“I don’t get it”
Dave sighed and stared out the window, his back to the unfolding conversation. Mario massaged his temples slowly as he sat at his desk. Perhaps it was the sun – he had heard the people this far south became soft and distractible due to its influence, a heating of the vital humours, but even that could not explain this simpleton’s steaming quagmire of a brain.
“I will go over this one last time Ignatio, please listen closely, then pass the missive to the other guards” spat Mario.
The ruddy faced guardsman stared back blankly- his mind numbed to Mario’s cutting tone by years of monotonous guard duty and litres of weak beer.
“Our dear Lord Lorenzo was murdered by this foul group of individuals, these… Iron stars. Luca is their employer”
“I thought you said they worked for Lorenzo”
“That was a clever ruse of theirs, as they are cunning, unlike you”
“Right…so they worked for Luca… who… worked for Giovanni?”
“Exactly. The elf in the kimono would wear Giovanni’s ring and flaunt it around the tavern.”
“Right. Ok”
“And thus, we have motive, as Giovanni was a jealous man, everyone knew that. He coveted his brothers position. Now Sofia must rule with a heavy heart”
There was a snort behind him as the Dave cleared his throat and continued to gaze out into the blazing sunlight of the courtyard. Ignatio was scribbling onto his parchment as Mario continued
“The Goblin was the ultimate assassin. People hate Goblins, still much hidden animosity since the old wars, something that is easy to awake within them ,so the murderer is certainly very believable to most. His weapon was found at the murder scene, sticking from Lorenzos back”
“I thought we found that in the alleyway with those bodies”
Mario stared at the guardsman. Well well, Even porridge headed Ignatio could emerge from his stuporous haze every so often.
“He likely carried more than one scimitar Ignatio. Regardless it was found in Lorenzo’s corpse. This goblin was then seen running through the streets by multiple witnesses covered in blood, screaming his murderous intent! Such treachery by the Twins! Furthermore, we have a key testimony from the Doctor, our beloved Dr Max, that he broke into her lab, trashed the place, intimidated and threatened her, and worse, she suspects he may have been trying to spread some sort of foul plague which he himself had created. She is worked hard to find a cure, Namthar guide her.
“Shocking..”
“Truly. The also murdered those poor men in the alley way”
“The multiple suicides? They were armed though…”
“Ignatio please, I am the detective. This all occurred after they bewitched Baron, causing him to threaten a crowd against his will, The feral orc attacked him and removed his hand. Baron was due to be a great pianist”
“Baron plays piano?”
“Well not yet, and now, not ever”
“But… erm….Didn’t they… stop the Skoll from attacking us… and the dream monster, people are saying that was them too?”
“The Judges removed the dreameater from its lair, praise Namthar. The Skoll seem to have migrated south of their own accord – how could a small group of ragtag campaigners shift and army of those beasts?”
“I suppose…”
“Worse again Ignatio, the incited a riot” Mario flexed his bandaged hands and grimaced at the thought of the javelin the orc had fired through the crowd, the weapon ripping the air and screaming towards him in a flash. He hadn’t slept for days afterwards and his hand throbbed every time he thought of it.
“They had fled to the sewers, and only hours later, the city was almost over-run by undead, pouring from our sewers, likely their hideout! Their thralls! The good fortune to have the Judges and priests of Namthar in the city, by pure co-incidence, was all that saved us.”
Ignatio continued to scribble.
“And when we needed him the most, our kind, gentle alchemist was nowhere to be found to help combat the undead plague, his apartment was trashed and a huge orc shaped hole was in the rear wall of his house. He is almost certainly murdered, and perhaps raped- we will endeavour to retrieve his corpse during our investigations.”
“Ok. Right. That’s obvious I suppose then. And you think they work for Kossos?”
Well that is a leading theory, isn’t it? Kossos loves foul antics and shadowplay, and would love to take a city like Vicetina before the war starts! A foothold just on the southern border of the empire. They likely wanted to destabilise us with this assassination and install a puppet or somesuch. But with Sofia in charge, things will be right, we are safe from such agents of chaos. Strong and stable Ignatio.
“Right, I think I got all that. Phew. Thanks Mario. I’m Glad youre around.”
Ignatio scuttled out of the room clutching his parchment in his pudgy fingers. Mario glanced at the assorted reports on his desk. Creatures emerging from Grave lake, witchhunters successful further south requesting further funds, the Kruraltai of the Great Khan would follow the great hunt on the steppes. His agents moved fast.. already they had uncovered reports of the herald passing through Selegina. Then there was the South-Hallow “issue”. Karn was pressuring him to clean it all up. Karns mess. He had much work to do in the coming days.
Dave strolled from the window glanced over Mario’s shoulder at the missives.
Dave spoke slowly, lazily, dragging himself through each word until it was stretched to breaking point.
“Well the trap is laid, and the bait clearly irresistible. I look forward to watching them swinging in our courtyard. I will rest easier knowing the necrophage project will remain a secret. More importantly, your employees are idiots, how do you stomach it?”
“It’s a temporary position. I must say, I’m impressed. You assumed the position of a guard quickly old friend even for you, but the Goblin idea.. that was…was an inspired idea”
As Dave bowed politely, Mario listened to the familiar wet sounds of reknitting fleshing and cracking bone. As the figure straightened back up, he gazed now at Mario through milky white eyes, two empty slits flared gently where his nose once sat, and his mottled skin was the dull grey of a cold winter har. The doppler smiled at Mario, an unsettling façade of a smile, full of deceit and cunning.
“Childs play,” he began,
“Dave greeted me on the road by the southern bridge on his patrol. The only thing slower than his wits was his spear. I hid the body under the bridge and assumed his role. In the tavern that evening, I wondered who the perfect scapegoat would be. Giovanni, clearly, but he stil had some political support surely? Then, the perfect candidate just wandered in…”
I thought you needed to physically touch a creature before you could assume its form?
The room filled again with the deep muffled squelches of organs folding, punctuated by clicks of cartilage as joints shrank and realigned. Within a minute, a perfect likeness of Gritgoz stood infront of Mario. He held his hand out, as if to shake hands with an invisible figure, perhaps in bar, perhaps after a simple, well aimed apology.
“Pleazzed to meet you .. Daave” he hissed at Mario.
Mario laughed.
