“Run!” I heard Eli shout. My feet moved involuntarily, but before I could make a step Agatha stopped me. Zoey wrenched Eli by the shoulder as well. We were pulled aside, behind another building opposite the warehouse. The guards were running our way but Agatha didn’t let go of me. She just pressed her index finger against her red lips.

We pressed our backs against a wall in a narrow alley. Guards stormed past us, following our phantoms that had long disappeared. We waited in the dark for what seemed an eternity, pricking our ears for approaching footsteps. When it all calmed down, Agatha released her spell then fell to her knees. She looked beautiful even when out of breath (I still don’t trust her, I just don’t know why I’m attracted to her.)

“We escaped by a hair’s breadth!” Eli exclaimed. “How did you know they weren’t on our trail?” he asked Agatha who was still panting heavily.

“I didn’t know. But we had to gamble it. We can’t get into the sewers with guards on our heels.”

“I guess you’re right,” I said then turned to Zoey. “Lead the way Sister. We’re still not in the clear.”

“Wait for her to recover at least,” the Sister protested. “She’s the reason we’re still free.”

“No he’s right,” Agatha intervened. “We must keep going, no matter what!”

The Herbologist stood up then, with our help, walked toward the sewers. We snuck around; making sure guards weren’t looking our way. I thought of splitting up, to attract less attention, but it seemed like an invitation for disaster. So we hid in the shadows, waiting for the guards to clear a path for us.

People were peeking from their windows on the top floors. We tried hard to avoid detection. We didn’t want them reporting our whereabouts to the patrolling guards. After all, we were escapees from the Crucible, the place that held the most dangerous criminals in the entire western continent.

The entrance to the sewers was about a block of buildings away. Guards usually didn’t go near the sewers. Anybody foolish enough to get inside would be beaten to death by Bloaters. They were hideous creatures that fed on human excrement and garbage. It was the reason why Helton was the cleanest city in Tinria.

Zoey led us silently to the entrance. It was near the market exit. It was where merchants, butchers and the likes threw their garbage. The place we were about to enter was rich territory for the Bloaters. Agatha took care of unlocking the gate. She whispered again some words I couldn’t understand and the lock opened with a faint ‘click!’

Using her “magic” took a toll on her. It was visible in her shortness of breath and sweaty forehead. She was beautiful nonetheless and I beat myself for admiring that. I also didn’t like admiring a half-naked woman who was about to get raped by a madman. One inside she locked the door again then turned to us.

“I ran out of Essence,” she said. “Can’t-use-magic-anymore.”

“Essence?” Eli and I asked.

“Later,” Zoey barked at us then beckoned us to move forward.

It took us some time to get used to the darkness inside the sewers. When we started moving our steps emitted loud splashing sounds. I urged the others to find a place to stop and camouflage ourselves. It was a disgusting matter but we had to do what was needed in order to leave the city. Guards wouldn’t get close to the sewers unless they figured we had really escaped the city, or so I hoped.

We got busy smearing excrement on our clothes and, sadly, our faces.

“Are you sure this won’t incite them to eat us instead?” Zoey asked, disgusted.

“They’re living, moving shit Sister,” I answered. “I lived among them for about three months.”

“Why would anyone do this?” Agatha asked. I could tell by the look on her face that she despised me.

“I had my reasons,” I answered, trying to look mysterious and cool. There was nothing cool about hiding in the sewers, covered in shit, I suppose.

“Where do we go?” Eli asked.

“We’re below the Marketplace,” I said. “We should head south. We’ll reach the outlet by the lake. From there, we should head west, toward Dunstead. We must avoid large cities, or any city for that matter. Our posters will be everywhere by daybreak.”

“I’m afraid I’m not familiar with the landscape in Tinria,” Zoey said. “I’ve never left the Crucible ever since I arrived here.”

“I used to live in Boligne,” Agatha answered. “I’ll rely on you to lead the way.”

“Will you go back to your country?” I asked, suddenly interested in the woman’s plans.

“No, I’ll go with you to Milogac,” she answered, to my relief.

“There’s no time to waste then,” I said then looked at Eli. “You’re with us?”

“Are you kidding? Milogac is the place to be.”

“Why?” Zoey asked. “What’s in Milogac?”

“The Blond Moon will soon fade away,” Agatha said. “If we’re lucky, the Eternal Moon will grace us with its presence this year.”

Groans in the distance interrupted our conversations. I motioned everybody forward, urging them to keep silent. “Bloaters don’t speak. If we meet them on our way, just look in the air and act lost. Let’s just pray we don’t meet an overgrown female. They know their herd. They’d send all of them after us.”

We walked in silence through the serpentine maze, covered in shit and feeling less human every step. We soon came across some Bloaters. They were a head taller than us, but much more disgusting. Their slimy bodies left a disgusting trail behind them. Their eyes were hidden beneath layers of garbage and shit. If one of them opened its mouth to groan as it moved beside you, you’d faint because of the fetid smell.

Shouts and screams in the city above us reached us every time we walked beneath sewage caps. Guards were deployed everywhere, looking for the escaped prisoners. We heard some of them curse their rotten luck for being deployed so late to look for walking corpses.

We walked, our heads turning everywhere, looking lost and stupid. We fooled the guards and escaped under their noses, literally. But we had to fool the beasts that would cherish the opportunity to chew on our bones. The further we walked toward the southern drain, the denser Bloater population became.

We reached a point where we had to squeeze our way through. We couldn’t stop, Bloaters didn’t stop moving. They moved around the entire sewage system, eating and cleaning the place. They were nature’s way of dealing with humans’ growing population. Helton was famous for being the cleanest city, but nobody cared to look at the growing Bloater population beneath them.

Zoey let out a feint whimper when we reached the Bloater horde. Agatha winced as she pushed her body against the swarming disgusting creatures. She got the lion’s share of excrement, with her torn clothes and all. We had reached the middle of the horde when we heard a loud growl in front of us. My heart skipped a beat when I realized what it was.

A few paces before us stood a gigantic piles of growling garbage. It looked like an oversized worm that grew two sets of eyes and a large mouth with pointy teeth. The female Bloater looked at us as it growled. I looked at the others who started panicking. I furtively pointed with my fingers to the side. We didn’t have to move toward her. Our destination was beyond a small tunnel to the side. All we had to do was to keep clear from her.

The female Bloater grunted even louder. The other, smaller creatures turned toward their leader, looking at her intently. I started pushing my way through, a bit too eagerly. We couldn’t linger there any longer. That gigantic thing would soon realize there were intruders and send her horde against us. We stood no chance.

Eli followed closely behind me. Agatha was beside me, a couple Bloaters away, followed closely by the Sister. We were already getting tired. We smelled bad and I started sweating, of all things! I couldn’t walk any faster. I saw Zoey pulling on Agatha’s arm. The Herbologist did her best to calm the panicking Sister but Zoey was clearly losing it.

All we had to do was make ten more steps and we’d be on the narrow tunnel, away from the horde. But Zoey kept whimpering, her voice getting louder every time she brushed against one of the disgusting creatures. I saw Agatha tug on the Sister’s sleeve then shoot her a stern look. Zoey tried to bite on her lips but she bit on excrement and let out a sudden shriek.

All the creatures, including the female Bloater, turned their way. I chanced a quick glance toward them, Agatha and Zoey had disappeared. The Herbologist must’ve used another spell, despite her sorry state. Eli and I kept going.

Only five more steps to go… Four… Three… Two… One…

The female Bloater let out a loud groan and all the creatures followed. Eli and I tried our best to imitate their scream. We kept moving, furtively. We were close at the narrow tunnel’s entrance. There were two creatures moaning and growling in front of us.

They looked at us and grunted a bit more. Eli grunted back, furiously. The Bloaters looked strangely surprised. I never thought I’d witness such a peculiar scene. A sac of shit with two large eyes blinking. Their eyelids were comprised of garbage and excrement too. They smelled horrible. A smell we couldn’t get accustomed to.

The two creatures suddenly opened their mouths. Eli took a dagger from his belt and stabbed one of them in the neck. I instantly followed his example. We didn’t even know if those monsters could bleed or get killed that way, but we had to try. Fortunately, their eyes closed and their screams never reached the leader.

Agatha and Zoey were waiting for us on the other side of the tunnel. We dragged the beasts with us and put them on the ground.

“What happened?” Agatha whispered.

“I guess we don’t have their putrid breath!” Eli answered. “We should get moving, Fast!”

We quickened our steps. Agatha was panting all the way. The last spell she used to conceal herself and Zoey from the beasts took its toll. Zoey looked apologetically at the Herbologist as she helped her walk forward. We walked through the narrow tunnel and growls behind us got weaker and weaker.

A fresh wind brushed our faces, signaling the end of our journey through the sewers. I found myself praying that no guards stood on the entrance, lest all our efforts go to waste. Agatha was limping now. She helped us get so far, so Eli and I carried her. She put her shoulder around us as we dragged her along toward the fresh air.

We finally reached the drain. The air outside was cool and refreshing. Eli snuck a peek outside to make sure no guards were patrolling the area. As we suspected, none of them came close to the disgusting place. Heltonese didn’t like filth. They were proud of the fact that their city was the cleanest. They wouldn’t get close to the sewers, even if their lives depended on it.

We put Agatha against a rock. The city gates were erected high above us, hugging the sky. We could still hear the bell tolling inside. Guards must have been still searching for us.

“We have to move fast if we want to get away from their search patrols,” I told them as Agatha sat on the rock panting and wheezing.

“She’s tired,” Zoey protested. “I’d have lost my life if it weren’t for her.”

“So help her,” Eli urged. “Find some medicinal herb around her or something.”

The drain we got out of was near the lake. Different plants grew nearby. Zoey looked around then at Agatha. “What do people do when they run out of Essence?” she asked.

“I usually need to eat and rest. But we haven’t got time,” Agatha answered. She looked at us then beckoned us closer. “Just help me move. Once we’re out of trouble, I’ll rest a bit.”

“Shouldn’t we wash first?” Zoey asked.

“Good point,” Eli answered. “But the guards stationed by the Lake will see us. We’ll have to sneak past the Fiverto Checkpoint. We’ll get to Gangja river by then. We’ll wash then I’ll go steal some clothes for us. For now, we keep moving.”

“Agreed,” Agatha answered then asked me to help her stand up. I happily obeyed and helped the woman move. We had to get out of the open fields before sunrise or we’ll be exposed to the guards hunting us. We had about two hours before that happened. I helped the Herbologist move while Eli led the way, mindful of patrols that could ambush us.