The Price of Life [open]

[Arocraes]

Quinn sat on the antique sofa with one leg resting over the other and his chin supported by his left palm. He looked unamused as two tall mercenaries stood beside him, watching as Quinn questioned the noble before him.

"I swear I don't know what you're talking about" the noble nervously said as sweat began to excrete from his pores. Quinn rolled his eyes as he sat up, gently reaching for the Book of Ansgar he had tucked away under his cloak. "Then swear on this" he said as he stood up and extended the Book of Ansgar toward the noble. "Swear you are not a man who brazenly dons the features of a woman under the guise of night." Anger started to surface in Quinn's voice, who would listen to the murmurs and whispers in the street and knew of what the man would do when he thought no one was watching. "If you lie not only will you burn in the flames of the afterlife, but also in mine."

The noble took a big gulp of air as he began to visibly shake. "Please..." he pleaded, "I am a hardworking man who loves his family. I have wronged no one." Quinn stared at the man coldly before suddenly backhanding the noble across the face and quickly reaching for his loaded pistol to shoot the man between the eyes. Shrieks from members of the household polluted the room. Quinn turned his attention towards the wife of the noble, who sat on her knees with tears rolling down her face. "Arrest her for harboring and enabling this heathen" Quinn ordered the two mercenaries. "Who knows if she is worthy of salvation" he barked as his men carried the hysterical woman into the street.

Quinn cleaned his pistol and tucked away his Book of Ansgar before following his men outside. Once outside, the party began to head towards the church where, along the way, citizens of Reajh could see first hand what lengths Quinn would go to free the world of sin. Quinn walked with his chest out proudly and would glance at the citizens the group passed by. He smiled to himself, believing he did a tremendous service to Connloath--and the world--as the woman he had arrested continued to wail and sob.

Just up ahead, an interesting figure appeared that Quinn could not ignore. "Father Griffin, be careful" cautioned one of the mercenaries.

[JackieCat]

The figure in question alone was not so very interesting, but rather the hyena that walked along beside them.

The person was a teenage girl, short read hair, green eyes, most likely Adelan, and she was looking sadly at the sobbing woman, tears running down her own face as the man standing next to her told her what had happened within the house.  Then she glanced at Quinn, and her eyes sparked, and that was most likely what had the mercenary warning Quinn.

She continued to watch him, curiosity in her eyes as well as some anger, but mostly pity, though she didn't yet approach the man.

[Arocraes]

Quinn stopped momentarily to study the hyena. The beast is well-behaved...

He clenched his fist tightly before letting it relax. For a wild animal to be so tame in a bustling city, and for it to cause the guards no worry, startled Father Griffin. Surely it must be magic. To him, mages and magic-users were one thing, but to so boldly display an act magic--or at the very least what he perceives to be magic--was infuriating. However, he could not confront the owner of the animal. He had to deal with his current prisoner.

Quinn continued forward with his subordinates as he made way to the First Arthurian Church of Reajh. It was a relatively new church and denomination of Ansgarism that Quinn's mentor championed in recent years. Several decades ago, a Cardinal by the name of Loghain Arthur began writing and speaking about more fundamental extremist views, as he believed that it was Ansgar's will to not only purge all magic from the world, but all sin as well. He advocated for churches to have a stricter authority over the people, and to completely eradicate all those who possess magic and major sins who are beyond salvation. Soon a following emerged within the church and outside of it, as devout believers flocked towards the Cardinal , and soon Bishop Alexi Dupont--Quinn's mentor. The Civil War that began proved to be very beneficial to Arthurianism, as hatred for magic deepened and government attention focused elsewhere, allowing the church to act freely. As a result, priests like Father Griffin began hiring mercenaries with the blessing of the church in order to continue its war against magic and sin.

"Turn up this corner and shadow that girl with the hyena" Quinn softly ordered one of his men once they were several meters past the target. "Report back after you find out where she lives, her name, and any evidence of magic if possible." The mercenary lightly nodded as he obeyed.

[JackieCat]

Kirl did not, obviously, hear the man's order to his men, but all the same, the instructions were unneeded, because as soon as the people started to disperse, she discreetly followed him into the church.

It was quiet inside, and while some people gave her and Oax glances, she ignored them and walked up to the man.

[Arocraes]

As Quinn entered the church, he ordered the mercenary to take the woman to the cells beneath the structure. She would be interrogated further before the priests decide what they should do with her.

With his back facing the main doorway into the church, the mercenary who was tasked to follow the girl ran up to Father Griffin and whispered in his ear about how she had decided to come to the church herself.

Quinn turned around to face the girl as his brows arched downwards slightly. This mage has the audacity to enter my church? He was certainly enraged, however he could not display his anger in a place that was, to him, so holy. "What?" he said to the girl coldly.

[JackieCat]

Kirl noticed the man's obvious annoyance at her approach, but she crossed her arms at his question.  Despite the tears before, there was no trace of them now, and her expression was purely neutral.  Oax, similarly, just looked up at the man, her dark eyes taking him in.

"I simply wanted to ask what crime was committed and why that woman's husband was executed," murdered, Kirl thought, but she didn't say it.  "And why there was no trial."

Except in the form of self-defense, Kirl saw any killing without a proper and legal trial as murder, and even then, sometimes the cause was wrong.

[Arocraes]

Quinn stepped forward closer to the girl until they were about an inch apart.

"And who are you to question the will of Ansgar?" He looked at her with a straight face, but was boiling up inside. Such insolence!

He waved his mercenaries to take their leave as the churchgoers began to watch the incident unfold. Father Griffin could not do anything bold--not with zero information on the girl. Although his strength laid in the fear of his followers, the trust of the public was equally necessary.

[JackieCat]

Kirl did not back down, and kept eye contact with the man as he spoke.

"I know nothing of you," she said calmly. "I am simply asking a question, or does Ansgar prefer to keep his followers from knowledge about their God and his disciples?"

As she spoke, Kirl decided not to express that she was quite neutral about gods and goddesses, that she neither denied their existence nor worshipped them.  It seemed that if she said that to this man, some very bad things could happen.

[Arocraes]

Quinn grunted. "We must follow Ansgar's will, not question it." He ignored her question, mainly because he didn't understand it. The woman's crimes were obvious to him, and as such he assumed everyone else thought so as well.

Father Griffin crossed his arms as he looked around the room. The church's interior was made of stone and marble, with drapes containing the emblem of Connlaoth hanging all over and glass stained depictions of important events during Ansgar's life. Quinn and the girl were currently standing in front of the altar and podium that faced rows of benches currently occupied by several worshippers.

"You are quite bold. What is your name, girl?" He thought he could use this opportunity to investigate the girl and see if she truly has traces of magic in her. Perhaps the public display of this would cause followers to strengthen their faith.

[JackieCat]

"You didn't answer my question," Kirl said, ignoring his request for her name, and in that appearing even bolder still.  "What crimes did the woman's husband commit?  And why is she being punished for his actions?"

Kirl knew already that she did not like this man, but she tried to keep an open mind about all things, including what seemed to be an unjust killing.

[Arocraes]

"A man who does not dress as such is a blight upon the world." Quinn stepped away from the girl and in front of the podium, where he sifted through parchments that were laid on top of it. "He angered Ansgar by donning the clothing his wife should wear."

He then stopped and made eye contact with the girl. "Anyone who says or does nothing about the sinner enables the sinner. Perhaps she can find salvation and redemption, but for now she is a menace to Ansgar's followers." Father Griffin's mouth then curled up into a crooked smile. "Tell me, why are you so interested in these heathens?"

[JackieCat]

Kirl kept her face expressionless as the man spoke, but inside she was horrified that a man would be killed simply because he cross-dressed!

The girl could, though her connection with the hyena, feel that Oax felt the same way she did, but neither showed any signs. 

At his smile and question, Kirl crossed her arms and cocked an eyebrow. "Why am I interested?  I'm a traveler, and like to know the facts when a man is killed near me for no apparent reason at the time, and his wife is dragged off."

There was no menace in her voice, but just the smallest hint of sarcasm.

[Arocraes]

Father Griffin took a quill and dipped it in ink before writing on a loose piece of parchment. "And why does a stranger's life matter to you so much?"

On the back wall of the room was a massive and intricate organ that seemed ancient. It was in fact constructed by Saint Cain, who would use the organ to congregate people before mass. At its current state, however, it is only a shell of its once great power which could transmit sound miles away. Above the organ were glass stained windows that depicted Saint Cain. At each end of the back wall were wooden doors that led further into the church. From one of the doors, the mercenary that previously held the wife of the noble entered the room, walking up next to Father Griffin.

[JackieCat]

"Because all life matters to me," Kirl said, continuing to stay calm and collected as she spoke.  "Because all life matters."

She was quite interested in seeing how the man would react to her response. 

[Arocraes]

"The lives of the wretched do not." Quinn's voice grew louder as he became more irritated. "Those that sow the seeds of sin do not belong in this world. The shepherds that lead the good man astray do not deserve to even breathe."

The mercenary that had stepped next to Father Griffin now drew closer to the girl. "Cease harassing the samaritans of this holy place at once, or else" he said as he stood tall in front of her.

[JackieCat]

"Harassing?" Kirl asked, looking the mercenary right in the eye and not backing down. "Who's harassing?  I am simply asking questions."

She looked back to the other man, now ignoring the mercenary.  "Can you not attempt to right those who you see as sinners?  Do you even try to respect other's ideas and not make it your right to decree what is right or what is wrong?  Or if that's what you insist upon doing, don't you even try to help those who have been led astray?  Sometimes a bad deed or a sin is something someone does because they know no better, or they believe they had no choice.  Isn't it your job, as a follower of Ansgar, to at least attempt to teach these people the right way?"

Kirl's true beliefs were to respect others beliefs, as long as they weren't harming others, but she didn't think this man would share her views.

[Arocraes]

Quinn hesitated to dignify the girl with a response. With his voice shaking in anger and his fists tightly clenched, he stepped closer to the girl. "You dare judge my methods? Only Ansgar has that authority you insolent whelp." In a fit of anger he quickly drew his pistol and took aim to shoot into the girls chest. The church goers that were attempting to worship in peace gasped in shock, however the priest did not care at this point. His rage began to take over.

[JackieCat]

Kirl could see this man was about to explode, and her hand drifted towards her belt, where two long daggers were sheathed.

Then he did.  Explode, that is.

With his gun pointed straight at her chest, Kirl's hand gripped her dagger, but before she could even draw the weapon, Oax was leaping forward, her jaws about to close on the side of the barrel of the gun, hoping to pull it down and out of the man's hand.

[Arocraes]

Quinn released his grip from the pistol as soon as the hyena grabbed hold of it. He leaped backward where he then held his wrist, even though no contact was made. "Insufferable wench." He seethed with anger as his breaths drew heavy. "Arrest her and put this animal down for assaulting a church official in this holy place" he barked to the mercenary.

The mercenary obliged and inched closer carefully, preparing to fight the priest.

[JackieCat]

Kirl took a step back, but did not yet draw her weapons.  "Assaulting?" she said, and her voice was quite calm, but inside she was angry at this man.  For killing that man and imprisoning his wife, for how he treated her, but most of all, how he had ordered Oax killed.  Kirl could take almost any number of insults to her own person, but not to her companion.

"I did not assault you, sir," she said, her tone level.  "You were the one who drew a gun on me, not the other way around."