An Assassin's Adventure: The Great Conjunction

Chapter 32: Jailbirds

Following a quick healing spell from Riveria, where the elf offered handfuls of unwanted scoldings, Hit trudged over to the main tent. The large structure had been erected in preparation for the squad's arrival and was bustling with activity. Camp morale had skyrocketed, and Loki familia members flittered about, enjoying their short break.

Hit drew a few glances as he approached the immense dome; people were starting to realise just how abnormal his strength was. The tent was encircled in gold bunting and was topped with a Loki familia flag. The dancing clown symbol fluttered in the wind, as if it were dancing. Hit pushed open the wooden door, an oddity for such a structure.

Upon entry, Hit scoured the room with his gaze, and was greeted by a relatively grand space. Red, blue, and yellow carpets lined the ground, weaved with spiralling gold designs. Chairs and tables were neatly lain at the borders of the room, where individuals sat scribbling away. At the centre of the room, Finn sat on a wooden box, elevated by a platform, and was surrounded by his fellow executives. Two individuals rested on their knees at the centre of the room, gagged and chained: they were the suspects that Hit had taken in.

Hit marched up and stood to their side. As soon as the two grovelling worms noticed him, their eyes widened in terror, and their bodies trembled.

Finn blinked and followed their gaze and was surprised to see Hit. The boy was so quiet when he moved, even managing to sneak up on such experienced commanders. Although, the troubling news was weighing heavily on their minds. "That is the strongest reaction we have coaxed from them yet... You must have left quite the impression, Hit."

Hit raised his head to meet the pallum's, noticing that the rest of the assembly were in an incredibly sombre mood. "And yet, they remain silent. Do you recognise their symbols?"

Finn nodded, gravely, and picked up a piece of paper. Another member of the familia had transcribed the scribbles, which saved Finn from having to handle rotting remains. "Unfortunately, I do. These symbols were frequently observed within Evilus bases, particularly surrounding ritual sites..."

The captain stared at the potential evilus members with revulsion and hate. "Either these are true members of the insidious group, or just pitiful fools hiding behind its name."

The pallum sighed to calm down and smiled cordially at Hit. "Now that you're here, Hit, how do you think we should proceed?"

Finn was out of options. Soon, he would have to temporarily part with the suspects. They had attempted to remove their gags; however, the woman had instantly tried to bite her tongue, and the man had remained completely still, staring off into space. Hit had finally managed to elicit a response from them.

Hit looked down, between the two individuals, and made a conclusion. "The woman is useless, too far gone. Let me try the man."

Finn nodded, but was not about to give the boy free reign. It bothered him how Hit had obviously tortured the two; what had the boy experienced to become someone to resort to that? "I will allow it. However, you are not to harm them."

Hit huffed and walked over to the coward. 'Then this will be a waste of time...'

Hit tore the man's rope gag, which had been reapplied in case he also resorted to suicide. Brown eyes flickered between fear and despair. "I-I can't, I j-just can't..."

Hit rolled his eyes, not seeing what he could do to persuade him. He turned around and addressed Finn. "Have you identified them?"

The pallum nodded, reading over another sheet of information. "Yes, they're members of a wanted band of thieves: Hugo and Naga. We should be able to locate any living family members once we reach the surface."