B4 Chapter 469: War Room, pt. 1

Damp bricks formed a low arch as mould, fungus and unknown slime spread, feasting on the detritus present in the sewer. Pitch black, he could only see with his Darkvision, the tunnel rendered in flat shades of grey that washed away all sense of depth.

Kaius scrunched his nose, balling his skirts in his hands as he stepped over a puddle of unknown sludge, and the motion was awkward with his prosthetic. He moved fine, but the lack of sensation left him feeling clunky and unbalanced.

The skirt was a necessary factor, one he’d fashioned from a length of grey cloth he’d had in his storage ring. It would be eye-catching; such a thing was not quite fashionable for men on the frontier, like he’d heard it was in some places far to the west. That said, a little foreign extravagance would be far less notable than openly brandishing the metal of his leg. Even with trousers and his boot covering most of it, it was clear that the limb was false and its motion just a little too fluid to not raise questions. He’d buy some roomier trousers to hide its hard angles soon enough, but for now he’d have to hope his attempts at hiding the thing would hold up.

Thankfully, exiting the sewers was a far less painful experience than their first trip. It must have rained in the city above for some time in the last day or two, washing away most of the muck. The place was still rank, but it was bearable, each of them able to power through it with naught but a determined grimace on their face.

Thankfully, it wouldn’t be much longer. They were close to the sluice gate through which they had entered, right in the Delvers’ Quarter; from there they would be able to quickly make their way to the Guildhall.

Only half a dozen bends from their exit, Porkchop suddenly halted at the head of their group, ears pricking.

“What’s up?” Kaius asked.

His stats were high enough that he could just barely make out the general hubbub of people going about their lives in the streets above, but Porkchop’s hearing was naturally far sharper than his.

“I’m not sure. There’s some sort of commotion. Lots of people moving — they sound stressed. Maybe we should hurry up.”

Kaius frowned. Some sort of street brawl, perhaps? It was unusual for the Delvers’ Quarter, but tensions had been running high in the city.

Ianmus and Kenva seemed equally confused.

“Let’s,” he replied.They picked up the pace.

If there was some sort of confrontation going on that involved delvers, things could get messy. Due to the simple power disparity that was often present between city guards and proper delvers, there was an element of self-policing involved. Even if the average guard was far stronger than they had been before the phase change, so were his guildmates. Things could get messy. Of anyone, they were the best suited to step in, if need be. Hells, they probably wouldn’t even need to act physically. The simple aura of their authority would likely be enough, even for Steel.

Leaping to the path on the opposite side of the sewer, they took the next right. Light spilled around the corner ahead, bringing colour with it. Grey stone was joined by a multitudinous smear of green and brown.

They reached a set of stairs in moments, and raced to the iron gate that was their exit at the end of their expedition. It was locked, but they’d been given a key.

They were tucked down an alley far from the main streets, the surrounding buildings hiding any evidence of whatever Porkchop had heard. Though Kaius himself could hear it now — the heavy patter of running feet and the general grumble of voices speaking in hushed tones.

It didn’t sound like a brawl.

Kaius shared a confused look with his team before they left for the main streets. Something was up. Surely someone would be able to tell them what.

Almost unconsciously, he took a deep breath, enjoying the fresh air and the sun that shone from above. His thoughts might have been preoccupied, but it was still good to be above ground again.

Minor bedlam awaited them when they left the alleys.

Normally, the Delvers’ Quarter was relatively quiet compared to the rest of the city. While delvers tended to get raucous in their inns and even the Guildhall, the average combat classer was aware of just how much more capable they were than the average citizen, and tried to keep things respectable.

That didn’t stop most from leaving the Delvers’ Quarter well enough alone. Even if they did feel comfortable surrounding themselves with others so much stronger than them, the services available were niche and expensive.

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It meant, normally, the streets were quiet, with only a few going about their business.

That relative peace had evaporated. Groups gathered in front of shops, whispering in hushed tones. Kaius caught sight of nearly a dozen people running through the streets with concerned looks on their faces.

One came close, rushing away in the opposite direction to where the Guild lay. A tall man, dressed in leathers — a delver. Judging by the flash of an Iron medallion that Kaius caught glinting on his hip, a rather experienced one.

Something was off. They had to know what.

“Ho there,” he said, stepping out of the alley to wave the man down, giving the man plenty of time to spot him and react.

Kaius saw the delver notice and dismiss him in his haste, only for the man to snap back as his eyes widened in recognition.

“You. You’re Kaius, right?” the man said, skidding to a halt.

The obvious, relieved droop of the tension in the man’s shoulders worried him. He wouldn’t be glad to see him unless something had happened.

“You need to get to the Guild,” the delver continued. “Dross was found outside the city, half dead from exhaustion. There’s been no sign of Bronwyn and the others. Ro’s got him, but she’s playing mum. There’s some danger out there that’s taken out Silvers. Fuck, I dunno. I just thought you should know.”