Year 31

If you ever get back to Hessla, you swear to the gods that you're leaving and never setting foot on a ship again.

When you left a year ago, you figured it would be a couple months maybe. You didn't know how far away all these places you're raiding were going to be.

These raids are practically slaughters and you're not particularly getting any thrill out of doing them especially since there's barely been any loot to be had. Last raids you did go on we're more about scavenging the town's fruit supplies and medicine rather than valuables.

Maybe you'd get more out of these raids if you were of the rapey nature, but curse your parents for raising you to at least adhere to some sort of moral standard. Though some of them seem content on buggering each other. (And no matter how long you've been at sea, you can honestly say there's nothing that would even make you THINK about sticking it to any of this loathsome lot you're with!)

You also had problems with not just a major storm, but a few larger ships that apparently thought it would be fun to open fire on you for the shits and giggles. Doesn't help that the navigator got killed during that exchange and you got severely off course while attempting to outrun the superior ships.

Not to mention repairs on the open sea with only half the crew also take a long damn time. On the plus side, you've learned your way around a ship a lot more, though you fully intend on never using this knowledge again if you can help it.

And at least you haven't encountered any mermaids you guess.

As you lean against the ship's railing look out at the setting sun, you try to keep your own sanity by thinking of happier times with your sister or Zalmora. You hope either of them are doing a hell of a lot better than you are right now because this is without a doubt the WORST idea you ever had.

Right along the idea where you left the fucking inn because you didn't want to settle down and live like some regular jerk off. Would it really have been so terrible? It couldn't have been worse than THIS.

"You're right, it couldn't be worse than this. Come back, I forgive you." You suddenly hear a voice say that sounds exactly like Zalmora.

You look around and then hear it again.

"Come back to me my love." The voice says in more melodic tone.

Your head starts to feel odd and you begin to hear faint little song. You can't even make it out, it's just an ongoing tone seeping into your skull...

Without thinking you look at the waters below and see a couple of splashes and a glimpse of a large fishtail.

"Regina! I knew you'd come back to me! I'm coming darling!" You suddenly hear a voice shout which fortunately breaks your concentration.

You look over to your left and see Scully jump over the side of the ship. This is soon followed by the Captain coming out of his quarters.

"FISH BITCHES! WAX! WAX! WAX! DON'T LOOK AT THE WATER!" He shouts nearly falling over in the process.

Fortunately, Captain Rifiv was so paranoid about them from last encounter that he made everyone carry some with them at all time.

Scully was either wrong about mermaids not being in northern waters or you're more off course than you thought. Either way it doesn't matter because you're being assaulted by them and you're shoving wax in your ears.

The wax doesn't quite drown out the song completely, but it's helping enough that you at least don't feel like you're falling under some sort of enchantment now.

Captain Rifiv is using a telescope to look past the nearby mermaid infested waters in the hopes of finding some sort of land. Meanwhile most of the crew is busily filling their own ears with wax.

Unfortunately most doesn't mean all...

Even with wax in your ears you can still hear the nearby gunshot of an enchanted crew member shooting one of his fellows.

"WEAK MINDED FOOLS!" You can hear Rifiv's muffled shouts.

Doesn't take long before there is chaos on the ship and you're also fighting off your fellow enchanted crew mates. Well "fellow" might be too strong of a word since you didn't even like most of them.

You then hear a loud explosion coming from below, the entire boat rocks and you fall to the deck. You aren't sure what happened, but it can't be good because the smell of smoke is very prominent and while you aren't entirely sure yet, but you think the boat might be starting to sink.

As you attempt to get up, Captain Rifiv is doing his best to hobble over in your direction.

"One of those charmed fools just lit a fucking powder keg below deck! This ship is going down! Come on, help me to the emergency rowboat! I saw a patch of land to the north!" Rifiv shouts before he stumbles to the floor of the ship.

He's having a hard time getting up, and you see yet another charmed crewman walking over to finish him off.

You look over to the emergency rowboat and you realize you could probably get to it a lot quicker by yourself.
> You defend the captain
Maybe you're having some "good deed" moment during this dark hour, but the old guy actually has been more or less alright with you.

You run over to the captain and block the charmed crewman's sword with your own, then you follow up with a thrust with your dagger that's in your other hand. It sinks deep into the assailant's chest and as he slumps to the deck, you help the captain up.

"Come on! Come on! You're too fucking slow! Move your ass!" He orders.

You start to wonder if you should have just left him!

With the captain in tow (And shouting in your wax filled ear) you make your way to the rowboat, get in and deploy it. It drops a lot faster than you intended and you land hard, but there is no damage and all you get is a little wet from the splash back.

"Row! Row! Row northward and don't do anything else! Don't look at anything except down at the floor of this boat!" Rifiv shouts.

Between the wax, the captain's shouting and some more explosions from the ship as it sinks, you're not hearing the mermaids anymore. It suddenly occurs to you, maybe that's why Rifiv is still doing all this shouting. Now you're glad you helped him.

Still, blocking your hearing is only part of the solution. Now you're in a rowboat which is a lot lower to the water. You see a green hand reach out from the water and grab the side of the boat...

"Damn it man, I told you not to look! Close your damn eyes! Just keep rowing, we're almost there! Get back sea sluts! Yargh! Yargh! Get back! You'll not get me with your wiles!"

You do exactly what Rifiv says and try to focus on just rowing as you close your eyes. It isn't easy though since you can still hear the sounds of battle and the captain shouting the entire time. You also feel a bit of pulling at not just the oars, but your arms as well. You don't know how the old man is holding out so well.

"Stop! No...YOU'RE NOT MY WIFE!" You hear the captain shout.

And then nothing but a loud splash.

You call out to the captain, but hear no answer. This causes you to row faster with all your strength while still keeping your eyes closed.

"Come to us...let go..." You start to hear in those melodic voices again.

You can't think of anything else to do so you start singing various bawdy songs you've heard over the years at the top of your lungs as you row for your life.

"...AND HER ASS TASTES LIKE MOLASSES AND I THOUGHT THAT WAS MIGHTY FINE! SECOND VERSE! OHHHHHHHH..."

As silly as it is for you to be singing loudly in the middle of the fucking ocean about a priest's daughter losing her anal virginity, it's keeping you alive. This must go on for at least an hour or so.

Eventually you hit something, or rather something scrapes the bottom of your boat. At first you think it's the mermaids trying to tip it over or something, but you risk opening your eyes and find that you've hit land or at least the rocks near it. In fact you've damaged the boat and you once again find yourself aboard a sinking ship.

Fortunately, the mermaids seem to have stopped harassing you and the water isn't too deep so you make it to shore. Even so, you run pretty far inland before you stop to take a better look at your surroundings.

You cautiously remove the wax from your ears and you don't hear any mermaid songs trying to bewitch you any longer. You do hear the sounds of a few birds though. Wherever you are, you're in a wooded area with a large amount of trees and bushes.

You aren't sure how big this patch of land is though; for all you know it could be a small island or a large continent. One thing is for sure though, it's cold and you're a long damn way from home.

While this isn't the best situation, you're not giving in to despair. As soon as you figure out how to survive here, maybe you can somehow figure out a way to get back.

Or maybe you'll just stay here. You'll see how it turns out.

Either way your days of being a rogue are over.


Chapter 3A1: Red Storm Subsiding

Year 30

"Are you sure?" You ask.
"I'm positive. My boyfriend said the militia are going to do an intensive sweep of this district in a week. The Klyton Council wants to prove they're tough on crime again. Apparently there have been complaints that things have been getting too lax." Vaughn remarks.
"See? This was useful info. And YOU got angry when you found out Vaughn was going out with a militia man." Zal says.
"Never mind all that, we gotta start cleaning shit up around here. Vaughn, I want you to start dismantling the stills and moving the tubs from the basement and into the sewers. Just glad we have a lot of already filled barrels down there. We should be good on that front. Zal, you dismantle the gambling tables and wheels and move them into the sewers as well."
"I'm not mucking about in the sewers. Those days are over." Zal huffs.
"(Sigh) Fine then get someone else to do it! Why do you have to fight me on this right now? I'm going to go see the girls and tell them they got the week off or at least they got the week off here. Don't really care if they whore somewhere else."

You immediately come out of your office and start running around telling your employees (Both legal and criminal) what to do. There predictably is a lot of yelling, grumbling and rushing back and forth.

About ten minutes in, you've worked yourself up into a frenzy.

"WATCH IT WITH THOSE! You break one of those wheels and I'm going to break your fucking arms! By the gods, I'm surrounded by fucking incompetents! And what the hell are you doing? Are you fucking retarded or something? Don't just stand around with a thumb up your ass, go fucking help Vaughn!" You shout in between hitting one poor employee desperately trying to get out of your way.

"Oh dear husband! Can I speak with you for a moment?" You hear Zal shout in a sing song voice from upstairs. You hate it when she does that, because it usually means she's going to scold you or give you some unwanted advice and you really don't have time for that right now.

Still, if you don't go see her now, you'll have to hear even more shit later. So you better see her now. Good thing she's still your wife, because you'd hate to take this sort of aggravation from someone you weren't fucking on a regular basis.

You stomp upstairs and meet Zal in your bedroom. You then close the door.

"WHAT?!" You exclaim.
"While I'm sure you're having a good time running around abusing your underlings, I'm wondering if it's even necessary." Zal remarks.
"Of course it is! You know how this lot is, I gotta kick a little ass sometimes!"
"Yes, I'm aware, but have you really thought about WHY that is? Why you have to go on these rampages every few months or so?"
"Yeah, so we all don't get fucking pinched by the law!"
"Exactly. I'm saying maybe it's time for us to stop worrying about that."
"So what're you getting at exactly?"
"I'm saying maybe it's time to get out."
"Get out? Now? You're joking."
"Why is that so crazy?"
"Because you don't walk away from this life."
"Says who? You can walk away from ANYTHING as long as you aren't in prison or the grave and either of those places are exactly where you'll be heading if this keeps up."
"If that's true, then you're going to be there right along side with me."
"Not bloody likely. I've been thinking about this for a long time and ever since we got this inn together, I've been thinking about it even more. The time has come and I'm out."

And there it is. You have to admit, you're only half surprised, but this is terrible timing.

"Zal, do we really have to do this now?" You say.
"Yes. Oh don't worry, I'm not going to interrupt anything, we're still moving all incriminating evidence out of here, but we're just doing it permanently." Zalmora responds.
"What the...Zal I think you've forgotten who is not only head of this organization, but who is also owner of this fucking inn!"
"And I think you've forgotten that as your wife, it's also partially mine."
"My name is on the deed!"
"Yeah, and you're still not a citizen of Klyton. And after the divorce, I guess we'll see who ends up with what, and if you think I won't drag you through the mud and make this hell for you, then you haven't learned very much during our time together."

You can't believe this. You knew you should have gotten a divorce a long time ago. You just kept putting it off for other things you thought were more important at the time. You didn't think about the potential consequences.

"You would really fucking do this to me wouldn't you? You probably planned this! Fucking bitch..." You mutter trying hard not to do something violent towards Zal.
"Hey, I wasn't the one who initiated consummating the marriage multiple times. I really don't WANT to do this to you at all, but this is the ONLY way you're going to listen!" Zalmora exclaims.
"Fine, so convince me. That is what you've always been good at isn't it?" You remark and sit down.

Zalmora sits down next to you and exhales.

"This inn that we run makes us a pretty good living and that's even before all the illegal shit like providing whores for the traveling merchants or running gambling games in the back. I mean aren't you getting tired of all this? Getting tired of looking over your shoulder thinking the Klyton militia is going to raid the place at any moment?" Zalmora asks.
"It's the life we've chosen."
"Yes, and I'm saying we don't have to live that way anymore. We could go completely legit and live comfortably rather than living in paranoia of going to jail or hanging in a cage."
"I can't believe you're the same woman I met over a decade ago."
"Yeah, I already know what you think. That I'm getting old and fearful and I've lost my will for this lifestyle. Well maybe all of that is true to some extent, but I don't see why that's such a bad thing. I mean I had the thrill of being a criminal and all that, well I'm done with that part of my life now. I don't find any joy in it anymore. I grew out of it. Happens to the best of us and I don't see why you don't see the logic in going legit either. You don't seem particularly all that happy and you're constantly going into these frenzies. Can you honestly say this life is as much fun as it was say ten years ago? I mean you'd at least have less worry if you weren't living this life."
"So...what then? We just settle into life of married mediocrity and live the rest of our lives like average assholes?"
"Yeah, I guess we do. Or we don't. Look, I've never been quite sure how deep your feelings have ever been towards me. To be honest I suppose I'm not quite sure of my own feelings are towards you. I like to think we do have a fondness for each other on some level. I mean we stayed married longer than some people I've know that we're head over heels in love with each other. Not exactly sure if what we have is love, but I guess in some way I think it's close, all things considered."

Zalmora continues

"That being said, if you don't want to stay together that's fine. I always thought this was going to be temporary anyway. I mean I think I could even work it out if you still wanted to manage this place. My point is though, this inn is going to be a legitimate business from now on and if you're not willing to at least go that route, well we need to say goodbye now."
"You know on my end, this could be settled really easily." You say.
"Mm, true. Could have also been settled easily on my end too, but as I already said, I like to think we have enough fondness for each other that murder isn't a serious option."

Once again Zal is right on that part. You don't even know why you said such an empty threat. Perhaps a last minute act of a desperate man still not sure of what he wants in the future.

Going "legit" isn't really going to be as easy as Zal is making out though. You would take a much severe loss in profit than perhaps she thinks. Maybe you could make it, but it wouldn't come easy. You'd have to work hard, but then you work just as hard now and have the constant paranoia added to it.

Of course maybe that's the entire problem. You're working too hard period. It might not be the lifestyle, but more the location and job. You remember the more carefree years when you or you and a few others broke into a store and nicked a few items and coins, or picked the pockets of some rich merchant. You took just enough to live well for awhile and then you went out and did it all over again.

None of the stress of dealing with day to day shit of running an entire criminal organization.

Maybe you just need to get back to basics and walk away from it all.
> You go legit
You can't go back to those "good old days" even though you might wish to. Really, the good old days were long over the day you got chased out of Teckleville, and perhaps they were over even before that when your sister left. You hope she's doing well.

Zal isn't the only one that's gotten older. True you're still relatively young in comparison and perhaps the roguish streak hasn't quite left you yet, but her transformation and everything else that's gone on...well quite frankly it is time to start thinking about a more stable future that doesn't involve criminal endeavors.

As for being married...well you could do worse than being married to a woman who's been giving you sound advice for over a decade, even if she has been a bit manipulative at times. You'd be lying if you didn't like that quality slightly. She obviously cares about you on some level and the feeling is mutual. After all, if you didn't, you would have divorced long ago.

You grab Zal's hand, squeezing it while nodding silently. It's all you have to do to give an answer. Zal seems pretty happy with your answer and hugs you which you return.

"(Sigh) Considering I'm actually allowing myself to submit to this, I guess it's just as well I'm getting out too. I'm obviously too soft to be a crime lord anymore." You say as Zal smiles.
"Oh you're not going soft, you're just playing the odds and the odds are in favor of a better life if you get out of this game now." Zal says in an attempt to reassure you.
"I suppose. I do hope you know that this isn't going to be as easy as you believe though. Good thing we've got a lot saved up, because if we're going totally legit, we're probably going to be taking a major loss for awhile."
"I know, but I truly think this is going to be for the best in the long run."
"It's not just that though, we've got other people to think about. I mean the folks who aren't Talons aren't going to be a problem, like some of the waitresses. Even some of the Talons aren't going to be a problem. Hell, I can see someone like Vaughn being completely okay with this direction, but there are a few of the younger more ambitious members that aren't going to go along with this."
"Well that's tough shit."
"Perhaps, but they're going to be pretty mad about this and when they are, I can't say I'm going to entirely blame them. Still, we can deal with that later. Right now, priority is making this place respectable before the Klyton militia sweep."

You and Zal get back to that task at hand.

Later on in the week after the noise has died down from Klyton's most recent repressive tactics, you call a meeting to address everyone of the new changes that are going to be taking place.

It goes well for the most part, but predictably there are complaints.

"So wait, if this place is going legit, does that mean we can't fuck the merchants that come in here anymore?" A whore asks.
"You ladies can fuck anyone you want, but if you're going to be doing it here, you better be doing it for fun rather than profit. There is to be no more whoring here. If you want to pursue that line of work, you do it elsewhere. Better yet, the Klyton Kitty is hiring right now. You ladies could go there and be completely legal prostitutes at that establishment."
"What?! They wouldn't hire me and I can't compete with the bitches that hoity toity place! They're all twenty years younger, got all their teeth, magically enhanced tits, and don't have a rash on their..."
"Hey look, that's not my fucking problem! The best I can do is if any of you want jobs as waitresses, I can accommodate in that respect, but you if you want to go whore, you do it on your own time and away from this place!"

As the whores grumble, one of the more unkept employees raises their hands.

"Um, does this mean those of us who owed gambling debts don't have to work here anymore?" One of the "indentured servants" asks.
"No! You deadbeat fuckers still owe! I'm not absolving anyone of their debts and don't think I won't still enforce that! However, only part of it will be taken out of your pay. If and when you finish paying off your debt, you can either continue working here for your full pay or go on your way." You say.

Finally, there is the group that you were expecting the most trouble from.

"This a bunch of fucking bullshit." Camid exlaims.

Camid is one of the younger Crimson Talons. He's always been a bit outspoken about how things should be run, but he's more or less always complied. A few other Talons with his mindset also express their dissatisfaction.

"Which part?" You ask humoring this asshole.
"All of it. How fuck are we just going to walk away from all the money we're making and become regular blue collar bums? The working man is a sucker and this is just fucking stupid." Camid says.
"Yeah, I figured some of you would feel that way, so think of this as my retirement as head of the Crimson Talons. Camid, if you want the job you got it. If not, well I'm sure those of you who still want to go out and do illegal shit can decide who's going to run the organization. Good luck to you."
"I gotta say, I never agreed with all your decisions, but I never thought I'd see the damn day when you'd go fucking limp dick soft. What, so the Klyton militia assholes come sweep the place and you lose your damn balls?" Camid remarks.
"Pfft, he didn't lose them, he knows exactly where they are. In his old bitch of a wife's purse!" Another Talon remarks.

At this point Zalmora, Vaughn and a couple of the ex-Talons on your side begin to yell, but you calm everyone down.

"It's fine, it's fine. You done?" You ask.
"No, I'm not fucking done. This inn is a fucking Crimson Talon business! Now if you want to step down and live like some regular jerk off fine. But YOU don't get to take this with you! This is OUR place." Camid remarks.
"That's not what it says on the deed, and last time I remember I wasn't married to your ass. Look Camid, you got the damn sewers. You're gaining the bum fights, you can run whores and gambling there. Shit, you can even sell Yellow Devil again or whatever else you want, but YOU don't get this place. I was the one who scratched and worked for it. You want someplace that doesn't smell like shit and covered in slime, well you're going to have to work for it too."

At this point Camid and you are face to face and it's half expected that someone is going to go for a weapon. Camid is obviously severely tempted, but he's not quite confident enough to believe he'll survive the exchange.

"You're going to regret this." He says and then backs away slowly towards the door as likeminded folks follow.

You wave your hand away dismissively and tell your remaining people to go on with their work. You head to your office, though Zalmora and Vaughn follow you.

"I hate to say this, but I don't think Camid's going to just go away." Zalmora says.
"Yeah, I got that impression. (Sigh) This is why I didn't think this was going to just go smoothly." You say.
"Do you think we could just make a one time pay off for him to forget about us?" Vaughn asks.
"Vaughn you know damn well that isn't going to work. That fucker will just see that as weakness and start demanding payment on a weekly basis. Besides, we're already going to be losing money in the near future, I'm not parting with any more than I have to."
"Well, there's always the obvious solution." Zal suggests.
"But I thought the whole point was to get away from doing shit like that. I mean I'm with you guys on going legit, but if we start making exceptions, we're not really changing are we?" Vaughn says.
"So what are you suggesting?" You ask.
"We get the law to work for us for a change. Look, we all know Camid isn't going to be inventive enough to pick a new location to do business. He's probably going to go right back to that old location in the sewers. All I have to do is tell Gregory about the large Crimson Talon hideout there and boom. The militia takes care of our problem. Plus you know Camid, he'll probably go down fighting."
"Who's Gregory?" You ask.
"Vaughn's militia man. Got to admit, that's not a bad plan. Just...I dunno. Seems weird ratting them out like that to solve the issue." Zal remarks.
"What difference does it make as long as it gets the job done? Besides, as I said, I thought we weren't Talons anymore. There's no code of silence being broken." Vaughn remarks as Zal reluctantly agrees.

Seems that Zal hasn't quite gotten all the "rogue" out of her system despite everything she's claimed. You can certainly relate, but not so much because you're against ratting them out, but more because killing them is a more final solution to a potential problem.
> You snitch on the Crimson Talons
It occurs to you that snitching them out to the militia is most likely the same thing as wiping them out. The Klyton militia isn't exactly known for showing restraint when it comes to things like this. And as Vaughn said, Camid will most likely be foolish enough to go down fighting and take everyone under his command with him.

"Fuck it, we're law abiding citizens concerned with the criminal element in this city. There's no reason we should risk our lives, let the militia do their job. Go talk to your boyfriend." You say.

Your response is a bit of a surprise to Vaughn and a bigger surprise to Zalmora who both figured you'd ultimately want to take care of the problem directly. Vaughn however seems happy that his life won't be at risk now. Zal doesn't argue with your decision, but seems a little distracted by it.

Later that night you address it directly before you both go to bed.

"Zal, this really is the less messy solution. If we're getting out like you wanted us to, we can't go around committing a mass murder that could potentially get one or more of us killed in the process. I mean how fucked up would it be if I died or worse, YOU died during the hit? Camid left with a little over half of the Talons, we would have been outnumbered. Let those militia assholes waste their lives. Better them than us, and as I said before, especially you." You say caressing the side of Zal's face.
"I know. I know. And I'm glad you were concerned about me." Zal says embracing you.

In the next few days, Vaughn lets you know that everything has been set in motion and the Klyton militia is going to launch a full scale assault on the location. They apparently want this to go so successfully they're doing their best keeping it secret. (Though Vaughn's boyfriend Gregory has a big mouth and told him everything anyway.)

Within the week you get the news from the paper about how the Crimson Talons were absolutely crushed by the Klyton militia. A big announcement is made of how the Talons are no longer a threat in the Klyton and have at last been brought down after decades of terrorizing the city.

All Talon members were killed in the raid along with several Yellow Devil junkies, whores, and gamblers who were there betting on a bum fight. But as usual nobody really cares about some dregs of society getting massacred in the process because justice has been served!

You smile and point out to Zal this success.

"See? Told you this was the best way to handle it." You say.
"Actually it was Vaughn who suggested it in the first place." Zal remarks.
"Being the boss means you always get to take the credit." You chuckle.
"Boss? We're not Crimson Talons anymore remember?'
"I'm still boss of this inn and I'm boss of your fine ass." You say slapping Zal on the ass.
"Oh yeah? Well you better come closer and prove that because I'm not convinced."

You and Zal proceed celebrate your victory and new lives as productive law abiding citizens in a physical way.

Year 33

"Where the hell has Vaughn been? He hasn't come in for the past three days. Did he say he was sick or something?" You ask.
"Last time I saw him he was fine. Never said anything about being sick." Zalmora remarks.
"I'm gonna have to go over to his home or something because he can't just disappear like this. We're trying to run a business here."
"It's odd for him to just disappear though. Maybe we should contact the militia on this."
"His boyfriend is a militia guy. I'm sure if it was really serious, he would have already let us know. He's probably just got some minor cold and decided it would be a good excuse to take off from work. He's done that before you know."
"So you going over to his home?"
"Maybe later when things here at the inn die down a bit. Too much to do right now."

You spend most of your work day tending to usual business. Still feels weird at times working a real job, but you're pretty much used to it now. Being with Zal certainly has made this transition easier for you.

If only your parents could see you now, they probably wouldn't believe it. You don't think your sister would either. Your thoughts sometimes still wander towards them and wonder how they all are at times.

By night fall the inn has gotten a little quieter. Normally that's not the case, but you know there's some major party going on at the Madcap Tavern tonight so most of the rowdier folks are there. You decide this will be a good time to go check on Vaughn.

You say goodbye to Zal and leave the inn.

As you walk to Vaughn's place you pass a couple of patrolling guards. You still remember when you first came to this city it still wasn't quite as restrictive as it is now. You guess it's good you got out of the life when you did.

Along the way, a man with a full beard and mustache and raggedy clothing comes up to you.

"Hey boss, can you spare a copper?" He asks.
"Don't have any. Get a job." You say still walking.
"I had a job boss, but the business got shut down by the government and in this environment, it's hard to get work." He says following you.
"Yeah, well things are tough all over."
"Well things look like they're going good for you boss. You got money, a nice business, a pretty wife even if she is a little on the older side."

You suddenly stop walking and it occurs to you that he isn't just calling you "boss" as some term of deference of social status.

"Never thought I'd get an easy chance to get you like this, you never leave that fucking inn." The man says in a nastier tone.

Your instincts kick in, and you swing at the man, but you're a little rusty in the combat area. This man however isn't and dodges your swing and then smashes you in the face with some brass knuckles.

You feel the crunch of your nose breaking as you fall to the ground. You then feel a boot to the side of your head nearly knocking you unconscious.

In your dazed state you feel yourself being dragged into a nearby alley. You attempt to stop your assailant, but are only met with more stomps to your face. He only stops in order to take out his flintlock pistol.

While you have no idea who this man's name is, you know he has to be an ex-Talon. Probably some young recruit that you never really paid attention to, which is probably why you never recognized him right away either, even if he does look like a vagrant now.

Apparently the Klyton militia wasn't as thorough as they claimed in the papers all those years ago.

"Been waiting a long time for this. Say hello to Vaughn in hell when you see him and don't worry your snitch bitch of a wife will be joining both of you soon too." He says and then puts a bullet in your head.


You can't go back to those "good old days" even though you might wish to. Really, the good old days were long over the day you got chased out of Teckleville, and perhaps they were over even before that when your sister left. You hope she's doing well.

Zal isn't the only one that's gotten older. True you're still relatively young in comparison and perhaps the roguish streak hasn't quite left you yet, but her transformation and everything else that's gone on...well quite frankly it is time to start thinking about a more stable future that doesn't involve criminal endeavors.

As for being married...well you could do worse than being married to a woman who's been giving you sound advice for over a decade, even if she has been a bit manipulative at times. You'd be lying if you didn't like that quality slightly. She obviously cares about you on some level and the feeling is mutual. After all, if you didn't, you would have divorced long ago.

You grab Zal's hand, squeezing it while nodding silently. It's all you have to do to give an answer. Zal seems pretty happy with your answer and hugs you which you return.

"(Sigh) Considering I'm actually allowing myself to submit to this, I guess it's just as well I'm getting out too. I'm obviously too soft to be a crime lord anymore." You say as Zal smiles.
"Oh you're not going soft, you're just playing the odds and the odds are in favor of a better life if you get out of this game now." Zal says in an attempt to reassure you.
"I suppose. I do hope you know that this isn't going to be as easy as you believe though. Good thing we've got a lot saved up, because if we're going totally legit, we're probably going to be taking a major loss for awhile."
"I know, but I truly think this is going to be for the best in the long run."
"It's not just that though, we've got other people to think about. I mean the folks who aren't Talons aren't going to be a problem, like some of the waitresses. Even some of the Talons aren't going to be a problem. Hell, I can see someone like Vaughn being completely okay with this direction, but there are a few of the younger more ambitious members that aren't going to go along with this."
"Well that's tough shit."
"Perhaps, but they're going to be pretty mad about this and when they are, I can't say I'm going to entirely blame them. Still, we can deal with that later. Right now, priority is making this place respectable before the Klyton militia sweep."

You and Zal get back to that task at hand.

Later on in the week after the noise has died down from Klyton's most recent repressive tactics, you call a meeting to address everyone of the new changes that are going to be taking place.

It goes well for the most part, but predictably there are complaints.

"So wait, if this place is going legit, does that mean we can't fuck the merchants that come in here anymore?" A whore asks.
"You ladies can fuck anyone you want, but if you're going to be doing it here, you better be doing it for fun rather than profit. There is to be no more whoring here. If you want to pursue that line of work, you do it elsewhere. Better yet, the Klyton Kitty is hiring right now. You ladies could go there and be completely legal prostitutes at that establishment."
"What?! They wouldn't hire me and I can't compete with the bitches that hoity toity place! They're all twenty years younger, got all their teeth, magically enhanced tits, and don't have a rash on their..."
"Hey look, that's not my fucking problem! The best I can do is if any of you want jobs as waitresses, I can accommodate in that respect, but you if you want to go whore, you do it on your own time and away from this place!"

As the whores grumble, one of the more unkept employees raises their hands.

"Um, does this mean those of us who owed gambling debts don't have to work here anymore?" One of the "indentured servants" asks.
"No! You deadbeat fuckers still owe! I'm not absolving anyone of their debts and don't think I won't still enforce that! However, only part of it will be taken out of your pay. If and when you finish paying off your debt, you can either continue working here for your full pay or go on your way." You say.

Finally, there is the group that you were expecting the most trouble from.

"This a bunch of fucking bullshit." Camid exlaims.

Camid is one of the younger Crimson Talons. He's always been a bit outspoken about how things should be run, but he's more or less always complied. A few other Talons with his mindset also express their dissatisfaction.

"Which part?" You ask humoring this asshole.
"All of it. How fuck are we just going to walk away from all the money we're making and become regular blue collar bums? The working man is a sucker and this is just fucking stupid." Camid says.
"Yeah, I figured some of you would feel that way, so think of this as my retirement as head of the Crimson Talons. Camid, if you want the job you got it. If not, well I'm sure those of you who still want to go out and do illegal shit can decide who's going to run the organization. Good luck to you."
"I gotta say, I never agreed with all your decisions, but I never thought I'd see the damn day when you'd go fucking limp dick soft. What, so the Klyton militia assholes come sweep the place and you lose your damn balls?" Camid remarks.
"Pfft, he didn't lose them, he knows exactly where they are. In his old bitch of a wife's purse!" Another Talon remarks.

At this point Zalmora, Vaughn and a couple of the ex-Talons on your side begin to yell, but you calm everyone down.

"It's fine, it's fine. You done?" You ask.
"No, I'm not fucking done. This inn is a fucking Crimson Talon business! Now if you want to step down and live like some regular jerk off fine. But YOU don't get to take this with you! This is OUR place." Camid remarks.
"That's not what it says on the deed, and last time I remember I wasn't married to your ass. Look Camid, you got the damn sewers. You're gaining the bum fights, you can run whores and gambling there. Shit, you can even sell Yellow Devil again or whatever else you want, but YOU don't get this place. I was the one who scratched and worked for it. You want someplace that doesn't smell like shit and covered in slime, well you're going to have to work for it too."

At this point Camid and you are face to face and it's half expected that someone is going to go for a weapon. Camid is obviously severely tempted, but he's not quite confident enough to believe he'll survive the exchange.

"You're going to regret this." He says and then backs away slowly towards the door as likeminded folks follow.

You wave your hand away dismissively and tell your remaining people to go on with their work. You head to your office, though Zalmora and Vaughn follow you.

"I hate to say this, but I don't think Camid's going to just go away." Zalmora says.
"Yeah, I got that impression. (Sigh) This is why I didn't think this was going to just go smoothly." You say.
"Do you think we could just make a one time pay off for him to forget about us?" Vaughn asks.
"Vaughn you know damn well that isn't going to work. That fucker will just see that as weakness and start demanding payment on a weekly basis. Besides, we're already going to be losing money in the near future, I'm not parting with any more than I have to."
"Well, there's always the obvious solution." Zal suggests.
"But I thought the whole point was to get away from doing shit like that. I mean I'm with you guys on going legit, but if we start making exceptions, we're not really changing are we?" Vaughn says.
"So what are you suggesting?" You ask.
"We get the law to work for us for a change. Look, we all know Camid isn't going to be inventive enough to pick a new location to do business. He's probably going to go right back to that old location in the sewers. All I have to do is tell Gregory about the large Crimson Talon hideout there and boom. The militia takes care of our problem. Plus you know Camid, he'll probably go down fighting."
"Who's Gregory?" You ask.
"Vaughn's militia man. Got to admit, that's not a bad plan. Just...I dunno. Seems weird ratting them out like that to solve the issue." Zal remarks.
"What difference does it make as long as it gets the job done? Besides, as I said, I thought we weren't Talons anymore. There's no code of silence being broken." Vaughn remarks as Zal reluctantly agrees.

Seems that Zal hasn't quite gotten all the "rogue" out of her system despite everything she's claimed. You can certainly relate, but not so much because you're against ratting them out, but more because killing them is a more final solution to a potential problem.
> You wipe out the Crimson Talons
No point in taking chances...

"I appreciate the input Vaughn, but I believe a more permanent solution is needed here." You say.
"Well okay, but how are we going to do it? Camid just left with a little more than half the old gang. Besides us three, we only got a couple guys left and honestly I don't really have confidence in them if it's going to be a knock down drag out fight."
"There are more around guns nowadays you know. Don't need to be a good fighter to just shoot someone. I acquired one myself soon after I bought the inn." You say.
"Yeah, but Camid and his group could have the same idea. Pretty sure Camid owns one and will probably acquire more for the rest of the Talons. Plus most of them are one shot weapons. If anyone misses, it's going to come down to a real fight and we're going to be out numbered."
"Well, I guess we better make sure our aim is true shouldn't we then? Look, if this is going to be a concern, we could always go get some of those repeating crossbows. They cost a damn fortune, but..."

Suddenly Zal speaks up.

"Maybe we shouldn't risk our lives on this. It would be kind of tragic to get this far only to get brought down at the finish line." Zalmora says.
"So what are you saying? You saying you want to go with Vaughn's plan now?" You ask.
"No, I'm for getting rid of them, but I just don't think we should be the ones to do the deed if we don't have to."
"Okay. So you're saying you want a hired assassin? Great. You know any? Because I sure don't."
"Yes we do. In fact you hired him already once."

You exhale deeply.

"And in order to hire THAT guy again, I'm going to have to deal with Mr. Fucking Reynolds and who knows what damn price he's going to ask for." You say.
"He was actually pretty reasonable last time." Zal remarks.
"He also didn't tell me everything last time. There's always a catch with him. In fact weren't you against dealing with him last time?"
"I was, but that was a different time under different circumstances. I mean can it hurt to even inquire?"
"No, but I wish there was another alternative."
"We could always look for Scales." Vaughn jokes in an attempt to lighten the mood.
"I don't think Scales is even alive anymore, if he was even lurking down in the sewers to begin with. I think Tom was the only one who was ever convinced of it. I mean we were in the sewers for years and never ran afoul of a supposedly territorial lizard. (Sigh) Alright, I'll go see Mr. Reynolds tomorrow and see what the price is."

The next day you walk into Mr. Reynolds' office.

As soon as you walk in, you see a strange ogrish looking creature, but much shorter than one. In fact if it wasn't for the oversized teeth and general monstrous appearance, you might mistake it for a very muscular dwarf.

You also see Henry, or at least you assume it's Henry. He hasn't changed much since the last time you saw him, though he's sporting a few scars across his face now.

Finally you see Mr. Reynolds and he certainly hasn't changed. Once again he stands up smiling at his desk.

"Well what do I owe the pleasure of this unexpected visit from the head of the infamous Crimson Talons this fine day?" Mr. Reynolds says.
"I need some people killed." You say.
"Hm, straight to business I see. Okay then, I assume there is some reason why you aren't having your own people taking care of this?"
"Let's just say, most of my so called people are the ones I want to have killed."
"Ah, an internal struggle? Interesting. Well, I'm not sure what you want me to do about it."

You haven't been here five minutes, and he's already playing mind games...

"What the hell do you think..." You start to shout, but then you stop and then calm yourself before continuing.

"Mr. Reynolds, with all due respect, I have come here asking for assistance on this matter as I once did in the past. Your son did a marvelous job last time even if... I didn't quite appreciate its thoroughness last time. I have now come to respect it much more and I would like to implement his magnificent skills again on others that would see harm to me and my business."

Mr. Reynolds listens intently and smiles.

"I'm glad to see that wisdom has come with your age. That's good. Last time our business together was less than cordial. That's okay though, I still got paid. As I said, I would love to help you again in this matter, but I'm afraid, this isn't my call this time. Last time when Henry worked for you, you insulted his work and I'm afraid, my son takes things a bit more personal than I do. He won't work for you again."
"What?! But isn't he your employee? Can't you just order him?"
"Yes, but he's also my son! Really now sir, would YOU force your son to do something he doesn't want to? Yes, business is always important, but sometimes, just sometimes family comes first. Now if Henry wants to work for you on this, I suppose we can start coming up with a price, but I don't think it's likely."

You look over to Henry who just gives you a cold glance before walking away altogether.

"I think there's your answer." Mr. Reynolds says.
"Great. So I guess you can't help me." You say.
"Well now, I wouldn't say that exactly, I still have one employee willing to cause mayhem on your behalf."

Mr. Reynolds points over to the ogre looking creature.

"And who is that?" You ask.
"Who is that? Don't you see the family resemblance? This fine gentleman is the late great Olaf's son!" Mr. Reynolds exclaims.
"The late Olaf?"
"Yes, it was a sad day when Olaf passed a few years ago. Died right here in the office in his sleep in fact. He will be missed. But anyway his son Olaf Jr. has been following in his father's large footsteps and I don't mind saying he's been doing a fine job for me and his own mother is very proud of him."

You remember that Mr. Reynolds once said Olaf was married to a halfling. You can't imagine how that birth was even possible let alone how she survived the process. It does however explain Junior's strange appearance by ogre standards. (Or any standards actually)

Mr. Reynolds goes on to explain that while Junior doesn't have the same size as his father or quickness that Henry has, he assures you that he has more than enough skill to do the job you require. However, unlike last time Mr. Reynolds asks for a thousand gold coins in advance.

It's a hell of a lot of money and you have no real certainty. You're starting to think you might have more piece of mind investing in some weapons and doing this yourself.
> You hire Junior
As crazy as this is, you know Mr. Reynolds values his word. If he says Junior will wipe out all the targets, then he'll do it. There's also the fact that you haven't completely dismissed what Zal said about failing at the finish line.

You could be as prepared as possible and still get yourself killed in the battle or perhaps even Zal would get killed. You have to admit you'd be pretty upset if that occurred. Maybe you are in love after all.

So it's with a slight reluctance that you once again take Mr. Reynolds up on his offer...

"Okay, it's deal, but I'll have to come back later with the money. I also have to do a little reconnaissance so I know where exactly to have Junior go find his targets. I'll be giving you a list of names and physical descriptions as well." You say.
"Sure. Sure. Take all the preparations you need, we'll be here. And as usual, it's been a pleasure doing business with you." Mr. Reynolds says.

You return to the inn and explain the situation to Zal and Vaughn. Vaughn says it shouldn't be any problem to locate where Camid and the rest finally settle down at, though he says once again that it will most likely be the old sewer location.

"Why couldn't you get the other guy?" Zal asks.
"I told you, personal differences. I don't doubt that this ogre...or ogrfling isn't capable of doing the job. Mr. Reynolds prides himself too much on his word." You say.
"Thousand gold pieces is a lot of money."
"Yeah, well if it keeps you...I mean us safe, it's a good investment." You say.

Zalmora smiles a bit.

"Wait, were you more worried about me?" Zal asks.
"Well you are my wife. I'm not going to live like a regular jack off alone. Especially since it was your idea in the first place." You respond.
"I'll take that as a yes." Zal responds and kisses you.

You return to Mr. Reynolds' office in the next few days with the money and all the necessary information.

"Ah, quite a few of them I see. Henry really should have taken this job, he would have loved it, but there's no getting through to the boy at times. (Sigh) Anyway, yes Junior will have no problems with this. Probably can get it done tonight. Come back tomorrow and we'll have proof."

Lacking anything else to do, you head back to the inn and get back to work, which still feels weird to you. Though more than anything else your mind is preoccupied with if that ogre freak is going to be successful. You have a little anxiety that he's not going to get the job done and one of those assholes gets away only to shoot you in the back a year later just when you think everything is going good.

Zalmora senses your concern and later that night you try to find reassurance and comfort in her embrace. It helps.

The next morning you wake up and you head over to Mr. Reynolds' place. You notice a lot of Klyton militia patrolling about. You also come across a young boy with a bunch of papers shouting about a vigilante.

"Hey mister, you need to buy the paper today! It's special edition!" The boy shouts.
"What's so special about it?" You ask.
"It's a breaking story that happened just last night! Some vigilante wiped out the infamous Crimson Talons!" The boy exclaims.
"Really?"
"Yeah! My boss suddenly got the scoop in the middle of the night! Anonymous tip or something. Anyway, the details are inside!"
"I don't have any money on me right now, but I might be back to get one later."
"Okay mister, but you better hurry up, these are selling fast!"

You leave the boy and continue on your destination. When you enter Mr. Reynolds' office, he's reading the paper.

"There you are. You didn't happen to see this morning's paper did you?" Mr. Reynolds asks.
"No, but I heard what the headline is." You respond.
"Heh, yes. I thought it would be the best way to deal with this one. After Henry disposed of the Bloody Smiles, people thought there was a blood stalker lurking in the woods for years. It's amazing what people's imagination can come up with."
"Mm, the imagination is a powerful thing. So where's Junior?"
"Oh I gave him a much needed day off. He was up all night fighting crime I'm sure you're aware. He even took a bullet or two. Still, nothing serious for a strong young creature like himself. He did leave the proof of his deed, do you want to see?"
"I can only imagine what he took as proof, but what the hell, I did pay for all this."
"It's over in the chest over there."

You look over to your left and see a medium sized chest. You cautiously open it and cough a bit when a smokey smell of charred flesh hits your nose. You then see a bunch of what looks to be blackened ears. Well some of them are a little more than just blackened ears and still have some of the side of the faces attached.

"(Cough cough) Shit! What did Junior do exactly?" You ask.
"Well according to the paper it says the vigilante used a hellfire thrower to wipe out the Talon enclave, but there is also evidence that firebombs were also used." Mr. Reynolds says.
"Wait, he burned everyone?"
"Yes, and blew them up with explosives. What? Did you think that he was just a simple brute that was going to bludgeon them all with a club?"
"Well, sort of."
"Oh no my dear boy. Junior isn't his father. He's very much into technology that causes the most amount of casualties in the quickest time possible. Though I believe he probably did bludgeon a few that didn't die right away."
"Judging by the number of ears here, I'm going to guess he didn't just stop at the assigned targets."
"Yes, I think there was one of those classless bum fights going on at the time when he arrived. Large crowd, but don't worry, he got them all."
"Yeah, I believe it." You say closing the chest.

You face Mr. Reynolds who stands up from his desk.

"So I trust our business is concluded and you're satisfied with the results?" Mr. Reynolds asks.
"You said he'd get the job done and as usual, you're a man of your word." You answer.
"Well I certainly try to be and I guess this closes the chapter on the Crimson Talons?"
"Guess so, or it does for me at any rate."
"Hm, well I wish you well on your new endeavor of running your inn successfully like your family once did and being just an average Klyton citizen...but then you never did officially become a citizen of this great city did you?"
"Nope, never got around to it."
"Well you really should, there's a Klyton Council election coming up in a few years and I'm thinking about running. I'll need all the votes I can get."
"You're running for the Klyton Council? Why now?"
"Oh I've been doing this job for so long and I think it's time to move on to bigger things. Just time for a change. Maybe you even inspired me a bit. How about that eh? Anyway, my son will be taking over this old business. He's more than qualified. Don't worry, if you ever need a loan for your inn, I've already told him that he can't refuse to do proper business with someone just because he doesn't like them. If that was the case, I wouldn't have done business with anyone at all!"

Mr. Reynolds laughs, and you make a mental note that you're NEVER going to take out any sort of loan from this place no matter what the circumstances.

As you leave Mr. Reynolds calls to you one more time about how you should go register as a citizen of Klyton soon. You get the strong impression that it wasn't a suggestion so much as it was an order.

Looks like you know who you'll be voting for in the future. You knew there was going to be a catch, still you suppose it's a small price in the scheme of things. Well at least you hope so.

You'll worry about it later; right now you have more immediate if mundane concerns.

Your days as a rogue are over.


No point in taking chances...

"I appreciate the input Vaughn, but I believe a more permanent solution is needed here." You say.
"Well okay, but how are we going to do it? Camid just left with a little more than half the old gang. Besides us three, we only got a couple guys left and honestly I don't really have confidence in them if it's going to be a knock down drag out fight."
"There are more around guns nowadays you know. Don't need to be a good fighter to just shoot someone. I acquired one myself soon after I bought the inn." You say.
"Yeah, but Camid and his group could have the same idea. Pretty sure Camid owns one and will probably acquire more for the rest of the Talons. Plus most of them are one shot weapons. If anyone misses, it's going to come down to a real fight and we're going to be out numbered."
"Well, I guess we better make sure our aim is true shouldn't we then? Look, if this is going to be a concern, we could always go get some of those repeating crossbows. They cost a damn fortune, but..."

Suddenly Zal speaks up.

"Maybe we shouldn't risk our lives on this. It would be kind of tragic to get this far only to get brought down at the finish line." Zalmora says.
"So what are you saying? You saying you want to go with Vaughn's plan now?" You ask.
"No, I'm for getting rid of them, but I just don't think we should be the ones to do the deed if we don't have to."
"Okay. So you're saying you want a hired assassin? Great. You know any? Because I sure don't."
"Yes we do. In fact you hired him already once."

You exhale deeply.

"And in order to hire THAT guy again, I'm going to have to deal with Mr. Fucking Reynolds and who knows what damn price he's going to ask for." You say.
"He was actually pretty reasonable last time." Zal remarks.
"He also didn't tell me everything last time. There's always a catch with him. In fact weren't you against dealing with him last time?"
"I was, but that was a different time under different circumstances. I mean can it hurt to even inquire?"
"No, but I wish there was another alternative."
"We could always look for Scales." Vaughn jokes in an attempt to lighten the mood.
"I don't think Scales is even alive anymore, if he was even lurking down in the sewers to begin with. I think Tom was the only one who was ever convinced of it. I mean we were in the sewers for years and never ran afoul of a supposedly territorial lizard. (Sigh) Alright, I'll go see Mr. Reynolds tomorrow and see what the price is."

The next day you walk into Mr. Reynolds' office.

As soon as you walk in, you see a strange ogrish looking creature, but much shorter than one. In fact if it wasn't for the oversized teeth and general monstrous appearance, you might mistake it for a very muscular dwarf.

You also see Henry, or at least you assume it's Henry. He hasn't changed much since the last time you saw him, though he's sporting a few scars across his face now.

Finally you see Mr. Reynolds and he certainly hasn't changed. Once again he stands up smiling at his desk.

"Well what do I owe the pleasure of this unexpected visit from the head of the infamous Crimson Talons this fine day?" Mr. Reynolds says.
"I need some people killed." You say.
"Hm, straight to business I see. Okay then, I assume there is some reason why you aren't having your own people taking care of this?"
"Let's just say, most of my so called people are the ones I want to have killed."
"Ah, an internal struggle? Interesting. Well, I'm not sure what you want me to do about it."

You haven't been here five minutes, and he's already playing mind games...

"What the hell do you think..." You start to shout, but then you stop and then calm yourself before continuing.

"Mr. Reynolds, with all due respect, I have come here asking for assistance on this matter as I once did in the past. Your son did a marvelous job last time even if... I didn't quite appreciate its thoroughness last time. I have now come to respect it much more and I would like to implement his magnificent skills again on others that would see harm to me and my business."

Mr. Reynolds listens intently and smiles.

"I'm glad to see that wisdom has come with your age. That's good. Last time our business together was less than cordial. That's okay though, I still got paid. As I said, I would love to help you again in this matter, but I'm afraid, this isn't my call this time. Last time when Henry worked for you, you insulted his work and I'm afraid, my son takes things a bit more personal than I do. He won't work for you again."
"What?! But isn't he your employee? Can't you just order him?"
"Yes, but he's also my son! Really now sir, would YOU force your son to do something he doesn't want to? Yes, business is always important, but sometimes, just sometimes family comes first. Now if Henry wants to work for you on this, I suppose we can start coming up with a price, but I don't think it's likely."

You look over to Henry who just gives you a cold glance before walking away altogether.

"I think there's your answer." Mr. Reynolds says.
"Great. So I guess you can't help me." You say.
"Well now, I wouldn't say that exactly, I still have one employee willing to cause mayhem on your behalf."

Mr. Reynolds points over to the ogre looking creature.

"And who is that?" You ask.
"Who is that? Don't you see the family resemblance? This fine gentleman is the late great Olaf's son!" Mr. Reynolds exclaims.
"The late Olaf?"
"Yes, it was a sad day when Olaf passed a few years ago. Died right here in the office in his sleep in fact. He will be missed. But anyway his son Olaf Jr. has been following in his father's large footsteps and I don't mind saying he's been doing a fine job for me and his own mother is very proud of him."

You remember that Mr. Reynolds once said Olaf was married to a halfling. You can't imagine how that birth was even possible let alone how she survived the process. It does however explain Junior's strange appearance by ogre standards. (Or any standards actually)

Mr. Reynolds goes on to explain that while Junior doesn't have the same size as his father or quickness that Henry has, he assures you that he has more than enough skill to do the job you require. However, unlike last time Mr. Reynolds asks for a thousand gold coins in advance.

It's a hell of a lot of money and you have no real certainty. You're starting to think you might have more piece of mind investing in some weapons and doing this yourself.
> You do it yourself
Maybe Reynolds has confidence in this guy, but you're not so sure especially at the price that's being charged. If it was Henry, you'd be fine with it because at least you know what he can do. Too bad you hurt his feelings, who knew psychopaths had them?

"I think I'm going to have to take a pass, Mr. Reynolds, but I thank you for your time." You say.
"Oh. Okay then. Well if you change your mind, you know where to find me. If you don't , well good luck to you." Mr. Reynolds says.

You walk out of Mr. Reynolds' office and head back home. There's nothing else for it. You're going to have to do this yourself. Good thing you've still got a few shady connections who can get you some proper weapons for this fight, because to be honest you don't want to have to be rolling around in the sewers with Camid as you try shoving daggers in each other's faces. It wasn't pleasant when you did it with Tom and you didn't particularly get any enjoyment when you had to do it to Klint. Being a killer isn't something you ever really desired doing, but it's something that you've found necessary in this line of work.

Might be why you saw the wisdom of following Zal's advice and decided to get the hell out. Of course you're hoping you're going to get out. You just have to do this one last thing.

When you return to the inn, you inform Zal and Vaughn of what happened.

"So, I guess it's one last job then?" Vaughn remarks.
"Looks like it, if we're going to all live happily ever after." You say.
"Well, I guess it has to be done." Zal remarks.

You look over at Zal and touch her hand.

"Zal, you don't need to come when this goes down. I mean someone should be here to hold down the fort anyway." You say.
"How the hell can you even say that? Look, it's sweet that you're obviously concerned about me, but I'm a big girl and this whole thing was something I talked you into in the first place. So I can't just let you risk your life for this by yourself. We're all in this together. Besides, you're going to need all the help you can get." Zal says.

You know Zal is not going to budge on this, so you just accept it. She's right as usual anyway.

"Okay. Well let's start talking strategy." You say.

You tell Vaughn that you need to be certain where Camid and the rest are going to be setting up shop in the sewers. You all think that Camid is going to be predictable and set up in the old location, but you want to be sure, because you need to wipe them all out.

The next step is to acquire some repeating crossbows and even some protective armor. Granted if Camid's crew end up packing flintlocks, it might not matter, but it's better to be safe in this instance.

You spend a small fortune on gearing up for this hit. In fact by the time you get everything you think you'll need, it would have been cheaper to hire Junior, but then you know there would have been a catch. With Mr. Reynolds there is always a catch.

You, Zal, Vaughn and the rest of the old guard that was loyal spend some time practicing for the big event. In the meantime, Camid has indeed set up in the old location. He's also been busy recruiting more folks too. You have no idea if he's planning to hit you soon or he's just trying to gather strength, but in any case, you can't waste too much more time. You need to strike soon.

You make plans to hit Camid during one of the "slower business" days. Last thing you want is having to deal with crowds of bum fight bystanders and whores while you're trying to kill Camid and his crew.

The night before the reckoning, you and Zal spend a good portion of time together as a husband and wife do, since neither of you knows if you're going to survive.

Funny that up until now, both of you spent most your lives practically dismissive of the ongoing possibility of death. This is different though. As Zal said, this is the "finish line."

Then the days comes. You know Camid’s folks are more active at night, so it'll be best to hit them during the day when some of them are probably still half hung over. You all get prepared, descend down into the sewers and make your way to your location.

It's actually been a while since you've gone slinking around in the darkness, but you and your group try to remain as stealthy as you can. You manage to get well within the new Crimson Talon territory before one of the members suddenly stumbles upon you.

"Hey, you're not...Urgh!" A Talon says before being interrupted by a bolt to the neck.

You manage to dispatch a few more Talons in relative silence before one of the Yellow Devil junkie whores wandering around starts screaming her head off. It isn't even about you either.

"GET OFF! GET OFF! NO! HALFLINGS! HALFLINGS ALL OVER ! THEY'RE COMING TO GET ME AGAIN! OUCH! HEHEHEHE!"

The whore's insane ramblings are so loud it calls wanted attention, and by the time you put a bolt in her head to shut her up, your presence has been discovered and a major alarm has already been raised.

"Shit! We're being attacked! Get your gear! Move! Move!" One of the Talons shouts.

At this point stealth is discarded altogether and all out battle takes place.

To their credit, Camid and what remains of the Talons don't try to run away. They're determined to fight it out, so at least you won't have to chase any of them down.

Camid had the same idea as you did and invested in more weapons. You learn this first hand when a firebomb is lobbed at you and you have to dive out of the way and into foul waters. The noise is deafening as the explosion echoes throughout the sewers. You barely have time to find more suitable cover when you see several Talons running out from an archway firing flintlock pistols at you. Thankfully their aim isn't great.

Still clutching your own weapon, you manage let loose several more bolts and catch a Talon in the process. You then trip over something and after scrambling to get back up you realize you've got blood all over you. It isn't yours however, it's part of one of your people you was blown apart by the bomb. You just tripped over his bloody torso.

A slight panic comes over you not because of the obvious reasons, but more because you've lost track of where everyone else is, namely Zal.

A Talon comes screaming at you with a sword raised above his head, and you shoot him twice in the chest, but he keeps coming. He gets close enough for you to see him foaming yellow shit from his mouth and blood coming from his eyes. The guy's on Devil.

You dodge the wild sword swing, trip the drug addled fool to the stone floor and then stomp the back of his head with your boot. A life ending crunch is heard and he's finally stopped.

You rush back to where you hear the rest of the fighting. Another firebomb goes off in the distance followed by someone screaming. Another one of your people, though you don't know who yet.

You finally get back to the sewer cross way near where the bum fights are held and that's when you see Vaughn on the floor attempting to tie up his bloody leg. It's in pretty bad shape.

"Camid ran into the old Talon barracks, I think Zal went after him." He says grimacing in pain.

You immediately leave Vaughn and run to the Talon barracks. You see a dead body on the floor and then another slumped over the bed. You cautiously go through the room and then head into where you used to have your old office. Then your heart sinks.

You see Zal on the floor with several wounds on her body. Some are from the dagger still in her stomach, another is a gunshot to the upper chest. The armor wasn't enough and despite her still struggling to stay alive you already know she's going to die soon.

"(Cough) Good...you're a...live...I got that bast..ard..." She coughs and points over to another body in the corner which is Camid's. His brains are blown out through his eye socket and partially on the wall.

You run over to her apologizing and on the verge of tears. You knew something like this was going to happen. If only you'd done something different.

Zal however in her dying breaths tells you it's not your fault and at least she got to enjoy her time with you while she was here.

"Just...go live your life...okay?" Zal says before finally closing her eyes forever.

Right now, part of you doesn't feel like living your life is going to be worth it without her around. You know you'll eventually get over this and move on, but it's not going to be for a long time.