"When did you learn of his last name?" Avicia asked patiently whilst she was polishing her hammer with a piece of woollen cloth, her grey hair hang loosely, and her warrior garb was no longer visible, instead she wore a long sleeve navy-blue shirt, a pair of charcoal pants and leather suspenders, her brown leather boots still remained however.
"Whose last name? Goodboar? Or Crowborne?" Fremont replied slightly confused, wondering why she had asked that question? After his heroic story he had expected wonderment and queries relating to the ritual, or Barandir's fighting skills, instead she had asked about the family name of one of his companions?
Avicia released a long tired sigh, she put her hammer down next to her and looked up at her twin with her pale blue eyes, a slightly impatient look could be seen within "I'll ask you one question brother, our cover for this trip is to attend a birthday, whose?"
"Crowborne something!" he answered out of reflex, after which a long silence reigned, realisation dawning on the young man.
Avicia leaned back against the wall that her bed was placed up against, crossing her arms lazily in the process "You understand now? If he revealed that he was a Crowborne when you first met, but that you neglected to mention that you're visiting for diplomatic reasons, it could potentially bring our cover into question, so let me ask you again, brother, when did you learn of his last name?"
With a light nervous laugh he answered "at the interrogation, luckily, I can blame it on my injuries and being distracted" the more he talked the more he regained his confidence "Now we also have company, and considering his long absence and circumstances we are sure to get a good reception when we arrive" he finished with a smile.
"What circumstances?" Avicia queried, as her worries largely dispersed.
. . . . .
A continuous rapping sound could be heard from Lonkar's left hand as he was gazing out of the dining room's window contemplatively. Across from him sat Barandir and Sam, Barandir looked calm, but slightly uncomfortable, whereas Sam was fidgeting in his seat nervously. Lonkar had accepted the bequest of Sam's father, as he felt that the young man, Sam, most likely wouldn't have been involved in anything quite so seriously had it not been for his nephew. His left eye was itchy under the eyepatch, if it could even be called an eye...
"Don't get me wrong nephew" he focused his right eye's attention on Barandir, his fingers stopped the thoughtful rapping as well "I am proud of your deed, and although I don't know you, young Sam, I commend your courage too" his words were nice, but the lack of smiling was a clear warning to Barandir, as such he simply sat, awaiting the remainder of the sentence "however the issue now is that you have bluffed your way out of a very dangerous situation! If indeed the mage was a master necromancer, and they were to find out that you are a powerless person from the Crowborne family, I reckon it would not spell anything good for our family...".
Of course the uncle was correct, however he wouldn't have acted differently had he known beforehand, perhaps he would have re-evaluated his strategy? "Then tell me uncle, what would you have done?" he questioned in a straightforward manner, with clear piercing eyes.
The man sighed "you know darn well that I would have interfered as well!.. The issue lies in two matters however" he lifted two fingers up "for one, necromancers in general are hard to deal with, their magic strange, ancient and exceedingly dangerous when in war! Which leads us to number two point the necromancer might be part of a noble faction, and they might pull the strings for an invasion of our northern territory, although for once I'd argue that our isolation is a good thing, regardless, a mage's revenge can come centuries later" his right eye was penetratingly serious "as it is we don't know what ritual you interrupted! For all you know you have laid waste to years worth of planing" with those words his facial expression finally loosened "but come what may come, let's keep this a secret for now though, it might bring about more trouble than it is worth" Sam finally seemed to relax a bit. However, Barandir couldn't help but frown, mages and their grudges wasn't something that he was wholly unfamiliar with, during the war he had been steeped in battle after battle, and with magic came infiltration of both necromancers and other mages, during a period where knowledge of mages and their magics was woefully little they had to resort to other solutions when tracking them down...
The dining cabin was relatively empty, it seemed that the majority of the passengers were getting off in Cenharb. Barandir had understood from Lonkar that their zeppelin transport was a relatively cheap one, it wasn't as sturdy nor as protective, and the rooms and other amenities were sorely lacking compared to the more expensive rides. In fact in order to travel with a zeppelin across country lines you needed passports and travel documents, luckily Barandir's passport had been amongst his belongings on the zeppelin which he had fallen from. What it did mean however was that most of the people travelling on cross-country zeppelins were either diplomats, merchants, nobles or other rich and or important people, even on the cheaper rides such as the one which they were currently taking.
It was exactly because the zeppelin was quite empty that there had been an available cabin for Sam, who had taken the entire ordeal quite well. Considering the fact that he had to leave his home indefinitely and having to stay with a random family up north, with whom he had only known one person for barely a day.
"It's quite nice here, if not a bit quaint, huh?" he spoke while he was gesturing lightly at the dining cabin, everything from the chairs, to the tables as well as the interior were of a wooden material. It was smooth and the grain in the wood was visible, giving it a strong natural feeling, there was even a slight smell of sawdust. Only now did it strike Barandir that this was most likely a purposeful choice. The name of the zeppelin was even Forest Sky, he couldn't help but feel quite dumb at his lack of comprehension.
Lonkar was stuffing his ever faithful pipe as he responded "you are very right in your observation young Sam, although I imagine an heir of the Goodboar family is used to somewhat fancier accommodations, no?" He asked somewhat testily, Barandir wondered just what the uncle was up to, although Sam didn't seem to have caught on, or if he did, he surely hid it.
With a smile he responded "as a merchant's family we can't be too picky when it comes to profit, usually we travel with our goods, and depending on the secrecy we might very well take inconspicuous freights such as this"
"Good, very good, I am not acquainted with merchants, but I have heard of your family, for better or for worse" the last word holding more pressure than the previous sentence combined, Sam's smile faltered a little "but having heard of your bravery, and your supporting my reckless nephew, even if I can't make a personal judgement, on you or your family just yet, I'd be shameless if I couldn't even recommend you to Mr. Benning's" he puffed a few fresh clouds of sweet pipe tobacco "I can't guarantee that he will align with your family's venture, but if he does, I made sure that he would express that he did so solely because of you" Sam's smile had almost disappeared entirely from his chubby face, but now it returned with vigour, he gave Barandir a grateful look, to which Barandir simply gave a light nod. He had told the uncle about the promise when they had taken off, but he hadn't been sure if the man would've done anything about it, this uncle of his wasn't disagreeable at all.
They had been flying for the better half of the day, having long since left Cenharb behind. As of yet there had been no sign of their ally Fremont, and as such Barandir and Sam made plans to find the man. After a hearty meal, the two left, to go exploring the zeppelin, whereas Lonkar told them that he'd carouse the deck and enjoy the sunset.
. . . . .
The hallways of the zeppelin were empty as Avicia made her way through the passages, the last streaks of sunlight cascading sharply through the windows. She was on her way to find Barandir and his uncle, as it was it would prove strange and troublesome if they met at the man's sister's birthday without having acknowledged the fact that they were on their way to meet with his family. Of course there was also the possible gossip that this might spread. Albeit unlikely, it might reach the ears of worshippers, and despite the odds of anyone piecing together the puzzle of what had happened in Cenharb, it was an unnecessary risk to take, when it could easily be amended right then and there.
Her brother was not with her however as he was recuperating from his injuries, and would need to spend extended periods of each day meditating and recovering. While turning a corner she bumped into a small man, it was a dwarf, he reached a height of no more than one meter thirty and had an elaborate short blonde beard and, he had a dark grey suit on, he walked with a cane. He scowled at Avicia as he continued on his way. Her eyes darted to the dwarfs back suspiciously, the man was obviously a mage, and he was using some sort of concealment spell or artefact, otherwise she would never have missed him, despite his short stature.
Shaking her head lightly she continued onwards, mages were aplenty, and so were their spells, artefacts and other enchantments.
Eventually she had navigated herself to the bridge where the captain and other personnel, such as navigators and ship protection were located. A tall warrior was guarding the entrance, he wore a simple sky blue uniform, with a few protective plates visible on top.
"What is your business here passenger?" His voice was dark and rumbly as he spoke, making Avicia wonder if he somehow had some giant or Jotun blood in him.
"I have been let know, that onboard there are members of the Crowborne family"She pulled out her ticket, and a diplomatic visa "My brother and I are planning to attend social festivities with one of the members of the family in order to improve our trade-relations" she smiled confidently as she continued "and as such we would like to acquaint ourselves with more members of the family, if you can provide me with their room numbers, I'd be much obliged"
The large man took the papers somewhat clumsily, his hands much larger than that of an average person, he looked them over shortly, whence by he asked Avicia to wait, as he would be back momentarily.
Not long after he returned with a gentle smile "your request has been granted by the ship's logger, they are staying on the third floor room 3.12" he returned her papers, and returned to his guarding duties.
. . . . .
The sun was almost gone, but Lonkar still sat on the deck enjoying his pipe and the fresh wind. A flock of large Cliff Ducks were passing by overhead, releasing craggly quacks. They were native to the mountains, and reminded Lonkar of home, although they were still far off from returning.
"Look at those ducks my child, they are common in the northern Magnolia kingdoms of Dormaa, Our home-country Salk and the northernmost Taoru'un" a soft lady's voice rang out.
Lonkar couldn't help but jerk his head in the direction of the voice, Taoru'un was after all the kingdom in which the Crowborne family resided. The lady he saw wore a black mourning dress with long sleeves and embroidered details, her face however was pale, she looked tired, yet her eyes had strength. She was talking to a small child who was sitting in a small stroller, that she was pushing around. The child looked to be no more than a couple of months old, with light blonde hair and tightly packed in different cotton clothings.
He smiled at her "Mrs. you have my condolences for whatever loss you have had, I too am from the north and if you seek some company, you and your child are welcome here"
She looked somewhat surprised at the sudden invitation, but smiled back shortly after "It was my husband, he was caught up in an attack on the Salk Embassy in Cenharb a month ago" her voice became slightly strained at the mention of the husband's passing, but her eyes remained steadfast "such is the life of a diplomat" She picked up her child who was calmly observing everything around her "where in the north do you come from?" she asked politely while her eyes were devoted to her child.
Lonkar was observing the scene with a smile, and sadness in his eyes, the woman had a strong will, but that was not why he hesitated "I come from Taoru'un" he said as a matter of factly, calmly observing her reaction, to which he saw none "Oh, I have never been, but I have read a lot of good things about it"
"Is that so..." Lonkar responded thoughtfully, although the news were recent, and he had just received information about it himself while he was in Cenharb, but from what he had heard there was a war brewing between the two kingdoms. Although this might be the case, this type of war was between kingdoms and not the people, hence he had seen no harm in inviting the lady over for a friendly conversation. Yet she knew not of it? Despite having stayed at an embassy? Had he received bad intelligence? Or was it that she was busy mourning and therefore hadn't caught onto the news? It could also be that she knew, but as a diplomat she chose to be tactful and polite, similarly to what Lonkar was doing. He shook his head, and continued the conversation.
. . . . .
Sam and Barandir were getting kind of lost, and decided to head back to Barandir's cabin to pick up some whiskey, after which they would join the uncle at the deck, there would be time to find Fremont later.
In front of the cabin door stood a lady with grey hair, she was knocking lightly on the door, but to no avail. She was just about to give up when she saw Sam and Barandir come walking toward her. The light from the crystal illuminated the two as they approached. She felt herself caught off-guard somehow, and exclaimed an "ah", to which Barandir responded in kind.
To think that his meeting with the sister would be so akin to the one with the brother, was this destiny's musings? He thought carelessly as began speaking with a smile "You must be Fremont's sister, I believe that we have already seen each other, I am Barandir, and this here is Sam" he clapped Sam on the shoulder, to which the almond haired youth smiled "perhaps Fremont have mentioned us?" he beckoned curiously with a bright smile, wondering why the sister had come looking for him.
. . . . .
Avicia had explained and apologized for her brother's lack of recognition when it came to Barandir being a Crowborne. To which Barandir cared very little, however he accepted the apology; he too would be meeting the Crowborne family for the first time after all, so having some acquaintances aside from Lonkar there would be a welcome surprise.
The trio made their way to Avicia's and Fremont's cabin. Avicia opened the door with a small key "Brother mine, your friends are here to see you" she announced as she entered the room, but to her surprise it was empty. Did he decide to go dine? Or was he simply being lazy? Well it hardly mattered, she could need a drink, and the two fellows by her side had whiskey, they might as well find her brother and get some alcohol while they were at it.
. . . . .
They did indeed find Fremont upstairs at the bar, he was having a joyful and lively conversation with a young tall and stout lady dressed in a matte yellow robe with a cream coloured long tunic underneath, her sleeves were rolled up revealing a contrasting tan skin colour, her hair was a pale brown, and tied up in bun, her arms had tattooed runes on them, in a bright blue colour. She was speaking in a lively manner, and her arms were gesticulating very eagerly.
Sam blurted out loudly at the sight "Desert Mage of the deep south Magnolia!" he quickly held his tongue, but the damage had already been done, and she had turned her attention to the three. Her gaze did not seem to hold any hostility however, as her red pupils observed them, Fremont had heard Sam too, and he quickly stood up at the sight of his newfound friends and his sister.
After introductions had been done, Fremont and the others found a leather-bound couch and ordered some more alcohol. Barandir did consider if he should go get Lonkar, but the man was never one who was overly social, and there would be plenty of time for similar get-togethers during the trip.
Sam opened his mouth a bit nervously "I'm sorry Mezcah, It was not my intention to offend you" there was a slight hint of fear in his voice, which made Barandir glance over at the man, he had never heard of a Desert Mage, although those runes did seem awfully catchy.
With a small smile she answered lightly, her voice carried a strange lyrical dialect "Never mind, never mind, my people might be nomads, but we rarely travel out of the south, which is a darned shame I'd say!" she exclaimed the last word loudly, whilst she took a big sip of her ale. She pulled out a long thin black wooden stick and put it in her mouth, soon after it began to emit a small cloud of green smoke, that smelled like grass and flowers.
The woman reminded Barandir of a close companion by the name of Lisa, whom he known in his previous life, she was from the Outlands, and she was strong minded and steadfast, he smiled under his breath as he swirled the whiskey, his eyes slightly glazed from the alcohol and the memories "What brings you north then miss Mezcah?" he asked, wondering what could make someone who, according to herself, came from a people of nomads who didn't travel outside of their own borders.
Her smile widened even further at the question "Adventure of course!" she stood up and slammed her sandalled foot onto the table, rocking the drinks there "and to see a Snow Dragon!".
"YOU'RE GOING TO SEE THE EXIT, IF YOU DON'T TAKE THAT FOOT DOWN FROM THERE! NO MORE ALCOHOL FOR YOU LOT!" the barkeep yelled angrily.
Mezcah's smile faltered, and her cheeks blushed slightly at the reprimand, but she sat down apologetically.
Fremont laughed loudly, but responded seriously "well Magnolia isn't exactly famous for Snow Dragons, their kin rarely come this far south, even Taoru'un shouldn't have any regular sightings of Snow Dragons" he stated calmly, gazing intently at the lady, it seemed that her outburst had awoken his interest in her even more.
Her momentum stopped had seemed to put a hold on her good mood, and she sank down into the couch "I don't have the papers to leave for Ma'ra'Gol by zeppelin, and crossing the border by foot would take a long time... I am a bit lost now, my newfound friends" she spoke candidly.
Avicia was about to give her words of comfort when her brother interrupted her, with an unfortunate promise "Why don't you just travel with my sister and I, we shouldn't have any problems in getting you across the border, and we're heading all the way to the mountain kingdom of Sandaar; there is a diplomatic outpost from the Snow Dragons there!" He spoke very excitedly, seemingly deciding everything right then and there, completely in the blind about his sister's fury. He got up abruptly "friends, and sister" he smiled as he leaned in for a whisper "I saw that they had a secondary storeroom down the hall, and there isn't a guard there, I bet you that they have some more alcohol there" he voiced drunkenly, as he quickly disappeared before anyone could stop him. However all of them were in a good mood, and they weren't saints, worst case scenario they would have to pay for the alcohol and apologize, but either way, none of them saw it in them to go stop the brave fool.
Shortly after Fremont disappeared, did they smell smoke and burnt flesh, followed by a man screaming "murder!".
. . . . .
Night had fallen, and the four of them had sobered up, Lonkar now sat amongst them, Fremont absent as he was being held in the sealed area of the zeppelin. They had all been interrogated after the incident, and they had all proclaimed the man's innocence.
Lonkar sat thoughtfully, holding his pipe in his right hand, a slow stream of oak'y tobacco smoke escaped its mouth "Let's examine this from a different viewpoint, I'm a researcher after all, I like to lay out the facts first, what I know for certain, before I dabble in the questions, we can always re-examine at a later point, if we find anything amiss" he spoke seriously. The situation was hardly a laughing matter, crimes on zeppelins always involved kingdom governments, every single zeppelin transported goods and important people, therefore any crime upon it would be taken very seriously upon landing, and the captain could collapsed the runes that kept it flying, instantly killing everyone on-board if he deemed it necessary. It was not a situation whereupon they could strong-arm themselves out of, nor did their minor noble status allow them any benefits, Sam couldn't represent his family wtih his minor status, and the twins were from Ma'raGol, a different continent entirely, and not even from the neighbouring kingdom.
Everyone was silent, they had all been intoxicated, although Avicia would surely have been the most aware, however like most warriors, when drinking she would allow the alcohol to take effect, why else would she drink if not to feel the stupor...
"The body was naked, and burnt beyond recognition, and covered in magic concealing Dilapidating dust, of which Fremont had a pouch full of" Barandir stated. When he was a captain he often had to solve and or investigate crimes within the camp, there might even be spies and magic involved, and in that life there had been little knowledge on mages and their ways, so he had to be observant of other facts "it appeared to be a female corpse, and although we were asked to leave the scene of the crime, I saw two stab wounds, one shallow stab in the lower back, and what appeared to be the killing stab from the clavicle, it was these stabs that convinced the captain that Fremont did the deed, and covered it up with some magical ingredient that burnt the body" Lonkar gave Barandir an acknowledging nod.
"Fortunately for us the victim was not in the ship's log, hence she was likely a stowaway, which will certainly work in our favour, if this case goes to trial, however, considering that there are several skilled warriors amongst the ship's crew, I would imagine that they realise that the chances of Fremont making such careless stabs at his strength, are highly unlikely" Avicia argued strongly.
"The captain don't want any trouble, nor a bad reputation" Sam commented silently, giving a strained smile "it can greatly affect the merchandise he will be able to transport if he gets a bad reputation when it comes to safety, and it can also limit his destinations if he is known to have stowaways, they could be political refugees, or other people who have offended those with power" his last sentence dampened the mood even more.
Barandir stood up calmly "well, what are you waiting for, let's solve the murder then, uncle you are the most experienced in magic of the four of us, so if you can go take another look at the crime scene, maybe you can identify what caused the fire, the rest of us will interrogate the passengers" his right arm was behind his back, and he stood tall and strong, giving him a heroic air, his words steady and confident.
Once more the uncle felt like this nephew of his was a whole other person. Hopefully the spiritualist that he had contacted in Cenharb would agree to his request and come to Taoru'un and help his nephew in mending his lost memories. Maybe that would bring back his old personality somewhat, although at the thought, he couldn't help but wonder, that even if the nephew recovered his memories in full, he would still remain changed. Was it simply wishful thinking on his part? Wanting his nephew to remain the same, when he had been through so much, he knew that he liked the man that he had become, but he still missed the man that had been left behind. His facial expression did not express his inner struggles, lest for a slight contraction at his right eye.
. . . . .
Lonkar was standing close to the scene of the crime, he had been denied entry when he had first approached, he was standing with Mezcah. She had insisted on following Lonkar as she was interested in magic that wasn't from the desert. He pulled out a small square yellowed parchment it had a small diagram on it with an empty spot in the middle. With a swift hand he drew a simple rune that turned the paper into dust, that turned into several smaller Blue Winged Rat-birds, native in zeppelins, and known to be a pest and troublesome. They quickly ran past the guard, distracting the man, he instantly followed the rat around the corner. Mezcah gave him a thumbs up, and mouthed 'my turn' at which she clapped her hands together, turning them in opposite directions, whilst she mumbled, making her tattoos turn bright. Next thing Lonkar saw was a strange thin cloud of blue dust flying around the corner where the guard had just turned.
"It will buy us some time" she said mischievously.
The body had been covered with a white blanket with a magical diagram for preservation on it, this was a common corpse blanket, used to keep a body fresh, often used by local law enforcement, or during periods where a family member passed away, allowing the relatives to come and visit the body. They carefully lifted the blanket off of the body and looked closer at it, Lonkar took a look at the burnt slightly curled up fingers, there he saw small pieces of ashen grey skin under the blackened nails. The body was also covered in a thick layer of Dilapidating Dust.
He sniffed the room, there was a clear musky odour present, something had burnt the body, and quickly. He walked around the small storeroom, it was completely full, it would appear the room was not meant to be opened yet. He also noticed that aside from the body there weren't any other burn marks, not even on the floor, this was very peculiar.
Meanwhile Mezcah was examining the door, her tall stature made her taller than Lonkar by half a head "Fremont said that the body burnt as he entered, but that the room had been empty" she mumbled aloud.
"Either someone hid here or..." Lonkar continued.
"...or something activated when he entered the room!" Mezcah finished, a slight smile spreading across her lips "Fremont is not a weak warrior, even if the perpetrator used concealments or other artefacts, I don't think he would have completely missed someone exiting"
"The door is a bit wide, but not by much, furthermore the witness saw the scene almost instantly, and Barandir and the others came from the other side of the hallway, amongst them, I believe that at least someone would have noticed a sneak"
Upon finishing their investigation of the room, they exited, they would meet back up with the others in the dining area.
Minutes later the guard returned with a rejected facial expression, he was moving in slow motion, but seemingly unaware of it, but as far as he was concerned those critters were the fastest of their kind!
. . . . .
There were only a handful of passengers onboard. There was a diplomat and her baby, a dwarf merchant, a male noble of Cenharb going to visit relatives at the next stop, the Crowborne's, Sam, the twins, and Mezcah. The crew of the ship consisted of the captain, the logger, one maid, four battlemages, and four warriors, as well as a bartending cook and a waiter. The majority of the staff had been left been behind on temporary leave in Cenharb, as the flight north was almost always few in passengers.
Avicia had one suspect in mind, although she wasn't sure if there was anything to it, but one thing was certain, the man was concealing something, and it was her brother who was on the line, they didn't need the attention of escaping from a prison in Magnolia. He Hammerfell family could easily take care of the matter, but that would bring unwanted attention to them.
Although it was in the middle of the night, the passengers were still around drinking and chatting, they had all been interrogated, and none seemed to know who the victim was. Avicia moved over to the dwarf who sat with a stately self absorbed man who had a tall hat on, he was giving her a snooty look as she got closer.
"Beat it mage!" she sneered sending a chilling intent his way, he almost dropped from his chair, but quickly collected himself, and got up with a harrumph.
The dwarf looked somewhat confused at the sudden entrance of the lady, he couldn't help but wonder if she was somehow annoyed from earlier, and felt like venting her feelings now? Warriors could be such brutes after all.
"Where were you?" she asked directly.
He was just about to answer, 'what do you mean?', but thought better of it, and answered carefully "I was at the deck taking a stroll" his head bopped around the room, and then pointed at a man who was leaving the dining hall, it was Lonkar and Mezcah on their way to the crime scene "he can attest for me! We were together when we heard the news" he exclaimed nervously.
Avicia sat silently staring the dwarf down, she didn't say a word, but simply got up, next was the nobleman that she had scared off, apparently he had been the witness...
. . . . .
Barandir and Sam moved over to the diplomat with the child, she was mourning, so out of respect they would have to act a bit more tactfully, there was a time and place for being brash, this was not such a situation.
He walked over to the woman who was having a glass of wine while holding her sleeping child. The oil lamp at the table reflecting in the glass, making the wine glitter wonderfully. Both Sam and Barandir gave their condolences to the woman, it seemed that this was not just courtesy found in Barandir's culture. She thanked them silently.
"If you don't mind us asking Mrs. where were you at the time of the crime, you see our fellow comrade is being charged with the crime, and we find it most unlikely" Barandir spoke carefully.
"At the deck" without hesitating she answered in a gentle voice, so as not to wake the baby "I had just had a chat with that man" she pointed at Lonkar who was on his way out with Mezcah "after which I went for a walk around the deck, slowly lulling the little one one to sleep" she smiled sweetly while rocking the small child.
Sam was just about to get up, when Barandir put his hand on his leg to stop him "So you were alone at the time?" his voice quiet and soft.
She pointed playfully at the baby "I was hardly alone, but I heard the call from the entrance, and was right behind Mr. Lonkar and the merchant" she still spoke calmly, seemingly unworried about the questions.
Barandir and Sam stood up, thanked her, and left for a table, it was time to see what everyone else had found.
. . . . .
It didn't take long for them to round up their investigations, and they were all soon sitting around the same table again.
Avicia began speaking, she soon confirmed the dwarfs story from Lonkar, and apparently the witness had been quite reliable, although also a snotty aristocrat. Sam and Barandir Too confirmed the information from Lonkar about the diplomat. Overall the interviews had not been too successful, what they had learnt was limited.
Mezcah and Lonkar were puffing away on their respective apparatus'. The first one to speak up was Lonkar "A flammable ingredient was definitely used, I suspect it to be the blood from a Cremation Dog, it could definitely result in the sort of burns that the victim had, however" his finger began tapping the pipe "...I'm not sure that it would have been able to burn that much in such a short period of time, secondly" his finger stopped tapping as he moved the pipe to the corner of his mouth "There were no scorch marks on the floor, I suspect that the original burn did not happen in the storeroom at all" A quiet spread around the table, this was definitely something that could change the case.
"Furthermore" Mezcah began speaking while waving the thin black stick around with a trail of green smoke behind it "We examined the door, and although we didn't find any magics, there could have been some sort of contraption there that activated the fire when Fremont entered"
"In conclusion we believe that the crime might have happened earlier, maybe even before we boarded the zeppelin" This was the main piece of information that they had gathered.
"Furthermore, there were pieces of grey flakes, possibly skin, under the fingernails of the victim, although we can't be sure what this means as of yet, if anything at all" Lonkar finished off.
This key piece of evidence changed everything! "This means that the body could have been planted on the zeppelin by a murderer in Cenharb, giving them time to get away before it was discovered, it also means that the crew upon the zeppelin are potential suspects" he thought aloud.
Sam corrected his glasses "if this is true, then we can't rely on the testimonies that we gathered either, as the time of the murder might be different entirely".
"Be that as it may, the captain won't just let us interrogate his crew without reason" Avicia spoke up logically "we need to decide on what we're going to do, but I suggest that we rest for now, there is still a couple of days until the next stop" the person in holding being her brother, also gave her the judgement to stop the investigation for the day. The rest agreed to meet up on the deck the following morning.
. . . . .
By the afternoon they had finally made some headway, thanks to Sam transforming into a small golden pig that had been able to sniff out the smell of the Cremation Dog from a different location on the zeppelin, this location was downstairs in the holding area, and although it had been cleaned, they could still see a few traces of scorch marks and blood drops. There had been two stab wounds on the body, one from high up, and one shallow from below, this also hinted towards there being two killers, and not just one. The obvious suspects were the tall warrior that Avicia had seen, and the small dwarf, regardless they knew they had to speak with them again.
What they did know was that the zeppelin had its storeroom reloaded in Cenharb upon the evening of setting off, so that meant that the crime had likely been committed during the night of that very same evening, and moving a body during the day would have been noticeable. This meant that the first person that they needed to speak to was the zeppelin's logger, he would have the passenger list and time of arrivals.
. . . . .
"Listen here, I'm sorry about this, I understand that he is your brother miss, but I can't just go and let you look at our records" A short stocky man with a broomstick moustache argued strongly while he was recording the items in the main stockroom. He dismissively waved his hand at Avicia and Sam. It took everything in her power not to log the annoying gnat, she was normally a very composed person, but when it came to her twin she often felt herself more emotional.
"We'll simply ask the passengers when they boarded" Sam declared as they walked away from the grumpy man.
"But we won't know when the crew got aboard" Avicia spoke hopelessly, her sharp eyes having lost a bit of their glimmer. Sam didn't know what to respond to her words, all he could do was give her a hopeful smile.
. . . . .
"Why don' you just ask the zeppelin's logger Janski about the time that we were boarding the zeppelin" The middle aged waitress responded, her chunky figure slightly trembling in rhythm with the zeppelin, while she picked up the empty glasses. It was late in the evening and they were once again gathered, relaying the information that they had found. Rain bombarded the zeppelin, and thick streaks of lighting could be seen flashing in the windows, a rumbling thunder ever present. The wooden zeppelin creaked in the storm, but stayed steady.
"Is he even allowed to share that information with the passengers?" Sam asked carefully.
"Why of course, maybe he can't tell you the name of everyone who boarded if they want to remain anonymous, but sharing the details of when the people came aboard? Hardly something that is secret, I can access the files too if I wanted to" she replied calmly as she walked away. This made Sam and Avicia look at one another questioningly.
"So Janski lied about the logs" Lonskar spoke, once more reliably puffing away on his pipe "We need to speak with him again..." He smiled evily "But under more private circumstances" his voice slick and full of promise.
"Sam, you go with Avicia to break into Janski's room, and take a look at anything out of the ordinary as well as the logs" Barandir spoke with a slight grimace, breaking into the logger's room could prove a serious crime if discovered, and if they didn't find anything there...
They both nodded and left immediately, although Avicia wasn't too familiar with Barandir, she had noticed that giving orders and laying quick plans was something that came to him naturally, her brother had been correct in his assumption that the man held secrets.
"According to the merchant and the nobleman they both arrived together shortly before the zeppelin took off, and the diplomat came onboard during the evening, spending the night there. Most of the crew was present that night except for the cook and the waitress" Mezcah explained seriously, surprisingly she had found people who were loyal and willing to stand up for what they believed was right, this was rare, she had seen injustice all too well in her life, and surely someday she would solve 'that' mystery too, just like they were solving this one.
"The flakes underneath the victim's nails could have been skin from the perpetrator, however the large warrior guard does not have any defensive wounds, and with his strength it is unlikely that he would receive any" Lonkar spoke slowly.
"The stabbing wounds were not done by a warrior" Barandir responded calmly, making Lonkar give him a glance "they were too imprecise and clumsy, the body was definitely not of a warrior either, hence there would never have been a need to stab twice" Bright light flashed several times in a row, followed by large cracks of lighting.
The three continued discussing the details until Sam and Avicia returned. They had found the log, it matched what they had heard from the passengers, except for one detail, the diplomat had arrived two days earlier, and it looked as if the writing 'With Child' had been added in-between the other names. They had also found Dilapidating Dust, and a box full of glowing white mushrooms, Sam had identified them as the Luna Kingdom's rare Moon Shrooms, they were an alchemical ingredient, although for what it was used he didn't know, he had simply heard his father talk about it before.
Barandir slowly tapped the armrest of his chair, there was still one thing he didn't understand, but it was time for them to talk to Janski. The group got up, and were about to exit, when he saw the diplomat come strolling in with her child, quiet as always, curiously observing the world around it.
He stopped in his tracks "Mrs. please show me your arms" he blurted out with a sneer, a hint of disgust in his voice. Although they had all known that the lady had a few suspicious points, the tone of voice and approach came as a surprise to them all. Lonkar even stepped in, ready to stop his nephew, but Barandir simply gave him look that told him to wait.
At the sudden sentence, she couldn't help but stop and look stunned, but she composed herself quickly "I'm mourning young man, nor do I care for your tone" she spoke loudly, making the few people present in the dining cabin look towards them.
"Now, please!" He continued with a repressed anger, he was confident in his conclusions, and he had seen the sorrow that these types of criminals brought with them.
Silence spread out through the large room, eventually one of the crew members, a battlemage stood up ready to comment.
However Avicia interrupted, the sneaking around, and waiting, and now this lady was making a big deal about rolling up her sleeves? She moved with a flash, grabbing the lady's wrist, squeezing her arm holding it steady, and then wrapped up the sleeve. It all happened so quickly that by the time anyone realised her moving, the lady's arm was already exposed. Underneath was fair white skin, with thin white lines from healed scarring. Avicia sneered as she let go of her arm, and yelled out "We demand a meeting with the captain and Janski, NOW!" She let loose her natural energy in her voice, reverberating powerfully throughout the zeppelin, aside from perhaps Lonkar, she was the most powerful person onboard.
. . . . .
Janski was squirming, and avoiding looking at the diplomat, the lady was sitting with her child on a small chair. They were located at the bridge of the zeppelin, the large windows reflected the wildness of nature as lighting rolled and thunder clapped, thick and violent drops of rain slammed against the windows loudly.
The captain was eyeing Janski and the diplomat suspiciously "so what you're saying is that this lady here, in mourning, murdered some stowaway and paid off Janski in order to cover it up?" his voice somewhat incredulous, he couldn't quite ignore the evidence, and he couldn't help but feel some fear when he realised the strength of the grey-haired female warrior.
"This ordeal is outrageous!" the lady spoke angrily, her baby still quietly watching "I'm not even tall enough to have made that stab wound!" she continued in her fit, only to grab her own mouth the moment she had spoken.
With a sigh the captain looked at Janski with saddened eyes, while he spoke to the lady "aside from me, and the people who found the body, no one knows about this, who told you?"
"The witness, that nobleman!" she replied in a thin voice.
"He only saw one wound" Replied Avicia, she had interviewed the man earlier, and he had only looked once, and quickly.
She looked from side to side, trying to find a helping hand, but everyone looked at her distantly. Janski however completely averted his gaze.
"Remove it" Barandir said angrily "from you and your baby".
"Wha? I...?" she barely had a chance to speak up, when he spoke again.
"REMOVE IT! We have had it with your charades, MAGE!" his voice trembling, a strong killing intent escaping from him, instantly terrifying the woman.
She shakily mumbled a chant under her breath, instantly revealing her true shape, it was a Luna Dryad, a native from the Luna kingdom. She was taller, but not by much, and her skin was grey, her hair white and wavy, she had fine thin features, the baby too was revealed to be a Luna Dryad. She then removed a small pendant that was around the child's neck, and instantly it began crying loudly, apparently it was some sort of relaxation inducing necklace.
The dryad explained candidly what had happened. She had lured the diplomat by transforming into her husband's shape, the woman had then fallen to her knees crying, however when she was about to be stabbed she had grabbed the arm of the dryad and struggled, at which Janski had arrived from behind her, stabbing at her from a low angle. At first everyone felt anger at the deception, but then she told a sad story about how she had escaped the Luna kingdom, and that she had had an illicit affair with mage of wealth and power, and that he wanted both her and her child dead. She explained that Janski had helped her out of the goodness of his heart. Her story played at the heartstrings of the listeners, and for some their expressions showed sympathy.
However Barandir's face remained hardened as he spoke up "And what about the woman you murdered? Was she not the diplomat in mourning?" His voice was calmer, but the anger was still present there "and what about Fremont, who is accused of a crime which he did not commit?" the two sentences were the reality of the matter "I understand, and I sympathize with your plight, if it is true, but what you did" he shook his head, and then looked at the captain "It is your command up here, correct?"
The man stood there looking conflicted, the law of the sky gave him a lot of liberties when crimes were comitted, if it is was true that the diplomat had died by the hands of Janski and the Luna dryad, then that would mean that he should try and appease the kingdom of Salk, but if some powerful person from the Luna kingdom was involved then it might be better to just end things right away and not let anyone know that the lady was a dryad. "I sentence them all to execution!" he spoke determinedly, he then gave the large warrior a look, and instantly he moved, the dryad barely had time to cast a spell before her neck cracked, she wasn't powerful, and as for Janski he was simply a normal man.
The large warrior picked up the baby "How about the child?" he asked nervously.
He steeled himself "I will do the dirty deed"
"STOP!" Barandir and Lonkar exclaimed, even the rest of the group were about to move, the entire thing had escalated quickly.
The captain frowned "The baby probably won't survive if it was to be returned, and I would rather not have a diplomatic incident occur, it could result in more death"
"Then we'll take the child" Barandir spoke in a steadfast tone, when his comrades had passed in his previous life he had taken in children, or helped take care of them for periods, he couldn't let an innocent life pass in front of him without doing anything about it.
Lonkar looked curiously at his nephew, within the last day and half he had shown many new sides to him, and the way he had said 'mage' just a momenta ago had dripped with vehemence, but this decision, he could agree with "Let us take the child" Lonkar affirmed while the thunder rumbled and the babe cried loudly.