The Fireball: XXXIII
Adleth was thrown off of her seat slamming into the wall adjacent to the bar, her head beat with a pulsing throb as she tried to shake it off. Her ears rang with the sounds of an explosion driving her insane. Adleth grit her teeth as she pulled her two short swords leveling them at the ready.
"The next person to knock on that door! DIES!" She screamed in anger. She looked around to her fellow compatriots who had seemingly also been knocked off their chairs, well.. All except Alekzandr who was peacefully sitting at the bar sipping away his drink happily which was in fact; on fire. She sighed, stabbing her swords into the floor to pull herself up.
"Hey not the hardwood we just had that done!" Herod groaned in response she rolled her eyes and waved her sword around the tavern.
"If you hadn't noticed.. We're under attack!" She was the first one up as she ran over to the door of the tavern. The front of the manor didn't seem as bad as Adleth originally assumed. While the windows were blown and the door was clearly knocked inward, it was still on its hinges. She wished the stupid day would just be over already, looking at the distant quartz clock she noticed it was a little past five. She stepped out into the open street outside the bar breathing heavily ready to stab someone. Outside Adleth let out a deep breath, on the ground were a litter of bodies right around four total corpses as far as she could see. Their remains were charred and blackened like that of used coals in a furnace though parts of their clothing seemed to survive melted into the skin.
"What the hell happened.." Adleth looked to her left to see a dizzy Asher. "Oh shit, dead bodies." She nearly laughed at Asher's casual mention of the bodies, though she could've sworn she saw a look of sympathy on the mask but it was probably her eyes playing tricks on her.
"People got.. Blown up I'd assume." She responded, around her she saw fleeing figures and screaming women everywhere. "Of course everyone needs to scream.." Adleth added as she stepped forward and noticed laying on the ground next to the door to the tavern was a smaller shorter body then most with its arm stretched out at the door.
"Oh.. that's.. Damn." Herod asserted behind her. The group filed out of the manor slowly and they stepped over the various bodies. She knelt down next to two of the bodies she saw outside the front windows of the manor. They were dressed in pretty common clothing, their belongings mostly scorched. Though Adleth spotted some gold coins in one pocket and quickly snatched them away.
Alekzandr hummed. "This.." She looked over to a concerned Alekzandr who was clutching his rifle close, it's nice to see him suddenly reacting to the utter destruction wrecked out of their home. She thought. "This was a fireball.. I can tell.." He bent over as she witnessed him wipe his fingers against the ash on the ground.
"Please don't taste it." Herod spilled. She tried to look away through spread fingers while Alekzandr brought the ash to his lips and licked it. "Oh dear Vulity he tasted it." Herod made a series of gagging noises which got a laugh out of Riu.
"Comrades we are at the scene of multiple murders, can we not take this seriously?" Alekzandr's tough tone came out and Adleth nodded in light agreement. "You all should grow up." He continued.
"Yeah, and dogs should stop licking themselves. It's not gonna happen." Asher interrupted, and she tried to not smile.
"Excuse me! You there!" A male voice yelled. Adleth turned to see a sight of guards approaching them. There were two of them dressed in their pompous silver curved helmets and absurd colored capes they held like some kind of symbol of pride.
"Nope, I'm not dealing with pigs." Adleth scoffed, reaching out she grabbed Markos who squealed in response and his face lit up red and pulled him close to herself. "Talk to the guards half-elf." She whispered into his ears. She threw the trembling cultist behind her at the men.
"Uh h-hello" Markos offered behind her, she began looking over the short body in front of their door. He had dried muddy looking shit on his boots, he wore a black charred cloak whose edges seemed to still have the leftover remnants of flakey crap.
"Spent some time in the sewers." Adleth looked over at Asher who was studying the body with her. "He was a real poop dragger." He poked the corpse. She reached around checking the dead.. Halfling she assumed, maybe a gnome it wasnt really clear.
"Pouch." Adleth whispered as she looted a small leather pouch off the corpse, opening it she was surprised to see it was hardly touched barley even charred, inside she saw a few gold dragons along with a couple gemstones. Another small purse however was opened and spilled on the ground next to the corpse, she knew Asher didn't touch it. Neither did she. On his cloak she saw a faded insignia, that of a golden dragon.
"Hi Non-believers, I'm Markos we're the uh.. Owners of this establishment... we came outside as soon as we.. were hit by the giant explosion." She tried to tune out the effeminate screeches of the cultist behind her. Clearly this guy on the ground was here to see them.. He must've been the one to knock on their door.
"Why though?" She looked over to Asher like he was reading her mind. "What was he here for?" Adleth shrugged.
"Let's look at the other bodies." She muttered standing up and turned to see the guards fleeing in another direction. "Thank god the pigs are gone." She congratulated herself, the cultist could always dismay anyone who showed up. Adleth pushed her way through Herod and Alekzandr, with Markos trailing quickly to the bodies.
"Any Ideas?" Herod asked as he poked the female looking corpse with his sword. She tried to study the charred remains but felt uneasy, anything discernible was.. Adleth grabbed the burned right arm with her gloved hands turning it over. Due to the fire damage it was truly difficult to see but ever so slightly Adleth could make out a winged serpent tattoo. "Zhentarim." Herod spat, she nodded, the gang of criminals.. By the looks of their bodies adjacent to the tavern and the location of the gnome guy..
"They were running, trying to nab him." Asher interjected pointing to the body. "Well.. at least they all went out in a.. Blaze of glory?" He suggested. She looked at the bodies aside from burned cloaks and some torn string; she couldn't make out any reasons or motives to chase the man before their door.
"Yeah but why?" She murmured, she was usually quiet so being one of the few who wasn't shell shocked by the fireball didn't put her in the best of passive stances. "Why would some shit come knocking on our door for help?" She asked as she turned to her compatriots. Herod was the first to step forward as he poked the two Zhentarim members with his sword. Vulity, Adleth couldn't imagine owning a sword that pretty, in all reality she didn't truly see the need for a pretty sword, the aim was to slash fuckers not wave around a cute blade, nonetheless the gorgeous dusky blade and its running water mixed with early plant life like green etchings truly did give it a divine glow.
"We're not learning anything from these bodies.." Herod replied, he was looking around the scene and Adleth joined him.
"If someone was trying to get to us.. while being chased, it's probably due to Renaer.. or the drow incident, they wanted some help." Adleth tried to ignore Markos, he made good points but honestly she wasn't really interested in why someone was coming to their house, just who blew it up and how many stab wounds they could take. She scanned her surroundings before something caught her eye in the far distance.
"Look, a.. kid." She walked forward, around ten feet away she swore she could see a child huddling behind a burned and scorched trash can. The kid had his fingers over the top of the can as he seemed to be hiding from.. something. "Hey, kid." Adleth went to take another step forward as a hand grabbed her shoulder. "What.." She looked over to see Asher holding her back.
"Look down." His voice was low and solemn. She frowned before looking at the ground, practically hidden in trash. Her eyes went wide as she saw two small.. Bodies. They were around halfling size, probably a boy and a girl, she wasn't fully sure, but they were certainly burned not charred like the others but.. dead.
"Oh." Adleth didn't know what to say, there wasn't any snark or sarcasm for this moment, and she detected Asher felt the same. She struggled to look up until she met the boy's eyes behind the can. He had light red skin and brown eyes with a baby face that cowered behind the bin. It was a tiefling.
"W-who are you?" The boy's voice was hoarse and quiet like he was trying to not call attention to himself. The fear in his tone was clear for her.
"I.." Riu tried to start a sentence but her words fell short.
"Oh I'm Herod, nice to.. oh.. Puderis.. why.. Please tell me next time.." Herod spun on his heel in embarrassment. Oh god Adleth thought, how do they.. ask this kid what.. he saw.
"Hi, non-believer! How are you!" Adleth's face dropped. She slowly turned to the cultist, to Markos. She could visibly see the expression on Alekzandr's, Herod's, Not Asher's, and Riu's face. Shock horror. Did he just ask.. a child who had two smoking kid bodies in front of him.. how he was doing??! She weighed gutting him.
"H..how does it look like I'm doing?" The boy protested angrily, sadness and rage filled the young one's throat. She looked over at Markos. The purple eyed girl of a boy's expression seemed to fall as he grew a slow solemn face.
"It.. doesn't seem like you're doing very good." Markos answered, his voice was.. hold on was it deeper? Adleth couldn't tell he sounded almost sympathetic.. and sad. She looked at the child wondering if he was hurt.. If this were Iliris she'd.. Well she didn't know what she would have done. The dead bodies spoke for themselves and threw rage into her system.
"Comrades.. maybe we should go.. this is a.." Alekzandr started looking around. "Wait what's that..'' She followed Alekzandr's finger to the kid's hand. In his clutches she viewed a small necklace with large red beads on it.
"Wait, that's a fireball necklace!" Herod exclaimed, she looked around confused, they realized that there was still a KID WITH TWO DEAD BODIES RIGHT?! "Where did you get that kid?" He asked the child who was still over dead bodies. Yes this was really happening. No she didn't like it.
"I.. it.. was thrown.." The kid looked horrible like he was on the verge of tears. She thought of just slamming her swords against everyone in the area.
"Shush!" Markos sneered at the group. Adleth frowned and looked around was he.. the only sane one? "Hey.. let's.. how about you tell me your name?" Markos's voice came again in a slow pace. The kid looked down hesitant and she felt herself genuinely appreciating Markos for once.
"I.. My name is.. Martem.." The tiefling answered softly, he seemed to slowly move away from behind the can.
"Hi Martem, My name is Markos.. do you.. wanna come over here? It's ok." Markos spoke again. "We're.. not gonna hurt you." Adleth's mind flicked to whether or not Markos was about to convert the child but she pushed it aside in a doubtful hope. The tiefling Martem fully moved away from the can and now stood directly in front of Markos, was his insanity something that could be switched off? Or did he just have some soft spot for kids? She wasn't sure which one was true, but for once stabbing Markos was not her top priority. "How about you tell us what happened?" He asked, it was striking how different his voice seemed to be, normally Markos spoke in a higher pitched soft feminine tone that resembled that of a wounded animal who had been let out to attack. Now.. it was.. deeper, more sympathetic and what Adleth believed to be his actual voice. "See, we're not so bad." He turned on his knee and crouched down to hold the kid turning to the rest of the party. She nearly gasped. His eyes.. they.. they.
"Are his eyes different?" Riu whispered into Adleth's ear. She wasn't sure, the normal pungent violet that filled Markos's oculus's was replaced with a dull dark greyish purple like someone had squeezed a few green leaves into it. For a few brief seconds Adleth could swear she saw his eyes flickering green before returning to this new tone.
"Excuse me.. Martem.. if you could, how did you get that necklace?" Alekzandr quizzed peacefully. The kid looked down as he palmed the necklace in his hands.
"When the explosion went off I.. I ducked behind the trashcan.. when the explosion finished I heard a plop noise.. and found it in the can." Martem pointed to the can he had been hiding behind and Adleth nodded understandingly. "When.. when I came out from behind it.. my friends they.." Martem choked back a sob and Adleth nearly picked up the kid herself, she was a cold bastard but no kid on Toril deserved that.
"Martem.." Asher kneeled for the kid and extended his hand. "Could you give me the necklace? My friends here say it's pretty dangerous." Asher spoke like a father with a disapproving yet hearty tone. Martem shook his head clutching the beads meanwhile Alekzandr and Herod sucked in deep breaths suddenly. She looked over to see them both cringing in fear.
"uh.. Martem." Markos started again but Adleth could hear his voice slipping back to its usual feminine qualities. "If that necklace.. did all this.. then.. maybe we should take it.. how about we take you to those guards over there huh? I promise they can give you some help.. just give us the necklace.. I don't want you to get hurt buddy." Adleth grit her teeth, why did Markos have to get the damned watch involved? It was irritating and unnecessary.
"I.." The child wavered for a moment. "Okay.. h-here.." Martem handed Markos the beaded necklace, though Adleth was still unsure of its importance, Markos took the necklace and smiled gleefully, a genuine expression she had yet to see from the cultist. He handed the necklace to Herod before he escorted the kid towards the guards. The party followed behind but at an arm's length, the two guards who were near them looked like pompous fucks, she walked past the left one while he started talking to Martem as she slashed off his coin purse and grabbed a scroll from his back. Hey, if they were gonna take the kid then Adleth would at least rob the swines. She passed the guards and spotted Tiger Eye's private investigations in the distance with a middle aged woman shuffling outside its doors. She turned to the party who were currently speaking to the guards. Then back at the woman who looked sheepish and seemed to have her eyes snapping in every direction. She marched over through the chaos and the descent of idiots to the woman. The lady was probably around thirty-five maybe thirty-six with light blonde hair and a pair of blue eyes. She was dressed however in a simple black dress with a black cloak, her hood was ruffled like she had just taken it off. The woman looked pretty good, Adleth thought, 'maybe another time.'
"Excuse me. Ma'am?" the woman seemed to jump a little as Adleth approached asking her a question. "You seem a little jumpy, miss." She rolled the pleasantries off in a sarcastic tone, not ready to betray her nature just yet.
"Oh well i-" The woman looked around. Adleth could see her clutching a purse in her hands. "Ok I admit it!" She frowned as the woman flabbergasted. "I know he's cheating on me! I just do! I'll get the evidence I heard he's the best! oh.. how did Gerald find out? Did he know I was watching him?" Adleth was taken aback as the woman.. admitted to.. knowing her husband was cheating on her? She wasn't really sure what she was seeing.
"Uh.. Lady, I was just curious if you saw anything to do with the explosion behind me?" she offered cringing pointing to the smoking burnt area behind her. "You just seemed.. off, Corellon, sake.." Adleth sheathed her blades as the woman had a mild panic attack.
"O-oh the explosion u-um of course.." The woman paused with a tight wild expression. "I.. you can just ignore that first bit.." the woman said softly.
"So the.. explosion?" Adleth hesitated, trying to ask. The woman nodded quickly.
"Oh yes the.. the explosion.. I.. are you with the police?" The woman inquired, she rolled her eyes.
"Look. No. I'm not with the guard.. however, my house was slightly.. burned by this little event.. So I was hoping to find the fucker who did it andddd slash him up, tell you what, tell me and I could always.. stab your cheating husband?" The woman looked a little surprised but she smiled lightly.
"Oh.. well I might.. need help with that." She replied with a bit of enthusiasm, good to see someone had it. "I.. could have sworn I saw a figure running on the roof of the buildings nearby he looked.. odd, moved like a puppet on strings.. real dark kinda glossy in a way." She admitted. Adleth pursed her lip.. moved like a puppet on strings? What did that mean? "Oh!" the woman yelped and she contemplated stabbing her too. "I also saw some other fellow.. big guy, mean looking he grabbed something when the fire went off and ran that way." The woman pointed behind Adleth in a directional alley nearby the tavern.
"Huh.." She remarked, "Alright, thanks.." She turned away seeing her party of idiots now walking towards her, though they seemed like they had finished their time with the oinkers a while ago.
"Uh, about um.. taking care of my husband-" She held up her hand.
"I live at TrollSkull manor, you need me, find me there." She walked away and back to her band of morons. As Alekzandr led the group Adleth could see a look of frustration plaguing his face. "Who killed your vodka?" She mused. Asher was holding a burnt cloak.
"Fala, the owner of Corellon's crown.. she told us she saw a cloaked figure fleeing the scene through all the smoke, her shop got hit too." Asher reported. "It's so lovely we can all be bound by this mutual event of getting exploded." He jested sarcastically.
"A woman I met." Adleth started, "She told me she saw.. a figure leaping on the rooftops during the explosion, they looked like a puppet on strings apparently." Alekzandr's expression instantly shifted as he heard that.
"A puppet on strings? Can you be more specific?" Alekzandr inquired hopefully. She shrugged.
"Honestly.. I mostly just got hired to kill her husband so.. really didn't pay much attention. She said he looked like wood I don't know." Adleth imparted. Alekzandr looked at Asher, the two of them meeting each other's eyes as Markos seemed to do the same with Herod. A mutual exchange happening mentally.
"Nimblewright." Alekzandr and Asher spoke in unison. Adleth sighed it was doubtful anyone was going to ever explain a damn thing.
"So.. what the hell is a Nimblewright?" Adleth probed curiously. She met Alekzandr's eyes.
"They're a.. wooden creature, made at the house of inspired hands. The creature you're describing sounds a lot like those." He explained and she nodded.
"And so.. do we think this.. House of inspired hands was behind this?" Riu's voice was back, something Adleth was unsure if it was a good thing or an annoyance.
"I don't know.." Asher mentioned, "But when they showed those things to us I had no idea this might happen, there's only one way to find out. Let's go to them, and let our chaos loose." Asher added. Chaos loose? What the hell did he.. "Markos get your pamphlets ready, we're converting people!" Oh dear Corellon.. Adleth cursed again.
"Let's go stab the shits, and.." She pondered. "We're getting a doorbell from now on." Yeah, that sounded good.