Climb

As tempting as the idea of a cool fountain full of coins sounds, you have grown much more cynical over the past month’s journey. Even free water usually comes with a price, and from what you have seen of the cramped living conditions in this part of the city you doubt that even a copper bit would last long in the water. Wandering around so far has only got you lost, you are no longer even sure where the center of the city is, better to make this climb before you lose what little light remains.

The climb is not bad; just under the first balcony, you pulled a brick completely from the wall and it dropped twenty or more feet before landing with a thud. Testing your handholds with more care you reach the railing of the balcony. To your delight a healthy cucumber plant is growing in a wooden box, and you help yourself to several of the cool melons. Eating one as you survey the balcony restores some of your strength and partially reduces your thirst. There is a wooden door leading to the apartment inside and a window that has been covered with oiled cloth. You consider investigating inside, but decide it could only slow you down. The climb up the rest of the wall is even easier, on the second balcony there is a rope strung back and forth and from the line are several coarse tunics and a baggy pair of leggings. The clothing looks much too big for your slim frame, but the rope could come in handy. Carefully untying it you leave the clothing neatly folded on the floor and wrap the rope around your waist. In all it is probably 30 feet long, but you would want to double it before you’d trust it to support your weight. A month ago, you would never have stolen from these people, but now, poor as they are, you have more of a need for the cucumbers and rope then they do. May the gods favor them for their loss.

From the roof of the building, you can regain your bearings, as you eat another cucumber you look around the city. To your left is the hazy river that cuts through Athenapolis and rising to the right is the citadel, another fortress inside the walled city.

The citadel's towers still glint with the gleam of armored men and although the Riders have been swooping low over the rest of the city since the drake wires fell, they give the citadel a wide birth. For a brief moment a flash of envy distracts you. This mission would be so easy with a drake, you could circle the households from above and fly down, landing in the courtyard to lift Eudora away to safety. A nice dream, but not for you.

Under the citadel are rings of alabaster buildings with walled gardens and tall towers. That is one likely location for a fat wealthy merchant to live, but straight ahead the city straddles a river and more estates line the river’s edge. Between the estates under the protective curtain of the citadel and the rich mansions lining the river there must be over one hundred likely places that Pyrrhus might live. Between you and the city wall to your right you see two buildings burning out of control and far behind you are brightly lit houses and the sounds of music drifting over the silent city.

Movement in the square below catches your eye, a group of three people are moving towards the water fountain carrying large pots. They must be thirsty too. From your height you are the first to notice a gang of men leave the shelter of the wall on the far side of the square and fan out as they approach the group refilling their water supply. This doesn’t look good. Two of the heavier figures by the fountain turn to face the gang, and the third figure moves behind the others backing away towards your side of the square. The gang of men close on the two facing them. If anything is said, it is too quiet for you to hear from your vantage point, but their actions speak louder than words. Surrounding the two they hit them from all sides knocking them from their feet and then brutally kicking and striking at the prone bodies with clubs and knives. The men see the third figure slipping away from them and start towards their prey. As she turns to flee in your direction you can see it is a young woman, the gang spreads out again like a dog pack; men on the edge of the pack sprinting forward to flank their quarry. Unless a door opens beneath you this girl will be trapped by these thugs.

You may not be able to save Eudora tonight, but you can at least save this woman. Swinging down two sets of balconies you land on the one 25 feet above the square next to the wooden pot with the cucumbers. The woman is twenty feet away from your building as you unwrap the rope from your waist. The gang chasing the girl have slowed to a deliberate walk, enjoying the panic of their prey. Making a quick loop in the rope you toss one end from the balcony.

“Hold on!” You yell at the woman and hope that the rope will hold her weight. Stunned by the miraculous appearance of the rope, she doesn’t even think twice. Grabbing the loop on the rope she starts pulling herself up the wall. With a roar of anger, the gang closes on the girl, but years of hard farm work give you the strength you needed to lift her above their grasping hands. Your hands are raw from pulling on the thin rope, but you were able to pull her over the balcony railing to land on the floor by your side. A club flies over the railing nearly hitting the stunned girl, angrily you pick up the pot of cucumbers and toss it over the railing into the midst of the howling gang. Two men go down when it hits them and the others back away quickly. Some of the gang start pounding on the doors to the apartment building demanding to be let in.

“Time for us to go I think.” You tell the girl.