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Sovereign's Will: A Fantasy Roleplaying Game. [CONCLUDED]

"I think not, Lord Constable Dickweed. So far, I count about 5 shots. How many do you have left? Why don't you drop that shiny little dome you are cowering behind, and come join me for a swim? Surely, one more piece of shit could not possibly pollute the river further."

Henri smiled viciously in the warm amber glow of the metal sphere, and continued his work. He positively SEETHED inside, thinking he had unintentionally tipped off the investigation to this sniveling little dog of a man, who cowered like a frightened puppy, practically wetting himself in his brother's presence. His opinion of who's head he would like to liberate from their shoulders changed identity. He would very much like to make this little shit squeal like the pig he was. To think, this little oaf of a man was one of the "Geniuses" behind the abduction of his ward, the erstwhile prince he had grown so fond of for his pluck and wit.

"Or are you afraid that you might get grime and dirt underneath those perfectly manicured little nails of yours? Clearly, never seen an honest day's work in their lives--Oh-- Or perhaps, since you're so salty, that you might melt? Hmm? Funny, how little rats like you always come for the cheese, isn't it Lord Delving? What's the matter, your big brother too busy to do his own dirty work today? Or does he not know where you are right now? Quite the pity."

He dunked the sphere into the water, where it hissed and sizzled, then filled it most of the way full with the fouled river water, then heated only the top part to seal it closed.

"I even went so far as to make you a little present. SOME of us pay attention when we read things in the library, and got promoted to the royal court on MERIT, instead of who their daddy fucked. Oh, I am quite sure you paid a lot of money for that gaudy little pig-sticker you have, but I MADE my shell-- ALL. BY. MY. SELF. Now, I feel I must part company, Lord Dipshit. I have a tunnel to collapse."

Henri then spread his core into the metal of the sphere, then willed it to soar into the air and nestle into the masonry above, seeking a stony overhang to tuck it behind, before slipping back into the water with a sploosh, leaving just his hand exposed through the water.

He began heating the canister.

He rather hoped delving would become so furious that he would drop the barrier and storm at him-- He'd pull that little prig into the drink with him and drown him right then and there.

Sovereign's Will: A Fantasy Roleplaying Game. [CONCLUDED]

Henri could barely peek above the rim of the ledge from his current position.

He could see Delving and his men taking shelter inside the glowing dome-like barrier he was projecting from his sword. He was using some kind of gaudy looking claymore. The men under his wing were all wearing metal breastplates, but inside the barrier, they were beyond his reach. One of them appeared to be having a hard time breathing, and another was leveling his musket to fire at the group cross the waterway.

If the swing with the hook earlier had been indication, the barrier is what had arrested his prior attempt to smack Delving in the back of his damn head. Cowardly prig was cowering behind that glowing curtain like a smug little bastard. Well, There was more than one way to deal with somebody like him--- Like trapping him over here, and forcing his pansy ass to get his hands dirty himself to get loose. And he knew JUST the way to make him do it.

Timidly and very slowly, he rose from the water enough to hang over the side of the canal ledge, first the left side, to get access to the iron covering his hip and torso on that side. The heating would make a bright light, and that is unfortunate, but it may also distract Delving's goons for a moment. The heat conduction through his body would begin to boil the water still surrounding his right arm and right leg, still submerged where he was clinging to the side of the canal. This was risky shit, but it was necessary.

Work was slow and difficult, due to trying to equalize the draw of material from that side of his body to avoid having a total and complete hole in the reinforcement, and due to the heat losses from partial submersion, but he commenced work on construction of a melon or large pumpkin sized "sphereoid", with a complex dimpled and form-stiffened surface from the sacrificed metal.

Sovereign's Will: A Fantasy Roleplaying Game. [CONCLUDED]

Henri swept with the pole, and collided with an invisible force, that slightly moved the pole further away. He felt the wall, but found that it did not extend through it-- only the stone of the wall.

This was curious. Either the barrier was spherical, or some other shape that was confined to its radius. A cylinder with a hemispherical top, or some other form. The simplest would be a sphere, and would be the most likely. Curious.

He moved further down the ledge of the canal, then deployed the hook to climb up just enough to peek above the water.

Sovereign's Will: A Fantasy Roleplaying Game. [CONCLUDED]

"If you can do that, be my guest..."

"Heya boss. Quite deep up in shit creek we are today."

Henri positively beamed.

" My lady, I would be positively delighted to."

The fog began lifting as he sacrificed some of the metal surrounding him, mostly from his back (which he presumed would not need as much protection for this plan), to fashion a long metal rod, which he poked into the water from above, producing an audible hiss, and lengthening it until he had determined the depth of the river.

" Goodness, That is quite deep, --with a deep current too. Try not to fall in, kids." he mused, as he continued working, withdrawing the length of iron rod, then altering it to have alternating triangular flanges along its length where one could step or climb, and a long 90 degree flattened hook on the end, before leveling it over a shoulder, and dropping into the inky black filth with a sploosh.

Undaunted, and weighing several hundred kilograms, he could feel the current tugging on him, but could resist its flow. He marched as close to straight forward as the combination of features allowed, until he could detect the metal of Delving's uniform, and his men's weapons, altering his course to correct for the flow of the water, and the otherwise complete lack of landmarks to navigate by.

As he got in range, he reached out with his will, and willed the musket from the remaining mook's hands, toward the back of Delving's head, as hard as he could.

Something-- he could not really see what, due to the turbidity of the water, prevented the attempt. Irritated, and undaunted, he lifted the hooked pole up, and swept it along the edge of the canal, aiming to snare a foot.

Sovereign's Will: A Fantasy Roleplaying Game. [CONCLUDED]

Cedar thanked the man, then shoved a fist full of the raw bacon into his mouth like a greedy child eating sweets. It was smokey and salty, but the fat was amazing. His dad had told him that he REALLY SHOULD cook pork first, to avoid getting real sick with achy muscles, but right now he did not care, and was beyond hungry. Really, if the bacon was cured right, the salt and smoke should have solved the issue on their own. He followed it up with one of the whole cauliflower, enjoying the satisfying crunchiness.

It was by no means "A meal", but it would have to do. Solomon was clearly very eager to get on the trail, and spending a few hours cooking did not seem like his idea of a good time (No matter how much Cedar felt differently-- It was bad manners to upset the person that just paid for dinner, after all.). Instead, he grabbed the large cast iron cauldron the man heaved and rolled out of the door, stuffed the majority of his swag inside it, then tottered off toward the far edge of the farmer's field, where it abutted the treerow, near the path they had walked up. It would make a decent spot to cook up dinner later, with ready access to deadfalls for the fire, and wood to work with to make bowls and spoons with. He snatched out some carrots, before putting the large water barrel down next to it, happy to get it off his back for awhile, then sat the smaller half-barrel of salted bacon down beside both, then laid the hood of his robe over the top to keep dogs and bugs out. He really should have asked for a canvas to put down, but he was so fixated on dinner, the idea of "Not Stopping" did not occur to him until the transaction was completed.

He would just have to go around with his head uncovered for the time being.

Crunching on 3 carrots at once, he tottered up behind Solomon, and wandered further up the path to go interview the locals.

Sovereign's Will: A Fantasy Roleplaying Game. [CONCLUDED]

If it were possible to frown any harder, Henri would have done so.

He was too old for this shit. Instead, he propelled himself from the back flank, and up the right side to function as cover against musket fire. He was already damaged to hell and back- a few lead slugs would only mar the iron coating a bit more. "Mobile cover" was not really what he had intended this day, but it would have to do.

Several rounds hit him in the chest and face, peeling the iron back with loud pings, before it once more molded over the top of the shattered ceramic underneath. Jazdia leveled her bow, sucked a breath, and pulled back the string before making a carefully timed release.

"Well, miss Jazdia, quite a pickle we seem to be in. And the birdie is getting away. We should have made him sing when we had the chance. Do you have any more ideas, or should I start showing the constable how much he has bitten off this morning? His majesty will be most interested in this turn of events, I am sure. If I may be so bold as to suggest-- we should take some of these fools alive, so they can sing about their keeper to the inquisitor."

Sovereign's Will: A Fantasy Roleplaying Game. [CONCLUDED]

"I would be happy to attend his sessions." said Henri coldly. "Am I to assume that this .. Gentleman.. is in some way associated with his majesty's .. inquest? " he asked with his head cocked to one side. "If so, may I ask how, and why? Quite a lot has happened over the past 2 days, and I would like to give a .. coherent.. report to my employer, when I report back to the castle."

The look of suspicion on Jazdia's face suggested she did not trust him.

"Dont be so distrustful. A number of warehouses belonging to a certain guild were recently demolished, leaving no discernible evidence as to the cause. The authorities believe magic may have been involved, but the investigations were still pending, when I interviewed them last night. The fact that the city is under lockdown suggests the attacks are associated with our mutual quarries. Regardless, their destruction will cause problems of ... a political nature.. for our employer. Sadly, my... Recent activities... have rendered my effectiveness at completing his majesty's orders less than acceptable, and I must retire for repairs. Since I am going there anyway, I am sure our mutual employer will want answers from me concerning these matters. I do not know if the incident with the warehouses are in any way associated with your own activities to date, and his majesty is sure to inquire. It would reflect poorly if I had no answers to give him. Our associate in our other line of inquiry turned up only a corpse, and a long cold trail at the end of her investigations, and I grew.. Impatient. I was hoping that your lot had found something more tractable. It seems you have. I have a .. Personal interest.. in a positive resolution to our contractual obligations."

He turned again to the cornered man.

"I would very much like to know how this little bird fits into the larger puzzle, before I retire. It would help me in ...suggesting.. questions to the royal inquisitor."

Sovereign's Will: A Fantasy Roleplaying Game. [CONCLUDED]

Jazdia ran past him and up the stairs, quipping about his being resourceful to find her here. Now was not the time or place to discuss 'business'-- they were clearly in a hurry for something, suggesting time was precious-- AND there were more than two dozen witnesses within earshot all clamoring over each other to escape the compromised seating area-- Discussion of a clandestine mission in those circumstances was beyond foolish. He said nothing, but gave her a stern look as she leaped past.

"That's not the way! Follow me! Gerrald is heading toward the catacombs. It seemed our guy doesn't want to leg it to the surface. He has five goons blocking the way for him."

she called to the others that had preceded him.

So, it was a man name "Gerald" they were after. That's at least more than Matilda's investigation had turned up. He wanted some real leads so much he could practically taste it. These fools would easily outpace him if he did not use more unconventional modes of travel.

Abruptly, he sank through the floor as if it had become quicksand, and vanished from view. In the total darkness of the spaces between the floors and walls, the only sense he had was was sound-- Thankfully, sound traveled better through solid surfaces than through the air. He strained to detect the footfalls of the group, as they charged in the opposite direction of the thunder of the people escaping the stadium.

He could detect when an exit through the dark void of the walls and floor were near, by the way the sound distorted at the interface, and he used this to his advantage, taking as direct a path through the void as possible to keep pace with their movements. Abruptly, the sounds of their footfalls stopped, and he feared he had lost them-- Then a deafening wave of pressure went through the material around him, indicated an explosion. That had to be the elf woman, Jazdia-- He made a beeline for that location, as straight and narrow as possible.

As he approached, muffled speech was present, but he couldn't make it out until he got nearer. He could tell from the tone that it was not friendly or polite, and that it was female in origin. As he approached, the words became distinct enough to understand. She was in an enclosed space just beneath him.

"Nice tunnel you've got here. I believe you had several interesting guests last week. Let's say the Kindeance Monarch wants to have a word with you, with four horses, ropes, and hatched. How's that sound?"

"Sounds like a public spectacle. Fun for young and old-- Bring the kids." He said, as he emerged head first through the ceiling, before tipping forward to expose his chest and legs while still embedded into the roof overhead, then continuing the tipping motion to bring his legs through first, then landing with a loud clang.

"It sounds like you caught a little bird." he mused aloud at Jaz, before directing his gaze at the terrified fat man. "I'm sure it's to find out what song he sings? Shall we find out?"

His eyes glowed a terrible crimson in the gloomy lamplit illumination of the dank cellar room, before he turned his head to face Jazida "Or is there some other reason I got rewarded for tracking you down by having my ass handed to me repeatedly?"

"I ain't tellin' you nuthin!" the man spat "you'll all be dead for this!"

Henri chuckled without moving his mouth, or showing any sign of outward movement or mirth.

"You can't kill what's not alive. Surely you noticed. Now, please answer the lady's questions. I'm old, and impatient, and I am... DYING.. to know what you have to say, little man-- I can be most persuasive when I need to be."

He held up a single finger, which promptly began to very visibly heat up and glow cherry red.

Sovereign's Will: A Fantasy Roleplaying Game. [CONCLUDED]

@Randomness@A5G

Cedar's face erupted into a mischievous smirk at the notion that Solomon was paying.

"Ya sure fella?" he mused with a sparkle in his eyes. "No takesies backsies now--"

Solomon made a gregarious "Be my guest" hand gesture at the food available with his own benevolent smirk in response. The farmer just looked back and forth between them with a sparkle in his eyes and a wide smile, awaiting payment.

"Innat case...." the bear chortled, "I'll have somma dis-- somma dis-- Somma dis--- Somma dis, Somma dis-- somma dis-- Somma dis-- somma dis, and somma dis."

"Is that all?" asked the farmer, started at the rather large assortment of foods the bear had selected, including half a barrel of fatty bacon, a 20lb sack of potatoes, 4 large cabbages, a sack of carrots, a 20lb sack of pottage beans (mixed), 3 cauliflowers (whole), 4 broccoli (whole), a tray of ripe tomatoes, and a whole ham hock.

"Nope-- Ya gots a renderin' vat? How's about some nice garlic-- an onions! OOH-- an cell'ry-- Gots ta has the cell'ry--"

"Are you... Truly gonna eat all that?" asked the farmer, incredulously.

"Sure is! Not all at oncet acourse, bu' I's should has it all polished off by mornin!"

Sovereign's Will: A Fantasy Roleplaying Game. [CONCLUDED]

Henri felt the bear finally tear the plate free, as it tossed it, and him, aside like old garbage. This suited him fine-- He really just wanted the metal the beast was wearing. Needed it in fact-- he was so damaged, he needed a heavy coating to be able to withstand walking for any distance. He really did not pay much attention, as he commenced assimilation of the steel, and the make-shift full-body reinforcement. He plucked the eyeball from his throat, where it had been shoved down when he had been slammed into the pillar, and popped it into his dull grey eye socket, letting it spin and click into place, before getting up and observing the room-- The frenzied cries of the announcer being quickly cut off by a deafening explosion. He was thankful to have been thrown behind the third pillar, as the debris rained on either side of him.

He surveyed the room-- Yvonne sprang up like a rabid animal, and dashed up the stairs through the enormous gaping wound in the wall. The samurai slew the wolf that had foolishly tried to pick him up earlier-- and the bear lay on the ground gurgling and snorting blood with his scalp peeled back like the skin of a ripe fruit.

His thoughts once more returned to the kindly, and childlike bearman he had been acquainted with the day before. It struck him how at once, both of them could be so similar, and yet so different. He supposed circumstance played a great role, and he wondered how this bear might have lived, had things been different. It was not like they were a common sight-- Creatures like the two of them were so rare as to be myth, which is precisely why they sometimes ended up in places like this. For a single, solitary moment, he was sorry he had burned the beast the way he had.

Carefully, and with great deliberation, he tottered rather than walked, toward the prone bear, who only growled at his approach, before cursing at him. "GO ON AND FINISH ME THEN, YOU FILTHY LUMP OF CLAY."

Being angry was an entirely natural reaction to having your body beaten, battered, torn, and burned-- He himself was so angry he felt he could rip somebody's head clean off their shoulders, and he knew exactly which head he wanted-- but it really wasn't this bear.

"I didn't come here for that." said Henri coldly and flatly. "So I will do no such thing. I just wanted you to know, you are not alone."

The bear snorted a disgusted laugh, before speaking again.

"THE FUCK YOU'RE GOING ON ABOUT-- MUST HAVE MARBLES FOR BRAINS, THE WAY YOU PRATTLE."

"There's another bearman, you idiot." Henri retorted flatly. "Outside. Free. I met him yesterday. I thought you might want to know."

"... WHY WOULD YOU TELL ME THIS, ...FUCKING MUD-HEAD... TO RUB SALT IN MY WOUNDS? TO GLOAT AS I DIE?"

"No. To give you hope."

Finished with his good deed for the day, he levered his now considerably heavier frame to turn around, and slowly ascend the stairs behind the group that had dashed up earlier. An insanely crazed looking old crone dashed through the wide door and around him, cursing "BUTCHER!" at him, as she passed, rushing up to the downed bear man in a flurry of tears. He didn't care. He had his own fish to fry, and she wouldn't get away so easily.