Authors doodle.

Spoiler :

Surprise!!!

Couldn't wait until tomorrow so I smashed out the rest of what was supposed to be in chapter 12.

(plus and minus a few details)

Only 5kish words again though - hope y'all don't mind considering the quick release.

HU~~GE shout out to ShaRose for PR'ing the chapter and helping me get it out today.

Chapter 13:

Playing chess against himself for an hour wasn't working. He'd played against himself so many times he was moving the piece following patterns he knew and recognized. He needed someone good to play against; someone like Vallen or Bastion. He hadn't seen Bastion in a long time, but he could still remember his old chess partner.

Sighing and packing the board away, Tobi wondered if there was anything else to occupy his time. He had no cloth to make anything, no wood to craft anything, and no bottles to finally level his alchemy. He had a couple of herbs he picked up when doing Lumberjack, but no way of turning them into potions. Back when Vallen told him to get certain professions, he just went out and got them. With the exception of tailor, he hadn’t really given them much thought.

To make things worse, he was stuck with the Malanchuit language for linguistics and he couldn't bring himself to read the damn book Vallen had given him. Just looking at it reminded him of his missed chance to read Ellenestri's diary.

He was convinced he knew the name Ellenestri too but he couldn't remember why. Had Vallen mentioned her? Was it the elf that wanted to fly? No - that was Llewellyn, right?

Argh!

With his mind running circles, Tobi started pacing around his room. On occasion he would glance out the window but all he would see is a couple of back gardens and the city wall. Remembering the entrance to the city, it was kind of hard to imagine how far they'd traveled from the gate. Looking at it from the harbor, the coast on the left was very close - so how had they walked in a straight line, turned left, and then walked for so long without meeting the wall sooner? Unless the road was straight but on a geographical standpoint it was diagonal?

Rubbing his head with both hands and frustrated at being cooped up, he thought back to all the times he happily lay in his bed staring at the roof. What was up with him that he couldn't stand just laying there for the night and daydreaming?

He knew why though. He'd been too excited and elated at his relationship with Selene being official. He couldn't get her off his mind. He needed to pace, need to move...

...he needed fresh air!

Unlocking his room, leaving and remembering to lock it again. Tobi wondered if creeping downstairs to let himself out in the night was against the snooping rule. Regardless, he didn't want to wake people up so he crept down the stairs anyway.

Letting himself out and locking the door behind him, he let out a refreshing sigh and looked up to the stars. From his angle he couldn't see Faerhys, but he didn't need to make out his favourite constellation in Aevitas to enjoy the view.

Looking down the street and remembering the man that crawled out of the floor, Tobi checked the area and confirmed he was alone. It was the perfect time to check out the spot where the man had appeared so that's what he went to do.

Unable to find a manhole, he rubbed his right temple whilst trying to imagine how the man had come out of the ground. He doubted magic could let you do something like that, it would be a thief’s dream. Not to mention dreams of an even worse kind of person. There had to be something else, something more obvious.

Looking at the little drainage hole, Tobi struck it off as impossible. Whilst it was wide enough to fit a person through, it was far too narrow. Anything bigger than a rat would struggle to get in there - and why would anyone climb out of a sewer anyway?

Despite his thoughts, Tobi wandered to the hole at the side of the sidewalk just the same. The curb was about 2 inches above the road whilst drain was only one inch high. A man fitting through that was impossible. When you added the fact that an inch thick slab was rested on top to level off the sidewalk, it was impossible to squeeze through. It was probably just a storm drain though rather than a sewer; it didn't stink or anything. He'd not even seen anything like plumbing in Aevitas.

Well - his Bakery had a plughole in the sink, but no taps; and he'd confirmed that it drained into his back yard.

Curiously, he stuck his boot in the gap and gave a small amount of force to the slap above. It lifted easily. Surprised by its lightness, Tobi bent down and picked it up. The size, shape, feel, appearance and everything else appeared to be solid stone. Even knocking on it and listening was like stone. The weight however was about the same as his chessboard. It was too light.

Putting the slab back in place, Tobi wandered down the street to the next one and tried that slab. Unlike the other, it was too heavy to even wobble. If he didn't know better, he'd think it was cemented in place.

Figuring the man had definitely climbed out of the other hole, the only question left was, 'why?'. And there had been a man earlier to that had thrown something down the drain. Tobi clearly remembered him crossing the road and throwing something into it. At the time he imagined a weapon or something but he'd thought it was just fancy...a little bit of wild fiction to amuse his mind.

Intrigued, he lifted the slab off once more and dropped to his stomach. Sticking his head inside, he looked for a ladder or something to climb out.

No such ladder existed.

Looking around from his vantage point, the sewer was actually kind of surprising. On the opposite end of the sewer was a wall that appeared to be the foundation wall of the building above, at the same time as being a wall for the sewer. From there came a path, half as wide as the path above - barely big enough for people to walk in single file. At that point, the floor of the sewer fell a foot or so deeper to a drainage area. That section filled the rest of the width to the path above and an extra yard into the road. No further though.

Taking his head out of the hole and looking across the road, Tobi confirmed there were no drainage systems on the opposite side of the road.

Hadn't it been the same earlier though? They were walking on the left side of the road and a man crossed over to put something in the sewer. He was on the left side of the road now with his head above a sewers hole. Perhaps all the sewer systems were on the left?

Returning his attention to the hole he was poking his nose into, Tobi wondered how the man got out. The drop wasn't much but he'd have had to stand in the drainage area to jump up. Whilst not really holding any sewage, it was damp, slightly smelly and full of moss and other crap that could stick to your clothes.

Not a chance he would step in that with the robe on that Selene made for him.

He was still looking into the sewer when he noticed something on the roof ahead of him. Leaning in further, he tried to get a better look and recognized them as hand-holds fastened to the ceiling. Not too dissimilar from monkey bars.

Looking around before sitting on the edge, Tobi reached in and grabbed a bar. Maneuvering himself inside, he took a better look at the sewer.

In for a penny, in for a pound...

With that in mind, Tobi reached out of the sewer with his other hand and pulled the slab back to where it should be. Thanks to his eyes, he could see perfectly even with almost zero light.

Climbing across the monkey bars (all 2 feet of them), Tobi dropped himself to the path at the other end.

Now what?

Looking in both directions, he knew it couldn't be far to the castle wall at the harbor end - but why go that way just to meet a dead end? No - he would go the other way and just look around a little. Somebody was using the sewers but for what he couldn't guess. Maybe it was just a way to get around the city but that would be boring; instead, he hoped it was for something more exciting. Maybe a thieves’ network or how the Assassins sneak around the city to get their marks.

Entertaining himself with scary thoughts like bumping into some thieves in the sewer network, Tobi pulled up his hood. Now it would be really funny if he came across somebody. How scary would a dark robed figure with glowing eyes be?

Chuckling to himself, he wanted to bump into someone just to see how badly they'd soil themselves. If he were capable of needing the toilet, he'd definitely pee a little if some dark figure with glowing eyes approached him in a dark tunnel.

He could remember a time as a kid when he entered a derelict building that was supposed to be haunted; he hoped the sewers wouldn't be another disappointment. The so called howling ghost was nothing more than a broken pipe the wind was passing through. A little mouldy carpet ripped from the floor had vanquished the terrible spectre. Such a let down!

Also remembering the year he'd spent hid away in Brackley afraid of dying to monsters in the forest, Tobi's cheeks flushed. Even if he was alone, it was still embarrassing to think about. He doubted his sister would believe a cowardly Tobi could exist.

Wasn't he still being cowardly though? Too afraid to test out and use his own magical abilities? Too afraid to wander into the woods and test himself against monsters in case his death meant real death?

Sure, it was fine for Travelers, but how many of them would willingly go and fight a bear in their world with a staff or sword or dagger? Not a chance. They'd drop their sharpened blades and run for the nearest tree. Hopefully it would be a black bear and the damn thing would follow them up a tree.

Annoyed at Travelers having infinite lives whilst he had one and letting his mind wander; it had been a complete surprise to come to a crossroads. He'd even forgot he was in a sewer for a moment. Looking across the sewage gap to the path adjacent, he wondered why nobody had thought to add a small bridge.

Still unwilling to get his robe dirty, he didn't bother trying to jump the gap and instead turned left. At the very least, it would make it easier to find his way back.

Continuing his path without goal or reason, he finally came back to reality when he spotted another set of handholds. It was the first set he'd seen since climbing in.

Wondering how often they appeared and what street he was currently on, Tobi climbed across and lifted the slab. Just like the previous slab, it was light and easy to move. A quick peek onto the street shown one much the same as where he'd come from. Houses on a narrow street where the road was hardly much wider than the path. He didn't know what kind of carriages used the road, but they must have been one way systems. You'd never get two carriages abreast on the narrow streets unless you used the sidewalks.

Putting the slab back in place, Tobi returned to the sewer path and continued on. He was about 50 feet further down when he heard footsteps rushing by overhead. The echoing down the tunnels was louder than he'd expected. He definitely wouldn't want to be down there when the streets above were busy, it would be deafening.

Hearing a rumble in the wall on his left, Tobi paused and stuck his head to the wall. It was probably somebodies cellar or basement - or whatever they called them. What they were doing at that time of the night though, he wasn't sure he wanted to know.

Hearing another sound back the way he came, Tobi looked back. The slab he'd lifted open not too long ago was open again and a man was climbing in. As soon as he reached the path, another man followed and then another. Although it was dark outside, the difference of light between the slab being on and the slab being off was easy for Tobi to see. It was like seeing a ray of sunshine on a cloudy day.

He doubted it was the same for the three men. Nothing more than a shade of darkness slightly lighter than the total darkness they were in. Not unless they had eyes like his or some magical ability anyway.

On the thought of his eyes, Tobi quickly turned away from the three men. He wasn't sure how close someone had to be to see his eyes glow. A few feet? As far as a candle’s flame?

As funny as it would be to scare the wits out of all three of them...it might not be so funny if his plan failed and they attacked him instead.

Refusing to bow down to cowardice, Tobi fought against the temptation to go confront them. Acting foolish wasn't bravery; it was idiocy. No matter how he died, he would not let it be for something dumb.

Turning side on to the group and looking at them through his peripheral vision, Tobi saw that they had started to walk his way. With his heart hammering, he barely maintained his composure and prevented himself from running away. That was when he noticed how they walked. Confident and sure-footed with lots of practice, but one hand on the wall at all times. All three were staring down at the floor and had their other arm extended in front of themselves.

Walking blind? Why didn't they just use a lantern or something?

Why they didn't use a lantern was obvious though. People on the street above would see the glow from the sewer openings. They were obviously not using the sewers legally.

Still not trusting his eyes, Tobi walked on and kept his back to them. He glance back occasionally but only to keep track of the distance. When they came to another crossroad, he planned to either go straight or right and then wait. He'd check which way they went and turn back to follow. If they happened to choose the same route as him, he'd just repeat the action.

Hearing a knock behind himself, Tobi turned and watched through the corner of his eye. They were knocking on the wall.

At a guess, it was probably the same place he'd been stood earlier where the cellar-basement was making a rumbling sound.

Watching as real light illuminated the three men, a fourth mans head appeared and looked up and down the sewer. What the man expected to see in the darkness was anyones guess. Tobi had stared right at him but even his eyes hadn't given him away. He really needed to test how his eyes were seen by other - maybe test what people could normally see compared to him too.

What he needed was sunglasses or something. Would his eyes still work through them though?

Still staring as the wall closed shut, Tobi walked slowly back to the wall. Keeping his ears pricked and even ready to jump down to the sewage section at the price of his robe, he walked all the way to the secret door.

Inspecting it, appraising it, pushing it and feeling around for a gap did nothing. On all accounts it looked and seemed to actually be: a solid, immovable wall.

Knowing that wasn't the case, Tobi tried to think. The mechanism could only be opened from one side, and what would he do if he opened it anyway? Besides run away...

Damn near stepping off the narrow pathway as a huge yell (roar?) behind the wall took him by surprise, Tobi froze. He didn't know what kind of creature they had in there, but when three men enter a place where an animal is being kept - it is usually to do one of two things: feed it or move it.

Moving back down the sewer in case it was to move it, Tobi hung around to find out. If they moved it, he wanted to see what it was. Unless it was some crazy beast, he didn't have to worry too much. The sewer was dark and he'd chosen to stand pretty close to the handholds where the three men had climbed in earlier.

When finally the wall opened again, Tobi prepared to flee the moment he knew what they had. Curiosity killed the cat and he'd be damned if that cat was called Tobi.

One man emerged first and jumped down to the sewage area. As soon as he landed, Tobi was glad he didn't step into it. The floor was nicely camouflaged as solid but was really made up of 2 inches of sludge. He doubted the old woman at the bed and breakfast would appreciate sewage being traipsed through her home. Selene wouldn't appreciate what happened to the robe either.

When a stick followed the man out of the wall and was passed to the man below, Tobi frowned. Two more men holding similar sticks appeared. They were probably snares on a stick like dog wardens used on strays in his home world. He doubted they were handling a dog though. As a hulking shadow made it's appearance on the pathway, Tobi wondered what the hell he was looking at.

The man below moved off to the side and yanked on the stick. As the bound, gagged and blindfolded creature fell into the sewage area, a muffled cry of pain followed. Even Tobi winced as the creature smacked its head on the wall. He wasn't really sure it was a creature though. Sure it had horns and green skin; and yes it was easily 7ft tall...but it was humanoid. Arms, legs, hands, feet, facial features, semi-regular ears (if a bit elvish) and clothes. The clothes appeared to be leather too and not badly made. Crude maybe, but good and sturdy.

Rushing out of the wall as it closed came a fourth man. He picked up the last remaining stick and helped the other three drag and push the creature down the sewer. Tobi hadn't planned on sticking around but he somehow felt sorry for the thing and ended up following. He felt so bad for it, he forgot about his eyes and didn't look away at all.

When the men and beast came to a crossroad, they turned right. The beast however hesitated as it turned the corner and seemed to look in Tobi's direction. Tobi knew it couldn't see below the blindfold, but he felt the thing knew he was there. Peering round the corner before he followed, Tobi was glad to see their pace was slow and steady. He could easily follow them if they continued like this. Any slight noise from the creature though and it would get poked with some weird stick by the man at the back.

Try as he might, he couldn't tell what the stick was. It definitely hurt the beast though and Tobi was getting annoyed. He wanted to help it.

How could he though? Even if he could set it free from the men, he couldn't exactly leave it in the sewers. How would he get it out of the city? In no time at all people would find out about the beast and men would come down to hunt it. Wouldn't it be better to find out where they took it and save it later?

Resolved in his plan, Tobi winced as the beast was poked again. This time the creature didn't appear to do anything wrong and groaned in pain as it fell to its knees.

Spotting handholds leading to an exit, Tobi had an idea. He couldn't save the beast, but maybe it could get its revenge. All four man struggle to even budge it when it stopped moving and only a prod of the stick got it moving again. If he could get it free of the sticks...

Then what? His hands are stuck behind his back, he's blindfolded and the sticks would still be there. What would you even do any...way. Light Bulb!

Gathering his mana, Tobi knew what spell would work. A spell that did almost no damage (if any damage) to the living, but totally destroyed wood. The cuffs it had around its wrists were metal shackles, but the without the sticks, Tobi was willing to bet the beast could do serious damage to the men. It had seemed to sense him following, so surely it could find the men despite the blindfold?

It was worth a shot; that's what Tobi decided.

Using 40% of his mana, Tobi prayed it didn't blow a hole in the sewer roof. When he used it on the Axiolatl, he'd been guessing that the spell didn't cause physical damage. Shockwave damage blew you backward and falling on your backside or bumping your head did the real damage. It was like fall damage or indirect damage or something. The spell did nothing.

His second guess had been that it only actually damaged wood. When he blew up the door in Brackley, nothing but the door was damaged. His only doubt was his shop. The shop was built out of both brick and wood though - the spell destroys the wood, the blast fires rocks everywhere.

Was possible, right?

Well, whatever. Only one way to find out. If the sewer caves in... ...oh well.

Forcing himself not to shout out loud (because it didn't actually increase the power), Tobi aimed for the creatures back. If he was right, it wouldn't directly damage the beast but it would blow up the sticks and the shockwave would be like a giant slap of wind. 40% of his mana...what did that even come to anymore?

Checking his mana, 40% was somewhere around 560 mana.

Now or never I guess.

Mildly amused by his choice of words, Tobi was actually interested in how it would play out. Lifting his chin a little and slightly smirking, Tobi whispered the word 'Pop' and waited.

Distance-wise, he was quite a bit further than that day in Brackley with Deedee near the town gate. Mana-wise, it was probably the same amount...he couldn't remember. Based on that, he thought his distance would be fine no matter how it turned out. What he didn't take into account was the sewer.

All the compressed air from the shockwave couldn't disperse and instead shot off in only two directions. Unfortunately, one of those directions were straight at him.

The force wasn't much by time it reached him, but it was enough to stagger him backward slightly. That wasn't the problem though. The shockwave had picked up a large amount of sewage...

Looking down at his sewage drenched robe, Tobi was not amused. Not even a little bit.

On top of the sewage, there had been another factor Tobi didn't take into consideration: the boom.

You have been hit by a large sound in a confined space.

You are stunned: 29 seconds remaining.

You are deafened: 2 minutes 59 seconds remaining.

You are under a dizzy effect: 2 minutes 29 seconds remaining.

Depth perception is off: 4 minutes 59 seconds remaining.

Agility decreased by 50%: 4minutes 59 seconds remaining.

Just reading the window was making him feel like being sick. Staggering backward a little and leaning against the wall, Tobi tried to wait out the stun at least. The boom had been so loud - it was only a matter of time before guards and people crowded the area.

Such a bad idea

Attempting to look in the direction of the creature, Tobi's depth perception caused vertigo and his world spun. There was something going on down there though, he just couldn't tell what it was.

Wondering if they were under the same stun effects as him, Tobi started staggering away from the scene. With his depth perception so screwed, he didn't fancy his chances of climbing out. With stun over however, he was more than happy to try and make a run for it. Sadly, he wouldn't walk straight or fast, the dizziness was like being overly drunk. He might've been better walking the opposite direction: one step forward, two steps back.

Bent so far over that his right hand was on the floor whilst his left was on the wall, Tobi practially crawled back to the turning. Reaching it just as teh dizziness wore off, Tobi regained himself and began to run. Only 30 seconds left until his hearing returned and 2-and-a-half minutes for his body to be normal.

Running whilst deaf was actually kind of weird. He could feel his feet thudding on the floor but he couldn't even hear the vibration through his body. When Aevitas made you deaf, it really made you deaf. He couldn't hear his breathing, heartbeat or anything else. His other senses were hyped up by it though. He could feel the vein by his temple actually pulsing. The mana and energy inside him was also clearer. He felt it was actually stronger and more potent than it had been before.

Thinking it had probably always been like that he just didn't sense it properly, he tried to remember the sensation whilst his deafness remained.

All too soon it was over.

No sooner did he think his hearing returned too quick did he think it hadn't been quick enough. The damned creature he saved was charging toward him. At a single glance he knew he couldn't escape. The creature was going at least three times faster than he was!

Hell with that.

Turning around and gathering his mana, Tobi let his dark cloak billow out. He was trying to impersonate the grim or some spectral being. Whatever might scare the beast away. At the same time, he prepared a second Sonic Boom.

Hesitating as he contemplated the risks of doing it a second time, he chance was gone...the beast was upon him.

Huh?

Still cuffed but no longer strapped to sticks or blindfolded, the beast stopped in the sewage track beside him and crouched a little.

"You want me to get on your back?"

Unable to understand the growling response, Tobi shrugged and jumped on his back. As the beast set off, Tobi clung on for dear life. he knew it had been running fast, but this was insane. He doubted horses were so fast and the creature didn't even have a free run. He was so tall that Tobi was almost hitting his head on the sewer ceiling.

Already passing the wall he'd been taken from earlier, Tobi tried to compare his speed to a horse. If only he knew how fast a horse was!

Watching for the turning ahead, Tobi tried to tell him to take a right by tapping its shoulder and point right. When the turning came up, he made no show of slowing down.

Pushing on the beast left shoulder whilst pulling on the right, the creature skidded through the sewage grime before making a right and bolting ahead. Tobi didn't know where he was heading exactly, but he'd guessed before that the sewer would lead to a dead end. Lead to the city walls. But what if it led out? What if there was a drain-off into the sea?

He doubted any such drain off would fit the 7ft or more humanoid Orc thing, but having a destination in mind seemed like a good idea. Who knows, maybe there is an exit near the town gate. If Tobi made a distraction somewhere, maybe the beast could get out oft he gate and run for it along the shore.

Tobi doubted anyone or maybe even anything could catch the green hulk creature if it got out of the city. Then again; it did get captured in the first place, so who knows?

Passing the handholds he'd used to get in the sewer in the first place, Tobi knew the walls were close. From the room he was renting they were not even a stones throw away. The only question now was where the sewer led and what was at the end. If it turned left at any point, it would get them closer to the city gate.

As the monster-man came to a skidding halt, Tobi pointlessly asked what was wrong. They couldn't understand each other so talking was pointless. As the creature turned its back to the ledge, Tobi slipped off and tried asking what was wrong for a second time.

Hearing sounds back the way they came, Tobi watched as the slab was lift off the sewer in the distance. He didn't understand at all; if the enemy was behind, don't you keep running forward?

Struggling with his shackles, the monster started shaking violently and enraged. Turning to Tobi, it started speaking in the strange growl again before trying to bite off a small brass necklace around its neck.

Catching on, Tobi lifted it over the creatures head only to have it get stuck on one of his horns.

The moment Tobi got it free, the creature snatched it from his hands with its teeth and dropped it toward the floor. Before it landed, the creature kicked the necklace in and gestured for Tobi to climb back on.

Assuming the necklace was some kind of tracking device like his brooch, he jumped back on whilst they raced on.

Finally they reached the end and found a left. Unfortunately left was the only way to go so any pursuers would follow easily.

Jarred and sore, Tobi felt sorry for the creature. Not only was he carrying Tobi, he was also bleeding from various wounds and shackled with his hands behind his back. If they fell, the face-plant would be brutal.

Stop the idle thoughts Tobi. If you can think dumb crap, think of a way out of this mess!

His only plan however was reaching the gate and somehow getting the monster out without getting caught. Calling it a plan was like calling a fart in the bath 'a jacuzzi'.

Spotting another slab being lifted off up ahead, the creature stopped. Enemies in front, enemies behind and no method to talk to his ally.

Screwed.

***

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***

1 quick note:

Spoiler :

The grid/drain/gutter/sewer i was trying to describe is similar to this but not as wide:

~Aspirer <3