Percy, Dalia and Nieren were on the trail of Rya's captors which led them into the sewers of Ironside.
"This is so creepy! Gah! They had to go through the sewers!? Really!?" Nieren exclaimed.
"Yeah, it's common for vermin like the Black Roses to come through the sewers trying to hide their scent from me." Dalia replied while sniffing the air, picking up the scent of Rya.
"Gah! I don't know how you wolf-kins aren't puking your guts out from that foul stench? It's the worst!" Nieren said while pinching her nose with her fingers.
"Aw? The poor little Woody can't handle a bit of odor? Hehe. I love it! So many fascinating smells are at my disposal down here. Like how one of the Black Roses pissed himself." Dalia said as she wagged her tail.
"Oh my god! This is why I can stand being around beast-kins! You're so gross!" Nieren said while covering her mouth and stepping back away from Dalia.
"That's funny? I don't mind being around you Woody? You probably should get that checked out by a healer or something?" Dalia responded.
"My name isn't Woody! You F-F-Fuzzball!" Nieren complained.
"Hey calm down you two. We need to find Lady Rya." Percy said.
"Alright, alright, let's keep moving. Maybe we can find some clues down here." Dalia said while letting out a sigh.
She continued walking and smelling the sewer waters following the scent of the Black Roses.
"Hmm? I can smell fresh air coming from that side tunnel now and their scent is coming from there." Dalia said as she pointed to a side tunnel.
"Nice! Let's check it out. Come on!" Percy said as he started to walk towards the tunnel.
"Wait! Don't leave me alone." Nieren said as she ran after Dalia and Percy.
"Don't worry, Woody! It's not too far away." Dalia said with a smile.
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"Why do you keep calling me 'Woody'?" Nieren asked.
"Because you smell like a tree. Duh?" Dalia responded while holding her hands up in the air.
"It's not that funny!" Nieren said as she pouted.
"Dalia? Can you stop teasing Nieren?" Percy pleads to his girlfriend.
"Okay Gamma. I'll try, but I'm not promising anything." Dalia responded with a grin.
"You're horrible and adorable, you know that right?" Percy said with a frown. "Now come on."
The three of them walked side by side into the sewer tunnels until they came to an opening in the sewers that used to have a metal grate that covered it to the outside.
"Whoa! Where did this metal staircase come from!?" Nieren asked.
Percy and Dalia looked at each other with a knowing look before looking at Nieren.
"This is most likely Lady Rya's magic." Percy explained.
"S-She did this!?" Nieren asked with a shocked expression.
"Yeah, Alpha is quite a powerful mage. She may be a dark elf, but she saved my life and I'm forever grateful to her for that." Dalia said.
"Yeah she saved all of our lives. I wouldn't be here and have the woman of my dreams if it wasn't for her." Percy said while Dalia blushed.
'She saved them both!? What would make her save them? She's a dark elf, so she must have a reason? R-Right?' Nieren thought.
The three of them descended down the stairs to the ground level outside the walls of Ironside. The moon was almost full and it was starting to get quite chilly.
"Dalia, have you picked up their scent again? I can't sense anything from our current position." Percy said.
"It's faint. It's coming from somewhere towards the hills over there." Dalia answered.
"You're the best Dalia." Percy said as he pulled Dalia into a hug.
Dalia blushes and looks down as Percy kisses the top of her head.
'H-He so cute! My mind is thinking too much.' Nieren thought to herself with a blush.
The three were hot on the trail of Rya and her captors as they ran towards the hills.
***
After some time Dalia, Percy and Nieren came to a spot that had a few trees.
"Look, horse tracks!" Nieren chimed in.
"So, they had someone waiting? Hmm? Looks like they headed to the north?" Percy said as he looked past the forest to see some mountains in the distance illuminated only by moon light.
"Is that Mount Galfrei?" Dalia asked.
"Yes, that's Mount Galfrei. It's probable 2 hours away?" Nieren said.
"Great. Lady Nieren, can you lead the way? My eyes aren't as good as yours in this dark." Percy asked.
"S-Sure thing Sir Percy." Nieren took the lead as Percy and Dalia followed.
***
The three continued their march through the night for a couple of hours until they came across a ravine that had a small stream running through it by the base of the mountain.
"Wait! Hold you two!" Dalia ordered.
"What is it?" Percy asked.
"I smell something ahead of us! It smells like humans." Dalia said with concern.
"Humans? Nieren, tell me if you spot anything." Percy asked.
"Okay..." Nieren answered as she sensed something in the area. "I hear footsteps though? I think they're 50 feet in front of us? Behind that boulder."
"Dalia with me. We need to grab some prisoners if they are with the Black Roses. Nieren, cover us with your bow. If there's more than two of them, take out the extras, okay?" Percy instructed.
"Y-Yes Sir Percy."
"Hehe. Gamma and I will move around the edge and try to flush them out. We're counting on you Woody." Dalia said as she readied her claws.
"Hey! You just won't use my name will you Fuzzball? I said I got you cover. So go." Nieren said in a cheerful tone.
"Now you're getting it! Come on Gamma! It's time to hunt!"
The three hid around the backside of a large rock near the hill. As they waited for the enemy to appear, Nieren cloaked herself and went over to find higher ground while Dalia and Percy waited behind some bigger rock.
"Here comes one now...They're coming from the north." Dalia whispered as she poked her head around the side of the rock.
"Can you tell if they're with the Black Roses?." Percy whispered back.
Dalia focused on the figure until she spotted the man's Black Rose uniform on his chest.
"Yep. They're with the Roses alright." Dalia said in a whisper.
"Good. Let's get him!" Percy said as he moved out from his hiding spot and leapt at the man.