I entered the gloomy, partially lit cavern. The atmosphere was damp, almost if it had rained, and the voices of conversation echoed off the walls, leaving laughter as ghosts. I could only see hooded figures, some of whom managed to disguise their identities completely. Others, enthralled by the attention, confidently lowered their hoods. Something large and built stone at the very back of the cavern. Someone falling off it would undoubtedly be severely injured due to it's jagged edges and height. Was it a stage? I wondered.

As I began to walk closer to investigate, my boot sank down into what felt like a deep mud puddle. I wrenched it out, only to find myself in another. I slowly scanned the flooring, noticing the cavern was littered with mud puddles all throughout. Members of the organization had the ends of their cloak covered in the dark brown substance, others appeared to have completely fallen in the mud, their trousers plastered in muck up to their knees.

"Careful there," A familiar voice said behind me. I turned around to see the blacksmith of the organization. Benjamin Whitlock. "There everywhere dude, why couldn't they just have the Aggregation at a different place?"

"Because being hidden in plain sight is the best hiding place to be."

"I guess," he said, pulling out his brown leathered cloak out of another puddle. He pulled down his leather hood to reveal his dark brown skin and curly hair. His golden monocle glittered in the candlelight as well as his rings. He seemed to be carrying a large lumpy sack over his shoulders. His scrawny frame didn't do him much justice, as I noticed his arms slightly shaking and his legs wobbling underneath him.

The sound of a microphone caught everyone's attention. However, the remnants of conversation still remained for a couple more seconds before silence filled the room.

"Shit!" Benjamin said, panic showing in his eyes. "I was supposed to be up there!" He sprinted towards the group of people that gathered atop the stone-like platform. Although, he appeared to have overestimated his strength as his legs gave out and he plunged face first into a puddle of sludge. Benjamin hauled himself up and rushed towards the stage, a look of humiliation on his face, while the sound of whispering rippled throughout.

"Ahem," called another hooded figure atop the platform. By the look of his robes I could tell he was one that seeked attention. He was covered in an emerald colored cloak with silver accents throughout. The large jewel glittered around his neck, showing different colors depending on the angle. Even if you were a mile away, you wouldn't have been able to miss it. "I would encourage everyone to join me for our feast before we begin."

The masses erupted in applause and delight. Some rushed to follow the man in the emerald robes, others not in much rush. People like Mara Lenore, who remained at the rear of the crowd. She had a calculated expression on her face, as if she was anticipating the moment when everything would go to hell. She was mumbling something to herself but I couldn't tell what. I've never been the sort to read people's lips. Fortunately, we have people in the organization who can help with that. Others compensate for the things I don't have, and so on.

Mara began to move as the number of people in the wide cavernous area lessened. I decided to follow her to the door, but she appeared to notice my presence and immediately turned around. Her face was flushed with agitation.

"What do you want?" She asked harshly.

"I just wanted to thank-"

"Save it. I didn't do it for you."

"Then why'd you do it?"

"Don't worry about it," she said. She quickened her pace and stepped inside the other equally large room.

The second room was just as vast as the first. It had the same cavernous feel as before, but this time it was a little more dressed up. At first glance, I would have assumed that this was a nobleman's dining room. The dinner table was not only grand in width but also in length. It was made of a polished dark brown wood that, if I had to guess, came from a large walnut tree. The gold place mats gave the impression that the table was much more luxurious than it was. However, neither the mats nor the table were the focus of attention. It was the mounds of food that were spread throughout. The table was strewn with a wide variety of cuisines. From Haitian cuisine to central Asian meals, it showed that it had it all. Some members stood with patience, while others showed their visible impatience. Their inability to stay still told me all I needed to know. I looked across the room and noted Mara standing at the far end of the table nearest to the exit. I went down the narrow aisle and stood behind a random chair.

A hooded man entered the room, flanked by others. With his tattered black cloak, I could only presume it was Alastor. That was something I admired about him. He wasn't the sort of leader who led for the sake of notoriety; in fact, he was the complete opposite. He was the sort to take over with zeal. He didn't care whether people knew his name, and he certainly didn't appreciate the special treatment he received from time to time. He consistently reminded everyone in the organization that he is equal with them, regardless of his position of authority.

"Was this truly necessary?" He inquired, indicating his assigned seat. It was a regal-looking chair, made entirely of gold and fashioned by the most skilled artisans. In the candlelight, the crimson velvet cushions seemed to stand out.

"I told you he wouldn't like it," someone whispered beside me.

"All I did was give the idea! I never said we had to do it"

A woman dressed in a white robe hurried up to the grandiose chair, dragging it along the aisle. When she reached the exit, she nearly chucked it out the door. She then frantically searched to find a chair that looked similar to the one we were all standing next to and handed it to him. She rushed behind her chair, slightly shivering, with a nervous smile.

Alastor nodded his head. "What're you all waiting for? Take your seat." The sound of chairs scraping across the floor filled the room. As soon as they were seated, people rushed to grab plates and fill them. Alastor wore a tightlipped smile one his face, watching as everyone filled their faces.

Once everyone's plates were filled, Alastor rose up, with a glass of wine in hand. He was lightly tapping the glass with a fork, trying to get the attention of everyone. All eyes turned on him. "I would first like to thank all of you for being a part of this journey. We're a family, and what better way to spend time together than a feast?"

"Ay!" The entire room erupted in applause.

Alastor's voice began to rise. "We've all come here because nobles have wronged us. They've managed to cause harm that I believed was irreparable...until I formed The Order. You've all shown me that no one can kick you down unless you let them, and I thank you for that. They tried to take our power away from us, but what is power?"

"Loyalty!" The audience cheered. People applauded and pounded their boots in accord.

"My daughter deserved better! When she walked down that aisle, I never thought that my little girl would be in a casket. We never thought that the nobles would take things far. But they did. I raise my glass not just in honor of my daughter, Fatima, but also in honor of every innocent life stolen much too soon." Everyone, including me, took a drink of their wine.

A man dressed in a scarlet robe rose from his chair. As he lifted his hood, his long jet-black fair fell to his shoulders. He left the dining room while everyone was discussing and reflecting on Alastor's speech. When I looked at Mara, I noticed she was staring across the table at Alastor. Alastor tapped the table with his pointer finger. To anybody else, it would have appeared to be something innocent, but Mara sprang up and followed the man in scarlet. That simple move had to have been a signal. And now I was curious.

"In a couple more minutes, I would expect to see you all back in the main room. I believe there is some important business that needs to be discussed."

Slowly, I rose from my seat and followed after Mara. As I walked out the door, Mara's royal purple robe and the man's scarlet cloak were nowhere to be found. One of the pairs of footsteps appeared to be erratic, as if they were running. While the other looked to be following closely beside. A little jagged and sharply cut portion of the crimson cloak lay on the ground. This fragment appeared to have been cut off rather than fallen naturally. I followed the footsteps, spotting more crimson-colored fabric every now and again. The footsteps led into a room I had no idea existed. My ears were overwhelmed with the sound of movement.
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A/N: This chapter will most likely be edited later today. I just wanted to put out some type of content since it's been around two weeks since that last upload. Anyways, I have a few questions:

How was the description? I tried to be a little more descriptive like a promised in the last chapter. I hope I was able to somewhat paint a picture. The description will be much better in future cheaters.

Was the read enjoyable? I tried to keep things interesting while also introducing new characters.

And lastly, did you think that this chapter was an improvement from the last?