Some things were worth taking a risk for. It wasn't logical and it certainly wasn't safe but the more he thought about it, the more certain he became. He would stay. He would fight. If he ran the Greys would only follow. He knew enough of Lord Grey to be certain of that, there would be no escape from that man's wrath. So, if he was going to be hunted, if he was going to fight back, then it made sense for him to do it on turf he knew. Steelhaven may belong to the Greys, but they weren't the only ones who knew its streets and what lurked in their shadows.
It was settled, Rafe nodded to himself, his decision firming and he squared his shoulders as resolve filled him. He would fight.
Changing direction away from the cabinets, Rafe headed towards the alcove that acted as his bedroom. Flinging aside the curtain further, he headed straight for the safe that sat against the wall near the end of his bed. Quickly thumbing in the code for the lock, Rafe swung the door open and reached inside.
Pulling out his gun, a simple Ruger revolver, Rafe checked it was unloaded before tucking it into the waist and in small of his back for a moment. Reaching in again he pulled out several cases of ammunition and threw them onto the end of his bed.
He had his magic and his runes of course if he got in trouble, but with the Greys involved, a normal weapon for protection would be invaluable not to mention having some spare silver bullets on your person was never a bad thing when you were heading to Undertown. Living in peace away from humans didn't make it safe. There was always crime when groups came together, and monsters needed places to hide as well.
Pulling it from his waist and loading his revolver with silver, Rafe ensured he packed some normal ammunition into a couple of speed loaders to go on his belt before digging around for his shoulder holster and strapping it on. Grabbing a light jacket, he put it on and hid the pistol from view.
Moving to the bathroom, he checked himself in the mirror, ensuring the dark blue jacket was concealing the weapon and matched the rest of his outfit. A white shirt, faded black jeans and well-worn boots, he was dressed in his street clothes that he used when working for Lord Grey rather than one of the suits he usually wore when he was working his accounting job.
It would do.
He had to get moving, the faster he could get his wards strengthened the better chance he had at surviving. If he did it right, it would take Lord Grey himself coming down from his estate to get into his home.
However, that meant going to see her.
And he was sure as he was a dead man walking that bringing her back into his life was going to bring a whole load of trouble along for the ride.
Grimacing slightly at himself in the mirror, Rafe shook his head. She was the best witch he knew and one that probably wouldn't instantly sell him out to the Greys when the word spread he was wanted as well. Or at least he hoped she wouldn't. They had a history, hopefully it still meant as much to her as it did to him.
Checking himself over one last time, Rafe left his bathroom and went to the trap door and began the process of getting it open, funnelling power into the runes engraved in the wood and disengaging the wards that protected it.
It was a routine use of his power, and the process barely took him any time at all. When it was done, he flooded the runes tattooed along his arms with power and lifted the hefty door open all the way until it rested against the stone floor. Ducking his head into the pitch-black hole that he had just revealed below, Rafe scanned for any waiting enemies or creatures lurking in the dark. It had happened before, there was a reason the door was so heavily engraved. He wanted nothing getting through it without his invitation.
Spotting nothing, Rafe climbed down into the dark abyss, his rune powered eyes having no trouble piercing the depths and revealing its secrets. Not that there really were any. Just a long corridor of stone and a vast array of pipes covering its ceiling. No monsters, no gun wielding goons, not even a single rat, just damp stone and miles and miles of pipes.
Setting off at a quick jog, Rafe followed the corridor, dodging plumes of steam, dripping pipes and piles of various debris as he made his way along.
It only took a slightly cramped ten minutes for Rafe to make it to the entrance to Undertown proper. He emerged from his tunnel into a much larger one. It was well lit, paved, and clean. Off to his right was the surface and the illusion that acted as this particular entry into Undertown. A maintenance entrance for one of the underground train lines that kept the city functioning, it wasn't a particularly busy entrance, but it saw enough traffic that it wasn't a challenge for him to deactivate his rune-enhanced sight, slip amongst the crowd and move with the steady flow into the heart of magical society in Steelhaven.
The crowd was still mostly human, but he could see a few elves walking along, their distinctive ears and ethereal grace making them stand out from the crowd even amongst a group such as this. There were a few other non-humans in the passage, a few goblins, on orc and even a dwarf.
Moving with the flow, Rafe allowed himself to drift along, steadily making his way towards Undertown proper. He didn't rush, but he didn't take it slow either, his head on a swivel, constantly watching the area around him. Damn Greys had him more paranoid than usual.
Undertown itself was both what you would expect of a town beneath the earth and what you wouldn't. It was a melting pot of cultures, aesthetics, and philosophies. Human ingenuity alongside dwarven craftsmanship and elven elegance. The town was a tapestry of wonders woven together with magic and purpose.
It was said that when the founding families had originally settled in Steelhaven, the magic users and nonhumans amongst the population had settled on the surface with them, the five families welcoming them among them, realizing that they could be stronger together.
But then the McCallister's had betrayed the other families and started on the journey that ended with their infamous curse. Steelhaven grew on and without the steady influence of the diplomatically gifted McCallisters, the balance of power shifted amongst the families, the alliances forged with the other races became strained before eventually breaking. Fighting, crime and hatred had flared, xenophobia and fear had spread. Anything nonhuman or different had been forced out, magic regarded with suspicion and fear rather than respect and awe.
Rather than allow full blown fighting to break out, the other races had left, the magic users not affiliated with the families following them. Forging a pact they moved underground, not willing to abandon the place they called home, they founded Undertown.
And it had flourished.
Rafe finally reached the heart of Undertown and once more it took his breath away as he gazed into the abyss.
This was not some simple hole in the ground.
He had entered into a large ring, roughly the size of a football stadium, the entire circumference dotted with shops, markets, and other business, swooping bridges of elven design crisscrossed the gap between each side, others floating gracefully upward to other levels or sloped gently downwards, coiling like snakes to the lower levels.
Moving forwards and out of the walkway, Rafe leant on one of the stone rails that encircled the inside of the ring and took in the sights.
The crowds were thicker here, more diverse. Humans, elves, dwarfs, goblins, orcs, ogres, and Fae. All of them mixing and moving, a kaleidoscope of cultures bustling about their lives. There was even a few Were's walking amongst the crowd, taking advantage of the fact they didn't have to hide their bestial forms within the sanctuary of Undertown.
Dwarven stonework stood like bulwarks against the crushing weight from above, colossal columns strengthened by the finest of deep earth magic forming the frame on which all of Undertown rested.
High Elven magics lit up the air, facsimiles of sunlight providing light even in the very depths of the shaft, breezes designed to cool or warm depending on the floor even scents artfully contrived to mimic the world above and mask and unpleasant odours from below.
Mile after mile of cabling snaked its way along and through it all, human invention and ingenuity making its mark with electricity, internet and water all making their way through the entirety of Undertown.