Chapter 10

As it turned out, Shi Hou's contact with the Guild's less-than-legal side was a smuggler from Mantaville in the Coral Archipelago, far to the West of the Scavenger Lands. Captain Desmond Grellthorpe had been a pirate and a smuggler for a decade before the Guild had come calling, looking to recruit talented people. He'd immediately signed on, as the Coral Archipelago was getting progressively more authoritarian and less tolerant of people like him by the day.

Grellthorpe had been working for the Guild's more illicit enterprises for a decade by now, and Shi Hou had run into him while employed by the Guild to deal with a rival faction in the Black Market of Nechara. Grellthorpe had been running the Guild's efforts in the Necharan Black Market and had been targeted for assassination. Shi Hou had saved Grellthrope's life from the Ghost-Blooded Assassin who had been employed by the Guild's Local Rivals to nip the Guild's attempt to seize command of the Necharan Black Market in the bud.

Ever since then, Grellthrope had been a valuable contact in both the Guild and the Criminal Underworld for Shi Hou. It was his hope that the now-forty-something former Pirate would prove as good as he had always been once more, now that they needed to use the Guild Routes through the Undercity of Nexus to escape the City.

They met in Grellthorpe's headquarters, the Euphamistically Named Benevolent Merchants Association House. In reality, it was little more than a Teahouse and Warehouse for his smuggling business in one of the dead-end alleys near the Harlotry, a side street off the Small Market where various Brothels lay.

Shi Hou was sanguine about their chances of getting passage through the Undercity Tunnels, he and Grellthorpe embraced like old friends on meeting and soon everyone was served a bit of wine while small talk commenced.

Evening Rabbit was somewhat more hostile to the idea. As a noblewoman, she naturally distrusted anyone that regularly made use of the criminal underbelly of society. The fact that Grellthorpe was more than twice her age, and yet still seemed to toss a leer her way every once in a while when he thought she wasn't looking hadn't helped.

Not that he wasn't bad-looking himself, mind you. He clearly took care in his appearance, with his strawberry blonde hair pulled back in a swashbuckler's ponytail and his embossed buff coat and crimson silk sash presenting the image of a dashing rogue, but his age and mannerisms made it out of the question.

"Stop leering at me." She demanded, finally.

"Oh? Your charge seems to think I'm paying her special attention, Monkey." Smirked Grellthorpe.

"Are you not?" Frowned Evening Rabbit.

"He isn't, trust me. That's just how he is." Responded Shi Hou.

"When you're Mortal like I am, in my line of work, life can end at any moment. I don't have the luxury of being able to use essence like Monkey here. With that in mind, why shouldn't I appreciate every beautiful woman I see? You never know, you could be my last." Grinned Grellthorpe.

"That's. . .incorrigable." Huffed Evening Rabbit, finally.

"That's just Grellthorpe." Offered Shi Hou.

"More to the point, I think I know why you've come to me. Word is the Hooded Executioners have put at least a scale of troops at every exit to the City. Knowing the trouble you generally find yourself in? You want me to let you use the Undercity Tunnels to escape. How was that, did I hit the mark?" Questioned Grellthrope.

"Will you?" Queried Evening Rabbit.

"Easy there, Princess. That isn't how favors work. For me to agree, you have to give something in return. Quid Pro Quo, as the Shogunate saying went." Pointed out Grellthorpe, holding his hands up in placation.

"What do you want done?" Asked Shi Hou.

"For a man of your talents? Nothing too onerous. I just need you to take a package to a client in Tashkek. It's already paid for, you just need to get it there." Answered Grellthrope.

"I see. And why don't you use one of your own couriers for this?" Questioned Evening Rabbit.

"If I use a Guild Courier, I have to pay them Guild Rates, plus traveling expenses. If I get you to do me this as a favor in exchange for letting you use the Undercity Tunnels that any courier taking the package to Tashkek would have to use anyway? That's money saved by killing two birds with one stone." Shrugged Grellthorpe.

"We'll do it." Insisted Shi Hou.

"You can't be serious! What if it's an illegal alchemical mixture or worse, an Infernal Artifact?" Hissed Evening Rabbit.

"It's just Opium, going to Arslan Beg in Tashkek. Nobody's soul or life is in danger here." Scoffed Grellthorpe.

"It's not like we have much of a choice here. Besides, I trust Grellthorpe enough to not screw me over. Not with the working relationship we have. Not unless there was enough in it for him to buy his own city or something, at any rate." Reminded Shi Hou.

"Which reminds me, Monkey. I've been hearing rumors from Varsiyag Territory recently. Apparently, the Emir's Court has been torn between rival factions led by each of Emir Bughra's two sons as of the past week or so. Supposedly, Prince Uthman wants to go west to retake Puyo and then expand the Varsiyag State across all the Plains People towns until reaching the border of Thorns. Meanwhile, Prince Isli wants to focus on cracking down on corruption in preparation for trying to join the Confederation of Rivers." Informed Grellthorpe.

"No bets on which Prince your contacts favor. Any crackdown on corruption is going to hurt their business." Snorted Shi Hou.

"Just so. Regardless, the debates have been pretty heated and the Emir's advisors are split between factions, both of which are currently deadlocked. That does mean that there's the potential for political violence to break out, though. Just giving you a heads-up, there." Agreed Grellthorpe.

"Why doesn't the Emir step in?" Queried Evening Rabbit.

"Emir Bughra is two-hundred-eighty-eight years old. Even for a Dragonblood like he is, that's old. He stepped back from active administration five years ago to let his sons get experience ruling. He's only got a couple more years left in him before he goes to join his ancestors. I'd expect he doesn't have the energy these days." Responded Grellthorpe.

"Which means that even if political violence doesn't break out while we're in Varsiyag Lands, give it a year or two of deadlock and it absolutely will break out when the Emir dies." Mused Shi Hou.

"That's good for you, though, isn't it? I mean you are a mercenary, fighting is your business, yes?" Asked Evening Rabbit.

"I dunno if Monkey wants to get involved there. Civil Wars are a messy business, after all." Intoned Grellthorpe.

"Quite right. Well, Grellthorpe, we appreciate your letting us use the Undercity Tunnels, but we should head out." Began Shi Hou.

"Not at all. We've got a good thing going, you and I. It'd be a shame to let it blow up now." Grinned Grellthorpe.

As he said this, a Woman wearing a scimitar at her belt and dressed in baggy cotton trousers and a colorful leather vest of the kind found most often in areas like the parts of Chiaroscuro frequented most often by Corsairs arrived with a paper-wrapped parcel. Grellthorpe handed the parcel to Shi Hou who stowed it in his traveling pack.

Then the woman handed over a leather map with a path through the Undercity Tunnels marked out on it. There was the faintest hint of Thaumaturgy wafting off the Map which Evening Rabbit recognized as a Thaumaturgical Enchantment that would destroy the map once it passed through the Undercity Tunnels one single time. Grellthorpe didn't bother denying it at Evening Rabbit's cocked eyebrow.

"I'm sure you understand, but I can't let Guild Secrets fall into just anyone's hands. I'd lose a lot more than just my livelihood if I did, after all." Pointed out Grellthorpe.

"We understand, Grellthorpe, don't worry about it." Responded Shi Hou.

"We should go now. Every moment we stay in Nexus longer is a moment more that we might be caught up further in whatever plots are going on." Insisted Evening Rabbit.

"Right. Aamina here will show you to the Undercity Entrance. Take care of yourself, Monkey." Nodded Grellthorpe.

"You too, Grellthorpe." Shot back Shi Hou.

"Come. I will lead you to the Undercity Entrance." Intoned the Corsair Woman, Aamina. Then, without another word, Aamina turned on her booted heels and stalked off toward the entrance to the Warehouse attached to the Teahouse that made up Grellthorpe's Headquarters.

Shi Hou and Evening Rabbit followed Aamina past several shady-looking Western Smugglers, Southern Corsairs, and Scavenger Lands Street Toughs all taking their ease in the Tea House. She led them through a doorway guarded by two rough-looking, armed, tattooed, Men and out into the Warehouse. There, she led them into a smaller section of the Warehouse, past another set of Armed Guards, and to a trap door that had been set into the stone floor of the Warehouse and chained shut.

Aamina produced a brass key, unlocked the chains, and opened up the trap door to reveal a dingily lit passage leading down into a sort of deep cellar via a metal ladder. She nodded at Shi Hou and Evening Rabbit and gestured as if she wanted them to go forward down the ladder. They did so, coming out into a cellar lit by smoky torches. One of the walls had a brick arch set into it with a tunnel that sloped down and out into the Undercity.

"There's your exit. Follow the Map the Captain gave you and don't deviate. There are worse things down here than a few guards and you don't want to run into them." Instructed Aamina.

"Thank you, we appreciate the aid." Thanked Shi Hou.

"You're a friend of the Captain's, why would we not make a deal?" Questioned Aamina.

"Because your Captain seems a bit shady, even for a Criminal?" Snarked Evening Rabbit.

"Your preconceived notions are your own problem to deal with. They have no bearing on the Captain's willingness to help out a friend. Regardless, this is where I must leave you." Scoffed Aamina.

With that, Aamina scaled the ladder, leaving Shi Hou and Evening Rabbit to head into the Undercity Tunnels. They passed through the Brick Arch and went down the sloping tunnel to come out into a gallery looking out over a rushing Cistern Area, part of the City Sewers. Stone bridges made platforms over the rushing water and led to a gallery on the opposite side of the cistern. There were four tunnels leading into the wider Undercity from the Cistern and Shi Hou pulled out the map for a consult.

"It says we should take the Northeast Tunnel. That path gets us out of the Undercity fastest." Nodded Shi Hou.

"Lead on. The sooner we're out of Nexus the better. We should have stayed in Puyo with Marilka the Red." Groused Evening Rabbit.

Together, they headed across the stone bridge, passing over the rushing water, where they spotted the dark shapes of River Dragons under the water that had been swept up in the Sewer Intakes along the Yanaze and Grey Rivers and become trapped in the Cisterns of the Sewers. As they passed over the dark shape breached the water just barely to glare at them with reptilian eyes before diving back down below.

"Worse things than a few Guards, huh?" Queried Evening Rabbit.

"I wonder if that's all Aamina meant? Nexus is an Old City, after all." Pointed out Shi Hou.

"I hope it is. I think we can handle a River Dragon or two." Frowned Evening Rabbit.

"Come on. The sooner we get out of the Undercity, the less time we have to find out what she meant." Commanded Shi Hou.

Then he headed down the Northeast Tunnel with Evening Rabbit following behind, putting his words into action. . .

XXXX

Ziva No-Clan and the Fang of troops she had been given by Dragonlord Johoda had entered the Undercity via the old Sewer Access near the River Intake and had immediately been forced to deal with an attack from a trio of Marsh Striders that had made their lair in the River Intake here. Such a thing was not difficult for one whose blood was alive with Essence. Ziva could have slain the Marsh Striders even had she not been accompanied by Sergeant Shun and his Fang of Hooded Executioners.

It had been once the battle had finished that Ziva No-Clan had begun to work on her mission in earnest. As one with the Blood of the Moon in her veins, Ziva had access to a number of abilities that even exceeded those of the Dragonblooded Princes of the Earth. Her Lunar Parent meant that she would be able to learn and cast Lunar Charms, though the expense in essence was doubly taxing on her as opposed to a Lunar Exalt. It was, however, one of the things that made her such an effective agent.

It had taken her most of a day to do but via the techniques of Dog-Tounge Method, Pack Instinct Affirmation, and Sense Borrowing Method, she was able to charm a colony of rats living in the sewers to act as scouts for her and even see through their eyes and smell through their noses. Effectively, she had co-opted the entire colony to serve as an extension of her mission here.

Two hours later, one of her scout rats caught the scent of fresh, unknown, people walking through one of the disused Pulley-Car Tunnels under the Small Market. Investigating further, her Scout Rat found the Girl in question the Council wished to detain. She had a guard with her, but Ziva No-Clan had not yet found a Guard she could not slay.

Immediately suspending her techniques, she leaped to her feet from the kneeling position she had been in. Looking over at Sergeant Shun, in his Blue Armor and plumed helmet.

"I have found our quarry and am moving to engage. Try to keep up if you can. If not, they are traveling along one of the disused pulley cart tunnels that runs beneath the Small Market. There should be an access point further up the tunnel that links into the Sentinel Hill District Maintainance Tunnels. You should be able to cut them off from behind there." Intoned Ziva No-Clan.

"Right, we'll just do that, then. Will you be all right to face them on your own?" Questioned Sergeant Shun.

"It matters not. I have been given a mission and I intend to carry it out to the full extent of my capabilities." Insisted Ziva No-Clan. Then she began moving after her prey without waiting for a response.

She hadn't lied. She did intend to fulfill her mission to the full extent of her abilities. After the Guild and Council of Nexus had taken her in after the fools of her Clan had attempted to do the unspeakable to her simply because she was an attractive female, it was the least she could do to repay them. After all, she had no clan to go back to, not after what she had done to them for their impudence. Banishing the dark memories from her mind, Ziva No-Clan brought her focus back to the present. Now was not the time for reminiscing.

She had tracked her quarry, and now it was time to hunt. . .

XXXX

AN: All right, so here we have the meeting with Grellthorpe and the start of the escape from Nexus. Unfortunately, Ziva No-Clan being a Lunar Half-Caste means that she gets to use Lunar Charms outside of excellencies or perfect defenses and whatnot, which means she can use Lunar Charms to get the very rats of the Nexus Undercity to scout for her.

Now she is on the move, with the Fang of Troops that Dragonlord Johoda lent her moving to cut off Shi Hou and Evening Rabbit from their intended route through the Undercity to freedom. They're going to have to go off the mapped route if they want to avoid being caught in a pincer by Ziva No-Clan and Sergeant Shun's Fang of Troops.

We'll see them do that, and the results in the next chapter.

Stay tuned. . .