Vylreene's hound sniffs her piece of clothing briefly and pauses. The creature turns it's gaze up, to the back of the now burning inn.
Vitor and Vaelron behind him run up the stairs to the first floor. Smoke is piling up at the top of the ceiling. From what they can see, it's a simple hallway with very small rooms on each side. The end of the hallway have windows looking out. The closest open window, to the West, swings slightly and permits a small bit of smoke to escape.
The drop from the West Window to the roof of the Farmers Store is only a few feet apart. The ground below roughly 8 feet below you.
Vylreene's hound barks loudly as you all see it; a tall humanoid figure, horns, slender frame, dark grey clothing with a hood concealing their face and a long thin tail. They leap swiftly and gracefully from the Farmer store to the roof adjacent and continues their fast pace until they disappears between the crooked and varied styles of roofs.
"Follow that scent!"
"Damned spawn is taking flight! I cannot follow him, you must fly after him song-bird!"
After giving up chase Vitor makes his way down the stairs to rendezvous outside with the others. Vitor witnesses Kàl making chase and Vylreene doing somewhat of the same.
"Our foe is lithe and quick, nary a chance I could catch the bastard. Go, make haste. I will rally with thee lot later."
Knowing his target will outrun him Vitor instead proceeds to knock on neighboring houses. He attempts to rally the people who have responded into saving their own block and housing. Once enough people have been swayed into action, Vitor takes his leave in the commotion. Knowing there are more important matters.
As Vitor grabs him, he listens to what he says he gives him a firm nod. Without hesitation he takes a sprint towards the west window and climbs into the window. He bends his flexible frame as he leans forward to boost himself into the jump towards the roof of the farmer store. He takes a leap
Vitor's knocking opens doors of people peeking out and even those who come running with buckets. The wild flames start gnawing at the roof of Gellmans Inn as bright, fiery light emits from the ground floor windows.
Vaelron attempts to leap but catches his foot on some loose roof shillings. His jump is cut short as he falls forward after a small hop. His hands reach the other side of the jump and he can hold on. his feet still rest on the roof of the Inn.
This would be best unless they want the same treatment as the last man who trifled with him. His steps grew larger, more confident. His breathing slowed, as urgency seemed meaningless. He stowed away his fear and doubt, to make way for cold, calculated ruthlessness. There'd be no more anger or rage when carrying out an assignment, just highly focused violence and havoc.
Vitor would promise not to let him or his compatriots' life be threatened again because he did half a job.
He thinks to himself:
"Focus now, you can't let this shadow figure get away, not after trying to cook us alive!"
"Oh...Bloody-"
He holds on to the other roof, yet also feels that he has a firm grip still with his feet. He bends his knees a little and kicks himself onto the other side immediately before gravity would win the battle of attrition.
"Ugh!!! Hmpff!!"
He takes a deep breath and sprints towards the place where he last saw the fiend.
As he dashes forward his right thumb and ring finger connect. They make the movement in a V and H shape as the bard hums in a clear high pitch tone. He casts Detect Magic
As you come to the part of the road that bends South along the City Wall, you see the hooded and tailed figure leap over the city wall. Disappearing over the edge, out of all of your sight. The summoned hound barks a few times and turns it's attention back to Vylreene, it lowers it's head.
You stand before a 3 story building made from rough, but robust wood. It's back leans on the city wall as it supports the smaller buildings next to it. It looks to be a collection of houses with several people tending to small planters, laundry by a small well and a crude large grill in front of the building. Some people look at you as they see you running and the pillar of smoke far behind you. Some try to follow your eyelines to the roofs behind them, but mostly shrug and return to their work or look on in the distance to the North.
He senses a weak magical aura ahead of him.
"Annoying as it may be, I think we should report back what we know and then pursue that old chapel. I think it's time we go to confession."
Vitor Being one of the latter to arrive, Vitor stares at the curtain of darkness the stranger disappeared in. Momentarily taking in the scene Vitor shoots a cold-hearted gaze at every civilian making direct eye contact, not looking at them but through them, weeding out any looks of sympathy or familiarity with the target. Heeding Kál's words he nods at the mention of a debrief and the old chapel.
"Nice try, Kodvar. It was nice seeing you again. May it happen again soon if the whims of my magic allow it."
She turns to Kal.
"Agreed, Murdik might have some insight on how to proceed. Checking out the chapel is definitely worth our time, in my opinion."
"hmmm....what a mess."
he says with a sigh.
Silently he tries to find roofs that lead him down to the ground. Once he plants his legs back on solid ground he makes way back to where he tossed his backpack.
The group now makes it's way back to Murdik's manor. Cutting through side streets heading North, you make your way back to the gate. Early on you see many workers run with buckets and some jumping on to carts with a large barrel on it being pulled by horses. Life continues as it did when you passed by before the further you get from Gellmans.
Without as much as a glance of the gate guards, you are able to find your way to the manor again. It is roughly 3 in the afternoon with only a few small clouds in the sky. A slight breeze keeps things cool. One of the guards at the gate welcomes you. He points you to the main door across the front yard and nods.
click.. followed by a soft snap.
Vaelron stops next to Kál right before the main door as the he watches him knock.
The bard turns his head to the monk.
"I think it's open, Kál."
Nashu Kiln, the maid and home steward to Edwin, comes down the stairs with a slight smile, a large platter of cups and an elegant flagon.
"Welcome back, Sir Murdik is upstairs in his chambers, reading and enjoying some tea. You are free to join him at your leisure. Please let me know if you require anything. I will be in the Ser's chamber again in a brief moment."
Nashu gives you a polite curtsey.
Vaelron raises his right hand and bends his neck to show some of the blistering burns marks
"Oh dear! Please have a seat while I take a look. Sir Murdik can hold for a moment."
On the small table is also a ornate flagon and small cups, she pours the water from it into several cups and beckons over the rest.
"I suppose sir Murdik can."
Vaelron takes a seat right away. He his holding his posture as well as he can. There is a polite smile on his face, yet for those who are observant enough the sweat on his forehead and the shaking hands give away that he's in a fair amount of pain."
“Thank you Nashu, your assistance is appreciated. We should appraise Sir Murdik of the information we have gathered from this mornings activities, it’s been eventful to say the least.”
Kál respectfully takes his leave from the table and heads upstairs to Murdik’s office.
”Sir Murdik, I’m here to provide an update as requested. It’s been a long morning, and we came into some trouble at the Gelman’s Inn near the south-west wall of the city. On entry to the establishment, we were met with numerous dead patrons, and a few hired hands like ourselves behind the bar. They advised us that Liberty’s Edge are being removed from Galt, and that we indeed walked in on a meeting place of theirs. Once they realised, we were not in fact Liberty’s edge, it did not change their mind, and they set on us as they did the patrons.”
Whilst talking Kál is subconsciously fixes his robe, before again clasping his hands behind his back.
”We managed to gleam some more information from them during the interaction, and it suggests that someone else is aware of your intentions, and that we have been watched since entering the city. They advised that like us, they were hired for another power to extinguish any revolutionary flames from igniting. It very much seems as whoever is behind this, want’s Galt to remain as it always has been and are abhorrently opposed to change.”
”Whoever is behind the slaughter at the Gelman’s operates from the South District. These hired hands informed us that they attend a dead-drop location in an old chapel, apparently there is a hidden compartment within the confessional booth where they retrieve their instructions from.”
”You may also hear rumbling of the Gelman’s being reduced to ash, I enthuse that this was not our doing. As we were… obtaining said information, a third party entered the situation. A tall humanoid with horns and a tail, dressed in grey and their face obscured. They threw a fire-bomb at us and the building was filled with ask and smoke not long after. This figure ran South but escaped over the City wall”.
"Our immediate plan is to scout out this dead drop and get to the bottom of who is instructing such horrors on apparent innocent souls, if you think this is the right move? Do you know anything more of who may work from the South district, or from what I have told you, any more suggestions of where we might focus our attention?”
"I would like to request, if you would oblige, a better method of disguising our identities; local clothing, masks, anything that will conceal us further than what our basic cloaks are doing. It doesn’t seem that they worked very well in the first instance, but this could equally be our doing; from talking with the locals, they are quite aware that we do not belong here."
"So we have attracted the attention of the Liberty's Edge, but so have those who would work against me to keep their position. It trickles down to the common folk and even calls specialist into the fray. Specialists who would not bat an eye at arson."
Edwin locks eyes with Kál as he explains their next step and nods.
"The Liberty's Edge being in the South District was the only lead we had. I will call on people in my service to do some research and eavesdropping for groups that might employ the bomber."
"I shall have Nashu help tailor some more conspicious clothes. I am not certain what I can offer at the moment but I am more than willing to provide gold should you wish to get some things for yourself and your group at a store."
"Thank you for bringing me this news and your persistence. You and your group have been a great help so far. While the news of the fire in the district pains me, I know you are getting closer and closer to finding out who is overseeing this. I feel a cathartic relief. Thank you, Kál."