The two men strode the streets of the Inkhold 11th in silence.

They walked fast, Sh'Geel’s long strides outpacing Kint’s own.

The Inspector didn’t mind, however.

There was an energy in Kint’s blood tonight. Lightning in his veins, like nothing he’d ever felt before.

He was alive. Unequivocally, blessedly, alive.

Which meant that all he’d worked for, all the risks he’d taken in the last few days could still be salvaged.

All he had to do now was find his leverage and he would be free.

He’d win.

But could he trust the hulking priest beside him?

Kint glanced up at the man skeptically.

The easiest answer was, no.

The fake Acolyte, now priest, had lied to him from the start. He’d used false accents, and created a false persona. But, could he really blame the priest for concealing himself when Kint had been doing the same for years?

Kint also suspected that Sh’Geel had been manipulating him since they’d shared drinks the other night, playing on his disdain for authority to push him to act against Lord Crecius. Of course, he’d tried to manipulate Elsha in similar ways.

The Inspector frowned.

They were birds of a feather in many ways.

So the question was… would he trust himself.

Kint grimaced, dispelling the thought.

He looked around, feeling that something was off about the district.

“The Shroud’s thin tonight.”

“Mmm.” Sh'Geel grunted his agreement.

He didn’t seem too worried about it.

The Inspector's eyes narrowed.

“I’m surprised we haven’t seen any of Echrus’ men.” He pressed.

The priest looked down at him, grinning.

“It is a bit surprising.” The man agreed. “Especially, after what you did last night.”

“Right…” Kint frowned.

“Not to worry. I’ve had my men clear the way.” The Priest admitted.

The Inspector glanced around again, searching for signs of hidden men, but there were none. There were no signs of Acolytes either.

“Did you clear the Shroud too?” Kint asked, only partly joking.

The man raised a mischievous eyebrow at him but didn’t reply.

The Inspector felt a slight shiver go down his spine. Who was this man he’d hitched his wagon to? And what sort of power did he wield?

They continued in silence after that, reaching the factory without incident.

Kint hadn’t spotted a single person along the way. Not even an urchin.

Sh'Geel pulled the heavy factory door aside with ease, waving the Inspector inside.

Chains rattled as the pressure in the room shifted.

The Priest closed the door behind them with a thud.

He stepped up beside the Inspector.

“Now to find the entrance.”

Kint lifted a finger, pointing at the three furnaces along the far wall.

“It’s over there.”

The large man looked at him, surprised.

“You found it?”

Kint nodded.

“Last night.”

Sh'Geel chucked, approaching the large cylinders.

“It’s the center one, isn’t it?” He asked.

“Yeah.” The Inspector confirmed.

The former Acolyte shook his head, chagrined.

“How did I not notice this before?”

The towering man approached the heavy cylinder, examining it all the way around.

“The door is behind here?”

“Right.” Kint confirmed. “I didn’t get a chance to figure out how to open it.”

The Inspector's eyes searched the room, trying to find some sort of latch or lever.

He turned around.

Maybe in the office upstairs?

Before he could move, however, he heard a massive thunk and then a heavy grinding sound of metal on stone.

Kint ducked down, as the earth shook. He turned slowly, unable to believe what he knew was happening behind him.

The massive furnace shuddered slowly across the factory floor, dust kicking up all around it.

Kint’s mouth dropped as he witnessed the powerful Sh’Geel pushing against it, veins bulging from his bare arms as he moved the cylinder across the room.

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

There was another thunk as the furnace struck its neighbor.

As the dust cleared, a dark opening revealed itself where the cylinder had once been.

Sh'Geel clapped his hands together, brushing the dust away.

“Whew.” He exclaimed, with a light chuckle. “Heavier than I thought.”

Kint stared at the man, stunned.

The furnace must have weighed twenty tons…

“You’re stronger than you look.” He said, unable to comprehend what he’d just seen.

The priest was big but… 20 tons?

The dark man gave him a predatory smile.

“Shall we go?”

…

The priest lowered his head, disappeared into the dark depths of the entryway.

Kint followed close behind, a bit more carefully.

His eyes widened as he stepped into the void.

It felt like he’d crossed an invisible threshold. His skin prickled with bumps, a chill going down his spine.

The air was damp and thick with the smell of mildew.

His boots hit the stone floor, a high pitch echo sounding down the cavern.

“Give it a moment for your eyes to adjust.” Sh’Geel advised

Kint flinched backward.

He hadn’t even noticed the towering priest standing next to him.

The Senior Inspector took a moment to catch his breath, waiting for his pulse to slow. He closed his eyes, waiting for them to adjust.

“Ready?” The priest asked after a minute.

He nodded.

“Let’s go then.”

The two made their way down the dark corridor, moving slowly at first, unsure of their footing. But, eventually they became comfortable with the clean lines of the Mage cut hallway.

They moved down a set of stairs which led to a curved path with a much slighter descent.

Spiraling downward they moved for five, maybe ten minutes before finally seeing a light ahead.

They approached gingerly, wary of fellow travelers.

A lamp hung at the intersection of where their tunnel diverged to two separate paths.

A fork in the road.

The priest stood in front of the lamp, massive shadow splayed out across the walls behind them.

“Alright…” He nodded, turning to face the Inspector. “This is where you come in, Master Kint.”

Kint’s brow furrowed.

Sh'Geel gestured to the tunnels before them.

“I’m assuming that Crecius is dealing with Rot, or some Black Magic, in his experiments. You should be able to sense it with your aptitude, yes?.” He guessed. “So, take a look and tell me what your Dowsing eyes can see?”

The Inspector nodded, understanding his role.

He stepped up, glancing back and forth between the two corridors.

Kint raised a hand, pointing to the right.

“This way.” He stated.

Sh'Geel raised an eyebrow.

“You’re sure?”

The Inspector bristled at the comment.

“You want certainty? Go ahead and Dowse for yourself… oh wait…”

The giant priest snorted a laugh.

“Point taken.”

He pulled the lamp from its post as he led the way down their new route.

The deeper they traveled, the more uncomfortable Kint became.

There was something off about this place, something wrong. He could sense it.

His skin began to crawl, a foreboding feeling creeping through his gut.

They saw another blue light ahead. Again they approached with caution, again it was a crossroads. This time three paths converged on their own.

Sh'Geel looked to him, expectant.

Kint obliged, repeating the process as before, checking each cavern carefully.

He pointed, and they continued their journey.

The Inspector ground his teeth as they walked.

He could feel a tightness in his chest, something was pressing against him. Some invisible force.

He glanced at Sh'Geel. The man showed no signs of discomfort.

They reached another fork. Kint repeated the process again, guiding them through the maze.

After three more guidings, the Inspector paused.

“What is it?” The priest frowned.

Kint frowned sheepishly.

“My well’s empty…” He admitted.

The large man stared at him for a long moment.

“I thought you were a Crafter.”

Kint shook his head.

“Barely Shaper on a Good day.”

Sh’Geel stared at him a moment longer, observing, interrogating his mannerisms, his reaction.

Eventually, he sighed.

“Damn…”

He shook his head, glancing toward the two corridors.

There was nothing to distinguish one from the other. Both were narrow, just two people wide, and both led deeper into the earth.

“Alright then…” Sh'Geel stated, “We’ll just have to choose.”

The man stepped left, then right, giving each path a once over.

He turned back to face the Inspector.

“Which would you choose, Master Kint?”

“I couldn’t say.” Kint shrugged, but he couldn’t help his eyes shifting slightly to the left.

Sh'Geel nodded, considering.

“Hard to tell the difference, isn’t it?”

He turned again, facing the split halls.

“We’ll split up then.” He determined.

The priest pointed to the left corridor.

“I’ll go this way, you take the right.”

Their eyes met again.

“Sounds good?”

Kint shrugged.

“Works for me.”

The priest observed him for a moment longer before nodding.

“Alright then…” He turned, stepping down his chosen hall, then paused.

Reaching into his robes, he pulled out a stick of chalk, breaking it in half. He tossed a piece to Kint.

“Mark the way you choose. In case there’s another crossroads.” He advised. “I’ll do the same.”

Kint nodded.

Sh’Geel moved to turn again, when something came to him.

“Oh, and… don’t be afraid to run if you see any Acolytes. I know you can handle yourself, but Crecius has some capable men in his charge. Nothing like Lord Echrus’ fools.”

His face grew serious.

“Especially Davros… If you see him, get away, quickly.”

Kint nodded slowly.

“Understood.”

The Inspector stared at the towering priests back as he disappeared into the darkness.

He took a deep breath, collecting himself, before beginning down his own road…

The correct road.

The truth was that Kint’s well was three quarters full. He hadn’t needed to use his power at all to know which tunnels to choose. It had been obvious to him from the start.

Whatever Lord Crecius was hiding down here was calling to him. Pulling him forward. He didn’t have to dowse to see it. He felt it on his skin.

The Senior Inspector didn’t fully trust Sh’Geel, and the forking paths had provided the perfect opportunity to ditch the scheming priest.

He had no reason to believe the man would protect him when they found the leverage they were looking for, if anything Kint would be killed as a loose end. So, he needed to make sure he got hold of the evidence first, that way he could negotiate his safety with Crecius or the Church, whichever offered the best chance of survival.

He continued down the hall, arriving at another crossroads. He did not slow, pressing on to the right. Trusting his instincts.

He did make sure to use the chalk to mark which way he’d gone, just in case.

The omnipresent energy in the air grew. It was pulsing through him. His hair stood on end.

He was so close now. The force was so strong.

His breath grew tighter, the walls seemed to creep in around him.

As he plumbed the depths, the darkness deepened, curling around him, pulling him in.

Until finally, he arrived.

Inspector Kint stood before a heavy steel hatch.

He took a deep breath, putting his warm hands to the cold metal.

This was it…

No sense putting it off any longer.

He gripped the hatch wheel and turned.

It was time to find out what started this mess.