I Want to Live, Part Five

According to Zoltuce, the other races thought that they would usurp the Titans’ rightful place as the guardians of this planet. The new races wanted to change how we lived, and, well change is never good because it is difficult and difficult things can’t be good. What’s more, these races were becoming more numerous and learning new skills, which they mastered quickly and, in many ways, wondrously. The Gathe in particular had begun making something called weapons and armor. They not only had begun to master this skill, but had begun to sell and in some cases even teach the other races. That wasn’t their place, teaching was reserved for the Titans. This creation of armaments also proved that the Gathe and others had no wish to coexist with the Titans and us. This left us with only one option, to wipe them out before they wiped us out.

The Titans planned an all out offensive against the other races. It would move from the east, where the majority of the earth and fire Titans resided, and move to the west, bringing with it a new dawn mirroring the path of the sun. This, of course, meant that they had to start with the Gathe and the Scale-less in the northern steppes. Mainly because of the Gathe stronghold of Brique-Odam. If they were to be exterminated, so too would their knowledge and peddling of weapons and armor. Following this, the Titans would move down the steppes until the east was securely under their control. Then they would move across the Division Mountains to the west. They would burn the forests, plains, and jungles until it all appeared as the tundra in the north and the desert in the south west. Once this was achieved, they would have control of the main continent and move to defeat the last, most eldest, and most hated by the Titans, the First Kin, the Face Sucking Elves. So called for when they greet one another, they put their faces together like some weirdos.

“You will determine whether this goal is achieved or not by your subterfuge of the Gathe!” Zolutce’s announcement didn’t achieve the desired response, we could all see that by how the sparks of blue and yellow began to bounce about the room as he grated his scales in frustration. I, of course, gave a loud cheer, perfectly understanding that we needed to do our part without mishap and follow Zoltuce’s plan. After all, the definition of subterfuge is to perform subterfugy activities. The other reds followed my lead, MY LEAD, and nodded. We were all shouting again and I was practically shedding with excitement. We yelled, jumped, clapped our hands, banged our tails, tapped our feet, it was a celebration to be sure.

Zoltuce had to shout for us to be silent again, glaring at me. So aware he was of their sensitive Red feelings. He stood to his full height and looked down at us, craning his neck downward to our level so we could feel the static around us as the air became heavy. We instinctively looked around for some small tunnel systems, but we so rarely visited the dungeon for long that we hadn’t built any smaller tunnels out of here. The closest one was all the way back to the right of the entrance.

I instantly shut up and listened very carefully, not wanting our master to lose his patience and turn me into his snack for the day. Once he had all of our attention, he explained that he was going to disguise us as Hal-Gathe. They were the shortest of the Gathes, making us and them about the same height, good targets for us to impersonate. He then motioned for us to get up on a table nearby as he began easily cutting into the stone furniture with his mighty claw. I smiled proudly as I recognized the writing; this being the only time my reading and writing skills have ever benefited me. Well excluding this moment, as well, but, other than that, never helpful.

When the Reds looked confused, I took the liberty of explaining to them what Zoltuce was writing and drawing. Before us was a map, crude, but he had to be simple for some of us or they would have never understood. I motioned to an X, signaling where we would land. I slowly traced my hand along an arrow made by the Titan to a circle and read to the reds that this is where we would enter. The diagram continued to explain how we would go down a circular hallway until we arrived at a large intersection of three conjoining tunnels. The instructions made it clear we were to take the right tunnel. This would lead us across a narrow long and twisting bridge that spanned a large chasm known as Abyll. At the other end of the bridge would be the vaults. The entrance to the vaults would be hidden behind an illusionary wall of stone, but would be likely guarded. We were to hide and wait for the guards to be summoned when the Titans attacked and to sneak up to the door once they ran off. Simple as dirt!