Chapter Fourteen: The Hanging

“We are here to remember and celebrate the life of own of our very own once again,” Yue declared formally. Her voice was firm and loud, which was strange, considering how much she felt like shaking. Jos’ funeral was today, and, since the Wolf was gone, she had been chosen to lead it. There were significantly less people here than with Diamond; Jos had been a much more reclusive person. Still, there must have been almost a dozen and a half people at the green. Those who knew Jos knew him well, except for Yue. Alyx and Aster were attending the funeral too, but more to support and guard Yue than to mourn Jos.

There was no real body left to bury, and the body parts in the forest had mysteriously disappeared, so the coffin was sadly empty, a reminder that this was no simple death. This was a murder, done by one who had not found justice yet. Jos had been murdered in cold blood, and it made Yue’s blood boil to think about. Jos had just wanted to help her. She closed her eyes, and felt hot tears fill them. When she opened them again, they spilled out. She saw two or three people smile sadly as she cried.

“Jos didn’t deserve what he got,” Yue talked. She was improvising. She hadn’t had the courage to write a speech. It had only made her hurt more. “I didn’t know him well, but for the few hours I did, he seemed very genuine. He saw someone hurting, and only wanted to give him aid. Where’s the sin in that?

“I was broken when I met him. My friend had died, and I was breaking down every minute. My friends and I didn’t know what to do. One person did, though. Through all this, one person came to help, and, though I didn’t appreciate it enough until later, I am eternally grateful to Jos Tillermann. He had the courage and the wit that no one else had to chase the murderer. He wanted to give a newfound friend some closure, and he stumbled on something greater than himself. It’s a pity he’s gone, because the world’s a little worse without him.

“It’s a little funny, really. With Diamond, I didn’t have much to say. I was grieving inside, and I was so shocked, I didn’t have words. But with Jos, I’m grieving on the outside for all those who didn’t know him,” She cried publicly, and for once, wasn’t ashamed of it. “I’m grieving for all to see what a tragedy it was to see him taken from us before he could accomplish anything.

“But I’m not just grieving,” Yue continued, her voice turning hard and gravelly, “I’m also angry. Because Jos didn’t just pass on. He was killed, and not in a quick way either. He was sliced open, still alive. Someone cut off his ear, his leg, his hand, and finally, his head. I never found his torso. God knows what trials that man had to go through. And why? Because he was a good man. And now I’m angry. Because I want to see the killer brought to justice.” She could see the small crowd getting inflamed too. “I won’t rest until Diamond and Jos’ killer is himself killed. And it’s one of us! We are the Vanguard, supposed to stick together and work together to create a safer world. Instead one or more of us is murdering others. Whoever you are, I hope you’re listening.

“You are not part of the Vanguard, not really. We will find you, all of us, and when we do, you better pray to God, but I doubt even he will listen. You killed innocent people, and their blood is on YOUR HANDS! When I find you, I will torture you until you beg me to stop, and then I will let another have a go. You will be brought to justice. While I still have life in my bones, I will not stop this hunt.”

She stopped to regain a little composure, and her voice softened. “If anyone has any clues, any information, any evidence, even just a rumor, dammit, please talk to me. I promise I will bring the killer to justice. Thank you. That is all. Jos, I hope you rest in peace wherever you are now. I’m sorry for what happened. It’s my fault you’re dead. I should’ve said no to your help.” Sobs racked her body once again. “I should’ve said NO!” She screamed. Many shifted uncomfortably on the grass, and Yue smiled grimly, wiping her eyes. “If anyone wants to talk about Jos, please come up. I’ll be here after the service if anyone has anything to tell me.” She stepped down, and Aster and Axyl rushed to comfort her.

— — —

“Thank you, that was a beautiful speech,” Shalla told her. Shalla was a shy brunette, who had known Jos ever since he’d joined the Vanguard. Not many people had seen Shalla since Jos’ death, and her eyes were tear-stained and swollen. A small smile touched her lips now, though. “I hope you find the murderer.” She hugged Yue. “I’m sure Jos appreciated what you did here.”

This was the fifth person who’d come to talk to her about her speech and how good it was. Alyx was holding her protectively, but Yue just felt comforted. She was glad she could make some people feel better. She did the best she could, and that’s all she could do. She was just glad no one blamed her for Jos’ death.

Shalla left sadly, and Joanne took her place.

“Hey, Joanne,” Yue greeted her warmly. “Thank you for being here. I know Jos really valued you.” The tall, lanky black-haired girl shifted uncomfortably. “Do you have anything to tell me, Joanne?” Yue said softly.

Joanne bit her lip, then burst into speech. “I think Eva is the murderer. She told me about how she relishes the feeling of pain. She loves torture, Yue! I overheard her talking, too. She was talking to herself about how Jos’ death was beautiful, and how his dead body was a work of art.” Tears burst on her face. “I saw her holding Jos’ head.”

Yue’s anger grew. “I’ll talk to her. Thank you for telling me, Joanne. In fact, Eva has always been my top suspect. It’s good to have that cleared up.”

Joanne cringed. “I’m not sure it’s her.”

Yue nodded mollifyingly. “Yes, yes, I know. I’ll talk to her about it.” Joanne nodded and walked off.

Alyx spoke in Yue’s ear. “You really think it’s Eva?”

Yue looked at her. “It must be. Eva is evil, Alyx. Pure evil.”

Alyx nodded. “I agree. But Joanne ratting her out like this is not like Joanne at all.”

“I agree,” Yue responded. “But her friend did just died. Give her a break.” Alyx frowned but nodded. Yue heard footsteps coming towards her. She looked ahead, and saw an unfamiliar Vanguard woman coming towards her.

“Who’s that?” Yue asked.

“Deserey Villians. New recruit. Been here for about two months. Her best friend was one of Jos’ best friends.”

Yue grunted. “I wonder why she’s here.”

Thankfully, she didn’t have to worry long. “Yue, I need your help,” Deserey told her.

“What’s up?” Yue asked.

“My friend is missing. I saw her yesterday at night getting into bed. When I woke up, she wasn’t there anymore. I thought she was having breakfast or something but she wasn’t there. She wasn’t at Jos’ funeral either, which was strange. I haven’t seen her at all today. It isn’t like her to run away. I don’t know what happened.”

“Your friend was Jos’ friend too, right?”

“Exactly,” Deserey responded frantically. “Her name is Rosalia. Can you find her?”

“I don’t know. Do you know any place she usually would go for some peace and quiet?”

“I do,” Deserey said, “But she wanted me to keep it a secret.”

“Did you look there?”

Deserey shook her head. “She wouldn’t be there. She loved going there with Jos, and refused to go there after Jos died. I heard her talking about tearing it down.”

“Well,” Yue told her, “It can’t hurt to look. What is it? And where?”

“It’s a treehouse she built with her dad. It’s nearby, in the forest where…”

“Jos died,” Alyx finished. “Do you think maybe…”

“The killer struck again?” Yue said. “I doubt it. But I do understand why you wouldn’t want to go there, Deserey. We should check it out. Why don’t you come with me, and we’ll check it out with some of my friends? How does that sound?”

Deserey’s lips curled up gratefully. “Thank you. I’d appreciate that.”

— — —

“Wow, this is creepy,” Neena said. “I don’t know if I’d ever come here willingly.” Deserey looked at her erratically.

“That’s what I always told Rosalia, but I always felt safer with her.”

Yue, Deserey, Alyx, Aster, and Neena were at the entrance to the forest, armed, ready for anything. It was very improbable the killer did anything to Rosalia but it was always best to come prepared. Alyx and Aster both had drawn their swords, but Yue kept hers sheathed. She would draw it if she needed to, but so far there was no reason to walk around paranoid.

“Deserey,” Yue said, “Lead us in.”

Deserey nodded softly, and entered the well-lit forest. Immediately, she veered off the path, and walked left. Yue noted that the site where Jos died was in the opposite direction. As they walked deeper into the forest, the more Yue realized how vast it was. An army could be hidden in here, and it would be almost impossible to find, unless you knew what you were looking for. Neena shivered and walked a little faster. Alyx tip-toed around the forest slowly, disgust written on her face.

“What are you doing?” Aster whispered, chuckling.

“I don’t want to step on anything disgusting,” Alyx responded, cringing. “Plus, there are probably lots of poisonous bugs here. I don’t want to get stung.” Aster laughed softly, and Alyx glared at her.

Deserey took a sharp left, and Yue followed. The forest was growing thicker, and the sun was quickly blocked, leaving the forest even more ghostly. Yue wondered how many people had gone in here and never gone out. It wouldn’t be very hard to get lost here.

As they passed, a flock of birds squawked and flew away from the trees. Their beautiful azure plumage left a sense of wonder on Yue’s face. She loved birds. They were marvelous. She watched as they flew upwards, quickly disappearing in the foliage. She smiled, and kept walking.

Eventually, they reached a small clearing, and Neena asked for a rest. Yue hadn’t even realized they’d been walking for so long, but it had to have been at least half an hour.

“We’re almost there,” Deserey declared. “Just a few more minutes.” Yue nodded, and off they were again, Deserey leading the way to something that would inevitably be disappointing.

“We’re here,” Deserey said after about five minutes. Yue looked around. She couldn’t see anything in the trees. Where would it be? “Up there,” Deserey pointed, and finally, Yue spotted it. It was located on a big tree, and it was very hard to spot. She was sure that unless someone was specifically looking for it, they would never see it. It was big, though. She was sure that at least twenty people could fit in there comfortably.

“How do we get up there?” Alyx asked.

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“Rosalia didn’t like ladders,” Deserey told her. “She always climbed it. That’s what we have to do.” Alyx groaned a little, but didn’t complain.

“I’ll go first,” Yue said. “Is that alright?”

“Yes, please,” Deserey responded.

Yue walked up to the tree and planted her foot on a small foothold. She began to climb the tree, and, as she did, she heard creaking coming from the treehouse. Someone was in there.

“Hello?” She yelled. “Rosalia? Are you there?” There was no response, and Yue started to feel a little anxious.

“Aster, do you have a dagger?” She asked as she kept climbing.

“Yeah, why?” Aster responded.

“I might need you to throw it in case someone’s up here.”

“What?” Deserey asked. Aster nodded curtly.

“Nothing,” Yue said, “I’m sure everything’s fine.” She finished climbing and crawled into the treehouse.

It really was massive. She could stand up easily here, and there was still plenty of room to spare. It was a simple wooden house, with no furniture or decorations that she could see. It seemed like a place to relax, to spend the day reading, or to focus on an important project. In other words, it was very homely.

That is, except for the thing hanging from the ceiling. As Yue got closer, her eyes widened, and she gasped in horror. Deserey walked in and saw it immediately. She screamed, a long, painful shrill that cut deep into Yue’s heart.

Rosalia was hanging from a noose naked, cut in several places. Her face was bloated, and the rope around her neck had clearly cut deep. There was a knife below her that she’d used to cut herself beforehand. Her face was a mask of serenity, the opposite of what she must have been feeling. There was no mistaking it.

Rosalia had committed suicide.

The killer had struck again. This time, though, it had been secondhand.

— — —

Hours later, Yue lay in bed. It was now late afternoon, and she was tired and sorrowful. Everytime she thought life was done hitting her, it hit her harder.

It had taken a long time to quiet Deserey down long enough to get her down from the treehouse. Then, with the help of her friends, she had carefully extracted Rosalia’s corpse from the noose. Deserey asked to bury her here, and so that’s what Yue did, although there would definitely be a funeral later.

She had had to walk back with a broken Deserey, whose eyes were now hollow, without life. The only thing Deserey could do now was cry.

Yue called a Vanguard meeting, and it’d taken long enough for everyone to arrive. Once they did, though, she’d been forced to tell everyone what happened. Shockwaves went through the Vanguard as they processed this suicide. Many showed outrage at the killer and the consequences of what he’d done. Most showed sadness in their faces. Yue had announced a formal funeral to be held a few days after, and had immediately gone to her room to fall asleep.

She’d found Deserey already asleep in the barracks, and even in sleep she was shaking. Yue had fallen asleep quickly and had only woken up now. Deserey was also awake, and crying visibly. Yue didn’t know what to say.

“I know what you’re feeling right now,” Yue said tentatively.

Deserey nodded. “I know. How did you get through it?”

Yue shook her head. “I didn’t. I’m still going through it. Every time I stop for a second, my heart beats in pain. When I think, I inevitably feel a flash of pain, and I can’t stop the tears. Every time I speak, I hear Diamond calling out for help. It’s normal, Deserey. You have to go through the pain.”

Deserey looked at her. “I don’t know if I can take it. I don’t like pain, Yue. I would do anything to take it away.”

Yue cocked her head at her. “Not everything.” Then she repeated it more silently, standing up. “Not everything.” She walked out of the barracks, only pausing to say one thing. “If you need me, Deserey, just come find me. I’m here for you.” She saw Deserey nod, and closed the door.

As she wandered around, Yue’s head wandered too. She was thinking of the murders and the suicide. She needed answers desperately, before anyone else died. In other words, she had to find Eva.

It was time to confront her.

She found Kol at the green.

“Do you know where Eva is?” She asked. He shook his head, and opened his mouth to talk to her. She didn’t feel like it, though, so she just walked away, feeling a twinge of guilt.

She found a girl relaxing on a bench and recognized her immediately. It was Cali, Eva’s friend. Yue's mouth curled downwards and she stomped over to Cali.

“Where’s Eva?” She asked gruffly. Cali looked up at her, eyes narrowing.

“She’s at the Refectory. Why do you care?” Yue didn’t respond. She just stomped off once again, this time in Eva’s direction.

She arrived at the Refectory and looked around. There was no one here. Had Cali been lying to her? She looked around and noticed Eva walking away. Yue growled and ran at her, yelling for her to stop. Eva turned around and looked at her scowling.

“What do you want?” She asked.

“I have to ask you about something.”

Eva growled. “What?”

Yue sighed. “I know you have Jos’ head.”

Eva looked up sharply. “Who told you that?”

“I can’t tell you that,” Yue responded. “But I also know you’re a masochist. You love pain, don’t you? I think you killed Jos.”

Eva gasped. “Why would I do that? I would never kill Jos! Who told you I would…” She teared up, and suddenly Yue understood.

“You loved Jos, didn’t you?” She asked. Eva nodded sadly. “That’s why you had his head.”

“I buried him,” Eva said. “I’ve always had a crush on him. We’d been talking the day before he died, and he admitted his love for me too.”

“I’m sorry,” Yue said. “Joanne just..:” Eva’s eyes rose, and Yue realized what she’d done.

“It was Joanne who accused me, wasn’t it?”

“I can’t-”

“I can’t believe she would do that!” Eva said. “What a traitor! If I find her…” Thankfully, she left the threat blank.

“Please don’t hurt Joanne,” Yue told her. “She’s just trying to help.”

“Help? Help?” Eva screeched. “She accused me of murder! How is that supposed to help?” Eva sighed. “I’m sorry, Yue. I don’t want to scream. But I can’t believe that you trusted her. You really thought I could murder Jos?”

“I heard you talking about Diamond and how you would’ve killed her and she deserved her death, so I thought you might’ve done it.” Yue’s voice was soft, and Eva glared at her.

“You overheard me? I don’t even care how. Just because Diamond deserved it doesn’t mean I would kill her!”

“What did Diamond do to you?” Yue asked sharply. “I need to know.”

Eva bowed her head. “I can’t say.”

Yue nodded. “Fine. I’ll see you around. I’m sorry for accusing you.”

Eva grabbed her shoulder and bit her lip. “You won’t tell anyone about me enjoying pain, will you?”

“I won’t. I promise.”

Eva looked grateful for once. “Thank you, Yue. Don’t talk to Joanne today. Please.” Yue narrowed her eyes, but walked it off. Eva wouldn’t do anything, right?

It didn’t matter now. Yue was sure that Eva couldn’t be the killer.

But who was it then? Joanne?

— — —

“So Eva isn’t the killer?” Xander asked.

Yue shook her head. “I don’t think she is anymore.”

“So you think it’s Joanne, then?”

“It’s possible. She’s certainly acting suspicious, throwing accusations around.”

“Could just be concern,” Xander replied. “Her friend died recently.”

“That’s true,” Yue said. “But I’m not sure. Remember, she worships Dautha, and we oppose him.”

“But how would she know? When Diamond died, nobody knew we were planning anything.”

Yue fell silent for a while. She was visiting Xander in the little hospital. She had eaten dinner, and in a couple of hours, her friends would all reune here to talk about the day. She had felt like talking to someone about the day, and Xander had been a good option. He was a good anchor for her, a willing and reliable friend. He was still stuck in the hospital and would be until the next Seventh Day. He hated it, but Yue always reminded him he needed to heal. She would hate it if something happened to him.

“Maybe she eavesdropped,” She told him.

“Why? It would have to be a major coincidence that she listened to us during the very conversation that we talked about Dautha,”

“She could’ve heard us say Dautha and listened in.”

Xander bit his lip. “I doubt it. She might’ve done it, but I can’t see how.”

“If not her, then who?”

Xander shook his head. “Could be anyone, I guess. I think we’ll have to start a process of elimination soon.”

Yue looked at him. “That’s genius. We’ll have to start asking people for their alibis discreetly.”

Xander arched his eyebrow. “It’s harder than you seem to think it is. People will be suspicious if you ask them what they were doing on a particular day.”

“We’ll have to split up and try. We’re able to eliminate most of them. Most people weren’t watching Diamond’s game.”

“That’s true,” Xander’s eyes lit up. “We need to tell the group about this. It just might work.”

Yue smiled. “Finally, there’s some hope.”

“There always is, Yue. You just have to look for it.” Xander smiles at me warmly. “Thank you for visiting. I expect you to come back in two hours.”

“You know I will,” Yue responded, standing. “I hope you get better soon.”

As she left the hospital, she finally felt a little warm inside. It was always good to talk to your friends when life got hard. She began to walk back to her barracks, feeling light. She passed Deserey on the way there and her smile slipped a little. Deserey was clearly haunted. The Vanguard felt like it was falling apart. Many in the Vanguard just looked depressed. Who was doing this? Who could be so cruel?

She wondered if this would jeopardize the Vanuard’s victory in the tournament. If they didn’t win, war could ensue. Some nations would think that the Vanguard wasn’t as elite as they thought it was. They would grow cocky and attack Magefell. That would be a huge problem. Surely the murderer knew this. Maybe war was the motivation.

She groaned. There were too many motivations for the murderer. It was hard to pinpoint which one he would have. That made it even harder to guess who it was. She had to find out. Yue was desperate.

She reached her barracks, and opening the door, she heard something. It sounded like someone grunting, maybe screaming. She could hear something that resembled a fight. She looked in the barracks. There was no one here. Where was the noise coming from? Her mind swam with possibilities, and she closed the barracks door.

She listened, trying to pinpoint the location of the scuffle. It seemed to be coming from somewhere behind the barracks. She walked to the other side, and what she saw shocked her.

Joanne was on the ground, and Eva was on top of her, punching her. Joanne was barely conscious, but had the energy to scream for help. Eva was raining hell on her, and Joanne couldn’t do anything about it.

“EVA!” Yue screamed.

Eva looked at her wildly.

“Eva, you need to stop,” Yue told her forcefully.

“I can’t,” Eva said, “She accused me!” She punched Joanne again, and Joanne’s nose spurted blood.

“Eva, I’m going to have to report you for this.”

Eva sighed. “I know. But I don’t care. Joanne can’t do this to me.”

Joanne sobbed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t want to hurt you. I just thought—”

“SHUT UP!” Eva said, punching her again. “I DON’T WANT TO HEAR YOU SPEAK.” She kept hitting Joanne while Joanne sobbed.

Yue decided it was time to step in. She grabbed Eva and pulled her off. Eva didn’t resist. She sagged in Yue’s arms and glared at Joanne.

“Don’t come near me again, Joanne.” She said, “Do you hear me?” Joanne didn’t respond. She had gone unconscious.

“Now I have to take her to the hospital. Thanks, Eva.” Yue glared at her. “You’ll get suspended for this.”

“It was worth it,” Eva smiled. “I’m a masochist, remember,” She continued sarcastically. She licked her lips, and Yue cringed.

Yue dragged her off, and saw Aster. She asked her to take Joanne to the hospital, and Aster went off to do that.

Yue reached the command center, still dragging Eva. She told the scribe there what Eva had done, and the scribe nodded and sent a message that would reach the Wolf. The Wolf would either suspend Eva or put her in a cell. They should have a response by tomorrow, if they got a mage on the job.

Either way, it wasn’t Yue’s problem anymore.

She was tired.

She needed rest.

Too bad she couldn’t have it. Not yet.

Not until the killer was found.