“Let’s do it,” he says with a startling eagerness. James gives him a sidelong look and then moves to follow Jiron as he walks out of the alley.
Upon entering the street, he follows the main flow of people down for several blocks before they come to another main road which crosses theirs. That road bears more toward the Keep than the one they’re on so Jiron turns and follows it.
As they continue toward the Keep, the amount of people on the street begins to steadily decrease. The street leads to the gate into the Keep area where two guards are standing watch. While they pause and observe those going through, they notice that the guards give comments and greeting to practically everyone who passes.
“Just about everyone who goes through that gate is probably known to them,” states James.
“I would think so,” agrees Miko.
“How are we to get through?” asks Jiron.
They move to another alley while they ponder the problem. When no answer is forthcoming, Miko says, “We could try the sewers.” When both Jiron and James look to him, he continues, “There has to be a spot where the sewers in the Keep and the sewers in the city intersect. If we can find it, we could walk under the walls.”
By the look on James’ face, he’s obviously not liking this idea. Jiron on the other hand, is nodding and giving Miko a grin.
Miko says, “If we look around a bit, we’re sure to find an access to the sewers.”
“Good idea,” says Jiron, patting him on the back.
“Alright,” James says with little enthusiasm. “Let’s see what we can find.”
They move down the alleyway and along several streets before finding a water runoff drain that they can use to gain access to the sewer. Making sure no one is watching, Jiron squeezes through and begins to descend down the rungs set into the wall to the bottom. James and Miko follow shortly afterwards.
As James begins to climb down the slime covered rungs embedded into the side of the sewer, the smell hits him. Trying not to gag, he continues down until he’s standing next to Jiron on a ledge running next to and slightly above the main flow of the sewer.
Suddenly, the orb springs to life, giving them light to see. James moves over to allow space for Miko as he reaches the bottom.
The ledge they are standing on is a foot wide and there is one running on both sides of the main flow of the sewer, allowing people to walk without having to step into the filth flowing by below. “Wish Bearn’s sewer would’ve had this,” Miko says.
“Me too,” agrees James. “The keep was to the north of here so we should try to head in that direction.”
“Follow me,” Jiron says as he begins moving north along the sewer’s ledge. They follow him for a hundred feet before coming to where the sewer tunnel splits, one going northwest and the other going northeast. Jiron glances back to James who indicates he should follow the northeast passage. Giving him a nod, Jiron turns to follow it.
They pass several more access ladders leading up into the dark, but they continue on past. Opening up on their left, another sewer passage connects to the one they’re in and is blocked by thick iron bars spaced half a foot apart.
“That’s got to be it,” says James. The iron bars would have been put there to prevent unauthorized access to the Keep.
“I would think so too,” agrees Jiron. “Now, how are we to get through?”
“Leave that to me,” James says as he looks for a way to get to the bars without having to step in the muck.
Miko sees him as he is looking around and smiles. Then he says, “I think there’s no other way but to step into the flow.”
Sighing, James replies, “I know.” Gritting his teeth, he steps off the ledge and into the main flow of the sewer. His leg sinks a foot and a half into the filth and he almost loses the contents of his stomach from the stench that produces.
As he pauses there in the flow, Jiron says, “You okay?”
He just shakes his head. How can he explain to them just how much this nauseates him? Taking several more steps, the muck making a sucking sound every time he pulls his foot out, he makes it over to the bars.
Standing there in front of the bars, he begins to consider the best way to get through them.
“James!” Miko whispers urgently.
When he turns back to look at Miko, he sees him pointing down the sewer where it continues. He glances to where he’s pointing and sees a light coming toward them. Quickly canceling the orb, he plunges them back in darkness as they watch the light approach.
A lone man is approaching, the flickering of his torch becoming brighter with every step he takes. They can hear him muttering to himself as he walks along the ledge, the same ledge Miko and Jiron are standing upon.
As he continues looking at the approaching man, he sees a shadow begin to move toward him. A glint of reflected torchlight from a knife blade tells him Jiron is moving to intercept the man.
Wishing there was another way, he stands there silently as Jiron moves closer. Then there’s a cry as the torch falls into the sewer and is quickly extinguished. “It’s okay now James,” he hears Jiron say.
The orb blossoms into light once more and he can see Jiron moving back toward them. He sees James looking at him and he says, “He’s not dead, just unconscious.”
Relieved, James turns back to the bars and begins to work the magic to bend the bars enough for them to squeeze through. When the bars begin bending, a vibrating noise can be heard coming from them.
Once the noise stops, James glances back to them and says, “Let’s go.” He squeezes his way in through the bars and then stands there as the other two make their way through the filth and join him on the other side. Then he again uses the magic as the bars begin to move back into place. By the time he’s done, his head is beginning to hurt and his breath is a little labored. Turning back to the others, he says, “That was tougher than I thought.”
“You alright?” Jiron asks, concerned.
“I’ll be fine,” he assures him. “Let’s go.”
Jiron again leads them as they move down the sewer. James is certain they are passing under the wall of the keep area, or soon will be.
This section of the sewers has no ledges upon which to walk. The sewer here is not as deep as the other had been either, much to their relief. They pass by another set of rungs leading up and Jiron pauses as he glances back to James.
James shakes his head and says, “Let’s move further in toward the keep, that one would probably come out in the outer courtyard area. We need to find access into the main keep.”
Jiron nods and then turns back as he continues down. Several more sets of rungs come and go before they decide to stop and investigate.
“Just go up and see if you can tell where we are,” suggests James.
Placing his hand on one of the rungs, he replies, “I understand.” Then he quickly climbs up until he disappears into the darkness.
A thud can be heard above them, probably from a trapdoor or something that he had to open in order to leave the sewer. Several minutes pass before they hear a quiet thud again and soon see Jiron descending the rungs.
“These rungs lead to the basement of some kind of home,” he says. “I didn’t move too far into it before finding a window. We’re about a hundred feet south of the walls of the Keep itself.”
“Good,” James exclaims. “Let’s move on then and try to find the one we need.”
Nodding, Jiron again takes the lead. When they come to a junction of sewer passages, he moves to follow the one that’ll bring them closest to the Keep. They follow the new passage for a little over a hundred feet when a set of rungs becomes visible ahead of them.
“This might be it,” Jiron says as they reach them.
“Go up and see,” James tells him.
Jiron quickly climbs up into the darkness and then they hear his voice calling down, “It’s clear, come on up.”
Miko goes first, with James right behind. The light from the orb shows Jiron and Miko standing in a barren, small room with a single wooden door as the only exit.