The next five days of patrols went normally. Gregory kept an eye on the future every day, but nothing like the robbery happened again. He warned any guards who would be injured to mind themselves; they were very grateful for the information, including the ones in Yukiko’s and Jenn’s units.
With no major issues, the family was able to find time to get some shopping done. All of them purchased casual clothing of various social statuses to start with. Other odds and ends were accounted for, too, including more bane cores for the items that needed them.
They all got some sparring in with Egil and each other. There was even time for the Peaceful Fist, resonance meditation, and studying. When they did retire for the night, they eventually fell asleep, but not until after they’d enjoyed each other.
~*~*~
Taking a seat at breakfast, Gregory was pensive, as today had a problem. His wives were equally quiet and thoughtful when they sat. Egil, who was always the first one at the table, took notice of the mood.
“Problem today?”
“A few. We’re going to have to split ourselves up for it,” Gregory said. “I can clearly see my best path, but theirs is… not as clear.”
“Which is why you four are so somber,” Egil nodded. “Three separate crimes?”
“That I was told of in the future, though there might be even more we missed. There’s a robbery at an enchanter’s shop. The magi there is barely a magus in power, and will be killed at the start. There’s going to be a tavern brawl with two dozen people involved. It includes weapons and a few deaths. The last one is a kidnapping… the end of that wasn’t in my vision, but the location of the snatching was.”
“Sounds like you have some tough decisions to make,” Egil nodded. “Can your foresight tell you how each turns out if you intervene?”
“I can see how it would turn out if I went to each event, but maybe only a snippet of how they did,” Gregory said. “It would cost me everything I have, plus some stored aether. That would make it harder for me to help with any of them.”
“What’s going on?” Davis asked as he came into the room with the other two lieutenants.
“Three major crimes that we’ll be taking care of,” Yukiko told him.
“If they’re big enough, you can request aid from the city guard,” Willof said as he followed Ben and Ella into the room.
“You can,” Egil nodded.
“Which would only push them off,” Gregory said. “I checked that future, as it seemed like the best solution.”
“Who was kidnapped?” Egil asked.
“That’s the thing… all I know is that they’re a woman who screamed, then stopped struggling.”
“They likely used an alchemical compound to render her unconscious,” Rafiq added, the last to join the table. “Can you tell me anything more?”
“They put her head into a sack bag when they grabbed her.”
“So odor-based. It would have to be,” Rafiq murmured. “I can think of at least two things that could do it in less than a minute. Both have side effects.”
“Can you tell us what the antidotes are to stop the side effects?” Jenn asked.
“You can’t stop the side effects,” Rafiq said. “The effect of being unconscious will stop once the compound is removed. One is deadly if they continue to breathe it in after a few minutes, however.”
“Can you explain what will happen to us?” Max asked.
Gregory recapped what he knew.
“Gregory, you’d be best in the bar fight,” Davis said. “You should be able to subdue them all without any casualties.”
“I know,” Gregory grimaced. “I’m worried the most about the kidnapping.”
“I should handle that,” Yukiko said softly. “They obviously take her somewhere. I can track them, then get in and out without being seen.”
“Which would leave me with the robbery,” Jenn said.
“Four men, with two that have crossbows. That’s how they kill the enchanter,” Gregory told her.
“I can handle that. And if the owner knows, he can likely help,” Jenn said.
Gregory exhaled slowly as he pushed his aether again to see the end of the day. After a moment, he nodded. “Okay. It’s more than four, Jenn. It’s a half-dozen; you get surprised by the extras… well, not now, you won’t. The shop takes a little damage, but the owner lives.”
Jenn nodded grimly as Egil summoned breakfast.
“Yuki, you make it back here just as the men’s shifts change. You have the woman with you, and Mindie gets her feeling better.”
“Good,” Yukiko nodded. “And you?”
“I’ll be fine. No deaths at the tavern.”
“Sounds like you all have a busy day,” Egil said. “May Aether watch over you.”
~*~*~
Gregory kept thinking about Jenn and Yukiko as he walked to the Pale Mug tavern. He had the utmost faith in his wives, but part of him still worried. He could vaguely hear his father’s voice in the back of his mind: Men should treat women with respect, care, and protect them.
True, Father, but my wives can protect themselves. I show them the respect they deserve by not trying to coddle them. Tonight, I will care for them, as they will care for me, Gregory thought back at the voice.
His father’s voice stopped pestering him, for which Gregory was grateful. Dressed in work clothing, no one paid him any attention. That was the point— the instigators of the tavern brawl had been very coordinated, pointing to a deliberate fight. The fact that it coincided with the other two events made it especially likely to be the follow-up to the initial robbery that they’d stopped.
The hour chiming said that it was only eight in the morning. Gregory had a few hours before the fight would break out. He wanted to be there early so he could get a good feel for the tavern.
The streets in the city were bustling; Gregory had to dodge a couple of burly men who tried to push him aside. They sneered at him, clearly happy to bully someone. Gregory grunted as he kept walking. He was mildly annoyed with himself, but also with random people.
I’ll never understand why someone would want to hurt or harass someone they don’t know, Gregory thought as he finally made it to his destination.
The Pale Mug was not a great tavern, but it wasn’t a complete dive, either. It was surprisingly busy for the early morning hour, though there were still plenty of open tables. Gregory moved off to a far corner where a lantern had clearly gone out at some point.
It took one of the barmaids a while to get to him, not that he minded. He had a plan to mask his intake of alcohol. The maid was tired, worn, and wore a servant pact mark right under her throat on clear display.
“I’m a lightweight,” Gregory said self-deprecatingly. “Can you bring me the lightest you have? I’d hate to get drunk so early.”
The barmaid gave him a put-upon look. “It’ll cost the same as our normal ale.”
Gregory placed twenty vela on the table. “I understand. Can you keep it between us for the change?”
The maid’s expression changed in an instant. “Yes, sir. I’ll take good care of you.” Her eyes were full of greed.
“Do that, and I’m sure I can give you more,” Gregory smiled.
“I’ll be right back, sir.” She walked away, her hips swaying as she went, but Gregory didn’t bother to watch.
Yuki would be impressed with me for having used one of her lessons, Gregory thought. This woman is a far cry from any of my wives… or my friends. But I can play this angle to stay right here.
After a few minutes, the barmaid was back with a mug. “Here you go, sir. It’s our lightest ale, but watered down even more than normal.”
“I’ll flag you down as soon as I’m ready for another. Thank you.” Gregory gave her his best smile.
“I can keep you company if you could spare a bit more,” the barmaid said, leaning on the table so her assets were on display.
“Hmm…” Gregory picked up the mug to take the barest sip, but acted like he took a bigger drink. “Let me have a drink or two first… I’m a…” Trailing off, he looked away.
The predatory smile on the barmaid’s face grew larger. “Oh, that’ll be okay. Drink up for a bit first.” She leaned in closer, her voice a whisper, “I’ll be gentle with you later. No worries.”
Gregory coughed. “Yeah… umm… drinks, first.”
Laughing, the barmaid walked away, clearly amused that the new customer was going to be an easy mark for her.
When her back was turned, Gregory summoned a short, wide urn onto the seat beside him. He surreptitiously poured his mug into the container. Pretending to take another drink, he watched the room, then summoned a mug of boiled water he’d brought with him from the manor, transferring its contents into the tavern’s mug. With his safe drink in hand, Gregory sat in the lightly shadowed corner and waited.
~*~*~
Gregory was on his third mug, having fended off the advances of the barmaid each time. With it being closer to when the fight should start, he triggered foresight without resonance, keeping his aether tightly controlled to not give any hints that he was a magi.
Futures spun out and he saw the fights in all of them. He started chasing down the future where he managed to stop the incident with no deaths and minimal injuries to innocent bystanders. Shutting down foresight, Gregory grunted, then laid his head on the table. He’d used up most of his aether for the day and would be pulling from his ring for what was coming next.
“Looks like you’re ready,” the barmaid giggled as she came by his table. “The few rooms we have are cheap and are only used for what we’ll be doing.”
Gregory blinked at her slowly, shocked that she was as forward as she was. His hand slipped to the seat next to him, his ring absorbing the urn with all the watered-down ale. With a grunt, he put a fifty vela coin on the table.
The barmaid took it quickly. “Excellent. Let me help you.”
“No… go on. I’ll be up.” Gregory murmured, letting his voice go mushy. “Have to water the wall first.”
“Hmm. Might be for the best,” the barmaid nodded. “Room two. Got it?”
“Two. Yeah.”
“Don’t keep me waiting long.” The barmaid smirked as she swayed toward the hallway that likely had the stairs.
Gregory’s cheeks heated slightly; he knew that things like he was being offered happened, but it’d never really happened to him before. Glancing around the room, he saw a few knowing smirks. One of the men even raised his glass to Gregory.
She’s nowhere near as attractive as my wives, he thought, but some of them clearly think more of her.
Getting unsteadily to his feet, Gregory staggered for the hall. He knew he wouldn’t get there before things started, but he had to keep up the act just a little longer.
Three men came barging into the tavern, all with weapons in hand. One of them snarled to the room, “Everyone out! We have business here.”
“I told Victor no!” the bartender snapped. “I’m not selling!”
“Which is why we’re here to convince you… or your widow,” the man said threateningly.
Most of the people in the bar headed for the door, not wanting to be involved. A handful stood up and downed their mugs, clearly not leaving.
Hmm… the path I saw first never said the fight was a clear attack to drive the owner out… him being dead might be why, Gregory thought, letting one of the people leaving stagger him closer to the trio of men. Oh well. This needs to end quickly, then the bartender can explain.
One of the men grabbed Gregory as he stumbled their way. “Out, drunk!”
He spun to shove Gregory toward the door, but he didn’t expect the sudden movement Gregory made. The sudden pain the man felt made him gasp— his arm was broken, followed a second later by his knee.
The other two men looked toward their friend, their eyes widening when they realized he wasn’t dealing with a drunk. Gregory was on the leader before he could pivot on him. With well-trained precision, Gregory snapped the man’s wrist, making the club drop from his hand. The third man started to spin when Gregory snapped the leader’s ankle, then shoved the now-broken man aside.
“You’re under arrest,” Gregory said tightly as he let his aether flow out.
The third man pulled back to attack Gregory as his friend dropped to the floor. His swing slowed when Gregory’s aura hit him, and his eyes showed fear when he realized who he was fighting.
Gregory blocked the attack, then broke the man’s elbow before grappling and applying a chokehold. Shock was on all faces in the room, as the conflict had lasted mere seconds; none of them had even started to move. Then, Gregory’s aura brushed the closest, who went white-faced.
“Magi?!” the man wheezed.
Gregory pulled his aether back and summoned his medallion to put it on. “Yes. I’ll be summoning the guard to come arrest these three. Once they do, I want to know what started all of this.” His gaze was locked on the bartender, who looked pale.
“Y-you’ve been here for hours. Henrietta said she was g-going to…!” the bartender stammered.
“I know. I didn’t mean to lead her on, but it worked for what I needed.”
The thug leader shifted on the floor, trying to crawl away. Gregory kicked out behind him, catching the man’s chin with his boot, without looking. Everyone winced as his head bounced off the floor.
“Will some of you get some rope to tie these men up?” Gregory asked, laying the thug that he’d rendered unconscious on the floor.
~*~*~
Gregory stood on the porch of the manor with Jenn and Mindie beside him. They’d already spoken about their missions; Jenn’s had been nearly as flawless as Gregory’s. The only difference was that she’d had to kill two of the attackers at the shop. The enchanter had been very grateful, and had a story that was very similar to Gregory’s.
Yukiko appeared in the yard with another person. Exhaling in relief, she gave her lovers a tired smile. “Mission successful.”
The other woman was pale and clearly distraught, but relieved to see three magi waiting for her. “Thank Aether…” she sniffled.
Gregory opened the manor door. Flopsy was standing there, ready to assist. “Take her inside. Get her settled and calm.”
“Yes, sir,” Flopsy said as she hurried out to take the woman from Yukiko.
When it was just the magi outside, they formed into a group hug around Yukiko.
“Are you okay?” Mindie asked first.
“Tired… very tired. The kidnappers worked for someone named Victor. I heard that much while I followed them. They were going to keep her until he came for her. It was after your events that another man showed up; he was irate, ranting about magi. That pulled the one in the room with her away, and that’s when I snatched her away. I used a good amount of my ring’s aether to get her here using shadows as often as possible.”
“We’ll need to brief the others at dinner,” Gregory murmured. “Victor… whoever that is is behind all of our events.”
“Must be a criminal leader,” Jenn said tightly. “Think he’ll back off?”
“If he’s smart, he will,” Yukiko said. “All of his plots just failed. A smart man backs off, lies low, and waits until the magi who stopped him leave.”
“The city magus will have to step in,” Mindie said. “He didn’t seem interested in doing anything the one time I met him.”
“We’ll likely be speaking to him tomorrow,” Gregory said. “Come on. Let’s get cleaned up. Dinner was pushed back since we knew when you’d be back.”
