“We go in we, take what we need, magic stones, gold, anything useful that you can carry,

We get out,” the leader, a masked slender woman in a black cloak instructs,

Even though she’s right in front of us her voice sounds distorted.

(Could this be her magic?)

“I have a question,” Pinoki pipes up,

“How do we get back down here?”

“I was getting to that,” the leader exhales,

“First, step into the circle,” she directs to where other cloaked members of the Sewer Rats stand,

A ring glows forming a spiral image as we step inside

“Wear these,” she hands us jet black cloaks similar to her own

“They help us-”

“-Blend into the shadows easier when moving,” I say cutting her off,

“I’m familiar with them.”

“I figured that much considering where you came from,” she says a bit gloatingly, or maybe that’s the distortion in her voice?

“You forget our lady hears everything said here,” Tori explains,

“We are leaving now,” the Leader continues,

She mutters something and the ring around us begins glowing,

What feels like an updraft of wind knocks me off my feet, the surroundings begin fading out of existence as I start feeling weightless and free….

…. “Get up,” a voice orders

(we’re here already?), Looking around I see we’re back at the old shack at the corner of the city,

The sky a welcoming sight to see, is pitch black, lit up with sparkling stars,

“I already told you what to do, take these,” the boss hands us similar masks

“Someone will be waiting here to take you back down, and if you find no one here, channel your magic through the mask and say this……...”

She tells us the password.

***

“Whew!” Pinoki exclaims as we hop rooftops across the city,

“Finally free to do as we like!”

“Which is?”

“Anything within the limits of these walls,”

“Is that what you needed me for?

To help you steal.”

“Not really, with my magic I could probably steal from everyone here and not get caught...

Stop for a bit,” Pinkoi says stopping abruptly making a large thud sound on the roof of someone’s house.

“I’ll show you what my magic is since we’ve made it this far,

See?” He dangles my money pouch in his hand,

“How did you get that back?” I check my pockets,

“Look down!” He points showing me his moving shadow,

“That’s my magic, I can use my own shadow as an extension of myself,

Alright let’s continue moving he says hearing voices from below,”

“Why show me now?” I ask landing from a jump,

“Or even why get caught stealing that magic stone in the first place then?”

“Because it wouldn’t be fun if I didn’t,” Pinoki prattles,

“Let’s head for the cathedral, I don’t feel like stealing anything that isn’t from someone important,

Although, speaking of important people, what was Tori talking about when she said you knew the prince?

“You didn’t hear from Lyra?” I drawl,

“I knew him for a bit, saw him die, I even lied to the queen and told her how noble his sacrifice was to save me, when he really was just a coward like the rest of us,”

“Ha! And they call me a liar,” Pinoki titters,

“Well, you did lie to me about your intentions for wanting to come here, and about the stone, among other things,”

“That’s to add to the fun! We can’t all be boring like Darius,”

“What’s the story between you two? I noticed the tension back there,”

“Mm well Darius an I….,”

….“Guards!” He pauses beckoning me to stay low as the, templar dressed, guards pass by.

“As I was saying,” Pinoki continues now that guards are out of vison,

“Darius and I owe each other in a weird way,

He made me into the person I am today as I did him.”

He goes silent as we continue moving on silently for about a few minutes.

“Are you going to elaborate further?” I ask

“Do you go around telling strangers your business?” He retorts

“….

Huhh,” he sighs, “see that tower, on the right,” he says pointing to the magnificent cathedral tower in the near distance,

“That is where I saw Darius, when we were children, trying to jump off,

I didn’t try to stop him or anything, I just shouted coward expecting him to jump,

He never did.

That’s all I’m telling you about it,

Now can we talk about more interesting matters?”

“That was interesting,”

“Ugh, I’m starting to regret bringing you here,” Pinoki frets

“You didn’t, you got me roped in, I’m just here for the ride,”

***

“Locked! I’m so excited!” the little man exclaims stood outside the doors to the back of the former castle now turned cathedral,

“For a locked door?”

“No, to be able to use my art as intended!”

Pinoki’s shadow extends slipping under doors, a soft click can be heard as it unlocks.

“Come on in Kage, danger awaits!” Pinoki’s eyes gleam excitedly,

(He’s not acting like his usual self,

Then again, I don’t know him enough to determine that.)

I cautiously move through the silent cathedral, while Pinoki carelessly wanders around, without regard for making a ruckus,

“Here.” he throws me some magic stones,

“I collected these with my shadow, since we can’t go back empty handed,”

“Then why did we really come here?”

“The tower, Darius saw the flame is that way he points,” ignoring my question

“I’m going to the library to err gather some information.” Pinoki scurries off hurriedly leaving me standing in a dark empty hallway thoroughly puzzled,

(What is with his change of attitude?)

Cre~aak!

A door opens causing me to instinctively crouch into the shadows,

A hooded figure walks past in the direction of the tower.

(Should I follow?)

The steps become softer the farther away the figure gets, I begin to trail, carefully trying not make a sound,

Thud!

The sound of a door closing reverberates thought the cathedral,

Almost scaring the life out of me,

Following the path, I approach a spiral staircase going both down and up.

(This must be the entrance to the tower.)

Taking the path downwards, I come across a single room, the door unlocked, filled with old furniture and miscellaneous items.

A slight hum fills the room,

A familiar hum,

Anoo! I cover my mouth preventing a loud sneeze, caused by lifting a dusty curtain, below it a familiar device sits,

(Just like the one form the desert!)

A motor connected to a strange device, but this one doesn’t emit a flame,

Nothing happens when I touch it.

(Is this what Darius saw?)

The machine hums steadily, no matter what I do nothing happens,

(Maybe it was a hallucination I saw back in the desert,

But a blue flame? It can’t be a coincidence that someone else saw the same thing,

Can it?}

Retracing my way back to the staircase, I head up this time eventually coming across a study,

Hearing voices, I quickly crouch behind the open doorway,

“You have done well as the head priest former king Flint,”

“It is because of your guidance master that we were able to dedicate ourselves to you,”

Cautiously peering into dimly lit room I discern two figures, the hooded one form earlier, and a redheaded figure in a bright white-gold gown.

“Flint,” the hooded figure speaks, “it is almost time for me to leave, originally I was planning to leave you here, let you become one with god, but I have decided that I wish for you to join me on my journey to enlighten yet another nation,”

“Master, I am flattered I will go wherever you ask!”

“Very well then, soon we will commence the enlightenment, and everyone be it dedicated or not that lives in this city will indeed become one with God!” the hooded figure laughs removing his hood,

“Even you, the person currently spying on us, will have no where to left to hide!”