As time passed the heavy patrols thinned out and the search for Rain had been dropped. Eric Draven has begun to believe that Rain left the capital. In reality Rain was living with his new friends and learning the tricks of the trade. Taking a nice mark meant another day of food and fortune for all of them and he was happy with his new lifestyle. At first he was uncomfortable with stealing but after learning that they really only stole from those who had enough money to not even notice some had gone missing he shrugged it off. He was finally fitting in with people. This was the first time in his life he had friends, let alone friends his own age. After a year had passed Rain and Jinx had become the best of friends.
Jinx looked over at Rain as he watched Maron talking to the other girls across the room. "Why don't ya just tell her?" He asked, bringing Rain sharply back to reality. "Wh..what? What would I tell her?" Rain blushed and pretended like he had no idea what Jinx was talking about. "Look, it's obvious that ya liked her since ya met. We all know it." Rain shook his head. "No it's.. not like that. She just reminds me of someone I met a long time ago." He sighed wondering if it was really that obvious. Jinx rolled his eyes. "Anyway, it's about time we head out. I've something to show you." He said with a happy grin that showed how excited he was. Rain had to admit Jinx was a simple person, his face always revealed how he felt. "What do you wanna show me?" He asked. Jinx just grinned and jumped off the counter he was sitting on. "You'll see soon'nough." He said walking out the door headed to a back alley. Rain followed him though he wasn't sure what else he could have up his sleeve. Jinx had practically taught him everything about these streets. Rain could go anywhere he wanted in the capital without being seen. After his year with the Dragons he knew every twist and turn of this city like the back of his hand. Jinx stopped at a dead end street and swiveled his head to ensure no one but him and Rain were around then smiled. "I hope you're ready for this. But you can't tell anyone else. That includes the Dragons." He said with the most serious face Rain had ever seen him make. Rain nodded wondering what kind of secret it could be for Jinx to keep it from everyone else. "Okay." Rain replied simply. Jinx walked to the brick wall at the end of the street and waved at Rain signaling him to follow. He placed his hand on a broken brick and pressed it lightly. At that moment Rain noticed a small sound like a lock clicking and turned his head to focus on a cellar door at the foot of one of the buildings that Rain recognized as a condemned warehouse. Jinx looked over and smiled seeing that Rain realized what had happened. "Let's go." He said with joy in his voice as he walked over and pulled the cellar door open. Rain walked over with him and looked down into the cellar door but saw just a regular cellar. He tilted his head in confusion. "What's so special about this place?" He asked, sincerely confused. "This place? Nothin really. It's just a door." He smiled innocently but Rain didn't believe him. Still he followed Jinx into the cellar. As they walked down the steps the door closed and the lock clicked again. Rain quickly turned around but Jinx assured him that it wasn't a big deal. Rain looked around the cellar. He found two packs with sleeping mats and a few other items inside and looked at Jinx curiously. Jinx nodded. "Yeah those are for us. I've had mine for a while but it took a bit ta get yours. They ain't exactly cheap ya know." He said with a grin. He had already decided long ago that Rain would be the one he shared this secret with. "Are we going somewhere?" He asked as he thought about Maron and the others. "Are we leaving the others?" Jinx smiled and shook his head. "No, we'll be back in a few days. I aready told Maron to keep everything together while we're gone. She'll hold down the fort for the next few days." Jinx said picking up the older looking of the two packs and nodding Rain to the other one. "I see." Rain said, picking up the second pack. Jinx pulled a little lantern out of his pack and walked to the back of the cellar. Rain followed him as he got to the back he saw a hole in the wall. Rain looked through it to see only darkness that seemed to go on forever. "What the hell is that?" He asked and Jinx simply smiled. "Rain, we're friends right?" He asked as he took the first step inside. Illuminating a tunnel so long that Rain couldn't see the end. "Yeah, you're my best friend." He said calmly. "I can't lead the Dragons forever. I'll be an adult next year and the war with the west is getting worse. I'll probably end up drafted one day." He sighed but Rain didn't want to accept that. "Of course you can still lead us. Just don't go." Jinx shook his head. "It's not that simple. Since we're not adults the punishment for getting caught isn't really that bad. But next year I'll be sixteen. If I got caught they'd put me to the firing squad or send me to the frontlines to be killed that way or hang me to make an example." He sighed before continuing. "I was worried for a long time. Maron is smart and good at what she does. But I don't think she's fit to lead everyone." He shook his head. "Then we met you innat alley. I decided shortly after that, that it would be you who leads them after I leave." He spoke as they continued down this long path. Rain still couldn't see the end. "Me? I don't think i… " Jinx stopped him. "No, you're the only one. Besides, it's too late now. I've brought you here. Only the leader is allowed to know about this. It's been that way for years." Rain was confused. What's so important about this tunnel? "Jinx you sound different." Jinx looked back. "Yeah, not many people know but I used to be a noble. So since it's just you and me it shouldn't matter if my speech is a bit more formal." He said without thinking. "We're almost there." He said gently. Rain looked up, he could see light. Like small stars glittering at the end of the passage. "What's up there?" Rain asked not realizing he had begun to move faster. "Hehe, run up there and find out." Jinx smiled as Rain passed him. "..." Rain stared at the sight before him in awe unable to form even a single word. As Jinx came up beside him he smiled. "I remember when I first saw it. He looked out at the shining lights and the city below them. "What is this place?" Rain was unable to stop staring and drinking in the sights. "This place is the old world. It's a sanctuary of sorts. But it's also a last resort. If ever we run out of options this is place where we can retreat too. But it's dangerous because not everyone can find their way out." He said looking at it made him think back to when he came here for the first time. A smiling girl with jet black hair and bright blue eyes came to his mind. "Maze, the previous leader of the dragons is here somewhere. Next month… I will be heading here. I'm going to find her and the others." He smiled softly. Rain looked over at him and saw it written all over his face. "You love her… don't you?" He said. He didn't know this Maze. He had no idea what she was like or how she looked but, he knew that she was important to Jinx. "Yeah. I love her. And I will find her." He smiled gently. It was the calmest look Rain had ever seen on the usually energetic face. "How big is this place?" Rain asked. "Who knows. Maze told me that there was a story long ago about a labyrinth that covered the entire world. Something about a demigod and a bull. I don't remember the whole story but it's said that you could enter the labyrinth on one side of the world and within an hour come out on the other side." He laughed a bit. "But she's down there. I can hear her voice whenever I come here. All of the previous Street Lords of the Dragons are down here. You could say that this is our true home. Our Heaven, our Hell and our grave." He smiled and repeated to Rain what Maze had said to him. Rain just nodded. "Let's go, over the next few days I'll show you the ways in and out of here in the city." He said as he pushed a rope ladder down from the end of the tunnel. The two of them climbed down into the city. "Your pack has a few things in it to help you survive down here. It has a map I made using my map and expanding a little. You should do the same over time when you come down here. But don't go too far from the edge of the map. When your time comes if you want to find me head north. That's the direction I'm going to find Maze. But there is no guarantee that you'll be able to make your way back. Like I said this place is tricky. You also have a lantern and a sleeping mat and about five days worth of dried food. I also put a firestarter in your pack. There are animals and water sources down here so as long as you can hunt and stay near streams you should be fine even if your food runs out." He explained everything in the backpack and Rain nodded. If he was being honest though he wished he had his sword. Jinx smirked at him as they got closer to the bottom of the ladder. "I figured you'd want your iron while we were down here so I brought it down earlier this morning." He smiled as his feet hit ground and nodded to his left where Rain could indeed see his large sword in its scabbard. He smirked. "How did you get this without me noticing?" He asked while laughing. "I've had a lot of practice taking things without someone noticing." Jinx smirked. "Come on let's go." He said leading Rain into the city. If you could even call it that anymore. From up close Rain could see that at one time it was indeed a city but now it was an odd marriage of nature and man made architecture. It was strangely beautiful and captivating. "How are these lights still burning?" Rain asked as he took in the scenery. "They aren't burning." Jinx said matter of factly. "Then what are they?" Jinx shrugged in response. "I'm not sure. Some kind of light source from the old war. We don't know if they will ever go out but if you move one then it stops making light until you put it back." Jinx said quietly as the two moved deeper into the concrete forest. Rain was obsessed with this place. He had never had such a great adventure. A place which so few of this world have seen. He wondered if the Kingdom was aware of this place but as he thought about it he realized there would be some signs that they did if so. The two of them continued on. Entering buildings and finding all sorts of things that could be seen as treasures of the old world. Though they probably weren't particularly valuable and could bring unwanted attention if brought back up. He got to see the strange light sources that twinkled but didn't burn and coins that he had never seen before. "So odd. These coins aren't made of gold or silver. Did they really have value?" He asked and Jinx looked over. "Yeah it's pretty strange but they also used some weird paper as currency." Jinx replied as he found a nice place to unroll his sleeping mat. "Come on and get some sleep. We only have a few days to get you familiar enough with this place to come down here yourself." Rain nodded and found a place to put out his sleeping bag. Though he was still filled with wonder and didn't want to sleep he knew it was a good idea. So he reluctantly rolled out his sleeping mat and laid down.