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Muttering under his breath, Gregor gauged the distance to the other side before he shook his head. It was simply a risk he could not take, and yet was it any better to go up against a group of unknown enemies? In truth, he did not know, but it was the thought of putting Kira in danger that decided it for him in the end.

With the gurgles of the creature closing in from behind, Gregor whispered, “stay close to me.” Kira’s youthful features crinkled up at him in confusion, when he sprinted away. Following the sewer’s smooth curving stonework, he leaped past dark openings in the walls that leaked green muck, before he caught sight of the bridge ahead of him. Spanning less than two feet wide, he slowed down to a crawl and saw that the stone archway that curved over the bubbling green murk was guarded by a shambling mass of undead. Among them was a figure in midnight robes, its dark cowl hiding a face that burned with two glowing red eyes.

And while Gregor was no coward, he felt a shiver run through him as he felt its hot gaze sweep over them in the shadows. The flickering torch light from the nearby walls revealed that the creature had no mouth to speak of. Strange enough in a world like this, but how did such a demon gather sustenance?

His head shaking as he felt another shiver course through his body, he turned to see Kira approach him at a low crouch, and forced a confident smile to his lips. "You will stay here while I deal with them."

But as if sensing his fear, the young woman he had adopted as a daughter, lay an arm upon his shoulder, and whispered, "be one with the light."

The phrase, most commonly used by minotaurs from the Land of Dreams, half startled Gregor out of his introspection as he wondered where she had picked it up. Before he started away from her. But for some reason, he was unable to shake this feeling he was abandoning her again. However, once he saw the groaning mass of undead on the other side, he reminded himself that this was by far the wisest course of action.

With that thought in mind, he stood up and ran across the causeway. He then stopped mid-way on the bridge and took up a strong defensive position. “Well?! What are you waiting for?!” he cried out. Alerted by his battle cry, the undead creatures shambled towards him, their fleshless arms bone white, and their hollow eye sockets like empty caverns.

Outfitted in nothing more than rags, Gregor's greatsword cleaved through bone like it was paper as he snapped his blade from side to side. The skeletal hands that clawed at him were chopped apart as he slaughtered them in droves, and kicked a few into the filthy water below. And while Gregor had never been a warrior of much subtlety, this was the type of work that required speed not elegance as he lopped off the head of an undead dwarf. But even he knew better than to hold his position as he pushed them back. Their tar-like blood, stuck to the bottom of his boots as he pushed his way forward, and saw the black-robed creature waiting for him. The way its red eyes flared up, made Gregor think that it was laughing, and that would simply not do.

Lost Flame flashing in an arc to take down a boney human with barely any flesh on his skin, he came face to face with the monster. But as he looked upon the robed demon up close, he realized that he had been wrong. The dark-robed figure did indeed have a mouth, but it was a gruesome thing of rotted skin stretched over its lips like torn parchment. Its nose was a gaping ruin that showed worms inside.

Sickened to his stomach, he forced the bile back down and attempted to cleave the monster in two. But the demon simply blocked his attack with a slim pair of rapiers that appeared in its arms. His blood chilled by the easy grace with which it moved, Gregor knew he was battling a true master. Still, he had no time to dwell upon it as he heard the guttural groans of the undead.

Spinning, parrying, and releasing balls of bright orange flames, he did everything he could to break through the creature’s defenses, but it was simply too quick for him. Its red eyes pulsing with hidden fires, the demon unleashed violet-colored whips that flashed toward him from all sides. And if not for his quick reflexes, he would have felt their bite as Lost Flame sliced through them like they were flesh and blood.

But with the battle swinging back and forth, Gregor wondered how much time he had left before the black ooze would catch up to Kira. The thought of losing her again drove him forward into a last desperate attempt. The unexpected charge as he tackled the creature into the ground, robbed the demon of its momentum, and he brought his greatsword down like a saw to his throat. One hand gripping the top of the blade and the other on the hilt, he brought his weight bearing down on its neck. Its pale flesh resisted him at first, but with a roar, he felt it grind its way through its bone cartilage. The undead that surrounded him, dropped like flies.

His palm cut badly, he again drew on his own energy to heal the wound and turned to see Kira standing there on the bridge behind him. His mouth opened to comfort her, he realized then that she wasn't even looking at him. Her expression devoid of all emotion, she stepped over the rotting carcasses that littered her path. Her scarred cheeks, and hollowed eyes somehow not seeing them as she walked past. “Can’t stay here, more monsters will come.”

Gregor, unable to help but feel troubled at the way she seemed so detached, shook his head and repeated to himself. She would be fine, he just needed to get her out of here. She would be fine, he just needed to get her out of here. That’s it, that’s all she needed, some time, and the light of the surface world. But a tiny voice at the back of his mind worried that she would be this way for the rest of her life. But no, there had to be healers for this kind of thing too, he thought adamantly.

His head lifted up to scan the area, he searched for the boat Kira had mentioned to him and found it a little ways off. Tied to a small wooden jetty, the rickety boat bobbed up and down on the murky green water. The stench of death grew stronger as they hopped down, Kira untied the rope as Gregor took hold of the paddle.

Pushing themselves off, Gregor again heard the gurgle of the creature they had left behind, and in the corner of his vision, he swore it took on the form of a water nymph. But instead of being beautiful like in the tales, she looked like a creature of the swamps with seaweed hair, black pearl eyes, and long pointed teeth.

Releasing a sharp intake of breath as the current pulled them away, Gregor looked back again to make sure the creature had stopped following them, then uttered a heavy sigh. He would need to be more careful from here on out. He would be damned if he was going to lose her again. And as they continued to pick up speed, he again thought of Caroline, and what she might be doing right now. But then he shook his head and watched as the sewers took them through flooded chambers, past broken grates, and along narrow tunnels that stretched out for an eternity.

He was beginning to wonder if Kira knew where she was taking them when she pointed to a large circular basin that split off into three separate tunnels. “We should go right. The demons there will leave us alone if we are nice to them. We just have to offer them a present.”

“You’ve been there before?”

“Sometimes, the Master delivers food to them. He says their exiles, banished down here for not listening.”

Uncertain what to make of such news, he asked, “And the other two?”

“I do not know. I saw maps in the library, but I don’t know what the pictures mean. One was a big bear, and the other was a sleeping dragon. I think one is supposed to have treasure, but the other is a trap.”

Tempted by the thought of forgotten treasure down here, Gregor casually gazed at the approaching tunnels that rushed towards them. The sloshing water from side to side, the stink of rotten fruit, and the dim lighting showed that they were picking up speed as he considered which route to take.

But in his heart, he knew he could not take that risk, and paddled furiously to take them right. The speeding passageway caused them to fly past statues of gargoyles on stone archways, flittering lamps that shone in the gloom, and fireflies that buzzed with white noise. Kira, her body completely still, sat on the prow of the boat and watched the insects with utter fascination. Her silver-colored eyes for once alight with life as she murmured excitedly to them.

Not wishing to disturb her, Gregor did his best to keep them on a straight course without bumping from side to side, when eventually it was she who spoke first. “Master brings the demons food, but I have never seen them eat it. I think they just like the way it smells.”

Almost amused by the thought he would need to pay a toll, Gregor checked to see what he had on him. The hidden pockets he had stitched into his bearskin cloak, the pouch at his waist, and the few gold pieces he had tucked into his loincloth, revealed hunks of snake meat, a few gold pieces, dirt, and a carving he had taken as a souvenir.

He also felt the water calm down as he saw a sluice gate block the passage forward. The ten armed and heavily armored demons that stood stationary to either side of the sewers stared down at them through slotted helmets. Feeling more worried now that they were so close, he glanced over to Kira to see how she was doing and saw her gazing into the green murk as though there was no danger at all. The crossbows that were trained upon them, created an itch between his shoulder blades as he called out, “We mean no harm.”

And while Gregor wasn't exactly sure what he had expected to find with these exiles, he hadn’t thought that they would be a disciplined force. They moved with the precision of trained warriors and were led by a tall red scaled creature with black ridges along its spine. “Who are you? And why do you disturb our peace?”

With a sideways glance at Kira who still seemed distracted by the bubbling water beneath, Gregor replied, “we seek a way back up to the surface world.”

The brief silence that followed was replaced by rumbling growls as they spoke to each other in a different language. Their golden eyes alight with distaste, Gregor had to assume that they were annoyed by something, but he had no idea what. Still, even as he considered asking them another question, the lead figure undid the straps beneath his helmet and pulled it off. The face of the demon that peered down at him, had long white hair, high cheekbones, and dark green eyes. His skin was also marked by the scars of battle, but more surprising to Gregor was how similar he was to a human.

“And what offering do you bring us, surfacer?”

Clutching the few possessions he had in his hands, he again considered what Kira had told him.