"There's shouting outside," commented Perona, abruptly cutting through Amon's sob story on how he'd lost a bet over how many apples a horse could eat.
The conversation immediately stopped. They all strained their ears, but it was hard to hear in the ruckus of the tavern.
"I… think I can hear it too. I'll go check. Stay put; I'll be back with news." Amon pulled his hood over his face, plunging his visage into shadow. Without a single sound, he slipped into the shadows and slid out the door.
"We should probably get ready just in case," Aralynn whispered, just loud enough for everyone to hear. The group nodded and readied their weapons.
After a few tense minutes, Amon slipped back through the doors. "It certainly looks like them. In black, like the description on the flyer. They've got a hobgoblin tied up with them too. Looks like they're trying to break into some poor soul's house in the alleyway. Pretty big group of them. Didn't get to count, but there's probably more than us."
"Time to move, then," grumbled Hadarai. He gave Irene a thumbs up and prepared to head out. Grango strung his bow, and Perona readied her lute and shortsword.
Amon held the door open for them, and they headed into the dark streets of the city, which, by the several Liechter Ball luminated signs, Aralynn deduced was called Calyr. She somehow didn't notice that detail when she flew in, though, to be fair, she was absolutely exhausted.
"This way," Amon said. He motioned for them to follow. Following the tiefling man's shadowy form through the winding alleyways of the city, for some reason Aralynn trusted her newfound party comforting, and felt that they were… trustworthy, even though she'd only met them.
Besides the dusky forms of the looming buildings, they had to dance around the occasional carts, barrels, and other miscellaneous junk that lined the streets as clanking sounds grew louder and louder, lanterns and balls of light casting little pockets of visibility, the sun now almost completely set.
Eventually the sounds of hushed whispers could be heard. "No, you don't break windows like that- here, gimme that."
Amon shushed them. Hadarai tried to move stiffly so that his plates wouldn't clink against each other. They drew closer until… at the end of an alleyway, perhaps six or seven figures could be seen, trying to break through a door. Another smaller figure could be seen bundled in ropes and lying on the cold stone street.
Grango and Amon readied their bows, pulling back steel-pointed arrows on strings as quietly as possible, until- THUMP.
Aralynn whipped her head towards the sound. Hadarai had accidentally tipped over a barrel which had now tumbled down. Hadarai cringed visibly and drew his sword and shield, moving in front of the group.
The bandits heard the sound as well. "WHO GOES THERE?" A half-orc wearing dark robes and wielding a double-bladed ax whirled around. The other figures pulled weapons as well.
"Who we are doesn't concern you," Hadarai rumbled. Amon and Grango quickly used this distraction to hide in the shadows, preparing to loose their arrows. "I will give you one chance to surrender," Hadarai continued thunderously.
In retrospect, it could've been completely clear that Hadarai was the only one that the bandits could make out and see in the darkness.
"Like hell we will." The half-orc braced his ax and began to charge. In a split second, Hadarai rushed forwards, catching the bandit's axe with his shield. An ear shattering clang rang through the alleyway as he knocked the weapon aside. As the bandits converged on Hadarai, Grango and Amon surprised them with two quick shots from their arrows. The bandits took non-vital hits and turned their attention to the archers.
With Hadarai in the melee and no clear shot, Grango and Amon drew daggers and shortswords, lunging forwards to join the melee.
"Urgh-" Hadarai groaned out in pain as one a bandit managed to wedge a blade between armour plates, nicking the dwarf and drawing blood. Hadarai clenched his teeth and remained stalwart. Quickly catching on, Perona strummed her lute and sang a few gentle verses, and small particles of magic shaped like music notes floated towards Hadarai, sealing his wounds as they reached him.
"Much obliged, bard," Hadarai responded, pushing the half-orc back and another bandit back.
Aralynn was taken aback at how well this seemingly random assortment of companions managed to fight well, but was snapped out of it by Amon, who cried out, his blades clanging, deflecting hit after hit from a stronger opponent.
"Oi! Ms. Heavy Fighting? A little help over here please," He yelled, jokingly. However, Aralynn could tell his voice was strained and he was losing ground.
"Stay here, please, Ms. Perona." There was a flash of light as Aralynn unsheathed her rapier in one fluid motion. In one single leap, she took to the air, her white wings and full wingspan managing to fit within the larger alley. I'd use my gun, but I don't know when I'll be able to get more bullets, Aralynn thought. Best to save it for emergencies. Gaining some height, she nose-dived straight towards the man giving Amon trouble, lashing downwards with her flexible blade.
At the last moment, she spread her wings to buffet her fall. The man managed to wriggle away so that Aralynn's strike only cut into his leg, but that gave Amon more than enough of a distraction to close the distance and slit the man's throat.
Without a pause, Aralynn whipped around, tucking her wings in close and immediately snapping her blade towards a halfling in the way of the hostage. He parried, and Aralynn launched a flurry of swift cuts and thrusts, intending not as much as to kill but to gain ground so she could rescue the hostage. A final feint and thrust, and… The halfling fell to the ground, gasping, grasping at its chest wound. Aralynn was merciless, stabbing the downed bandit once more through the throat, silencing them. She rushed towards the hostage.
At this time, Grango, Amon, and Hadarai had taken out all the bandits except for the half-orc, who still remained up and fighting. Seeing that he was outnumbered with Aralynn barreling towards the hostage, he pushed back Hadarai with one desperate axe swipe and grabbed the hostage, lifting them by the neck.
"Drop your weapons, now, or I'll kill this hobgoblin!" He held the edge of his axe at the hobgoblin's throat. The hobgoblin struggled, panting, squirming, trying to break free.
"We… cannot do that," Grango reasoned.
"I'll do it!" The half-orc stepped back slowly, carrying the hostage with him brandishing his axe menacingly.
Fuck, Aralynn thought. I... Aralynn swallowed and dropped her rapier. It clanked on the stone pavement. Slowly, discreetly, Aralynn tugged up her skirt, reaching for the grip of her revolver.
"Miss Aralynn, what are you doing?" Hadarai asked, incredulously, seeing the birdfolk drop her weapon. Aralynn said nothing and stepped forwards, slowly raising her left hand while drawing her revolver with her right.
"Yes… YES!" The half-orc exclaimed. "One of you sees reason. Drop your weapons, all of you!"
Aralynn leveled her piercing stare at the half-orc, smiling dangerously. While on the surface Aralynn was as calm as a still lake, inside she was a bundle of nerves. "Miss Hobgoblin."
At this, the hobgoblin woman looked at her. "I'll need you to stay perfectly still for a moment, okay? Nothing's going to happen to you. I just need you to stay still. Do you understand? We're here to rescue you."
The hobgoblin woman, either scared shitless by Aralynn's tone or simply understanding, stopped wriggling. Great. This gives me a better shot, Aralynn thought. The half-orc towered over the hobgoblin. Aralynn breathed in and out before stopping 15 feet away from the bandit. She narrowed her eyes. This. Fucker. Hostage taking is on a whole new level of depravity.
Aralynn slowly breathed out.
[Firearm God's Blessing has been activated!]
With that, Aralynn's eyes glowed a dangerous green, and by the time the half-orc noticed, it was too late. In a single motion faster than the eye could follow, Aralynn brought up her revolver, the cold iron sights resting level on the bandit's head.
BANG.
A single shot from her revolver rang out deafeningly through the alleyway.