Chapter 30: Getting the Refugees

“You will be going back to Alucard's fortress?” Sage asked, like he didn't hear what I had said earlier.

“We can't possibly leave all those people there to suffer, could we?” I squinted my gaze, searching his eyes for the signs of disapproval, but there wasn't any. He was just shocked that I felt too confident, so bold that I wasn't even scared to say that out.

“I will go with you” Raven said, making my face shoot up in surprise.

“I've been here for ages, and I think there would be a lot I can help with” He said, and he was right. He knew more than Sage could ever have known about that place, he had lived with elders who were born and bred here, so he's just right.

“I will stay here and watch this place then. I will dispatch a team of six to go along with you” Sage said and I nodded, my eyes thanking him.

“Okay then” My voice came in a mutter as a smile crept up my face. The joy when you have people willing to stay by you, people willing to fight alongside you.

“We will leave now, Sage” I announced, and this time, it got him more surprised.

“N-now?” He asked and I nodded, before walking around with my hands crossed at my lower back while I gave an explanation.

“This is the best time to attack. There's no need for preparation, because we've always been prepared” I said, and then stopped walking, my gaze looking in the direction of the duo in front of me.

“You are truly the Phantom Queen” Raven complimented and I smiled, my eyes a word of thank you.

Raven then walked across the room, his eyes searching through the relics like he was looking for a particular one. Then he picked a vegan leather pouch bag and came back to stand in front of me, stretching the pouch bag over to me.

My gaze squinted, and I didn't take what was in his hands, but could only stare.

“This is called the Siren's Thread. It can manipulate the mind and create distraction for exactly five minutes” Raven said and I took it from him, admiring the pouch bag and the little thread that keeps wanting to fly out from inside it.

“Then what's that?” I asked, pointing to the relics that talked to me earlier.

“That's the Pale Oracle. It talks to you about the truth, and could harm people who touch it without its consent” Raven explained and I couldn't help but mouth a wow, because that was just incredible.

We left the relics room, with Raven leading us out of the cave back into the hallway everyone sees and walk on.

Then Sage went to arrange a team like he had said, and there were six soldiers standing in front of me. I scanned them and then my eyes landed on the youngest among them.

“Sage…” I called, my voice laced with terror. “Why is there such a young boy among them? It's too dangerous for him” I blinked, restlessly.

Sage wanted to speak, but the young boy beat him to it. “When will I get to fight, if not now, Queen? I'd like to fight alongside you, please allow me” The young boy said, and I couldn't help but admire him.

My vision blurred with tears that I barely managed to keep from falling and then I placed my hand on the boy's shoulder.

“What is your name?” I asked.

“Valen, Queen” He said and I patted his shoulder then smiled at him.

We were ready to leave, and then we did. Passing through caves filled with cobwebs and the tunnel we had passed through when we escaped the other day. Then we were at Alucard's fortress and I gave orders to the team on how we'd go about it.

We weren't going to attract attention, nor hurt the guards unless they appear out of nowhere and attack us.

We found our way into the fortress and stood glued to a wall, while guards passed like clockwork.

“I think we should split up” Raven whispered to me, and I was quick in saying the word NO.

The fear of having one of them captured while I don't even know what had befallen them, the fear of losing any one of them. My heart sank just by thinking about it.

“We stick together,” I told him.

Then there was silence as the marching sounds of the guards' boots vanished and then I looked out for any impending danger before signalling with my hand for them to move out.

We did, and went further into the fortress when I signalled with my hands for them to stop. I peeped out the stone walls we were hiding behind and I saw the guards.

One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Hell! They were more than ten, close to twenty. I scanned the whole place, it was the prison, the only place we just need to operate on, get the people out and then vanish with them. There was a button on two sides of the wall, buttons made with stone and I could tell without being told that those stone buttons were alarms. I heaved a deep sigh and faced my team once again, telling them the danger ahead, and then instructed one of them to make sure no one gets close to the alarms because once it's pressed, it could only mean more dangers for us.

They all nodded, understanding everything.

“Are we all ready?” I asked, my gaze asking for confirmation.

“We are when you are, Queen” Their voices were in a whisper, careful and calculated, but their eyes burned into me with determination, the signs that they were ready to take down those soldiers no matter how much they were. It made me smile, glad that I met these people.

The dangers ahead.

The risks ahead.

They didn't care, instead they were ready to fight. To conquer.