Hostile Witness (Side thread, Jygust 30, TT)

Quinlan Corodin · Post by **Quinlan Corodin** » Fri Oct 10, 2008 5:43 am

((Side thread, taking place in congruence with Hurtin for a Hurtin.))

Quinlan dismounted from his tan horse, Nago, in front of the Broken Blade Arena. A tuft of honey blonde hair fell to his forehead - it had grown a fair amount since he had left World's Mouth - and he raked it back into place with his fingers. Nearby, a fellow finished up his sparring with another, much larger fellow.

His horse in tow, he approached the arena entrance, staying to the side to aovoid impeding traffic. He wasn't sure if the guards were actually stopping people on their way in, or simply making a showing. If they were anything like the gate guards at the Waterworks, Quinlan thought their actual benefit to security was probably suspect.

The tall young man decided he'd have to ask where the person he sought was anyway, especially since he had never before been to the arena. So, he might as well ask the front guards.

"Good tradetide," he greeted plainly. "I am looking for a man I was told works here, I need to ask him a few questions. Either of you happen to know a Loki?"

Haikan · Post by **Haikan** » Fri Oct 10, 2008 5:18 pm

The first guard to look at Quinlan smiled as he spoke. There weren't many with good manners that came around this area. He frowned however when he mentioned Loki, knowing the verbal fecalstorm that this conversation would most likely consist of. "Yeah he's right here, he's my associate guard this TradeTide..."

"I can answer my own damn questions, Isaac!" A snotty and low-voiced growl came from the man on the right side of the entrance to the Arena. This man was older, in his 40's, and he had a shadow of an in-growing beard. His brow was creased permanently from what was probably a life of much shouting and scowling. His eyes were pale gray, and his hair was short and black, with gray streaks of age running through it. His voice was deep, and coarse, filled with masculinity, and of course, asininity. "What kinda questions you got, kid?" He practically spit acid at Quinlan as he spoke.

"I got stuff to do, so unless these questions benefit me, I suggest you fuck off!" Loki growled. His associate, Isaac, just rolled his eyes and sighed, silently praying to the gods that he would have a more pleasant coworker tomorrow.

Quinlan Corodin · Post by **Quinlan Corodin** » Fri Oct 10, 2008 8:42 pm

Oh... joy. Quinlan pressed his full lips into a line. Snap judgements were a bad habit, but he had little besides indignation for this guard's sort. Cantankerous, charm-free old dogs whose main accomplishment in life was that they kept on living.

"Duly noted. I take it you are Loki?" he said, almost deadpan. An all-business approach seemed like the best shot for the moment. Let him sputter and carry on.

"You can bet that it's to your benefit to answer a simple question or two." As if in follow-up, he continued, "I am looking into something for... the Sorihns, and Captain Navirez down at the Waterfront." A little name dropping to smooth things over. Hopefully the docks weren't the only place where they had something of a reputation.

"Seems there are some orcs causing trouble, raiding cargo ships, stealing and kidnapping. "Have you happened to notice any about? 'Brutish looking folk,' acting suspiciously?"

Oh, the guards he had come across today. Sleepy, dopey, grumpy, it sort of reminded him of a children's story he thought he'd once heard. He willed that this one would tell what he'd seen without a lot of prodding, then they could go on never seeing one another.

Haikan · Post by **Haikan** » Fri Oct 10, 2008 9:47 pm

"Yeah, I'm Loki, who the hell what's to know?" He returned with indignance himself. "While you're at it, who the fuck are the Sorihns?" He seemed angered by the mere fact that Quinlan was talking to him. "I heard of the name captain Navirez yeah, and none too good." He snorted and spit on the ground beside him. "Those big fellas you talk about, I don't think they like him too much."

"How do I benefit from talkin' to you? I'm pretty sure those folk I overheard in the tavern wouldn't be all too glad that I went and told everybody, ya see. Why should I help you?"

Quinlan Corodin · Post by **Quinlan Corodin** » Sat Oct 11, 2008 6:22 am

"You're probably right," Quinlan said, glancing quizzically upward. "They wouldn't be too glad. If they decided they wanted to start tying up loose ends, who know where they might start?" He didn't bother with long-winded explanation about the Sorihns, since all indication was that Loki couldn't care less.

It wasn't easy to keep a civil tongue with someone so abrasive. In that moment, he wondered if any information Loki overheard in a tavern was worth it. Would it be very detrimental to the investigation if he just told this man where to go and what to do when he got there, and went on his way?

No, no, he thought. Don't get lazy now. He's still more agreeable than some of those kanthrop you met.

"Since you already mentioned it to a waterfront guard, you may as well tell me, too. Wouldn't want him to be the next one kidnapped, and who knows what he would say to them?" Quinlan inclined his head toward Loki with exaggerated earnest. "Better to help in rooting them out. Then they can't bother anyone, least of all, you."

Haikan · Post by **Haikan** » Sat Oct 11, 2008 5:35 pm

"Fine, you raise a good point. Even if you are a scumly turd of an investigator." Again he snorted and spit. "I'll tell you what you want to hear, but I expect a lance in return!" He held out his hand greedily and he began to speak. "These folks, they're planning on-" Bash!

Isaac screamed as a giant rock smashed Loki in the face and bludgeoned him into the wall behind him. A slight moan could be heard from him, and he fell to the ground, slumping over to one side. The rock landed right next to Quinlan's foot, and was about fifteen pounds, causing an indent in the ground. Loki's teeth were shattered, and blood was oozing out of them, and most of his face. He was unconcious, probably dead.

"Son of Dominicus! What the hell!?" Isaac shouted. He quickly grasped his spear and he started pointing it around, trying to find the source of the smashing rock, and possibly more.

"Kid, get down!"

Quinlan Corodin · Post by **Quinlan Corodin** » Sun Oct 12, 2008 1:16 am

Loki kept rattling off spitefully, and Quinlan waited to hear the value of his words before handing over any coin. The galled guard didn't seem worth it, but sweetening the pot with hard currency would have been Quinlan's next tactic, anyway. It was like something out of his imagination when Loki's puss was crushed mid-sentence by a stone.

For a split flicker, Quinlan just stared as Loki slumped and the rock thumped to the ground beside him. It had been a couple months since he had need of them, but the combat instincts he had begun to develop as a legionairre began to awaken as Isaac called out to him.

The expression on his face barely changed as he whirled around, slapping Nago on his rump in the same motion. It was hardly enough to hurt the horse, but the message should have been clear. Move.

Quickly, he backed up to the wall of the arena, away from horse hooves and on the lookout for more flying rocks. Loki lay dead - or close to it - at his right. Dropping to that knee, his other leg jutted out, and his fingers propped into the ground in front of him.

"Where did it come from?! Do you see?" He scanned from beneath his brow. If not an attacker, perhaps there was stirred dust, or other alarmed people to highlight the way.

Haikan · Post by **Haikan** » Sun Oct 12, 2008 1:31 am

Isaac began to run towards the source of the rock. What he saw was a cloaked figure running quickly in the opposite direction too. Quinlan could see it too, and it was about fifty meters away, and running rather fast. "Dammit, get back here!" Isaac shouted. "Don't worry kid, I'll protect you!" And his legs began to pump, kicking up dust as he moved as fast as he could, slowly gaining on the hulk. Loki gurgled and his pulse stopped, he was dead.

Nago ran a few meters, just past Frank, but a loyal horse, he stopped and turned to the side, looking at Quinlan and lowering his head, beckoning his rider to jump on.

OOC: Frank you can post in this thread now

Frank · Post by **Frank** » Sun Oct 12, 2008 2:00 am

"Good heavens, I did NOT see that coming!" Frank shouted as he watched the guard's face get jammed between a rock and a hard place. "That wasn't a fair shot," he hollered, and without hesitating he picked up the rock and lifted it over his shoulder, beginning a hasty pursuit of the source of the violent event. He grumbled words that were difficult to muster while running with a boulder on his shoulder. "Now I don't feel so bad about punching out that kid at least."

He bounded, his strides almost appearing to be individual leaps into the air. Because of his extremely long legs, seeing him run was a strange sight. He held the boulder over his shoulder with one arm, swinging the other one an even wider spread than his legs, trying to give himself a boost of inertia, and making the giant a very funny sight to those that didn't know what was going on.

Quinlan Corodin · Post by **Quinlan Corodin** » Sun Oct 12, 2008 4:32 am

"This man needs help!" he yelled as he left the side of the battered guard. Not one to be left behind, Quinlan dashed to Nago's side. Stepping into the left stirrup, he swung his leg over the horse's back.

"Hup!" The rider squeezed the horse with his heels and joined the chase. Dust kicked up behind them as hooves struck the ground and surged ahead.

Riding a horse at a run is tricky business. Ideally, the horseman doesn't sit in the saddle so much as stand in the stirrups, bouncing in time with the canter. The technique saves the mount's back, and the rider's behind, and the pair can move more quickly altogether. But it takes considerable leg strength, and of course, practice.

Quinlan had understood the principle since he actually was a kid. He wasn't ready for any riding competitions, but still he leaned forward, thighs and calves bulging underneath his leggings as he tried to shift his weight with his stallion's natural rhythm.

We're getting off to quite a start together, aren't we? he thought, sparing a little smile as they charged after the cloaked figure. When we get home, I owe you a brushing and a treat.

City streets were quite different than the fields around his parents' home, which kept him from pushing Nago to a full gallop. People, carts, and who knew what else would be in the way, and the stone-thrower was sure to try to use them. That was aside from the guard and the half giant who were also giving chase. Firm hold on the reigns, Quinlan hoped that he and Nago could help each other watch for obstacles.

"Watch side streets," he alerted the other two in their impromptu hunting party.

"Let's get him!"

Haikan · Post by **Haikan** » Sun Oct 12, 2008 3:53 pm

The first to take off was Isaac, and he ran about twenty meters before Frank picked up the rock and followed suit. Frank's huge bounding legs had him gaining on Isaac and the hulk very quickly. Lastly, Quinlan and Nago joined the race, and at a reasonable canter, they too began to gain at a very effective pace. There was nothing in the side streets as far as Nago or Quinlan could see, but after about a burn, Quinlan and Frank and Isaac were all within ten meters of the hulk. The three of them were about a stone's throw away, when he turned. He intended to run into an alleyway.

"Don't let him get away!" Isaac bellowed and turned to try and cut him off in front of the alley, but he wasn't moving quite fast enough to do so. The hulk was halfway across the street at this point, racing for said alley.

Frank · Post by **Frank** » Sun Oct 12, 2008 4:20 pm

"Don't let him get away!"

Frank wasn't about to do that. He put both his hands on the rock, spun his entire body around and hurled it down the alley in the path of the running beast, hoping to intercept him with a heavy crash. As he turned and threw his makeshift weapon, he shouted "I'm about to rock your world!" As the stone left his hands and raced toward the orc's future location, his follow-through consisted of his primary (right) throwing arm rising above his head, over his shoulder. As soon as he recovered from the throw he took running again, this time without a heavy encumbering object.

Quinlan Corodin · Post by **Quinlan Corodin** » Wed Oct 15, 2008 3:44 am

Quinlan reasoned the half giant's ferocious throw was as likely to kill the quarry as anything. Of course, he wanted to try to extract details and clues from the attacker, but he was oddly unconcerned.

Wordless feelings came reflexively, almost subconsciously. Interrogation was fine, but better for the figure to die than escape. It would only have been right if another flying stone dealt the blow.

Thundering along in chase, with Isaac and Frank at the interloper's heels, Quinlan decided there was a better use for his mounted speed should the wild toss fall ineffectually. He scanned for other side streets or alleys wide enough for he and his horse. If he could guide his charger down another path, perhaps the fleeing raider could be headed off and made to answer for himself.

Haikan · Post by **Haikan** » Wed Oct 15, 2008 4:12 am

Quinlan was gaining very quickly on the cloaked man, and Nago was beginning to whinny with anticipation. The horse growled and gnashed its teeth, ready for battle. It had been tendays since he'd last even run, and he was excited to see action once again.

Frank's boulder careened through the air as he continued his goofy stride, and it crashed into the enemy's thigh, hard enough that the stone cracked in half. The strike caused the fleeing man to stumble and fall to a kneeling position, and on his way down, Nago brought up his hoof and stomped on the calf of his other leg, drawing a horrific scream from the runner, and as the horse kept running Quinlan's job of staying on Nago was made a bit difficult as he proceeded buck and kick him backwards with his hind legs. The kick landed on the man's face and it caused him to violently somersault backwards two healthy meters and he ended up laying on his back, with a barely recognizable face and two broken legs.

"You son of a bitch, you'll pay for what you've done!" Isaac shouted at the man and he whipped his spear down on the man's arm, slicing it off clean, and he thrust the spear up against the man's neck, barely touching, but dripping the man's own blood all over his cloak. "Why did you kill my partner!?" He continued to shout, and it was now clear that the man was of green skin: An orc.

Frank · Post by **Frank** » Wed Oct 15, 2008 6:12 am

Frank watched the boulder careen through the air and smash into the leg of his target. Bull's eye. He stopped running about two meters before the creature, as the horse and the guard ran in front of him. He then clenched his eyes and put his hand before him reflexively to shield his sight from the gruesome overkill that he was now made to watch. He was proud of his accomplishment, but he wasn't used to this level of gore. Not wanting to appear on the creature's side, he validated the tactic by saying: "Couldn't have made a boulder arrest than that!"

He was very impressed by the effective precision and focus of the guard. This man was well-chosen for his job! He looked at the still freaking-out horse. That was an unusually valiant attack from such an animal. Brutal... but what a remarkable creature!

As the flesh of the creature was revealed, it became obvious. They were indeed dealing with Orcs. Frank was upset all of a sudden. He realized the almost identical (though more severe in the Orc's case) prejudice that the Orcs and the Giants suffered. Had the prejudice he suffered been more severe, he could have cracked too. He still couldn't understand why the Orcs were interested in kidnapping chefs though. The motivation completely eluded him, though he was tempted to sympathize with them.

Quinlan Corodin · Post by **Quinlan Corodin** » Wed Oct 15, 2008 4:39 pm

Well trained Nago might have been, but he certainly had high spirits, to say the least. It was as though he and his horse were thinking the same thing. Quinlan couldn't remember the last time he'd seen a horse outright attack someone in such a way.

Nago kicked and bucked, sending the orc flying. Quinlan gripped the horn of the saddle with both hands lest he do the same. For a moment, he was out of control as the rider.

"Whoa, ho." Still holding on to the saddle with his strong hand, he gathered the reigns in his left and pulled steadily. "Easy now, easy. You got him."

"Have to slow that bleeding if you want him around long enough to answer." The orc was in imminent danger of death, one way or another. The guard's attack was vicious, perhaps unnecessarily so. But... he won't be getting away.

Haikan · Post by **Haikan** » Wed Oct 15, 2008 7:59 pm

The orc just gurgled and moaned as Isaac trembled with rage. "You want to know why I killed your partner? People should learn to keep their mouths shut..." He winced, and he pulled a vial out of his cloak.

"Otherwise... Mortality will find you." And he brought the vial to his bleeding toothless, mutilated face and began to drink it down.

"You son of a bitch! GOD! What are we supposed to do now?" And he started to panic at the thought of losing their interrogator to the poisons.

A small crowd was gathering in the streets, and mothers were ordering their children inside.

Frank · Post by **Frank** » Wed Oct 15, 2008 9:13 pm

"You want to know why I killed your partner? People should learn to keep their mouths shut..."

Frank thought for a moment about these words. He wasn't a genius interrogator, but he knew a way to convince the man to talk- at least had Frank been in the Orc's shoes, this would definitely work. If someone is willing to give their life for their people, then their people is the first thing you must threaten. This ideal had been deeply indoctrinated into the young Half-Giant by his father, as they are a race that is seldom looked upon fondly. Unity, therefore, is a very important ideal to adhere to if any contentment is desired.

Frank put a hand on Isaac's shoulder, lightly easing the blade away from the Orc. He's obviously going to die now. Frank then grabbed the cloth around the monster's neck and knelt in close and spoke in a low quiet voice.

"If you keep your mouth shut now, we're going to have no choice but to start killing orcs left and right. The word will spread to the other kingdoms and armies will make it their job to wipe the race off the earth. If we can't trust any of you, we must distrust all of you. If no one is a suspect, everyone is a suspect. If you want your brothers to live..." Frank punched the ground hard enough that a searing pain shot through his nerves, but his brain wouldn't hear that now.

"If you want your brothers to live, you'd better start talking."

Quinlan Corodin · Post by **Quinlan Corodin** » Wed Oct 15, 2008 9:43 pm

Quinlan was impressed by Frank's questioning. If there was a better way to phrase a question to the orc, he couldn't think of it, somewhat to his chagrin. He had given up the beast for dead, thinking that no worthy answers could be gained from someone willing to poison himself before being captured.

"Isaac," he firmly called. Quinlan turned his horse around, facing back up the road they had just raced down. "Do you know where a healer would be? Is there one at the arena?"

He doubted the orc had any more than flickers left. Hopefully he would let something slip before he slipped away. Loki, on the other hand, might still be saved.

The horseman's thoughts raced. There was no longer doubt that orcs were responsible for the raids. Their apparent willingness to kill and be killed for their ends made the situation much more grave as far as he was concerned. His involvement could no longer just be about doing a favor for Navirez and his great uncle.

Why the desperation? he wondered. Just to harry Captain Navirez? No, there must be something else at stake.

Haikan · Post by **Haikan** » Wed Oct 15, 2008 9:53 pm

"I'll tell you pukes one thing..." The orc smiled through his pain, and coughed. Bile, mucous and blood spattered out from his mouth and he pointed at Frank, then Isaac and then Quinlan respectively. He pointed specifically at Frank's broad shoulders, Isaac's pointed ears and Quinlan's determined face.

"...Humans, elves... Giants and orcs... We aren't supposed to live together. Deep down you all think you're better than the other, whether you admit it.. *cough, hack* or not.... You giants boast your unworldly strength and scoff at the puny races... Elves, you think you are divine and sacred... The first people are not the only people... Arrogant... Proud... A term also worthy for humans.... You disgust me more than any of them... You think you are the chosen race... Brave, and versatile... You all try to ignore the prejudice you all contain... You... will never live... in harmony... The orcs will..." And his eyes rolled back into his head. He had not counted on a dramatic speech when he downed his potion, and it exhausted the rest of his strength.

Isaac shrugged when Quinlan asked him of healers. "Perhaps during hours, although those in the arena are meant to die or live, healers rarely interfere to my knowledge... I've never been inside. I doubt there are any now, for there is nobody in the arena at this time of day as far as I know."

Frank · Post by **Frank** » Wed Oct 15, 2008 10:08 pm

The last words of the orc sounded like resistance to interrogation to most, but they reached Frank. He agreed that his people tended to look down on the weaker races, though he had grown fond of them after living among them long enough. He didn't know much about the arrogance of the elves, but he was pretty used to the prejudice of the humans. His own dramatic interrogation rocked in his head perhaps more than the orc's. He leaned back, until he fell on his butt in a clumsy sitting position, simply staring at the corpse. They must have a real cause...

Frank looked at Quinlan and Isaac and began to wonder what side he was on. He liked people, and they were certainly nicer and easier to get along with than these orcs seemed to be. However, it seemed the orcs had been given an unfair trade. He looked at the parents guiding their children inside and he realized that they certainly must have thought him a monster bullying another monster. I'm not sure who's good or bad, I suppose I don't have the authority to decide that.

However... I do have a job to do. Frank began walking away from the body, as if the whole matter was done with. He was moving back in the direction of the murdered witness. I don't know where to go from here, I'll let Fancy Man decide that. What am I supposed to do...?

Quinlan Corodin · Post by **Quinlan Corodin** » Thu Oct 16, 2008 12:21 am

How familiar the orc's words seemed. Every major event of the past year in Quinlan's life seemed to be tied to such disharmony. From his first tides in World's Mouth watching adhiel marched from the city, to the xenophobia of the kanthrop. Was the orc right?

"Perhaps you should see to your partner, Mister Isaac," he said grimly. "I will wait here until the city guard comes." It was a wonder to him that they hadn't already arrived.

Quinlan dismounted, and walked slowly toward the newly dead interloper. His eyes were hard as he looked down at the battered form. Whether he was right or not was a non-issue. The orcs stole and murdered. They must be answered.

Quinlan didn't look around at any who might have been bystanding. The wise mothers had ushered their children inside. The remainder didn't need any further excuse to gawk.

Quinlan's face was impassive as he crouched next to the body. He began to search it, starting with the empty poison vial which he carefully recapped and palmed. The orc's dying words had been less than helpful, but there might be something interesting to be found among his belongings. If there were, Quinlan thought he had best find it before the Roques did arrive.

Haikan · Post by **Haikan** » Thu Oct 16, 2008 1:46 am

The orc smelled terrible, a mix of ripe onions and burnt hair could be compared to his scent. The piercing odor caused Quin's eyes to water, but he persevered and investigated the newly dead orc's possessions. He found an empty vial and a letter. It was not folded up and it was actually in the orc's hand.

Kill talkers

That was all it said, and it was large and sloppily written, in red ink of some sort. The cloak was the only other possession he had, aside from a few wrapped up rations of dried meat.

"Sure, he was a dick, but I didn't want him to die..." Isaac looked back and realized that they had traveled a hefty two hundred yards in their pursuit of the orc, and he began to walk back, limping as if he'd pulled a muscle in his rear thigh.

"Damned orcs... If I didn't have to work tonight.. I swear I'd..." Grumbling was all that was audible once he was well on his way.

Isaac felt Loki's pulse, shook his head and carried him inside. It wasn't until five burns later that several armored guards arrived on the scene, wiielding bows and spears.

"You, sir. What happened here?" The leader pointed his spear at Quinlan non-confrontationally, awaiting a response.

Frank · Post by **Frank** » Thu Oct 16, 2008 1:59 am

Frank sat down next to the unconscious body of Uli Orange and propped him up against the wall, making it look like he'd fallen asleep. The half-giant's foot still really hurt, but he was more concerned about what his responsibilities were going to be tonight. I'm definitely stopping by the bar before I get to my mission.

Frank leaned comfortably against the wall. Time to let the smart folk do their jobs.

Quinlan Corodin · Post by **Quinlan Corodin** » Thu Oct 16, 2008 2:47 am

Quinlan stood up as the city guard approached, resting his hands on his hips. His left hand discretely held the vial and the note, rolled up tightly.

"A gruesome display, sir," he spoke up immediately. "I was talking to one of the guards in front of the arena," he said, pointing down the road with his right, "when the brute threw a large stone and hit him in the head. I don't know what kind of shape he's in." Quinlan glanced down at the body. "We chased after him, and... the other arena guard attacked him with his spear."

It wasn't every detail, but Quinlan thought it was enough. He wasn't sure how much faith he had in the Roques, nevermind the thought of launching into a long-winded explanation of the circumstances.

"The others went back to the arena," he added. He stood by patiently, waiting on the word of the guards.

He wouldn't be leaving with the information he came for, but the gory happenings hopefully wouldn't be a total loss. Atfer one, probably two deaths, he was even more determined to root out answers.

Whatever the orcs are doing, they're down to desperate measures. Killing a guard, just to keep him from talking about something he overheard in a bar... The raiders were deadly serious about keeing things quiet. Perhaps that was why no one person seemed to know many details. Details they were willing to talk about, at least.

If nothing else had been proven so far, Navirez's statement was right. This investigation was very dangerous business.