Seeing her smile kills him, trying his best to block everything out he hangs his head and tightly closes his eyes. His anger and self loathing burn through him like poison as the queen makes her speech until she gives the executioner his cue. Forcing his eyes open he looks up at Trinia.
Tolenn watches Trinia arrive , her brow slightly creased with the dissapproval she feels for this spectacle. She hears Daud murmuring beside her, but refrains from asking him to be quiet, knowing the hurt he feels at this moment.
If she meets Trinia's gaze, she merely nods at the woman, trying to impart some calm to the doomed 'criminal', letting her know that she has friends in her final moments.
Turning her head at the Queen's pronouncement, Tolenn's eyes narrow at the self-serving nature of the words, so far from the groups own experiences with Trinia.
With a sigh, she turns back to give witness to the injustice before her.
The headsman hefts his huge axe, the heavy weapon rising slowly, as though the man is trying to draw it out. A sneer rises on the headsman's features, and his muscles tense as he readies to drop the axe down on the helpless Trinia before him. Instead, a sharp gasp of pain escapes his lips as he reaches behind his back. When he brings his hand forward, you can see the fingers are red and dripping. A dagger then thumps into his other hand, the one holding the axe still. The executioner cries out in pain, dropping the axe as he extracts the dagger, doubling over in pain.
The axehead thuds into the block inches from Trinia's neck, her eyes wide, her breathing quick and shallow. As the executioner doubles over, the group can see the dagger embedded a couple of inches into his back, sticking out like a grotesque ornament. Trinia, at this point, rises to her knees in shock, her eyes on the executioner and his predicament.
Meanwhile, in the crowd, someone yells, "By the Gods! It's Blackjack!"
Someone else screams, "It's Blackjack, bless him!"
Another calls out, "Blackjack!? Kill him, once and for all!"
These cries permeate through the crowd, but the overall sentiment seems in favor of the mysterious Blackjack. Moments later, a figure in a black hooded cloak and leather armor hops lightly onto the platform. He wields a rapier in his right hand, a dagger in his left. He uses his dagger to quickly slash the cord binding Trinia's hands, freeing them. Seeing the headsman recovering, he then swings his left arm forward and down, the dagger plunging through the headsman's foot into the platform below, pinning him for the moment as the huge man howls in pain.
The hooded man, who can only be the notorious Blackjack, turns to address the crowd and the Queen, "Yes indeed, my queen! Let us usher in justice, but let that be justice for Korvosa, not this shambles you petulantly call a monarchy! Long live Korvosa! Down with the Queen!”
At this, the crowd erupts into a frenzy! Some call for Blackjack to release the sentenced Trinia. More call for Queen Ileosa to step down from the Crimson Throne. The sound is deafening, the crowd caught up in the scene and making its voice heard.
The Queen stands stunned for a moment, then whispers a few words to Sabina Merrin before turning and retreating toward the Castle proper, her retinue in tow. Sabina and a dozen guards remain behind, slowly backing their way to the Castle, covering the Queen's hasty retreat.
As Blackjack stands on the stage, grasping Trinia's hand in apparent preparation to depart, the companions notice the headsman has removed the dagger in his foot. His mouth hangs open in a silent snarl, saliva dripping out of his open mouth as he grasps the executioner's axe, his bleeding hand painting the handle red as he raises it above the oblivious Blackjack...
It all passes in a blur, at once slow but also sped up as the vigilante attacks the executioner and frees Trinia, causing the queen to retreat. Dumbstruck he stands there as chaos erupts all around until he sees the exectutioner recover, causing him to move forward in defiance, arm outstretched wishing he could choke the man, a familiar hatred and heat running through his arm. This time he notices it, and this tume he lets it flow forth, focusing the pain and anger at the man trying to kill to the two. There's a moment's pause as the blood comes in contact with the air, followed by the flash and the bang.
When Duad sent the Flame Burst spell at the executioner, Pyron tried harder to figure out why Daud could do that.
Knowledge: to know the spell he just cast.
Knowledge: to know why he was able to cast that spell.
If the executioner is still up and alive from the flame burst, though I assume the flame burst will affect the executioner just enough to give Pyron time to jump up on the platform and bull rush/push/shove Blackjack out of the way of the incoming axe.
Guess it's time we chose a side, and I agree with your decision,
Gaius whispers to Daud before advancing on the scene, drawing his whip.
When he speaks, though, his words tell a different story.
Stand down, criminal!
Tolenn's eyes rise to sky as she mouths the words, "Thank the Dawnflower!"
She then leaps up onto the platform, moving towards the Executioner..
Wednesday lets his emotions free, and feels the power unlocked within as a brief explosion of light and sound occurs around the executioner's head. He looks a bit startled, but his axe is still raised high.
Gaius whispers his approval to Wednesday before going forward with his whip, feigning cooperation with the large headsman. The headsman doesn't seem to care much one way or the other, focused on his target as he is.
Tolenn thanks her goddess, as was proper and right, and stalks forward, hopping onto the platform to confront the large axe-wielder herself. However, it seems she won't get there in time to stop the one stroke needed to make a quick end of Blackjack...
Until Pyron leaps through the air, knocking over the masked hero and Trinia. The trio go spilling over to one side, the axe whistling through the air behind them to thud deeply into the platform. With a deep grunt of anger, the headsman yanks it out of the platform, splintering wood flying into the crowd.
He sizes up the three on the ground, again taking aim for Blackjack now that he lies prone. His axe swings down...and meets the shield of Tolenn. The impact jars her shoulder, and she will surely feel it when the adrenaline wears off. She swipes at the big man, who nimbly jerks back.
A sharp Crack! is heard, and the forgotten whip is now wrapped around the headsman's ankles as he tries to back away from the new combatant. An expert tug of Gaius' wrist sends the man toppling onto his back, planting the dagger still residing there further in. The man stubbornly starts trying to rise anyway, but Blackjack is there, the point of his rapier piercing the man's fleshy throat, putting an end to him.
Blackjack quickly cleans his blade on the executioner's black hood with a couple of quick strokes, then salutes the companions. "Justice is served. Korvosa thanks you, friends!" With that, he grabs Trinia's hand and the duo dash into the crowd, quickly lost in the sea of swarming bodies. The guards make an attempt to catch them, but the crowd is too eager and packed, and they make little headway.
The adrenaline pumping through his head and thoughts carries him forward as his other compatriots charge the headsman and before he knew it, could believe it, it was over. Trinia was gone. Safe. Alive.
A twitch surges across his face momentarily before he breaks down into uncontrollable cackling at the turn of events. Laughing his head off he will help Tolenn up before picking up the executioner's axe, slightly insensate as he does so.
"We... Should probably go..." he manages to get out inbetween gasping breaths.
Pyron gets up and let's the duo go before turning to Daud and his other compatriots. He mouths, "It is time to go now." He jumps off the platform, grabs his friend, Daud, and moves him into the crowd keeping their heads low.
Tolenn, as if a mote of calm in the riot of chaos that the square had become, watched as Trinia and her benefactor melted in to the crowd.
Not even realizing it, Tolenn's face was lit up with a broad smile, turning she caught the look of the others, lowered her head a little, laughing.
"Let's get back to Zellara's until this foolishness dies down." she says brightly.
"R-right! After you milady." forcing himself to calm down Daud still almost giggles as he speaks. Moving about he occasionally, and almost involuntarily, jumped and skipped about, his current joy at the execution's outcome running through him like an uncut drug.
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The four make their way from the Castle courtyard, feeling well-pleased with themselves. They had done the City many good services, and had ultimately amended the one possible wrong they had committed. Trinia Sabor was free for the moment, although the Queen would certainly commit lots of resources to apprehending her once again. The mysterious Blackjack had popped back up after lying dormant for years during the reign of King Eodred (already being known as 'The Good King').
It seemed as though while one chapter in Korvosa's history was being closed, another was just beginning. The anarchy that had threatened to overwhelm the City was more or less under control now, the power shifting among the City's elite over. Unbeknownst to the populace, a new threat to the City was already in route, a threat that could push Korvosa to the brink, or even doom it altogether.
..................................................
As the group heads back to Zellara's, Gaius talks of the need to report back in with his superiors at the Church of Calistria. With Lamm taken care of, and the City under relative control, the inquisitor feels his talents might be better utilized elsewhere.
Pyron, meanwhile, begs off as he goes to do some soul-searching. He had always thought of himself as a mercenary, selling his services to the highest bidder, but his actions on the platform had changed that. He had risked his life for another, with precious little to gain and so much to lose.
The duo make it back to the house, cobwebs and dust bunnies greeting them. They had never really had time to fix the place up to a good standard of living, but the foreseeable future offered such an opportunity, perhaps. Lost & Righteous Souls, they looked at one another as they entered, wondering where their life's journey would take them next.
Hopping along the street like a deranged bunny his mood simmers somewhat as both Gaius and Pyron take their leave from Daud and Tolenn. Showing some restraint he continues the rest of the way with just a happy smile on his face, hurting somewhat as his face wasn't used to that expression.
Stepping across the threshold of the building he only maintains that composure for a bit before having another laughing attack. "She's alive! She's alive! She's alive!" Slightly mad in his joy he picks the Paladin up by her waist and spins her around, stopping after a few turns and bringing her down only to quickly kiss her on the lips... And then inmediatly pull away as some sense returns to him. "Oh, my apologies... Got a little carried away..." he says as he tries to force the smile off his face.
Tolenn gives both Gaius and Pyron long, extended hugs, holding them so she can look them in the eye, so they can tell the effect working with them has had on her.
She watches Daud out of the corner of her eye, happy that recent events has lightened his mood.
So lightened, that his exuberant display resulted in the kiss and rushed apology.
Smiling, Tolenn says "Worry not, Wednesday, a kiss given in joy is a gift to be treasured.". She then looks about the dirty room, "Come, let's clean this out, Zellara would appreciate it , I think."
Nodding and bowing profusely Wednesday begins moving about and helping to clean and fix up the room.
The city of Korvosa has settled into an uneasy peace, the rebellious inhabitants grudgingly accepting Ileosa as their new monarch. The legacy of Blackjack's rescue of Trinia Sabor remains, however, as all the exits from the city are now under heavy guard, the men and women of the Citadel tasked with making sure the murderous artist is found before she can escape for good.
For the remaining members of the group, Tolenn and Wednesday, the streets are much nicer and less full of rabble and potential fights, as those set upon burning buildings and heckling passersby have instead went back to their normal trades. The scars of these events are all about, though, as blackened storefronts are a frequent sight, and some businesses are even boarded up. Those that survived, however, thrive as they take on their former competitors' business.
Three days after the events of the execution takes place, a knock on the door wakes the two in the early hours of the morning, when the barest hint of light is creeping over the horizon.
"There's magic in this deck." Cassandra tells Amira. "Now, look. I'm absolutely drek with divination magic. Terrible at it. I almost flunked my classes in it."
Cassandra laughs and vanishes, appearing ten feet away.
"Now, you want teleportation magic? I'm your girl." Cassandra teleports back. "But if the divination magic is so strong that even I notice it? Its important."
Cassandra pounds at the door again.
"Come on. Wake up. Some of us have a price on our heads."
Grumbling and cursing as he made his way to the door, cursing that increased once he thought it might be one of Croft's runners, Daud groggily makes it down and opens the door. "What the--oh?" Caught off guard by the two ladies at the door, definetly not who he was expecting, his tone immediately changes. "My apologies, can I help you ladies with anything?" Whixh is to say it went from annoyed sounding to pleasantly flat sounding.
Amira flashes a rare grin at Cassandra's insitent pounding on the door. While her enthusiasm was amusing, she had a point. Ther was something about the deck that definitely emanated magic. In the last few weeks the insanity running rife in the city.....her city, was like a plague. She'd run herself practically to the point of exhaustion, going out every night, saving people from random acts of violence and mayhem from idiots caught up in the turmoil.
As a man answers the door she studies him exporessionless. "It seems that we're....wanted here right now." she says indicating the deck of cards that led them to this part of town.
"I'm Cassandra." the shorter of the two women says. She's a mousy little thing with a Mithras grappling hook hanging from her belt, goggles over her eyes and an Ioun stone floating around her head. "This is my sidekick, Amira. Though she'll insist it's the other way around."
Cassandra holds up the deck.
"Who are you and why did this Harrowing deck lead us here?"
As the tall, exotic-looking woman and the shorter, strangely-dressed one ask their own questions, Wednesday and Tolenn take a good look at the Harrow deck the be-goggled woman holds out. The faint blood stains and stylized images are a match with Zellara's deck, though how this pair came upon it is anyone's guess. The last the duo had seen of the Harrow deck, it was in Pyron's possession as he wandered away to do his soul-searching in the wake of Trinia's escape.
Tayce smiles widely at Terri, "Thank you for your help with Grau, Terri. It was unfortunate the way he deteriorated after all that mess with Vencarlo and Sabina, and it is great to see him sober and happy once again! I just wanted to stop by and personally thank you."
Lethargic from a day of cleaning the house, Tolenn had gratefully retired to her room, bidding Daud a pleasant good night.
However, as the moon rose, she found herself restless, the quiet creaks of the house seemingly talking to her. Rising in her plain linen shift, she knelt on the floor and began to pray, to quiet her thoughts. Allowing herself to revisit the events of the last while, she felt develop, a stronger connnection to Saranae, despite the hour and the moonlight streaming in her window.
With a sigh of contentment, she smiled and began to pray....only to be inturrupted a few moments later by a very insistent knocking on the door below.
Her lips quirked into a smile as she hears the ever-alert Daud spring grumpily out of his own bed and hurry down.
Rising, she gathered her scimitar, just in case and followed her friend down to the door.
Only catching the smaller woman's question, Tolenn arrives behind Daud, resting a hand on his shoulder to calm any violent impluses he might be entertaining. However, she does keep her own weapon in plain sight.
As she arrives, the other three find that any worries or fears they were harbouring seemed to grow less urgent than before, a confident calm replacing those thoughts.
Taking in the couple standing in the door, Tolenn says quietly "If the deck brought you here, then you are among friends. Please , come in, and be welcome. Let us break bread and grow aquainted."
"I'm... Nobody... lovely." he starts to return the shorter woman's greeting but his expression turns dour as soon as he sees the deck, hus expression falling back to neutral as Tolenn joins the conversation. "Zellara! You've got guests!" he calls back into the house as he steps inside, motioning for the ladies to follow. "That deck belongs to my landlord, I'm just a handyman."
Halting he adds "My apologies. This is Lady Tolenn, Paladin of the Dawnflower."
The young woman that answered the door wasn't what most people saw when they came to the temple. Her hair was down in a messy curtain, an old, worn, too-large, but comfortable shirt hung from her shoulders, and a pair of pants that covered her feet to her toes completed the look.
"Tayce? What are you doin' here," Terri asks the woman in sleep-shadowed tones, the words failing to register for a moment.
"Ack, sorry. I'm still waking up. Come in. I can fix the two of us some tea or breakfast." Terri ushers Tayce into the small apartment. It wasn't as small as Trinia's flat, but still quiet tiny.
"I'm afraid you're thanking the wrong person, though. Grau cleaned up pretty quickly once he got to us, and I'm not exactly the best at helping others kick their vices," Terri says as she fishes out a kettle and a pan to fix tea and breakfast with.
"How do you like your eggs? Fried, scrambled, or hashed?"
"Mmmmm...fried, if you please. Something a little heavy on the belly before another day of washing."
Terri busies herself with cooking, some eggs, a couple of pieces of sausage, and an onion go into the skillet. Water slowly heats to a boil, and a small plate of cheese and fruit finds its way to the small dining table. "Help yourself. I don't have much, but what I do, I'm happy to share," she says as she returns to the eggs.
After a moment of silence filled by breakfast merrily popping in the skillet, Terri clears her throat.
"Not that I don't appreciate the company, but what brings you here at the crack of dawn? I don't get up early enough for you to be trying to catch me on the way to the temple."
"I truly just wanted to say thanks to somebody, and I figured I'd say it to you, since I at least know you. I am ever thankful to the clergy of Shelyn for their help, but it sometimes seems a bit impersonal, like the help is just a game piece to try to influence me over to their goddess. Your goddess." The woman smiles, her cheeks flushing in embarrassment.
"I don't truly mean anything by what I say...just that for them, it seems as though there is a hidden price, but with you, I know you helped, as little or as much as you did, because you care. As for the hour...well, the wash doesn't do itself, and Madame Ivanra expects her 'ladies' to smell good at least the first part of the day." Tayce rolls her eyes, chuckling wryly.
"I-- I'm not that selfless," the young priestess answers quietly, "I still don't know if I deserve your thanks, but allow me to say that I am happy that I could help, and that I am deeply sorry if anyone made you feel like a pawn, they should have been treating you as a beloved friend. Now that I think about it, sometimes that can lead to difficult conversations as well," she finishes with a sigh.
When the conversation turns to laundry, and Madam Ivanra, Terri chuckles as well.
"Would you care for another set of hands. I'm up now, but the temple doesn't expect me in until a few hours past dawn. Nice thing about sculpture, it doesn't get worse the longer you let it sit. I'll just need a few minutes to get ready."
As Cassandra makes a point of ignoring the glare inspired by her sidekick wisecrack, Amira studies the man who opened the door.
'Can probably handle himself in a fight. Not afraid to take a hit either from those scars.'
As the fankly stunning woman comes to the door aand invites them in the exotic looking woman in black arches an snow white eyebrow in surprise.
' Answering the door in just a shift, but a sword at her side. She feels safe here but she's not stupid. And why the hell do I suddenly feel more at ease ariund people I've never met before. Strange.'
"Hmmnn" she grunts softly, cocking her head to the side slightly. "I think we've definitely come to the right place," she says to Cassandra stepping in the door ahead of her companion, her eyes scanning the room.
"My name's Amira."
"Oh, no. You defiantly have the right place. You wouldn't have gotten ahold of that deck otherwise." he says with a slight chuckle, arching an eyebrow as the newcomer sizes up both him and Tolenn.
"Pleased to meet you milady Amira, milady Cassandra." his tone is much softer as he steps into the dining room proper, the grogginess of sleep finally loosening its grip on him. Pulling some chairs out for the guests the scarred man in raggedy clothing steps off to the side, letting his red eyes wander over the newcomers while he awaits Zellara's entrance.
Cassandra peers at the scarred people.
"Warriors. Or criminals. Or both." She nods to herself, as if confirming her own hypothesis. Then she follows along behind Amira, into the residence.
"Did we interrupt your sleep? Probably. It is late. But the cards were insistent. Which is strange because I suck at harrowing. I took a class in it, once, my first year at the Acadamae but I almost flunked out. All I ever saw were funny little pictures so I made all my readings up."
"Paladin." Daud hooks a thumb in Tolenn's direction as he corrects the mousey woman's assertion.
Tolenn smiles at Daud's correction, having returned to the room bearing a platter of bread, cheese and cured meats.
"A warrior , nonetheles, Wednesday. " she chides gently, placing the platter on the table.
"Please, help yourself." Tolenn says, seating herself, "Tell, us. How did you come to possess the Harrow Cards. The last we saw them they were with a friend of ours." she asks, a small furrow of worry creasing her brow.
"I do hope Brienna is able to get in with some noble woman and become her lady-in-waiting. Might not be nobility, but it must be better than this." The woman sighs as they walk towards the brothel's rear.
"Oh, you know. The usual." Cassandra says as she lunges for a large slice of bread. She stuffs it into her mouth and chews, almost finishing it before she starts talking again. "I never actually go through the door into most rooms so maybe someone came through the door and dropped it on my bed. They didn't come through the window, though."
"It probably Zellara, I guarantee it." Daud muses as he starts on the bread, nodding in thanks to Tolenn for bringing it in the first place.
"'Snot like anyone accuses me of having delicate hands. Besides, the soak should do them some good, right?" Terri laughs as she locks the door to her apartment and follows Tayce to the brothel.
"Depends on the woman," Terri answers quietly, "Sometimes hard lives can make one appreciate what they have. Luxury tends to do the opposite, I've found."
Terri shakes the memory away and gives Tayce a crooked smile.
"If she doesn't I could always use a model. She's cute and another few years, you'll have to beat the boys off her," she chuckles wickedly before turning more serious.
"I promise Tayce, you don't have to worry about her winding up here or someplace like it. She's like a little sister to me, and I can't stand the thought of that happening. Besides, Trinia--"
The name was all it took. Terri's eyes darken and her gaze falls to the floor. She may have escaped death, but Terri knew that she'd never see her closest and best friend again.
"S-sorry. I... It's j-just..."
The young priestess's eyes shine like pools of emerald glass. She squeezes them shut, wiping at them before turning back to her friend.
"M-must be dusty in here," she says with a rueful chuckle.
Tolenn smiles at Daud's correction, having returned to the room bearing a platter of bread, cheese and cured meats.
"A warrior , nonetheles, Wednesday. " she chides gently, placing the platter on the table.
"Please, help yourself." Tolenn says, seating herself, "Tell, us. How did you come to possess the Harrow Cards. The last we saw them they were with a friend of ours." she asks, a small furrow of worry creasing her brow.
"Hmmnn.."
Amira glances at the paladin, nodding to herself.
'Holy warrior. That makes sense. Must've been busy these last couple weeks.' she thinks shrewdly.
"If your friend is behind this, this Zellara is one hell of a sneak."