I was in my comfort zone.

We had descended rapidly through the Citadel, disappearing into the crowded corridors and tunnels of the common folks and, from there, finding our way into level as-yet-unexplored by the current population of the sprawling castle. These spaces were dark and wet, crawling with rats and with strange, bulbous algeys growing up their walls.

They were sewers, let's be honest. Maybe, at some point in the Citadel's history, they had had some more noble purpose, such as being armouries or storerooms or wine cellars. But under pressure - literally - from above, they had been pushed into the ignominious - albeit essential - role of sluicing away the detritus of those above. Surprisingly, the space wasn't especially stinking. It smelled like a crowded and inhumane farmyard. Pretty powerful, yes. Not, perhaps, a smell you'd appreciate detecting in your own home, certainly. But with a thick, organic quality to it that lacked the overwhelming penetration of sewers I'd be in back home.

I was dressed in my uniform again, with my full set of custom webbing and my bergen. The ASVK was still safely stashed away, but I had my M4 ready and, to be completely honest, it felt almost like coming home to be cautiously patrolling through dangerous enemy territory like that once more.

Of course, it wasn't really enemy territory. Technically, there was a reasonable chance that, if caught, we might not be killed immediately. But we were absconing against the wishes of the local authorities and, by the way, kidnapping one of their own at the same time.

'Remind me again why we're taking her?' I asked Conor, quietly.

He had one of his crew - a woman so small and petite I'd mistaken her for a young teenager at first glance (what was everyone here so young? Oh, yeah - a dragon killed and ate all the old folks) - up front on point, checking the juctions and pathfinding our way. He was then at the head of the main group, followed by me, Thenum and Anthelion in that order. Two more of Conor's people brought up the rear, lugging Marlinya on a stretcher. Anthelion had had to reapply whatever spell he had used to keep Marlinya asleep twice so far and he thought, after one more, it wouldn't keep working on her.

(I was intensely curious about how this "magic" worked, and couldn't shake the idea that it surely had to be some form of sufficiently advanced technology.)

'If we leave her, they will find her quickly and be on our trail,' he explained. 'If we take her, we can release her to return to Gethlyn only once there is no likelihood of him catching up with us.'

'I don't want to sound callous, but...'

'No, no, I understand where you're coming from,' he shook his head, negotiating some debris as we rounded the next corner. 'But you're not one of us. Whilst Gethlyn is... not thinking straight right now, Marlinya is still a paladin. She has put her life on the line for us dozens of times - maybe more. We aren't going to let her die. Even when we release her, one of mine will go with her to make sure they get back safely.'

Marlinya's swords were strapped to the side of my bergen on the opposite side from the ASVK. I wondered at what point he proposed to give them back, but I sensed that now was not the time to press my new friends to be casually executing someone they otherwise saw as a bit of a hero.

Passage through the sewers was wet and unpleasant but not quick. The builders hadn't expected to be defending against a dragon, but against human invaders. And a smart architect had anticipated the possibility of a covert insertion. Getting out was a lot easier than getting in would've been, but it still involved negotiating one-way valves, descending narrow defiles and jumping off deep ledges into what should probably be simply described as "water" and left at that. Moving Marlinya along with us just made every step even more awkward.

'Why are these tunnels even human sized?' Thenum asked.

'Bad way in, good way out?' I replied.

'Exactly correct,' agreed Conor, 'at least, as far as we know. These were built by twerven, more than two hundred years ago. But Summoned Ryan's most likely right. What is the saying? "Never build a trap you can't escape from"?'

'If Gazenthlion attacks the Citadel,' Anthelion interrupted, 'and the Keep falls, could the people escape this way?'

Conor's only answer was a rapid hiss and gesture to stop that I instinctively repeated, just like being in a patrol, moving in single file.

Conor crouched and I followed suit, ignoring the foul water lapping around my balls. The thief have his dim lantern to me and gestured for me to stay put. Then he moved forward to where, I could just see in the thin light, the point guard had stopped at the next junction.

They had a brief discussion of hand gestures and short grunts before Conor returned, worry on his face.

Anthelion and Thenum had moved up close to me, while the two thieves propped Marlinya against the wall to take a breather. She was a big woman, even with her armour in Thenum's backpack, and I was fighting the urge to volunteer to help carry her.

'Monster spoor,' said Conor, raising a handful of earthy dung.

Thenum reached past me, took a pinch and, to my astonishment and disgust, crumbled it between his fingers before sniffing and then tasting it.

'Holy shit, dude,' I muttered in English.

'Rat,' said Thenum.

'That doesn't sound like too much of a problem,' I said. From all of Anthelion's stories about the monsters I had expected them all to be the size of a Rhino at the minimum.

'Giant Rat,' said Thenum, with emphasis. 'Size of a man, at least. Fast and vicious. Usually found in groups of three or more.'

'Shit,' I muttered again.

Conor nodded at the carbine cradled in my arms.

'Perhaps time to see what you can do, hm, Summoned Man?'