Go tonight

"Rider Nikos." The veteran Rider snaps to attention all but dropping Europa from his arms. "Can you guide me to the drake eyries?"

"Now, Sir?" He glances outside to where the darkness is settling in, but quickly dismisses any protests that he may have had. "Yes, Sir. If you'll follow me." You wait only long enough to make sure that Yannis would follow Relia and her steward's direction, "If looters start coming in numbers, retreat to the drake tower." You tell the trio, "Bring all the other servants with you and barricade the door. Swift can keep the loft clear, and you should be able to hold off anyone coming in through the ground floor 'til we get back."

"Yes, Master." Relia nods somberly, "but come back soon, I don't want any man but you to take me." With that and one final kiss you are out the doors to the estate and jogging behind Nikos, who in spite of his willingness to obey, would clearly rather be back behind the safety of the mansion's high walls. Thankfully the streets are clear, and you move swiftly to the steep steps that lead up to the eyries above.

"Hopefully they'll challenge us before they start dropping rocks." Nikos mutters half under his breath and you find yourself nodding in agreement. It would suck to finally get some breaks in life only to get crushed by a ten-stone boulder rolled onto you from the darkness above. The steps are steep and narrow as you climb up above the roofs of the red tiled houses below. When you get to the locked doors of the drake roosts you are doubly glad that you brought Nikos with you because instead of trying to force the doors, or even pound on them and demand entry, the wily old Rider just grins and points to a ledge a little above your heads to the right of the great doors.

"Use to have to do this when me and the boys were out after curfew." He cracks his fingers together softly. "You ready for a little climb?" Is this a test?

Even though you are already a good 20 paces higher than the highest rooftop, and a fall from this height would mean certain death, as a Rider you are used to heights, and you've climbed smoother walls than this.

"Lead on Nikos, I'll be with you." The climb isn't all that bad - even in the dark because there is still enough light left to see where the experienced Rider places his feet and even sooner than you expected you are led to an open window where your slender frame is able to shimmy through into a small room.

"I've climbed through there more times than I'd like to admit, Sir, more times than not when I've been stinking drunk."

Inside the eyrie there is a depressing silence. Normally this time of night, city drake weirs like these would be bustling with energy as Riders celebrated their safe return and slaves brought food and drink from the kitchens. These halls were dark and silent. Even when Nikos finds and lights a flickering oil lamp the feeling of death and defeat fill the empty chambers.

"Where do you want to go?" You're not entirely sure, but first things first, "We're going to need weapons. Javelins, spears and a couple more quivers of arrows and maybe a sword or two. Is there and armory?" Nikos seems uncertain of your choice and as he leads you upwards through a spiraling staircase that looks like it was carved out of the inside core of the stone spire, he expresses his concerns.

"It will probably be locked, Sir." He warns you, "only the arms-master and the High Rider have keys - and they're both dead now."

"Take me to the High Rider's chambers then, maybe we can find what we need there."

"Yes, Sir." You climb even higher up the spiraling steps, so high that you wonder how much more you could go when the Rider in front of you stops suddenly and shields the flickering light from the lamp with his hand.

"Shhh ... there's someone in there." It could be anyone. One of the remaining Riders, looters from the city or even troops from the United Armies who like you figured that this is a good place to hunt for spoils. As you wait silently in the stairwell you hear muffled noises coming from above and what could be the sound of voices.