Chapter IX:

During the next morning, Adar and Seres walked through the tunnel under the stables to attend a group meeting. While chatting about what they had been up to the previous day, Adar remembered to ask, "Don't you think the new guy is kind of strange?"

"New guy?" Seres asked, taken by surprise, and appearing to not understand who Adar was talking about.

"Yes, you know, the new guy that you and Agatha caught two weeks ago," Adar said, marveling at how Seres could sometimes be so absent-minded.

"Oh, yes, I see, the... Nero. Yes, that's Nero," Seres stammered, trying to find a word.

"But don't you think he's strange?" Adar asks trying to clarify his question to his silly friend.

"Strange!! I don’t know. What do you think is so strange about him?" Seres replied, scratching his head, trying to think about Adar’s question.

"Have you ever seen anyone so cheerful here? He's trapped here, how can he be so upbeat?" Adar commented, in an attempt to express his amazement at the young man's reactions.

"You're right, he always seems cheerful. But maybe it's just his personality," Seres replied, scratching his head, trying to find a possible explanation. “I do remember that he walked in after being lost and hungry in the forest. Maybe he simply is happy not to be starving anymore.”

"Maybe. But are you feeling, okay? Since when you have been saying things that make sense?", Adar is proud of himself for being able to say the line with a straight face. Even if has to admit that his friend's answer, does make sense. He still thinks the new guy is strange.

"Oh, calm down, give me a moment to breathe. It's hard to breathe from laughing so much at your joke," Seres replied sarcastically, pushing Adar playfully.

"Are you resorting to violence now?" Adar continued with an offended tone, but a smile started tugging at the corners of his mouth as he tried to maintain a serious face.

Seres, on the other hand, remained serious, clearly not appreciating his friend's humor. Probably knowing that Adar might continue with his jokes, he decided to change the subject.

"Have you heard the stories of a necromancer attacking caravans on the Freehope road?"

"Yeah, I even tried talking to Agatha about that story, but she told me not to worry. It's probably just bored caravanner’s tales," Adar told Seres, recalling his conversation with Agatha from the previous day.

As they were talking, they reached the end of the tunnel, where there were two massive doors made of some unknown material.

"Adar, do you think we should tell him about this story? It might be important," Seres asked in a hushed tone, looking seriously at the doors.

But before he could get a response, one of the doors opened, and Shorty came out. Shorty was the tallest and strongest member of their small clan, instantly recognizable by a large scar running down the left side of his face, which had cost him his left eye. This was the main reason he rarely left the kitchen in the inn.

For both friends, it was difficult to determine his expression due to his naturally stoic demeanor and the scar that marred his face. However, they could tell that something was bothering him.

To an outsider, it might be difficult to recognize what was wrong. Still, Adar and Seres instantly stopped and became concerned.

"The master has decided it's time to try the spell again," Shorty said in his serious, hoarse voice, which revealed the reason behind his expression. He continued, "Go fetch one of the prisoners."

This order made them exchange glances before Adar asked, "Which one?"

"Anyone, it doesn't matter. The master just wants them to be strong and healthy," Shorty replied, unpleasantly. This meant that they could only choose from two.

"Why do we have to be the ones to choose?" Seres asked indignantly.

"Because you were the last ones to arrive," Shorty replied calmly before going back inside and closing the door.

This response was unwelcome to both, as they were not eager to make this decision. "Let's go before they come to bother us. If the master has given the order, we don't have much of a choice," Adar said sadly, realizing that he had been handed this unpleasant task.

They turned back to carry out their mission. They walked in silence for some time before Seres asked, "Any ideas?"

"About whom to choose?" Adar asked.

A nod from Seres.

"Strong and healthy means it can't be Sate or Ged," Adar said, pausing for a moment before concluding, "which leaves Annie or the newcomer."

"Nero?" Seres said quietly.

Hearing his friend, Adar looked at him before saying, "Getting to know them is a bad idea. It only makes it worse."

Seres returned his gaze, and, understanding what his friend was telling him and having nothing more to say, simply nodded in agreement.

After a few moments of silent contemplation and almost reaching the door to the tunnel leading to the meeting room, Adar spoke up. "We have to consider if we shouldn't leave."

"Leave? Why?" Seres asked, looking puzzled.

"Why? Just think about what we're about to do. What guarantees that one day it won't be one of us?" Adar forcefully asked, feeling more than a little irritated by the question.

"To us? That would never happen to one of us," Seres interrupted his speech when he noticed the even more pronounced expression on his friend's face. Before asking, "What makes you think it could happen to us?"

"We have four prisoners. From the four, we can only use two. And one of them we found by sheer luck," Adar says, using his fingers to indicate the numbers.

"One day, the only way to continue these experiments might very well be to use whoever is available," Adar concludes, using his index finger to point alternately at himself and Seres.

"I don't believe that. The master says that he will succeed soon, and then..." Seres begins to say before being interrupted by Adar's interjection.

"How many times have we heard that? Every time, it's always the same story." Adar says as they reach the door at the end of the corridor.

It's there that Adar points to the door with his head.

"But the results are always the same," he continues.

Seres opens the door and says, "I believe he will succeed. We have never seen anyone as capable or powerful as the master. We are years away from achieving even a fraction of his power." speaking calmly and with a new apparent determination as he steps over the threshold.

Adar follows him, trying to determine whether his friend genuinely believes what he said or if he feels he has to believe it. They have been here for years, repeating their actions with little progress.

Facing the door with the prisoners, Adar can only say, "If that's what you believe. But just think about what I said, okay?"

Seres nods in agreement, and Adar opens the door.

With the door open, the prisoners get up from the floor, where they had been eating, to receive them.

Adar looks at Seres and nods his head, indicating that he should proceed.

"Nero, come with us," Seres orders, his tone of voice and the cloaks they wear making it clear to the others what's happening.

The old Sate then speaks up, saying, "No, I'll go," her eyes slightly glowing from the magic of the necklace. Annie clings to the old woman with an apprehensive look, and her eyes also start to glow. Poor Ged shows no reaction, likely accustomed to the situation.

Struggling with the magic, she continues to speak, "I'm already old. Isn't it better for me than for a young person with many years left? He can still be useful to you."

Although Adar respects her effort, as he thinks about the time he's known her, he feels somewhat relieved to say, "I'm sorry, Sate, but it has to be him."

Up to this point, the young man had been observing the situation, seeming intrigued by everything. But now he smiles, wiping some dirt from his pants, and approaches the woman, saying, "Sate, don't worry. I'll be back soon."

"Poor fool. You don't even know what's going on," the woman responds anxiously. She looks around and continues, "We didn't have time or the courage to tell you."

Then, the magic of the necklace takes hold, and her expression becomes neutral, with all the energy she had disappearing, the young man and Annie have to support her.

"Don't worry. I promise I'll be back soon," he says, smiling, perhaps to encourage her or maybe to convince himself.

After ensuring Sate is safe, he turns and heads for the door, speaking loudly, "So are we going or not?"

This leaves both Adar and Seres bewildered, forcing them to follow him. While Adar closes the door to the cell, the young man is leaning against the hallway. Then looking at the open door leading to the meeting room, points in that direction with his head, asking, "It's over there?"

The bizarre situation leaves Adar speechless. Is this young man foolish? Can't he understand what's happening? Before Adar can continue processing the ridiculous situation, Seres says, "Yes, it is. You can go."

And he does, proceeding down the hallway. This, in turn, forces both Adar and Seres to follow him.

As they walk down the corridor, Adar thinks about how almost everyone else had to be practically forced to follow this path, while this fool follows it almost cheerfully.

When they reach the point where the tunnel changes from earth to stone, he starts studying the tunnel with interest, letting out a soft "Hum."

The scene repeats itself for a few seconds when the young man views the magic crystals lighting the remaining corridor in contrast with the few torches that had provided some light to the start of the corridor. But this time he simply says “Cool, cool.”

He had noticed that the crystals, contrary to what might be expected from light sources weren’t hot. Adar also remembers being amazed at realizing that. To them thinking that none of the previous prisoners to come throw here had even acknowledged the crystals.

Before anything more can be said, he continues walking even faster. Thus, they quickly arrive at the double doors that lead to the interior of the room.

It's then that he cheerfully exclaims, "I knew it. A ruin, you guys built your base on top of a ruin."

Adar becomes even more confused; the young man is pleased with this. But why?

"It's a shame it's ending; it was so useful. I thought I'd have more time," the young man says that while appearing to reflect on something. Leading Adar to find new deeps to his confusion. What can Nero be referring to?

Before Adar or Seres can do anything, he continues saying, "Well, might as well go ahead. Wasting time won't bring any benefit."

With that, he opens the doors and moves forward.

At that moment, Adar notices for the first time the strange young man's eyes glowing with the collar's magic.