Once we entered, the man finally regained enough of his wits to loudly shout for help.

“Is this how Ma’Ritz treats patrons?!” the man loudly complained, almost shouting. “I was just mugged on your doorstep! And if not for the happenstance of a passerby, I would have been slain! Madame Ritz! Servants! I insist you show yourself immediately!” He continued on furiously, all the while I continued supporting his weight. I cringed away from his shouting, wincing at every decibel.

A voice answered from the stairway to the second floor as footsteps descended quickly. I immediately recognized the voice. It was Esmerelda, and she came wearing a silky bathrobe with several provocative wet stains, her hair in disarray. I struggled to see her in that fashion, though not because she appeared indecent. Not exactly, in any case. It was difficult to see her fresh from her nightwork. I tried to distract myself by fawning over the victim, helping him straighten his doublet. He seemed appreciative of my efforts, leaning in as I brushed the worst of the grime off.

How was I going to explain this, I wondered. A case could be made that I had failed in my duties, my responsibilities. Hopefully I could spin in such a way as to minimize my failings. I doubted I could achieve a flattering light, as I had allowed a client to be mugged in the first place, practically grabbed right off the back steps.

When Esmerelda reached the base, her eyes narrowed and she canted her head, putting her hands on her hips.

“Why–Jackie?” Esmerelda asked, frowning softly, and giving the vocal man a very concerned once over. “Why do you have Samuel Warkin with you? And what happened to him? Was this–?”

The victim, apparently named Samuel Warkin, took another deep breath.

"You know this girl?!" he asked, at first calming briefly at the sight of Esmerelda, before picking up his head of steam once more. "She just saved me from an attack on your doorstep!” he finished in a shout. “Your security is preposterous!" He continued bellowing his tirade in the grand lobby of Ma'Ritz. His voice echoed off the ornate brass clockwork filigree and wall sconces that adorned the room. "I demand recompense for my stolen belongings and for the harm I received!"

If any other guests or employees were in the lobby at that time, I felt certain there would be murmurs and uneasy glances shared, with whispered gossip. The man looked around him, as though expecting the same thing. He seemed slightly disappointed when nothing of the sort happened. But quickly he shook it off, and instead began massaging his lower back, groaning in pain. It may have been a mean thought, but I wondered if perhaps he was acting it up. Did this world have insurance companies? I wondered.

"You had better plan on paying for a healing tonic," Samuel said hotly. "No, better yet. You must have one here. I know you do. These places always keep some in stock. Give it. Now. This pain is unbearable…” he exhaled heavily through his nostrils. “And it is your fault." He added snidely, while giving Esmerelda a pointed glare.

Esmerelda's breath caught, before she straightened herself, flung her hair behind a shoulder, and crossed her arms beneath her voluptuous chest, allowing plenty of cleavage to show through her silk robes.

"Samuel, dear," she purred, her voice carrying a calming effect. "What happened? I had thought you were satisfied with our services when you left? Did one of the girls fail living up to your robust expectations?" The way she huskily said the word robust left me feeling somewhat ill. She coupled it with a pointed glance at his crotch.

A part of me admired her tenacity and her sense of manipulation. Another part felt jealousy that it was directed at Samuel, and a third just wished for the night to end altogether.

Samuel coughed and smiled slightly, before another wave of pain caused him to spasm. "Argh! Health tonic now, woman! I may be dying from my injuries as we speak!"

"We're collecting one now," Esmerelda said. I failed to notice any other activity, but perhaps there was another listening in on the conversation. Perhaps Marianne, I wondered? "Please, Samuel. Be patient… for me?" she finished with a note of hesitant softness.

"Oh–" Samuel started to protest, but Esmerelda was not done.

She continued, "You know that I would love to make it worth your while."

“Ah…” he said, almost huffing. “A massage would be soothing after the night I had. These thugs! You would not believe the audacity!"

He brushed off some of the grime from his doublet, and found a torn chain which likely had gone to a pocket watch. He snarled at the broken gold chain. Seeing that seemed to remind him of his ire.

"No. I would be ridiculous to just let this go,” he said. “I was assaulted by ruffians not a stone's throw from your establishment! And who came to my aid? Not your security, but this... this girl!" He spat the last word as if it were poison on his tongue. And perhaps it was, if it was I who saved him when he could not save himself. It might be damaging to his ego.

When he finished his tirade, Esmerelda gasped, theatrically, but not enough so to come across as satirical. "Are... are you--do you need to lay down?" she asked, rushing towards him and fawning over him. It left me wanting to gag, but the man appeared unaware of the ruse.

"Oh,” he said. “I'll survive, I suppose..."

"Thank the Crown," Esmerelda gushed, continuing to rub his arm and shoulder, while pushing her front against his side. It felt like I was a voyeur, watching. It felt like I should look away. But we still had to address this and get in front of it, before it came out that it was all somehow my fault! And besides that, I knew the peacekeepers would not allow me a night’s peace, at least not without making one more scene. There were deaths, afterall.

"But still!” he partially pulled away from her. “Will that healing tonic arrive shortly?"

"Yes, of course Samuel. Only the best for you. I am so so sorry that this tragedy occurred!"

"Well... yes. It could have ended up worse," he coughed. "I was fortunate that this young miss happened by. She must have a marvelous Marking to have dispatched those thugs where I did not. But then, she had the drop on them, while they had the drop on me… But..” he trailed off, thinking.

I wondered what he was speculating upon. Was it my marking, or was it if he could have given a better accounting of himself if he had a chance to prepare? Maybe he wondered why he had been targeted at all. If that was what he was in fact wondering, then I would certainly not be the one to burst that ego-bubble–he was just a victim of happenstance, the one the thugs saw first.

He finally finished. “But... why did she have to intervene at all? Why does your establishment allow such filth to loiter and prey upon its grounds?" he asked, working up his ire once again. I winced at the direction he decided to go with.

"But... we do have security," Esmerelda said, frowning at me. This time, I was unsure if the frown was a true expression or an act. "You were saved by her."

"What?” the man asked, affronted. “You mean… no, you can’t mean that she is who you trust your security with? A slip of a girl? No wonder I was mugged! What was Madame thinking?!"

"Weren't you just--" I started, pointing out that he had been quite grateful just seconds before. A stern shake of Esmerelda’s head cut me off though. I realized it would be bad to argue with Samuel at this point in time.

"-nevermind that!” he said, ignoring me completely. “If you had hired competent help, then I would not have been in such dire straits to begin with!"

I winced, suddenly worried that I would be blamed for Samuel Warkin's state. He was in that gray category that verged nobility, a man with connections. I very much did not wish to be the target of his ire. It could have ramifications, such as delaying my integration into society, and hindering my information gathering. Or, it may lead to my guise being ruined, and jail time... or slavery. I resisted the urge to shudder. I would just need to spin this the right way.

"Well girl?!" Samuel demanded of me, "What have you to say for your shoddy performance? For allowing me--me!-- to be mugged on your doorstep?"

I licked my upper lip, grimacing. My eyes glanced towards Esmerelda and she gave a half shrug in response. Would she not help me? I tried pleading with my eyes. She rolled hers.

"My my, Samuel..." Esmerelda said softly, once again sidling up to Samuel's side and running a finger along the side of his arm. "Such an eventful evening. We have baths upstairs, along with that tonic, which surely must be ready by now. perhaps--"

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Samuel pulled away from Esmerelda in a painful looking jerking motion. He winced from his own motion, but persisted all the same.

"I will hear her answer, woman." He said hotly.

Esmerelda frowned, but her eyes landed upon me as well. She made a 'go-on' gesture, and from the weight of her stare, I knew I needed to make it good.

This reminded me briefly of a study done a long time ago, one that Mother ensured I knew well: those who got in front of a perceived slight and acted even more contritely than the slighted party felt was appropriate, then there was a solid chance the slighted party would ameliorate the offense on their own. Of course, there were limits to the manipulation tactic: it would hardly work for someone that just committed a heinous offense. It was also sometimes difficult to understand how much contriteness the slighted party expected. Given this situation, where the slighted party was some sort of aristocrat with entitlement issues, I would have to play the apologetic hand hard.

At least I knew a reasonable course forward.

If I were to leave it to my instincts, I would blame the peacekeepers, the baron's men. They were the ones at fault. And they certainly would land in the aristocrat's targets if my plan paid off. I just hoped to avoid putting them there myself. It was more likely to work out this way.

I fell to my knees and apologized, begging forgiveness.

"I failed. I am so sorry, Mister Warkin. So incredibly sorry!" I pushed my forehead against the hardwood floor. "I am unworthy of your time. You suffered because of me. How can I ever–"

Samuel coughed once again, a slight air of embarrassment now eminent. "Ah, well--the fault does not lie entirely with you, I suppose. This establishment should have hired more protections! And don't get me started for those lazy incompetents charged with protecting the finer citizens..."

"No! It's my fault alone. Please, how can I--please forgive me!"

"Ah..." Samuel trailed off. "Please, stand up. If not for you, I would have suffered, possibly died. In fact, I should be grateful to you for your intervention."

"I should have intervened sooner. I should have chased the riff raff off sooner. I should have listened to the peacekeepers when they threatened me! I should have known! Or at least, let someone know! And no--" I forced myself to sniffle "-it was you that suffered! I'm unworthy!"

"W-wait..." Samuel said, picking up on the trail of redirection I left. "I never saw any peacekeepers. Where were they? What did they say?" he asked, an odd edge in his voice.

"What happened?" Esmerelda hurriedly asked. "And be honest. A deceit here would prove more costly."

She did not have to tell me. Though interestingly enough, she thought I might have been the dishonest sort, considering she employed me.

"J-just b-before--no, maybe hours?” I forced my voice to take a shaky cadence to it, without overdoing it and causing doubt in my ability to do my job, at least no obvious doubt. It was a fine line. It had to be reasonable for me to perform my duties, without being completely confident as to not garner sympathy. A fine line. In this case, I angled more towards patheticness. “They-they came to demand payment, wh-when I refused, they s-sounded ominous and left--"

"An honest due,” Samuel spat. He turned to Esmerelda. “Did Ma'Ritz dodge their payments this week?"

"-no," Esmerelda said, frowning. "I do not believe so..."

"Then what happened?" he demanded, turning back to me.

"I began patrolling around the establishment... that was when I heard those thugs attack you."

"And who were–"

In hindsight, the timing could not have been better.

Entering the dimly lit lobby of Ma'Ritz, the three peacekeepers, those vile enforcers of the baron's law, did create a cacophony of clinking armor and boisterous voices. The stench of corruption wafted in with them, possessing the air as if it were their own. These men, emboldened by my refusal to pay their bribes or submit to their base desires, sought now to fabricate charges against me and the establishment.

At least, that is what I assumed they intended. The mothersworn fools.

"Hey?" Esmerelda called out to them as they strode in as if they owned the place. They ignored or failed to discern Samuel, and other than a lecherous glance towards Esmerelda, they ignored her as well.

"Is this them?" Samuel asked me.

I gave him a weak nod.

The leader of the peacekeepers, at least of this trio, saw me and smirked. "By the Baron's decree," he bellowed, a brutish man with a face marred by scars and a scruffy beard, "why are their bodies out front? Was it not her–" he pointed at me "-job to ensure the peace?"

"Indeed, we shan't be trifled with," added the second, his haughty tone betraying an air of false superiority. "The girl claimed she could do our jobs for us, and here we are, with three bodies out front. Curious and guilty looking, me’thinks."

"Uhm..." I said, taken aback by their oafishness. It almost seemed as though they were playing characters in a play. Was this–were they serious?

"You," the leader said, pointing at me. "You murdered those men? You'll face the Crown's justice for this–"

The final one thrust out a collar, grinning at me, showing off his silver capped tooth.

I took an instinctual step back.

It was then that Samuel Warkin could take no more. Or, that Esmerelda prompted him to act with a gentle plea and nudge.

"Enough!” he shouted back at them. “You failsons ought to be ashamed!" he cried. "It was your negligence that allowed scum to encroach upon Blossom Hill, endangering my life in the process!"

"Silence, fool!" spat the first peacekeeper, his scarred visage contorting with irritation. He must not have recognized Samuel Warkin, assuming he was just another upper middle class busybody. That, however, was not the sense I had gotten from Warkin.

"You dare?" Samuel Warkin hissed.

"Oi,” the peacekeeper scoffed mockingly. “I dare alright."

"Who is he?" one of the smarter peacekeepers asked.

"A fine question!" Samuel seethed."I am kin to the baron himself, and I shall not hesitate to inform him of your incompetence! Give me your names, fools."

"Likely story,” the leader said. “You'd obstruct the law itself?" their leader said, almost a scoff, but far less confident than before. "We shall find the girl and bring her to justice, regardless of your interference."

Justice?! I mused, scoffing inwardly. I was growing increasingly confident that this city lacked any such notion.

"And what law was this?" Samuel said. "Defending me? What will my cousin, your baron, say when he hears of it? If anything, the girl deserves a reward for doing your jobs for you!"

The peacekeepers' faces turned a most peculiar shade of red, akin to the setting sun on a smog-filled eve. Their haughty demeanors crumbled like ancient masonry caught in the relentless grip of time, and they glanced at one another with unease.

"Very well," muttered the first peacekeeper through gritted teeth, his gaze flickering between Samuel and myself. "But know this: you and Ma'Ritz have made enemies today. Our captain shall hear of this, and when he does, you best be prepared to stand alone."

"Or submit," added the third, his vile grin returning like a ghastly apparition in the night. He pocketed the collar as he said that, far too confident for my liking. I had never tested my immunity to sealing collars since I had received my false arm, and I had no intention of testing it now.

After those final words, the peacekeepers retreated from the lobby, their heavy footsteps echoing throughout the establishment like the rumblings of some terrible storm brewing upon the horizon.

“They disrespected not only me, but my family!” Samuel seethed. “I cannot allow this behavior to continue unchecked. My cousin, the baron, must be informed of these deplorable actions. Such corruption within the very ranks meant to protect us is simply intolerable."

"Indeed,” Esmerelda said, finding Samuel’s side once more. “But that can be done tomorrow, my dear Samuel," Esmerelda said in a bewitching tone, dissipating any lingering animosity. She approached Samuel with an alluring smile and a graceful stride. Her eyes sparkled like the stars themselves, their hypnotic depths promising realms of pleasure yet unexplored, and she reached out to place her delicate hand upon his arm in a gesture of comfort.

"Come now," she entreated, her voice as melodious as the lilting songs of the nightingale, "let us leave such distressing matters behind us for the evening. A bath and your tonic is prepared... along with anything else you might need..." she finished coyly, drawing him off towards the stairs, leaving me by my lonesome in the foyer.

The evening had fallen, casting the city in a delicate shroud of twilight shadows. I found myself retiring to the bedchamber I shared with Marianne, compelled by exhaustion and haunted by the specters of my recent actions. The cacophony of the bustling Ma'Ritz below the floorboards was a faint reminder of the enemies I had made and the precarious position in which I now stood.

I pondered if it was worth staying at Ma’Ritz. It seemed far too distracting, and my information network had failed to expand much at all since I had started working there. Though there were benefits, and promises of more in the future, I could not tell if it was worth it or not.

Especially with the deadlines hanging over me.

My thoughts wandered to Emboru's siblings, hidden somewhere within this dark, unforgiving world. A cold shiver ran down my spine as I considered the increasing difficulty of finding them with the justice system lurking ever so close, their unrelenting breath hot on my neck. In the midst of such adversity, could I maintain my obligation to Emboru?

As my mind continued to race, envisioning both the consequences of my choices and the potential outcomes of my quest, I felt the weight of my eyelids growing heavier. I made my way towards my shared bunkroom.

When I entered, Marianne stirred in her sleep. "Jackie," whispered Marianne, her voice barely audible above the distant din of the Ma'Ritz, "are you well?"

"Well enough,” I said. “Go back to sleep.”

"Mmm... bed..." she said sleepily, turning away from me.

Her words provided a measure of solace, though they did little to assuage the ever-present gnawing of anxiety. As sleep finally claimed me, I wondered if I could truly navigate the labyrinthine complexities that lay ahead and uphold my promise to Emboru. Or would I succumb to the pressure and abandon all hope, leaving behind those who relied on me?

I made a mental note to discuss a fraction of my concerns with Marianne tomorrow. But for now, I indulged in a moment of peace as I watched her sleep, an angelic vision amidst the chaos of my thoughts.

Carefully, I climbed into my bunk without disturbing her. Wrapped in scratchy sheets, I felt myself drifting towards sleep. But just as my mind was about to shut off, I was overcome by chilling sensations, as if icy fingers were tracing my body.

Mothersworn peacekeepers, I seethed internally, unable to shake their vile faces from the back of my mind. They had threatened me with a collar! I doubted I had heard the end of it, though I supposed they would employ an actual strategy in the future. I wondered if there was any way I could use this to my favor.

Slowly, my anger subsided and the phantom pains faded away, allowing me to finally surrender to sleep with the image of Marianne's peaceful face as my guiding light.

Blessings: Rank (1/9)

* Body: 65

* Mind: 75

* Spirit: 49

Talents:

* Athleticism (3/9):

* Climbing I (3/9)

* Featherlight I (3/9)

* Inversion (2/9)

* Stealth I (6/9)

* Trackless Tracks I (3/9)

* Area Coverage (5/9)

* Alchemical Immunity (ineligible for growth)

* Eschiver I (1/9)

* Evasion I (1/9)

* Impending Sense (1/9)

* Lucky Break (1/9)

Spells:

* Illusion I (5/9)

* Touch (8/9)

* Guise of the Kitsune (3/9)

* Closed

Gifts:

* Obsession (3/9)

* Closed (0/9)

* Closed (0/9)