Happy Reunion (Everyone)

[Guard #8 takes up careful contemplation of the pretty green-hued cobblestones, with no indication of being like to rise again for a while. Guard #2 is the only one left armed and standing.]

"Oh, but I was about to negotiate!" Sithani pouts. "Still, thank you anyway; that one really hurt."

She looks around the courtyard: there are too many people in the way to simply blast the remaining guard. So instead she strolls over to the guard Ka'Ri has captured to hear what he has to say.

Glen looks to the remaining guard. "By my authority as a deputy member of the City Watch, you are under arrest. Drop your weapons and surrender now, and you may yet live." Glen's commands are deadly serious.

Sunrise narrows her eyes in response to his words; now that the immediate danger has died down cold fury radiates off her, along with the strong impression that she'd just as soon the last guard not stand down.

Whether the last guard would prefer to stand down is apparently a moot point as Rik brings down the hilt of his broadsword on the man's helmet and he drops like a fly. "He still lives," he observes grumpily to anyone who dares shoot him a look.

[OOC: Alright, you guys are back in free play. I may or may not have the flu, so I'll try to keep up. There are clerics coming running to see what's going on, so if you do plan to scarper, you'd best do it sharpish. Otherwise, you're probably in for a long night of legal paperwork and bad coffee. Your call.]

As soon as the guard drops, Sunrise lets her sword arm relax, shoulders sagging in relief.

The first thing she does is look at Sithani with a warm, grateful expression. Gesturing, she sings a single wordless note. (OOC: Sithani, heal 8 hp.)

The next thing she does is stride to Luther and wrap her arms around him.

(OOC: quick reaction to ST/Luther and then I will finish this)

Luther crushes her in an answering hug and whispers in her ear.

For a long moment she just holds him, burying her face in his shoulder.

Finally, reluctantly, she sighs and steps back. Looking at Rik, her face settles into a stern expression. "You and me are going to have a Chat, paladin," she warns. "But later. For now, you speak cleric; stay here and smooth things over with these people, please. Everyone else..." She glances around and does some quick calculations, her eyes landing on Tree's face. "I don't think we want to be here when the real guards show up. Follow me."

If at least Tree seems willing to follow her she begins leading her away from the scene, hopefully with the others in tow.

Rik hesitates at the order, looking sheepish. Tree, frustrated but anxious not to speak with anymore guards tonight, stands on tiptoe to kiss his cheek. "I'll see you later, okay?" she promises, hurrying after Sunrise and Luther.

He seems very unsure of this, but accepts that there isn't much he can do to stop them. "Take care of her," he orders their retreating backs.

Glen nods. He hears the sounds of the temple complex waking, and turns to Rik. "I can stay here and explain, if you need me to. I do have the badge." He is resolved to do what must be done. "What do you want me to do?" He puts a hand on the large paladin's shoulder.

Rik considers this, mild alarm still written on his face. "Guard my daughter. The Redfangs are still out there. I will speak with Captain Callahan about these miscreants. And thank you, friend."

"We're leaving Ka'Ri's guy here?" Sithani asks.

Sunrise hesitates. "Bring him," she decides. "He has questions to answer."

Glen nods. "Will do." He nods and gives the paladin's shoulder a gentle pat. "And Rik... Maybe next time trust us to handle it, eh?" He grins, then turns and trots to catch up to the others before they leave the complex.

"Um," Thimb sidles up to Sunrise, "Where are we going?" she asks, her voice soft, deliberately not asking about the whole hugging Luther who she was 68% sure had a torture room but like, in a sexy way. "The ranch would probably be safe- it's outside of the city and filled with chimeras, but you seem to have a plan?"

Hamish fluttered over to Jarek, landing on his shoulder and aggressively nuzzling him to help him calm down.

"First place we're going," she murmurs, "is out of earshot of clerics and guards." And Rik. "Then off the street, quickly."

Ka'Ri interrupted the leaving. She knew time was of the essence, but she wanted to make sure they had the best possible chance for real answers.

She calls out to the group, not yet sheathing her sword but relaxing it against his throat as a sign of good faith, "Actually, I believe our friend was going to point out which of his erstwhile companions were his two employers, Gharak and Thresen. Hopefully they remain of the living and we can ask our questions to them, otherwise he may have to dig deep in his memory to help us. Either way, I'm sure he's very grateful for his life and the chance to yet see his loved ones again, isn't that right?"

The guard yelps again, and the cleric at the door looks their way with an uncomfortable expression.

"Gharak and Thresen are there," he says, pointing at the leader and his orcish second who spoke earlier. "You took them down first! I really don't know anything! We were supposed to take that girl wherever Thresen said, but whether that was back to the guardhouse or all the way to Jewelness, I don't know!"

Sunrise shakes her head. "Someone with muscles grab that guy then," she says, nodding at the leader. "We won't kill him," she adds, loud enough for the clerics to hear, "but we have questions."

Turning a steely glare at the captive guard, she adds in a much lower voice, "And you are very lucky there are witnesses. Consider this an opportunity to rethink your life choices."

<How do we plan on interrogating him?> Sithani projects to the party. <Can anyone make people tell the truth?>

"Good guard bad guard?" suggested Thimb, still keeping her voice soft, and glad she had when she suggested to ranch to Sunrise, "it works in the books... either way, we should, uhm," she pointed awkwardly towards the exit, "right?"

"Oh, I can definitely be a bad guard..." Sithani teases.

Glen gives Jarek a hand, helping hoist the leader into the larger Riptide twin's capable arms. "Thimb's right, we need to get moving. Now." He brusquely walks ahead, peeking around the corner, then disappears towards the exit of the temple complex.

Sunrise nods and heads out too, setting a brisk pace.

Once they're well away from the temples, and without slowing down, she says, "I'm bringing us to my place because it's close. The ranch would be a good option if it weren't so far away, but we're covered in blood and carrying an unconscious man, accompanied by a Person of Interest; let's spend as little time on the city streets as possible. Home is safe, there's room for us to hole up if necessary, and nobody there will ask too many questions." Not when it's inconvenient, anyway. Veshti will just wait for a quiet moment to corner me.

"And no, I at least don't have a way to make him tell the truth," she adds, glancing at Sithani, "but there's ways to encourage it. Magical and otherwise."

"I am intrigued by what you imply goes on at your house," Sithani jokes. "Just checking: are we sure these really are fake guards, and not corrupt real guards? Or even just a faction of real guards that disagrees with our methods?"