Fabled Susanoo Act 2 | All Hands on Deck

The next day everyone met up at the guild, more adventurers had seemed to be coming into town for employment and to help with the investigation. Rene sat quietly in a corner, sipping her coffee just watching the doors as people continued passing through them.

As the doors swang open one more time, three figures make way through the door. The sound of chains clattering rung through the guild, Rene's eyes lit up in excitement. Their eyes met, then she got up to make her way over to them. A tall human man with hair going down his back in a black vest, black slacks, and combat boots spoke out first, "it's been some time Rene; you've grown alot. A taller slim elven woman with a grey blouse, black overcoat, and a pencil skirt stood beside them and lastly, a gnome woman wearing a red jumpsuit with a large backpack on her back stood in front of her.

"I can't believe it's really you guys! It's been so long! What brings you all the way to Lightcrest?" Rene asked.

"We're here on official business, the Ministry of Alcof has assigned us to assist in the investigation of Gavriel's assassination."

Rene's eyes widen with surprise, "That's great news. I'm glad you're here. I've been trying to gather as much information as I can, but it hasn't been easy."

Jillian chimes in, "What have you found so far?"

Rene takes a sip of her coffee, "Well, I managed to find some extra help. I've recruited a few people to assist with the investigation, and I've also found a lead. I think I know who's behind the assassination, but I need more evidence to confirm my suspicions."

Marco leans in, "Who do you think is responsible?"

"I think it's the same group that we encountered during our mission in the Northern Pass in Sodrela a couple years back," Rene says. "Remember the ones who were trying to steal the shipment of magical artifacts?"

Captain Ash nods, "Yes, I remember. What makes you think it's them?"

"His name is Decker. He's a known associate of a notorious criminal organization in that area. I've been tracking him for a few days now."

"Decker... I remember that bastard, I hope we get to him in time." Ash said, clenching her fist.

"That's great news, Rene. Let's not waste any time, we'll need to move quickly."

"I'll prepare our equipment and make sure we have everything we need for the investigation. Do you have any other leads we could follow up on?" Jillian asked, reaching into her backpack.

Rene smiles, "Actually, I do. I managed to track down one of their hideouts. I was planning to check it out myself, but with you guys here, we can investigate it together." She took another sip of her coffee.

"Let's get to work then. The sooner we find these criminals, the better."

Jillian grabbed the device and clicked the button, her body began to glow and she transformed into a full sized human, the large sword hung off her side. She readjusted her gear and rested the sword on her back in its sheath. Still wearing the backpack that has shrunk a bit.

"You've been working on that for years now, it's good to see that you perfected it." Rene smiled at her.

"It's still a work in progress, but I've more or less figured out how to maintain this form for upward to a month. And since I can't use magic, I can't exert myself even if I wanted to." Jill replied.

"So about the help, can you tell us more?" Marco asked.

"I'm sure you heard about the siege led on the country of Ianbal. Over ten thousand casualties and the King supposedly 'vanished' after he was quote unquote murdered in front of the remainder of the kingdom. Well his daughter and another man I've come to know fled here from Dimfield. Ever since I came in contact with Gavriel when he took his last breath, I have come to know so much from the day that man's arrival in this world was mentioned, to the point of the Gods bringing Ragnarök back into the playing field. But I'll let him talk about his origin more if you're interested, they rode with Gavriel to Cloven since Ianbal, Hana, and Cedrus were allied together. The Lupine Kingdom will be in hot water if what I think happened is actually taking place so them getting rid of Gavriel was meant to happen, however they were messy with dispatching him.."

"Ragnarök? In all my years, I'd hoped World Powers would not rise again. And the King's daughter, she's formidable when it comes to magic, no? And did she summon someone to this world? She broke the number one taboo. I'm surprised she hasn't been arrested for her crimes. After all of this I'll see to that she's aware of the crime she committed." Marco asked, his eyes focued back on Rene.

"We can worry about the taboo later, you know how the High Council of Cedrus operates, especially since he was assassinated in the country of Cloven. They could declare war at any moment, and since Cloven has no known diplomats; it'll be hard to get an audience with the queen in Luminaria." Ash chimed in.

More adventurers started to come in and it started to get crowded, the time is half past noon. People were signing up to join the guild, the doors swing open one more time and they finally arrived.

"We shouldn't be playing diplomat, we have a man and a shady organization to catch. I'm ready if you all are."

"There you guys are, I thought you weren't gonna show up." Rene spoke, greeting Kendell and Syndel.

"Thanks for waiting on us, Syndel wanted to shop for more gear while we're in town. I bought this broadsword for today incase anything happens, we're ready when you are." He spoke, fixing the sheath on his side.

"Good afternoon Rene, it's nice to see you again. Who're your friends?" Syndel asked.

"Syndel and Kendell, meet Marco, Jillian, and Ash. They're from the Ministry like me, we had a party some years ago but disbanded due to our missions being different. Fate has brought us all together to solve this case that has seemed to run into my old investigation." Rene spoke, introducing them. Everyone shook hands and exchaned formalities, then Marco popped the question.

"So, Kendell was it? Rene was telling me about how you were summoned here. Summoning is one of the highest taboos on this continent and it's punishable by eternal death in some places. I'd like to assume Syndel has told you this already." Marco spoke.

Kendell stepped forward and gripped the hilt of his sword. "I'm not sure that you understand the gravity of the situation, Marco," he said, his voice low and dangerous. "Syndel is under my protection, and I will do whatever it takes to keep her safe. Besides, what will you do about it? You won't lay a finger on her." His words made the guild building began to shake subtly, and Marco's expression hardened as he instinctively went for the hilt of his own sword.

"I understand perfectly well," he said. "And I will not let her get away with breaking one of the greatest taboos in our society. It's my duty to uphold justice, and I won't let anything stand in the way of that."

Rene tried to defuse the tension between them. "I understand your position, Marco, but Kendell has a point. Summoning is a serious crime, but we need to consider all the factors before we jump to conclusions."

Jillian agreed. "Rene's right. We need to focus on the main case before shifting our attention to something as measley as this."

"It wasn't like I did it on purpose, it was an accident because of my own carelessness. Why must you continue to ridicule me for a mistake I know I made? I know I fucked up, don't continue to rub it in my face," her eyes began to well as she walked away from them going outside.

Captain Ash added, "I agree. We should not act rashly, especially when dealing with such a taboo."

Despite the others' concerns, Marco remained resolute. "I understand your concerns," he said, "but I won't let this crime go unpunished. We'll continue the investigation, but if we find that Syndel is guilty, she will face the consequences."

Kendell's expression was unreadable as he looked at Marco for a long moment. "We'll see about that," he said quietly before turning and walking out of the guild to go after her.

Jillian let out a deep sigh. "You just had to open your big mouth about upholding justice, huh?" she yelled, storming out after Syndel and Kendell.

A few moments after, they regathered in a small room inside the guild. "Look, I know things got a little heated earlier, but we need to put that behind us and work together. We all have the same goal here." Rene spoke.

Ash nodded in agreement. "Rene's right. We're all on the same team. We need to work together if we're going to solve this case."

Marcus was silent for a moment, considering their words. "I understand what you're saying," he finally said, "but I can't just let Syndel get away with breaking one of our society's greatest taboos. Summoning is a serious crime."

Rene sighed. "We understand that, Marcus. But we can't jump to conclusions without all the facts. She even said herself that it was a mistake. We need to investigate this thoroughly and make sure we have all the information before we take any action."

Ash added, "And we need to consider the bigger picture. There may be more going on here than meets the eye. We don't want to make a mistake that could have serious consequences."

Marcus nodded slowly. "I see your point. But if we do find out that Syndel is guilty, we can't just let her off the hook."

Rene spoke up again. "Of course not. We'll have to deal with the consequences. But for now, let's focus on gathering information and getting to the bottom of the assassination first."

Ash chimed in, "And we need to keep an open mind. We don't want to let our personal biases get in the way of finding the truth."

Marcus nodded, a small smile playing at the corner of his lips. "I agree. It's good to have a level-headed team to work with."

"From the memories I gained, there seems to be a bigger conspiracy that we're not knowledgable of yet. We'll soon find out." Rene added.

The tension in the room had dissipated, and the three of them began to make plans for their next steps in the investigation. It was clear that they were all committed to finding the truth, no matter where it led them.

Outside the tailor shop, sat Syndel, Kendell, and Jillian. Syndel began to feel like everything was her fault again, even though she didn't mean for any of this to happen. Jillian turned to Syndel. "Are you okay?" she asked, concerned.

Syndel looks down at her hands. "I'm fine," she replies, "I just feel so guilty for bringing Kendell here. I never meant for any of this to happen, nothing has been going my way."

Kendell grunts in response, still clearly angry about his encounter with Marcus. "Don't worry about it, as long as I'm with you. We'll be alright, same as I told your father." he said gruffly, "I don't think I'll ever be able to go back there, but as long as I draw breath I'll never let you experience pain again."

Jillian turns to him, a frown on her face. "Kendell, we need your help with this investigation," she spoke, "and I know you're angry about what Marcus said, but we have to work together if we want to find out who killed Gavriel."

Kendell took a deep breath, trying to control his temper. "I know," he replied, "and I'm not going to let my personal feelings get in the way of finding justice for Gavriel. But that doesn't mean I have to forgive Marcus for what he said."

Jillian nods, understanding. "I get it," she says, "but for now, let's focus on the task at hand. We need to find out who killed Gavriel, and we're going to need everyone's help to do it."

Syndel looks up at her, a small smile on her face. "You're right," she says, "I won't let my own guilt get in the way either. We'll work together and we'll solve this case."

Kendell nods in agreement, his expression still a bit sour. "Fine," he says, "let's get to work."

The three of them walk in, their faces set with determination. Syndel's eyes met Marcus's, and she sees the same resoluteness in his expression. Kendell kept his gaze fixed straight ahead, his jaw set.

Rene looks up from his work as they enter, "Any news?"

Jillian shakes her head, "Not yet. We talked to some people around town, but no one seems to know anything."

Kendell chimes in, "We need to widen our search. There has to be someone who knows something. We should start investigating some of the other factions in the city."

Marcus nods, "Agreed. We need to leave no stone unturned."

Syndel nodded along with the others but remained quiet, still feeling guilty about the situation she's put Kendell in.

Jillian noticed her silence and puts a comforting hand on her shoulder, "Hey, don't blame yourself for what happened. You couldn't have known that summoning Kendell would cause all of this."

Syndel looks up at her with gratitude in her eyes, "Thanks, Jillian. I just can't help feeling like it's my fault."

Kendell remained quiet, still lost in his own thoughts. He's struggling to come to terms with the fact that he's working alongside someone he feels should be his enemy.

Rene broke the silence, "Alright, let's get started then. We'll split up into groups and start investigating. Jillian, you go with Syndel. Kendell, you're with me. Marcus and Ash, you two can work together."

Gil bursts into the room just as the group is about to leave. "Wait, wait!" he calls out, out of breath. "I've been doing some digging and I have some important information that could help with your investigation. Can we talk for a minute?"

The group nods, and Gil takes a seat at the table. "I've been talking to some people around town, and it seems that Gavriel had some enemies. There were rumors that he had crossed paths with some unsavory characters in the past, and it's possible that one of them might have had a hand in his assassination."

Jillian leans forward, intrigued. "Do you have any names?" she asks.

Gil nods. "Yes, I do. But I think it would be more effective if we put out a quest for adventurers to help with the investigation. Offer a reward for anyone who has any information or can help us in any way. What do you think?"

Kendell nods slowly. "That could work. We need all the help we can get, and offering a reward could motivate people to come forward with information."

Syndel looks hesitant. "But what if no one knows anything? What if we don't find anything new?"

Jillian places a comforting hand on Syndel's shoulder. "We have to try, Syndel. We owe it to Gavriel to find out who did this to him."

Gil nods. "I'll draft up the quest and post it in town. Anyone who has information or wants to help can come forward and we'll pay them for their efforts. It's not a guarantee, but it's worth a shot."

The group agrees, and they head out of the guild together, ready to continue their investigation with renewed determination. The group nods in agreement, each of them setting off to their respective destinations.

Kendell sat quietly in the carriage with Rene, lost in thought. He couldn't shake the feeling of unease that had been gnawing at him since his encounter with Marcus. Imminent Domination would work on the strongest foe no matter who they were. But when he had tried to use his power on Marcus, it had been like trying to move a mountain with a feather.

He had sensed something different about Marcus from the moment they met, but he couldn't put his finger on it. Now, after seeing the man's fierce determination and resolve in the face of Syndel's summoning, Kendell was beginning to understand.

Marcus was a seasoned warrior, and Kendell recognized it now. He had seen that same iron will and unbreakable spirit in the faces of countless soldiers and fighters he had come across in his travels. He had always prided himself on his own strength, but now he couldn't help but wonder how he would fare against someone like Marcus in a real fight.

Kendell shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. He knew that dwelling on these things wouldn't do any good. They had a mission to accomplish, and they needed to work together to solve the case. The thought of working with someone as strong and formidable as Marcus filled him with a mix of apprehension and excitement. It was a new challenge, and he was eager to rise to it.

With renewed determination, Kendell stood up and walked back to the others, ready to do whatever it took to bring Gavriel's killer to justice.

Rene takes a deep breath before speaking. "Kendell, I know that you and I have only just met, but I feel like I already know you so well. Gavriel's memories have shown me how much he valued your friendship and how much he trusted you. I want to thank you for coming here to help us with this investigation, it means a lot to me and to Gavriel's memory."

Kendell nodded, looking out the window of the carriage. "Gavriel was a good man. He deserved better than what happened to him."

"There's something about his memories that would put him in hot water though, he'd been in direct contact with both parties responsible for his assassination. The problem is finding the angle where we can take down these two power houses without risking anything more. He was guilty, I'm sorry to tell you like this. But, he did not deserve to die. I specifically chose to keep this fact unbeknownst to the others because of how intertwined it may be. And telling from his own memories, you and Syndel are both my most trusted allies in this moment."

Kendell's eyes widen in surprise at Rene's words. "Guilty? What do you mean?"

Rene takes a deep breath, her eyes sad. "Gavriel had been in direct contact with both of the parties responsible for his assassination. We found evidence of this in his memories. He was working both sides of the conflict, trying to play them against each other. It seems like he got in too deep and was caught in the crossfire."

Kendell's brow furrows in thought. "I had no idea. But that doesn't excuse what they did to him. He may have made some mistakes, but no one deserves to be assassinated in cold blood."

"I completely agree with you," Rene says, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "And that's why we're here. We're going to find out who did this to him and make them pay for what they've done. And we're going to do it in a way that honors Gavriel's memory and his legacy."

Kendell nodded, determination in his eyes. "I'm with you, Rene, let's bring them all to justice."

They reach a long driveway, curving up on a hill to a large house built from a single stone it seemed, lush flowers surrounded the property and vibrant colors danced off the large house.

Rene seemed turned off from the vibrant colors, but Kendell's eyes widened as it was something he hadn't seen since coming into this world.