Interrogation – Uncovering the Conspiracy
As the garden fell silent, Mellali and Hadjer stood over the bodies of the fallen assassins, their breaths still heavy from the intensity of the battle. Despite the victory, the tension in the air lingered. They both knew that this attack was not an isolated incident—it was part of something much larger. The Scales of Balance had shown their hand, but it was clear that there were still many secrets left to uncover.
Among the fallen, Mellali noticed one assassin, barely clinging to life, groaning in pain. He knelt down beside the figure, who had been knocked out by his Psionic Blast, but was now slowly regaining consciousness. The assassin's hood had fallen back, revealing a young man, no older than Mellali himself, with sharp, determined eyes. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, and his breathing was labored.
Hadjer, ever cautious, stood nearby, her rapier still drawn. "Do you think he knows anything?" she asked, her voice quiet but edged with intensity.
Mellali nodded. "He's with the Scales of Balance. He knows more than he's letting on. We need answers."
The young man, sensing the danger, coughed weakly, trying to push himself away, but Mellali placed a firm hand on his shoulder, holding him down with little effort. His eyes glowed faintly with the power of his Aberrant Mind, and the assassin froze, his body still wracked with pain.
"You attacked us," Mellali said, his voice low and calm, but with an underlying current of authority. "Now you're going to tell us why."
The assassin sneered, his voice hoarse. "You think we're just here to kill nobles and lapdogs like you? You don't know anything. You're just cogs in the machine, too blind to see it."
Mellali leaned closer, his psionic energy rippling around him. "Then enlighten me. What does the Scales of Balance want? What's the real plan?"
The assassin glared at Mellali, but there was a flicker of fear in his eyes. He clearly knew who he was dealing with—an Aberrant Mind Sorcerer whose powers could reach into places most people couldn't even imagine.
"I'm going to make this simple," Mellali continued, his tone sharpening. "You tell us everything you know, or I'll reach into your mind and take it myself."
The assassin flinched at the threat, knowing full well what that entailed. Hadjer remained silent, but her presence was imposing, her blade still shimmering with the remnants of her Bladesong. She stood like a sentinel, ready to strike if necessary.
The assassin's bravado began to falter, the realization of his situation sinking in. With a labored breath, he spat out his answer. "You think the nobles can change? You think this city will ever be different? You're wrong. We're here to make sure the whole system falls—nobles, guilds, all of it. They're all corrupt, and they'll never give real power to the people."
Mellali's expression hardened. "That's what this is about? Tearing everything down?"
The assassin smirked weakly, his voice dripping with defiance. "We're here to start over. The Scales of Balance don't believe in half-measures. Your little reforms? They won't mean a thing when the city's burning."
---
Mellali's Mind Probe – Extracting the Truth
The assassin's words were bold, but Mellali knew there was more beneath the surface. He placed his hand on the assassin's forehead, his psionic energy crackling at his fingertips. "You're hiding something," he said quietly, his voice cold. "I don't have time for games."
With a deep breath, Mellali reached into the assassin's mind, casting Detect Thoughts (2nd-level spell) to probe deeper into the man's psyche. At first, he encountered surface thoughts—fear, pain, defiance—but as he pressed harder, he began to sift through the layers of the assassin's mind, pushing past his mental defenses.
The assassin's resistance crumbled under Mellali's psionic assault, and suddenly, Mellali was inside his mind, seeing flashes of memory and images that revealed the true scope of the Scales of Balance's plan. He saw meetings in hidden rooms, gatherings of men and women in dark robes, their faces obscured. They spoke of revolution, of using the growing unrest in the city to fuel their cause.
Then he saw something more disturbing—a memory of a leader, a figure shrouded in shadows, giving orders to the Scales of Balance. This leader wasn't just an idealist or a revolutionary—he was a cold, calculating mastermind, someone who had been planning this for far longer than Mellali had realized.
"Burn it all," the leader had said in the memory. "Let the flames of justice purify this city. Only then can we rebuild it the way it was meant to be."
Mellali's mind reeled as the vision faded. The Scales of Balance weren't just a small faction—they were part of something much larger, and their plan wasn't limited to Rivermouth. They intended to use the city's instability as a spark to ignite a much bigger conflict.
He pulled back from the assassin's mind, his eyes narrowing as he looked down at the weakened man. "You're not just trying to overthrow the nobles—you want to destroy the entire city."
The assassin's lips twisted into a bitter smile. "You can't stop what's coming. You're just a pawn in a much bigger game."
---
Hadjer's Question – The True Leader
Hadjer, who had been quietly observing, stepped forward, her voice sharp. "Who's your leader? Who's behind all this?"
The assassin's eyes flicked toward Hadjer, and for a moment, he hesitated. But the fear of Mellali's psionic powers seemed to outweigh his loyalty to the Scales of Balance. His voice was weak, barely above a whisper.
"We call him The Harbinger," he said. "He's the one who brought us together. He showed us the truth—this city can't be saved. Only when it burns can it be rebuilt."
Mellali and Hadjer exchanged a look. The Harbinger. Whoever this figure was, he was clearly the mastermind behind the Scales of Balance, and his vision for the future was one of complete destruction.
Hadjer's voice was steady but cold. "Where is he?"
The assassin's smile faded, his eyes growing distant. "You'll never find him. The Harbinger's already set things in motion. The nobles, the guilds—they'll fall. And when they do, you'll wish you hadn't tried to stop us."
---
The Calm Shattered – A New Threat Emerges
Mellali stood, his expression dark as he processed everything they had learned. The Scales of Balance weren't just an annoyance—they were a real threat to everything they had worked for. This wasn't about reform anymore; it was about stopping a movement that wanted to burn the city to the ground.
Hadjer, ever pragmatic, sheathed her rapier. "We need to tell Kareth. This is bigger than we thought."
Mellali nodded, his mind still racing with the images and memories he had seen in the assassin's mind. "The Harbinger… He's not just trying to overthrow the nobles. He's planning something much worse."
As they turned to leave the garden, Mellali glanced back at the fallen assassin, his body still lying motionless on the ground. The peace they had fought for was fragile, and now, it was clear that it could be shattered at any moment.
The storm was far from over.
Tracking the Harbinger – Unraveling the Hidden Network
Mellali and Hadjer left the garden with the weight of a new threat pressing down on them. The name The Harbinger echoed in their minds—a figure shrouded in mystery, leading the Scales of Balance with a vision of complete destruction. Rivermouth, already fragile from the recent turmoil, now faced a danger far greater than mere political unrest.
As they walked through the dimly lit streets, Mellali's mind raced, replaying the images he had pulled from the assassin's mind. The Harbinger was not just some idealistic revolutionary. He had followers, a network of people devoted to his cause, and a plan that could bring the entire city crashing down.
Hadjer, walking silently beside him, finally spoke, breaking the tension. "We need to find him before it's too late. If we let this go on any longer, the city will tear itself apart. There's no time to waste."
Mellali nodded. "The Scales of Balance are more organized than we thought. The Harbinger's been planning this for a long time. We need to find his network, root them out, and stop him before they can strike."
---
A Lead in the Shadows – Finding the Next Piece
The first step in tracking down The Harbinger was to follow the only lead they had: the network of followers hiding in the shadows of Rivermouth. From the memories Mellali had extracted, he knew that the Scales of Balance operated in secret, holding their meetings in hidden places, away from the prying eyes of the nobles and guilds.
Mellali led Hadjer through the winding streets to a part of the city they had rarely ventured into—the Drowned Quarter. This was a place where the city's poorest and most desperate lived, forgotten by the nobles and left to fend for themselves. It was the perfect breeding ground for discontent, and the perfect hiding place for a faction like the Scales of Balance.
The streets were narrow and dark, the buildings old and crumbling. The faint stench of stagnant water lingered in the air, and the people who moved about did so quietly, their eyes downcast, as if they knew not to draw attention to themselves.
"We should be careful here," Hadjer whispered, her eyes scanning the alleyways. "This is the kind of place where secrets die with those who try to uncover them."
Mellali nodded but kept moving, his eyes sharp and focused. He knew they were getting close. The memories he had seen showed glimpses of this part of the city—shadowy meetings held in abandoned warehouses, whispers of revolution exchanged behind closed doors.
---
A Contact Emerges – A Dangerous Gambit
It wasn't long before they found their first clue. In a narrow alley, lit only by the flickering light of a single lantern, they encountered a man—a beggar, by the looks of him. His clothes were ragged, his face gaunt, but there was something in his eyes that told Mellali he was no ordinary beggar.
The man looked up as they approached, his gaze sharp despite his outward appearance. He didn't move, didn't speak, but Mellali could feel the tension in the air between them.
"You're not from around here, are you?" the man said, his voice low and rough. "You don't look like the type to wander the Drowned Quarter for fun."
Mellali exchanged a glance with Hadjer, then stepped forward. "We're looking for information. We know about the Scales of Balance. We know they're here."
The beggar's eyes narrowed slightly, but he didn't deny it. "And what makes you think I'd know anything about that?"
Mellali could sense the man's fear, but also his desperation. The Drowned Quarter wasn't a place where people had many options. Mellali took a step closer, his voice calm but insistent. "We don't want to hurt you. But you know something, and if you help us, it could save lives."
The beggar hesitated, glancing around nervously before lowering his voice. "If I talk, they'll kill me. The Harbinger has eyes everywhere. He's already started gathering his forces. He's planning something… something big."
Hadjer's eyes narrowed. "What is it? What's his plan?"
The beggar shook his head. "I don't know all the details, but they've been meeting in the old Redstone Foundry, near the docks. It's abandoned now, but they've turned it into their base. The Harbinger's been making moves, gathering support, planning a strike against the city."
Mellali and Hadjer exchanged a glance. The Redstone Foundry. It made sense. The foundry had been shut down for years, left to rot near the water. It was the perfect place for a hidden faction to operate without drawing attention.
Before they could ask more, the beggar looked around, his face pale. "You need to leave. They'll know I talked. The Harbinger… he doesn't forgive betrayal."
Mellali nodded, understanding the man's fear. "Thank you. We'll handle the rest."
---
The Redstone Foundry – Into the Heart of the Scales
Armed with the information, Mellali and Hadjer made their way to the Redstone Foundry. The area near the docks was deserted, the smell of saltwater and rust filling the air. The foundry itself loomed in the distance—an old, crumbling structure, its red stone walls stained and weathered from years of disuse.
As they approached, Mellali felt a familiar sense of unease creeping over him. The air around the foundry was thick with tension, and he could feel the faint flickers of psionic energy nearby. The Scales of Balance were here.
They moved silently, keeping to the shadows as they approached one of the side entrances to the foundry. The door was slightly ajar, and Mellali could hear muffled voices inside—a meeting.
Hadjer glanced at Mellali, her eyes sharp. "This is it."
Mellali nodded. "We need to see what we're up against."
They slipped inside, the dark interior of the foundry swallowing them up. The voices grew louder as they moved deeper into the building, and soon they found themselves standing on an upper platform, looking down at the scene below.
In the center of the foundry, a group of men and women—at least a dozen—were gathered around a single figure. The Harbinger. He stood tall, his face obscured by a dark hood, but his voice carried through the foundry, filled with authority and zeal.
"The time is upon us," the Harbinger said, his voice cold and commanding. "The nobles and guilds believe they can pacify the people with promises of reform. But we know the truth. They will never relinquish power willingly. We must take it by force. We will strike at the heart of the city—burn it down if we have to. Only then can we rebuild a new order."
The group around him murmured in agreement, their eyes filled with fervor. The Scales of Balance weren't just planning a revolution—they were planning a catastrophic attack on Rivermouth.
---
Mellali and Hadjer's Next Move
Mellali and Hadjer exchanged a tense look. They had found the heart of the Scales of Balance's operation, but now they had a choice to make. The Harbinger was right there, surrounded by his followers. They could try to strike now, catch him off guard—but they were outnumbered, and the risk was great.
Or they could retreat, gather their allies, and plan a more coordinated attack. Time was running out, but rushing in blindly could cost them everything.