It was taking far too long to get back to the hideout. Rhenor was getting more frustrated by the minute as yet again they were forced to change the direction they were going in just to avoid a single guard.

Rhenor fully understood why they had to be this cautious, but that didn't stop him from getting angry over it. They were wasting time, and the longer he went on not knowing if Kaz was even alive still, the more anxious and impatient he would get. Thankfully, so far he'd been able to keep that to himself.

They had gotten back inside the city using an unlocked door in the wall that was far in the back of the city's poorer neighborhood. Rhen had been surprised to find out about that, but also not surprised at all at the same time. It was odd that the security of the whole city wasn't a concern, but since the location of the door was fairly well hidden, he wasn't exactly shocked that the Dragon Lord of Sigallah didn't care much and might not even know about it.

But once they managed to get to it, which had been somewhat easy given that they'd had a lot of cover from the trees, and gotten inside of the city, they had both been surprised by how many guards there were.

It was almost sunrise when they finally managed to reach the basement and disappear inside of it. Thankfully at least the guards didn't seem to have found out about that because if they had, Rhen had no idea what they would do next.

He didn't waste time grabbing his things. He wished he could take two of those bedrolls with him as well, but right now they needed to travel light. They might have to run from the guards at any point, and the more they carried, the harder that would get. Still, he couldn't help but pause with his hand on the bedroll he'd used the day before, wondering if he and Kaz were going to travel together even one more time.

Rhenor internally winced as it occurred to him just how much he'd bemoaned and insulted the dragons while Kaz had been present. Rhen had no interest in pretending that he didn't think all the things he'd said, but Kaz had no doubt assumed it applied to him as well.

No wonder he'd never told him. Rhenor hadn't even realized how much he complained about the dragons on the regular because it had been completely normal to do so in Arlow. Especially in Arlow because the dragons nor their servants visited that corner of the kingdom. But Kaz didn't deserve to be lumped up with the rest of his kind, and knowing him, he'd probably taken all of it to heart.

Rhenor ran a hand over his face. He didn't regret what he'd said about dragons, but he wished he'd known that Kaz was one, so he could have at least made it clear to him that Rhenor hadn't talked about him specifically at any point.

Why did Kaz even like Rhenor enough to be around him when he talked about dragons this way? Sure, Kaz was attracted to him, but that wasn't all of it, surely. Maybe he'd thought he'd be able to hide it forever and Rhenor would never find out, though that was hardly realistic.

Rhenor sighed and pulled his bag over his shoulder. There was no point in thinking about this until they rescued Kaz. And while not thinking about it would be difficult for him, he would have to do his best because these thoughts were intensely distracting.

"All right," said Elaya as she came into the room, a rolled-up map under her arm. She was keeping her expression neutral, though her eyes betrayed that she was angry. And she had a right to be. "I think there's only one logical place Kaz could have been brought to."

Rhen watched her unroll the map on the table, leaning onto it. The map only showed Sigallah and the surrounding maybe twenty miles, but that would be more than enough. And Rhenor had a feeling he already knew what place Elaya was talking about.

"The castle."

Elaya nodded, giving the drawing of it a glare. Even drawn it looked unnecessarily large. It was apparently called Serrok Castle, and it was no doubt where the local Dragon Lord lived. Rhenor hadn't thought it would be this relatively far away from the city, but it seemed like a fair bet to him as well.

It would have been easier if Kaz was being transported back to the Capital, but that was unlikely. It was very far away, and no dragon would bother flying over there just to get Kaz there faster. And as far as Rhen knew, there was no need to transport Kaz there at all.

He wished they could somehow verify that Kaz was indeed being held at the castle, but they didn't have time, and it would be risky. The city guard was looking for them, and they'd no doubt given their description to the citizens of Sigallah already. If he and Elaya got captured before even getting inside of the castle, it wouldn't help anyone.

"We need to see if any of Nova's old contacts can tell us how to get inside," Elaya said, still glaring down at the map. "We can't just walk through the front door."

Of course, they couldn't, even though Rhenor enjoyed the idea, at least in his head. It wouldn't be worth it just to see the dragon's outrage at a pair of humans trying this, but it was still amusing to think about.

"How many contacts did she have?"

Elaya reached under the table, pulling out a drawer. She rummaged through it for a moment before pulling out a folded piece of parchment. Rhenor's eyebrows flew up when Elaya opened it, revealing a long list of names, most of which were crossed out or there were symbols next to them.

How large was this organization of thieves if they had this many contacts? Though judging by how many were either dead or no longer willing or capable of offering information, perhaps the organization had just been around for a long time.

He peered at the list closer, noticing that a lot of the names not yet crossed out had either a circle or an X next to their names. Or both, in some cases. What did any of this mean?

Noticing his confusion Elaya explained. "The circle is a coin. Means that money will be needed to get anything out of the person. And the X is...." She let out a soft laugh. "Well, it means that threats of violence might be needed."

Rhenor frowned. He hadn't thought these people were very into threatening others to get their way. But before he could say as much, Elaya waved her hand and huffed.

"A lot of these people.... They're not good people."

Rhenor snorted. Why was he not surprised by that at all? As long as they weren't hurting innocents for information he didn't mind, he supposed. Though at the moment, he wasn't sure he wouldn't do that either. He would regret it later, but right now he would be capable of doing bad things so that Kaz would be saved sooner.

"I wish we could ask several of them, but given that we don't have much time and that we're being actively looked for by every guard in the city, I think our best bet will be to just go see Angar."

Angar, whoever he was, was at the bottom of the list, which either meant that he was unpleasant to deal with, didn't know as much as the others, or was a new addition. But given that Elaya seemed to think that he would be the best person to see about getting inside of Serrok Castle without being killed, and that there were both the circle and the X next to his name, Rhenor would bet it was the first option.

But that was fine with him. He wouldn't mind getting some frustration out. As long as Angar deserved it.

"There's just one small thing, though." Elaya gave him a grimace. "Angar lives in the sewers. He hasn't exactly been a good citizen lately."

Rhenor blinked. Why hadn't he realized that Sigallah had sewers? He'd come across a few manhole covers while sneaking through the city. He supposed he just hadn't had time to think about it much, given everything that had happened.

He just nodded. He was sure being in the sewers wasn't going to be pleasant, but he didn't particularly care. "Do you know where exactly?"

"That's the thing," Elaya replied, giving him an apologetic look. "I only know roughly. He moves around since the guards know he's there."

Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

It was a wonder Angar was still alive down there. But what did Rhenor care, anyway, if this person was a legitimate criminal? Stealing from the rich was one thing, but surely Elaya wouldn't call these people bad unless they'd done much worse.

"Where is the nearest sewer entrance, then?"

"Not too far. But it might take a while to find him."

Rhenor nodded. So the sooner they left, the better. He wished they could do this the other way, and first confirm if Kaz really was in Serrok. But they would have to leave the city to do that, and that would be hard enough on its own. They couldn't afford to go back and risk getting caught.

And so they each grabbed a lantern and after cautiously opening the trapdoor and checking as best they could if there was anyone outside, they climbed out, Rhenor following right after Elaya as quietly as he could with the added weight of his bag. Elaya was carrying most of the coins they'd taken, but that didn't mean his bag was light.

Thankfully, the sewer entrance she was leading him to was truly only about ten houses down the street, and with how empty this part of the city seemed to be they managed to get there without being seen. Rhenor cringed at the round, metal covering of the sewer entrance making a loud noise as Elaya lifted it, its hinges groaning.

A half-rotten, wooden ladder led down the dark, disgusting smelling hole that led to the sewers, and Rhenor imagined that the sewers themselves smelled even worse. But that was hardly something that would stop him from going along with this.

Since it was still fairly early, the streetlights were still lit, so they used them as quickly as they could to light their lanterns. They wouldn't see anything in the sewers without them.

Even though it was a bit ridiculous, Rhenor couldn't help but have the memory of Kaz lighting the ship on fire be replayed in his mind as he watched the little flame inside his lantern dance. It both made him feel guilty and more determined to do this.

Seeing as they needed to disappear before a guard could see them, he just jumped down into the sewer, grimacing at the wet sound of his feet hitting the stone floor. He didn't think he was standing directly in sewage, thank Andor, but that didn't make this much more pleasant.

He wrinkled his nose in disgust as he looked around, noting that there was a pathway next to the sewer itself, presumably so it could be accessed and fixed without having to ruin the workers' clothes forever.

If this city had been built by dragons, Rhenor didn't doubt this wouldn't have been a feature.

Elaya only grimaced as she joined him, raising her lantern. She'd pulled the sewer entrance closed, throwing them into complete darkness, save for what the lanterns illuminated. There was just the sound of dripping water and the tapping of tiny feet around them. Rhenor couldn't see any rats, but they were here. He couldn't say he was surprised.

Elaya looked one way, then the other, most likely trying to figure out which way they should take, but as far as Rhenor could see, it didn't seem to matter. Both directions seemed equally disgusting and unhelpful.

She ended up shrugging at him and walking the opposite way Rhenor would have chosen. Not that he cared that much. He didn't want to be here at all.

He did his best to ignore their surroundings as much as possible, only paying the slightest amount of attention to how the path winded beneath the city. It truly made him wonder just where they were currently. And the occasional ladder leading to another sewer entrance always made him think of it.

If the place hadn't been quite so repulsive, it wouldn't have been so terrible to hide here from the law. There were plenty of exits and entrances, it was very large with a few corners to hide behind, and it was empty. But perhaps the disgusting nature of these sewers was also something keeping the guards from searching them.

Now that Rhen thought about it more, it was interesting that no guards were here, as far as he could tell. It would make sense to hide here after stealing all that money, even though he wasn't sure how long he would manage it for.

At least the smell was getting easier to put up with the longer they walked. But they didn't seem any closer to finding Angar. There were still no signs of anyone staying here, much less anything audible to pick up on. Rhenor was confident in his hearing, but it was either not enough, Angar was on the other side of the sewer system, or the worst possibility—he wasn't even here.

But hopefully, that wouldn't put a stop to their efforts completely if that happened. Surely the others on that list would also know something.

He was about to ask about that when Elaya shushed him and stopped. He frowned, not sure why she'd done that when he hadn't even made any noise when he heard it. Humming. It was very faint, but it was there. Finally.

As they followed it, Rhenor squinted into the darkness in front of them, looking for any signs of light since Angar must have set up a camp of some sort here. And finally, once they turned a corner, there it was.

For the first time, the stench of the sewer was replaced with the smell of burning wood. Rhenor frowned as he finally saw the small campfire with a man sitting next to it, looking incredibly unbothered by his surroundings.

Rhenor shook his head. He wasn't sure why he was bothering trying to think about the dangers of making a fire inside an underground tunnel with very little opportunity for the smoke to escape. He just wanted to get information out of this person and leave as soon as possible.

"Who's there?" the man yelled at them, getting up and raising his...was that an ax? Rhenor would say something about this being uncalled for, but this was a fugitive from the law, and likely expecting guards to show up at all times.

"We're with Nova," Elaya replied, not even slowing down as she continued walking towards the man, even as he raised his ax up more. He wouldn't be able to fight both of them, in Rhenor's opinion, but that didn't mean Rhen wanted there to be a fight in the first place.

"Oh." Angar put the ax down, letting it fall to the ground with a clang. Then he wiggled his eyebrows at them. "I didn't know any of you little thieves were still around."

Rhenor resisted rolling his eyes at the mocking tone. As if this was a good way to get them worked up, even if they had been a part of this organization. He was starting to think that the group of thieves didn't actually have a name since no one had ever referred to them as anything other than thieves. If that was the case, it made sense, though—the less information about them there was, the better.

He took a closer look at the man as they finally reached him. Angar was surprisingly well dressed, and his clothes didn't seem that dirty, despite his current accommodations. He'd put what looked like blankets all around the corner of the sewer he had camped in and was roasting a chicken over the flame. Rhenor hadn't even noticed over the overwhelming smell of smoke and...other things.

Angar tucked his neck-length blond hair behind his ears and folded his arms, presumably to look as unimpressed as possible as he watched them. "So, what do the famed thieves want to know this time? Whatever it is, I want a hundred talons for it."

Rhenor gaped at him. One hundred talons? Was he mad? Especially since he was demanding it without bothering to ask what exactly they wanted. Rhenor didn't think he'd ever had one hundred talons at once, aside from right now. Then again, he hadn't tried making money in a dishonest way before.

"Fine," Elaya replied, annoyed. Rhenor wanted to argue that this was extortion, but then he caught himself. What did he even care? This money wasn't his, and the sooner they found out what they needed, the sooner they could try to save Kaz.

Angar's face lit up as Elaya took off her backpack and started to take out coins one by one as if he hadn't been expecting them to agree to this. Suddenly, he was all smiles and positive attitude. The man even had a golden tooth. Had he been rich, or had he made a lot of money through selling information? Probably the latter, then the former.

"So, what'd you need, dear customers?" he asked as he put the coins he'd received so far into his own bag, practically drooling at the sight of them. Rhenor sighed. He didn't think he'd ever met anyone this dishonest before.

"We need to know of a safe passage into Serrok Castle."

Agnar didn't seem surprised by this at all for some reason, and he nodded as he finally got the rest of his money from Elaya. "Finally going to get Nova out of there, eh? Well—"

"Wait, what?" Rhenor was surprised just as much as Elaya sounded. So not only was Nova still alive but she was being held at the castle as well? Why would the dragons bother with that? Rhen would understand them wanting to get information out of Nova, but bringing her to the castle seemed unnecessary.

"Oh, you didn't know? Then consider that piece of information a free bonus," Angar said. He seemed curious, most likely as to what the point of them breaking into Serrok was if not to save Nova. But he didn't ask, which Rhenor appreciated. He didn't feel like explaining it. "Well, to get to the castle, the easiest and least risky way is to use the escape tunnels that lead under it."

Rhenor was surprised that it would be this relatively simple, though he supposed it made sense for a castle to have a disguised exit in case of a siege.

"Do you have a map?"

Elaya pulled out the one she'd used earlier, still giving the man irritated looks. Rhenor would think that he was being surprisingly helpful, especially given that note that threats might be necessary to get Angar to talk, but then again, but then again, they had given him a small fortune to tell them this.

Angar took the map from her and bent down to the ground to pick up a little bit of burnt wood off the floor. With it, he proceeded to make two small X marks on both sides of the castle with no hesitation.

Rhen blinked as the map was given back to Elaya right after, with Angar pointing at the marks he'd made.

"Both of these will get you inside, but only this one leads anywhere near the dungeons," Angar said, pointing at the mark on the eastern side of the castle. "Which is where I am assuming you want to go. So I would suggest using this one, because—"

"Yes, we know," Rhenor cut in, sighing. "We are capable of logical thinking."

He shook his head as Angar grinned at him. This was good news, though. Perhaps with a bit of luck, they could get in and out with no one seeing them.

"That's great to know." Angar chuckled. "Now, it might take you a moment to spot the tunnel entrances. They are disguised, though I am not sure how. And I would suggest not staying too long so you don't attract unwanted attention."

Right, but when did Rhenor not attract attention? As long as he kept his cloak and bow, there would be no avoiding it, it seemed.

"And that's it from me. Thank you for your business."

With that Angar startedpacking his things, apparently excited to leave, not that Rhenor cared. Theyhad places to be. Elaya nodded at him, slinging the backpack onto her backagain. They had gotten what they needed. It was time to get going.