Jan III

'No plan survives contact with the enemy.'

That is what Ser Riku told Jan.

At the time Jan did not know what this meant.

The 'time' being just a few minutes ago, but now he knew what that meant.

It was easy to plan it out and to assume everything would go according to plan.

It was easy. Until one had to crawl through hundreds of paces of literal shit and piss.

But such was life. As Ser Riku also said 'sometimes you vent, sometimes you get vented' and that now it was Jan's 'time to get vented'.

A strange phrase, one that did not translate well, unless one assumed that 'vent' is a euphemism for 'fuck'. In which case, Jan was well and truly fucked.

The plan was simple.

The sorceress Rin used her magic to freeze the water coming up to the sewage exit, allowing them to walk on the frozen water with careful steps. Afterward, again, she used her magic to melt the bars that Ser Riku threw away into the water. Then, the sorceress used her magic to enchant a sword they gave to Jan. The enchantment in question?

Light, of course. One needed to see when they were in the pitch black sewers.

And besides, it's not like Jan was a seasoned knight. He wasn't even a squire. The closest he'd come to a real fight, beyond that little event with the bug, was fist-fights with the other lads. His record was 7 wins and 3 losses. Respectable, but far from unbeatable.

So, Jan continued to crawl through the sewers. It was a tight fit, but he was told the pipes should spread up further on. It was something he dearly hoped to be true, seeing as the smell and sight of brown shit illuminated by the sword he dragged alongside him was becoming a hassle. Holding down his food was also becoming difficult, but this went without saying.

As for the plan that Sorceress Rin and Ser Riku would enact on their ends, they did not deign to share it with him. 'Operation security' they called it. But the plan for Jan was simple.

Step one, crawl through the shit in the sewers. A difficult enough task on its own, but throw darkness into the mix and it got downright impossible. However, the glowing sword, enchanted by Sorceress Rin to give off light, made things easier. Additionally, there wasn't much room for Jan to maneuver beyond going straight forward.

Step two, survive the sewers. He had been warned of possible things like goblins, slimes, and other misbegotten beings, but it was the first he'd heard of it. Goblins usually lived in the forests. Not that he'd seen one, or any other kind of monster.

Step three, once Jan got into the wider and more spread out part of the sewers, he would need to find a way to get to the surface world. Or in other words, the streets. This could be through a grate, a hatch, a ladder, whatever.

Step four, find a way to make himself presentable. Steal clothes, or buy them alongside a bath from an inn.

Step five, make his way towards the giant cathedral with the six towers they saw from the hill outside the city.

Step six, wait for Rin and Riku.

An easy enough plan, right?

Well, Jan wasn't exactly educated or intelligent, but he noticed a few flaws.

One was the fact that crawling through shit sucked ass.

Two was that he doubted a shit-covered sword could be a good weapon. Maybe it'd inflict a wound upon the goblins and they'd die of it if he managed to knick them. Not that it'd help Jan, since he'd be dead at that point.

Three was that he had no idea what time it was above, and where he'd exit. If he exited the sewers covered in shit and a guard saw him, they may take him to be a thief or a vagrant or a monster, which would lead to him being imprisoned, beaten or straight-up killed. An undesirable outcome.

Four was a small thing. Jan was carrying a pouch that was sealed rather tightly and slung across his chest. The pouch itself, he barely managed to keep away from the shit-water, but the smell would no doubt seep into it. Within the pouch he carried twenty silver coins, which would be enough, probably, assuming he didn't get swindled, which he likely would, or robbed, which again, he likely would. So even assuming everything went okay, Jan was doubtful that he'd look like an actual human being instead of a shit-slime monster.

Five was the fact that he didn't know the city and it might take him forever to reach the cathedral, and he'd have nothing to do if and when he got there.

Six was the fact that not only did Jan have no guarantee of the two foreigners waiting for him if they were there first, but he also had no guarantee they'd even succeed in their parts of the plan. And if either happened, what would Jan do?

He knew, or at least somewhat knew, the fate that would await this city in no time at all. And he could not change it. The rejection at the gates proved that.

Apparently, the city was not doing well. Too many people inside the walls. So there were likely to be thieves, vagrants and all sorts of undesirables. A peasant boy that never left the farm would be easy pickings for them.

Alas, these were all doubts. Doubts that wormed at his thoughts.

So, he did the only thing he could do to silence them.

He kept moving forward.

Riku spoke true. The sewers opened up, and after a while Jan crawled out of the tiny pipe through which the refuse of the city above was processed. He landed in what appeared to be a long hallway, with the walls and the floor and the ceiling all made out of tiled bricks, connected together. The hallway was split in half, with a single stream of water dividing it in half. This water flowed into the pipe from which Jan exited. He looked around and tried to find anything close to a ladder. To his mild surprise, even in the darkness, using the limited light his sword gave out, he managed to spy some sort of stairway off to the side where the water did not flow. He climbed up the stairway and finally, after so long, managed to land on something solid, something dry.

The floor was dry, though Jan was not. He took a seat on the cold tiles, and placed the glowing sword next to him. Afterwards, slowly, he began to undress himself, and take off all his clothes. He began with his boots. He took them out and turned them inside out, and tried to clean them as much as possible. He hit them against the bricks and against the walls to make sure the stains would be removed. He took off his pants next and waved them in the air away from him to make sure the same would be done to them, but when this didn't work, he resorted to hitting them against the bricks on the wall.

This proved to be more effective. Yes, he was dirtying the wall, but he didn't find himself caring that he did.

Next, Jan took off his pouch and set it at the side carefully. He'd clean that last.

And then, after doing all that, Jan took off his linen shirt, dirtied beyond repair, and cleaned that as well, as much as he could, by smacking it against the wall. Considering how light the shirt was, it didn't help much, but it was better than nothing.

When he was done with all that, he set his dirty clothes on the floor, and sat his naked ass down on the cold floor. It was dirty, he was dirty, everything was dirty.

But he asked for this, and he had his part to play.

Still, he did need a breather. A minute or two to rest would not kill him.

Jan sat like that for a while and tried not to think. He tried not to think about anything. Tried to have an empty mind, as he knew that no thought he'd have could end up being productive or positive.

It came to a surprise to him when his empty head was suddenly filled with a haughty and feminine voice.

{Hello? Is this thing working?}

Naturally, Jan was confused, and more than a little afraid.

{What the fuck?} He responded calmly, by shouting across the sewers. Strangely enough, his shouts managed to be heard by the voice.

{Quiet down, damn you! You almost blew out my ear drums…if such a thing is possible with this spell. I don't intend to find out.}

That voice… it was familiar. Could it be?

{Miss Rin?} Jan tried to respond to the voice in his head with his internal voice. The response came naturally.

{Well done genius, you figured it out. Now listen closely. My mana needs to regen and I don't want to spend too much time talking to you.}

Jan nodded. Then he realized, his nodding couldn't be seen. He had to actually respond.

{I'm listening.}

{Good. I managed to make my way into the city. These people are fucking primitives, I overrated the lot of them, but apparently they keep all their mages chained in some prison or academy or something, the guard was unclear. Anyways, your sword, is it still glowing?}

Jan looked at his sword. Not the one within his legs, but the one on the floor. It was still glowing.

{Yes.}

{Good. The magic I placed upon it lasts for only an hour. I estimate we have burned through half of one since I did so. This leaves you with only half an hour of light left. This may not be entirely accurate, but it's the best you're going to get. Anyways, once that's gone, you'll be in darkness. You need to get out of the sewers before then.}"

{Half an hour? That's not long enough.}

{Stop complaining and be a man for once. It's more than enough. You don't need to find some magical object or kill monsters, you just need to make your way to the surface. But before you do, throw your sword away back into the sewers.}

{But… I'll need it.}

{Will you? You can't win a fight anyways. And besides, I know swords are probably expensive for you, but we have weapons aplenty in our Inventory system, and carrying around a sword will only prove detrimental. Plus, you won't need the light from the weapon once you get onto the streets. These people have lamps, surprisingly enough…}

{I don't know… Are you sure.}

{Don't underestimate the effect anonymity has on your safety. If you blend in, no one will bother you.}

{Right…So, once I make it to the streets, what then?}

{Make your way to the nearest inn and get a bath and some food in you, and some new clothes of course. I'll contact you with the Message spell again in a few hours, so make sure you don't fall asleep.}

{And once I get to this inn, I do what? Wait for you to pick me up? What about the church?}

{If you don't hear from me or Riku tonight, wait at the church by noon tomorrow, and we will meet up there. Either way, with Message, we can stay in touch, even if I don't make it there tonight.}

{You won't be coming to the inn?}

{Perhaps. Perhaps not. I need to check something out, something that piqued my curiosity. I'll be fine. Besides, if Riku's gambit works he will be able to pick you up and we'll meet up.}

{Wait, what about-

{There's a gang incoming by the looks of it. Shit, I really don't wanna murder these guys and blow my cover. Anyways, I gotta bounce. Cya.}

And just like that, Jan was left alone again. Alone, in the dark, stewing with his thoughts while sitting naked on the cold floor. He was running out of time.

He looked around the room for anything resembling a torch, but found nothing.

The glowing sword was his only lifeline.

He quickly picked up the dirty clothes he had, put them on again, fighting the disgust he felt all the while, picked up the sword and pouch filled with coins again, and set off in a direction, not sure where he was going exactly, but knowing that he'd get there nonetheless.

There were no slimes. No goblins, no sewer monsters.

Nothing that actually threatened him. It was a pleasant surprise.

However, he did find a few things that he wished he hadn't found. Namely, human corpses. At a few places he found what appeared to be human corpses, thrown into the sewers. The corpses were all in various states of decay. Some were nothing but bones, others were half-rotten flesh that smelled just as bad if not worse than the shit in the water, and one was even fresh. The one Jan found was being feasted upon by rats.

The corpses, at least the ones with meat on them, all appeared to be men, which made sense to Jan. A woman's fate would be to live, for better or for worse, were they to come upon the wicked and the lawless.

That fate was usually for worse, based on what little he knew. Such things did not happen in Taewe, where he was born, but here, in this city… with so many people, it wouldn't surprise him if they did happen. He had heard stories, all the lads in the village had heard stories, about bandits and criminals and gangs.

Rin had mentioned sensing that one of those gangs were approaching her. What would be her fate?

Would she be harmed? Most likely not. In fact, the gang members would likely end up incinerated. But that carried its own risks. They had no business being in the city, so if the guards were to find Rin standing atop a pile of smoldering corpses, that would lead to nothing good.

Jan silently shot a quick prayer to the Gods that both she and Riku make it through without harming or being harmed by anyone.

But somehow, he doubted those same Gods were listening. They didn't help him when his village was being consumed by green monstrosities, why would they help him now?

Stupid, stupid.

Jan chided himself for his cluelessness and continued walking.

A few minutes later, he came upon what seemed to be sound, and light. Not light to the extent of what his sword gave out, but it was something, it was more than what there was within.

However, he also heard something else. Voices. Voices belonging to men.

Jan's sword arm tightened around his blade, and he shot a glance towards it. The glow it gave off was still going strong. Instead of fading away over time, most likely it would just cease to give off light once it's time ran out.

Jan ran a few scenarios through his underdeveloped teenage brain.

If he were to come out covered in shit and wielding a glowing sword, whoever he met would probably react with hostility and suspicion.

But if he were to do the same but without the sword… he might be able to talk whoever he met into helping him.

The choice was made. Jan found a crevice in the wall, and placed the sword inside. Like this, it did not stick out, but if necessary, he could draw it out and use it.

He hoped it didn't come to that.

Jan almost prayed to the heavens for guidance. Almost. He stopped himself before he did.

He stuck himself to the wall, and sneaky-like, tried to creep towards the unintelligible voices. Based on what his hearing told him, just a right and then a left, and he'd meet people.

People who were talking in the sewers in the middle of the night.

Who else would do such a thing besides criminals?

Jan continued to sneakishly approach the voices until he managed to make out enough to be able to comprehend their conversation.

"-this isn't what I asked for." A female voice. Jan could hear it. What could a woman be doing in the sewers at these hours? Unless… a witch, perhaps? No, wait. Jan shouldn't make opinions in his mind on faulty information.

"It's what you're getting." A male voice replied. Perhaps a criminal? No, probably. But for some reason, Jan didn't really fear criminals that much compared to how much he did. He still feared them, but watching an entire group of them get demolished had told Jan that there was always someone with a bigger stick.

"This was not the deal." The female voice spoke again.

"Deals change all the time." The same male voice replied. They seemed to be in a disagreement about a deal or some such.

Jan inched ever closer. Just a foot or two. As he itched, he felt what was probably a breeze, as the air got just a bit colder. The chilly night's air was probably much fresher and better to breathe than what he breathed down here in the sewers. And if all went well, Jan would make it to the city streets.

There was silence for a while until the female voice spoke up again. "I'm not paying for this."

"You asked for three bodies, you got three bodies." The male voice stated bluntly.

"I asked for three long dead bodies. You bring me three fresh ones, likely made today."

'Bodies? Bodies? Why would they want bodies?'

"Dead is dead. Makes no difference."

"For my research, it does. And besides, I don't want innocent blood on my hands."

'Research? What kind of research would need dead bodies?'

"Don't want innocent blood on your hands? You're a necromancer, darling."

That answered Jan's question.

'A necromancer? Dear Gods… What have I gotten myself into?'

"I don't kill people so I can do my research." The woman replied instantly, almost offended.

Jan didn't follow exactly to the point, but he had an idea. The woman was a necromancer, she needed bodies, and these criminals provided bodies to her, and she was disagreeing with them.

Something told Jan that there'd be new corpses within the sewers.

'Wait… those corpses from before, those I saw deeper within… were those made by these same people or by someone else? I don't know what's worse…'

"No? You just get dead people to be your slaves. That's worse if you ask me. At least once we kill them they're free. You enslave their souls, make them work for you in death."

"That's not what necromancy is." A matter of fact statement, but Jan found it hard to believe. Only Surshana should command the dead. Anything else was blasphemy.

"You can't lie to me about what necromancy is, I may be a criminal but I ain't stupid. Besides, I'm done arguing with you. Show me the money." The man, the criminal leader as Jan called him in his head, was insisting on the deal going through, but based on the repeated denial by the other party, it would most likely fall through.

"I'll leave, but I am not paying for these. The order was specifically for bodies from the graveyards, severely decayed bodies that won't be missed. Not bodies from the local beggars."

"Graveyards have more guards than the beggars."

"Doesn't matter to me that they do, that was the deal."

"Like I said before, corpses are corpses, and in this business, you gotta adapt to survive. You asked for three dead men, and we delivered. If you want this business relationship to continue, you'd best pay up and leave." It'd definitely fall through. And there's likely to be blood when it does.

Also, Jan made a note to himself to not become a beggar at any time in the future.

"Nah, that ain't happening."

"And why is that?"

"I don't use corpses from innocent folks."

Jan heard a few laughs from some male voices, not too loud, but loud enough to echo behind him.

Just now, Jan regretted leaving his sword. Perhaps there'd be time to take it back. It'd only take a few seconds… but he might make some noise and end up being caught. And… a part of him wanted to know how this deal ended up.

If Jan found out what happened and he brought that information to Ser Riku, it could potentially prove useful.

"Why make that distinction?" Another male voice, higher pitched by just a bit, spoke up.

There was no answer from the female necromancer.

"Ooooh. The noble and righteous necromancer. This is a first. Tell me, magic caster, why exactly are you so picky?"

"It's not your concern why I do what I do."

"I think it is."

Jan heard a distinct sound. One unmistakable. The unsheathing of swords.

He gulped.

The air went quiet as the criminals awaited the necromancer's response.

"...fine. I don't want innocent blood on my hands. I don't want to murder innocent people for my research. It's illegal. And immoral." Somewhat hesitantly, the woman did answer. But what she said was not what the criminal wanted to hear as he instantly went into a rage.

"Illegal!? Illegal!? We're a bunch of criminals, and that includes you! Your entire kind is illegal!"

Another male voice, the higher pitched one that Jan heard before decided to speak before his colleague burst a vein.

For some reason, Jan imagined him to be fat. The one that got angry, that is.

"You certainly don't look like you're with one of the Towers, which makes you an illegal mage. Necromancy is itself illegal even among magic casters in this kingdom, and don't tell me how anything about you defiling the dead is moral. Do the smart thing now."

The air suddenly grew cold and Jan noticed it.

'Wait? Magic is illegal? Since when? And what the hell's a Tower? But priests are accepted everywhere? Or is this just for wizards and witches and the like? I'm so confused…'

But while the high-pitched criminal gave the necromancer time to think over his request, the fat-voiced one did not. His tongue was loose, and quick to the point.

"Annoying bitch. Give us the money before we gut you and take what we want off your corpse and send you to dance with all your former puppets."

The cold air became even colder, and when Jan breathed out, he could see his breath. It was as if winter came early. The speed of the change in temperature was more than a bit unnerving.

"What makes you think you can win?" The female necromancer asked a question, and Jan knew what would follow.

"There's six of us and only one of you." The fat-voiced one spoke up.

"Correction. There's three of you. Your two crossbowmen are dead and the boy over there with the knife will run when he sees that I am not lying. Which leaves three, you know."

What? Jan didn't see what happened, but he did hear two distinct thumps, followed by gasps and hushed mutterings and prayers to the gods.

He also heard one man shout the word "Undead! Undead! Undead!"

Jan did not see what was going on, but he froze still. He pushed his back against the wall as his mind desperately struggled for a response.

Yes, there was time. He should run away.

"What the?" A voice spoke up.

"Ghosts don't take damage from regular weapons, you know?" The female voice chided the man.

Was the man fighting ghosts? Were they in the walls? Was that why it was cold? Would they possess him and take over his body? Would Jan die? Was this the end?

'Dear Gods, please help me.'

Jan begged the silent and cruel deities for deliverance. He did not wish to join Surshana.

Not yet, not yet, not yet he repeated to himself. But his legs were frozen solid. He could barely move.

'One step at a time. Come on, come on, come on!'

He forced himself to move his foot. He succeeded.

'Yes, yes, yes! Come on, now the other!'

And then the other. Then he heard a scream. More like a wailing, actually. The young voice, so similar to his own, was filled to the brim with fear.

Jan also heard footsteps behind him. He turned around and saw a young boy, probably no more than a year or two older than him, running towards his direction. Jan couldn't tell his features, but the boy was in a rush. He was in such a rush actually, that when he ran past Jan, he shoved him to the side, and Jan fell on his ass.

As the boy ran past, Jan looked at his back. He debated following the boy… but that was neither here nor there.

'Does he even know where he's going? Do I?'

After a second of contemplation, Jan decided upon a simple choice. He would go in the direction the boy went, that is to say, he'd pick up his sword from the crevice in the wall, and he'd hide close to the entrance. He still needed to get to the surface.

He only wished that he could speak to Rin or Riku and get advice on what to do.

But he couldn't, thus he was forced to fend for himself.

"See, turns out there's only three of you all along." He could still hear the casual way the female necromancer spoke. She had commanded her ghosts to kill two people and her voice was unchanged. As cold as ice.

'Was what she said about not killing people an act?'

Was it? Or did she not extend that courtesy about killing innocents to criminals?

What if she thought he was one?

Would she kill him?

Jan was not given much time to think.

A scream of rage erupted so loud that he could hear it in his bones.

"You bitch! You killed my brother!"

"You're next. [Summon Undead 2nd]!"

Next there was a sound of magic, a sound he couldn't describe except that it felt like light and the opening of a gate. In fact, the light the magic gave off was so strong that Jan could see shadows on the wall.

He saw shadows, and then he heard the growls and the barking.

And he heard even more.

The clashing of steel, the rending of flesh, the bites of the undead dogs, the casting of even more magic, he heard it all, yet he was glad he could not see.

He heard this slaughter for several seconds until he heard nothing. There was silence.

Jan's heart nearly leapt from his chest.

The fear within him could paralyze him. But it could also give him that much needed push.

Jan instantly stood up and started running away, panting as he did. He ran and ran, making loud steps all the while.

He ran to the sword and took it out. He ran and he ran, he ran through the darkness, but it was not fast enough.

Jan heard that female voice speak once again.

"Get him."

Jan ran.

The sounds of the dogs running towards him echoed across the sewage system.

The pitter-pattering of many tiny feet.

It became louder and louder.

Jan turned around, only to see a giant gaping maw filled with a rotting tongue and yellow teeth. The maw of an undead monstrosity, belonging to a red-eyed black dog lunging for his neck.