Chapter 725: Old City of Zaxalam
A few days after Hera left with Becca to rescue the dwarves captured by the guild, Shane and the Royal explorers found a path to the Old City of Zaxalam. Even better, it was very close to the doorway they took to get to Gartinet Hollow. The new room, right beside the Naga capital, was already a treasure trove. Not only did it have an actual city completely built by the Naga, but the room itself also had places that could be used for farmland, both outside and under a mountain. Unfortunately, the weather was almost the opposite of what it was in Boothudurn, which would take some getting used to for the potential new denizens.
Surrounded by a tropical forest, The Old City of Zaxalam greeted visitors with a weathered archway that still showed intricate designs of snakes spiraling towards the top. Parts of the stone structure had been broken, but the fact that a good part of the details still survived after thousands of years in an environment such as this was a testament to the Naga craftsmanship. The entrance was perched on the side of a massive mountain blending seamlessly while still being very close to the jungle floor. It was a mesmerizing sight, something that even poets would have trouble describing.
Moving deeper into the multiple levels of the city, there was a massive plaza with a large fountain of water that was currently not being used. It was shaped like a large tree, and the water would fall from its branches like its leaves. Beyond it, there was a pyramid-like structure used by the leaders of the place for important meetings and other governmental issues. Shane was the one who found all that out, thanks to her knowledge of the Naga people. There were some monsters inside the city, but the Royal Explorers got rid of them rather quickly. It was good that the room itself was only on layer 7, meaning that monsters in there wouldn't be above level 18. Even more interesting was the fact that some of the houses seemed to be made by dwarves. The Royal Explorers recognized some of the architecture and even a few of the family crests that were on display. They were the same crests as the ones some families in Boothudurn had. There was a third type of architecture in the mix, one that was completely unbothered by time. Pillars and walls that were still in pristine condition, even if there was dust covering them as if the MAZE itself had created that place. Which was something Trillian asked and discovered that it was half correct. The inner structure of the mountain was already hollowed out when the Naga arrived. There were several chambers with support pillars and walls already there that were turned into the sprawling city they now could see. He also got curious and confirmed that dwarves did live here at some point, but he ran out of time with that question. However, it was hard not to believe they came from Kul Dolor. Especially when they started finding more familiar crests in the neighborhood where the dwarven structures were located.
Just a couple of days after getting there, Shane was sure they had cleared any monsters from the city and called the guide. Confirming that the city was clear of danger and making one more discovery. Nearby, in a massive hole in the ground, by the old bones of a creature that seemed almost as big as one of the smaller mountains around the jungle, there was a door. A door with a large snake head carved on it. Touching that door would trigger a notification that looked like it belonged to the system, but the color of the window was wrong. Instead of the regular light blue, it was green with golden letters. Inside it, there was a warning, letting everyone know that only a Naga could unlock the door and that what was behind would be destroyed if the lock was broken. Any attempts to tamper with the door or with the area around it would bounce off a barrier, and if a force too strong tried to break through, an explosion would vaporize everything in a 2km radius, and the doorway that was hidden behind it would be encased in a diamond that absorbed all mana that touched it. What would actually happen if the door was broken wasn't described in the notification, but it was part of the information the guide gave Shane. According to them, this lock was made with the help of the guides. That's why it had the notification and such a powerful effect behind it. The guide didn't say anything, but to Shane, it was clear. Behind that lock was the doorway to the city of Deakoshara, the home of the Naga civilization. After sharing that with the Royal Explores, Adriel asked permission to leave the city for a while. There was something about that door that he had to confirm.
Around one week after finding Zaxalam, the guards of Boothudurn started to travel there to find a safe path. Rutigan and the other dwarves were starting to get annoyed with how they were being treated. There were even some humans being rude in their stores and trying to strong-arm the owners into giving them free items.
Time passed, and Becca arrived in the city asking for a meeting with Rutigan. She first stopped by Eridan's place to tell him and the Empress' friends about what happened. She didn't go into details but let them know that Hera was safe, just stuck somewhere, and that she had done a very good thing. Everyone was a bit confused since what she said was very generic, but they had no reason to doubt her. Later on that week, when she managed to talk with the King, she explained a bit more to him. Before the operation, she had talked with Hera at length about who should know what happened. And Rutigan was on the list of people who the Empress trusted wouldn't do anything stupid with that information. She also explained to him about Silah, making sure to spare no detail, Daemon and all. The end of their conversation was about how they could bring the blacksmith's body back.
Unfortunately, that would have to wait. At the end of that day, around 100 humans who were level 40 and above appeared in the room, including a couple who were level 70. Amongst them was a guild representative who demanded to see the King and interrogate Eridan and the humans who lived in his house. During their escape, Hera lost her mask, and while they ran away, a couple of cameras managed to capture her image. This meant that, right now, Hera was considered a wanted person, and anyone who knew her was a potential associate.
Rutigan and the guards tried to push back, but it quickly became clear that the guild could call for reinforcements at the drop of a hat. Another 100 humans at level 50 arrived less than 30 minutes after the King started arguing. In a show of force, they stopped anyone from entering or leaving the room and interrogated every person in Boothudurn. Becca was the only one who was spared from the questioning. She was famous enough and liked enough by the guild to earn that favor, but she still had to stay until they were done.
During the next month, the dwarves and anyone living in the city were under martial law and communication with the outside was cut. Those invaders would rough up anyone who tried to break their curfew. Hera's friends and family were all questioned several times with increasing intensity. Thankfully, the Empress didn't give them any information about what was going on. They weren't even aware that Silah had been kidnapped, much less about a grand conspiracy. At the end of that month, when the humans were done with their investigation, they left behind several houses that were trashed during their 'inspections' and many dwarves hating the guild. Yet, it seemed like those people didn't care. They all looked at the citizens of Boothudurn like they were inferior, not just because of their levels. On the day they left, the guild also issued a statement that Hera and her masked partners were all wanted for having broken several dangerous criminals out of prison, killing guards in the process. Even if Becca didn't say anything, the Empress' friends and family, Eridan and the council, and all the Royal Explorers had no doubts that the guild was lying. Or at least hiding some important information. The dwarves from Boothudurn also doubted those claims. Hera was a sweet and gentle person. She wouldn't have done something like that.
To avoid something even worse happening, Rutigan had to make some concessions and apologize for the situation. That was something that really didn't sit well with any of his subjects, but they also understood why he did it. It took less than a day for the guild to mobilize those people. The reason this happened was because they were very close to Earth, allowing people to get there in two days at the latest. This only reinforced the King's belief in their plan to move. Before, they were close to fun neighbors who would bring new and exciting things to their city. Now, it felt like they were deep in enemy territory, and they would need to move to a safer location. It also helped that there were more rooms connected to the Old City of Zaxalam, meaning they could potentially go much deeper into the MAZE.
During the next couple of months, a mass exodus started to happen in Boothudurn. The dwarves gathered everything they could and slowly moved to the place where their new home would be. That wasn't easy to do, but several factors pushed them to accept this decision. First, they all had faith in Rutigan and his rule. The King had always put their well-being above everything, and he was beloved by his people. Second, no one in the city had experienced oppression like that before. They only heard stories about it from their ancestors. The stories about how rulers and people in power would ask for more and more of them without caring about their well-being. Third, Hera and Blue were still considered two of the best things that ever happened to the city. The dwarves had accepted that not all humans were good, but the two women who opened their room were. There was no doubt in their minds.
While that immigration was going on, the guild maintained its presence in Boothudurn. They were doing that to cut off the dwarves from the rest of the MAZE, trying to stop any of the other races from reaching out to help. They also continued with their questioning, asking everyone in the room about Hera over and over again. They were particularly aggressive with Blue and the others. After all, if anyone would know where the fugitive was hiding, it would be her party. Eventually, the guild got tired of waiting and called all of them to a meeting.
Blue, Alex, Bonnie, and Helena were there. Shane and Mylo were currently in Zaxalam, and that saved them from this uncomfortable situation. But they were dealing with their own issues. A few representatives of the guild had waited until most of the dwarves had moved and now were trying to take Zaxalam for themselves. Their argument was that this was in human territory and that any city they found here would belong to them. Thankfully, the guild still didn't know how to trigger the correct path through the Shtylla Archipelago, which gave Shane and the dwarves a way to keep them out.
For the rest of the group, however, the problem was different. After they were coerced to spend 2 hours waiting in the guild, the representative walked in. It was Peter, the same person who spent the last months interrogating everyone.
"Hello. We really need to stop meeting like this," Peter said with a smile as he walked inside the room.
"Then stop coming after us. We told you, we don't know where Hera is and why she did what she did," Alex had her arms crossed while staring daggers at the man.
"Yes, that is what you said, and we know that you are telling the truth. We used some spells to verify that," Peter nodded.
"Then what are we doing here?" Bonnie huffed.
"We know you are still hiding something. But that doesn't matter right now. What you need to remember is that your friend is a menace to society, and you are close to her. Even if you say, you don't know what she was doing. So, here is what you will do. You will go after her. I don't care how you find her or what you have to do to get to her, but you will find and capture Hera Kingsley."
Blue scoffed, "Yeah, right. We are not doing your dirty work. Even if she is in the wrong," the controller didn't believe that, but she had learned that it was better to pretend that Hera was a criminal when talking with these people.
"You are taking the alternative then? Very well," he tapped a button on his tablet, and a screen behind him appeared with a news article, "Then this is the headline for tomorrow."
The article was titled 'Hera Kingsley flees using her associates as scapegoats.' It continued to say how the other people who participated in the prison break were captured, but the mastermind behind it managed to escape. Below it, there was a picture of Blue, Alex, Helena, and Bonnie. The article continued by saying their full names and listing their close family back on Earth.
"And, of course, you will all be under arrest. We can't have the news telling lies, can we?" Peter said with a smile.
"So that's what the guild is doing now? Threatening people's families just because they don't get what they want?" Helena squinted at the man.
"No one is threatening you. The only person who put you all in any danger was your friend. She joined forces with a terrorist organization to break several criminals out of prison. And we won't do anything with your families. Now, if people decide to vent their anger on your loved ones, that's a problem the police of Earth would have to worry about."
"Fuck you," Blue snarled.
"I'm afraid I'm a married man. But I appreciate the invitation," Peter replied with a smirk, only gaining glares from the group as a reply, "Fine, fine. I'll be more reasonable. You don't have to capture Hera. You can just kill her. As long as you record her death, the guild will believe in your innocence. I'll give you all a moment to decide. Oh, and don't try to escape. We have people outside to take you to jail. If that is your choice," with that last line, he left the conference room.
Blue and the others knew they couldn't talk properly right now, but they also had to make a decision. Unfortunately, they had no good options, and their time was running out. After a few minutes, they all walked out of the room, having come to a decision.
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