The all familiar smell wafted from a metal grate that sat planted in an alleyway, he scrunched his nose at it yet again. Tycon knew this wasn''t going to pleasant in the slightest. He had never been in a sewer before and now he realized that the long nights in the rain while traveling along dirt roads was going to be far from the worst thing he''d had to endure. Sylaina had a similar expression of disgust on her face, unfortunately, they didn''t have time to loiter around so they began to get to work.


    "Help me with this," Sylaina said through clenched teeth as she crouched and began pulling at the sewer grate.


    He complied and leaned down to help her. He grabbed the metal bars until his knuckles turned white and began pulling hard and quick in short bursts, hoping to jimmy the grate from a position it hadn''t left in years. Each time he pulled, it didn''t move in the slightest, even with Sylaina''s help. Despite it all, they kept on trying.


    A few moments and many attempts had passed until he started to feel the grate loosen. As he was about to attempt yet another pull, he heard distant footsteps coming down the alley. If whoever was coming were to turn the next corner, they''d be discovered. His heart began to race and they pulled even harder and faster, his arms felt like they were going to fall from his shoulders and then suddenly the footsteps stopped. Tycon could hear voices rebounding off the walls, slightly raised, sounding like a heated discussion.


    He turned to Sylaina and placed a finger over his lips and they waited. Their argument growing louder with every moment that passed. For that, Tycon was glad. The two tried to synchronize each shout with a pull of the grate, the sound of metal grinding stone was masked by it. Soon the argument grew violent, he could hear the noises of bone connecting with flesh quite clearly. He took the opportunity and looked again at Sylaina.


    "On three?" He asked.


    She nodded.


    "One, two, three."


    with all his remaining strength, he pulled at the grate one final time, the metal becoming seemingly weightless as its seal broke and the two lifted it and placed it slowly on the nearby stone. He was breathless and took a short moment to gather himself, Sylaina, however, didn''t waste any time and as soon as he recovered, she was already climbing down into the sewer.


    "Hurry up!" She whispered.


    Collecting himself, he slipped into the hole in the ground and quickly reached over and dragged the grate back over himself, following her down into the sewers below. Once he reached the bottom, Sylaina let out a quick shout. Startled by the noise Tycon looked to where Sylaina stood, shin-deep in feces, piss, and water as rats scurried by on the gutters around her.


    "You okay?" Tycon asked.


    She faced him with a scowl, "Fucking rats, I hate them."


    He tried his best not to laugh but Sylaina had already noticed the smile spread across his face and she pouted.


    The distant dripping of water echoed through the hollow concrete tunnels like the beat of a drum. One after another in quick succession, only reinforcing the fact that the tunnels were incredibly silent, save for the tapping of the rats that crept past. Tycon stepped down from the gutter and joined Sylaina in the putrid water then began wading through toward the approximate location of Keo''s manor with her. He raised an arm to his nose as they walked in an attempt to shield himself from the smell, soon realizing it was still wet from the moat and he had unknowingly stuck the smell upon his nostrils.


    Dammit.


    Sylaina remained silent as they walked, her body was rigid from the presence of the rats and she occasionally played with the bowstring that was slung across her torso, no doubt to distract herself from them. The arrows in the quiver rattled slightly as she walked ahead. Tycon kept his attention beyond her hooded head toward what was in front of them, in case she was too preoccupied with avoiding the rats to pay attention.


    The two elves attempted to keep their strides within the water as silent as possible, only the slight sound of the water disrupting from their slow and steady steps could be heard. He guessed it would be masked over the sound of the distant drips but he wasn''t about to take any chances. When the long sewer tunnel up ahead reached a corner, Sylaina slowed down and peeked around then quickly hugged herself on her back against the stone wall, her face pale.


    "Oh fuck," She muttered.


    "What is it? More rats?" Tycon teased.


    She pouted again then cocked her head toward where she had peeked moments before, "Take a look for yourself."


    Without a word, Tycon brushed past her and peaked his head around to see what she was making such a fuss about. Realizing what he was laying eyes upon, he quickly retreated and hugged the wall with her, both of their faces pale.


    "Oh fuck indeed," He whispered to himself.


    He couldn''t quite put to words on what exactly he saw. It was a monster, one neither Ren or he had seen before. It was humanoid and faceless, with only a mouth and standing on two legs. There was no hair, just pale grey transparent skin and blackened veins that coiled within. Two handless arms protruded from its shoulder blades, ending in a singular sharp and blackened claw that pointed from the end.


    It crept around like it was ready to pounce and consume anything that crossed its path. He was positive that it was terrifying but he was confident he could take it out, or he would have been if there hadn''t been at least three that he saw when he peeked around. He wasn''t sure what to do and it was clear that Sylaina felt the same. Should they fight or retreat? That was the question that burned within his mind. He needed a few more moments to process exactly what their next move should be and judging by Sylaina''s expression, she was hyping herself internally for a fight.


    Can''t wait to tell Ren about this.


    <hr>


    "Now this," Fayne said gleefully, "Is a bomb. Made from lead and filled to the brim with gunpowder, plus a secret ingredient of mine."


    Ren studied the device intensely, "What''s the secret ingredient?"


    "It wouldn''t be a secret if I told you now, would it?"


    Ren caressed a finger over the fuse that hung from the top of the ball-shaped bomb, "I suppose not."


    Faynes workshop was cluttered with all sorts of alchemy ingredients and an assortment of metal scraps. He never expected an elf to be so crafty, especially with explosives and alchemy. In fact all the way up until now, he thought they weren''t technologically advanced at all and just lived off the land. Now he knew that the way he perceived them was absolutely wrong.


    "You think this could break down a wall or open a vault?" Ren asked, leaning away from the bomb that Fayne proudly put on display.


    "This one could break a wall but for a vault, I made some thermite bombs just in case."


    Ren raised an eyebrow and scratched his chin, "What does that do?"


    Fayne let out a devilish grin, "Produce enough heat to melt the hinges."


    "Right, How do you know all this?"


    "How old are you, Ren?"


    "Twenty-five."


    ''Well I''m probably triple your age, I''ve had plenty of time to learn things in my lifetime."


    Ren was about to say something else when the door suddenly squeaked open with Glahir shuffling through awkwardly. He was carrying a parchment under his arm with a quill and inkwell in his hands. Earlier he had mentioned he needed to grab something and now that he was here, Ren was curious as to what it was.


    "What have you got there?" Fayne asked before Ren could.


    "Move that shit off the table and you''ll see,"


    Fayne rolled his eyes and slicked back his auburn hair before he cleared the scrap metal from the table and grabbed the bomb, carefully placing it aside. Glahir rushed through and hastily placed the contents on the table and wiped away the sweat that was beginning to drop down his brow. Fayne unraveled the parchment to reveal a map, not just any map but a map of Halcyon.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    "Courtesy of Alietah," Glahir said taking a nearby seat and letting out a sigh.


    "What do you have a map of Halcyon for?" Ren asked, studying the parchment.


    "We had one made for when we return monster trophies," Glahir replied, "She retraced it to give us something to plan with."


    "Awfully kind of her."


    "Indeed. Fayne, got any ideas?"


    Faynes eyes were locked on the map as much as Rens were, his emerald eyes twitching. Ren was convinced he hadn''t heard Glahirs question at all, that or he simply ignored him. Ren was about to repeat the question for Glahir when Fayne suddenly spoke.


    "I''d rather wait until the others return before we start making plans. Right now they have the eyes on the ground and their input would be far more valuable."


    Ren could see the logic in that. It was nearing about midday and it would still be a long time until the two returned, with nothing to do he was getting anxious and restless. Not only was he in fear for their safety but he also felt useless sitting around and twiddling his thumbs. The day was going way too slow and he needed something to occupy himself and kill time until they returned. Looking at the two elves, he could tell they were feeling it too.


    "I''m going for a walk," Ren said softly.


    The other two didn''t reply and he quickly shot his way out the door and into the cool breeze of the forest. The liberating feeling of the wind colliding with his face seemed to have a calming effect and he almost felt better immediately. He walked across the various platforms and bridges quietly humming to himself. It was a song that he hadn''t heard in a long time, yet clung to his memory like a leaf in the trees. One from his home that he had heard as a child as he sat by a hearth fire drinking warm milk. Days that were long gone.


    I hope to see days like those again.


    He was leaning on a railing, deep in thought when he felt another presence at his side. Ren shifted his gaze to see an elf he hadn''t seen before hunched over the railing. His jet black hair was slicked back, exposing his pointy ears. The elf''s skin was a shade darker than the elves he had met before and when his gaze met Ren''s, he felt a chill suddenly drop down his spine. His yellow eyes pierced him like a spear through his gut and Ren couldn''t quite place why he was getting those feelings.


    "Hey," The elf said with no hint of malice within his tone.


    Ren swallowed and returned his gaze to the forest, "H-hey, nice to meet you."


    "So what''s a human doing all the way out here?" The elf asked.


    "Just passing through," He lied.


    The elf simply nodded and didn''t press any further, seemingly satisfied with the answer. The two stood in silence for a long moment, his heart beating uncontrollably the entire time.


    What is with this guy?


    After the long and uncomfortable silence, the mysterious elf stood up straight and pulled a hood over his head.


    "Well, I''ve gotta go see Alietah. Good luck on the road, human,"


    His words were ice, frozen and cold. No hint of warmth within them, they rang hollow.


    They sounded wrong.


    Ren turned to reply but the elf was gone. Not a trace left behind, no distant footsteps - nothing. It was typical of elves to be light on their feet so he wasn''t particularly surprised, but something felt out of place. Maybe he was overthinking it, an active mind to quell the aching limbs, that, or he was simply bored. He didn''t let himself dwell on it for too long and cleared his mind, letting the sound of the forest take him.


    <hr>


    Sylaina was a lot of things, but she certainly wasn''t patient. She spun around the corner, her bow at the ready and fired, hitting one the creatures in the head. Tycon initially thought she had killed it but within moments it had already returned to its feet. Tycon unsheathed his blade and rushed in front of her, facing the faceless creatures head-on. One of them lunged at him, Tycon used his running momentum to step to the left, spinning a pirouette, his blade cut the creatures torso from its legs. The blood spouting from its severed midsection like a fountain.


    He felt an arrow break the wind right by his ear, blowing his hair into his face and watched it land within another creature''s knee, staggering it and dropping to one knee. Tycon took the opportunity and lifted his blade above his head and slammed it down into the creature''s neck, decapitating it.


    Before he could recover and switch his stance, another creature lunged at him from the side, knocking him into the putrid water. The creature was on top of him and Tycon held the flat of his blade against its mouth, making sure it couldn''t get a bite in. Its weight was too much and he knew holding the blade up would be pointless, so he let go of the blade with his left hand while his right still grasped the hilt. He reached around to his belt and pulled one of his daggers and planted it into the throat of the creature. He stabbed over and over, the blood clogging its throat as the howls became gurgles. He didn''t stop until he felt its body fall limp and the last of its cries fell silent.


    Tycon threw the body off himself and craned his neck to check on Sylaina. She was doing fine, she had switched to her sword and was cutting through them like butter. Another one came at him, mindlessly lumbering towards him. He grabbed his sword, took one step forward and swiped low, severing its right leg and with its falling momentum, Tycon whirled the sword around and quickly slashed down, decapitating it before the body hit the ground with a splash.


    All the movement in the water only elevated the smell but it no longer bothered him. In the heat of the moment, it became nothing more than an afterthought. He had to admit though, he preferred the smell of blood.


    With no more around him, Tycon checked on Sylaina again. She was being pushed back by two of them, she was only barely stepping out of the way from their slashes. Tycon drew his dagger and grabbed it by the point of the blade with his thumb and index finger.


    Here goes nothing.


    He threw the dagger as if it were a throwing star, it spun so quickly that before he knew it, he had hit one of the creatures in the neck and stunned it for long enough that Sylaina was able to make short work of it. To his knowledge that left just one more but before he could finish the thought, the creature was already dead by Sylaina''s hand. She stood soaked and panting with the blade lazily dangling at her side. Her hair was a mess, loose strands were everywhere. The more Tycon looked at her, the more infatuated he became, not only was she beautiful but she was tough too and good with a sword. He never expected to find anybody attractive in a sewer.


    Not the time you idiot.


    "Is that all of them?" She asked between breaths.


    Tycon took a glance further into the sewer where the creatures had come from, "Seems like it."


    "Good. You ever run into those before?"


    "No, but they die just the same."


    She laughed, "Cheers to that!"


    The water was no longer brown but instead, a deep crimson and the stench of rotten fish had begun to mix with the rest of the unpleasantries. He had no doubt that the smell came from the creatures they had fought. Once the two had caught their breath, they began to continue on their way more cautious than ever. As they walked deeper into the sewer system the stench of fish grew thicker, he could almost taste it. His stomach turned and he almost dry heaved again when they found themselves in a big open chamber that was filled with bloated, rotting corpses of men, women, and children that were scattered across the floor. Their stomachs were torn open and what looked like giant fish eggs planted within them.


    "W-what the fuck," His words came out dry. He had seen some things in his time but this...


    Sylaina was equally as shocked, her eyes not faltering on the horrific site for a second. She was frozen, not even twitching - Standing still like a stump. He placed a hand on her shoulder and she blinked as if she had been pulled back into reality, he felt her shoulders loosen as she took a step back and exhaled.


    "You think there are more in here?" She asked, her voice shaking.


    Tycon took another look at the bodies and shook his head, "I hope not, but if there aren''t," He pointed to the eggs, "There''ll be more soon, that''s for sure."


    Sylaina gritted her teeth and drew her sword with a hiss, "Then let''s destroy these fucking things before they hatch."


    Tycon drew his own blade and the two walked into the center and began slashing at the unhatched gelatinous eggs, making sure not to miss a single one for it would prove to be of a great consequence to leave one behind. He couldn''t believe just how lucky the city was for them to be down there. If the infestation had gotten any worse, he wouldn''t be surprised if the city was overrun within a few years.


    Are they even worth saving?


    The grim thought had suddenly sprouted within his mind and he pushed it back as quickly as it came. There was a good chance that simply smashing the eggs wouldn''t diminish the threat, they''d do best to burn them instead but they didn''t have the fuel or tools for it so this was the best they could do. Sylaina seemed to revel in the moment, gleefully slashing at the eggs with a smile on her face, he was surprised she''d be so willing to help a city that hated their kind. Maybe he was getting through to her after all, or maybe not, only time could tell.


    Their trip to the city had turned out to be quite more of an adventure than he had anticipated but things calmed down once they were finished smashing the eggs. The rest of the trip through the sewers was uneventful but painstakingly full of suspense. When the adrenaline from the previous battle had worn off, it didn''t take long for weariness to set in and before long, the two were ready to leave. But not before they had done what they came to do.


    Tycon was following Sylaina through the murky water when she stopped suddenly.


    "This is it," She declared, "The manor is right above us."


    "How do you know?" Tycon asked.


    Sylaina pointed to the nearby brick wall, "Put your ear up against it and then knock to see if it''s hollow."


    Tycon complied and made his way over to the wall, leaning against it, he pressed his ear upon it and closed his eyes.


    "Knock," She insisted.


    Tycon waited a few moments and tried to listen and see if he could hear something on the other side - nothing. He reached behind his back and drew one of his twin daggers and placed the hilt on the wall then tapped it gently. He could hear Sylaina snort behind him.


    "Harder you idiot," She teased.


    Tycon sighed and smacked it against the wall again, listening for an echo on the other side. He did it three more times just to be sure but he heard it. The wall was indeed hollow on the other side, Sylaina was right.


    "It''s gotta be either a cellar or a passageway to the vault," Tycon said as he pushed himself back from the wall.


    "So it''s hollow?"


    Tycon brushed his hair back with his fingers and approached her, "It is indeed, you think Fayne could blow it open?"


    Sylaina smirked, "Of course he can, I have no doubt."


    "Okay good, all thats left to do is plan everything out."


    With their job completed and a few complications along the way, the two retreated back to their horses and to the town in the trees. Tycon couldn''t help but feel excited about a bath, the smell had lingered for so long, he was almost immune to it but he had no doubt he was going to get a lot of dirty looks and comments the moment he returned. Everything seemed to be falling into place, they''d be in possession of a gem in no time and one step closer to stopping the inevitable threat that lingered.


    One step at a time.