Rod Geller pounces. It makes no sense for this to be a trap. He might, however, be attacking an innocent traveller. Yet, no luggage,freshly iron-rankedand no equipment all pointed at a nefarious purpose.
The man has no aura power. He feels discovered, but not guilty. He knows how to fight, but she does not know serious martial arts. It is over in seconds with his victim on the ground. In general torture does not work. If, however, the questioner can read the questionee’s emotions, things are different.
----------------------------------------
Liana Stelline does a slight bow to the director and her deputy, Genevieve Picot.
EA: Have a seat, Mistress Stelline.
LS: Thank you, director.
Liana fights to keep the apprehension out of her aura. Not to do so, but to be seen as making the effort. Only an idiot wouldn’t feel apprehension in such a situation. Being called to see the director and her deputy, but only them with no assistants should make you nervous.
EA: You are certainly wondering what your mission will be and you might be wonderng why I’ve picked you. Frankly, you are the only one among my bronze rank healers I can spare. Secondly, your family is already involved.
LS: My cousin?
EA: Yes. We’ve got a message from the Church of Knowledge that an epidemic has broken out in the fort he is holding.
A spike of surprise and shock runs through her aura.
EA: Indeed. One of the practical reasons that we send you is that you can operate a skimmer. Here is your contract.
This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author's work.
She hands over a bundle of papers.
GP: Report directly to me or the director.
----------------------------------------
Derrick Stelline looks unhappily at a hut guards are driving peope into. Guards who keep well away from the people they have surrounded. Guards who are no longer holding their spears we the blunt end forward.
DS: Am I correct in stating that this was the last free hut?
His people do not bother answering.
DS: Very well. We have to face reality. Isolate the pregnant women in separate buildings. Give them preventative potions. No contact between them and the rest. We are giving up on separating the people bunking close to a new case in huts of their own. If a case happens in a hut, they all stay inside. Let them shit into buckets.
----------------------------------------
Rod slits the bandit’s throat and plunges his dagger into his captive’s eye. Then he begins the laborious process of digging a grave with te tools available to him. He needs to return to the camp to watch the recording crystal he has taken from the bandit and cannot risk the corpse being found.
----------------------------------------
Liana is enjoying a beverage of spiced whey she bought from a street vendor serving the working men employed in the warehouses around the Magic Society’s depot. The skimmer has shown an issue while undergoing its final check. As walking home would not be fun, she has approved the delay, even though you don’t want to tarry on such a mission.
She reads the contract again. It gives her the authority to eliminate the people now in the fort.
That is extreme by anybody’s standards. Sure, they are normal rankers and not really subjects of the Duke of Greenstone, but still they are innocent. If she took that option she would need a good reason if she wants to retain any hope of a third star.
The involvement of the Church of Knowledge suggests that other churches were involved. Churches you do not want to speak about. But you don’t slaughter a town on a suspicion.