Adria was headed in the direction of her apartment building when she heard what would be a normal clamor in the direction of one of the two seedy alleys in town. She planned to ignore it as always but the presence of Al in her life made her think twice. She peered down the darkening alley cautiously. Realistically there were only a few people in town that would really be her opponent. But the main potential antagonist in question was definitely one of them, and he worked with four of the others. Instead of the fight she dreaded seeing, she was faced with a squire she vaguely recognized hiring a haggard prostitute. The squire’s eyes widened when he noticed Adria but Adria simply waved him off. In fact she was more impressed he had noticed her at all. She might need to take a closer look at his advancement qualifications. ‘Well good.’ She thought to herself as she stepped into the lobby area of the apartment. She nimbly stepped up the stairway and cranked the door knob. But the room lay quiet and empty. A once familiar sight, is now almost sickening. Where is he? Why isn’t he sniffing my panties or inspecting his own body in far too great of detail? Had he gotten lost on the way home? Or maybe he is just late from lessons? Would he have stopped to get dinner, or maybe eat with the Yilkin’s? No. He knows we eat together. Adria’s mind raced across the possibilities but none of them struck her. The only thing that did was Kanger. It had to be Kanger. Without another thought she stepped towards the door and slammed it shut behind her, racing for the street. She had to think carefully, she couldn’t just run into the adventure guild with accusations and questions. Carefully she attempted to reign in her shortening breaths, but the fear and worry was only growing stronger by the moment. She needed to find evidence. No, she needed to find him. Safe and sound ideally. She would check the Inn first, it's possible Al was impatient and decided to eat stew on his own. It’s not like she hated the idea of eating without him but she would feel a bit betrayed if that were in fact the case. Its merely coincidence that the first destination was also a known hangout for Kanger. Yes, coincidence. Adria again thanked the gods that stationing her in a small village as opposed to a massive city, searching ‘every bar in town’ sounds tiring. The Inn was relatively close to Adria’s apartment building, and based on its size it didn’t take long to search. The results were scary, he hadn’t been seen. And neither had Kanger. So then where? Where would Al end up if not eating or at the apartment? Maybe his claim that he wouldn’t get lost was wrong? If that were the case where would she even start? The library? Or the Yilkin’s? "Lieutenant Commander." Adria heard through a muddle of thoughts, hyperventilation, and the added din of the busy Inn. Finally out of her head Adria glances at the source of the noise. It was one of the two guards from the very first day. Higgins was it? "Higgins? What?" Adria asks flatly. "It’s your boyf… No, it’s the guy from that day. He’s… He’s in jail. You should come down I… I can’t exactly explain." "Not good enough. Try!" Adria demands digging the butt of her sword into the man’s gut. The sudden clamor of the sword unsheathing drew the attention of the entire Inn but Adria didn’t care. Her image was the last thing she was worrying about at this moment. "Yes Ma’am. He was arrested for attacking Kanger and two of his men but it’s…" "That’s absurd!" Adria demands replacing her half drawn sword and quickly turning for the door. Higgins attempted to call out to her but it ended in failure. It’s not like he could truly explain the situation. She could better understand if she saw for herself. Adria again rushed across town, this time she was sure Kanger had caused trouble. But she couldn’t shake a feeling. The commander should understand the situation now right? So why is Al the one in prison and not Kanger and his cronies. The answer was one she was unwilling to wait for, she racked her mind with every step. Why did this happen? What could she have done to prevent it? Or was it inevitable? She couldn’t accept that. Why did she let him go alone? It was supposed to be her job to protect him. And now she felt she had failed even that. She kicked herself internally as she finally reached the Fort at the edge of town. She took a deep breath to calm herself and pulled on the heavy knob of the reinforced door. It grinded coarsely before budging. She noted the door for a refurbishment and then scrubbed the thought from her mind. She had a priority here. "Aundly. Where is…" Adria began but the receptionist dashed for the door the moment he saw her. The sight was strange for Adria. This was insubordination! Or was it direilection of duty? Malfeasance? Well it’s in that book somewhere that’s for sure. As she fumed two soldiers as well as the receptionist reentered the room. Adria prepared herself momentarily but quickly realized it was unnecessary, both guards were unarmed ones from the dungeon staff. "Ma’am, come with us." "Why?" Adria asks. "Just bring me to Al. And release him already, this is obviously all Kanger’s fault he already threate…" "We know. And we are. Please, just come with us. The commander himself asked for you." Adria gazed at the two with a bewildered expression. "What the hell’s going on?" "Just come see." The other soldier offers, opening the door to the corrections wing of the fort. Adria wordlessly follows the two as they bounce between doors leading deeper into the fort. Eventually after a half dozen, half stuck doors, the three reach a much larger room with an assortment of chairs, desks, and a wall covered in lockers and filing cabinets. A few recognizable faces were scattered around the room but Al’s wasn’t one of them. A woman in a white coat was carefully wrapping gauze around Kanger’s hand and the commander was glancing over a few forms surrounded by a few of the other higher ups of the fort. Last she spotted, again, the old guild master, Gunther’s father, Ian. The commander hearing the loud creak of the door notices Adria’s entrance first, he quickly waves her over and holds a paper out for her to read. "I want your take on all this." The man says indicating to the words in his hands. Adria carefully removes the long inked form from his hands and begins reading over it carefully. Each sentence is more surprising then the last. "It’s a confession?" Adria asks looking at her superior agape. "What the hell is going on? Why did he sign this?" The commander carefully takes the paper back from Adria and hands her two more. "These might give you a better explanation." The two forms were perspectives of a certain event. The ‘Tensor Hill Alley Altercation’ of 5/11/537. The first went something like this. ‘Party A (Single person) was walking to [------REDACTED-------] when three men (herein Party B) forcefully yanked him into the alleyway. Party B threatened A, and another figure of significance. Party B then began an attack on A but A countered with a single sword strike. From there military intervention was deemed necessary so the three left alive were arrested promptly.’ Adria looked shocked and began to piece it together before even glancing at the second witness report. It read very simply. ‘I need to go home. Those men tried to stop me.’ "Al… Where is he? Is he hurt? Did they…" Adria glares at Kanger who continued to be bandaged in the left side of the room. He notices the glance and shirks back deeper behind the woman who was treating him. "He's fine. He is in the next room over. But there are some things we need to conclude in this case still." The commander says again indicating to the first form. "I don’t understand? What’s the problem. This is clear cut. It was an assault for sure. So as was agreed he will be turned into a crime slave." Ian the guild master finally erupts with a proud nod as if he were being the most clear minded in the room. Adria suddenly understood what this was. Kanger has now been charged with much worse than assault. If he was really one of the attacking party, it's attempted murder. So they would just going to ignore this event and charge him for the prior? Unbelievable. They aren’t satisfied with his execution so they will plead for forgiveness. Ian, noticing her gaze slowly turning to cold fury quickly adds another note. "And of course in this event since Kanger was simply unable to restrain his men a small addition to his price for gross negligence seems adequate don’t you think?" Adria takes a deep breath as she finally finished piecing together the guild’s plan. Adria knew if Kanger was turned crime slave the guild would buy him. It’s not unheard of. It's actually a fairly typical use of the system. If a rowdy but talented individual is arrested the guild will buy them and with proper precautions they can be allowed to fight once more. They figure even with the price added to his tag for gross negligence they will still be able to afford him and keep him from rotting in the catacombs of the fort or sent to the wilds as cannon fodder. Adria sighs with exhaustion. She had been running all around town and now she had to mentally jump through these wild leaps the guild master is making. "Fine." She says simply, devising a plan of her own. She hated to use it but this seemed as good a time as ever. She hated the idea of Kanger being back on the streets but she also didn’t particularly want to attend an execution. This was a perfect chance to make use of a misconception these people have. "However you forgot one charge to add to his bill." "What?" Both Kanger and Ian growl in near unison. "You see he called me the stone princess at the Inn. I am sure he said something similar when ‘attacking’ Al too." "Mhm." The commander nods. Adria thought she recognized the handwriting on the first report, so it really was him. "And…?" Ian asks attempting to carefully step around the point he meant to make. "That’s a crime. Look for yourself if you think I'm lying." For once having an overprotective father was a blessing. Originally it was a measure taken to prevent idle whisper in the Royal Palace but at her eighth birthday party it became law. She figured it probably wouldn’t hold up to much scrutiny now that she was disowned but peoples misconceptions can be abused once in awhile. "Page six eight nine paragraph six, addendum eight four point seven." A voice says after stepping through a doorway. "Exactly." Adria says nodding to Al. "So Al, you aren’t hurt?" "Nope. Safe." He answers with a nod. "Dinner soon?" "Yeah definitely." Adria replies with a smile. "Let’s go." "Ah. Wait. But what about all this." The commander asks from the desk. "Are you both really satisfied with leaving this as an assault charge?" "Al doesn’t need to see an execution." Adria says simply without a glance over her shoulder. "Another execution." Kanger corrects quietly shivering once more at the memory of his followers head falling to the ground. He’d never seen the draw of one sword do so much damage. Four fingers, One head and near disembowelment. Gulping, Kanger turns to the nurse to ask, "Roy… is he…?" The doctor woman looks down with a bit of pity. "He succumbed." "Two then?" Kanger tries to process with a shake of his head. "What kind of monster did I try to pick a fight with?" "You know that monster saved your life with his useless victims report. If he had properly written what you three planned to do you wouldn’t have gotten off on this light punishment." The commander says with a snap. "Speaking of…" The guild-master say rubbing his hands together graciously. "Has the price yet been decided or…?" "Four fifty." "Ah, that is not bad at all. I thank you for…" "Not fifty silver. Four hundred and fifty gold." The commander corrects with a thick tone. Both Kanger and Ian’s eye’s bulge. "Impossible that’s…! That’s far to much!" "I followed the book, it's a minimum four hundred gold fine for calling her majesty that name." "Pe… Pre… Pepposperous." Kanger attempts to say in sheer gall of the situation. "Case closed. You can leave Ian." The commander says with a steely glance at the man. "I… Understood." The man says with a glare of his own. "Guards, put Kanger into a cell until we can get transportation all ready." The commander says towards a group of guards standing alert near the entrance. "Aren’t you excited to see the wilds? Central frontier fort is nice this time of year. You’re proud of your sword skills correct? Then you should be just fine." Kanger only gulps nervously in anticipation.