Take All The Luck

Operation Haizun

Chapter Four: Operation Haizun

Part One: Lycel

We have a jeep.

It's an advantage for us since it's a big underground thief organization. After we raid the place and get the most bounties we could, we get the chance to steal the expensive items they stole and turn it over to Korion. That was seriously another add for our income. We also planned to go skiing when we get back since it started snowing during our departure earlier. Asoka didn't promise to join since he was focusing on driving which made no sense or reason to me so I concluded that he's just excited too.

However, our flowery plans were shattered with our jeep when it was wrecked by an explosion that I first assumed to be caused by the snowstorm. But my eyes widened and I got back to reality when I realized that we arrived earlier than expected.

We were already at Haizun. Foolish Kyle didn't even notice it so we were caught in surprise by their defense attack. Who would've thought that while we were enjoying talking about our winter season fun, we were actually already being watched by the target itself? Anyways, my first problem arose when I realized that I was running in a tunnel alone, separated and cold. I was looking for someone to blame for this when I found myself actually running in an underground sewer. In this pitch black, I still managed to realize that there was still water form on my left side. It was the biggest mystery how I got in here.

Looks like I ended up in the most convenient place where I could avoid fights as much as possible. I wonder if it's only me who drew the short straw and ended up walking my way to the headquarters alone? I didn't prepare enough because I never expected to be separated like this on my own and it was too dark for me to see that I felt like something might just jump out of nowhere on me. God, I didn't want to think about it but it just kept getting on me. Anyway, I told myself to walk as quietly as I could though it might take up the entire night to get in there.

What I noticed first was the changing temperature. It started snowing on our way but I didn't think that it would get this cold even if I'm underground. I said that I would be fine in winter with plain shirt and shorts, but I am finally taking those back now. I left without any winter attire on our way. Nobody could blame me since it's my first time experiencing such regular weather outside.

My back got colder and all the hairs of my body stood up when I felt something on my knee. I felt whiskers. I didn't bring Alstreim along and I'm pretty sure that his whiskers weren't this tiny.

It was a pestiferous moistly drenched in sewer water dirty runty little rat who climbed my favorite pair of Doc Martens.

I'm not sure if I kicked it right. The thing is I managed to keep calm without shouting. I felt like the bravest huntress in the world since not many could do that. I'd actually want to rinse that part but I wasn't sure if the water was clean because it was too dark in there.

"Smells like a noble," I turned immediately due to surprise with a sudden deep voice of a man. It was impossible to see anything, much more for me to know where he was. "Must bring to Jivali," he added. But he sounded like he's the entire tunnel.

I staggered to my left and fell into the water. It was about below zero that I couldn't even swim at first but a tug on my feet stopped me from doing so. Damn it, I have a weakness in holding my breath that could kill me here right now which can't happen... Or at least I shouldn't let it.

The tug was too strong for me to kick so I was just holding on a tube for me not to drown but it can't last for another minute because I'm getting weaker from the lack of oxygen intake, that or my leg would rip first. My heart bounced several beats in panic. I never panicked like this before and I realized that it was because I couldn't use my mind. It was because I couldn't see. It was because I'm afraid of the dark.