Under the night sky, the streets of Balmount Kingdom lay cloaked in silence. The quiet was thin, deceptive, like a held breath before a scream.
Far beneath the cobbled alleys, in the damp belly of the sewers, a massive chamber breathed with foul intent. The walls, slick with ancient grime and creeping moss, seemed to shudder with each low chant rising from the hooded crowd.
"doG htaeD liaH liaH… doG htaeD liaH liaH…"
Dozens of figures stood in unison, robed and masked by shadow, their identities swallowed by the dim torchlight flickering across the runes carved deep into the stone.
At the center stood an altar, carved not with care but clawed into shape, crude and jagged. Black candles dripped slow rivers of wax beside it. Upon it stood the Priest. His black robes curled with strange weight, and his hair, long and unkempt, glinted as the flames moved. His black eyes were alive with fanatic light.
"Raise your voices higher!" the Priest thundered. "He gave us coin! He gave us silence! He will give us the flesh that never rots. Immortality!"
The crowd responded, louder now, their unity unsettling. "doG htaeD liaH liaH… doG htaeD liaH liaH…"
In the shadows behind a broken stone arch, Takashi crouched low, hands tight around his cloak. His breath came quietly, but fast.
"Astrid… I think we should go back," he whispered. His voice trembled, barely more than breath. "We've found him. Isn't that enough?"
Astrid lay beside him, her eyes fixed on the Priest. Her tone was quiet, but steady. "No… not yet."
Takashi looked at her, worry etched deep into his face. "But… the captain said not to linger, not to get involved. We just needed to find the priest."
Astrid's gaze didn't shift. "She also said to be sure the captives were real. You saw the look in her eyes…She suspects they're keeping people down here…we just need to find them"
Takashi hesitated. "But we can't save them tonight… we aren't enough to save them."
A soft smile touched Astrid's lips, fleeting. "I didn't say rescue. I said find them."
Takashi blinked. His fingers fidgeted at the hem of his cloak. "Alright… okay. But we can't go through the main hall. There are too many of them."
"Exactly," Astrid said gently. "So, we don't go through them. Follow me."
She slipped back into the shadows without a sound. Takashi hesitated again, then followed, his steps careful on the slick stone. The stench of rot and mold thickened as they moved deeper, the torchlight behind them fading.
"Do you think… Mael and Nina are alright?" Takashi whispered after a few turns.
Astrid paused, glancing back. "Why? You miss them already?" Her tone was teasing, but warm.
Takashi lowered his gaze. "It's not that… I just… they fight a lot. And the Bloodbound Covenant… they aren't like the others. They don't take prisoners for long."
Astrid's eyes softened. "I know. But they can handle themselves. Right now, we need to do the same."
He nodded, swallowing hard. "Okay."
They kept walking. Water dripped from somewhere above. The path narrowed into a tunnel, barely wide enough for one. Astrid moved ahead, brushing her hand along the wall. Her focus was sharp, every sense alert.
Behind her, Takashi whispered, "What do you think they're saying… the chanting. It doesn't sound like a spell."
Astrid's brow furrowed. "I don't know… and I don't have any idea what they said or what it means." Her voice lowered. "It must be something ancient… or from an unknown language."
Takashi hesitated before speaking, his tone quiet, troubled. "Hmm… I still can't believe the Priest is behind all of this. If Balmount's king finds out, I'm sure… there might be disaster for us. Especially the eastern province."
Astrid's gaze drifted forward, her expression hardening. "You're right." She stepped across a thin stream of water, the splash light but sharp in the silence. "Knowing how the king is… even so, we still have to report this to the captain."
Takashi nodded, slowly. "The captain… I guess she might not be shocked that the Priest is the one behind this."
Astrid gave a faint smirk, veering into a side passage. "Yeah… she never liked him."
The tunnel narrowed again, ending at a wall where a rusted sewer grille waited in shadow. Takashi let out a breath. "Another dead end. The other routes led to nowhere. Maybe… we should just go back and report to her."
Astrid didn't answer right away. She stepped closer to the grille, examining it. "No. Not yet." She touched the rusted bars gently, testing their strength. "Will you be able to fit through here?"
Takashi looked at the gap, doubt in his eyes. "No, I won't."
Astrid's smile was faint but confident. "Good."
With a sharp motion, she gripped the metal. "This might be loud." A harsh screech rang out as she pulled the grille free. Takashi winced, shoulders tensed, but Astrid set it aside with care. She glanced at him, voice steady. "Do you want to wait here… or come with me?"
Takashi swallowed. "I'll follow you."
Her smile widened. "You're really a good partner, you know… better than Mael, in fact."
A small chuckle escaped him. "Mael would be furious hearing that."
Astrid was already crawling through the gap. "Is he here?"
Takashi muttered as he approached, "No, he isn't."
He crouched down, carefully repositioning the grille so it looked untouched. Then he slipped through after her, the passage damp and tight.
He whispered, "How are we still going to find the slaves?"
Astrid's voice soft ahead. "I… I don't know… we're just going to search the whole place till we find them."
Minutes passed in silence. The damp crawlspace narrowed with every step, and the air grew heavier, colder. Astrid led the way, her breath steady despite the burn in her arms. Behind her, Takashi shifted uncomfortably, the stone pressing into his forearms as he crawled.
Then a voice broke through the silence. Harsh. Loud.
Astrid halted, pressing her eye near a crack between the stones. She could see into a chamber below a flickering lantern light revealed an office of sorts, rough stone walls lined with parchment scrolls and ledgers. The High Chancellor stood behind a wide table, hands braced on the wood, face twisted in fury. Dorian stood before him, silent and tense.
The High Chancellor's voice lashed through the space. "How could you let this happen? Do you even understand the weight I've carried covering up your repeated failure?"
Dorian's reply was barely audible. "I am sorry, High Chancellor, but the Countess…"
The Chancellor sneered. "The Countess? Do not speak to me of that woman. She carves safe paths for herself, nothing more. She does not command the Paladin Knights. That is not her domain."
Dorian shifted uneasily. "High Chancellor…"
A fist slammed the table, shaking the inkpots. "Do not speak unless you're offering solutions."
Dorian bowed his head. "I understand."
The Chancellor leaned back, his voice measured now, colder. "Good. Then remember this…everything we do is to our benefit. You more than most, since you claim to be the hardest worker here."
Dorian's voice quivered slightly. "Yes… but the trade routes are strained. I spoke with Theron, regarding the dwindling rune stone supply at the border. He... isn't well."
The Chancellor narrowed his eyes. "That, I am aware of. But it changes nothing. Find more elf slaves. We cannot complete our design without them."
Dorian swallowed. "I… I'll try. It's difficult."
The Chancellor's gaze sharpened, and Dorian quickly added, "The next group should arrive before the next one to two months."
"How many?"
"Twenty."
The Chancellor exhaled, satisfied. "That should suffice… for the preparations."
There was a pause. Then Dorian murmured, "But the king... his grip has tightened. I don't know how he learned of the rune stones near the northern borders."
The Chancellor's brows furrowed. "That is unclear. Zephyr expressed no concern. But the king's presence remains... inconvenient. Especially now, with the Reaper's return."
Dorian's voice dropped to a whisper. "It might be the queen keeping him here."
The Chancellor's nod came slow. "That... is likely. But we must act quickly. When the slaves arrive, Zephyr will not wait. We've delayed too much already."
"That's our greatest risk," Dorian said, voice low.
The Chancellor straightened, his tone clipped. "It will be handled. I will speak with Zephyr. Now…tell me…what use has the little prince been lately?"
"The prince…"
A faint scrape echoed above, Takashi's boot against stone.
The Chancellor's gaze snapped upward toward the crack in the ceiling. His tone turned sharp. "Dorian. Get them."
Dorian paled. "Yes, sir." He turned and darted for the door, his footsteps retreating quickly.
Astrid's breath caught. "Go."
They scrambled forward. Takashi kept low, his heart hammering, every scrape of stone louder than it should've been. They reached a split in the tunnel. A faint blue glow shimmered ahead, an old grating above the outer canal.
Astrid didn't hesitate. She braced herself, kicked once, and the metal creaked free. It clanged as it hit the water below. She slipped on her feet first, splashing into the cold shallows.
Takashi followed, landing with a stumble beside her, boots sinking slightly into the mud.
Astrid turned to him, her voice steady despite the fear flickering in her eyes. "We need to move."