Sylvia sighed quietly at the mention of the loss of evidence in the Black Claw tribe. Of course the cultists would try to eliminate as much evidence as possible. After they suggested showing the evidence she found to the Greyscales, Sylvia answered, "Already showed them one piece of evidence after we took care of the Jabrani Tribe. We found a dead cultist's body and brought it back here, in hopes that you would be able to identify who that cultist was. Longstrider had her guards take the body for safekeeping. I haven't shown them the sword Venomfang was carrying yet though. I still have that with me, if you guys want to try and identify it,"

She blinked as Yorik limped over to her, despite the wound in his leg. She was surprised to hear that Yorik noticed that something was weighing on her mind. Was she transparent or was he that insightful? Either way, he was correct in that she had much on her mind. Before she could answer, Cera already came up and somewhat admonished Yorik for joking. She listened to their banter a bit and she had to admit that they did have a point. Was she really a civilian at this point anymore? She traveled and slew monsters, as well as taken the lives of the Iron Hammer Bandits. And now...she was participating in a war! A war! Like she was some super soldier!

She snapped out of her thoughts a bit when Yorik gave her a reassuring smile. She accepted the invitation, "Sure. Thank you, Yorik," She couldn't help but smile when she listened to a bit of Yorik's and Aisha's catty chat. After Cera asked, Sylvia answered her, "Thank you, Cera. I think it would do me some good to talk for a bit. But truth be told, there is a lot on my mind..."

She decided to start with an immediate issue that came to mind right before finding that Shor and his group were okay, "When my group and I came back from facing the Toxin Croak, I'll admit I was worried when I heard that nobody heard anything from you guys, and the scouts that were sent to find you didn't come back either. So, I am relieved to see that you guys are here. But right before coming here, I realized something..."

She took in a deep breath, and she continued "Someone once said that with great power comes great responsibility. Everyone, even my friends, seem to look to me as a leader to make the final decision as of late. When I heard that there was no news from you guys, I felt scared. I worried that I might have made the wrong decision and accidentally sent you guys to your deaths. Thankfully, that's not the case, but still...I guess I'm used to people looking at me and just dismissing me as just another person who doesn't know anything and turning to someone else for the decision. Now that people are looking to me, I'm doing my best for everyone. Even though so far everything has worked out well, I'm still scared that I might make one wrong decision and get a friend killed. Just one wrong decision would be all that it would take,"

She found that once she started talking, it was hard to stop herself from pouring out all of these feelings. And this was only what was on the surface...

Everyone was listening, even Yorik and Aisha who stopped chatting. Cera looked thoughtful and nods. "I can see why that'll bother you. Honestly... I tried my hand at leadership too, and I couldn't handle it. I don't mind making a plan and making sure it works but the responsibility of being a team leader... I understand how you're feeling. It's a lot to burden." Aisha sits closer and also seems sympathetic. "Leadership is a matter of trusts. You have to trust your allies, and your allies have to trust your judgement. Worry about what goes wrong is natural, but all the more reason you need to evaluate your actions. Don't just go making decisions carelessly and hope for the best. That is poor leadership." Yorik huffed and seemed a bit annoyed. "Don't know wot yer worrin bout lassie, so far ain't nuthin gone wrong yet! Oh sure, things can go wrong, but dat's nuthin crazy! No plan works out in action ya know. Da fact dat so far yer ain't screwed up shows yer doin a good job being a leader! If ya keep worrin bout wot can go wrong or wot might've happened, yer just settin yerself up fer a lotta disappointment!"

"A leader listens." Surprising even the others, Kor spoke up too, though he didn't take his eyes off the blade he was sharpening. It seemed to have gained a few scratches from battle. "The worse type of leader is the one who thinks he knows everything. A good one learns everything he can and uses that to his advantage. After that you need to trust in those who you order around." Kor then looked at Sylvia. He seemed annoyed, more so than Yorik. "Did you really think we couldn't handle ourselves against the Blackclaw? If that's what you were worried about, than you should've acted on it. If you can't trust your allies, you shouldn't be leading them. Just as well of course, they also need to be able to trust you." Kor sheathed his blade and stood up, walking towards the armory tent. "And honestly I still don't know why you're here. This is a job for the city guard, not civilians or adventurers. If you're that worried about the danger, you should go somewhere safer. We know exactly what we're getting ourselves into and the risks involved. We're doing this because we want to and it's our jobs. If that bothers you, you should try and find somewhere else for these kobolds to live or something."

This just got a collective sign from the others as Kor entered the tent. "Don't mind him. He's... Cynical, but he means well." Cera tries to say reassuringly. Aisha takes another swig from her flask. "Right or wrong, he certainly needs more tact. He was practically telling Sylvia to leave." Yorik shook his head as he rubbed his wounded knee. He also warmed his hands by the fire, so that the heat could sooth his aches. "I think wot he's tryin ta say is dat ye can always turn back. Wot was dat sayin of yers, wif great power comes responsibility? Naturally, ye could always give dat powa ta someone else. Shor seems like da type of fella who could use ever bit he's got. Dunno bout yer crew, but dat fiery lass, da one who almost picked a fight wif Kor yesterday, she seems ta got gumption too. O'course, da fact dat seems like yer da leader of yer crew tells me dat dey trust ye, more den dey even trust demselves." Yorik took the flask from Aisha, took a large swig before handing it to you. There was still quite a bit left.

"Ya got doubts kid. Spill it. Wot's eatin at ya dat makes ye feel like dere's sumthin wrong?"

Sylvia immediately noticed that everyone was listening. She felt somewhat embarrassed when everything suddenly fell silent after she finished talking. She listened as Cera, Aisha, and Yorik spoke up, reassuring her. She had to admit, they did have a point. When Kor spoke up, she too was surprised. He had a point, but it kind of hurt when he accused her of not trusting them. She was surprised to hear him tell her that she should leave if she wasn't comfortable. Before she could protest, he left the tent.

It wasn't that she didn't trust them at all...she had only gotten scared after hearing nothing from them. There was a difference, right?

At the mention of turning back, Sylvia chuckled a little sadly and answered, "I don't think I can turn back," She then added on to that comment with a brave smile on her face before they could ask what she meant, "I mean...we came down here to the sewers simply to visit Shortfang's family. And from there, we learned about the ongoing war the hard way. Now...Shortfang is trusting Pylia, Buddy, and I to help him protect the Sewer Dragons, and I can't just ignore that,"

She also figured that if she tried turning back in Keratia...then she would never find her way home. And she probably wouldn't be able to start a life for herself here if she didn't try adventuring. Plus...she wouldn't live with herself if the black dragon got what it wanted, if it's the same black dragon from Shortfang's story. But she wasn't about to admit to this group that she was from another world and was probably set on a specific path by a god called The Defiance. It still sounds crazy in her head.

When they offered the alcohol, she accepted a swig of it, just to try it. When they asked about her doubts, she sighed sadly, and she answered ".....Pylia," She then elaborated somewhat, "Ever since the night before we came to Gransys, she's been acting weird every night. I could tell she's hiding something from me. I plan to talk to her about it after we take care of the trogs, but..."

She ran a hand through her short blonde hair, and she commented, chuckling sadly, "Pylia...can be pretty cynical as well. I know she's a good person. But...I am worried about her. I don't know if she doesn't trust me or what's going on..."

She wasn't sure if she should mention what she saw and heard about Pylia's situation to them or not. After all, someone could be listening...

"Pylia, dat the fiery one eh? She seems ta care fer ya a lot, considerin she bout nearly got into a brawl with Kor right in front of us!" Yorik says with a chuckle. He seemed amused at the thought. Aisha and Cera seemed to be taking your words more seriously, Aisha especially. "I actually noticed a certain... Aura around her. She is a divine caster I believe, yes? A cleric perhaps? It would certainly explain her intensity." Aisha tried to give it some thought as she put her flask away. The drink itself was pretty strong, but also rather sweet. It must've been some sort of wine. "If she is a cleric, perhaps she's just been receiving divine visions. Considering the things happening around the kingdom, I would not be surprised if she is seeing glimpses into the future and is trying to figure them out. The gods can only do so much to aid their followers. It's not unusual for them to send images of what may be in order to set their clerics on some quest." Aisha seemed to know a lot about the theological side of cleric magic, however Cera herself shook her head at Aisha. "I don't think Sylvia is worried about Pylia's god, but Pylia herself."

Cera looked over to you with a very sympathetic look. "Kor and Pylia both seem like very similar people, which would explain why they almost got into a fight. I think... If she's anything like my brother, Pylia might've learned about something dangerous and wants to try and handle it herself. Maybe she doesn't want you to get involved because it's dangerous or because Pylia is still trying to figure out what is happening. Still, I think you should be open and honest with her. Tell her that you're worried about her, tell her what you know. If Pylia is anything like Kor I'm sure you've already learned what they're trying to keep a secret. She'll be angry of course because she's going to think you don't trust her, but that's when the truth will hurt the most. Because... Maybe you don't."

Sylvia nodded in response to Yorick's question about Pylia being the fiery one. She listened to Aisha, and she had to admit to herself, that it was kind of funny that Pylia was the cleric, and yet she, the fist fighter, was the one receiving visions from her god. She answered Aisha's question, "Yeah, she's a cleric," She didn't elaborate on who she worshipped, since she had no idea as to what the general opinion of the Defiance is. She'd rather not get Pylia into trouble just because she worshipped the Defiance instead of the Maker, or whoever else...

When Cera mentioned that she was worried about Pylia herself, Sylvia nodded and confirmed Cera's guess, "That's exactly it. During our travels here, it's pretty clear that her god...or whoever was giving us visions, was helping us out," She then subtly looked upwards, as though she was looking at someone who was watching from above, with a look that clearly said 'Don't think I haven't forgotten about what you did!' That only lasted a moment before she turned her attention back to the group.

She listened as Cera told her what to do and what to expect. She nodded in agreement, even if the last statement stung. She didn't trust Pylia...after all they had been through. But if what Cera said was true, then she was trying to deal with something dangerous on her own, and recalling the doll's words about it didn't help either. And she was right...she did learn a bit about what Pylia was dealing with, but she still didn't have the whole picture.

She answered Cera, "I will. But we gotta finish this first before we have that discussion,"

She then looked to the group, feeling like a weight was lifted, "Thank you...for listening. I feel better than I did before,"

Yorik slapped your back in a boisterous matter. “No problem lassie! We’re ere ta help!” He laughed out loud while Aisha flicked a piece of wood at his mouth, causing him to gag. Cera just sighed but chuckled. “Anytime Sylvia. Just remember to take care of your team too. I can tell that they trust you a lot, and while being a leader is tough, it’s easier when you have your friends supporting you.” Shortly after Shor himself entered, rather surprised to see you.

“Ah Sylvia! I was just about to ask my lads here to find you. Certainly saves me the trip. I was wondering if you managed to find anything about Elysium involvement at the other tribes. We’ve rotten luck due to one of the cult’s slagging the whole place, best I was able to do was prove to those kobolds that there’s an outside force in play here.” The dwarf put his axe down as he started removing the straps to his armor, which looked burned and damaged. He must have been in the thick of things seeing the damage.

Sylvia just barely managed to keep herself seated on her stool after the slap, but despite the strength and almost getting knocked over, she still smiled happily at Yorik as he joyfully laughed. She laughed as well when Aisha flicked a piece of wood into his mouth. When Cera gave her advice, Sylvia nodded and answered "I will. Thank you, Cera," She then turned her attention to the tent entrance when she heard it open, and who else should walk in, but Shor.

She stood up as well, and she answered, "Ah, Shor. There you are," After he asked and while he was taking off his armor, she nodded and answered him, "We did. We found two pieces of evidence," She then told him, "We found a dead cultist's body among the remains of the Jabrani tribe. We brought it back with us before we faced the Toxin Croak. Longstrider and the kobolds should have it somewhere for safe keeping. I was actually hoping you guys could identify who the cultist was and who his possible associates would be from the dead body,"

She started as she opened the handy haversack, "The Toxin Croak chieftain was carrying a pretty ornate sword himself...Let me see if I can actually lift the dang thing outta here..." She then reached her hand into the haversack and attempted to pull the sword out of the bag for Shor and the others to see.

The sword, while somewhat weighty, wasn’t nearly as heavy as you’d imagined if you had to guess it was at most six pounds. Still it was unfamiliar to you as the party gathered around the blade. Everyone looked at the blade closely. “What do you see?” Shor asks his team.

Yorik was the first to speak as he touched the edge of the blade with his leather glove. With just a small slide, he was able to cut the tip of his leather fingertip open though he was careful not to cut himself. “Razor sharp. Dis ain’t mass produced, someone made this one special.”

Cera spoke next as she seemed to be looking at the very tip of the blade, gripping it in her hand. “It’s a virgin blade. Never used before. Someone made this very recently and it’s brand new.” Cera seemed to notice something at the base of the blade and took out her note book to write something down.

Finally Aisha seemed to be focusing on the hilt with the jewel on it. “Ruby of the warmage. A very expensive, very useful magic item. It allows a spell caster to use the weapon this stone is attached to as a catalyst. Whoever made this sword was not just a swordsmith but an enchanter as well. Or at least had an friend who can make magic items.”

Finally Shor himself held the blade in his hand, giving it a few swings in the air before handing it back to you. “This is southron steel. It’s very light despite it’s mass, trademark of Southron Steel. And there’s only one place where you can get that here in Gransys. Traders from the Apotheate.” Shor ran his hand through his beard before sighing. “Sorry if that doesn’t make sense to you. Basically if this sword came from Elysium, they really very well connected. It’s a very well made sword, with a magic gem, made of very good steel. And somehow in the hands of a troglodyte. But all things things can help us track down those cultist once we start looking around. Much obliged, Thorne.”

Shor started walking back out the tent. Yorik was about to leave but Cera stopped him due to his injuries. Aisha beckons you to follow her. “Let’s go see that dead body. With any luck maybe the body can also lead us to a clue to where these cultists operate and further prove to the kobolds that thy shouldn’t work with Elysium.”

Sylvia was somewhat surprised that the blade was lighter than she expected it to be. She watched and listened as Shor and his team made their assessments on the blade. She noticed that Cera wrote something in notebook, but she didn't ask. She only took back the blade when Shor was done swinging it and had handed it back to her. Once she had the blade, she put it back into the handy haversack. She answered Shor when he thanked her, "Happy to help out. Guess you could say that I'm a...thorn in their side,"

...Yes, she likes puns.

What? That one was practically gift wrapped for her!

When Aisha motioned for her to follow, Sylvia nodded in agreement, and she followed, becoming serious again, "OK. Let's go,"

“Uuuugh, ya killing me Syl!” Yorik groaned as you left the tent. Eventually you’d be brought towards the Chief’s House again, however this time you were taken off towards the side to a small cellar door by the guards. They escort you, Shor, and Aisha down. It was very cold down here and you could easily see your breath as Shor lit up a lantern to illuminate the dark. It was a short walk before the group would reach a table where the body was at, covered with a large cloth. Aisha took the cloth off to reveal the body.

Humanoid, male, and without the mask he looked fairly old. He had a graying bread and seemed to be balding. His face was marked with welts and cuts though it’s possible those were inflicted when he was doin it afterwards. Shor looked at the mask, testing the material. “It’s just a wooden mask painted black. Looks like a dragon’s head. Rough too, not laminated, can’t imagine anyone but a fanatic would wear something this uncomfortable.”

Further autopsy on the body would show that he was mauled to death by claws, likely from the troglodytes. They ripped into his back and broke his spine, but surprisingly enough they didn’t bother eating him immediately. That being said this man had no other marks showing who he is or who he affiliated with. No tattoos, not ritual scarring, just body hair and dead meat. His robes were made of hemp and seemed to be colored from some sort of charcoal dye. Aisha recognizes it as a very cheap way to preserve one’s clothing from insects and weathering, so the robes might’ve either been mass produced or something he already owns.

“Hmm. Not really getting much from this fellow, though he might be a criminal. Aisha do you have any warrants with you we can check?” Aisha took out a book on her hip, flipping through it as she looked over this man’a Face. “Give me a moment...”

Sylvia couldn't help but laugh when she heard Yorik's groan. She followed them into the cold cellar. She shivered at first, but she quickly got used to the cold air. She watched at first, but when they started to remove the clothing so they could check the body, she quickly averted her eyes so as to not look at the scars that marred the body. It was probably still a gory mess. However, when she looked away, she spotted something!

She thought she saw something poking out from the robes, and she walked over to them. She rustled through the robes and found a secret pocket. After opening the pocket, she took out the contents. It was a red and veiny stone. She remembered seeing a similar stone on a trog that was eaten by the ooze cube. She then realized that the stone was wrapped...in a thin sheet of paper. After carefully taking the paper off, so as to not tear it, she took a look at it. There was a drawing of a waterwheel with an arrow pointing to the space below it.

She called to Shor and Aisha, "Shor, Aisha, I think I found something," Once they came over, she would show the secret pocket, the stone, and the drawing. She tells them, "My friends and I fought a slime before we faced the trogs, and one of the trogs it engulfed was also carrying a stone like this one," She then showed the drawing, and she commented, "This is just a wild guess on my part, but I think this paper was telling our cultist how to get to the sewers. What do you guys think?"

The two looked over the item you had. Shor looked at the paper and Aisha the stone. “A water mill? Hah, there is a mill not too far from the city by the river even. This picture isn’t very detailed but I’m sure if we took a day lookin around, we could find this Sewer entrance and with any luck, those cultists too.” Shor said with certainty. He nods towards you with a smile. “As a sharp as a thorn.”

Aisha groaned as she handed you the stone. “I’m afraid I don’t recognize the stone. It’s no gemstone, but I do sense faint, lingering auras of magic. But it’s too weak for me to even discern what spell or magic the stone posses or were affected by. You said you found another like this? If you should show it to me, perhaps I’ll have a better idea what they are, if I can compare them.” You would remember that Pylia took possession of that stone after it was discovered. Shor brushes his hand through his beard and looked towards the entrance.

“I wish we could spend some more time investigating, but it’s almost time to head out. We have those trogs on the run, we can’t lose our momentum now. Sylvia, once this battle is won let’s meet back at Yorik’s shop and figure out this Eysium business together. Bring whatever clues you can. I want to bring peace to the city, for both the citizens on the surface and the kobolds taking care of our sewers. You do too, don’t you?”

Sylvia chuckled a bit at the pun Shor made. She then turned her attention back to Aisha, and she accepted the stone as Aisha handed it back to her. She answered Aisha's request, with her two fingers on her chin in thought, "Pylia should have that stone. I'll ask her to hand it to you when we get the chance," She then turned her attention back to Shor. At the mention that it was almost time to go attack, she muttered to herself in surprise "Already?"

When Shor asked her to meet at Ferric's shop with any clues she could bring, she nodded. She agreed with his sentiments without hesitation, "Of course," She then shivered again, and she suggested, "Let's get going and meet up with the others. I'm guessing there's no time to waste," Once they agreed, she led the way out of the cellar, with the stone and paper in her haversack now.

The three of you would eventually return to the armory, and by than it seemed like many of the kobolds warriors left too. Yorik seemed a bit more limber now having a chance to rest up, though his leg was still bandaged up. Everyone else seemed to be fine as they geared up. Aisha pulled up her head and put on a face mask, Yorik donned his helmet, Kor put on a dark cloak, and Cera seemed to be putting things into her sleeve. Shor himself went to put on his armor and grabbed his axe. Once finally geared up he turned towards you. "My team will lead the vanguards to Red Stain's fortress and lay a siege down to cut him off from any further reinforcement and keep his attention on us. Go find your friends and meet us as soon as you can. Longstrider is also going to be on the front lines with us while the other elders stay here to protect the village. Once all of us are together, we'll discuss how we'll tackle that fortress."

Sylvia returned to the armory tent, and sure enough the five guards were geared up and ready to go. She nodded at Shor's words, and answered him, "Got it. I'll go find the others," She then hurried off to go find Buddy, Shortfang, and Pylia. She easily remembered that Shortfang was visiting with Skinwalker, and Buddy was by the front entrance, so of course she would go to those places and inform them that it was almost time.

However...now that the kobolds seemed to have left already, she wasn't sure where Pylia was. If she wasn't healing the wounded, then where could she be?

When she found Buddy and Shortfang she would ask them if they had seen Pylia.

Buddy and Shortfang were easy enough to find, in fact you found Shortfang talking to Buddy. Seemed like he just bid his mother farewell, as she was going to stay behind with some of the older warriors to defend Underhaven. "Pylia? Saw Pylia in market. She look at potions." Buddy nods to confirm. If you three go over there sure enough you'll find Pylia in the market place, but it didn't seem like she was shopping. No, instead it looked like she was talking to some young kobolds, so small and tiny they barely reached her shin. It looked like she was talking to them and teaching them how to make potions using pictures of plants, a motor and pedestal, and a small fire. They seemed more interested in a human talking to them than her lesson, but Pylia still taught them with a smile. Soon she'd notice the group and tried to scary them with a quiet roar, who all playfully fled as if she was some sort of monster. She composed herself and walked over to you. "H-hello, are you guys ready to go?"

After Shortfang and Buddy answered her question, she led the both of them to the market, where they would find a heartwarming scene. It was kind of adorable how Pylia was teaching kobold children how to make potions. Plus, Pylia was actually smiling. She clearly enjoyed teaching the younger kobolds, even though they were more interested in the fact that a human was teaching them. She chuckled when Pylia jokingly scared the kobold children into running away.

Sylvia still had her smile on her face when Pylia tried to regain her composure and she answered her friend, "Yeah, we're ready to go. We need to meet up with Shor and Longstrider in order to discuss the strategy for the final attack," She then teased in a friendly way, "Sorry to interrupt your lesson, Professor Pylia,"

Almost immediately Pylia put her hand to your mouth to keep your quiet. "You saw nothing! Okay!? Nothing! Let's go!" Pylia's face was bright pink in embarassment as she quickly turned to leave. Shortfang however wasn't about to let her off the hook so easily. "Hey hey! You wanna be teacher for Sewer Dragons? You speak good draconic! You do great! Babies like you and we pay you lots shinies!" Pylia tried to cooly put her armor on but she was getting exasperated by you and Shortfang talking about what you saw. "All I was doing was making some potions, and those brats were distracting me! I couldn't get any work done! Shuddap, let's just go okay!" A bit of humor before the big battle. While it helped put some smiles on the faces of those who saw it, the mood would quickly change once the party set out towards the kobold army.

The mood was somber to say the least. Many of the warriors seem scared, reassured only by chanting something in groups. Some sort of prayer or hymn. Between each group were the huge crocodiles who seemed to be dressed and painted for war, with wooden armor placed in strategic locations to give them extra protection. Longstrider rode on Green Eyes, who was near the front of the pack. Shor and his team was also there. Upon seeing you, they simply nodded, looking very serious for what was about to happen.

Soon the group would arrive to a large corridor. This place looked far too big to belong in a sewers and in the distance, you could hear the sound of waves crashing against the rocks. Shortfang helpfully provided you information about this place. "This Gransys dock. Long ago, Gransys have war boats. This where they come, safe from enemies, fix, get warriors. But after Calamity Dragon come, destroy all boats, duke can't pay for war boats. So he abandon docks, and Kobold use to live here. Underhaven where kobold live, but here, we call Darasthesek, or 'Dragon's Watch'. Cuz this where kobold see Calamity dragon fight war boats." Soon Longstrider herself came up to you on top of Greeneyes to give you the rest of the tale. "The one who betrayed our tribe was the one who protected Dragon's Watch. He said that he saw the dragon's coming, and took everyone at Dragon's Watch to join him. Everyone... Who didn't flee, when the troglodytes arrived. It did not take them very long to take over our other home." There was a hint of bitterness in her voice, but mostly sadness. Regret, almost.

But there was no time to talk about that. About 1000 feet away was the walls of the fortress. They were at least ten feet tall, and on the top of them were giant crossbows, large iron vats with hot coals underneath them, and even troglodytes carrying large stones or barrels. There were at least fifty or so on the walls, but none outside of it. Shor approached to assets the situation. "The strengths of the troglodytes lies in their numbers and their ferocity. But with so few warriors on the defensive, they will fall easily. However we can't underestimate them just yet. They still have those siege weapons, which can do serious damage not only to the kobolds but the crocodiles too. So obviously, charging right at them is not an option. Fortunately that also works in our benefit because they're going to need to rely on their defenses to survive, thus they can't attack us while we're out of their reach. That's going to allow us time to set up our own fortifications."

As he said this, Longstrider looked towards her kobolds. Though scared and honestly not that intimidating as warriors, this is where their true strength revealed themselves. A little over fifty kobolds where wood, stone, and tools quickly got to work. In about ten minutes the kobolds manage to create their own fortification wall, standing five feet tall and fifty feet long, with stone to protect them against weapons and wood to give the kobolds a place to stand and hide behind. They even made a large barrier big enough for the giant crocodiles to hide behind. Shor couldn't help but chuckle. "Hah! Look at that. If you'd gotten fifty men from the surface to make something like this, it'll take the whole afternoon. And we didn't even train em to do that." Longstrider smugly reclined on her seat. "We kobolds are the best builders. As soon as we find a good spot, it'll be our home in no time. But now... Now it is time to take our home back."

Shor nodded in agreement. "Right. Now that we have a fort of our own, we can safely rest here in between skirmishes. Sylvia," Shor and Longstrider turned towards you. "This is where you'll come in. A frontal assault will be too risky. However, our scouts report that there is an opening between the fortresses. A small passage that leads pass the enemy walls. I need you and your team to reach that passage, get to the other side of that wall, and do two things for us: open the gate for our troops to get in, and cause as much chaos for the trogs as possible. In order to make sure they don't know you're coming, we'll send our warriors out as a distraction. They aren't going to attack the walls but those trog's won't know that and focus their attacks on us and the crocs, allowing you to reach that passage unnoticed. Act as fast as you can though, I want to get our warriors over there as soon as possible, so we can help you fight the trogs and clear a path to their leader."

Yorik came over with a small table while Aisha turned a lantern on. Kor took out a map which he placed onto the table under the lantern light while Cera was pouring drinks. Shor showed you where the passage should be, and it was roughly 100 feet away from the troglodyte defensive wall. It was extremely close. "We need you to do this for us Sylvia. So far you've shown us nothing but honor, valor, and strength. And we're going to need all of that if we want to be victorious. Think you can do that? Can you get us victory?"

When Pylia covered her mouth with her hand, she thought about licking Pylia's hand to get her to get it off of her mouth. She thought better and decided not to. Sylvia tried to hold back her laughter, but she wasn't doing a good job of that. She commented "Oh, it's okay Pylia! There's no need to be so embarrassed, ya tsundere," She enjoyed the moment while it lasted, because even though it seemed okay for now, she knew deep down that war was hell, and they were about to go through what is probably the most difficult part.

And she was not wrong. The mood shifted and everyone was serious, and her mood changed with it. She spotted Green Eyes, the crocodile she and her group rescued, with Longstrider riding atop the crocodile. When she spotted Shor, she gave a serious nod back.

She noticed where they were, and she listened as Shortfang and Longstrider. As she listened she thought about the history and its connection to the present. No wonder the cultists would choose to take this place first! If the kobolds could see the dragon coming from here, then they would probably be able to warn the town in time. If the cultists had this place, then it meant when the dragon came, Gransys would be a sitting duck. She could hear the bitterness and regret in Longstrider's voice. She muttered "We'll get this place back..."

She could see the fortress walls 1000 feet away and seeing the siege weapons was kind of intimidating. She listened as Shor explained their strengths and weaknesses, and in response, the kobolds set up fortifications in no time. She was surprised as well, and she commented after the kobolds finished, "Impressive!" She nodded in agreement when Longstrider said that it was time to take back their home.

She paid apt attention as Shor and Longstrider gave her and her friends' mission: Open the gates for the troops and cause as much chaos as possible so that they might reach the leader. She nodded at the plan, though she was a bit nervous with how close this passage was to the defensive wall. Were they going to be able to sneak by?

When Shor asked if they could do this, she answered him, "Yeah. We can do that. Leave it to us!" As she answered, she rolled her shoulders and cracked her neck, preparing her body for a fight. She might be a bit nervous, but she wasn't going to let Shor and Longstrider down now. They had to do this. There was no going back! People were trusting her and her friends.

She commented in thought over the plan, "If we can, we'll see if we can dismantle the siege weapons as well. Nothing adds extra chaos quite like technical difficulties," Plus, she had a feeling that doing so may lessen casualties.

She then told Shor, "We're ready when you are," She then looked back at her friends, Pylia, Shortfang, and Buddy, and she asked "Right, guys?"

Your team looked at you confidently. Pylia strapped her shield on, iffy dusted off his axe, and Shortfang loaded his crossbow. “We ready! We fight! We win!” Shortfang cheered courageously. Though his height was about the same as the others, Shortfang’s confidence made him seem bigger than the other kobolds. “I’ve been saving my magic for this very moment. I won’t hesitate to go all out here.” Pylia says as she draws her Warclub, her divine magic radiating from her weapon. Buddy simply opened and closed his hand as if he was testing the articulation, though you also see him suddenly spinning his hand like a drill. That surprised even him. Then he gives you a thumbs up.

With everyone ready Shor nods and points towards one of the giant Crocodiles. “Let’s not waste any time then. Stay with that crocodile over there and stay close. Once you get near that passage, go in and do whatever it takes! The sooner you open those gates the sooner we can get in and help you. One last thing: at any moment in this battle Red Stain might show up. He’s far more formidable than any trog, so don’t face him unless you’re prepared. Stick to the plan and fight together, and he won’t stand a chance. Now go! Show them what you can do!”

The army quickly began to split up into their divisions. Shor himself stayed behind with Longstrider, who seemed to have casted a spell onto two of the crocodiles, one being the one you’re tagging along with. The rest of Shor’s teen seemed to be operating as officers for the kobolds, leading them in their own groups. Yorik walked alongside his band of kobold warriors who would be going out with you and providing the distraction. The giant crocodile gripped a large makeshift shield in his mouth, holding it in such a way that it protested most of his extremely long body except his tail and his feet. He would certainly be the most heavily protected.

Once everyone was in position, they wasted no time charging forward. The final battle for the sewers have begun.