Climbing up into the sewer drain, Vivian willed her blue flames to race deeper into the tunnel, illuminating the narrow passage until it reached the grate. Tobias and the others, who’d come after a few minutes of Ukah’s search, stared in wonder at how the metal grate had been ripped from the wall, tossed casually aside as if it were a plaything instead of the several hundred pounds of rusted metal it was. One of the flames danced close to it, revealing glowing handprints, larger than that of a man or woman.
“Trolls,” Ezra said, a slight growl to his voice.
“We can take them,” Lillian said with confidence, pulling one of her swords. The other soldiers had done the same, Tobias pulling a dagger from his side to help balance his heavier blade in his dominant hand.
Ukah remained unarmed, t
