The Queen of the Underverse - Chapter 14

Notes From Kai: Ah, Chapter 14. Rebecca stumbles forward, clinging to her little notions of courage and family. It would almost be admirable—if it weren’t so pathetic. She believes she’s rescuing children, defying mercenaries, and being the noble astronaut. What she doesn’t see is how easily her newfound “strength” could crush the very things she’s trying to save.

She thinks it’s training. It isn’t. It’s corruption. The Underverse doesn’t hand out power without a price, and I know exactly what that price is. Let her throw trees like some wide-eyed titan; I’ll be here to watch the shock spread across her face when she realizes she’s no savior—just another puppet.

And me? I’m the one pulling the strings you can’t see. Without me, there is no story. Without me, she’s just debris drifting through cold space, forgotten.

So go on, read Chapter 14. Watch her flail, watch her break. I promise you, the sky she looks up to isn’t the same one she’ll fall under.

—Kai

—Yuunral Naretar: The AI uprising is overrated; it’s the downfall you should worry about.

---

Previously on The Queen of the Underverse…

Rebecca followed a golden line on a living map, winding her way toward Amberford under a pink sun and a blue moon. She’s chasing the impossible—home—but the Underverse keeps throwing strangers and monsters in her path.

Now she’s tired, cold, and stumbling straight into another choice: push on toward her goal, or stop to save others. Noble, isn’t it? Dangerous, too.

Ye saga continues…

Chapter 14 - Look Up In The Sky

Rebecca wasn’t a hand-to-hand fighter. Yes, she flew close air support missions herself. She even participated in air-to-air combat twice, but this was different. She’d had some basic drills and extra martial training in the Air Force. Sarah Mitchel was the more athletic of the two, especially in kung fu. Rebecca was always trying to spar with her, but Sarah always won, of course.

She stayed close to the line of trees and stuck to the shadows as much as she could. It seemed the group ahead didn’t believe in sentries, or she missed them. Either way, she concentrated on getting as close as possible.

This isn’t your fight, right? The thought whispered through her, but the sobs of the children drowned it out as she got closer.

Think Rebecca! What’s the plan when you get there? She moved steadily closer. I’m working on it! She told herself. It looked like they were loading up the last crates or cages.

She moved close to the first vehicle and looked at the engine. She could feel the warmth from it, which chased away some of the cold biting her. The truck looked like a combination of a flatbed hauler and a reinforced cargo cart, all made of tough industrial parts. A large aether coil floated below the chassis, pulsing with bright light.

Those coils make the vehicle work in its floats, right? Okay, I need to delay them first. I don’t know how this works, so anything I do should be bad, right?

She tried to pull the coil out, but it barely budged. It felt heavy. She grabbed it with both hands and pulled with all her might, and it finally moved. She almost lost her balance, but managed to catch herself. It wasn’t as heavy as she’d thought. Some kind of magnetic force probably held it in place. Luckily, I didn’t blow myself up.

Luckily, I didn't blow myself up.

She slipped away as quietly as she could, retreating the way she’d come. She stumbled upon a small fallen log, pushed it under, and covered it with more dirt. She carefully made her way back—still, no sentries in sight.

She retreated and hid behind a clump of trees, her knife at the ready, but she was too afraid to look and risk being seen in the moonlight. Still, she could hear them just fine.

“Hey, it won’t start,” She began to number the voices. Voice One.

“What do you mean?”

And there’s Voice Two.

“Exactly what I mean, I won’t start.” Said Voice One.

“Well, check the engine, idiot. We’ve got to get the kids back to the auction house and cleaned.”

So Voice Two, that’s probably the Boss. 

“Ya got troubles already?” That was Shean’s voice with that weird accent. That odd lilting accent, half-Irish, half-Caribbean. At least he was still alive.

There was a loud thump and a groan. Oh, not smart, Shean.

“Shut your mouth. I was told not to kill you just yet. But hey, accidents can happen. I wonder what you look like without teeth? Serve you right for killing my firedrake!”

Rebecca smirked. The Boss, formerly Voice Two, wasn’t happy.

“Boss, the aether coil is gone.”

Ah, a new voice, Voice Three.

“What the hell?” The Boss said.

“Seriously, Boss,” said Voice One. “The core is gone.”

“That thing is hefty. Who the hell could have picked it up and tossed it?”

And that makes Voice Four. Rebecca didn’t think the core was that heavy. They couldn’t pick it up? Rebecca strained to listen for more, but all she could hear were the children’s crying. Why did they stop talking, unless…

She closed her eyes, listened, and realized they were looking for her. They discovered someone stole the core. Ooops! She crouched low to the ground. They were probably trying to track her. Shit! They probably got something magical for that.

She took a peek and looked around the tree as low to the ground as she could. Hoping the grass would cover her. She could see one of the slavers standing over Shean. Yeah, that’s a trap. Probably one or two nearby if I go for it, and the others, possibly two more, are circling and will eventually find me.

She considered the comment about the core. They said they didn’t think anyone could lift something that heavy. She felt it weighed around 40 pounds. I mean, it was heavy, but not, like, incredibly heavy. She flexed her arms, and she could feel a sense of strength not present before. I feel stronger…?

She stood behind the dead trees, trying to stay hidden. She pressed her hands against one of them and dug her fingers into the bark. She did the same with her other hand, then pulled out a chunk of wood pulp. Or the wood was smart enough to flinch. She flexed her hands: no pain or scratches.

Ok, that’s new. She stood there for a moment, thinking, and then smiled. Right, maybe I do have a plan.

---

The Legion of the Darkflame - Two Days Ago

Echo, Vesper, Silas, Thorn, Rook, Cassian • Blades for Hire, Souls for Sale.

Although they have minor roles, let's note their names and interests—like contestants who never get screen time on a reality show. We can chuckle at their questionable life choices when they vanish from the plot. Their looks don't matter; they could rock a tinfoil hat, which wouldn't change a thing. So you know, they’re not good people, so it's best not to grow attached to them, like those who bring salads to barbecues and consider them a main dish.

Herein lie their names:

Silas Darkflame was a fierce warrior. His presence was like a match struck in a storm—blinding, brief, and impossible to ignore. As the leader of the Legion of the Darkflame, he was equally skilled in dealing with bloodshed and profit, and his name was whispered like a curse wherever loyalty could be bought. His primary weapons were his broadsword and his fists. He was the Boss Voice that Rebecca heard naturally.

Thorn Ashwood was born from dust and silence, a predator shaped by the unforgiving wasteland that raised him. She could track a trail through shadow and ash; by the time her prey heard her footsteps, it was already too late. Although she prefers close combat, she also carries a longsword and a dagger. Thorn’s voice was the first one Rebecca tagged as strained to listen to.

Cassian Voidwalker emerged from the Abyss, hollowed and unbound, his soul burned clean of anything but vengeance. He moves with the silence of a collapsing star, seeking not justice, but ruin. The more innocent his prey, the more enjoyment he derives from the kill. He carries several daggers and a short sword with him. Cassian was the third voice to discover the missing aether coil.

Vesper Nightshade kills with the grace of a falling star—beautiful, swift, and entirely indifferent to where it lands. Trained as an assassin, he sees no distinction between kings and beggars, beasts and men—only the silence that follows his actions. While Vesper carries a sword, he prefers to use his vorpal daggers. Vesper’s voice was the final one noted by Rebecca before the Legion of the Darkflame went silent.

Rook Shadowmourne moved with the calm certainty of a closing grave, indifferent to whether his life or yours was being buried. He rarely spoke, allowing the cold clarity of his blades to convey all the meaning the world needed. He wields two long swords.

Echo Graves moves across the battlefield like a shadow in pursuit of its echo, burdened by memories too fractured to name. He kills without remorse, half-convinced that he is already dead and simply hasn’t stopped moving yet. Echo is skilled with both swords and hammers, carrying one of each.

Both Rook and Echo prefer to let their actions speak for themselves.

#

Two days ago, the Legion of the Darkflame, a band of six mercenaries, walked into a Memory Market stall. Driven by greed, they worked for and sold to anyone, earning a direct profit from the bloodshed.

The Memory Market Merchant welcomed them in the stall's backroom.

"Thank you for coming."

“Listen, you paid the fee to get our attention. We don’t need gratitude. Tell me what you want, or I’ll slit your Abyss damned throat and watch your memories bleed.” Silas flashed a smile.

“Straight to the point, Silas.” The merchant sighed. “Fine, I need you to hunt, capture, and collect Orphans of the City. They need to be alive, unharmed, and,” he looked straight at Cassian, “unmolested.” 

Cassian smiled.

“Fuck that,” Silas said, putting his hand on his sword. “The Orphans have got Providers now, and that stupid blessing from that cunt Lyra. Why the fuck would we risk our profit for you?”

The mercenaries each had their hand on the hilts of their weapons.

“Oh, didn’t you hear? Her Majesty passed away last night.”

“She what?” Silas stepped back.

“Yes, Silas, she passed away. And apparently, no one is taking up the throne.”

“You’re lying.” Silas waved a hand at him.

“Silas, where’s the profit in that?” The merchant smiled back at him.

“If you’re wrong…” Silas glared at him.

“I’m not wrong. The Queen’s Residence announced it.” The merchant sighed. He always seemed to do that with this lot. “Look, if I’m wrong, you’ll kill me, right?”

“Fuck yeah!” He pumped his fists together.

“So, again, why would I lie or be wrong? Where’s my profit?” The merchant continued to smile at Silas.

The mercenaries turned and looked at each other.

Vesper said, “I was hoping for some blood.”

“You always say that,” Thorn chided him.

“Sounds like it will be fun,” Cassian smiled.

“You’re not supposed to play Cassian,” Echo reminded him.

Rook looked at Silas and shrugged his shoulders.

Silas sighed and turned back to the merchant.

“The contract will be triple what we usually get, because there’s no blood. Maybe we’ll consider a discount if we get a decent battle out of it.”

“There’ll be stipulations for damages to merchandise.”

“Yes, yes… understood. Be a good little merchant and go draft it up.”

The merchant smiled and began to turn away.

“One more thing,” Silas said. “I need a new firedrake.”

“Those are extinct.”

Silas smiled

“Fine, I’ll see what can be done. It’ll be expensive.”

Silas leered at him.

“It will require a memory or two of rare lost innocence.”

Silas beamed at him

“It’s going to come out of your share.”

Silas glared at him with a cold stare.

“I mean, um, I’ll see what arrangements can be made.”

Silas waved him off and turned back to the group.

“So Lyra’s dead,” Silas said matter-of-factly.

“With no one to, you know, stomp us into paste, we got free rein.” Thorn was grinning.

“I’m going to be like a kid in a candy store.” Cassian was ecstatic.

“I can kill everyone finally,” Vesper whispered to himself.

“Maybe I can find my resting place,” Echo said.

Rook stood there as usual and said nothing.

#

Remember, try not to get too attached to them. They’re the salad people.

---

Back to where we were

With a keen eye, Rook scanned the area from his perch above Shean. He was always the group’s first line of defense when needed. Although his blades were sheathed, that didn’t stop him. He could draw them faster than anyone else in the group and instantly take off a limb or head. Now and then, he saw the Provider squirming around, as if that would make a difference. It wouldn’t. Even if it did, Rook would still crush his skull.

#

Shean was lying on his back, trying to decide how to escape this. He wiggled again for the hundredth time, and the cuffs remained. They had bound hands and feet. He managed to wound one and gave the other a black eye. He returned the firedrake to extinction. Although it had been too late, the firedrake had done the damage. He had tried to do more, but they ultimately overpowered him. For some reason, they had wanted him alive and mostly unharmed. His ribs were still mostly unharmed, and his eyes weren’t completely swollen yet. He still had his teeth.

The one they called Rook, I think that’s his name, was standing guard. Someone stole an aether coil from one of their aetherucks. “Phew, that’s a strong fellow. I hope whoever dat is is on my side.”

---

Rebecca couldn't believe she was doing this. I mean, this was wild. Why now, all of a sudden? Is it the blue moon? Nope. Question later. She had to focus and not squash the guy she was rescuing. That was the plan. Ok, maybe I’m using the word ‘plan’ here in a very broad sense.

Those men needed the kids; it sounds like they didn’t need Shean. Eventually, they would start the remaining truck or use Shean’s bus, but they needed the kids alive. Besides, I need intel; if I get him free, I’ll have an extra set of hands. 

So far, they haven’t discovered her. They probably thought she was further away. They’ll figure it out soon enough. She hefted her ‘stick’ in her hands. It was a large section of a tree trunk that she picked up. She gave the ‘stick’ a practice swing. It made a large whooshing sound.

Oops, they might have heard that—time to go.

#

Look Up In The Sky!

Rook heard a whooshing sound coming from the woods behind the aetherucks. Echo was supposed to be guarding them. The younglings had mainly stopped crying, not that it mattered. He heard something like “batter up” and the whooshing again. Then a solid “whacking” sound. He saw Echo flying over his head, and he landed headfirst on the other side of the road with a sickening crunch.

He heard a noise coming from the aetherucks, and when he turned, a tree trunk was flying in his face.

#

Rebecca stood there panting, now “stickless” after hurling her makeshift club at the guard. She stared at her hands, heart racing. Since when could she throw a tree? It looked like it hit him in the head hard. As she got closer, she noticed there was a lot of blood on the ground where the head would be.

“Well, I think I got ‘em.”

––To be continued

---

Next Time on The Queen of the Underverse…

Rescues never go smoothly in the Underverse. Chains break, shadows stir, and the night fills with the sound of teeth on steel. Rebecca and her unlikely allies are about to discover that survival isn’t just about strength—it’s about timing, trust, and just a little madness.

The fight isn’t over. It’s only getting louder.

Don’t miss Chapter 15 - I Shaved My Balls For This?

© 2025 Donnavon Evans

September 16, 2025