147: Wedding Day

It was the day before the wedding. Blume had got the impression that the Countess of Nuln had offered her a job. But I think she had to spy on us in return.

We went to the library of Verena and asked about the nine eyes and where they might be found. And we were told they come into the library most days. Erina asked about books on cults but was told that the good ones were proscribed and she would have to go through the cult of Sigmar.

She was told that Ursin had taken out a play called Strange Flowers. Erina had a flick through it but decided that it looked like a normal play. And when she asked if any of the nine eyes looked a bit shifty, she was told they didn’t. We asked a load of questions but she couldn’t get any evidence that they weren’t just normal, and now quite elderly, academics.

Then we all went to the temple of Shallya. And we found the crown prince administering to the poor and needy. He was wearing a plain white robe and cap, typical of the lowest Shallyans. Blume made a note to tell Katarina that his kink was dressing like a servant.

When the crown prince saw us he greeted us pleasantly and welcomed us to Altdorf. Erina asked him why he had missed the parade, and Wolfgang said he didn’t feel it was right to begin his marriage with a show of jingoism. We told him that Katarina had been worried about him and Wolfgang said he regretted that if that was how she felt.

And we had little else to do but make our excuses and leave. We discussed telling Katarina about this and inviting her to the temple, but decided against it.

Then we went to see Doctor Kappelmuller at the Physicians’ Guild in Zwillingsgrab. The clerk was not overjoyed to be talking about Kappelmuller and he told us he didn’t do appointments here any more. After a hefty bribe, the clerk revealed that the doctor had joined them about three years ago, but it was later discovered his references from Nuln had been forged. And while they were considering whether to let him go, he got snapped up by the palace, which was an astronomical rise for someone with his qualifications. His practice was closed down and he didn’t come to the guild house any more.

Erina asked if they had raised the issue with the palace, and the clerk said they had communicated their concerns but once he was appointed to the palace, they couldn’t revoke his licence.

And we heard that the emperor had mild purple brain pox, which is notoriously hard to treat, but somehow Kappelmuller had managed to quell the disease.

Then Erina and I went to Elvyra’s house. We asked her what she knew of Kappelmuller. Elvyra said that he helped her find employment. And when we asked abut the emperor, she said he had a chronic illness but had been much improved. She said she provided Kappelmuller with medicines, and when we asked which ones, she just said various concoctions to help calm and stimulate.

And we saw some Ranald’s Delight on her desk, and Erina asked if that was what she was supplying to Kappelmuller, and she said it wasn’t. We asked what the emperor was on but Elvyra said she just supplies the ingredients.

Fred and Blume went to tell Katarina about Wolfgang. Blume tried to stir it a bit but but Katarina had heard that he liked to help with things like that and said she thought it was rather brave, and in any case, he didn’t miss much because the parade was ghastly.

And Katarina told Blume off for being mean to Zimperlich, and asked her to apologise. And so Blume went to Zimperlich but told her it had just been banter, and that if she went crying to Katarina again, she would spread nasty rumours about her because she was now friends with the countess.

And so the next day everyone prepared for the wedding. We were all in Heinrich’s retinue and had to dress in his colours. The cathedral was crammed with those who could get an invitation, with many of the general populace outside.

The crown prince was there, of course, and Katarina arrived, and even Blume liked her dress. Blume whispered that she thought the baron might take this opportunity to propose to her.

But then suddenly a man jumped up from the crowd and advanced on the wedding party shouting, ‘Death to the Todbringers! Death to the Treaty of Schoninghagen!’ and fired his pistol at Katarina who fell to the ground.

Blume quickly threw her knife at him, but she missed. Fred stood up and tried to talk the man down, but he ignored him. I threw my dagger, and missed as well. And I saw Erina drawing magic towards her.

And we could see the startled soldiers who were supposed to be on guard duty, gradually realising what was happening. The man drew another pistol and shot at Baron Heinrich, hitting him as well, as he shouted ‘Freedom for Nordland.’

Blume grabbed Fred’s dagger and lunged at the gunman hitting him in the thigh. And Fred charged in, drawing his sword and getting a good hit on him. The gunman was still standing, however, and so I tried to tackle him and drag him to the ground, but failed to do so. Erina loosed a magical bolt but that went awry.

Then suddenly Fred was engulfed in some magical pink fire. But a couple of Knights of the Fiery Heart joined him and attacked the gunman. The gunman dealt with their attacks expertly, and struck back at Fred hitting him.

And we all attacked the gunman, but none of us could land a blow on him. One of the Knights was wreathed in pink fire, and withdrew to deal with the strange flames. We knew this pink fire was a thing of the dark gods, but we could not see where it was coming from.

And the gunman got a good hit on Blume who fell to the ground shouting for a medic. Fred got another hit on him, but the fellow fought on, quite admirably, to be honest.

Erina fired another spell at the gunman, but halfway to its target it dissipated, as if dealt with by a more powerful wizard. And then a writhing ball of coruscating pink flame engulfed the gunman, Fred, and two of the knights. And when the flames cleared a bit we could see Fred lying on the floor stunned, with a broken arm, with pink flames lapping at his body.