Teyvar tucked the stone into the recesses of his jacket and beckoned Eyde to follow him back out into the street. He turned, heading back towards the entrance to the underground Eyde had not long escaped.

Eyde looked around at the people of the Roots. Many of them wore little more than rags, the light from the oil lamps serving to highlight the grime on their hands and faces.

Breaking the silence, Eyde asked, “Teyvar, I’ve been here a few days now and everywhere I go in the Roots I see grime and poverty. I’d been told Volgorne was a city of great prosperity.”

Teyvar gave a short, bitter laugh, “The Roots is full of the poor. Those of greater means generally live on the upper stages. The workhouses take in those with debts or no family to support them. They’re put to work producing goods such as textiles and ceramics. Then their products are taken by caravan or barge to be traded with other cities.”

“Well, It’s good of the workhouses to ensure they can afford to live.”

“Who said they were getting paid?”

Arriving back at the scene, Teyvar led the way up a set of steps leading to a roof a short distance away from the sewer entrance. Atop the roof, Mina and Galatae were crouching at the edge.

“Any sign of him?” Teyvar asked, crouching beside them.

“Nothing yet,” Galatae’s voice, though soft and lilting, caused Eyde to wince at his memories of the day before. She turned to look at him and smiled, “I see you found our runaway.”

Teyvar grunted, “Not difficult following a man running through a crowd covered in blood.” Eyde held up his hand and gave a weak smile in greeting.

“He had this, too,” Teyvar pulled the red stone from his jacket and tossed it to Galatae, who snatched it from the air.

“Well, well,” Galatae beamed. “Isn’t he just full of surprises?”

“He has a name,” Eyde commented. Seeing the blank looks from the others he sighed, “It’s Eyde.”

“Good work,” Mina stood, her long coat dragging across the stone of the rooftop as she did so. “We’re going in. The job’s only half done while Kellin’s still free.” Her tone was all business. She locked eyes with Eyde, “And you’re coming with us.”

“What?” Eyde flinched backwards. “Oh, no. I’ve given you the stone. You don’t need me anymore.”

Mina approached Eyde and stopped with her face inches away from his, “The last two days you’ve turned up wherever Kellin is. Until I’ve caught him. You’re with us.”

Eyde deflated, “I don’t suppose I have a choice.”

“You do not,” Mina turned away, looking towards the sewer entrance. “Now, how is it you managed to escape Kellin with his stone?”

Eyde told them of the lantrit, his trip into the darkness, of the caerna, and his blind flight to the ladder. Mina listened to the whole story without comment.

“The rodent gave you the stone?” She said once Eyde had finished, her tone even.

“Well, I managed to pick it up after it had been startled, and lantrits aren’t rodents, they’re –”

“We’re going to need some light. Galatae?”

“Of course,” the young woman stood and gave a mock salute.

Mina nodded and led Teyvar and Galatae down the creaking wooden steps, Eyde trailing behind in a daze.

Pale light from the magical orb suspended above Galatae’s hand fell across the remains of Kent. His blood was spread across the pathway in front of the lantrit’s hole, and large chunks of flesh were missing from his side and leg. A wide trail of blood led around the corner into darkness.

Mina was crouched over the body, “ I can see why you were so concerned. You say there were three of them?”

“Including Kellin, yes,” Eyde replied.

“What are we dealing with here?”

“Caerna normally live in caves,” Eyde explained. “They’re roughly 2 metres long, hunt by sound and by smell, and attack their prey with the large claws on their forelimbs and their several rows of teeth. They have very large eyes to take in whatever light they can. That’s why it won’t come near us right now, because of the light, but it likely knows we’re here. They’re very territorial. I’m not sure how it could have gotten into the city without causing a panic.”

Mina nodded, “Good. Let’s go.” Standing, she gestured to Galatae and Teyvar, ushering them further into the darkness.

“Wait, what?” Eyde exclaimed, his voice echoing around the stone tunnel. He flinched, lowering his voice to a hiss, “Do you not see what the caerna did? Kellin’s probably dead already.” Realising he’d be left behind in the dark without them, he scrambled to keep up.

“All the more reason for us to deal with it,” Mina spoke from a few paces ahead. “And, if Kellin is dead then I want proof.”

“Even bloody, dismembered proof,” Teyvar grumbled.

“Teyvar!” Galatae’s face wrinkled in disgust.

A soft yet grim laugh escaped Teyvar’s lips as they continued into the gloom.

The trail of blood led the group through more twists and turns along the stone tunnel, Galatae’s light glinting on the flowing river of sewage as it flowed beside them. The smell of the sewer seemed diminished to Eyde, though he wasn’t sure if this was because he had become accustomed to it, or because it was being overpowered by the stench of rotting flesh that worsened as they travelled closer to the caerna’s den.

He wondered how the others could be so quiet, so calm in the face of what they were walking into. It occurred to Eyde that, unarmed as he was, his safety was dependent on them.

He swallowed, “We’re getting close, I think.” Small bones had begun to litter the path ahead of them. What Eyde had assumed was a small colony of lantrit was in fact large enough to feed this caerna, at least for a time. He wondered how long both creatures had been here.

Sure enough, as they approached, a familiar gurgling growl emanated from the shadows. The sound bounced from the walls, making it difficult to pinpoint its origin.

“It definitely knows we’re here.” Eyde breathed, his heart racing.

The Vanguard seemed unperturbed, proceeding under a stone archway and around a corner leading to a dead end.

The body lay facing away from them, its clothes and flesh torn. Around it, other, smaller bodies lay scattered around like a silent congregation.

“Teyvar, check it out,” Mina ordered, her eyes roving across the scene.

“I don’t think you should–” Eyde began but was cut off by a severe look from Mina.

Teyvar grunted in response and strolled up to the corpse with no hint of caution or care.

“Mina, I really think that touching the caerna’s kill isn’t a–”

“Quiet, Eyde,” Mina raised her voice, causing it to echo around the enclosed space.

Teyvar rolled the body over with his boot, looking down at it. The caerna roared, causing the group to flinch as the noise stabbed at them from all sides. A large, leathery form burst into the circle of light from the shadows, slamming into the ground and kicking up a cloud of dust.

Dragging its large belly on the ground, the caerna crouched over the body. The claws at the end of its long forelimbs scraped against the stone of the tunnel as its tongue lolled over rows of jagged teeth. Its screwed up eyes were closed against the light, but it cocked its head to the side as if listening for something and thrashed its scaled tail from side to side.

The Vanguard repositioned themselves, Mina and Teyvar stood in front of Galatae. “Kellin?” Mina asked, glancing sideways towards Teyvar.

“Nope,” he replied, pulling his twin daggers from their sheaths at his hips.

“Not ideal,” the chains on her chest rattled together as she rolled her shoulders.

The caerna lunged, its heavy bulk moving with surprising agility. Teyvar parried its claws as Mina stepped to its side, striking hard with her fists. Eyde could hear the cracking of bones from where he stood, frozen to the spot.

He turned to see Galatae standing just out of the caerna’s reach as the other members of the Vanguard dashed around the beast with great efficiency.

The creature snapped its huge jaws, lashing out at Mina who dodge out of harm’s way with small, precise movements. Teyvar had opened up several gashes in the beast's leathery hide and it was now bleeding onto the stone.

Eyde noticed the flicker of orange light in the creature’s eyes too late. He called out a warning at the same time as an intense heat filled the inside of the chamber.

The skin of the caerna combusted, sending up gouts of flame around it and knocking Teyvar and Mina away. Roaring again, it leapt atop the fallen form of Teyvar and tore into him with its claws.

From the floor, Mina shouted, “Breathless!”

Eyde turned to face Galatae as her light flickered out, leaving only the ruddy red glow of the flaming caerna. She was staring back at him with a significant look, covering her mouth with her hand as she took an exaggerated deep breath.

He opened his mouth to speak as the air around him rushed towards the caerna. Panicking, he drew in what breath he could, clamping his hand down over his mouth and nose as he felt it try to escape his lungs.

The flames erupting from the caerna grew brighter and higher for an instant before extinguishing, leaving him blind in the dark once more.

The air returned. Eyde sucked it into his lungs while, in the darkness, he heard the sound of a struggle. Teyvar cried out and the caerna gave an abrupt roar that ended in a wet, tearing sound.

Galatae’s orb appeared above her hand once more, outlining the caerna slumped over a gasping, blood-soaked Teyvar. The end of a dagger erupted from the top of its head.

“Get this thing off me,” Teyvar growled.

Mina approached and rolled the caerna over, freeing Tavar from its bulk. He stood, though his stance was not stable. He was holding his side with one hand and wiping the blood from his face with the other. Eyde could see places where the flames had scorched his skin. Galatae walked towards him and pried his arm away from his side, checking the damage underneath. The light in the room went out to be replaced with a gentle glow where Galatae placed her hands over Teyvar’s wounds.

“Eyde,” Mina snarled. “I should think that caerna being able to shoot fire from their backs is pretty vital information, wouldn’t you?”

“I don’t understand,” Eyde stammered. “They can’t. I mean, it shouldn't be able to. This is just like the lantrit with the glowing eyes.” Eyde’s head spun with the implications of what he’d seen. What was happening to these animals to give them these abilities?

Mina paused, Eyde could see her mind working in the faint light. “Fine. Galatae, how’s Teyvar?”

Galatae looked up from her work, the glow faded as she spoke, “I can get him out without causing too much damage, but he’s going to need some rest to heal completely.”

“Great. We’ll send someone from the guild to pick up the caerna. Eyde, you’re with us.”

“What? Why?”

Mina’s smile possessed a keen edge, “One weird creature is an anomaly, two is a pattern. You’re our new animal expert.”