“You can find all sorts of people amongst mercenaries. From the rare honorable types who would help a person in need, to cold-blooded pragmatists who would just walk away unless it benefited them to render assistance, even to assholes who would just compound your misery instead.

Amongst most of the larger mercenary groups however, they usually strived for professionalism and tried to render a positive image for their group. After all, few employers like the idea of employing what amounted to little more than bandits masquerading as hired soldiers, and given the option would favor those who already had a good reputation to their name.” - Clarisse Iolasn, Former Guildmaster of the Adventurer’s Guild of Jonkver, circa 31 FP.

“Get them to calm down first,” Reinhardt ordered over the shrieks and screams of the frightened victims. While the mercenaries had saved them, the experience of having a dying man suddenly flop over you was likely a frightening one for the prostitutes. “Then see if any of them has anything useful to offer.

He left the work to the few human members of the mercenaries with them, like Elfriede, as he had judged that having the likes of him or Mischka around might just frighten them more instead. He saw the girl Mischka had helped up stagger over to a man had mistook for a girl at first - he had worn a torn dress not unlike what the other prostitutes wore - and cried on his chest as he hugged her.

With around half the group, he had his people search the rest of the building. Much of it was damaged and ransacked. Several rooms had dead people in them, probably ones that tried to resist. In one room the faint crying of a child caught his attention, and he found an infant child in the hands of their dead mother, who still clutched over them protectively even in death.

Reinhardt carefully pried the infant out from the dead woman’s arms, and passed them over to Mischka, who almost instantly acted like the grandmother she was. It was an odd sight to see the massive bear woman coo over the infant as she tried to calm them down, her massive paws capable of decapitating a man with ease held the fragile young with a gentleness he never expected.

When they returned downstairs - with no other survivors to find after they combed the building - they found that Elfriede had mostly calmed the group, as they sat by one side, covered with blankets and nursing some strong drinks.

“Got a few who're willing to talk,” said Elfriede as she came and greeted them. “I take it most everyone else is dead, huh?”

“Pretty much, other than that little one,” said Reinhardt. There were at least forty, maybe fifty dead bodies strewn around on the upper floors, and only around twenty survivors - counting the infant - that they inadvertently rescued. “Whoever did this was rather… thorough.”

He watched as Mischka brought the now sleeping child over and gently asked the somewhat fearful group if any of them could take care of the infant. One of the older women gathered her courage and stood up, as she muttered a name Reinhardt guessed to be the child’s mother. Mischka gently handed the infant to the woman’s hands, who cradled them with care and obvious sadness.

On the other hand, the same effeminate man he noticed earlier stood up and walked towards him when he noticed their return. Elfriede turned to face him and gestured with her hand to indicate that Reinhardt was the one to speak to.

“I hear you want information,” said the man, with a sterner tone than Reinhardt expected. He took a second look at the man - likely a male prostitute considering how he was dressed - and upped his expectations a notch in his mind. “On the bastards who did… all this.”

“We are interested in that, yes,” he replied honestly, with a grin that displayed his many sharp teeth to the man. To his credit the man barely flinched at the sight and stood his ground. “Especially about their head, if you know anything.”

“There isn’t that much we could offer, but I can guide you into their territory if you would like,” replied the man after he pondered for a moment. “We were part of one gang in the city, they were another, but I’ve been to their territory a couple times before… for work.”

“Brave. I assume you offer this because you want something from us in return?” 

“Please keep those who survived… safe. That is all I ask for.”

“Bargained well and done,” replied Reinhardt as his grin widened. “Mischka! Get around five of your boys to keep guard around here, have them take another fifteen from the rest just to be sure.”

Mischka quickly set to work with a nod, as she left Varilya behind to guard the area. The remaining eighty members of the mercenary troop filed out of the brothel, with the male prostitute showing them directions.

The man introduced himself as Alva, and explained that the now-ravaged city block he lived in had resisted Uthgar - the bald, bejeweled man who was the leader of the largest gang of criminals in the city - when he tried to take over. Their defenses were breached just that morning, with most of the inhabitants killed, only the prettier young ones spared so the thugs could have their way with them.

That was what happened to the group in the brothel from that morning until Reinhardt’s group saved them. At first there were many more of the thugs, but most had been called away just an hour ago, right around when the dwarves began their assault on the city, with only the few too addled by drugs to understand the command left behind to their carnal pleasures.

Alva led the mercenaries deeper into the city, into roads far smaller and dirtier than the main roads. He claimed it was the way into the main lair of Uthgar’s gang. The roads were at times so small Mischka had to turn sideways to be able to move through them, but as they walked further, the sound of fighting became louder, so Reinhardt thought they were likely headed in the right direction.

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