Unexpected Resolution
Krunk listened to the others argue, as he finished tying his unconscious prisoner to one of the beds with strips of torn-up sheets. Some wanted to continue into the mansion, even though they were tired and heavily wounded. Others suggested leaving altogether and even the idea of camping down was considered. Their four prisoners of the Green Dagger Gang lay still and bound, no trouble to anyone at the moment.
Having listened long enough, the halforc interrupted Cade, who was arguing for continuing into the mansion .
"Lets try this another way". The voices quietened as heads turned to regard the warrior-mage. "Ra has no healing, and Layla has little of her magic left. I'm unlikely to make it through another fight and we're all a little battered. If we'd all have wanted to continue the fight, we'd have gone in, yes?"
Amazingly, they seemed to be taking note of his words. He didn't really care for any of them and he wasn't a charismatic speaker by any means. But he did know that he wanted to make it out alive, preferably making as much profit as possible in the meantime
"Right, so no going in.", he continued his speech "Which leads us to the chance to leave this place. They haven't attacked yet, and we can always leave at a later time. If we can get the key from this place, then we have to stay here. So anyone for leaving?". When no-one spoke up he came to the conclusion
"Which leaves us with staying here and gettin' some deserved rest. Any other ideas?" There were none voiced.
There had been a bit of talk when it came to how they were gonna lay out their rest. One of them had found a second secret door into the hidden barracks where their prisoners were being kept. Cade had locked the door beyond so hopefully no-one would find their way through there. If the residents of the mansion were going to attack, it would be during the night. So while most of them slept where the beast was kept, two people would watch the stairs for any signs of activity. Ra was happy to tend to the injured overnight, and keep an eye on the prisoners too.
The first watch had gone quietly, but in the early hours a female voice had addressed them from beyond the bannisters. Leaving Ra and Layla to their slumber, Derris, Cade and Sam joined Krunk among the shattered remnants of the chandelier dropped on them several hours before. The voice could belong to elf, halfling, human or something else, for without being able to match the tone with a face, it was hard to tell the nature of the person above.
"Come down and show yourself" Derris called up. Krunk didn't think that likely.
"Not enough trust for that" came the answer, "now, once more, what do you want from us?"
"a key" shouted up Krunk, " a specific key" he continued on, attempting to forestall any snarky reply. " the one from Irontusk"
There was a short silence before a reply floated down "we don't 'ave it no more, we got rid of it." Another pause, "but if you promise to leave, we can tell you who we gave it to."
This caused a brief conversation among Krunk and his companions. Derris seemed to swing between wanting to butcher them all one moment, and for giving his word the next. He was probably just tired. Cade seemed ready for an all out assault still, but the quiet calm of Sam and the pragmatic voice of Krunk swayed them to at least try this option.
Cade's quick voice, however, was the first to speak to the stranger.
"What's stopping us all coming up and finishing you all off. We already killed most of your gang!"
The reply was immediate, "'because know how many of you there are, and we know you're injured. If you thought you could take us, you'd have had a go by now" . Krunk thought there was a strange confidence to the voice. "So have we got a deal?".
After some bargaining, a few threats from Cade and Derris, and then some more chatter, they agreed to leave in exchange for information on the key.
"A few days ago, some of our lot started coming down sick. Their eyes swelled up real bad. Then a couple a days ago, a human man called Veltargo visited us. Said he could cure us. Said all we 'ad to do was nick this key from a locksmith called Theldrat. He was a thin bloke, goin' a bit bald and with crooked teeth. Wore the robes and starred hat of a priest of Stars. Really dirty tho', he had loadsa dirt under these black nails.
"Wouldn't normally deal with someone like 'im, but we were desperate. And so we stole the key, and gave it to him this mornin'. 'When he gave us this cure for the sickness. He was acting real strange, and 'ad this big book in is arms" When asked if the cure had worked, their was only a stony silence.
"Well, I told you all, so you better go now" the voice started up again.
Krunk replied this time, "We go in the morning, we need to rest still"
"No. You said you'd leave, so be off out of 'ere"
"But we never said when we'd leave" argued Derris, "only that we would"
"Fine" replied the voice, and they heard no more.
It was half an hour later, when Ra checked on the prisoners, that he found them gone. All of their bonds had been undone, the prisoners escaping through the secret door. Someone had unlocked the door Cade had secured. And taken the gang members out through the side door, clearing some of the barricades first. No one had heard them, which was quite a surprise. There was little more they could do except wait for the morning, hoping no more throats were slit.
When Ra did wake those who still slumbered with morning prayers to Sun, there was still no sign of the Green Dagger Gang. Cade shouted more threats up the stairs, but received no answer for his troubles. So they gathered what they had, and Krunk lead them back out into the bustling streets of the Jewel of the Inner Sea.