//------------------------------//
// News 
// Story: The Dead Kingdom 
// by Red and Black Alicorn OC 
//------------------------------//

Hua and Kuati entered the building. As they walked across the hallway Kuati spotted Lren.

"Hey Hua, do you think we should tell Lren about this?"

Hua nodded.

"I suppose it won't do any harm. Just make sure he doesn't tell Saeret."

Kuati nodded.

"Sure."

Hua smiled and walked off to her room.

Hua spoke quietly to herself.

"How could this happen? Rhidana is my... Was, my friend."

As she spoke those last words she stopped suddenly.

"Was, she my friend? Is she a traitor?"

Then the revelation sank in.

"She was never my friend. She was a spy."

Hua started to worry. Rhidana never was a member of the Deachrai. She was a Salmaic spy undercover seeking out information about... Oh god. She found the book before her.

Rhidana was leaking information written in the book to Geretiyak. This means that Geretiyak had the upper hand. And if he gets the treasure and the... Oh sweet heaven, the secrets.

Hua swiftly turned around and galloped down the second corridor, leading to Saeret's office. She opened the door to find no one there.

"Hua!"

A voice coming from across the corridor shouted.

She turned around to see Zaechri.

"There's a meeting in the dining room, Saeret needs every-"

But he didn't have time to finish his sentence as Hua ran past him heading towards the dining area.

Hua halted outside the dining room door and opened the door.

Everyone was inside, except Zaechri, who was seconds away from the door. Saeret looked at Hua.

"Come in, we need to discuss something-"

But he was stopped by Hua.

"Sir, the Deachrai are plotting against us, we need to do something!"

Everyone gasped, except Saeret who gaped. Saeret spoke.

"How did you come across this information? I was about to discuss this situation with everyone."

It was Hua's turn to gape.

"What?! How did you find out?!"

Both Hua and Saeret were confused now, and the dining room was full of whispers.

Xean spoke out loud.

"Silent everyone! Let Saeret resume."

But Saeret was lost for words, so Xean continued for him.

"Hua, how do you know about the situation before we even spoke of it outloud?"

And then Saeret added.

"Are you the cause of this?"

Kuati spoke for Hua.

"Yes me, Hua and Rhidana broke into the Salmaic HQ."

The whispers grew louder.

Saeret was shocked.

"Why?! Why did you do that?!"

Kuati replied truthfully.

"Because Ouis threatened Hua and revealed that he wanted to find more information about the lost kingdom, so me, Hua and Rhidana decided to snoop around their base."

Saeret took a while to process all the news. He looked over to Xean. Xean spoke.

"Well, where is Rhidana?"

Kuati gulped and was about to speak when to his surprise Hua spoke for him.

"She's a spy working for the Salmaic."

The whole room went silent.

Even Kuati looked surprised.

Hua continued.

"She never was a Deachrai or a traitor. Her loyalty lies with the Salmaic. And the Salmaic alone."

A tear ran down from her eye and landed onto the soft carpet.

Rhidana, the mare who she had always looked out for, was fake.

Saeret saw the tear run down her face, and he knew she wasn't lying.

"Everyone is dismissed. Hua, follow me."

Saeret led Hua to his office and levitated two cushions onto the ground. He and Hua sat down on them and he looked at Hua.

"I was given a letter that one of my men had attacked his base."

He cocked his head over to a letter on his desk.

"Are you ok? Do you mind telling me what happend for me?"

Hua nodded and told him about how they had planned there infiltration and how everything had gone terribly wrong.

Saeret looked at the wall for a few seconds before looking at Hua.

"Did you find anything?"

Hua nodded. She opened her satchel to reveal the five pieces of jewellery and the role of parchment, which was to their delight, a map.

Saeret observed the map and smiled.

"That's great!"

Hua looked confused.

"Your, not angry?"

Saeret shook his head.

"No! No not at all! If you hadn't of done what you did then we would've still had a spy to deal with! And because of this."

He pointed with one hoof at the map.

"We now know that the missing king-"

He looked at the map a second time.

"Or Equestria, is real!"