Chapter 2: Lots of Questions

"What do you mean you were following them all afternoon?" The guard captain growled at Derek. It had been hours and Derek was tired... and hungry... and annoyed. "What I mean is that I walked after them at a distance far enough away that they wouldn't see me." The Captains lip stiffened and he straightened visibly. "Didn't like that did he" Derek thought to himself. Should have kept quiet, but come off it this was his 5th (His 5th!!!) round of questioning for the night and this was getting old.

"Look I'm not sure how many more times you or your men need to hear it but it went like this. I was hired to follow this man" Derek pointed at the mauled corpse on the bed while to mages cast scrying spells on the body. "-by this mans wife, who was suspicious of infidelity on his account and wouldn't stand for it." The Captains face hardened at the tone Derek took his mustache quivered on his lip while his jowels shook in concealed rage. "Gods he's about to have an aneurism" Derek thought before continuing.

"It took hours. They walked they flirted they kissed, they drank and skipped the last part of their dinner because they were so excited for desert if you take my meaning. Then after entering here apparently the woman either decided to leave from a back window, or decided that the 5th son of the Duke of Coggleshard would be desert and is also a messy eater." Derek gestured across the room at the... debris.

Was it tactful? No. Was it Smart? Probably not. But was Derek too tired to care. Absolutely Yes, and the Guard Captain could go to hell. Derek was half tempted to send him there if they kept him from his nice comfy bed any longer.

If the captain had known the kind of man who stood across from him. He might have taken a more cautious approach. As it was his night hadn't gone well either. First off and alduterous husband having his being used as paint for a canvas was hitting a little closer to home. His guard had found their captain at his favorite Brothel. It wasn't hard. To find him that is. He was a regular so all in all his response time was good, but stories like the one that were already circulating tonight might get the attention of his wife. Who would know doubt link the colorful description of the guardsman finding his captain in a somewhat adventurous and entirely compromising position with her husband who swore that the last time was the last time... twice.

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So he was looking to vent some fear, frustration, and impotent rage at someone. Not that he was impotent the captain thought conscientiously. Instead he would show this mercenary who was in charge.

"Look here you silly fop. I don't care who hired you or what you say you saw." He spoke his voice reaching a volume just shy of shouting. There was a lot of spittle. It landed on Derek's face. His finger Jabbing vehemently at his chest. "I don't have time to waste on a waste of time like you, and I'm in charge here" (He's not impotent). He smiled self satisfied finally having put not just this man but his men in their place. He'd beaten the guardsmen who interrupted his night.

Derek smiled in return took both hands and repositioned himself so the guard captain stood between him and the hallway. "You're right sir" He said feigning meekness. Then blew the captain of the guard off his feet and down the hall with a blast of compressed wind. "You shouldn't be wasting your time while a killer gets away. He nodded to the two mages and the 3 guardsmen who were failing to hide the fact that they were grinning ear to ear. "Goodnight Gentleman I'll check in tomorrow with Captain Moreno on how this investigation is going. I'll make sure he's informed about tonights events." There was a groan from the hallway. "Someone make sure what's his name" Derek hooked a thumb behind him "Captain Grant sir."

"Captain Grant gets home safe, and that his wife knows what a giant ass he is."

One of the guardsman actually laughed. "After tonight sir, I'm sure she'll know. I'll make sure of it" He added in a low whisper. Wincing from the beating the Grant had given him.

Nodding once Derek disappeared. No flash no fire, no smoke, just an exchange of matter.

He appeared on the roof 2 streets away. Looking back and sighing. "Well not the most auspicious end to a job, but done is done." Derek sighed then began making his way home time for sleep. "but first" he flexed his will again using a working of light and shadow and small bird formed from strands of light. "Moreno, Captain Grant is an idiot take over for him. I've got a bad feeling about this one. It may be nothing but I don't think this is going to end with just one death." He sealed the bird with a symbol. a 4 pointed star with a strange glyph embedded in the middle. Then the bird flew off into the night.

"Bed time"

In Captain Moreno's office a tall man with a clean shaven face and long black hair pulled into a tight warriors bun finished listening to its message. "He's alive." He whispered in shock. "After all these years he's alive." And if it was as bad as he thought than Moreno's week had just gotten complicated.