As the men advanced, Justin activated Dandy’s Swagger. Instantly, he felt the power of the move enter him, filling his limbs with strength and confidence, with even the haze of his drunkenness fading. With a preening strut, he brandished his cane, his body glowing with a yellowish aura. The toughs paused in their tracks while the inn’s patrons watched in awe, some even mimicking his movements. Some came closer, making fists, apparently ready to come to his defense.

The first tough, a burly man with a tattoo on his neck and a sneer that could curdle milk, shook his head, snapping out of his hesitation by swinging his club.

But Justin, with a fluid move that belied his experience, sidestepped the blow, swatting the man’s club away.

Gentleman’s Rebuff has blocked this attack!

The tough’s eyes widened at the adroit maneuver, which Justin followed up swiftly with a poison barb.

“You swing like a drunkard trying to swat a fly!”

The man growled, the words making him hesitate for a moment. It was all Justin needed. With a deft flick of his wrist, he brought the cane down on the tough’s wrist, disarming him with a pained yowl. In the same motion, he jabbed the cane’s tip into the man’s midsection, knocking the wind out of him. As the tough doubled over, Justin gave a quick, controlled strike to the back of his head, sending him to the floor like a sack of potatoes.

It had all happened so quickly, and with such adeptness, that Justin’s breath was stolen. It must have resulted from his Basic Cane Competency.

Lila, meanwhile, performed a graceful flip, evading an attack from the second tough with ease. She landed lightly on her feet, a triumphant grin on her face. As she aimed her knives, the man raised his hands placatingly, bowing out of the fight. Lucky for him, Lila spared his life.

The third and fourth toughs closed in, but Justin’s Dandy’s Swagger had inspired some of the tavern’s patrons. A brawny man grabbed a chair and swung it at one tough, while a group of women threw their mugs at the other. The room erupted into chaos, with other patrons joining the fray to defend Justin and Lila. Justin knew it wasn’t just his Dandy’s Swagger, but the fact he and Lila had warmed up the crowd with their epic duet.

With the remaining toughs facing down multiple opponents, the rest was quite elementary. Justin twirled his cane again, delivering a series of precise blows that kept them off balance. With the growing mob of tavern patrons, they could hardly defend themselves.

“Come on, you lot,” one of them said. “This ain’t worth the goblin’s coin!”

The bullies pushed their way through the crowd, leaving behind the one who’d been knocked out cold. Gribble’s eyes watched in mounting horror; the goblin must have set up this little ambush beforehand, in case his negotiations didn’t go to plan. With a squeak, the agile creature beat a hasty retreat, slipping through the crowd. He had lost himself within a matter of seconds.

You have gained 10 XP. Your experience stands at 1164/325 (Level-up available!).

Breathing heavily, Justin turned to Lila. “Well, that was something.”

The muscled patron who’d thrown the chair approached Justin. “You all right, lad?”

“Yes, completely fine. Thanks for the assist.”

“Don’t mention it. Don’t enjoy seeing bullies like that pushing people around. Especially ones as good at singing as you!”

“Hey!” the barkeep shouted. “Are you two going to pay for all this? I’m down a chair and several mugs!”

It was too little too late to prevent property damage, but Justin laid a couple of silvers on the bar. “Hope that covers it.”

The barkeep waved them away, but his features had softened somewhat.

As they left the establishment they were in, heading back to The Silver Stag, Lila laughed. “I’d say that was a resounding success!”

Justin smiled. “It’s not a night out unless you’ve been kicked out of the bar, right? By the way, what was that move you did?”

Lila’s eyes sparkled with excitement. “I forgot to mention it. I unlocked a new skill, Acrobatic Tumble. Increases my evasion by fifty percent for three seconds, and by one hundred percent when targeted by classes of equal or lower level. Cooldown is only thirty seconds.”

“Impressive,” Justin said. “Seems like it came in handy!”

“Speaking of moves, the way you handled that cane was a work of art! I would’ve never thought—”

Her words were interrupted when a hand roughly grabbed Justin’s shoulder, yanking him into a booth. He scarcely had time to yelp.

But once he saw the one doing the pulling, he relaxed. “Eldrin? What are you doing here?”

The Ranger was nonplussed, the cowl of his hood hiding his features in shadow. “You draw far too much attention to yourself, Mr. Talemaker.”

Lila sat down with a smile, joining them. “We’re just having a bit of fun, Eldrin. Life isn’t all death and despair.”

“You’re completely drunk! What’s gotten into you both?”

Neither of them had a response. They had been caught red-handed, acting like immature children.

“Just got caught up in the moment, I guess,” Lila said.

“I’ll say. Alistair will know all about this tomorrow morning.”

“Are you going to rat us out?” Lila asked.

“Nay. But the good innkeeper, Gregory, will. But all that is beside the point.”

“And what are you doing up so late?” Justin asked.

“I’ve been hard at work; of that, I assure you.”

For the first time, Justin noticed that Eldrin’s pint was barely touched. “What work?”

“Shadowflight returned to me on the rooftop just an hour ago. He’s informed me that every gate—including the West Gate—is being watched. Seems they’ve paid men to mark our passing, no matter which way we choose.”

“Then we’re stuck,” Justin said, sobering at the news. “Right?”

Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

“That’s what I’ve been trying to figure out. I’ve been asking questions—casually, mind you—and I’ve discovered something interesting.”

“What’s that?” Lila asked.

“As you know, Highcliff is built on a plateau. That’s where the name comes from. But did you know that, in the past, it was its own city-state? And not only that—the city was far larger than it is today, extending well beyond even the plateau. It has been reduced in the last few hundred years by several wars and the shifting of trade routes, until two hundred years ago, it became part of the Aranthian Queendom.”

“Interesting,” Justin said. “But why the history lesson?”

“Only to say that the city hosts a grand network of catacombs beneath it that belies its modern-day size. And those catacombs extend well beyond the current city limits, given the city’s storied history.”

“Catacombs?” Justin asked. “So, we can use these catacombs to get out?”

“That, I can’t say. From what I’ve gleaned, it’s a strong possibility. Either way, it would seem to be our only option with the gates under constant watch.”

“Have you told Alistair about this theory?”

“Not yet. I was about to head that way when I picked up the commotion coming from The Frosty Mug.”

Justin supposed that was the name of the tavern they had just left.

“What about the market?” Lila asked. “Don’t we need to get supplies?”

“It would be too much of a risk. Food can be found on the road, and in the worst-case scenario, going without for a few days is a small price to pay to ensure our escape. As for the catacombs, they’re accessible from the Church of Light. Using Alistair’s rank, we might convince the High Cleric there to let us in. Hopefully, by the time our pursuers know what’s happening, it’ll be too late for them to give chase. And even if they figure out the puzzle, there are likely to be multiple exits, giving us options.”

“Will it be far enough from town to make a difference?” Justin asked.

“Almost assuredly. Assuming those passages aren’t buried.”

The three seemed to consider the possibilities. Justin had sobered up considerably, both from the conversation and the fight. However, Eldrin was right. They’d already attracted too much attention—and enemies. Getting out without being seen was crucial.

“One thing is for sure,” Eldrin said. “We need to get some rest. It must be an hour after midnight. We will wake early, before first light.”

Justin nodded. “Sounds good. And again—we’re sorry.”

Eldrin nodded. “Life is filled with choices, and tonight, yours could have cost us dearly. Let’s hope tomorrow brings wiser decisions. Now, get some rest. I’ll be there shortly.”

As Justin and Lila made their way back to their rooms at The Silver Stag, the common rooms were much emptier. The “success” of the night had been dampened by the danger they’d put everyone in. It was hard not to feel guilty. Even Lila seemed glum.

“I’m sorry,” she said, once they’d made it to the stairs. “All this was my idea.”

“I was a more than willing participant,” Justin said. “This is on both of us.”

“It’s too easy for one thing to lead to another. I was having fun, for the first in months.”

“Years for me.”

They paused halfway up the stairwell as she took up his hands.

“There’s one other thing. I…want to apologize. I’ve acted like a proper ass this evening.”

“What do you mean?”

She hesitated a moment. “I think we’ve gotten a bit carried away with…well, whatever’s going on between us.”

The silence stretched between them uncomfortably. There had been the handholding, the arm-locking, the sultry looks. Not to mention certain words spoken, and an almost kiss that had been foiled a second time.

“I understand,” he said. “You want to focus on the road ahead, right?”

“It’s not that,” she said. “I’m just…not ready, I suppose. I’m not sure how I feel yet. You’re my friend, Justin. I don’t want to ruin that.”

The dreaded Friend Zone. He was used to that one.

She must have sensed his disappointment. “You misunderstand me. We’ve passed the point where it could’ve meant nothing. That point happened, I think, after Silverton. It’s not right for me to encourage things that aren’t possible. We…have a lot at stake.” She sighed. “Gods above, I’m no good with words…”

Justin watched her green eyes, and to his surprise, he could read her like a book. Whatever words she was speaking now, several facts remained. She’d held his hand, had nearly kissed him not once, but twice, not to mention the outright flirtation. Yes, there had been a few drinks involved, but Lila said similar things without alcohol.

She just wasn’t sure, and that was natural. It made little sense to pursue things when they had to focus on getting to Mont Elea in one piece, and Eldrin’s warning had been a wake-up call.

Feelings and relationships gummed things up. And he couldn’t be the one to do that. Not while things were uncertain.

“I agree,” he said. “There’s nothing to forgive. Friends?”

To his surprise, she leaned into him, and he held her there in the darkness for what had to be half a minute.

“Thank you, Justin.”

He let her go when he heard the single creak of a floorboard at the top of the stairs.

“That you, Alistair?” Justin called.

Silence.

Lila suddenly grabbed his hand, and not a moment later, someone was dashing down the step above them, blade drawn.

Justin and Lila flew down the steps, making the bottom landing as the assailant behind gave chase.

Justin twirled around, brandishing his cane. The would-be assassin, a young man barely out of his teens holding a pair of daggers, threw his entire body into the attack, both blades out. Justin, by instinct, extended the cane’s blade, raising it just in time to impale the young man through the stomach. He stopped short, both blades falling to the floor.

Lila threw two of her knives over Justin’s shoulder, both burying themselves in the assailant's neck. The assassin went down. It had all happened in less than ten seconds.

Not a moment later, a set of heavy footsteps thudded down the stairs above, Alistair rushing onto the scene, a short sword—what Justin supposed to be his side arm—in his right hand. Meanwhile, Eldrin swept in from the common room, longsword drawn. Lila held out her hands, and her knives returned, one-by-one, perfectly clean. Her expression was grim as she regarded the body before her.

Justin watched the dead assassin, the blood draining from his face. The assassin had bungled it, a creaky floorboard having given him away. Without that, he and Lila might've been done for. The mere thought of it made his stomach churn.

He’d been lucky Lila had reacted quickly. Insanely lucky.

Alistair came to stand next to them. His gaze took in all three of them. “We must away immediately, before Gareth learns of this failure.”

Several inn patrons had emerged from their rooms and were gathering at the bottom of the stairs, gasping at the bloody sight. Not a moment later, Gregory appeared in his pajamas, apparently sensing the commotion. His eyes widened upon seeing the dead body before taking in Alistair.

Before the innkeeper could even speak, the Paladin was giving orders. “Coordinate with the Church of Light in the morning regarding this…unfortunate incident. Tell them I sent you. They should offer protection in the coming days. I’m afraid you may need it.”

The innkeeper’s face was pale, but he nodded. “I will do so, Sir Paladin.”

Eldrin came up to join them on the landing. In a low voice to Alistair, he said, “I’ve found a way out. One that’s safer.”

Alistair gave the barest of nods. “Let’s gather our things. Then to the private dining room.”

Within two minutes, all four of them grabbed their packs and equipment and were gathered in the dining room downstairs.

Once they were alone, Eldrin spoke. “Shadowflight has informed me that all the gates are watched, with no means of passing unmarked. Luckily, my night’s work has been productive. There may be a way out of the city using the catacombs beneath it.”

“The catacombs,” Alistair said. “Yes, of course. I don’t know why I didn’t think of it.”

“They’re often forgotten about,” Eldrin said. “And it’s been a tumultuous few days. Of course, there’s no guarantee they will actually lead out of Highcliff, but owing to the city’s history, the probability is quite high.”

“Most cities have sewer mains,” Justin said. “It wouldn’t be pleasant, but that’s a possibility, too.”

“And one I’ve considered, but that way is also likely to be watched,” Eldrin said. “There’s but one way into the catacombs, and that’s through the Church of Light.”

“What’s the next step?” Lila asked.

“We’d have to go there and find the High Cleric. He’s likely to be sleeping at this hour, but getting inside the Church itself should prove simple enough. And it will offer some measure of safety. Once we’re inside the catacombs, we can find some place to pass the night safely. Sleep, unfortunately, is a necessity.”

“And we are unlikely to be pursued there, given the Life Magic enchantments every cathedral has,” Alistair mused. “It’s a brilliant play.”

“When do we go?” Justin asked. “I assume now?”

“Yes,” Eldrin said. “I’ve already charted a course that will get us close. We can simply weave through the various taverns which surround the city’s main square. There is one street we’ll have to dash across, but I’ve already scouted a spot the lampposts don’t quite reach. If we stick to the shadows, and move quickly and quietly, we can hop the fence into the Church’s courtyard. From there, we should be able to break in, or better yet, Alistair might have a way of getting us inside.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Lila said. She stifled a yawn. “Gods, I’m beyond tired!”

“We should be able to rest in the next hour or two,” Eldrin said. “If the plan is good to Alistair, then I say let’s move at the first opportunity, before the City Watch gets involved.”

Alistair considered for a moment. “It’s a plan. Lead the way, Ranger.”

Eldrin nodded. “Then follow me. And try to do so quietly. Once they figure out the assassin is dead, it won’t be long before they send another, perhaps in even greater numbers.”

The Ranger headed out from the private dining room. Alistair nodded at Justin and Lila to follow, intent on bringing up the rear.

Justin and Lila exchanged a glance before following.