A5G

Absolved Will Be the Saviors

"Getting through isn't the problem. Keeping the horses alive would be." Mirielle stated from atop her saddle, spear resting over her right shoulder. "Perhaps we should wait for nightfall? Going around the camp, or simply charging past the blockade is an option then. But riding in the darkness for any prolonged period is just as risky as letting the marksmen take shot at us."

Piercing yellow gaze fell on her party members, expecting someone to know some unique solution to their predicament. In worst case they'll need to fight it through... not that attractive of a choice either. Mirielle doubted that anyone important was stationed in this small outpost, there's little to gain from escalating the conflict.

"We could always back up a bit, find someone from the village. They must know if there's alternate paths." She said with a shrug. That'll entail backtracking, costing more time, without any assurance of the potential gain. The soldiers were stationed here for a reason, would be pointless if they're so easily bypassed.

Absolved Will Be the Saviors

Mirielle stared woodenly at Ludvig's outstretched hand for a moment before it clicked, and in just about any other situations would've be rather excited to ask about more. But for the moment she quietly removed her right glove and handed it over, before carefully unclasping the gauntlet on the other side.

"Ah, yeah. Do your thing, please. Thanks." Her glance on the mage lasted a few seconds before it returned to the bodies, her boot tapping on the ground as nervous energy welled up. Burial will take some time, but well... it's the least they could do for the victims.

*****

Ah, Carmen's lantern. She wasn't sure if it could play back that far, but seemed that the last moment of the clerics was still within his reach. A grim sort of anticipation rose, ready to see the blackhearts responsible for the massacre.

And through the replay, her mood was replaced by a near-comical flabbergastion before it reignited the cold fury within.

She was wrong. These were beyond cruel men. They were monsters in human skin, with a gaping pit where their heart should be.

"I'm going to kill them."

The statement was disconcertingly light, like someone talking about taking a short nap. Mirielle turned around, by some confidence following after Ludvig until she reached where the horses were tied. With religious slowness the ex-inquisitor unclasped her sword, storing it in her luggage before retrieving a long pole tightly wrapped in leather.

Step by step the leather wrap came undone, revealing a masterfully crafted spear gleaming under the sun. Metal braces ran across the length of an ironwood shaft, culminating into a wide bladehead and a pair of wings on one side while rounded metal butt rested on the other end as both a counterbalance and a blunt instrument both.

Scriptures covered every surface but the spearhead, etched on the metal and carved into the shaft. Mirielle caressed the surface as she recited in low voice, eyes closed as her aura momentarily flared.

"...show courage in righteousness, to bear pain in the suffering of others. Pray that we forget not the mercy for the downtrodden, and grant us the strength to prevail over the wicked-"

Absolved Will Be the Saviors

"...bone structure?" Mirielle parrotted with thinly veiled skepticism. Great, this one's unreliable. Oh well, it's probably a bit too much of an ask for the girl. "Good job. We... should move on."

Her investigation result on the corpse was... less than satisfactory. The soot felt unusual somehow, but not in any manner she can articulate. And then there'd Ludvig being touchy all of sudden, earning him a glare as she flinched. Clicking her tongue in annoyance, Mirielle cut her finagling short and stood back up. This wasn't working, a specialist was needed and she doubt there's one in a few hundred miles.

"I am not suggesting us to engage in mindless slaughter, lady de Valmont." Replied the ex-inquisitor, a bit offended that the noble would even imply such. "Merely pointing at the best course of further investigation. If you hadn't notice, this site is a dead end."

Not like they have tried too hard to look, but two weeks of bad weather had its way to wash away potential evidences. The local peasant was at the end of his usefulness too, likely not having much more beyond bits of rumors. Probably no time to gossip when he had to constantly worry about his next meal.

"Very well, you have been most helpful. A word of advice, you should take your family into hiding. Those soldiers looked like the vindictive sort, best to be prudent. Take care, good man."

Frustration welled up and subsequently bottled in. This really wasn't her day, to think that the witch's words resonated the most with her. Despite her own words earlier, Mirielle couldn't help but worry. How long will the trail of corpses be, by the time they're finished with the mission?

May the Creator have mercy on their souls.

Absolved Will Be the Saviors

"It is retribution, not vengeance." Mirielle curtly answered, huffing as she tenderly pulled the corpses to lay them side by side. Up close the signs of abuse were so much worse even through weeks of rot, and the stench enough to knock out regular people. To her part, she only wrinkled her nose and continued on the grim task.

"You got shot just a few minutes ago, mister Ludvig, and powered through despite. Do not sell yourself short." She placed the last body, one hand halfway rising to wipe her brows before realizing the presence of sodden pulp of corpse-fluid smeared all over the gloves. Clicking her tongue, Mirielle settled for clasping her hands together and out of the way. Might as well check the bodies, cant get any filthier than this. "I will not demand you to join me regardless, but be aware that you are already involved for travelling in this group. I doubt whoever came after Sir Thomas' entourage will make any distinction between you and I."

Kneeling down yet again, she took a closer look at the bodies. Muttered a small prayer for forgiveness before touching at the facial orifices. It's already clear that they've been left out here for quite some time, they should've long since cooled. What caused the smoke to continue waft out?

They're near-completely blind right now. Any clues may be indispensable for the coming days, for Mirielle sensed bloody conflicts in the horizon.

"Spread out, seek more information!" She hollered to the rest of the group. This macabre display was a warning. To who or for what purpose, hopefully it'll come clear. "You there, peasant. Explain who those soldiers are, and who they're fighting so desperately."

Absolved Will Be the Saviors

"Hells and damnation, I agree with you-" Mirielle hissed through gritted teeth, slowly turning to the penitent. "...Amaris. Anyone capable of such cruelty are better off dead, you do not need to rub it in."

The dull thuds of objects hitting the ground rang in the background, interspaced with the metallic scrape of Carmen's saber. Amaris was before her, dangerously available as a target to lash out to. Mirielle closed her eyes, taking a deep breath and counting to ten. By the time she reopened her eyes, her slipping self-control had reasserted and all the anger bottled within.

Ready to burst when, and only when, she met the devils responsible over the deaths.

"I- I apologize. I should not take this out on you." She coughed awkwardly, averting her eyes and shuffling away to help Carmen with the remaining corpses. "Yes, you have a good point. Even if they're not directly involved they must know something, this spot is too close to their outpost for them to be completely unrelated... little Lin, is there anyone you recognize among these folks?"

Absolved Will Be the Saviors

Ludvig left, whether scared off by Amaris or did so on his own whim, but not before dropping one last infuriating remark. Mirielle could only let out an offended "Huh?!" before he's too far off for normal conversation, leaving her to fume by her lonesome.

"Ignore him." She turned to glare at the penitent on her side. "You definitely did not."

*****

After a short ride away, they finally reached the spot the peasant led them to. The stench hits Mirielle long before it came to view, and although that was enough for her mood to drop into the lowest today the actual sight of it was enough to drive her into unbridled rage.

"This... Sacrilege!" She yelled, almost spooking her own horse. The ex-inquisitor was quick to dismount, even Amaris temporarily forgotten as she briskly closed the distance to the macabre site. The ground already long since cooled, yet none of it seemed to match the chill that gripped her chest.

They were too late, and the congregation paid the price.

"...may the Creator safeguard your souls, in the journey beyond to His hallowed halls." She stopped before the closest corpse, kneeling into a prayer. Save for the initial outburst, Mirielle's outward reaction was rather muted as opposed to their team captain though it said nothing of the cold fury blazing within. "Rest now, brothers and sisters. This injustice will be righted. On this I swear."

Absolved Will Be the Saviors

It didnt take long for a newcomer to join the little bubble that inadvertently formed between the ex-inquisitor and the penitent, Ludvig showing a frankly impressive feat of acrobatic by treating moving horse like it was flat ground. Apparently he'd been paying attention to their conversation, or at least enough that he could chip in.

With a rather concerning opinion. Why did it sounds like it was backed by experience?

"That... doesnt sounds feasible." She subconsciously glanced at Amaris, as if to gauge the latter's reaction. "Just like cancer, mister Ludvig, excising evil must be done thoroughly. Otherwise the scattered remnant will simply break apart and rebuild in different places." She ignored the jab about cursed robes. No one gets punished for fighting evil. At least, that's how it should be... bah, she shouldn't be doubting her Order in the first place. "Besides, evil contaminates. Those who light great pyres of blood come to love its warmth, and no other heat can chase away the chill. If the leader is guilty as a source of evil then the followers too are guilty of perpetuating it. When it comes the time for judgment, neither must be spared lest the smaller evil eventually grow into a greater one."

If there's any irony in her statement, Mirielle was seeing none of it.

Absolved Will Be the Saviors

Well, there's the call for departure. Mirielle paused long enough for the penitent to catch up, lightly jogging back to where their horses remained cool as cucumber despite the gunshots. Eyebrows creased at the suggestion, of course a witch wouldn't bat an eye at wanton killing. It had to be dissuaded, to prevent further issues down the line.

"The righteous path is seldom an easy one." She proclaimed, gravel crunching under her confident gait. "Misguided and blind as they may be, they had their order as we had ours. We could either constantly butt heads at every turn or let the matter rest, the latter being much easier when they're alive."

Reaching the rest of the group, Mirielle would stop to briskly help whoever left on foot up their horse before mounting herself. She spared one last glance at the pathetic gaggle of soldiers in red stripes, all soundly beaten and wouldn't get up anytime soon. With one last shake of the head, the ex-inquisitor urged her horse forward to depart from the scene of scuffle. With some luck, this would be the end of it.

But if they insist on being a hindrance... Mirielle wouldn't take pleasure in it, but obstacles in the way of their holy purpose will be removed. One way or another.

Absolved Will Be the Saviors

Mirielle had gritted her teeth and set off after the runner, only for Ludvig to appear before the fleeing soldier and cracked the man's head with another soldier's head with a resounding thump that made her wince. Slowing into a jog, she eventually halted next to the trio with a bit of concern over their well-being. Head injuries were no joke, while Ludvig... somehow still running around just fine with a bullet wound.

"Are you... alright?" Eyes flickering around, taking in the abrupt silence that ensued. Save for the officer still screaming profanities some distance away, but looked like the suppression was over. Her grim countenance eased to a more neutral profile, disliking how the entire debacle happened at all but acknowledgin the necessity of it. Reining her aura in, the ex-inquisitor gingerly returned the fist bump though again it looked like the injury wasn't even worth mentioning. Hardy man, this one. Unexpected from his look.

"It is no spell, it's the power of faith." Came the answer, completely serious. "Uh, did I burned you? It shouldn't happen. My bad?"

Hard to tell with how resistant to pain he was. Ludvig moved his hand and... she blinked slowly. The wound's gone. Huh, potent healing too. Good to have him around.

The two naturally drifted off, one to tend to the wounded musketeer while the other checked the other downed two. Looked like the soldiers' hard head saved them, not even a fracture. Probably concussed somewhat bad though, shouldn't move them yet.

"All in all, that went pretty well." Yellow eyes flickered to the lone sarkaz standing nearby, so carefree. Mirielle offered a nod. "I had it covered, but... ,good job. Watch over these two please."

With that, she start trundling back to where what must be the noisiest man in the region laid on the ground, spewing nonsense without the slightest hint of intelligence in his behavior. Her scowl returned yet again.

This could've went so much better.

Absolved Will Be the Saviors

The divine armor scattered into a million motes of light, rapidly dissipating as it trailed away in Mirielle's wake like the tail of a comet. It had done its job, allowing her to close in to the marksmen unharmed, and between her aura and combat expertise... they're not getting another shot.

Even if the burning sensation was relatively muted on these misguided fools, the full-body searing pain should be crippling enough that most people could only drop and writhe. Should they still stand she'd aim to debilitate, steel gauntlet and greaves striking the hands and shins. Her sword was the distraction, flickering forward in seemingly fatal feint only to create gaps in their defenses.