Chapter 7 - THE CITY THAT DROWNED TO SAVE THE WORLD
They traveled beneath Aurelith for two days.
The ancient aqueduct carried a black river through passages older than the kingdom itself.
Theron guided them with his staff while Aldric watched the darkness behind them.
Kael kept close to Elara.
At first, she avoided speaking to him.
She still remembered Mira’s name in his secret ledger.
The Prince had known people were disappearing.
He had tried to help, but fear had kept him from acting openly.
Elara understood fear.
She had lived with it all her life.
But understanding it did not make the dead return.
On the second evening, Kael finally spoke.
“I knew Mira.”
Elara stopped walking.
“What?”
“She brought blankets to the orphanage outside the eastern gates.”
Elara stared at him.
“She never told me.”
“She asked me not to mention it. She didn’t want the palace steward accusing her of stealing supplies.”
Elara looked away.
Kael continued.
“When I discovered her name in the execution ledger, I confronted my mother.”
“What happened?”
“She told me Mira had been sent to a provincial prison. I believed her because I wanted to.”
Elara felt tears rising.
“She was going to leave the palace in spring. We planned to open a little bakery together.”
Kael lowered his eyes.
“I’m sorry.”
Elara continued walking.
For a while, neither spoke.
Then she whispered, “So am I.”
They reached Nareth at dawn.
The underground river widened into an immense lake beneath the mountains.
Beyond it lay the ruins of a magnificent city.
Towers rose from the dark water.
Broken statues lined submerged streets.
At the center stood a white temple with seven silver bells.
Elara stopped in awe.
“Nareth.”
Theron nodded.
“The city history claims was destroyed by a tidal wave.”
Aldric studied the abandoned buildings.
“That wasn’t what happened?”
Theron’s expression darkened.
“Some records suggest the city drowned itself.”
Elara turned.
“Why would anyone do that?”
Before he could answer, the water began moving.
A long black shadow passed beneath their narrow stone bridge.
Kael drew his sword.
Something enormous rose from the depths.
A serpent crowned with coral horns emerged, its scaled body stretching beyond the bridge.
Two red eyes fixed upon Elara.
The creature opened its mouth.
Inside were thousands of glittering teeth.
Aldric pushed the others backward.
“RUN!”
The serpent lunged.
Its jaws shattered the bridge behind them.
Elara stumbled.
Kael grabbed her wrist.
But the creature was already rising again.
Theron raised his staff, sending blue lightning toward its head.
The spell struck.
The serpent barely reacted.
Elara felt her golden mark burning.
A voice spoke inside her mind.
Command me, heir.
She froze.
The serpent’s eyes changed from red to gold.
Your ancestors bound me. Will you do the same?
Elara looked toward the monster.
Its body was scarred by ancient chains.
Some had grown into its scales.
For centuries, it had been trapped beneath Nareth.
She suddenly understood the anger in its eyes.
It wasn’t merely a beast.
It was a prisoner.
Elara stepped forward.
Kael grabbed her arm.
“What are you doing?”
“Something different.”
She raised her golden hand.
“I won’t command you.”
The serpent stopped.
Elara continued.
“If you want to kill us, I can’t stop you. But we came to protect the world your people died saving.”
The creature lowered its enormous head.
Its voice echoed through her mind.
My people did not choose to drown.
Elara felt cold.
“What?”
The serpent’s golden eyes filled with ancient grief.
Aurion drowned us.
The words struck like thunder.
Elara stared toward the ruined city.
The First King.
The hero worshipped across Aurelith.
The spirit who had knelt before her.
May you like
He had destroyed Nareth.
And somewhere beneath the temple, a bell began ringing.
