The rain was picking up, fat black drops sizzling against cobbled streets. The Justicar looked to his newest hang-on, in her city issued slicker. They were cheap, flimsy excuses for enchanted goods; made by apprentice Artificers and sold to the government in bulk on the cheap. They lasted about a year, tops, but hers seemed pretty new so Arcturus wasn't too concerned.
The Orthond Tram was a bit of a misnomer. It was really more of a Cable Car, ferrying those who could afford it to the higher parts of the city. Up-side was a more recent development, sponsored by the wealthy and built from magically inert materials directly over top of the poorest districts of Orthond. Since its looming presence had been installed the so called 'shadows' had only become increasingly dangerous; playing host to unsanctioned Undead, magical beasts and other, darker things besides.
Arcturus and Tyla (He had eventually learned the girl's name while they waited for the Coroner) made good headway through the streets. It was only a short distance from the Watch house to the station, but one can never travel straight in Orthond. Winding streets turn to alleyways, and alleyways turn to dead-ends. It takes a true native to navigate the warrens of Down-side with any punctuality.
The pair made a sharp turn, off of a thoroughfare of shops selling all manner of grocery, essentials and pseudo-magical trinkets, onto a side street framed on each side by towering five story housing stacks. Arcturus' elven eyes picked out the trio first but the recruit was sharp and not far behind. Three Humans, not a rain slicker between them, sheltering under a stoop. Their skin hale and plump, their hair lacking the bleaching of long term Negative Energy exposure. New arrivals then, probably fresh off a freighter, with no idea how the city works.
Arcturus catches the girl's eye, a look of warning on his face. She looks back, stoic, and nods. Arcturus reaches out his hand and asks. "Your Truncheon boot?" She hands it to him quietly, without question. The baton of dark wood is as long as his forearm, waxed and stamped with a pacifying rune. The rune made it harder, though not much with the poor quality copies the guard truncheons had, for anyone struck with the weapon to fight back by eliminating aggression. It also had the useful side effect of turning all but the most direct and forceful of blows into a very painful but non-lethal hit.
He concealed the offered weapon next to his shotgun, hanging inside his Duster, and stepped forward confidently. One of the thugs called out to him. "Hey there. You and the lady out on a date? Little young for you ain't she?" He jeered, as his friends chuckled.
"How 'bout we take her off your hands?" A cat-call comes from another. Honestly Arcturus would have expected better from someone with a Helorast accent, but looking at his age he's probably a draft dodger hiding out on the other side of the continent.
"I don't think that's going to happen, lads." Came the Justicars reply. "So why don't you all find somewhere to get out of this rain, that doorway can't be doing your soft skins any good." Arcturus tried his best to prevent his disdain from leaking out, but couldn't hold back from an insult at the end. The three young men looked at each other, each daring the others to do something about it.
Eventually the quiet one, with a hint of Orcish or maybe Oread ancestry, that hadn't spoken up yet sighed and cracked his knuckles. He stepped out, taking care not to show any reaction to the burning rain making contact with his exposed skin, and took a fighting posture. This was all Arcturus needed, as he moved into action.
Sidestepping, first to the opponent's left, then zigzagging back to his right; Arcturus took note of his opponents reaction. A south-paw, he determined, so he needed to tuck in tight on the left side and prevent his opponent from getting leverage with his dominant hand. He moved crossways, bringing a fist towards the man's gut but getting blocked. The kid had some experience at least. Arcturus' hand reached into his Duster, finding the Truncheon. He pulled it out.
From his left a flash of color, and one of the thugs' companions had decided to join the fray. Arcturus pivoted, putting his target between him and the new assailant and lashing out with his baton. A sickening crunch sounded as Arcturus struck a blow that should have crushed the man's chest cavity. Thankfully, with the Pacifying rune he would merely have a few cracked ribs and a hell of a bruise in the morning. He went down, wheezing, and the Justicar raised a fist to duck a wild haymaker with his forearm. This one was fresh, inexperienced, but trying to make up for it with enthusiasm.
Arcturus quickly stamped on his foot, distracting him, and spun around to put the poor lad into a sleeper choke. If this kid wasn't shirking his duty he'd have known how to protect himself from this; but then again he'd be knee deep in green skin guts and shrapnel by now. "Watch the Sea my ass…" He told the boy, who was slowly fading as Arcturus squeezed the blood vessels of his neck. Once he felt the lad go limp he set him down gently, moving a hand to the holster of his revolver and reaching for his badge. The third member of their little posse looked on in shock, probably wondering how his friends had gone down that easily.
"Now, you can sit down and wait for the watchmen to come and fetch your boys, or you can run…" He left the back half of the threat open ended, so that the young man's imagination could do the work. "Drag 'em out of the rain though. Quickly." Arcturus may not have liked the lads, but he wasn't going to leave them to melt. "Help him out recruit" He spoke to Lystring, who was watching on with wonder at the veteran officer's display"
"Y-Yeah, of course sir… Arcturus. Right away" She moved to grab the unconscious boy under his arms, and gestured for the standing one to help his friend, who was just about recovering his breath, back to the porch they had been squatting on. Meanwhile Arcturus retrieved his badge, thumbing an activation sigil and activating a sending rune.
"Justicar Allwood reporting three in custody." He stated clearly. "Charges of disturbing the peace, assault and attacking a law officer"
"Acknowledged, sending watchmen now." Came the familiar voice of garrison sergeant High-Hammer in his ear. Arcturus disabled the sending. That rune had cost him a year's wages when he first became an officer, but he wouldn't go anywhere without it these days.
"Nothing to do now but wait…" He said, to no-one in particular.
