Path to Innocence

[Sl'askia]

(ooc: Read 'Tainted Dreams' first)

As Spider exited the hut along with Olm, Hunter and the guards, the Wyvern spotted them.
"Kin!" it shrieked and landed in front of them, causing the guards to point their weapons at it.
"Ah Jeez..." Spider groaned as he stepped forward, "I will handle this." He then looked at the Wyvern and said sternly, "I will be right back. Yer stay here and wait."
"Kin. Leave?" it squawked.
"Fer a little bit, but I will be back. Yer stay here," Spider pointed to ther ground forcefully, "and behave yerself. Understand?"
The Wyvern cocked it's head at him, then squawked, "Me. Stay. Wait."
"Good." Spider said relieved, then turned toward the others, "Let's go."
(ooc: you can have Mirv catch up to them here...I am not going to attempt to write that...Fuzzy let Rettick write that please...)
Soon they reached the Mayor's office. Mirv waited outside as the rest went in. Inside the Mayor greeted them.
"Ah Spider." The Mayor said, "Feeling better I take it?"
"Much." Spider replied, "What's this I hear 'bout yer accusin' Olm and Hunter here of kidnappin' me?"
"I was going by the info I had. I assume you have information that would confirm or deny my accusations."
"I der. It was Lanar that kidnapped me, Hunter and Olm had nothin' ter der with it. They are innocent."
The Mayor's brow crinkled up as if he didn't like what he just heard. "Are you sure you weren't just hallucinating due to the effects of the anti-toxins?"
"The anti-toxins have a sedative side effect, not a hallucinating one." Olm put in.
"'Sides, even if I was hallucinatin'...it would be pretty hard ter confuse a four-legged, fanged slig with a fat grey Big Bro don'cha think?" Spider added.
"That is true..." The Mayor said and thought a moment, "But I also know of your own dislike for bounty hunters, whether they are still in that business or not. So perhaps you went along with the 'Lanar did it' story, so you could eliminate a potential threat to your freedom."
Spider's eyes narrowed and he placed both handfeet on the Mayor's desk and propped himself up, causing the desk to creak and tilt slightly under his weight.
"Are yer..." Spider growled softly, "accusin' me of bein' a lier Mayor? Are yer sayin' that I would willingly go along with a plot ter kill an 'innocent'?"
"Well you were very sick at the time, Olm and Hunter could have easily threatened you to go along, using the cure as a bribe."
Spider's growl got louder. "I would have rather let myself die then ter allow myself ter be bribed so an innocent life could be taken. I may be a freak of nature, but I have honor."
"Honor can go in different ways. " The Mayor said and thought a moment, "Now that I think about it, it seems quite a strange coincidence that you fell ill not long after Lanar's arrival here. I think you were acting the whole time and had Olm and Hunter set it up so that so could eliminate him and the threat he posed to you."
Spider looked at the Mayor in disbelief. He tried to think of something that would prove him wrong and a quick glance at Olm and Hunter told him they were trying to think of something as well. The Mayor was sitting patiently, waiting for them to come up with an excuse. Suddenly there was a knock on the door and a guard poked his head in.
"What is it?" the Mayor said, somewhat annoyed.
"Sir we have another witness to the crime. Do you want to see her now?" the guard said.
"Might as well, bring her in."
The Guard nodded and let a blue female mudokon enter the room: Blue.
Spider got off the desk and let her come up to the front.
"Mayor." Blue said, "I have info to prove that Olm and Hunter are innocent."
"You do? Very well then," The Mayor said and nodded, "please state your case."

(ooc: DH...you're up to bat.)

[DarkHoodness]

(OOC: Righty ho.)

Blue moves next to Spider, infront of the mayor.

"Yes sir. It all started a couple of days ago. I was on a fruit mission, when I heard some voices coming from somewhere. When I searched around, I discoved a hut. Peaking in through a small hole in the wall, I saw Spider on the floor, knocked out. Kneeling beside him, was Teb, who was tying Spiders handfeet together. I found this quite suprising, since I didn't even know blind muds could even tie knots, but anyway, I will continue. Also standing in the hut was Lanar. He told Teb that he'd be going to the village for a while, where he must of collected Olm."

"That's right! He kidnapped me, too!" Olm yelled. Blue looks over to him.

"Silence, let her finish." The mayor demanded.

Blue turns back to the mayor, and flips a few strands of her hair back over her shoulder.

"Uh-huh, anyway, I tried to follow Lanar, but I ended up losing him round a bend in the path through thick undergrowth. After searching a bit more, I could find no trace of where Lanar went. It was then I decided to go back to the village to get help. While I was on my way, I bumped into Hunter and the Wyvern. It turned out that they were on Lanar's path. I led them to the hut, and the Wyvern yelled something and went through the roof of the hut. We had no choice but to burst inside, and then we fought Lanar."

"And during the fight, Lanar managed to shoot me" Hunter added as he pointed to his now bandaged arm.

"Yes." Blue said. "Anyway, after a scuffle with him, Lanar was about to shoot us, but it was Teb who used a surringe to inject air into Lanar's vains, killing him, and saving us. After that, I walked across the room, and I fell down a trapdoor. That trapdoor was hiding a kind of cell, and Olm was inside. When we found him, Hunter put Spider on his back, and left with Olm, Teb and the Wyvern. I volenteerd to stand gaurd. I spent the rest of the evening gaurding that hut, until my family came and took over from me. They are still there now. I have been visiting them every day to see if they are okay. This concludes my witness statement."
- DH

[Danny]

The Mayor looked from Blue to Olm and Hunter, then at Teb. "Do you have anything to add?"

Teb turned his face to the Mayor. "Only that I'm sorry. Lanar decieved me."

The Mayor sat back in his chair, and looked to Seltin, who was stood beside him. "What do you think?"

Seltin looked at the array of faces in front of him. "Well, it sounds like they're telling the truth..."

The Mayor steepled his fingers, and sighed. "Yes, it does, doesn't it?" He sat very still and quiet for a while. The others held their breath. "Okay, you're free to go. But be warned, I will be keeping a close eye on you five."

Olm smiled. "Oh thank you..."

The Mayor held up his hand. "EXCEPT for you, Teb. You are guilty of conspiring to kidnap, as well as manslaughter."

The others froze.

"As the Mayor, I sentence you to two months' imprisonment in the Town Jail. That will be all, people." And without another word, he motioned to Seltin to escort them from the room...