My trip out of the castle went even more unnoticed than previous. My new mask was more that living up to the materials name. It was more than just the mask. My skill in concealment had reached Novice level 12, and it felt like I was becoming a shadow myself, blending into the environment with ease that seemed almost unnatural. It was a good feeling, powerful and liberating, knowing I could navigate the world unseen if I chose to. But tonight, invisibility wasn't the only tool at my disposal. Now, I held the intricate web of the city's secrets in my mind – pathways, passages, alliances and rivalries, all laid bare before me like an open book.
The streets were quiet as I moved through the city with purpose, my steps taking me deeper into the lesser-known areas, the parts of the city where the gleam of polished stone gave way to the grit of cobblestone and dirt. Even here, my presence was a ghostly whisper, unseen and unheard.
I found myself in the old factories district, a place of shadows and whispers, where honest work met desperate measures, and people struggled for survival, or that was what I would have thought. Instead, the streets were bare and dirty, but of actual dirt. I kept going until I reached a drain I had mentally marked in my head. Thanks to my time spent with Kuka, I had gained some mapping skills.
I refused to even open my status any more. The thing was starting to fill up my entire field of vision each time I opened it. If I was going to check, I would prefer to be in my room where I was safe. Not that anyone should be able to hurt me.
Before leaving the castle, I had snuck into the workshop to "borrow" a weapon, but hadn't taken one. Not a single one could cut the tip of my finger or hand. I had thought that they were all dull, but I used a dagger to cut some strips of leather fine. Since my body was so tough, I thought that I might use that to my advantage since I was just a wee little lad.
But between me and the fence post, this sewer didn't feel like the place that I wanted to go. Nasty rats, and the place already smells ripe from my position. Still, from what I had learned, the gang with the broadest reach in Havenby. That had to be my starting point. If I can take over this gang, the rest would come with time.
So, like it or not, I had to hop in the shit pot.
Making sure no one was watching me, I pulled the cover off with little problem. The damn thing probably would have given a grown man a grunt or two, but the iron was no heavier than plastic in my hand. Once it was off, I crawled down, pulling the cover back. The smell did not get better.
"Light," I whispered as I pulled out a rod that had a Divinity Crystal attached to it. The crystal lit up, and I rolled my eyes at how I must look. "I Look like a child with a magic glowing wand!"
"No, you are a demon," a familiar voice growled from above and then there was a grunt as the grate cover was pulled back again.
"Daelen? Was your ugly ass following me?" I asked as I turned around to see the strange looking shirtless elf come down the ladder, closing the grate behind him.
"I smelled you, and followed your scent here. What does a demon wa-"
That was it. This motherfucker. Before he could finish speaking, I shoved him into the shitty water. In hindsight, this was a bad move, but I really didn't like the name demon. I am not a monster... at least I don't look like one!
"What is, AHHH!" The elf started to complain, but then let out a shrill scream as something ripped him under the gross water.
"Well, fuck," I growled, staring at water. WHY WAS IT SO DEEP?! And what in god's name was down there?! "Fine, but I will make this elf pay me back for this!" I hollered as I quickly undressed completely. "I will fuck you up!"
I am not overly brave, and if there is one thing that bothers me, it is the unknown. Water for me was the worst. Deep sea's, murky lakes, all of it was fucked, and on Earth I carved my path around and away from such experiences. That is, unless I was in a situation like this where I had to man up.
If I had to face my fears, I did it kicking and screaming with my blood boiling. "STUPID FUCKING ELF!" I screamed and jumped into the water.
The splash as I hit the water was muffled in the confines of the sewer. The temperature was frigid, wrapping around me like icy fingers, and the feel of unknown particles brushing against my skin made my stomach turn. I fought the instinctive panic that set in at the prospect of being submerged in darkness, surrounded by what felt like endless gallons of disgusting slime. But I had jumped in for a reason.
Pushing aside the revulsion with a wave of anger, I reached out and felt something—a limb, perhaps Daelen's. I seized it and pulled with all my might. The struggle was brief and fierce; whatever had him did not want to let go, and Daelen himself was limp, not helping in the slightest.
Finally, I yanked Daelen free, emerging from the murky depths with the elf in tow. He was coughing and spluttering, desperately trying to rid his lungs of the foul water. Between his coughs, I heard him gasping out a series of curses that would make even the rudest sailor blush.
"Shut it!" I snapped, my own disgust bubbling up. "If it weren't for your taunting, I wouldn't be swimming in this...this..." I lacked words vile enough to describe the sewer water.
I dragged him to a less soaked piece of ground, a small ridge along the tunnel where I could catch my breath and get a grip on the situation. The elf was shaking, his veined face paler than his usual leafy complexion. Whatever he had encountered in the water had scared him badly.
"Gideon..." he started, still quaking. "I...I didn't know... I thought..."
"Thought what? That you could call me a demon and tail me without consequences?" I interjected, my voice lower now, a dangerous edge creeping into it. "Stupid fuck! Now we are both covered in shit! What was that damn thing anyways?" I growled as I used my hand to scrape the sludge off me. I didn't even want to put my clothes back on!
Daelen shuddered, attempting to wipe the grime from his face but only succeeding in smearing it more. "Under sewer lurker," he managed to get out between coughs. "Big, nasty thing that feeds on whatever it can find in the sewers, including... intruders."
I glared at him, the shadows in the tunnel giving my expression an even more menacing cast. "Brilliant. Just brilliant, Daelen. Next time keep your damn elf nose out of my business, or learn to mind your tongue," I sneered at him, though the edge in my voice had softened slightly. It wasn't entirely his fault that we got into this mess, no matter how much I wanted to blame him.
I stood up, picking my disgusting clothes off the filthy ground. Reluctantly, I began putting them back on, my skin crawling as the muck clung to me. "You owe me one, elf. Big time. And next time I say I work alone you'll bloody well listen, got it?"
Daelen nodded, still looking a bit dazed and a lot terrified. "Got it," he stammered, then winced. "I don't suppose you have any spell to clean us up? I can't exactly walk back into the city like this."
"Unfortunately, no," I muttered, almost wishing I had some magical solution to our problem. "Not unless you have a Cleanliness Crystal on you which, I suppose, would've been too much to ask for."
There was an odd silence that followed, almost humorous in its absurdity as we stood there covered in sewage, an unlikely pair bound together by the worst possible set of circumstances.
Finally, after another moment of disgusted self-pity, I shook my head. "Alright," I sighed. "You followed me in this hole, so now you can come with me. You can stand in front and block any arrows or traps until we get to the Gillori Gang's hideout."
It seemed that this elf was like a magnet that kept being drawn back to me. This could become a problem, but there were two ways of dealing with him. One, I could kill him, but he did seem to know a lot. Two, I trust him, but I would need something that would bind us. Still, I didn't know enough about the strange man, or his race. Thordin had called him a bloodsucker, but I wasn't sure what that meant. Daelen had drunk the booze just fine.
Resigned to the turn of events, Daelen nodded and stepped in front, leading the way down the dank tunnel. The air was thick with the stench of decay, and I couldn't help but keep glancing around warily, half-expecting another lurker to come slithering out of the shadows.
As we moved through the labyrinthine sewer, our steps echoing off the wet walls, an uncomfortable silence settled between us. The elf's allegiance was still uncertain, but for now, he was a necessary ally—if only as a makeshift shield.
After what felt like an eternity, which in reality was only an hour's journey, we arrived at what appeared to be a discreetly marked entrance, a sign that only someone with insider knowledge would recognize. Daelen stopped, glancing back at me with an uneasy look.
"We're here," he whispered, gesturing towards a barely discernible door hidden in the masonry. "This is one of the Gillori Gang's hideouts. Do you want to go in looking like this?"
I snorted. "I'd prefer not to but given the circumstances, we may not have a choice. From this point forward, I would like you to be seen and not heard. no matter what happens, do not lift a finger. Got it?"
"Yes," Daelen said, but he looked worried. Not my concern.
My mind was on how I was going to do this with the least amount of violence possible. I was not here to clean the place out, just to put my foot down. I pushed past Daelen, slipping my mask on. It was time for Dante to enter the light of night.