Hanging tower garden of Lak Ahm part 2

The darkness enveloped them as they followed Satifa into the tunnel. They moved single file along the massive root, which pulsed faintly with a lingering divine aura, though its power felt faded, like an echo from another age. The tunnel was narrow and winding, forcing them to squeeze through tight passages, scraping against the rough walls as they pressed forward.

At one point, they reached a tight choke where they had to struggle to get through, but soon enough, they emerged into a larger cavern. Here, other roots converged—a vast network connecting to an even larger, ancient root that snaked through the earth like a forgotten artery. They continued forward, winding through the tangled roots, searching for where they all connected.

As they walked, Joan broke the silence. "Have you seen any people around here?" she asked Satifa.

"Not a soul," Gadaric replied. "But according to that deranged old man, this city was once full of people. Judging by the ruins, it looks like it's been abandoned for centuries, maybe longer."

They finally reached the convergence point, where all the roots joined in a massive knot. A vertical shaft rose from this nexus, and they climbed, squeezing between the earth and the root until they found themselves inside the stone structure. Outside, they could hear the unsettling groans and rustling of the monstrous trees surrounding Lak Ahm's hanging gardens.

Gadaric was the first to rise, senses immediately on edge. He knew they weren't alone, keeping this fact to himself for now.

Keeping silent, he moved forward, snapping his fingers in a subtle rhythm to conjure an illusion, masking his presence as he advanced, making the watcher not spot his discaperance from the group. He climbed onto a ledge, ears scanning the shadows until he felt the watcher—a sassan, clad in dark robes, loose chainmail, and a curved blade at his side. The assassin blended almost seamlessly with the stone walls, but Gadaric wasn't fooled.

He crept forward, ready to snap his fingers and shatter the sassan's mind, but he froze as he felt the cool bite of a blade against his neck.

"Hello, Tara," he murmured, recognizing the presence behind him.

The sassan he'd been watching turned, startled, and soon a dozen other assassins of the Odam Haji emerged from the shadows, weapons drawn.

"We're on the same side, Gadaric," Tara said, her voice low as she tried to persuade him to lower his hand.

"Oh, are we?" Gadaric replied with a smirk beneath his mask. "Feels more like we're working for you because we don't have a choice. And it's mighty suspicious that you're here now after we had to all all kinds of hard work to get inside. Where were you when we could've used your help?"

"The transfer was… rushed. We couldn't risk sending you directly here. We came ahead, waiting for you to join us." Tara's voice was calm. "We're here to aid you in securing the second half of the key to unlock the Tower of Cyrus."

Gadaric scoffed, refusing to lower his hand. "Not exactly convincing. I don't like being used, Tara—even if we're supposedly on the same side."

At his resistance, the other assassins drew their weapons, ready to strike. Tara raised a hand in a placating gesture. "We don't want to fight you, but if we must—"

"And then what?" Satifa's voice rang out as she floated down from above, borne aloft by a swarm of locusts that filled the chamber, covering every wall and surface, their wings buzzing in a haunting chorus.

The assassins of the Odam Haji remained stoic, unflinching. Their lives were expendable, their purpose clear. Dying for their cause was their life. At last, Gadaric relented, lowering his hand. The room relaxed, though tension still simmered beneath the surface as the assassins fully revealed themselves to the others. Silent glares passed between the two groups, each knowing they couldn't truly trust the other.

"So… what is this place, exactly?" Joan asked, breaking the uneasy silence.

"This is the home of the goddess Lak Ahm," Tara replied, "daughter of Xerxes."

"And?" Joan prompted, rolling her eyes.

"No further explanation is needed. We should start climbing—the goddess awaits above," Tara said coolly, turning to lead the way.

"Hey! Don't just walk off without answering!" Joan snapped, exasperated. "And don't strut around like you're not going to alert every monster in this place!"

"There are no guards," Tara replied without looking back.

Joan scowled. "So you're saying the goddess just… lives here alone?"

"Yes."

~~

They ascended through the empty, echoing halls, their footsteps the only sounds in the vast, silent spaces. Dust coated everything, and roots coiled around walls and pillars, dead and brittle from centuries of neglect. Every room they passed looked untouched, abandoned for ages. The twisted vines they'd followed into the tower snaked across the floors and walls here, too, like veins in a desolate body.

"What do you think this place was, once?" Joan asked, glancing at Yosef.

"Some kind of temple, maybe," he replied. "A place where the goddess's servants lived. Where, with just a snap of her fingers, she'd have anything she wanted brought to her."

Joan raised an eyebrow. "Someone sounds like they're speaking from experience."

Yosef gave a dry chuckle. "For a while, I worked for a dokkaebi god in the industrial sector of their heaven. Let's just say I didn't last long—I was deemed 'unsuitable' for a life of servitude."

"More like too lazy," Joan teased.

The higher they climbed, the thicker the air became with divine aura. Each step felt heavier, a growing pressure that seemed to push back against them. The presence of the goddess was unmistakable, a weight pressing on their minds. Yet Satifa felt a strange familiarity with the aura as if she had encountered it before.

One of the assassins suddenly appeared in their path, signing quickly to Tara. Her eyes widened, her normally impassive face betraying a flicker of shock.

"What's going on?" Gadaric demanded, his tone sharp.

Tara remained silent.

"What?" Gadaric pressed.

"It's not just Lak Ahm who's here," Satifa murmured, her eyes narrowing as she sensed a second, far more powerful aura. "Xerxes is here as well."

A shiver ran through the group as the full weight of their situation settled on them. They were no longer just in the presence of a goddess. The father god himself was near—a force far beyond anything they'd prepared for.