Secrets Underground

Two weeks passed and the elves constructed tunnels to MorningSong and SilverCrest. They currently were constructing the living areas, which took a bit more effort. 

Xavier and the other, willing council members, created the tunnels easily. They used horses to carry storage carriages, which Mina and Sora explained how to create. 

The horses could pull over 100 cots and supplies each round, which took around an hour to get to MorningSong and two and a half hours to get to SilverCrest. 

They rotated ten horses, including the two new ones obtained from the previous battle. 

As things proceeded, the army and elite stealth forces underwent a rigorous training program, created by the King. 

The King showed off his mighty strength and magical fortitude, as numerous elves attacked at once to no avail. 

"You have more than that, come on! Our existence is at stake, fight like you mean it!"

Sora and Mina approached the King. 

"Ding! You are fighting an opponent you cannot beat. Land a single strike on the King for insight into your system and how the leveling process works. Good luck!"

This message sparked fire in both their bellies. 

"One hit. All we need. One hit," they both thought. 

Dashing quickly at the King, Sora slid, and 50 arrows headed straight for the King, from three different angles. 

"Impressive." The King said with a smile as he used magic to disintegrate the arrows. 

Sora quickly got up and charged at the King, long swords drawn, but the King simply parried and used a spell to knock Sora away. 

Mina, realizing her arrows did nothing, decided to swing around Sora and get behind the King. 

The King allowed her to get behind him, and as she charged with her dual Katanas, she slashed and hit an Earth wall. Sora attempted charging from the front, latching his spear to his wrist, throwing it in an arc toward the King, who simply slashed it away with his sword. 

"How the hell am I supposed to hit this guy?" Sora and Mina both thought. 

Mina tried entanglement, which the King thwarted by disintegrating the vines, Sora used Fang of Justice, but the King used a spell to instantly slay the black wolf. 

"You two are creative, I will give you that," the King said with a laugh. 

The King dashed so quickly toward Sora that Sora didn't see him coming. The King trapped him inside a dome of solid dirt. Mina took her chance, firing her bow in random directions, which confused the King. 

Stuck in the dirt dome, Sora transformed into a human and burst through the dome, quickly turning back to an elf. 

"Impressive strength. You used your human form, you won't be able to do that on the battlefield," the King taunted as he cast a spell that knocked Sora out completely. 

Mina's random arrow attack came with a purpose. She shot one almost straight up, anticipating that by the time she charged the King, the arrow should graze his armor. 

"Hope that counts as a hit!" Mina thought. 

She charged the King, who quickly parried and used another spell to knock her unconscious, but as he did, an arrow landed and stuck in his shoulder plate. 

"Well, they are craftier than I expected. I should wake them up." 

"Revitalize!" Mina and Sora both woke up and looked at the King. 

"Ding! Congratulations, you landed an arrow on the King. Detailed description of leveling up as follows: 

•Your experience meter will now show. 300/1000 experience.

•Completing quests, winning battles, defeating opponents and improving your magic all grant experience to leveling up. •Both of your efforts count toward the experience pool, so as you grow in level, the numbers will significantly increase to level up."

"Ding! New skill: Revitalize [Legendary] - restore and awaken an unconscious ally." 

"Good job you two, I enjoyed that spar. Come anytime. Now, please continue building the underground network." 

<><><><>

Sora and Mina grabbed Blaze and Aeris from the stable, fed them a carrot as a treat, petted them and were off to the underground network. 

The underground network began behind the Castle of Sanctuary. A simple magical incantation opened the door, but it was already opened, so they trotted down to the bottom. 

As they trotted to MeadowSong, they noticed two carriages returning and three carriages carrying cots and supplies. 

"How did you hit him? That King is on another level." Sora asked. 

"Luck. I shot arrows randomly and one high in the sky. I dashed straight at him, he knocked me out but the arrow from the sky landed on his shoulder plate." 

"Genius. So obtaining experience is necessary to level up. That makes sense." 

"Yes, it does and at level 5 it takes 1000 to get to level 6. Leveling won't be easy, unless we slay many humans in battle." 

The two arrived below MeadowSong, and noticed the three rooms created for living spaces finally contained thousands of cots. 

"Ah, you two are here! Great, please follow me," Stefania said, with a nervous look. 

They followed Ace and Belladeon, who carried Xavier and Stefania toward SilverCrest. About ten miles into the ride, they noticed a new path to the left existed. 

They followed Xavier, turning left, and trotted for another five miles, where they turned right. 

"Where are we going?" 

"We found something interesting. Do you not feel anything different in your body the closer we get?" 

Not thinking of it much, Mina looked at Sora. 

"Your green eye illuminates the closer we get, I feel mine active too. I also see much more clearly and much further away. It's one more left, straight for five miles, and one more right and an ancient relic of the gods is there," Mina said to Sora. 

"Woah, you're right. Your eye is super bright and if I focus, I can sense it too. Just not as well as you can." 

"Ding! You unlocked the passive skill, eye of truth. When near relics of the gods, or if you are lost, your eye will guide you to where you need to be. This is a skill of the gods [mythical]." 

"Everything alright you two? Your green eyes are illuminating quite a brilliant color," Xavier said. 

"Yes, and you're leading us to a relic of the gods?" Mina stated. 

"Correct. It seems those eyes of yours are special," Stefania said. 

<><><><>

As they finally arrived at the relic, they dismounted their horses and stared at a golden arch, with an incantation written on the arch and a golden door blocking the entrance. 

"The incantation is written in native language of the elves of Sanctuary," Xavier said. 

"We think you two are the key to unlocking it, but we don't know which god left this relic, or if it's safe or dangerous," Stefania added. 

"What's the worst case? We open it and die?" Sora asked. 

"Yes, but we can't afford to lose you at this point. 

"What does the incantation say? Have you spoken it out loud?" Mina asked. 

"We have. That is why we brought you two here. After we speak the incantation, you will see why we need you and we will translate it for you," Xavier said, sweat dripping from his brow. 

"We do not ask you to proceed. That choice is yours," Stefania said nervously. 

"Ruk a Veela za tossa ett en von aman evoya. Soja vetta eos illa opa sah von zoya," Xavier chanted. 

Suddenly, the incantation on the arch illuminated and two molds appeared on the door. It looked like human faces, two of them, right next to each other. 

"What does it mean?" 

"To unlock this door, two faces, place them in this shrine. If the patterns match and they are just, they will meet the divine." Stefania said. 

"Well sis, what are we waiting for?" 

First Sora placed his face in the left slot and Mina on the right. 

"Pattern incorrect. Two tries remaining."

"Let's switch?" 

The twins switched and placed their faces in the molding. 

"Ding! Would you like to unlock the door to the realm of the goddess of Justice? You will return here when finished."

"Xavier, Stefania, the goddess of Justice seems like a god on the good side, right?"

"It does but we haven't heard of her," Stefania said. 

"Carry on with the construction of the SilverCrest living areas. It says we will return here when finished."

"Where are you going?!" Stefania pleaded. 

"To the realm of the goddess of Justice. Maybe she can help!" Mina said with a smile. 

The twins held hands and walked through, fearlessly. 

As they arrived, they were greeted, "Mina and Sora Hart, I've been expecting you. I am Themis, the goddess of Justice and a friend of Chronos."