Chapter 22 - Revelation

The boys were in awe of the underground city within the mines. Shimmering stones illuminated the surroundings as sunlight filtered through the cracks above, guiding them toward the city's center. The rhythmic sound of miners striking the earth with their tools created a harmonious dedication to their work. John and William decided to split up to search for Abigail's whereabouts.

William decides to enter the tunnels, blending in with the workers because he believes Abigail will be there, particularly in the section where the heaviest work occurs. Once inside, he discovers their flexible work schedule; miners can work anytime without meeting quotas. They are motivated by Abigail's belief that their efforts will bring them closer to justice.

As he observes, two miners catch William's attention as they discuss the previous location of a large slab. To his surprise, William realizes he is somewhat familiar with that location. Trusting his instincts, he follows the clues and arrives at the spot where the slab was previously located.

Upon arriving at the site, William saw a massive mural of ancient writings etched on a wall. In the center is a hole, which William assumed was where the slab was found. Just like he heard, the workers here are instructed to work carefully to prevent damage to the mural. William admired the craft but could not understand any of the writings on the wall like the rest.

William notices faint red paint scattered across the mural. He then activates his Sense and sees the red paint move, just like what happened with the cave painting in Ingrid's home. The writing forms into figures and begins to move as they create a story of the ones who wrote this, the Zonian.

Long ago, the Zonians were a warrior tribe feared throughout the land. However, their seers foretold a prophecy that the Zonians would face a power they could not match. Determined to change their fate, the Zonians united the tribes across the land, believing that the one who would destroy them would emerge from among the tribes they had conquered.

One day, people from a foreign land discovered their bountiful region and claimed it as their Kingdom. With their religion, they united the tribes that sought peace. With their steel swords, they conquered those who dared to rebel, and with their fortified walls, they kept the tribespeople out of the very land they called home.

The Zonians stood their ground and defied the Kingdom. However, facing overwhelming odds, they could not prevail. They were forced to retreat to this sanctuary, vowing vengeance would eventually come.

In the following years, they constructed a tunnel system to infiltrate the Capital of the Kingdom. They left maps at every entrance and exit of the tunnels so that any Zonian could find their way back to the city.

This information took William aback. That's what the cave painting he saw at Ingrid's is about, and that's why he is familiar with the place. However, the middle part is missing; the last message of the mural's story will have to wait till it returns here.

William felt a sense of pride for discovering a link to his true parents. However, he was disgusted when he realized his other Zonian relatives were part of the Pentalium. As William gazed at the mural, his eyes fixed on the section depicting the Zonians swearing vengeance against the Kingdom. It was then that he finally understood the motivation behind the Pentalium's actions. A desire for revenge had driven them. As the last members of the Zonian tribe, they formed an organization to fulfill a promise made long ago. Disgusted by the thought of being associated with the Zonians, William turned away from the mural and walked toward the center.

As William made his way back, he noticed John talking to some kids in the corner of the street. The kids whispered into John's ear, and then they started running away, giggling with excitement over the candies he had given them. When William reached John, William shared that his search for Abigail had been unsuccessful. However, he had managed to uncover the origin of the Pentalium order instead.

"Don't worry, old chap." John handed Willaim a candy, teasing his friend. "My little spies told me where Abigail is."

"Did you grab these from George before we left?" William said as he pocketed the candy to cheer himself.

John pointed at the lone building overlooking the city. That eerie place was where the kids had seen Abigail enter after supervising the miners. The two of them began their journey toward it without wasting any time. They dodged the local patrols, blending in with the crowd in their disguises to avoid drawing suspicious gazes. They also wondered why there were catapults stationed inside the mines. Finally, they arrived at their destination.

John turned away from the structure while William cautiously moved and activated his Sense. His eyes glared red, and his ears began to pick up the slightest movement in the area. The entrance was unlocked, yet he heard scratching, a sign he took that Abigail might be inside. He then hears small rocks hitting the pipes from the roof. Like a cat, William climbed the structure and found pipes sticking from the roof. The pipes, similar to those in Silverhand manor, piqued William's interest. He listened to it, hoping to eavesdrop on whatever was happening inside. To his disappointment, he heard nothing and found all the pipes were stuffed with leather and foam, preventing sound from leaving or entering the pipes.

William shared his discovery on the roof with his friend John. Intrigued, John quickly devised a plan. He decided to stay near the entrance so that Abigail wouldn't notice him. If Abigail was indeed a member of the Pentalium, William needed a way to signal John. He asked William to trust him, as he had just come up with a strategy to ensure the loyalists would hear everything she would say.

"How would you do that?" William asked his friend. John handed William a bottle of tar from his bag.

"Do you remember the giant snake?" John asked William. Both grinned and understood their tasks without saying a word. William grabbed a bottle and entered the building.

William found Abigail pressing charcoal on a paper roll against the stone slab. When Abigail noticed William, she stopped her work and asked why a miner had come for her. William came up with an excuse, saying he had been instructed to look for her as another mural had been found. Abigail asked William to come closer. Once he got near, she pulled out a tunnel map and asked William to point out where the new mural was.

Willaim randomly pointed out a location on the map. Abigail's reaction changed to frustration. She began to ask how she managed to miss that spot after her miners cleared the area. While she was busy talking to herself, William took this opportunity to observe what she was doing with the stone.

This beautiful paper roll was in the process traced the marking of the slab with the charcoal. Seeing the paper more closely than ever, something inside William stirred and convinced himself to touch the paper to satisfy his curiosity. Once his fingertips felt the paper, memories of death and suffering began to resurface. The paper roll has the same texture as the note he found that ordered Eldric's death.

Anger began to swell. Vengeance kept ringing in his mind. Raw emotions dominated William's judgment. Shaking angrily, his hands reached for his sword, Bane. William slowly surrenders and succumbs to his emotions to kill Abigail and avenge Eldric.

Before he lost himself, William controlled his emotions and paced himself. For a moment, he felt like the Pentalium had felt. They wanted revenge for the ones they had lost, but William knew he could be better than them.

While William tried to control his rage, his body trembled briefly, and Abigail noticed William's sword hidden beneath his disguise. Miners are forbidden to carry weapons, and only her patrols and soldiers can. Looking up, she recognized him as one of Frosthold's squires.

The two locked eyes. Tension began to crawl beneath their skin.

"Why would my miner bring a weapon so close to their future Queen? William, squire of Frosthold." Abigail demands him to answer.

"For my protection. Especially since I don't know when trouble will find me," William replied while slowly backing away from Abigail.

"It seems that trouble is all you bring, like when you and your knight destroyed Margaret and her Keep. Tell me why I should have the four of you killed right now for not honoring my hospitality," she replied, smirking, ready to grab her sword hidden beneath the table.

Her guess made William fumble. He didn't know how she figured it out, but it was enough for Abigail to see this as an opportunity to attack. She swung her sword and managed to cut William's waist. Abigail, wanting to end this immediately, unleashed the power of her Sense. Her eyes could see that William was still reeling from the pain. The attack made him sluggish, and he kept leaning on his side. Abigail used this to her advantage and lunged at William, seeing this as his weak point.

But William managed to kick her shin, causing her to lose her footing. Abigail was surprised that William managed to act quickly. As they stood up from their attacks, Abigail saw what the Chief and Doctor had seen before; William's eyes greeted her with the same glare.

Abigail demands answers from William: Who are his parents? Where did he come from? Why is William fighting his Zonian relatives? Why is he undermining her plans?

"My relatives? Pentalium killed the only father I have, Sir Eldric." William said as he demanded Abigail to surrender and submit himself before the knights of the Kingdom.

"I have nothing to do with his death. He was the one who wanted him dead." Abigail realized she had almost given the others' identities away. She brandished her weapon and explained that ancient Zonians forged her sword, which is unmatched in quality. If they continue fighting, his sword will eventually break. Instead, she offers William the chance to surrender, and the two can talk it out, Zonian to Zonian.

"He? Now, you must come with me, Abigail Silverhand." William said as he unsheathed Bane.

Each wanted something from the other, yet none were willing to compromise for what they stood for. William readies himself as fighting against Pentalium taught him anything; they are unpredictable.

"Shame, I have to spill Zonian blood. You could have instead joined us!" Abigail yelled as she wildly swung her sword, only for William to parry her attacks. Their intense fight created sparks from their blades. William noticed that neither sword lost its sharpness or chipped during their battle. Abigail also observed this, which aggravated her to no end, as this was a sign that they both wielded weapons forged by Zonians. A sign that this will be a difficult battle for her to win.

William grabbed the bottle of tar and spilled its contents beneath the floor. Sparks from their battle quickly ignited the old, rotten wood on the stage, causing the fire to spread rapidly. Seeing the flames engulfing the building, John realized that this was William's signal, indicating that Abigail was part of Pentalium.

In a rush to act, John climbed to the roof and scattered the tar from his bottle across every pipe. So focused on his task he failed to notice that the fire had spread to the roof, igniting the tar he had just applied. Suddenly, the roof gave way, and John plummeted to the stage below. Fortunately, he managed to grab hold of a support beam, narrowly escaping death.

"That training with Ingrid certainly paid off," John thought.

The ceiling collapsed, and heavy dust filled the air, made difficult to see anyone or open their eyes.

"So this is what Pentalium is? An organization that exists in the shadows to enact their ancestors' grudge?" William yelled.

"We deserve justice from the death of my people! You pick the wrong side." Abigail replied as William's voice began to grow nearer to her.

"The 'Chalice,' the poison Pentalium made, Margaret's trained amry of rats, and unification of the tribes on the north. You did all these for your twisted form of 'justice'?" William tries to reason with Abigail, but he receives further insults.

"Don't forget, sabotaging the cure and poisoning its vials once it arrived in my estate. These fools are desperate for a savior. That I come in and redirect their hate toward the King, they are nothing but a tool for me and Pentalium!" Abigail's baited William. She hears William gritting his teeth from the things she said.

"Desperate from all the turmoil Pentalium created for the Kingdom. They are innocent. They don't deserve to suffer because of the sins of their forefathers!" William asked while he tried to follow her voice in the darkness.

"Innocent? The Kingdom has decades of bloodshed against their own and foreign empires. They were never innocent. So spare me your lecture!" Abigail yelled. At this moment, she glimpsed William's silhouette in the dust. She quietly raised her blade and prepared herself to place it between his neck.

From above, John saw that William was about to get stabbed, leaped from the beam, and attempted to land on Abigail. Despite his valor attempt, Abigail's Sense warned her by the sudden change of movement in the air and quickly dodged. William pulled John towards him and parried Abigail's attack, returning the favor to his friend.

Their fight was suddenly interrupted when a large boulder crashed through the burning building. From a distance, they can see the catapults were aimed at their location, and a large mob began to move towards them.

Abigail smiled. The loyalists have arrived.