After a quiet and tired sleep at Lilika’s home. Navien and her met up with Drinial at the Jumping Jester and were introduced to Makith a white dragon-kin cleric of Lurma, goddess of the moon; and Yorna Vinter, a dwarven soldier of the city. Drinial had explained how the two of them were technically city faculty sent to help aid in the quest.

After introductions and breakfast they exited the tavern, and were walking down the road Navien leading the way.

“How do you know this base of operations anyway?” Makith asked as they walked.

“Me and my master, Shadow Singer Alkameeth of the Nightlings. We were sent here by the spire to investigate the rising of a cult dangerous to the spire. While investigating we got caught and they seemed to be using radient-like weapons to torture us. Alkameeth… didn’t last. They used a less powerful dosage on me to keep me alive, and because of my… heritage. So I played dead till there were fewer guards, jumped up, threw some spells then ran. After a while I thought I lost them, then Lightway soldiers started chasing me seemingly from nowhere, and eventually I ran into Lilika here.”

“Well, then why didn’t you contact the city guard, they would’ve helped you?” Makith questioned.

Navien gave him a look wondering if he was serious. Dark elves, heck more than that, Nightlings were still not very accepted or trusted in most parts of the world. Especially the further you got from the spire. Yorna sighed tiredly and gave Makith a sharp jab with her elbow into his side.

“Ow!?”

“Sorry about him, he’s not the most aware of social atmospheres,” she apologizes for Makith.

“Oh don’t worry he didn’t do anything wrong, just asked a question,” Navien replied.

They continued walking as Navien thought about how unprepared for this he was. Maybe now with more people he would be able to complete his mission, but as a Nightling he shouldn’t have had to rely on them in the first place, he was weak.

“NEW LIGHT BULBS CAN TAKE THE HEAT! The City Has Developed New Bulbs That Can Handle The Burnouts! Crisis Soon To Be Declared Over!” A town-crier yelled as they passed him. It was in the morning on a busy enough road where on the streets town-criers would proclaim the news.

“Heh looks like this new cult isn’t succeeding well in their goals” Drinial joked as they walked by.

“PLANAR ATTACKS IN EAST INCREASE! Rumor Is Emperor Of Tsirern Struck A Deal With Astralian Marauders For Their Aid In War! What Does This Mean For Halvalite War Efforts!?”

People would cluster around the cries as they shouted, whispering among themselves.

“EVERVAL ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES CONTINUE! If You See One Of The Cult Of Wine’s Festivals, Report It Immediately!”

Drinial sucked his teeth, tusks? At the last one. However Navien was probably the only one who noticed. Noticing him watching Drinial asked,

“Ever had dumb friends who do dumb shit that’s going to bite them and you in the ass one day?”

“No?”

“Good,” and with that the conversation ended as Navien decided to trust Drinial.

The group continued into the city, going deeper into the shelf until the 2nd tier of the city was roofed over their head and the world became dark with only a few unbroken lamps lighting their way. It was undoubtedly a rougher part of the city where one could get away with more without the law noticing. There were some more regulated areas where the shafts for the elevators that carried passengers up and down between the tiers of the city. They walked past those shafts deeper into the darkness. Passing streets were broken bulbs still laid on the street, not being bothered to have been cleaned up. A wooden board from somewhere above them on the ceiling of the enormous pocket cavern fell and clattered noisily to the ground. At one point a halfling wearing a rat skin vest leered and spat at them.

Eventually they reached the warehouse district and Navien stopped at one of the many buildings. Before they entered Navien pulled Lilika to the side

“I know you signed up for this but there is a chance you may be forced to kill… a human being in these fights. But if you need to run or you just don’t kill anyone, it’s ok,” he said to her.

“Thanks but, I think I got this, and I’m sorry about your mentor,” Lilika said a bit nervously.

Navien just nodded and smiled warmly at her. They slid the warehouse doors open with Navien and Lilika going through a side door, Drinial found a broken window to hop through, Makith and Yorna simply entered the front entrance.

They found no one, coming up to a large empty open area with railing above it where Drinial was looking down on Navien, Lilika, Makith, and Yorna as they explored the floor. Crates lined the sides of the walls but besides that there was nothing but dust.

“You sure this is the place?” Drinial yelled down at them.

Navien didn’t say anything as he started inspecting the floor. Looking around he swept away dust to check for the marks, finally he found them.

Sweeping all the dust away, Navien revealed black scorch marks on the ground. One area was blast-like in shape with a line of burn streaking down towards two cuffs bolted to the ground.