Agron's Cave

The two elves had angrily ushered them in after that, saying that they would hear them out before making them leave. However, Haganto couldn’t find the words as the familiar elven guards glared at them. Haganto looked around the room, made to question any fortunate visitors before they were allowed to enter the rest of Malnora. The entrance ‘hall’ was just as sparsely decorated as he remembered it, and not unexpectedly, it was only the four of them in the room.

However, the fact that Tarron and Ruith were still alive was shockingly unexpected.

“You’re still alive?” Alanus asked finally, sounding just as dumbfounded as Haganto.

“What do you mean by that?” asked Tarron, the guard that spoke first earlier, as he glared at Alanus, his grip on his spear tightening.

“We know about Agron’s escape,” Haganto quickly explained, recognizing the signs that the easily volatile elf was about to blow a vein. It had been years since Haganto had visited here with Alberad, and it was honestly a bit disappointing to see that the blond elf was still so easy to anger.

But then again, Haganto supposed that anyone would be on edge if Agron escaped under their watch.

“We thought that Agron must kill all of-”

Suddenly, the two elven guards busted out into laughter.

“Well, what do you know? The crossbreed does have a sense of humor after all!” Ruith laughed as he bent down slightly to lean on Tarron’s shoulder with his free arm.

“I never would have believed it if I didn’t hear it for myself,” Tarron admitted as his grasp on his weapon slackened. Meanwhile, Haganto and Alanus gave each other a bewildered glance.

Why were they laughing? Wait, did they not know? How?

“We’re not joking,” Alanus said. “Agron has been-”

“Okay, that’s enough,” Ruith interrupted him, having finally stopped laughing. “Your joke will get old quickly if you continue it.”

“But Alanus is right, we are telling the truth,” Haganto said. “Agron-”

“What part of that’s enough do you not understand?” asked Tarron, ice once again edging his words as he glared daggers at Haganto. Alanus opened his mouth but before he could say anything, Haganto placed a hand on his shoulder as he looked straight into Tarron’s brown eyes. There was only one way to deal with Tarron when he refused to listen.

“Do you honestly believe that I would come back to Malnora just to tell a joke?” Haganto said. When Tarron and Ruith looked at each other, with realization in their eyes, Haganto breathed a sigh of relief. He knew that they wouldn’t have been able to refute that truth.

Because even though Haganto had been here a few times, the Malnora elves had never tried to like him. They always treated him with disgust and scorn, if just for the fact that Haganto had ogre blood, a species that they considered to be evil. It was probably only thanks to Alberad that they didn’t kick him out of Malnora when he first came here. Alberad, who had been born in Malnora, had hoped that they would eventually warm up to Haganto. But when it became clear after a few more visits that they would always see Haganto as an abomination, Alberad gave up and apologized to Haganto for troubling him. Haganto never blamed him.

Especially when knowing how to navigate the mist became really useful today.

“Alright, so you’re not joking,” Tarron admitted. “But what makes you think that Agron has escaped? That we failed our one job, our one purpose?”

“Erzu attacked a village and the villagers were able to scare her off with only fire and arrows,” Haganto explained. At the mention of Erzu, he felt Animo move around in his pocket with an uneasy whimper. Haganto put a comforting hand over the pocket before he continued. “When I found her, her body and mind had deteriorated to the point that she tried to bite her broken leg off. She was going to die whether I killed her or not.”

“He has been attacking villagers as well,” Alanus added as Tarron and Ruith glanced at each other. “Everyone is on high alert. And it’s not just humans, all the creatures are panicked and are acting strangely.”

“Perhaps, but has anyone seen him? Have you seen him?” Ruith asked sharply, his hazel eyes fixed on Haganto’s face. At the same time, Animo poked his head out of his pocket and looked up at Haganto.

“...No,” Haganto answered reluctantly. “But that doesn’t mean he didn’t somehow escape your watch and is wreaking chaos out there.”

“If no one has claimed to legitimately see Agron, then it simply means that he is still safely trapped behind the seal. The same unbreakable seal that gets strengthened every ten years while Agron gets steadily weaker, without any hope of getting that strength back,” Tarron dismissed coldly before turning his back on them. “So I suggest you two leave and go search for the real monster that is terrorizing the Faye Expanse.”

Tarron then turned his head with a steel glint in his eye.

“After all, isn’t that your job, ogre spawn?” As if he understood the words, Animo hissed but Tarron paid the animal no heed, for he began to head out of the room. Ruith motioned to the closed gate behind them with his spear.

“Leave now. You have no business here,” he ordered. Haganto sighed as he obediently started to turn around. There was no point in trying to argue their case any further, especially since it seemed Agron hadn’t attacked anyone at all while making his escape.

At least now Haganto knew why word of Agron’s escape hadn’t spread earlier.

“We do have business here.” Haganto’s eyes widened as he whipped his head towards Alanus, who hadn’t moved at all with a calm smile on his face.

“Alanus-”

“Of what nature human?” Tarron asked, stopping at the door as he suspiciously narrowed his eyes on Alanus.

“Well, as you noticed earlier, I am a bard,” Alanus answered. “I’m sure you know that my job is to sing songs and tell stories, as well as spread news across the continent. And right now, I’m afraid that the people are running around, terrified that Agron will kill maliciously them at any moment.”

“So?” Tarron asked.

“So, if I could spread around a story that we saw for ourselves that Agron was still trapped behind the seal, then that should relieve the people’s fears. Wouldn’t you agree?”

“Wait, you aren’t suggesting that we take you to the cave, are you?” Ruith asked furiously.

“Why not?” Alanus replied simply. “Not only would our minds be at ease, but also the minds of the people you had sworn to protect from Agron.”

Alanus smirked before he continued.

“Even better, you could prove right to our faces that we were wrong. And we will not be able to deny it.”

“Wrong,” Grimoire echoed from his position on Alanus’ shoulder.

Haganto stood there quietly with bated breath as Tarron and Ruith looked at each other. While most of the elves of Malnora were arrogant, they were actually very cautious when it came to Agron. Haganto had a feeling that if another elf or even a human that wasn’t associated with him had told them about Agron escaping, Tarron and Ruith would have listened and checked on Agron. Even if they had still felt slighted, they would have wanted to make sure.

Would Tarron’s and Ruith’s disgust and dislike towards Haganto be enough to let Alanus’ taunt work?

Tarron sighed.

“I go ask Councilor Belanor for permission,” Tarron said. “Ruith, make sure those two stay there.”

Ruith nodded and with that, Tarron finally left the room. It was only when the door was firmly shut that Haganto sighed with relief. Ruith silently went to the door and stood in front of it with his spear ready at his side. Undisturbed by Ruith’s steady glare on them, Haganto glanced at Alanus.

“Good job,” he muttered. Alanus gave him a smirk.

“What can I say, I know how to work people,” he said quietly. “I also really didn’t want to go back to the mist so soon.”

“Oh, the mist doesn’t come for people exiting Malnora,” Haganto explained. “Just for the ones entering.”

“Oh thank goodness,” Alanus sighed with pure relief. As Alanus brushed his fingers through Gimoire’s feathers, Haganto took a good look at his companion. Compared to how he was when Haganto found him in the mist, he looked much calmer and much less shaken. The only sign that he wasn’t completely back to normal was that he wasn’t humming or strumming his lute. However, Alanus might also be restraining himself because he didn’t want to annoy Ruith.

“You’re alright?” Haganto asked, wanting to be on the safe side. Alberad had done the same to him after Haganto’s first trip through the mist.

“Wha-oh...yeah, I’m alright,” Alanus said softly. Then he humorlessly chuckled. “I was a mess back there, huh?”

“I wasn’t too much better my first time,” Haganto admitted, remembering how the cold orders and loveless words caused him to plug one ear with his hand while clinging to Alberad’s hand with the other. If Haganto recalled correctly, he bruised his father figure’s hand. He of course felt bad about it, but Alberad just literally waved his apologies away.

“Really? Huh,” Alanus said, looking up at him in surprise. Neither of them didn’t say anything for the next few minutes, and even though Ruith refused to stop glaring at them, it was a comfortable silence.

“Have you...visited it?” Alanus suddenly asked. Haganto, who had been petting a content Animo’s head, turned his attention back to Alanus.

“Visit what?”

“Agron’s cave?”

“Oh,” Haganto said. “Well-”

“Do you really think we would have let him?” Ruith suddenly said. “Even most of the people here haven’t seen him, including me, so why would he be the exception?”

“Well, I suppose that checks out,” Alanus said with a sigh. Ruith looked like he was about to say more when the door behind him opened. Tarron reentered the room and stepped aside to let an elf with long silver hair and wrinkled dark-blue eyes walk in. As soon as he saw the elder elf with his cane, Ruith’s eyes went wide, and he saluted according to elf customs by bowing his head and placing his fist on the center of his chest.

“Councilor Belanor,” Haganto greeted as he saluted too. “I know what we’re asking is-”

“To make myself clear, ogre child,” Belanor interrupted him coldly. “I do not appreciate you coming here and demanding to see Agron after all this time. Neither do I appreciate you, human bard, trying to manipulate us to obey your wishes.”

Alanus lightly whistled as he suddenly focused all of his attention on Grimoire.

“But, unfortunately, I cannot afford to ignore your request.”

“Councilor, what do you mean by that?” Ruith asked, looking both bewildered and concerned.

“For the past few weeks, I have sensed both death and despair in the air. And it gets stronger by the hour. At first, I thought that a war or a plague was starting to bloom but now, I am not so sure. And it does not help that our guards stationed at the cave have not seen him for weeks. And while that by itself is not unusual, maybe it is time to make certain he is still our prisoner.”

“Do you really believe that Agron has escaped, Councilor Belanor? After all, the seal is still up,” Tarron said.

“The only thing I know is that we should never grow complacent,” Councilor Belanor said.

“So you’re going to take us to the cave?” Alanus asked.

“Yes, but do not be mistaken,” Belanor answered before his eyes became as cold as the sea. “Haganto, if it is proven that Agron is still our prisoner, then you will immediately be forced to leave, and forbidden to ever return, whether you are Alberad’s ward or not. The same goes for you bard. We will not tolerate such insolence and manipulation. Do you understand?”

“Yes,” Haganto agreed with another bow of his head. A chance to see for himself how Agron escaped was all that he hoped for.

“Like we would ever want to come back here,” Alanus muttered. Haganto stiffened but luckily, the elves either didn’t hear him or chose to ignore him for Councilor Belanor turned around and walked, stopping at the doorway.

“Tarron, Ruith, come with us. Alinar and Neridi will take their shift a bit early,” Councilor Belanor said right before two other elves entered the room, each one taking a side of the door. “Now let us go.”

And with that final order, Councilor Belanor left the room, with Tarron right behind him. Ruith motioned for Haganto and Alanus to follow them with his spear, an order that both of them promptly and silently followed. Ruith brought up the rear and soon enough, they were out of the entrance hall and in the heart of Malnora.

The road they were on was paved with white stones that sparkled in the sunlight and instead of wooden houses, the buildings here were made out of stone. Elves often prided themselves in making the most out of their environment so it was no wonder that the Malnora elves would use stone. Thanks to the mountain nearby, the elves were able to make elegant doors out of wood, their preferred building material.

However, the elves glaring at him from their doorsteps made it hard for Haganto to appreciate their craftsmanship. So Haganto just sighed and looked ahead of him. If his memory served correctly, it shouldn’t take too much longer to get to the back of town.

“Oh, so that’s why we couldn’t sneak in from the mountain,” Alanus said suddenly, his gaze directed at the sky. Curious, Haganto looked up, and against the blue sky, there was an unnatural green sheen that went from the left wall of Malnora over to the other wall, as well as to the mountain.

“Ah yes,” Haganto said. “To prevent, as you put it, anyone sneaking into Malnora by climbing down the mountain, the first Councilor of Malnora cast a magic shield to prevent any intruders from above by instantly transporting them to the Mist. The shield’s magic is renewed with each inauguration of a new Councilor, so in a way, it is almost as strong as the seal guarding Agron.”

“You acknowledge this magic’s strength yet you believe that Agron somehow got past his seal without us knowing,” Tarron scoffed. “Pray, tell me how do you suppose Agron would accomplish such a feat?”

“We don’t know,” Haganto admitted. “We were hoping to find some clue on how to track him down.”

“We were also concerned on how word on Agron’s escape didn’t spread earlier since you didn’t completely cut off contact with the rest of the world,” Alanus added.

“You mean rumors of Agron’s escape,” Ruith said.

“Well, we will find out soon if it’s rumors or not,” Councilor Belanor said. “Because we’re here.”

They stopped in front of a stone wall that formed a half-moon shape, making it so that the back section of Malnora, or Agron’s cave, was cut off from the rest of the elven village. Unlike the rest of the doors in the village, the door in the middle of the stone enclosure was also made out of thick stone. Similar to the front gate, it also had two elves guarding it, who instantly bowed and greeted Councilor Belanor as soon as he reached them.

“Varitan, Galan,” Councilor Belanor greeted the two guards with a nod. The two guards, after a distrustful look at both Haganto and Alanus, looked like they were about to protest at the Councilor’s silent order. However, Councilor Belanor must have given them a pointed look because they suddenly clamped their mouths shut again with sheepish expressions.

Without further ado, they both turned around and grabbed the huge metal ring on the door and together, pulled it open. The door revealed a wide open space and beyond that, a steep mountainside with a large cave at the bottom of it. There were another two guards posted on either side of the cave, which Haganto couldn’t see inside of it. Not just because of the distance, but also because of the golden, translucent shield covering the whole mouth of the dark cave.

They finally made it to Agron’s cave.

The guards then stepped aside and bowed once more without a word.

Tarron entered first with Councilor Belanor following closely behind him. Being the next in line, Haganto moved forward and when he reached the door, he was quickly met with hostile glares from the guards. Haganto just ignored them as he entered through the open door sideways, his build too wide to enter otherwise. Alanus and Ruith followed him and shortly after Ruith entered, Haganto heard the door close. Not that he was honestly paying attention to what was going on behind him.

Haganto was too focused on searching for any possible clues in front of him to do that.

“Councilor Belanor,” an elven guard with dark blue eyes greeted the elder elf as he bowed along with his fellow guard. Haganto himself continued to search for anything out of place, for anything that could explain Agron’s escape. “Forgive me for my impudence, but what is going on? I know that Agron hasn’t come to the seal in weeks, but you said that Agron has wallowed in the back of his prison for that long before. So why is that ogre spawn here?”

“Because I feel something is terribly wrong in the air,” Councilor Belanor explained as Haganto continued to come up with nothing. Of course, this was his first time here, so maybe he was seeing a clue but didn’t know it because he wasn’t familiar with these surroundings. But then wouldn’t the guards have noticed if there was anything unusual?

But on that same track, wouldn’t the guards have noticed if Agron had escaped? His escape couldn’t have been that silent...right?

“And while I doubt that Agron has escaped our grasp, I cannot ignore the wisdom of making certain that he hasn’t,” Councilor Belanor continued as Haganto moved closer to the cave, squinting his eyes to see past the golden seal, marked with ancient elven symbols that all meant unbreakable in the common tongue.

The cave was dark, too dark to make out anything beyond the first few feet. Haganto sniffed and couldn’t help but recoil physically at the stench of death and decay.

“But-” the same guard tried to protest as Haganto was forced to take a step away from the overwhelming stench.

Only for his foot to sink deep into the ground.

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Next: Chapter 12: https://vocal.media/fiction/his-escape-5kp0015y