'We have to take the casket with us back to the surface,' Ileus said, looking at the casket feeling miserable. There was hollowness in his chest. Always ahead in the group in order to take the lead for his prince, Guarhal was one of the most formidable Mozias he had known. He was with him ever since they had gone to Vilinski and Ileus had grown attached to them. Loss of Carrick and Zlu had settled a little when another wound opened. He chided himself on the inside to fall in this bait. But he was so blinded by the fact that he was about to find his sister and clear Anastasia's name forever, that even for once he didn't question his judgment. Not only Guarhal fell victim to his decision, his men were at the risk of being killed here and he had left Anastasia unprotected up there.
'If we remove the casket, it will garner unnecessary attention, Ileus,' conveyed Kaizan.
His brows creased with tension. Every passing minute was like an iron ball that pulled them towards the abyss. He turned to look at Aidan, who was coming in. 'The Square is still active and there are many serpent shifters roaming. I saw two serpent shifters brawling near the corridors. I think that is why there was turbulence in the water.'
'Let us wait for a few hours until it becomes quiet,' said Tadgh.
They all agreed upon waiting for a few hours. However, what if they were found? Ileus looked at the casket. He knew that it was impossible to cast an invisibility spell on it. On the inside he marveled at the sorcery of the person behind it. Who could it be? He decided to wait.
As they waited, as minutes turned to hours, Ileus' mind became like the ocean he was inside—calm on the surface with deep undercurrents. Each undercurrent swirled with its own purpose. Watching the casket only increased his misery. His feet became cold and fingers numb when he recalled how Guarhal got sucked inside. Like a fool, he let himself be in Ryhs' trap. As the hours passed, his patience became thin. He ran his hands over the rock he was sitting on and felt his insides squirm in a way they hadn't since the time in Virgine Falls. He wondered if he hadn't come to rescue Iona, he would have never known that she was not in Zmjia. At least now they would focus on finding her elsewhere… but where? His hands began to shake uncontrollably. He stabbed his fingers into his breeches pockets and hoped to bring his scattered thoughts in one place.
Tadgh walked out to see the activity in the Square. 'There is no one there now,' he said upon return.
Ileus got up immediately. 'Now!' he shouted through their mental link.
All of them lifted the casket together and took it out of the garbage room and came to the corridor. There was no one in the Square, which was a relief. The light that was lighting up the Square had dimmed. Small, thin, green and blue snakes slithered around them as if out on a hunt now that the serpents were gone. Water scraped the trash inside the litter room. Ileus' foot banged against something heavy. When he looked down, he saw the skull of a serpent. He kicked it aside. There was a far-off wail of a siren. Perhaps the guards were out on patrol. 'We must hurry up!' he goaded his group and they all quickened their pace. They reached the periphery soon.
'If we carry the casket like this to the surface, it is going to take us forever to reach,' Kaizan pointed out.
'I know, and I want to create a force to pull it out, but I am waiting for us to break the safety wall,' said Ileus pointing at the fish that were swimming on the perimeter. They were barely twenty meters away from the wall when suddenly a giant serpent shifter swam in front of them, flapping his strong green tail on the ground. Mud flew around it, dislocating its small, insignificant inhabitants.
'Fuck!' Kaizan said. There was terror in his eyes. 'What are we going to do now?'
'Fight him, of course!' said Ileus. 'But remember, we are invisible. He can only see the casket.'
'He is going to attack the casket,' said Aidan.
'No, he is going to attack at the sides of the casket because they know that whosoever is in the casket is unconscious. They have to kill the rest!' Ileus explained.
'Damn it!' Tadgh cursed. 'What do we do?'
As they were about to use their magic, more serpent sentinels in their serpent form joined the first one. Soon there were over a dozen, giant, thick serpents with fangs that would shy a basilisk's started coiling and slithering in front of them.
'Kaizan can you shoulder the casket alone?' asked Ilues.
'What is your plan?' asked Kaizan. He was a werewolf and he would do it.
'I am going to stun the fish on the periphery. You will have to take the opportunity and penetrate the wall. Meanwhile Aidan, Tadgh and I are going to fight these and as soon as possible find an opportunity to join you. When you are out of the wall, you better start going up, okay? Don't wait for us.'
Kaizan's stomach knotted. 'Okay,' he replied with steel determination. He stood firmly on the ocean's bed and others slid the casket over his shoulders.
A guard hissed, "Attack!"
Three giant guards in their serpent form lunged at the casket but were met with invisible resistance.
Ileus and the two Mozias took their sword out and sliced the three serpents, each taking one, in merely five seconds. They didn't use their magic because that would mean their locations would be discovered soon. Since their swords were also under invisibility spell, the serpents didn't know where the blow was coming from. It worked to their advantage. The sliced serpents lay on the floor as dark blood swirled around them in thick pools. Taking the benefit of the darkness, Kaizan moved to the side near the wall.
But one of the serpent shifters saw him. He raised his hand to target the coffer, but the leader shouted at him. "Don't! Ileus could be in there. We have to take him to the king." Seeing his three guards down, the leader became furious.
Ileus' suspicions were confirmed the moment the guard said that. This was a trap set by Rhys for sure. How would the sentinels know his name otherwise? They were expecting him to be in the casket.
They all lunged at whatever was there in front of them with their spears and bared fangs, ready to rip the enemy. However, Ileus and his men pushed themselves up from the ground and attacked the guards from above. The serpents just didn't know who was attacking or from where the next assault would come from. They were throwing their spears blindly.
"Seize the casket!" the leader barked orders.
One of the serpent shifters swam towards Kaizan with powerful strokes.
Ileus was stunned for a moment when he saw Kaizan freezing in his spot.
