The cave entrance was very short being only about a minute walk before the duo entered the slums of heliodor. the slums were a dirty run down places with ragged rotten wood shacks that looked very unsafe lining both sides of the walls. there were even huts high up the walls that were built on what looked like wooden foundation stakes beaten deep into the walls. "i know its not pretty but what did you expect from the bed of sin for heliodor." erik said after seeing the look on alastairs face before he continued walking.
As the two walk erik explained that while a minority there are good people here who simply do some bad things just to survive. an example of this is the inn keeper who was a woman by the name of ruby that had some shady deals going on with the merchants in the normal part of heliodor were she fences stolen goods for a cut of the profit. when alastair asked how that made her a good person erik explained that ruby also used her cut of the profit to make sure the children down here don't have an extremely rough childhood if she can.
Alastair had to agree that worse things have been done for a less kind reason and dropped the conversation. soon the two reached a huge trash pile that was made of broken wood and rotten scraps that erik insisted he had stashed the orb in. after digging in a certain spot for a few minutes erik got irritated as well as confused before he had a sort of epiphany that it was his partner who filched the orb after getting him caught. erik then went to the inn to ask ruby were his old partner dirk was but found she wasn't there.
Erik decided to camp the entrance as well as exit to the regular part of heliodor that was guarded by a scrawny man with loose morals. after climbing the water tower that over looks the exit the two sat up there chatting about stories of their past for about two and a half hours while watching the exit for ruby. at the end of this time the two had a far better understanding of the other and were quite comfortable around the other since they both came to the conclusion that the other was trustworthy.
This was the moment that a thick figured red head walked through the exit catching the twos attention as erik mentioned that she was the one they were waiting on. the two quickly slid down the ladder of the water tower and chased after ruby who had gotten back to the inn. walking through the door alastair saw the ruby was organizing something behind the shabby counter. "how's my favorite landlady doing?" erik asked smoothly. ruby who had heard him turned around leisurely before looking at the two surprised. "well if it isn't me favorite tenant , 'eard you'd done got tossed in the dungeon i did."
Ruby spoke with a heavy accent that alastair could swear sounded a bit like broken british. erik shrugged "yeah been relaxing down there for a bit of time before my recent release." he said with a cocky grin. "i see , wait you two are who the guards been searching for aintcha? well you know me ill keep me nose outta ya business. so what can i do ya for?" ruby asked seriously. "i am looking for dirk to settle out our last score. what do you know about his whereabouts?" erik asked with the same seriousness.
"Word as it es set up a nice shop right up there by the castle e' as." ruby said seriously while erik looked confused before muttering under his breath that dirk must have used the orb to pay for the shop of his. "thanks for everything ruby , me and my friend here are going up topside to have a nice chat with my old pal dirk before we leave heliodor." erik said and turned to walk away as ruby wished them well. after leaving the inn erik mentioned that they needed to get past the guard to the exit of the slum to the regular portion of heliodor.
Alastair shook his head "I've got a spell i made a few years ago that is perfect for this." he said before using his chameleon spell on himself that made him semi invisible by distorting light around him slightly. erik was both amazed and jealous at the spell as to him the only reason he could tell alastair was still there was a wavy distortion around his body. alastair smirked at jealous look on erik's face before casted the spell on him as well and walking towards the exit.
The two walked right past the guard without him noticing a thing and alastair playfully messed with the guard by blowing on the back of his neck. the guard panicked while looking around fearfully seeming to think it was a ghost. alastair and erik both snickered at the guards reaction to the prank before heading up the stairs and into the normal part of the city. soon the spell wore off and both alastair and erik became visible again as they reached the city plaza before they stopped as they saw how the guards were out en masse.
"how do you suppose we go past the guards by the noble area since i don't think that spell of yours would work?" erik asked while pointing at the four shoulder to shoulder guards blocking the front entrance to the noble square by the castle. alastair looked around carefully before seeing a rope connecting the top of the church to a railing on the edge of the noble square. "if we can get up to the top of the church we should be able to go across that rope to the noble area if we are careful." alastair said while pointing to the rope in question.