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The Crime Lord Bard - Chapter 126: Sewer
🕑 Added 2025-06-26 22:36:24 +0000 UTCAldwin glanced around before replying, "To the sewers."
The two set off through the streets of Hafenstadt. The night hung around them, stars veiled by lingering clouds. Despite the lateness of the hour, neither Jamie nor Aldwin showed any hesitation.
After the fall of their rivals, they had become the remnants of an underworld within the city walls.
"Which entrance have you been using?" Jamie asked, matching Aldwin's brisk pace.
"The entrance we use most is near the old Cutpurses' base," Aldwin explained.
Jamie noticed they were not heading toward the center of the Lower Quarter. Instead, they veered toward the harbor, where the scent of salt and fish grew stronger.
"But at this hour, that entrance is sealed." Aldwin completed.
"So where are we going?" Jamie probed, curiosity piqued.
'This way,' Aldwin replied.
They arrived at the edge of the city, where the land met the sea. The harbor lay ahead, with wooden piers above the dark water.
They walked down a set of old stone steps to a rocky spot by the water. Big boulders formed small sheltered spaces, and the waves had shaped the rocks with time. In one of the dark corners, a narrow staircase was hidden beneath the shadow of the old pier.
"This entrance is only accessible at low tide," Aldwin explained as they navigated the slick rocks. "We have to time it right."
They descended further, the steps slick with sea spray and algae. The roar of the sea was louder here, the crashing of distant waves a constant backdrop.
Jamie felt the chill of the sea air biting at his skin. "Who on earth would build something down here?" he wondered aloud.
Aldwin shrugged. "No idea. But it's the only way in at this hour."
They slipped between two big boulders and ducked under some driftwood and debris that made a natural arch. Before them was a narrow tunnel, partly hidden by hanging kelp and stones covered in barnacles.
Seaweed hung from the walls like torn curtains, and small crabs crawled away into cracks. The air smelled of salt, rot, and something sharp underneath.
At the end of the passage stood an iron gate, its bars corroded by years of exposure to the sea's relentless assault. Aldwin grasped the heavy handle and pulled. The gate resisted at first, then yielded with a groan of protesting metal that echoed down the tunnel.
Beyond the gate was a vast underground chamber. Jamie stopped and let his eyes adjust to the dim light. The ceiling was high and hidden in shadows. Dozens of stone platforms stretched out over slow-moving water. Thin bridges connected the platforms, forming a messy path that led into dark corners and side tunnels.
A rotten smell filled the air. It was a mix of dirty water and things rotting, making Jamie wrinkle his nose. Trickles of filthy water dripped from cracks in the walls. Later, joining the shallow streams between the platforms before disappearing into unseen depths.
"Welcome to the sewers," Aldwin remarked dryly, stepping onto one of the stone slabs.
"Charming place," Jamie commented. "I can't imagine why it isn't a popular destination."
"Fucking hell, every path looks the same down here," Jamie muttered.
"That was our biggest problem," Aldwin replied, a hint of wry amusement in his tone. "Lucky for us, we had the map." He moved with practiced ease along the narrow ledge, his footsteps sure despite the slick film of algae that coated the stones.
Jamie cast a skeptical glance his way. "But how in the world did the Cutpurses manage to map this place?" he wondered aloud. The Cutpurses were notorious thieves, but cartography hardly seemed their forte.
"Maybe they didn't," Aldwin suggested, his eyes scanning the darkness ahead. "Perhaps they simply stumbled upon the map." He paused briefly, then added, "I'd prefer to believe that option because if not, it means they sacrificed many souls to chart these passages."
"Sacrificed? What do you mean?" Jamie asked, his brow furrowing as he tried to keep pace.
"You'll see," Aldwin replied cryptically.
They kept moving until the tunnel opened into a huge cave. Big stone platforms stretched over a deep, dark pit, linked by shaky bridges made of old wood and rusty chains. Aldwin walked ahead and stopped at the edge of one platform.
“Wait... a moment,” he said, raising his hand.
Right then, a loud rush of water exploded from below, slamming into the platform so hard it shook. The wave splashed over the edges and filled the spaces between the platforms, briefly lighting up the darkness below. Jamie’s eyes widened at what he saw. Floating before them were skeletons and skulls tangled in coral.
"Shit" Jamie whispered, a chill creeping down his spine.
"This isn't a sewer," Aldwin explained solemnly. "It's a colossal trap. If you don't know where to go, when to go, and when to leave, you'll die."
Jamie swallowed hard. "Is that why we had to come via the sea?"
"Exactly," Aldwin affirmed. "Depending on the time, the tide alters the pathways, blocking some entrances and exits." He gazed out over the turbulent waters, his expression thoughtful. "That's why..." His voice trailed off as he pondered, eyes narrowing in concentration.
"That's why what?" Jamie prompted, curiosity piqued.
Aldwin looked back at him, a new light of realization in his eyes. "I don't think this is a sewer at all," he declared.
Jamie arched an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
"Think about it," Aldwin said, gesturing to the surrounding structures. "The flow of water here isn't designed to drain toward the sea efficiently, like a normal sewer would. Instead, it rushes and surges erratically, flooding passages without warning. It seems almost... intentional."
"Confusing to navigate and deadly," Jamie mused, connecting the dots. "Like a maze."
"Precisely," Aldwin agreed. "But who would build a labyrinth beneath the city?"
Jamie looked around, amazed by the size of the underground space. Massive columns were covered in barnacles. The arches were faded and worn by time and the sea. The architecture was unlike anything he'd seen above ground, ancient and foreboding.
Aldwin continued, his voice a mere murmur. "What if it's not a labyrinth beneath the city, but rather a city built atop an older labyrinth?"
"I'll need to consult some old records," Jamie continued. "Perhaps there's mention of something like this."
"Maybe," Aldwin agreed, his gaze drifting over the expanse.
A shiver ran down Jamie's spine, the cold seeping through his cloak. The place felt wrong.
"Is that all?" he asked, turning to Aldwin. "Can we head back now?"
Aldwin hesitated. "One more thing," he said, his tone hinting at something significant. He leaped from their platform to the next, the soles of his boots barely making a sound.
Aldwin explained. "You need to see this."
The deeper they ventured, the thicker the darkness became.
"I, Thyra, and Alonzo managed to explore almost the entire map," Aldwin explained as they moved. "But there's one part only I have seen. I was the only one working at this hour."
They descended into a section where the ceiling dipped low, and the passage narrowed. Aldwin withdrew a small torch from his pack, striking it until a flame sputtered to life. The sudden glow illuminated a corridor that seemed to have emerged from nowhere. It was a narrow passage between the rocks, bearing no marks of tools or erosion.
Jamie frowned. The walls were smooth, almost polished, and devoid of the typical marks left by chisels or picks.
"This wasn't carved or dug," he observed, his voice hushed. "It's like the rock simply... isn't here."
"Exactly," Aldwin replied, his eyes fixed ahead. "Come, we're almost there."
As they proceeded, the atmosphere grew heavier. An indefinable energy thrummed in the air, a faint vibration that set Jamie's nerves on edge.
"Magic?" Jamie wondered aloud, his fingers instinctively brushing the hilt of his dagger.
"Mana," Aldwin acknowledged.
They reached a small room at the end of the hallway. A huge white stone door stood there, twice as tall as a person and almost as wide as the room itself. Its surface was etched with detailed symbols and markings that seemed to move when viewed from a distance.
"One of the nights exploring, I found this," Aldwin said, lifting his torch higher to illuminate the door.
Jamie approached cautiously. The door exuded a subtle glow, the carved symbols beginning to shimmer as he drew nearer. A soft hum resonated in the air, harmonizing with the steady beat of his heart.
"What is this place?" he breathed, reaching out.
Even before his fingers made contact, he felt a force emanating from the door. The hairs on his arms stood on end, a primal warning singing through his veins.
As his hand hovered mere inches from the stone, the ground trembled. A deep rumble echoed through the chamber as the door began to shift, stone grinding against stone. A narrow gap appeared between the ponderous slabs, widening to reveal a chasm of utter darkness beyond.
"Do you know what's in there?" Jamie asked, casting a wary glance at Aldwin.
"No!" Aldwin exclaimed, eyes wide with astonishment. "It never even opened for me before."
Jamie felt a knot tighten in his stomach. An instinctive unease coiled within him, urging him to retreat. He took a deliberate step back. "I don't think we should go in," he cautioned. "Not just the two of us."
Aldwin nodded, his usual confidence dampened. "You're right," he conceded.
As they turned to leave, a faint glimmer caught his eye. A translucent message hovering at the edge of his vision:
[You have found the Mausoleum of Lurien - The God of Justice]
