>>5503191Your body is rattled as pain shoots through the front of your leg.
“Oh gosh, are you okay?” Mian slides off your back and grabs your arm to help you rise your feet.
As you rise, your vision focuses on the indents cut into the stone wall that lead to the metal sewer cover from which water slowly drips forth. Your body is beginning to weaken after the several days spent in this accursed land, but you must not let it show.
You're quick sigh in annoyance and smile at the young Elin who turns away from your gaze. “I’m fine. These shoes are long past their use, but we’re finally here…” You motion toward the metal sheet.
Given the time of westward travel, you’d estimate that your group is approximately halfway between the southern barracks and the Maturation Pit. On a normal day, the sun would be closing on the horizon, but its uncertain what may be hanging in the sky currently.
Luca hands the sled to Mishenne and ascends with torch in hand steps to get a closer look at the grate. “Looks as rusted as the one in town.” He looks back at Seo. “This is our way out.”
“Not a moment too soon.” She offers her side of the sled to Luca as he returns and pulls out her heavy mace and moves for the grate to break the hinges of the covering.
“Wait.” A voice calls out flatly from behind you.
You turn to see Quon appearing from the darkness with her dark brown eyes affixed on the sewer cover.
She unsteadily pushes past you and the other Elin to approach Seo. “Before you go and nosily break anything, I’ll check if there’s anyone around.”
Seo sighs at the perceived delay. “How exactly do you intend to do that?”
“Tch. Just watch.” Quon doesn’t stop at the young human and instead rather deftly climbs the stone indentations despite her body’s condition.
As her animal ears nearly touch the rusted metal sheet carved into the top of the tunnel, she holds out her hand flat and closes her eyes.
Immediately, you sense a weak flow of mana accumulate in the palm of her hand as it takes shape as a small, greyish wisp appearing much like a spherical buildup of smoke or mist. It gathers to the size of a child’s fist before she gently lifts it toward the metal sheet where it floats upward from her momentum and carries through the solid barrier.
