#earthrunes

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"I'm really all right, " Magnus insists from his healing cot

August glares sternly.

His soul son sighs

"How did it happen," Coradel demands to know.

"Magnus, I realize events have overtaken, but will you tell us what happened?"

A glance at August as they're almost in unison.

"Well, there were bullets, and they're kind of hard ..." he begins to explain "And flesh is kind of soft and. .OW"

His wife has twhacked his ear, mostly because it's a safe part to thwack

Coradel defers to Claire as having that authority as wife, but she looks like she was sorely tempted to do the honors. "Magnus...."

August just watches him steadily.

"I might have stumbled onto a street gang that had been hired by some human trafficers. And by might, I mean I was. "

"If it wasn't for Emma he'd have bled out" Claire glowers

A marsupial huff. Emma has sat upon the Fiona's chest, effectively pinning him to bed.

Coradel sighs. "You couldn't share the fun?"

Magnus looks at Emma "Emma, I am grateful, but you don't have to live there" Then to his mother "Coradel, I'm okay...really. the closest one to my heart was still a good two inches away"

Her eyes go wide with outrage than anyone would dare. "Do they still live?" With the implication that if so, it might be a temporary condition.

"August, please tell your wife and my wife they can't go around beating up everyone who shot me. It's emasculating for one thing" Magnus says

"I don't think I will." Not unkindly. "It might deter you from getting shot."

"I can't what, now?" An imperious look.

Claire nods approvingly to August, then gives a cold look at her husband, "Answer the question, honey, do these gang members still suffer from the delusion of being alive?"

He says "Yes . And I will handle it"

August shakes his head sadly.

Coradel looks like she might just pull rank...but instead she says, "Fine. What about the traffickers? Where are they based, and who are they trafficking?"

August refocuses, nodding. "We may be able to help the victims, Magnus. We must try."

"And without the traffickers, the gang loses financing." A win-win as she sees it.

"I'm working with human authorities on this " he says "It's a pipeline across the nation... and they traffic most foreigners"

"Oh, Magnus! You are infuriating!"

"I know rite?" Claire says

Magnus sighs "i'm just saying...that they have resources and they hired me as a consultant."

"The mortal authorities." He clarifies.

Coradel looks at August, then at Magnus. "That's...Magnus, which side of this are you working?"

"The side of Right, Coradel." August says calmly, surely.

"Yes, the mortal authorities.. " he clarifies alarmed

A haughty look at both. "Traffickers have been used for right, even if they don't always know it."

"Not these trafficers," He frowns "They.. well, mostly women "

"Then I return to what I said before. I want in."

"What do I tell the police?" he says "A group of my younger friends wants to hang?"

"You're a clever boy, Magnus. You'll figure something out. This week. Wednesday at the latest." She folds her arms.

Claire raises a brow. "And if she's going... you can bet I'm going"

"And August needs to make sure the mortals are secure. Perhaps Derynwydd would wish to be given the chance, as well."

Magnus sighs "All this fuss over four bullets"

Claire blinks and looks at Emma, "There were FOUR ?"

August nods, then pinches his nose, closing his eyes with a sigh, at the updated bullet numbers.

A blink. "Four. You were shot with four bullets. Which means they likely fired ten or more, unless they're very good shots. I...do not like these people. At. All."

"And, they traffic in human misery." August points out as a quiet aside.

"Kind of a factor" Magnus agrees with his dad

"That too."

Clearly, she's taking this personally.

"So. By Wednesday then, Magnus." The point of their involvement being settled. "Now, do you need additional glamour? Healer Emmaline, is there anything you think we should do to further help him?"