Finding a Ghost

The Red Cohort were a mile from the entrance to the city. It was a walled kingdom. The outside was a red tint from sandstorms, battle, and rust. There were turrets along the perimeter with cannons and Red could see guards stationed upon them. 

He scanned the edge of the walls seeing more men walking about all armed with firearms. Above the gate overlooking people entering it could see hooded figures with a boar emblem upon their chests. "Keep your masks hidden away and hoods up. Seems they have some watchers. They are radiating a lot of chi" he warned them. Smiling shrank his mask tucking it into his vest pulling his hood up over his head. Sun retracted her mask into her bracelet pulled up her skin tight mask and hood hiding her face. They kept the horses forward and straight to the gate. There were no guards standing on the ground. They instead had a heavy spiked gate. The hooded figures watched them as they passed the threshold eyes forward. But all while Red Demon kept his senses on high waiting for something. 

They did nothing even when they got a block away he could sense the watcher staring in their direction. They turned a corner and his mind started to settle once they were out of sight. 'What the hell was that? I felt actual fear from that thing?' He controlled his breathing and heartbeat. "I'm not sure if I'm right but those were engineered humans using alchemy. In particular they were powerful psychics' the voice of All Seeing echoed in his mind. 'Why am I feeling the way I am?' All Seeing remained silent before answering. 'Their power has a lot of corrupted chi coming off them. It's probably a form of intimidation for all who come into the city' that answer didn't help, it just made him more annoyed. 'Great. Now I have to deal with psychics? Well I'm going to need assistance against them. That won't be the last time we run into those who stopped a soldier on patrol, "Where can we go to house our horses?" Red Demon asked. "Two blocks from here is a stable. Go there" he said he stared at all three and seemed to be sizing them up. 

"You people new?" He asked, his hand slipping close to a short blade on his belt. "Yes thanks for the directions" they then kicked the horses forward leaving the soldier alone. They found the stables easily and met with the owner paying to house the horses. Honestly wouldn't need them again so they would end up leaving them. Red patted the horse's mane and took off the saddle. He then noticed a brand of Murder Train upon its hind quarters. "Perhaps this is why we've been getting stares. They think we're bandits?" Smiling and Sun stared at the brand he pointed too. "Well it seems the rumors of the King not caring about them are true. We weren't stopped or even harassed just given a wide berth" Red Demon had to agree with Sun Demon. She spoke true if they had any problems for being bandits they may have never gotten through the door. But nothing happened and the corruption of the state of affairs in the city was indeed true. 

The three exited the stables and began to walk about town. Red Demon however had the walk stopped when he noticed a wanted poster. It had a drawing of a demonic mask wearing person. "Ghost Demon; Wanted Dead or Alive. Reward: 100,000 Gold" is what it said below the picture. "Damn that makes things complicated. He's wanted and had a bounty. How do you find someone who is actively trying not to be?" Smiling stared at the poster. Red Demon ripped it down and rolled it up into his belt. "Good question. Sun Demon in your realm, the lowest people working behind the scenes, where would they congregate?" She was quiet for a moment. "Somewhere public to hide among. Probably somewhere social. My brother conducted business through a club. I did it through a message system of homeless people around the city. They would use the Hangout as shelter at night but during the day were eyes and ears for my Crew" Red nodded. "I don't know if we will find such a thing here. Nothing about this place seems at all happy or social. Everyone is afraid of us" Smiling could even see a couple coming towards them only to cross the street immediately to avoid even passing the three. "This city is being choked by fear. From what Sister Fate told me most of the allies of this guy are dead. And those who aren't have turned their backs on him out of this fear. It won't be easy" something then occurred to him as his eyebrows arched. "We wait. If he's been causing trouble lately we wait for the commotion to begin and head to it. There we'll find the Ghost. That's how we do this!" He said with enthusiasm. "So what? We sit on our asses and just wait for something to happen? Why not do what we did to her?" Smiling said pointing a thumb at Sun Demon. "Cause it didn't work. You merely pissed me off and made me turn a blind eye to you both!" She said this with disdain at the memory of them attacking Scarab. 

"It's like I said he's no allies. So who could possibly kidnap that man to find us?" Red Demon waited for Smiling to respond. "Simple. We do some vigilante work of our own. We steal the spotlight!" This caused Red and Sun to look at one another and then nodded. "Yeah that would work. So who would be the target then?" Smiling. "One of the brigades. From what the Captain's journal and map state their importance. Each has a significant role in this kingdom. Crippling one of them would be the best idea. Question is? Which one?"

/////////////////

Captain James was no slouch of a man. He stood six four and had a long black beard braided. His long hair also braided dangling behind him as he walked. He wore a black leather armor and was armed with a pistol and a saber. His eyes were icy blue and were defined by his bushy eyebrows. His Second that they merely called the Second was a middle aged man who was shorter than the captain. He had dark chestnut skin with a shaved head. He had yellow eyes and was a bulky man who was well built. He had two short swords and a pistol armed upon him. He wore the same black leather armor as his leader. He was adorned in gold greaves and vambraces. Behind them was the man Red Demon let go during the raid of the Murder Train. He was in chains and had bruises upon his face. 

They were in the district owned by the Blood Sword. They were surrounded by men all in black and red armor with red crosses on their chests. They were being led to the leaders quarters. When they walked in Commander Wallace was seated with his arm in a sling. He was sipping wine. He stared at the two with his crimson eyes walking towards him. He flicked wine off his mustache and stood embracing the Captain in a friendly hug. "Old friend, it was audacious of you to reach out to me. I thought you wanted to keep our relationship a secret?" Commander Wallace started directing them to take a seat. "I know Wallace. But I have word that my men have been all slaughtered. What you see before you is the remnants of my war band. Me and the second here minus the sniveling coward you see there in chains. I am deeply saddened to tell you that Trent is dead" Wallace showed no reaction and sipped his wine. He looked at the chained man "So you're the only survivor? How?" He asked. The man sighed, "Lord I was let go" he said with a saddened tone. "After you told the masked man who was the active leader at the moment!" The Captain yelled. Wallace scowled, "They wanted my brother?" He asked, standing now. 

"I do not know my lord. He asked me for the leader's name in exchange for my life I told him and then he threw me into shadow. When I came out I was outside the compound. I hid when the left found the carnage and your brother was not spared. I came here to report and now I'm in chains standing before you" the man then went silent. He was telling the truth and he knew that he was bound to die for it. "What did they look like?" Wallace asked. "Three individuals in demonic masks and one older man wearing an outdated military uniform" Wallace frowned at this information. 'Seems we have some fans of our own vigilante and a deserter?' He said. "Tell me what brought this attack on?" He got closer to the prisoner. He glared at him with red glowing eyes. "The men raided some towns while the Captain was gone. Per your brother's permission" Wallace nodded. "Hmmm…seems revenge" he said, taking a seat and picking up his wine glass. "With your permission Captain, I want that man interrogated further?" Wallace said glaring at the captain. He nodded, "Take him to the room and get all the information out of him. I want descriptions and every detail milked out of him!" He commanded as guard then swarmed the man. "NO NO PLEASE I TOLD YOU EVERYTHING! PLEASE!" He screamed as they dragged him away.