The tunnels were dark and filled with bones of dead animals and cobwebs. It wasn't the best experience Rick had had in Litherium as of now. The tunnels slowly began to widen as a large undercity was revealed.
It was incredibly large, almost double the size of the normal city. It had everything from taverns to black market stalls selling strange and exotic magical charms. It was an incredible sight after the first few tunnels. It was almost as if it was hidden away from the natural world, it was just different than the other placed he had been to in his life. It reminded him almost of a metropolis of sorts but it was much different than it at the same time.
The paths widened once more as they found themselves on what seemed to be the main road of this undercity. Many strange buildings filled the area and even a few guards from the upper city seemed to be here patrolling and doing there duty. It was strange to see such a large place in such a strange place but nonetheless they seemed to be heading somewhere and Rick wasn't sure where.
---
After what seemed like hours of walking they finally found the place they were looking for or at least that's what Rick assumed sense Lucas stopped walking.
He was facing a small cathedral like building made out of a deep black stone similar to the architecture of almost all the other buildings down here. A small wooden rickety sign depicted a woman weeping and the simple words 'Mother Moira's Home for the Forgotten children.' It was in the dead end of no where situated in what seemed to be a place of this undercity that the only people who lived here where rats.
It was a strange outlier though. With barely any rats or any sounds whatsoever. It was probably the quietest place of all the undercity.
It seemed like it was an orphanage of some type but strangely was extremely quite. As Lucas prayed to some unseen god the lights in the church slowly turned on as if in relief. Then small children came out in droves, covered in much and barely clothed. They went and hugged Lucas while staying away from Rick like the plague.
They climbed up him and a large smile was on everyone, including Lucas.
"Little ones settle down, settle down. There is plenty of time to tell you of Uncle Luke's Adventures I promise." He said with a bright smile on his face.
"Mother Moira waits for you Lucas." One said
"She heard your summons" Another echoed.
The smile on Lucas's face dimmed slightly, almost as if he was preparing himself for something.
"That's great. It will be nice to see the old hag again." He said through his smiling facade.
"You know how she gets when you call her a hag Uncle Lucas" A little girl said with a wide comical smile on her face.
Rick wasn't sure to smile or cry. It felt like one huge family. One that he would never have again. But it seemed like such a happy reunion and who in the world would want to ruin such a thing, and because of that he decided to do neither and stay silent. Perhaps if he was cool, calm, and collective he wouldn't have to feel pain again.
'Maybe that's what I should do.' Rick thought to himself.
After a few minutes of reuniting with his 'family', Lucas settled them down and headed into the cathedral with Rick.
The cathedral was much darker and larger than it appeared from on the outside. The rafters shuffled with imaginary rats and the various seats were filled with childhood trinkets of those who sleep here and those who have left behind their childhood. Plaques dedicated with scrawls of the youth were placed everywhere with haphazard spelled names. At the dais at the helm of the room a small old woman wrapped in shadows and darkness was mumbling to herself while reading a book of sorts.
As they approached closer the mumbling got louder and Rick realized they were a language he didn't understand or at least most of them.
"I Ultar of Ideth, praize the detrone serk prolliance." She finished
After she said the strange words the room shaked in a strange manner and the world seemed to recognize something as a glowing barrier came across the entire cathedral almost as if in protection.
Lucas kneeled and motioned for Rick to follow, in which he did albeit in a confused manner.
The woman seemed to float across the floor towards Lucas in an almost ethereal manner as she placed her hand on his head before muttering in a strange tone "Rise, children of the king of thieves."
'It was an ancient tone she used to address us. In a language I understood but don't know.' Rick thought to himself.
He felt his feet were more nimble than before as a system notification alerted him of what had happened.
'Who is this 'King of Thieves?'' Rick asked himself in astonishment at the boon.
He stood up in a collective manner seeing that Lucas was also doing the same.
"Ah.... Lucas your finally back after such a long venture out. You must have brought back quite the sum sense the length of your stay in the upper city. "
Lucas looked incredibly uncomfortable by the way she spoke almost as if he was being scolded by his mother.
"No Mother Moira. I'm sorry I spent most of it on drink and food to eat while up there. All I have is a few thousand gold. "
'A few thousand gold! That's an insane sum of money. Or at least it seems like it is. It's probably different here than on earth but a thousand gold coins on earth would have made you rich.'
"Hush now child. All men have there sins that they partake in. You did good by bringing us any coin. You did good by remembering your roots. And finally you did good in remembering your manners young Lucas." She said in an old and exhausted voice.
"Mother you must rest before it becomes too much for you to bare. You are not as young as you used to be." Lucas said with concern at the frail old lady.
"I may be old but I am by no means weak." She said confidently.