The caravan moved in silence through the dark, each cart packed with supplies, treasure, and people. Their current location was deep within what would be considered the slums, the area closest to the southern gatehouse and the harbor. A region that was plagues with pirates and thugs, was in a constant state of disrepair, not nearly as bad as the shanties outside the walls, but not significantly better.

The ramparts of the city wall could be seen peeking over the tops of the mudbrick homes, but that was also the reason for the earlier decision between the two leaders. This area had homes that were falling apart, it showed in the patched-up homes; while the stench of sewage mixed with the salty air of the sea, creating an almost constant vomit-inducing haze in the evenings. None of the guards enjoyed being stationed here, many of whom would often leave their post to enjoy themselves within the brothels and taverns far from the southern walls.

It was the main reason the decision was made to break through the southern gate, although there was a guard, it would be considerably lighter than the other sectors, even if the western gate was closest to their original lodging. Tariq’s ‘eyes and ears’ were present throughout the city, they had tipped him off about the buildup of forces in other areas. Guards, mercenaries, criminal groups, all were offered something in exchange for providing assistance in the city master’s ploy.

After analyzing the detailed maps, and cross referencing that with the data provided by Tariq’s urchins, it became clear that the Elurian Inn where the Scholar and his people were staying was the target. The sightings of observers only reinforced this fact, both leader’s deduced that they were waiting to attack at dawn when people were at their most vulnerable. These realities only hammered in the fact that they would need to make a breakthrough tonight, and then to gain as much distance from the city as possible before the enemy organized a pursuit force.

Tariq was the one who devised the plan, which was to wait for the next guard shift, as it was currently midnight that would be in three hours or three turns of the glass. As the shift changed, Tariq and his group would initiate a turf war against a rival group who had been muscling into their territory, somewhere along the border between south and west sectors. By drawing away the guards and keeping them distracted, thus lessening the burden upon the caravan as they escaped.

That was as far as Tariq and his people could go, he was still injured and that would severely limit his involvement. For his part Tariq did not plan to waste the opportunity, his opponents had committed their forces to Xeander and were thus stationed elsewhere, weakening their strength. He would strike multiple businesses throughout the city, eliminating or severely weakening his closest competitors while also providing an ample distraction, the definition of hitting two birds with one stone.

With that the plan was set, before leaving the two leaders exchanged another pair of gifts, with Tariq gifting Cadeyrn an intricate crafted hourglass, upon which his groups brand was displayed. It fit within the Scholar’s grip and featured a ferocious lion on one side and a cunning fox on the other, the two intertwining and meeting above the glass. A beautiful work of art that Tariq had apparently ‘borrowed’ during one of his missions, the brand was added later of course.

As for the Scholar’s gift, it was not nearly as beautiful, but it was far more practical. Sure, he could have easily gifted the man a treasure, whether jewels or a weapon from their stockpile, but those were things he already possessed. No, Cadeyrn gifted him something unique, an item that only he himself could create, a medicinal pill, aptly named the ‘Berserker’s High’. It was an item that if used in excess could create dependency and destroy a user’s mind, but if used properly and in precise doses could mean the difference between life and death.

Berserker’s High was artificially increased the user’s combat clarity, resulting in boosted hearing, senses, vision, and response times. It also had the added bonus of blocking the pain receptors, thus allowing one to fight without feeling any pain during the effects of the pill, while at the same time drastically increasing combat capabilities. With it, Tariq, even in his current injured state could fight at full strength for five minutes. Of course, after the effects wear off it would feel as if being hit by a charging bull and could be significantly worse depending upon the damage taken while using the pill.

The pill was difficult to produce and required a very precise combination of medicinal herbs, root extracts, and stimulants to create. Criminals, particularly bandits and slavers were used to test and refine the product, especially since many of the earlier test subjects tended to die. However, the pill was only useful in the hands of an expert, regular people with no fighting experience would not become great warriors with this. They didn’t have the skills and honed reflexes to capitalize on the increased abilities, and would only end up as costly meat shields. Whatever the case, it would be up to Tariq how he would make use of the few he had received.

Now here they were, three turns of the glass later, moving along the tight dirt and filth strewn streets of the southern slums, proceeding towards the designated assembly point. The civilians tired and scared took refuge within the wagons, making themselves small, taking refuge behind whatever crate they could find. The guards marched silently alongside the wagons, while others shadowed them, sticking to the darkness and watching for any unknown assailants. It did not take long before contact was made, both sides almost coming to blows before realizing the identity of the other.

Two shadows emerged from a nearby alley while four or five more could be seen waiting in reserve, they were guarded and on edge but had not yet unsheathed their weapons. “If you are the ones the boss spoke of, please present the mark.”

Although the others within the caravan were confused, the Scholar quietly removed the intricately carved hourglass, presenting it to the cloaked figure. The young man wasted no time, grasping the item and quickly tracing his fingers over the mark then down the sides before stopping. Having found whatever he was looking for, the tension within his shoulders eased, soon enough everyone present on both sides had done the same.

This was neither the time nor place to chat, but the release of the tension was good for both groups as it avoided a possible incident. Moments later the leader of Tariq’s team returned the device, and with it presented a rough hand drawn map of the current area of the city. Then just as quickly as they appeared they disappeared back into the shadows.

Approximately a half turn of the glass, around thirty minutes was the time needed to remain in place. The planned distraction would come into play at that time, which was also the time that the caravan was to move. It was also stated that they would know when the distraction was underway, the sound of the alarm would be clear, if a little less noticeable in the south.

However, the Scholar was not one to simply wait, instead he planned to make a few slight modifications to the original. Two teams of fours split off from the caravan, eight elite soldiers in total, with Maatilani leading the first team and the Scholar the second. The walls were not that high, and three people standing one atop the shoulders of the other would have been able to reach the ramparts above. The Scholar and his rangers could do better, from the caravan supplies they removed two items, a length of rope at least thirty feet in length, and an iron three-pronged hook. By securing the rope to the base of the hook, their team had assembled what they referred to as a ‘grappling hook’, a useful device in scaling structures such as buildings and walls.

These grappling hooks would allow their soldiers to ascend from where the enemy would least suspect, thus catching them by surprise. Even then, the walls were sparsely patrolled this night anyway, the lax security an effect of the extra soldiers being rounded up for use in the morning assault. Not only were the remaining troops less skilled and disciplined, but they were also deprived of sleep and exhausted from the extended watch, with many simply dozing off in position.

Maatilani and her team would approach from the opposite side of the gatehouse, ascending from the southern approach nearer the harbor. The Scholar and his team ascending from the opposite side through the slums, with both sides meeting at the gatehouse and eliminating the guards before opening the gates for the caravan.

Malakos and Timeaus meanwhile would lead the caravan down the designated route. By the time they arrived at the gatehouse it should be open and the route secure. At least that was the plan, now it was just a matter of waiting for Tariq to make his move before they made theirs.