The Archbaron's Justice

Gregory Haylissh had suspected something dramatic might occur at the execution. Well, something even more dramatic than the execution itself. As he fled to the open doorway of Fenton's Butter Bakery, he acknowledged that he had not been disappointed. Ducking into the store with a half dozen other spectators who also had enough sense to get out of the way, he peered through the large glass window at the scene outside. Behind him, he could hear Fenton yelling and berating them for rushing into his store and not queuing up to make purchases. Gregory ignored the strangely accented man ad watched the scene unfold.

The Angel Knight was every bit as spectacular as Riley Kels has sung her to be. The ornate full plate, with gold trim on gleaming iron armor,  complete with a set of "wings". The placid face mask that was her iconic image. She reared back, issuing forth a challenge to the Archbaron's men, calling for the townsfolk to revolt and save their kinsmen.

'Valorous might be the word for it.' Thought Gregory to himself, blocking out the baker, Fenton, who yelled excitedly behind him. "She musn't know the Chellish people very well." Gregory believed that although the people of Longacre might be a bit more tight-knit than the citizens of other, more metropolitan cities, they were still Chellish at heart, and all too aware of the fate of rebels. Gregory knew that even in her fancy armor and majestic horse, she would be hard pressed to rally assistance so openly. More people scattered, a few joining Gregory in taking refuge in the baker's shop. Gregory's thick auburn eyebrows raised up and he stroked his beard absent-mindedly as six citizens of Longacre stayed behind, brandishing clubs, apparently ready to fight alongside the Angel Knight.

"Poor fools. Haven't the slimmest chance of survivin', even with all the luck of the pantheon behind them." he clucked to the people beside him, viewing the same scene.

'Silas Kimmer' Gregory identified to himself. The older man had his shillelagh in hand. His wife and succumbed to a lingering case of devil's chills.  Poor man must've grasped on to the Reclamation's propaganda as an excuse to keep on living. Silar charged forward swinging wildly at one of the town's new deputies, who easily deflected the blow with his armor, and stabbed Silas right in the chest. Gregory flinched in sympathetic pain.

In a flurry of feathers, Gregory watched as the tengu leapt and stabbed wildly at the Angel Knight, who directed her horse in a tight pull, dodging the blade. The attack was so precise and unexpected, and the Angel Knight's response was so lightning fast, Gregory felt a glimmer of hope that she might actually succeed.

Nikalus and Mitch Ernstrum - Brothers and two of the town's strong men were cut down by the time Gregory shifted his eyes back to the rioters. So quickly had it been done, he hadn't even seen who was responsible. 'Poor boys. Their ma' is going to take it hard. Probably kill her with grief.'  Gregory had known the boys all their lives. Himself being a young lad when they were born, they had been the second set of twins born in Longacre in as long as memory served, after Allamr's boys of course. Although not very bright, they were good natured, and always helped their neighbors in times of need.

Wyran Thrune had taken to the cobblestones now, his monstrous transformation well underway into...that thing that was quickly becoming a local boogeyman. Heavyhands, he believed it was being called. He stalked towards the Angel Knight, murderous glee in his eyes.

Mykrah Collins, Heath Cohen, and Pilka Meliri, dead with just a few strokes from the deputies. All those lives snuffed out with barely an effort. Even if they had managed to throw down the deputies, they never would have been able to stand against the fierce half-orc lancer Tsadok, or the trigger happy Azreal.

Gregory's mouth dropped wide in amazement, as did all the patrons in the bakery, even Fenton stopped his angry shouting in a wide gasp as the Angel Knight was knocked from her horse, and as Thrune...no, Heavyhands, lifted her up, the magical disguise washed away, revealing Riley Kels.

Few things really shocked Gregory, but this was a moment. 'Looks like we'll be having two hangings today.' he told himself.