There was a gathering of people that marveled and rivaled many mall towns with ease, but it was a marvel for it's very nature. The Woods, the unmarked lands of the wilds, yielded a City-state's worth of men and women it seemed as they are rejoiced and moved about the land in song and dance. Massive drums thundered through all the land as they were pounded and hammered, and the people sang out in great chorus through their song of choice. [center][i]Deep in the woods there was a fire That burned with an evil desire Desire to feed on the pain A flame that would never retire A pyre that would drive you insane And it said... Why don’t you cast yourself on me? I promise you won’t feel a thing There’s golden treasures underneath, you’ll see Now please, give yourself to me Deep in the woods the fire grew higher The flesh would dissolve and expire But the bones and the ashes remained They whistled and snapped like a choir A chorus that cried out in vain And it said... Why don’t you cast yourself on me? I promise you won’t feel a thing There’s golden treasures underneath, you’ll see Now please, give yourself to me Deep in the woods, there’s still a fire That will never grow weary or tired And draws closer and closer each day And In bed when you start to perspire Pray you don’t hear that refrain Give yourself to me...[/i][/center] All the while the view was surveyed by Lady Stockton, who was no longer present in Apothicus, for her duties led her to the wooded lands to enact plans long established. This night seemed joyous for those of the woods, however this wasn't their truest nature and that was the certainty that lingered within Lady Stockton. She never trusted her client and the ordeals she would have to put herself through for her Client, but she had no choice, for her employer was more terrifying than her client. Yes, they were separate in this weird occasion, her client and her Employer were separate entities but they were far from unknown to one another. This is why Lady Stockton did not hide herself as she would for most associates and Client's, but rather she walked freely among the crowd with ease and examined them all slowly, the nature of their appearance, design, and being were.. less-reputable. They were beginning to be easily understood as Bandits, Thieves, Marauders, and Cut-purses. They were an unsavory horde of Gutter-snipes and Alley-Cats, Highwaymen and Hoodlums, Scoundrels and Scavengers. However they were not un-governed in their own stead as they were ruled by the idealistic concept of a Black-Flag King, a Herald to controlled freedom, an advantageous Opportunist with a heavy hand and a sharp sword. [hr] Meanwhile, as this glorious revelry happened out in the wilds, Grendrick was greeted by Siph and the group finally entering the Tower. This pleased Grendrick for the simplest of reasons, but it was nonetheless a pleasure he held with a nod to the entirety of the group and not just Siph. They all passed through the Main Hall slowly, walking with Siph at the head and Grendrick's snout wavering slowly as numbers began to crowd them and pester them about Siph. While Grendrick would have normally handled the situation with a quick series of snarls and a snap from his maw, he held back in stead of Siph's reactions while he hummed, he hummed a simple tune in his growl-esque tone. It was yet again the song of The Fire, and as they reached the Infinity stone, his song ended with a light whisper to himself for a measure of practice. He usually hummed or sang this song on his way to the Infinity Stone, and it did fit well with his belief in the events of the Rifts. "Give yourself to me.." Grendrick ended his song just as the Rift was opened by the old Dwarf and Siph immediately jumped through with a fair gusto, his Bear and Fariha still asleep atop it's back without much rousing yet. Grendrick was the next to go, quickly followed by an eager Marianne, Ayse, Nove, and the rest who quickly found themselves as well as the others in the instant scenario that a Rift presented. Grendrick's leap through the rift was a practiced one no doubt, as he took several steps back and ran forward the short distance on all fours to leap through and get some distance on his exit, propelling himself past Siph, and a few feet forward onto the bridge. Grendrick immediately put his height and design to great use as he raised his nose to the air and chuckled under his breath with a menacing demeanor. "Skaven.. pests if nothing else." Grendrick growled as the chuckled subsided into irritation and anger. He smelled Skaven, Dwarves, and their poison faintly, but he searched the air for every last scent possible, before he took to surveying the scene with his sharp eyes. The elaborate and hardy stone-work and masonry of the Dwarves of this place and time was a master-piece all its own and a grand thing to see in it's lime-light rather than as a dusty old ruin. Grendrick was not as dull as the group had believed, or hoped, for what seemed like those who wished Grendrick to not exist among the group at all, but they wouldn't be so unhappy should they potentially listen to him. This is where the lupine came in handy most of all, combat. [i]“So, what are we doing, then? Better decide quickly, I doubt the rat-men are so patient.” Sylvia began to scan for weaknesses within the Skaven formation, trying to find the best route through or around them.[/i] "I will tell you exactly what we are doing.." Grendrick turned to face the gathering as a whole. "It is decided, we are working from the front, so far you all wish to save these Dwarves, and thus we shall in turn do so. Nove, Gormarr, and Siph, should you listen to me, I want you three behind me, staying back here for the moment. Marianne, Ayse, Sylvia, and Fari... Hold on.. Fariha is still.." Grendrick hated the simple fact that he had to break his game plan so comedically due to the fact that Fariha was still asleep atop the Den Mother of Siph's. He would walk over to the Great Bear, slide down on all fours and commune with the Bear in a way only a Beast could to another. Grendrick slowly stepped past the bear, gliding his side against the Bear's and rubbing softly before standing and Fariha by the waist and raising her up to sit, and Grendrick shook her a moment to rouse her from her slumber. "Awaken. We are discussing business." He added before finally stepping away from her and letting her awaken fully, once she had done so, he continued on his way with his instructions. "Marianne, Ayse, Sylvia, Fariha, and Alya, will take up the rear behind us with support and suppresion." He spoke before letting out a huff of anticipation to an irritating set of potential remarks. "No, I am not doing this because you are females, so don't even assume that. Your skils sets will be best utilized from the back-lines, where your attacks and methods won't be seen. Gormarr, Nove, Siph, and myself will ensure that they don't reach you, and that they fall. However before the fight even starts, I have a personal tactic I will be employing, and it will be happening right now." Grendrick went silent, and ultimately he gave his instruction and beliefs, and didn't wait for any return from the group. He cared not what they felt of his plan altogether, if they liked it or believed it smart, they would follow in suit, but in turn his plan was simple, and that was the nature of the Skaven, simple. His plan wasn't about elegance but rather the utilization of each member's skill set to the fullest, and he was about to use one from his that few others could pull off as he stanced himself, taking several long strides forward on the bridge an putting several feet between him and the group, his body compressed and his figure curled up tightly and before they knew it Grendrick had launched himself forward. He sprinted on all fours at a bounding speed and came to a grinding, claw-sparking halt just a few yards from the Skaven. His claws tightened against the stone ground and began to dig in marks of rock dust that puffed beneath his curling hands, and his body coiled up with his head being brought down into his chest, and then.. Grendrick exploded. The Lupine Beastman unleashed a howl, a deep, unearthly howl that seemed to shake the ground beneath the Skaven almost literally, the sound was unparalleled in this world, a blood-curdling sound that would instill fear into all but the absolute most hardy of men and women. It was the howl of a creature far beyond anything of the natural world, something so devastating, something so chill-instilling, it made one's skin crawl, one's bone ache, and one's heart stop.