The Dreamer's POV

In a hidden castle carpeted by swirling lifelike shadows sat a figure at the very center. The dark ethereal smoky creature sat, leaning backwards and they listened to the tremors that shook the world.

Their eyes opened, and red eyes clouded by a swirling white were revealed. It was like their eyes were a portal to an abyss–undulating and turning. Large arcing horns jutted from their head crowning them as a creature of utmost evil.

Wisps of darkness drifted from his sides and steadily took a humanoid shape. They spoke to their seated monarch, their voices slithery,

"It is time Lord, the world cries for its savior." They said in unison.

Kollungr's closed his red eyes once more and then opened them,

"Just as it was prophesized. I was hoping it wouldn't come to this. We would have to wake the system administrator."

*****

Lisa Scotfield and her stealthy group appeared in the midst of trees in a flash of light as they were teleported away by Lizbella.

She raised her hand into a fist instructing that the team stay together and move slowly not to attract any attention. They were teleported a thousand meters away from the place Caleb and Park had in their minds as the nine headed dragon alliance's hideout.

They could spot features of a battle already as they met singed trees, splinters and indentations on the hard ground.

She threw up her hand and outstretched it, and instantly, they all jumped away and zoomed to the trees, running in between trees and making as little sound as possible.

And within two minutes, they appeared just at the last rows of trees before the sunken cavern.

'It matches the images Lizbella flooded our minds with.'

'Remember, we are here to find out what we can, avoid confrontations as our enemies are stronger than we are. Trudge lightly and silently. Most of all, survive.' She stated through the telepathic link between them.

They slowly crept to the sunken spot, peering into the blackness below. Little rays of light illuminated some small part of the cavern, however, most of it was dark, and overly silent, the perfect place for them to work.

They shifted, leaving afterimages as they appeared at the floor of the cavern. Lisa walked about, her eyes drifting and trying to make out anything in the dark. There was nothing, save for the tunnels.

'Into four, take a tunnel and relay a word every ten minutes.' She instructed, and the party broke into a group of four, each group taking one of the four tunnels.

They moved hurriedly through the tunnels, their images blurring into the dark. There was nothing peculiar about the tunnels, and they were large enough to occupy the width of two men. The spies ran through it, until they came at a convergence: a hole.
Stay connected with empire

'What now? Do we jump?'

"Yes." Lisa commanded and the group jumped into the dark hole.

The hole was incredibly wide that none touched each other as they fell, and they fell for close to twenty minutes when their path suddenly changed. Instead of continued descent, they were thrown to a path at the side by some 'force', and they continued zooming through this path–levitating as they were directed.

Again, after crossing some distance, they were pulled to a corner and into another large path, this one as dark as the others. Then up till they were thrown upward to an open expanse.

"Hmmm!" The sound wasn't from any from the group, but rather a dragon kin that worked nearby.

Lisa's eyes widened as she realized where they were. The open expanse of green plains just before the mountain was the abode for many of the dragon kin race, and the path they took were roads meant for them to go back to their town.

She looked back to the gaping hole that just spat them, and then back to the dragon kin that was beating a metal on an anvil. The rotend dragon kin paused at their arrival seemingly shocked by their presence, and lucky for the group, the portal was just by the outskirts of the small town, with the fat dragon kin by himself and behind a white tent. They had to finish him off before he got the chance to alert the others.

Lisa lunged for the dragon kin, blue ghostly tendrils erupting from her right forearm, and suddenly embracing the face of the dragon kin. It all happened before they could react and the dragon kin froze, the move kept their mind still.

Its eyes were open, and the reds became a whitish blue. It was entranced, a puppet under the control of Lisa Scotfield.

Lisa pulled the field that bound her mouth, and slowly uttered the words, "Burst."

The dragon kin exploded, their organs splattering across Lisa, but a warm dim shield stopped the blood and gore from reaching her.

'That was close.'

'Quick as always Lisa.'

'This is why you were chosen, always quick on your feet.'

The group praised her swift reaction to the situation. She simply nodded to them, but deep inside, she felt delighted. So far and so good, things were going smoothly.

'Miss Lizbella mustn't be aware of this.' Lisa said as she stared at the huts ahead.

She brought up a red orb, an artifact for communication, something vital for a mission like this. A feminine voice uttered a sound at the other end, and Lisa spoke,

"We have infiltrated their abode, there is a town of them, and from the looks of it, they seem to be in the hundreds." She stopped and then looked up at her invisible colleague who was out checking their numbers. Lisa configured the orb so that all could hear, and so the invisible one was privy to their messages. The figure nodded confirming her statement.

'Sending images now.'

'Confirmed. Continue your mission, and try to get information from those at the top. You must get all that you can.'

Lisa simply nodded.