In the gloom of the basement Eckert and Hurst could make out movement. They could see the Twin Blades gangster hiding behind barrels and crates. They had guns and daggers drawn. It was an ambush. Hurst lobbed a grenade at one of the men nearest them, and the strength of the concussive force knocked the man to the ground. Darcey hurdled the boxes and set to binding the man.
Gregore hurried forward towards the man hiding behind the brewing vat, and in a series of slashes and thrust ended his life. Eckert followed him and thinking there was but one man left, demanded him surrender.
But there were more. The popped up from hiding in barrels and delivered shots, dealing on flesh wounds, or missing altogether. One fire at the vat behind Gregore, causing a blast of fermenting beer to spray out and knock the knight to the ground.
Hurst traded gun fire with the nearest gangster in the barrel, hitting nothing but wood, but Darcey rushed forward, and with couple of heavy swings pulverized the man within the barrel. Gregore engaged another man, and again his skill of swordsmanship made short work of him. Eckert again fired shots off at the other remaining gangers, but failed to hit them.
As more gun fire was exchanged Hurst pulled the pin on another grenade, and lobbed it into a barrel with one of the remaining Twin Blades. The grenade detonated and immolated the man and barrel, along with igniting more barrels. His the bright light of the flames Hurst could see boxes at the far end of the room, each bearing the seal of the Order of the Golden Crucible. They were empty boxes of blasting powder. Hurst watched the fire blaze and that the roof was catching. The last remaining Twin Blade shout out surrender. Together with their new prisoners, the troupe quickly left the Belly Bridge Tavern as it was swallowed by fire.
Away from the street and the blaze and the authorities, Eckert pushed the prisoners for information, which they readily gave, informing them that the bombs had been taken to Havershaw's Folly, and that it was there that the people were gathering for the fireworks display. Smek appeared to the group and explained that the best thing would be to hand the men over to the watch, and place the blame of the fire on them, and in turn have them handed to High Captain Kilbride, which should of course help clear their names. "I know squealers when I see 'em!"
As the group, along with Smek, approached the Folly, the crowds were gathering. There were all manners of stalls, performers, fire breathers, freak shows, and at the heart of it a carousel with all manner of carved animals to ride upon. Children were squealing with delight as the ride turned around, cranked by a gobber. About the edge of the folly were stands from which the fireworks would launch, and a throng of people awaited for the display to begin.
The troupe split up and moved through the crowd. It did not take too long to note that the Crucible workers were in fact the Twin Blades. Smek paid his goodbye, thinking it better not to be shot, leaving the others to deal with it.
Darcey and Hurst sneaked through the crowd, and with a quick poke of his injector gun they immobilized one of the gang, and dragged him behind the stand. However, Eckert and Gregore approach those gangster who were with the gobber near the ride. Gregore began to ask a question, but then threw a punch, breaking the man's nose and perhaps even killing him outright. The gobber and the other gangster leapt back onto the carousel and fired at Eckert, who dodged.
The crowds began to scream and run, as one of them was caught in the cross fire. The other gangsters made themselves known and converged on the priest and knight. This even included a lumbering Trollkin. Hurst spotted the foul creature and hurled a cinder bomb at the beasts back, set the creature ablaze. Darcey lined up her rifle and took the shot, and blasted the Trollkin's brains out. "Get up from that!"
Eckert faced down the Twin Blades who were emerging through the screaming crowds. He fired and clipped one of them in the shoulder. Gregore drew his sword and leapt up onto the carousel and quickly gutted the one Twin Blade, leaving only the gobber to deal with. The foul little goblin snarled a crooked grin and charged forward, slashing with his blade, and cutting deep into Gregore's thigh. The small creature was fast and good with a dagger.
Hurst and Darcey began picking of more of the gang, through a combination of grenades and rifle shots. Eckert, though surrounded, dodged the flurry of knife blades and incapacitated more the gang using his trench knife. The gobber proved a tough man to hit, as Gregore swung again and again with his sword. In return the gobber struck out, but missed, as Gregore ducked behind a carousel horse. With that opening Gregore ran his sword through the goblin.
With the crowds dispersed and the gang dealt with they interrogated the capture Twin Blade, who revealed the locations of the bombs. The mechanisms we beyond the skill of any of the group to disarm, and so instead set to destroying them. But Hurst took a look at the carousel, and seeing the timing mechanism within, set a number of his grenades inside.
The group ran for cover and watched the machine explode, sending carved wooden creatures in all directions. They then waited. There was no secondary explosions. The bombs were diffused.
Hurst noticed that they were not the only ones in the crowd now gather about the Folly. There was one other, dressed in dark robes, who seemed agitated by the events. He then turns and disappears into the crowd. Hurst realises that they have seen him before - the necromancer in the alleyway.
Smek appears, smug with how things have gone, and how High Captain Kilbride will be happy with how things have gone thus far - Smek making out this was his plan after all. Smek then goes on to explain that he had not told them the full truth, that Smith Burrls did not exist, and that the man he owed money to, and behind this all, was Tantock Meryl, the sorcerer who had just left. Smek then turned to see that someone else had arrived - High Captain Kilbride.
"By Thamar's crotch what the bloody hell happened here?!"
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