Chapter Two: The Cave

Finneas made his way to the city's western wall. He had to walk past the rich part of town to get there. Most of the people living here didn't care much for the poorer people, living down towards the seaside. As long as they had a view, they were very much complacent. Finneas wasn't too keen on the people living in this district. They lived off the backs of the lower folk. The poor worked in the factories and on the docks so that the rich can live in their mansion on top. Finneas would dream of living in those flash buildings up on the hill. He knew very well those dreams would never come true.

By this point, Finneas was puffing. He'd run here as fast as he could. He looked around to make sure no guards were looking. Making his way down one of the dark alleyways, rarely ever visited by anyone, Finneas rediscovered the crack in the wall. It’d been years since he’d last visited this place. Due to growing a bit since the last time he’d visit, Finneas struggled to crawl through the gap. He eventually made his way to the other side. His heart was still beating. Finneas didn’t want to be caught. He knew perfectly what the punishment would be if a guard caught him. The simple thought of the cane almost made him turn back. He decided to continue, however.

Reaching a tall cliff, Finneas tried his damn hardest to remember the path he'd taken many years previously. He'd visited the place before, many times when he was younger. It'd been years since the last time. Although all his friends knew about the place, Finneas always went alone. They all knew he needed time to himself. Everyone did, every once in a while. Sometimes his mind would get so clogged up, that Finneas needed a place to think. After the boy in the mayor’s residence mentioned a cave, Finneas knew exactly the place he was referring to.

Finneas began climbing the cliff. He knew the right places to climb. Finneas was always good at climbing. It was a skill he quickly learned to navigate through the city. He was quite agile, moving upwards rather quickly. Only once did he nearly slip. Finneas placed his foot on a rock he thought stable. It wasn't. The rock simply tumbled away, the sounds of it hitting the ground many feet below. Luckily enough, Finneas grabbed hold of another rock, this one far larger. He was able to use it to pull himself up.

He found himself on a flat patch of ground. Finneas decided to stop for a moment to regain his breath. He looked out towards the city. Up in the sky, the Major Moon had already risen; its golden crescent a glowing beckon. The smaller moon, known as the Minor Moon, was yet to rise. It was too early yet. The small asteroid-like moon would dash across the sky at least twice a day, once around midnight and another around midday. Finneas had heard from some sailors that the minor moon couldn’t be seen further north. He wasn’t sure to believe this. Finneas had never left Estmere, let alone Angleum. It was highly likely the sailors were telling the truth. There was also another moon, known as the Stranger. However, only those with a telescope could see it.

Finneas couldn't remember the last time he'd seen the city from such a distance. It was quite beautiful, although he would never admit such sentimental feelings to other people. He knew quite well he'd be mocked for it. Several apartment towers scattered the cityscape. The bright lights glimmering from the buildings reminded Finneas of the Bell Tree. People would decorate the tree, situated in the centre of town, with lights and all He always found the tradition strange. Apparently, they did it to celebrate the birth of the Maker. However, Finneas never paid much attention to that sort of stuff. Rich kids would always get presents. Finneas and his friend never did. The Bell Tree Festival did not affect him.

With another deep breath, he continued climbing upwards. Finneas felt a cold breeze coming from the north. The wind was beginning to pick up. The night sky was slowly becoming cloudy as if threatening to rain. Finneas knew he had to pick up his pace. he eventually made it to the top of the cliff face. Using all his strength, Finneas pulled himself up. For a few moments, he lay there, regaining his breath again. From there, it was a small and simple path towards the cave. Before entering the cave, Finneas checked to see if he'd been followed. The whole act of checking was ridiculous. No one in their right mind would climb such a cliff. He was certain he was alone.

There was an old lantern at the cave’s entrance. Finneas had left it there many years ago when he first started visiting the cave. Although the matron was suspicious when a lantern had gone missing, she never found out it was Finneas who’d stolen it. Finding a match from his backpack, he lit the wick in the lantern. It gave off a dim light, enough to guide his way through the cave.

The cavernous tunnel felt eerie. The cave was, by no means, man-made. It wasn’t a straight route – with the tunnel twisting and turning, and sometimes forking off down to separate paths. Finneas only knew the correct pathway due to visiting the cave so many times. Every time he visited the cave, he always smelled dampness. Occasionally, the slight sound of an underwater stream could be heard. Finneas had searched far and wide, wandering down all the cave's paths. Yet Finneas was never able to determine where the noise’s source originated from. There were a few pathways blocked by giant boulders. If only Finneas was smaller, he would’ve checked through those gaps.

With the lantern, Finneas was able to navigate through the cave. He'd arrived at his destination. Still feeling awestruck, despite the many times he'd visited this cavern, Finneas entered a large chamber. Finneas had lost count of how many hours he'd sit there staring at the cave's walls. Countless mysterious symbols covered the wall. Finneas had no idea who carved them, let alone what they meant, but he always found it calming to study the strange writings.

Each symbol had been carefully etched into the wall, with each character containing several wedge-shaped marks, as if a scribe had chipped away at the wall. Every symbol looked unique. Of the hundred symbols on the wall, none of them repeated. A few were similar, of course, but everyone was pretty much different. Finneas wasn't sure if they intended to represent actual things, since a few symbols looked like boats while others looked like fish, but Finneas always thought of them as pictures.

Finneas placed the lantern in the centre of the room, allowing the light to engulf the chamber. Sitting down, he simply stared at the symbols. Time flew by. Finneas wasn't even sure how much time had passed. A few minutes, or a few hours – he could not tell. He knew he would have to come up with an excuse when returning to the orphanage. But for a few minutes, Finneas didn't want to think about anything. For a brief moment, he tried to forget everything. All was so silent.

“I thought this cavern would be empty,” a voice suddenly said. “I assume I must be wrong.”

Finneas stood up quickly. Laying nearby was a stick. He quickly grabbed the tree branch. Holding it in front of himself, he tried his best to defend himself. It probably all seemed silly, if not a tad bit ridiculous. What use would a stick do? But Finneas was alerted.

“Calm down boy,” the man said. “You can put that stick down. I’m not going to harm you.”

Finneas still stood his ground. He had no idea who this man was. He’d never seen him before in his entire life. Finneas had no idea whether he could trust him.

“You’re that Sensor everyone’s been yapping about, ain’t you?”

“You saw the commotion,” the Sensor responded. The man slightly chuckled.

Finneas shook his head.

“Then news must travel fast around here, I guess.”

“Who are you exactly?” Finneas asked.

Living in Angluem, Finneas was as far removed from the outer world as possible. Everything he knew came from hearsay. He knew quite well most of it was unreliable. But tad bits of information did get passed around. Finneas was well aware of the Order, and some of the despicable things they’d done.

“I’m part of the Order,” the man responded.

“’I’m quite aware,” Finneas remarked. “I’m not dumb.”

“Didn’t say you were,” the Sensor defended himself. “The name’s Sebastos, but I suppose you can call me Seb.”

“I’m called Finneas… Finn for short.”

Finneas was unsure why he gave his name. He still holding the tree branch. He still couldn’t trust the Sensor. Finneas was taught from an early age the Order was a scourge of the Republic. It was the Order’s greed that caused Estmere to join the damn republic.

"I was told there was great power up here," the Sensor said. "It's weird because I cannot sense anything. Whatever's up here, it's not magic-based, I suppose."

“You mean the symbols?”

Sebastos stared blankly as if complexed. Surely the man could see all the symbols written on the cave's wall. The look on the Sensor's face said otherwise.

"There are no symbols," Sebastos stated.

The Sensor paused for a moment, not saying a word. Finneas wasn't sure what the silence was about. The man seemed to ponder something. Finally, Sebastos spoke.

"Can you draw the symbols?" the Sensor asked. "With the stick, you're holding, if you can?"

Carefully, Finneas drew the symbols on the cave’s floor. Over the years, Finneas had remembered every symbol. He could draw them without having to look at them. He drew about five of the symbols. The Sensor knelt to study them.

“Interesting,” he said.

“You’ve seen these before?” Finneas asked.

“I have,” Sebastos replied. "As a member of the Order, I have access to the Imperial Archive. It's the only place anyone can find these symbols. But those tomes… they are completely closed off from anyone but Sensors and Scholars. And you're no Scholar?”

“What you mean?”

Finneas was confused. Nothing the Sensor was saying made any sense. He'd never heard of the Imperial archive, let alone Scholars. Whatever a Scholar was, Finneas wasn’t one – he was sure of it. Why Sebastos thought Finneas was a Scholar baffled him.

“So, the tales were true,” the Sensor continued. He still wasn’t making much sense. “The Seer did see those symbols. He wasn’t making it up.”

Finneas had heard of the Seer before. He was said to be the person who discovered magic... or at least brought magic into the world. Besides that, Finneas wasn’t sure what the Sensor was going on about.

“You can see those symbols… symbols only you can see,” the man continued; still not making sense. “You’re the Seer…”

“The Seer?” Finneas asked. “What you mean?”

“Prophecies,” the Sensor answered, although it still didn’t make much sense. Finneas was certainly still confused. “Prophecies made by the founder of our Order. The Seer.”

“What’s that got to do with me?”

“The Seer said he would return…” Sebastos exclaimed. “And here you are.”

Finneas took a few steps back. The boy accidentally slammed his back against the cave's floor. Although he was in pain, the Sensor statement distracted him. What was this man going on about? Finneas wasn’t special. He was just a normal kid. Not some Seer, or whatever the man was saying.

“I think you must be mistaken,” he responded. “I’m pretty much a nobody. I’m nothing special or anything.”

The sensor simply laughed.

“You’re the spark that lights the fire,” he said. “The Order is rotten to the core. You can fix that.”

“Fix what? Nothing you’re saying’s making sense.”

“Oh… but it is…”

Sebastos started walking back and forth. Finneas stood there as the man began proposing the plan.

"I'm certain no one will notice one boy going missing," the Sensor said as if speaking to himself. He mumbled for a bit. Finneas wasn’t sure what the man was going on about.

“What you planning?” Finneas asked. “What this to do with me?”

"You're aware of what's happening with magic? About the price increase?"

Although Finneas wasn't all too interested in politics, his friends and he was already feeling the effects of the manna shortage. He wasn't all too sure why this was occurring, but magic was running out.

"You people say it'll disappear in about fifty years," Finneas responded.

Sebastos scoffed.

“It’s dire than that,” he explained. “Ten years at best. Twenty if we’re lucky. The lifeforce of the Republic. Imagine the chaos if all that manna ceased to exist?”

Although Finneas wasn't the smartest kid out there, he was well aware of the impact of something like that occurring. Many of the factories spotted around Angluem relied on magic to run. If all that manna disappeared, how else would those giant machines run? Even the radio in the orphanage was run on magic. The matron would always go off her rocket whenever one of the kids overused the thing.

“Isn’t there any way to get some more magic? Surely it can replenish?” Finneas probably sounded naïve. He wasn’t dumb, but nor was he an expert. “There is a way… right?”

The Sensor didn’t answer immediately.

“Magic is finite,” the man began explaining. “It’s not some forest. Magic simply doesn’t regrow. Like a stone, you can keep chipping away at it. Eventually, all you will have is dust. Nothing else. You will never recover the pieces you’ve chipped away.”

“So, all is lost, then?”

“Not exactly,” Sebastos slight chuckled. “That’s where you come in.”

"Me?" Finneas asked puzzlingly. "What can I do?"

“You can see these symbols,” the Sensor explained. “The Seer could as well. He used those symbols to bring magic into the world. If the prophecies are right… I think you can do the same thing. There’s a portal stone in Rivetia City, built by the Goblins. If I'm right, I think you'll be able to open the portal. The Seer did this almost a thousand years ago. Opening it again would surely restore the supply of magic."

Everything was occurring so fast. Finneas felt somewhat dizzy. Was he hearing the Sensor correctly?

"You want me to go to Rivetia?" Finnesa asked. "That's like… I've never gone that far before. I've never even left Angluem.”

Something in the Sensor’s pocket beeped. He took out a strange device. He softly spoke into it – Finneas could barely hear what the man was saying. Placing the device back into his pocket, the Sensor redirected his attention towards the boy.

"Look…" the Sensor reassured Finneas, "I'm not forcing or anything. You don't have to go to Rivetia. But if you change your mind; we will be waiting just outside the city, just slightly north. We'll set a small fire just to aid you if you want. I can explain everything while we travel. I have to go… but I hope to see you soon."

Without further instructions, the Sensor left, leaving Finneas alone in the cave. Finneas wasn’t sure whether he was going to take up the offer. He always wanted to escape his ordinary boring life. He simply never expected to get a chance to do so. Finneas decided it was best to talk to his friend. Kistoph was always the best person for advice.

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After a few minutes of pondering, Finneas decided it was time to leave. Picking up the lantern, the he began his journey back through the cave. A bat briefly flew into Finneas’s face. He jumped ever so slightly. Usually, he was accustomed to stuff like this happening. But Finneas felt somewhat unnerved. Coming to the cave's entrance, Finneas began climbing down the cliffside. He wondered how the Sensor was able to get down. There were no signs of anyone else having climbed the cliff. Perhaps there was another path he was unaware of. It was quicker to get down than it was to climb up. It wasn't before long that Finneas had reached the ground. Carefully crawling through the crack in the wall, Finneas re-entered the city.

Finneas finally arrived at the orphanage. It was past midnight. He knew he wouldn't be able to sneak through the front door. It was certain that the matron would catch him. The punishment would be unspeakable. Knowing the matron, Finneas didn’t want to find out. He would have to climb the building and sneak through one of the upstairs windows.

The boy carefully scaled the wall, making sure he didn’t make any noise. Most importantly, he didn’t want to fall either. Finneas didn’t want to explain why he was outside at night climbing, let alone why he wasn’t around for dinner. Finneas gently pulled the window up, allowing enough room to wriggle through.

Finneas entered the dorm room. Everyone had gone to bed. He approached his friend's bed. He softly tapped on Kistoph’s shoulder. His friend was already fast asleep. Kistoph, however, quickly awakened.

“What’s it?” Kistoph asked. “Where’d you go? And what took so long?”

“It’s complicated,” Finneas replied. “Can we go to the common room? There’s something I’ve to tell.”

“Sure…?”

Kistoph crawled out of bed. He was far quicker than Finneas when getting up. The two boys entered the common room. His friend sat down on one of the couches. Finneas decided to remain standing. He still felt restless after what he'd just experienced.

“I met the Sensor,” he explained to his friend.

“You met the Sensor, for real?” Kistoph said, sounding astonished. “The guy the mayor talked about?”

“Yeah… it was him.”

“Like…” his friend began asking, “do you know why he’s here… in Angluem.”

“Said he was looking for something,” Finneas continued explaining. “Not sure what he meant at first. Still not sure, to be honest. But… I… umm… think that something might be me?”

“You?” Kistoph sounded confused. “What you mean?”

“He said I was the Seer.”

“What’s that?”

“Not sure, actually,” Finneas answered. “But the Sensor – his name’s Seb... or something like that – explained it all to me."

Finneas described to his friend the conversation he had with the Sensor. He mentioned how only he can see the cave’s symbols, that the supply of magic was depleted, and that the Sensor asked Finneas to travel with him to Rivetia. Finneas explained there was a portal stone in the Riverlands that only he can open.

“So you’re going to take up that offer, leave this dump of a town?” Kistoph asked.

Finneas shook his head. Something still didn’t feel right. He was unable to point to it, nor explain it, but he wasn’t willing to take a risk. He knew quite well he’d get in trouble. Like, real trouble.

“Nah,” he replied.

“You for real?” his friend seemed shocked. “You get the chance to leave this deadbeat town, and you throw it away?”

“I assume so,” Finneas tried to defend his position. “Everyone I know is here. My brother. Molls. You. I can leave you, can I?”

“Look, if you won’t go alone, I’m going to have to tag along,” Kistoph began explaining. “I want out, just as much as everyone. We’ve no future here. None.”

“What about everyone else?” Finneas asked. “We can’t just leave them behind.”

“I’m sure once we’ve made it big, I’m sure we can return for them. It’s not like this place is hurting us. It’s just… you know… a cycle. I don’t think we’ll get another chance.”

“Suppose you’re right,” Finneas said in defeat.

Somehow Kistoph managed to convince Finneas into journeying to Rivetia City. His friend always had persuasive power. Finneas wasn’t sure how he was able to pull it off. He remembered once how Kistoph haggled a freshly caught snapper down to a few crowns. His friend was also better at lying to grownups. Besides the matron, most adults believed whatever came out of Kistoph’s mouth. Finneas was convinced his friend could get away with blue murder if he ever wanted to.

Finneas carefully tiptoed into the dorm. He tried to be as quiet as he could. He was certain he didn’t want to wake anyone up. Slowly he opened the cupboard. He packed as many clothes as he could in his backpack. He made sure to leave room for food they'd surely have to buy along the way. Finneas wasn't sure if they'd be able to sneak into the kitchen to steal food without being caught. He just didn't want to risk it. They had to leave before anyone realised.

Kistoph also packed, although he was a tad bit noisier than Finneas. Luckily his friend didn't wake anyone up. Shuffling through his personal belongings, the very few he owned, he noticed an old photograph. Taken many years ago, the picture was beginning to fade. But her face was recognisable. Finneas and his brother were a spitting image of the women. He never truly knew his mother – only scant memories. This was the only photograph he had of her. Carefully, Finneas packed the photo into one of his backpack’s side pockets.

They were about to leave approaching the staircase when a voice spoke. For a brief moment, Finneas thought they’d been caught. They hadn’t, however.

“Where you going?” Mollie asked.

Finneas turned to face the girl. For a moment, he thought about lying to her. Against his better judgement, Finneas decided to tell the truth.

“We’re leaving…”

“Why?”

“It’s… I’m not sure how to explain this…” Finneas mumbled through his words.

“What’s Finn’s trying to say,” Kistoph came to Finneas’s defence, “we’re going to the Riverlands.”

“The Riverlands?” Mollie asked, sounding perplexed. “Why there?”

“I’m the Seer,” Finneas explained. “I meant to open some portal. We’re travelling with a Sensor. I think he’s trustworthy.”

“You leaving on a whim just because some guy says your special?” Mollie said.

Hearing someone say it, the whole situation seemed ridiculous. Why should Finneas trust this stranger? The Sensor, however, seemed genuine.

“I don’t know if I’m some chosen one,” Finneas explained. “The Sensor could be lying; I just don’t know. But this might be my only chance… a chance to see the world.”

“What about Kenelm, your brother?” Mollie asked. “You really going to leave him?”

Finneas had briefly thought about taking his brother with him. It’d probably be a good idea. he had already decided against that. Who knows what dangers lie ahead? At least Finneas knew his brother was safe staying in Angleum.

“He’s got you… and Teller… I’m sure he’ll cope.”

Mollie did immediately respond to Finneas’s remark. For maybe a minute or so, the girl stared at him, as if trying to enter the boy's inner thoughts. Finneas felt quite uncomfortable. It was as if Mollie was telling him off, or something. She did this quite often.

“I hope you know what you doing,” she said, sounding thoughtful.

The girl didn’t say anything else. Mollie simply turned around and returned to the girl's dormitory. Finneas felt a bit shaken, but he was ready to leave. The two boys tiptoed down the staircase, making sure not to make even the slightest squeak.

Before leaving the orphanage, Finneas decided to visit the kitchen. He was pretty sure no one would be lingering there so late at night. However, he was sure if Nance caught him the cook most likely would turn a blind eye. From time to time, kids would sneak into the kitchen. As long as they didn't take too much, Nance wouldn't mention how food and ingredients were going missing. Although he'd packed his fishing gear in his backpack, Finneas wasn’t too sure when he’d get the chance to catch anything. From the sounds of it, they most likely were going to travel through the Hlath Forest. Although small springs wiggled through the forest, Finneas heard rumours no fish swam in those waters. It was cursed for some strange reason. Whatever it was, he was prepared to wait till he to the ocean clearing before even thinking about throwing a line out.

Opening the breadbasket, Finneas packed a half dozen loaves of bread into his backpack. He found some canned food as well. He made sure to only take enough for a few days. They were sure to find a few stores along the way once they'd passed the forest. Kistoph handed Finneas his shoulder bag. He stored a few food cans in his friend’s bag also.

Finished raiding the pantry, Finneas and Kistoph continued tiptoeing towards the orphanage’s front door. Twisting the doorknob, he opened the door slowly. The door had a habit of squeaking whenever opened. Finneas made sure not to make a noise. For a brief moment, he thought he’d heard something; as if someone was walking down the stairs. It was nothing, much to his relief.

Having made their way out of the orphanage, they were free to not worry about making too much noise. They quickly scurried away, darting down the city’s back alleys. They soon made it to Angleum’s main street. There was an unusual amount of people still wandering the street. The two boys made sure not to bump into anyone, in case it drew suspicion. They also made sure their hoods covered their heads, hiding their faces. They made their way to the north section of town. It was near a few factories. Guards usually didn't bother patrolling the area. The lack of security allowed Finneas and Kistoph to sneak into one of the factories' grounds.

Kistoph knew this part better than Finneas. His friend knew exactly where the sewer’s entrance was. Finneas simply followed his friend. Kistoph approached a barbwire fence. There was a gap in the metal railing, where someone had cut a pathway. The two boys were small enough to sneak through the gap. They continued moving, keeping close to the factory building. They eventually came to a bank. Factory owners were known to throw their unwanted waste here. Piles of rubbish covered the bottom of the bank. It smelt horrible. Both boys wrapped cloth around their lower faces, covering themselves from whatever disease lurked ahead.

Making their way down the bank, they came across the sewer's entrance. Although they could easily sneak through the bars that covered the entranceway, there was a door nearby used by sewerage cleaners. Neither of them wanted to waddle through filthy water. Kistoph wandered in first, to make sure no one was there. Alerting his friend that it was safe, Finneas followed.

Finding themselves in what seemed to be a storage room, Kistoph climbed down a ladder. Finneas did likewise. They entered what seemed to be a long round hallway stretching off into the distance. He had not even the faintest idea how far these tunnels went. Wandering through the sewer’s tunnel, Finneas could feel a rat crawling at his feet. Panicking, he kicked the rat. His friend turned to see what the problem was.

“It’s nothing,” Finneas muttered, somewhat embarrassed.

All his friend could do was smirk. Finneas felt like an all-around fool. At least it was in front of Kistoph and no one else. His friend would poke fun at Finneas, but Kistoph was never that cruel. He knew when enough is enough. It was certain even Kistoph was feeling a tad bit jittery.

They walked for what seemed like hours. A large amount of time probably didn't pass, but it felt like it. Finneas’s foot was beginning to hurt. He would sporadically have to skirt around one of the rats. He didn’t want to embarrass himself again. It was difficult to describe the smell. Even with cloth covering their noses, the revolting smell permutated. There seemed to be no escape from the scent of rotting sewerages. The sooner they got out the better, Finneas had decided.

Eventually, they came across what seemed to be an exit. Bars covered the large pipe’s exit. Finneas tried to squeeze through. He struggled before deciding not to attempt that again. The gaps between the bars were too tight to pass through. They weren't getting out that way. The two boys did some backtracking, finding another pathway. Following that way down, they came to what appeared to be another storage room. There was a large metal door on the other side of the room. This was most likely the way out. Kistoph dashed for the door. He tried to open it, pulling the doorknob as hard as possible. He quickly gave up.

“Dammit. It’s locked…” Kistoph said, sounding disappointed.

“Perhaps there’s a key somewhere,” Finneas remarked.

Knowing Sebastos was waiting for them, they searched the room looking for any semblance of a key. Throughout the storage room were large wooden boxes, stacked on top of each other. Although it was difficult, they managed to open one of those boxes. Inside was glowing blue crystals – obviously no keys in sight. They did the same with another box, this time finding green glimmering crystals. It became apparent none of the boxes would contain a key of any sort.

“Here…” Kistoph pointed out, rummaging through his shoulder bag. He took out a parchment. “I brought this map. A friend said it’s of the sewers. Maybe it’ll tell us where the keys are kept?”

“You sure it’ll tell us that?” Finneas pondered aloud.

“Of course, it would,” his friend defended himself.

Underneath the small glimmer the lantern Finneas had brought with him, the two boys examined the map. It was large and complex. Finneas was barely able to grasp where exactly they were. However, his friend was better at directions.

“Here,” he pointed.

“Guard station?” Finneas read. “You think there?”

“Why not…? Why wouldn’t they keep something important like a key?”

“Well…” Finneas murmured for a bit. “It’s at least a try. Let’s hope no guards are about.”

“Why would they?” his friend remarked. "No guards want to be patrolling this place anyway. And not like we saw anyone coming here."

“S’pose you’re right…”

Although still uncertain, Finneas decided to follow Kistoph. Although he could easily wait in the storage room, he wanted to make sure his friend didn’t get into trouble. While it was highly likely the guard station would be abandoned – who in their right minds would want to patrol a place like a sewer anyway – Finneas still had a feeling something bad could occur. Better safe than sorry, the he always told himself.

It didn’t take long to find the guard station. Kistoph had a good grasp of reading the map. He'd obviously studied the parchment for many hours already. Was his friend not telling him something, Finneas pondered? Situated in a large room, in which several different tunnel pathways connected, the guard station was crudely made. Finneas was surprised it was an official location – surely, they could’ve built something more substantial? It looked more like a smuggler’s den. The he had heard about those places from sailors. Apparently, every city had one. Finneas didn’t believe they existed… not until now.

“Better look ‘round some, aye,” Kistoph smirked as he walked up the plank and into the wooden hut. “I wonder where they’d keep the key.”

“You sure?” Finneas asked, following his friend. “I’m not sure about this. It just doesn’t seem right.”

“Some scaredy-cat, are you?” his friend joked.

“Nah…”

“Then what’s the hassle, then? Let’s go. It won’t take long.”

The two boys began searching. Finneas felt uneasy looking through another person’s belonging. But since Kistoph was insistent the key would be found here; Finneas didn't complain. There were a lot of clothes; none of which were guard uniforms. Ragged clothes you'd expect a pirate or something to wear. There was also a stack of old newspapers – several years old. They were yellow and mouldy; Finneas hated the idea of picking them up.

While searching for the key, Finneas noticed a red book. It'd been used recently. He opened it only to find numbers and statistics, none of which he could understand. Not wanting to disrupt his friend, Finneas placed the book down where he'd found it. There was also a note. Finneas wasn't the best reader, but he was able to get a grasp of the note's message said. A meeting and a shipment, or something along that line, the note read. Finneas had no idea what that was about. He ignored the note and continued searching.

“Found anything yet?” he asked his friend. Kistoph simply shook his head.

“Nope…” his friend remarked. “Just keep looking. I’m sure it’s somewhere around here.”

Finneas was probably getting too complacent as he searched the hut. He wasn't aware of the slow yet steady footsteps approaching the hut; not until his friend tapped his shoulder. There were some boxes nearby, which allowed them to remain hidden. With a blanket over them, Finneas saw only vague silhouettes of the two figures that had entered the hut.

"Payment… on time…" one of the men said. He had a low husky voice. Finneas had heard this person before. He was a guard that occasionally oversaw the kids whenever the harbourmaster was unavailable. Finneas never liked the guy. His breath smelt horrible at times – as if the guard had eaten rotten fish. Finneas was uncertain who the other person was; but from the sounds of it, he was another guard.

“Honest day work, aye…” the other man muttered, slowly approaching where the two boys were hidden. He stared at the blanket, seemingly perplexed. The man was about to lift the blankets, revealing their location, but he was distracted by the first guard.

"The fact we have to resort to stuff like this shows how rotten the system is," the first guard remarked. "Dealing with thugs… I thought we meant to serve and protect… not become part of the system."

“Who to say what’s right and wrong, bro,” the second man replied.

“The mayor seems to turn a blind eye,” the first man continued. “Hey… did you move this blanket?”

“No…?”

Finneas heart started to beat harder. He was hoping the man would forget about them – simply move on. He prayed to the Maker, hoping something would help him. The man started to approach them. He was about to lift the blanket when the other guy spoke.

“Hey…” the second man said. “Want to go for a round? I know a good place near the harbour district. You in?”

“Sure.”

Finneas heard the two men leave the wooden hut – their footsteps stomped as they crossed the plank. Both boys remained still, fearing the guards would return.

“Hey… what about the key?” one of the men asked.

“What about it?”

“Should we leave it hanging about?”

“Nah… not like anyone’s going to stray in here… no one ever comes down here. Why you think we’ve been doing this scam for so long?”

“Seems reasonable, aye.”

Then there was silence. Neither boy dared to move, fearing the men would return. Waiting for what seemed like a long time, although probably only ten minutes or so, both boys stood up – throwing the blanket behind them. Kistoph quickly dashed for the key.

“We be needing this,” he said.

Not wanting to be there when the guards returned, they rushed back to the locked door. For a moment, Finneas feared the key wouldn't work. When the door opened, he sighed with relief. The door led to a long hallway, probably going down the side of the city's wall.

It didn’t take too long to reach the sewer’s exit – dashing quickly down the hallway. Finneas was rather surprised at how quick it took them to make it through the place. Finneas was glad to get away from the revolting smell permeating the sewer. Kistoph quickly glanced outside, making sure there were no watchtowers. The both boys had heard the stories before. Guard posts were scattered across the city's walls. Since neither of them had travelled through the sewers before – having only heard of the secret passageway from friends – they weren't too sure whether there'd be any guard towers near the exit. Kistoph spent maybe ten seconds before returning to the shadow of the sewer.

"Don't think they guard this place," his friend remarked. "But we better be careful, aye. Don't want to be caught now."

“Agree,” Finneas responded. While the punishment for wandering the city's streets after curfew would certainly not be pleasant, he was sure the punishment for being outside the city's wall would be worse. “We better get going then, before any of those guards in there decided to check this place.”

“Good thinking,” Kistoph replied.

Although no watchtowers were anywhere near them, they decided it was best to walk down the side of a small creek hiding behind the cover of shrubs. Neither boy wanted to take the chance. They were determined not to be noticed.

Slowly, they made their way down the side of the creek, making sure not to fall into the running water. Although the river wasn’t moving too fast, Finneas wasn't all too keen to get wet. For starters, it'd take hours to get his jumper to dry, and also, he worried the commotion would draw attention to any nearby guards.

Most kids living in Angleum learned how to swim at a young age. They either learned how to swim, or they'd risk drowning. Most of the grownups didn't care for orphans like Finneas; they were simply a statistic. If a child fell into the water, adults wouldn’t bother rescuing them. It was expected the child to make his own way ashore. Finneas remembered accidentally falling from the pier once. He quickly learned the importance of knowing how to swim.

The river began moving westwards towards the sea. This went on for about a half mile before turning again northward towards Hlath Forest. Hearing from outsiders that had travelled this region, Finneas knew it would turn westwards again toward the sea.

A half-hour passed before they noticed a small hazy glow. A hundred feet, they presumed, was where they were going to meet up Sebastos. The light had to be coming from a campsite. For a moment, Finneas wondered whether it was a trap. Perhaps it wasn't the Sensor? Maybe it was a stranger – someone who could rat them out to the guards. Although Finneas wasn't all too certain, he decided they had no choice but to approach.

Before Finneas could say anything, Kistoph approached the campsite.

“You Sebastos?” his friend asked the shadowy figure.

As Finneas got closer, it was apparent the man wasn’t the Sensor. Dread started going down his spine. Had they finally been caught? The figure, however, stood up. Pulling his hood back, the person revealed himself.

"I presume I have some explaining to do,” the stranger said.