#Lore24 – Entry #132 – Muckenmyre Month #11 – The Twin Twats from Tempest Tor
From the journal of Takara, Slave Inquisitor of the Stellae Illustris.
Quite the colorful phrasing, that, I must admit. I suppose it’s fitting enough considering the name of the bar itself.
Though Blackjaw had described their skin as different colors, he insisted that the pair indeed looked identical. Such things are not unheard of, given the chaotic nature of mazoku blood. As we spoke to him further, and some of the more cooperative sailors still lingering in the bar, we learned that their names were Charity and Chastity, though my instincts told me those names were certainly NOT accurate descriptions of their natures. We learned that no insignificant amount of coin had gone missing from the sailors’ pockets, and it’s likely that the two had used some charm magic to stir up the rage as a distraction while they slipped out unnoticed, for there was already suspicion on where the coin had gone.
Once the mayor and I had departed the Bloated Floater, for Satella had stayed to tend to those we had injured, we learned that two mazoku had been spotted running down the Span, had snatched a couple of horses from some of the travelers visiting the city, and rode as fast as possible through the market and out of the gates and onto the Grimbridge Way, tossing a few spells as they went to clear the evening crowd out of their path. I picked up on their scents even as we crossed the Span and surveyed the damage to the market; mazoku are as rare as kerryn in Grimbridge, and they have a very unique quality to their scent, born of their demonic blood, not unlike brimstone, flavored with, in this case, an elemental affinity. Oddly, it was only then that I realized that I had not gotten such a scent from Ashelyr when I had met her that morning, only the scent of the swamp.
With the blessing of Mayor Pleasence, I began questioning the sailors at the docks, discovered which ship had brought the twins in, and began to form a picture of what they were truly like. They were known troublemakers, having booked passage from a city called Taross, far to the east, and around the southern tip of the continent, on the run from the authorities there. The captain professed that he had nearly thrown them overboard several times because of their constant disruptions with his crew, but each time had been convinced otherwise, cursing their persuasive abilities, which tended towards using their not-insignificant sexual talents. They are trained in the arcane arts as well; the red-skinned one, Charity, or Char, prefers fire magic, while Chastity, Chas, the blue-skinned one, prefers ice magic, and both had displayed considerable skill with their talents, at least possessing the ability to create destructive balls of their preferred elements, another reason the captain had hesitated to toss them off his ship. On reflection, he wishes that he had gone ahead and took the risk, for the generous sum they had paid him for their passage had been taken, along with most of his other funds, about the time they had docked in Grimbridge.
As to the colorful moniker Blackjaw had labeled them with, the sailors had heard it before, but could not tell me exactly where it had originated, only that Tempest Tor was a town in the far northeast with a reputation for producing disreputable sorts. Apparently, Charity and Chastity had earned quite the reputation even before they had wound up in Taross looking for passage out of the region.
Whatever lead they had managed while I investigated them wouldn’t matter for long. I had hunted many enemies of the Empire in my life, set on their trails with little else but their physical descriptions, if that, and eventually rooted them out in the end, so knowing more of the twins’ natures would make things much simpler. I would see to it these two were brought in for whatever justice was deemed necessary.
They would not escape me.
I was not entirely sure why I made this declaration to myself then, and later to the mayor and Satella. Perhaps during my short time in Grimbridge, I had grown rather protective of the town that had shown me such kindness? Perhaps it was just my belief that the law existed for a reason, and it should be respected and obeyed? Perhaps my short time living outside the Empire had already tainted my mind? Was this…living free, making a decision like that on my own? Or was I just grasping at the familiar, trying to stick to what I knew best, perhaps in the hope of one day returning to serve my Emperor?
By now, it was well after sunset, and the town was abuzz with discussion about the disturbance to the usual calm. I returned to Mayor Pleasence, who had convened the town council to discuss the disruption, and what steps were to be taken next. I waited to be addressed beside Satella and several other residents, even a few visitors to the town, who had shown up to watch the proceedings, and once I had been called, gave them my report on what I had learned of my prey, for that is what I considered them now. Constable Tamblyn seemed impressed with what information I had managed to collect in such a short time. I made it clear that I would be involved in hunting them down, as I had their scent, and knew well how to track fugitives. This caused something of a stir, and some of the less trusting of the council demanded an explanation, though the mayor quashed this, stating that now was not the time.
After some more discussion on the matter, it was decided that I, and Satella, when she volunteered to accompany me, would lead a group of volunteers from the town watch to apprehend the twins and bring them back to Grimbridge to face judgement. As such, we would be granted a temporary position as town marshals and provided with horses and supplies for the hunt. We were given instructions not to delve too deeply into the Muckenmyre if the twins went off the Way, for the swamp would handle them in its own way if they ventured too far out.
We were off within the hour following this. It would be only a matter of time until the twins were found and captured; I had no doubts in myself or Satella in this. I worried over the watch members more than myself; even though I was given the lead in this endeavor, they were now my responsibility, and that would constantly linger in my thoughts as we grew further from town.