☆ Event Log: Snatched, Part Two

[faileas]

Event Log: January, Snatched - Part Two

I. A Great Escape (20th, Evening) It's been a miserable six days for the Mirrorbound and refugees kept locked away in a basement cell block, subject to all kinds of torment and experimentation. They're a resilient sort, though, and their efforts to organize and bolster each other are not in vain. As the time passes with no sign of the City Guard drawing close to their operations, the Rathmore family grows overconfident, and characters can hear them talking to each other about another mass-kidnapping in the works. The best opening comes late on the night of the 20th. A few of the family's numbers are out - notably, Thomas Rathmore, his wife, and his mother are attending an emergency meeting of Parliament, and Constance is making an appearance at the Coven. This leaves the more inexperienced cousins in charge, the lesser known Rathmores with no particular skill outside of cruelty. Changing of the guard begins as usual, a handful of Rathmores delivering some sparse rations and taking their time to choose a few prisoners to remove from their cells, but this time, the Mirrorbound bite back. Thanks to the collaborative efforts of Daenerys and Asura, along with the prisoners preparing an organized revolt, a fire started in the torture room provides chaos and cover - and one dead Rathmore cousin, whose body gives up some of the keys to a handful cells. Time to play the cards you've held close to your chest over days of torture, your held-back spells, your tricks, your items that weren't confiscated. A mass escape isn't likely, with so many people still present in the building and so many of the captives injured and tired, but with enough of a distraction in the form of a prison riot, which may be enough to overpower the three Rathmores initially left in the cell block, a handful of scrappy Mirrorbound may make it out to safety before reinforcements arrive. a. The Escape Attempt There is one door out of the cell block, the main, heavy, warded door that the Rathmores enter and exit from every few hours. It's locked down tight - but it's possible to power through it, pick the lock, or charm it open. On the other side of the door, in the greater basement area, they'll find themselves free of the Bond dampening. Witch magic make take some time to return, depending on whether they were drugged or only charmed, but it'll be important to move quickly. The Rathmores' basement area is large - the size of the mansion above and the grounds put together, and they'll find themselves on the lower of two levels. The cellblock turns out to be a room within an even bigger room, with the stairs at the opposite end. The dangers are numerous: magical and mechanical traps set in areas marked off-limits, illusions intended to confuse and turn people around. There is only one completely safe path from the cellblock door to the stairs, unless they take the time to disarm the traps and illusions with their returning magic and abilities. That safe path is faster but more exposed, with two or three Rathmores in pursuit, and also the other people that could occasionally be heard outside the door - young aristocrats in on the kidnapping, who thought the Mirrorbound would be sent home. They're just as surprised to see you as you are them. In fact, it's not difficult to overpower these non-Rathmore kidnappers; they're obviously shocked to see Mirrorbound still here, in such states, and some are quite angry, or scared to learn what they've inadvertently gotten themselves into. A good handful flee instead of fight, but some others follow through on the shouted orders to go after you. Use the chaos your appearance causes to your advantage. Once escapees reach the upper basement level, up the stairs and through a hidden door, a few more traps remain, but up here, it looks more like a normal basement; servants' quarters, empty for some time now, storage rooms full of antiques, and winding hallways connecting them. It's easier to hide in this dusty maze to escape any pursuers, and eventually, they find the servants' exit out onto the back grounds. From there, freedom is just a run and a decorative, wrought-iron fence away. b. The Chaos Back in the cells, everything descends into chaos. The Rathmores are furious; while two or three of the cousins go after the escapees, the rest begin to gather down in the cell block, put out the fire, and the interrogations begin. They don't bother taking prisoners out to torment them now - they can't, with their torture room charred and smokey. Their main focus is forcing prisoners back in, and locking everything down with magic and heavy chains, to ensure no one else gets out. They grow more vicious now, and they begin speaking directly to the captives - they want to know which ones got free, how they managed it, who helped them, where they're going, who they're going to tell. Those who refuse to talk will be gagged or muzzled or simply beaten without finesse, and they'll move on to the next captive. Preying on the Mirrorbound's camaraderie with each other is the tactic they quickly turn to, hurting one to try and make another talk. The talk outside the main door grows louder in these few hours, angrier. Occasionally one of the Rathmore cousins will go out to spin some lies, or simply shout down any protesting. Some of the enchantments were damaged in the riot, though - they can hear you, just as well as you can hear them, muffled but still mostly clear. The more they hear from within, the more the confusion outside grows; all the better for the escaped Mirrorbound. ..."What's going on? Those were Mirrorbound that got out-" "We thought you were sending them home!" "You told us there was no risk, that this would make them leave-" "You don't need to worry about that! Go back upstairs!" "Someone needs to get a message to our Uncle Thomas immediately-"... They're all panicking as their grand plans, flimsy as they may have been, start to crumble around them. It's just a matter of time, now. The OOC post for the escape plotting is here if anyone needs to refer back to it! Eight characters will be escaping first thanks to a joint effort. The rescue will be underway within two hours of their escape, but those two hours are likely to be unpleasant for characters who remain in captivity. Any NPC maimings or proposed deaths need to be reported on the City Tracker; please note that mass murder / killing NPCs will still have consequences and needs mod approval first, but we're happy to work with players however we can.

II. The Cavalry (21st, Very Early Morning) The City Guard is closer than the Rathmores think. Thanks to Mirrorbound investigative help, not always strictly legal but still appreciated nonetheless, they've all followed the clues back and determined a possible address. By the evening of the 20th, several members of the Guard and Witches from the Coven, along with any Mirrorbound who followed the trail, are camped out at a manse nearby, the home of a wealthy widow eager to see her nasty neighbors knocked down a peg. Without solid evidence, the Guard can't get a warrant cleared to search the property owned by a Mr. Barclay, assistant to Thomas Rathmore, but solid evidence comes as soon as eight Mirrorbound manage to fight their way out of captivity, returning to friends and Bonded. They are the last piece of the puzzle, and now legal action can be taken. Theodore Rosethorne, leading a small group from the Coven, sends out a magical message to just the Mirrorbound - they've been found. Anyone who wishes to help bring their missing fellows home, anyone who can help with much-needed healing, or anyone who wishes to bring their captors to justice needs to show up now, because time is of the essence. The Guard can't mobilize more men quickly enough in the middle of the night to be useful and they need all the hands they can get, without a floor plan of the mansion or solid ideas of the captors' numbers. They can barely wait an hour for more hands to arrive before it begins. a. The Rescue Sowilo, Theodore's Bonded Fae and a skilled hand at illusions (and seeing through such), leads the rescue efforts, along with some of Theodore's Witches from the Coven. With information from the escapees, they plan to go through the back, take the servants' exit, and make their way down to the basement levels, while Theodore's assault team will go through the front doors, making as much noise as possible. Sowilo's illusions will keep their presence masked at least until they get into the house. The aim is to get through as quietly as possible, find the cellblock, and secure a safe route to take the prisoners out without them getting hurt any worse than they are. It's easier said than done. Magical and mechanical traps of various types litter both basement floors, and heavy illusion work has been placed to obscure the way. Splitting into smaller groups to disarm the traps and deal with the illusions will be necessary, as the entire group will make its way down to the cellblock as quickly as possible. Sowilo hopes they face little to no resistance, with Theodore's group doing their job, but a few, Rathmores and otherwise, are bound to try and stop them; in that case, they will have to fight. "Make sure you can argue a case for self-defense, if you have to hurt them," Sowilo will tell the rescuers and later the freed prisoners on the way out, wings fluttering agitatedly. "Let them be arrested and publicly humiliated in court - ruin their whole family line for generations to come." He's not happy about it either, and will overlook some of the captors getting a taste of what they deserve, but deaths are not permitted on his or the Witches' watch: anyone who takes things too far will find that the person they're attacking has simply vanished - a convincing illusion - before they're handily knocked out with a spell. They face less resistance than the assault team, but less is not none; a few of the Rathmores are determined to salvage their efforts, and some of their unwitting aristocratic cronies have sided with them. Once they reach the cellblock, dismantling the enchantments that keep the prisoners restrained and addled is the first order of business for some. Others can start unlocking cells and helping people out of their restraints. Protection for the escapees on their way out will also be necessary, as well as medical attention back at the temporary base camp. The main focus has to be on those lost friends and loved ones, bringing them back out to freedom and making sure they're tended to - not on revenge. b. The Assault Theodore Rosethorne, along with some members of the City Guard and some Witches from the Coven, leads the assault. While the rescue team goes around the back, they plan to go through the front door, as loudly and conspicuously as possible. The mansion is large and needs to be swept from top to bottom for perpetrators and evidence that can be used in court. Those joining up with this team are warned that it needs to remain legal - the Mirrorbound and the refugees, all of them, have a very shaky, uncertain legal status within the city, and a mass murder could severely harm what good will they have from the locals as well as their status here. After all, many are still neutral to positive on the Mirrorbound, but that could change in an instant. The Coven will take as much responsibility as they can, but they cannot accept the blame for a senseless slaughter. Splitting into smaller groups will be necessary in order to cover more ground quickly. The aim is to locate, subdue, and arrest as many of the culprits inside as they can. The Guard provides magic-suppressing cuffs, and the Coven a basic knock-out spell, but since many will not go so willingly, some degree of force may be unavoidable. If there's one thing the rich fear, it's a legal black mark on their family name and reputation - the Rathmores will fight back harder than their underlings, but they're also the ones they need alive to face the justice system. Those outside the family, those who only knew about the kidnapping portion, are a mixed bag - some might fight back, siding with the Rathmores, but some might give themselves up once the realization of what happened in that basement sinks in. Once they make their entrance, things move quickly. Several wealthy aristocrats either flee or fight, but their attention is thankfully pulled away from the basement and toward the upper levels. There are dozens of rooms to search, and many are cluttered with an old hoarding family's antiques, furniture piled against doors and windows blocking access to some areas, hundreds of nooks and crannies among the sheer amount of stuff provide cover for culprits to hide in. It's going to be work to ferret them all out and bring them in. Worse still, the Rathmores have collected dozens of cursed or enchanted objects that may be used as weapons against the forces of justice. Some degree of force is expected, but still if anyone tries to take things too far, they might find themselves slapped into cuffs or knocked out with a spell themselves. Any NPC maimings or proposed deaths need to be reported on the City Tracker; please note that mass murder / killing NPCs will still have consequences and needs mod approval first, but we're happy to work with players however we can.

III. The After (21st On) Activity continues all through the night and late into the morning at the former Rathmore estate. All the Rathmores and a couple dozen other wealthy aristocrats are brought out in cuffs over the course of several hours, while all the prisoners are liberated to receive medical attention and reunite with their loved ones. The Guard take statements from everyone who will give one - what they witnessed, what happened to them, what they know - and all who were affected are told they will be invited to testify at trial. A gathering crowd forms at the end of the street, wealthy neighbors aghast at the horrors they're learning had occurred right in their District. Most are disgusted with the once-prominent family. On the steps of the Parliament building, Thomas Rathmore, his wife, and his mother, all sitting members of Parliament themselves, are publicly arrested in front of colleagues and on-lookers early in the morning. Constance Rathmore is taken out of the Coven roughly in magic-suppressing cuffs, surrounded by a small group of furious Witches, students of the Coven who spent the week trying to find the missing Mirrorbound and refugees with Divination. They escort her to the prison themselves. All who are arrested are transported to holding cells of their own within the City Guard - all except those requiring urgent medical attention, who will remain cuffed to their hospital beds until trial. Nessie and Mhairi make an appearance at one point to give the Mirrorbound their sincerest apologies for what happened, and Mhairi delivers the news that they're pushing for an expedited trial in Parliament, in order to keep Thomas Rathmore from bribing any contacts. They, along with Theodore and Sowilo, and the Guard, are all open and forthright with what will happen next: public trial and a certain conviction, followed by sentencing. They don't expect that the Rathmores will get away lightly; what they did is too public and too horrific for even the anti-Mirrorbound wealthy to stomach. Those others who were involved, who weren't aware of what was going on behind that metal door, they'll still face justice themselves, no doubt. In the meanwhile, those kept hostage will need all the help they can get to reach something resembling normal again. Hug your loved ones, nourish your Bonds with each other, and begin trying to heal together.

Welcome to Part Two of January's event log, Snatched! An aftermath summary of the trial and sentencing will go up on Feb. 4, the day after the City Tracker deadline, so get your submissions in if you have them! More politically-oriented characters may find an opening in the near future to enact change within Parliament and provide their own representation within the city...

And as a general reminder, please make sure to use content warnings where necessary in your headers!

Comments

[bloodypath]

[A wrath mirrored within the Bond, if in a different form. His fury circled him like a burning star, separate and distant, but potent.]

[He almost wants to laugh again, seeing the poor Rathmore tremble. Good for him to at least recognize how wildly in over his head he was.]

[Hubert could hear his conjured beast sweeping through a room somewhere west of them, panicked shouts filtering out among the crashes—but no shrieks of pain. The mage waves his glowing hand, a simple work of telekinetic force knocking the sword from their opponent's shaking grip.]

Why don't we let him make that choice? [Another flick of his fingers, and the sword shoots along the ground and away from the man's desperate lunge. Let him tremble. Let him fear for his life.]

[unyieldingmarch]

As you say.

[Edelgard, emotions like a cauldron set to boil and coming to a head, steps forward and slams the butt of her axe into the floor, jolting the desperate man scrabbling for his sword. She is not bothering with a shield today, but she does bang the bone haft against her armor in a warrior's show.]

You have three options. [Her words are cold, biting.] Face me, face my companion, or surrender quietly. We are but the vanguard...and I have no qualms about taking your head if you make me.

You have lost, so make your choice.

[bloodypath]

[The tremble spreads from the man's hands to the rest of him, enough that he collapses backwards when he tries to retreat.]

D-don't h-h-hurt me, [He utters, words nearly unintelligible for how his voice shakes.] I d-didn't know. What, wh-what they were...

Mm. [Hubert's little grunt dripped with disappointment.] A sensible one. Pity.

[The mage waves a guard forward as he stalks further into the mansion. From the westward room, a man flies into the reception hall, bouncing across the floor as he tumbles, and curls into a ball once he stops. The Nightmare appears crouched in the doorway and shrieks; another Rathmore associate was wrapped up in the shadow tendrils trailing behind it, clothes torn and pale with terror, but (largely) unharmed.]

[unyieldingmarch]

[Edelgard offers the terrified Rathmore a nasty smile, stalking forward, unafraid of the tenebrous monster holding him in it's clutches. Her hand jerks out sharply, grabbing him by the face and forcing him to look into her eyes.

Eyes that now flash with a cold light, turning his legs to jelly and silencing his shrieks. His body goes limp, sagging under her mesmeric gaze.]

Where are the people that you kidnapped?

[His mouth opens to stammer out something sharp, but her grip tightens, and she redoubles her mental efforts.]

B-Basement. [He mumbles.] They are in the basement.

[Releasing him, Edelgard waves another guard over to cuff the man before facing Hubert.]

Shall we?

[bloodypath]

Wait. [He stops the guards roughly starting to drag the mesmerized one away.] We should keep that one, for now. To have an operation this large, and yet to keep so many in the dark... it should not be straight-forward to find.

[Parts of the basement, anyway. Which Hubert suspects from an entirely theoretical standpoint and without experience whatsoever, clearly.]

[He seizes the man by the back of the neck as the Nightmare releases him, and the conjured beast stalks forward, poking its head into other rooms before snapping its attention upward and scuttling up the stairs.]

You will guide us, lest I give you back to my creature.

[unyieldingmarch]

Good thinking, yes.

[Edelgard nods to the guard, and the man nods, having no objections to that.]

I...yes...

[His voice is dreamlike, confused, and frightened, but with no fight left in it. He draws himself up and starts to walk ahead slowly, compelled quite strongly.]

I will take the lead, Hubert. See if you can ferret out others with your Nightmare.

[bloodypath]

[A fascinating thing, to watch the enthralling work in person. Either already having made up its mind, or a silent command from Hubert, the Nightmare disappears upstairs, moving with intent and another eerie shriek.]

As you wish, Your Majesty.

[To be honest, that's for the better. He could use another minute to regain his strength after such a complex spell, blood-aided casting or not. Hubert falls into step a few paces behind, hand still faintly glowing and his attention focused on everywhere that wasn't straight ahead; Edelgard was more than capable of keeping watch of the prisoner and what was ahead.]

[unyieldingmarch]

[The man marches on leaden legs towards a side chamber, and instead of going for the main room, heads for a bookshelf. Tugging free a specific volume, he opens a secret door into the basement...and promptly falls on his ass as another Rathmore rushes out. A woman this time, wielding a pair of daggers.]

...This is ridiculous.

[Daggers? Really?

Edelgard catches one on her armored gauntlet, then grasps the other woman's hand, twisting it painfully.]

I was expecting more resistance, weren't you, Hubert?

[bloodypath]

[Something was odd about that rush. Hubert couldn't pinpoint what.]

They're unprepared. Considering how quickly the raid was organized...

[Their enthralled guide. He fell straight back, not to the side, like there were—]

[It's a split second decision, but Hubert darts backwards just as pain flashes in his chest. The iron filings he normally reserves for Fae and Puca's already in his hands, lashing out with it; the particles are heavy and make for a poor cloud, but enough of them cling to the invisible figure to serve its purpose.]

[He hadn't heard a thing. Edelgard hadn't heard a thing. Visual and auditory invisibility; this newcomer was a talented Witch. Had they not taken their enthralled guide, that shallow slice under Hubert's collarbone would've probably been through his ribs, instead.]

Clever, [he hisses maliciously, and retaliates with the spell that's been in his hand. The iron-speckled figure stumbles into the side wall in time with the deep WHUMP of the telekinesis' impact, the purple glow disappearing from Hubert's hand.]

[unyieldingmarch]

Ah!

[Edelgard makes a soft noise of surprise, but she's experienced enough a combatant to not let this rattle her. That knife could have gone for her, but was their mistake to attack Hubert first.

Before the stunned Witch can move, Edelgard is on them, rushing headlong and driving an armored shoulder into the outline of the Rathmore.]

But not clever enough it would seem.

[Her body presses in hard, and it's not difficult to find a throat to grip in a gauntleted hand.]

Show yourself, wretch.

[bloodypath]

[The invisible form sags under her armored weight and strength, but without the gasp that one might expect. Hubert chuckles as he raises his hand in warning at the first woman with the dagger.]

You only need keep that pressure for a moment more.

[And sure enough, hardly a few seconds later, the illusion falters; a sputtering, choking noise suddenly fills the air as if unmuted, the Rathmore red in the face as she struggled to breathe. She's clearly dazed with pain and asphyxiation, but the Witch moved her free hand determinedly, trying to cast.]

[Unsuccessfully, this time. There's a few sparks, but she couldn't concentrate through this distress. The frantic motions falter, and she looked on the precipice of passing out.]

[unyieldingmarch]

[Edelgard, ready to batter aside the woman's arm if she managed to gather that spell together, glares daggers into the now visible assailant's face. Pulling back the pressure so as not to throttle her, however, has an unexpected side effect. Some skin, caught in a joined in the Emperor's gauntlet, tears and a trickle of blood runs down the Rathmore's pale throat.

Eyes widening, the scent of it wafting into her nostrils, something breaks in Edelgard before she can pull away. For weeks now, she's held out. For months she's ignored the uncomfortable hungry pangs that accompanied each meal. She knew the time would come, and she had begun attempting to accustom herself to blood dripped into tea and the like...but she's yet to come this close.

So, she lunges forward, sinking her fangs into the soft skin around the Witch's scratched neck and drawing a throaty gasp from her victim.]

[bloodypath]

[The Bond gives a flicker of warning, that buckling of will, but Edelgard's already lunged by the time Hubert processes the meaning.]

[Why now? Nevermind that a number of hypothetical reasons immediately surface with internal chastisement hot on it's heels; Hubert should have considered those things more carefully. When his attention snaps to his liege, the first woman makes a wild dash. She darts by Hubert, slashing haphazardly with her uninjured hand.]

[The swipe misses by a mile as Hubert dodges with a muttered curse, but it buys her enough time to escape into the hallway—he couldn't split his attention like this.]

Control yourself, Lady Edelgard!

[Could she, even? If that precise phrase wasn't enough to snap her back, he'd intervene—but Hubert was suddenly quite conscious of his own minor wound. His hand hovers above his cut, burning the spilled blood into magic. It's not much, but it's enough to conjure a few small creatures (a dozen wasps) to pursue the fleeing woman.]

[unyieldingmarch]

[Can she? Yes, as it turns out, she can. The moment she feels his emotions jerk like that, and hears her name and that word she breaks off her attack. Releasing her victim and jumping backwards like the now woozy woman was on fire, blood dribbling down her chin, Edelgard whirls away from the sight and covers her face in her hands.]

Goddess...

[There's nothing else she can do save for breathe at the moment, and breathe hard. Chest heaving like a bellows, Edelgard stares down at her bloody gauntlet as the Coven guard escorting them gives her a sympathetic look before hefting the downed witch to carry off.]

...I had hoped that urge would not come on so strongly.

[Regret slips through the bond, and shame, but also resolve. Resolve to never let that happen again.]

[bloodypath]

[He quietly watches her for the moment. Regret and shame, Hubert had no idea what to do with. The guards, his Nightmare, or the other Mirrorbound would likely see to the escaped woman, so he decides to leave it be for now.]

[Hubert steps closer—but only just to his arm's length to offer her a handkerchief, still aware of his own wound.]

As had I. Foolishly naive of both of us, considering what we know of other Monsters.

[It's that resolve he decides to focus on.]

Is it still present? If it will impede your focus, I can return to the residence in an instant to retrieve something.

[He might have used a great deal of blood to conjure the nightmare, but he still has some remaining in his lab. He did have vials with him (magically sealed and preserved), but only of Witchblood, which he wasn't willing to hand out.]

[unyieldingmarch]

[She takes the cloth, eyes never once straying towards his wound. She could smell it, but she was well and truly in control over herself now. Dabbing the cloth against her chin, she cleaned away the blood, and then poked at it with her red-smeared tongue.]

...No. I will be fine. It was a momentary lapse. Now that I have tasted it...truly...for the first time, I think it will be easier to manage in future.

[She and he both know how iron-hard her resolve can be.]

You are injured. Is it deep enough to require medical attention?

[bloodypath]

[Did she just... nevermind.]

Hardly. It's a scratch.

[Unless it was going to distract her... but, Hubert trusted Edelgard's assessment. He'd never encountered a resolve stronger than hers. If his injury was going to be an issue, he expected his liege to explicitly mention so.]

It seems our guide served a greater purpose than we expected. [Flatly,] I could almost thank him.

[It would've certainly required medical attention, had there not been a human speedbump.]

[unyieldingmarch]

I suppose there is that.

[Edelgard folds her arms, crushing the handkerchief in her gauntlets and looking towards the hidden room.]

Quite the ambush they attempted. She was talented. I didn't even feel her pass by me. A pity that she chose to engage in a plot like this.

[A pity indeed.]

What did you send after the other, anyway?

[bloodypath]

Merely a handful of wasps. I didn't have the means to attempt anything more ambitious in the moment.

[He shakes his head. That few would only serve to torment the woman—well deserved, he's sure. Still, Hubert's not worried.]

Even if she isn't slowed down, we're here in force. If the other guards or Mirrorbound do not find her, my other conjuration likely will.

[His attention followed her towards the hidden passage. They're moving in the right direction, at least. A distant concern flickers through the Bond.]

[unyieldingmarch]

Good enough.

[She trusts his assessment, and so makes for the passage, this time making sweeping-half strokes with her axe as she passes through and into the narrow space. That should make it more difficult for an invisible assailant to sneak by.]

Stay behind me. Let's...get this done. Corrin feels restless, and I know that Marianne and the others are going to need our help.

[bloodypath]

Of course, Your Majesty.

[...]

[But that distant concern doesn't go away, even if no doubt accompanies the feeling. Hubert falls in line behind her.]

Are you ready?

[His words, so slightly softer than usual, carry a subtle emphasis on "you." They saw the state of the escapees, heard their tales, but... they truly didn't know the extent of what it was like down there. What horrors and demons awaited. He didn't expect Edelgard to falter, but still...]

[unyieldingmarch]

[She's grateful for the consideration. She had, of course, faltered very slightly when everything had come out. The condition of the people, the way they had been treated...it struck close to her heart.

But she could not let that stop her. She would not. The bond makes it plain her resolve is harder than ever.]

I am ready.

[For the sake of those waiting below. For the opportunity to end this terrible ordeal, hopefully forever.]

I have to be.

[bloodypath]

[Only then does the concern ebb, though the flickers of sympathy don't. A mirroring resolve rises in its place as Hubert nods, even if Edelgard couldn't see it.]

I understand. They will not escape.

[There's a quiet iron in his voice. Edelgard would not waver, and he would not let her. And they would not maim or kill them, no... Hubert could be so very patient.]

[unyieldingmarch]

Marianne. Enkidu.

[She says the names of her people quietly, as though they were the beginnings of a spell to grant her courage. She has no fear of losing her nerve, not with the fury that's had time to fester within her, and within Hubert.]

...Let's go, Hubert. These so called aristocrats must be brought to justice for what they have done.

[bloodypath]

Gladly.

[The word falls out venomously, a malicious delight dripping from it.]

[He has no attachment to these people, not even Marianne, but his despise for the crime itself is more than sufficient to fill the gaps. Hubert hungered to do so much more than bright the perpetrators to justice—to serve it himself—but no, that was no longer his role here. They had to be patient.]

[And so he would be.]