Markus, certain that the loading dock was empty, pushed the false door open. Exiting the smuggler's tunnel, Taketo and the infiltration party followed behind him. They swiftly crossed over the boat that was tied in place to the other side. "What is this place, and what has happened here?" Taketo asked. "Above us is what's left of The Lady Of The Sea. It was a very common place for smugglers to conduct business. The King sent in two whole companies of war gollems to shut it down six months ago. Their only order was to kill everything here." Markus turned and smiled. "Even the rats." "How many did they kill?" "A couple dozen rats. I'm afraid that someone in the Court warned them ahead of time. So all that was here were the rats. Even the owner's cats were gone." "You didn't have anything to do with that, did you?" "No. That would be Marius. I was away fighting in Edding at the time." The team cautiously crept up the stone steps to the tavern above. The last lights of the day bled through the boarded up windows. Markus took out the map he'd made that morning for the others. "Here is where you need to go to enter the Government district. Then go here. It is the bunker that the King's Ministers will be taken to during a siege." "And you say that the home next to it has an entrance to this bunker?" One of the men asked. "Yes. It was built in case Victor wanted to escape, or send in an assassin for some, or all of the ministers." "What a great guy." Taketo said with contempt. Markus nodded. "And remember what I said." He told the others. "You are to treat all civilians with the utmost contempt. To do anything else will draw attention to yourselves." "Your father has truly gathered the scum of this world to himself, hasn't he?" A badly scarred man asked. "Yes he has. But this city will be cleansed of them this night. Their own blood will wash away the scum." "And what of the gates?" Taketo asked as he pored over the map. "How well guarded will they be?" "Very well guarded." The Prince said with a smile. "From enemies outside the walls. They think the people of the city to be too weak to do anything against them. They will find that they are wrong." "Do you think that they would dare to rise up?" The scarred man asked. "Marius has been building up a resistance movement in Aggadria. He has a thousand well armed men and women in place, ready to go at a moments notice." "Will they know when to attack?" A hulking giant of a man cut in. "They have been told that it happens tonight. Anything out of the ordinary, like, say the blowing up of the gates, would be the sign to go into action." "And be sure to wear your white arm and headbands. That way the incoming forces will recognize you." All nodded their assent. "Then may the gods smile upon us."