"May you what? Eat cake for breakfast? That's not healthy, son."
The man gazes longingly at the mead, but his until-then still face contorted to a smile at the mention of Branderscar.
"Sure.," he laughs. "Take me to Branderscar. You think that place is terrifying? You don't know what fear is. Don't worry: Soon, you will."
Cal met Karl's gaze and rolled his eyes as the assassin proceeded to be snarky. Without warning, he spun and fired. The bolt thudded into the ground about two feet in front of the tied up man. Cal worked the action of his crossbow again with deliberate motions.
"I get it brother, you're a hard man. Probably had to knife orphans or something to survive where ever you grew up. Someone comes along and gives you something big to aim for, make all these happy saps pay and suffer like you have. Make your worthless life mean something. Shake the Pillars of Heaven with your deeds," he idly rested Mathilda across his shoulders.
"Thing is, I'm probably closer to you than to these guys. I got my look behind the curtain, 'cept I didn't decide it was license to go about knifing people who don't deserve it. You see, a nice cosy cell in Branderscar is what happens if we like you. I don't take kindly to being stuck by self-satisfied little dagger-boys so you have two more chances to be useful before I put a bolt somewhere non-lethal and drag you around behind my horse until your screams bring your friends out."
"Then you're on the wrong side of all this, brother..."he says, his voice trembling slightly, visibly disturbed by the threats he perceived to be genuine. "You seen 'behind the curtain' brother? You know how sick n twisted this land is, they're all deservin the knife. C'mon, kill these fools and join us. Power and wealth beyond your wildest dreams waits for you."
"Pff. 'Sick and twisted'? This land has some black marks on it, and I'm not proud to say I've been a part of a few of them while I served, but they're still better than the alternative you're espousing."
"Talingarde may be flawed, but your idea of change is just rotten to the core."
Cal sniffed, unimpressed, and fired Mathilda again with the casual ease of scratching an itch. The bolt planted itself right between the prisoner's legs. It took very little imagination to guess at where he would aim next.
"You don't get it boy, I've seen behind that curtain too," he chambered another bolt, "You're a joke, your cause is a joke, and right now all you're doing is setting yourself up to be ground under my boot in a painful fashion. Start talking or make peace with a slow and humiliating death."
Hrm, this Cal is some kind of serious, though I suppose if I'd been stabbed like that, I'd be more than a little upset as well. Still, I wonder what his history is?
Kyriel looks on somberly, though Nukilik's growl does briefly draw his attention.
Though visibly terrified, Selino remains composed, if only hoping that Cal's compatriots will stop him before he carries through his threats. Still, Selino's tongue has definitely loosened. "I wonder if the thousands of bugbears, orcs, and goblins waiting on the other side of the wall thinks our cause is a joke, too. You don't have long, hero, better get yourself to Balentyne before I work is through."
At mention of the horde to the north, Kyriel's stoicism dissolves into a look of very obvious distaste. Drawing his sword again, he stares angrily at the man for a few seconds, clearly thinking about something upsetting.
After composing himself a bit, but still brandishing his sword, he pipes up,"Well, what should we do with him then? Knock him out and bring him with us?"
"And what's your name, prisoner?"
"Let's bring him to the commander. Man may have a stick the size of the High Priest's ceremonial rod up his ass, but he knows his business."
"I am all in favor of following through with my threat," Cal said, hefting Mathilda again leveling her at the assassin's groin. "I like leaving a precedent for others who might consider trying to knife me."
The tension in the area suddenly ramps up as Cal seems about ready to pull the trigger and forever remove the possibility of Selino ever fathering a passel of little assassins unless he speaks up. There is a terrible sense of certainty in his stance that he could at least maim the poor fellow before anyone could step in to save the man's meat and two veg from being kebabed.
It occurs to the gathered company that, apart from a name that may be fake, they really do not know all that much about Cal. That would be the danger of trusting random strangers you find in taverns. Would they be able to keep him from making good on his threats? Was this merely another ploy? Was he actually even more of a dangerous sociopath than the man they had tied up on the ground before them?
Selino looks up irritatedly at Kyriel, "You want to know my name? Or knock me out? Better deci....", then noticed mid-sentence the crossbow aimed at his necessary parts. "Whoa! Slow down now! I told you what you asked. The others are already at Balentyne. Three of em: A fallen knight, some crazy sorcerer who thinks he is a dragon, and our holy man. That's all I know!!"
"Shit. Why'd they leave you behind?"
"We messed up. We weren't ready! We had another week to go, but the inn owner caught us using the secret tunnel in his supply room that leads to Balentyne. We pushed everything ahead, setting the assault on the castle tonight, but they had me stay in town to make sure no one got suspicious, and put em down if they did. Don't you go worrying about old Belham; he's still alive and tied up in the tunnel. Just get that d**n thing away from me!" he whines, eyeing the crossbow.
Karl grins, showing his tusks.
"That's a damn nice piece of info there. Tell you what, tell us where the tunnel entrance is and I'll tell my buddy to stop threatening your jubblies."
"Still got that drawing of the basement we found? I should imagine the circled bit on the wall is our passage to Balentyne, and Bellam, of course."
Kyriel looks to Karl, then Nukilik, Cal, and then back to the prisoner, which a sly frown.
"Why, I do believe I've just removed that bit of leverage. Quite sorry. What else can you do for us? Or for him, rather?" Kyriel gestures back towards Cal and Mathilda.
"Or for yourself. How ever you'd like to look at it-- but I suggest you think quickly."
"Aw hell, he's not gonna tell us anything else. Let's just toss this guy to the Commander and get going before he stalls us too long." Karl says and cold cocks the would-be assassin.
Assuming there are no objections, Karl then throws Selino over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and starts marching back to town.
The old man nods, hugging Nukilik and kissing his forehead, then takes Jenna with him to start gathering the others. "Be safe my boy, let's not worry for each other and do what must be done. Mitra be with you."
"Mitra's with us all the time, right? Never understood that prayer. We should be moving, though. Like, now."
Even without Selino's help, the map pinpointing the location of the hidden door in the cellar makes it easy to find. A section of stone making the northern wall is able to be pushed in. Once done, a section of the wall slides back and to the side, revealing an unlit tunnel heading northwest. On the floor no more than a few feet from the entrance lay a man bound, gagged, unconscious and though bloodied and beaten, alive. For anyone who has been to Aldencross before, the black haired, overweight man is undoubtedly Bellam Barholde.
Karl quickly unties the man and hits him with a shot of healing .
"We caught the guy who tied you up. No time to explain, we need to get to Balentyne fast. If you want to thank me set aside some of your best booze for when I get back. You should go see Jenna!" Karl says, slaps Bellam on the ass like a donkey to get him moving upstairs, and continues marching toward Balentyne.
"Go see Father Holbrook, he'll know what to do. We've gotta get to Balentyne, and fast!" Kyriel adds, before falling into line behind Karl, who's already started down the tunnel.
"I call dibs on the knight, by the way," Cal said as they jogged along, "Something satisfying about sticking guys who're proud of their armor and sword full of bolts." There was some worrying glee in his voice about the prospect of facing off against the three remaining villains still lurking about.
With only his pride seriously injured, Bellam collects himself and flees the hallway.
The hallway itself is dark, but a little light reveals the same quality stone lining the halls, ceiling and floor that create the cellar. The path is perfectly straight, leading a mile northwest until ending abruptly at another stone wall.
[ooc] Apologies for the delay. Time Warner Cable is not my friend apparently.[ooc]
Karl looks for some way to proceed.
Upon reaching the wall Kyriel, like the others, looks for something that might allow them to continue, be it a passage, or something else.
With Cal looking entirely at the wrong wall, Kyriel quickly walks up to the end of the tunnel, swiftly finding another switch to activate a hidden door similar to the one at the beginning.
The room on the other end is dark, dusty, and unoccupied. The light coming in from the tunnel reveals a well stocked supply room, equipped with barrels of potable water, crates full of durable rations, suits of armor ranging from full plate to chain shirts, all marked with the Darian heraldry of Talingarde, longswords, shortswords, longbows, shortbows, arrows, and a very recognizable fancy crate of wine.
The dust of the floor is thick enough to reveal obvious tracks, from the tunnel to underneath a trapdoor in the center of the room.
Cal carefully climbs up the ladder and listens at the trap door for a moment.
Doubtlessly failing to notice a thing, he proceeds to push the trap door open and climb out.
Karl grabs a longbow and a quiver full of arrows, then follows suit.
Climbing up the ladder and pushing through the trapdoor, Cal finds himself in a smoky room. A now inoperable forge adorns the center, dented, cracked and surrounded by a sea of wooden splinters; dozens of halberds and arrow quivers have been irreparably smashed and litter the floor. There are two visible exits: A set of stone stairs start on the southern wall and wrap upwards towards the west, and a door against the western wall on this level.
Whatever they're planning, it must have already started! Kyriel exclaims in a hushed tone. He draws his sword into his hand, head pivoting from side to side looking around the room.
Nukilik, Karl. Which way is the Commander? You've been here before, right? We need to hurry!
"Never been to this part of the-" Karl begins, and then is startled by suddenly sprouting fur.
"You know, I always thought it was the liquor that was supposed to put hair on my chest."
He shakes his head.
"But yeah, never been to this section before."
He takes the opportunity while the others are discussing to chug a very special vial hanging from his hip, muscles bulging even more than they already do. He looks around for any tracks to follow as he does.
While Karl is unable to discern the age of the 'tracks' or type of creatures involved, he is still able to determine that after the destruction, whatever was alive afterwords went both up the stairs and through the door on the base level at some point.
Karl boldly goes through the door, pursuing the assassins.
Only slightly worried about their lack of preparation, Kyriel follows behind.