Poisoner Escorted to the Barracks

[mimifearthegn]

Blaze Hefler wouldn't be found at the Bottle and Jug. No, he had a fancy estate in the Lady's Ward, and would surely never slum it in the Hive.

But Sven. . . the chant hadn't gotten to Sven Jass that it was time to get out of town. He was at his usual spot in the smokey corner of the Bottle & Jug. And when he left that night, the wagon of Harmonium was waiting for him. . .

[Jmecha]

*Sven swaggered out of the tavern without his long nose catching a whiff of what he was going to be stepping into, and Klax tossed what was left of his cigar haphazardly into the refuse of what passed for the streets of the Hive. The signal was given and the Hard Heads barreled out of the wagon clad in their heavy armors with their weapons at the ready. The look on Sven's face said he was not listening to the words Klax recited from the warrent.*

*Sven's surpise and animal instincts inspired him to futile and reckless resistance as he lashed out at the ring of Hard Heads eager to ply their trade after the inconvenience of waiting in the wagon. Shackled up tighter then the Lady's Lips, Sven got carried off with minimal effort despite his very vocal protests.*

*On the ride back to the Barracks, Klax rode beside the prisoner and took the time to once more present to him the writ of the warrant and throughly walk him through what should be expected. In truth the presentation was more for his fellow Hard Heads then anyone else. Klax wanted to set an example for them in hope they might learn from it.*

*Once Sven was processed and put in his cell, Klax took a moment to make himself presentable and went to find another of the wheels wonders, Administrator A10 Crake. Klax reviewed what little he knew of Crake as he stepped out his measured strides. He claimed to be an immortal being nearing his nineteenth name day, and drank milk not because he needed any of it's nourishment but simply because he enjoyed such.*

*With narrowed eyes Klax scowled to himself at how very dangerous such a combination of traits could be when possessed by such a ranking member of the Faternal Order. Crake had all the energy and ambition of a young man coming up fast, and a visable aura of pride about him. Pride born from the power that came from his position and aurthority. Pride of the Immortal and Accomplished, despite the Man Child having only less then twenty name days of life experince under his belt. His lack of years, the power he wielded, his pride and ambition...all of these things and more gave reason for Klax to approach Crake with the care one should when dealing with someone capable of moving people across the Lanceboard like so many pieces.*

*Klax could not help to wonder to himself, what would Crake do to win, and how hard would he start flipping tables and throwing his game pieces about if the game he played ever started to go south?*

"Administrator Crake, I have come to inform you Sven Jaas has been apprehended and is currently being held within the Barracks."

*With a curt nod to signal he had nothing more to say on the matter, Klax waited to see what if any response the Eighteen year old immortal might give.*

[riptidereflections]

((EDIT: I've revised this post to account for my own failure to realize Klax already told Crake what happened in the previous post. Sorry 'bout that.))

Klax finds Crake at his office in the courts. The Aides at the front desk mutter something about "here for the class action lawsuit, huh," and give him directions to Crake's upstairs office, where Klax finds Crake's door wide open. There's a table with a platter of lemon-ginger scones, neatly stacked ceramic cups, a pitcher of honeyed milk, and an insulated stainless steel container labeled "Coffee" with a tap on it, and a stack of forms labeled CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT VS. RAUL HEFLER AND THE GUILD OF LANDLORDS, all neatly hand-inked in the same flawless print, with hand-drafted lines for participants to fill out these forms.

Crake sits at his desk drafting a document the same way he scribes everything: with disturbingly freakish supernatural alacrity. "Welcome," he says, smiling politely without taking his eyes off his work. "Please, help yourself to refreshments, and look over one of the written testimony forms there on the table. I'll be with you in--" he stops speaking as he glances up, and his eyebrows rise. "Notary Klax. My apologies, I assumed you were someone else." Crake looks a little bit embarrassed. Without looking, he tosses his quill pen deftly so that it lands in a jar with several other similar quills, and he rises at once and marches over to Klax, putting his hands on his hips. "Well?"

There's a pleased smile as Klax informs him Sven is in custody. "Great work, Klax. I'll get going to the barracks right away to interrogate him. You should join me. We'll stop by the prison on the way, and see if Factor Dace Andor is available to join us. What about Blaze Hefler, though? Is there a problem locating him? You can explain on the way..." He motions for Klax to join him, and gets going toward the prison.

[Jmecha]

*The scones and honeyed milk were laid out on the table like a hungry orphan's wildest dream, and Klax made an effort to not release an exacerbated sigh at the sight of the Administrator's work space. This was who was running the show, this was who issuing the warrants he was to serve, and his diet consisted of the surgery sweets a child would crave. Klax imagined himself as a once favored toy being shattered underfoot or thrown against a wall by a spoiled and wealthy child unaccustomed to disappointment and lashing out in a fit of rage. As the pair left the office to proceed to the Prison and then the Barracks, Klax walked with swift and measured strides while choosing his words carefully.*

"In an effort to be efficient, I moved as swiftly as I could to apprehend Sven Jaas, because he was, as I expected, low hanging fruit. Now that we have him I thought to inform you before moving to present Blaze Hefler with his warrant."

*Klax briefly scowled with displeasure as if he tasted something foul.*

"Administrator A10 Crake, I have never before served a warrant within the Lady's Ward and I would hear what counsel you or Factor Dace Andor may have to offer on the matter. I seek such counsel because I suspect Blaze Hefler maybe well fortified within his family estate and I suspect it is in everyone's best interest that we do not allow the Lady's Ward to devolve into a state of unsightly wanton chaos as the estate is stormed, sieged, or assaulted."

[riptidereflections]

As Crake and Klax make their way down the courthouse steps and Klax shares his concerns, Crake can only smile wryly. "If Blaze Hefler is stupid enough to resist arrest, that would be quite handy," he says, "I rather expect Hefler's resistance to come in the form of a notorious Taker attourney called Nylund. Eskil Nylund.I believe Nylund presents the greatest challenge in bringing Hefler to justice, and if Hefler resists that will substantially cripple his defense in court. Should Hefler attempt to resist you and your fellow Harmonia, I trust you'll exercise extreme prejudice in dealing with them. Consider that the more disruptive the incident of his arrest is, it is not the Harmonium that will be seen in an unfavorable light by his peers amongst the citizenry of the Lady's Ward, but rather the Heflers themselves."

Crake comes to a stop and pauses to rest his hands on his hips as the Prison, Headquarters of the Mercykillers, looms before them. "I just love this place," Crake says with a slight smile. "It looks and even smells like Justice...listen, Klax." He pauses for a moment, and watches the Notary. The faint echoes of distant screams and moans echo and tremor through the sonic insulation of powers know how many feet of the thick red prison walls. "Can you hear them?" He asks, and as they continue on into the prison, the screams and wails become more distinct. "Those are the cries of the sorry berks who have dared to defy the forces of law in the ring and even beyond. The music of their screams is the song of justice, Notary, and soon enough, the Heflers will either be swinging by their like necks, or their voices will be a part of that choir."

"Administrator A10 Crake and Notary Klax, for Factor Dace Andor," Crake says to the Erinyes in the lobby.

[Taurus Daggerknight]

Almost anyone who even dares to approach Rhiekha's desk receives little more than an intensively condescending glare. However, the two Triad officials are instead given a curt nod, and told to sign in the register as usual, before being asked to take a seat and wait.

The reception hall is not exactly what one would call quiet. Criminals are taken in (more often) and out (far less often), Mercykillers head to and from their days assignments. Justicar's set out on their latest hunts with renewed purpose, while others come back triumphant.

Eventually, a Mercykiller officer strides over to the duo. "Administrator, Notary? Factor Andor will see you now." he says, as he ushers them towards the visitor processing line.

Following the usual protocols and searches, they are led down the halls of the Prison administrative level, until they finally come upon the door marked "Factor Office L1-C". The officers knock elicits a simple "Enter" from within. As prompted, the Mercykiller opens the door for the two visitors.

As with much of the prison, the inside of the office was lit primarily by the blood hued light spilling in from the massive windows overlooking the courtyards. The walls were almost entirely covered by bookcases, except for the small niche that was home to a sofa, a rug and a fire place.

The main desk itself held few items of note; a scryers orb, a quill, and the days most recent documents. The sets beneath the windows, however, were slightly more curious. Certainly, there were the expected things that pertained to one of his trade; arcane tomes and scrolls, but also other strange mechanical devices, some wine bottles (courtesy of the Civic Festhall), and a miniature ship model.

The Factor himself stood before the window, his concentration on whatever was outside broken by the entry of the duo. He offered a nod to each. "Crake. Officer....Klax, was it?" He asked, as he gestured towards the chairs.

[riptidereflections]

"Good cycle, factor Dace." Crake makes himself at home in one of Dace's chairs. "Sven Jaas is in custody. We're on our way to the barracks to question him, and I thought you and perhaps justice Sevdi might wish to be present. Additionally, notary Klax sought counsel on how best to apprehend Blaze Hefler. I thought it prudent to consult with you. He has concerns about making such a high profile Lady's Ward arrest like properly. I thought perhaps you might want one of your own people there with him, just in case. Justice Sevdi, perhaps."

[Taurus Daggerknight]

Dace listens to Crake's concerns, his eye briefly falling over Klax at the mention of his name, then back to the dark djinn.

"Justice Sevdi is still engaged in certain tasks." He says. "But good to hear about Sven Jass. I was concerned that his scryer had gotten word to him. Glad to see the incompetence of all the hired Hefler hands is a common theme." He considers the invitation to the Barracks for a moment. "I've some matters to wrap up before I can join you, but I will soon. You should go ahead and begin the chat, I'll come in when I can."

"And as for the arrest of Blaze Hefler..." The Mercykiller lets out a small chuckle, with a gleam in his eye. "To be honest, I think being perfectly visible and loud with the arrest is exactly what the Lady's Ward needs right now."

There's a momentary and subtle scowl over his features. "This whole matter is because of this den of 'noble' rats thinking their coin can buy their way around the law, and living under the misguided belief that they can intimidate the Triad with hired swords and poisons. I think the rest of the nobles could do with a reminder of how things work here. Show the whole ward what happens when they play these games." He gives the duo a nod. "As for the arrest itself; I think your comrades should be more than capable of handling the arrest of this clueless idiot, but if you feel the reinforcements necessary, I can have some of mine rendezvous with you and your team."

[riptidereflections]

When he'd finished getting his gear back from prison security and stepped out of that dark red place so many would love to leave, he blew through the lady's ward singlemindedly, weaving between the occupants of its streets as swiftly walking as others might pass running. He revisited in his mind the things he would have to ask Sven Jaas.

He marched up the barracks steps and up to the measure at the front desk. "Lady's grace, Measure. Administrator A10 Crake bureau of courts here for suspect Sven Jaas. Notary Klax and Factor Andor of the Red Death should be joining me, but I'd like to get started as soon as possible...I trust you have seen to it that your interrogation rooms are no longer vulnerable to scrying?"

Crake removed an ensorceled quill from his coat pocket and smiled politely. He wondered if this measure had witnessed him filling out the needed forms before.

[mimifearthegn]

The Measure confirms that they can provide a warded room in the barracks.