In short order, the captain managed to lead them to the secret tunnel, disguised behind a shelf in the back of a storeroom. The guards followed them as they prepared to leave, thanking them for their bravery or saying prayers to their faiths. Ashi tried to tune it out.

Rune seemed at ease, talking to a few of the guards. She took the opportunity to get a better look at him.

The long green cloak remained the most notable feature, while his short hair was gray, in stark contrast to how young his face looked. Under the cloak, he wore a white shirt that fit tightly, and gray pants clasped by a black belt. If it weren't for the hair, she would have guessed late 20s, but she was instead pushed towards late 30s. And an incredibly stressful life. Though, she thought with a small smirk, they might say the same about her and her hair. Maybe the gray hair was just natural. She supposed there were weirder things in her life.

Noticing her looking, Rune smiled back at her, and she looked away with a small frown. She didn't want him getting the wrong impression – the right impression being, after she managed to slip away, that she hoped to never deal with him again. The only question was how she was going to slip away.

Rune stepped next to her, and the captain, with some help, managed to heave the secret door open, revealing a short staircase down into a dark passage. The sound of dripping could be heard.

“Miss Ashi, wait!” a voice called out, and turning she saw a guard running to her with – of all things – the spear. “You almost forgot your spear.” He passed to her, and Ashi stared down at it in a moment of mild frustration before nodding and turning around again. She was almost free of this.

“Good luck,” the captain solemnly intoned. “The people of Klam shall await your victory.”

“Right, right,” Ashi waved dismissively. “Let's not waste any more time.” And she descended into the earth.

Rune followed, and the door was heaved shut, leaving them in near-total darkness.

“Ah, right, a torch,” Rune said, almost to himself. Raising his voice, “Did you bring a light?” Ashi looked back at him quizzically, and he blinked at her. “Your eyes glow...”

“It's just a straight line, this level of light is fine,” and with that, she started making her way forward across the dim ground.

Rune followed, hesitantly, though Ashi almost wished he had been too afraid of the dark to continue. Though, as she walked, she realized there were no actual sources of light here, and she couldn't remember a time she'd been in a dark she couldn't slightly see through. Perhaps she could see in the dark?

She stopped and turned around again, and Rune stopped in turn. “Can you see anything?”

“No?” he replied, clearly not expecting the question. “Except for your eyes, when you turn around,” he added after, “They look like they glow, but I don't think they're actually emitting any light.”

Ashi looked at him silently for a moment, before sighing. Then, realization.

It was dark. He couldn't see. And if he was dead, there would be no obstacle to her managing an escape. Her impossible promise could be left unfulfilled, and she could escape.

“While we're standing here,” Rune rocked on his feet, back and forth, “I wanted to suggest a plan.”

“A plan?” Ashi repeated, fingers playing with her sword.

“Right. I'm not questioning your competency, but taking all of the Aulins head on is a very dangerous proposition. But, since we're approaching from a direction they won't expect, we have a new option.”

Ashi was on the verge of using his voice as the cover for her sword swing, but the potential of another way was appealing, especially as Ashi realized her food was in her bag, which meant leaving could very well mean her starving in the middle of nowhere. So, she calmed her fingers, and with a deep breath, “What are you suggesting?”

“Cut the head off the snake,” Rune said simply. “If we kill the Kaulin, and as many Baulins as possible, the Aulins should be intimidated enough to retreat. And even if they don't, they'll have lost the majority of their strength and an even bigger counterattack will be possible.”

It was a good idea, Ashi admitted quietly to herself. It was a better option than diving into the Aulins or fleeing into the wilderness. In fact, she thought while looking at his bow, this plan might now even require much of her at all. So, she nodded. “That plan seems sensible.”

“Fantastic,” Rune had a faint smile.

“So, what does your bow do?” Ashi turned and began walking again.

“Sharp eye,” Rune tapped his bow fondly, “this bow materializes an arrow when the string it pulled back. The arrow is made of pure energy, meaning it had an easier time piercing armor, and dissipates after impact.”

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“Nice,” Ashi had a small grin, “Where'd you get it?”

“It is a gift from the Order. I'm one of their field agents.”

“Nice name for a group,” Ashi had a short laugh.

“You haven't heard of the Order,” Rune sounded surprised.

“I try not to pay attention,” she called back, before nearly colliding with a set of sudden stairs. “Stairs.”

Rune paused. “Where?”

She reached back and grabbed him by the sleeve, pulling him up to her. “Here.” And up she went, Rune following hesitantly behind.

At the top of the stairs, she found what looked a bit like a cellar trapdoor. She pushed against it, displacing what felt like a lot of weight that slowly fell off, before it was open they were immediately assaulted by rain, and the faint but present ambient light.

“Can't say I loved that experience,” Rune commented as they emerged out into a wooded clearing. Looking back, they could see they were a good few hundred feet from the palisade, well within the cut-back tree line. Looking down at the trapdoor they'd emerged from, it was clear that a mass of rock, dirt, and twigs had been put on top to make it inconspicuous. “We should cover this back up, just in case.”

“Go ahead,” Ashi told him, leaning against a tree and looking for Aulins, “I opened it.”

With a nod of acknowledgment he closed the trapdoor and began restoring it, until it was very hard to make out at a casual glance.

“Now for the hard part,” he groaned, stretching. “Any monsters?”

“They seem to be staying inside the walls,” and after a moment, “the rain might be making them stay indoors?”

“Possible,” Rune admitted, “I'm no expert in monstrous behavior.”

“Fine with me,” Ashi commented, “as long as you can shoot straight.” That reminded her, she hefted the spear she'd been loosely holding on to. “Want another ranged weapon?”

Rune blinked. “You're offering it to me?”

“I don't want it,” she told him.

Shrugging, he accepted the spear. “Thank you.” Turning to face Klam,”now, we scale the wall.”

“Climbing,” Ashi mused. How hard could it be?

Rune put up his hood, and the two of them made their way across the field. Rune's shoes squeaked against the wet grass, a pleasant reminder to Ashi that the ill-fitting boots were worth the investment.

It turned out that climbing could be every hard, especially on wet wood. Rune went first, having the foreknowledge to look for good handholds. Ashi was forced to climb in his shadow, hoping no Aulins were close enough to hear her frustration over the rain.

Frustration turned to panic as her foot slipped, and she began to fall. In a desperate gambit, she pulled forth her rapier and stuck it into the wall, leaving her hanging by a hand. At least its grip was snugly in her grasp.

“Quiet,” Rune hissed down at her, and she shot him a glare, her retort obvious.

With that mild moment of terror passed, Rune reached the top, and Ashi pulled herself up next to him, rebuffing his attempt at helping her the last few feet. She sat leaned against the wood as Rune crouched next to her, scanning the streets. They were almost entirely empty, save for the occasional Aulin running past.

“So, a Kaulin,” Ashi murmured. “Where would they be?”

“Logic would dictate the place with the most prestige. My guess is city hall.”

Ashi nodded, and returned to her feet.

Continuing to be crouched low, they made their way around about a quarter of the city on top of the wall before the rain began to slow. Looking up, Ashi could see that most of the darker clouds seemed to have given up. She smiled at the thought that this would let her wring out her hair and tail.

Rune did not share her pleasure. “This might be a problem,” he scowled at the sky. “Our fortunes may be about to turn.” Not noticing the befuddled look Ashi gave him, he closed his eyes briefly, before opening them and pointing to a building topped by a bell tower. “See town hall?”

“Yes?”

He shifted his point over to some nearby buildings. “I will go across those roofs to provide support. Then, you go from here to the building, and, if the Kaulin is inside, kill them and whatever bodyguards they might have. Can you do that?”

“Of course I can,” Ashi said stiffly, only adding the 'probably' in her head.

“Right,” Rune nodded. “I'll wave to you when I'm ready.” And he was off.

Ashi stared at the building, silently cursing everything. She once again contemplated just flinging herself in the opposite direction, but in truth she was doomed either way. So, she steadied herself. Her ability to fight had surprised her before. It could do so again. She remembered a thought she'd had soon after leaving Jipon. No matter what, she'd find a way to survive.

Rune was waving at here from a rooftop between her and her goal. She straightened. Showtime.

She swung herself over the rails and down onto the street. Fortunately this drop was less extreme than the one she'd taken before, so she landed without difficulty. In a puddle. She spared only a grimace down before she began to sprint down the empty street, as the rain fully fizzled out and sunbeams began to peek through the clouds.

She turned a corner, and nearly ran into an Aulin – it barely had time to register her before her rapier cut it down to the ground. She ran without staying to watch it fall, hearing its flesh slapped against the stone behind her.

Another corner, and two Aulins impeded her. She ran one through, but as she turned to the other a gray arrow flew down into its back. As it fell the arrow dissipated like smoke.

She resumed running and turned the final corner, entering into the city square directly across from the town hall. There were no Aulins between her and there. She dashed across the square.

Halfway to her goal, she heard the faintest noise. Without breaking stride, she snapped her eyes towards it. It was an Aulin, staring at her. Her eyes met its, icy blue and glossy black.

She skidded to a stop and twirled her sword around in her grip, before throwing it like a javelin – like the spear.

But it wasn't the spear, and the sword fell short of its goal, hitting the pavement at the Aulin's feet. It looked at the rapier, then at her.

Its mouth opened, and it let out a high-pitched, panicked shriek.

A gray arrow flew down and struck it, silencing its voice and knocking it to the floor.

For a moment, there was silence.

And then the city burst into noise.