A BLOOD Oath

The Almost

The tunnel shook again. That was what broke the moment. Reality came rushing all at once. Dust fell from the ceiling above them while water surged harder around their boots. Kael stepped back immediately. Too quickly. Like he hated the fact that he had been standing close to Arielle.

Arielle’s chest tightened strangely. Not disappointment. Definitely not disappointment.

Sera said sharply from behind them "We need to move." Right. The collapsing tunnel. Possible death. Important things.

Kael released Arielle slowly though his hands lingered for half a second before pulling completely. Then he turned his attention back to the tunnel like nothing had happened. Which somehow annoyed her more.

Lucien looked between them carefully. Then smiled. Oh no. "You almost kissed " he said casually. Arielle nearly choked on air. "We absolutely did not." Lucien looked unconvinced. Eamon groaned loudly. "Can we survive first before whatever this is becomes worse?"

Kael ignored all of them. "Move " he said. Coward. The thought slipped into Arielle’s head before she could stop it.. Judging by the slight tightening in Kael’s jaw the oath probably carried enough of the emotion for him to feel it too.

Good. Let him suffer a little.

They continued deeper through the tunnel while the collapse echoed behind them. The path widened slightly after minutes, opening into an older underground passage lined with crumbling stone arches. The air felt different here. Older. Arielle slowed slightly beside one of the walls. Symbols had been carved into the stone. Faded now with age.

Arielle asked, "What is this place?" Lucien lifted the lantern higher. "Old kingdom tunnels." "That explains nothing."

"It explains enough."

She was going to throw him into a river.

Sera brushed dust from one of the carvings carefully. "These tunnels existed before the crown." That got Arielle’s attention immediately. "Before Valedorn?" Kael nodded once while checking the passage ahead. "The old kingdoms built routes beneath the cities during the war centuries ago."

Eamon sighed tiredly. "Wonderful. Ancient cursed tunnels. What we needed." Lucien looked delighted. "You think everything is cursed." "Because everything around you usually is." Fair point.

The farther they walked the quieter everyone became. Mostly because exhaustion was finally catching up to all of them. Especially Kael. Arielle could feel it clearly through the oath now. His body was running on stubbornness at this point. Every few steps brought another wave of pain through the connection.. He kept pretending not to notice it. i***t. Again.

Arielle said quietly beside him "You’re limping." "I’m walking." "That wasn’t my point yesterday either." Kael glanced sideways at her briefly. "You repeat yourself often." "You ignore injuries often."

"Also true."

Arielle frowned slightly. "Why are you agreeing with me?"

"I’m tired."

That answer felt far too honest. The tunnel curved sharply ahead before opening into an underground chamber lit faintly by cracks in the ceiling above. Moonlight filtered through in silver lines.

At the center of the room stood the remains of a shrine. Broken statues. Collapsed pillars. Dust covering everything... What caught Arielle’s attention immediately was the symbol carved into the floor. A circle crossed by two lines. Her breath caught slightly. The same symbol burned faintly into the oath mark on her hand.

Kael noticed too. His expression darkened immediately. "No." Arielle looked at him. "You know this place."

"That’s not good " Eamon muttered. Lucien crouched near the symbol carefully. "Well " he said lightly "that explains a few things."

Arielle snapped, "Would anybody like to explain them to me?" Sera looked uneasy now too. "This was an oath chamber." Arielle stared at her. "A what?" Kael stepped toward the symbol slowly. "Blood oaths weren’t created by the crown " he said quietly. "They existed long before the kingdom did."

A strange chill crept through Arielle’s chest. Something about hearing that in this hidden underground ruin made the oath suddenly feel far more serious than before. Lucien traced part of the symbol with his fingers. "There were stories once " he said. "About oaths becoming… deeper over time."

Arielle folded her arms immediately. "I already dislike the direction this conversation is going." Eamon pointed toward her. "Exactly." Kael’s face remained unreadable. Through the oath she felt something move beneath the surface. Worry. Real worry.

Arielle noticed immediately. "You know something." "No." "You’re lying." "I’m avoiding panic." "That usually means yes." Sera sighed softly. "The longer two people remain bound the stronger the connection becomes."

Arielle blinked. "Okay…"

Lucien looked up from the symbol. " Eventually " he added, "it stops being limited to pain." Arielle slowly looked between all of them. Then understanding hit. "Oh no." Eamon looked miserable already. "Oh yes."

Arielle stared directly at Kael now. "You knew that." Kael looked away. Which was answer enough. Her face heated instantly. "That’s why you keep looking at me strangely every time the oath reacts!" "I do not look at you strangely."

Lucien laughed out loud. "You absolutely do."

Even Sera looked amused now. Kael looked moments away from murdering everyone. Arielle crossed her arms tighter. "What exactly does this mean?" Nobody answered immediately. Which was extremely concerning.

Finally Sera spoke carefully. "Emotions become harder to separate." Arielle’s stomach dropped. That already explained much. The fear. The guilt. The relief.. Earlier… That moment in the tunnel. Her chest suddenly felt too warm.

Lucien stood again slowly. "In some cases " he added, "the bond can also strengthen physical and emotional instincts between the two people." Arielle stared blankly. Eamon covered his face with one hand. "I miss when my problems were normal."

Kael finally spoke again voice flat. "We’re leaving." Coward again. Arielle almost smiled despite herself. Because now things suddenly made sense. The tension. The constant awareness between them. Why every touch felt heavier lately.. Judging from the uncomfortable silence around them, everyone else understood it too.

Wonderful. Absolutely wonderful. Before anyone could continue humiliating her a distant sound echoed faintly through the tunnels. Voices. Everyone went still immediately. Lucien’s expression sharpened. "That’s not good."

The voices grew louder. Soldiers. Somehow they had found another entrance into the passages. Kael’s hand moved instantly toward his sword again. "How close?" Sera moved toward one of the passageways to listen better. "Too close."

Arielle’s exhaustion vanished immediately beneath adrenaline. "How are they still finding us?" Lucien’s face darkened slightly this time. "Because someone is telling them where to look." Again. The same betrayal. The same invisible enemy staying one step ahead.

Kael looked toward the side of the chamber quickly. "There’s another exit."

" course there is " Eamon muttered.

They moved fast again crossing through the ruined shrine toward a staircase leading upward.. Before Arielle reached it pain slammed violently through the oath. Not hers. Kael’s.

Sharp enough to bring her to her knees. She grabbed the wall hard. Kael staggered too. Everyone stopped instantly. "What happened?" Sera asked sharply. Kael’s face had gone pale again. Then Arielle saw it. Blood. Fresh blood spreading quickly through the side of his bandages. The wound had reopened badly during the collapse.

Through the oath she felt something else beneath the pain now. His strength failing.