Chapter 123: The Founder
Yelena threw it into reverse as soon as she got into the truck and sped past Kaelen, driving through the swarm of the man-eating bugs, which skidded across the body of the armoured truck, until she arrived just to the side of Lindsey.
She immediately kicked the passenger’s door open.
"Lindsey!"
The woman didn’t need to be called twice before she jumped into the car and slammed the door shut, but not before a few bugs had already entered the car, still completely ignoring Yelena to attack her.
"Get off me, you!" Lindsey screamed in exasperation as lightning crackled across the surface of her skin and picked off the handful of fist-sized bugs buzzing around her.
They all shrank after being roasted by the lightning bolts and dropped to the floor like flies.
"Damn roaches!" Lindsey said in annoyance and disgust as she ran her eyes across the truck for any more of them before looking down at the scarred surface of her exposed skin.
She could’ve been devoured whole if it wasn’t for her lightning that electrocuted them before they could rip her flesh, but they still did a number on her regardless.
She groaned like she wanted to cry as she caressed the stings on her arms and lower thighs before she shot Yelena a furious look.
"Why did they spare you and attack me?! Did Kael try to get rid of me or something? Do you think you think he’s figured something out, or is it because he thinks you like him because you let him hold your hands?" Lindsey shot one question after the other, her timid demeanor completely gone, replaced by something else entirely.
Yelena didn’t reply immediately, and she kept her eyes on the road. "Can’t tell."
She genuinely wasn’t certain why she’d been spared by the man-eating bugs, but after learning Kaelen didn’t have an ability to repel them and could only be overlooked because of his bloodline, she had a few speculations in mind that could’ve been the case.
Earlier, when she’d escaped into the canyon with the mercenaries, she hadn’t noticed it, but thinking about it now, she realized that after the swarm of man-eating bugs had attacked them unaware, completely swarming them, she managed to pull Lindsey out of the car and escape without a scratch. Meanwhile, Lindsey and every other one of the mercenaries were on the receiving end.
For one, she knew the Grand Canyon was the last constellation set up by Lady Jessica Cross, the first Lady of Stronghold 2, and the Stronghold where she, Yelena, was born.
There was a legend that the constellations were set up to guide the path for Stronghold 2 survivors after the night that changed everything for the lives in Stronghold 2. And though that legend was never proven, as there were no known survivors from the Stronghold 2 massacre, actual facts and studies debunked the legend as false.
But right there and then, Yelena was undeniably overlooked by the man-eating bugs meant to guard the constellation.
It could be that the reason for her survival was the fact that she was a native of Stronghold 2. But since there was no certainty in that fact, her second speculation might be on the right track.
Heart.
Every constellation found so far was rumored to have served as a refuge for wild beasts who safely spent the night there in peace and harmony, but each time a predator tried to enter, they were either blocked or attacked.
Just like the wolf pack.
From the distance of the wolves to the trucks before they sped into the Grand Canyon, calculating from the speed of the wolves, they could’ve easily caught up with the trucks before they could’ve gone far, but each time she looked behind them, they weren’t being followed.
She was also well aware that Kaelen had intentionally stayed behind, hiding in a crevice and watching them drive past. But there was no guarantee that the wolves would merely stop chasing because one person showed up to stop them.
If that were the case, then they intentionally didn’t enter the canyon on purpose because they probably already had a terrible experience chasing prey into the canyon.
Her point was; each and every one of these constellations possibly looked into the heart and read the mind of every soul that stepped into it.
If you entered with pure intentions and an innocent mind, you were treated differently from one who entered with malicious intent. That was possibly how the constellations told the difference between prey who wanted to take refuge and predators who came to hunt.
If that were to be the case, that very much explained why every other person was attacked. The Commander and his squad were not just after every valuable thing connected to the last civilization of Akkadians, but were on this mission to bring back the founder to be used as leverage with the stronger stronghold.
If Stronghold 8 became in possession of Lady Jessica, they could use her as a bargaining chip the next time a beast wave threatened to tear down their walls like Stronghold 9, and sign a permanent treaty that’ll ensure their safety for as long as the second wave lasts.
Meanwhile, both she and her partner, Lindsey, had also been secretly contracted by an anonymous client who paid big to infiltrate the mercenary squad, gather intel, and alert the client through a burner device if it was confirmed that Lady Jessica Cross was indeed within the ruins, and the credibility of a lost civilization of non-humans residing there.
So naturally, both she, Lindsey, and the mercenary squad came with malicious intent for the founder. Except, she hadn’t accepted this mission to see it through to the end.
Lindsey didn’t know this, but the only reason the infamous Crimson Purple had accepted this mission was to honor a favor and promise she made to the son of the founder ten years ago.
She wasn’t about to sit back and let the founder get cornered a second time. Her plan from the beginning had been to rescue Lady Jessica Cross from the claws of the wolves and ensure her safety. Then maybe, just maybe... she could fulfill her selfish desire of using the founder to see him again.
What she never expected, and the moment everything changed... was the moment she saw him walk into the village pretending to be a Hunter and refugee.
Like fate would have it, she saw him again.
Except... he couldn’t remember who she was.
"Yelena, watch out!" Lindsey suddenly screamed from her side, and she immediately snapped out of it and looked up just in time to see a figure standing just outside the canyon.
"Kaelen...?" She blurted in disbelief before she quickly spun the truck to the side to avoid running him over, and the vehicle dove into the bush before tipping over and stumbling down a hill she hadn’t seen coming.