A clicking sound echoed through the tunnels of the sewers. Erhan peeked around the corner at the gathering of four at the arching opening of the tunnels letting in the last light of the day and letting out the filth of the whole city into river Russet. They pulled open a door made of vertical bars of iron that they had just lockpicked. Then they turned around to pull a small boat through the waist-deep water. It was one of the boats the sewer-dwelling criminals use sometimes that they’d paid thirty talents to buy.

Erhan noticed two burlap sacks of the same size on the boat. One of them was no normal sack, as whatever was stuffed inside it squirmed, struggling to get out of it.

“So they are the four remaining people,” Erhan guessed.

From beside him, Samuel craned his neck to observe them. Although Erhan had long put out his torch, the four in front of them held two of them. It lighted their features quite clearly. “Yes, they are the ones,” Samuel said. Although he hadn’t seen their masked faces, their bodily features were quite distinct, especially that large man. He had the same red hair that had stuck out of the mask that day.

“They are leaving through the river,” Erhan said as he looked at the ceiling of the sewers. “This place is already a bit far from the city. If they intended to free her, they could’ve left her anywhere inside the city. It’s not like there’s a shortage of sewer openings there. They are taking her somewhere.”

“Taking her somewhere? What do you mean?” Samuel asked him. “How are they taking her? She isn’t with them anymore.”

Erhan frowned at him. “Are you sure you’re a knight?”

“Why do you say that?” Samuel glared at him. Then he looked down dispiritedly. “Yeah, maybe you’re right, sir Erhan. I’m not fit to be a knight. If I had been brave enough—”

“Stop!” Erhan held up his hand. “I said that because of your observation skills. Look at the boat.” he pointed out.

“What is… is she in the sack?” Samuel’s eyes widened in outrage and he drew out his sword. “How dare they put the lady in a filthy sack!”

He was going to be angry about that? Erhan frowned in bemusement.

“Who?” the four abductors sprang up. Samuel’s voice and unsheathing of his longsword had been loud enough for these stone tunnels to carry.

“Thanks, for warning them,” Erhan couldn’t help the sarcasm that came out through his clenched teeth.

“Follow me quietly,” he said as he slowly walked out. Calm and confidence exuding from his demeanour. Samuel followed behind him, looking at the four with angry, vigilant eyes.

“The knight!” Wilford said. The four of them backed up as they threw down their torches and drew out their weapons. The flames submerged in the sewer water with a hiss, leaving the ambience of the twilight coming from the sewer gate as the only source of light. Hank pulled out a crossbow from the boat and loaded a quarrel into it, aiming at Erhan. The confident gait of this injured and frail-looking man gave the four of them more pressure than the knight.

“You’re surrounded. Drop your weapons and surrender and your punishments would be much lighter,” Erhan said as he came to a stop a few yards before the boat. One more step further and they might scare them into action. He looked at the tall man who acted as the leader of the abductors. “Or you will face death.”

Sena perked up inside the sack. That voice! Was that Erhan? Why was he here? Oh, right, he came to the capital. Relief and a sense of security filled Sena. After all, four lowlives should be nothing before Erhan. Finally, she could be rid of these ropes binding her and get away from the smell of blood coming from her side.

“Don’t move,” Hank’s hand tightened around the trigger. A sense of regret gripped his heart. He should have killed Sena even if the others didn’t agree. Now the patrolmen are here and he lost his chance to get revenge.

Erhan maintained his stoic, nonchalant expression. “Arrows are pointing at you too. If you attempt to pull the trigger, you’d turn into a pincushion.”

Three of them looked around nervously, trying to find the nonexistent patrolmen in the dark recesses of the tunnel, only Paul looked beyond Erhan’s facade. He stared at Samuel, who was showing signs of anxiety as his eyes constantly cast furtive eyes at Erhan, the boat and the four of them. An almost imperceptible smile lingered on his lips. Were they really surrounded? No, he didn’t think so. If they were, there was no way the patrol would only send the two of them. A kid and a weak, sickly man. His smile turned into a confident grin as he took a step forward.

“Don’t move a step further,” Samuel said as he immediately pointed his sword at Paul.

Bruce’s eyes also shrunk in apprehension as he reached out his hand, “What are you doing Paul? Come back!”

“Heh!” Paul shook his head and said, “ Don’t worry. They’re just bluffing.”

Erhan bore the urge to tsk. They’ve got a smart one there.

“Are you sure?” Bruce asked.

“Yeah, Just look at the rookie knight. He’s all sweaty and stuff,” he turned to Hank. “Pull the trigger and you’ll see.”

Erhan chuckled and teased, “Yeah, pull the trigger and you’ll see.” but his grip around the staff tightened. He had to be ready.

Hank hesitated a bit, then shook his head. “No, man. I don’t want to die.” He tilted his head, gesturing Paul to come over. “You do It.”

The nervousness radiated from Samuel touched Erhan’s senses like a tingible ripple as they watched the mousy man step towards Hank with a hint of annoyance. Paul stood in front of Hank and said, “shoot it from behind me. If I’m wrong, the arrow would hit me.”

The other man’s figure was far smaller than Hank and would do little to ward off any arrow heading for him. But Paul’s confidence contagious and raised some of Hank’s courage too. Even so, he still hesitated a bit.

“You fool,” Paul said as his face twisted with displeasure, “don’t you think anyone hiding would’ve come out by now? Or at least shot a warning arrow.”

Erhan’s lips thinned as he watched the other three men’s faces lit up with realization. He’d have liked to delay it a bit longer. Intuition told him the patrolmen were closing in.

Hank placed the front tiller of the crossbow on Paul’s shoulder and aimed at Erhan. This frail, bearded man holding a slightly darkened stick somehow gave him a sense of threat many times greater than the knight.

Samuel slightly bent his knees and readied his sword in front of him looking, like a leopard about to leap onto its prey. Erhan was ill and they were outnumbered. So he’d have to step up and take most of the burdens he vowed not to turn back today even if his life ends.

Erhan pursed his lips as he took a glance at the young knight. He was ready. He stared at the rogues, narrowing his eyes slightly. His feeble figure seemed to grow bigger before the eyes of the four men until it filled the whole tunnel. A terrible pressure strangled their minds. It was just a moment but their breath caught in their throats.

Hank pulled the trigger almost by instinct. Erhan swung his staff and flicked away the whistling quarrel heading for his heart. The Iron bolt left no mark on the plain, innocuous-looking tree branch.

“Hold it,” he said as he tossed the staff towards Samuel and drew out Markreath in one single, swift motion. Its blade gleamed in the ambience of the tunnel as if with an inner light. Ready for its first battle. He bolted out like an arrow past the swaying boat. Water sprayed to the sides as he reached Hank who was backing away, trying to reload his crossbow.

His speed shocked the rogues. Paul the mouse ducked to the side as Erhan thrust out Markreath and struck the crossbow. The sharp point went through the tiller as if through rotten wood, snapping it in half. It pierced through Hank below his rib. Bloodshot out like from his back along with the tip of the blade as Hank’s body crumpled over Erhan’s shoulder.

“Bro...ther…” Hank breathed his last. His eyes deemed looking at the other sack laying still on the boat. He didn’t get the chance to cremate him. He couldn't avenge him and… didn’t get the money either. He really should’ve... killed… the… girl.

Erhan pulled the sword out as Hank’s lifeless body splashed on the water. Next. he turned towards the other three. The mousy man was the trickiest so he wanted to head for him now. But the red-haired man was overwhelming Samuel with brute force and the goatee man sneaked upon him with his sword held ready.

Where in hell had the mouse run off to? Did he dive into the water? He was further than Erhan could naturally sense and there was no time to expand the senses. The goatee was about to stab Samuel.

Erhan dashed forward with an upward swing of his sword. Markreath clashed into the agile man’s sword with a sharp clang, throwing sparks everywhere. The impact flung sword hand away along with the weapon. It pulled his whole body backwards and his splashed into the water.

Wilford’s eyes widened with fright as looked down at the half-inch deep cut at the side of his rapier. His hand was numb and painful. He swallowed his saliva and a mouthful of dirty sewage water and looked up at Erhan, who was handling Bruce’s bastard sword as easily as fighting against a child. Even bruce’s huge body flung back with each blow from the man’s blade and he could do nothing but defend himself.

Samuel was free. He looked at Erhan only for a moment in shock and disbelief. He turned his head and looked towards Wilford. This man was the one who had frustrated him so much yesterday. He wanted a fair duel with him, but this wasn’t the time or place. He had to free lady Sena from that dirty sack. Besides, the man was in no condition to fight anymore. All Samuel could do was put him out of his misery. His expression turned grim as he dashed out.

Wilford’s heart chilled looking at Samuel’s cold eyes. He tried to lift his hand, but only a dull ache came. It had dislocated. holding his shoulder, he turned around and waded through the dark water, heading deeper into the tunnel. His heart leapt as the water splashed closer and closer behind him. The knight was closing in.

No, he didn’t want to die! He clenched his teeth as trying to walk as fast as possible. He wished he’d never taken this job. If only they listened to Bruce and returned the girl, they’d be out of the city by now. Five crowns each would have been more than enough…

He stopped and looked down at the tip of the blade coming out of his chest. “No…” his voice shivered for the last time.

Samuel drew his blade out and turned his head to look at Erhan’s fight. The druid was about to finish his opponent off. The big man was leaning on his sword and kneeling chest-deep into the water. his shoulder was bleeding. It’d only take a swing to finish him off.

Erhan looked over at Samuel. “Be careful of the other one. I don’t know if he’s dived out of the door or lurking here. He isn’t simple.” he gestured towards the boat and said, “hurry up and get her out.”

Samuel nodded and turned towards the boat and Erhan looked at the big man who clutched onto his sword.

“Spare me, please!” Bruce pleaded once more, his face twisted with desperation. “I- I have a family. A daughter.” he swallowed the pain from his shoulder. “please!”

Erhan’s eyes narrowed. A daughter. He took a sharp breath.” throw your weapon away and… don’t move.” he said.

Bruce looked at his favourite sword. It was a good weapon. It had been through thick and thin with him. Helped him survive for so many years with only a few scratches. But now after this one fight, it was full of chips and scratches. He tossed it away. The weapon disappeared, sinking into the murky water.

Giving the man one last warning look, Erhan closed his eyes and spread his senses out. He had to find the man as soon as he could. Almost the next moment his eyes shot open. “Near the boat!” he shouted at Samuel.

“What?” Samuel asked in confusion as he reached out towards the boat. A blade thrust out of the water, nearly invisible in the darkening tunnel. A sudden sense of danger exploded in his mind and he brought his sword before his chest, parrying the fatal blow and backed away a few steps.

Paul the mouse sprang up from the water and jumped onto the boat. He pointed his sword towards the sack that was still moving. “Don’t move or I’ll end her life!”

“Tsk!” Erhan clenched his teeth in annoyance. The worst possible situation happened. If only the patrolmen came with them, or if only one more person was here. well, no point in crying over spilt milk. “Let her go and I’ll spare your life,” he said to Paul in a calm voice.

“Heh!” Paul sneered. His eyes turned sharp and ferocious. “Let me go and I’ll spare her life!” he looked at Bruce. “And let him go too I guess.”

“Move your filthy sword away from her, you bastard!” Samuel shouted and pointed his sword at Paul, who snickered as he ignored him and continued to stare at Erhan. That man was the only one he needed to worry about.

Many sounds footfalls came from the far side of the tunnel. Flickering lights of torches shone over the steel helmets of the patrolmen. They would be here within a few minutes.

Erhan sighed. If only they were a few minutes earlier.

Paul looked at the approaching patrolmen vigilantly and poked her sword a bit further. “I won’t say it again. Let. Us. Go!”

The tip of the weapon went through the material and pierced the skin of Sena’s arm. She stopped struggling. Someone was holding her hostage. How dare they! Did they have no sense of honour? They were using her to threaten others? She’d rather die! She wanted to shout, to tell Erhan to kill that scumbag whoever he was, but only low groans came through the cloth covering her mouth.

Erhan clenched his fist around the hilt of Markreath. He looked at the bruce. Noticing a hint of anger in the kneeling man’s eyes. For whom? Who knows? He gestured him to go with a tilt of his head. Then he turned and stared at paul as he said in a calm voice, “If you harm her, I’ll kill you.”

Paul gulped. What was this man? “Hurry up!” he scolded Bruce, perspiring a little.

Bruce walked over and boarded the boat. Paul gave him a look of disdain. “You people are such garbage. Three of you can’t even defeat a sick man and a rookie knight. Wasting such a good opportunity.” he picked up one of the oars and threw it to Bruce. “If not for the boat I’d have left you here. Now quick! Let's go before the other soldiers come, or things would get complicated.”

Bruce hefted the oar and glared at him.

“What are you looking at?” Paul glanced over Bruce’s shoulder to the patrolmen who were running toward here. Yelling at them to halt. Some of them were even stringing their arrows. “Hurry up!” he prompted Bruce.

Bruce growled and swung the oar, catching Paul right on the side of his head. Paul flew right off the boat and crashed into the tunnel wall, then he slid down onto the water with a splash.

Erhan raised his brows in surprise. “Oh,” he muttered, “so he was angry at that man.”

He wiped Markreath with a dry part of his cloak and sheathed the blade. walking to Samuel, he extended his hand and gestured the young man to hand over his stuff.

The patrolmen had arrived. Two of them pulled Paul up, who groggily looked around, trying to figure out what was going on. The left side of his head stung from sewage water touching the bleeding wound. He gathered his senses, his eyes falling on Bruce who had thrown away the oar and came down from the boat. Patrolmen surrounded him too.

“You!” he said through clenched teeth.

Bruce gave him a cold look. “I’m here because of you,” he said. His eyes the two dead men lying in the water. “They’re here because of you. And you want to go free?”

“You moron! We could’ve escaped.”

Bruce shook his head and he looked at Erhan standing with his staff beside the boat that was now next to the stone walkway of the sewers as Samuel pulled the sack over from a squirming Sena. “I don’t think so,” he said.

As soon as Sena’s eyes were free, she glowed at the two rogues, and as Samuel removed the cloth covering her mouth, she said, “Give me a sword.”

Samuel freed her from her binds and handed his sword to her. She took it and jumped down from the boat. Stalking towards her abductors, who were tied up together by the patrolmen in a corner

“Whoa there, young lady,” Dorian stood in her path. “I understand you’re angry, but you can’t take things into your own hands here. Just calm down.”

“Calm down?” she said, looking very unamused. “You want me to calm down?” she held up the sword, shaking it in front of Dorian. “Sure, I’ll calm down. After I shove this up their arse, I’ll calm down.” she scowled at the older man. “If you try to stop me, I’ll shove it up your arse first.”

The shocked expression on Dorian’s face reflected the expression of everyone in the tunnels. Erhan came forward and patted her shoulder. “You must be hungry,” he said. His voice soft with sympathy.

Sena looked at the friend of her grandmother. The thought somehow lightening her grim face. “Starving!” She said with a smile. “I could eat a whole dragon!”

”Ummm,” Erhan nodded, “good luck with that.”

“But what happened to you?” she asked, looking him up and down. “You look… ghastly!”

Erhan shook his head in dismissal, “Just some crocodile bite. Don’t worry about it. But…” he looked at the sword in her hand as he said, “shoving something somewhere won’t appease your hunger.”

Sena looked down at the sword in her hand. She put it down, glaring at the two rogues who were staring at her with fear in their eyes “that’s not the only thing that’s making me angry. They planned to sell me to one of the other countries as a slave.”

“What! How dare they?” Samuel tried to draw out his sword, but his fist grasped empty air. Oh yeah, he’d given it to the lady. He clenched his fist and stormed towards those two. Stopping a few steps away from them and glared at them with murderous eyes. They should die for such traitorous thought.

The two rogues looked everywhere with panic. Everyone, even the cleaners looked at them with anger.

“You’ve killed me,” Paul whispered to Bruce in a hoarse voice.

Bruce didn’t say anything. He just looked towards Erhan with pleading eyes. He remembered the man’s eyes when he had mentioned his daughter. Perhaps…

Erhan looked at the man’s eyes calmly. He turned his head to look at Sena. She was someone’s daughter too. A dreadful fate waited for her if they succeed. He wanted to turn away but stopped.

The man wasn’t very old. Only in his early thirties. How old could his daughter be? Seven? Eight? He closed his eyes and a familiar face floated in the darkness of his mind. A rueful little laugh escaped his throat. No, he couldn’t ignore it.

“What happened, Erhan?” Sena asked.

Erhan gave a silent shake of their head. He pointed out the two tied men. “Did they abduct you for that? To sell you?”

“Well, no,” Sena said as she gave him a thoughtful look. “I think they did that because some noble paid them off or something. They only planned to sell me because they weren’t getting paid.”

As she explained what she had heard of their conversations, Dorian came and stood beside them to listen. He gave Erhan a judging look. The sickly druid was right this time. Was it just luck? Or was he more than he seemed? But at least the Moras girl was saved because of him. If they failed and rose the warrior house’s anger, the consequences would be bad. He should thank the man later. Preferably somewhere where no one could see them.

“So that’s what happened,” Erhan said.

“Yeah, it was the man with the squeaky voice who came up with the plan, Paul the mouse or something.” Sena said, “If not for him and the man whose brother I killed— oh, Yeah!” her eyes widened with concern. “Gregor! How is he?”

“He’s alright for now,” Samuel said from the side. “Sir Erhan said he’d heal him in a week.”

Sena, to the astonishment of Dorian, bowed her head to Erhan in gratitude. “Thank you, Erhan,” she said in a formal tone. The man hadn’t healed his injuries yet. She figured it must be difficult for him to heal others.

Erhan nodded. He looked at Bruce once again. “Whatever punishment they get, their families shouldn’t suffer any penalty.” He said to Sena.

“They have to,” Dorian said. “The law is to punish everyone involved including the families of those who commit traitorous acts. And they wanted to sell lady Moras and collude with those other kingdoms. It’d have dealt our queendom a huge blow if they succeeded. So they or their families aren’t getting off easy.”

Erhan turned to look at him.his calm demeanour bringing immense pressure to Dorian. He said in an even, serious tone full of unquestionable authority, “I am not asking.”