Kisako's brow furrows. "What part of 'not up for a vote' was not clear? Are you really prepared to devalue his life so much that raising your hands decides whether he stays here or moves on to the Great Beyond?"
"You propose lowering yourselves to his level? Because he is a murderer, we are suddenly allowed to be as well? Is this how things are done in your country?"
Kisako's eyes are alight with the fire of a building righteous anger.
"Yes...yes...he has a point. We are not savages..." Jesse whispers.
"Well, then, I guess you've abstained," Sam speaks up to Kisako, stepping up to the cowering and sniveling man on the floor, staring coolly at him as she plucks the nose ring out of his fingers, raising up her revolver and cocking back the hammer...
...before putting a regular slug right through the image of Norgorber, with a resounding crack. "Congratulations, murderer. On a unanimous vote barring one abstainee, we've decided to let you live," She tells him, gesturing to Oswin. "Of course, this means that you'll have to vacate the premises posthaste. Wouldn't want people knowing you're still alive, right? And we'll be happy to help facilitate the start of your journey exiting the city."
The gunslinger steps over to the window, hefting it open all the way. "Oswin? Assist him in his flight." She requests of the big guy, letting him do what he needs to do as she exits the room, passing the foreigner on the way.
"For the record, I really don't care if that man lives or dies. He's a piece of shit murderer who's so out of it he couldn't tell I was a guy. Killing him wouldn't be murder, it would have been a mercy. To him and to anyone else he'll possibly kill because we let him go," Sam states. "But a group decision was made, and I'm prepared to live with the consequences of my actions here. I hope you can as well."
"I think that pretending there is no difference between a sniveling, piteous creature groveling at our feet and a half-dozen armed robbers threatening us with explosives is nothing other than lying to yourself to make the hard decisions easier on yourself. I do not wish him unpunished, I wish him repentant, and I wish for the truth of the matter. There is something more than strange about this, even if I cannot figure it out."
When Sam hastily decides on her own to let him go, Kisako puffs his chest up. "Who gave you that right? Since when are the only options release and murder?"
'You're not a guy?' he thinks, absentmindedly. It's probably best not to bring it up now, though.
"You gave us that right by refusing to share in the responsibility of voting. If you don't like it, feel free to try and haul him in for his crimes - after stopping Oswin from tossing him out the window," Sam stated to the cleric, before leaving the room.
Having a moment to gather her thoughts, she couldn't help but wonder if defacing an altar to Norgorber would put her on a hit list for the god - then again, Norgorber didn't seem to have a face, so maybe there technically wasn't any defacing. Though maybe she should have used her sword instead of wasting a bullet.
Kisako apparently had a hard time grasping that things were much more different here in Coldglass than in...wherever his home country was located. She admired him for sticking to his guns, at least, misguided as they were. She really hoped that he wouldn't actually try to haul him into the authorities, even though it would make things a lot easier if he did - since Jesse would probably try to kill him for it, and they would kill him in turn.
"...Let's hope the festivities are still going on..." Sam muttered, wanting something to brighten her mood.
"I'm gone...I'm gone.." Jesse snivels, banging on the side of the window to unstick it. He climbs out the window and disappears into the dark night.
"HRMM." Kisako clenches his fists and fumes.
This wasn't right. He was a murderer, they couldn't just let him off scot-free, but it was also wrong to kill someone who was unarmed and unarmored and surrendering. Sam had acted like there were only two options, but neither of the options were...were right.
'Is this how justice is done in this country?' Kisako thinks, despairingly.
You leave the flophouse, uneasy about your decision. It had been made and that's all that could be said. It seems like the festivities are kicking into high gear over in the Cathedral District.
"Well, no need to rush back and give Keith the good news," Sam commented as they left the flophouse - the gambler might take the opportunity to nick a small token of Desna's on the way out given the chance. "We might as well enjoy the festivities, right?" She asked her companions cheerfully before heading towards the Cathedral district, ready to partake in good drink and games of chance.
The doorman is gone when you return downstairs, perhaps scared by the shot Sam fired.
Cyean nods in agreement with Owsin. "I would have to say the same." At this Cyean looks about the area, seeming to think on something.
"You realize this is a flophouse in probably the worst part of the city, right? No one gives a shit if a gun goes off. Practically everyone is at the festivities as well." The gunslinger replied, gesturing to the huge Cathedral at the center.
"This isn't your small town or village or keep - there's tens of thousands of people all crammed in here with us, and even rubbing elbow to elbow there's slim chances we'll run into the Inspector again. Besides, it's not like we did anything wrong," She adds, continuing towards the Cathedral district. "Technically speaking, we did pretty much nothing but cause a little property damage to a building that's falling apart anyways. So all of you, relax and start enjoying yourselves! I'm going to go see if I can't find a decent game of cards going on."
"Oh, but if any of you don't feel like it, you can take Keith his nose ring," Sam commented, holding it out to anyone who wanted to take it. "Don't say anything unnecessary, though. Just tell him the problem was taken care of, and we'll all get our pay."
"I will not take Keith his nose ring." says Kisako, somewhat affronted that his opinion really didn't matter that much. "I will be visiting the Cathedral. Someone else will have to lie for us."
Without another word, and ignoring anything that any of his fellow mercenaries have to say, he leaves the flophouse and makes his way to the celebrations. But he isn't there to celebrate, or to take part in the festivities.
He's there to see the Cathedral.
Kisako has never in his life seen a place of worship as grand. Surely the power Asmodeus possessed must be great, to compel his servants to complete such a word. He stared in wonder. After a few minutes, he shook himself out of his reverie and began to shoulder through the crowd. Surely the inside must be just as grand, and there would possibly be fewer inside to shoulder him around and interrupt his admiration.
As you return to the Cathedral District, you attempt to enjoy what remains of the festivities. All but a handful of vendors have closed and a good portion of the crowd has dissipated, save for the obviously devout. A pair of flyers circle around the largest spire of the Cathedral, focusing spotlights on the top balcony.
Kisako makes his way to the entrance of the Cathedral and sees a dozen heavily armed guards standing in front of the doorway. He can hear the cheers as fanfare begins to play. Sam and Oswin see the dark-garbed figure emerge into the light, the spotlights gleaming off of some sort of medallion. He raises his arm, then he pitches forward...
The body lands on the ground with a sickening thump. The crowd begins to scream while the guards look up. "An assassin in the cathedral!"
The kitsune is tossed about by the rushing guards. A lone woman with auburn hair approaches the fallen body. Her armor is similar to the guards, but with some severe embellishments. She kneels and draws a plain dagger out of the fallen man's back, her gaze returning to the balcony.
As if by some careful planning, you see fires erupt from the southern end of the city and distant cheering coming from places unseen and unknown.
The gunslinger is more than a little disappointed that the festivities were winding down, but she sought to enjoy them regardless, elbowing Oswin. "You need to loosen up, you know. Just because you're working for me doesn't mean you can't relax for a bit."
She pockets the nose ring again, adjusting her scarf and glancing up at the massive Cathedral, speaking to her bodyguard. "That also means if you think I'm wrong, you call me out on it. I don't need a yes man going along with every one of my ideas and decisions even if they think they're bad," She states. The gambler can recall the legion of suck ups to her father who never questioned him, even as he drove his own company into the ground.
Anything she had to say further was completely cut off when the cheers started and the spotlight shone up at the Cathedral. Sam took at look up, noting the dark figure at the top, so tiny...and then they became bigger and bigger as they suddenly sped all the way down to crash into the ground with a splatter. Then the screaming started. And then fires started to burn in the south. Then there was the cheering.
"...Right...we're going back to the inn now." Sam speaks, turning on her heels and booking it. Of all the days to come into the city, it had to be when a rebellion started.
Kisako stares at the body - he really doesn't understand. He thought Asmodeus had power? Surely those with power protect those who devote themselves.
He is silent and stock still as the crowd buffets him about, and really doesn't seem to be trying to resist them.
It takes him a few moments to realize someone has died, and that more people are probably in danger right now. Suddenly his back becomes rigid and his muscles pop as he resists the flow of the crowd.
He calls out, his voice ringing loud and clear above the din of riot, "People! Please remain in calm and slowly, quietly disperse to your homes. Your panic will only make things worse."
"You know, that would be great advice to have any other time, but right now we're about to have a stampede of human bodies rioting as they try to get back to their homes to make sure all of their belongings aren't about to go up in flames," Sam states back to Oswin, still heading off. She needed to grab her gear and find a safe place to bunker down until the riots ended.
She paused as she could barely make out Kisako's voice trying to shout over the screaming of the crowd, biting back a curse. That noble-headed, altruistic foreigner was probably going to get himself trampled to death. While part of her just wanted to leave him to his bad choices, her conscience nagged at her, the gambler groaning out loud.
"Balls...all right, let's go with the flow - grab the foreign guy on the way, and if he resists, knock him out. Better unconscious than stomped to death by rioters," Sam gives instructions, keeping one hand on the revolver on her hip, ready to draw if necessary.
Cyean just stares as he watches the man fall, his face the same though, his eyes seem to hint at something before he turns to the others. He listens before turning to Kisako. "Come on Kisako, nothing we can do right now."
Cyean next turns to look at the fires shaking his head at the sight, wondering if who would do something like this, or if he had something to do with what the group just found out from Slim Jesse. As well as making sure to remember what he saw and heard for late as he turns to Sam and Oswin.
"I will say this for this place, never thought I would see all of this happen within a day of me getting here." As he follows them.
You hear a loud din come from the Military District as soldiers begin pouring into the Cathedral Square. Some squads head south to where the fires are. The soldiers aid in you getting out of the district by maintaining calm, in a notably more efficient manner than Kisako. You reach the inn with little harassment other than a few rude jostles. Gunfire echoes in the streets along with screams of terror and the unsettling sound of laughter.
"Right then," Sam mutters as they get back to the inn, pausing to look in the backroom to see if Keith is around. If he is, she tosses the nosering at him. "Job's done, but in case you haven't heard yet, the High Cardinal got assassinated, and there's rioting and fires everywhere, so we can talk about payment some other time." The gunslinger states before heading up to her room.
"Least it's relatively quiet here. So let's wait this out until morning and see where we can go from there," She speaks to Oswin, unlocking her room door, before stepping in. "But for safety's sake, grab your gear and bunk in here with me. We'll sleep in shifts in case some rioters come in and try robbing the place." Sam paused briefly before looking back at the other two. "You two might want to do the same for yourselves. Would let you share, but there's only the one bed and it'll be cramped with four people."
Once Oswin has gotten his gear, Sam settles back on the bed, still wearing her normal clothing and boots. "Take the first watch and wake me up in four hours or so. Or if someone tries to break in."
Keith, cigar alight in his mouth, pockets the nose ring. "I figured that's what it was."
He snuffs out the stogie and leaves the inn.
Ushered back into the inn by his compatriots, even though he's somewhat turned around, Kisako adapts. When Sam and Oswin mention sharing a room, he approaches Cyean.
"Excuse me. You would perhaps consider sharing watches with me over the inn's common room or other such place? The building must be kept safe, and with fires spreading with abandon I fear for integrity of building."
Cyean nods to Kisako. "That is fine with me. I will take the first watch. After he says this Cyean goes back to his room to get his things and his book, as he sits down to read seeming to pass the time during watch.
After a few hours, the sounds of rioting abate. Nothing untoward happens as you wait. Keith returns to the inn, glancing at Kisako and Cyean before heading upstairs. Oswin hears the returning man walk past the room and head up another set of stairs.
Morning comes quickly.
The gunslinger yawns, finally waking up, blinking a few times before glancing out her window, then glaring at Oswin. "You jackass. I told you to wake me up for a shift! How the heck are you going to function on no sleep?" She chews him out as she gets up, annoyed as she exits the room in a sour mood, heading downstairs and looking for some breakfast.
"Morning. You guys hungry?" She asks, looking for something to eat, as well as a morning paper. Might as well see what the news is about the riots and the murder.
Breakfast consists of some runny eggs and a meat you believe to be bacon. Several copies of the Hannal Times sit on the front counter along with fewer copies of the infamously derided Coldglass Tribune. The blonde clerks sits behind the bar, reading the Tribune. The headline reads:
Though he clearly looks exhausted, the clerk manages a friendly smile. "You made page 6 of the Times."
"Sorry what? We're in the paper?" Sam speaks up as she takes a look for herself over her runny eggs, grabbing the paper and flipping it open to the page. "The hell are we doing in the paper?"
Nestled beside a large advertisement for 30% off at Halbert's shop is a short blurb about your adventure on the train. Though the story doesn't mention you by name, it is quite accurate in describing you in the paper. It mentions your heroism and delves into the motivations about the goblins. Apparently, violent acts from the Whiteclaw clan have been on the rise in the past few months and the attack on the train has been the latest in a series of terrorist attacks in Hannal.
Keith comes downstairs as Sam reads the paper and tosses a small pouch of gold pieces at Oswin. "I may have another job for you, if you want. However, you'll need to be a little more thorough this time."
"Well, so long as it pays and it doesn't undermine certain values," Sam comments, looking over at Kisako, "I'm sure we can take it. Does it have to do anything with the riots last night? Hunting down some of these cult leaders and the like?"
Truthfully, the gunslinger didn't worship either Asmodeus or Saraenae, but Desna - that technically made her something of a cultist herself, but she didn't wear her faith on her sleeve. Thinking about it and glancing at Kisako, the foreigner probably didn't know anything about how most other religions were persecuted in this city. She hoped he wouldn't invoke whatever his god's name was in public.
Keith settles into a chair across from Sam. "I asked you to deal with a murderer. Jesse was simply that. If he pissed off Norgorber, that's his own problem. One he won't be repeating since he was found face down in a gutter in The Dregs. But that's neither here nor there...As far as the job, I'm not the one to give the details. Here..."
He reaches into his jacket and pulls out a card. He hands it to Sam. It reads:
High Inquisitrix Zelda Porter
1261 Mordain Blvd.
"She's in charge of the investigation into the High Cardinal's assassination. You'll have to see her about what she wants. Zelda's an old friend of mine, so please be professional, if you decide to go."
Kisako walks over to the table, armor clanking, where he sees Keith and Sam talking. Pointedly ignoring Keith, even though he is standing directly behind the man, he asks Sam, "What is happening now? We have payment and job?"
Well, seemed that the wererat didn't have the fortune of getting the hell out of the city before getting himself killed. Though Sam wondered why One-Eyed Keith would have known about him possibly pissing off a god. It was a passing fancy, and she didn't dwell on it, taking the card and reading, whistling a bit. "In charge of investigating that, huh? I'll be on my best behavior with her."
She looked up at Kisako, nodding at him. "We're going to see a lawman about a job. My guess is either she wants us to look into leads for her on the assassination or free up her other cases so she can pursue this." Whatever it was, so long as it paid well she was going to make damn sure to do it as presented - or at least make sure next time a corpse wasn't going to contradict her story.
"Anyone who's coming, finish your breakfast and let's get going!" The gunslinger announced to the others, finishing the rest of hers before standing up, ready to head out.
Cyean looks up from his book as he readies his weapons waiting for the group to finish up so they can head off to speak to this law woman and get their next job.
You head to the address on the card and find yourselves in front of a modest looking home off the main road in the Cathedral District.
Kisako looks from the card in Sam's hand to the home, and back again. "High Incoo-see-trix...lives here? Where is the palace?" He scratches his head. "We wish to enter?"
"You think every ranking official has the fortune to afford a huge manor, Kisako?" Sam asks him, shaking her head and pulling her scarf tighter around her neck. "This is actually a good thing. If her home was too grand, it would probably mean that she was corrupt as all hell."
The gunslinger approaches the door, giving a hard knock on it before waiting for someone to come and bring them in.
A young man with dark hair in a black suit answers the door. "May I help you?"
"Good morrow, sir," Sam states in a professional tone of voice. "Might we have the proper address of High Inquisitioner Zelda Porter? We have come calling based upon a referral from a mutual acquaintance, Keith."
You are escorted through the elaborate yet simple home to a small office. The auburn-haired lady from last night sits behind the desk, reading glasses perched precariously on her nose. Without looking up, she addresses you.
"So you're the ones Keith sent me? Interesting...I'll get straight to the point. The riots started in the Dregs almost immediately after the High Cardinal's death. Someone there knows something. I want to know more than nothing by the week's end," Zelda says. "It will be worth your while, I assure you."