The three detectives stood at the doorway that led back up to the surface, their eyes focused on the strange plant monster.
“Should Grugg kill it?” The cyclops narrowed his eye, but wasn’t too sure what part of the roots would need punching if that was their plan.
“I think it would give us away too soon.” Bart tilted his head. “If they know something is wrong, they might destroy evidence or make a run for it before we even get back up to the village.”
Gregor had his arms crossed, and nodded his agreement to the wizard’s point, but didn’t commit to vocalizing his support.
Grugg shrugged. He would have liked to tie things up down here so that they didn’t need to come back, but Bart did have a point. The last thing he wanted to do was try to chase people down in the fog and mud.
It seemed like a good idea to shut and bar the door back up. The group might be a bit quick and loose with the law and what was considered proper form for detective work, but they knew when not to invite danger into their lives. Mostly. Although it didn’t seem like the plant had any ideas of moving around—even if possible—they weren’t about to leave that to chance.
“Before we go up top,” Bart began, as they stood at the bottom of the ramp, “what’s our plan here?”
“Grugg think only stage people are real. So arrest and ask questions.”
The ratman grimaced. “What ser Hat might mean is that the plant-people may attack if we move against Ser and Lady Cannibal.”
Grugg shrugged. “Plants pretty weak.”
Bart sighed. “Fine. Let me send a message to Peony now that we know how serious things are.” He held his hands up to his face and concentrated, golden light illuminating his bearded face.
“Ask if Claudia doing okay,” the Detective prompted, helpfully.
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“Are you okay?” Claudia put her hand on the Investigator's shoulder.
They were both about to leave the break room to rejoin the meeting room. Lady Valoth had stopped at the doorway, one hand on the frame while the other she held up against her forehead.
A few seconds passed before Peony looked back at her, hands now relaxing. A wry grin went up at the side of her mouth, a glint of red in her eyes appearing behind her gray-scale glasses.
“Never better,” she grinned. “We need to get a messenger out as soon as possible, and let the council know we need to speak again.”
“What, why?” Claudia grimaced, thinking she had made it through enough hardship for one day. “Was that Bart?”
“It was.” Peony straightened out her outfit. “They have uncovered Nightshade and are about to make some arrests.”
The clothesmaker grinned. That definitely was good news. She paused for a second before hurrying to catch the Investigator up. “Are they okay?”
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“I told her we’re okay.” Bart shook his hands out. “She isn’t able to respond, but the message was delivered, so I’m sure they are fine.”
Grugg pouted. It was much more fun when the whole group was together, but digging up their first Nightshade clue had perhaps made it worthwhile. Still early days, but they had two suspects to grab a hold of.
“Is that because your spell is too weak?” Gregor grinned at the wizard.
“Yes.”
The ratman narrowed his glare. Bart had been a lot less fun to try to wind up today. “Well, let’s go grab the criminals and start questioning. Dibs on bad cop.”
“Aw!” Grugg pouted further and deflated. “Grugg likes being bad cop.”
“You were bad cop last time,” the wizard reminded him. “Although, you do a good job at it.” Sometimes, too good.
Accepting his fate, the cyclops started leading them back up the slope toward the small amount of light that managed to reach the inside of the storage building. It would be nice to get back to the city, he felt. An odd place for him to be, but by now he had gained confidence and comfort in such a built up place.
They would probably want them to do most of the questioning back at the Guard Headquarters, rather than bully the suspects out in the field. Still, they were sanctioned by the Crown, as Peony was eager to remind them, which meant they could act slightly outside the normal bounds of the law - as long as they were nice about it.
Eventually they reached the top of the entrance and Grugg slowly closed it, so they could access the large hole he had made in the back of the building. “Have bad feeling,” he murmured. Mostly because there had been no food to snack on.
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“We’ll be fine,” Bart assured him. “Unless there’s a dozen more wolf-people.”
“Even then,” Gregor added, “ser Grugg has handled much worse.” He tapped his clawed fingers on his side where a pistol was hidden away. “Ser Wizard, the werewolf you have stolen, does it not have a human form?”
Bart shook his head. “There are at least half a dozen stages of lycanthropy. This individual could not transform, they were just a wolf-like person. Or a person-like wolf.”
“Useless, then.” Gregor hummed to himself and walked over to the opening.
“I much preferred Gregor when he was nice and helpful,” the wizard said, loud enough for the ratman to hear. “He hasn’t even fed you yet, Grugg. You must be ravenous.” He watched as the Deputy physically flinched.
Grugg rolled his eye. He’d pretty much given up on trying to temper their childish rivalry. Sometimes it was amusing, but they really needed to let things go. They also needed to feed him, a prospect looking dimmer and dimmer the longer they stayed in this strange village. He briefly considered which of the two would be emergency rations before the other.
Back out into the open air, the dense fog seemed to have darkened during their time spent underground. They stopped to glare out into the woods. Thick gloom that could be hiding anything. More wolf-like creatures, or parts of the plant they hadn’t seen yet.
“Grugg miss city,” he shivered. “And food.”
“With any luck, Peony will be sending someone to collect us. We’ll just have to make sure the plant is stopped before it steals the stagecoaches.” Bart pulled a face as he stepped back out into the thick mud.
Gregor sniffed at the air, his whiskers twitching. “Reminds me of… a flower.”
“Like a flytrap?” The wizard stopped to raise an inquisitive eyebrow. “Or one of those drowning plants?”
The ratman grunted, but nodded. “The coaches might be drawn in so the monster can feed, but how does that benefit Nightshade?”
With a shrug, Grugg led them around the building and back toward the center of the village. He’d worry about the details once he had a full stomach.
Bart stopped and rubbed his beard. “Perhaps, since you already have good and bad cop sorted, I can help with the arrest in another way…”
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“Oh, you are full of surprises, Lady Valoth.” Hessler gave her a wry smile before sitting back down at the table.
“My apologies.” Peony gave him a brief bow. “As much as it pains me to interrupt your report, I would not do so without good reason.”
They both looked at the head of the table, who gave her a nod to continue. The atmosphere was tense, and the pair of them had plenty of inquisitive glares or dull raised eyebrows raised their way. Something the Investigator didn’t seem to mind, but made Claudia shrink away uncomfortably.
“My detective group has just sent a message to me,” Peony began, trying to hold back a smile. “They have found evidence of Nightshade activity. We are sending someone out to them to retrieve two suspects for questioning as we speak.”
A low amount of murmuring went around the table, before the man at the head of the table raised a hand.
“That is great news, Lady Valoth. I would like to know personally once the suspects have arrived.”
“Of course,” she gave a bow before seating herself.
Hessler once again stood, arranging his notes, and only looking slightly as though the wind had been taken out of his sails.
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Bart stumbled at first, but then looked back at the cyclops with bared teeth. The cuffs holding his hands behind his back were uncomfortable, but helped sell that he was now arrested - as Kurt, rather than himself.
They moved into the village meeting area, immediately drawing the surprised eyes of the man and woman up on stage. Jack tensed as if he was about to bolt, whereas Lauren looked sad and worried for the prisoner.
“Both under arrest,” Grugg said loudly, before narrowing his eye at the gathered villagers.
“You don’t have the rights,” Jack said with a scowl, taking a tentative step back.
“Might makes right,” the cyclops growled. “Also Crown says so.”
Bart writhed against his restraints. “Better to play nice. They don’t mess around.” Probably the worst lie he had ever told. Messing around was about eighty-percent of their waking actions.
“I knew you’d be another useless thug,” Lauren shook her head. “Maybe it can be over now, at least.”
“We can’t,” Jack seethed through clenched teeth. “You know what he’ll…” he stopped himself from giving away too much.
Gregor shook his head. “We’ve already seen what is beneath the town and know you’re working for Nightshade. Guards from the city are already on their way.”
“It’s not that easy,” the woman began, her eyes going over to the seated congregation. “We aren’t… allowed to leave.”
Vibrations ran through the floor. All the faux-villagers then turned and glared toward the Detectives. As a breeze ran through and blew some of the mist from the air, their faces started to look less real. Their clothing became loose and flowing. Most ghost like, but also more tangible.
With a crack, the first of them rose up from their seat, held in the air by roots that sunk from their feet and into the mud. Gradually, each of them started to levitate in a similar manner, their eyes now only darkened sockets, recessed and scowling at the trio.
“Should have burned it when we had the chance,” Gregor murmur, unclipping his whip.
“Ah, a little help?” Bart wriggled up closer to the cyclops, gesturing for him to remove the handcuffs.
“Gregor, help Bart,” he leveled Thud toward the raising group of villager-buds.
The ratman scowled. “With what? I do not have the keys.”
Grugg raised his eyebrow. “Oh. Grugg keeps them in adventuring kit.”
With an unnatural shriek, the first plant figure darted toward them.
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“Oh, Hessler.” Peony stepped back from the man who had suddenly approached them between reports. “I did not see you there.”
“I find it hard to believe much goes on without your notice, Lady Valoth.” He gave her a soft smile before nodding toward Claudia. “Miss Ollen. I wondered if I could have a brief word.”
The Investigator raised an eyebrow toward the clock on the wall. “Certainly, in private?”
“Please.” He gestured toward the door to a side room, and the three left the table to enter it.
Similar decor to the larger chamber, but much smaller. The round table only large enough for four chairs.
“I can guess as to what you are about to ask, Hessler.” Peony sat at one of the chairs and crossed her legs. “Given that your report on your efforts to get further in the Killsink Dungeon have run into trouble.”
“Perhaps a little transparent to approach you immediately after, isn’t it?” He grinned as he sat opposite her. “But I prefer to be straightforward in times like these."
Claudia sat down and furrowed her brow. The gang wasn’t really expert dungeon divers, so she didn’t know why he would be after them.
“So here it is,” Hessler said, his expression growing a little colder. “Let me lay all the cards out on the table.”