The leaders of the shadows rose from their seats and headed to their respective bases, each marked by a banner proudly waving in the colors of their faction. The atmosphere was tense but also filled with anticipation; something big was about to happen.
Tertrol quickly exited the place without uttering a word to anyone, completely ignoring the confused glance of Troba, who seemed lost in thought. Upon arriving at his base, he found his men resting. When they saw him enter, Opal, his loyal lieutenant, made a quick gesture with her hand, signaling everyone to stop whatever they were doing. In an instant, the room fell silent, and all bowed respectfully to their blue-shadowed lord.
"At ease," Tertrol said in an authoritative yet calm tone.
"My lord, why did the Shadow Council summon you?" Opal asked, approaching with curiosity.
"It was just a meeting, Opal," Tertrol replied indifferently, though his expression hinted at something deeper. "They're telling us to prepare for Urugas' arrival. We will finally meet our creator. So get everyone ready; they must be prepared. In two days, we leave."
Opal nodded firmly. "Yes, my lord," she said before retreating to carry out the order, leaving Tertrol alone in the center of the room.
Before he could depart, Opal briefly returned to inform him: "My lord, Meloc is waiting for you in your old laboratory."
Tertrol slightly furrowed his brow but said nothing. He headed to a corner of the room where, with a deft movement, he lifted a kind of soil that concealed a hatch. Beneath it were stairs descending into the unknown. Without hesitation, he began to climb down, venturing into the underground depths.
At the bottom of the stairs, he found himself facing a reinforced door that requested an access code. After carefully typing in the correct combination, the door emitted a low hum and slowly began to open. What it revealed was an impressive laboratory: tubes filled with colored liquids flowing through complex systems, sophisticated machines emitting intermittent lights, and an atmosphere charged with almost palpable energy.
In the back of the lab, Meloc stood next to someone else. Tertrol froze upon recognizing him: Blajon, the dark-furred badger, was there, observing him with his single eye glowing like a malevolent star.
"But how...?" Tertrol thought to himself, surprised to see him there so soon.
"Hello, Tertrol," Blajon greeted him with a sinister smile. "The meeting with the council was as horrifying as always, wasn't it?"
"Hmph!" Tertrol retorted, crossing his arms. "If you mean 'horrifying,' I'd say it was more exhausting. Those specters are worse than Tejod; it's like they devour your soul just by looking at you."
Blajon let out a guttural laugh. "You saw that fool, Troba, didn't you? When she's in the presence of the council, she doesn't even try to make herself interesting."
"Don't remind me," Tertrol responded disdainfully. "I can't stand that badger."
"Well then, to business," Blajon interrupted, abruptly changing the subject. "What I was asking Meloc is that we've lost communication with Ribras for a day now. I haven't heard anything from my general, and Meloc only told me they had brief contact, but he can't reach him now either."
Tertrol raised an eyebrow, thoughtfully. "Hmm, and what could have happened? He'll probably show up soon," he said, not giving the matter much importance.
"Alright then..." Blajon shifted position, stepping closer. "Did you bring what we asked for?"
"Yes," Blajon replied with a sly smile. "Though it's not exactly in optimal condition, I think it'll serve your purpose." With a dramatic gesture, he revealed what he had been pulling along: an ancient coffin, covered in dust and wear marks, which he had retrieved from Reedalia.
Upon opening the coffin, a torrent of screams and complaints escaped from within. Tertrol raised an eyebrow in disbelief as he looked at the weakened figure lying inside the box. "Whoa! But what happened to this guy?" he asked, pointing at the being who appeared debilitated but still alive.
"Well, it's still useful," Blajon responded indifferently. "And its hatred has been enough to keep it alive. Besides, it doesn't matter; it will work perfectly with the plans we have and with the ultimate weapon to defeat Tejod." Meloc smiled with a devilish expression as he gazed at the prisoner with eyes full of malice.
"Good, I think you and I are going to have a lot of fun… for science," said Meloc, running his fingers along the edge of the coffin with a calculating glint in his eyes.
"I hope you complete what you need to do, but make it quick. We only have two days left to finally get rid of Tejod," Tertrol urged, crossing his arms.
"I'll get to work, my lord," Meloc responded, bowing slightly before closing the coffin and taking it with him, disappearing into the shadows of the laboratory.
Meanwhile, hidden in a dark corner of the underground tunnel, Bleko, the general of the black shadows, listened intently to every word. With features resembling a red squirrel—vibrant red hair, a long fluffy tail, and coal-black eyes—Bleko had followed his lord Blajon there, suspecting for some time that something wasn't right.
"I knew it," he muttered to himself. "Something was off, and that's why I decided to follow you, my lord Blajon. Sneaking through these tunnels, I knew I'd find something important." Determined, he activated firebirds that Tejod had given him as communication tools. Within seconds, a hologram projected the imposing figure of Tejod onto the tunnel wall.
"Who dares call me?" Tejod asked in a deep, authoritative voice, his stern gaze piercing through Bleko via the hologram.
"Ah! It's you, Bleko, my faithful servant. What do you have to report, my favorite spy?" Tejod asked, his tone softening slightly as he recognized his loyal general.
"My lord," Bleko said, kneeling respectfully before the holographic image. "The rumors were true. Both Blajon and Tertrol are planning betrayal."
"Really? That pair wants to remove me from power?" Tejod let out a mocking laugh, though his eyes remained as cold as ice. "Let them try. I've always known those two, plot against me, but they're such cowards they never do anything."
"But my lord, this time it's different," Bleko insisted, looking up urgently. "They're creating a weapon capable of destroying you. Or well, that's what they said."
Tejod paused for a moment, processing the information. His expression subtly shifted, blending curiosity with disdain. "A weapon, huh? It seems those two have finally decided to try something elaborate for a change." He paused thoughtfully before asking: "And by any chance, do you know what they're planning?"
"No, my lord, not yet," Bleko quickly replied. "But they had someone locked in a coffin. I don't know who it is or why they need it, but it seems key to their plan."
Tejod narrowed his eyes, his mind racing. "Interesting," he murmured finally. "Alright, Bleko. Keep watching them. I need to know everything they might be scheming. And remember: if anything goes wrong, make sure I'm the first to know."
"Yes, my lord," Bleko responded, bowing once more as Tejod's hologram slowly faded away.
Bleko remained silent for a moment, watching the shadows twist and writhe on the tunnel walls. He knew that what he had uncovered was only the tip of the iceberg, and the coming days would be decisive for the fate of the shadows.
"You've done well, Bleko, as loyal as ever. Keep me informed of whatever those two are plotting," Tejod said in a calculated tone, his voice echoing sinisterly through the tunnel.
"Yes, my lord. I live to serve you and serve to obey you," Bleko replied reverently, bowing before the hologram as it slowly vanished.
Bleko stayed silent for a few moments, reflecting on what he had heard. "I wonder what they're up to... And what's inside that coffin," he murmured to himself. Determined to uncover more, he began stealthily approaching where Meloc was working, careful not to be detected by Blajon or Tertrol.
However, just as he was about to get close enough to investigate, something struck him from behind with brutal force. Bleko fell to the ground, dazed but still conscious. Before losing consciousness completely, he heard a mocking voice say: "Well, well... Who do we have here? What's wrong, Bleko? Did the cat get your tongue?"
As Bleko tried to focus his blurry vision, he caught sight of an envelope containing the firebirds he had used to communicate with Tejod. "So, we have a traitor among our ranks," Blajon and Tertrol said in unison, noticing the sound of Bleko's fall and quickly approaching the scene.
"This damn fool has been contacting Tejod. We're in serious trouble," Blajon said, frowning as he examined the envelope.
"Calm down, it won't come to that. He doesn't know about the weapon," Tertrol replied calmly, though his gaze betrayed concern. "But what we can do is use this to our advantage, right, Mr. Meloc?"
Meloc emerged from the shadows with a devilish smile on his face. "Yes... I'm going to have so much fun with this traitor, more than he could ever imagine. I already know who will die because of this." Then, he called out to whoever had struck Bleko: "Gibrido!"
From the darkness emerged a grotesque creature, a hybrid composed of parts from fallen animals. It had panther legs, one arm of a wolf, and another of a strange lizard. Its body was covered in fur resembling that of a fox, but its back was adorned with long, elegant wings like those of a heron. The most disturbing feature was its head: that of a rotten avocado, with its exposed brain pulsating as if it were a heart. It was a living abomination, as if Frankenstein's monster had been reconstructed without a soul or clear purpose.
"Gibrido, I'd almost forgotten about you, my pet, but it turns out you're useful after all. You've earned yourself a reward," Meloc said, stroking the side of the creature with a gloved hand.
The hybrid creature couldn't speak; it only emitted guttural sounds and screeches that resonated in the air like a mix of pain and fury.
"What disgusting thing is that?" Blajon asked, wrinkling his nose in disgust.
"I told you to get rid of that thing," Tertrol commented, crossing his arms while maintaining a safe distance from the creature.
"But, gentlemen, this 'thing' helped us capture the traitor. It deserves its reward," Meloc retorted, proudly defending his creation.
"Fine, just for that... But keep that thing away from my presence," Blajon and Tertrol said in unison, backing away toward a dark green door that opened automatically as they approached.
"Come on, Gibrido. There are things to do and a weapon to activate," Meloc ordered as they entered the room. Behind them, they brought the mysterious coffin and Bleko, who was now tied to a stretcher, unconscious and vulnerable.
The door closed behind them with a metallic clang, leaving the tunnel in a sepulchral silence. Only the hybrid creature's footprints remained on the ground, etched like scars from that night.