Zantus has his acolytes usher the present Sandpointers out of the cathedral while he examines the diseased man.
After a few moments, the priest shakes his head.
”In addition to being quite ill, this man is mad. You should take him to the sanitarium…”
Pirknok snorts loudly. "Thet's wut dun this to him in thuh first place. Now you gunna help him er not?"
This man is not your enemy…
Zantus flinches like he’s been struck.
”I’m sorry Pirknok but I don’t know what you want. I don’t have the skills or magic necessary to cure whatever he’s suffering from.”
The dwarf's eyes widen slightly and he suddenly looks down at his feet. His voice when he speaks is more subdued. "Is ther ennythin we kin do fer him?"
"Then give him his last rites, I'll be handling what remains when his illness runs its course," Ventus spoke with the same certainty he did when he asked Pirknok to put an end to him in the midst of his own curse.
Pirknok looks up and nods. "Ah'll be here with you, bruther."
Zantus studies the man again.
”I can help him in a way. I have the magic to treat his symptoms giving him another day or two. With prayer, and luck, he might pull through and recover. Or, I treat his madness and give him a few moments of lucidity. What would help more?”
The dwarf scratches his beard thoughtfully. "If he ricovers... wud he still be mad?"
Zantus gives a sad nod.
”Only time or very powerful magic can cure the madness that’s seized his mind for good.“
"Then..." Pirknok frowns and glances at Ventus to see if the ranger has an opinion, "... then give 'im uh clear head, if only fer uh bit. Let his mind know freedum an' let 'im say gudbyes. Do ya know if he hez enny famly?"
Zantus shakes his head as he clears his mind for the proper prayers.
”I’m afraid I don’t know the man. I’d hoped you did.”
Great. Now everyone's looking at me like *I'm* crazy. No one's ever going to think I'm a big damn hero like this.
"Well, if he can think clearly, he should be able to tell us who he is, shouldn't he? And more importantly, who did this to him. Then we can stop that person. And everyone will think we're heroes."
Pirknok frowns for a few moments. "Suh...Suhvilla, ah think? We need ta find any famly he hez buhfore thuh priest helps him... but ah don't know uv enny."
Sevilla has The Family but no family you’re aware of.
Eli speaks up about what he remembers about 'the Misgivings'. "It's the old Foxglove property." he says. "Wait... wasn't that lady we all had dinner with called Foxglove? Ada Foxglove?"
"Foxglove..." Ysme muses. "But I was under the impression she had set her sights on Doran?.."
Contemplating further, Ysme turns once more to Father Zantus. "Father, have you heard anything from either Doran or Ensu recently? I know they both had...
other matters to attend once we had addressed..
what we addressed." Ysme is obviously uncomfortable even mentioning the events following the Swallowtail festival
"Who's Doran? And Ensu?"
"They're friends. They were of great help,
earlier..."
Zantus finishes his spell and the diseased man's bulging eyes suddenly come into focus.
"No... no... she's too strong", he says as he clenches his eyes shut in fear.
Pirknok hesitatingly reaches out and puts one hand on the man's shoulder. "Kin you hear me?" he asks softly.
At Pirknok's touch, he opens his eyes again.
"You don't understand, she looks like a woman but she's not. She's a monster!"
The dwarf glances over at Zantus. "Thought you sed he'd be... normul?"
He returns his gaze to the man. "Who's this "she"? An'... do ya hev enny famly ya wan' us ta find an' tell?"
"No. No family. Nobody left."
The man looks at Pirknok with an increasingly desperate look.
"Now listen to me!"
"Ah'm here. Ah'm listenin'."
The dwarf pats the man's shoulder reassuringly.
"Those men. The crooks. They hired me to guard them but I don't think they knew it was Her. She lured them to that warehouse. She wanted to kill them. She needed THEM."
"There were four of us but she overpowered us like we were children and then she made me watch. She made me watch as she cut them up like meat. She bled them dry. The screams... They were so loud!"
"Did she say why she needed them?" Ysme queries as gently as she is able. "You have already given us a great deal. While you are still able, to whom would you be shriven?"
"I don't know... I don't KNOW", he cries.
"You're turning into monster," Ventus said quietly, "Something that will endlessly hunger for the lives of your one-time peers. We can't permanently remove this affliction before you fall victim to it but we can delay it slightly. Would you like a final act of mercy?" The way Ventus said it left little room for interpretation. In the end, his answer was irrelevant. When he turned into a ghoul, he would be dealt with.
Jessamy watches as the others interrogate the man. They're just going to kill him? That's horrible! But what else can we do?
"Who'S SHE?!" she blurts out, hoping the man will answer that question at least.
"If our suspicions are correct, a noblewoman somehow afflicted with the curse of undeath. Please keep that to yourself or the Sheriff." Turning back to Grayst, Ysme kneels before him. "If you wish goodman Sevilla, I will pray with you until the end & see to it the beast is not allowed to further despoil this land or people." As she holds out her hands.
Pirknok frowns and holds up one hand, forestalling Ysme while he waits for the man's response to Ventus' question.
”I… I don’t wanna die”, he moans. ”Please! I don’t want to die!”
"Ah'm sorry," says Pirknok softly, putting his hand back on the man's shoulder. "Wud you wanna live in madness, though, completely insane? These momints with uh clear hed... thet's all you'd ever hev."
He glances over at Zantus, a pained look on his face. "Thet's right, izint it?"
Zantus nods grimly.
"No! It's not fair. I'm not ready... I can't die!"
Jessamy turns away, unable to watch the poor man.
I really hope that doesn't happen to me. I think I'd just die if it did.
Pirknok pulls a dagger from his belt and holds it out to the man hilt-first. He continues speaking softly, sadly. "Lissin ta me. If you die frum thet disease, yer gunna turn into a monster thet has ta be kilt. Face yer fear, an' die uh man."
”No. No. No. No.”
The man’s eyes begin to take on a yellowish tint.
"Everyone, leave the room," Ventus said, his grim calm unshakable in the circumstances. His draws his sword, the metal shining dully.
"I hope on the other side, you can see your way clear to forgive me for this."
Pirknok remains beside Ventus, his face impassive. He nods once to the others to do as his sword-brother asked.
Jessamy blanches and quickly leaves the room.
Eli nods grimly to Adventus and leaves the room.
Ysme slowly shakes her head at Adventus' words. "I am sorry my friend, I cannot." Turning once more to Grayst. "I fear your fate has been warped out of true. None present," indicating herself & Father Zantus in that statement, "Have the holy power to cleanse you of the sickness which even now hastens your death & destruction."
"It is not 'Death or' which you face goodman Sevilla, it is only 'which death' do you choose? My friend here offers you the best death he...
we,
are able. If you choose instead to remain until the end, I will stay with you & see to it that the creature which results does no evil with your flesh. I am sorry, but that is all we can do."
Zantus is torn before intervening and leaving so that the heroes of Sandpoint can do what has to be done. With a sad nod, he chooses the former.
Ysme and Ventus soon find themselves alone in the main room of the cathedral with the bound man. At Ysme's words, he sobs.
"I'm sorry. Just make it quick..."
Ventus steps in, takes his sword in a two handed grip and drives it into the man's chest with all his might.
Ventus, looking drained, leaves the sword in Sevilla's chest and walks outside. There he sits on the steps of the cathedral and produces a small pouch of tobacco and a pipe from somewhere on his person. With shaking hands, he tries to pack the pipe with tobacco but inevitably spills the contents. He stops and puts his head in his hands.
Pirknok checks to be sure the man is dead, then follows Ventus outside and sits down beside him silently.