“We were ordered to exterminate a pack of rodents of unusual size that had found its way into the sewer underneath our fine city. I don’t know who is responsible for the creation of this sewer, but I, for one, recommend that this person hang from their heels for the rest of their lives! This isn’t a sewer so much as it is a labyrinth! We’ve been down here in this awful place for over three hours and still no sign of the rats. In fact, I think we’re going around in circles! I’ve heard that Delnor was built on top of the ruins of a long abandoned erdgeist city, which would certainly explain why the sewers seem so huge, but this is getting ridiculous! I’ve drawn markers to keep track of where we’ve been and if I see them one more time I swear to the light I’m going to go insane!” --from the diary of a Delnor city guard

The pair marched through the knee-high water of the sewers at a fairly brisk pace--fast enough to elude the guards that would surely follow them at any second, but not so fast that they made a lot of noise running. Unfortunately their light source--the oil lantern that Robin took with them--would stand out like a black sheep, so Robin made the light as dim as she possibly could without putting the lantern out entirely.

“So what’s your plan?” Simon asked, following Robin as best he could. While Robin seemed to have little difficulty walking through the dim light, Simon was just doing his best to keep up without tripping over something. He wondered if his eyes were going bad, or if it just had something to do with Robin being a kobold.

“Well, most of the ladders you see here will get you out of the sewers,” Robin said quietly, “but I’m almost certain that they’ll just take you back into the city.”

“Shouldn’t the waters here eventually lead out of the city and to the river?” Simon asked.

Robin shrugged. “I don’t know the first thing about sewers. But I’d imagine that’s the case. Of course, it wouldn’t surprise me if they were waiting for us there, too.”

“So we’re stuck here?” Simon asked with more than a hint of worry.

“Well, let’s find this exit out of the city, then we’ll decide what to do from there.”

Aside from the sound of running water and the occasional squeak of a mouse, things had gotten very quiet. Simon half expected to hear the sounds of armored guards chasing them at any second, but things were still very quiet. Perhaps they’d gotten enough of a headstart on the guards after all.

“So you’re a druid?” Simon asked, trying to break the silence.

“Is that a problem?” Robin asked, an almost standoffish tone in her voice.

“No, no, not at all,” Simon said apologetically. “I just didn’t think I’d ever see one after that edict the king passed not too long ago.”

Robin sighed heavily. “Listen, Malenom happens to be the worst thing to happen to druids in a thousand years.” Simon shuddered at her willingness to drop the Firelord’s name, but Robin just continued. “He gets out of the Nether that he was banished to, and then he goes and kills the other elemental lords, causing a huge shift in the balance of the elements. And the worst part is his stupid Fireguards lay waste to every tree and shrub they pass by in their mission to dominate the whole of Kingshome without even a hint of respect for nature. And Laguna thinks that we’re in league with this guy? The only gifts that Malenom gives us druids are a lot of headaches.”

Simon waited for Robin to finish her tirade. When it looked like she was through he sheepishly asked, “So, why does Laguna think you’re in league with the Firelord?”

Robin looked back at Simon and her expression softened a little. “To be a druid is to have a great deal of love and respect for all of nature’s gifts. Among them fire. Although we don’t practice fire magic like the elves do, fire is an important part of our beliefs.” She sighed. “But such is the nature of Malenom. You can’t live with him, and you can’t live without him. He can grant life, and just as swiftly he can grant destruction.” She smiled at Simon. “But enough about me. You said you worked at an inn?”

“As an apprentice, yes,” Simon said.

“You barely seem old enough to drink, let alone be a bartender,” Robin remarked.

“Well, I wanted to help my father and earn a little money for the house, so I got a job working at the Blue Lantern. It was only supposed to be for a few months. Instead it lasted four years.”

Robin’s eyebrows raised a bit. “What happened?”

“My father died suddenly of firehead fever,” he quietly replied. “And my mother had passed away when I was very young. That left me to mind the house alone.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Robin said, her ears drooping a little.

“It’s all right,” Simon said. “I’ve managed to get along well enough in spite of everything.”

“That’s good.” After a bit more walking, Robin began wondering something. “Is it just me, or are we going around in circles?”

The thought had occurred to Simon. “We do seem to be taking a lot of turns, now that you mention it.”

“I keep following the water, but I can’t help but feel we’ve been here before.” As they reached an all too familiar fork in the path, Robin stopped. “I think we went left last time…maybe if we go right…”

Simon noticed Robin’s hesitation and asked “If we go right, then what?” But he only got as far as “go” before Robin quickly put her fingers to his lips to silence him.

“You hear that?” Robin whispered. Simon didn’t hear anything but the splashing of water at first, but after a few seconds he heard the tapping of footsteps. As soon as Robin discovered that they were getting closer, she quickly pulled Simon to the side of the corridor before extinguishing her lantern. “Don’t move,” she said in the most quiet voice she could muster.

Simon looked down the darkness, a hand at the sword he’d taken upstairs. Robin likely would have scolded him if she saw this. However, the kobold was more concerned with whoever it was that was nearby. Soon enough, the two would see a faint light down the hall. Eventually the source of that light would be revealed to be an oil lantern similar to the one Robin had. It was being carried by a lightly armored guard with a sword at his side. Two others followed behind. They glanced down the hall that Simon and Robin were hiding in before continuing down the path they were on. Robin waited for several minutes for the light to fade as the guards walked away from them.

“I don’t suppose you have a flint and tinder, do you?” Robin asked sheepishly.

“Sorry,” Simon said. “And you just said you don’t practice fire magic.”

“Well, technically no,” Robin muttered. Simon asked what she meant by that, but Robin only responded in kobold, and apparently not to him. Simon wondered if she was planning another dangerous spell like the one that got him out of his cell upstairs, but instead the result was something a bit more mundane. The lantern itself began to glow a faint green, illuminating the area. It wasn’t as bright as a fully lit oil lantern, but a bit brighter than it was when Robin dimmed it.

“Faerie fire,” Robin explained. “But I can’t turn it off, so let’s hope we don’t run into those guys again.”

“Right,” Simon said. With that, the two continued down their trek through the sewers.