[Astral Harmony]

Joshua stood back up and scratched at his head. "Ah, Soan. You never change. By the way, how's Shara doing?"
He wasn't just wasting time on idle conversation. With Millie enjoying Soan's energy and company, Joshua was already writing an extensive list on a sheet of paper he tore from his notebook. Once finished after nearly a minute and a half of writing, he walked over and presented the paper for all to see. It was a list of names. Two lists of them, actually. Most of the names weren't all that familiar to anyone. The names on the left list included military ranks and titles...high profile titles like general, admiral, high chamberlain, and even king. The list on the right contained no ranks, and they were all female names. No doubt whose names those were. Joshua stepped back where everyone could crowd around it. "The names on the left are possible employers," Joshua explained. "From what Alex told me, someone's hired the Reaping Lillies for a synchronous slaughter on some really big names in Mirthholme. They're a high profile guild now, but they used to be connected to the Mirthholme Army as one of its special task forces. Still, it's difficult to even know about them unless one, you're extremely well connected and two, you can fill a small lake with money. Now, check that name there."

Here, Joshua indicated one of the names on the left list, which is the only name he circled. It belonged to one High Chamberlain Ashley Dormond. "This is your most likely suspect. Dormond's a frighteningly talented man with power, money, and charisma in shiploads. Rumor has it he was behind the kidnapping of Princess Sulea that made now-Commander Remalia Stockword a living legend like yourselves. I don't see her here but I'm certain he may have ordered her dead as well. Anyways, Dormond's got a lot of bad rumors that I was able to pick up. Demon summoning. Coldblooded murder. Backdoor politicking. Bribery and blackmail. And he's quite possibly the one behind Sulea's recently acquired two additional personalities, but it's anyones guess as to why. Remalia came to me sometime after Sulea's rescue and asked me to look into it, so that's how I found about all this, but there's no concrete evidence to support any of Remalia's claims, unfortunately."

He straightened. "This all happened...oh, about two months ago exactly, I think. Now, the list on the right side is the name of each Reaping Lily assassin. There's a letter A next to it for active assassins and an R for retired or reserved. That just means that they're not really trying to stay in the shadows and are more or less ready for action if the deed requires more than they can do with their active numbers. Unfortunately I don't exactly have anything on them other than names, but you at least know their numbers...kinda."
The numbers he spoke of weren't exactly reassuring. There were thirty-six names in all for these Reaping Lily assassins, with only ten of them counted as active. "The top name in the reserves is actually the leader of the guild, Sophia. Given how long she's been an assassin to my knowledge, she's gotta be old enough to fart cobwebs by now. But even a very old lady could kill you with a single stroke so don't underestimate any chick with that tattoo."

The path was more or less clear. Even if Dormond wasn't the asshole who wanted you dead and spent a ridiculous amount of money to ensure it was done right, pretty much the whole left list included high ranking military and castle officials who, as Joshua pointed out, were the only people who would even know about the Reaping Lillies to begin with.
As everyone slowly drew to their own conclusion, gunfire and then holes started to punch through the inn's walls. It wasn't from a single gun or even the kind of firepower you'd get from a firing squad. There was something big just outside. Millie screamed and dove for cover. Joshua fell to his knees, covering his head. "What the hell?!" he cried out. "Oh my God! Chelsea's still outside!"

-----

Outside the inn, people screamed and fled for cover as an unmarked, heavily-armored, four-legged mechanical walking tank started shredding the Azure Street Stop with four vulcan cannons. Several people were already injured from gunfire, and two were dead from rapid bloodloss.

-----

Taharial found Chelsea, though the encounter wasn't exactly as he might have hoped. A beautiful man with long black hair and green eyes had his left arm around her slender neck. Standing next to him was a blonde woman wearing what appeared to be a wedding dress for those on a serious budget as there wasn't much material. He hadn't seen her much at all back when she tried to kill him, but Taharial recognized Isabella much the same.

But something was much different about this girl and one who tried to killed him. She had another tattoo on her left breast, some kind of coiling serpent, and her eyes weren't focusing on anything at all. She had a strange weapon with her that resembled a giant bubble blower wand.

The man gently shushed the struggling Chelsea with a sleeping spell and raised his head to face Taharial. "Well, if it isn't Taharial the Cursed One? How are you this fine day? Normally, I'd love to sit and chat with an interesting individual such as yourself, but unfortunately I am a little pressed for time and there are so many more of you to kill in this city. Isabella, my sweet?"
Isabella did not budge an inch.
"Take care of that annoyance you failed to deal with last time, would you?"

The Reaping Lily assassin Isabella gave no response to Ashley, and simply turned to face Taharial. She looked at him, but Taharial observed that she didn't even really see him. Her entranced gaze peered right through him. Then, she began to advance, that bubble blower wand of hers at the ready. Ashley, satisfied that Isabella would take out Taharial this time, vanished in a plume of black tendrils with the sleeping Chelsea in tow, leaving the toxic dryad and the possessed assassin in each other's hostile company.

-----

Enemy Data: Killbug MkII - Designed for light sieges and quick raids on enemy camps, the Killbug MkII is the more heavily armed, slower brother to the MkI. With four vulcan cannons, two racks of stinger missiles, and an afterburner for turning the mecha into a charging bull of crushing force, the MkII is a popular model among many militias and even some well-to-do citizens who desire such over-the-top protection. Manufactured by Leborge Industries.

Enemy Data: Isabella - Reaping Lillies assassin assigned to kill Taharial. Uses a large and magical bubble blower wand to unleash bubble attacks. Her deadly bubbles release sonic bursts upon popping, damaging all nearby. Additionally, bubbles can be used to contain hazards (like toxic gas) and can even suffocate or physically crush victims when the magic is reinforced. Bubbles of all kinds are subject to being blown by the wind and popped by force like from a flung icicle or a lightening strike. Something's definitely got a hold of Isabella's mind and body, and there's no telling just dangerous she's become by it.