Stunned silence blanketed the room.

Every Acolyte was in shock, staring at the body on the floor.

Only Kint remained alert. Which meant he was the first to spot the diminutive girl standing where Acolyte Insmuth once had.

He recognized her immediately.

The battered mother they’d interviewed just yesterday, Mrs. Insmuth.

"Had to do it." She whispered, voice cutting through the silence.

The crazed woman met his eyes, pleading.

"I had to do it."

A cold sweat lanced down his back.

He recognized that gaze.

"I had to set him free."

Slowly, others began to notice her presence.

Tears flowed from her red rimmed eyes.

She shook her head, face full of sorrow.

“I had to free him… I had to set him free.”

This was bad.

There would be no quarter for this woman. No understanding. Just punishment. For her, and her newborn babe.

The knife fell from her grip.

Metal clattered on floors and all eyes turned to look at the young mother.

Kint made a decision.

The Silent State enveloped him.

Emotions evaporated, his senses heightened, the world became clear as crystal glass.

He glanced at Elsha.

She had an ominous look on her face, like she was about to do something rash.

Have to get us out alive.

That was his objective. His driving force.

In order to do that, he needed to know what Elsha was about to do, he needed more information.

Kint’s eyes drank in the scene, honing in on the mother.

Sleep deprivation, stress, fingernails picked, bleeding. Bare feet, bloodied. She walked here.

He looked at her face.

Fresh bruises...

His eyes shot to Elsha…

She’d seen the bruises.

Shit.

Her eyes were wide with anger.

Kint looked up at the Lord.

The man had scrambled from his chair, backing into the corner of the room. His guards surrounded him. His face was full of fear and confusion. Like that of a child.

Shit.

Kint could see where this was heading.

This man was in no state to make a clear headed call.

Echrus stuck out a shaky finger, pointing at the frail woman with blood on her hands.

"Kill Her!"

His voice was shill, piercing. It broke the tension, spurring the room to action.

Three Acolytes rushed from their masters side, pulling out swords and deadly magical tools.

Kint looked at his partner again.

She had her domination rod in hand, its fiery tip was already glowing.

There was no choice.

Kint threw himself at Mrs. Insmuth, grabbing her by the waist and rushing her out the doorway.

He felt silk touch his ears as they exited the box out into the stands.

Boots scrambled after him.

The Inspector heard a scream of pain behind him.

He ignored it, praying to the Prophet and all the gods that his partner hadn’t done to much damage.

Kint stumbled to the exit, pulling the sobbing mother behind him.

His shoulders slumped as he saw two men rising from the stairs they’d entered through.

It was the Acolytes who’d been guarding the Arena door.

"Damn."

More action from the Lord's box, another scream.

Kint turned around to see Elsha's beautiful figure burst through the portiere, colorful silks flowing around her dark silhouette.

The two Inspectors shared a look.

His heart sank.

Her face was full of righteous fury.

There was no telling what violence she’d wrote in the Lord’s box.

She turned around, backing toward him, waiting for their enemies to follow.

A flaming blade extended from her domination stick as she moved. It seered away the drifting shroud, burning a dark line across the wood of the arena with its heat.

Blessed and Kadenites alike jumped out of their seats at the sight of the weapon, climbing the stands to a safer distance.

A large Acolyte exited the box, face red with anger. There was a charred gash across his chest.

Kint took a breath through his teeth. It was bad, but it wasn’t life threatening.

The Acolyte raised an arm, a silver gauntlet with sapphire inlays shimmered on his hand.

"Behind me." Elsha commanded.

She dropped into a fighting stance, sword ready, hissing with ferocious heat.

He didn’t argue.

Kint pulled Mrs. Insmuth behind them.

The Acolyte wasted no time, stepping forward and slashing the claws of his gauntlet through the air.

The Shroud split as five deadly wind blades ripped toward them.

Elsha stepped up to meet them, gripping her domination rod in both hands, she swung her sword, slicing toward the sky.

There was a burst of red-orange light.

Kint shielded his eyes.

Wood exploded on either side of them sending splinters flying through the stands.

He looked up, seeing his partner standing above them, flaming blade held in a defensive stance.

The Inspector shook his head in wonder.

She’d split the Acolytes magic in two…

It had all happened in an instant.

A battle of mages, and not one confined to the bleeding grounds of the arena.

The Acolyte grimaced, stepping forward.

Four more men in the gold and gray of house Inkhold exited the box behind him. Each had Magic Armaments of their own.

Kint looked around, his Silent mind racing to find them a way out, grabbing on to every scrap or slice of information it could.

Guards closing in behind.

His eyes flitted around the arena.

The Kadenites are beginning to take notice.

His gaze locked on a young woman in a lower row, holding her boy behind her protectively.

There’s fear in her eyes, but also… interest?

There was something in that woman’s gaze. Something important. Something useful.

Elsha wasn’t waiting for his thoughts to coalesce, however.

She raised her weapon, Domination Stick flashing forward.

The fiery blade morphed into a whip, extending forward, slipping into the midst of the Acolytes.

The men backed away. Red sinews of flame snapped past them.

Wooden floors seared as magical sparks splashed across it.

The Acolytes spread out, moving up into the stands so as not to be herded.

Wait.

He needed to think. He needed time!

Lord Echrus exited the box, unharmed, thank the prophet.

"What are you waiting for?" He asked, face indignant.

The Acolytes stepped forward, urged on by their master.

Wait, dammit.

There had to be a way out. A way to stop the escalation.

Think!

What does it mean? The fear? The interest?

He looked out across the audience, the whole stadium was watching now.

They all had that same expression.

Cautions… pensive… waiting.

Elsha's flames retracted into the black rod. She raised the glowing tip above her head.

He needed more. Some sliver of information.

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What were these people waiting for?

Kint glanced behind them. The Acolytes from the gates were creeping closer, blades drawn. He looked down, noticing the wood planks moving beneath their feet. Branches growing from the long dead wood. They curled around his partner's legs.

Life Mage…

Kint searched the stands. A man in gray and yellow was hiding in the crowd. Working his magic on the wooden benches.

The crowd…

He searched, eyes locking on a little boy in tattered laborers woolens. His eyes were wide with interest. His mouth worked, chewing on a piece of bread.

How could he be eating at a time like this?

He should be running, trying to escape the danger. They all should…

He doesn’t see it…

The thought struck him like a lightning bolt.

None of them see the danger… They think this is all part of the entertainment!

"Wait." He muttered, an idea forming in his mind.

The Life Mages branches gripped tight around Elsha.

Her rod flashed bright, blinding the Acolytes.

"Wait" He said, louder this time.

"Go!" Lord Echrus commanded. "Kill th--"

“WAIT!”

The Acolytes froze, the Lord froze, even the little boy chewing on this bread froze. The whole stadium went completly silent, such was the command in Kint Archaedis’ voice. T

All eyes were fixed on the aging Inspector.

"Blood and Bread!" He shouted, locking eyes with the Lord.

There was a pause.

The man’s brows knit together, confused.

His men began moving again, shaking free of their momentary stupor.

"Blood and Bread." Kint shouted again, gesturing to the audience around them. "That's what you said."

The Lord followed his eyes, finally noticing the attention of every Kadenite in the Arena was locked on them.

His brow furrowed, concerned.

"Hold..." He commanded.

The Acolytes slowed their approach.

"What is it, Inspector?" He spat. “Why do you keep my quarry from me?”

Kint smiled inside.

The first step was done. Now he just had to execute.

"Look around!" The Inspector yelled, voice echoing across the Arena.

He let go of the frightened Mrs. Insmuth.

She remained still, head cast down.

“Had to free him.” She whispered.

"Look at your people." Kint repeated, stepping away so the young mother was in full view of the crowd.

"Now look at this woman."

She fell to her knees, sobbing.

"I had to save him. I had to set him free!" She cried.

Kint raised an eyebrow.

Good timing…

Elsha knelt to comfort the woman.

"She is one of you." The Inspector cried. "A Kadenite of Inkhold stock."

He looked to Echrus. The man was engaged, but he did not fully understand what Kint was doing.

"This woman is sick."

The woman swayed back and forth in Elsha’s arms.

“I have to save him. Have to free him.”

“She doesn’t know what she’s done.”

The Lord frowned, cheeks red. Kint worried it wouldn’t click.

“She’s committed murder.” The Lord argued. “She killed one of my Acolytes.”

“Her husband!” Elsha shouted, holding Mrs. Insmuth close. “Who beat her half to death!”

A murmur went through the crowd.

Echrus looked around, observing the reaction.

Come one you idiot… It’s all about perception, right.

The Lord gave a small hand signal. His Acolytes paused their encirclement.

Echrus stepped forward so he was in full view of the crowd.

“It’s a capital crime, Inspector. One punishable by death.”

Kint felt hope flare inside.

Whether he knew it or not, the Lord had agreed to his terms.

This was no longer a magical battle, Elsha vs. five Acolytes. It was a battle of word, one between him and the Lord, with the Audience as judge.

“It is a crime, Lord Echrus.”

Kint stepped forward as well, setting the stage.

“But is this the place to pass her sentence? Is this the place to mete out punishment?”

He turned to face the crowd as he spoke.

“And punishment for what, I ask… for the crime of confronting her abuser. A man who beat her every night.”

The murmur of the crowd grew louder, anger rippling through them as his words passed from ear to ear.

The Lord's face heated with anger.

He was losing and he knew it.

“She is my Kadenite.” He whined. “It is my responsibility to deal with her as I see fit.”

The crowd didn’t like that.

Kadenites were not meant to be possessed by the Apostles, but protected.

Even men so beaten down as these did not like their lack of freedom being flaunted in their faces.

“That is your right my Lord.” Kint agreed, seeing an opening. “And she has committed a heinous crime, as you say. But, is this the place to put this sick woman down? Would you bleed her like one of your beasts in the Arena? In front of all these people?”

The murmurs of the crowd grew louder. Their frustration was rising.

“I–She–” The Lord stammered.

He was not comfortable in this setting, he was not used to being argued with at all.

Kint grinned, looking around

The audience was pensive. Ready to be swayed. To be pushed over the edge.

“She’s a mother, My Lord… Have mercy.”

The whisper of his final words rang like a bell around the Arena.

“A mother.” They muttered. “A small child at home.”

“He was an abuser.”

“He tried to kill ‘er.”

It didn’t matter what the story was now. The crowd had hold of it and it was spreading like wildfire.

They’d passed their judgment.

“Mercy!” A woman cried.

“Have mercy my Lord.” Another echoed.

“Spare her!” A man this time.

Kint grinned.

It was over.

He could see the wheels turning in the Lord’s head. Heat rose into the man’s face as he realized his position.

Lord Echrus met Kint’s gaze, hate in his eyes.

The Lord of the 11th Inkhold District raised a hand, as he had many times before in this Arena.

The crowd grew still.

You could hear a pin drop.

“Mercy.”

That was all he said.

But it was all the audience wanted to hear.

They did not cheer, but nodded their approval. Saying things like “Bless you Lord.”, “A gracious man!”, and “Never a doubt.”

The man smiled, waving the crowd to silence. His eyes never leaving Kint’s own.

“There will be a Trial for this poor woman.” The Lord declared. “And in the meantime, I will see to it myself that her child is cared for.”

More approving words from the crowd.

“Let no man say that Echrus Inkhold is not a fair man.” The Lord finished.

The crowd repeated his words.

“Fair.”

“Lord Echrus The Fair.”

“Lord Echrus the Merciful.”

Echrus nodded to his men. They began moving forward again.

Kint grabbed Elsha’s arm, pulling her toward the exit, away from the crazed woman.

She resisted.

“He’s lying!” Elsha spat, fury in her gaze. “He’ll kill her the first chance he gets.”

“No, he won’t.” Kint stated, putting as much confidence into his voice as he could.

“It’s over, Elsha. We need to go.’

This was their one chance to make it out alive, while they had the good will of the crowd.

They had to move now.

She was about to say more, but good sense prevailed. She schooled her face to composure, moving to stand.

The two Inspectors backed toward the exit, receiving baleful looks from the Acolytes they passed on the way out.

Echrus’ eyes followed them out, burning with malicious intent. The man waved to the now cheering crowd, but his eyes never faltered.

"Come on." Kint urged, reaching the exit. They took the stairs out of the building two at a time. Accelerating to a run as they exited the Arena.

----------------------------------------

"Dammit, Elsha!" Kint shouted, as the doors to the tube closed behind them.

The carriage was empty, save for the Overseer at the controls.

Both Inspectors were out of breath, having run most of the way there. Only stopping to check their direction through The shroud.

They sat across the aisle from one another, toward the back of the vessel.

"What were you thinking?" Kint spat, pointing an accusatory finger. "Are you trying to get us killed?"

"Me?" She huffed, indignant. "You started the fight."

Kint cocked his head, glaring.

"Only because I saw what you were about to do!"

Elsha grimaced, frustrated.

He snapped his finger at her again.

“Don’t deny it.”

The beautiful inspector worked her jaw in anguish.

"Fuck." She sighed, defeated.

She met his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Kint. But that fat cunt deserved it."

She shook her head.

"The way he beat her."

Kint shook his head, face contorting in frustration. He wanted to be angry. Wanted to rage against her.

How had things gotten out of hand so quickly?

"Fuck." Kint spat, standing to pace the aisle.

"Dammit. Why couldn't you just go along, Elsha?"

"I'm sorry, Kint!" She pleaded, "I was wrong. I don't know how else to say it… She was just..."

Kint looked at her, contrition was plain on her face.

But it was clear to him that she didn’t regret what she’d done, only the way that it had effected him.

He continued pacing, stiff boots echoing in the empty car.

The weight of what had just taken place was really starting to hit him

How could this have happened?

He continued pacing, circling the narrow space.

How fucked were they?

He started thinking through the variables, they were in deep trouble.

They’d attacked a Lord and his Acolytes to save a murderer. It was a terrible look no matter how he’d made it look in the Arena.

But they hadn’t actually killed anyone themselves, which was good.

He nodded slowly.

Yes… there’s a way. It isn’t subtle but it could work.

His mind worked through the possible outcomes, crafting the perfect story from the pieces of his plan.

Crecius will keep us alive, at least for a while. The investigation is too public now…

"Kint."

But Lord Echrus... Will he come after us?

“Kint.”

Did he have the motivation… maybe not…

"Kint."

"What!" He snapped, voice raised, eyes afire.

Elsha stared back at him, concerned.

"Are we going to be ok?" She asked, hesitant.

"Yes. I--" He froze.

He was in the Silent State…

He hadn’t even noticed it coming over him.

Why had he done that? Was he protecting himself?

No… He hadn’t been looking for a way out of this mess… he’d been looking for a way forward. A way to keep pushing this insane course of action.

Was there even a chance Lord Crecius would let them live after this?

"Are you ok?” Elsha asked.

He shook himself, realizing he hadn’t answered her question.

"Yeah..."

Kint stretched the word, wondering if it was even true.

He clenched his jaw.

"Yes." He affirmed.

He needed to move forward. No time to dwell on it.

"We're gonna be fine." He assured her. "This still works for our plan. Better even."

Elsha gave him a skeptical look.

“I mean… It’s best to mess of in a high profile way, right?” He joked. “Doesn’t get much more high profile than this.”

“Kint…”

Elsha snorted a laugh.

“No, seriously.” He asserted, speaking the story his Silent State mind had conjured. “Our names will be all over the network in a matter of hours. To kill us now would only deepen the embarrassment, drawing even more attention to our mission and whatever the Lord’s trying to cover up.”

Elsha looked at him skeptically.

“Maybe…”

"And I don't think Echrus is the type to come after." Kint pressed on. "But, we should probably avoid the 11th Inkhold from now on."

She snorted a laugh.

"I can agree with you on that."

She leaned back in her chair, relaxing a bit.

“I hope that poor woman turns out alright.”

Kint sat down next to her.

Elsha took out her pipette and cigarette tin, lighting one up.

Kint reached over. She handed him a cigarette of his own, lighting it for him with a finger.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, catching their bearings. Letting the smoke soothe their nerves.

Elsha broke the silence.

"You were right, by the way."

"About what, exactly?”

She looked up at him, dark eyes glowing with intensity.

"Something's going on in these Districts, Kint. People are tired, on edge... The kind of on edge, where if they go over it... things could get very bad very quickly."

She took another hit of tobacco.

"Did you hear what Mrs. Insmuth said? After she killed her husband?"

Kint frowned, a shiver going down his spine.

"I heard it."

"It's the same thing Syfeeli said when he tried to kill you."

Kint nodded.

"Near enough."

Elsha looked down, shaking her head.

"What's happening here, Kint?" She whispered, concerned.

The tension in her voice, it wasn’t quite fear, this woman wasn’t prone to that emotion, but there was something. The unknown was weighing on her.

It was weighing on him too.

"I don't know..." He admitted, head down.

There was so much he didn’t know. So much he couldn’t see… so much he couldn’t fix.

Kint stiffened his chin.

"But I know who might." He said, dropping his cigarette and stamping it out on the floor.

“13th Vorvan District.” The Overseer called as the tube pulled to a stop.

Elsha gave him a questioning eyebrow.

“Who?”

"Mr. Syfeeli." He stated.

Her eyes narrowed as the Tube doors slid open.

"The deep cells?"

He nodded.

She tilted her head to one side, considering…

Then nodded.

The dark eyed Inspector ashed her cigarette against the wall.

"Alright, then." She sighed, moving to stand beside him. "Deep cells it is."