Just One of Those Days

Quote of the Night: “You’re trying to think. That’s cute.”

-Kreshnik

The smell of bleach greets Viktor as he slowly returns to consciousness. Propping himself up as the remembers where he is, he can’t help but feel that he is lucky to be alive. Kreshnik groans and stirs beside him, but Jonas doesn’t move. Viktor stumbles to his feet and tries to scout around the area. Their small skiff is still docked, but the barge and all the medical supplies are gone, along with Kreshnik’s pistol and what little money that they had.

With little choice in what to do, they staunch the flow of blood from Jonas, hoping that the rags and stagnant water used to clean the wounds won’t cause too severe of an infection. They then drag Jonas into the skiff and slowly row their way back to Bankside, trying hard not to look like too easy a target.

Meanwhile, Josiah has decided that if Kreshnik isn’t back by sunrise then he and Firene are leaving. Going through Kreshnik’s home to find any supplies that they can, whey wait throughout the night.

All through the night, Kreshnik and Viktor row down the canals, finally reaching Bankside. They dock the boat, and sell it for a token amount. Viktor begins to haul the still unconscious Jonas to Kreshnik’s house, while Kreshnik limps to the Underground Market to inform The Fish that he has failed to hold up his end of the agreement.

Wounded as he is, Viktor still manages to get Jonas to the house just as dawn comes. Josiah and Firene are just leaving as he arrives. Much to Josiah’s consternation Firene still decides to stay and helps Viktor bring Jonas into the house. Using what little alcohol they have, they try to sterilize his wounds.

At the Market, Kreshnik finds The Fish’s assistant, Selma, who takes him in to see the big man himself, leaving them alone with the Fish’s two enormous bodyguards standing watch over their boss. Kreshnk explains that everything went poorly, and apologizes. Surprisingly, Willy is not visibly angry. Instead, he seems quite accepting of the situation. He dismisses Kreshnik with one more request – that he bring Firene by to see him some time soon. Puzzled and grateful that he’s still alive, Kreshnik leaves. On his way out, he notices Selma talking with a man. Kreshnik stumbles as he recognizes the man’s face – man that beat him into unconsciousness only a day earlier.

Arriving home, he curtly informs Firene that she’s going to see The Fish tomorrow, and then lapses into a deep sleep. Josiah shows the wanted poster and insists that he take Firene and run, but Firene, Kreshnik, and Viktor all refuse – Kreshnik because he promised The Fish, and you don’t fuck with a man like that; Viktor because Kreshnik promised The Fish, and you don’t fuck over Kreshnik like that; and Firene because hopefully the Fish might know why Arclight wants her, and sees little point in trying to evade them forever. During the night Josiah tries to get Firene to leave with him, but she again refuses. Disgusted, Josiah nonetheless remains with her.

By morning, Jonas is conscious – again. As a group, they take Firene to see The Fish. Willy cuts to the chase, showing the group a copy of the reward poster from Folly Hills, and then another one he found in Clearwater Break. The two posters are identical, except that Arclight is offering ten times more money to the people in Clearwater Break to find Firene.

The group immediately looks for a way out. Kreshnik makes a counter-offer. Surely, he insists, The Fish could make more money selling the information of Firene’s location to various Ghostfighters, Lostfinders, and Bounty Hunters around The City?

Willy smiles at the thought. He actually doesn’t need the £2000, that being a pittance compared to what he has at his disposal. Still, he does like the idea of human sport. Seeing as Firene’s protectors are for the most part near death, Willy decides to give them a one week head start. If they are caught before them, well, The Fish won’t lose too much sleep over it.

Shuddering, the group leaves to gather what little belongings they have and get ready to run

And If You Look Up, You’ll Notice Some Rather Large Rocks Falling Towards Us.

Kreshnik, Viktor, and Jonas wait in the small skiff, shivering in the night as they wait for the barge to arrive. Dawn greets the city and still they wait.

Eventually, they pick out one boat sailing down the canal. Slung low in the water, the barge is obviously carrying a heavy load. As it comes closer they can see the crates stacked high and four guards watch intently for danger, sparklocks at the ready as four more drudges row the barge through The City. Although he’s not entirely positive it’s what they’re looking for, Kreshnik reasons that it’s unlikely to be anything else and hails the guards, warning them of an ambush further up the canal, and they are supposed to make the exchange here.

The guards regard him slowly. They recognize that what Kreshnik is saying is more than possible, but it doesn’t sound quite right. When Kreshnik drops The Fish’s name as the source behind the ambush, however, the guards nervously dock their barge at the Old Bleach Factory to make the exchange.

On more or less stable land, Viktor examines the cargo, assuring that it is the medical supplies as promised. The guards regard the whole experience warily, keeping their sparklocks in hand, if not actively trained upon Viktor, Kreshnik, and Jonas. Examining a large bottle of unidentifiable fluid, Viktor lets the jar slip from his hands. As the glass shatters on the ground, the guards almost all instinctively turn to the noise. In that moment, Jonas strikes.

Two trained Ghostfighters against 4 low-paid guards at close range should be an easy victory for the trained killers, but Jonas is still recovering from his illness and the fight with Myles. As Jonas cuts the first guard, sparklocks fire. The booming of the primitive muskets echoes across Mire End, and the acrid smell of gunpowder fills the air. Jonas is hit in the Shoulder, while Viktor is gut-shot. Still, neither go down. What was intended to be a simple job – for both sides of the fight – has become much more lethal. After the initial barrage, there’s no time to reload, so the guards’ guns become primitive cudgels. Slashing madly, Jonas manages to take one guard down before succumbing to blood loss. Viktor passes out moments later, taking another guard down with him. Kreshnik fires blindly from his pistol – an expensive automatic – and takes down a third. Struggling, he fights vainly against the last guard, until a strike across his temple with the butt of the sparklock knocks him to the ground.

As consciousness fades, Kreshnik can’t help but wonder if he shouldn’t have approached the situation differently…

Meanwhile, at roughly the same time that Kreshnik et al are awaiting their target, Josiah is finally regaining consciousness. Firene has taken his drugs away from him and been keeping him unconscious for the last day and a half with what little sedatives are left from the supplies that were recovered from Doctor Drake’s office and not sold to the Fish. Firene explains to him what has happened over the last few days. Wanting to clear his head, Josiah suggests that they take a walk to get something to eat. They hop the train, getting off in the east end of Folly Hills.

Walking through the Hills, Josiah can’t help but feel that something is wrong. It takes him a while to realize what it is – it’s so subtle and at the same time completely blatant – people are watching him. Not one person specifically, or even a group following him. Nearly everybody that sees him, however, seems to take a second glance, as if trying to determine if they know him.

Unnerved, He guides Firene into a small diner. The food is plain and greasy, but it’s more than they’ve eaten in a long time. The meal is eaten in silence, as both feel the gaze of strangers on them.

They leave the diner and start to head back to the Train. As they pass an old lamp post Josiah notices a poster that catches his eye. Reading it, the blood drains from his face.

MISSING: FIRENE OMBERWELL. PLEASE REPORT ANY INFORMATION TO ARCLIGHT. £200 REWARD.

The sketch underneath is a far cry from the girl walking with him – the girl in the sketch has long clean hair and a rounder, cleaner face. Still, someone looking very closely can tell that they are the same person – or at least related.

Grabbing Firene by the arm and forcing her head down as casually as he can, Josiah quickens his pace until they’re practically running. A single detour is made to purchase hair dye at an apothecary, but otherwise they head straight back to the train.

The train ride back is tense. Josiah keeps his hand on his gun, ready to fight or flee if necessary. Mercifully, they make it back to Bankside unmolested. There aren’t any posters for Firene there – yet. Always looking over their shoulder, they make their way back to Kreshnik’s place. Locking the door, Josiah sits Firene down and demands to know what Arclight wants with her.

Slowly, Firene begins to tell Josiah her story...

Don't I Know You From Somewhere?

Quote of the Night: “You want some money? Here! Give it to Charity. They didn’t earn it!”

- Kreshnik

Kreshnik returns to his place, Viktor and Firene in tow. Opening the door, they find that Jonas has regained consciousness. Although still weak, he has managed to show remarkable determination and restraint, as Josiah is in a manic state due to a combination of painkillers and stimulants.

Leaving Firene to try to bring down Josiah, Kreshnik informs Jonas of the current job that The Fish has asked of them. Leery about the lack of immediate monetary reimbursement, Jonas nonetheless is convinced to help Kreshnik & Viktor to recover the medical supplies for the fish.

Looking over the route that the supplies are to be shipped by – on a small barge via the canals from a warehouse in the southeast of The City to Folly Hills in the TCMA – Kreshnik decides that the best place to try to stage an ambush will be in Mire End: It’s outside TCMA jurisdiction so Provosts shouldn’t be a problem, and with any luck most of the citizens will be too involved in their own misery to get involved and try to steal the shipment for themselves. Also, Jonas at least is familiar with the area, having spent some time at Chain’s training to be a Cripplecut fighter.

A quick look at Josiah has them realize that they can’t take him along. Since Firene would also likely be more of a liability than an asset, they leave her to take care of him, and set off to Folly Hills to take the Ferry to Mire End.

Arriving in Mire End, the trio decides to keep a low profile for the immediate future. It’s pretty obvious that they don’t belong, but Jonas carries himself with a “don’t fuck with me” swagger that makes most people realize that there are easier marks. With a full day until the shipment is transported, they need a place to stay until they can make their move. Foregoing Forest Green for the simple fact that there might be some people that could recognize Jonas, they decide on Redberry Park. They make their way through the muck and filth towards the shantytown. Hundreds of hopeless souls try to eek out an existence in the park, selling their bodies for enough money to buy some food or just another hit of their drug of choice to take their minds off of their miserable existence.

Kreshnik sees hundreds of easy marks.

Ditching the low-profile approach, Kreshnik starts to evangelize, trying to turn the crowd’s misery into a determination to better themselves. It works to a point. Although most of the Dollymops and pimps haven’t even heard of the Mortal God Church, they respond well enough to his speech that one group offers their tent for the night.

Jonas watches the crowd with a wary eye, looking for signs of trouble. The hair on the back of his neck stands up as he hears a female voice behind him proposition him for sex. Spinning around, the color drains from his face. The figure is much older than he remembers, and strung out from obvious drug abuse. The daze in her cloudy eyes shows that she obviously doesn’t remember him, and indeed, looking at her Jonas would likely not recognize her as well, but her voice, cracked and ruined as it is, gives her identity away to him instantly.

His mother.

Unsure of what to do, he turns down her proposal. She comments that if he finds her too old, she’s got a daughter – or a son – that he could take as well. The bile rising in his throat, Jonas shakes his head and watches as she shuffles off, telling him that if he changes his mind to ask for Old Amy.

Still visibly disturbed by the visit from his past, Jonas rejoins Kreshnik & Viktor. The people that agree to put them up have little more than a crude tent for a home, but they offer it in exchange for the protection that the three provide. Kreshnik asks Jonas to find a boat or skiff that they can use while he himself decides to go looking for a few other supplies that he feels might be needed.

Jonas heads out. Before he even starts looking for a boat, he enquires about Old Amy, learning that she came to Redberry Park a few years prior. Unsure of what else to do, he heads to the canal. It takes him little time to find a suitable boat, and when the owner protests Jonas stealing it, Jonas takes even less time to kill the man, dumping his body into the canal.

Meanwhile, Kreshnik heads out to explore the area and see if there’s anyone/thing else that he can use. Unfortunately, all too quickly he runs into a couple of thugs from the Holher Gang. Faced with the business end of a sparklock, Kreshnik does what he does best – he cons them. He informs the thugs that he’s got a big score, and if they let him live they’ll get a cut of it. Weighing their options, they take him to see Garsey Hatchet.

Hatchet isn’t the most stable individual, but he knows a good deal when he hears it. Tempted to torture the information out of Kreshnik, Hatchet decides to be magnanimous and settles for a sizable cut of the haul. He lets Kreshnik go with 3 Holhers to watch him.

Shaking, Kreshnik heads back to Redberry Park. Jonas, never particularly enamored with the Holher Gang, wastes no time in picking a fight with them. The thugs are no match for experienced Ghostfighers like Jonas and Viktor, and within moments all three are dead. Aghast at the carnage and terrified at the retribution that the Holher Gang will bring upon the Park if Hatchett finds out what happened, the locals run Kreshnik, Viktor and Jonas out of the Park.

With little else to do, the three head to the canal to wait for the shipment.