Trixie turned the screen to show the security footage. And on the screen, it showed a group of Shadow Clans, standing right outside the Hideout.
"Shadow Clan? What are they doing here?" asked Pronto confused.
"You said that you and them didn't part on very good terms, should we be worried about something?" asked Drucilla.
"No, don't worry, I'll go out to talk to them, no one fires at them. Don't anger them," Eli said firmly as he walked towards the doorway with the rest of the group following him behind as he opened the door, walking out to face the group of Shadow Clan.
Eli quickly pulled the Shadow Talker out of his backpack and placed it on his head, and once again, the voices of the Shadow Clan could be heard clearly by him.
'Son of Shane," the Shadow Clan Leader greeted. "The 99 Caverns are in grave danger once more."
"We know, we fought them, whoever they are, in Gateway Caverns," Eli said.
"So it seems like you already do know of the threat," the Shadow Clan's voice boomed in Eli's head.
"Do you know what they are?" asked Eli curiously, hoping that the Shadow Clan have the answer, they usually do.
"Alas, we hoped we did. All we know of this threat… Are just legends, passed down through generations and generations of the Clan," the Shadow Clan said sighingly. "More than a 1000 years ago, there was an invasion from a distant northern cavern, freezing the lands of the 99 Caverns, until the Shane back then made it his mission to push them back, and he succeeded. That is all we know."
"The Shane back then… hmmm" Eli hummed. "How do we defeat them?" asked the Shadow Clan.
"If I may interrupt," Junjie said walking forward. We could push them back through the portal," the Eastern Champion suggested.
"There is no guarantee that it would stop them from coming through at all," the Shadow Clan pointed out.
"The Shadow Clan are right… and there are our people on the other side of the portal, we can't just… shut it down and leave them over there like that," Eli sighed as he turned around, thinking of a plan. Then, an idea struck, he turned towards the group standing behind him.
"Please tell me he is not thinking what I'm thinking," Pronto chuckled nervously as he looked at the Shane then at the rest of them.
"You want to go to the Northern Caverns, don't you?" asked Junjie, knowing that look on Eli all too well.
"What other choice do we have?" asked Eli. "We can't just leave them there," the teen sighed.
"Bro, do you remember the last time we left and what happened?" asked Kord worried, looking at the Shadow Clan. "Are you sure leaving the 99 Caverns alone again is a good thing?" asked the cave troll nervously.
"Let's not forget the fact that if we all do go through the Gateway, there will be no one left to guard the 99 Caverns," Trixie said, reminding the Shane Gang of the last time that happened, glaring at the Shadow Clan. Some of the Shadow Clan began to hiss upon hearing what the girl has said.
"We should close the portal," the leader said.
"And leave the people there?" asked Eli angrily.
"The slugs are more important!" the Shadow Clan bellowed.
"And both slugs and people are equally important!" Eli argued.
"That! Is your fight! We fight for the slugs, and the slugs only!" the Shadow Clan responded firmly, moving forward towards the Shane.
"Look! You came for our help! So we are doing this together, and we talk! We communicate!" Eli said frustrated. "The last time we fought against each other, you know what happened. Do you want that to happen again!?" asked Eli furiously as Burpy and his shoulder nodded and glared at the Shadow Clan.
The group watched as a Shadow Clan whose right eye was seemingly blinded walk up to the leader and whispered some stuff in his ear before bowing down and backed away from him.
The leader took in a deep breath before opening his eyes and looking at Eli. "Very well, the Shadow Clan will aid whatever plans the Shane has, but if anything threatens the slugs-"
"You will do anything to save them, understandable," Eli sighed as he turned around.
"Bro, you can't be really thinking of entrusting the Shadow Clans to take care of the 99 Caverns again, aren't you?" asked Kord worried.
"No, I'm not, we're splitting up," Eli said firmly.
"Wait what!?" Pronto asked surprised.
"I will lead a team to the Northern Caverns to rescue the prisoners, while a group stays here to defend the caverns," Eli explained. "This way, we can ensure that the 99 Caverns are safe," Eli finished before turning towards the Eastern Champion. "Aren't you going back to defend the Eastern Caverns?"
"I have full confidence in Lian and Hamengku to defend them," Junjie nodded firmly. "Plus, if you are going to the Northern Caverns, I'm coming along."
"If he is going, I'm going too," Mei said holding Junjie's hand tight, exchanging nods with Eli.
"Kord and I will stay here to hold off the attacks," Drucilla offered.
"Wait… Dru… Eli is going to need his muscle," Kord said. "I'm going," the blue cave troll said.
"No, Kord. You need to be here," Eli said thoughtfully. "The place we are going to go into is most likely heavily guarded, we can't draw too much attention."
"Ah, I gotcha," Kord understood then looks at Drucilla. "Seems like I'm staying."
"Are you going to be able to handle yourself over there?" Trixie asked concerned. "You will be in a foreign place though. I'm coming," Trixie said firmly as she looked at Eli.
"Trix, are you sure?" asked Eli worried.
"I know what I will be doing when I joined. We all knew, so, yes, I'm sure," Trixie said nodding in confirmation.
'Then it is settled then," Junjie interjected.
"Pack your bags, we move out whenever we are ready," Eli told the group. "We are going to the Northern Caverns.
"I see… that you have concluded?" asked the Shadow Clan as they advanced.
"Yes, we did. And I need the Shadow Clan help," Eli requested as he turned to face them.
"For what?" asked their leader.
"We're going to need help teleporting there and a diversion so that my team can get through the Gateway. Can I trust the Shadow Clan with that?" asked Eli firmly.
"You have our word, Son of Shane," the leader of the Shadow Clan said as he bowed. "The Shadow Clan will grant you and your friends passage and aid you."
"Well, Burpy, seems like we are off for another adventure," Eli said to the Infurnus chirping and jumping on his shoulder.
In the dark caverns where the Gateway stood, two giant Ice Golem stood tall, guarding the portal as the pale-skinned woman, who has a Narwhaddle slug on her shoulder, looked at the troops coming through the portal before turning back towards the hologram that stood in front of her, showing a similar pale-skinned man with a beard.
"General Nelsen," Elena greeted. "Been a while."
"General Elena, I take it you have news for me?" asked the man raising an eyebrow.
"Not at all, just wanted to talk," Elena said.
"Oh?" the man asked as he folded his arm. "You having some troubles?"
"I didn't tell her Majesty yet, but, I think I saw the Fire Elemental," the woman revealed unsurely.
"You know that if she finds out that you are withholding such information, you will be faced with a fate worse than death right?" asked Nelsen curiously.
"I'm not withholding anything, I just want to be sure before I inform her Majesty of my findings," Elena said.
"Then… why are you telling me this Elena?" asked the man confused now.
"What? Can't a friend keep in touch now?" asked Elena smirkingly, brushing a strand of hair from her face.
"Wow… Elena, really?" the man chuckled. "Even after all these years, you never change, still that playful little girl."
"Huh, if I am a girl, then you should have shame knowing that this 'little girl' beat you in hand-to-hand combat," Elena scoffed.
"Well, don't forget you lost to me in the last tournament," chuckled Nelsen. "Anyway, if you want to know the progress on my side, well, I managed to capture some of the people that resisted our troops."
"As I heard," Elena nodded.
'And I hear that the Eastern Champion is in the 99 Caverns?" asked Nelsen.
"Indeed," Elena confirmed.
"Huh, then I guess I must have underestimated you then," Nelsen chuckled.
"Oh really? Are you implying that I'm weak now?" Elena scoffed jokingly.
"Oh, on the contrary, you are the strongest woman I know," Nelsen affirmed, looking at Elena.
Elena just blushed as she chuckled. "Still the same huh? Nelsen."
Before Nelsen could respond, Elena could hear someone calling for Nelsen. "I have to go, take care, we will see each other soon," the man said. Elena nodded silently in response before the hologram disappeared.
Elena sighed before she turned around, looking down at the Gateway, frowning as she looked at her troops walking around as slugs were being transported through the Gateway.
"General, the prisoners have been transported successfully," a man, a subordinate informed Elena.
"Understood Carl, thank you for informing me," Elena said smiling faintly before turning back. She frowned, thinking hard.
"Hahaha! You can't catch me!" the voice of the young girl rang throughout her head as she ran through the blue plains of the caverns, while the Narwhaddle slug on her shoulder chirped brightly.
"Oh, can't I?" asked another girl as she ran after her. "Elena… Frost! Come back! Don't go too far!"
But Elena was already off, running through the camps and then through the ice-blue trees, further and further away.
"Hahaaha! Slowpoke," Young Elena chuckled brightly as she looked around. "She can't find me now. Ah, maybe I should go back… wait… where am I?"
Suddenly a huge explosion rocked the woods, prompting the young girl to run away from it, even more, she was scared, she didn't know what was going on. "Bianca! Bianca!" Elena called for her Narwhaddle slug who fell when she tripped. The slug looked around in panic before leaping back onto her shoulder, chirping as it prompted her to run.
It was only then when Elena realized that she was lost in the woods, the ice-cold woods. "Hello? Anyone? Mum? Dad? Help! Someone, I'm lost!" Elena shouted in desperation as she tried to remember which way she came from. Then, there were sounds of something large advancing towards her, and it came through, and Ice Golem, standing in front of the young girl tall, frightening her quite a bit.
"Stop!" a man's voice could be heard.
"Pa? What is it?" a young boy's voice could be heard before two people walked out of the darkness, a man and a younger boy.
"A survivor, Junior," the older man said.
"What are you doing out here? All alone?" asked the older man, curiously.
"I was playing, I got lost," Elena answered fearfully, unable to look away from the Ice Golem.
"Don't be scared," the man said before sighing. "What is your name?"
"Elena," the girl said, still scared. "Can you bring me back to my parents? They live around here."
"I'm afraid… That there has been an attack on your village, the rebellion attacked it, I admit, we came too late… We found… Your village, torn apart," the man said slowly.
"My parents… are gone?" asked Elena, her voice pale.
"There were no survivors," the older man answered. "I'm sorry."
The girl broke down into tears upon hearing the news, while the slug on her shoulder attempted to comfort her, nuzzling her face.
A tear slid down Elena's face as she was once again reminded as Bianca, her Narwhaddle slug noticed it and nuzzled her cheek, attempting to comfort her once again.
Suddenly, a loud hiss sounded throughout the cave they were in, getting their attention. Elena and Bianca both looked up in confusion as they tried to see where the noise was coming from, it wasn't long before they saw them, the Shadow Clan.
"It's the Shadow Clan! Get them!" Elena shouted as she pointed at them.
The Shadow Clan leader let out a roar in response before the pack charged forward, slinging slugs at them. More, appeared out of nowhere as the battle ensured.
Elena was frustrated now as she shot a Frostcrawler right at the Shadow Clan, freezing it before dodging a Hop Rock and jumping behind a rock. "Urghh! Concentrate fire on the Shadow Clan! Don't let them get near the Gateway!" Elena shouted before she fired a Geoshard slug at the advancing army, forming a wall to shield the Gateway and them. "Get behind the wall!" Elena and her troops, along with the Ice Golem were now firing at the Shadow Clan while the creatures fought back violently.
Suddenly, something struck Elena. Shadow Clan could supposedly teleport, why aren't they teleporting from behind to attack them? Elena turned back to the Gateway only to see a familiar set of faces, Eli, Junjie, Mei, and Trixie, who were on their Mecha Bikes ready to enter the Gateway.
"No, no, no, no!" Elena shouted in frustration. "Get them!"
"Take that!" Eli said as he fired the Fire Elemental, before directing to slug to form a wall of hot spitting fire, separating them from Elena and her troops.
"Go!" The Shadow Clan leader roared.
Eli nodded. "Gang, let's go to the Northern Caverns," Eli said as the Fire Elemental landed on his other shoulder. The group nodded before following Eli into the portal, disappearing into the circle of purple energy.
Notes:
Coming next: Chapter 7: Cold Arrival
This story will be updated sporadically, so stay safe and stay tuned!
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