We need to get back into the sewers as soon as possible, I thought as I ran at Koyl’s top speed, leading him through a series of alleys. The guards had approached roughly from the west, and assuming that the group we had seen wasn’t the only one sent to the slums it meant that they were in the process of doing a full sweep. First priority, get behind them, I thought, then we find a grate to descend, and move the high priest. If they aren’t already down there, it won’t be long before they start sweeping the sewers as well. I would have headed straight back the way I came, but the guards had come from that direction.

“Koyl, do you remember which grate you used to exit the sewers,” I asked, crouching down behind a pile of broken wood. We’re probably behind the main group now, I thought.

“Uh, I-” Koyl stuttered. “Shit, it’s about three blocks from here, why?”

“We’ll use that one to descend, you take the lead,” I ordered, and with some hesitation, Koyl began jogging with me in tow. We passed the first block, twisting and turning through alleys, but halfway through the second Koyl stopped, looking around uncertainly. “Shit,” he swore again.

“What?” I asked.

“I think we took a wrong turn,” he said. “This isn’t the right alley, we need to double back.” Of all the times, I sighed. I did recognize the alley we were in, unlike Koyl, and I knew how to get to the grate I used from where we were. If we go back that way, we'll have made a sort of wide circle around the guards, I thought, They did say they were looking for Vaozey, not us, so we might be able to get past them. It’s possible they might not take immediate note of us.

“Follow me then,” I said, taking the lead again. “I still know where I came up, we might be able to make it there if we approach from this direction.” Koyl paused, then nodded and stepped behind me. As we reached the exit of the alley, I nearly collided with a woman who sprinted into it from the main street. I managed to push her aside, causing her to fall to the ground, then her pursuer rounded the corner behind her. A guard with the typical Luwahriy features, a simple helmet, and a plain breastplate, skidded to a stop in front of me.

“Found two more ove-” he began to yell, getting cut off when I grabbed him by the mouth with my left and over the forehead with my right. Before he knew what was happening, I cooked his brain. Hot blood oozed out from his eyes, and his body went limp.

“P-please help…” the woman stuttered behind me. I turned around to see Koyl kneeling down with a hand on her shoulder, and her terrified eyes meeting mine.

“We don’t have time,” I replied. “Koyl, let’s go.” Koyl reluctantly removed his hand from the woman and stood up. “She can identify us,” I realized, accidentally voicing my thoughts.

“I won’t tell anyone!” the woman cried. Some tears ran down her face, dripping slowly across the mark of ire on her face. Can’t risk it, I thought, drawing my sword. A flash of steel in my peripheral caught my attention, and I saw that Koyl’s weapon was in his hand as well. Unlike me, however, he didn’t seem intent on using it on the woman.

“She’s not going to say anything,” Koyl said, staring at me with determination. “Lady, get up, and get out of here.” Not needing to be told twice, the woman got to her feet and ran down the alley the way Koyl and I came from.

“You are aware of what will happen if she is caught, right?” I asked Koyl, hand still tight on my sword.

“We don’t have time for this,” Koyl snapped. “Listen to me. I know why you thought killing that woman would be a good idea, but I’m telling you that there was no need. Put your sword away and let’s get going.” His whole demeanor couldn’t be more different than it was at the eatery, I thought, I suppose the chef could also identify us, one more person isn’t that much larger of a risk. Exhaling, I sheathed my sword, then watched as Koyl did the same.

Peeking out of the alley and looking around, I saw that the streets were slowly growing chaotic. Several houses to the east were on fire, and there were multiple bodies visible in the distance. Outside one of the houses that was not on fire, two guards were banging on a door, yelling obscenities. They broke formation to try to cover more ground, I noted, that’s why nobody came for the one I killed. We can probably just get past those two, they aren’t even looking in our direction. We just need to go west a bit and then get into another alley.

“If we’re going, we had better hurry up,” Koyl whispered, gesturing to the west. In the distance, maybe three hundred meters up the street, more guards were working their way down the street, breaking into houses as they went. With a nod, I dashed out into the street and broke into a sprint, aiming to get to the alley with the sewer grate before the approaching guards got close enough to start paying attention to their surroundings. Twenty-five meters up the street I saw the alley in question and ducked inside, skidding to a stop with force magic and grabbing onto the sewer grate. Koyl smacked into the wall beside me just two seconds later. Pulling the grate out, I let him jump down into the darkness first.

Instead of climbing down, I held the grate above my head and jumped through the hole into the sewer, letting go of the grate as I descended. The thick metal bounced around but ultimately settled back into place above my head. Summoning a low light near my waist as I got to my feet, I saw Koyl gesture at me to be quiet, then we started walking back to where the torture room was located. Mentally shifting the color of the light to be more orange, I moved it down to be beside my right foot, hoping it would look like a small flame to any potential onlookers.

The sounds of voices reached my ears as we approached the torture room. Gesturing for Koyl to wait, I approached on my own, getting close enough to make them out clearly.

“Magic is Rehv’s gift to the world, a demonstration of his love for it,” the high priest declared. “It stands to reason that those with magic are favored by him, and those without are detested by him. It is Rehv’s will that his gift is used, and that it be spread among all living things. How then can mankind follow his will if mankind’s magic is weak?” Opening the door to the room, I walked inside to see Vaozey leaning against the left wall, looking angry.

“I hope you got the food I asked for,” she growled. “This evil ngaazmayjh woke up a few minutes ago and hasn’t shut his mouth since. I’m about ready to bash his brains in from listening to this drivel.”

“You have no understanding of evil,” the high priest replied from the table. “Is a farmer evil for destroying the crop that fails to fruit? No, of course not.”

“People aren’t plants you disgusting lawmzao,” Vaozey spat back, pushing off the wall and raising her fist. I was about to interject, but the high priest kept speaking.

“No, of course not, and as such we give you far more care,” he said. “We uproot you, but we replant you as well. Far from our fields, so that your spawn may not corrupt them, but we do not leave you to die as one would a ruined crop. Should you fruit of your own accord, we would gladly have you back, yet none of you do. The rest of your situation is merely the natural result of what you are.”

“Vaozey,” I said sternly. “We need to move him. This location won't be secure much longer.”

“Ah, the jhaoyeyl is here,” the high priest said with a strange lilt of happiness. “Forgive my rudeness, but I could not see you as my head is bound. I am glad you are here.” I walked closer to the high priest, meeting his eyes as they strained to one side to see me.

“Where’s the food?” Vaozey asked, looking confused.

“A gnarled bush bearing naught but husks, and a poison tree of incomparable beauty,” the high priest continued. “An alliance between such things should be expected, as they are both contrary to order and goodness. Jhaoyeyl, tell me, has it begun?”

“Did you plan this?” I asked him.

“Has what begun?” Vaozey snapped, looking between me and the high priest.

“I had not understood what Rehv told me about tonight, but as I awoke I was enlightened,” the high priest explained. “I had believed I would defeat you by my own hand, or through the hands of the faithful, but I failed to see the situation as Rehv did. I was the instrument of your defeat, but it came as the result of your own action. I was simply the tool, a prop that needed to be present, and now my purpose is fulfilled.”

“Guards are sweeping the slums,” I said to Vaozey. “Koyl is outside, we need to move the prisoner to a more secure location. Do you have something in mind?” As if on cue, Koyl walked into the torture room. Even though he looked uneasy, he seemed to have a grip on himself.

“We need to go, now,” he said. “I can’t be sure, but I think they’re in the sewers. I’m not waiting outside to be caught.”

“Can you find your way to somewhere safe on your own?” I asked. “It’s going to take some time to move him. If you want to go ahead of us, it won’t be a problem. We can meet back up once things settle down.” Also because nobody saw your face in the temple, I thought, you’re essentially not implicated at all, so keeping you away from Vaozey right now is useful. If it weren't for the high priest, I wouldn't allow myself to be near her either.

“I…” Koyl stuttered, looking at the high priest, then back at me. “Yeah, I can get away on my own. Let’s meet up at the Dkehpmz Mercantile office tomorrow at noon. You remember where it is?”

“Yes I do,” I nodded. “Get going, don’t get caught. They shouldn't be looking for you anyway.” Without another word, Koyl walked back out into the darkness and disappeared. “I’m going to knock him out now,” I said to Vaozey. “Can you carry him? I’ll take point.”

“How many guards?” Vaozey asked with a piercing state.

“Dozens, minimum,” I replied. “You do have a more secure location than this, right? At least one that isn't directly under the slums?” As I was about to strike the high priest, I looked back down at him and paused. His face hasn’t even moved since he last spoke, I thought, staring into his eyes, He’s so still, it’s almost like he’s- My gaze immediately went to the high priest’s chest, and for a moment the world stopped.

“We need to fight them!” Vaozey insisted. “They haven’t sent guards like that to the slums since the Cleansing!” Her voice sounded muffled to me, as though I was hearing it through a wall.

“He’s dead,” I said, confused at my own words.

“What?” Vaozey blurted.

“The high priest,” I clarified, reaching out and lightly slapping his face with my hand. “He’s dead.” Vaozey paused for a moment, as stunned as I was. How is he dead? I panicked, running my hands along his body in a vain effort to find some sign of life. He was just talking a moment ago. There aren’t any wounds, and even if there were they wouldn’t have killed him with healing magic at his disposal. He couldn’t have just chosen to stop living, that's absurd. The room was silent for a few seconds before Vaozey spoke again.

“Good,” she finally said. “I was going to kill him anyway. Evil npoyt didn't deserve to live. We need to get up to the streets and save as many people as we can.” I didn’t even get a chance to interrogate him, I seethed, The whole point of going to that stupid temple was to get intel. How did he do it? Was this a trap from the start? “Are you coming?” Vaozey asked.

“Are you insane?” I snapped. “You and I are two individuals, not an army. We have no chance of fighting off a force of dozens, especially if they are magically trained. Not to mention, there was only one yihzhae at the temple, the second one may be joining the guards above. The high priest hinted that this might have been planned in advance, and if it was, you can be sure that they would have accounted for the fact that you would rush in to ‘help’ the people of the slums.” I need to salvage this situation, I thought.

“So what do you plan to do?” Vaozey snarled. “You’re just going to let them slaughter people?”

“Regardless of my actions, the slaughter will occur,” I countered. “I am choosing not to kill myself needlessly. You would do well to-” The sounds of footsteps in the tunnel behind us alerted Vaozey and me, and weapons were in our hands in moments. With my right hand, I reached up to the lantern on the ceiling and snuffed it out, plunging us into darkness. As we waited to see what would happen, I slipped my hand into the high priest’s robes and grabbed his papers and medallion, pocketing them.

“I heard voices over here,” someone called from outside the room. Vaozey, for some reason, began slowly creeping up to the door.

“Hey, Yawpt, look at that,” a different voice said.

“Was there supposed to be a room here?” the first voice asked. It’s a lot closer now, I noted.

“How should I know?” the second voice replied. “Try the door, see if it’s locked. It might be an old access shaft.” Footsteps clacked across the stone floor, stopping just outside the room. Then, as soon as the handle of the torture room’s door moved, Vaozey bashed her way out, roaring like an animal.

The guard at the door was thrown to the ground in a heap as Vaozey tackled him. The second guard, who was wearing a small lantern on his belt to illuminate the area, quickly moved in and began attempting to pry her off, seemingly not noticing me. Taking advantage of his oversight, I stepped in behind him and stabbed him in the back of the neck, angling my sword so that it would pierce the bottom of his skull where his spine met his brain. As the second guard went limp, his lantern was knocked off by the fight beneath him and shattered on the floor, burning brightly for a moment and then going dark.

“Just die,” Vaozey growled as she fumbled around in the dark. I pulled the corpse of the second guard off of her, then lit an orb of magic to increase visibility. Just as I did, she and the guard began rolling away from me toward the water channel in the center of the tunnel. Before I could move to stop them, the pair plunged into it. A few moments later, the guard’s screaming head broke the surface, only to be pulled back under.

Being careful not to slip and fall in, I walked to the edge and shined my light down into the water, trying to see what was going on. Two dark shapes grappled and struck at each other until one twitched and went limp. The remaining shape, so heavy that it was barely buoyant, struggled to swim up to the water’s surface. Vaozey gasped deeply once she reached the surface again, her helmet and mask having been detached in the struggle.

“Seytoydh npoyt,” she swore breathlessly, paddling rapidly to keep herself above water. “Lend me a hand, would you?” Wading her way over to the ledge I was standing on, Vaozey extended her hand, and I moved to reach down for it when I noticed something.

“The water isn’t moving,” I said, thinking aloud. Vaozey looked at me with confusion, then fear.

“Quick!” she yelled, “They’re dumping one of the reservoirs, you need to-” before she could finish her sentence, the sound of rushing water from the south drowned her out. Reflexively, I backed away from the channel, and a moment later all the water in it began rushing northward, splashing my feet and pants. By the time it stopped almost a minute later, Vaozey was nowhere to be seen, having been dragged away by the current into the darkness. Silently, I wondered if I would have been able to pull her out in time had I not stepped back.

Nothing I can do about that now, I thought, clearing my mind. If there were two guards down here, they’re probably going to send more, so I need to get out while I can. Taking the streets is even riskier, so I’ll need to use the tunnels. Should I try to hide the body I left back there? I could just put it in the water and hope they flush another reservoir. Looking back at the dead guard, I noticed something I hadn’t earlier. He’s a large one, I realized, in fact, he’s almost as tall as I am...