Thea sprinted across the farmland, the darkness of night her only cover. She had the stolen tech clutched tightly in her hand, and she could hear the shouts of Gristle’s men behind her.
She had made it out of the hideout, but she knew they would be on her tail soon. She had to get to the Abyssal Spire, to Erebus. He would know what to do with the tech.
Meanwhile, back at the hideout, Gristle and Archon were having a heated discussion.
“I didn’t get the tech, so you don’t get paid,” Archon growled.
Gristle shifted uncomfortably. “We value our customers’ satisfaction. We’ll give you another batch for free.”
Archon raised an eyebrow, clearly not expecting this offer.
“Why would you do that?” he asked, his voice laced with suspicion.
Gristle smiled. “We want to build a relationship with you, Archon. We want you to trust us, to come to us for all your smuggling needs.”
Archon snorted, “And you think giving me free tech will do that?”
Gristle nodded. “It’s a gesture of good faith. And we’ll throw in a discount on your next purchase.”
Archon considered this for a moment, then nodded. “Alright, you’ve got a deal.”
Meanwhile, Thea had made it out of the hideout, but she knew they would be on her tail soon. She had to get to the Abyssal Spire, to Erebus. He would know what to do with the tech.
She stopped for a moment, focusing her energy. Then, in an instant, she was gone, teleporting to the Abyssal Spire.
She materialized in the middle of the courtyard, gasping for breath. She looked around, but saw no one. Erebus was nowhere to be found.
She walked towards the entrance of the Spire, hoping to find him inside. As she walked, she noticed that the Spire was quieter than usual. The guards were standing at their posts, but they seemed… subdued.
She quickened her pace, a sense of unease growing in her stomach. Something was wrong.
She pushed open the doors and stepped inside, calling out into the darkness, “Erebus! Erebus, where are you?”
There was no answer.
She walked deeper into the Spire, her footsteps echoing off the walls. She passed by the empty rooms, the silent halls. The Spire was deserted.
She reached the central chamber, and found Erebus standing in front of the window. He was staring out at the night, his back to her.
“Erebus,” she said, relief washing over her. “I have the tech.”
He turned to face her, his expression grim. “Thea, we have a problem.”
“What is it?” Thea asked, her heart sinking. “What’s wrong?”
Erebus sighed. “It’s the Council. They’ve found out about our plans. They know we’re going to use the mind control tech to take over.”
Thea’s eyes widened. “How? she asked. I thought we were being careful.”
Erebus’ expression was grim. “They have spies everywhere. They know everything.”
“What are they going to do?” Thea asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Erebus’ expression was grim. “They’re going to strike first. They’re going to try and kill us before we can act.”
Thea’s grip on the tech tightened. “Then we need to act fast, she said. We need to get this tech to the Sons of Ishmael before the Council can stop us.”
Erebus nodded. “I agree. But we need to be careful. The Council will be watching us closely. If they catch us, we’re dead.”
Thea nodded. “I’ll take that risk, she said. I’ll get the tech to the Sons. You just make sure the Council doesn’t catch you.”
Erebus smiled. “I can handle the Council, he said. You just get the tech to the Sons. And Thea? Be careful. The Council will stop at nothing to get that technology.”
Thea’s grip on the tech tightened. “Then we need to act fast,” she said. “We need to get this tech to the Sons of Ishmael so they can reverse engineer it to spread mind control.”
Thea turned to leave, but Erebus’ voice stopped her. “Thea,” he said. “Be careful. The Council will stop at nothing to get that tech. They’ll kill you if they have to.”
Thea looked back at him, her eyes cold. “I’d like to see them try.”
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