"Righteous Irruption"
“Righteous
Irruption”
Musa looked down at the scattered parchments that littered the table and scanned through the names that were written down.
“Their pets too, Moreno?” Inquired Musa as he chuckled softly. Moreno smirked and looked up as he replied:
“I don’t miss a thing Musa!”
Musa nodded softly and continued to scan the lists of names that had been recorded.
“What’s this one over here? One of the rats that lives in the tunnels with us?” Musa inquired as he chuckled a bit louder. He shook his head and took a seat at the table with Moreno.
“What do you plan on doing with that?” Asked Musa as he motioned to the sword of the late Paladin, Lord Ivasaar. Moreno looked over and pondered for a few moments as he inspected the sword.
“It is nothing of value to me, we did it to send a message to Trinsic and Tanila Elnorin; To stay out of our affairs.” Replied Moreno.
Musa sat in silence for a few moments before nodding in agreement. He then reached across the table and took a bottle of harvest wine. After a few moments of fiddling with the cork, Musa took several large gulps straight from the bottle.
“I only ask, as we need to start planning another source of coin. There are only so much our people can do on the streets above; they are very poor to begin with.” Said Musa.
Moreno sat back in his chair and thought about what Musa was suggesting for a few moments before also reaching for a bottle of wine. He then replied:
“He’s looking for his sister, the Sultan. The one who came to me asking for help is one of our own. The Sultan will stop at nothing to find his sister Davana, but that is where we come in Musa.”
Musa sat with a puzzled look as he thought about what Moreno was suggesting. Moreno then continued:
“If we can find her first, she would be a very good bargaining chip for us.”
Musa took another large gulp of wine from the bottle that was now empty. The thoughts of finding the Sultan’s missing sister and how much he would be willing to pay intrigued him. As he was about to reply, several footsteps could be heard entering into the chamber.
“What is this about my sister Moreno?” Inquired the Sultan as he and his Justicar Thayyil entered the room. Moreno looked over and his gaze met the Sultan’s.
“Ah, your presence is most welcome Rubina! Tell me, what brings you down here?” Inquired Moreno.
The Sultan looked at Moreno with an emotionless stare as he walked to the table and sat. Thayyil stood and observed from afar, albeit in the only passageway leading out of the chambers.
“What brings me here?” Inquired the Sultan as he shook his head and promptly continued:
“I have asked you; I have pleaded with you; you and these thugs of yours, it has been nothing but grief and isolation!”
Moreno looked over to Musa, who returned the gaze with a wink out of view of the Sultan. He then replied:
“I do not know what you speak of Rubina. My men keep to themselves, and simply come here to rest and recover!”
“Do not insult me, Moreno.” Replied the Sultan as he stood up from the table and walked closer to an altar that was still smoldering after a battle several months prior. He then continued:
“Without your help, I would not be where I am today. But today, is where we must part ways. Get your men, get your possessions, and get out of my Kingdom while you still can.” Said the Sultan.
Moreno sat in silence with a look of surprise before chuckling back at the Sultan.
“Do you think that man over there scares us?” Inquired Moreno as he motioned to Thayyil. Moreno then continued:
“After everything we have done for you, this is how you give us your thanks? Tell me Rubina, what if I refuse?”
The Sultan turned and faced Moreno. After a few moments, he smirked, shook his head and returned to the entrance of the chambers where Thayyil was.
“The decision was made long ago, Moreno.” Said the Sultan as he and Thayyil began walking out of the chambers. Moreno looked over to Musa with a puzzled look in regard to what the Sultan had just said.
“What do you think he mea…” Moreno attempted to ask, but was cut short by a loud rumble that echoed throughout the chamber they were in. Musa and Moreno quickly sprang to their feet and ran over to the entrance of the chamber.
“What is going on up there!?” Musa asked. Moreno shook his head as the two were promptly knocked from their feet by another large rumble. After a few tense moments the two regained their stance and noticed several large boulders and debris that had fallen, now preventing their escape from the chambers.
On the surface of the island, the courthouse of Nujel’m was now being fired upon by several Royal Navy vessels of King Blackthorn’s fleet. With each barrage of cannon fire, more and more damage was being caused to the courthouse and surrounding area. At the docks across the island, several ships were preparing to dock.
Moreno and Musa ran back to the table and grabbed everything of value that they could. As the successive cannon fire impacted the courthouse above the two, the chamber further filled with falling debris. Fortunately, the impact also revealed access to a different chamber that was located beneath the palace of Nujel’m.
“This way, to the slums!” Exclaimed Moreno…