Chapter 10: Chapter 3 (part 3)

Darkness fell over the city as the five, wrapped in their robes, approached a sewer lid. Ean and Blaizen lifted the heavy stone lid just enough to slip into the hole, and into the darkness they plunged. The smell of raw sewage invaded their nostrils, along with a taste they could not spew from their mouths as their three companions slid the lid shut. Orckle, Supreany, and Cecealye paced their way back to where Supreany and Blaizen had snuck out the window earlier that day and waited.

"Ooha, how sick," Blaizen said repulsed.

"You're telling me. Let's just get this over with."

They had memorized the route through the maze of sewage and gradually worked their way through it. They took a right, then a left. Blaizen found himself vomiting in spite of himself.

"Man you guys seem nice and all but I don't know if I can go through with this, I just …" He stopped to the sound of Ean puking.

"Ooha, don't worry. I won't say anything if you don't." He wiped off his chin. "It's not much further now."

It only took them a minute or so before they found the lid that would lead them into the library, but it seemed like forever.

"Here it is," Ean announced. "Hurry up and give me a boost."

"If that means we're getting out of here, I'll do anything."

Blaizen swiftly got into place. Placing both hands on Blaizen's shoulders, Ean lifted his foot into Blaizen's laced hands, a mushy, stomach-turning slap echoed into the darkness. The sewage squeezed through Blaizen's fingers and Ean was boosted into the air.

"You better hurry up, 'cause I'm about to puke again," Blaizen groaned, "and it's going to be all over your pants. And there's a high probability that I'll drop you."

A sound of stone scraping against stone echoed through the tunnel as Ean pushed the lid from its place and heaved himself into the room. Rolling onto his back he gasped for fresher air.

"Hey, I'm still down here!" came from the sewer.

Ean rolled back over. "Here, take my hand." He pulled Blaizen into the room, where they sat for a moment catching their breath. Blaizen shook his head.

"I can't believe I'm doing this."

Ean began laughing. "It's all right. We all have times in our lives when we look back and ask, What in Sam Hill was I thinking? Just think. One day when you're old and grey, you can tell your grandchildren how you went tromping through the sewers with someone you hadn't even known for a day. I mean, really, how many people can say that?"

"Well, there's two I can think of."

They both laughed in spite of the fact that their clothes were rank with the smell of sewage.

Ean stood to his feet. "Well, we better go let the others in."

Blaizen stood up looking at his hands. "I wonder if there's somewhere I can get this crap off my hands."

"Just wipe it off on your robe; that's what I did."

"Right."

They began to make their way through piles of books that were covered in dust. Off in the far end, they could see a set of stairs leading up. They climbed them and quietly unlocked the door. Ean's eyes searched the darkness. Not too far off was a night watcher, pacing through the library with nothing but a lantern and an alarm horn. They had to be quick. Blaizen led him to the window and they slid it open. The others promptly began to climb in. With the night watcher just a few rows down now, they slipped through the door and locked it behind them.

Cecealye turned to the guys. "What took you so long?"

"We had to catch our breath after that one," Ean said over his shoulder.

Supreany began to snicker. "I bet so. You all stink!"

Orckle suddenly took the lead. "It should be this way."

"How would you know?"

"I've been here before, a long time ago. If what we want is down here, we'll find it back here." He led them to a smaller room. "Everyone start looking for Cardin's work. It should all be together."

Minutes passed, the only sound to be heard was the rustling of dusty papers and scrolls, which caused a few unwanted sneezes, until Cecealye broke the silence,

"Here. Here, I found something!"

They all went to her and began to help her go through the mound of scrolls.

Orckle unrolled one and paused before he began to read. "The vision I saw today disturbed me greatly. The Kingdom of Ellizea was destroyed. A dragon swept across its capital, El'Laissa, and all that came after it was death. A dark cloud from the south swallowed the land. Cardin Ferris, Shana, 2027."

Cecealye turned away. "2027. That was over two hundred years ago. Why had I never heard anything about this? I hadn't even heard a rumor, nothing."

Orckle scaled down the scroll. "There's more here."

But before Orckle could read anymore a blood-curdling scream came from Supreany before she collapsed to the ground. Ean rushed to her to find her passed out on the floor and before anyone could ask what was going on, alarmed voices came from the floor above them.

Blaizen went to the door of the room. "We've officially worn out our welcome; it's time to go."

"CC, Orckle grab what you can and follow me!" Ean picked up Supreany and ran out the door. Blaizen took up the tail as Ean led them back to the sewer entrance. "Blaizen hop in there and get ready to help CC in."

Blaizen took a deep breath of fresh air. 'Man, this really sucks.' In the next moment, he jumped into the sewer.

With an upset stomach, Cecealye slipped into Blaizen's arms. Immediately, she began to gag leading to her doubling over, puking. Then Ean began to slip Supreany through the hole into Blaizen's hands before he jumped in with Orckle right behind him. Holding Cecealye's hand, Ean took up the lead.

They ran through the tunnel, its substance splashing up on their robes. The smell would've been almost too much to bear if it were not for their heightened adrenaline. A bit of light ahead broke the blackness as they ran up to some bars. The night covered Korik Forest on the other side. Ean kicked the round grate from its place. Still holding Cecealye's hand, Ean leapt from the sewer with Orckle right behind them. Looking down on the ten-foot drop, Blaizen lunged to the ground.

The ground rushed to them as they landed in a puddle of raw sewage. Becoming conscious, Supreany lifted herself from the human waste. Without another thought, the five ran into the Korik Forest as fast as they could.