The Lead Crown: Ch 1c, Steam-Punked (pt 4)

Story by comidacomida on SoFurry

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Tranquil Waters: The Lead Crown Ch 1-4, Steam Punked

Alvis turned out to be much less pliant than Alarice would have preferred, "If she was lying about Professor Milhoy then what's to say she's not lying about all of this?"

"I didn't have time to explain why you needed to leave." the human woman responded calmly, "So you'll have to forgive me that deception."

"So you lied to him for his own good, huh?" Roland spoke up, glancing to her as he flicked an ear to the side.

"Precisely." she confirmed, the hand behind her back idly toying with a small vial of sleep serum; if he became much more unruly she'd have no choice but to pacify him.

"My father used to do that." the wolf-dog's scowl deepened all the more, "That really didn't turn out so great."

"This lady isn't your dad, Roland." Alvis spoke up, having somehow suddenly changed his stance inexplicably... not that Alarice was going to object.

"The kid's right." Joshew spoke up, "But it doesn't mean we can trust her." his voice was steely and distrustful. Alarice sighed; despite all she'd done to help them there was still that lack of trust... not that she blamed them since she would probably have acted no differently were she in their shoes.

"I'm not a kid." Alvis responded.

"Pup, then." the blind scholar replied, "...whatever."

"I'm not a pup either." the mutt countered with a deep scowl, "I'm plenty old."

"Can we please discuss this later?" Alarice interrupted, "There is a growing fire behind us, not to mention a growing guard presence."

"Maybe we should just go to the guards then." the black furred young dog suggested, crossing his arms over his chest in defiance.

"Assuming we know which of em are members of the Order, that would be great." Roland was quick to interject, "Come on, Joshew... whether we can trust her or not, she's our best lead right now." and the wolf-dog turned to face Alarice, "You'd better not be leading us wrong." he reached out and took hold of one of the human scholar's wrists.

"Don't touch me." Joshew pulled his arm free and smoothed out his robe, "I didn't ask for your help."

"You're not getting very far without someone guiding you, 'Shew." the wolf-dog countered, grabbing hold again. "Whether you like it or not is besides the point." he turned to look at Alarice, "Which way?"

"Hmph." Joshew countered with a scowl, "That line tells quite a story 'bout you, doesn't it, Roland?"

"Gentlemen?" Alarice attempted to pull their attention to her instead of one another, "Focus please." She started at a swift pace, but kept from going as quickly as she would have liked in consideration for the blind scholar and his seeing-eye husky-wolf.

Alvis followed her in a much more obedient manner than the two scholars behind him. "They don't get along really well." he offered in a consolatory manner.

"I get along just fine." Joshew snapped back at the young husky shepherd as he was led along by his arm, "It's not my fault if Roland here is intimidated by me."

"ME intimidated by YOU?" the husky-wolf demanded inquisitively, "You really ARE full of yourself, Joshew... and all this time I just thought--"

"Manners!" Alarice spoke as loud as she was willing to. The woman cut across a street with the UPU students in tow, pausing just a moment before sliding into the darkened alley that would lead her where she wanted to go. She came to a stop so quickly that Roland would have run into her if not for the fact that Joshew had likewise halted.

"Now what?" the husky-wolf demanded of the blind scholar.

"We're being followed." Alarice and Joshew answered in unison. She subtly reached to her hip where she had hidden her pistol; a man emerged from around the side of a building at the same time as her fingers closed around the comforting walnut stock of her preferred weapon.

"It's a guard." Roland announced, speaking to Joshew. True to the wolf-dog's words, the man that stepped in their way wore the uniform of a Newport City Guard.

"You must be Alarice." the guard announced, his hand obviously resting on his sword. The woman had seen the ploy before and was far too astute to miss the fact that his other hand was palming a knife.

"The fact that you know my name could be considered disconcerting." she replied callously. She heard the sound of another man approaching from behind the group.

"These are guards." Alvis spoke, "That's a good thing... right?"

"You're safe now, young man." the guard at the front of the group announced, "This woman is a bandit... a weapons dealer... and a murderer."

Alvis took a step away from Alarice, who rolled her eyes in frustration; it had taken FAR too long for him to even gain the slightest bit of trust, and now the meddlesome guard was undoing all of that with a handful of words, "And you are from the Order of Blades." she countered, "The fact that your people just got finished blowing up the--" but the man didn't give her a chance to finish her sentence.

The guard rushed forward, spinning as he brought his stiletto around in a backhand strike, point facing the same direction as his elbow as he put his full bodyweight behind the attack. It was a powerful strike, but foolish considering it left him open. Alarice's pistol was up and out in a split second and she took aim-- only to have her gun knocked from her hand by the man's sword. Apparently he was not as bad a fighter as she had expected. The stiletto burying itself into her ribs a moment later further reinforced that impression.

Alvis let out a yelp to the right, and he dove for cover into a pile of refuse as Alarice stumbled back, her assailant letting her slide off of his off-hand weapon as he pulled both blades back into a fresh ready-stance. Although she heard the sound of Roland shouting a warning from behind her she didn't have the luxury of defending both flanks, and hoped beyond all reason that the two scholars would be able to handle themselves.

"Move!" Roland barked, and Alarice heard the blind scholar stumble, followed a moment later by a yelp as the second attacker's weapon apparently found its mark.

The man facing Alarice grinned, taking a step closer, "An arms dealer without her--" her blade emerged from its hiding place in her sash and found a new home in the guard's throat before he could defend himself. His sword fell from his surprised grasp and, to Alarice's astonishment, she watched as he tightened his grip on his stiletto and made as if to strike at her... but, ultimately, his will and strength failed before he had the chance.

"Joshew!" Alvis shouted from his place amidst the garbage, "Look out! To your right!"

Alarice spun to face the group's second attacker, who had pushed Roland against the wall. The wolf-dog had a paw over his side and blood was flowing freely from between his fingers; his wound reminded her of the own stabbing pain in her side, but she pushed the thought from her mind-- the girdle she wore was as effective at preventing blood loss than any bandage she would manage... not that she had the time. The man stepped past the injured wolf-dog and brought his sword to bear just as Joshew's hand emerged from his robe.

The guard shouted in pain and surprise as a thick cloud of silvery-white crystals engulfed his face. He shouted again, stumbling back as he reached a free hand up to rube at his eyes, knocking his helm off in the process "Lunar Caustic!" Joshew announced to Roland, who nodded and pushed himself off of the wall.

Alarice reached down to retrieve her gun, her free hand going to her ribs, "Thank God he got bone." she murmured to herself, straightening up as she watched the guard shoulder-check Joshew down as he blindly groped for the wall. "He's running!" she raised her voice, aiming her pistol at the man and squeezing off a round.

The black-powder blast echoed within the confines of the alley, making her scowl as she realized she may as well have tolled a bell to signal their location to anyone else seeking them... but it was already too late to recall her action.

The shot struck true, and the man stumbled forward. The bullet had hit him in the breastplate and the metal did end up giving way, but, by the way the guard regained his balance, she could tell that the lethality of the bullet had been greatly lessened. The man's recovery time, however gave Roland a chance to intercept him.

The wolf-dog grabbed the guard by his sword arm and delivered a powerful headbut, knocking the man back. Still holding onto the armored warrior's wrist, Roland pulled him forward again, repeating the action. The third attempt, unfortunately, gave the soldier enough time to free a punching knife, and the aggressive scholar went rigid when the blade slid its way into his gut.

"Roland!" Alvis shouted, exploding out of the trash pile and racing toward the wolf-dog, who slowly slid to the ground, paw having moved from his side to his stomach. The guard took that moment to stumble out onto the street... and away.

"What?" demanded Joshew, "What's going on?"

"Roland got stabbed!" the black-furred husky-shepherd cried out, quickly covering the wounded scholar's paw with his own, "He's bleeding really bad."

"Get him up." Alarice announced, pulling her sash free and tossing it Alvis, who was whimpering softly as he tried to stauch the flow of blood.

"You're hurt too?" the young student gasped, quivering, "I... I shouldn't have... I should have..."

"Learn from it." the woman cut off his castigation, "Start being useful."

"Roland?" Joshew slowly approached, getting down onto his hands and knees as he felt for the fallen wolf-dog.

"Here..." Alvis began covering the wounded scholar's injury with the sash as he reached out to take hold of Joshew's wrist and guide it to where Roland lay.

"...ow." Roland noted.

"Come on..." Joshew moved so that his feet were beneath him, and he began to pick up the injured wolf-dog.

"Joshew..." Alvis murmured, "You can't--"

"I can't what?" the human snapped, "Can't see?" he gazed in almost the correct direction at Alvis, "No... but I can carry him... and he can see for me."

"How..." Roland winced as the human scholar made good on his plan, "...romantic."

"Oh shut it." Joshew stated flatly, "Hey... Alarice..." he glanced in what he probably thought was her direction, "that's your name, isn't it, lady?"

"Yes?" she responded, forcing him to realize that she was further to his right.

"Lead on, already." Joshew was obviously ready to continue.

Alarice wondered to herself how well fighting alongside someone else created a sense of trust in people. She hoped, for her sake that she would find a less painful way of getting the job done in the future. They walked in silence other than Roland and Alvis' directions for Joshew. Her musings, however came to a stop as quickly as she did once the group arrived at the pile of rubble that had been her home.

"Why are we stopping?" Alvis asked, keeping beside Joshew to assist him.

"We're here." she let out a slow breath, fighting to remain in control of her reaction, tone, response, bearing, voice, and, most of all, emotions. Those thoughts were lost to her the moment she heard the sound of a hammer cocking on a pistol. Spinning, she turned around just in time to see a wingless bat emerge from a side alley.

They faced one another for a handful of seconds, looking down the barrel of one another's weapons and, in unison, they lowered them in relief. Inigo stood there for a moment longer before he began closing the distance. Alarice took stock of the way he held his left arm tightly against his body, and the way he favored his left leg. The pile of rubble and the bat's disheveled appearance was an easy indicator where Inigo had been when the base imploded.

A few seconds later, he was in her arms... or was she in his? She wasn't sure of which, but she WAS certain that the wetness when their cheeks met was from HIS tears... definitely... most likely.... probably... maybe... hopefully.