Road Beneath The Earth Album Outro -PRINCE CASPIAN: DARK WATER COVENANT — ESCAPE FROM CAVIGOR PRISON
The dust of the Ruby Territory tasted like copper and old iron.
Leif led the way through the Jagged Pass, the Belt of Deltora resting heavy and warm against his waist. The Topaz hummed with a low, protective pulse, but even its golden light felt dim against the oppressive shadow towering at the rear of their party.
Prince Phobos swept his royal-purple cloak over a jagged rock, his emerald eyes scanning the barren landscape with open disdain. Beside him walked Queen Elyon, her dark-robed brother’s polar opposite, glowing with the warm, radiant aura of Metamoor's true Light. Bring up the flank was Will—her hair a bright red blaze under the harsh sun, the Heart of Kandrakar resting beneath her shirt.
Three royal siblings of Metamoor, bound by blood, torn apart by history, and forced together by necessity.
"A wasteland," Phobos sneered, his voice smooth and laced with venom. "To think I allowed my little sisters to drag me into another subterranean goose chase. In our kingdom, at least the dungeons have proper masonry."
"Keep walking, Phobos," Will said sharply, her knuckles whitening on her backpack straps. "Nobody asked for your commentary. You're only here because Elyon insisted we couldn't break the ancient seals without your magic."
"He is our brother, Will, no matter how much he tries to act like a tyrant," Elyon said gently, though her eyes remained sharp and cautious as she glanced at Phobos. "Besides, his dark magic balances my Light. We need both if we're going to survive what's waiting below."
"What a touching family reunion," Phobos replied with a dark, curling smile. "The exiled villain, the golden Queen, and our fiery little half-sister holding the cosmos together."
Ahead of them, Eli Shane crouched near a dry riverbed, a blue-and-orange Burpy sitting comfortably on his shoulder. Eli loaded an Infurnus slug into his wrist-mounted launcher with a rhythmic click-clack. "Tracks are fresh," Eli noted, gesturing to deep grooves in the parched earth. "Whatever guards this underground kingdom, it’s big. Burpy says the heat radiation down below is off the charts."
"Let it come," Peter Pevensie said quietly. The former High King of Narnia drew Rhindon an inch from its sheath, the silver blade glinting under Deltora's pale sun. His posture was regal and cautious. He knew all about complicated royal family dynamics, but watching the Vandom-Escanor siblings bicker tested even his strategic patience. "We stick to the formation. Haru, keep the perimeter clear."
Haru Glory swung the massive form of the Ten Commandments sword onto his shoulder with practiced ease. Plue, the small, cone-nosed creature at his heels, let out a soft shivering sound. "Don't worry, buddy," Haru said, grinning down at Plue. "If anything jumps out, the Eisenmeteor will slice right through it. But Leif—are you sure the clue said here?"
Leif pulled a yellowed parchment from his tunic. "The scribes of Tora were clear. Where the mountains bleed red, look to the earth. The Infinite City slumbers below, waiting for the Key."
They reached the base of a sheer slate cliff where the earth had ruptured into a massive fissure. Swirling violet mist billowed upward from the black abyss. Cut directly into the ancient lintel above the descent were two colossal words carved in deep, jagged runes:
UNDER ME
"Charming," Will muttered, looking down into the darkness.
"It's a declaration of divine right," Elyon corrected, stepping forward. She extended her hand, her light magic pulsing in harmony with Phobos's darker energy as the two siblings combined their powers to test the ward blocking the chasm. "The Infinite City lies under the weight of the world, and under the absolute rule of whatever summoned it."
"Then we break its rule," Leif said, unclasping the Belt of Deltora just enough to let the amethyst's purple light illuminate the darkness below. "Step by step. Stay close."
The descent was steep, cut into ancient spiral stairs. As they went deeper, the narrow tunnel opened into a cavern so vast its ceiling was lost to the dark. Sprawled out beneath them was a subterranean metropolis of white stone and endless, looping arches. Towers floated in mid-air, anchored by glowing chains of pure energy—a true Infinite City, frozen in silent majesty.
"Look out!" Haru barked suddenly.
From the shadow of the floating towers, massive stone constructs lunged forward, their eyes burning with violet light.
"Defensive positions!" Peter ordered, drawing Rhindon. The High King leaped forward, parrying a swinging stone blade with masterwork precision.
"Burpy, give us some heat!" Eli shouted, firing his Infurnus, which transformed into a roaring beast of flame that shattered a guardian's chest. Haru shifted his sword's form—"Explosion!"—and detonated another sentinel into rubble.
Yet more guardians emerged from the shadows.
"Will, Elyon, with me!" Phobos commanded, his dark green whisper-magic curling from his hands to bind three guardians at once.
Elyon raised her hands, unleashing a blinding wave of light magic that shattered the dark shields of the constructs, while Will called upon the power of Kandrakar, wrapping thick roots and pressurized water around the remaining sentinels. For a single moment, the three siblings fought in absolute, terrifying sync—a trinity of dark, light, and elemental power.
"They're drawing energy from the central core!" Elyon shouted over the din. "Leif! The Belt! You have to place it on the central dais!"
Leif didn't hesitate. Shielded by Peter's blade and Haru's strikes, Leif sprinted toward the central pedestal of the city. "Deltora gives us strength!" he cried, slamming the Belt onto the altar.
The seven gems flashed in unison, sending a blinding wave of golden light through the subterranean metropolis. The violent glow in the guardians' eyes faded, and they crumbled into harmless dust.
Silence settled over the Infinite City. The floating towers hummed quietly, stabilized by the Belt's magic.
Will wiped a smudge of soot from her forehead, glancing sideways at Elyon and Phobos. "Well... at least we didn't kill each other."
Phobos smoothed down his velvet cloak, a faint, condescending smirk returning to his face. "Give it time, little sister."
Peter sheathed Rhindon and looked out over the sprawling underground realm. "Our journey through this place has only just begun."
Leif reclaimed the Belt, securing it back around his waist. "Then let's move. Whatever secrets lie 'Under Me', we find them together."
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