FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Jebediah had lied, but not intentionally. No guards appeared that day, meaning the two spent their time in continued solitude, surrounded by the stale scent of piss and mildew. The Karhun had become more animated with his newfound range of motion, and even talkative to a degree. Del rested on the dirty straw with his back against the other's warm side, still avoiding the slimy wall at all costs. His stomach churned with hunger, but the pangs of discomfort were secondary to all the different scenarios that were plaguing his mind.

“We need to talk about how this is going to work, Jebediah. I can swing a knife, but I don't know how to fight. I'm not sure how helpful I'm going to be with my hands shackled.”

He looked down at where his hands would be in the darkness, unable to see clearly or ignore the cold metal and wood against his flesh. Even if he could remove them, it wouldn't make much of a difference. He was well versed in dropping quietly out of sight or blending into a crowd, but avoided fights at all costs.

When Jebediah spoke, Del's own body rumbled with vibration as the words rolled out.

“I will take care of the men, and you should stay out of harm's way. I suspect those guarding us are lightly armed, but given that we are being held as prisoners, there will likely be a guarded armory nearby. Do not presume anyone we encounter to be friendly; they silenced quickly so no alarm can be raised.”

Del's features hardened with distaste. “You'll have to kill them?”

“I do not see an alternative if we are seen. They will not give us any leniency if we are found outside of these walls and we cannot afford them something they will not provide in turn.”

Del thought back to the men who had been tasked with moving him from one location to another and to the different soldiers and jailers he had been around before being brought him here. None were kind, but they weren't evil. At least, he didn't think so.

“Clear your conscience, cub. Think only of getting out. Dwell on the means afterwords when your life is on the line.”

“I'm sure many men have used that line of thinking to rationalize their actions.” He said dryly. A pregnant silence hung in the air and muscles tensed behind him. Jebediah relaxed a moment later, but his statement was delivered with a heavy weight about it.

“I am no man. To them, neither are you.”

The words were reinforced by the foreign feeling of fur at his back and he nodded. They had to get out, or they would die in here. Think of the consequences later. Neither had more to say on the topic, but Del was unable to sit in the silence after such a conversation.

“Where do you come from, Jebediah?”

The Karhun fell silent for a moment. “I was born far, far from your city. It would be months of dangerous travel, with many wild spaces and few towns in between, certainly no cities such as your own. The forests of Andau are home to many Kith and they are places of great magic, far away from humans. We have our own settlements, built into the hills and trees and caves. I think you would not find them much different than a human settlement outside of your own large-walled cities. In some places, there is trade between the Kith and the humans, although most are not welcome. As a cub, I enjoyed festivities with my brothers and sisters, rites for the changing of the seasons, blessings from the spirits, rituals for our brethren, and feasts for our warriors. We assisted the spirits and they provided for us in many ways. Sometimes, other tribes would visit for special occasions, and tales were spun of wars made to protect our homes and land, although never so fiercely as with the humans. Your kind seems to believe they have inherited the rights to everything they see, including what is ours.” He scowled.

Del listened intently. There were so many questions he wanted to ask, but he was particularly fascinated by the mention of spirits. He knew enough of his own Gods, but had never heard stories of others. “Spirits? Like ghosts of the woods?”

“No, not ghosts. There are many spirits supporting all the living beings and the world around us, even humans, though your kind seem to be... less attuned to their presence. You may even find some here if you know where to look, although I suspect they are well hidden. Humans who can interact with spirits have a tendency to attempt to control them, so they are either driven from your cities or collected for use by powerful men, likely similar to the Magis you mentioned.”

“He controls them?”

“I do not know about him specifically, but from my experience, influential and wealthy humans trap and contain them for their own means. It is... easier than it should be for those that are aware of their presence: either they do not understand the spirits' importance, or simply choose to ignore the injustice they are performing. The spirits that are bound become sick and twisted, eventually unable to serve their destined purpose, and the husks are kept as symbols of power and traded as such between men. The spirits rot in captivity, and their influence can corrupt those that are using them, both physically and otherwise. Rot must be discarded or it spreads.”

“Can you fix them or release them or... something?” Del asked.

“Not that I know of.” Jebediah fell silent again.

He spoke nothing more of the spirits or his home and Del didn't press further. Eventually, they conversed quietly of other topics, discussing possibilities should their captors follow a normal schedule the next day. Sometime during the discussion, Del fell silent, sinking more firmly against the warmth of the Wild Kith behind him and drifting off to sleep.

--

From the moment he woke up, Del struggled to keep relax. The unmistakable twinge of hunger was ever-present at this point, but he said nothing, aware that Jebediah had endured his own hunger pangs for much longer. The Kith maintained his composure in the corner, sitting quietly but buzzing with an electrical alertness. As the day wore on, he stood and began to move methodically, stretching limbs and testing the steadiness of his movement.

Del stayed out of the way, avoiding the cold stone and watching as dark fur occasionally swept past the scant light passing through the door in practiced motions. He couldn't tell how long the day wore on, in fact he wasn't sure anymore about the passing of hours, but it felt like an eternity. No matter how he focused his mind, he couldn't keep from fixating on the slowly passing time, the emptiness in his gut, or the chill of damp stone. If the guards didn't come again today, maybe he would ask Jebediah to teach him how to meditate. Anything to occupy his min and keep his stomach from eating itself.

While Del found himself absentmindedly tracing the edges of stone within the wall, Jebediah froze and quickly stepped back into the corner, hiding his frame in the dark while standing perfectly still. This was it. Del's body trembled with a rush of adrenaline, the cold momentarily forgotten as he rehearsed his role hastily in his head.

Muffled steps made their way down the hallway and Del felt two pinprick taps of a claw on his shoulder. Two men. Well, hopefully two. He would have to trust that Jebediah's hearing was good enough to determine how many were approaching. The footfall came directly up to the door and a shadow swept across the faint light that floated through the bars. Two pieces of moldy bread were tossed into the cell and the steps began to walk away. It was barely enough food for Del, let alone the two of them.

“Wait! Guards!” His voice carried into the hallway, but the footsteps didn't stop. “Hey! Help me! I think this thing has died! You gotta get me out of here!” He put as much desperation in his voice as possible, whatever it took to get their attention.

The steps slowed and came to a halt. For a brief moment they there was silence, then quiet mumbling as if the guards were having a muted conversation. Del was about to shout again when the steps changed direction and headed back to the door.

“Please! Gods, please, get me out of here. I don't wanna be stuck with a dead body.”

The shadow of a man returned and his footsteps stopped in front of the door. He didn't make any move to open it, and Del could just barely see the top of a head through the small open window.

“What the fuck do we care, kid? Should be glad you have some company in there anyways. Once the pieces get soft, you can pick some off. Bet it tastes just like wild game... though maybe a little putrid. Even got some delicious bread in there you can eat it with.” There was a snicker from the other side of the door.

“The body is gonna rot in here. Can't you just move me to a different cell?”

“No can do, kid. This is your special suite. No room in the inn and all that. Should be thanking us for putting you up in such a fancy place anyways”, he sneered.

Del put his hands up to the door, gripping the bars tight enough to whiten his palms. “Please, please I'll do anything. Just put me in a different cell.” He swallowed hard. Acting wasn't his strong suit, never having tried to deceive anyone like this, preferring instead to take what he needed and disappear before being noticed. It felt like he was failing, like the opportunity was slipping away.

The guard turned again and Del hissed in frustration. They were going to leave, and there was nothing he could do about it. There was an inaudible discussion in the corridor between the two and steps began to trail away down the hall.

Del pulled his hands away from the bars, cursing quietly under his breath. In the next instant there was a single tap on his shoulder. The action was completely silent, and Del almost let out a yelp in surprise but he stifled the noise, eyes widening as he turned back to the door. One guard.

“Hey, hey are you still there? Sir? Please. Please, let me go to a different cell. Please, I'll do anything.”

There was a heavy wet cough as the remaining guard cleared his throat within the corridor and spat onto the ground.

“Show me your shackles through the door.”

Del complied and lifted his hands up, trying his best to show the bindings through the small opening. The man grunted, “Put yer hands on the back of the door and leave em there.” Keys jangled for a brief moment and there was a faint clack as one was placed into the keyhole followed by a heavy thump as the mechanism turned. Del looked to the dark corner where Jebediah waited, but the beast was perfectly still. Del, on the other hand, was shaking. The goal was to do this as quietly as possible, leave any bodies in the cell, then get out. If they jumped the gun or something went wrong, they wouldn't be given another opportunity.

The frame of the door moved suddenly, pulling away from the stone wall allowing a sliver of light to shine into the room, illuminating the young man in a slowly growing arc. As soon as the door began to open, a second set of footsteps began making their way down the hall and Del's heart sank. Had the other guard ever really left? Did he just walk down the hall and wait? If Jebediah rushed the door, the other guard could bolt and alert others. Del shot a panicked look toward the corner where his cellmate waited, but there was no response to let him know the Karhun was thinking.

The door opened enough that Del could fit through and stopped.

“Put your hands out, boy, palms up.”

Del couldn't think of any other options and he didn't want to give the guard a reason to close the door, so he reached out quickly, forcing his palms out into the dimly lit hallway. He felt another hand grasp his own and waited for the door to open further but instead, the hands pulled suddenly, yanking him from the cell. His shoulder clipped the sharp stone as he was forced out, eliciting a cry while toppling forward, landing on his knees. Warm blood trickled down the skin of his arm.

The door shut abruptly and the lock thunked back into place as it fell into the frame. The inside of the cell was silent, indicating no life whatsoever.

The guard holding his wrists released him roughly and distancing himself, while the other stretched up on his toes to look inside the cell while replacing the keys at his waist. Delvin spun and crawled backwards as much as his bound hands would allow, away from the door until his back hit the wall on the other side of the corridor. He looked at the door in a panic. They had failed.

“Can never be too careful, kid. Heard those flea-ridden fucks can mess with your mind. You wouldn'ta been lyin' to me would ya? I suppose if it really is dead, we don't need to throw food in there anymore. Could just give it a few weeks then scoop out the carcass. Or maybe we'll leave the remains in there for the next one that we get a hold of. Might be nice to have a memory of home while they enjoy their stay with us.”

Del looked in horror from the door to the guard and then back again. Suddenly his mouth was too dry and words wouldn't form on his tongue. Would they call his bluff? What if they actually followed through? Sick to his stomach with worry, he continued the lie, despite being terrified he had just truly murdered Jebediah. The only chance the Karhun had was for someone to open the door and check on him.

“Uh, yes, um. It wasn't breathing last night. I, uh, I think it was night at least? I tried to wake it but nothing happened. It hasn't moved since.”

The two guards exchanged a glance at each other then back to Del. The one who had opened the door was standing over him now, sneering down with a face that was middle-aged, but rough with wear. His skin was tanned from the sun and had a patchy beard that looked like he was attempting to grow something more impressive than he was able. The other man stood a few feet down the hall, feigning disinterest. He was red-haired and clean shaven, with less lines of age and experience across his face. Del caught him shifting his weight back and forth, as if he were uncomfortable.

His attention was brought back to the man in front of him as an open hand connected with his face. Del winced and caught his breath, looking at the man standing over him. There was a vicious sneer plastered across his face.

“So I distinctly remember you saying you'd do anything to move to a different cell right?” His stance relaxed briefly, one hand falling to the thin blade at his hip. It was the only visible weapon on his body. Del's eyes fell on it and his mind was racing trying to come up with options. If they threw him in another cell, he had no chance. He couldn't break past the guards without help, especially with his hands bound while they were carrying weapons.

The guard shifted again, bringing a boot forward and connecting with Delvin's chin, crushing his mouth closed. The force sent a shock wave through his jaw as teeth ground against teeth and crunched through his upper lip, causing a flash of excruciating pain. It began to swell and bleed immediately.

“Eyes up here, kid.”

Del's mouth was throbbing, overshadowing the pain from his shoulder and he turned his head up to face the man in front of him. He met those cold eyes and held them, while his insides were churning with rage, and while he did everything to keep a neutral expression, to show that he wasn't affected, he couldn't stop the fear and fury from showing on his face. Del stayed silent while the guard waited for a response.

“Since you offered so politely, this is how its gonna work. You're gonna do what I tell you. Whatever I tell you. Depending on how good you are, I'll decide whether or not you get a shiny new room to stay in. Nod your head if you understand.”

Del's hatred flowed from him like water through a sieve, warming his body against the slimy stone. He nodded slowly as blood dripped from his chin.

“Good.” The guard leaned down close to his face and Del could smell the rot of decay and tobacco on his breath. “Another note. If I feel your teeth at all, I'm gonna cut up your feet and slide my blade behind your kneecaps, nice and slow. It'll take a little bit to die from infection while you sit in your own filth, but it'll happen eventually. This doesn't need to get unpleasant, so lets make the most of this, shall we?”

He straightened, reaching to his waist and pulling at the strings of his uniform, loosening the pants around his waist. The other guard was looking away, gaze settled on the far end of the corridor where stairs led up to what might as well be a different world. The man continuously shifted from foot to foot, obviously unsettled by what was happening but either unable to or unwilling to intervene. All Del could think was: what a fucking coward.

The older guard hacked again and coughed, bringing up stringy yellow disease from his smoker's lungs before spitting it on the wall behind Del. “Camm, if you're not gonna join, get th' fuck outta here. Go back to your post and wait for me. We c'n find a whore for you tonight if you're so picky.”

Camm didn't hesitate, moving with haste down the empty corridor and disappearing quickly up the stone stairs out of sight. His footsteps eventually faded to nothingness and Del's attention turned back to the man in front of him. The guard stood closer now, blocking the view of the cell door and looking down with a bored expression, one hand gripping the waist of his trousers while the other waved impatiently.

Del stayed where he was, jaw aching. “You're gonna get blood all over you after splitting my lip, asshole.”

“It'll wash off. That should be the least of your worries. Way you're actin', doesn't seem like you really wanna get a shiny new home.”

Del spat some of the pooled blood and saliva onto the floor but remained motionless with his back against the stone.

“Nothing nice about this place, don't even have any other guests. Think I saw a rat in my room earlier, too. That can't be good for business.”

The guard stepped back once and then hopped forward, sending a kick into Del's gut, connecting just below the ribs and forcing the young man back against the wall. His head cracked on the stone while air was forced out of him so hard, he spent a moment unable to refill burning lungs. He gasped several times while the man stood over him, pants drooping lazily and exposing coarse pubic hair.

“Well, y'see. This is Magis Clemens' special little hotel for his friends. He could have had you hung for trying to pinch his personal belongings, but where's the fun in that? So he likes to take responsibility for the folks that piss 'im off. Technically, as long as he's providing board and feeding you, there ain't nothing anyone can do about it. If he wanted, he could slave you out for taking advantage of his hospitality without no way to pay 'im back, but that's not really his style. Now, get on your knees.”

Del sucked in another painful breath. “So this isn't a prison?”

The guard scowled, frustration finally overcoming cruel indifference. “It might as well be. You're in one of Magis Clemens personal properties. And you're never leaving here, got it? Now I'm gettin' mighty fuckin' impatient here.”

“Gods forbid I waste any time sucking your tiny pecker.”

The guards face twisted with rage and he stepped back again, preparing to deliver another vengeful kick as punishment. Del's vision seemed to slow in response and he watched it coming without any real way to avoid it. His face hurt, his wrists hurt, his stomach hurt, and he was still just so damn cold. Those thoughts burst from his mind as the blow struck Del in the side of the head, landing with a dull crunch. His face exploded with pain, and when the stars obscuring his vision went away, he was surprised to find himself laying sideways on the ground.

Something was very wrong with his jaw. He couldn't close his mouth, and a groan escaped his lips, petering out with weak finality. Gods, it hurt. From the corner of his vision, the guard was hopping slightly on one foot, obviously also managing to injure himself with the blow. Del couldn't process what had happened well enough for any kind of smug satisfaction, and the guard recovered quickly, hobbling over, grabbing him under the arm, and wrenching the young man's body around. As he was shifted, Del saw two fiery eyes burning in the darkness of his previous cell. Jebediah was watching, helpless. This had gone so sideways, Del thought.

“Little shit! Fine. Don't need your mouth anyways.”

Del's mind was still attempting to return to normal after the blow to the head and he could feel his body being moved and positioned, but he couldn't form the right thoughts or motions to right himself. Another groan escaped his lips, and he attempted to lift his aching head off the ground to remove some of the throbbing pressure in his jaw that was no longer in alignment. The guard shoved him forward again and finally dropped his trousers, settling himself behind the young man. Del felt the slap of spittle hit his skin and there was a sudden hair-raising growl from darkness of the door behind them. The dim light of the corridor flickered as if a gust of wind had materialized within it's walls.

“Wha' the fuck?” The guard tried to spin and stand at the same time, twisting himself and the garments around his ankles. In his haste, the clothing tripped him up and sent his body sideways only to end up on the floor.

“DEL, GET UP.”

Clarity. Jebediah's voice was clearer than it had ever been before. Sudden and startling, like the Kith was standing right next to him and guiding his motions. Del's eyes opened to a shimmer with the hard lines of the surrounding stones, corridor, and sconces all outlined with a terrifying accuracy, as if he spent the last hour focusing on the space around him instead of reeling from the pain of abuse. The subtle and embarrasing sounds of struggle on the ground beside him, the drip of liquid from damp stone, the dance of light in the hallway, even the scent of rotten lungs and stale tobacco was overpowering. The words erased the fog in his mind with such force that Del acted immediately with Jebediah beside him.

No, that's not right. He was alone in the hallway. The door to the cell was still closed.

He ignored the throbbing in his shoulder and face as if they were a distant dull nuisance, wheeling around and over the man on the ground and lifting the stocks that still bound his hands together. The guard opened his mouth to shout, to beg, to do something, but the words never reached the unsympathetic walls surrounding them. With as much force as his tired body could muster, Del drove the wood and metal straight down over the pitiful stubble of the man's weak chin and exposed throat. There was a sickening squelch as his trachea and throat collapsed under the weight. The tissue discolored immediately, bruising and swelling as blood pooled under the skin from burst vessels and blunt trauma, and with bulging eyes, the man tried to suck in a breath of air. Nothing happened. The guard turned to his side frantically with fear and desperation dulling the shine in his eyes while gasping like a fish on dry land, his hands grasped for his throat as if there was a noose about it. There might as well have been, as Del raised the bar again and brought it down one more time, this time over his assailant's temple with a sickening thud. Red fluid trickled from the dead man's ears and eyes as the body went limp.

Del collapsed and his vision blurred again. The precision and acuity of mere moments before muddied and drifted away. In one instant he was kneeling over the man, the next he was slumped over the body. Was he unconscious? Did he care?

“Cub.” There was a strained pitch to the sound. “Don't pass out!”

The words came from the direction of his cell but they were distant, like someone calling out from across a field, not a few feet away.

He fumbled over the body, trying to find the keys needed to unlock the door. They were attached to the trousers bunched around the ankles of the lifeless body, and it took him a moment to wrestle them free with fumbling and shackled hands. Four keys hung from the loop and he stumbled over to the door. Why did his head hurt so bad?

The keys were large and unwieldy, built for the few cells that lined the corridor, but he managed to fit the second key in the lock. Despite the heavy nature of the door, it turned easily and the deep thunk of a mechanism sliding open was all he needed to step aside and sink to the ground.

Del stared unseeing at the wall in front of him, the ache of his jaw cascading in waves through him, reverberating pain from his temple to his shoulder with every small movement he made. He was in a trance, intermittently broken by severe aching to the point of torment and so he... stopped moving. That was the only thing that helped, to stay frozen, stationary like a broken, pitiful sculpture within the corridor.

The door to the cell opened quickly, and in any other circumstance, Del would have taken a moment to truly look at the cell mate who had been obscured from his vision since they first met. The scraggly and foreign form that presented itself into the dim light was lost on him, though.

“Del. Stay awake. You must stay awake.”

Jebediah spoke quietly, stepping gingerly over to the young man and setting large palms on his shoulders. He examined the injury carefully, with tender touch at first, trying to determine the extent of the injury. Pressure came in small increments, but grew rapidly at he examined the bone and the joint. If Jebediah was speaking, Del heard no words, instead focused on staying conscious and pulling away weakly from the pain of the quick inspection but unable to move far.

“You have a concussion, and your jaw is dislocated, but... I don't think it's broken. I'm going to try and set it.”

The Karhun waved a hand in front of Del's face, unsure if he was aware of what was happening. He received a distant look of misery, and realized the young man's face was wet. Tears were flowing slowly, accumulating and falling with every other blink.

Del heard a quiet, “I'm sorry.” before Jebediah reached up and placed a hand on the side of his face. Was it a paw? Did it matter? Gods, those claws were big. A momentary panic set in as the beast placed a thumb in his mouth and he tried to bite down instinctively, unable to handle the pain of the intrusion. Human hands would have been uncomfortable, let alone those of a beast.

“That's fine. That's fine”, quietly rumbled from the Kith's throat.

There was a brief moment where Del could taste the damp grime on the invasive hands but it paled in comparison to... just about everything else. While his mind was trying to determine whether or not it cared, Jebediah moved with a forceful motion, pushing firmly down and back on the teeth that his digit rested on while pulling up the chin. The pain skyrocketed briefly, squeezing more salty fluid down his face until a slight pop occurred and the pain lessened drastically, turning the raging throb into a waning ache. He heard a grunt of satisfaction from the beast who held one paw under his chin and pulled his hand away gently.

“Stay still for a moment, Del. Stay with me.”

He tried to speak but the words slurred out with excess spit that had accumulated. Del didn't try again, instead watching with an exhausted disinterest as Jebediah reached over to the man, or rather, the dead body, beside them and began using his claws to shred a long strip of cloth from the man's shirt. Once satisfied, he turned back and wrapped it gently under Del's chin, looping it up over his head and tying it tight.

“That is the most I can do for now.”

With that, he turned and began stripping the body and looking for anything that might be useful. Boots came first, followed by trousers and undergarments, then the shirt, but there was nothing of note besides the blade. He set the weapon aside and tossed all but the pants into the cell. The body he drug quickly, disappearing into the darkness before returning empty-handed. Next, he lifted Del to a standing position and gave him a moment to steady himself. Del's head was clearing slowly and he kept his insecure limbs beneath him while leaning against the wall for support.

Jebediah lifted the pants and inspected them, raising them to his muzzle and sniffing as if trying to determine their cleanliness. Apparently satisfied, he turned to the young man and bunched up the leg, reducing the length in an effort to help him dress and cover his nakedness. Del let out a muffled chuckle. This beast, this forest monster, was holding the waist open as if he were a parent dressing their child.

Jebediah's ears perked up. His gaze became hard at first, inspecting the young man, but it softened quickly. Del was brighter and more alert now, but he was still imbalanced.

“Lift your leg, cub.”

“Ahm nhot a chld”

The words hurt, but despite the protest, Del lifted his limb slowly, allowing himself to be dressed. One leg at a time, he stepped into the garment and Jebediah helped raise it over his waist before pulling firmly at the strings and tightening it to his frame. Del could feel warm breath on his stomach while the Kith kneeled down to secure the overly-large trousers. While not comfortable, the cloth immediately cut some of the cold of the corridor, providing all-too-needed relief. Next, Jebediah picked up the blade, making it look dainty within his paw. He turned to the door of their cell.

“I would not have been able to do this without you, Del, and I'm sorry I could not help more, but we must still get out of the building or this will all have been for nothing. Are you able to walk? To run?”

Del finally looked up at the beast for what seemed like the first time. There was still a fog to his thoughts, but it was clearing slowly, and he was able to actually take in exactly what, or who, was before him. The Karhun straightened but still could not stand at full height, head reaching the ceiling of the corridor. The outline that he had seen before was no different, but despite having withered within a cell for far too long, the beast was impressive. Del assumed he was over seven feet tall, maybe eight if allowed to stand at full height, with a barrel chest that descended into the torso of a creature that did not lack in strength. His limbs were long and ended in paws that seemed over-sized, even on the frame they were attached too. The fur, at least the amount that had not fallen out, was sable in color with a lighter patch of grey descending from the neck through his chest, trailing below the waist and disappearing between his thighs. The fur on his face was bushier than the rest, as if resembling a beard. Del wondered how old Jebediah was. Despite the impressive outline, the skin visible underneath fur was cracked and sickly looking, not to mention the infection at the shoulders, now more prominent than before with obviously irregular swelling. That entire broad space of skin was bruised and obviously painful, with reds, blacks, blues, and even grays mottled together with fraying skin and sickly discharge.

Jebediah allowed Del to look for only a moment before waving a large paw in front of his face again, breaking him out of his study.

“Ye-..” Del tried to speak for a second time, but the band of fabric wrapped under his chin and the residual dull ache made him think twice. He nodded slowly.

“Good”, was the only reply. Jebediah turned and closed the door to their cell firmly until he heard the latch fall into place. Next he tossed the ring of keys through the bars and into the oppressive darkness. A faint clatter echoed briefly as it hit the wet stone floor. Jebediah inspected the space one more time and gave Del another look over before nodding down the corridor.

“Time to go.”