Asher's Story S1E2

 

"The Kidnapping" Part Two "To The Rescue?"

 

After being subdued, Asher wakes up, bump on his head, in a metal jail cell much like the one seen in the proof of life video that Prewitt was in. In the cell with him is a gnome thief named Rizzle who hatches a plan to escape before either of them is "interviewed" to death.

Soon, the bruiser lieutenant, Barlo, and two guards retrieve Asher. But not before Rizzle fakes a seizure and manages to steal a keycard to the cell. 

Asher is lead to an austere room with a large metal chair, where he is strapped in. Barlo, the hulk of a man, punches Asher and asks, how does he see this ending? 

The two talk with Barlo leaving for a moment, which, in the time he is gone, Rizzle manages to decipher, through trial and error, the code to the keypad's worn keys and helps Asher escape.

The two sneak through the halls of the Citadel, finally coming to a room with a surprised guard and a wall full of closed circuit monitors.

Asher fumbles his attempt to subdue the guard, with Rizzle coming to his aid, landing a well placed punch to the solar plexus of the guard, knocking him unconscious.

The monitors show a few captives in the other cells but no sign of the gnome teen, Prewitt Blaesprocket.  Although, the two do find the gear that was taken from them in lockers.

 Rizzle takes his leave, wishing Asher good luck in his search to find the girl, say to look him up at the Pursed Lips (a tavern in Old Town) if he is ever in need of someone of his talents.

Asher then, on his own now, returns to the ornately decorated gallery, with high ceiling and chiseled pillars, that he and Rizzle first hid in earlier while trying to find their missing equipment. Of all the art in the hall, a portrait of a mindflayer, and, a painting of the same mindflayer and what looks like the faerie Blaze (pre burn scars), getting married, catch Asher's eye.

Drawing from the magic inside him, the hero casts a spell allowing him to speak with the half dozen or so cats that are skulking in the shadows of the dim room, and soon learns that Prewitt is just beyond the beautifully carved double doors that stand at the end of the hall. (Also, there is some talk about cheese...)

Worried for the gnome girl's safety, as well as his own, Asher disguises himself as Barlo with an Alter Self gadget he had, and pulls at the ornate wood doors open.

The room the bounty hunter finds himself walking into is grand, full of expensive rugs, plush furniture and decorated pillows. And in it's center is Zalazar, bony hand stroking young Prewitt's face.

 The tentacles on the mindflayer's face flare as he observes the intruder, almost most instantly knowing that this is not the real Barlo.

Telepathically the two adversaries talk as Asher walks up to the girl who has backed away from the crime lord, and pulls another gadget from his pocket.

By this time, Blaze has entered the room from a side entrance but is told to hold as Zalazar wants to deal with Asher himself.

Just then gadget goes off and an explosion erupts around the mindflayer as a fireball engulfs him, unfortunately, only wounding the mindflayer due to his natural resistance to magic.

In retaliation, Zalazar blast Asher and the girl with some sort of psychic ability, hurting the hero but knocking the teen back, dead.

Asher begins shooting at the crime lord as he levitates himself hoping to put distance between him and his assailant. But Zalazar comes crashing down, bones cracking and burning once again as the young bounty hunter lands a skilled shot with his dragon pistol, encasing the mindflayer in thorny vines that caused him to fall.

With the room now burning from the fireball, and Blaze fleeing, crying out that this isn't over, Asher grabs the body of the gnome and begins searching for an exit.

An elevator to the narcotics filled warehouse above is found, and Asher persuades a worker to divulge, before any guards come, the way to an exit. And once outside, in the noon sun, a taxi is taken to Æther General, the city's main hospital.

Unfortunately, the girl is deceased, but Asher talks to a cleric of the All-Saint, Lorena, and is told to have the girl's family come to discuss what can be done to raise Prewitt from the dead before the window to do so has closed.

Soon the family shows and Lineus Blaesprocket thanks the bounty hunter, saying if ever he needs anything he only need ask. 

Asher sleeps the rest of the day away, taking a much needed rest. But not before contacting Rina, telling her the details of what happened.

 

As Asher drifts off, his mind turns to the hacker Nix...