Kint glanced at his partner.

Neither has spoken as they rode the empty Tube to the 11th Inkhold District.

Much had been hinted at in their meeting with the Lord. Too much.

He wanted to apologize for even hearing it.

Should he address it? Call it out? Make light of it?

These were not waters he was used to navigating.

He grimaced.

How could he make this better?

Kint remained silent, tension building as they neared their destination.

“Couldn’t keep your mouth shut, eh?” Elsha questioned.

Kint was relieved to see a tenuous smile on her beautiful face.

“You’re one to talk.”

She snorted a laugh.

The tension dissipated.

“Safe to say The Sentinel hit a nerve with our Lord.” She commented.

“I’d say so.” Kint chuckled.

His ‘toy’ comment had gotten under the man’s skin far more than he’d expected.

The Tube began to slow as they approached the 11th Inkhold.

“Thank you.” Elasha whispered.

Kint looked at her, puzzled.

“What for?” he asked.

“You stood up for me. In your own way.”

Her earnest eyes locked on his.

"You had no way of knowing how he might react. He could have killed us on the spot, but you said it anyway."

She shook her head, smiling.

“Idiot.”

“I…”

A tightness grabbed at Kint’s chest.

“I was just irritated, that’s all… You can stand up for yourself just fine.”

“And don’t you forget it.” She replied.

She gave him a soft smile.

“But still… It’s feels good to have someone on your side… you know?”

The train glided to a stop.

Before Kint could reply, Elsha stood, making her way out of the Tube.

The Inspector sat there, the tightness in his chest holding him. The warmth...

He shook himself, hopping out of his seat and hustling to catch up with her as she exited to the streets above.

The two were immediately hit by a blast of humid air tasting of rust. The Shroud was so thick he could feel it on his skin.

They were at a crossroads.

Looking around, it was hard to tell which direction they were facing, the mist too thick to reveal any landmarks.

There was cobbled stone underfoot and Mage Forged apartments on every side. Poorly kept Aqueducts covered in corroding network pipes spread out in all directions.

The Inspectors looked around. There was no one in sight.

“Weren’t they supposed to meet us here?” Elsha questioned.

“I don’t know.”

“This is off to a good start.”

“They’re probably already at the scene.” Kint surmised.

Elsha let out an annoyed sigh.

“Guess we’ll have to find it ourselves.”

She craned her head, looking this way and that.

“Any ideas?”

Kint pointed to the street in front of them.

His partner shrugged.

“Sure. Why not?”

The two made their way down block after block. With the overlapping grays of fog, streets, and stone apartments, they could have been walking in loops and not known it.

Kint made a sudden left turn, taking Elsha by surprise.

“Do you know where we’re going?” She asked.

“Pipes.” He grunted.

“Pipes?”

Kint pointed to the aqueducts above, where dozens of parallel pipes were bolted.

“Some of them are much newer than others.” He explained. “Those’ll be going to the Factory Quarter.”

“How can you know that?” She pressed.

“Because if I was running a business. I wouldn’t trust the maintenance of my infrastructure to the lord of a Mule District.”

Elsha nodded slowly, understanding.

They kept walking, making it another half a dozen blocks before Elsha heard a shuffle from an alley beside them.

Her eyes shot in the direction of the Shrouded street.

Shadows moved in the fog.

“Street urchins.” Kint commented. “They’re common in Mule Districts.”

"You've said that twice now... what does it mean?" She asked.

He looked at her skeptically.

“I’m surprised you don’t know.”

“I was too pretty to pay attention at the Academy.”

Kint gave a harsh chuckle.

“They probably wouldn’t have taught you this at the Academy.” He conceded. “It’s more of a Kadenite term.”

“Which means?” She pressed.

"A Mule District is one where Kadenites are treated like animals.” He said flatly.

“Aren’t Districts structured so that doesn’t happen?” Elsha asked, confused.

“Districts are, but the city has its own economy.” He explained. “When a District has no resources, no river ways, and no culture of success. Land and Labor are all it has left. An enterprising Lord like Crecius might take on the challenge of building something in such a poor district. But most aren’t so ambitious.” He grimaced. “They’re happy to rent out their factories and citizens for easy coin.”

They turned another corner.

“But, why would an Apostle Family allow a Lord to treat their District in such a way?” She asked, “Seems embarrassing to me.”

“There’s a market for it.” Kint grunted. “Apostles need a place to put their dullard children, and the renting lords need cheap labor without the headaches of disgruntled Kadenites.”

"Sounds like the kadenites are getting a tough deal."

He nodded.

"Many die young. Ground down by the work.”

He gestured to a nearby alley.

“The urchins are what’s left behind.”

Elsha shook her head, perplexed.

“It doesn’t seem fair.” She muttered.

Kint chuckled.

“Who told you the Kaden City was fair?"

She gave him a skeptical look.

“You seem to know a lot more about this place than just ‘pipes’ Kint.”

The aged Inspector paused.

“A friend of mine used to live around here.”

“Inspector Kint has friends now… ” His partner joked. "Imagine that."

The two Inspectors arrived at the Factory Quarter. The transition from the residential to industrial setting was fluid. The Factory buildings were made of the same gray stone as the apartments. The only difference was that the Factories were bigger, and had fewer windows.

Now was when the real searching began.

The Inspectors turned, the clacking of footsteps catching their attention.

Elsha groaned as they spotted a young man through the Shroud.

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“Inspectors.” The straight-laced Apprentice bowed.

“Payter.” Kint greeted.

Elsha stayed silent.

“What are you doing here?” He asked.

“The mayor sent me.” Payter stated. “He wants to make sure things go smoothly.”

“So he sent an apprentice?” Elsha questioned.

The boy shrugged.

“I believe his words were, ‘Make sure those two idiots don’t fuck it up.’”

“Well, we’ve already done that, so I guess you can go home.” Elsha quipped.

Kint groaned.

“Really?” The Apprentice asked. “Has something happened?”

“It’s nothing to worry about. Just a miscommunication with the Lord, but it's all sorted.” Kint replied.

Moving on from the uncomfortable topic.

“Do you happen to know where we’re going?”

“Of course.” Payter said, eager. “Follow me.”

Trailing after the young man, Kint leaned over to Elsha.

“What’s your issue?” He asked.

“It’s nothing.” She grimaced. “The boy gets my hackles up, that’s all.”

“He’s ambitious, don’t fault him for it.”

“That’s not it.” She said, shaking her head. “There’s just… Something's off about him. He’s too desperate.”

“Desperate?” Kint frowned, confused. “He’s an earnest kid, Elsha. He just trying to find his place.”

“Maybe…” She whispered, unconvinced.

The three turned a corner, finally catching sight of two black suited Acolytes with purple vests. They flanked either side of a steel factory door.

Several Kadenites loitered in the area, features concealed by the Shroud.

Kint turned to the Apprentice Inspector.

“If you want to be helpful, start by getting a sense of who saw or heard anything last night.”

He pointed to the Kadenites.

The young redhead nodded, making his way over.

“Write down anything interesting.” Kint called after him.

That done, the Inspectors approached the waiting Acolytes.

Kint pulled out his gold Seal.

"Lord Crecius sent us."

The taller of the two men raised an eyebrow.

"You're late.” He noted. “Punctuality is a minimum expectation for those in our Lord’s employ."

"Terribly sorry." Elsha replied. "We would have known how to get here if we were in the Lord’s own district."

The Acolyte sneered at the quip but did not rise to it.

“You’re both aware of the objective?" He continued, raising a questioning eyebrow.

They nodded.

"Good. Then I don't have to remind you to do things the right way. No painting outside the lines."

"We understand." Kint confirmed.

"Very well." He nodded, grabbing the heavy door and pulling it open. "Then you’d best get to it."

The two Inspectors moved toward the opening, but the bulky Acolyte held them up.

"We had the bodies moved to the Mortuary in the 13th." He noted. “So don’t be surprised when you don’t see them.”

"You moved the bodies?" Elsha questioned, stunned.

The two Acolytes gave her a flat look.

“That a problem?” The second Acolyte asked, voice raspy.

Kint felt a shiver go down his spine.

He hadn’t noticed earlier, but the slender Acolyte was definitely the more dangerous of the two. His eyes had the hollow look of a killer and the silver gauntlet on his arm was the weapon of a mage.

“No problem.” Kint cut in, before his parter could get them into trouble.

"You can see the corpses at headquarters if you want." The big one added. “But if you’re doing this the right way, you shouldn’t have to.”

Kint nodded, ushering Elsha inside.

"How are we supposed to solve a double murder without the bodies?" She whispered.

The door closed be behind them with a thud.

"They're keeping their distance." He noted, ignoring her question. "They don't want to be seen steering the investigation."

"Well that would make sense." Elsha snorted. "If they hadn't already moved the damn bodies."

“They don’t want to be seen affecting it.” Kint corrected. “It’s all about optics. Probably some political bullshit.”

“Hmph.” Elsha grunted, moving farther into the open space. “I wonder what it is?”

“You’d know better than I would.” He muttered.

The aged Inspector surveyed the scene, rubbing his fingers across a dusty workbench.

“I don’t know. I don’t really pay attention to the game anymore” She shrugged. “Still, seems like a lot of trouble to go to. Especially in one of these Mule Districts.? ”

Kint shrugged.

“You’re not curious?” She prodded.

"No."

He gave her a sharp look.

“Why are you?” He asked. “Crecius made it pretty clear what our job is. The longer we take doing it, the greater the chance of trouble.”

“Fine.” She sighed, shoulders slumping.

“That means no more antagonizing out Acolyte minders.” He added, nodding his head to the door.

She gave him an innocent eye.

“Not even a little bit?”

“Not a word.” He grumbled.

“Ugh.” She pouted. “You’re no fun.”

“No, I just don’t have a Blessed Father to save me from consequences.” He snapped.

“Ouch.” She whispered, a hurt expression on her face.

Kint grimaced.

“Sorry, Elsha. I’m just stressed. I didn’t mean that.”

“It’s fine.” She gave a wan smile. “It’s a fair point.”

“Let’s just get this over with, okay?” He asked. “I think I’ve had enough of our Lord’s ire for one day.”

“For a lifetime.” She snorted.

Kint let out a chuckle, finishing his examination of the space.

“Check up there.” He said, pointing to the Factories upper level. “I’ll look around down here.”

Elsha nodded, and they began their investigation in earnest.

The aged Inspector explored an aisle between rows of work benches.

Flecks of dust swirled in the light from the windows above.

There were three sets of benches in total, each furnished with slots and cubbies for various tools. He checked under and around them, finding nothing.

Up against the back wall, were three dark furnaces. He approached them, searching the ground for clues. Frustration itched in Inspectors mind as he noticed the towering ovens were not evenly spaced. The gap between the second and the third furnace being twice as large as that between the first and second. He inspected the area, noticing scuff marks in the dust around the wall, like someone had walked this section of floor before him.

He crouched to get a closer look.

There was no blood spatter, hair, or any other evidence besides the scuff marks.

As he rose, a glint caught his eye. Beneath the edge of a furnace, was a small blue sapphire. He reached down to grab it, examining it in his hand. It was just a fleck, probably cut from a larger stone. Likely used in the creation of Wind Weaver’s tool.

He thought of the flying shoes he’d seen earlier today.

"Kint..." Elsha called from above.

He dropped the shard.

Her blonde hair fell around her ear as she peeked from behind the upstairs office door.

"I think I found the crime scene."

The aged Inspector climbed to the second level. He stepped past his partner, into an office that overlooked the factory floor.

It was about the size of the Mayor's office, with a desk toward the back wall, a chair in front, and a cupboard to one side.

Blood was everywhere. Walls, desk, and floor were covered in it.

This was definitely the crime scene.

"Looks like Mage work." Elsha commented.

“What gave it away?” Kint chuckled.

“Alright smart one. What else can you tell me?” She asked, “Cause, without the bodies, this looks like a blasted mess to me.”

"Give me a minute." He grumbled, face going slack.

The Inspector closed his eyes, taking a calming breath.

This surely was a mess, but with a little help, he could find the story inside it.

He took another breath, and as he exhaled his biases flowed away, emotions dissipating. His mind grew quiet, ready to embrace a driving idea, an objective.

He was in the Silent State.

What happened here?

His eyes opened and information poured in.

Blood on the floor. Three distinct patterns. Two on the left, one larger pool by the desk.

Kint moved to examine the desk, He touched a piece of flesh dangling from the corner.

Brain matter.

He looked at the circular spot of blood on the ground and nodded.

One dead body accounted for.

The Inspector turned, examining the other pools.

He cocked his head.

Need a better angle.

Kint stepped slowly across the room, pausing in the center, another pool of blood directly in front of him. He followd the pool to the back wall, a jet of blood spatter spilled across it, drawing a jagged line.

Three blood spots, only two bodies. Blood sprayed across the wall.

He pantomimed a straight punch.

Ejected from the victims back.

His eyes narrowed, on the largest blood pattern.

The torso was severed. Half landed over here...

He looked down at the two patterns.

The rest here.

The second body was now accounted for.

So how did it all go down?

He began putting the pieces together, a narrative taking shape.

But one detail confused him.

He looked around, judging the distance between the door the desk, and there the bodies had fallen.

How did the killer get this deep into the room?

Two options came to mind. Both would work for Lord Crecius’ ends, but still…

Kint’s eyes latched onto the cupboard in the corner. One of the doors was slightly ajar.

He needed to be sure.

The Inspector approached, gently pushing the door aside.

There were a few empty liquor bottles inside, some flakes of blood that could have come from the two dead Acolytes, and…

Kint reached inside, feeling in the corner for something small. He brought the object to his face.

The Inspector's eyes widened, a dark thought pushed to the front of his mind... One that changed the story significantly.

He shook it off.

Not relevant. Not the right story.

But, instead of putting the object back, he took out his tobacco tin and placed it inside.

Kint stood, sliding the tin into his pocket discretely.

"It's definitely a Mage." He posited, coming out of the Silent State.

"Well we know that.” Elsha snorted.

Kint gritted his teeth, irritated.

"The victims knew their attacker."

His partner raised an eyebrow.

“What makes you say that?”

“It’s the way they died.” Kint answered. “And where.”

He moved to the center of the room, where the two largest blood pools were drying.

"The first victim died with a punch to the chest." He started, pointing to the blood spray across the wall. "He was ripped in half from the inside, with part of the torso landing here." He gestured to the blood pool on the left. “And the rest falling here.” He pointed to the second pool. “The second victim had his skull crushed on the corner of the desk over there.” Kint indicated to the brain matter on the desk.

“Alright…” Elsha muttered, nodding slowly. “So what does that tell us about the killer? Other than that he was very strong.”

“The blood patterns tell us that made it all the way to where I’m standing without a struggle, then struck in an instant, killing the first Acolyte.”

Kint pantomimed the punching motion again.

“Which means, either the victims weren’t expecting violence from the attacker.” He posed. “Or they knew they had no chance against him from the outset.”

“Hmm.” Elsha nodded again, cocking her head in thought. “It’s probably the latter.”

“What makes you say that?”

“Because that’s what our lord thinks.” She shrugged. “Most families have assassins on staff, and there’s no way Crecius’ boys would be able to handle them. They’d know they were fucked from the start.”

Kint raised an eyebrow.

It wasn’t a perfect story, but the pieces fit well enough.

Besides, Elsha was right. Her story fit best with what the Lord wanted. Why look further?

The Inspector's hand went reflexively to his coat pocket, where the tobacco tin rested.

“Good enough for me.” Kint shrugged.

“Perfect.” Elsha grinned, turning to leave. “Back to HQ then.”

"Not yet." He corrected, diminishing her enthusiasm. “We still have to meet the neighbors. Get statements."

"What? Why?" Elsha groaned. "It’s all a farce anyway, right?”

"True." Kint replied. "But Crecius wants this done ‘the right way’. Which means, he wants the investigation to look good. And that means canvassing the area.”

"Ugh." Elsha groaned, making her way downstairs. "Isn’t the apprentice boy already doing that?"

"Oh, you trust Payter, now?" Kint shot back.

She rolled her eyes.

"I’d trust a Creeper if it got me out of this Black Seal faster." She huffed.

"Come on." Kint grinned, knocking on the factory door.