"They're ripe for pushing!" Sighed Taylum, tightening his grip on the rusted hinges of the wheelbarrow. "Nessiah doesn’t let me bring in anything animal in the house...what would she think about a baby, a boy, and a puppy and… all at once."Thought Taylum, staring down at the puppy chewing on his beloved robe."... Is this what it is to be an Aeroneans? Being good right?" Spoke Taylum aloud, his voice trembling somewhere between uncertainty and passion.

Taylum pushed the rickety wheelbarrow carefully between the many cracks and potholes the winding alley’s had to offer. He was careful not to tip the wheelbarrow over but more-so careful not to wake the baby inside.

"How did it go?" Coughed Taylum. "As a messenger for the Dominus Eros, it is my unlikely duty to encounter such a situation and make good of it, for the good Lord watches over me and… and uh...what’s the rest...? Murmured Taylum, biting his lip to remember. “Dammit, I knew it yesterday!" He shouted in frustration.

“Your kind of loud. I can hear you from my sewer.” Burped a raspy echoing voice.

Just behind Taylum stood an elderly man, no taller than him. He was slimy and smelled of hot garbage and rum. However, the man walked toward Taylum confidently as if his torn clothes and dirtied robe were never there.

“You’re an Aeronean? Curious.” Wondered the man, rushing closer to Taylum’s side. “Not a very smart one I’d imagine.” He said with a huff of gasping laughter.

“Yo-, You! How’d you hear me!?” Asked Taylum, his sweating hands beginning to push the wheelbarrow further from the man.

“If it wasn’t for this festival, you’d be dead.” Laughed the old man loudly.”You must be the local idiot if your wheeling around a baby, a dog, and a dead guy. What would you have done if this alley was bustling with people!? Hm!?” Prodded the old man.

“I’m not Aeron-” Tried saying Taylum.

“Save it! I’m going to murder you!”

“What!?”

“Weren’t we both saying stupid? No? Ohhhhhhh. Well, I guess we better start telling the truth.” Said the old man, his hand gripping tightly to the wheelbarrow.

Taylum froze in fear, his hands glued to the handles of the wheelbarrow like concrete. He couldn’t keep his eyes off of the baby and his lips struggled to spout anything but the remnants of a word.

“Relax, I’m not going to murder you.” Consoled the old man, his eyes locked to Taylum.

“You’re not?” Stuttered Taylum.

“Somebody will though. You’re like a…, like a sandwich of crimes.” Smiled the old man as he walked back towards the sewer hole just behind Taylum.”Come into the sewer, where it’s safe?” Laughed the old man loudly.

“That doesn’t sound safe at all.” Muttered Taylum.

“And what your doing is?” Laughed the old man loudly. “My name is Entol, envoy of the sewer people.” Said Entol while removing the heavy sewer lid with a strange metal-tipped pole.

“Sewer people!? How many people live there?” Asked Taylum.

“One.” Said Entol, his voice ominously stern. “Least I hope so. Sometimes I hear voices.” He once again broke into laughter. “Now hurry on down, there’s at least two patrol up ahead of ya. They’re drunk sure, but still dangerous; dangerous for you that is.”

“I’m not going into the sewer with someone I just met.” Lashed Taylum, his voice coarse with conviction.

“Why not? Is it the smell. I didn’t drink that much?” Muttered Entol, his head just peeking over the surface of the manhole.

“This goes against everything I’ve learned.” Mumbled Taylum.

“Well, you didn’t learn much if your in this predicament.” Said Entol, his eyes focused on the wheelbarrow.

“I’m not going. Sorry Entol.” Insisted Taylum.

“That’s too bad kid. I wonder how you’ll get your baby back if you don’t come down here.” Echoed Entol’s voice from deep within the manhole.

Taylum snapped his gaze onto the wheelbarrow and just as he thought, Entol had taken the baby right from under his nose. Taylum shook his head in disbelief, recounting every second he stood talking to the strange man. Entol, had cornered him. “I could leave right now. Aeronean or not, this might be too much. I could just leave and be done with this. This isn’t my problem. It can’t be.” Thought Taylum, his thoughts racing between going and staying. Finally, after some teeth-gritting deliberation, Taylum stepped forth.

"This! This is my duty!” grunted Taylum. His movements matched each word in between his steps, jagged and forceful. “Duty! Duty! Duty!" He continued to mumble. As he carried forward, Taylum would occasionally glance backward. He half expected the puppy to stagger far behind him but to his surprise, the puppy grew closer every time he turned.

Taylum peered over into the manhole, he could hear Entol’s clumsy steps hit the wet pavement below but could only see the flickering of a warm orange light below.

“OK! I’m coming down! You win! Don’t hurt the baby!” Shouted Taylum below.

“I don’t want to ruin my carpet.” Responded Entol from below.

“How will I get the other boy down there? He’s not exactly small.” Asked Taylum.

“I don’t know just throw him down. I’ve got something that’ll cushion his fall.” Echoed Entol’s voice.

“What!? This is a person! Not some… some THING!” Argued Taylum.

“If you don’t get down here in the next two minutes, those guards will see you. So either you trust me or you don’t.” Replied Entol, his voice seemingly further away.

“I can’t even see the bottom.” Muttered Taylum, reluctantly agreeing to Entol.

Taylum mustered all of his strength and tossed Lian over his shoulder and with great struggle positioned him to the edge of the manhole. “Dude I am so sorry. Lord creator, may this person fall into your arms below.” Pleaded Taylum aloud. Taylum peered once more into the manhole and could see no bottom. “Just how far down is this hole?” Thought Taylum, his hands shaking with doubt.

Seeing the light of a guard turning the corner just down the alley, Taylum mustered his will power and pushed Lian into the sewer feet first. “No! No! No! Sorry, buddy.” Panicked Taylum. As Taylum watched the body fall straight down into the darkness, he waited for a moment to hear a pound, a slap, something telling him Lian had hit the ground. However, as seconds passed, he heard nothing and time was not in his favor. Quickly he grabbed the puppy at his side and against all reason, lowered himself into the sewer, doing his best to cover the manhole on the way down the rickety ladder and into the mysterious sewer below.