The Bond || ONC2022

Chapter 11

"Regrettably, it looks like there is no obvious way out of this hole," Bhallar announced, returning to the chamber he had woken up in.

"Are you telling me that I might die with you in this hole?" Philitis wiggled his brows suggestively. "If you are by my side, my death wouldn't be in vain."

Bhallar ignored his green-eyed companion. "I said that there is no obvious way. Look closely at this wall." He pointed at the wall Philitis had been staring at when he had regained consciousness. "This is almighty Ra's symbol. It's barely visible. According to ancient texts-"

"Are you speaking of the forbidden texts?" Philitis narrowed his eyes, "The more we interact, the more I realize that you are not as innocent as I thought. How did you get your hands on forbidden texts?"

Bhallar cleared his throat; ignoring the latter, he wiped off the thin layer of dust from it, revealing the sun God's face. Bowing his head to show respect, he pressed his ear to the Sun God's lips.

He missed the longing in the hunter's eyes and whispered, "Almighty Ra's presence in this dark corner is odd. It is safe to say that whoever built this place wanted to keep him hostage."

"You are not making any sense. You realize that, right?" Philitis's exasperation was palpable. "We have half an hour, at most, before this place plunges into darkness. Tell me that there is a way out."

"How did you end up here?"

"Through the tunnel that you came through. Why?"

"Are you looking for the run-away concubine? If yes, why are you alone? Why did you come here." Bhallar bombarded him with questions while more swirled around in his mind.

Philitis smiled cockily, "Will you believe me if I said I was following you?"

"No. I won't. You were here before me."

"Fine. After we parted ways, I returned to my group. We were tipped that the girl was headed to Ra's temple. Since I am the best tracker among them, it was my job to lead them here. However, a few miles before we got here, a thick fog appeared out of nowhere, and I lost my footing and fell where you did."

What the hunter had told him didn't make sense. He had fallen into the hole as soon as he had entered the tunnel, but Philitis was telling him that he had taken a different one but ended up here as well.

"Did I say something worrying?"

Bhallar shook his head, "It's not a single tunnel but a web of them, instead...a system that the killer must have used for his benefit." He stepped away from Ra's symbol. "I can hear Aari. That means we are very close to the temple's innermost womb. Let's look for a cold patch on the floor or a loose tile. We can start from there."

***

A few minutes later, Bhallar's guess proved correct. One of the tiles placed at the threshold of the left chamber sounded hollow when tapped, and as soon as the hunter tried to pry it open, it slid to its right, revealing a long, dark passage.

"So, will you lead the way, or should I?" Philitis asked, looking over his shoulder at Bhallar, who stood frozen on the spot.

"Wait. What if it's not the place we are looking for?"

"Then we are screwed either way, aren't we? Might as well die trying." The hunter turned around and offered his hand to the physician, "Trust me, I will not let you die before me. You still owe me a favor, and until I have extracted it from you, I will not let anyone take you from me... Not even death."

Bhallar's dusky complexion did nothing to hide the blush that colored his cheeks this time around. Praying that the hunter had not noticed it, the physician nodded, took his companion's hand in one, and held the torch in another before stepping inside the tunnel much like the one he had taken when he had fallen into the pit.