Iustino begins to survey what remains of the new ruins, heading into the remaining dark corridor.
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[b]"Fine, but he keeps his distance. I've made it clear the city will send more forces if we don't make it back, but perhaps that's the kind of bet you're willing to make. I'm sure you'll understand the precaution."[b] Iustino replies. He wonders if the man thinks him an idiot. His monstrous appearance has made people underestimate him before, it wouldn't be the first time.
"We may not even need the fort. The fact that it might be important is one thing, but as I was telling small-time over there," Iustino motions to Benin, "I am here to survey. We may not even need the thing. Rather than go through all the pageantry and arguing that will inevitably come from what you're proposing, you let me finish what I came here to do, and we can deal in facts, not suppositions?" Iustino said, this day increasingly wearing on his more academic and creative nature.
Iustino had done his share of working around people who were dragging their feet about his work, but the nature of them so pushing their luck with him and Sorraya-Ik turning a blind eye just got under his skin. He had half a mind to take their coin and submit his actual results, but that would require Sorraya-Ik to play along, something he imagined her rather incapable of. This all lead him back to his original plan. "Is that worth really pressing your luck? I'm a chemist myself, I have some idea of what all this inventory is worth. I can destroy well before you'd kill or capture us. This location can't be worth your inventory. Perhaps it wasn't clear, by me saying chemist, but my specialty is munitions and demolitions. You can see that from looking at Gorja, there." Iustino motioned to the snake once more, "We're interested in defending this city for the coming war, and this fort seems like it will be a valuable strategic resource. Now, the Legionnaire has offered to overlook this transgression if you get out, how much more generous an outcome could you possibly look for?"
"Like I told your stupid man there," Iustino says, pointing at Benin. "This is about the war against the Laws of Man. Some recreational drugs are not the concerns of the Pure Legion, nor myself as an engineer. Now, I must admit, I rather do not enjoy the attempt to feed me to the snake, but if you choose to abandon this place, you can take your belongings. If you try force, at the very least, you won't get to keep your product." Iustino points to the blasts all over the snake, holding a bomb in hand. "So, how about you not make the same mistake your friend made and just take your damn product and get out of here? Because even if you attack us, the Pure Legion won't lose interest in this place, they'll just send more people to secure it, and I suspect they'll be none too happy you've harmed us." Iustino has an edge in his voice, clearly exasperated to be explaining this even more. "Right now, I don't have a problem, but you can let me know if you think we have one."
"The first one guarding the materials make sense. There might be some kind of sentry on the other end, if other creatures have made a home down here." Iustino responds. He's surprised by how entirely nonplussed Sorraya-Ik is by the drugs, though it does help him make a decision a bit easier. Iustino walks toward a well-used door. "This goes upward. Might as well clear this before we move back into the bowels. Good to know all the entrances and exits."
"It's not that I didn't expect crime, it's more a question of if we want to bother catching the criminals and/or destroying the supply. This operation might leave with much less... turbulence, if we move on and give them the opportunity to leave before the Pure Legion moves in. Making a whole show of it might make any not involved with drugs, if any, more recalcitrant as well." Iustino weighed the choices aloud. He silently thought about if there was a good way to leverage the materials. "For now, if they just run away with their materials without any prompting, we'll call it a win. Otherwise, let's try to clear out the rest of the basement, and maybe we'll find something else of note down here," the tiefling suggests.
"It's some trivial comfort that he wasn't lying about this not having to do with the Laws of Man." Iustino joked. He then sat down to consider his options. He decided to think aloud in case his companion had something to add. "So it's a drug operation. We can just blow the materials, ruin their stash. We can apprehend the louts, too. It's just a matter of if we want to try finish clearing this place, first. If it's still in use, there might be more hazards yet." Iustino thought. "I could lay a trap behind us, try to keep the louts from coming back for their materials, but that would probably take longer than it's worth. You said this is a significant find, important enough to defer our current job a day?" Iustino asked Sorraya-Ik.
"I have the eyes of my fiendish progenitor. I can see in darkness. I still carry sunrods, either for throwing deeper into the darkness than my eyes can see or times where I am not working alone." Iustino replies, the prodding exchange between them over. Iustino points to the light source on the far wall. "There's some light up ahead, maybe you won't need the rod? Keep it anyways, but I'm curious about what is going on over there." Iustino advances toward the far wall to see what is happening with the light source.
"I'm an engineer, not a beast tamer. Besides, we had to clear the basement, right?" Iustino shoots back, his shoulder bleeding heavily. He pulls another empty vial from his pouch and begins mixing, hoping to drink the vial before any other threats show up.
Iustino then handed Sorraya-Ik a sunrod, "This will be useful as it gets darker, you'll need it." Then he began to search the area to better understand what might be happening with this snake.
"How was I supposed to know the massive snake that snuck up on me was TAMED?!" Iustino shouted. With the snake up right next to Iustino, he reached for the light mace at his side and tries to bash the creature as it's slowing down. Perhaps he should simply take the hit and end it, but he was hoping the weakened creature was not long for this world.
Iustino feels guilt at the creatures reaction, understanding that it may well have been tamed. However, the creature was certainly hostile now. Either way the cave needed to be cleared. He would like to end the battle sooner than later, so he throws another bomb at the hampered snake.
"Come on then, you can't just let it whack you around." Iustino shouts to Sorraya-Ik.
Iustino eyed the snake, unsure of the best course of action. He tried to walk away from the snake, bracing himself for an attack. With the tough ground underfoot, he managed to barely make his way out of the snake's range. Hoping to provide some cover to Sorraya-Ik, Iustino throws a Tanglefoot Bomb at the creature. He's unsure why it might have hesitated, but he wasn't interested in waiting to find out.
Iustino briefly toyed with the idea of just having Sorraya-Ik drag the man in until he told them what was within. It would likely be effective, but Iustino figured he'd probably be more of a liability to bring down when whatever hazard came about. The silver lining, he thought, was that his guilt about evicting this Benin was very quickly being assuaged by the man's actions. "Let's go then," Iustino said. He hoped his vision would help identify threats before there was no choice. He knows Sorraya-Ik is worn down, her obstinacy would make anything else difficult, and her fate was her own choice at this point. He stood with a gap between him and Sorraya-Ik as they descended into the cavern.
Iustino was rather unimpressed by Sorraya-Ik's bravado. He only saw it as foolishness. He learned his hard lessons young, and so he considered discretion the better part of valor. While he was still concerned for her life, it wasn't his duty. "Alright, we'll go ahead, just give me a minute to prepare." Iustino pulls out some alchemical reagents and mixes them in a vial, the whole process taking about a minute. He then drinks the vials as he descends into the pit.
Iustino studied the hole. Seeing the hole, he felt the man was trying to lead him into something dangerous. This hole being dug later, and crudely makes Iustino think either a beast or some criminal enterprise was using this tunnel. The lack of trails made him think probably the former. Iustino knew his mission involved clearing out the basement, so he may well have to face anything that was indeed down there, but this was suspicious. He knew he could instead just detain the man, but unaware of another entrance, he wasn't sure he'd do better. He could always look for another member of the hovels, one with more to gain than lose. Iustino pulled Sorraya-Ik aside. "I agree, this path was dug out, I have a feeling this is some sort of trap. We're supposed to clear out the basement, so it may be inevitable. I know you're already injured, are you okay to move on?"
"That's what I had been saying all along!" Iustino was delighted to get started. He knew this wasn't all over, but the actual engineering portion of his job was certainly much simpler. Sorraya-Ik being before the delve even began was certainly unfortunate. He knew she has some curatives, but perhaps having more on hand would have been best. He followed through the growth, keeping his eyes peeled for a basement access. Benin may have agreed to help, but Iustino knew better than to put much trust into people he's coerced.
"The boy is fine to go, and is unharmed." Iustino heads over to the young boy, and grabs his mace from his belt. It takes a few whacks, but the boy is free and entirely uninjured. He hoped the sign of good will would help with the negotiation. He then returned, leaving a small distance between himself and Benin. "For what little it may help, I am asking. I have a very limited budget, but can offer some small compensation. Though, if they resist then the Sentries will come by and be less courteous than I have been. I'll not pretend that this is not a bitter pill, though it be taken with the small bit of honey I have, or straight, or by force." Iustino says. His words are trying to convey empathy, though he knows that he is still asking something terrible of them. Hoping to appear as sensible as possible for the situation, "If I see a willingness to cooperate, I can go back to the city and argue that they underestimated the population of the fortress and request additional funds, but to get them to agree to it, I'll need to convince the city that path is easier than removing you with force. To do that, I'll need your help making the residents amenable." Iustino waited to see how Benin would respond to his overtures.
"I was not the one looking for trouble. Now, as I had made clear, this work is important for the defense of our city, our nation, and its principles. Hopefully you understand how imperative this mission is, that my companion here is willing to overlook the offense of attacking a member of the Legion." Iustino gave a forceful look at the man. "Since this importance, it so obvious Benin, I hope we can count on you to help impress this upon the community if the fortress's foundations are indeed sound." As much as Iustino did not wish to resort to violence, he was satisfied with the outcome, especially as there were no fatalities. "Does that sound agreeable? Iustino concluded.
He was grateful for the deference and level-headedness on Sorraya-Ik's part. Perhaps it was Iustino's devilish ancestry showing, but he saw an opportunity and was ready to pounce on it. "Do you have a role in this community?" Iustino asked, hoping to confirm his suspicions from a moment ago. If the man had sway over the community, this type of leverage would prove invaluable should he need to relocate the squatters.
Iustino turns to Sorraya-Ik, making a gesture of deference. He had some ideas of how he'd rather this played out, but this was now for Sorraya-Ik to decide, she was attacked. Even without her personal feelings, attacking the Pure Legion was known to be taboo. Attempting to undermine Sorraya-Ik, especially with her hot-headedness would no doubt cause Iustino a lot of trouble, and she clearly had the right here. Iustino hoped they'd be able to move on with the mission, and with the boys hopefully all minors, some arrangement could be reached, though he suspected some punishment would need to be meted out.
Iustino is grateful for his caution, not blindly throwing a bomb at the youth he had ensnared. "I just asked directions." Iustino says, equal parts annoyed and resigned at the new youth. "If you must make it a fight." Iustino pulls out a bomb and chucks it at the lad.
He'll take a step back to add a little distance from the club-wielding boy and look around for Sorraya-Ik or the shooter.
Iustino stands up from the grime, thoroughly displeased about the turn of events. I argue for them and they just have to go and vindicate her, he thinks to himself, annoyed. "Grab the fleeing one!" Iustino shouts to Sorraya-Ik, as he throws the Tanglefoot Bag in an attempt to nail down the fleeing figure.
Iustuno falls to the ground flatfooted from Sorraya-Ik's charge. Iustino was now considerably more curious about what machinations the man and this Ali were up to. However, they made the mistake of attacking a Pure Legion Enforcer, and while he had asked Sorraya-Ik to hold back, he knew where this was going to go. He would want one alive for questioning, but this was now Sorraya-Ik's purview and Iustino had no grounds to stop her. Iustino said simply "You're right enough. You should all surrender before she kills you for assaulting a Legionnaire." He wasn't certain how the zealot would react, but it was now out of his hands. He used his tail and one his arms to withdraw a Tanglefoot and a Tangleburn Bag from his person, indicating that despite any initial soft touch Iustino was now ready to fight.
The man was being cagey. Iustino expected someone to be furious and shout at him for trying to take their home, but closing the door and being concerned about the immediate conversation felt off to him. Iustino weighed how much he wanted to leverage this into just getting into the basement as opposed to pressing to figure out why the man was being evasive. He opted to lean on the man a little more. He firgured Sorraya-Ik might well just tear the place down anyways, so he decided to focus on his mission. "My escort is here with me incase of monsters. As for the Pure Legion's jurisdiction, we're on orders to bolster our defenses against a crusade, an assault on the very Laws of Man. I'm sure you understand the Legion has a clear interest in restoring this fort. Now, would you like to continue obstucting us or tell us what we wish to know?" Iustino wondered if he was just unlucky or if everyone was going to be so cagey.
"Rahmy is the name of this fortification, or was once, at least." Iustino replied. "The bones of this place are better than they appear." Iustino says with some surprise in his voice still. "Now, if you would kindly show me the way to the foundation, I can determine if the structure is still sound and make my final recommendation. If we can't come to some sort of arrangement, I'm afraid my escort will want to take charge of negotiation, and I neither you nor I would like that," Iustino says coolly. While Iustino had sympathy for the poor, he had little patience for people trying to jerk his chain or waste his time. He knew his words were a thinly veiled threat, though he relied on Sorraya-Ik's posturing, rather than his words to make the threat, staying cool and calm. Then Iustino adopted a softer tone, "I can see you work hard, and I'm sorry for interrupting your day, but I, and this city, need to know if this place is still useful."
Iustino whispers back, "You can at least try the carrot. We still have authority." When he finally gets a response, Iustino is glad he doesn't have to resort to the stick. He has no problem using force if he deems it necessary, but these people are so downtrodden it would be... unsavory for him. When the man asks his question, Iustino spends a moment, his thoughts racing. Answering the question truthfully could motivate the locals to obstruct his investigation or sabotage the fort, but he was never a good liar, he preferred to be blunt. "It is. I've been tasked with determining if Rahmy is worth repair. It's important to secure a harbor against the invaders."
Iustino was not thrilled by the smells, he'd have to spend some time thinking of a good argument to move the locals. Perhaps offering them those relocation funds will actually give them a better chance. "I'm only looking for the entrance to the foundation of the structure, the basement, and we'll head down there to perform our inspection." Iustino says into the hovel. "Despite my escorts' zeal, our immediate concern is limited to finishing the inspection." Iustino had met Pure Legionnaires before, but Sorraya-Ik was young and seemingly full of white-hot zeal. At this point he decided any further engagement was likely futile, he just hoped she did not make communication with the residents impossible.
"It's not a defense of Cheliax, if anything it's a condemnation." Iustino clarifies, though it now much more focused on finding the entrance. Cursing under his breath when unable to do so. Iustino goes up to one of the nearest hovels, and knocks on the door. "Excuse me, I'm here on behalf of the Master of Civil Engineers. It's my duty to make sure this structure is still stable. Would you be able to answer some questions?" Iustino was rather hoping they were more concerned about the Sorraya-Ik than about him.
"I have no problem with judging individuals for their failings, but I've seen enough slums filled with my kind in Cheliax to question when you see see so many all struggling together at once. That aside, do you think it must be one or the other?" Iustino answers with some edge in his voice from the personal nature of his retort, though he aims to keep his tone more polite than Sorraya-Ik's. He knew he'd not change her mind, instead hoping to at least give the Legionnaire something to mull over.
Iustino pulled out his notebook as he neared the walls and walked along them, writing down revisions and clarifications to his assessment. The updates to the assessment made Iustino ambivalent. On the one hand, being able to revive this fortification would be a big boon for Azir, but displacing all these people would prove difficult without using force. Best to finish the evaluation, perhaps the foundation will be flooded and eroded. Iustino let out a simple sigh at Sorraya-Ik's suggestion, best to get the job over with. "Doesn't matter why right now, let's inspect the foundation. If that's not in good condition, none of my other notes matter." Iustino chose to believe that the denizens were hiding from the Pure Legionnaire with him, but he did not discount the possibility that they were hiding from him, his appearance had certainly caused unease in the past. He looked at the layout to find a place to enter the basement, and began to descend.
Iustino had been in quiet contemplation looking over the abandoned stronghold before Sorraya-Ik had interrupted his considerations. It wasn't that Iustino disliked the Pure Legion, per se, but Sorraya-Ik was starting off on the wrong foot. "Then perhaps we should consider how our systems have failed them," Iustino offered. He remembered plenty of similar comments coming his way when he was younger in Cheliax. Resuming his initial survey of the site, Iustino pulled out a notebook and began cataloging his findings of the outside walls, perfectly happy to sit in the heat, his natural resistance to heat made him more comfortable than most of Rahadoum's humans, and though he didn't take pride in it he did derive a little pleasure from making Sorraya-Ik stand in the heat. "It's certainly going to be a lot of work to restore this... Building a new fort might be a better, but I'll have to finish my inspection before making a recommendation." Iustino says quietly, half to himself, though loud enough for the Pure Legion member to hear. Iustino snaps his notebook shut, binding the end of the book and placing it in a satchel at his side. "I've completed the survey on the outside. Let's go in and take a look at the bones of the place and what kind of residential hurdles we'll need to overcome. He made his way towards whatever entrance he could find to Rahmy.
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