The words rippled across the crowd as murmurs began to rise. I'llva stepped out from behind Sol, even as he glared daggers at Emily.

The Shaman didn't look too pleased either and stepped forward.

"What is the meaning of this!?" he shouted over the whispers.

I'llva pointed at Emily.

"She uses false shamanism, they are from the lands outside the desert. He must be disqualified."

Emily shrugged her shoulders, playing into the tribe drama.

"You dare to say my rituals are fake. Who are you to speak for the Shamans of this tribe?"

I'llva recoiled, retracting her accusing finger.

"That was not my intention-"

"Nonetheless, you did. To insult the rituals is to insult your betters. This fight was won fairly by Kael. The two fought as warriors, and you're belittling that!" Emily finished. She was laying it on a little thick, but from the way I'llva swallowed at the accusation, she'd hit the nail on the head.

I'llva struggled to find words to defend herself, but the Shaman lifted his hand to silence her.

Then, he turned his full attention to Emily and Kael.

"You speak of rites with ease, so I must ask. Kaelan, does she speak for you as your Shaman?"

Emily glanced over to the man. He was still reeling from the life source injection, but he seemed to focus on their words.

His eyes briefly flickered over to Emily with a subtle glance, but if he was trying to tell her something, she couldn't discern what it was.

"Yes, she is the listener of my tribe. I vouch for her," he said firmly.

The Shaman rubbed his chin quietly and then nodded.

"Very well. I cannot fault you for how the fight turned out, but I will have to talk with my fellow Shamans about this. Seeing as Dwal is unconscious, I will make the following decision," he said, pausing to deliver his verdict.

"The challenge has been heard, and Kaelan will be afforded the right to speak with the Chiefs, but not before his Shaman has been judged. The rest of your tribe will be accommodated in the coming days."

Emily frowned. 'Days,' she thought.

As he said this, the Ashvali began to surround them, and just when she thought they would attack, they opened their ranks to let them pass. Emily noted that they had a couple of men retrieve Dwal at the same time.

Kael moved over to Emily as quickly as he could.

"Good work back there, but now listen to me. You're going to be separated from us; do not fight them. I will do my best to help you however I can, but I'll have my trials to undergo."

Emily's expression hardened.

"Kael, what's going on? I'm not just going to go where they tell me to."

Kael's face was a mask of frustration.

"Then you shouldn't have stepped forward like that. What's done is done. The only thing we can get through this now is to work with what we have. The safety of everyone is in our hands, so try to follow the traditions as best you can."

Emily groaned internally. They were going to separate them and keep everyone hostage. For everyone else—except Alex and Ashe—she wouldn't have cared less. But as they neared a dark section of the wall, the only way out seemed to be through bloodshed—and she had a feeling Kael wouldn't approve. If she'd known it was going to turn out like this, she wouldn't have bothered.

Squinting in the shadow of the butte, she saw a large stone door approaching.

It was strange only in its size, as it stretched about four stories up, and at the very top was a large flat portion of glass. Its ebony-like glint barely reflected light; in fact, it reminded Emily of obsidian.

There were no guards out here, only an unmoving stone door, and just like the sanctuary they had taken refuge in days ago, the door held dozens of holes along its length.

The Shaman stopped and raised his hand.

"We embrace your challenge, Kaelan. Welcome home, and welcome honored guests."

As he said this, over twenty men and women moved to each side and used their spears to lift the door.

The stone slid over stone, creating an echo that vibrated through the walls and ceilings. Emily expected a city of this size to be similar to the Keep. However, unlike the structured levels of stone supporting the ceiling, this was something far simpler. As the door swung inward, they stepped into a corridor that led them into a vast chamber—large enough to comfortably house an entire cityscape.

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Low-built houses made of compacted clay sprawled outward in a donut shape, encircling a grand central column. At first glance, it resembled stone, but upon closer inspection, she realized it was wood.

A massive, gnarled tree stood at the chamber's heart, its twisted trunk supporting the entire cavern. Around its base, a raised platform cradled a grand building, its clay walls wrapping around the colossal tree like a ring. Though simple in design, it held a quiet majesty—after all, it was the only treehouse in a desert.

Its upper branches stretched toward the ceiling, their bare, dull-brown stems digging into the stone. No leaves adorned them. Light filtered through the obsidian overhead, casting a glow upon the chamber's roof and creating a protected day-night cycle.

Surprisingly, the oppressive heat from outside didn't follow them in.

Emily was just searching near the base of the tree to see if she could spot any roots when Alex arrived beside her.

"You got us in, so I can't even be mad at you, but you should know this didn't happen last time. I don't know how this plays out."

Emily glanced at him and shrugged.

"Did Kael manage to beat this Hermes guy last time?"

Alex shrugged.

"They never fought. A week before the scheduled time, we escaped with help from some of Kaels friends. I'm not sure what will happen this time."

Emily bit the inside of her lip. She didn't like this at all.

"If there comes a chance to escape, take it. I'll get out of here one way or another."

Alex held up his hand with a dry expression.

"For now, play along. Everyone is exhausted. We barely escaped a city under siege and had to travel through the desert almost unprepared. We need time to rest and recuperate, especially if we want to make it through the next part of the desert."

Emily pursed her lips but never got a chance to argue because a group from within the city arrived to receive them. Amongst them were several Shamans wearing similar headdresses made from gleaming chitin. They were all unique in their own ways, but the men under them all held that similar gaunt appearance.

The Shaman they he entered with turned back to them.

"You will now go with these men to get settled. Kaelan, you will be monitored, but it is the right of a challenger to stay with his tribe. All save for your Shaman, who will explain her actions directly to the Hearthspeaker."

Kael flinched at the words, and he shot Emily a careful look. She could tell he meant for her to be careful, but if she was going to meet the grand Poobah of this place, she would have been anyway. He turned and walked away with a steady stride.

The main group broke off and headed deeper into the city as Emily remained with the Shamans.

As Alex passed, he gave her a firm clasp on the shoulder, shooting her a reassuring look before he left too.

At the end of the procession, Emily spotted Ashe and Selia.

Selia remained cold, but Ashe waved timidly, a concerned look clouding her features. Emily responded by nodding at her before turning to look at the Shaman.

"So, where to next?"

Emily got the feeling he didn't want to answer her, but he did.

"We are heading to the roots," was all he said.

Emily was surprised she was getting an answer to her question so soon. Where was this tree coming from?

The group of men wearing headdresses moved away, and seeing no alternative, Emily followed. Following the main group, they headed down toward the city, and just like the Keep and Lorethil, it was a bustling place of activity.

People milled about the area, going about their daily chores. Women worked around strange-looking wells as they pulled water up from below. Kids played on the streets within sight of their parents, while men worked to repair buildings and transport heavy burdens.

The only thing amiss was the wonderful stalls and street vendors roasting small delicacies. From the looks of things, there was barely any food on display, and those that did have it guarded it closely.

Turning to the Shaman, she asked.

"If I wanted to buy some food, where would I go?"

It seemed like a simple enough question, but the Shaman glared at her.

"You don't need to do that, we will provide you with food. During these months, food is scarce, so there is not any for trade. Oh, and as a side note, not many people accept coin here, as you cannot eat metal in the hard times."

Emily hummed. It kind of made sense. If it was always an unknown as to where you would get food, then trading it away for a few pieces of metal might not be the best idea. Sure, it is currency, but if everyone were on the breadline, then only the rich could afford to sell food.

From the way Kael had spoken, she wouldn't have guessed a city of this size was still fighting for food.

But then again, he grumpily mentioned that they could all be dead before they got there. If he meant from starvation, then that was a distinct possibility.

"I take it farming is impossible here?" Emily asked as they neared one of the sandstone walls.

The Shaman shook his head without looking at her.

"It was attempted, but the soil is too weak. The only thing that survives here is the mother tree."

She glanced up at the column in the center of the chamber one more time. Honestly, she wasn't even sure how this one was surviving. An underground tree was a first for her; by the time she looked back, they had reached a well-guarded hole in the wall, literally.

Men with spears watched them approach with a certain level of respect in their eyes when they saw the Shamans. As an outsider, she was not afforded the same treatment. Suspicion clouded their eyes, but they didn't say a word as Emily was surrounded by the Shamans. They simply eyed her as she trudged through. Passing into the opening, they arrived at a set of stairs and descended them. When they got to the bottom, they moved down yet another corridor. This one was different, looking more raw and natural.

There were roots sticking out of the wall, and Emily now got the name. They continued until they got to another chamber. It was a common room of sorts with dozens of offshoots heading in all directions. Without a word, they chose a corridor and headed down it. It turned out to open into another large chamber, only this one was filled with water, like a reservoir.

Roots came from above as thick as a human torso, while others, much thicker, descended into the water. The platform they were on hung over the surface of the liquid. It was impeccably clear like mountain spring water, only the barest ripples spreading on its surface now and then.

The wall fell away, and only a thin strip of stone stretched out over the water without anything supporting it. For lack of a better word, Emily decided to call it a pier. At the end of the stone pier was a round platform where an ancient man sat nestled in a chair of pillows and blankets. He was so old his liverspots had liverspots, and his emaciated form could hardly lift his twig-like frame from its cradle to make a becoming motion.

"Please, come forward, Emily. Let us speak."

Blood points: 621

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