Unlike the large warehouses of the efficient dock districts of Lower Lueders or even Barkwark, Grom city's harbor area was a shambled, bustling collection of old houses, exotic shops , loud fish markets, rowdy bars, shady drug dens, and narrow store houses that appeared too small to be of any use. Though it wasn't adjacent to the ocean like the other two, it was still connected to the mighty Grom river . The boats there were smaller, but the docks were just as busy as their more famous counterparts.
The evening had turned to night now, but that did little to disperse the crowds that were milling in this area seeking excitement, entertainment or perhaps some form of lawless diversion so common in such areas.
Martinez and Raoul's flight spell had ended after they reached the harbor, but before they arrive at their destination. That did not slow the demon hunters though, as they were easily able to traverse the tightly packed buildings effortlessly. Martinez easily hopped and jumped like a graceful lemur over the roofs , while Raoul simply used his massive stride to clear any alleys that got in his way. When faced with a particularly long gap between buildings, the half giant would spring forth between them like some mountain Goliath and landed heavily on the other side.
"Thought you would shatter the roof on that last leap. " , smirked Martinez as he awaited for Raoul. He had already did a brief scout of the area while his partner caught up.
The half giant shrugged. " The buildings here are old, but they are also strong. ". The duelist considered his words and wondered if they held some deeper meaning, but he dismissed the notion when Raoul pointed across the street into a curiously empty alley.
Martinez had scouted the surrounding area and noted the other back streets in the area were bustling with people. Whores plying their trade, shady merchants selling illegitimate goods, and anyone else engaging in less than respectable activities were their denizens. This ally however seemed devoid of any such activity, and after a few seconds the duelist understood. Though Raoul and himself were trained to see through most minor illusions , the people on the street weren't. Martinez guessed it was a simple aversion spell rather than an illusion but the result was the same.
While scanning the area the duelist also noted several stationary gargoyles along the roofs of the old buildings. They were mixed in with real statues and did not seem out of place amongst the ancient buildings that were so common here. He pointed them out to the half giant and he nodded .
"We're not with them. ", spoke a deep gravelly voice next to the duelist. Martinez hopped back a little and readied his dagger but relaxed when he saw an exaggerated contorted face bricked into the roof.
"We are guardians here, we're not minions of those strange animal spirits. ", explained the contorted face. Martinez noted that its face was similar to the other gargoyles in the area. He guessed it was bricked over during some new construction. He heard that gargoyles could remain motionless for years, and this one either fell asleep during the renovation or just didn't care it was being covered up.
"Why tell us this. ", asked the duelist suspiciously.
The head considered his statement and its ears and eyebrows appeared to form a shrug. "We are guardians but not their guardians. I see you and your friends are not the subtle type, and can probably guess the violence that will soon follow. It's obvious you seek the creatures nearby , while the building you are on is not your target. All I ask is you keep the conflict to the other side of the street away from our duty. "
Martinez nodded and looked at the building they were on top of. "A used clothing store? The owner has set gargoyles to protect second hand garments? ", he chuckled.
The head seemed annoyed at his deduction. "Pfft of course not. This building is not what it seems. I will say no more. ", replied the head before falling motionless once again.
Martinez felt he should have been surprised, but he wasn't. Grom City was over a thousand years old. Unlike lost Alphatia, small Glantri City, or even BarkWark, the city wasn't known for its magic, but that didn't mean it did not exist in abundance here. Generations of mages , alchemists and artificers had plied their trade here. There were bound to be oddities like the gargoyles and the building they protected.
"Are you done chatting with….the stone work. ", asked Raoul who either did not see or hear the talking head or just ignored it.
Martinez nodded. "This is the only exit I see. The windows are bricked up. There could be secret passages leading to the street, and most likely one leading to the sewer. I also suspect passages leading to the adjacent building. "Summarized the duelist. " Oh and ignore the gargoyles. ", he added just in case Raoul did not hear his conversation.
The half giant stared at the duelist and nodded, accepting his odd command. "They could attempt to escape by magic. " , he posed .
Martinez shrugged. "I sprinkled some consecrated dust around the area while I was scouting it. It might not be able to stop any travel magic, but it will make it more difficult for them to cast. Maybe buying us a few precious seconds. Also, Rakshasas are proud and very competitive creatures. They won't flee till all is lost, else they lose face before their fellows. So throw in a few taunts and challenges while you fight. The more you seem like a boastful overconfident fool, the more likely they will stick around and fight us."
Raoul chuckled. "Guess you don't need help in that department."
Martinez ignored the jest. "Can you smell how many are in there? "
"Not 100% sure, but I guess a half dozen and about a dozen assorted humanoids. I do not smell any deadly scents, nothing terribly dangerous before us. ", replied Raoul as he reported what he smelled.
Martinez nodded. "The grunting one should already be there. Our plan is simple, we attack as soon as anyone goes into the alley. They keep charmed slaves and most likely employ mercenaries, so we kill or incapacitate anyone we find. "
"Gotcha. Should we warn the city guard or something, maybe tell Stille and Jose where we are. " , asked Raoul as he waited.
"We can handle this. ", stated Martinez but then reconsidered his statement. "Wait. What better way to impress the lady Stille then seeing me in action . " . With that he retrieved a small bottle from his pack with what appeared to be a frozen bird in it. He uncorked the bottle and the small bird miraculously revived then flew obediently before him. The duelist then whispered a quick message to the small avian and it promptly took flight into the night sky.
"And the guard or militia? ", inquired Raoul.
"Pffft…why bother? There's no one there I want to impress. ", scoffed Martinez.
Jimmez ran as fast as he could . He wasn't sure why , but he wanted to impress Sammy. There was no reason for it, b but he felt a primal need to show this boy who was boss. Despite his rival's fancy armor, towering height, and oddly delicate handsome features, Jimmez was determined to show this pretty boy who was top dog.
"Make sure you come back before your shift starts! ", shouted the bored guard as the boys ran off.
"Yes sire! ", shouted an annoyed Sammy in response. The distraction gave Jimmez a slight lead, but the taller boy quickly made up for it with his longer strides.
Sammy and Jimmez raced through the streets, back to the merchant district with Lally lagging behind them cradling the small furry creature that seemed to have taken a liking to him. After a while the smaller boy cried out to his two elders, and the two racers reluctantly stopped and waited for him . Jimmez thought it was a good time to catch his breath.
"What's your name anyways?", asked Sammy who seemed to take pride in recovering from the sprint first.
"It's Jimmez…" was his response, though he was tempted to add "the demon slayer " behind it.
"Jimmez? That's an odd name. I bet everyone calls you Jimmy, or perhaps Jim. ", laughed Sammy. "Maybe even shorty! " added Sammy with a chuckle.
Jimmez ignored the taller boys mockery. He thought about making fun of his name Sammy but it was too common to actually single out. "What's your story? How did you learn to speak like Lally? " , he asked instead. He wanted to throw in a "you don't look like your dad. ", but that seemed a bit too harsh. He will save that for later. Martinez always said to not use your best attacks till you need to, save them till the time is right.
Sammy's shoulders slumped and for a second Jimmez saw a deep sadness in his rival. "I honestly don't know. My father you saw found me running naked in the streets of Barkwark, starving and lost. I was around two or three. I don't know how I got there, or why I was abandoned, but I assume my parents must have been distant merchants, bad ones at that. He had no luck finding my true parents, so he dragged me along as kind of a mascot for the caravan he worked for. ", explained the boy. Jimmez did not expect such a confession or why he opened up so easily to him, but found he could not bring himself to ridicule his rival's less than proud background.
" Not that I was some dead weight merchant, as early as I could I learned to use armor and weapons. How cool is that?", declared Sammy as a bit of his swaggering self returned. "So what's your story? "
Jimmez's chest puffed up. He wanted to tell him how he was an apprentice demon hunter. He didn't really care for the fact he was an orphan similar to Sammy, or he had spent most of his life as a serving boy for the Lady Stille, he just wanted to get to the good stuff. He had long practiced his boasting, and was ready to list off all the creatures he had killed in the line of duty. From the swift blood sucking stirge, to a monstrous fiendish ogre he helped Martinez dispatch. Before he began though, he was rudely interrupted.
The small creature that Lally was holding hair stood on end and it hissed. Jimmez was at first concerned about the small boys safety, and hoped it wouldn't begin scratching Lally , but then he noticed the small creature had orientated itself pointing down the busy street.
Jimmez looked and saw nothing unusual at first. It was night time in the merchant's district and many taverns and restaurants were still full of patrons. A squad of militia was doing their best attempt at marching orderly, some harlots were plying their trade in the shadows. Even a few peddler carts and food stands were busy hawking their gear.
Jimmez would have dismissed the entire incident except he smelled something off. It was similar to the brimstone scent that demons gave off but was heavily mixed with a spiced smell and the exotic aroma of incense. The strength of the smell indicated it wasn't a common tiefling or errand running imp, but something much more dangerous. Jimmez ushered his two confused companions into the alley and scanned for whatever was triggering his senses.
Many demons walked the streets of Grom. They were often in disguise and almost never benevolent. There were a few exceptions of course, but demons often meant bad news. Most people did not know there was an unwritten code that they were allowed in the city unless they made trouble. If they did so, people like the Royal Adventurers, or Demon Hunters like Martinez would hunt them down. For the most part it was a workable but strained relationship. The Grommers prevented a bloodbath on the streets , and the demons were able to conduct their nefarious business in peace. The likelihood of the creature suddenly laying waste to this crowded street was small, but Martinez had taught Jimmez well. Better to give the creatures a wide berth if possible.
"What is it? " whispered Sammy. From his panicked pet and Jimmez's swift evasion , he sensed something was terribly wrong.
Jimmez scanned the street and spotted him. A man in dark silk robes. It appeared he was walking and searching for something. The streets of Grom hosted many foreigners so he did not look out of place. Jimmez's eyes were sharp though , and he noticed the man's ears appeared backwards. Jimmez thought the chances of this disguised demon suddenly breaking the peace and attacking them were small, but something basic and primal inside him told him to run.
"I know a short cut. " was Jimmez's only reply and the others followed him through the alley.
Though Jimmez had only been in Grom City for a short while, the boy discovered and mentally mapped all the alleys and backstreets in the merchant district. It was a task given to him by Martinez, but he admitted he probably would have explored them anyways due to his curiosity. The young demon hunter lead his small group well away from the man in dark silks and through the side streets of the quarter.
"Well well well , look what we have here. Didn't think we'd find you guys again. ", said a loud confident voice from an alley.
Jimmez's band stopped as a large group of youths emerged. He immediately recognized some from the group he met earlier, and others much older and bigger. He guessed that a few were actual minor criminals and they were well accustomed to violence.
Jimmez knew it would be futile to fight so many and especially on their own turf. If he ran , then he had a good chance of escaping but the others would surely be caught and beaten. He didn't care much about Sammy but Lally was just a kid, and his meal ticket.
The young demon hunter decided to attempt to bluff his way through, but before he began Sammy stepped up and confronted them.
"We don't want any trouble, but I'll give you plenty if you want. ", boasted the tall boy. Though Sammy was tall, he was still smaller then some of the bigger ruffians. While Sammy was lanky, the larger hoodlums were quite broad and muscular.
One of the boys that Jimmez had encountered earlier stared at Sammy then laughed. "Look! Another stinkin foreigner. This one even parrots our speech and pretends to be a guard or something! ", he said derisively. The other boys joined his mocking laughter .
Sammy was not impressed. He suddenly lunged forwards and smashed the boy's nose with an upward strike with the palm of his hand. Jimmez recognized the move from his training with Raoul, as a disabling attack. The young guard executed it flawlessly, and the taunting boy soon fell on his behind , bawling in pain.
"I told him there would be trouble. Who else wants some pain?", challenged Sammy. Jimmez thought his intimidation tactics were fair, but his delivery could use some work. Instead of fleeing the gang of youths surged forward towards the surprised young guard. Sammy managed to clock the first one as he rushed him, but the others literally bull rushed him to the ground. The young guard punched and kicked ferociously but was soon overwhelmed by their sheer numbers.
Jimmez smirked at the fate of his overconfident companion. He was content to take Lally away and come back for Sammy after he got his proper lumps. However something didn't sit right with him. Instead of taking cover from the distraction provided, he found himself wading into the mass melee.
Though he was small for his age, Jimmez had trained in hand to hand with both the half giant pugilist Raoul, and the reluctant Lucha Master Jose. The young demon hunter climbed atop some crates before launching himself with a leap at the gang of youths. He smashed one boy's back with his hard elbow, before he began tossing the boys aside, using their own unfocused momentum against them.
Jimmez attack gave pause to Sammy's attackers, and the young guard seized the initiative by swinging in a more classical pugilistic style. He punched one out , while knocking a tooth out of another's mouth. Though the youths still outnumbered the two boys greatly, they had little combat experience besides picking on the small and weak, while their foes appeared to have quite a bit of skill . The onslaught was nearly enough to break their morale.
Jimmez saw the big nosed youth he crossed paths with earlier in the evening. The young demon hunter feinted an attack at him, and that was all that was needed to begin the route. The big nosed boy was the first to panic. "Run away! Run away! ", he shouted as the gang of hoodlums dispersed from the alley.
After their brief skirmish, Lally ran from the spot he was hiding behind. He ran to Jimmez first then towards Sammy . The taller boy had a black eye and a split lip, but his spirit did not seem hampered. " I think I broke two of their noses. That'll teach them. ", he bragged proudly, seemingly taking all the credit for the victory.
Jimmez coughed. "Who else wants some pain?...what kind of line is that? And what? No thanks Jimmez for watching my back even when I did something stupid and suicidal? "
Sammy stared at Jimmez with a hard stare. He did not enjoy having his his thunder taken away from him during his great victory. Jimmez half expected the taller boy to lunge forward and attempt to smash his nose, but Sammy's hard stance softened instead. "Thank you. I honestly didn't expect you to back me up. You fought well." He said with a tip of his head.
Jimmez didn't expect that kind of reply from his rival. "You fight pretty good yourself.", he responded.
As the pair complimented each other Sammy, sat on a crate and coughed some blood. He apparently did not escape the battle unscathed.
As the young guard attempted to recover on the crate Jimmez retrieved a small container of healing ointment and walked up to Sammy. "Here let me take a look .", he said before grabbing the taller boy's chain coifed head .
Sammy seemed shocked, and struggled briefly, but relaxed when he saw the healing cream. Jimmez applied it skillfully to his eye and lip, and the ointment swiftly closed any cuts and rejuvenated the surrounding skin . Jimmez was pleased with his work and thought it worthy of Lady Stille, however he felt awkward when he noticed Sammy shivering , and breathing quickly at his touch. Despite fighting side by side with the tall youth, Jimmez thought he was definitely weird. The sooner their business was concluded the better.
"I think we should skip the Menagerie and head straight for Lally's house. Those boys might come back, with weapons and other crap next time. ", suggested Jimmez.
Sammy smiled and giggled. " Are you scared? Did you think our victory a fluke? I can take Lally to see the sights while you wait if you want. ", teased the taller boy. With that he waved Lally to him , and the pair began walking away.
Jimmez chuckled as he noticed they were walking the wrong way. He swiftly rejoined them. "You two are hopeless, you'll get lost that way.", he cautioned before redirecting them to their original path.
Stille thought she was hopeless; she shook her head and attempted to recover her wits before she became lost in the paladin's eyes. There was something about the battle and his heroism that brought out the romantic in the old baroness. It made her feel young again. She felt she was once again a maiden being rescued by a brave knight in shining armor. Perhaps Jose reminded her of her departed husband, a powerful knight in his own right. The fact she discovered he had been staring at her admiring her beauty , and not scanning her for evil all this time , suddenly made their relationship …complicated. She never considered Jose handsome like Martinez, but she admitted he had that strong charismatic lure that all paladins seem to have. She wondered why she felt herself drawn to him now. Was it the fact he saved her life? Or maybe it was the City? The capital always stirred up fond memories for her. Maybe it was his Lucha Daro fighting , she had never witnessed it before but it was definitely thrilling to watch . It was an exhilarating combination of passion and violence.
Though she had amorous thoughts of Jose, she knew it was just a simple lustful emotion, a fleeting pleasant thought. They were just passing feelings brought up by the stress of battle. She was over three times his age after all, and they had nothing in common outside of professional interests. She would not allow herself such a base indulgence.
"Baroness…are you well?", asked Jose as he attempted to adopt a formal speech pattern as he glanced at the day dreaming Stille.
"Oh, I'm quite fine thank you. ", sighed the priestess.
"Excellent…..Martinez and Raoul went off to partake in the Admiral's Gala, we should find the pair of them there. I will get us there with utmost haste. ", noted the paladin as he concentrated into the sky. A few seconds later , a large green furry dog the size of a horse appeared before them. It resembled the mighty husky that Jose's order was named after, and it wore both barding and a saddle .
"Greenpaw ! To Admiral Edmund's Manor! ", declared Jose as he hopped on the dog. Though the monstrous dog was by most accounts quite terrifying to behold, Stille never had a problem with it. The fierce creature reminded her of her own pet dire wolf she had over a hundred years ago. It's name was Freiki and it selflessly sacrificed itself to save her.
Jose offered a hand to Stille so she can presumably sit behind him. The baroness hesitated at the offer. Did he expect her to sit close to him and wrap her arms around his strong torso? Daydreaming of the paladin was one thing, but such close physical contact was quite another.
"Baroness?", repeated Jose again, slightly confused.
Stille paused then smiled and accepted his offer.
"Hold on tight! ", he declared as the powerful Greenpaw raced through the streets. Stille pressed scandalously close to him , and wrapped her arms around the paladin's manly waist. She can permit herself one indulgence she thought, as she rested her head on his strong back.