to flush them so they had to be built differently. You saw the gutters in the lower city. The ones in the castle and richer parts of the upper city are like that except drained better and covered.” Aleest stepped inside and Cero followed uncertainly.
“We should have brought a candle or something.” Cero lamented when the light grew dim following the second corner. He was about to say something else when he saw that Aleest was on his hands and knees feeling his way forward.
“A candle would have been nice, but I can feel my way from here.”
“There is still enough light to walk for a little ways yet.”
“No there isn’t.” Cero watched as Aleest got up slowly and looked into his eyes.
“What is it?”
“Your eyes are glowing faintly. They look sort of like Bani’s, but only bluish instead of green.”
“What do you mean like Bani’s eyes and glowing?” Cero wasn’t sure he understood.
“They aren’t round. More like narrow slots and they are glowing a dim bluish white light. You can’t see it unless you are real close. It is actually kind of weird.” Aleest cocked his head to get a better perspective.
“Weird? It sounds creepy!” Cero descended to a whisper when the tunnel amplified his voice.
“How many fingers am I holding up?” Aleest held up a hand with three fingers held up and two bent inward.
“This many.” Cero copied Aleest with his own hand.
“I can’t see anything. How many?”
“Three. Now there is two. Now you have five fingers. What is this supposed to prove?”
“That you can see in the pitch dark. You also get to lead the way. Just describe the tunnel intersections when we get to them… Wait for me! Let me hold the back of your shirt.” Aleest made his way to where Cero had stopped and grabbed the back of his shirt. Cero made sure to describe every obstacle that they reached until he heard something in the tunnel ahead of them. Some sort of tapping sound that was growing louder. They were near a side tunnel so they slipped inside and out of the main tunnel. A minute later Cero saw a ragged individual walk past, feeling his way with a stick. After the man had gone and the tapping had disappeared in the runnel that they had just come from, Cero turned to Aleest with a question.
“Those of us that spent a large amount of time down here carried sticks with us so we didn’t have to crawl. Not everyone can see in the dark like you can.”
“I only just figured that out! I didn’t used to see in the dark.”
“A new Gift? I guess we can add that to your list then.”
“Where are we going? I can see, but not that well and I would rather not fall in some pit hidden by shadows.”
“Everything down here is in a shadow so nothing has a shadow.”
“Don’t get philosophical on me. You know what I meant.”
“We are almost to the tunnel that will take us to the surface in the upper city.” Aleest again let Cero take the lead as they continued on.
“I haven’t seen any rats. Thought the place would be teeming with them.” Cero observed when they reached the junction Aleest had mentioned.
“That is because they are all terrified of you. Probably heard what happened to the poor rat that was trying to hide under your bed last night.”
“That wasn’t me. Bani is still at the Red Thorn.”
“Whatever, they don’t make the distinction. We are almost to the top.” Aleest shrugged dismissively and stopped Cero from asking how they knew.
“Whatever. That is my line.”
“So what. I can say it if I like.”
“Whatever, I mean who cares. It is just a word.” A vexing word to be sure. It implied passive disagreement when used in an argument, but a disagreement that dismissed all further argument to the contrary as irrelevant.
“Just a word. Words are just sounds. An inefficient way to convey thoughts and emotions.” Light flooded the tunnel at the next turn successfully distracting Cero from developing a comeback. Stone rungs were carved into the side of the shaft that went up to the surface. Aleest went up first, but came down a minute late scowling furiously.
“What is wrong now?”
“They put an iron grate over the hole. It didn’t used to be mortared into place, but now it is. I couldn’t budge it.” Aleest massaged his forearms after the strain.
“Let me give it a try.” Cero clambered back up and found himself looking out