As the woman hurried through the narrow tunnels her steps growing more frantic with each passing second, an unsettling sensation crept up her spine.
The air around her seemed to grow heavier, more oppressive, as if something malevolent was closing in. A shiver of fear ran through her, almost freezing her in place.
"Wha… What the hell is this feeling?"
She sensed a dangerous intensity from behind, a presence so overwhelming that her instincts screamed at her to flee faster. Panic began to gnaw at her resolve. Her mind raced with a single terrifying thought: "Is this the Dragon?"
With a surge of adrenaline, she quickened her pace, her heart pounding in her chest. Her breath came in short, ragged gasps as she pushed herself to move faster, desperate to reach the safety of the exit.
"I have to get out of here quick!"
But the oppressive presence only grew stronger, closer, until it felt like it was right on top of her.
Suddenly, from the shadows behind her a figure lunged at her with blinding speed. He materialized before her. His reptilian eyes glowing with a fierce crimon light. A pair of majestic yet terrifying Dragon wings unfurled from his back, casting an imposing shadow that engulfed her.
The woman's heart skipped a beat, her fear skyrocketing. The sight of Erend in his half-Dragon form was more than she had ever imagined. His presence was suffocating, and the raw power emanating from him made her feel utterly insignificant.
Erend's eyes bore into hers. "You thought you could escape?" he growled, his voice a low, rumbling threat.
The woman instinctively took a step back, her mind scrambling for any possible escape. But her body refused to move further, paralyzed by the sheer intensity of Erend's aura.
"You're not going anywhere. Tell me who you are and why you were trying to sabotage the Starsteel forging," Erend said, floating closer to her. "And tell me what you know about Dragon."
The woman's eyes darted around, searching for any possible way out but there was none. She was trapped, caught between a Dragon's fury and her own desperation. Realizing there was no escape, she swallowed hard, her voice trembling as she finally spoke.
"I… I was sent by those who fear the power of Starsteel," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. "They wanted to disrupt the forging process and turn the dwarves against the humans and Elves."
"Who sent you? Give me a name!"
The woman hesitated, her loyalty to her masters warring with her fear of Erend. But in the end, the latter won out.
"It was the Shadow Order," she confessed. "They're the ones who orchestrated this. I don't know anymore detail about them."
Erend's eyes narrowed. "The Shadow Order... Then, how do you know about the Dragon?"
"They told me about it," the Elf said. "That's the only knowledge I got about Dragon."
Erend pondered for a few moments in silence. The Elf woman contemplated finding a way to escape, but she was more afraid that the Dragon before her would kill her outright if she tried anything. So, she chose to stay still.
Moments later, the others arrived behind the Elf. She cursed, knowing she no longer had any chance of escape.
Saeldir was the first to speak, his gaze fixed on the impostor's true form. "You got... her," Saeldir said to Erend, though his eyes remained on the Elf woman.
The Elf woman turned her gaze, looking at Saeldir with eyes full of burning anger. But then, as if realizing her position, she averted her face.
"She is an Elf," Billy said. "How could she do this? Do you know anything?"
Saeldir shook his head, a frown on his face. "I have no idea who she is."
"She mentioned something about an organization. Something called the Shadow Order," Erend said.
The others looked at him with concern clearly etched on their faces.
"Another problem arises, huh... Damn it. Can't we ever get a break?" Billy rubbed his face in frustration.
"First, what should we do with this Elf?" Adrien asked.
"I have an idea," Adrius said. "I can imprison her in this."
Adrius then produced a crystal tube from within his robe. The tube was clearly infused with magic, shimmering with a blue light.
The Elf's eyes widened, fear evident on her face. "W-What is that?!"
"Imprison her," Erend said.
Seeing no objections from the others, Adrius quickly chanted a spell, taking only a single breath. A blue light emerged and enveloped the Elf woman. In the blink of an eye, with Adrius's impressive magical abilities, she was absorbed into the tube and frozen inside, like a figure in a container.
"We can question her later, and she won't have any way to escape. Here," Adrius lifted the tube. "Her consciousness will be suspended for now."
"That's good," Erend said.
Few minutes later they stood before the king, Adrius took a step forward, holding his tube that now glowing faintly with Magical energy.
"Your Majesty," Adrius began, "I have managed to trap the impostor, an Elf woman, inside this artifact. It's a containment tube imbued with powerful Magic. She won't be able to escape, and we can question her at a later time."
King Thorgrim's eyes flicked to the glowing tube, his brows furrowing with interest and relief.
"Well done, Archmage. It was wise of you to secure her in such a manner. This will allow us to gather the information we need without immediate threat. Keep it safe. The knowledge she holds could be crucial to understanding the extent of the threat we face."
Adrius bowed slightly, his grip firm on the artifact. "Yes, Your Majesty. I will ensure that she remains secure and will prepare for her interrogation when the time is right."
King Thorgrim nodded, a look of satisfaction crossing his features. "Good. We will need every advantage we can get. Your efforts are invaluable to the safety and success of our kingdom. I will never forget about this."
With that, Adrius stepped back, the glowing tube held securely in his hand, a silent promise to protect it until the time for answers came.