Path To Radiance; First Ascent

Chapter 7 - Sewer Excursion: Part 1

"Police themselves? Did you find out where that intervening Adventurer took the so-called victim?" Governor Squeaky counters. He didn't even let Sir Leonard respond. "That's right, to an Inn. An Inn, I tell you. He took that filthy whore of an Adventurer back to his room to finish the job his way! Heathens, the lot of them."

I feel my face flush. There wasn't anyone around that I had seen. How could news of the attack spread so far as to reach these people? I should have been watching for Tella's reaction instead of choking on guilt. Her reaction is a flood of anger and recklessness. If I had the forethought to watch, I might have been able to stop her.

A lot of things happen all at once. The trap door flies open as Tella's righteous fury flares, startling two lion helmeted guards. The main door bursts open and two more guards shoot backward, sliding across the tiled floor on their backs. All the guards in the room charge one door or the other and I hastily grab Tella from behind as she attempts to jump at the Governor. People are shouting and commands are yelled.

The guards encircling Tella and me grow in number. Tella makes her way forward. Seeing a bad ending there, I grab her around her middle a pull her backward. The rest of the party comes even with us, having pushed through the guards.

"My Lord...Let me go..." Tella wails as she tries her best to break free of my grip. "I will show him a filthy whore."

Moss comes around and embraces Tella while whispering to her softly. Tella instantly stops struggling and leans into her. I let the smaller woman go and draw my dagger. Brick has moved his body between Moss, Tella, and the guards. I turn my back to the girls too and face the other half of the guards. Aeona is standing at our side, also facing out, a sword at the ready.

"I dare say, sir, you have quite the mouth on you, don't you? Insulting people with no knowledge of who they are or what they've done." Brick's tone is condescending as he levels his sword tip at the Governor's throat. His short blade seems to reach across the thirty or more yards between him and the little man with how the Governor reacts.

The Governor's appearance matches his voice. He is a squat little man with a black top hat. Greasy grey hair escapes the bottom of it and a monocle on his left eye is attached by a chain coming from the hat's brim. A wire mustache is combed straight. He's wearing a black and white three-piece suit that bulges at the buttons, a walking cane propped on his seat. Very pretentious in my opinion.

"What is this nonsense? Guards, keep them surrounded, and wait for my command." The Governor squeals. His men firm their grip on their weapons at his commend but no one moves closer. There are no archers either, thankfully.

"We are the Adventurers you keep slandering, Governor Hawthorne." Brick responds with a slight edge.  "We've come to find out why you won't let us into the Tower to do our jobs."

"Jobs? You have no 'jobs' here, you dirty, dangerous Freeling." As the words leave his mouth, the entire council, a mixture of snobbishly dressed human men and women, all sharply gasp and stare at the Governor incredulously. I have no idea why it's such a big deal compared to the other things he was saying or what a "Freeling" even is, but I decide to join the conversation either way.

Turning around, I sheath my dagger and look at the pipsqueak. The party all shifts around me so everyone's back is covered, weapons ready. "You speak of us as if we are freeloading off your city while you fatten yourself up on your citizen's tax money." I make a show of it. I turn to the crowd of guards and council members as I speak, appealing to them. "You refuse to allow us, the Adventurers, to earn our keep then blame it on us? You complain about the crimes that restless and bored Adventures commit all the while blocking any appropriate outlet for the cause? Mister Hawthorne. This is no longer a conversation. You will tell me what needs to happen for you to let the Adventurers enter the Heavenly Tower." I cross my arms, look directly at the Governor, and do my best to look intimidating.

The Governor's reaction is almost comical. He turns beat red and I swear steam is about to erupt from his ears. Then he inspects us, his gaze demeaning. When he looks at his council members, however, his face pales then swiftly turns greenish. The council members all giving him very dirty looks. He takes a deep breath and responds unsteadily.

"And...and why exactly should I do that?" He crosses his arms and stares back at me. "You burst in on our private meeting, assault and threaten me and my guards, and act like heathens by drawing your weapons."

"Oh. Your men are fine and you haven't been assaulted or threatened, yet." I put just enough emphasis on yet to sound like assaults and threats could still happen. "Your so-called 'private meetings' are supposed to be open to the public. By your laws, Adventures are considered part of the 'public'." As I said this, I turn and look at the council members again in turn. "As you can see, the guards still have their weapons drawn on us. We have the right to defend ourselves." At that, some of the guards lower the tips of their weapons. Some even look embarrassed. I look at Tella for a brief moment, praying she'll forgive me for what I'm about to say. "The only assault was the one on my vassal, Tella." I grandly gesture at her to make sure everyone sees. "We blame you for that assault." I point directly at the Governor, who quells under my attention. "For if we had been climbing the Tower, she never would have been subjected to such a nightmare."

One of the council members is an elderly woman. She has tears in her eyes and is looking at Tella. One gloved hand is under the net vale covering her face. Her other arm is hugging her body tightly. I feel like she knows what Tella has gone through. I step closer to the woman. "Because of that man." I gesture back at Squeaky. "My friend was almost hurt. If I had not stepped in, she would have been gravely scarred. Not only do the Adventurers deserve compensation for your negligence, but Tella also deserves an explanation for this heinous breach of her safety." I pause for effect. "We will, however, waive any claims we have against you for access to the Tower." By then, I had made my way back to face the Governor. He is cowering in his chair as if we're going to attack him.

The silence is deafening. The Governor's mind must be scrambling for an argument against my accusations because his face is scrunched up in deep concentration. The quiet held until the crying woman yells across the room. She points at the Governor.

"That is enough, Reginald. They are right and you know it. It is our fault this poor woman was attacked." The woman's stern tone caught me off guard. I think I am being pretty brazen, talking down to the little man. She seems like she has done it before though. She looks at Tella a few times with guilt written on her face. "You tell them how to get into the Tower. Tell them right this instant."