He stopped and glanced around the corner before looking down at her and pressing a key into her hand. "This will get you into the cellar. Okay? If you go in the corner, there's an entrance down to the sewers. It'll be dark, but they won't follow you down there. You follow the sewers and you'll get out to town, where you can follow the path to the Ortus. Okay?"
She grabbed his hands, her gaze sharp and serious but terrified at the same time. "Come with me, Ben."
He laughed a little, squeezing her hands tenderly, but he shook his head. "I can't, Cal. You know I can't."
"He won't hurt me," he told her gently, brushing her hair back. "And if I go, there will be a full-blown war. You know there will be. I can do good if I stay here. I can help people here." He let go of her hands. "You need to go, Calliope. Be brave."
He watched her leave helplessly, his hands falling at his side as she left him behind. As she descended down the stairs towards the cellar, she would begin to hear shouting above her and people running. It didn't sound as if they were after her quite yet, but people had discovered her disappearance.
The lock turned heavily and as she opened the door, darkness awaited her, the smell of age and must in the air.
In the back of the cellar, she would be able to make out a trapdoor that stank of mold and muck. She would remember just a few days ago, where Ben and she had taken a break from her claw work, and he was teaching her small tricks. He was sitting on the couch, leaning back and staring at the ceiling. "How about.... oh! I got one," he had said, sitting up. "Let's learn how to summon light." The lesson had gone quite well and by the end, she had been able to create a decently sized orb of light in her hand. She would remember his large hand cupping hers as he grinned at her over the light. "Perfect," he had said. "You're a genius."
As she got to the bottom, she would see murky water rushing below her. There were two paths running parallel along the water and she landed on dry ground thankfully. She would hear squeaking from rats that scurried away from her light and the smell was just horrendous.
She walked for what felt like hours, the darkness looming around her. Occasionally, she would hear rats scuttling by her feet. Finally, however, she emerged out into the city, the water emptying out into a large river.
It took her about an hour to return. The Ortus glowed familiarly to her as she ran down the human path. She would see the lights twinkling at her. The chamber was silent as she approached.
