Let them drink

“Let them eat and drink” you tell him “They’ve earned it. I want to look around here. Even if they do decide to head into the city, there are no warriors left for them to fight. They should be fine even drunk.” Even as you answer the sargent you wonder why it is that he is asking you for instructions, and even more at how confident you are in this new leadership role.

As the men are filling the mugs that have been used by the mercenary tower guards just that morning you move to the door under the stairs. The lantern is still lit and by adjusting a knob on the side you coax a little more light from it. The steps are narrow and slippery from the dampness so you move slowly in a downward spiral. After descending for between two or three full turns you enter a long room with cells along the right hand wall. The stench of urine and feces is overwhelming and you hear the hoarse pleading voices of the men locked in the cages.

“Water. Water, we need water.” Croaked a man in a stained tunic that smelled even worse than the rest of the room. “No one has been down here for two days – we thought we had been left to die.” You see a large barrel of water by a desk in the far side of the room, filling a pitcher you bring it over to the men and fill the bowls that they hold out to you through a slot in the door. The second man appears to be wearing a dress and the third man is dressed in much cleaner clothing and looks like a merchant.

“Who are you” you ask “why are you here?” The man looks up in surprise from his bowl noticing the distinctive markings on your breastplate.

“You are from the armies of Heliopolis? You’ve taken the city already! Praised be the gods!” Shouts the man as loudly as he can with his parched throat. "I am a scout that was sent into the city twelve days ago to meet with the resistance, but unfortunately we” he points to the man in the dress "were discovered. Let us out, I need to get back to the resistance and coordinate the efforts. There is no time to lose. Oh, and I’ll need clean clothes and some more to eat and drink- the keys are hanging over the desk.”