Passage unto Peril

"Bah, this is why I could never get in your line of work." Fred scoffed. "I can't stand all the politics."

"Look, this is pointless." Sharon said. "All I need to do is get into the assassin's guild and meet with Tarsa. I'm sure I can talk some sense into her when I see her."

Karnbald laughed again, long and loud. Then he said "Well yes. I know many of the secret ways and passwords of the Assassin's District. You could bluff your way in as an initiate - but aye, you would most certainly perish, lass."

"I am not afraid." Sharon said haughtily. "Granas will protect me, as he does all his creatures.

"I guess I'm going too." Fred sighed. "I still have a contract to fulfill."

"There's no need for you to rush out to your doom, mind you." Karnbald said. "Stay the night here at my place and have a meal on the house. You'll have a cooler head by morning."

"What manner of business do you run here anyway?" Sharon asked.

"Why, a brothel." Karnbald grinned. "Hope that doesn't bother you, Priestess."

Sharon seemed to blush and turn pale at the same time. "Why, I... I think... I will stay at one of the inns tonight instead."

"No luck." Fred said. "All the inns in Setrial are also brothels."

"Then I believe I shall wander the streets until dawn breaks." Sharon said. "Better that than sleep in a house of ill repute."

"Sorry that's how it has to be, lassie." Karnbald said. "It's a rough world outside the church, and folk do what they can to get by. It's not as if I do this job for fun, ya know."

"He's telling the truth." Fred said. "When Karnbald first came to Setrial, the owner of this brothel was a cruel maniac who mistreated his girls. Karnbald killed him and offered the girls their freedom, but they had nowhere to go. So, he stayed on to protect them."

"Oi lad, you're flattering me." Karnbald laughed. "I'm not as great as all that."

"Oh, fine." Sharon sighed. "I apologize for my presumptuousness, Karnbald. I would be... pleased to spend the night here."

"Splendid! Then I'll have the girls prepare some of our famous roast ribs." Karnbald said. "Just one bite can make a man forget about killing 'imself, you'll see."

And so dinner was prepared and sleeping arrangements were made. But that night...

1. The brothel is attacked by assassins under the employ of a shadowy crime boss.
2. An obnoxious young nobleman and his cronies burst into the brothel, demanding wine and service, and yelling so loud no one can get to sleep.
3. The brothel is raided by the Pope's elite paladin brigade, seeking Karnbald's arrest on trumped-up charges. This creates serious problems for Fred and especially Sharon.
4. Fred wakes up and realizes he's laying in a rocky wasteland.
5. Fred is amused to see Karnbald sneaking into Sharon's room in the middle of the night.
6. Fred is shocked to see Sharon sneaking into Karnbald's room in the middle of the night.
7. Fred is mortified when his window swings open and Tarsa climbs in. "Miss me much?" Tarsa giggles.

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