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You can find the previous part behind these blue words.
 

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Chapter Seven

“The city is approximately ten kilometres from our location,” Lorrick said, his finger trailing over the creased and faded map. He narrowed his eyes and scanned the markings, taking in every detail, every potential hazard. “The site should be around here — a ‘shopping mall’, they called it. Captain, what do you think?”

Lily shuffled from foot to foot, watching from a few paces back.

Lorrick, the expedition leader, stood beside the captain, the two of them studying the map with intense focus. He was a short, wiry man, but despite his size he carried himself with quite the commanding air. His presence filled the space around him, his sharp, calculating gaze enough to remind everyone that he was in charge of this expedition. The captain at his side stood tall, his posture stiff and disciplined. Lorrick, despite being the expedition’s leader, seemed to both command and defer to the captain — a strange balance of authority and trust that made it clear they had worked together for many years. They had likely faced dangers on the surface more times than Lily could imagine.

Lorrick tapped the map once more, more rapidly this time, and glanced at the captain. “Thoughts?”

The captain was studying the map, his brow furrowed in concentration.

“There’s a potential sinkhole near that southern edge,” he finally said. “Scouts have also noted signs of those blasted dog-like creatures, west of the route. If we stick to the river, and avoid the south-west of the city, we shouldn’t have too much trouble.”

“Good, good,” Lorrick nodded thoughtfully. “Best avoid the beasts. Stick to the river, then we’ll cross over the old highway into the city.”

Lily furrowed her brow, mulling over the words she was overhearing. Dog-like creatures? Beasts? She had seen pictures of dogs in the old history books. They were small, loyal, often depicted lounging by their owners’ feet… they hadn’t seemed so bad in those faded images. Evidently, these were not the same animals.

After one more cursory glance over the map, Lorrick straightened and swiftly rolled the parchment into a tube. “Alright, Captain. Make sure your men are ready. We move soon.”

The captain nodded and strode away, his sharp commands ringing out as he briefed his men. Lorrick’s eyes fell on Lily and his expression softened slightly.

“Guardsman Alexander!” He called out. “Bring your charge. Let’s have a word before we depart.”

Xander flashed Lily a quick smile and gave her an encouraging nudge. “Come on,” he murmured. “Lorrick’s not as intimidating as he looks.”

Lily smirked but quickly hid it behind a clearing of her throat. ‘Intimidating’ was hardly the best word to describe the expedition leader, and yet, a flutter of nerves danced in her chest. She swallowed down her unease and followed Xander’s lead towards the man. As they approached, Lorrick folded his arms across his chest and his gaze settled on her with a mix of curiosity and quiet authority.

“Lilian,” he said, nodding at her, his voice warmer than when he had been speaking with the captain. A small smile played about the corners of his lips. “The Curator has told me much about you.”

Her heart leapt into her throat. What exactly had the Curator said about her? Was Lorrick aware of her many misdeeds, the unsanctioned trip to the surface, the reckless stunts she had pulled in the past? Her worry must’ve been written clear across her face because Lorrick chuckled.

“Only good things, I assure you,” he said. His eyes moved to the satchel at her side, where the camera lay safely nestled. “Your transgressions aren’t my concern. That’s a wonderful piece of technology you’ve got there and I’m eager to see it in action.”

The knot of tension in Lily’s chest loosened and a massive grin spread across her face. “I’m eager to use it,” she said, her excitement bubbling back to the surface.

Lorrick nodded, then raised an eyebrow at Xander.

“Guardsman, I assume you know your duty?”

Xander straightened his posture, but when he spoke his tone was laced with a humour that contrasted his demeanour. “Absolutely, sir. The Curator’s tasked me with keeping our chronicler’s… enthusiasm in check, and ensuring she doesn’t get herself or the team into trouble.”

Lorrick let out a good-natured laugh. “Don’t you dare stifle that enthusiasm, guardsman. It’s a gift! New order: just keep the girl safe.”

“Understood, sir.”

Lorrick gave them a nod then turned back to the captain, his demeanour swiftly returning to that of a commanding leader.

“Captain. Let’s move.”

The guardsmen moved with practised ease, forming up neatly around the group of researchers as they led the expedition forward. The air around them buzzed with anticipation — a mixture of excitement and tension as they prepared to venture deeper into the unknown.

The group set off alongside the river, the steady trickle of water lapping against the banks, a serene contrast to the tense energy thrumming through the expedition. Yet, for Lily, her heart soared. She was finally here, on the surface, but this time not as a stowaway sneaking through forbidden tunnels; she was here with a purpose, as a chronicler — the chronicler. The camera sitting inside her satchel felt more like a promise than an added weight in her bag, and she was eager to do her job.

The sun shone down in brilliant rays, casting the world in vibrant hues. Whilst Lily had seen the surface before, it hadn’t been like this. Full daylight, the sky painted a flawless blue with not a single cloud marring its countenance, the river beside them glistened as a mirror, reflecting the blue back unto the sky, and the trees — those towering, ancient sentinels — were alive with birdsong… it was glorious.

A flock of colourful creatures perched on the branches above, their feathers painted in so many colours she couldn’t have imagined any underground creature baring. Their songs filled the air, bright and full of life, a symphony that no musician in the underground could ever hope to replicate. Lily’s breath caught as she watched them flutter from branch to branch, their carefree existence a stark difference from all that she knew.

It was noisy on the surface, she realised. Not the stifling, oppressive kind of noise she was used to underground — the clatter of footsteps echoing on stone, the hum of machinery, the repetitive whacks from the miners expansion of their realm — but a constant hum of life. Insects buzzed, birds sang, the leaves whispered as they danced in the wind. Everything was alive. Everything was moving.

“I didn’t expect it to be so noisy up here,” she murmured to Xander as they walked. “It’s fascinating. Beautiful. But… does it ever stop?”

Xander chuckled softly.

“I know it can be overwhelming at first.” He glanced at her, his smile warm, but his ever-watchful eyes scanned their surroundings. “But it’s when it goes silent you need to be worried.”

Lily raised an eyebrow.

“Silent?”

Xander nodded.

“If the birds stop singing, or the insects go quiet — that means something is nearby. Something we don’t want to meet.”

He said it with a smile, as though to ease any worry, but the weight of his words lingered in Lily’s mind. She swallowed, nodding, her eyes turning back to the landscape around them. The world was beautiful, but it was wild, untamed, and here… they were not at the top of the food chain.

As they continued, Lily’s gaze drifted towards Xander. The sunlight caught in his hair, turning his soft waves into gold. He moved with the quiet confidence of a seasoned guardsman, his hand never straying far from the hilt of his sword as he scanned their surroundings for possible dangers. For a brief, stolen moment, she found herself imagining what it would feel like to reach out, to let her fingers trail through those golden waves, to trace the path of sunlight across his shoulders…

His gazed shifted toward her, catching her mid-stare. Heat rushed to her cheeks and she quickly averted her gaze, her heart thudding in her chest.

“Admiring the scenery?”

Xander’s voice was low, almost teasing — her cheeks grew hotter — definitely teasing. Her embarrassment prickled beneath her skin, but she forced a wide grin anyway. “It’s hard not to,” she deflected, spreading her arms wide to take in the world around them. “It’s so beautiful out here!”

The ground beneath her feet shifted and she stumbled, tripping over a hidden piece of rubble.

Xander’s hand shot out, catching her arm and steadying her before she could fall.

“Better watch where you’re walking,” he said with a wink.

“Right. Yes. Of course, sir,” she performed a playful salute, her cheeks still burning.

The moment of levity disappeared as a sudden, guttural growl manifested across the distance, cutting through the birdsong like a knife. Lily’s breath caught in her throat, Xander snapped to attention, the other guardsmen jumped into a defensive position, their hands resting on their weapons.

For a second, the world went quiet. The birds stopped singing. The insects stilled. The air itself held its breath. Then, just as quickly, the cacophony returned, the wildlife evidently satisfied that there was no danger in the immediate vicinity.

“What was that?” Lily whispered.

Xander’s expression was calm, but his eyes were alert. “Something we don’t want to meet,” he said. “Don’t worry. It sounded a decent distance away.”

Even with his reassurance, Lily couldn’t shake the chill settling in her chest, her excitement now tempered with an edge of unease that even the golden sunrays couldn’t soften. The expedition group pressed on, but the tension was palpable. The guardsmen were more vigilant now, their movements sharp and deliberate, watching every shadow, listening to every rustle of the leaves, preparing to face any danger that dared rear its head.

They continued on, quieter than before, their path taking them away from the river and towards a cluster of buildings in the distance.

Rusted skeletons of old vehicles lay half-buried in the earth, their once-shiny surfaces long dulled and eaten away by time. Signs still lined the broken road they followed, weathered but legible, offering a glimpse into the world that had once been. One sign informed them that the Central Business District was one kilometre away. They were nearing their destination at last.

The closer they got to the heart of the city, the more an anticipation grew over the group, and with every step Lily’s heart beat a little faster.

Lorrick and the captain slowed their pace and scanned their surroundings. The captain motioned towards a cluster of towering ruins, their jagged edges looming like the skeletons of giants. A massive crater yawned in the centre of the road, blocking their path, the remains of a once-majestic skyscraper strewn across the way. Lorrick nodded at the captain’s silent assessment, and with a subtle gesture, they steered the group toward a safer path, weaving between fallen beams and cracked walls to find a path to the other side of the gaping hole.

Beside her, Xander leaned in, his voice low and steady. “We’re almost there,” he said. “When we get to the site, you’ll be expected to help set up the camp. It can be a big job but don’t worry, everyone helps and I’ll walk you through it all.”

Lily nodded quietly, not wanting to disturb the ghosts that may still linger within this city.

The expedition pushed forward, threading their way through the ruined streets and dodging fallen debris. The deeper they went, the more oppressive the air felt — as though the weight of the past still clung to these crumbling structures, watching them from every cracked wall and shattered window.

A low howl echoed in the distance, sending a chill down Lily’s spine. She tightened her grip on the satchel at her side, as if the simple touch of the object within would quell any fear. Xander’s hand drifted to the hilt of his sword, his gaze hardening as he scanned the surrounding buildings, but the group didn’t slow their pace and the guardsmen leading them remained steady and calm. First and foremost, they needed to get to the expedition site.

Finally, after what felt like hours navigating the labyrinthine streets, a massive structure rose up before them, the sight of which stole Lily’s breath. The shopping mall. It towered over the other decaying buildings, a giant structure of glass and steel, its once-polished exterior now dulled by decay. Vines crept up the walls like slow-moving snakes, crawling through shattered windows and disappearing into the darkened insides. The grand entrance — an archway large enough for a caravan to pass through — loomed ahead, covered in a thick curtain of ivy. Even after the centuries, the mall’s size and structure hinted at its former grandeur.

Lorrick came to a halt, his sharp eyes taking in the building as though he could already see the treasures hidden within its depths. “Captain,” he called out, his voice low and yet loud enough to carry itself across the ruins. “Have your men sweep the area. I don’t want another subway incident.”

The captain gave a curt nod, signalling his men to fan out. The guardsmen moved quickly, separating into three squads, their weapons readied as they disappeared in and around the building. For a moment, Lily’s stomach swirled with anxiety as she watched the men vanish, but then Xander appeared at her side and all of her unease flittered away.

“Hey, chronicler,” he murmured into her ear so only she could hear. “Are you ready for this?”

Lily couldn’t help the grin that spread across her face, her nerves melting into pure excitement.

“I’ve been ready for this my whole life,” she whispered back.

For a moment, their eyes met and held, the energy between them shifting. Xander smiled at her, the warmth in his gaze softening the moment even more, and Lily’s heart skipped a beat. It felt like the world had fallen away, leaving just the two of them standing amidst the ruins, the anticipation of the expedition fading into the background as the flutter of her feelings replaced all else. But then, she tore her gaze away and forced herself to focus on the mall and the men who were surveying it, hopefully without incident.

Unbidden, Lorrick’s warning resurfaced in her mind and she wondered what had happened during this ‘subway incident,’ how bad it must’ve been for him to speak of it with such weight. Curiosity itched at her, but now wasn’t the time to ask — the tension lingering in the air didn’t leave space for idle questions.

Soon enough, the guardsmen returned from in and around the building and reunited in front of the captain. Their faces held no sign of concern, and Lily let out a small breath she hadn’t realised she had been holding.

“The building’s mostly sound,” the captain reported after gathering his men’s accounts. “There’s a section on the bottom floor at the back that we’ll need to avoid — it’s unstable. We’ll mark it off. But the rest is remarkably sturdy. No signs of beasts or immediate threats in the area.”

Lorrick nodded, his sharp gaze sweeping over the mall with satisfaction.

“Good. We’ll set up camp in the front foyer. Everyone, secure the site, prepare the defences, get those tents hitched! I’d prefer we be ready before nightfall.”

The expedition team leapt into action. Researchers and guardsmen alike sprang into motion, dragging crates into the building and setting about their tasks with exuberant efficiency. Lily stood frozen, watching the flurry of activity with wide eyes. The full weight of what was happening began to crash into her — she was here. Not a stowaway or a girl sneaking through forbidden tunnels; but a chronicler, a true part of the team. The thought sent a thrill rushing through her, filling her with a dizzying excitement.

This was it. The greatest moment of her life.

A giddiness began to bubble up inside her chest, and along with it the urge to laugh out loud or shout to the skies. This wasn’t just a dream anymore — this was her reality.

“You alright?” Xander asked.

She had almost forgotten he had been standing beside her. Raising her chin proudly, she grinned. “I’m better than alright.” Her voice brimmed with excitement. “I’m here!”

His hand fell onto her shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze.

“Come on then, chronicler,” he said, motioning for her to follow. “If you’re here, we’d better get to work.”

Lily glanced down at the satchel by her side and steadied the bag’s strap across her shoulder. Her heart raced with anticipation for the discoveries awaiting her, buried inside that building just waiting for her camera to capture them. It was going to be glorious. With a final, steadying breath, she fell into step beside Xander and entered the shopping mall.

This was just the beginning.