Evolution begins with an ant colony

Oliver's eyes fluttered open, his thoughts racing as he attempted to grasp his surroundings. He shook his head gently, hoping to dispel the dizziness that had settled in. As he looked upward, his gaze met the wooden walls that enclosed him, he seemed to be trapped in what seemed to be some kind of wooden dungeon, dimly lit by green runs they were imbedded in the wooden walls.

He couldn't help but utter words of confusion, "Where am I?"

An attempt to move his limbs revealed that he was bound by the unforgiving grip of roots, securely tethered to a larger, central root. The verdant restraints emphasized his predicament, leaving him with a gnawing sense of entrapment.

"I remember wanting to escape from Leandor earlier," Oliver mumbled as his racing thoughts pieced together fragments of his recent memories. "But then... I just suddenly fell to the floor and lost consciousness." His voice held a tinge of frustration, realizing how he had been incapacitated. "He must have knocked me out," Oliver concluded, his deduction painting a clear picture of the situation.

As Oliver's thoughts raced, he couldn't recall what happened next, but the memory of the situation before Leandor's intervention remained clear.

"I may not know what happened next," he mused, "but I'm pretty sure that before Leandor came to knock me out, I saw guards from all the other tribes standing in front of the doors the princess had passed trough." The revelation struck him with the importance of this information. "That's news I have to report back to my liege," Oliver concluded, realizing the gravity of what he had witnessed.

Determined to free himself, Oliver shifted his focus to his predicament. He attempted to break free from the roots restraining him, applying brute strength. However, with each struggle, he noticed the roots constricting even tighter around him, making his efforts increasingly futile.

"What gives!?" Oliver exclaimed, confusion etched across his face. He wriggled within his bonds, feeling the roots constricting around his arms and legs. The increasing pressure made him wince in pain. "Any tighter, and these things will actually snap my bones like twigs," he thought, gritting his teeth as he grappled with the discomfort.

However, his struggles proved futile. A voice emerged, resounding in the wooden confines of the dungeon. "It's no use. Those are the roots of the castle," the voice warned. "You won't break free, even if your strength were multiplied ten times over."

As the voice's owner drew closer, footsteps echoed through the chamber. Oliver's curiosity piqued, and he demanded, "Who are you? Show yourself!"

In the dimly lit dungeon, faint green hues emanating from the runes embedded in the walls, a woman emerged into view. She was resplendent, with flowing green hair and eyes of a deep, captivating yellow. Adorning her head was an ornate wooden crown, adding a regal touch to her appearance. A flowing green dress, embellished with intricate golden accents, cascaded around her like a river.

It was unmistakably Rinalef.

Oliver, caught off guard by her sudden presence, couldn't help but comment, "Hey there, princess." His playful tone concealed his earlier surprise. "You startled me with how different your voice sounded." He paused for a moment, then continued, "So, what are we doing here? Were we kidnapped by the other tribes? This must be Leandor's doing.

Don't worry, I'll break free and get us out of here." His words were laced with resolve and a hint of reassurance.

Oliver persisted in his attempts to break free from the constricting roots, but their grip intensified to the point where the pressure caused his arm and leg bones to crack under the strain.

"Aghhhh!" He couldn't help but cry out in pain. Frustration welled up within him. "Damm it," he mused inwardly, his hopes of escape fading. "Seems I won't be getting out of this one anytime soon."

Suddenly, Rinalef's demeanor took an unexpected turn. Sinister laughter erupted from her, a sharp contrast to her previous composure, completely catching Oliver off guard. As her laughter subsided, she leaned in closer to him, her tone taking on a hint of playfulness as she spoke.

"How naive and foolish of you," she remarked, her voice laced with mockery. Her face curved into a sinister smile, and her gaze bore into Oliver's, adding an eerie quality to her words. "Are you really that dumb that you still don't understand what's going on?" Her tone was a mix of amusement and derision.

Oliver's eyes widened in disbelief as he struggled to make sense of the situation. "W... what is going on, Princess? Why are you talking like this?" Your journey continues with empire

Suddenly, Rinalef interrupted him with an abrupt revelation. "I'm saying I'm the one responsible, you moron," she retorted, her tone dripping with smugness. "Seems my innocent good-girl act really fooled you." She approached Oliver, leaning in close, her demeanor transformed from benevolent royalty to something altogether different.

Oliver gritted his teeth, a vein pulsating on his forehead as he wrestled with a mixture of frustration and disbelief. However, he managed to calm himself down and, with a touch of playfulness, closed his eyes momentarily. "Damm, Princess, you are such a player," he remarked. Then, his tone took a serious turn as he opened his left eye. "So, you're saying that you're the one responsible for this.

Then I have another question." Oliver's gaze bore into Rinalef, demanding answers. "What is all this about?"

Rinalef's reply carried a sinister undertone as she questioned Oliver's right to know. "And why should I tell you that?" Her words were sharp, revealing the chilling extent of her plans. She maintained a facade of indifference while gently touching his right cheek.

"The only reason I'm keeping you alive is because I want to use you in case things go south." Her tone softened slightly as she continued, "You know, Oliver, I was actually starting to like you. If you had just stayed back at your tribe and not come here, I would have spared you when all this was over."

Oliver couldn't help but focus on her words, puzzled by the phrase "when this is all over." It left him wondering about her true intentions.

Oliver replied with a hint of playfulness, his voice echoing in the dimly lit chamber. "I'm sorry to disappoint you, Princess, but this wasn't really a matter of choice. It was an order from my liege, so I simply had to come."

The princess withdrew her hand from his cheek and added with a hint of sadness, "Well, it doesn't matter now." She turned away abruptly, her demeanor shifting as she walked away. Before vanishing from his sight, she issued a stark warning. "Escaping from this dungeon is impossible.

If you keep trying to brake free, the roots around your arms and legs will keep tightening until all the bones in your arms and legs are completely broken. Even if by some miracle you find a way to free yourself from them, you will still remain trapped here. The paths of the dungeon shift and change all the time." Her final words lingered in the still, dimly lit chamber.

"So, I would be on my best behavior if I were you." With that, she left him to his thoughts and his constrained surroundings.

After Rinalef left, Oliver couldn't help but ponder her cryptic words and the peculiar circumstances. As he lay there, his thoughts raced. "What was all that about?" he wondered, his voice echoing internally. "She's obviously up to something. The fact that all those guards from different tribes were standing by that huge door... The fact that I met Leandor in the hallway.

When she said 'when this is over,' she couldn't mean... Damm, she was serious." A sense of realization and concern washed over him. Oliver let out a wry chuckle, his voice tinged with resignation. "Seems I failed you, my liege. Hopefully, when this is all over, you won't be too hard on me." With that, he drifted back into the depths of unconsciousness, his fate uncertain.

As Rinalef stepped out of the wooden castle dungeon, she was greeted by two vigilant Dryad guards stationed near the dungeon's exit, which led to a mysterious location somewhere behind the massive wooden castle.

With an air of authority, she addressed them, her words laced with determination. "Go and inform the other tribe leaders. We make our move by dawn. We shall retrieve the Black Dragon Core and offer it to that demon. For the king and queen."

One of the guards responded promptly, showing his commitment. "Understood, Princess."

As he turned to carry out her orders, Rinalef watched him depart, her mind filled with a mix of resolve and concern. "Don't worry, Mother, Father," she whispered to herself, her voice reflecting both resolve and a trace of worry. "Your daughter will save you from that monster soon.

You don't have to worry." She gazed up at the moon, its soft glow casting an ethereal light over the night sky, and clenched her fists, reinforcing her determination to free her parents from the looming threat.