Thaddeus glanced in Archie’s direction. “The Obsidian Lord already informed me. I’d like to know how that happened.”
Tate waved a hand, dismissing his words. “What’s more important is the fact that Nathan now controls the tunnels and everything inside them.”
Thaddeus’s face slowly changed to one of seriousness as he shot a questioning gaze at Ryu.
The dragon-ridden inclined his head in confirmation.
“What does this mean?” Thaddeus asked.
“To understand that, you first need a bit of a history lesson,” Tate said. “You know that the first peoples to walk this planet came from somewhere very far away. What you may not know is they used a ship to travel the stars.”
Thora, who had a deep interest in history, listened with rapt attention, taking in every word as if he could glean the truth by simply listening.
“That ship crash landed where Aurelia now stands. Your so-called tunnels were once part of it,” Tate said. “Both the Saviors and Creators expanded those tunnels during the war, but the core tunnels came from the ship.”
“That actually makes sense.” Thora nodded slowly, his gaze going distant. “Several scholars have theorized why our tunnels are different than others on the continent. This could explain it.”
“How does this fit in with current events?” Thaddeus asked.
Tate’s smile held no amusement. “Nathan currently has control of the minor goddess responsible for everything within the tunnels.”
“We’ll need to withdraw our people,” Thaddeus said, shooting a look at Ryu.
Of those present, Ryu had the biggest network of informants. Many of whom were embedded in the underworld.
“They’ve already been informed,” Ryu said.
Tate caught Dewdrop’s gaze and raised an eyebrow. He nodded to tell her their contacts were apprised of the situation as well; Blade and the Lucius’s would have been within that group.
It wasn’t a perfect solution, but it was better than leaving them in the dark. At least this way they could make their own decisions.
“I assume there’s more,” Thaddeus said.
Smart man.
“The ship and the minor goddess are only a part of your problem. The real concern is the Rift,” Tate said. “It can act like a power source, which Nathan can use to raise the ship. If that happens, you can kiss Aurelia goodbye.”
“What would be the point of raising the ship beyond wanton chaos?” Thora asked.
Tate rubbed her forefinger with her thumb as she carefully considered her next words. How much to reveal? How much to hold back?
If it was only the emperor she needed to convince, she wouldn’t have to be so circumspect. She was sure throughout the ages there were many secrets and explosive information he or his predecessors would have had to hold in reserve.
It was the same for the dragon-ridden who saw the passage of centuries.
The others in the room were more of an unknown. Most notably, Archie and George.
“The Saviors were less than thorough when they did away with the Creators,” Tate finally said. “Nathan is searching for his companions’ last resting place.”
“For what purpose?” Archie asked.
“What else—to wake them from their slumber.”
There was a horrified silence, and it was easy to see not everyone believed her. Resistance was present in many of the faces in the room.
Such doubts were natural. Tate had even anticipated them. In their place, she wouldn’t have wanted to believe her either. It was easier to pretend everything was alright rather than face how truly fucked up things had become.
The only problem with such behavior was that it would have drastic consequences if left unchecked.
