The Prince

Out of the Frying Pan

Ashiya checked over his ropework, testing the knots before deeming it acceptable. If anyone questioned it, there were other ways he could prove their master/slave relationship. For now, it was good enough, and he did wonder if there would be anyone to question them once they were actually inside the waterways. Surely not, though if they ran into criminals of any sort, they would still need to be cautious of their behavior around each other. With that out of the way, Ashiya pulled away from Reid, and took the new lead. The feeling between them was mutual. It was time to leave. Now that he'd made his decision, the city was no longer a place for him.

"We should hurry then. There's an entrance nearby that we can take."

He replied, still keeping his voice low. The half-beast pulled out the map to take another peek. It was preferred that they not have to interact with anyone else, but the entrances marked on the map were either locked, or guarded. While the tunnels did have hidden entrances, and surely ones that went completely unnoticed by soldiers, or the guild, Ashiya didn't want to fumble around searching for one. He rolled the map back up, slipping it once again into his bag, and securing it. Scanning their surroundings, the half-beast picked up speed, tugging Reid along as before. His steps echoed through the chilly air. As they drew near, Ashiya added more confidence, and urgency into his stride. They were, afterall, going to rescue a poor, helpless child.

The entrance to the underground tunnels was tucked away, hidden from sight from people on the main roads. To get there, one had to pass through an alleyway, and down several flights of short stone brick steps. Rats scurried for cover, weaving around crates and empty glass bottles. They seemed to grow more numerous as the waterways drew nearer. A wooden door stood at the end of the path. Beside it, a guard was slumped against the wall, snoring away. An oil lantern rested beside him. He snapped awake at the presence of strangers approaching. Yawning, the guard stared down at Ashiya, then to Reid. Before he could speak, the half-beast raised his badge, and showed the guard the map they'd just received. Both would be proof enough that Ashiya'd been given clearance to enter the tunnels. Ashiya then explained the reason he needed access to the tunnels, throwing a stone cold glance at Reid again.

"Another one, huh," The guard muttered once he'd briefly looked over the presented objects. Sure, he'd let them in, but really? Did they really have to enter such a dangerous place at such an hour? Half-beasts. Must be a half-beast thing. Speaking of which, was that a slave beside him? Slaves for explorers weren't exactly rare, but the guard had never seen a half-beast owning one. The guard dismissed this, however, as a simple changing of the times. Hell. He spent most of his hours guarding a door barely anyone used anymore, so he was sure there were all sorts of news and information that he wasn't aware of. That was probably it. The guard grunted, reached for his key holder, and held it up to the lock. As he turned it, there was a distinct clunk, and the door swung inwards. Ashiya was taken aback by the darkness that awaited them, though he really shouldn't have been. A light. They needed a light. As if to read the half-beast's expression, the guard chuckled dryly. After a couple of seconds, the guard sighed, and reached for the oil lantern, handing it over to the half-beast.

"What'd ye expect? A shiny gold road? A brightly lit pathway? Here."

Ashiya hesitated, giving the guard an odd stare, "are you sure?"

Another grunt. "You complainin'?"

"That was not my intent, sir. If you're really certain, then you have my gratitude."

Ashiya took the lantern, his golden hues set ablaze by the brilliant flame. He yanked harshly at the rope lead, hissing towards his slave.

"Go on. What do you say? Not only is this kind sir is allowing you to make up for your pathetic performance by giving us access to the tunnels, he has also generously lent us his only source of light."