Trik - Betrayal in Rule

After a while, the dungeon drain opened into the main sewer, a long narrow corridor that ran beneath the city. They climbed out of the drain and got to their feet on a narrow walkway. There was an opening above them to the city streets, and sunlight passed down through it into the sewer. The light revealed the corridor before them, a long narrow passage that stretched into darkness both ways. There was as narrow walkway on each side of a center trench, which was filled to the brim with sewage.

“This way,” said Trik, pointing to the right.

Durben wiped his hands on his thighs. “What do you see?” asked Durben.

“This corridor continues to the east side of the city and empties into a tributary of the Great River,” said Trik. “Come,” he said, and began walking down the narrow walk-way on the right side of the center trench.

Durben followed him along the narrow walkway. “We need to speak with the Emperor,” he said. “He will be in the palace.”

Trik halted and looked over his shoulder at Durben. “If we step again into the city, Mortimer’s guards will arrest us,” he said. “And you can be sure that they will not be so kind with us again.”

Durben nodded, sullenly.

Trik turned back to the dark corridor and continued marching along the narrow walkway. Durben looked over his shoulder into the darkness. There was a scratching sound that echoed from somewhere in the dark passage. He turned back to Trik with a fearful expression. “Wait for me,” he said, and he ran to catch up with the elf.

They had not traveled long when the scratching sound echoed again in the corridor. “Do you hear that?” asked Durben, trembling.

“Yes,” said Trik, “since we entered the sewer I have heard it.”

“What is it?” asked Durben.

“Rats,” said Trik.

“Oh, rats,” laughed Durben, stopping in the sunlight beneath an iron grating in the street above. His eyes narrowed, and his expression hardened. “A sound like that from rats?”

Trik turned back to him. “Here in the sewers,” he said, “they grow larger than ordinary rats.”

“How large?” asked Durben, looking back at the way they had come.

“Very large,” said Trik.

Durben trembled. “I have no weapon,” he said.

“Nor I,” said Trik, and as he said this, out of the darkness behind them came a great hiss. Trik looked over his shoulder, and his eyes widened. “Run,” he said.

“What do you see?” asked Durben, looking into the darkness.

“Do as I say,” said Trik. “Run now.” He started running along the narrow walkway, his boots clamping against the wet stone.

Out of the darkness and into the light crawled a hideous creature, foul smelling and fetid, a rat, but larger than a wolf with black fur, long black claws, and beady black eyes. Its long narrow snout sniffed the air. Durben gave a cry, and raced past Trik as he ran down the narrow walkway.

Durben halted when he reached the end of the main sewer. There the sewer corridor ended, and the refuse of the city plunged ten feet into the tributary of the Great River below. “Jump,” shouted Trik. He stepped out of the sewer and fell into river below. Durben did the same, falling into the rushing water.

They climbed out of the water and onto a grassy plain that stretched for miles beyond the city of Rule. The plain extended to the east of the city, interrupted only by the Great River. North of the city, the high peaks of the Stormdrake Mountains pierced the sky.

Trik smiled as he looked upon the open fields. “We’re free,” he said.

Durben looked at him, frowning.