During their journey to find the cave, they faced three more snorpions.
"I think this area belongs to snorpions. That must be why they keep getting in our way."
Alec jumped down from a snorpion's head. Sir Richard felt the scales of the snorpion and hummed.
"It could be a possibility. But maybe not. Because these creatures never stay in groups."
William put down his bag and joined the conversation.
"But so far, the snorpions we faced weren't in groups. They attacked individually."
He pondered on why the snorpions would attack like this. What Alec said seemed true. But Sir Richard's statement also wasn't wrong. Then there was only one possibility left.
"Could it be..."
"They're keeping us away from something."
Alec finished what William wanted to say. Sir Richard shook his head.
"Then they wouldn't have attacked us."
"If not something, could it be 'somewhere'? Or 'someone'?"
William gazed in the direction of the snorpion's head.
"You're just assuming possibilities."
Alec walked closer to them.
"Hey, if we don't know the exact answer, the only thing to do is make assumptions."
William crossed his arms.
"He's right. We can't just... do nothing. This is the least we can do right now."
Sir Richard eyed them both nonchalantly. He huffed.
"Fine. Keep making assumptions."
His eyes landed on the dead snorpion.
"I don't know how many more days we'll have to wander here." His voice was barely above a whisper.
"Come on. Let's keep going."
Alec and William looked at each other and followed the older man from behind.
"Coming." They spoke in unison.
While walking, William looked back, and now the snorpion was out of sight. They walked for quite some time with no solid lead. William sighed and walked a bit faster, going ahead of Sir Richard.
"Where did you get that sudden energy?"
Alec asked jokingly.
"That shouldn't be your business."
Alec chuckled. "So you do have energy. And here I thought you were worn out because of those snakes."
Sir Richard smiled at them and silently kept walking. He was relieved that at least they had energy to make jokes in this situation.
"Those are called snorpions. And for your information, a snorpion is a mixture of a snake and a scorpion."
Alec chuckled, knowing that William would now keep on talking about the snorpions and whatnot.
"They are highly poisonous, with venom in their mouths as well as in their tails. They are usually—ahhhh!"
Blindly walking, he didn't notice the sand sinking into a tunnel and slipped right into it.
"WILLIAM!!" Sir Richard and Alec yelled in unison. They saw him slide into the tunnel. They glanced at each other and jumped in one after the other.
"Aaahhhhhh!!!" William shut his eyes, letting the fear consume him.
The tunnel was long and winding. It wasn't deep, but it was so slippery that everyone just kept sliding down. When William finally reached the end, he fell onto the ground, rolling until his back hit a rock.
"Agh!... ah..."
He was completely covered in sand and dirt, and his hair was disheveled. It wouldn't be wrong to call him homeless at this point. He stood up, supporting himself with the rock. He felt his whole body ache.
"Aaahhh!"
William looked at the tunnel's end and suddenly Alec and Sir Richard emerged through it. William panicked and tried to escape.
"Wait, wait, wait! No—ack!"
But he was too slow, and they both bumped into him... hard.
When everyone cleared their heads, they were piled on William's poor back. They quickly got up.
Alec was the first to recover. He hurriedly got up from them both.
"Shit... William, are you okay?"
Sir Richard also got up and patted his knees free of dust.
"Sorry about that, kid. We... couldn't control our fall."
William got up, holding his back.
"Ugh... no worries..." he waved his hand in dismissal.
Meanwhile, Alec examined the place where they had fallen. It was an underground tunnel connected to a large, empty underground chamber. The three of them glanced at each other and walked forward.
This place was dimly lit by the sunlight filtering through tiny cracks between the stones. It gave the place an eerie vibe. The chamber had more than three entrances, just like the one they had entered from. They took a few steps inside.
"Could this be the cave we were looking for?" William asked in a subdued hush.
Alec nodded quietly. Alec's foot pressed down on a stone and, unknowingly, he triggered a faint glow. The glow spread into a line and ran across the cave. It was so dim that it went unnoticed by everyone.
"Don't just stand there. Come out and show yourself!"
A gravelly rumble spread through the chamber. The three of them tensed. They saw an old man sitting on a stone, eyes closed and hands resting in his lap in meditation. The old man had a long beard that reached his knees. He wore blue robes with floral patterns hanging loosely on his thin frame.
Alec and Sir Richard placed their hands on their sword handles. With a nod, they took a step forward.
Before they could move, a low chuckle was heard.
"You're not really blind, are you?"
The voice dripped with malicious hush, sending chills down their spines. Slowly, a bulky figure emerged from the entrance in front of them. It wasn't human — a dark figure with scales covering its lizard-like body. Its tail swept the ground as it walked. Large fangs protruded from its mouth, making it look even more dangerous. He raised his hand slightly.
"Since you can sense me just fine, why don't you hand over the map while I'm still being nice?"
Alfred's brows furrowed at the words. He stood up from the stone, facing the creature.
"Never! I swore to protect it with my life!"
The three others watched from the sidelines. Sir Richard pulled out his sword.
"I'll help the old man. Distract the lizard," he told Alec quietly.
Alec nodded and got ready. The malicious voice continued.
"With your life? That means I only have to kill you to get the map for myself."
William stood off to the side, listening to the conversation.
What map could they be talking about?
"We'll see who ends who here."
Alfred raised his hand in the air, and a beautiful sword with a blue stone engraved on its handle appeared. He grabbed it, standing relaxed but alert for any surprise attack. He was confident he could win this battle.
"Haha... you're nothing without your Axureyne."
The lizard creature flicked its hands, and the nails grew longer like blades. He smiled wickedly.
They both launched at each other in the blink of an eye. The clash of blades echoed through the chamber.
Sir Richard rushed forward. Alec ran in the opposite direction, then stopped to watch the fight. The two were equal in power.
They leapt into the air, clashing mid-air. Alfred was stepping on thin air — using magic to create his own footholds. Alec was momentarily amazed by the skill.
Sir Richard jumped up and struck at the lizard creature.
"Haaaaaagh!!"
But to everyone's surprise, the sword passed right through him. Sir Richard landed on the ground in shock. William ran to Alec's side.
"Alec!"
Alec looked down at him from where he stood.
"Did you see that?"
William was amazed at how neither Alfred nor the lizard noticed Sir Richard's attack and kept fighting.
"It's like they can't see us," Alec whispered.
Sir Richard's eyes darted between Alec, Alfred, and the lizard creature.
"What is going on?"
The three of them looked up at the ongoing battle. Alfred stabbed the creature, or took blows from him, yet neither acknowledged anyone else. Suddenly, William's eyes fell on a glowing stone near the entrance. He rushed to it. Alec and Sir Richard glanced at each other and followed.
William picked up the stone.
"This... I've seen this somewhere before."
Sir Richard took the small stone from William's hands and examined it.
"It's a memory stone."
"A memory stone?" Alec stood next to William.
"Yes. Basically, what we're seeing right now isn't real. It's a memory," William explained.
"And the memory is Mr. Alfred's."
Sir Richard walked over to where the fight was happening and waved his hand in front of them. It passed right through, as if through sand.
"The memory stone can repeat a certain memory. But we don't know when this happened exactly."
Sir Richard patted his hands as if he had actually touched sand.
Suddenly, Alfred was thrown against the stone he had been sitting on earlier. He coughed blood and his sword fell from his hands.
Alec and the others frowned at the sight.
The lizard creature stepped on Alfred's chest.
"Where's the map?"
Alfred spoke with great difficulty, his voice shaky.
"Never!... you... will never have it!"
The creature picked up Alfred's sword, examining it.
"No? I'll ask again." His voice lowered as he pressed on Alfred's chest, making it difficult for him to breathe.
"Where. Is. The map?"
Alfred tried to defend himself.
"What map?"
His response enraged the lizard creature.
"The map for the Seven Rings! I know you have it!"
At the mention of the Seven Rings, Alec and William's eyes widened. They instinctively glanced at each other.
The Rings... they are real!
"I don't know..."
Alfred blurted out, his face red from lack of oxygen.
"You know!!"
In the heat of the moment, the creature stabbed the sword brutally into Alfred's forehead, killing him instantly.
The three watched uneasily as the creature frantically searched for the map. From behind a pillar, he found a chest. Inside was a piece of paper. He read it and laughed like a madman.
"Found it! I found it... no worries if it's the map for only one of them."
The three of them watched him closely.
"Haha! It'll be enough. I can sell this to Olto for a good price."
Saying that, he ran off to one of the entrance and disappeared in the dark tunnel. Once he was gone, a faint line that first appeared was now scattering.
The three of them walked in between the cave, watching as the memory came to an end.
"So the memories were the last memories of Alfred Cheng. "
At the place where Alfred's dead body laid was now a skeleton. His sword still stained with his own blood and laying on the stone where sunlight illuminated it.