"If you are here for them, then I suppose you know the rules... have you come alone?" The young innkeeper asked, his tone now serious.

"I have." Adrienne affirmed.

A quiet scoff was the response Adrienne got in return as the young innkeeper leaned over the counter, his eyes narrowed slightly.

"And the carriage hidden in the shadows of the alleyway?" The young innkeeper asked with a raised brow.

Adrienne was momentarily taken aback that the Broken Blade was already aware of the carriage even when she had ensured to keep it hidden.

And they knew even before she came in, which meant they had eyes outside the inn and perhaps through all of Downtown and beyond.

Adrienne was quick to recover, this was after all a guild that had managed to keep their secret activities from the notice of the dragon lords, they had to be this efficient to achieve that.

"I am aware of the rules, there will be no need for concern. I am the only one whom you will be granting passage." Adrienne assured.

"Would your carriage driver be of the same mind? He appears to be restless." The young innkeeper asked, raising a single brow.

His eyes revealed a dim glow, it was barely noticeable but Adrienne still caught the difference and she realized it then.

"You are an animage." Adrienne murmured in quiet surprise.

"Oh, what gave me away?" The young innkeeper asked in a taunting tone, as though finding it amusing that Adrienne was only just realizing what should have been obvious.

Animages, a race that were born with the ability to share spirit links with animals, though they could communicate with and through almost any animal in existence, they were also born with a spirit animal.

Adrienne did not know much of animages, they were one of the lesser races with an extremely small, almost insignificant population.

They were hardly seen and had made no notable impacts on history and so Adrienne had never cared to study them intensively.

They were not a great race like the Fae, the humans or the Asvarian born, they were a minor race that were easily ignored.

Adrienne knew of just one animage in the citadel, though she had never met him in person.

This was Master Maloway of the rider’s academy whose bonded spirit animal was a Raven.

Just like Master Maloway, Adrienne assumed this young innkeeper also had a spirit animal, and he currently watched her carriage through the eyes of his spirit animal.

"He has received orders to stay put and he will do so, so long as you tend to me in good time so I may be on my way."

"Your enquiry is only a delay that will bring concerns." Adrienne replied blankly.

Adrienne did not feel assured to spend too long a time in downtown inn, it would be a stain on her reputation if anyone were to recognize her.

"Hmmm... very well. You have the right gold to gain passage by me, I cannot say if you will be granted a consult but I will take you in." The young innkeeper finally said.

The young innkeeper stepped out from the counter and called for another young man to take his place at the counter.

"Come along." The young innkeeper said, leading the way down a quiet hall deeper into the inn.

Adrienne quietly followed after the innkeeper as he walked at a brisk pace.

"The downtown inn...how do you know to come here?" The young innkeeper asked after a moment of silence.

"I have heard from the right sources." Adrienne replied.

"How then did you recognize I am the one to seek? You clearly know nothing of me." The young innkeeper asked again.

"The right sources have told me that the passage to the Broken Blade bears a scar over his right brow... I need not know more." Adrienne replied again.

The young keeper did not ask any further questions as he took a turn down another hall, where they walked for a short while before arriving at a side door.

A fierce looking dwarf stood guard there, with a full beard and bulging eyes.

"She seeks to consult with the guild." The young innkeeper relayed to the dwarf who grunted, passing a look to Adrienne.

The young innkeeper then turned and strode away, leaving Adrienne without another word said.

Adrienne knew the young innkeeper was only a messenger, this was as far as he could lead her.

"What is with the attire?" The dwarf gruffed out in displeasure, staring up at Adrienne’s cloak and the large hood that covered her face completely.

The dwarf spoke with a surprisingly clear accent, Adrienne could see he had lived above the surface of the hidden city for a long time.

The dwarves of hidden city spoke a different language and they could only speak the common tongue with a thick and extremely noticeable accent.

Perhaps this dwarf had not been born in the hidden city at all and had lived amongst the other races for most of his life.

"You have that you wish to hide, as do I. The gold will speak, not my appearance." Adrienne stated firmly.

"Wear this... I will guide you the rest of the way." The dwarf grunted in response.

Adrienne glanced down at the black strip of clothing, she understood it was meant to be used for a blindfold.

"Is this necessary?" Adrienne asked in distaste.

"Our territory...our rules. If you are displeased, you may return now." The dwarf made clear.

Adrienne’s hands clenched into fists at her sides. Dwarves... they were always so impudent and audacious, she absolutely detested them.

’Lodenworth will have your hidden city engulfed in flames soon... disgusting mongrel.’ Adrienne thought to herself.

Adrienne took the blindfold, she had come for an important reason and she could not return empty handed.

"Now what?" Adrienne asked when the blindfold was wrapped around her eyes.

Adrienne felt a stick graze her hand and she took hold of it, frowning slightly as she was tugged to follow.

________________

Neveah let out a deep breath as she glanced down at her feet to find they had already disappeared beneath the quicksand.

The moment Neveah had stepped into the cavern, she was already standing right in a pit of the wet mud and it had not taken more than a few breaths for her feet to sink in up to her ankles.

The mud was thick and the pit itself was wide, covering the entire cavern. Neveah knew even if she could forcefully take some steps forward, there was no way she could get through to the end of the cavern.

Neveah took in another breath and then exhaled slowly, calming her mind and her body so the adrenaline pumped up from a moment ago would recede.

Neveah’s expression was calm as she glanced around the cavern, her mind already creating various scenarios through which she could get out of the steadily sinking mud.

There were two statues of large dragons on either side of the door Neveah would have to go through.

They were the only thing in the entire cavern other than the mud pit.

’We are sinking quicker, let me up.’ Neveah’s wolf thought to her.

"Too much weight, it might just make things worse." Neveah murmured in response, glancing down to see the mud had risen above her ankles and was steadily climbing up even higher.

"Lest you forget rider, you may forfeit at any moment and you will be let out." Lord Skiren’s voice echoed in the cavern.

Neveah did not bother glancing around, she knew one way or the other, the Jade dragon would have his own way to keep an eye on her.

"It is just quick sand... I survived it when I was eleven summers, why would this be enough to put me down?" Neveah murmured with a roll of her eyes.

Neveah knew she could lighten her weight by leaning back gently and relaxing her muscles, but the pit was too large, she had nothing to hold unto and pull herself out unless she decided to retreat back to the passageway she had come from.

Neveah reached for her belt and pulled it off, along with the small dagger strapped to her waist.

She also pulled off her outer robe, ripping off the part that was dampened from the mud and tossing it aside.

The belt was made of dozens of silver rings joined together with loops and dangling rings.

Neveah quickly adjusted the belt, rejoining the loops so they stretched out into a long chain then she ripped her outer robe, tying the ends together before securing one end around her waist tightly.

Neveah secured the other end to her chain belt and the final ring of the belt she secured to the unsheathed dagger.

Holding the mid point of the chain, Neveah spun it around to gain momentum before she launched it out forcefully, watching the dagger embed itself into the statue.

Tugging slightly on it, Neveah made certain it could hold her weight.