The three men that still stood started to back away. Gertrude let her magic radiate from hands, surrounding them in a dark black aura. Tamma pulled another arrow back and kept aimed at one of the men in the front while Miwah advanced forward with her sword ready.
The Cutthroat in the back turned away, the sound of his footsteps drawing the attention of the other two. "Coward!" the Ghenkan called out as he shook his axe towards the fleeing man. As he kept his head turned, Tamma released her arrow, striking the remaining the Cutthroat in his shoulder as he tried to pursue the fellow bandit.
Once the thief fell forward, the startled Ghenkan jumped back once he heard the other man hit the ground. Outnumbered, the Ghenkan started to back away with his axe in front of his body in a defensive manner.
Gertrude flicked her wrist again, blasting the retreating Ghenkan with a large bolt of magic. Like the first aggressor, the other marauder fell over backwards, dropping his weapon as his muscles twitched.
"That was incredible," Miwah said with awe as her eyes jumped between the two bodies.
"How long can you keep doing that for?" Tamma asked.
Gertrude rubbed her wrist with her fingers. "I can do this for a while. But not sure if I’d be able to take out every attacker in this city."
"There's still some more inside the building!" Yalch said, hovering between the group and the upper floor of the adjacent building. "And the people at the top are going to need all the help they can get!"
"Let's get going, girls. These Ghenkans aren't going to defeat themselves." Gertrude moved into the building as Tamma and Miwah stepped over the sizzling bodies.
The inside of the building was in shambles. Shards of wood were scattered across the ground and furniture overturn and smashed to pieces. Everything that could be opened, was, with all assortments of knickknacks littering the ground. Motionless bodies lay sprawled out, covered in cloths and blankets with weapons lying beside them.
"Oh... Creator please..." Tamma said as she surveyed the scene. She eased one hand from the arrow to cover her mouth as she gasped.
"I know it may be hard to look at, but you need to move forward. Tragedy is just another part of being a Purifier," Gertrude said as she started to climb the stairs. "One of you. Please, I'm going to need some help getting up here."
Miwah dashed to her side, her eye glancing at a moving body on the ground. A downed Ghenkan struggled to get up with an arrow plunged deep into his shoulder. The seamstress ran over and finished the dying man with a precise stab in the back. He fell forward with a plop as Miwah slid the blade out of the wound.
"Apologies for the delay." Miwah lifted Gertrude's arm across her back and started to help her up. "Tamma, we need your help," the seamstress asked as she helped the witch with taking steps.
Tamma looked at the recently slain Ghenkan with sorrow before rushing to Gertrude's aid. Together they scaled the stairs in silence. The closer they got to the top of the steps, the more audible the voices of the people above became. There was cackling accompanied with the noise of shelves and crates being rummaged through. The group looked at each other in silence before both Miwah and Gertrude looked at Tamma. The hunter went into the top floor first, keeping her arrow ready as she turned the corner.
"There's too much to bring back!" a voice shouted. "We should have thought about this sooner!"
"Aye! Seems like the Ghenkans finding us was a stroke of good luck after all!" another man replied.
"If you want to stay and fight the Farrowport Guard with the Ghenkans, be my guest. But I'll be sure to pick up whatever treasure you leave behind!" the first man said with a laugh.
"Nah, I think I'll follow you," the other voice said with a chuckle. Both men came around the corner, revealing themselves to be Cutthroats to the hunter. They froze with trinkets and jewels dripping out of the arms they kept crossed in front of their chest. Both kept their eyes peeled opened as they focused on the drawn arrow.
"Put that down!" Tamma shouted. Both men released the stolen goods, letting them drop to the floor with a loud clank as they lifted their hands above their hands. Tamma's aim jumped between the two bandits as they slowly backed away towards the wall. "Is there anyone else I need to worry about in here?"
"No, no," the first Cutthroat blathered. "Everyone else should be downstairs."
Miwah and Gertrude emerged from the steps, both looking at the surrendering men with disdain. "Perhaps we can have a discussion," the witch said as she let a steady spark form around her hands. The two bandits stared at the black magic emanating from her fingers and began to tremble.
"What do you want to know?" the second thief asked.
"I want to know more about you and your cohorts' plans," Gertrude asked with narrowed eyes. "Cutthroats? Allying with Ghenkans?" the witch asked. She stood in front of the two cowardly men, increasing her magic output so that the crackle of the lightning of her fingertips echoed throughout the torn apart room. "That seems out of character. Especially for Narrita."
"We were just going along with what Eijnar and Horace said," one of the men said.
"Yalch," Miwah whispered to the ghost. "Where are the people you were talking about?"
"Down the hall," Yalch replied. "Looks like a family is hiding in the washroom."
"I will go tell them to come out," Miwah said to her team. "You try to get as much information from them as possible."
"Sounds like a plan, lass," Tamma said, keeping her arrow pulled tight and aimed at one of the Cutthroat's chests.
"Back to our little discussion," Gertrude began. "What in the world would powerful warriors like Ghenkans need with a band of lowly thieves?"
"T-They needed people that knew Farrowport!"
"We had no other choice!" the other Cutthroat interjected. His hands moved to protect his face. "Those barbarians threatened to kill us! We either joined them or they would have slaughtered us all on the spot!"
"Do you know how many people are going to die tonight because of you?" Tamma said with a reddened face. "Just take a look downstairs! Bodies everywhere!"
"Those were the Ghenkans! Honest!" the first Cutthroat said. "They're bloodthirsty! I've never seen warriors so crazed. Seems like they do this for sport more than for treasure."
"But you are complicit," Gertrude said softly. "And I can't believe Narrita would sanction such a heinous act."
"S-She didn't," the other bandit muttered. "She would have rather had us all killed than participate in this."
The second Cutthroat. "That's why we booted her from the gang." Frustration was evident in his voice. "She'd rather let all of us die than to see us make a bit of profit! What kind of leader does that to her own men? Didn't even bother asking us!"
Miwah caught up with the other two. Behind her, a scared family of three followed behind her, with the father clutching the young son close to his chest. "Go downstairs. And head out the gate," Miwah said as she pointed down the steps. You should be safe once you exit."
"We can't thank you enough," the mother said as she started down the steps.
"Don't worry about politeness now! Just focus on getting out of here!" Gertrude said, turning her head past her shoulder to watch the family flee.
"You heard what we were talking about, Miwah?" Tamma asked the seamstress.
"I heard some of it. Something about Narrita?"
"Apparently she's not a Cutthroat anymore," Gertrude said. "She didn't want to participate in this siege, so her men kicked her from the gang!"
"Is that so?" Miwah asked the captives with confusion.
The one to the left nodded. "It is."
"And what of the Ghenkan leader?" Gertrude asked. She stepped closer and raised one hand, letting large bolts of lightning stop only a foot away from the pair bandits. "Divulge everything you know about him. Now."
"We don't know much, honest," the other Cutthroat replied. "Just that his men are loyal to the death. And that he's not the kind to make negotiations."
"Where is he?"
The two men looked at each other before shrugging their shoulders. "We assumed he followed the rest of us through Farrowport. But now that I think about it, haven't seen him since we left the ship down by the market."
Gertrude retreated her hand and looked at Miwah and Tamma. "Do either one of you have questions?"
"I don't think so." Tamma said with her arrow still ready to fire.
"Same here," Miwah said.
"Well then." The witch looked at the two men that stayed pressed against the wall. "I appreciate your cooperation. I suppose killing you here would be unjust."
The two Cutthroats remained still, there eyes switching between Gertrude and the exit just around the corner. "Y-You're going to let us go?" one asked.
"Not quite," she said. She flicked her wrist with a shooing motion. A small black blast hit one of the Cutthroats in the head before jumping to the other like an airborne spark. The first one fell forward while the second slid against the wall with his back propping him upright.
"What did you do them?" Tamma asked as she released some of the tension on her bowstring.
"Just sent enough power to stun them. They'll awaken in a few hours. Most likely with a severe headache." She shook her wrist and took in a deep breath. "I didn't want to waste too much of my energy on a lethal attack."
"So... do you believe what they said? About Narrita?" Miwah asked.
Tamma shrugged her shoulders. "Not sure. Seems like a peculiar lie to make up on the spot."
"Unless they wanted to protect Narrita," Miwah said.
"I believe it," Gertrude said. "Like I said, I met Narrita. She wasn't one to orchestrate something as vile as this. Nor did I take her as someone to willingly participate either."
"Too bad the rest of the Cutthroats didn't think the same," Tamma said.
"We can't dwell on that now." Gertrude turned around put one hand on the railing of the steps. "It's time for you girls to put your differences aside. If we want to save Farrowport, we must find Narrita!" The witch waved at Miwah with her other hand. "Now, help me down these steps so we can try to find her!"
Yalch floated in front of the group and twitched his antennas. "I'll lead you to her!"
