Beneath the City ✔️

Bottled Pink

'The best place to start looking for V is a floor up.' Jungkook told me. He took a piece of paper from the table that hadn't yet been covered in Jimin's writing, and picked up a pencil. 'You'll want to get up through the sewage, everywhere else is guarded.' He continued.

'Ok, which pipes?' I asked.

'Just past Stretten's inn, there's a manhole cover, and then you'll want to head east, until you reach a fork, then head right until you get to a ladder.' He instructed.

'Where does it come out?' Namjoon asked.

'I'll draw you a map.' Jungkook said. He sketched some lines onto the paper, and drew a small circle in the middle. 'This is where the sewers should come out.' He said. 'And the buildings here,' He said, scribbling just below, 'are empty, it's the entrance I use to the city.' He began to draw some roads, and squares for buildings.

'What's the safest route through the city?' Jimin asked.

'Honestly?' Jungkook said 'There isn't really a 'safe' route, but heading this way' he said tapping his pencil on a road 'is busy, and concealment will probably be your best weapon. End up alone, and you're looking for trouble.' We nodded.

'Is it that bad?' I asked.

'Yeah, the group The Chipped knife, V's group Chrome, and the Night Guard have been almost at war with each other for the past two years.'

'How come we never heard?' I wondered.

'Nobody comes down here often, most people from up there believe it's a nest of crime and the poverty's no joke.'

'There not wrong.' Namjoon stated.

'It's not too bad.' Jin argued.

'Either way, people don't visit, so news doesn't trickle down often.' Jungkoook explained.

'How did the fight break out?' I asked.

'Don't know.' Jugkook said. 'Probably a tiff over territory or magic rights, but different people say different things.' He drew a rough oval further down on the page, drawing our attention back to the map. 'The town centre is here, with an old clock in the centre.' He described. 'There's an inn called The Old Selkie that I often stay in, you should start searching there. I trust them, and know them well, so it's safe.' He assured us.

'Do we use your name to get in then?' Namjoon asked.

'Not my real name, I don't need people knowing it, I go by Nochu.' He said with a small smile.

'Nochu?'

'Long story.' He said. 'I can meet you up there after a day.' He said.

'Another pair of hands would be useful.' Namjoon concluded.

'I'll get ready then.' I said, and walked over to the part of the room with our beds and belongings. I picked up my rucksack and began to rummage  through it. Inside was a water bottle, my painkiller and instant ice potions, a pen, and odd sock, the clip from the man in the dome, and some bottled pink. I wasn't really certain what it was, but Jin seemed really proud when he gave it to me. Also, whenever I open the lid it hummed, so I felt a bit weird drinking it, so it joined the rest of the clutter in my bag. I threw in a spare change of clothes and a ball of string, then zipped up my back.

Not much later we were all gathered at the bottom of the ladder, apart from Jungkook who would be leaving at dusk. Namjoon began listing of various objects, a final check to make certain we weren't forgetting anything vital. Jungkook was sorting a sandwich by the kitchen sink, Jimin was fiddling with something in his pocket while staring intently at the floor, and I was busy getting distracted watching him. Jin was probably the only one who was listening, much to Namjoon's annoyance.