Smugglers’ Tunnels beneath Umbrahemos Templos - Prompt #21 building associated with crime or justice

Prompt #21 building associated with crime or justice – Smugglers’ Tunnels beneath Umbrahemos Templos
The Huntsman moved like a spirit through the tunnels beneath the city of Umbrahemos Templos. He needed to guide King Arxis to the Blood Queen's chambers by a circuitous route while waiting for his mother to tell him Fleur was safe. He prayed to the Light that his nephew, Karstien, would be able to get her back to Aetheria without incident. Travelling through an unlit tunnel, Yurieth felt the Darkness drawing close to him and turned, pulling his long knife out of habit.   There were shadows in every direction, they seemed to sway and dance with the thrum of the music from the celebration above, but none held the presence of the one that spoke to him in the sandstorm. His skin crawled as they reached out to touch him, whispering to him, calling to him to be their lord. It felt like dew-wet spiderwebs were clinging to his skin. The clammy grasps paralyzed him, and he was terrified for the third time in a day. A soft voice entreated him to pray, as his mother's teachings reminded him of his heritage. He breathed out and let the light of his mother and his sealed one shine around him. The shadows retreated enough for him to escape. He sank against the wall of a different tunnel under a torch, his hands shaking and clammy from horror as he struggled to regain his calm. He felt the acute need to be in the forest, to be embraced by the life glow of the source of his magic. He wanted to leave this cursed place and never return but he had to continue this gambit to save his sealed one.
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Xarinni announced. “I need your help. Lord Yurieth has been captured by my grandmother.” “I see,” Xangriel said as he rose slowly. “Where?” “Umbrahemos Templos.” “One does not just walk into the City of the Blood Temples.” The assassin sat on his knees. “The Shadows will let us pass,” Xarinni promised. “You will lead us through the secret smugglers’ passages, or you can die in this cell,” Regis announced. Xangriel's eyes never left the Princess's eyes and he saw the truth of what she was, who she was. “My princess, I belong to the Light too, and as the Aetherians are so fond of saying, it is my duty and my honor to serve you.”
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They stopped at her family's estate, and she had gotten them the uniforms of the berserker warriors who were royal guards. She shaved their heads and painted them with ink to look like they were tattooed. She also used a strange cream to lighten Regis’ skin. Xangriel already wore the uniform of an assassin of the Xangui Xicariorum , but he applied black face paint to his skin so only his eye-whites were visible. After dressing in her red Cruortrix gown, Xangriel helped Xarinni with painting herself, the lines on her legs made them look like a bird’s, and her back and shoulders almost looked like feathers were painted on them.
“Why must you wear those marks?” Abrieth asked.
“My paint shows I am the second Princess of the Shadows, heir-vessel of the Cruorlena. No one would dare look at me more than once or touch me for fear of risking the Umbrarex's wrath or worse, the Cruorlena's, because someday she will consume my soul and dwell in my flesh.”
“That will not be your fate, my angel,” Abrieth insisted but Xarinni shuddered in fear as she looked away.
“You are correct, my hero, if we are caught, my fate will be far worse and so will yours.”
Hiding their land skimmer outside the city, Xangriel led Xarinni, Abrieth and Regis through the cursed tunnels leading into the Temple City. Strange wisps of shadow that felt like the spiderwebs of morning tried to cling to them, but Xarinni glowed and the ghosts retreated. They emerged on a street in the butcher district.
Princess Xarinni walked with purpose as though she owned the city. Ahead lay the temples where the blood sacrifices were made and the Gate of the Devourer in its shadowed alcove, hidden from the light.