The lies of Lyle and Grimnir get the crowd ready to run for it; suddenly the commotion outside falls to a dull roar, except for a shouted command you can't quite make out, and then a sudden crash at the front door, which visibly cracks and splinters at the impact. Clearly, the time has come; Aiden throws open the back door and the three of you rush out, taking up a defensive position while the two dozen or so civilians dash past and begin fanning out toward the keep. The kobolds begin chasing after the fleeing noncombatants, as is typical of their cowardly impulses, but the three cultists with their two "pets" immediately orient on all of you.
(Initiative one more time guys. You're facing five total combatants, two of which are leashed to three others, although that probably won't last past the first round. And since your goal is to protect the civilians more than it is to beat the villains, who are after all only one group out of a swarm overrunning the whole town, you shouldn't be afraid to make a fighting retreat out of this rather than standing your ground. Even without the kobolds, this is a fairly overwhelming force you're dealing with, as the Ambush Drakes are CR 1/2 each and the cultists boost that still more.)
