The Shrike walked into the camp with Preceptor Fallowpeak and another female Shadower beside him, followed by a very nervous looking Bruce Richbrand. Fallowpeak and Bruce both stared wide-eyed at Glenn. The Shrike simply looked past him, at the empty cage, then at Glenn.

“I’ll simply abduct her again,” the Shrike said. “Though I am annoyed. You’ve annoyed me.”

Glenn marched forward. “Actually, you won’t be abducting anyone ever again. You have violated the Laws of Balarel, and now, I’m placing you under arrest.” He thumped his [Guardian Mace] in his other hand. “You can come quietly, or I can hit you until you pass out.”

The Shrike pulled two [Steel Swords]. Each glowed with white energy, suggesting they’d been enchanted with [-Volt-]. They also dripped with what might be [Slowing Poison].

“I’ve never killed a Town Guard before,” the Shrike said. “This will do wonders for my reputation, though they aren’t going to find your ensouled body, either. At least not in time.”

Glenn had never actually arrested someone before, either. He knew he’d just forced himself into battle with the Shrike, yet it seemed the Shrike was also free to fight back. Glenn supposed the Gods had to provide some challenge, even for a Town Guard.

“Where’s my daughter?” Preceptor Fallowpeak demanded. “You said my daughter was here!”

“Renee is already away and safe in Wolfpine,” Glenn assured him. “Bruce, why don’t you escort the Preceptor on to Wolfpine? I think we’re about done here.”

“So that’s where she’s headed,” the Shrike said. He sheathed his swords and backed away. “Maybe you’re not as smart as you think, Town Guard.”

“You won’t be chasing Renee down,” Glenn said, and marched forward. “You’ll be too busy with me. Now come over here.” He was now within fifty paces.

The Shrike vanished. “I think not,” he said, laughing while invisible. “This was fun, Town G-”

Glenn again activated his Town Guard Skill.

[-Fight Me!]

For a moment, nothing happened. Then a crazed form in [Gloamshroud Armor] popped out of nowhere and battered Glenn like a dozen branches in a storm. Gods, the man was fast! As he’d hoped based on its description, it seemed [-Fight Me!-] worked on any opponent, including one mortal, so long as that mortal currently considered himself Glenn’s enemy.

So ... good to know.

Glenn cautiously backed up under the Shrike’s furious assault, blocking every other strike with his shield. Anyone else would have died a dozen times, yet Glenn’s [God Armor] and full-face helmet protected him from even this. He felt slight tingles as the [-Volt-] charges went off, nothing more.

Yet how could he fight back without grievously injuring this man? One clumsy swing of his [Guardian Mace] had absolutely wrecked a Gloamwolf, and he still remembered watching a pair of Shaitan disintegrate. What would a strike do to a human?

He wouldn’t open with a strike. He would, instead, slam his shield into the Shrike as hard as he could. The man staggered as his Health Bar appeared with a considerable chunk missing. Glenn followed up with a mace swing aimed at the man’s leg, trying to swing lightly as he triggered his Skill.

[-Mighty Smash-]!

His Brutalist Skill both staggered a target and stunned it for eight seconds. Yet as his feathered strike impacted the Shrike’s leg, stunning the Shrike appeared unnecessary. The man’s whole leg bent sideways with the blow as his Health Bar dropped to a third.

The sickening sound of splintering bone echoed through the woods. The Shrike shrieked as his still sparking swords clattered to the ground, along with him. Glenn dropped his mace and dropped to one knee. He flipped the now crippled man onto his stomach before the stun wore off.

He fumbled for his [Lawgiver Cuffs] with one hand as he grabbed the Shrike’s limp wrist in the other and pulled. He almost dropped the cuffs. Yet the moment he slapped a cuff on the Shrike’s wrist, it glowed like the man’s enchanted swords. Glenn forced the Shrike’s other wrist into the other cuff.

Glenn stood as the stun wore off. The Shrike shrieked in a way that chilled Glenn’s blood, but not in pain. This was fury. Yet the Shrike had a broken leg and the implacable weight of a pair of [Lawgiver Cuffs] pinning him down. Not even an Evolved Shadower could win a fight with that.

He’d done it. He’d arrested a criminal without killing him. Glenn raised his free hand.

[-Flash Heal!]

He cast the spell repeatedly until he was all but out of Blood, restoring the Shrike’s charred Health Bar. The man’s leg appeared almost entirely unbroken now. Glenn hoped it was enough. Yet even with most of the damage healed, the Shrike continued snarling and thrashing.

Glenn looked up at the others, all of whom now stared in slack-jawed shock. “You might want to head back to Wolfpine.” He did his best to ignore the man screaming at him. “I’m not sure how long it takes this Skill to wear off.”

“I’m out,” one Shadower said, and looked to the others. “Nuts to this.”

“He poisoned us!” the male caster shouted. “It was in our breakfast!”

“You don’t know that,” the woman said, yet she sounded uncertain as well.

Below him, the Shrike was frothing like a rabid animal. As the sound of the man’s leg cracking replayed in Glenn’s head, he reminded himself this man had planned to murder a kind and generous Preceptor Alchemist and then, likely, feed his daughter to Cliff Spiders. Glenn had only done what was necessary to stop him.

Preceptor Fallowpeak came over, then dug into one of several [Unfilled Bag]’s hanging off his waste. He pulled out a small vial that glowed bright yellow. “[Slumber Potion],” he said.

He handed it to Glenn. A [Slumber Potion] was classified as offensive alchemy, so Preceptor Fallowpeak couldn’t actually use it against the Shrike. The Shrike hadn’t Consented to be attacked by Preceptor Fallowpeak. Yet Glenn, having already ordered the Shrike’s arrest, didn’t need consent to do whatever he liked to the man.

“Don’t breathe,” Fallowpeak suggested.

“Understood,” Glenn said, and popped the cork. He flipped the Shrike onto his back and yanked off the man’s mask, then winced involuntarily as the man’s teeth gnashed down uselessly on his armored hand. He shoved the mouth of the uncapped potion bottle into the Shrike’s gnashing mouth.

The man struggled a moment longer as Glenn held his breath. Soon he involuntarily swallowed the potion, then went still. Glenn rose, waiting to drop again, yet the Shrike didn’t move.

Good enough. The Shrike was dealt with, which meant no more violence was necessary. No one could escape [Lawgiver Cuffs], and the Shrike could not use any Skills or Blessings with them. As he looked once again at the cage filled with writhing Cliff Spiders, Glenn knew he had done the right thing.

Preceptor Fallowpeak then looked at the two Shadowers and two casters, none of whom had actually fled despite having ample opportunity to do so. Glenn’s suggestion that the Shrike had poisoned them all at breakfast had wormed its way into their brains.

The Preceptor spoke with all the gravity a Level 20 Alchemist who’d hit the Divine Level cap could muster. “Did any of you know that man demanded I Consent to be murdered to save my daughter? Did you know he planned to murder my daughter as well?”

The Shadower who’d first greeted Glenn shook his head. “None of us knew that, or may Vox strike me down. The Shrike told us this job was about coin, nothing more. We didn’t sign up to murder anyone, least of all a child. It was supposed to be a bluff to obtain a big ransom.”

The other Shadower and the casters all nodded their heads and offered similar assurances. Whether there were lying or not, their obvious surrender was a good sign. The Preceptor still looked very angry, yet Glenn could tell the man’s kind heart was already challenging his anger.

“If the Shrike did poison you, I have potions in my carriage that assure you will live,” Fallowpeak said. “Each of you will also imbibe a [Slumber Potion] before I treat you, which will cause you to sleep for twelve hours. That will be more than enough time for us to transport you to Wolfpine, where you will be arrested in tried in a court of Levos. Do you understand the trade I’m offering?”

One by one, the bandits agreed. Glenn was amazed they all so easily surrendered, but adjusted his thinking. Though it might not have been his intent, the Shrike’s own reputation for not honoring his deals and using poison had led to his whole band choosing surrender. Also, to ease their prison sentences, each of these people would likely testify against the Shrike in court.

None would risk keeling over from the Shrike’s slow-acting poison, especially if it meant they might meet the forever death in the wilderness where their bodies would never be found. No chance of getting a [-Resurrect-] if one died where no one was looking.

Bruce Richbrand approached. He took off his helmet and tucked it under his arm again. “Given all you’ve done, I feel we should share our quest with you before turning it in.”

Godly letters appeared before Glenn, as they had three months ago with Becka.

“Bruce Richbrand wishes to share the quest “Escort Preceptor Fallowpeak to Wolfpine” with you. Do you accept?”

“No,” Glenn said, and the words vanished.

Bruce frowned, yet Glenn smiled to reassure him. “I have my own Quest from the mayor, and besides, I’m a Town Guard. I can’t gain experience. There’s no reason to sap it away from you.”

“Oh,” Bruce said, and frowned. “I’m sorry.”

Glenn shrugged, then reached down to take a firm grip on the Shrike’s belt. He lifted the limp man and tossed the body over his shoulder with no more effort than it would take to lift a bag of flour.

He looked to the rest of the Shrike’s compatriots. “It’s a long walk. Let’s go.”

Behind him, a locked cage full of Cliff Spiders shrieked and thrashed.