I took a stroll down to the town to drop off what little loot I had collected from the previous night's hunt at the bank. To my surprise the bank teller had a crumpled old envelope containing a letter for me that some traveller or other had dropped in a few days previous.
I looked blankly at the envelope, who could it be from? Only one way to find out!
Dearest Raiden,
Please help. I know the times we shared in Britain are a lifetime away, you're making a name for yourself now and have even become a gentleman officer so I hear.
I hope you have not become too much of a gentleman to forget your old friends. Please help.I blinked in disbelief as I read the opening paragraph, my mind raced back to my youth which was spent living in the gutters and slums of Britain. I read on.
Peg has gone missing and I'm worried. A few of the girls that work the docks and slums have disappeared over the last couple of weeks. One was found in an alley, she was cut to ribbons. Not a drop of blood left in her, nor any innards.
We're none of us getting any younger and Peg and I earn our coin where we can. She did business with an Umbran. She needed the coin and he seemed fascinated with her... A one legged whore.
Please help Raiden, since you went back to Cove to join the army she's all the family I have.
Yours always,
Deanna.I had enough on my mind with the disappearance of Eve without this, but I still cursed myself for not remembering Deanna and Amber more
(Amber was called Peg on account of her having a wooden leg due to being crushed under a merchants wagon near the western bank). I could have sent them enough coin to get by. Or at least enough so that they could be choosy about their business.
It was not like me to forget my friends no matter who or what they are and no matter what my station was either. I cursed myself again.
I would have to do this alone. The Baron wouldn't let me take a squad of recruits to find a one-legged prostitute from Britain, let alone a couple of Grenadiers. I packed my kit and headed to the capital. I wanted to get the full story from Deanna, plus I do confess it would be nice to see her again after all these years.
I asked around the docks and tavern for Deanna and finally caught up with her near the mapmakers. It was only early afternoon but she was out doing the rounds. She looked closer to fifty than thirty but her smile still warmed my heart. Deanna told me little more than was in her letter so I gave her enough coin for a warm meal and to keep her off the streets for the night and headed off for Umbra.
The stench of death hit me before I had even stepped from the portal. Why did the Paladins not raise this place when they had the chance.
From what Deanna had told me of the victim left in Britain, whoever killed her had a knowledge of medicine... Or butchery. I doubted that I would find a butchers nearby, nor a healers, but I was soon directed to the
"Bloodletters".
A fiend greeted my at the Bloodletters steps. Though her skin was pale she was neither Drow nor Necro, she was human, a familiar to the swines who practiced here, with just enough blood in her veins to be kept alive to do their sordid bidding and be an eternal slave.
"I musssst announcccce you to my massssterssss..."Bugger that, I'll announce myself! A swift uppercut to the solarplexus dropped her like a bag of bones.
I burst through the door but nothing could prepare me for what I saw.
Peg was laid on a marble slab, her leg and her stump amputated, her torso slit wide open and bottles being pumped full of her blood... But she was still alive!
The bastards were enjoying themselves too much to even notice me burst in!
"You'll die hard for this you evil bastards! Arrrggghhh!!!"My diamond mace made short work of them before being cast onto the floor with my shield so I could tend to Amber.
She couldn't talk, she couldn't move... She could do nought but blink at me and the despair in her eyes brought tears to mine. I nodded slowly and tried to raise a smile as I recovered my mace from the floor. With one swift blow I sent Amber to a happier place than she had known in this life.
As I retrieved my heater shield I heard a hissing from the doorway.
"Masstersss!!!"The familiar charged me. A thunderous kick to her crotch dropped her to the floor with a gasp. I walked over to her, tightening the shield straps about my forearm. I stood over the half-dead and slammed my heater down murderously on it's neck.
I turned around and spat. Hooking my diamond mace to my belt I walked to the doorway and tossed a vial of conflag over my shoulder as I left.
I found Deanna on my return to Britain. She did not weep at the news, she all but knew Peg was dead from the moment she went missing, but when you live in the gutter you look after your own and that's why she had written me.
I emptied what little was left of my pay from my purse into her hands. I would surely be able to scrounge what food and ale I needed from Teagan at the Goblin until next pay day... Hmmm... Maybe not! I'm sure Flina would see me fed and watered without her sister knowing though.
*Grins*I held Deanna in my arms for a moment before making me way back to Cove and duty.
Raiden, Grenadier Sergeant.
[ooc]Just a little story. It is OOC information unless Raiden tells you about this or any other events from his past. Hope you like it.[/ooc]
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