All across the city, the mournful ringing of the bells could be heard. They seemed to echo and reverberate through every crack and into every nook and cranny. This was an ill omen. The bells only tolled when someone was about to die. Two rings for an execution, three for the death of a person of slight importance and for any of the nobility who ruled, five. Today it was two but that did little to quell the common folk's excitement. The courtyard where the execution would be held was packed from the stage to the walls that towered overhead with commoners and folk of higher birth alike. They sat primly atop the hastily built seating that had been set up hours prior, noses in the air while those of common birth stood crammed together so they could hardly move about. And yet, when the prisoner in question was being dragged to the stage, heavily bound in iron chains, the crowd cleared a hasty path. For who was to be seeing over the ghastly affair but the great lord of the city himself, Lord Jade being brought in atop a throne carried by six struggling slaves. He not only exuded power and control, he practically oozed it. With the black cape of a mourner (exactly what he was mourning, no one was quite sure) trimmed with blood red velvet and real gold fabric, his status was never put in question no matter how many secretly thought it ought to be. At the edge of the crowd, leaning against a stunted tree, was one commonbirth girl. Instead of joining the crowd as someone eager to see the bloody affair, Ronin had only come to see if something interesting might happen. One rebel amidst the crowd of conformists, a sympathetic soul, someone who would be willing to take a stand only to find themselves beheaded alongside the unfortunate victim they had defended. The odds weren’t so great. It had been a while since anything like that had happened, a few months at least. There was too much fear for the repercussions. It was oddly windy that day considering it was still the peak of summer so Ronin had worn a weathered brown leather jacket and her dark red hair, which was caught up in a high ponytail, swayed behind her. Her arms were crossed and her gold eyes narrow. Ronin’s appearance didn’t exactly endear her to anyone especially with the scar that nicked her eyebrow and ran down towards her left ear. No one would say anything about her rugged appearance to her face. People who knew her, knew that if they did, she would give them pure hell complete with cussing and several rude hand gestures. A shift seemed to ripple though the air and a strange silence fell over the crowd. The sentencing was about to begin. This was going to be ugly. If Lord jade himself was overseeing it, that meant that the offence must’ve been particularly nasty. There were several guards, all grasping the chains. forcing the prisoner to stand despite how he looked like he hadn’t slept in eons. His skin was waxy, grayish-yellow and his hair was so filthy it could have been any color and you wouldn’t have been able to tell even if you stood right next to him. Ronin wondered to herself what his crimes were. On the stage, apart from Lord Jade, the prisoner and guards, there was an exectioner, already sharpening his deadly axe. She frowned. he hadn't even been sentenced and yet they were preparing for his violent, red ending. Would no one take pity on him?

Rekana was riding into the city that morning, on a 'diplomatic mission'. In reality, he had come to find suitable city for control. The bells were a lovely chime, although he knew not for what occasion. He following the glorious sound into the square on his tri-horned steed.

Ideas were forming. Gears turning at unheard of velocities. He saw the lone rebel amongst the crowd, and the tyrant. A people's hero… Nothing could have been sweeter, so tempting than to expand his reign to the city… He decided: He shot the executioner's axe.

A rebel destroyed the chains. The execution quickly started heading against the Lord. Natural, Rekana led the charge. "Down with the tyrant! Down with the tyrant!". Terror ensued.

After the crowd saw him prominently on his horse, and declared him a hero, he promptly escaped the scene. He hurried to a nearby tavern to regroup, utilized a handy black mask. It looked ominous, but many of the dark satyrs were ominous, and he was 1/4 dark satyr. The tavern keep greeted him.
"Heydil, Va-ye need a stoot von?" Said the keep with the getting in Satyrtounge and the rest in broken common.
"Nyd Tyrz (No Thank You), just some hareboar rack." said the mask satyr, thinking of the delicious hareboar.
"Jey, ze frez zipment here vis vorneeng."
The keep hauled out a ridiculously-sized harbor, split in half. Reckon laid down the pence, and began chewing on the white, beef-like meat.
He finished quickly, but he made sure to lock the tavern door tightly. He did not know much of Lord Jade. One hour after the shot, he looked upon the aftermath from his balcony. He was pleased, as he saw the debris of chaos. Prehaps I should leave a note for my fellow…liberators. In the mean time, it would be wise to call an army…no, no…subtle first, a people's hero, then a surprise twist of brute force. That is the way to win nations.

Zhǔ leaned against a mortar wall of a tavern, viewing the execution before him. It was a despicable act, one that Zhǔ could not conceptualize. He had lived his life secluded, but he was instilled with firm moral ideals regardless. A monastery, no matter how unconventional, was venerable ground, and though Zhǔ was incompatible with its approach to spirituality he imbibed the wonders of human excellence in both mind and body. Of course, the concept of an execution repulsed Zhǔ. It was human cruelty at its apex, the subjection of the fate of a lesser being into oblivion by that occupying a higher space. In this case, such social stratification was all the more exacerbated from the noble's presence. Zhǔ did not understand the concept of nobles and had affronted one with casual hostility in his first travel to Vecafan, and was rewarded with a grand chase from several guards. Such power structure was entirely foreign to Zhǔ. He could not understand what the noble possessed that granted him such significance over the commonwealth. Yet unraveling such mysteries that would have been mundane constants to most of the people in this crowd was one of the main goals of Zhǔ's travels. In any case, Zhǔ observed the execution with a disapproving glint to his blood red eyes. He was garbed in hooded clothing to conceal his appearance. He was wanted in Vecafan for his little outburst, and quite an exorbitant bounty was placed on his head. Zhǔ no doubt understood that revealing himself now would cause many swords to be drawn from eager or desperate men to satiate their avarice or sustain their families. The odds were stacked against Zhǔ acting against authority here, as much as he despised such a situation. With wrathful poise contained by rationality and yet poised with curiosity, Zhǔ simply watched as a spectator from a side angle. However, his role as an observer would dissipate upon one bold action. A shot was fired, and the executioner's axe rattled from the force of the bullet which sent waves of force down to the executioner's wrist, causing his grip to release. There was no mistake. This was a perfect opportunity to both save the condemned and slight further the oppressive nobles. It was as if time slowed down as Zhǔ witnessed the scene. The guards holding the chains swiveled their heads towards the executioner, while the condemned was in the process of bowing down to receive the axe blow. The chains holding his limbs together went taught as they stretched from where the guards gripped them. Zhǔ assessed the risks of his next course of action. Surely his attack would free the prisoner in an instant, but if nobody acted against the guards the act was pointless. However, obviously one had already incited an attack. They were likely hoping for the same commotion that Zhǔ desired, and what reason was there not to indulge them? With a coy smile, Zhǔ focused his gaze on the chains. He breathed in deeply. Streaks of energy bean coursing through his body as the braeth brought in and fueled his magical energy. A malevolent aura of wounded red began chaotically coursing around him, sending wind and debris floating in a lazy orbit around him. Several onlookers began to look at awe at Zhǔ, but the guards were too occupied with the executioner to notice. Crackles of crimson energy began circling around his head, streaking and screaming like wild electricity before condensing into two one inch circles of bright red at the centers of Zhǔ's eyes. Air around Zhǔ's head began circling around before funneling into these two spheres of crimson, and moisture condensed and formed a solid layer of rapidly rotating water on top of the circles of life energy. Zhǔ breathed out, and in synchronization the two circles of energy exploded into two ultra thin beams of crimson red energy. A massive outpouring of life force wreathed out from all around Zhǔ's eyes before funneling into the beam to fuel its trajectory. Almost as fast as bullets, the two beams streaked through the chains in mere instants. Zhǔ directed his eyes slightly upward, causing the two knives of energy to slice through the chains. As abruptly as it had began, the attack stopped. The entire process had lasted but five seconds, and had left Zhǔ breathing deeply in exhaustion in order to recharge his strength. Blood began trickling from Zhǔ's eyes in two thin streams, pattering softly on the stone ground beneath him. Zhǔ could not see, and would not be able to now for a minute but he hoped such a risk was well worth the reward.

Before Ronin could blink, two things happened in rapid succession. One, someone had fired a shot at the executioner's axe in what appeared to be an attempt to disarm him and second, there was a huge beam of ominous red light that burst in full force from a figure in a dark cloak. The red energy reverberated through the air and sliced the prisoner's chains like they were made of bread. At last, someone had done something!
Quick as a wink, Ronin called up the only kind of magic she had ever been able to perform, a disguise spell that made her utterly unrecognizable, and lunged towards the prisoner, yanking him from the stage by the cuff dangling from his wrist. She jumped down again, landing lightly as a cat while the hapless prisoner stumbled after her. She ran towards the figure in the cloak who for the moment, appeared to be at least partially on her side. Before she could be disgusted that his eyes were bleeding, she grabbed him by the back of his cloak and with the prisoner and the rebel in hand, she ran for what her life was worth.
The guards had already caught on to her plan and were hurriedly pouring in to block any exits. The crowd had gone insane amidst the confusion and were either yelling or trying to get closer to the scene at hand. Instead of running for the exits like they assumed, she instead ran towards the back of the walled in courtyard. There was several thick, red vines of ivy growing along the aged stone wall. Without pause, she proceed to climb said ivy while the prisoner clung to her leg like a deadweight. At least the cloaked man understood what to do and wasn't slowing her down.
Below them, several guards were clustered, waving their ugly fists and cursing her. She didn't stop or slow but she cheerfully responded with some vulgar language of her own. If they had a shred of intelligence, they might've tried climbing after them but, with all that armor they wouldn't make it more than a few feet before the vines snapped under their weight. Then, they were atop the wall of the courtyard. The walls were thick enough that there was about two feet of space for them to stand but there was no other way to get up apart from the ivy. Peering over the edge, she gave a fluttery wave.
"Nice seeing you all!" she yelled down at them. "Next time, you should get some better security. It's a bit lacking at the moment!" she chuckled, seeing them looking up at her with that delicious look of mingled fury and hatred. Ronin loved it when she got to do anything like this. It helped balance out the bleak mundanity of her normal life. Not that she didn't love her job, namely working as a mechanic and fixer of interesting junk, but this was refreshing. The people back at House would need all the help they could get and she had just found two potential recruits in less than an hour.
Without turning to face the two, Ronin took a few steps along the wall away from the vine ladder and dropped her disguise spell.
"There's another way further along this wall where we can climb down. It leads into an alleyway where you can hopefully avoid being caught by those guards" she said.

Amber eyes glinted from within the crowd of other nobles, who had all been put into a state of fear - a load roar filled with fierce whispers of treason cutting through the violent outburst that had taken over the square just seconds ago. Just below the balcony where they were seated, the people below were wreaking havoc in their panic and rage. The square was quickly becoming a boiling pit of death below them, each person turning on the other, fearing that their neighbor might have played some hand in the quick turn of events, while others ran from the chaos, pushing aside any in their way. Vinali's stomach churned at the wreck below. The human population was beautiful in most respects, even respectable in it's bravado, but this... This was ugly, and shameful. All was because of their system of power. Each human was always trying to outdo the other, tell one that he'd be able to rise to power and wealth previously unimaginable, he'd be willing to slaughter anyone in his way. She couldn't recount where she had heard it during her travels, but she could remember the words vividly, 'Man is a wolf to man.' Only now, was she aware of how much truth shrouded over that haunting statement.

Taking a deep breath, Vinali rose from her chair, towering high above the other nobles, causing their ruckus to fall to a dim whisper, and then to a blissful silence as she let her red gaze fall on them. "Go inside the building, there you will at least have the guards to protect you, I shall head down and help those below." It took all of the little self-control she had not to spit at their feet at their cowardice. These were the people they had sworn to serve, sworn to bring justice to and for. Though, she supposed she shouldn't be surprised, if this trial had anything to say about those that held power in this city.

When she arrived at the square, she reeled at the destruction that had befallen the area. It reeked of fresh blood, the smell of iron was so intense it caused the Qun to take a step back and brace herself. She had only recently been exposed to the human embassies, and had seen fairly little of their cities. Now though, seeing their blood paint the stone below them in a river raging red, she felt a fire kindle from deep inside of her, burning behind her eyes, sending her hand to the hilt of her battleaxe –Qun were never detached from their weapon. Charging into the fray, she managed to remove her hand from the hilt of her weapon, and decided to instead use her fists. Wherever she could, she disabled fights, separating the squabbling humans. Hearing a high-pitched shriek, the warrior turned to see a young girl stumble and fall to the ground, blond hair falling in her face and her knee scraped. The thickness of the crowd made it almost impossible to spot her, but from what Vinali could see, the girl was in trouble. A fresh wave of commoners were stumbling about, scurrying in a fashion similar to mice, desperate to get away from the bloodshed. They were headed straight for the girl, though none made any sign of acknowledgment to her whimpers. She was going to be trampled to her death.

Vin, without a second thought, charged through the sea of bodies, forcing her way through like a raging griffon. She doubted she would be able to reach the girl in time, though, despite her progress the wave had a few seconds head start. Perhaps though, she could distract them, if but for a moment. Reaching into her diplomatic uniform, a coal black color, with a silky blue belt wrapped around her middle, she pulled out the Qun battle horn she had stored within the small pocket. Bringing it to her lips, she took a deep breath and released it into the horn, a loud, somewhat calming tune rising from the horn, bursting through the commoners screams. Somehow, miraculously, her distraction worked. The group of runners stopped, looking up in their panic at the foreign sound, taken aback when they saw the large figure seemingly running straight for them. Even more surprised were they, when they saw the Qun scoop up the crying girl and hoist her over her shoulders, mindful of the horns atop her head while doing so. They watched in mild curiosity as the tall woman carried the girl over to the inn across the street, carefully setting her down inside, where she would be taken care of by the on-duty guards within.

After leaving the inn, Vinali readied herself to head back into the crowd, which was thankfully thinning. Before she could enter though, she noticed a flurry of movement over to the wall on her right. A handful of guards had collected there, all bumbling about the collection of red vines, gripping onto a few and stumbling over how they would climb over the wall. Intrigued, the Qun trudged over to the wall, and inquired about the guards current doings. Recognizing her as one of the diplomats, and the Qun general, the captain of the group turned and saluted her, before briefly letting her know of the escaped prisoner, and two other's that helped him. Vin raised a perfectly sculpted brow, before sighing and grabbing onto one of the thick vines of ivy. Tilting her head back as she was midway up, she ordered the guards back to the square to help contain the situation. They were no help here. After climbing the full length of the wall, she hoisted herself up the top using her forearms and flipped herself over it, landing with a loud thud on the other side, wincing slightly at the contact.

Bracing herself against the old stone of the wall with the flat of her palm, she took a quick scan of the area. Damn, no-one in sight. With a huff, she rubbed the back of her thighs, muttering a few choice words into the air before straightening and giving another look around. She wasn't one of the best bounty hunters for no reason, her tracking capabilities were incredible. Hopefully she could gather some kind of information from the area. Dropping close to the ground on one knee, Vinali scanned the ground, placing two of her fingers gingerly against the dirty pavement, running them along the cracked cobblestone and muck. There amidst the dirt, was a recent track, two pairs of feet running off the the alleyway nearby, a small line accompanying one– resembling the tip of a foot being dragged against the ground. It wasn't the most firm trail she'd seen, but it was the only one she had to go on. Lifting herself from the ground, Vinali began to follow the trail into the alleyway, curious as to where she would be lead.

Midday sun leered into the dusty room sitting atop the local Inn and Tavern. A hay bed with a wool blanket hopefully rid of lice and a small wooden desk and chair pushed arkwardly near a half cocked window. Stale linen rags used as makeshift curtains shaded some of the light from entering but the broken frame let in a spare ray or two along with the light whistles of wind and outside chatter. Drake hovered over his journal and studied his scrawled notes written ages ago, tracing along with his bony fingers attempting to translate what chicken scratch he tried to write. The aggitation shown through his decaying face as his Raven companion made use of the spare sunlight and pecked at whatever bug it saw.

Drakes trance like state was abruptly interrupted when his raven companion got startled from the nearby bells. Falling off the nearby sill and squawking franticly as the commotion outside grew. "Awww shut it before i pluck you for a pillow!" His aggitation of his own chicken scratch getting the better of him. Begrudgingly getting up from his chair to close the window but just as his eyes glared outside he caught a glimpse of what looked like an attempted jailbreak of a comrade. "Tyrant... Tyrant...Tyrant" the crowd chanted and Drake couldnt help but grin a toothy fleshless smile. It brought back memories of back in the day and he caught himself gazing outside at the commotion as a few others managed to get the prisoner over the wall and to safety. A woman scaling the wall with ease, another shooting beams from his eyes, others saving themselves while guards apparently untrained failing at their jobs even as the apparent "Tyrant" stared upon the scene with an emotionless face. It was beautiful to say the least...

Something caught his eye yet again. Horns peeking out from the crowd. "That color! The shape! Could it be so far from home?" "SQUWAK!" the Raven added to his confirmation. "Its a Qun..." Darting back to his journal and rushed through the pages looking for the ingredient list that was used in his original recipe. "Bone of Qun. Horn would prove better but pricey." Drake recited his own words. This time he would get the right ingredients, not half ass it like last time. It was the only way he could prove the formula would work!

Quickly he snatched up his journal nearly unseating his companion who happened to hop up off the floor at the wrong time, thankfully flapping out of the way and latching onto Drakes coated shoulder as he bum rushed the inn door. He needed to catch up with that Qun, he needed his ingredient... He also needed a plan. "-sqwak! prisoner!" His Raven shouted in his ear abruptly, wincing at the sudden irritating rat on his shoulder. He did have a good idea at least. It seems they are all for helping that prisoner. Perhaps he can lend his "assistance"... "Find the ingredient bird!" shoving the rat off his shoulder and watched as it flew above keeping an eye out for the Qun. Drake cirled around the wall in which the others jumped over not worrying about catching up and making a scene of himself. A walking corpse is scene enough already. His Raven circled the skies darting back and forth keeping an eye on the Qun from above. All Drake had to do was use the Raven as a beacon and he will eventually stumble upon the others. He took his time, not exactly sneaking up yet not looking for an all out confrontation. The smart move was to casually make his way, seem unintimidating and try to get what he wants with the least exertion on his part. No reason to waste his strength after all...

Eventually he managed to be within eyesight of the Qun. To his suprise it was female, and rather tall at that. She seemed to be searching for the others in which he grinned as this gave him the perfect oppurtunity to gain trust with the horned woman. Drake cleared his throat as not to offend with a scratchy tone. "Well, excuse me miss... If you are searching for a specific person whom recently passed over that vined wall, i may be able to be of assistance. Er-free of course! Since i too am quite curious of whom exactly would gain the instant trust of so many to interrupt deaths dinner plans." His tone was casual and polite. Something rare and unusual to him and almost felt stressed to achieve. He season his greeting with a quaint smile which in turn must have looked like a Leper wincing in pain.

Ronin dragged the prisoner along the edge of the alley, ignoring his timidity and unwillingness to come with her. The cloaked man followed but had yet to say anything and his hood obscured most of his face. At the end of the alley, there was a side door that led into a nearby tavern. She went through and spoke for a moment with the bartender before he let the three of them slip to the backroom. The room was stacked with boxes upon boxes of unopened wine and barrels of ale. Ronin visibly relaxed but was still on her guard.
"Help me move these crates." she said, throwing herself against one and pushing it aside. Three more crates later and, voila! Underneath was a trapdoor.
"This leads to an old tunnel underneath the streets. The people I work for used it to sneak in and out of this part of Vecafan without being found. I guess you could call us an underground operation but I don't think you'd take kindly to my cheap humor." she opened the dusty trapdoor to reveal a moulding wooden ladder.
Along the tunnel, Ronin was silent to match the others so it felt less like an escape and more like a funeral march they were walking.
At long last, they broke from the dark and cam eout into another building entirely. The walls were a dark gray and the floor was cement. It was chilled and dotted with various mismatched tables and chairs. There were a few people milling about but they paid the three no mind. Ronin turned to her escapees and threw her arms wide.
"Welcome to the House!"

She had been following the path laid before her for some time now, fading into the depths of the alley, heading towards a tavern. Ducking under a sign strung overhead, Vinali squinted, trying to see the tavern through what little light came through this area, most all the light hung above, dancing in the windows of the buildings, not a care in the world for what lay beyond, submerged in darkness. Her hand tightened it's vice-like grip around the handle of her battleaxe when a cry came from the light above her, looking up, she was surprised to see a bird following just behind her, trailing her from above. She couldn't see what kind it was, the way the light was shining down from behind it made it impossible for her to make anything out. Shrugging off the oddity, Vin continued onward, now just outside of the tavern.

Sheathing her battleaxe as she neared the door, Vinali stopped, noting the end of the tracks. Leaning in, she moved to the window of the lively drinking hole, cupping her hands around her eyes to avoid any excess light to seep through and obscure her view in with the immense glare. As she was peering through the glass, there came a voice just behind her, deep and rumbling, it sent an ominous chill rushing through her, from the tip of her horns to the heel of her feet. Turning slowly, eyes adjusting to the light, she looked over her shoulder in the direction the voice had come. When her eyes landed, her jaw dropped so fast it cracked. She was staring at death, and he, or it, was staring back at her, a eerie smile stretching across a heavily decayed, yet somehow still preserved face.

"I..." She struggled with her words, her smooth voice falling into the air, while the rest of her sentence halted in her throat, slowly choking her. Before forcing herself to spit out the words that clung desperately to her throat, she looked over the haunting presence, noting that he was not carrying a scepter, or mentioning anything of death. In fact, if she had heard correctly, he had offered to help in her search. Turning fully around, shocked stare never wavering, Vinali slowly tilted her head, horns glittering in the light that slipped through the shroud of black that consumed the alleyway. Her red eyes gleamed in the dim light, shining with raw curiosity. "You mean to say, that you..." She motioned out, waving her hand through the air over the length of the decrepit form of death in front of her. "That you, are in fact Death himself?"

Drake couldn't bare to hold in a hearty yet dry and menacing laugh at the Quns idea of him being Death himself. The Crow that followed up above came and instinctively perched on his shoulder with an annoying squawk. A low chuckle followed by a sigh was interrupted by some drunken patrons. "Well, you see my dear..."

The answer she was ever so hungry to hear was torn from her as a shout came from within the tavern, the sound of glass breaking soon following. Pursing her lips at the sound, she reached for her battleaxe, about to pull it out before stopping, instead sending a nod to Death. "If you wish to help me, I hope that you're no stranger to danger, my dearest Death." Giving a hearty laugh, the Qun turned and charged through the front door, eyes widening when she saw the whole tavern in disarray. She could only hear parts of what each elf, human, or dwarf were shouting at each other over the din of the battle: Glasses being shattered, punches being landed, grunts and swears intertwining together.

An annoyed face was hidden by the palm of his hand as a proper conversation was utterly destroyed by the barbaric notion of being Death himself and now proving his worth in a battle with a bunch of drunks. What would that prove? Why waste the energy and possibly get a bottle thrown at his head? Hell no he was not joining in on the fight, instead he walked calmly and casually to a bar seat previously taken by a parton now knocked out by the Qun's fist. "All this senseless fighting gets one nowhere except tired and bloody." He said, picking up the patrons drink and taking a sip. Watching as all the aggro was being focused on the horned barbarian. A part of Drake hoped she would be cut down right then and there, her head coming clean off with a swift chop of an axe. Then he wouldn't need to waste time playing this charade.

With the skill and ease of a soldier amid the battlefield, the young Qun princess drew her fists up, two boulders ready to crash land into any unfortunate soul that crossed their path. Dashing headstrong into the fray, another bout of hearty laughter poured from her lips, enjoyment easing it's way into her, relaxing her steadfast muscles as she traded blow for blow. In the corner of her eye, she spotted the bartender, now fending off a few drunk stragglers that were more or less interested in trying to steal the ale barrels away. Pushing aside those still in her way, their drunken selves falling flat to the floor with the force, Vinali approached the bar and it's barrels of alcoholic beverages with a smirk on her face, cracking her knuckles in anticipation.

Drake's agitation grew as he sipped his drink waiting patiently for this all to end. Bottles and drinks flew inches from his person nearly unperching his crow in the process. Slamming the now empty glass down he reached into his coat pocket and pulled out two vials. Emptying both vials into his glass and plucking a tailfeather from his reluctant assistant he proceeded to stir with the feather. The Qun was almost done clearing the room and was now heading towards the bartender.

The concoction was foul smelling and started to create plumes of dark purple smoke which quickly dispersed throughout the bar. Dropping the feather in the glass and swirled the glass in hand as he got up out of his seat to follow his horned ingredient.

When all was said and done, and the now unconscious men and women that had been harassing him littered the floor, the bartender could only look up with annoyance. His whole bar, wrecked, all because of that damned prisoner. Nobody had seen them, of course: Ronin, her new silent lackey, and the half-conscious prisoner. No, just one sodden fellow that had escaped the madness from earlier trudged in, screaming bloody murder about the whole damn thing, causing the riot to break out with arguments on both ends. "He deserved it! No, he was an innocent, I tell you!" Then, came the ale goblet smashing against a head. Not to mention the Qun who'd charged in, knocking any who got in her way out like water put to a flame. And, on top of it all, there appeared to be some kind of sickly man behind her, must've drank far too much, he looked like a thin layer of green skin on bones.

There was still some fighting in the background, but mostly, the drunkards had been dispatched. Either knocked out by each other, or by one of the two who had just entered the tavern. Looking down at the bartender, Vinali began to speak, knowing full-well what kind of language this kind of man spoke best. Raising a pouch of coin, not much, but enough to satisfy, she grabbed his right hand and stuffed the coin purse in it. "Now, I believe you owe me a little favor. See, I have just taken it upon myself to help prevent further damage to this property, or even, dare I say, you." She shook the man's hand, as if affirming some kind of unspoken deal betwixt them. "However, I'm sure this handsome amount should be enough to get everything in order again, perhaps even enough to move out of this place, start anew elsewhere." She continued to slather on the goodwill, leaning her head down towards the bartender's.

"All I need in return, is the whereabouts of the prisoner, and his accomplices." Upon seeing the gleam of loyalty flash in the man's eyes, she smirked darkly. She knew all too well how to play a thieves game. "Or, you could have a Qun add to the layer of destruction that has wrought this hole in the wall you call an establishment."

Boom. The horns were uncapped. She looked back to Death, gauging for a reaction, perhaps he would like to add something? Or maybe she had done well enough?

A wretched and decayed hand reached out and grabbed the purse full of coin and gently placed it into his coat pocket. "That my dear wont be necessary, no need to bargain for what one already knows." Drake said taking a sip of his boiling concoction, wincing at the odor and strength of the taste. "Oh yes that it very good, very good indeed." Dipping his fingers in to reach for the feather and gently brushed the feather along the bar, leaving a black residue. "Hipocanthis sanguinica... Also known as Blood vines. A semi common plant known for is parasitic like nature clinging to stone and wood alike and slowly aging said stone by releasing a byproduct from its discolored chlorophyll." Drake lectured both as he dipped the feather over and over lightly brushing nearby furniture and doorways. "This byproduct is created with the very contact from the vine yet invisible to the naked eye." Brushing the door frame behind the bartender leading to the a supposed storeroom the black residue quickly turned a luminescent blue highlighting a handprint as well as some scuff marks. "That is until it comes in contact with bi-luminescent fungi, the residue glows like the full moon... Violia!" Drake stood to attention, gesturing towards the door as if inviting them in. Downing the rest of the contents in the glass and wincing from the sweet warmth it gave his throat. "It also makes quite the cocktail!... Drachir Ohmahazet at your service." He bowed gracefully with a dead stare towards the bartender in defiance.

A wretched and decayed hand reached out and grabbed the purse full of coin and gently placed it into his coat pocket. "That my dear wont be necessary, no need to bargain for what one already knows." Drake said taking a sip of his boiling concoction, wincing at the odor and strength of the taste. "Oh yes that it very good, very good indeed." Dipping his fingers in to reach for the feather and gently brushed the feather along the bar, leaving a black residue. "Hipocanthis sanguinica... Also known as Blood vines. A semi common plant known for is parasitic like nature clinging to stone and wood alike and slowly aging said stone by releasing a byproduct from its miscolored chloraphyll." Drake lectured both as he dipped the feather over and over lightly brushing nearby furniture and doorways. "This byproduct is created with the very contact from the vine yet invisible to the naked eye." Brushing the door frame behind the bartender leading to the a supposed storeroom the black residue quickly turned a luminescent blue highlighting a handprint as well as some scuff marks. "That is until it comes in contact with biluminescent fungi, the residue glows like the full moon... Violia!" Drake stood to attention, gesturing towards the door as if inviting them in. Downing the rest of the contents in the glass and wincing from the sweet warmth it gave his throat. "It also makes quite the cocktail!... Drachir Ohmahazet at your service." He bowed gracefully with a dead stare towards the bartender in defiance.

Raising a brow at the hand that brushed across her own, the Qun watched as the coin purse was pocketed, not by the bartender, but by her company. She and the bartender both watched on, silent and attentive as he moved about, dipping his fingers into his drink before pulling out a tar-black feather. Intrigued, Vinali leaned forward against a nearby stool, red eyes scanning the tip of the feather as it slid along the length of the bar. "A tracing serum of sorts. Incredible..." Curious, she reached out and pressed the tip of her finger against part of the bar that had already been scanned, reveling in the light blue print that gleamed back at her. "Amazing." She breathed, turning the top of her finger up, it too, had the familiar blue glow.

As the feather brushed across the walls and furniture behind the bar, nearer and nearer to the storeroom, she noticed the bartender grow rigid beside her. Interesting. Turning back to the scene in front of her, she watched the feather drop into the concoction yet again, raising with a glint and rubbing against the frame, narrowing her eyes, Vinali waited with baited breath - As did the bartender. Yet only Vinali released a long sigh when the blue luminescent light shone on the frame, revealing the true nature of the door. Turning to the still man beside her, Vinali gave a halfhearted shrug. "Well, as fun as this was. It appears we won't have need of your assistance after all."

She turned and gave a nod of approval to Drachir, straightening her back once more, pushing in the stool that she had been leaning against. Before she could join him behind the counter, however, the bartender snapped to attention and stepped in front of her.

"Listen here, you big lug! This here, is my property, you can't just go and-" His whines quickly morphed into gurgles, his hands clutching at the collar of his shirt, which he had been lifted into the air by.

Vinali shook her head, horns gleaming against the lantern light. "In matters like these, it is my duty to find and contain any agitators to the peace and prosperity of an entire city. If you have further problems, I'm sure that the constable would be more than happy to restrain you on the grounds of holding the perpetrators to such a heinous crime?" Ugh, diplomatic speech drained her. Though she'd rather smash her fist into his face, that could provide too many weeks worth of time being drowned in paperwork. Something she might just dread all the more.

Watching with unbridled pride as the scraggly man's face flushed the palest color she'd seen since snow, Vinali smirked at the man in her grip, like a cat with a mouse. Knowing that they would have to move soon to catch the prisoner and his helpers, Vinali let lose a resigned sigh and dropped the man flat on his bottom with a thud. Knowing he would no longer be problem, she brushed her hands off on her pantlegs and turned full-round to face the once hidden doorway, and Drachir. "Shall we continue, Mr. Ohmahazet?" She bowed, hand pointing toward the entrance of the dark tunnels. This was it, they were going to find the prisoner, and all this nonsense could be put to an end. She would be able to return home, and perhaps...She looked up at the necrotic figure with shining eyes. Perhaps she had found an ally.

Drake gave a reassuring smile towards his Horned ally but his smile quickly turned to a teeth clenching grimace when she threatened the bartender in a way only someone with diplomatic or a royal nature would. Dammit! His fists clenched in his pockets. She sounds like freaking royalty, this could be problematic. His original plan of taking her whole head may cause more problems than good. A barbarian Qun so far away from home may of never been missed but a Qun ambassador or maybe something more... If anything led back to him about her death, he would be hunted for the rest of his life. His teeth gritted and an eerie smile covered his aggitation as he gestured for the Qun to go first. "After you... Your highness." A joke covered dagger in the least. Hopefully the prisoner was not so friendly and killed her on sight. Then it would be him they hunted... But at this point that would be hoping for too much.

---

"After you... Your highness." The words sent a dark wave rushing over her, raising from her bow, she tilted her head at the peculiar phrasing. Squinting at the tight-lipped smile upon Drachir's face, she nodded, not a word coming from her mouth, her face an unblemished mask of calm. Stepping in front of the grim man, she pressed onward, only stopping to press the finger she had placed against the residue against certain marks in the ground, pulling back with a grin when their was a faint glow in response. As they headed through, Vinali took note of the other directions the tunnel took, wondering if they headed anywhere in particular, perhaps not, but most intellectual individuals that pulled this kind of thing always had a backup - another escape route.

Amid her thoughts, she'd almost missed the first sign of light. Almost. They had reached their destination, at least, the end of their glowing blue trail. Holding her breath, and preparing herself for the worst, Vinali glanced back over her shoulder one last time, looking to the walking corpse who had proven more than his worth today. Then, as she was about to step into the gray room, foot inching towards the cement, she stopped, pulled back and leaned flat against the wall of the tunnel. The hard rock dug into her back, clawing at her skin desperately. Her red eyes burned through the dark, burning bright despite the veil of pitch black. What if this was a set-up? After all, it had gone relatively easily so far...

It could also be the only chance they had to catch this criminal, return him to the clutches of this power hungry king, and be on with it. She knew it wasn't truly justice, the act of executing this man. As a representative for her people, she'd had the pleasure to overhear the many rumors on the topic, most in agreement of the "Mad King's" tirade. This was no longer about one life, not the prisoner, nor the king. No, this was about the safety of the people, who had been spiraled into a fiery tornado, wrecking anything in it's path, bringing nothing but death and destruction. She had to fix this, it was her duty, it was what her heart sang for.

Taking a deep breath, but casting another dark look, filled with question's never to be answered, at least, not any time soon, to her companion. One foot after another, she found herself standing in front of the crowd, no place to hide, not that she could - She was Qun, after all. Nonetheless, it seemed like this kind of entry would bring nothing but trouble. Vinali watched, not at all surprised as the few people that had been about their own business, spun and glared at her, eyes the tips of daggers: All of them aimed at her. Glorious.

With a sigh, knowing she would never be able to talk out this situation, she pulled out her battleaxe and let it hang in her hand, muscles rippling in anticipation for what was to come next. It wasn't her strongest suit, to talk down opponents, but perhaps they knew what this had cost the town, perhaps some of these people would be willing to help. Not all thieves were necessarily evil. Voice as even as the calmest of waves, she began to address the room, standing tall and proud among the smaller men and women.

"Now, who here can direct me to those responsible to the chaotic outbreak today?" Red eyes roaming the room, locking dead on to whomever was brave enough to stare back, she watched them tense, most had their weapons out and at the ready. If she moved, she had no doubt they'd charge her with swords and whatever else they had without a second thought.

"In case you don't know, as you appear to be very disclosed from the world where you are, maybe I should enlighten you. People are dying right above your very heads, innocent people, all because of this act of defiance. I had to save a child, a young girl from getting trampled because of this incident. This can only end badly, but if you tell me who is responsible for causing such an outbreak of nonsensical violence and panic, I can assure all of you, as long as you had no direct role in the prisoner's escape, you will be left alone. Please, stop this madness while we still have time." She had no quarrel with these people, the less lives lost today, the better. Hopefully at least one of them would listen to her.

Ronin shoved her way through the crowd of her fellow resistance fighters, sending them all scathing glares as they lovingly caressed their weapons. She carried with her, a thin saber and now wore a cobalt blue bandanna over her crimson hair but was holding herself casually and unagressively, the weapon hanging loosely from her side. At the mouth of the entrance stood a Qun with magnificent horns and behind her, what looked suspiciously like a ghoul with skin that was like old rubber pulled over the bones.
Ronin sent the intruders a level stare.
"My name is Ronin and i'm the one who started that riot." The crowd around her muttered and whispered among themselves while lending her lots of dirty looks. "But, I can assure you that was not my intention. All I did was done to protect lives, not destroy them. I didn't expect anyone apart from myself to be persecuted. Now before you attempt to kill me or rile these people up even further, is there a chance we could discuss this without weapons? A truce, if you will. Then I can better explain the 'criminals' which you are currently rubbing elbows with." Turning around she faced the crowd of still muttering resistance fighters and waved her arms at them in a shooing gesture.
"In case you didn't realize, that means get lost assholes!" That didn't help to improve the mood of the gray room but they did disperse through various doorways, taking their agressive attitudes with them until the room was empty apart from Ronin and the two intruders. Still with her back to them, Ronin made her way to a table with a few chairs and sat, interview style, leaning back slightly with her arns folded.
"First thing's first, who are you and how did you find this place?"

Watching with a level stare, interest flooding into eyes, Vinali followed the path of the woman who came striding in. Hair as vibrant and brilliant a color as fire, offset by the soothing blue bandanna that covered her head. Slowly, Vinali lowered her weapon - focus drifting to the weapon held loosely at the woman's side. This was the human responsible, she had to be. So tranquil and at peace, a flickering flame amid the weeds, refusing to set a blaze, instead providing blinding light to all near her. Fascinating.

Silent as Ronin spoke, Vinali felt a glimmer of pride in her chest, this woman reminded her of herself. The way she spoke, it was of a leader to their warriors. They listened to her every word, each grimace replaced with a small scoff: They must've been disappointed in the lack of action.
It was surprising though that she was bold enough to turn her back to both her, and Drake. She must be either truly bold, or extremely insane, perhaps a mix of both. As the red-haired warrior sat, Vinali took a few short steps towards her, glancing at the chairs with disdain. Everything in her years of experience told her not to sit down. Though, that didn't entail her to be a coward from afar. If anything, gaining ground here would be the only thing that spoke to Ronin - as bold as she seemed.

With a small sigh, Vinali strode over to the table where Ronin had seated herself, placing her giant figure behind one of the chairs, hands firmly grasping the top. Sizing up the woman before her, Vinali began to speak.
"Very well, Ronin. I, am Vinali. I found this place thanks to the trail you left behind for me, and Drake here." She motioned to Drake before continuing.

"I'd rather not have anymore blood on my hands tonight, there has been enough bloodshed all around." Tilting her head, Vinali narrowed her gaze and loosened her vice-like grip on the chair. "My turn. Why did you interrupt the execution, and what do you plan to do with the prisoner?"

Rekana was bored. He wished his stunt had worked better. He wanted the city, and he wanted it now. Rekana was never one for patience, and he decideed the only way to make something happen is to do it yourself. He sat in his chair at the inn, drawing up a complicated schematic on parchment.
(I need a map to continue)
A brilliant plan! He should take the city in weeks. All he needed was a dedicated crew to help him. Rekana decided to sleep on that thought, and retreated to his stateroom. He sometimes thought he lived too grand, what with the pillars of marble scattered throughout his bedroom, but he retracted that thought in favor of the fact that he fought for it. It was for this reason that Rekana did not worry about the citizenry choosing a foreign aristocrat from the highest tier of society. Reckon had made up his mind on where he would rally: The Arena at ____
Thoughts of upheaval raced in his mind. He would lead them into the golden age! He would reign supreme.

Ronin wrinkled her nose, confused. She was sure she hadn't left a trail for them to follow. Unless they had other methods of tracking. Intriguing. She would have to look into that bit later. For now, the questions had come.

Ronin listened to the Qun, Vinali, as she spoke of spilt blood, a hard edge to her voice that contained both raw strength and something suspiciously similar to sadness. This was also intriguing but not the problem at hand. When Vinali asked Ronin why she had interrupted the execution, Ronin's eyebrows rose and she smirked ever so slightly.

"Apart from wanting to give Lord Jade a hell of a time, i'm afraid the prisoner was not in fact guilty of any of crimes he was accused." Ronin started counting off on her fingers. "Lets, see... two counts of treason, one count of conspiring against the 'king,' three counts of harboring stolen goods and so on. It's a bit of a long story but the short version is this. His name is Sebastian Carrow. His brother, Nathan was one of us. He was the one who was hiding stolen goods for us. He died a few months ago from an illness and Sebastian took possession of all his things. Of course, a few days ago those goods were discovered in his house. He was immediately convicted and sentenced to death on the spot without even getting a trial. Sebastian was unaware of his brother's underground work beforehand though. Can I assume i'm not the only one who finds this unfair?" Ronin paused, the anger was beginning to show in her voice. She took a deep breath.

"As for what we're doing with Sebastian, he's in another place right now, both recuperating and being told about his brother's work. I'm going to speak with him personally later. You should know that this isn't the first time something like this has happened."