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Relias instinctively reached out for the note in disgusted fury, his hand ablaze with a golden light.
“Trust me, destroying evidence only makes matters worse,” Vernie’s tired voice called out from behind us. “Too many people have already seen it.”
“You’re alright!” I cried as I dashed forward, wrapping her in a rough hug. “You’re safe, but you sure stink…”
It finally wasn’t me smelling so bad for once...
“Trash piles,” she said with a shrug before returning the hug. “No one scours them, for good reason…”
“Did someone target you as well?” Relias asked, lowering his hand to his side.
“Not sure,” she admitted. “With all the chaos erupting everywhere, I didn’t want to take any chances while returning. But it’s a good thing I arrived when I did. This note is probably the best piece of evidence showing that hybrids didn’t do this.”
“Because it’s a red herring?” Nora asked.
Vernie stared at her. “What’s a smoked fish got to do—”
“It’s too obvious they want us to blame the hybrids,” she clarified with a sigh.
Vernie nodded. “Yes, but why was only this part executed so poorly? They didn’t even get the phrase right. It’s supposed to say, “‘And when humanity falls to its knees, the hybrids will rise.’ That quote is too long—it’s meant to be a short call and answer to identify fellow hybrid extremists in secret.”
Nora raised an eyebrow. “What else did we miss?”
Vernie glanced around. “The guards were already dead before they were slashed with Tetora’s claws.”
Tetora’s fur stood on end. “I didn’t—”
“You left them behind, and now they’re missing from your room,” Vernie confirmed. “Not that it was hard for someone to steal them; you didn’t even close your door, let alone lock it!”
Tetora howled and punched the wall several times.
“You said they were already dead?” I asked as a diversion, hoping to give him a few moments to process his guilt and frustration.
Vernie nodded. “The wounds hardly bled at all; they were added to the deceased as decoration.”
Master Landon entered the room slowly, striking down his staff to announce his presence. “Poison was the mode of the guardsmen’s murder,” he stated. “Orlathot, based on the smell.”
I couldn’t help but take a sniff, only to be rewarded with the nauseating smell of rusty iron and sour decay. I started to tremble, but Aleph patted my back reassuringly. “Steady now, Gold Dragon.”
Master Landon shook his head. “You won’t find it airborne. A sweet scent lingers even after death around the mouths of those who ingest it.”
Nora frowned. “You seem awful knowledgeable about this… Not that I mean to sound suspicious of you or anything,” she said carefully.
He shrugged. “I’m a skilled dark mage living unfettered in the Holy City. Detecting poison is a requirement for a long life.” He eyed her for a moment. “Is your homework finished yet?”
Over two dozen people were murdered, and he’s worried about her assignment?!
Nora’s hesitation disappeared as she sneered. “I finished it earlier today. Why?”
He allowed himself a small smile. “Then I may freely teach you your next lesson without contradicting myself. How to detect animus residue.”
Nora let out a gasp. “Well, how then?”
“You’re going to have to touch the corpse,” he replied. “Search the body with your mind’s eye. Do you sense any unusual spikes in animus?”
Nora flinched but delicately put her hands on Procul’s corpse. “No, nothing… I… Wait! No spikes, but a general low layer of animus, like a pulsating veil…”
The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
“That is simply due to cellular and bacterial decay,” Master Landon corrected. “Though I must admit you are quite skilled at detecting it. Do not let my praise go to your head, however.”
“I get that some of the cells of his body are alive, but… what’s this about bacterial decay?” Nora inquired.
“It may come as a surprise to you, but there are very tiny organisms that live on—”
“I know what bacteria are!” Nora shouted. “But even they give off animus?”
“And amity,” Master Landon confirmed. “All sentient beings do.”
“Bacteria aren’t…” Nora paused. “Well… maybe they are…”
Master Landon waved his hand dismissively. “Back to my inquiry. You sense no abnormal spikes in animus, correct?”
“Yeah.”
“Then I shall confirm your observations,” he said as he placed his hands on the body. “I concur with your findings, Nora. Had animus been involved, we would have been able to sense a residue in the form of radiating spikes on the body, signaling an abnormal discharge of vital energy in his last moments.”
“For how long afterward?” she asked.
“Up to three days after death if the observer is skilled enough and the body remains mostly intact. For example, if someone is burned to ashes, there is not enough flesh left to detect it. Beyond the three days in any case, less than 1% of the body’s cells would be viable, precluding any chance for meaningful observation.”
“What about amity?” I asked. “You can kill a person with that, too. Should I—”
“No, please allow me,” Relias said. “I would not have you dirty your hands in such a fashion.”
“Both of you should check, if possible,” Nora advised. “Double the confirmation, double the testimony.”
Relias sighed. “Yes, Lady Nora... You are correct in your wisdom, as always.”
I can do this. “The principle is the same as Master Landon said, right? I just…” I swallowed audibly and forced myself to touch the cool, rubbery corpse. I’m sorry for all of this…
A spike!
“The sword!” I gasped and withdrew my hands. “Is it because it’s blessed, or…”
Relias placed his hands on Procul and then moved them to the blade sticking out of his back. “Yes. A spike, indeed. But this sword was not blessed. The hilt resonates the most; a blessing would overwhelm the entire weapon. This sword was most likely held during an enhancement to ensure the blade pierced cleanly. …Or perhaps someone increased their strength before plunging it in. In either case, it is most likely the murderer who cast a spell on their hands while holding the hilt.”
“So now we know this is an inside job,” Vernie announced. “We should share our findings with the High Temple before they run off and do something stupid.”
“I agree about the need for speed, but I think we need stronger evidence and analysis first,” I argued. “I don’t want to give them any room for rebuttal.”
Nora cleared her throat. “Let’s be real. There’s a non-zero chance that the murderer may be part of the General Assembly itself, so we must be careful about what we share and what we don’t.”
Master Landon tapped his staff in his hand rhythmically. “There’s a bit more to consider for the moment. All the guards were poisoned at the same time. Whoever did this must have had access and authority in the kitchen. Orlathot, as I said, tastes sweet. It was most likely added to their food this morning, and not too many foods can mask its flavor, save for something quite syrupy, like a decadent dessert, perhaps.”
Poisoning a dessert… Oh no… I’ll never be able to...
“It’s also quite deadly,” he continued, unaware of my internal terror. “But it takes a few hours to work. By the time a victim notices something’s wrong, they’re already practically dead. That’s why no one screamed or ran for help; they were incapacitated quickly.”
Vernie agreed. “The timing was deliberately controlled and tight. They made sure it happened while you three were in Asha’s refuge and after the rain of information started—which wasn’t at all my plan.” She muttered angrily for a moment. “Never even got to execute mine…”
“What plan?” Master Landon asked with a hint of curiosity.
“Ah… just something I wanted to do in Pravum’s office,” she laughed nervously.
“Ever the prankster…” he sighed in disappointment, much to my relief. “Though I suspect he would have preferred your prank to this.”
Our plot to release the information would have left him alive, even if it was dirty.
Vernie coughed several times. “Anyway… We also know Procul and Pravum would not have eaten the same food as their guardians, and I assume whoever did this wanted to confront them before death… While we’ll never know their final discussion, I think they knew their murderer because instead of trying to flee, they pleaded with them… on their knees.”
If possible, we still need to make it clear that no hybrids were involved… Tetora and Aleph have alibis, but…
“Not to be devil’s advocate,” I murmured absently, only to realize that Relias winced in disgust at my phrasing. “Sorry. But what about those three hybrid mercenaries Procul had brought with him? What happened to Lobo, and, er—”
“Forgive me for not telling you,” Relias interrupted. “But I had them transported back to the Wastelands shortly after their testimony by proxy. The Inquisitor overseeing them will ensure they do not cause more trouble and spend the rest of their lives serving those they have wronged.”
Well, except for Nora and me, but we didn’t want their assistance anyway.
“When will the General Assembly reconvene?” Aleph quietly asked the question we all had racing in our minds. “And what will you share?”
Relias scratched his cheek. “Normally, we would resume a session tomorrow morning, but it is in my purview to request a stay of assembly for mourning purposes. This will allow us time to conduct a thorough search of the Temple and better prepare our public statements.”
Tomorrow, we were supposed to…
I glanced at Nora guiltily, knowing no place outside the Temple was safe anymore. “Looks like we’ll never get that Girl’s Day Out at this rate. I’m so sorry.”
Nora tried to smile. “Murder mystery takes precedence. And I know you’re good for a raincheck.”
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