Fantasy Setting Summer Dawn

[SilverFlight]

"Oh you leave the convincing to me. We'll have a merry band to the theater in no time at all!" Pyrrhus clapped his hands together once for emphasis. He was pleased Iolas was just as enthusiastic.
He thanked the young woman before she gathered her things, book in hand, and left.
"The interesting thing about Akiamore, is that he's always been thought of as a Cyndaran playwright. So which is it I wonder?"
Watching Ora dart up a staircase he couldn't possibly manage Pyrrhus decided to skim the other sections that had caught his interest: Music--he found a delightful book of traditional Sumennan lute pieces--, Dance--not much for centaurs, but Pyrrhus still liked learning about them--and then healing techniques--there were only four books there--. By the end of the trip Pyrrhus had selected three books and when he found Ora again on the main floor he held them out to her with a pleading expression.
"I think it imperative that we learn all about the culture here. These will help! Oh, and just in case I ever need to disguise my healing abilities, that book should help me do so."

Pyrrhus opted to wait outside for his friends, standing against the stone pillars that lined the front facade. It was there he spotted a small wagon with a pair of people in bright costumes. They were reciting lines from the play, re-enacting one of the most well-known scenes in a comical parody. Obviously a clever promotion for their extended performance dates.
"Come one! Come all! See the most spectacular production 'Honour for Love', performed by the ever-fantastic Tantalus!"
The cried of the one who pulled the wagon echoed about the square. He was a short, thin man, with more of a muzzle than a nose and two long, brown, furry, donkey ears protruding from under a floppy silk hat. His clothes would have been considered fine at one point, but the velvet on his blue jacket had worn and his striped pants were patched with odd colours. Still, a small bouquet of flowers sat in his breast pocket and his worn boots had been polished to a shine.
Flutterby LazyDaze

~*~*~

Poor Mari awoke just in time to see the first man die. She squeaked in terror and buried her face in Trileon's side, the sounds of more death making her sob. It was over so quickly, but Mari was clearly upset. As Trileon spoke softly to her she sniffed, wiped her eyes on her sleeve and rose, trying her very best t hold back her shock and fear. There were tear stains down her freckled cheeks but she didn't cry anymore after that.

Mari made sure they were not spotted on their way back, and took them to a gate that was not visible to the street, pulling a small key from her pocket and using it.
"Sir Gideon doesn't have holding cells." She said quietly. "We'll have to lock him in the root cellar, where they took your white-haired friend. There's an extra room down there, with a bolt on the door. I'll...I'll go tell Gideon."
Mari still didn't sound like she had fully recovered, but the little troll was putting on a brave face.
"He might...he could tell us where they took my papa?" She asked hopefully, before she turned to go.

Gideon was speaking with Desrick in the drawing room of his house. When Mari ran up to him he looked greatly relieved, but frowned when he saw she had been crying.
"What happened?" Mari told him everything, and watched as his expression went through almost the entire spectrum.
"And he's here? Summabrynde's bright head, why did they bring him here?"
Gideon frowned. "I want to speak to them once our new...'guest', is secure. As far as things stand, I do not know there is an Evereach thug in my root cellar. God, it looks like I'll be putting all my chits in this round..."
Mari hurried to do as Gideon asked.
Zazz mothspit Yatasal

Gideon also waved to another servant. "Have someone fetch Oralia and the others from the center of town. I have a feeling we'll need to act quickly."
Flutterby LazyDaze

 

[mothspit]

Trileon followed Mari to the drawing room, the expression plastered on her face one of shock and uncertainty. She didn't fully understand what all had taken place, but one thing was clear-- Those men didn't need to die. From the looks of things, Jilaina had it under control. They were going to leave. And fine, how she managed to convince them as such was strange, but did that matter at the moment? They could find out what she said to them later. An odd feeling burned inside her. She was no stranger to hostile situations; On many occasions, strangers would discover her home in the trees and make an attempt to rob her of everything she had. But no matter the conflict, everyone managed to walk away unscathed. Why was it different here? They hadn't been in Sumenna but only a few marks, and already blood was spilled.

Trileon leaned against a wall of the drawing room, her arms firmly crossed over her chest. Her expression became distant when she spoke, "She killed them. Jilaina had convinced them to leave us be, and Azaria took their lives."

From her prospective, Jilaina had very well spared them from being kidnapped and sold into slavery. Taking them hostage for questioning, that was something she could understand. Killing them was unnecessary. She looked to Desrick, as if to say 'Remember the Cyndaran way.'

 

[Yatasal]

"She killed them. Jilaina had convinced them to leave us be, and Azaria took their lives."

Quinn helped Az drag the man into the basement, and followed the others into the drawing room. The poor troll was in shambles, making her ugly face even more so with tears and a shaking countenance. Quinn stood besides Trileon, finding the beastwoman far safer to stand by then Az. She could tell the others word by word what she said--just as long as she didn't reveal her attempt at getting a message to Lassard. If it somehow was revealed though, she'd need to have a reason for it. And she didn't, not one that wouldn't incriminate her. She folded her arms, and waited for the inevitable questioning.

 

[Zazz]

Lohrithe awoke to the sound of a body being carried down the stairs, followed by rope being tied and then a door being bolted shut. He groggily got to his feet, gulping down the water by his bedside. At least it was dark down here, he thought. The dark elf went to put on his shirt, but cringed when the fabric touched his burnt skin and he decided he could do without, for now. Lohrithe had no intention of going outside, just yet.

The drow shuffled in after the scout and the assassin, and smiled weakly at Desrick before taking a seat in a comfy chair. "Good morning," he greeted them all, curling up and observing.

 

[SilverFlight]

Gideon took in the entrances of each member of the group with a creased brow. He listened to Trileon, she was clearly not in agreement with how things were handled. Mari looked absolutely shocked poor girl and this made Gideon's heart try to push into his judgement.
"And you," Gideon turned to Quinn, "You agree that you had things in hand?"
Once he heard from Quinn he turned to Azaria, gesturing for her to make a case, defend herself.
"I don't take bloodshed lightly. But this isn't Cyndara. I have a feeling you will find this a much more brutal place than your shadowy forest."
Desrick had stayed on the matter at first, returning Lohr's smile and asking how he felt in a quiet voice. Now he was frowning too, taking in the facts, and the feelings of his team. He gave a short nod to Trileon, letting her know that her stance had been carefully noted.
"This isn't the time to take risks. Azaria you could have caused more trouble than you solved by taking their lives, I believe you acted too quickly." His eyes flicked critically to Quinn, "But that remains to be seen. In the meantime, we should get information out of this prisoner. I believe Gideon is right in saying we might now have a time limit to achieve what he's asked of us. When the men instructed to take one of Gideon's servants are found dead and one captured, you know precisely what conclusion they'll draw."

Mari stood to the side, hands bunched into tight fists against her apron. She was trying bravely not to cry, but the flashes of the horrors she witnessed dogged her mind and she was beginning to break.
Zazz mothspit Yatasal

 

[Zazz]

Azaria cleared her throat once everyone had finished speaking and stepped forward, arms crossed. "My intention, once Trileon and Mari were down, was to feign capture so that we might have an opportunity to find the girl's father. However, that plan had to be altered. Jilaina, here, brilliantly talked our way out of capture, only to put us all in danger by attempting to have a message sent to Lassard with her, and therefore our, whereabouts." She let that sink in. Carefully, she approached the troll and crouched to her height. "I am sorry to have frightened you, little one. I will do my best to find your Pa."

 

[mothspit]

Trileon's face softened a bit when Azaria expressed some affection to Mari. Well, that was sweet, at least. And while the news that Jilaina had tried to get them to send a message back to Lassard was certainly new and suspicious, it didn't change the fact the situation could have been handled differently. Not to mention, she didn't give them a name. No matter what, they didn't need to die. Knock them out, follow them, whatever.. Death should have been the last resort.

"It was a natural lie to tell," She said, giving a side-eye to the scout at her side, "They wouldn't have let us go on pleas and begs alone. She didn't even give them her name."

Don't make me regret placing my trust in you.

Trileon stepped forward as well, hands placed on her hips, "Regardless, death could have been avoided. Desrick is right; When word gets out to the rest of his operation that some of their members are dead, it won't take long before it leads them back here. I understand killing when there is no other option, but that wasn't the case."

 

[Yatasal]

"My intention, once Trileon and Mari were down, was to feign capture so that we might have an opportunity to find the girl's father. However, that plan had to be altered. Jilaina, here, brilliantly talked our way out of capture, only to put us all in danger by attempting to have a message sent to Lassard with her, and therefore our, whereabouts."

Quinn's heart lept into her throat. Azaria had been awake the whole time. Her hand moved slowly to the hook at her belt. She was standing by the door, but she didn't know this house. If she survived the next few minutes, her first goal would be to memorize its layout. Quinn listened carefully, spinning another lie in her head. But before she could even respond, Trileon spoke up.

"It was a natural lie to tell," She said, giving a side-eye to the scout at her side, "They wouldn't have let us go on pleas and begs alone. She didn't even give them her name."

Quinn gave her a grateful nod. It wasn't much, a simple lie, but the simple lies made the best cover stories. "My line of thinking exactly," Quinn explained. "I thought that by dropping Lassard's name--someone they would know to be of a high rank--it would legitimize my story of our being Evereach employees. But yeah, it could have been really bad if they had managed to leave, because it could have made Evereach turn all its attention to House Huxley. It's something I didn't think of, so I'm sorry for that. But I'm glad that Azaria here thought through that, and killed them before they could leave. She saved us from my could-have-been-disasterous mistake."
At the end of that little speech, Quinn folded her arms and looked down at her boots. She didn't like admitting she was wrong, even though in reality she was more angry that Azaria had acted. It would've be disastrous for the Cyndarans, but they shouldn't be in Summena in the first place. They had won their battle, and just because another Cyndaran settlement had lost theirs didn't mean they had the need to interfere with whatever Evereach was planning. Quinn took a breath, and told herself that she would probably never understand these foreign people.

 

[SilverFlight]

Mari looked into Azaria's eyes, her own threatening tears. Suddenly she took a step forward and threw her small arms about the assassin's neck.
"Thank you." She sniffed. "I don't know why they're doing this I...just want my papa back..."
The look on Gideon's face was one of guilt and frustration. He knew very well why this was happening. It was because Evereach believed they could control him by it.
"Perhaps I've been too gentle in this matter...regardless, what is done is done. All that matters is what we do next."
He regarded Quinn with a little skepticism, but made it clear he was willing to accept her words and move on.
"Azaria, you caught one of the slavers, I think you should lead the questioning."
"And," Desrick interjected, "Trileon will make sure you do not get...carried away."
Gideon gave a slight nod in agreement. "We need to know where they operate from, where the people they kidnap are taken, how they're moved. A confession from our man would be a bonus, but ultimately we need something more concrete, letters, documents. We need him to give up where these things can be found."
Finally, Desrick shot the Sumennan scout a dark look. "You can either stay with me, or you can go with Trileon. You are not to be left alone."
His expression turned gentle when he spoke to Trileon again. "You can give me the flowers, I'll begin working on the sun cure. Come find me when you're finished with the prisoner."

Zazz mothspit Yatasal

 

[Zazz]

Azaria tensed in surprise, but quickly returned the troll's embrace with the first genuine smile the group had likely seen. "I know, sweetie. I know. Some people are just bad, and some get paid to do bad things by bad people." She supposed she was one of those people. Which, she wasn't entirely sure, but she did not wish to think on it.

Letting go of Mari, Azaria stood and rolled her eyes at having the tree healer with her to interrogate the slaver scum. To likely everyone's surprise, the halfling elf said, "If I may request the scout to join me... She is good with words where I am good with blades."

 

[mothspit]

Trileon looked less than pleased, but made no attempts to protest the orc's request. She nodded, and carefully handed off her bag filled with the flowers and various other ingredients. The beastwoman felt conflicted, but it was done now. The sooner they could get out of this blasted land, the better..

"..Alright." She said to Desrick, offering him a tiny, placated smile. Then, Azaria also requested Jilaina join them for the interrogation. Of course.

Speaking loudly enough for them both to hear, she stood up straight, "I'll happily keep the peace. Someone here must, it seems.."

If they weren't going to get along, the least she could do was prevent more death. She gave another look to the scout in their company, her blue arms crossed over her chest with a set of narrowing eyes. Trileon wasn't used to this odd mix of emotions. Like most, she had her biases towards Sumennans. But it never stopped her from giving them the benefit of the doubt. Was it starting to come back to bite her? In the back of her mind, she made a note to speak to Jilaina privately, when the opportunity presented itself. Azaria made it clear how she felt about the situation, speaking with.. something akin to poise. Maybe there was something to it, after all.

Regardless, she'd get to the bottom of it.

Yatasal SilverFlight Zazz

 

[Yatasal]

"You can either stay with me, or you can go with Trileon. You are not to be left alone."

Quinn nodded. "Understood. I'm sorry..." she said, but there weren't any words that could really undo the loss of trust. Which made Quinn mad, but more to the point, the loss of trust wasn't enough to make them kick her out or kill her. Cyndara must not have a lot of untrustworthy people... Had these been Summenans, they would have tossed me to the streets weeks ago on principle.

"If I may request the scout to join me... She is good with words where I am good with blades."

Quinn's mouth nearly dropped open in surprise, but she kept her surprise muted to raising an eyebrow. Was that a compliment... from the trustless assassin? Seriously? No, there had to be some other ploy, something else that Az wanted. Probably Az wanted to keep a close eye on Quinn, hence the reason Az asked Quinn to join her. The compliment was likely to throw her off. Well, it had almost worked, but Quinn wouldn't let it. "Thanks for the compliment. I'll be happy to help, wherever I can."

"I'll happily keep the peace. Someone here must, it seems.."

Quinn grinned. "Well, you'd be the best at it. I swear, you just ooze peace. Come on, let's go ask our Evereach friend a few questions."

 

[Zazz]

Azaria threw a side eye Quinn's way. Like she would ever trust the scout to just "help" these people. She had already shown her true colours. However, Azaria thought, that did not mean she couldn't be useful. The assassin hadn't lied; the scout was good with her tongue, whereas Azaria preferred to observe and act with precision. It was better that way. With Jilaina casting the questions, Azaria could test him for lies... all while keeping a close eye on the scout. The slaver would die anyway, so it wasn't as if anything the scout told him would be dangerous. And what would Trileon do? Scold her for doing what she does best? That wasn't going to save his life.

Into the cellar they went, candles in hand. She could see why Lohrithe liked it better in here, despite the light dust.

Azaria led the other two to the door, letting them enter first while she held it open. It shut behind them. Azaria set her candle on a shelf and circled the man tied in ropes. He was still knocked out; she held out the antidote to Trileon, figuring it appropriate for the healer to do the honours. The assassin then selected her red jeweled dagger and examined its edge.

 

[mothspit]

Quinn grinned. "Well, you'd be the best at it. I swear, you just ooze peace. Come on, let's go ask our Evereach friend a few questions."

"Yes, well, let's hope it rubs off." She said with the same placated smile. Speaking of questions for Evereach friends..

Trileon followed them into the basement silently, her mind enraptured with her own thoughts. What to do? She assumed that, given the opportunity, Azaria will take this man's life once they got what they needed from him. It's not like she didn't understand-- Of course she did. He was a criminal, a kidnapper who stole the innocent. That wouldn't go unpunished. But acting too quickly could potentially prove dangerous for the rest of them. She had an idea, but it was unlikely the others would go for it.. Couldn't hurt to try, though.

She took the antidote in hand, turning it over in her fingers. The beastwoman held it to the candlelight curiously. She had crafted similar potions for those that came to her with loved ones who ingested the local poisonous wildlife, rendering them unconscious. A primitive concoction. Approaching the man, she gently tilted his head back and propped open his jaw, pouring the antidote down his throat. After a few moments, his eyes fluttered open.

Realizing the position he'd been placed in, he whipped his head around to all of their faces-- Trileon, Jilaina, and then Azaria.

"Filthy house traitors," He spat, "I'll skin you all alive!"

Trileon remained unbothered, "I don't think insults will--"

"I'll not be lectured by the likes of you, nightwalker!"

She frowned. Harsh.

"..I believe this is more your area of expertise," She made a gesture to Azaria, "..Just keep the cruelty to a minimum, yes?"

Trileon moved to stand behind the prisoner, her hands placed on her hips, awaiting to propose her idea when the time is right.

Yatasal Zazz

 

[Flutterby]

Ora had headed to the history section for a reason. She usually perused the prose, not unlike Pyrrhus, but the conversation about the playwright had made her curiousity unbearable. So she started to search for books on the origin of the land, and the countries that divided it.
Even when Pyrrhus came to find her, she had nothing. Nothing before the creation of the houses. The dwarf turned to her friend with a frown, but his expression melted her bad mood. She reached up and took the books from him, and gave a sly smile.
"I think you're absolutely right, my friend." It only took a short stop at the reception desk to get their selections squared away, and then she joined Pyhhrus outside.
"We should probably hurry, we've been gone a while already.." Ora trailed off when she followed his gaze to the wagon, and she let out a good-natured laugh. "By the peaks, what luck we have! I- well, I don't think it would be too horribly out of place if we.. inquired about their show dates, just for a moment."
SilverFlight LazyDaze

 

[The_Omega_Effect]

The serving quarters were by no means a place free of crime. Within the other parts of the city, namely the merchants and the nobles quarters, crimes other than the odd assassination attempts were very rare of. The poor infrastructure combined with how poverty leads to people being desperate enough to commit crimes meant that murders and robberies were happening left and right. It was here where Kyros did most of his "work" anyways. Lately, there had been a series of kidnappings that he had taken an interest in. They were all connected due to the fact that the culprits were taking mere slaves and servants. Due to how there was little to no financial gain from kidnapping a person with no wealth, kidnappings were rare in the lower quarters. Was the goal of kidnapping such people financial to begin with?

The first thing that came to mind was someone gathering workers in order to use them as free labor for a project of sorts. Perhaps those ordering the kidnappings wanted to build something undercover. Could it be a clever attempt to case distress and chaos, leading to those affected being easy to manipulated? Or was it part of some crazed man with wealth who deemed those of the serving class to be unworthy to live alongside him. The latter sounded insane. Kyros' experience taught him that anything, no matter how crazy could be possible.He needed to do more investigating in order to figure out exactly what was going on.

After receiving word that the band of thugs that were somewhat responsible for these kidnappings were intercepted by a group of warriors that were somewhat new to the town. He'd have to do more research on them later, as now he had to focus on the matter at hand. All he knew about them at that point other than basic information of what they looked like was that they were in contact with Gideon, one of the wealthiest men within the entire merchants district. Kyros remembered running into the man a couple of times in the past when solving other cases. Nevertheless, what they were witnessing here were the first steps to a much bigger scheme. Simply put, the seeds were being planted, with him having to stop this plan from progressing. He learned in the crime scene that one of the thugs was taken with the group into the merchants quarters. It did not take him too long to put together that they would meet in his mansion.

From rooftop to rooftop, Kyros made his way to the merchants quarters as fast as he could. He did not own a horse which made traveling tiring. But it was a lot easier to chase and stalk someone without one. His stomach growled as he realized that he had not eaten anything during the entirety of that day. Between completing the orders he was given in his alchemy shop, replenishing some of the chemicals he used as the Raven and the whole vigilante thing, he did not find time to make himself and food. Kyros shrugged the feeling off. Mere hunger couldn't hinder his investigation. He was a terrible cook anyway.

If he were to get access to the criminal that was taken to Gideon's Mansion, he could interrogate him and extract some information out. He didn't need too much information. Just enough to give him a clue as to where to start looking. By the end, he needed to find out who the person paying the criminal to do the kidnapping was at the very least. Kyros doubted if the thug knew anything else of substance. He had come to the mansion enough times for the servants to recognize him somewhat. Upon arriving at the mansion, he was lead to the drawing room where he would find Gideon. He then said outright what it was he came for, being known for getting straight to the point. "I need the criminal..."

SilverFlight

 

[SilverFlight]

Once his guests had filtered out of his study Gideon exhaled deeply. This was getting complicated, he began to worry about what might happen if Evereach found out what he was doing before he could expose them. For the sake of his staff, and for the minor houses all over Brynson. He could not fail.
The servant that entered the room made him turn, and the figure following in his wake made him jump.
"Ah, Raven." Gideon seemed pleased to see him. "I was wondering when I could expect you. I should have known you'd have caught wind of it as soon as it happened. Come with me."
He lead his old acquaintance through the main hall, past oil portraits of family members and wooden statues of running stags.
"I don't know how much you've looked into Evereach's underground dealings in Brynson. By law, there shouldn't be any...but the great house has never played by the rules they set. Now they have a war on their mind and those who won't cooperate will be bullied. They want us to think that they could come for any of us. Exposing their treachery to the other great houses, Brynson and Dwerstand, would cripple their support. I know you're not much of a politic-er, but it could mean crime on a whole new level if Evereach wins this battle. They'll come to think of kidnapping as an acceptable strategy to get what they want."
Through the hall, and the kitchens--warm red brick walls bathed in sunlight--and Gideon stopped at an old oak door with iron bracing.
"They took my head servant Raven...he has a little girl. I need to find out where they took the people they kidnapped. I need to know if they're alive, and I want them rescued. As far as that thug knows however, I have no knowledge of him being here. For now he's being entertained by a few more of my guests. They...they're from Cyndara, I'm sure you have questions, but let's get what we need out of this man first. I'll answer all your questions afterwards."
He opened the oak door onto a staircase that lead down into the darkness.
"Good luck."
The_Omega_Effect

Their captive glared up defiantly at them, greasy black hair falling like jungle vines over dark eyes, stubbornly refusing to speak. They would need a creative form of intimidation to loosen his tongue.

Yatasal Zazz mothspit The_Omega_Effect

 

[Zazz]

Azaria cut right to the chase. "Who do you work for?"

The assassin held the edge of her dagger over the flame of a candle. Once it was hot to the touch, she looked the man in the eye, a savage glint in her own as the hot blade pressed against the underside of his chin. "Hmm?"

 

[Yatasal]

Quinn nearly rolled her eyes. This is going well.

Trileon tried her approach, and Azaria tried hers. A heated knife would definitely be painful, and that wasn't something Quinn wanted to be around for. She stepped forward, closer to the slaver, and in front of Azaria. "Hey. Listen up. I'm sure you've caught on to my friends and their... methods. You're a slaver, so I'm sure you're well aware of the kinds of injuries we Summenans can inflict. However, my friend here is well-versed in Cyndaran torture practices as well. If you don't tell us what we want to know, you'll get to know each and every step of every method... intimately. I won't tell you you'll wish for death, because you won't. By the time my friend here would be done with you, you'll wish you could remember your own name. Death is nothing compared to that, trust me."

Quinn bent down to the slaver's eye level. "So. Let's start from the top, shall we? Whom do you report to when things don't go your way?"

 

[mothspit]

Azaria cut right to the chase. "Who do you work for?"

The assassin held the edge of her dagger over the flame of a candle. Once it was hot to the touch, she looked the man in the eye, a savage glint in her own as the hot blade pressed against the underside of his chin. "Hmm?"

The man scoffed, seemingly unfazed by Azaria's attempts to frighten him. As if he hadn't been threatened like this before in his line of work. In fact, if anything, he seemed more scared of Trileon's presence than hers.. His eye twitches slightly when the hot metal touches his skin, but beyond that, he seemed unimpressed, "I should be the one asking you that question, doll. Since when did you elves start feelin' sympathetic for them?" He jerks his head back toward Trileon. She grimaces in response, faint flashes of her childhood firing off in her mind.

Quinn nearly rolled her eyes. This is going well.

Trileon tried her approach, and Azaria tried hers. A heated knife would definitely be painful, and that wasn't something Quinn wanted to be around for. She stepped forward, closer to the slaver, and in front of Azaria. "Hey. Listen up. I'm sure you've caught on to my friends and their... methods. You're a slaver, so I'm sure you're well aware of the kinds of injuries we Summenans can inflict. However, my friend here is well-versed in Cyndaran torture practices as well. If you don't tell us what we want to know, you'll get to know each and every step of every method... intimately. I won't tell you you'll wish for death, because you won't. By the time my friend here would be done with you, you'll wish you could remember your own name. Death is nothing compared to that, trust me."

Quinn bent down to the slaver's eye level. "So. Let's start from the top, shall we? Whom do you report to when things don't go your way?"

Opening her mouth to speak, she's interrupted by Jilaina asserting she knew some kind of torture methods. Myst Queen, watch over me. These two are going to send me to an early grave. But, this did present the opportunity for her idea.

The slaver's eyes widen. The prospect of Cyndaran torturing definitely did not sound ideal. Noting his reaction, Trileon steps around to crouch at his side, drawing his attention. With a small mutter under her breath, and the golden hue of her eyes, she smiles a wide, fang-like smile, her teeth having been transformed into two sets of pointed molars. The slaver recoils in response, clearly afraid.

He leans forward in his chair, pulling himself away from the beastwoman, "L-listen, you get yer animal friend 'way from me, 'nmaybe we can talk."

Trileon passed a look between Azaria and Jilaina, awaiting their approval. She certainly didn't feel good about using her magic like this, but she couldn't deny it was useful.

Yatasal Zazz

 

[Zazz]

The Shadowhand stepped in to defend Jilaina, of all people. Circling behind him, she yanked on his dark hair, his back hitting the chair loudly. She sneered down at him, fangs and all. "You're the greasy bottom of the trashcan that's tied up right now, so I suggest you cooperate or you will find yourself in a much worse situation."

 

[The_Omega_Effect]

Gideon's manor was decorated by many paintings, statues and other things. It was just as luxurious inside as one would imagine it to be when looking at it from the outside. He listened to what Gideon's idea on what was happening was and it sounded credible to him. He was correct in that politics were never something Kyros dealt with as the Raven. But the avenue suggested was only one possibility. They had nowhere near enough information or knowledge on what was happening to arrive at such conclusions. Although, Gideon's experience working with big houses would give him a somewhat reliable intuition, Kyros was yet not convinced. He did not want to go into the investigation with his mind set on something. The mind finds and believes what it wants to after all.

He remained silent as he was lead through the main hall towards where he assumed the prisoner was. There was no doubt an interrogation that would have to be done in order to break this man. Things could be much easier if he were offered his freedom and double the money he was given to kidnap the servants. But it seemed that the group that captured the thug were trying to get the information out of him already. "Hmm." Kyros was intrigued by how a group of Cyndarans got here. He was more interested by what it is that they were doing within the city in the first place. There had to be a bigger motive than to help out Gideon with his troubles. He had to get to the bottom of it, as a group of dangerous individuals running loose in the city was a bad idea. Who knows, perhaps their arrival was related to what was happening with the kidnappings.

"Very well." He uttered as he opened the door and walked down the stairs. He had an assortment of knives and chemicals that he could use in order to get the information out. He could corrode his flesh with acid he uses to dissolve metal locks, burn him with flammable liquid or simply do things the old fashioned way by carving into him until he talked. Perhaps simply bruising the man would do the trick. The important part was to make sure to cause a constant stream of an immense amount of pain right from the beginning, not giving the target any opportunity to catch a breath. The way thugs dealt with pain was simple. They all thought of themselves as being strong and loyal to their employers, meaning that they would force themselves to withstand smaller amounts of pain. And starting off with smaller amounts of pain would lead to them building up somewhat of a tolerance for the more extreme measures.

As Kyros went down the dark cellar, he began to hear some arguing from one of the rooms. It was easier to make out what they were saying as he got closer to the room where he was held. It seemed that the criminal was given a chance to talk back to the interrogators. That was a big mistake as it allowed the victim to think that they were in control. He had to get an answer out of the thug. The identity of who they were going up against was a mystery and now that they have made their first move by capturing the thug, Kyros expected the people organizing the kidnappings to adapt in one way or another. The game had begun.

He opened the door and stood in the frame, taking in the room and its occupants before going in. He thought that there was perhaps one person in the room that could actually be intimidating enough to carry out this interrogation. No wonder the thug was talking back to them. But it seemed that they were starting to get more ruthless. Kyros decided that he would allow them to proceed, with him stepping in if his approach was required. Closing the door, he entered the room, gazing upon the criminal. He did not want to waste time explaining why he was there to those already in the room as it was obvious what he was there to do.

Zazz mothspit Yatasal

 

[mothspit]

Trileon's head raised at the sound of the door to the basement opening. When a mysterious figured stepped in, she stood to her feet, her illusion vanishing and rendering her teeth back to their normal state. Instinctively, she got into a tackle-ready-stance, sharing a set of concerned looks with her two fellow interrogators. If only there was another fruit stand around..

"Who goes there?" She said firmly. In this low lighting, it might have been a tad difficult to see, but they clearly weren't Gideon or Desrick, or anyone else they traveled with, for that matter. Trileon's mind jumped to the worst-- The rest of the slavers had already been made aware of some of their accomplices death, and discovered their whereabouts. She took a step toward her bow and quiver, both having been left in the basement after arriving to check on Lohrithe.

The slaver in the chair raised his head, but it didn't look like he recognized the man that had just entered. Seeing this, Trileon tilted her head to the side, "..Speak. Who let you in here?"
She wasn't in the business of small-talk, not with how tense this situation already was for her. And the way he just stood there, quietly observing them.. How unsettling. She raised her chin to him, "Have you come to retrieve your friend?"

The_Omega_Effect Zazz Yatasal

 

[The_Omega_Effect]

Kyros was initially surprised that the horned woman would ask him of what he set out to do. Was it really that difficult to put together? Perhaps it was. They were newcomers to the city after all, with them not knowing of who he was and what he did. For a moment, he quietly stared at her eyes through his mask, with the tinted glasses not allowing her to peer back at his. It was not the appropriate time to give an adequate explanation. He would allow Gideon to tell the group all they needed to know about him to the group after they were done here. There were some questions he had on the group that needed answering as well. Wishing not to waste any more time, Kyros proceeded with the interrogation. "I've come to talk to him..."

He began slowly approaching the man who was tied down to the chair, with his entire body except his head being concealed by his cloak. Stopping inches away, he tilted his head downwards to take a look at his victim. He seemed to be similar to the typical thug that would roam the streets. He already formulated what could break such a person. Although he had little faith in those already down there, the man being distraught was a sign that whatever they were trying was starting to work. But it wasn't enough. "I'm going to ask you once. Who are you working for?" He then waited patiently for his answer.

Zazz mothspit Yatasal

 

[LazyDaze]

Iolas simply observed his two companions as they decided to split up. Although he had grown fond of them he was pretty happy to be alone, even if it was only briefly. It wasn't a knock to them, but this was what he was used to and it was difficult to alter ones comfort zone. Everyone else seemed dead set on what books they wanted to find, but Iolas, who wasn't particularly passionate about anything had to think long and hard what could be useful. It would have been nice if there were some books that mentioned himself so he could gauge his status among Sumennans, but he knew that even if he was well known, he wasn't important enough to be a historic figure. If anything, his status would be concealed in government reports. He rubbed his temples softly and walked through various aisles of the library when he finally decided on a book...sort of. It was a compilations of poems; however, Iolas figured he could just read through it now despite the obvious taboo of doing such a thing. He memorized the few that he took interest in, and skimmed through the rest. He then put the book back and sighed before heading outside to meet everyone else. He caught a glance at some of the books Pyrrhus and Ora had, before nodding his head to tell them that he was done browsing. He was about to interject when he heard Ora suggest they head back, but as fortune would have it, he wouldn't have to.

Iolas saw the over the top promotion about the same time as everyone else, He didn't have to look at Pyrrhus to know what he was thinking. He raised an eyebrow when Ora stated they could ask about show times, but that was almost as good as admitting she wanted to go too. "Sure, just for a moment," Iolas repeated playfully as he took the initiative and walked to the wagon puller. "Pardon my intrusion, but could you divulge the showtimes for the play you are promoting, asking for a friend." Iolas said cheerfully as he towered over the strange man.

SilverFlight Flutterby