of the rock, tiered and vast, but they were silent, devoid of any life or movement. Buildings that might have once been bustling with activity now stood like hollow, ancient shells. The cavern ceiling above was so high it felt like an endless void, with only the occasional rock shifting or the distant echo of water dripping somewhere far below breaking the silence.
The group halted, taking in the sight of the empty city. The streets were wide but desolate, with no sign of any recent activity. Dust clung to everything, and small cracks ran along the stone paths and walls, a sign that time had slowly worn this place down.
"It looks like no one’s been here for years," Luna whispered, her voice barely audible in the stillness.
Orion nodded, his eyes scanning the surroundings cautiously. "An underground city, hidden in the ravine... I guess this is the main town or city."
The group continued their journey through the desolate underground city, their footsteps echoing through the empty streets. The silence was unnerving, but their resolve pushed them forward as they navigated their way through the labyrinth of stone structures. Eventually, they found a tunnel at the far end of the ravine, one that sloped upward, promising an escape from the deep, cold expanse.
The tunnel was long, its walls narrowing the further they ascended. The air gradually grew fresher, tinged with the scent of earth and moss, a sharp contrast to the musty, stale air of the caverns. As they climbed higher, faint rays of light began to pierce the darkness, guiding them toward freedom. With each step, the anticipation of reaching the outside world grew stronger, the oppressive weight of the mountain falling behind them.
At last, they emerged from the tunnel into the open world, the harsh transition from darkness to daylight almost blinding. They stood at the edge of a dense forest, the towering trees stretching endlessly above them, their trunks thick and ancient. These trees were unlike anything they’d seen before, their gargantuan forms reaching toward the sky like natural monoliths. The morning air was cool and crisp, carrying with it the sweet scent of dew and wildflowers.
Orion took a deep breath, filling his lungs with the fresh, invigorating air. "Finally," he murmured, feeling the tension melt away. The weight of confinement, the stink of the troll barracks, and the darkness of the caverns seemed to lift off their shoulders all at once.
Aisa looked up at the towering trees, her sharp eyes scanning the forest. "These trees... they’re enormous. It feels like we’ve walked into another world."
Luna nodded, her face calm but alert as she took in the surroundings. "It’s been so long since we’ve breathed fresh air like this."
Cy inhaled deeply, savoring the scent of freedom. "We’ve finally escaped that prison... now we can really move forward."
They all stood for a moment, letting the morning sun warm their faces and the fresh breeze clear their minds. The dense forest around them seemed alive, the sounds of birds chirping and leaves rustling in the wind creating a stark contrast to the eerie silence they had left behind in the ravine.
As they walked deeper into the gargantuan forest, the group moved with a cautious yet purposeful stride, absorbing every detail around them. The ground beneath their feet was soft, covered in a thick layer of fallen leaves and moss. The path they followed was barely discernible, worn down by the trolls’ massive feet over the years. Deep indentations in the soil marked the frequent travel of these beasts, the sheer size of the prints making it clear that they were far from any ordinary creatures’ paths.
The trees loomed overhead like ancient guardians, their bark rough and scarred with marks that told the tale of many years of wear. Vines hung down like serpents, swaying slightly in the occasional breeze that slipped through the towering trunks. Despite the forest’s vastness, there was a peculiar lifelessness to it. The usual sounds of wildlife—the chittering of squirrels, the rustling of small animals, the calls of birds—were conspicuously absent. It felt as though the very air held its breath, waiting.
"This place... it feels unnatural," Aisa murmured, her voice barely above a whisper as her keen senses extended outward, searching for any sign of danger.
Orion nodded in agreement. "It’s too quiet. Not even the trolls left much life behind."
The further they walked, the more the forest’s stillness pressed upon them. Each step they took felt heavier, the silence only broken by the occasional crunch of leaves underfoot. Every now and then, they would spot a broken tree branch, large enough that even the trolls must have struggled to pass through without causing destruction. Faint scratches along the trunks of trees were telltale signs of their brutish strength.
As they followed the trail of the trolls, it became clear that this path had been used for more than just transportation. Large stones and logs had been moved or crushed by the trolls’ hands, creating makeshift barriers and clearings. It was a functional road, used to transport goods, prisoners, and even armies. Yet, for all the signs of use, the forest itself seemed devoid of any life that might once have thrived here, as if the presence of the trolls had driven away every living creature.
Luna pointed toward a section of flattened underbrush. "Their footprint is everywhere, but no signs of resistance or struggle. No life... nothing."
As they continued on, the weight of the forest’s eerie silence pressed down on them, filling the gaps in their conversations with a growing sense of unease. Yet they pushed forward, their instincts sharp and their senses on high alert.
Then, just as the tension seemed to reach its peak, a distant sound broke the oppressive quiet: the unmistakable clashing of metal upon metal. It was faint at first, but it grew steadily louder, like the slow build of a distant storm. The distant echoes of battle—shouts, the clash of swords, and the ringing of shields—carried through the air, cutting through the unnatural stillness of the forest.
Orion’s ears perked up. "That’s fighting... far off, but it’s definitely a battle."
Aisa’s eyes narrowed. "It’s coming from the direction of the trolls’ main base. It sounds like a full-on war."
With the clashing of battle growing ever louder, they pressed on through the vast, towering forest, their hearts pounding as they prepared for whatever lay ahead. The silence of the forest was now a distant memory, replaced by the thunderous roar of an unseen war that awaited them in the distance.
