'So no pressure then' was all Neil said to it, and two drinks and a couple of hours later, when Neil had planned on saving his own life, he was now risking it again for the woman who now stood waiting for him in the shadows of a dark alley half a kilometer from the curtain wall of Magister Therman's keep. Even with the dying light of the sun plastered on its stone, it still looked menacing. The keep was outfitted with great iron spikes, six meters long and segmented like insect legs. They ringed around its superstructure every story, forged over a century ago by Basilean architects to defend against the unlikely chance of a dragon landing on its spire. Doubtless it was impervious and likely detrimental to any sort of magical aid assaulting or infiltrating the grounds as well, hence why Calliope had offered the job to Neil. She hadn't exactly offered payment yet, even with 'job' being the wording, but he would hold out for something good. She clearly didn't want to kill him again. Not if he didn't give her reason to, at least. "You're wearing that?" the dark woman asked with a skeptical look once Neil arrived. He glanced at himself, wearing simple, workman's trousers and a dark shirt made of cotton. A small necklace of sterling silver clung to his well maintained traps just around his neck. Truth be told, other than the less than bright shade of his top, his shoes were the only thing that seemed suited, the heels sturdy and soles made for travel and rough terrain. The rapscallion couldn't help but smile when he looked back at her. "I don't work for a guild, girly. I don't have much equipment, just experience and a bit of skill. Otherwise I wouldn't have signed up with the Syndicate, you know?" He couldn't see what she was wearing behind her cloak, but she seemed to be gripping something long in one hand, though it was veiled by shadow and cloth. She pursed her full lips, but motioned for him to get to work. He started walking, but he pointed at her as they started toward the wall. "Alright, but you owe me something good. Not a lot of girls can get me to risk my life after they were about to kill me themselves. You're lucky I'm starting to like you." The two made their way towards the eastern streets, keeping out of sight. Neil was impressed by how well she moved, but there was something else about her that made her appear darker and less noticeable than a normal person would be. Even he sometimes had a difficult time perceiving her within a shadow unless he looked directly at her, and he surmised it must be the properties of her cloak. Soon, they came in sight of the wall, men armed with the latest steel halberds patrolling its length. "Neil?" She asked, the ne'er-do-well stopped and turned to look at her. She pulled her hood big and looked at him. "You're cute, but not enough to make me forget you haven't told me how we're getting in." "Oh, right." Neil said whipping his finger as if to make an invisible checkmark in the air. "Well, it's pretty simple. We could go through the front, but without an invitation that won't work. We could go from the back, but we would need to climb one of the peaks of moribund. And that would be hard even for me, much less both of us. We'll probably get spotted or fall, or I'll fall and you'll do your magic stuff, but you don't want to waste any of your tricks before we're in. So, if we can't go in the front or around the walls, we'll go under it." "The sewers?" She said incredulously, and Neil gave a nod of assurance. "It can't be that simple." "Oh, not at all." He admitted, turning the corner to reach a steel grate beneath an alcove of one of the smaller market plazas, merely a street from potential onlookers. Neil made certain to kneel down beside it and wait until he was certain the shadows and distance kept them from being spotted. Slow he reached for the steel, and to Calliope it almost looked like he had the strength of an ogre when he lifted it off the stone hinges, but in reality, the grating had been filed away previously. He set it down gently to halt any noise. "The sewers sort of turn into these catacombs with patrols and traps. A friend of mine was one of the artisans asked to go and maintain some of the stonework below a few months ago. He didn't get a great look, but he gave me an idea of what lay further in." The scent of refuse and worse wafted from within the hole that looked just big enough for them to squeeze through one at a time. Calliope curled her full lips in disgust, but true to what Neil expected, she wasn't going to be deterred from a mere smell, though a small wall of invisible air began to coalesce around her, presumably to keep the stench out of her nostrils. Neil merely tied a bit of cloth around his mouth, knowing he wouldn't have to endure it long. Taking in a deep breath, Neil crawled into the darkness, keeping his feet steady on the tumbled stone below the drain. He offered his hand up for Calliope to take, and when she took it he said. "So, if we pull this off, will that impress you enough or do you want the head of the King of Andred? I'll take a little bit of cash too, if that's ok by you."