Grenna's metics groaned as she shuffled across creaking floorboards, her withered hand gesturing for them to follow. "Ya boys best come deeper inside 'fore someone spots ya through the windows." The old woman led them through a narrow hallway lined with strange mechanical trinkets, their surfaces dulled by years of accumulated grime. A sour mixture of oil and rust permeated the air, making Daglan's nose wrinkle.
"We need to find another way out," Kento whispered, his usual bravado subdued. His fingers traced the edge of a shelf holding what looked like dismantled metic parts. "They'll probably search the houses soon."
"Ain't that simple, boy." Grenna's laugh came out like grinding gears. "Knights can scan if ya lying or not. So they believe what I said" She grinned at them, her eyes somehow both clouded with age and sharp as steel. "After all it was a couple youngins I shooed away."
Daglan's eyes widened. "They can tell if someone's lying?" No wonder the knights had seemed so certain, so casual in their search.
"Most folk don't know that little trick." Grenna settled onto a worn stool, her joints creaking like rusted hinges. "Makes it easier for 'em to keep control. Can't lie to the law if the law knows when ya lying." A distant mechanical grinding echoed through the walls, making them all pause. Through his enhanced perception, Daglan caught the sound of methodical footsteps several streets away. More patrols.
"We still need to find a way out," Kento said, pacing the cramped space. "Even if they believed you, they'll probably keep watching this area."
"Patience, boy." Grenna's voice carried an edge of amusement. "Knights'll be extra vigilant for a while, but they'll leave. Best to wait till they think the threat's passed." She tapped her cane against a floorboard. "Have a seat and humor these old bones with ya origins."
Daglan and Kento exchanged a glance before easing themselves onto the creaky stools across from her. They began sharing tales of Greybarrow and the circus, Grenna listened in silence. When Kento mentioned The Wandering Menagerie, something shifted in her expression. A faint glimmer sparked in her age-clouded eyes, and the ghost of a smile softened her features.
"So that ol' Vega still runnin' round with his merry band of misfits? How entertainin'..."
"You know the headmaster?" Kento asked, his surprise evident.
"Why, when I was just a wee thing, we never missed the circus when they'd roll through. Them was simpler times though." Her clouded eyes seemed to look through decades past. "'Fore that damn revolution went and ruined the whole damn country."
She then began waving her cane as if trying to swat some invisible fly. "But that's enough of the past."
The old woman pushed herself up, joints protesting. "Knights should be movin' on by now. They never stick 'round too long - got too many streets to patrol." She shuffled to a grimy window, peering through a gap in the shutters. "Ya boys best be careful out there though. Knights ain't kind to outsiders, 'specially after dark."
Daglan reached out with his energy, painting a picture of the alleyways around them. The armored footsteps had indeed moved on, leaving only the usual mechanical drone of the city.
"Which way should we-" Kento started to ask, but Grenna cut him off with a wave of her cane.
"Don't be tellin' me ya plans! Less I know, less I can tell if they come askin' again." She shooed them toward the door with surprising speed for someone so frail. "Just remember - stay in the shadows, and if ya hear them comin', find yourself a good lie. Or better yet, find yourself a truth."
The night air hit them like a wall of wet smoke as they stepped back into the alley. Above them, the three massive factories continued their endless belching into the sky, their peaks lost in the murk.
"I knew things were rough here, and the guards were strict, but… man," Kento muttered as they moved through the cold, narrow streets. From doorways and alleys, wary eyes watched them, and some citizens darted inside as the boys passed, slamming doors against the chill. But Daglan barely noticed; his mind churning. I should have asked her about Vilrux! he scolded himself, frustration gnawing at him. Lost in thought, he almost missed the figure stepping into their path.
A girl, barely older than them, blocked their way, her hood casting shadows over her thin, pale face. Loose, frayed clothes hung from her slight frame, and her metics looked barely functional, creaking with each small movement. "Well, well, well… what do we have here?" she sneered, her voice cutting through the air like a blade.
Two young men, close to their age as well, slipped out from the shadows behind them, sealing off the alley. Damn it! Daglan cursed inwardly, his pulse quickening. I was so caught up in one mistake, I walked right into another!
Daglan quickly melted into the world around them, assessing the situation in a matter of moments. He could feel their desperation like a physical thing - the way their muscles coiled with nervous energy, how their breaths came quick and shallow. These weren't trained fighters like Azrael or the knights. They were something potentially more dangerous: desperate people with nothing left to lose.
"You boys look fresh," the girl said, taking a step forward. Her metics grinding together with each movement, more rust than metal. "Not from around here, are ya?"
"Look, we don't want any trouble-" Daglan started.
"Trouble found you the moment you came down the alley," she cut him off, her hood tilting slightly.
The two behind them moved closer, their footsteps echoing off the cramped alley walls.
"You've got two choices," the girl continued, taking another step closer. "Empty your pockets now, or we'll do it for you. And trust me-" She gestured at her companions. "We're not gentle."
I could take them, Daglan thought, but something held him back. These weren't career criminals - they were survivors.
Daglan raised his hands, aiming for a casual grin as he nodded toward Kento. "Well, I've got nothing, but my friend here does." He saw Kento's mouth open in protest, his brows pulling together in alarm. Daglan met his gaze, silently pleading. Just go with it, his eyes said. Kento's shoulders dropped slightly as he took the hint, though Daglan noticed the sharpness that lingered in his friend's narrowed eyes. "And I'll make a deal with you—"
"Did you not hear me the first time, grey hair?" Her voice cut through the tense shadows of the alley, her glare steady, sizing him up like a wolf deciding if the rabbit before it would be a good meal.
Instead of backing down, Daglan closed the distance, forcing his grin a bit wider. "Three on one," he offered, his voice calm, even a bit cocky. "All of you against me. If any of you can land a single hit before I knock each of you down—you can have it." He felt the thrill of his words, the bait carefully set..
Her lips viciously twisted into a grin, and she leaned forward, hands on her hips.. "I like your spunk, kid!" She tilted her head, her voice lowering to a mock scold. "But are you sure you want all three of us?"
Daglan felt excitement flicker within him. Without another word, he dropped into his Lechi stance, letting the flow of energy ground him, his breathing slow and steady. Calmly, he shut his eyes, a taunt forming on his lips.
"I'll even close my eyes for you," he said, his tone edged with confidence.
The girl was the first to take the bait, throwing a hard punch that Daglan sidestepped with ease. She didn't let up, snapping her leg up in a fierce kick aimed at his chest. Daglan caught her ankle mid-swing. Leaning back, he twisted sharply, using his weight and momentum to lift her off the ground. In one fluid motion, he swung her around and sent her crashing into her lackey, the two collapsing in a tangled heap. He stumbled back, trying to steady himself as the last lackey rushed him. Daglan scolded himself, That was stupid—stop showing off!
The boy's fist flew toward his face, but Daglan used his momentum again, letting himself fall back and catching the boy's wrist as he went down. He pressed his foot against his attacker's chest and threw him in a wide arc, sending him crashing onto the alley floor with a heavy thud.
Daglan rose, breathing slowly, finally opening his eyes. They'd gone down about as fast as he'd expected. But they got up much faster. "So are you gonna honor the deal?"
"Of course. Honor's all we got left in these streets." The girl's lips curved into a smile as she rolled her shoulders, wincing slightly from the impact. Her next words carried a playful lilt that hadn't been there during the fight. "Though I should confess - we might've bent the truth about why we cornered you. That circus performance of yours? Pure poetry in motion."
She gestured to her companions, who were still dusting themselves off. The taller one towered like a weather-worn lamppost, black hair falling past his shoulders in unwashed strands. Beside him, his stockier companion was built like the factory walls themselves. Short but solid, muscles bulging beneath a shirt that had seen better days.
"Meet our rhythm section. Einar here-" She clapped the stocky one on the shoulder, making his metics grind in protest. "-keeps time better than any machine in this smoke-stack."
Her hand drifted to the quiet giant beside her. "And this shadow's Galen. Bass and backup vocals. You have to drag words out of him, but get him on stage..." She let the sentence hang, eyes glinting with unspoken promise.
With theatrical flourish, she threw back her hood, revealing a buzzed scalp and dark skin gleaming with a thin sheen of sweat from their brief bout. Her mismatched eyes caught the dim alley light as she stepped forward, her presence commanding attention with the same fierce energy that had fueled her attacks moments ago.
"And I'm the mastermind behind this mess - Miaki, voice and strings." Her words carried the weight of a performer's pride, each syllable carefully placed like notes in a song.
"A band?" Kento's voice cracked slightly, his earlier anger dissolving into curiosity. "You know you could've just asked for a demonstration instead of-" He gestured at the scuff marks their scuffle had left on the grimy alley floor.
Miaki's laugh echoed off the narrow walls, a sound like brass instruments warming up. "Where's the story in that? Besides-" She winked, the gesture somehow both mischievous and apologetic. "Best way to test a performer is on the spot, right?"
She then gave her tall companion a nudge forward. Galen shuffled up, his massive frame somehow trying to shrink into itself. His eyes fixed on Kento's boots as if they held the secrets of the universe. "Your... your act was..." The words seemed to physically pain him. "...incredible."
Miaki's boot connected with his backside, sending him sprawling forward. His metics screeched in protest as he crashed to the ground at Daglan and Kento's feet, the sound echoing through the alley like a broken instrument.
"For fucks sake, Galen!" Miaki's voice carried the exasperated tone of a long-suffering mentor. "They're younger than you are! Show some spine!"
Galen scrambled to his feet, joints creaking like rusted hinges. "Sorry, I didn't mean to-" He caught Miaki's glare and swallowed the rest of his apology, only to have another one tumble out immediately after. "Sorry for apologizing- I mean-"
"Gods preserve us," Miaki groaned, pressing her palm against her forehead with dramatic flair. "He really likes your juggling."
The exchange pulled reluctant chuckles from both Daglan and Kento, the tension of their earlier confrontation evaporating into the night air. In that moment, standing in the grimy alley beneath Bolgue's eternal smog, they felt less like strangers from opposite sides of the wall and more like—kids.
Miaki's eyes lit up with sudden inspiration. "Hey, we're headed to a show tonight. Underground stuff - the kind the knights don't know exist." She leaned forward, lowering her voice conspiratorially. "Want in?"
Daglan and Kento shared a look of excitement warring with caution. The weight of their predicament hung between them like the city's ever-present smog.
"Sounds amazing, but..." Kento scratched the back of his neck, glancing toward where they'd come from. "The knights sealed our way out. We need to figure out an escape route before we do anything else."
A deep, rumbling laugh cut through the tension. "That ain't no trouble at all." Einar's voice came gruff and solid, carrying the weight of Bolgue's industrial grime despite his youth. The stocky drummer tapped his thick fingers against a nearby pipe, producing a hollow rhythm. "This city's got more holes than a rusty boiler. Guards only care 'bout keeping eyes on them factories." He jerked his thumb toward the looming structures that dominated the skyline. "The rest? They barely give it a second glance."
"He's right," Galen added softly, finding his voice at last. "We know every crack in these walls. We can get you out no problem."
Before either boy could protest further, Miaki slipped between them, draping her arms across their shoulders like they were old friends.
"Then it's all settled!" Her grin gleamed in the dim light, infectious and wild. She pulled them closer, her enthusiasm cutting through the night's chill. "To The Deadroot! Trust me, you haven't lived until you've heard music echo through Bolgue's belly."
Their path wound closer and closer to the towering factories. Each step toward them made Daglan's throat tighten. He cast sideways glances at Kento, catching the subtle twitch in his friend's jaw, the way his fingers drummed nervously against his thigh. Their eyes met, sharing an unspoken question: Could this be a trap?
Daglan let his energy unfurl like morning mist, painting an invisible map of their surroundings. He tracked the mechanical symphony of patrol movements, sensing how their strange guides wove through the danger, slipping between patterns that kept them just out of reach of any prying eyes. Yet something tugged at his senses—a low, rhythmic thrum, faint but persistent, seeming to pulse from somewhere near the factories. It was unsettling, a steady rumble that he couldn't quite place, stirring a vague unease that prickled at the edges of his mind.
The group slipped through the shadows of tightly packed homes and crumbling shops until they reached something that made Daglan stop short. A tree stump wider than any living tree he'd ever seen. Its weathered surface rose from the ground like the remnant of some ancient giant, its gnarled roots diving deep into the ground. The wood had turned almost black with city grime, yet somehow maintained an air of defiant dignity among the metal and stone that surrounded it. Here, the rhythmic pulse that had tugged at Daglan's senses earlier seemed to emanate from deep within the earth.
Miaki caught their slack-jawed expressions and her face split into a grin full of mischief. "Oh, this?" She gestured at the massive stump with theatrical flair. Her voice dropped to a whisper that somehow carried more weight than her usual volume. "Wait'll you see what's behind it."
She circled the stump with practiced steps, her fingers finding purchase on one particularly thick root. She yanked upward with a grunt, and the ground itself responded. A section of earth around the stump groaned and shifted as she pulled, lifting away soil and stone that had been fashioned into a secret hatch. Beneath it, a tunnel opened like a throat into the city's depths, cool air rushing up to meet them with the thrum of voices and music.
The hidden entrance revealed a tunnel where human ingenuity merged with nature. The ancient roots themselves braced the earthen walls, with only occasional steel bracings patching weaker spots. What could have been mistaken for random knots and twists in the roots had clearly been used deliberately; natural footholds and handholds worn smooth by generations of careful climbers.
"Well, we can't all go down at once," Miaki whispered, giving the boys a nudge. "If anyone sees us, then we'll blow it for everyone. We gotta be quick." She then started to make her way down the natural ladder to the depths below, her feet finding holds in the ancient roots with practiced ease.
Daglan followed, his heart pounding as he tested each root-hold. The deeper they descended, the more he felt it. Vibrations thrumming through the roots against his palms, the unmistakable pulse of bass that seemed to shake loose bits of dirt around them. By the time his feet touched bottom, the sounds resolved into a cacophony that made his ears ring - the clash of metal, thunderous music, and the roar of what had to be dozens of voices.
The tunnel opened into a cavern that stole his breath. He'd never imagined anything like this could exist beneath Bolgue's streets. Strings of lights crisscrossed the packed dirt ceiling, illuminating a sea of bodies below. The smell hit him next - sweat and spilled drinks and something electric in the air that made his skin tingle.
"Welcome to The Deadroot, boys!" Miaki spun with her arms spread wide as her threadbare coat flared around her like tattered wings. Her eyes caught the scattered light from above, mismatched colors gleaming with fierce pride that exhilarated Daglan. "Where the real heart of Bolgue beats!" She moved with the confidence of someone who knew every shadow and corner of this underground haven,
On one end of the cavern, two fighters circled each other in a makeshift ring. Their bare chests gleamed with sweat under the lights as they traded brutal blows. Each impact drew roars from the crowd pressed against the ropes. At the opposite end, a band commanded a ramshackle stage. Three guitarists and a drummer produced a wall of sound that shook dirt from the ceiling. The lead singer prowled the edge of the stage, his voice raw and powerful as he worked the crowd into a frenzy.
Between these two spectacles stood the bar, built straight into the earthen wall. Bottles caught the light from strings woven through the roots overhead, and the hurried bartenders could barely keep up with the press of people waving for drinks. The crowd ebbed and flowed like a tide, and Daglan found himself swaying with it, caught up in the intoxicating energy of this underground world.
"This is insane!" Kento yelled over the music, his enthusiasm returning to his eyes. Daglan felt something tight in his chest loosen at the sight. After everything, seeing that spark back in his friend's face eased a weight he hadn't even realized he'd been carrying.
The atmosphere of the underground club captivated Daglan and Kento as they mingled with the crowd, watching the energy surge from one side of the room to the other. Between the bands tearing up the stage and the fighters trading blows, the two felt their worries fading into the chaotic pulse of the cavern.
Renegade, Miaki's band, soon took the stage. Daglan and Kento cheered with the crowd as Miaki seized the mic with fierce energy, her mismatched eyes catching the lights overhead, gleaming with a passion that lit up her entire face. Einar pounded a fierce rhythm on the drums, his broad hands precise despite their roughness, while Galen's bass notes resonated through the crowd, giving their music a thick, gritty foundation. Miaki's voice cut through the noise like a blade, bold and electrifying, her vocals a blend of smooth melody and raw intensity.
As Renegade played, Daglan and Kento exchanged grins, caught up in the band's sound. Daglan felt every beat, every bass line, vibrating through his body, connecting him to this strange, hidden world.
At one point, Miaki caught Daglan's eye from the stage and shot him a daring smile. She mouthed, "This one's for you." Causing something to flutter in his chest that had nothing to do with the pounding bass. The next song was wild and unrestrained, carrying a hint of the same challenging spirit she'd shown in the alley. It was raw and messy but utterly compelling. The crowd pulsed in time with the music, arms raised, feet moving. There was something fierce and liberating in Miaki's voice as she sang, and Daglan couldn't help but feel like this place, this moment, was something extraordinary.
Beside him, Kento nudged him with a laugh. "Back in Graybarrow, did you ever think you'd see something like this?"
Daglan chuckled, shaking his head. "Not a chance. This is a whole different world."