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Message: <blockquote data-quote="talien" data-source="post: 4559711" data-attributes="member: 3285">Fox and Geese: Part 2 – Sympathy for the DevilKnights of the Red Fist, mounted on screeching red monstrosities, crashed into the Bone Market.  People ran screaming, scattering to the four winds as Vorlerath Demons, Sarishan Priests, and the Swords of NierKham ran as fast as he could.  “What the hell are those?” he shouted over to Sebastian.“Melatorn Devils.” Sebastian was sweating from the exertion.  “Demonic mounts. For the Knights.”“Yeah I figured that out,” said Kham. “Can’t you run any faster?” shouted Ilmarė, who had easily pulled ahead of them. “Do YOU want to carry him?” Kham shouted back.A veritable melee of spell and blade broke out.  One Vorlerath demon was skewered on the end of a Knight of the Red Fist’s lance, while two Volerath’s sunk their teeth into the other Melatorn’s haunches.  One of the Swords of Nier cut down a Sarishan priest; another priest retaliated by paralyzing a Sword. They turned a corner, finally out of the eye of flying Melatorns.  Kham dumped the legionnaire, who stood motionless, and tried to catch his breath.A Sarishan priest rounded the corner a second later.Kham had both pistols out, aimed at his head.  The priest put both hands up.  “Be at peace, brothers!  I only came to thank you for your timely assistance.”“Kham,” said Sebastian.  “He’s still got his Mark…”“Right, right.” Kham slowly lowered his pistols.  “Okay old man, what do you want?”“I am Treterses, priest of our lord Sarish. It seems dat our attempt to be obsequious has failed. I fear ve may again need assistance before de day is out.”“Yeah, I could use some answers too,” said Kham.  “First, what are you doing with Quintus?”“I’m sorry?” asked Treterses.  “How do you mean?”Kham patted the dazed legionnaire on the shoulder.  “This guy: Quintus Aurelius Ignatius, Signifer of the Legion of the Triumphant Rays of the Invisible Sun.  He wasn’t always like this.”Treterses blinked.  “Ve found him vandering randomly through Nishanpur.  Ve swept him up with de other Touched.”“Touched?” asked Beldin.“Dey are Touched by the gods. Dey are de vay dey are because deir souls could not bear revelation. In shock, dese souls migrated back to newborn bodies, and are trying to either understand, or forget. Though in some places, dey might be considered no better than slaves, or animals, here dey have a special status. Dey are ‘ritually pure’ beings. Many are cared for by deir families, and are tolerated vith great forbearance even by strangers as dey vander about.”“I’ve heard of these people,” said Sebastian.  “They are untouchable and casteless.”  He was about to continue when he was overcome by a fit of coughs.“Surely you must have noticed de castes of Canceri?” asked Treterses. “Dese folk are souls who have almost achieved paradise…How can ve not feel dem vorthy of respect? Yet dey cannot function here in de earthly realm. Dey are therefore considered freemen, and cannot be slaves, but yet dey cannot conduct business as freemen. Dey are unable to comprehend de necessities of earthly laws, and so are considered beyond dose laws. Most folk merely let dem live out deir lives simply, make sure dey do not hurt themselves, and try to leave dem alone to seek their peace vith the gods.”“Yeah, well, I think Quintus only cares about one particular god,” said Kham.  “What were you planning to do with him?”“It is becoming increasingly dangerous for dem here,” snapped Treterses. “Can you not see a civil var is looming? Ve seek to send them to a community to de east of here, vhere dey will be velcomed. Dose who have families have agreed to let us do so.”“I don’t think Quintus has family,” said Kham.  “So I’m guessing you just decided for him.”Treterses looked offended. “Dese folk are untouchable. It vould be dishonorable for us to harm dem. You can see for yourself dat ve have allowed no harm to befall dem. Ve seek only to avoid dem befalling random harm here in de future!”Ilmarė peered at the legionnaire.  “I don’t believe this is Quintus.  He shouldn’t be in Nishanpur.  He was on a farm…”“You seem quite capable, certainly moreso den I,” said Treterses. “Escort your friend to the Corpse Gate. By de Vein Canal, dere is a warehouse, vith a gargoyle above the door. Dere ve are meeting with a group dat vill escort us out of de city. I myself must go back to de Temple of the Keeper of Mysteries and report. It vould be safer for de Touched, though, to be taken straight to de Gate and to wait dere…”“And what of the other Touched?” asked Beldin.“Dey are likely being taken to de Menagerie of the Red Fist. Ve haven’t seen dem holding anyone at deir temple here in de Quarter. Deir temple here isn’t dat large anyhow...”“What would Nierites want with a bunch of morons?” asked Kham.Sebastian finally stopped coughing. “They take them north, to Hunder…to be ritually sacrificed to Nier in their ‘sacred’ flame.”Treterses nodded. “Dere is a movement among them, especially de Swords, to return to the old vays in de vake of recent events.”“You mean after the Nierites lost the war against Milandir,” said Kham, thinking of Vlad.“Yes. Vith the disappearance of deir leader Leonydas, and de great earthquake last winter, many rumors surround deir activities. Many of dem fear dey are forsaken by Nier, and seek to make amends by offering sacrifices in de old ways. Since de Touched are pure in spirit, deir souls vould be considered vorthy sacrifices…”Kham rubbed his forehead.  “Okay, okay.  We’ll think about it.  Go back to your temple or wherever it is you cultists go to.”Treterses bid them farewell and disappeared into the winding alleyways of Nishanpur.“If this is Quintus,” said Beldin, “You can’t seriously consider…”“Of course not,” said Kham.  “Quintus just needs to have his memory jogged, that’s all.  Let’s get back to the Velvet Glove and clean him up.  Then we can figure out what to do next.  Isn’t that right Quintus?”Quintus stared, glassy-eyed, into space.“Sounds like a yes to me,” said Kham, answering his own question.  He pushed the legionnaire ahead of him as they walked.Ilmarė stood for a moment, hugging herself tightly as she watched them go.  Then slowly, reluctantly, she followed after them.</blockquote>

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