The Fearsome Encounter (GBS3G8) [Round 3: Ark of Hope]

Originally posted on MSPA by Dragon Fogel.

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"Right, everyone," Munke declared, holding his pistol to a nervous young Broker's head. "His Holiness the Divine Arbiter's in a hurry. Now, judgin' by the guns you're aiming our way, you don't much care about that, but really, all you have to do is point us to a Roagarian Slugmonkey and a big metal snake. The sooner you do that, the sooner everyone gets to go home happy."

"And should you delay too long, not only will the lives of these sinners be forfeit, but Azungrada's wrath shall be visited upon you," Augustus added. He wasn't thrilled about letting a mere acolyte do most of the talking, but Munke did have considerable experience with hostage situations.

"Now, I know some of you are thinkin' very hard about pulling those triggers anyway," Munke continued. "But you know, these Brokers we got here were on their way back to report in. And who knows just how valuable the info they've got is? Maybe it's worth more than a dozen Roagarian Slugmonkeys and twenty snakes."

The guards were silent. Munke knew well that if they had been hired from the ship, he'd be shot full of holes by now along with the hostages; but the Information Brokers weren't stupid enough to hire the average thug on the Oh-Two-Oh to guard the most valuable information archive in the known universe. These were professionals, and Munke had known their type well back in his military days. The type who always told him to stop, the type who tried to hold him back.

None of them had ever made Colonel, of course. What did they know?

"It's a waste of time talking to these fools," Munke whispered, leaning closer to Augustus. "They've got no authority, they just have weapons they're too afraid to use. Now's the time to show you're serious, make sure they bring someone in who can make assurances."

The Arbiter stepped away.

"I tire of this delay!" Augustus declared, throwing his hostage to the ground. The frightened broker considered crawling away, but the Zanite blade pressed to his throat settled his mind quickly. "If I do not have the information I require in two minutes, I will slay this heretic in the name of Azungrada!"

"You heard His Holiness!" Munke snarled. "We're not just putting on a show here. We're wastin' too much time as it is, and somebody's going to pay a price for that."

"Can I just bash their heads together yet?" Nova asked quietly. "I've got two of 'em right here, it'd be fun..."

"Not yet!" Munke snapped. "Once we actually kill someone, we lose leverage. Six hostages are better than five. Just rough 'em up a little for now."

Munke stole a quick glance at their last two partners. Worm was obediently silent as he held his hook to a Broker's neck, and Orchard was unnerving as always. He couldn't even tell what she was doing to the poor sap in her grasp. She just had one finger on his neck, but he looked more frightened than the rest of the hostages put together.

Finally, a door at the back of the room opened up. Munke smiled.

"We've got their attention," he whispered to Augustus. "Some bigwig's coming out. We should have this settled soon."

"You've done well, Acolyte Munke," Augustus replied. "Your service to Azungrada will be remembered."

Munke said nothing. He was too shocked at the figure of a large reptile stepping out of the back room, barely even noticing the Tsote at his side.

And Munke lost his composure.

"They sent a goddamn lizard to negotiate with us?" Munke snarled. "And here I thought I was done seeing mockeries of the natural order."

"Calm yourself, Acolyte Munke," Augustus said. "I will deal with this particular blasphemer." He lifted his sword from the hostage, who wasted no time in fleeing. He had managed to move nearly an entire foot before Nova grabbed him with a spare arm.

Triumphian sneered at the Divine Arbiter.

"Just as I had heard. You're here, but the snake isn't. Where is your false god, Augustus? Have you renounced him in favor of the true faith? Or has he merely abandoned you?"

"How dare you speak of the Great Destroyer so lightly!" Augustus shot back. "He has entrusted me with a task, and I will faithfully carry it out. I do not need His direct aid, for He is with me always!"

Trimphian merely laughed.

"I should have known you would cling to such delusions. Regardless, I need to make one thing clear. The Information Brokers now work for me." He narrowed his eyes. "That means you are threatening my subjects."

Not needing an additional cue, Jessica Blaus drew her sword and held it to Augustus' neck.

"So if you release them now," he continued calmly, "I will permit you and your new followers to continue living your blasphemous lives for at least a few more hours."

Augustus merely glared at him.

"Azungrada will show you no mercy, heretic," he growled. "Your judgement shall be the slowest and most painful of all."

"That is not a reply to my offer."

Clenching his teeth, Augustus spoke.

"Acolytes. Release the hostages."

"What? After all this work?" Munke protested. "With all due respect, Your Holiness..."

"Release them!" he repeated. "It is the will of Azungrada!"

Reluctantly, Munke lowered his pistol, Nova emptied his arms, Worm released his hostage, and Orchard did nothing. The man simply walked away from her, frightened as ever.

Triumphian grinned. He motioned to Jessica, who withdrew her blade.

"You're a more reasonable man than I expected," Triumphian said.

Augustus simply smiled.

"My acolytes can hardly be expected to fight properly with their hands full," he replied, raising his sword. "Azungrada! Show this heretic no mercy! He shall know the full fury of your wrath!"

***

"GODDAMN THIS THING!" Ab shouted, desperately trying to fight the statue off with his severed arm. "We should have just left it alone! No amount of zanite can be worth this much trouble!"

Unbeknownst to the thief, his struggle did not go unnoticed. But the two figures watching from the shadows had no interest in helping him.

They were more interested in which of the two came out the winner.

The answer came soon enough. Azungrada tore off a leg and another arm, and a few strategic bites later, Ab was lying on the ground in excruciating pain, his vital organs damaged but still barely functional.

"Urgh," he grumbled. He no longer had the strength to move. He could only stare impotently as the snake flung his detached limbs away. Then it stood silently over him, a wicked grin on its metal face.

It was taunting him.

The taunting only ended as two figures dressed head to toe in black emerged from the shadows. One of them raised his arm, and a beam of light emerged from it and lifted up Azungrada.

"I believe this one may prove very capable," he said to his partner. "Dispose of the other, will you?"

The other shadow, this one female, stared down at Ab's figure.

"He will die in two hours if undisturbed," she said in a dull voice. "It will be exceedingly painful."

"Two hours?" Ab groaned. "Two minutes like this is more than I can imagine!"

"I can end your suffering now," the stranger offered. "Or I can bring you to our employer. He may be able to give you life, in exchange for service."

Ab reflected on this.

"Deal," he said. "Just as long as I don't have to see that damn statue ever again!"

"Your kindness is unwarranted" the male stranger said, as he placed a small device on the ground. "Our employer will be displeased with you if he cannot use this one. It distresses him to handle disposal personally."

"Our employer is a creative man," the female replied. The device blinked, and they vanished.

Errat slapped his forehead as he watched the duo, Ab, and a fortune in Zanite disappear before his eyes.

"Well, this is a fine mess," he grumbled. "I suppose I'll just have to find myself another gang."

***

Jessica hadn't even bothered to sheathe her sword. She had seen a fair number of pirate captains just like Augustus, although without the religious trappings, and had known he was going to start a fight if they let him.

Of course, now that his guard was up, it was harder for her to strike him. He parried most of her blows, and she parried most of his. By all appearances, it was a stalemate.

But it wasn't, she realized. Augustus had a more durable blade, and eventually hers would give way. And even without that, Augustus had backup. The guards were allegedly on her side, or at least Triumphians, but most were busy with taking the hostages to safety. Only three guards were focused on the battle itself, and all three had their hands full with Nova.

Meanwhile, Munke had flown into a rage. He had barely restrained himself from firing on Triumphian when he had a hostage to watch; now that the fighting had begun, he made the pope his primary target.

Triumphian had barely raised his shield when Munke started firing on him rapidly. His pistol soon overheated, at which point he simply flung it towards the dinosaur, whose shield was barely holding up to the assault. Then he charged forward and started pounding on Triumphian with his bare hands, screaming with rage all the while.

"KNOW YOUR PLACE, REPTILE!" he screeched. "WE ARE YOUR BETTERS!"

Triumphian didn't have time to reflect on Munke's words. His shield soon failed from the pressure, and Munke's wild punches were coming too quickly for him to raise another. He had to settle for blocking the blows with his staff and the book in his hands, waiting for a chance to at least pull the monkey away.

Worm and Orchard, meanwhile, had moved themselves to the outer edges of the room. They watched both battles, as well as Nova's fight with the three guards - which quickly became two guards, as he swatted one into a desk. They were both waiting for the best chance to make a surprise attack.

It might have worked had a booming voice not knocked them to the ground.

"YOU WILL NOT HARM THE CAPTAIN!" Dolur announced, before lifting them up with one of his three arms. "AND YOU WILL ALL SURRENDER!" he shouted into the middle of the battlefield. All of the combatants were knocked to the ground, including those on his side.

Before anyone could regain their balance, Dolur had picked up Munke and Augustus with a second hand, and Nova with a third. He faced Triumphian as the lizard struggled to his feet, aided by Jessica after she regained her bearings.

"I APOLOGIZE FOR THE INCONVENIENCE, CAPTAIN," the Alvum said, in a slightly quieter voice that still echoed through the room. "WHAT SHALL I DO WITH YOUR ENEMIES?"

"I thought he stayed on the ship," Triumphian muttered.

"Forgive me, Captain. When I heard of the situation, I thought we might need some additional help. I called Dolur and asked for his help."

Triumphian was too proud to let a chance to claim some credit pass him by.

"Well done. I knew you would both serve me well. First, we will deal with these heretics. Then, we must speak to the brokers about... AHH!"

He screamed suddenly, and dropped the Encyclopedia. It was surrounded with a bright red glow.

Evidently, Vex was less than pleased with his book-prison being used as an impromptu shield.