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The elven sorceress sat on a nearby table, one bare foot on a nearby chair, they other dangling. She didn't like this at all. People here were too glum. It was at of they were sending themselves victory.

Except for Cairo; That little lad was irrepressible. She liked that about him even if he was an annoying sop of a child.

Then there was Linota who seemed to be concealing a limp or some other injury. She knew determination from her days in the harem. One sign of weakness and they'd take advantage, trying to better their position in the complex web of politics that was their lives.

Even Liothryth seemed to suffer from too much pride, preferring to quaff an expensive healing potion rather than ask for help.

She was about to say something when both Cairo offered to help with trending to Linota and Azumi came in levitating a fallen Ren.

"Ah... Beshaba," she said to the goddess of ill fortune, "You're enjoying this aren't you?"

Assallya closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. She was hiding inside here to avoid the woman outside.

"Look," Assallya called out, uncharacteristically loud, "Why not ask the Paladin for help? That's what they do. She might be able to help Ren. At the least she might be able to ask her God where to go for help."

(OCC: Had to edit my post since I was unsure on where the group was. Thanks to gracious help, I am down on the right path.)

Outside, a huntress was lost and currently asking the Paladin for directions to a hunting contest. Unknowingly to her, she was late to the contest by 2 weeks and it had ended. As she checked the flyer, which was clearly ripped a bit, she pouted, “Ah, crud. I missed it.” Disappointed, she sulked and was going to ask the Paladin if there was anything to do around here.

As Azumi carefully removed the levitation spell and laid Ren on the bed farthest from any noise or party-going passersby, she went into the kitchen to find any spare ingredients she could make sushi with. Unfortunately she could not find any sign of her favorite food, tofu. She did, however, found some conveniently placed ingredients for sushi: raw fish, seaweed, and rice.

Beside the set of ingredients, there was a note.

"Azumi,
Look don't get mad at me for thinking I was dead alright? I had to trick Dehdmhen... and I guess it worked?
I got Lucine to smuggle some food for you guys. Don't worry about the rest, they're fine. I'm guessing you're starving by now.
Make sure to give Ren some especially. You know how he is when he gets hungry"

She layed the note down slowly. She cried in relief, knowing that Finn was okay, knowing that they were all okay. She composed herself after letting herself sob for a few minutes and she proceeded to make the sushi using the smuggled ingredients. Meanwhile, Ren woke up from his hunger induced unconcsiousness, dizzy from a lack of food. He observed his surroundings. It was the refurbished building that still had an ongoing party. He went straight into the kitchen, stumbling constantly on his way their, only to meet his kitsune mother, her hands on her waist.

"I wanna help... hungry...", Ren said softly

"You are better off helping yourself right now, Renny, go back to sleep"

"But-"

"No buts!", she giggled and went back to making sushi. Ren simply groaned and went back to bed. After a few minutes of carefully preparing the food, she called for the Lio, Linota, Cairo, Assallya, and the Children to come over to Ren's room, where she explained that she didn't want anyone else except this group to eat it as they needed it most.

"Come on children, I know it's raw, but you never know until you try!", She smiled softly to the children.

"Surely there is got to be something to do", she said to the Paladin. Her ears were down as she sighed,"Any bounty boards? I can do bounties." She was eager to do anything as the hunting contest had gotten her pumped up for action.

Linota widened her eyes at Liothryth’s explanation of her spell being overkill, as if to say ‘you think so?’, though she looked at the ground when she did it. What Aislin said about not killing Radigan at all, however, made her scowl come back. She rolled her eyes and went to continue walking when Cairo called out to her about cleaning her up. One look at the rag in his hand, marbled with old blood and mystery grime, and Linota was aggressively shaking her head at him.

If he came towards her with it, she would say, “Do not touch me with that thing.” She pointed a threatening finger at him, hoping to freeze him in place with it. To Liothryth’s offer, Linota gave the old mage an assessing look that turned into what might have been sympathy.
“You should eat and rest before casting any more spells,” Linota told her. “They’ll be more inclined to trust you after they’ve eaten your food, anyway.”

What she meant was that she herself didn't fully trust Lio to do it. She believed that Liothryth’s intentions were good and that she truly could heal her, but she couldn’t be sure about the elder woman’s spell casting. She hadn’t expected, hadn’t meant, to use such a spell and that, in itself, was monstrously dangerous. Linota was simply buying time.

Assallya’s calling made Linota look skeptically at the house. Why was she hiding and not asking the paladin these things herself? Why call out from within the house? Everything about this random appearance of the royal guard, and now Assallya’s behavior, was strange. Too strange.

A few of the smaller children around Linota pulled her from her suspicions when they began to whine about being hungry. Now that the promise of food was only footsteps away, it was torture to wait any longer. Linota corralled them with her arms and beckoned them to walk when a small voice sounded from seemingly nowhere. Linota looked over her shoulder to see a small girl, so vibrantly dressed that she looked like a carnival cutout in the aftermath of what had taken place here. The kids still moved around her like a stream around a rock, no longer bothering to wait for her to lead them. There were ‘grown ups’ around that they could follow now, as good food trumped caution.

Linota briefly studied the girl, from her oversized ears down to her uncomfortable looking shoes. She definitely wasn’t from around here and she was asking about a.. ‘hunting contest’? Linota wondered what her ulterior motive could be and waited for Aislin to give the girl an answer before catching up with the kids, and possibly Liothryth and Cairo too.


When Azumi and Ren entered the once abandoned building and rushed to the kitchen, a few party goers caught sight of them and began asking questions. The questions spread as the rumors did, so quickly among them.

”Who was that?”
“What was that?”
“What’s going on?”
“Is he dead?”
“Is that the man from earlier?”
“The diplomat!”

The commotion started to bubble, the sounds of the townspeoples’ questions carrying down the alley.

"Canvassing is almost done," the captain Kidd the Watch stated to Aislinn, "So far few have been willing to talk. It's common in this area. The rabble don't talk to us. So far the gist is that the elf woman used fell magics to assault one of our citizens and used magic to coerce the programs into attacking their caregiver."

The scarlet haired paladin struggled to comprehend that. It was such a load of artifice.

"Thou wouldst expect me believe an elder magi of the Seldarine, a war veteran, simply chose to murder someone using children as weapon?"

Aislinn almost laughed but her hand was white on the pummel of her half and a half sword. She could almost smell the complicity.

"By all means," Aislinn said to the man, "T'would be most amusing to see thee try plying these charges upon her ladyship. Thou mightst even survive such audacity should her mood be not foul."

"But... It's your sworn duty to arrest those that use the dark arts!" the captain protested.

"You wouldst dare call me on my oaths?" she replied, green eyes like emerald fire.

"No ma'am. I just thought-"

A mailed first extended a finger and thrust it up against the watch captain's leather cuirass. She strongly suspected this man and his ilk would likely cause trouble for that lady mage. The arcanist had killed what Aislinn was beginning to suspect was an ally of the mayor. It would be best to advise this man of what he was getting himself into.

"Bring me proof of misdeed and I shall mete out the wrath of Azuth and Mystra upon her and quite likely perish in the attempt but without evidence I do naught but show this woman the respect she is owed.

"Art- I- clear?"

"Yes'm." the man said.

She would have told him to run back to the mayor with his tail between his legs but a young woman approached, an odd thing with dog ears in her hair and a bow. Dog ears?
Maybe she was victim to a curse?

"Surely there is got to be something to do", the dog eared young woman said to the Paladin. Her ears were down as she sighed,"Any bounty boards? I can do bounties."

She wanted to tell the woman now was not the time, that she had no time for a mercenary but Aislinn realized she was still bothered by the behavior of the watch.

"I am Aislinn, beholden to Azuth, The High Scribe and Lord of Candles, " Aislinn greeted the young woman, "and you are?"

Lio could hear by the whispers that things were taking a turn. The healing potion and food had helped and now there was more to be done. Standing, she stretched a little to assess what kind of shape she was in and decided that while she was still not fully recovered, she was once again able to think and act. There were many places that seemed to need her attention, but dealing with the armed guards seemed to be most urgent. That being the case, she went over to the woman who had arrived on horseback. Now when she walked she didn't need to lean on her staff for support and her movements were more fluid.

"Lady knight," she called as she came closer, "I have not introduced myself. I am Liothryth Terandes of the House of Farnesai, Master Mage in the line of Jevin. I am willing to answer any and all questions about this incident that any should wish to ask me and knowing that, as an outsider my word may not be fully trusted, I am willing to be placed under type of truth compulsion that is within your ability before answering those questions."

Azumi, realizing the others were talking to Aislinn, had left the tray of sushi in Ren's room. It seemed there was something important they were about to talk about. So she approached Aislinn with her ears perked up and her tails raised.

"I have realized I have not introduced myself yet. I am Captain Kuzu of the Treasoners, a naginata and artillery magic specialist of the forlorn children squadron", She bowed politely and smiled, wagging her tails slowly.

Unbeknownst to her, Ren had secretly followed, she suddenly scolded him for not taking care of himself when he could clearly introduce himself later, but he felt like doing it sooner rather than later would just make things less suspicious.

"And I...", Ren paused, making sure to avoid eye contact with Aislinn, as he only met her briefly,"...am Captain Rawx of the Treasoners. I specialize in explosives and artillery magic as well. The fox is my familiar, by the way"

Ren proceeded to return to his room, most likely to eat sushi and tinker with his weapons. As Ren walked away, Azumi noticed a young woman with ears on her head, wondering if they were canine, she approached Robin with a gleeful look on her face.

"Are you a yokai, miss?", She said politely, trying to hold back her excitement.

Note that the city watchman had been chastened and sent off Aislinn felt a little more free to speak.

"T'would be a strain on my honor to treat thee thusly," Aislinn said in deference, "I dost think yon mayor perhaps might be offended by thine ending his relationship with thy foe."

The red headed paladin turned her head slightly to look upon the guards who were milling away one by one and then was v reminded of the young woman with the strange ears; Robin, she said her name was.

"Huntress Robin," she said after finishing her thought, "Wouldst thou be so kind as to lend your tracking skills to recent battle and map it out? Thy testimony, though I think it will not come to such, night be useful."

Placing her attention back on Liothryth she continued.

"I dost think thou hast naught to worry of," she continued, "the mayor is likely fearful and attempts to intimidate. Such rabble do not understand a warrior as thou. That such action serves only to rule the sensibilities of the courageous and good hearted.

"He willst assume you chastened and not pursue the matter for, being a coward, would not dare press you against a pike wall."

Red would ride in instead of on a small tank like she'd like it was a horse, with a red tint due to her magic slightly affecting its speed "wowowowooww,so cool!" She'd laugh "such a funny looking place!" A magic circle appeared in front of her hand "lets see.."

Linota had stood there in the yard to listen to Aislin argue with the royal guard about what to do with the group of established murderers. Her breath hitched in her throat as all of this had just become very real. They were really going to throw them in cells! The fiery paladin appeared unmoving against the guards, though Linota had her doubts. She looked down the alley, where Ren, Azumi, and Liothryth had gone, and felt suddenly, very alone. Only Cairo stood by her side, after having come to clean her up, and the children who still waited to eat.

“Winot-uhhhh,” Henry whined at her. They had stopped paces ahead to wait for her and Cairo, after growing too fearful to move forward without them. They didn’t quite understand what was happening with the knight and the guards, but there was no denying the tension hanging thick in the air. Something told them that they needed to stick together more than they needed to eat.

Linota ignored their whines, frozen in her gaze at the guards. One of the men was looking right at her and his sneer eagerly devoured her apparent dismay. She swallowed before returning her expression to its usual glower. Damn him for seeing her. She looked away and at the newly introduced Robin. Not long after that, Liothryth came back to introduce herself to Aislin. Then Azumi and Ren, too. Linota watched this with mixed feelings; relief at the sight of them, anger that they had left at all, and an overall annoyance at the whole situation. The teenage angst was relentless.

A great sense of relief came over her when the guards took their leave. She took a breath and felt her shoulders drop as a good chunk of the tension left with them. She paid close attention to Liothryth’s and Aislin’s conversation, about what was to come, and paid little to anything else. That was until Robin began to scout the area, taking in scents like a dog. Linota blinked at her, wondering if that was really going to work. Did she have all of their scents already? Linota wondered if Radigan’s having gotten a rooster head and the fact that he was cooked would confuse the fox girl’s nose. She watched to see how this was going to play out, still listening to the two women talk. Linota herself was content to keep out of the conversation entirely. She felt a strange confidence in Liothryth, as if the old mage could, without a doubt, keep them safe if they only stayed behind her. She was frightening still, but if aimed at the enemy her power was a great protection. Better still, she seemed to know what to say to the knight, whereas Linota did not. She knew a decent amount of things, but communicating with the law was not one of them.

Butter would be in town, being sold as well..a cow, not really surprising is it? The as the bid would go higher and higher she'd grow slowly more stressed, due to the sedatives, she wouldnt even be able to burst out of the cage, she could just sit there in horror as the bid went higher with each buyer

"Is that bitch still there?" Assallya asked Linota rhetorically, peering around the girl's shoulder at Aislinn, "I'd rather have the law around than someone like red there. You can bribe the law. Her, she'd take offense at the notion."

Assallya, somehow, even though it was near impossible, looked as radiant as she ever did.
She was wrapped in the black harem silks she regularly wore, eyes lined with kohl, and cheeks brushed with blush despite not having yet returned to her wagon to change.

Secretly the blonde sorceress liked what she saw in Linota. Most urchins would have run off but the girl was smart, by listening in on the conversation she'd know whether she even needed to run, how far and possibly where she might need to run to. You could make a plan without information.

"She seems to have a thing for Liothryth though..." Assallya added as she also listened, "I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing."

Red would continue to ride around slowly as if looking for something, although not even she knew what it was, she'd finally make her way to the shop passing the auction Butter is currently being held, not caring much for the be as face of horror she'd continue deeper into the shopping district

A small smile came to Lio's lips at Aislin's assurances. "In truth, while I would submit to truth compulsion and questioning, I didn't really think it would be necessary."

The smile faded into a frown. "I am concerned about this town though. The one I killed, Radigan, has held everyone here under his sway, as I understand it. How much was from magic and how much was from the corruption of local officials I don't know. What I do know is that he had a lieutenant who assisted him and that the children he had forced to help him now have no one at all to care for them. The lieutenant is his Radigan's old house, I believe under a sleep spell, and the children are at a building that my companions and I we staying in temporarily and where we had set up a large buffet for the town."

Lio would go on to give Aislin a brief summary of what had led them to holding the party in the first place, but left out any and everything she could while still making the story coherent.

She'd continue riding through the district just to be hit with a punch, sending her off the horse and just a little bit outside the district, she'd stand up just to be met with a silver shotgun shell, this caused her face and most of her head to be mutilated although the damage would heal just fine, the mercenary of sorts would be looking at Red with angry almost glowing eyes as she created a force field of sorts, they'd put a single finger up

"Bullet Hell, Im going to shred your body until you pay me" she'd produce a smoke grenade, throwing it into the field causing four more to appear too, this would slow Red's regeneration, now firing multiple time AA-12 would take a break and just toss grenades in, even for Red who has heightened senses was having a hard time not being as stated before shredded by said shots

"Sooth," Aislinn replied at the conclusion of Liothryth's tale, "I beggeth thy pardon master mage but I think they didst not fear this man so much as they feared what he implied. By operating with such brazen abandon many wouldst assume he had a patron."

The knight of Azuth then smiled wickedly.

"If thou wouldst be so kind," she asked, "I couldst hand this surviving ruffian to the Clergy of Tyr the Even Handed. Rest assured they shall mete out appropriate justice as sure as Correlon Larethion's own and I wouldst not shed one tear for I've who so uses children.
-and should he give up any masters he may have we will learn of it."