Chapter 89- Goldin
After a few minutes, the sound of the beasts had died down to a significant degree as Morganna opened her eyes.
She breathed rhythmically and slowly, taking in mana in short breaths that gradually filled up her circles.
"We're done here" Gloria's voice echoed in her ears and she stopped her breathing, reversing it back to normal.
Gloria raised a brow, a curious expression on her face.
"Is that the mana breathing style Fiona has been working on ?" She asked, a raised tone in her voice as they gathered together.
Morganna nodded, her smile growing wild. "She's a genius right ?" She said, as their mother looked around the Hall with an intrigued expression on her face.
"Too much of a genius" Gloria replied, sighing "I'm curious to see how far she will go". She dissipated her sword to whence it came from, and Rachael did the same, shifting her gaze towards Morganna. "You must have had quite the battle, Did you end up using your trait ?" She asked, raising her brow.
Morganna's gaze swept through the hall, as she led them to the basement door. "It was intense. She's a ninth star after all. It would have been difficult even with my traits".
As they walked through the door and down the stairs, a sigh escaped her lips.
"…I can't use it as well as you guys yet".
Gloria and Rachael exchanged a sly smile. "You shouldn't be worried about that" Gloria replied, tracing her fingers on the wall, while noticing the damaged stairs. "you're in the Golden Antlers Guild right now. Gain experience along the way".,
Some of the stairs had been broken off completely, while others seemed to be on the verge of breaking. The walls too had craters and indentations pierced through them, with lines of cracks.
Gloria whistled in amazement. "You must be stronger than you look, this kind of battle would be too much for a 6th circle".
Morganna shrugged her shoulders as they continued down the stairs in silence until they reached a bunch of girls, huddled in front of a door that had not been opened.
A golden–haired Elf girl with emerald eyes seemed to be attempting to break through the contraption with little to no luck, while the rest encouraged her as she did.
"You all seemed to have recovered".
Morganna said, her voice sending a chill down their spines as they snapped around in defense.
They eased up only after recognizing their savior.
Morganna flinched as well. Their reaction was rather sudden and an awkward smile etched on her face. "So–Sorry about that". She waved her hand at them.
"You've returned. Does that mean you won ?" The Golden elf girl asked, her eyes invigorated with life once again as it shifted between Rachael and Gloria.
Her condition seemed to have improved even much better compared to the other demi-humans.
"Hah…yes, we had some back-up. These two behind me are Gloria Jun and Rachael Jun, my elder sister and mother.
We're all here to help". She composed her expression as they walked further down the stairs, towards the door.
The beastkins gave way for them, and the golden Elf girl stood in the middle, unable to let them through.
"And you are ?" She asked with a raised brow.
She never got the opportunity to ask for their names, the boy and girl who had come to save them.
Morganna giggled realizing her mistake as well. "I'm Morganna Jun, and the boy who was with me is Raffaelo Jun".
The Golden Elf girl nodded, her gaze unrelenting, fixed on the three blue haired ladies in her presence.
"I am Tiara Goldin".
A stiff silence descended upon the narrow stairway, their gazes filled with different emotions.
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The beastkins, especially, grew wary, a mix of shock and bewilderment etched on their faces.
"...did…did I hear you right ?" Rachael spoke first, walking forward and grabbed the golden haired girl by her hands. Her expression was not much different from the rest, but it was much more composed.
"The…The forgotten Elven Royal Family ? Goldin ?".
The Elven Tribe once had two Kings, surnamed Goldin and Silvan.
They were once brothers but their fight for the throne each century was a calamity within their tribe until they were wiped off the face of the earth.
No one knows how it occured, but the races known as the Golden haired Elves were gone.
It didn't mean golden haired elves didn't exist; they had common and uncommon colors of hair, after all, and not all silver haired Elves were surnamed Silvan.
So it would be an easy thing to ignore, unless they decided to reveal themselves like her.
"Yes. I am the last of my kind. I was going on a journey of self–discovery when these hum–hooligans captured and imprisoned me". She replied, her gaze flickering with a mix of emotions, fixed on Rachael.
This was…definitely unexpected news, in fact, this was a shocker. If they had decided on ignoring the Slave Traders…even for a day more, they could have forever lost the Golden Elves race.
They were known as such because of their affinity to the sun while the Silver Elves were known for their affinity to the moon.
Rachael nodded, turning back to her daughters as they quickly composed themselves in her presence. "Get these girls back to the surface, Patriarch Derick should be there".
Tiara's eyes widened slightly, but then returned to its former serious tone as she said "I would rather not, not until we save the rest of the Demi-humans". Her tone attracted their attention, their gazes lingering on her as it shifted to the door.
"Alright then". Gloria interjected after a moment of silence.
It was only fair they get to see it through and they would protect them if something wrong were to happen.
She directed the Beastkins further up the Stairway.
She descended towards the door, as Tiara slowly walked out of her path.
Her strength wasn't high enough to impact much damage to the magic sealed doors, anyways.
Gloria placed her hand on the, imbuing her Aura into it, inspecting the door and its mechanism.
She could feel a series of complex pathways and magic circles, each with its own function and slowing down much progress. Her thoughts began to reel in when she felt the structure too complex for her to deal with.
'it would be easier to cut it down….' She slowly looked up. 'but how much can this structure hold ?'.
Just then, Morganna walked next to her. "Is it mana locked ?" She asked, curiosity glistening in her eyes.
Gloria noticed her child-like tone in her question and nodded slowly.
Morganna smiled, placing her hand on the door as she imbued mana into it, feeling the complex circles as well, though only this time, they weren't so complex.
There were twelve intricately patterned golden magic circles, locked and rotating at equal intervals.
She began to control these circles, imbuing her mana and will into them as they spun backwards, starting from the bottom, unlocking one after the other.
On the surface, it just seemed like Morganna was meditating while placing her hand on the door.
Most of the beastkins had even begun to doubt the competence of their savior.
Tiara, especially had an aloof expression as she attempted to suggest something when Morganna's eyes sparked open as she said
"Done".
Her words echoed in the stairway as a drift of wind pushed through the door, forcing it to slide open.
"All this security….to capture Demi-humans". Tiara said, a hidden glint of sadness and confusion in her eyes. "How selfish can humans be".
Her hands were clenched tightly, and her words had rung in the ears of those present, but none could refute what she had said.
Humans were the cause of human problems, and as such, it's not new to see them do something they weren't supposed to do behind their back.
Everyone has their own justification for the things they do, regardless of moral principles.
So, perhaps annoyed by the statement, they remained silent, only observing and thinking for now.
The door finally opened, and rows of light from floating lamps began to spark brilliance and illuminance into the dark room.
Gloria stepped in first, then her mother, and Morganna and Tiara. The rest of the Demi-humans walked quietly behind them, some even deciding to ascend the stairs and wait for them there.
Those who remained were the curious lots.
The room was finally filled with light and what they saw was a testament to the cruel nature in the human hearts.
Some of the beastkins burst into tears, clasping their hands as an expression of shock and pain sparked in their eyes.
They muttered softly, some running away while others knelt, unable to look anymore.
Tiara's fingers clawed into her palm, her eyes contorted with anger as she fought off the tears that built up behind her sparkling emerald eyes.
Her mouth clenched, and her body trembling in shock.
The Jun's were not much different. Morganna seemed dismayed by the sight, unable to process the whole thing in her head as her eyes flickered, contorted with shock.
Gloria and Rachael seemed composed outwardly but what built up within them was an outraged anger.
This wasn't the anger and shock of imprisoning and torturing beastkins, no. This was far worse.
It was the anger and shock of seeing the mistreated and assaulted conditions of their fellow females.
"Ho–How could they do this ?".
Morganna muttered under her breath, her voice low and shaky as a confused anger brewed within her with no source of release.
They had finally reached the dungeons but what the Red Peacemakers had in mind was far worse than what they had expected.