[Lhavit Quest] A Crack in the City [Closed]

[Vendaril]

“Let’s go,” murmured Tao, and Vendaril was completely willing to follow his lead. They made their way slowly back into the crowd, the Symenestra walking backwards, unable to tear his eyes away from the alert Shinya guards, scanning the area for suspects. The two were women, but Vendaril had no doubt they were lethal in combat, capable of beating down men twice their size. That was how he had heard the Shinya to be – when need arose. Hopefully they would not see fit to use violence. What are you saying? One of the more sensible voices in his head piped up. Hopefully we won’t be seen. No chance of that however, as one of the peace-keepers locked eyes with him, and began to plough her way through the onlookers. Vendaril found himself shuffling to a halt, paralyzed with terror. This was surely it. This was how he would die. A lengthy shudder ran down his spine. Quick as a flash, the woman had a steel grip on his arm and was leading him back to the epicenter of the crime scene. She spoke in thick Lhavitian, commanding and unused to being disobeyed. Vendaril didn’t plan on making a break for it any time soon, not with her on watch. The young woman gathered them with two other individuals – were they Haeli and Brig? – and asked them if they could help with the investigation. That certainly caught Vendaril off guard, surely she couldn’t be serious? She couldn’t have forced her way through the thronging masses simply to ask him for help. That’s not how it goes. It must be a ruse, she’s seeing how I’m going to react being this close to my supposed victim. Still, it was preferable to the locale rising up with their torches and pitchforks. Not that are were many of either item in Lhavit a smart-arse thought chirruped. Not helping, replied another. Since he was here, the Symenestra decided he may as well inspect the body. He wanted to seem as helpful as possible, just in case the guards decided that they ought to arrest him after all. Shuffling over to the corpse, prepared to spring away if anyone questioned his motives, he crouched over the dead man and inspected his wounds. He had the neck punctures typical of a Symenestra strike for sure, but something seemed amiss about the cadaver. The use of blood as paint was certainly unorthodox – it seemed such a waste of nutrition. But then, he countered, perhaps it from some supremacist cult making some kind of point. Not a pleasant thought, Vendaril doubted his presence in the city would be tolerated much further if killings such as the one before him continued to occur. The blood had dried to a rust-brown colour, flaky as he ran a hooked nail over the cold breast it was daubed upon. The poor man had died some time ago. Vendaril wondered how long he had lain there in the Lhavitian half-light before some unsuspecting member of the public stumbled upon him. The wound on his right forearm had bled itself dry, but oddly enough there didn’t seem to be a substantial amount on the cobbles about him – no large pool that you’d see after a pub brawl. He supposed the killer had hung around a while to use it in painting his masterpiece, not squandering what could be used to befoul the victim. Maybe that’s a clue, he thought, pondering over the body. If so, he ought to mention it to the Shinya when he had a chance. They both seemed preoccupied with keeping the gathering audience though, so he returned to the dead man. There was something else that was continuing to bug him about the killing. Suddenly it clicked. He prodded the man’s chest again, with more force. Piercing the pallid skin he peered into the incision. Just as he though, just regular meat, muscle tissue and fat. Surely if he were killed by the Symenestra’s Kiss, he would have dissolved into soup by now? The corpse seemed pretty old… This could get him in the clear! The Shinya needed to hear about this immediately. He called out in Lhavitian to the nearest girl, calling for her to come over. OOCThe girl he calls at the end can be Pain or Raiyiri

[Tao]

Tao was no stranger to death, though perhaps not as firm an acquaintance as the others that had gathered. His mother had been dead for his entire life, and he had understood that, and he had experienced it first hand when his father had slipped from his life not so long ago. No, it was the murder that shook him. He could tell that he had paled. All the blood had rushed from his face at even the thought of looking at the body so close. The stench of death was hanging in the air, in every breath he took, enough to make him choke. He shrunk back from the scene, eyes directed anywhere but back at the bloody corpse. The Shinya woman had come out of nowhere, it seemed, grabbing Vendaril roughly, her Lhavitian heavy and limited but still clearly an order. He had hesitated when she had grabbed him, not sure if he should protest her actions, when she had taken the decision out of his hands and grabbed him too, causing him to all but squeak with terror. Her grip was firm and painfully tight, not giving him the option to pull away. Moments later, they had been standing in what felt like the inner circle of the crime, the crowds finally getting the message and moving away. Leaving just them and the dead man, lying twisted and dead on the ground. He waited for the accusations to fall; Vendaril was a Symenestra, so he was the killer! And Tao was his companion, so he had to be an accomplice! The angry words had to be the first thing coming from the mouths of the two Shinya, for why else would they have brought them in? But no such outcry came. His thoughts scattered in his terror, he only barely listened at Raiyari spoke, to both the other two that were standing there and Vendaril, requesting their assistance in the examination of the body. Overlooked, he watched out of the corner of his eye as Vendaril reluctantly complied, stepping away from the Shinya that had grabbed him to lean over the body, inspecting it for clues. Swallowing sharply, he turned away, wrapping his arms around himself without thinking, biting down on his lip to control his expression. He didn't want to show the two Shinya how frightened he really was, unaware that his own body language was betraying him. Keeping still, he quietly waited for someone to ask questions of him or to just dismiss him from the whole horrific scene. Time passed. Vendaril remained crouched over the body, the two Shinya keeping an eye on him. The other two watched as well, though for what he was not sure. Swallowing around a lump in his throat, he turned to look more directly at the people around the corpse. The two Shinya women were calm, handling everything without so much as a blink of the eye. The other two that were standing close by were not dressed in the uniform; civilians, like himself. They seemed vaguely familiar, but it had been a long time and he could not remember either of their names. And of course, there was his friend, more focused on cooperating with the Shinya to keep his head than to be panicked by a dead body. He had never felt so distinctly out of place before in his life. In an effort to keep calm, he began to count under his breath, taking his mind off the death and trying to place it elsewhere, focus on anything else. Inadvertently, the words written on the man's chest sprung to his mind; written twice in his own blood, both in Common and Lhavitian. Something about that seemed so odd, and he couldn't quite put his finger on it. Writing it in Lhavitian he could understand, but what was the good of putting it in Common? To make the message reach more people? But what was the point of such a cryptic message in the first place? At first glance, it was like someone was trying to pin the crime down on a Symenestra. He knew this sort of thing from books; the crime fit too well for it to be true. That was an old trick, easy for even a child to see through. So, either it was an incredibly incompetent killer, or the word 'Kalinor' was more important that it first appeared, and he highly doubted that someone capable of murdering someone right in the middle of Surya Plaza would be incompetent. Maybe... it's the other way around. It's not a message from Kalinor. It's a message [i]to the city.[/i] He wondered. It didn't make much more sense than before, but many puzzles and ciphers could only be solved by looking at them from an opposite angle. He was missing too many pieces of information to make a definite conclusion, either way. Thinking about the puzzle had calmed him somewhat, though he was still undeniably tense. He wondered if he should suggest the theory to one of the Shinya women. He glanced over at them, stern-faced and busy, and quickly decided against it. If there's any truth to it, they'll know already, won't they? He thought, biting his lip. There was nothing else to it, then. He would just have to wait for one of them to realise how very useless he was at the scene of their crime and let him scamper off home.

[Brig]

Finding Haeli whole and safe in the middle of all the confusion eased a great deal of Brig’s tension, though not nearly completely. The city’s usual business and its ebbs and flows were foreign enough for a creature reared primarily in the wilds. One that was a part of the wilds himself. Humans were strange, except for Haeli, and their ways still seemed nonsensical to the Kelvic as often as not. His fellow raccoons, wolves, birds, even the fish in the streams…their ways seemed much more logical. There were dangers here he’d never have conceived of, and was having trouble figuring. She was safe, but she was still surrounded by illogical creatures who were carrying on in an equally confusing language, the air immediately surrounding her felt like death, and it all raised pricks of tension across his flesh and caused the hair on his arms and the back of his neck to stand on end. He even turned his head and bared his teeth a little, fixed a gaze defensive of Haeli on the one who told them to stay put. He did though, only because his bondmate did. Kalinor, he thought as he turned his attention from the female who seemed to be taking charge, back to the body lying on the ground. He didn’t know the city, and the only Symenestra he’d seen was the one he’d come across on his first night in the city. That one and his unpredictable ways, Brig had considered might have the madness that so many of his raccoon cousins got and died from. Everyone seemed to be yelling though, a new one had come along with orders, dragging two more figures with her. But Brig stayed crouched next to Haeli and looked at the body more in earnest. He tilted his head curiously, even lowered and sniffed, eyed the surrounding ground, thinking something might have left a trail or scent there. But there was nothing. Or maybe something, mixed and mingled beyond immediate recognition by the combined scents of other humans nearby, and scuffed over time and time again by shuffling feet. He glanced at Haeli, as if to tell her it was harder than if it had been in the wilds, that if there was something there he’d need more time without being pressed on to get a proper scent or look for markings. The word murder in any language was a foreign concept. He was as confused as Haeli was, but no matter she would sense it, he tried to conceal it anyway. Protecting her, it was all that mattered, especially when there were humans around who did things without rhyme or reason. And then there was Tao and the Symenestra that he’d seen when he’d first come to Lhavit. Vendaril didn’t have the madness then, Brig thought. If he had, he’d have died by now. He’d stay though, because Haeli was staying. And if his senses could be of some use, he’d offer them up. ”I’ll help,” he said as he stood up beside her.

oocmy apologies everyone for my delay. RL’s been crazy but finally getting back to normal

[Elhaym]

Pain folded her arms across her chest, rocking back and forth on her chest as Vendaril went about his business. He seemed focused on the wounds, peering at them scrupulously. "Well," Pain mused, "If any were to know anything about them, it would be him I suppose." Her attention waned as be began inspecting the larger wound, her gaze settling on Tao. Though he looked shaken, Pain thought little of it. What could have been a glaring symbol of guilt was translated in her mind as simple disgust with the situation. Still, as he stood he seemed to find some way to cope and his body became more relaxed. He seemed to be considering something, something in which Pain might do well to learn. Before she could act however, Vendaril called out to them. Pain's head snapped to the Symenestra, but quickly stifled her own steps. She nodded to Raiyari; she was in charge, not her. Instead, Pain moved towards Tao. She leaned in close, speaking in a low tone as not to disturb Raiyari and Vendaril. "Forgive me for earlier, but I just thought that having his eyes would be helpful. I must have scared him senseless, I bet." She muttered in Tao's ear. She was new in Lhavit, likely newer than the two of them. She didn't have the same mindset towards the Symenestra as the Lhavitians did, though her own opinion was not exactly one of high regard. "Just a moment ago, you seemed to be thinking of something. I saw you relax a bit, so I thought you may have caught something. I know this is weird, me asking you and all, but I'm just an Acolyte." She said, finishing with a bit of embarrassment in her voice. To Tao, her speech would come off different than most he had heard coming from a Shinya. Her way of speaking was undoubtedly casual, and it was her Lhavitian that was heavily accented, not her Common. No doubt more experienced Shinya investigators would arrive soon. Pain could only hope to gather as much information as her intuition and the civilians she had gathered could offer.

[Haeli]

Haeli finally spotted Tao and Vendaril when they untangled themselves from the crowd, both folks she had met before. She liked Tao and had tried to like Vendaril, but his personality tended to flare to the dramatic and it made her nervous. She knew good Symenestra, the type that were worth knowing and calling a friend, and they were nothing like the Symenestra she'd met here. There was obviously something fishy going on, between the body and the pushy Lhavitians that tried to control the crowd that would not seemingly be controlled.

The whole situation made Haeli nervous - really nervous. She glanced at Brig, then back at the two women that were dealing with onlookers. Now that Tao and Vendaril were here, Haeli was sure one of them would point out the obvious: the body wasn't fed on even though it looked like it had been bitten. She'd thought that from the start, but the Symenestra would hopefully point it out as well with more authority than she could provide. No one would believe her anyhow if she told them she had a friend in Kalinor and had visited there. Well aware that her lack of dark hair, proper dress, and the looks that were distinctive to all Lhavitians made her somewhat less than reliable, the girl made a decision. Haeli reached out and touched Brig's arm then, quietly glancing towards home. She lowered her voice quietly, so only he could hear.

"I'm going to slip off home, Brig. You stay if you'd like, but the people here are making me uneasy. It's like they've never seen death before. And to kill someone without eating them, for seemingly no reason... it's not natural. I do not want to stay here. There's so much work at home anyhow. They won't miss us leaving, at least not me." She offered him a smile, reached out and kissed his cheek, then turned and slipped into the crowd, heading for home.

She wouldn't mind if Brig stayed. He'd be good help to the people on the scene. But as for Haeli, she wanted no part in what she saw unfolding within the Plaza. Home was better, less insanity and that was important to her. Humans still confused the girl. Dhani would have handled it better, with less excitement and more organization. For a moment, just one, Haeli wished as she had so often as a child, to be part of that race and not part of the one she was born too.

[Brig]

Brig could feel Haeli’s heightened nerves washing over him, could see it in her eyes. He felt hers, and he felt his own growing discomfort with the pressing crowds, the Shinya who spoke as often with words he couldn’t begin to understand. He could read enough of their ways though, the tenseness in their voices and in their stances, that he didn’t like it one bit. The kelvic wasn’t accustomed to figures of authority. The only one he truly recognized was his bondmate, completely, but these were not Haeli. The pressing bodies and mingled sounds and scents didn’t help. Whoever had done it could be standing right beside them, watching, he, or its scent already gone to mix with too many others. If Haeli hadn’t decided she wanted to leave, Brig was close to insisting they did. He was no use here, he thought, and he was only concerned with her safety. Vendaril had come and crouched down, poked and run his clawed fingers across the body. And the kelvic only frowned deeper, a quiet huff of disapproval rising up from his chest. Now there would be more scents to confuse what he might have found there before. If the corpse hadn’t smelled of Symenestra then, it would now to mix one with another, he was sure. So many feet shuffling about meant that if he had smelled anything interesting to shift and follow, the mingling trails in the plaza would leave him tracking in circles. ”I’m going with you,” he said when she kissed him on the cheek. ”I can’t help here now. It's not like the wilds. Too much touching, too many feet. And too many trails,” he explained. The Lhavitians had their own ways of solving things, he thought. Ways so different than his own that even as he took stride beside Haeli to return home, he worried that he’d never make sense of them.