Lore of Leyuna RPG (FRPG)

[C S]

The jest was unneeded for Desrium to draw his conclusion. The ranks of Brodudika's protectors had grown by one more, albeit until Andruil had to leave for his sanctuary, far from the walls. "In that case, you stand to gain new allies during your stay here, for as long as you intend to combat these criminals," the armored being responded, and then pointed out, "You would have had an easier time enlisting in this cause at city hall. I understand some habits are difficult to break, however." It was just like the knight to fall back on covert activity as a first resort. That was what brought the two of them together the last time he was in Brodudika. Walking into an official building and simply asking about a matter was well outside his usual work.

[Hopeflower]

"If you haven't the patience for that," Viho's low voice cut in almost thoughtfully, "and you think you can control your mouth long enough, there is another option. I have given my students the chance to sit in on a lesson before committing to the class." He cocked his head just slightly, fixing Andruil with an unreadable gray gaze. "I thought it best, in case one decided it wasn't for them." He had no doubt Arsenic was doing a fine job of teaching, if the progress he was sensing was any indication. The fact was, however, Viho had twice his son's experience. And - however illogical - he was offering a window of opportunity for Andruil to take a leap forward and do some good here.

[The Kingpin]

The Knight arched a brow at the Psychomancer's comment about his mouth, taking mild offence but choosing not to act on it. "If you would have me, I would certainly accept," responded Andruil. Despite their previous disagreement, and the blows dealt to one another, the Knight felt no lasting animosity for the Psychomancer. He may have been indirectly responsible for a lot of pain in Arsenic's life, and indeed, he had triggered Andruil's anger when he turned his frustration on Vix, but the Knight was not one to hold grudges for too long.

He was wary, of course. He knew that the Psychomancer was the worse for wear between the two after that afternoon in the village, and that there was a chance he meant to... even the score. But as it stood, considering the circumstances, he suspected Viho was one who would put the matter aside for the sake of something more important.

[Hopeflower]

"It will be quicker all around." And that was that. A particularly nasty throb had Viho rolling his shoulder again, but his expression didn't change. The logic was sound, from where he stood - get them both the information they were looking for that much faster, gain an extra sword in the event that things happened to turn nasty, and by extension offer what protection he could. The earlier one sensed danger, the sooner one could react. And in a city where "danger" wore the face of anyone one might pass in the street, an elf needed every advantage they could get.

Arsenic might not have needed a father, but he did need friends. However strange a friendship the two must have had, given the fundamental differences, Viho had no wish to find out what further loss would do to his son.

[C S]

Shortly after the conversation came to an end, the robed Stalwart reached the doors to the precinct and pushed them apart for the two to enter. The floor was tiled with black and white squares in alternating patterns. The lobby was a wide, tall, and mostly empty thing. The ones who would have busied the place were elsewhere in the city. As it stood, two statues greeted the three, one on either side of the entrance. The huge statues were made out of slate and represented the ideal Draxonian knights. Broadly built, even for their scale, gauntlets gripping claymores that were balanced on their tips, in between the sabatons of the warriors. It did set the tone for the kind of justice one could expect from Grymhaven back in the day. Justice upheld throughout due process by steel and intimidation. A draconian order immortalized by the Draks.

They no longer held the precinct of law their own. Their tapestries and banners were still hung from the brick walls, but the few people mingling about were not mild giants that wore prestigious armor. In fact, they looked very plain and ordinary, lacking even the green coats of those Andruil had taken an interest in. Desrium carried on, homing in on one of the doors near the back of the lobby area.

He opened the door to Johnathon's office, then stepped aside for his company to enter. A hush had descended by then, the echoing din of idle conversation quieting with Desrium's presence. It was something he'd gotten used to.

[The Kingpin]

Andruil nodded thankfully to the Paladin as he stepped across the threshold, pushing his hood back now that he was no longer in the public eye. "Good afternoon," said the Knight as he moved aside for Viho and Desrium to follow.

[Hopeflower]

What restless energy had been lingering in Viho's posture and movement stilled completely when he stepped inside. His greeting nod was polite, the stiffness in his spine eased. Whether it was because they were out of the open, finally doing something, or Viho was simply that good at controlling himself was up for debate. Any way one looked at it, there was a glimpse of what Arsenic stood to become one day, in that.

[C S]

The detective cocked his head at the two entering without knocking first. He had only managed to get a glance at the third, which had brought to mind something he thought unlikely to happen. It had to be someone else who walked around in a full set of plating all day, or maybe for this one instance alone. What reason would He have for showing up here?

What reason did the strangers have for showing up at his office, for that matter.

He was not left mulling it over long. The paladin stepped in behind the others and gingerly closed the door in his cautious way. That was all Johnathon needed to sit back in his chair. Today was one of his more eventful days, and the time when he'd get some sleep seemed remote, still. It was not everyday one had a somewhat private audience with the benefactor. More uncommon was him barging in unannounced, and even more, doing so with companions.

"Green coat," Johnathon noted Andruil's apparel. "Funny." His own coat was hung from the edge of his bare shelf. The knight would recognize some of its features as belonging to those coats worn by rangers. Patches of silver on the shoulders with the emblem of a Frondfoot's snout denoted the detective's role. Sniffing out the truth, so to speak.

"What can I do you all for? Benefactor?"

"Introductions," said Desrium simply. "They will be joining your efforts."

[The Kingpin]

The Knight shrugged at the detective's reaction to his coat, but said nothing until Desrium mentioned that they were there for introductions. "Sir Andruil Lyall, Valenhad Silver Knights. I admit there was a method to the madness," he stated, grapsing at the lapels of the coat, before shrugging once more. "Story for another time, however."

[Hopeflower]

"Viho Deimos." The elf took in the man behind the desk with a curious tilt to his head. There was something...they'd never met, of that he was certain. But for a second, Viho was sure he seemed vaguely familiar.

It was gone before he could pin it down. "I'm told you have need of a psychomancer's skills."

[C S]

"They would be more definitive than what a pocketwatch can get out of a person," Johnathon mumbled offhandedly before coughing into his fist. "Johnathon Starros, detective. Green-Coat. Same difference. I have a partner, Kenneth Bardent, who might be popping in any moment now. I can't say the same for our assistant, Jessie Mangliev. She might still be caught in the bureaucracy of getting the logs from the gatekeepers."

"Why would she be dealing with the gatekeepers?" Desrium wondered.

"Oh." Johnathon drummed his knuckles on his desk. "In summary, we apprehended the one responsible for an attack last night. I was able to extract some information from her, and Kenneth and Jessie are looking into what they can. What we can say for sure is that she isn't part of our usual lineup of suspects, and that there are more of them out there. She said they came into the city as a group, so once we find a Natalie Gardener on a list--"

"You will know the names of the others who roam free."

"Too bad we won't have any faces to go with them. A bounty hunt would snuff them out like a candlelight. Once they get up to no good, they wear masks."

[The Kingpin]

The Knight nodded slowly, considering the plan. It seemed sound, but they needed more. One detail drew his curiosity, however. "One moment...A pocketwatch?" It was an oddly specific item to bring up, though he supposed it was a potentially viable bargaining tool, if the culprit had interest in such things. Unless there was another purpose?

[C S]

"It's part of an interrogation technique developed back in Daaven. Captain Urlox found that the more intuitive method of negotiation broke down after the suspect's face was bashed in, so he pushed for an alternative to be studied and implemented," Johnathon explained. "That's the short version of the story, anyway."

[Hopeflower]

It was a bit of a struggle to keep a straight face. A muscle in Viho's good shoulder was knotting painfully with the effort of holding still and breathing evenly. There had been blood under Dahnae's fingernails, they'd said at the hospital. Blood and bits of skin, like she'd fought her attacker.

"This woman you caught," he said slowly, choosing his words and tone carefully. "Was she mauled?"

[The Kingpin]

Andruil's reaction was a a silent one, his lips parting in a very telling 'Ah' reaction. Of course Urlox was the proponent of the previous method. Who else would it be. Still, it was good he was looking into methods that didn't render a suspect unable to speak. It wasn't much, but it was something. He chose not to comment however, as interested as Viho was in learning more about their would-be murderer.

[C S]

"She had been fighting some kind of cat. Cat was a girl." Johnathon's aura turned somber. An unspoken commitment to see how she was holding up at the hospital. Another rush of imagery that would stick with him whenever he did get to sleep. A tiny voice decrying magic for being convoluted and nonsensical. "Miss Gardener did not look any better than the victim. It doesn't seem to slow her down much, but she's only got so much space in that cell downstairs. I guess that makes up for it."

"How long ago was miss Mangliev's investigation?" Desrium asked suddenly.

"How long? Since this morning."

Desrium hummed thoughtfully. Too late to head over to the gates and hurry things along with his authority. It was just as likely that he would end up coming across the assistant on his way across the city. "I see."

[Hopeflower]

The confirmation had Viho closing his eyes and taking a long, silent breath to calm himself. At least this Natalie could do no more harm in here, but the thought brought little comfort. "With your permission," he started, and was relieved that he still had tight control over his voice, "I think I'd like to have a chat with Natalie."

[C S]

"Of the quiet variety, I presume," Johnathon said as he pushed his chair out and began to stand.

Now that the day's priority number one had been suitably dealt with, that left the day's new priority number two: compensating the two for their work. "Do you have any more use of me?" Desrium asked Viho and Andruil, beginning to formulate how he was going to be spending the next several hours. The unstated perk of being unable to sleep: it meant there was a lot of time in each day to handle certain things.

[The Kingpin]

The Knight scratched idly at his stubble, saying "No thanks, Desrium. I have nothing further to ask of you," while being unable to shake the feeling that something about the whole thing was off. "What do we know about her and her group so far? Do we know the motive? The scenario that led to this?" he inquired, seeing that it was an issue that had yet to be addressed. "I was tempted to think they'd be Draxonian loyalists...Greshlynk extremists, perhaps. But considering the peculiarity of the case, I suppose the real question is, did Natalie attack while our cat-elf was still an elf, or did she attack what she perceived to be an animal?"

[Hopeflower]

"We'll know the answers soon," Viho said, glancing at Andruil, and there was an undercurrent of cold promise to his tone that left no question as to how he would get all of that information. Hypnosis was well and good, but there were ways around it - ways of wording answers such that it rendered the statements useless, if one knew the trick to it. And of course, it couldn't force all of the answers out of someone. Addressing Desrium's question, the elf added, "I think I've got it from here, Desrium, but thank you. Though if you happen to hear anything new, I'd appreciate someone letting me know."