“Dzan… Could you explain to me about this vial?” Shaula asks, pointing to the one still in his hand. “Why were they trying to force the kid to drink it again?”
Dzan had explained to Shaula earlier that the vial was a method of turning the kid into some kind of human napalm-style incendiary. She wants some clarification on that.
"They were trying to force that kid to drink this vial, two of them actually, and we figured it was because the vial was some method they had to turn the kid into a weapon. Sig and I thought they were trying to use the kid to make the building burn down or something.” Dzan explains once again.
“Ok, but how did you come up with that theory? Doesn’t that seem a bit…” Shaula doesn’t want to doubt them but she has never heard of a method to turn a living person into an explosive weapon. The idea seems like something in science fiction more than anything else. But, Dzan and Sigvor don’t doubt their theory.
“Oh, that? It was actually Ajax who had told us that these terrorists who broke into these buildings had some kind of plan to destroy them while killing everyone inside. We were basically convinced when this group here broke into one of the apartments and grabbed Mrs Litun and her boy. Sigvor had thought the vial was some kind of alchemical potion that would turn the kid into a bomb or something."
“Right.” Sigvor confirms. “It was basically because of how the explosion downstairs had worked. So many humans died in the fire, it was… brutal. But, I couldn’t find traces of an explosive device, you know? No bomb residue, no metal parts… nothing.”
“You know what bomb residue looks like?” Shaula asks, somewhat curious as to how Sigvor knows something like that. This world has no search engines allowing people to learn things instantly. If Sigvor knows about something like this, she must have had a real interest in the subject. Maybe some personal experience. Sigvor dodges the question however.
“A-Anyways, Ajax was the one who brought up the idea of the cult members being human bombs. When Dzan and I went in here, we were trying to figure out which one of the cultists was the bomb. Then, we figured out it wasn’t any of them.”
Dzan grimaces. “It must be the kid. Why else would they have tried to get the kid to drink the vials in the first place? Those… sick fucks were trying to turn a little boy into a human bomb.”
Mrs Litun listens in carefully to this conversation, some worry in her expression.
“I had tried to make sure my son didn’t drink what that woman tried to feed him. The bitch carved up my face to make him obey her. If… If Dzantemir hadn’t jumped in, Bels might be dead already. I don’t know if I believe this theory about the vials being ‘bombs’, but I know whatever is in those vials is nothing less than poison.”
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The beastkin mother holds her child tightly. Shaula can tell by the pace of the child’s heartbeat that he’s actually awake and listening to all this. She feels anguish seeing the victims of this evil.
Nonetheless, Shaula takes their word for it. If they were just following what Ajax had mentioned to them, then he must have seen something that made him think of human bombs in the first place.
The bomb that blew up in the plaza downstairs… That was a person? And they were using this… vial.
Shaula holds her palm out to Dzan and he hands her the vial. She looks at it intently.
“Do you want to keep this for now?” Shaula asks Dzan. “I was wondering instead if I could take it off your hands. Something like this is… dangerous. Ajax and I can find some way to dispose of it. But, if you’re not comfortable with handing it over to me, then–”
“No! No. It’d be far better if you took this. I really don’t want to have anything to do with a weapon like that.”
Shaula turns to Sigvor for confirmation and he agrees. She has ideas that she can put to the test with these two vials. She can at the very least use the vial in order to find their source. From what Captain Tom had said, the relationship between the guards and the Twin Moons isn’t shallow.
I bet if I can follow a scent trail based on this vial, it’ll take me to a guard’s station. Simple terrorists couldn’t have figured out the formula to something like this, something that nobody even believes exists. Something that can turn people into bombs… The guards must have given it to them, but who did they get it from? The Baron? He’s running all the alchemical factories in this city, right?
Shaula reels at all this new information. She tries to fit in the activities of the terrorists here into what the guards were trying to do with the diamond statue. She doesn’t have concrete proof about the ties between the Baron and this particular group of terrorists. However, in any case, the Baron is so lax that these city enforcers thought that they could do whatever they wanted.
Including handing powerful weapons over to terrorist groups.
No fucking way I’m going to let any of these pricks get away with this. Never. Cops in any world, in every world… Aristocrats in every world…They never seem to know their place. I’m going to make it my mission to change that. So long as I remain on this planet I can do at least that much.
She doesn’t know if she can kill a noble yet. She thinks she has a good chance if her battle with the crystal mage was any indication. But, in her immortal body, what else could she do but try?
Mrs Litun raises her voice.
“I… I don’t know how I can repay this debt I owe you, Sigvor, Dzan. You two. You saved us.” Mrs Litun smiles, tears flowing from her eyes. Shaula wonders how much the wound on her face still pains her. As soon as they leave, she would need to get healing.
"You’re w-welcome, ma’am. Luckily for me and Bels there, Sigvor knows how to fight. He really saved our lives. You know, Shaula, I didn't see her fight but she really killed the enemies within minutes. She's so amazing." Dzan smiles widely, quite impressed by the secret skills of his best friend.
Shaula chuckles a bit.
"I don't doubt you, Dzan. You're both amazing. You both risked your lives to help this woman and her child. You're both wonderful." Shaula smiles softly while looking over at them. Dzan blushes slightly not expecting to be praised. Sigvor fidgets a bit.