Sartan and Cycek find their opponents to be tough and determined fighters. Although Sartan has slain one of the pair occupying the Strongbows’ living room, and has thrown the decapitated head of their boss onto the floor, the remaining guard continues to fight. Soon reinforcements arrive. Two more elite guards run up the stairs and push their way into the room. Cycek finds himself getting bested in the melee, taking several serious wounds. He retreats temporarily behind the door leading into the Strongbow’s sleeping quarters, only to burst out again in an aggressive attempt to take one of the combatants by surprise. He fails in this. However, Sartan quickly dispatches one of the new arrivals, skewering him with Demonsbane and slamming him backwards with his shield. The guard crashes against the stone wall and falls lifeless to the ground. Sartan then leaps onto a table to gain a high-ground advantage over the other combatants. He trades blows with one of the remaining guards while Cycek struggles to get the upper hand on the other one.
Down in the plaza, Mishok has found himself in an open area, as the crowd thins around him. He sees no immediate threats, so he runs toward the back entrance to the tower, which he knows will bring him to the Guards’ headquarters. He finds the door unlocked and enters the building. The lobby and office space appear to be deserted. He sees a couple of desks and filing cabinets. Crossing to the captain’s desk, he sees some paperwork on the desk pertaining to mundane petty crime citations: public drunkenness, domestic disputes, and the like. Pulling open a drawer, he finds more interesting paperwork. One in particular catches his attention. There is a dossier containing information about an individual named “Ouphanglott” or “The Fang.” He is described as a foreigner from “the north” and a member of the assassin’s guild. He specializes in stealth attacks and poisons. A work order attached to the dossier indicates that this individual was hired by Donnwald to eliminate “the mayor’s four merceneries.” Mishok finds this interesting, and takes it with him and heads up the staircase.
Meanwhile, Davros and Wendella confront the remaining jailer who has just thrown down his sword. Wendella, having just killed the other jailer, approaches him with a yell. Davros commands the subdued guard to release the mayor and his wife. The guard peers up at Davros, meets his gaze with a steely glare, and pulls a small item from his pocket. He holds it out and threatens, “I have a device here that can bring down this tower. Do as I say or I will activate a detonation. The tower will fall with you, me, and your precious mayor. Now – YOU throw down your weapons and surrender.” Davros, startled but skeptical, asks Wendella, “Is that even possible?” Wendella, shaken, replies, “Yes… yes… I suppose it is.” But Davros calls the guard’s bluff and thrusts his rapier into the man’s neck. Before dropping dead, he smashes the item onto the floor. It is in fact a glass vial of a noxious poison with which Davros is familiar. He quickly holds his breath, to avoid inhaling any of the deadly fumes. Wendella is not so fast. She chokes, gasp, and falls to her knees. Davros grabs her and drags her across the room, away from the concentration of toxic fumes. Anton and Willa Strongbow cry out in distress when they see their prodigal daughter in such obvious peril. But Davros is able to provide a healing potion to the stricken girl and revive her before her condition becomes grave.
He crosses back to the fallen guard and searches the body for keys. He finds none and moves on to the other guard. The body has been mangled by the magical force of Wendella’s fury, but he finds a set of keys among the torn, scorched remnants of the guard’s livery. He hurries to the cell gate, where Wendella and her parents are having a tearful reunion through the bars. He swings the gates open and Anton and Willa rush to pull their daughter into an embrace. Anton grabs Davros by the shoulder and pulls him into the group hugs. Through tears of relief, the mayoral couple express their gratitude to the mercenary who brought them back together.
Anton soon regains his composure after the emotional outpouring, and remembers his duty to the city. He asks Davros, “Tell me… what’s happening to my city? What has Donnwald done? What is the state of things? You told the guard that the tower is surrounded.”
Davros replies, “Donnwald is dead. The people are in a state of revolt. There are crowds in the street. I think most of the city is on your side and there has been an uprising. But the guards are fighting with them. They have used the ballistas on the roof, and a captured ogre against us, and against the citizens. People were injured, and things are getting out of control.”
Anton replies, “I must address my people. If what you say is true and the people stand with me, then maybe I can bring this situation under control. Let’s go to the rooftop!”
Davros agrees, but advises caution. He does not know how many guards might be up there. Anton insists that Wendella stay back with her mother. The mayor and the rogue head up the stairs to the roof.
When Mishok arrives at the landing outside the Strongbow’s living quarters, he finds Sartan and Cycek still engaged with a pair of guards. Sartan is standing on a table trading blows with one guard. He tries in vain to convince the guard to give up. “It’s over!” he says, “Can’t you see that you’re not going to win? Give up!” The guard is insistent and continues to fight… that is, until Sartan finally cuts him down. The defeated guard’s head joins Donnwald’s on the floor of the mayor’s living room. Mishok then sees Cycek suddenly run forward, leap on a chair, hurdle the table, and spring off a second chair. His target, the second guard, steps aside. The acrobatic ranger misses his mark and flops onto the stone floor with a loud “smack!” There, the prone (and embarrassed) elf takes a bloody wound from a spear thrust. Wincing in pain, he pulls his magical “immovable rod” from his pocket and slams the tip of it down on the foot of his assailant and locks it in place. The guard howls in pain, and finds himself pinned to the spot. Cycek gets up, moves to the far side of the room and readies another flying leap at the now-immobile guard. Just as the elf leaves the ground, Mishok asks Divoc to help him end this melee. He calls upon the sacred flame, and the pinned guard goes up in a column of fire. It’s too late for Cycek to change his trajectory, and he smashes into the flaming guard in an explosion of sparks, smoke, and burning human wreckage. It is a spectacular but disgusting end to this battle. The once tranquil living room is strewn with blood, broken furniture, and burning flesh and fabric. They leave the mess behind and head upstairs. Passing the open window which looks out to the north, they hear trumpets blaring, and they see mounted soldiers moving into the city. Grey and red banners blow in the morning breeze.
Unaware of the carnage in his living quarters, Anton has turned his attention to the masses in the streets around the tower. He and Davros arrive on the roof, to find three severely injured guards, hunkering down on the floor attending to wounds ranging from terrible burns, to crushed bones and bleeding lacerations: the fruits of Mishok’s sacred flames and spiritual weapons. Davros secures them with their own shackles. Anton climbs on top of one of the ballistas and looks out over the battlements to the crowds below. A man blessed with a commanding voice, the mayor hollers down to the crowds below. It takes some time to gain their attention, but once he does it is like fire moving through a forest of dry wood. One citizen grabs the next and points toward the top of the tower, and soon a hush has spread across the plaza.
By now, the rest of the party, along with Willa and Wendella have arrived on the rooftop. They stand gazing out at the crowd and they listen to what Anton does best: reach the hearts of his people. “People of Shadowfurst! Heed the words of your mayor!,” he commands, “The tide has turned against the forces of lawlessness. The corrupt Councilman Donnwald has been vanquished! As you can see, the countess and the royal guards has come to assist. We must have order in this city, so we can go back to striving for our goals. We have a beautiful city and we have hope for the future. We must not give up! Go back to your homes. Cooperate with these good soldiers. Justice will be served and things will be put right!” He repeats his message several time to make sure all can hear, repeating. “Good people! This is your mayor! I am safe and the situation is in-hand! Thank you for your loyalty! Now go back to your homes and let us bring order back to our streets!”
The sun has risen in a cloudless sky and golden spring light glints of the armor of soldiers in the plaza. Many of the people have melted away, back into their neighborhoods. Several skirmishes between soldiers and town guards can be seen. In other places, soldiers are pushing back against still-unruly knots of protestors. A rank of soldiers stands before the front entrance to the tower. They part and a cohort of well-dressed dignitaries stride through them to arrive at the grand staircase. They stop and seem to gaze with either expectation or apprehension at the doors which Sartan had smashed earlier that morning.
Anton turns to the four adventurers. He says, “It’s time for me to go welcome our new guests. I see the Countess Velnarian awaits my presence. But before we go, allow me to express my deepest gratitude for bringing my daughter back to us. I cannot imagine what you have gone through to arrive here in the company of my dear Wendella. Be assured that I will honor the terms of your employment. You will receive 500 gold pieces to share as you see fit. But I know this is not enough. Let us convene again soon. I believe I can provide a bonus befitting your service above and beyond our original agreement. Now, let’s go meet the Countess.”
The entire group heads down the stairs. All are weary, some are bloody, some are wounded. But the mayor presents himself and his companions with great dignity to the Countess. At her side is none other than Bontelan Wright, the employer who had first set the four companions on this journey. Niceties are exchanged, but the mayor and this contingent of guests, newly arrived from Stihlport have a lot to discuss. The team is dismissed to the 3 Javelins Inn, where they are given lodging for no cost by Willa strongbow’s brother, the innkeeper. Anton informs them they they will be summoned within three days to discuss the conclusion of their business.
They are summoned just two days later. They are awarded their 500 gold pieces. Additionally, they are informed that the Yur Inn has been seized by the city. That shabby tavern of ill repute had been serving as a barracks for the new “recruits” into the town guard. Yuri Rattal, the owner, has been arrested, and stripped of his assets. The property has been offered to the four adventurers as an additional reward for their good work. What’s more, the mayor has invited the four to take employment with him as part of his own elite guard. There is still much work to do putting things right in the city. Members of his loyal guard are still missing. Many corrupt guards have yet to be rooted out and arrested. And there is disturbing news from both Countess Velnarian and Bontelan Wright. There will be a summit of concerned parties one week hence. He would like them all to attend.