The Undercity was a series of interconnected tunnels, undercrofts, and basements that essentially all came together to create a community beneath Chrimoria. This community was a refuge for criminals, and became a place where illicit businesses set up shop to pedal their wares. It was said that anything you couldn’t buy on the surface could be found in the Undercity. The one gripe residents of the Undercity had was that the only way most of them could get to the Undercity was to go through the sewers. There were buildings with basements that connected to it, but most people wouldn’t just let common criminals use those entrances.


    Holden and the others may not have been criminals, but it would’ve been more of a hassle to try to get permission that way. It was for that very reason that the trio decided to make their way to the Undercity through the sewers.


    Sable couldn’t stop himself from cringing from the gross smell. “I feel like I’m going to vomit. Why did we have to come here?”


    “You seemed so motivated earlier,” Holden pointed out. “I recall you saying something about suspecting the pixie who freed you being behind the sword’s theft.”


    “Of course. It had to be the pixie. She already killed one person. Now she’s probably plotting to kill someone else involved in the fairy trafficking ring.”


    “The what now?” Mathias had heard Sable raving about a pixie outside of the pawn shop. However, Holden and Sable hadn’t explained it to him yet.


    Holden decided to tell the story while they were walking through the sewers.


    Mathias’s jaw dropped when he heard the tale. “Wow, so a pixie escaped and murdered her captor, only to release and coax the other prisoners taking revenge against everyone involved in the trafficking ring. That’s pretty crazy.


    “Hey, wait, Sable. If you’re so interested in stopping this trafficking ring and the pixie, then why are you working with Holden? Wouldn’t it be better to get a job with the police department? Or maybe this prosecutor you both worked with?”


    “It’s because they wouldn''t hire me. They just treat me like a pet. As for Elliandra, she can’t get involved in any investigations directly.”


    “So, Holden was just your best option?”


    “Chop lover is better than no meat at all.”


    Holden grumbled. “This is the second time you’ve referred to me as that.”


    Sable huffed. “And how many times do you call me cat? I think from now on Chopped Liver will be your nickname.”


    “Detective Chopped Liver,” Mathias jeered. “Or maybe just Detective Liver.”


    “My price just increased,” Holden responded with a straight face, despite the fact that he was joking.


    After about an hour of walking through the sewers, the three of them finally made it to the entrance to the Undercity. Despite being an underground community made up of tunnels, the Undercity was a lively place full of people.


    Holden and Sable both walked through the tunnels as if it were normal. The two of them had been here before, so the awe and wonder had dissipated. On the other hand, Mathias’s eyes lit up as they made their way through the Undercity. “Wow, this place is kind of amazing.”


    Holden had expected this from Mathias. People from outside of Chrimoria often found themselves awed by the city itself, because there was nowhere else in the world like it. Chrimoria had a larger variety of shops than anywhere else. The saying was ‘If you can’t find it in Chrimoria, then you won’t find it anywhere else’. Additionally, the vast number of casinos, coliseums, theaters, and other forms of entertainment made it a desirable destination.


    It took a while to find the place Martin had mentioned. Ike’s Undercroft Pub wasn’t a very well-known establishment within the Undercity, neither Holden nor Sable had any idea where to start looking. Furthermore, most people within the Undercity weren’t very friendly. Even when asked politely, most of them just ignored any of Holden’s attempts to ask for directions.


    After aimlessly wandering around for almost an hour, Holden checked the time on his watch. It was close to midnight, and they still didn’t have any leads. When it came to stolen items, the longer it took to dig up any leads, the harder it would be to find the item. After 24 hours it could’ve easily exchanged multiple hands and ended up with some traveling merchant who left town. It certainly had happened several times before in Chrimoria.


    Everyone started to get tired, so they stopped and leaned against the wall of the tunnel they were in to take a break. Mathias couldn''t stop himself from yawning, causing Holden and Sable to do the same.


    The experience actually felt a little nostalgic to Holden. He had been a spy for years before becoming a private investigator, so long stakeouts throughout the night to eavesdrop on persons of interest were a common occurrence for him. “This whole place is a maze. It might take us hours to find this place. We could be here asking in circles for all we know.”


    Mathias groaned. “Why is it so hard to get directions? I tried asking someone earlier. I even offered to pay them, but their directions just led us in circles.”


    A woman had caught wind of their conversation while walking by. This woman was an elf with a caramel skin tone, and brown eyes, a rare sight to see among the elven races. She also wore heavy apparel, as if she were walking around in the snow. “I couldn’t help but overhear your woes. Where exactly are you trying to go?”


    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    “To Ike’s Undercroft Pub. Do you know where that is?”


    Holden slapped his forehead. “Kid, you can’t trust anyone offering you help down here. At best, it’ll come with several strings attached.”


    The woman gave Holden an intrigued glance. “That’s certainly true. He’s right, kid. Nothing here comes free, except for this. We’re all going to the same place. All I ask is that you stay close to me, and handle anyone who might try to cause trouble for me on the way.”


    Holden glared at the woman in contempt. “You mean you want us to act as a distraction while you run away. Don’t get me wrong, I have confidence in my fighting skills. But I don’t look like a particularly strong combatant. Neither does the cat, or the kid, for that matter.”


    “Chopped liver could never hold his own in a straight up fight,” Sable quipped. “He has to stick to dirty tricks, and striking from the shadows.”


    The woman stood confidently, even more intrigued by Holden than she was before. “You’re certainly a perceptive one. I’ll admit it, I’m playing off your desperation. And I certainly don’t expect you’ll be able to protect me. I’d run at the first sign of trouble.” She then titled her head and smiled at Holden. “But you intrigue me. So, I promise I won’t leave you behind. What do you say?”


    “We don’t have much choice,” Holden grunted. “Fine. You better live up to your end of the bargain. Or else.”


    The woman batted her eyelashes. “Oh, I love the bold and mysterious types. You can call me Camille, by the way. Now follow me.”


    Camille led the three of them toward their destination like she promised. Holden did notice a trio of men staring at Camille once the pub was in sight. However, that trio didn’t do a thing when they saw Holden by Camille’s side. The situation did make him wonder what their intentions were. What exactly did Camille do that would draw their attention? Although he was curious, Holden decided it was better not to ask. There was no need, or desire within Holden to get involved in this woman’s problems.


    Ike’s Undercroft Pub was a little tavern built into what little remained of an abandoned tunnel that had collapsed. Rubble prevented anyone from going very far into the tunnel, so the owner, Ike, made a wooden wall in the entryway into the tunnel, and converted the rest into a pub.


    The floors were made of wooden planks, and the tables were shabby. Several dilapidated shacks were located in the back that served as staff housing.


    “Wow,” Sable said. “This place is a dump. Is anything here even safe to drink?”


    A man with bright brown hair and tan skin was serving drinks behind the bar. The man wore tattered formal attire, along with a pair of fingerless gloves, and a bandana around his head.


    Camille walked right up to the man as if he were someone she knew. “Hey, Ike. I brought a few friends to talk to you.”


    Ike looked over Holden, Sable, and Mathias. His expression was neutral, and he started cleaning dirty glasses as he spoke. “What is it you lot want?”


    Holden stepped forward to speak. “We’re looking for a beastfolk woman named Scallia. Martin referred us to her.”


    Ike gestured toward one of the tables and shouted. “Hey Scallia. There are some people who want to talk to you. They said Martin sent them.”


    A woman with fair skin and dark hair got up from the table. She had a pair of black feathered wings protruding from her back. The irises of her eyes were black as well, and there was something about her that gave Sable the chills.


    Sable shook the moment he saw the woman. “I feel like I’m being stared at by a bird of prey.”


    Holden focused on the woman’s wings and feathers in an attempt to figure out what kind of beastfolk she was. She was obviously a bird beastfolk, but Holden didn’t know what type of bird her features resembled. Black feathers could belong to ravens, hawks, crows, or many other types of birds. Likely, Sable could unconsciously sense that her bird features belonged to a bird of prey, which was why he felt on edge around her. Cats and cait-sith alike were often hunted by birds of prey after all.


    “Hello, I’m Scallia,” the woman said in an apathetic tone of voice. “What is it that Martin wants?”


    “It’s not something that Martin wants,” Holden said. “It’s actually something that we want. We’re looking for a sword. One that has been seen floating around town. We assume that maybe someone or something that can turn invisible stole it. It’s possible they might have fenced it. Would you know anything about that?”


    Scallia clocked her tongue. “I’ll give you this tip for free, since I don’t really want to be bothered right now. I haven’t heard of any floating swords. Now beat it.”


    “What about a thieving goblin who''s been wandering around the sewers?”


    Scallia stared at the ground while she thought about Holden’s question. “Hmm, I do know something about that. But you’ll have to do me a favor.”


    Holden rolled his eyes. “What is it?”


    “That goblin’s a slippery little thing. He was able to steal something from me right underneath my nose. All I want you to do is get him to give up something he stole from me. It’s a bracelet that holds some value. You bring that back to me, and we’ll call it square.”


    “I think we can do that.”


    “You better. Otherwise, I’ll send Ike after you. That guy might be human, but his strength makes him more of a beast than any of the beastfolk around here.”


    Holden glanced over at Ike and noticed his rippling muscles under his sleeves. The guy looked like a fighter, too. Holden assumed Ike was a skilled brawler based off his physique and demeanor, which would be one of the last people he’d want to go up against in a head-to-head fight.


    “I’ll keep that in mind.” Holden then listened patiently to every piece of information Scallia provided about the goblin.


    Goblins were by no means rare creatures. However, goblins living in the cities were. If everything the disheveled man had said earlier was true about a goblin trying to nab Mathias’s sword after it floated away, then the goblin Scallia was talking about was most likely the same goblin.


    Once Scallia told Holden everything she knew, he started leaving the pub with Sable and Mathias, only to pause right before the door when a familiar fox girl entered through it.


    Holden recognized the girl from a little over a week ago, because he had accidentally bumped into her in the middle of the street.


    The girl frowned at Holden when she saw him, then brushed by him and made a beeline to Scallia. Holden wasn’t able to hear what they were talking about, but he noticed the fox girl slip Scallia a silver watch. Scallia then slipped a couple of silver coins into the girl’s hands before sending her away.


    Sable walked between Holden’s legs to get his attention. “Do you know that girl?”


    Holden regained his focus, then shut the pub door behind him while answering Sable’s question. “I bumped into her a couple times now. For some reason, she’s scowled at me both times.”


    “Maybe your face just scares little girls. You should try smiling more.” Sable then tilted his head. “Wait. Forget that. If a weird looking guy like you starts smiling at little girls, people will start to think you’re a pervert.”


    “Oh, shut it, Cat.”


    “Chopped Liver,” Sable retorted, causing the two of them to bicker once again as they got further away from the pub.