Ed cursed having to give up the box. He wanted to stop and question her to make sure she was one of his minions. Worst case scenario he gave something of divine and magical power to one of the other sides. The fact that she knew his name was Ed was the only thing that made him trust her. None of the players on the other side knew he was alive yet, or at least didn't care enough to stop them.
Ed ran through the courtyard to where For'Ten was holding the fat portly little man to the ground. Ed saw the fear in the man's eyes. Here was a giant of a man in dark leathers, dressed like a bandit who just chased you from your home.
Ed knew that the magistrate knew who For'Ten was but did this man in the yard know?
"Please, stop! I will give you anything!" Felgar groveled from the grass trying to spark up sympathy.
"You are interfering with local law! You are going to be arrested and investigated by the Knights to see just how much damage you are responsible for!" For'Ten was trying to get the man onto his chest so that he could tie his hands behind him but his fat gut was making that difficult.
Ed stopped running as he got closer and came up next to For'Ten. He spent a few seconds catching his breath before he stopped and looked down at their culprit. "What are we going to do?'
For'Ten slammed a foot on the ground in frustration. "This fat tub of lard is resisting arrest. If I was in my normal uniform would have dragged him off at sword tip."
"You could just do that now..." Ed said to thin air "Slow down and let the man's panic subside..."
Felgar started to nod. Sweat was pouring off his face. To Ed and For'Ten it looked like he was terrified. Inside Felgar was trying to figure out how to get out of here. He hated to use any divine power to whisk himself away but he was quickly running out of options.
"Pardon me Ed but this man is dangerous and will be restrained." For'Ten's voice dripped with the resolve of his words. He fully intended to have this man at least hogtied before they went anywhere.
Ed reached out and put his hand on For'Ten's shoulder to calm him down when a bolt of power went through For'Ten's hands. In a swift movement, Felgar could no longer resist. His mind went blank for just long enough to stop resisting. For'Ten wrapped the wrists at the back and then used a section of rope to make a hobble line on the ankles. It would slow him down to little baby steps if Felgar tried to run away.
As soon as Ed removed his hands Felgar started to squirm immediately. He had no idea what had just happened but something broke over his will and forced him to submit.
For'Ten smiled. "Finally justice will be served."
Ed looked on in amazement. He remembered a previous conversation where The Oracle called him a catalyst. He could amplify the powers of those around him. He wondered if for just that one moment of contact he had amplified For'Tens innate ability to dispense justice.
He shook his head and cleared himself of the thought. For'Ten stood the now restrained man on his feet and pushed him towards the house. "Where is the box?" He asked when he finally noticed it was gone.
"I must have lost it. We have enough other evidence inside the house." Ed casually brushed his way past the uncomfortable conversation about the gods. He couldn't tell him that a lackey came and collected the box. He wasn't even exactly sure what the box was. He had ideas, but the fact that it leaked divine and magical powers all at once meant that it couldn't have been a good omen.
"No worries, let's go lock down the scene," For'Ten said as he hoisted the round little man over his shoulder.
Felgar quit fighting back. Inside his head, he was urging his body to move and fight to make his getaway. His own reflexes wouldn't respond. His will to fight had been over-written by the magic used when Ed had touched For'Ten.
For a few hours, Ed and For'Ten scoured the rooms of the house. They had built up piles of evidence of misuse of funds, debauchery, and anything else that showed what the local lord had done.
For'Ten wished that his men had been here. He had to handle this, but it needed to be passed off to the local city chiefs and elders. The towns would need to prosecute this man but something told For'Ten he couldn't be left in the care of just anyone. Ideally, he needed to be transported back to the capital and secured somewhere deep, dark, and away from people.
When they were done they locked up every door and window they could find. For'Ten looked at Felgar and apologized once before hitting him in the back of the head to knock him out. They planned to run back to the nearest city because the normal walk would take several hours. If they used their jump step they could make it in twenty or thirty minutes.
For'Ten tucked Felgar over one shoulder and the magistrate over his other. It was moments like this that Ed was reminded of the differences between him and the Demi's. Ed's body would have collapsed but For'Ten was literally built like an Ox and it showed.
"Okay, let's run," For'Ten flashed a smile. He didn't even flinch at the extra weight on his shoulder.
Ed nodded before they took off for the county seat town they had just left. They needed to take the lord to be judged by the citizens. His punishment had to come from them, this set of checks and balances was supposed to make sure the local lords and magistrates kept the local subjects' best interests at heart.
The town elder gathered the other heads of the city in the hall. Several town elders from other towns were still in town after they heard that a knight from the capital had shown up.
Felgar and the lord were seated in chairs, their hands tied in front and legs hobbled together. Felgar had come back out of his confusion but the local lord was just starting to sober back up. The longer he was out the more the charm from Felgar wore off.
"Please, let me out of here!" The lord said as he squirmed in the chair. "You have to let me go home! There is no telling what all he has stolen from the house!"
"It's too late for that. I have already performed a search and provided proof of your crimes. Your punishment will be given by your subjects and guaranteed by the Knights." For'Ten gathered his full height and puffed out his chest to display authority and strength.
The lord, who was just coming out of his brain fog looked up at the knight in disbelief, "You have to understand! It was magic. I can't be held liable for magic against me!"
For'Ten turned around and walked back towards his belongings near the door. "Per council law, I can not override tribal law. My authority stops where the tribe and cities ask me too. I was only asked to investigate what was happening and bring you back. So I have. Now you have to sleep in the bed you have laid." For'Ten pointed at Felgar, "However, that one should be punished and put into a cell away from anyone else... For the cities safety and his own. I will send a knight to get him if you can't find a place secure enough for him."
The town elder nodded. "Thank you. We have an old well that should keep him far enough away. The bottom is dry now but we can keep him there until someone can come to get him. We don't have a cell secure enough for the long term. Otherwise, we would have to execute him."
Felgar felt his stomach drop. He knew he was always one step away from execution, but normally he could use a bit of divine power and work his way out of any situation. That was how he had risen too far up the ranks of the church. Constant exposure to divine magic left him fully powered and small charms and miracles were easy enough to pull off that way.
"Done, feed him via rope, and don't let anyone near him. Another Knight will be here in a fort-night."
Felgar glanced at the elder and the knight. He knew how long he had to escape, but he also knew what that meant if he did. And now his box was gone. He had to escape to collect it again. If he lost it, he knew she would come back to find him. And that was a visit he didn't need right now.