Chapter 31: A plan, of sorts
"It's empty," Irwin whispered, opening the door, looking around, then stepping aside for Daubutim to enter.
Their movements were quick and practiced, a testament to the number of rooms they'd looked through. Irwin had long since lost count of how many, as he had the amount of Galubs they had killed.
As he ruffled through the large cabinet on the far wall, he found a hidden sword. They had plenty now, so he left it and continued searching. After a few more moments, he found a dark leather flask between the side of the cabinet and a pile of wood scraps that might have been a chair at some point. It sloshed as he shook it, and he grinned.
"And another bit of water," he whispered, turning back to Dautubim. He took off his torn backpack, placing the flask inside next to the other six. A piece of cloth clogged the holes, keeping the flasks from falling out.
"So, that's the last one. Weird, there's nothing but these odd small bedrooms and a few storerooms. I wonder who made this and lived here."
"Whoever they are, they are dead now," Daubutim said with a shrug. "It's time to go up the stairs."
Irwin grimaced as he thought of the large stone stair that wound up the second large room they had found.
"Yes, let's go," he said, summoning his flame and holding it up.
They walked out of the room and into one of the dozens of hallways of the maze-like city they had moved through. His flame cast long shadows away from them, and it would probably alert the demons ahead, but there was little choice. Daubutim couldn't see in the dark, and the Galubs could. Even with Irwin scouting, they had gotten jumped twice. Now Daubutim was at the point, Irwin with his flame lighting the way.
"This way," Daubutim said as he turned left.
Irwin followed him, still not used to the incredible memory the other boy had. He was somehow able to keep an entire map of where they had been in his head without any apparent effort.
It's a good thing, he thought as he followed Daubutim, who was carefully checking every corner before moving forward. I would have been lost hours ago.