"Found the key."
Alfador raised an eyebrow as he saw Lucy point at herself with the ring on her finger and say those words.
"What...?"
"I can feel where it is." Lucy said, "This way!"
Without skipping a beat, Lucy rushed out of the castle, gritting her teeth as her bust bounced with every step and chafed against her dress.
"Wait!" Alfador said, "I can't run that fast! I am seventy-four! Slow down!"
Lucy stopped to catch her breath. She felt a strange sense of knowing where the key was. It wasn't moving, and was about ten meters away. Which was good, because Lucy needed to breathe...
Taking a look around her, Lucy realized too late that this part of the city was very different from the places she'd been. Even with the sun in the sky, the shadows of old homes and run-down shops darkened the roads, and nobody was walking in the open. Many windows were shuttered, and a few were shattered instead. Muffled footsteps could be heard in the buildings nearby, punctuated by the hiss of a dagger leaving its sheath.
Many a large city had some forgotten district in which thieves, muggers, and... far, far worse lurked away from prying eyes. This was one such district.
Lucy stood straight up, attempting to look tough when she felt incredibly vulnerable. Was there a threat in this place...?
