Zhi lets go of Melodie's hand as the group moves away towards town. She gestures for her to continue on.
She walks quietly back to where Sara sits. She steps up behind her and puts her hands on the woman's shoulders.
"I'm really sorry that you didn't get to talk that out in private," she says gently. "For what it's worth, I hope the two of you can still work it out."
It seems like she want to say more, but then she gives Sara's shoulders a squeeze and then moves away to catch up to the rest of the group.
A few curious peacocks approach Sara after the others depart, but they move on once it's clear she doesn't have any treats for them to snack on.
As the rest of you march Bartelby through Lotheedar, the citizens boo and jeer his name. A crowd follows in your wake, hurling insults and rotten fruit at the disgraced count. You usher him into the Grand Bank of Abadar, where Archbanker Lady Paril takes him into protective custody.
"We will ensure he remains safely locked up here until Princess Eutropia arrives to decide his fate," she says. "I noticed you haven't dealt with Sir Gusairne yet. He is a stubborn and hardfisted man who has interpreted Abadar's teachings in the harshest of lights. I have done my best to steady his darker impulses, and I hope you can convince him to surrender peacefully, but I understand if you must resort to violence."
"We will do our best." Melodie replies, "Thank you for protecting the Count, the crowds outside were not exactly friendly. Sara apologises for not being here - she was delayed by a personal matter."
Outside Melodie raises her voice to explain the situation to the crowd. "Count Lotheed has performed at the pinnacle of his duty, resigning his station, wealth and titles to their rightful owner, her majesty Princess Eutropia Stavian, the rightful heir to Taldor. When the princess arrives she will decide how he should be treated and whether his actions here deserve reward or punishment. We must trust in her wisdom and leave justice in her hands, as it should be. Return to your homes and go about your business, better days for all are near at hand!"
With that done she turns to the group, "We'd best get going before the Palace is completely ransacked!"
"It always amazes me how easily you do that," Zhi says to Melodie as they begin the walk back to the palace. "I think that you could rule as well as Princess Eutropia."
She smiles a secret smile.
"Of course then I couldn't... " she leans close and whispers in Melodie's ear.
"It would probably be illegal," she says louder with a giggle.
The crowd cheers and sings the praises of Princess Eutropia before dispersing peacefully. You make it back to the Palace of Birdsong without incident.
"Of course then I couldn't... " she leans close and whispers in Melodie's ear.
"It would probably be illegal," she says louder with a giggle.
"You'd have to be tied up and punished." Melodie whispers back. "You wouldn't want that would you?"
--------------------------
Having returned to the Palace and collected Sara Melodie pauses at the front door. "We'd best go and deal with Guisarne straight away, although I fear it'll be harder to talk him down than the Count. Once he's gone then we can search the rest of the Palace and return tomorrow to deal with the Royal Quarters, once Zileska has had a chance to prepare new spells?"
Sara simply nods. All passion and zest has washed away in favor of simply doing as she is told.
When you are ready, you open the door to the foyer, only to find Sir Gul Gusairne waiting amid the broken pieces of the caryatid columns. A metallic creature stands nearby, cogs and gears visible between gaps in its armor. It wields a halberd and stands ready at attention.
"I knew I was right to be suspicious of you women," Gul snarls. "This whole time, you have been spies and saboteurs! Enemies of civilization! Now you will face Abadar's justice!"
Before you can react, Gul grasps his holy symbol and casts a spell. "On your knees! Beg me for forgiveness, and I may show mercy!" Fear grips the already despondent Sara's mind. The inquisitor then backs into the room's corner as he readies his crossbow.
"You'd have to be tied up and punished." Melodie whispers back. "You wouldn't want that would you?"
"Of course not," Zhi whispers back. "They'd have to catch me first, though."
~~~~~
Zhi rolls her eyes at the arrogant half-elf and then with a arcane phrase she vanishes from sight.
She then moves around the clockwork soldier and to within striking distance of Gul.
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Shaken, but not stirred, Sara takes the time to shout for the Hoods.
"Hey Hoods! Found your lawman," she screams at the open door.
She then rushes over to the fractured statue of Abadar and collects his severed arm, with which she intends to beat Guisarne over the head
"Electricity or adamantine!" Melodie yells, pointing at the clockwork. She glances for Zhi but realises that her fiancee has vanished, and calling attention to that is unlikely to be a good thing.
As she speaks she moves forward, focuses her voice on Guisarne and commands him to "Stop!"
Gusairne shrugs off Melodie's spell.
"And, of course, we have neither," Maria muttered to herself before downing her strength extract and moving towards the machine.
"Take down the witch!" Gul commands, pointing to Melodie. The clockwork soldier steps forward and swings its halberd. The first swing is clumsy and goes wide, but its backswing tears open a deep gash in the mesmerist's stomach.
Zileska brandishes her tri-bladed symbol of Calistria and taunts, "Here come the lawbreakers," at Gusairne.
Gil's crossbow begins to glow with golden light as he levels it at Melodie. He fires a shot, but the changeling just barely manages to throw herself out of the way in time! The half-elf curses and reloads his weapon.
Melodie backpedals, one hand clutched across her stomach as she implants a fraction of power in herself, hoping to avoid another hit!
Stepping closer to Melodie, Maria had been trying to read the construct's movements and used those to stab at the gears where possible.
Pulling one of the adamantine stays from her corset, Sara takes a five foot step closer to the enemy, flanking opposite Melodie. She thrusts it deep into the construct, sliding easily past its thick armor and futzing with the gears inside.
Determined to put him down as soon as possible, Zhi moves next to Gul and gauges her timing to cause the most damage.
He shifts at the last minute and her blade fails to strike. As she appears next to him, she snarls, "Wrong witch!"
Maria stabs the construct with her blade, leaving only a light nick in its armor. Sara fares better, her adamantine arrow grinding against its gears and doing significant damage. Zhi appears and stabs at Gul, just narrowly missing the gap in his armor.
Following its orders, the clockwork steps forward to pursue Melodie. Its first attack destroys her mirror image, but the second one strikes true, cutting the changeling down!
Gul snarls at Zhi and defensively casts a spell. "Hold still," he commands as he attempts to paralyze the rogue.
Seeing Melodie fall, Sara angrily follows after the machine, pushing the arrow back into the machine and twirling it around inside.
"Try again!" Zhi snaps back as she stabs at the inquisitor.
Zileska moves up behind Mel and is there to administer her healing wand just as the mesmerist falls under Gul's assault.
Frustrated at lacking the equipment to properly damage the machine, Maria concentrated again, trying to work out where the various clockwork assemblies met and that she could reach around the armour plating before striking once more.
While Maria misses, both'Sara and Zhi hit. The fighter further damages the clockwork's inner workings, while the phantom flanker lets the rogue hit Sir Gusairne in a vulnerable spot. He grimaces and staggers back, clutching the puncture wound in his side.
Having completed its task to "take down" Melodie, the clockwork turns to Sara and attacks. It hits once with its halberd, the brawler dodging its second swing.
Melodie shoots Zileska a grateful look over her shoulder and sends her chakram spinning towards the clockwork. It strikes the figure with a loud chime and shakes the construct!
Wand in one hand and whip in the other, Zileska lashes out at Gusairne to snag him and send him crashing to the ground!
Melodie's chakram slices off one of the construct's legs, leaving it wobbling unsteadily. Zileska continues the trend, yanking Gusairne to the floor with her whip.
"Argh! Damn you, vile women!" Gul spits. He stands up, accepting an attack from Zhi, then fires his crossbow point blank at her! She nimbly twists aside, the bolt skipping off her mage armor!
"None of that, now!" says Zileska gleefully, as she lashes out with the whip again and snaps the crossbow from his hands!
Gul tries to hold on to his weapon, but Zileska whips it out of his hands with a mighty crack!
Trying again, Maria aimed for another of its joints, hoping to take advantage of it being off-balance.
Maria crushes the gears in the clockwork's other leg joint with her studied strike. It crashes to the floor, unmoving!
Melodie advances on Gul, chakram in hand. "Stand down Gul! Your master has surrendered. Do so and you might yet live through this!"
She hurls her chakram.
"I'll never surrender to the likes of you!" Gul snarls, dodging Melodie's chakram.
Zhi gives no ground as the man attempts to stand and stabs at him.
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Sara simply walks over and beats the man over his head with the long stony arm of the law.
Sara kicks away his crossbow and stares into his eyes, holding Abadar's arm forward like a sword, pressed against his neck.
"You have not one person in this whole county to count as ally. Surrender is the only chance you have to make your case before a truly neutral, outside party. Of course, I can count at least four people who would pay well for your severed head. What should I do, Gul?"
Zhi stabs Gul again as he stands up. His armor turns aside her follow-up strike from her rapier, but Koriana's Blade leaves a shallow gash on his cheek.
Sara calmly strides up to the inquisitor and smashes him on the head with the stony arm of Abadar's statue. The solid crack drops the seneschal like a ton of bricks, and the brawler can take smug satisfaction in defeating Gul in the most ironic way possible.
As soon as the man falls to the ground, without a hesitation, Zhi plunges her rapier into him.
"Anata wa watashi no saiai no hito o odokashimashita. Kosuto wa anata no jinseidesu," she snarls at the prone figure.
She turns to the others.
"We offered him the chance to surrender. He refused," she says coldly.
She wipes her blades, stows them, and then quickly moves to examine Melodie.
"Are you ok?" she says with concern as she examines the remaining wounds. "You need to stay back from things like that."