Event Death in the Park

[Octarus]

Walking into the Crone’s shack was so much worse than he’d expected. The great weight in his gut shifted, and suddenly he felt untethered as it all caught up with him. A heady, bitter smoke tangled with the sharp metallic scent that already clung to him. It made him nauseous and his head spin. The floor reached out to him, but really it was him falling to his knees after only a few hesitant steps into the room. Bile burned the back of his throat. Clenching his eyes shut, he focused on his heartbeat. He couldn’t think of the smell, or the body outside, or the killer, or Dannette. It was too much, too fast and he had a job to do. One chime. Two. He lost count, but finally his mind was free to go beyond the thudding of his heart. For the moment at least, the turmoil within him had settled and he had control over the contents of his stomach. He opened his eyes, and took in the room around him, trying his best to ignore his sense of smell. Scanning the sparsely furnished room, nothing really stuck out to him save for the soft glow coming from the backroom. The woman did not have much of note at least in this main room, and he wondered what exactly he should be looking for. A couple tables and some lights. His eyes drifted to the backroom again. Hesitantly, he moved to the doorway, pausing at the threshold for a moment to catch his breath. He could just barely make out the general shapes of the room’s features through the gauzy cloth. Taking in a deep breath, he really hoped he wasn’t about to stumble across another body as he pulled back the sheets. The smoke hit him first, causing his eyes to water. He rubbed them with the heel of his hand and blinked several times to try to adjust to the thicker air. It helped, but not much. Through blurry eyes, he could make out the table and overturned chair. He blinked several more times, and finally he could see clear if he squinted. His stomach roiled as he saw the blood on the tablecloth, and the droplets that trailed towards him across his floor. The trail disappeared under his shoe and continued out the doorway he’d come through. As he turned around, he could faintly make out the darker spots trailing off, possibly out the door he came through, but it was harder to make out in the sparse light of the main room. He looked down at his feet again and sighing with disgust stepped out of the way of the blood trail, leaving a little smear behind. His mind itched to fret more over the shoe thing, so instead he focused on the table. His eyes avoided looking at the blood-stained tablecloth directly. On the table he saw two cups, and a strange deck of cards. Vaguely, he recalled seeing the occasional street peddler in Alvadas with a set of cards, but these were larger, and look like more time had been spent illustrating them. Had she been playing a game with her killer? Had it been interrupted? Neither thought seemed to fit right, but he didn’t know what he wasn’t seeing here. One cup was empty, the other full. One chair had been knocked over. The shelves seemed undisturbed but really, how would he know if anything was missing? Then there were the cards, which as he got a closer look seemed marred by blood in a few places. He hesitated. Had the killer taken these cards out after killing the Crone? If so, why had they done it? Biting his lip, he resolved to go find Madeira and Dev’Ania to see what they could make of the backroom. He turned to see Madeira standing on the threshold, and immediately relaxed. He’d been so caught up in events, he hadn’t even realized how tense he’d been just now, but the sight of a familiar face was enough to soothe his nerves. Her words hit him like lead and filled up the hollowness he’d created to survive this place. “I don’t know. I think that she probably sat with her killer, and it looks like she was playing a game when it happened. The only thing interesting I found was these cards that have blood on them. I think that could mean the killer handled them. Do they mean anything to you?”

[Dev'Ania]

Dev’Ania stared into the distance as she focused on the Crone and drifted into the Chavena. Maybe, just maybe, she would still be able to view Cala’s chavi. It had to work.

She was surrounded by the flowing, luminous cords that weaved past each other. Viewing all of the strands, something felt very odd to the Konti. She could usually point out the strand she was trying to find, but this time, none of them stood out to her. None of them were the Crone’s chavi.

A panic seemed to grow in Dev’Ania as her heart began to race and her breathing became rapid. She needed to find her Chavi. She ran through the cords flowing around her, desperately searching for Cala’s chavi.

“Please, please, please. It has to be here! I need to see Cala’s past,” The Konti pleaded to herself. She paused amidst the tangling cords and prayed aloud to her goddess. “Mother Avalis, please help me find my mentor’s chavi! It is very important that I learn of her recent past. Lives depend on it! Her life depended on it.”

Once again Dev’Ania found herself crying. Whatever Madeira had done was not quite effective here in the Chavena. Or maybe Dev’s emotions were just too strong. It had felt like she was there for chimes while it usually felt like just seconds. There was just no finding the Crone’s strand. There was no sign of the Crone’s past. The Konti finally gave up looking for the chavi that no longer existed. She dropped to her knees and buried her face into her hands.

A deep breath escaped her lips and opening her eyes, she found herself returned to the park and in the same place she was before. She looked up and found Madeira now standing by her side with her hand resting on Dev’s shoulder. Dev had been in the Chavena long enough for Madeira to move from where she previously stood.

She listened closely to what the woman had to say. By the sounds of it, Madeira was successful in obtaining new information about the Crone’s death. It wasn’t the best news, but at least they had something to go off of. Out of the Chavena, the Konti’s emotions were once again contained and she was back to being focused on the task at hand: solve this investigation once and for all. There were so many questions Dev wanted to be answered, but she needed more clues to piece everything together before her questions could be answered in their entirety.

Dev’Ania stood to her feet and followed Madeira into the shack. Even with the Crone dead, the shack still managed to be clouded with the smoke of burning incense. The familiar smell was slightly comforting apart from the added smell of metallic blood. Not so comforting was the sight of overturned furniture and trail of blood leading out the door from the tiny back room. She walked to the back of the shack with Madeira to find Octarus inside looking around. The room was too small and crowded for all of them to fit inside, so Dev did her best to look over Madeira’s shoulder while listening to what Octarus had found.

“Wait. A card game? She wasn’t just playing a card game with the killer, she was giving whoever it is a reading! You didn’t move them around at all, did you? I need to see them exactly how they were left.” Dev’Ania asked the Eth as she pushed past Madeira into the tiny room. She stepped over and around the fallen items to stand in the place Cala would sit during her readings.

[Madeira Dusk]

Every edge of Octraus' body was radiating stress. Madeira watched him for a long moment before her left hand flexed inside its glove, and the dijed stone imbedded in her palm stirred to life. Octarus's edges shivered, pulled, and slowly as she focused his aura spread out in a riot of colour. It's patterns were confused, and full of disturbing, distracted colours. She had been doing this so long she had forgotten what it was like when she saw her first corpse, but she imagined it looked a lot like what the Eth was going through. She blinked away the dijed, but not before she saw a ripple of something move through the corona of colour; something deeper and darker than the rest. But even with the stone she couldn't interpret it, so she let it go.

Octarus gave a brief synopsis of what he thought happened. The Crone sat with her killer, playing a game, when she was stabbed. He supposed the blood on the cards meant the killer handled them.

He asked if Madeira recognized the strange cards on the table. They were bigger than playing cards, and painted with elaborate illustrations. Madeira opened her mouth to speak but the Konti looking over her shoulder beat her to it.

Of course, these were tarot cards. They meant nothing to herself, or, it seemed, Octarus. But Dev'ania was another matter. The eyes studying them were almost alight as she asked if they were moved.

"No, they weren't moved", Madeira mumbled distractedly, clearing out of Dev's way. Something about this felt off. Madeira held her hands out in front of her, first pressing them to her belly, right where she had felt the Crone’s wound. Then she held them at waist height, fingers spread and moving like she was shuffling cards. “Guys, I don't think she was giving the killer a reading, and I don't think the killer laid them out."

She walked the edge of the room, squeezing between the packed shelves and the other two investigators. Her eyes were hooded and focused as she looked down at the scene, studying it from every angle.

“Look at the cards. The Crone’s wound was vicious, so it would make sense if there were drops of blood on them if they were laid out for a reading. But they’re not drops, they’re fingerprints. The killer could have laid them out, but I can't imagine why, and I don't think I saw any blood on them in my vision. No, the Crone was already wounded when she laid out the cards. They’re not a reading for the killer, she laid them out for us.

“She was expecting the killer, that’s why there are two teacups. She was stabbed in the gut while she was sitting in that chair, which meant the killer hand to be at the same height or lower… So the killer had to get close and bend down, or were they sitting too?”

But then how does a person stab some one from the other side of a table while sitting down? That stone spike she saw was big, but not that big. Unless it was…

“A projectile. The stone spike was a projectile”, Madeira ground the heel of her hand into her forehead, as if trying to keep her thoughts contained. “The killer is a petching Reimancer!”

She knew a stone Reimancer back in Alvadas. He was the Isur that made for her prized ghostnails. She remembered being so intrigued by the ability he had to create stone from djed. She begged for a demonstration, and indulging her, Terag made her a black marble… and had the thing fly around the room. She still had the petching marble to this day.

“The Crone knew she was going to die. She was expecting the killer, and was sitting in that chair when she was stabbed. Then she laid out the cards, because she knew we would be here to see them. Then she stood…” Madeira’s finger traced the trail of out the door, “and followed the killer outside.”

But why take the time to lay out the cards? She was dying, in horrific pain, yet she took her precious final moments to lay these out for Dev, and talk to Madeira in her death vision. That meant had to be important. Maybe it was some kind of code, or a clue to who the killer was. She hoped Dev could make some sort of sense of it.

Unable to help with the cards, Madeira stood beside Octarus and out of the way of their only authority on tarot. Remembering his tumultuous aura, she reached out to lay a comforting hand over his shoulder. But something in her paused, and she found she couldn't quite bridge the gap. She had no problem steering him around by his arm in his mortal seeming, but Eth's were so... untouchable. Her hand returned lamely to her side.

But as it did she caught sight of something on the shelf behind the Eth. Amid the beaten and dusty flotsam of the Crones inner sanctum, something small was gleaming and new.

"What's this?" Madeira maneuvered around Octarus, reaching for the small box. Pulling it out, she showed the other two. A card on top, in spiky, scratchy writing, was Dev'ania's name. She passed it to the Konti.

[Octarus]

Octarus raised an eyebrow as Dev’Ania spoke about the cards, her tone suggesting that they were important to this impromptu investigation of his. His eyes focused on the table as he tried to stay as unobtrusive against the wall as possible. The room wasn’t large, so this was difficult for him, but he hoped he wasn’t in their way. Feeling like a lame duck, he looked at each image, trying and failing to infer any meaning from these cards. It was no use, he was no good here, this wasn’t for him. He failed in Alvadas and he would fail here. Octarus bit back a strong urge to slump against the wall, reminding himself of the timelessness of his lives. He had weathered harsher things in his long life. He could see this through. Conceding the floor, he tried to focus on other aspects of the scene to see if he might have anything else that would be useful though Madiera and Dev’Ania seemed to have it well in hand. “I wonder what they were drinking?” He mused, “Maybe it is significant.” You never new with these types. Always reading portents in the strangest, most meaningless things. He didn’t have much respect for the art, but then again, he didn’t know much about it except that he’d been fine so far staying away. His gut told him that maybe it was Alvadas spoiling him on it, but his head didn’t want to concede to that just yet. Taking in a deep breath, he asked. “So, what exactly can we expect from this Reimancer?” He was unfamiliar with the term, but Madeira’s statement worried him. A murdering mage was a terrifying prospect, that was full of unknowns. He certainly had no martial ability, though he did not expect it would go that far. The Shinya were the ones who would deal with this. Still the idea that someone who could conjure such an attack had been here so recently gave him goosebumps. If they decided to double back, he would be in trouble, though he was sure Madeira would be able to handle herself. After listening to everything, he would try to be the first to slip from the room, and then the house to be free of the odors in there. Outside the air was a relief. It had faintly noxious smells that clung to him, but it was subtle enough to take his mind off. Here he could think with a clearer head, and so that is what he did while he waited for the others.

[Dev'Ania]

Dev’Ania stood examining the cards while still listening to Madeira and Octarus speak. Three reversed: The Moon, The Empress, and the Mother of Pentacles; Two beneath them, not reversed: Death and Justice. Madeira was right. It wouldn’t make sense for these cards to be left out for her killer. But what exactly did the cards mean?

“I think you are right, Mads. I guess you guys are going to get a quick lesson in tarot readings.” Dev pointed to the top row of cards, “Okay, so… these cards are all reverse, which means they have a different meaning. The first card, the Moon, when upright, I know it has something to do with illusions, tricks, deceptions. So reversed it must mean the opposite… the revealing of these illusions. It’s the same with the Empress. The Empress is usually a symbol of a maternal figure but if we were to reverse it, it may instead represent a female who has, in some way, maybe lost the maternal side of her? Something is getting in the way of her maternal side perhaps?” Dev’Ania took a tick to breathe before continuing. “And then there is this card, The Mother of Pentacles. Also reversed. I know pentacles have to do with money and materialism. Usually, materialism goes along with someone who is relatively mean, right? And of course, the term mother would go along with a woman, meaning this may be a mean woman who is materialistic?”

She looked up to the other two people to make sure they were following along. “Now the bottom cards. The card of Death. It doesn’t actually represent death in all situations. It can also symbolize the ending of something. In our case… I think it means both. And lastly, Justice. It means exactly as its name states, justice and truth.”

A sigh of relief escaped her lips and a slight smile spread across her face as her attention was, once again, placed on Madeira and Octarus. “I know that was a lot to follow, but this could be one good lead in this entire investigation. This could possibly reveal a lot. The Crone knew she couldn’t change her fate and what was already set for the future. Doing so would be even more fatal. Her power to know so much information is...was dangerous. That is why she didn’t give us information when we visited her, Madeira. She knew we wouldn’t listen to her advice. Instead...instead she had to wait until her time came. If the cards are right, and they are never wrong, then the killer is a female, this mystery is going to be solved soon, and we will get justice for the killer's crimes. We will end this.”

At the end of her speech, Dev’s smile widened for a tick before quickly turning into a puzzled look as Madeira handed her box with a card with her name on top. What was this? She tucked the box between her arm and chest as she opened and read the card.

The card read:

'Dev'Ania,

I'm sorry I could not be of more help. Despite the fact that the life of a Crone is not for you and that you will not replace me when my time comes, I deeply value the time I shared with you as my apprentice. Make good use of what I have taught you, for it is all I can tell you.

-Cala'

She read the letter aloud so as the other two would be able to hear as well. They had the right to know what was written since they were all in this together.

After reading, she folded up the parchment and tucked it into her bag. She then opened the box to reveal what was inside. The first thing inside was a purple silk scarf which she pulled out and rubbed on her cheek. Next, was a deck of tarot cards- aged but still beautiful.

“Wow. This is one of the Crone’s scarfs and one of her tarot decks. I can’t believe she thought I should have these.” The gifts made Dev’Ania feel joyful inside. She had a piece of Cala to hold on to. A way to always remember the small Dhani woman who started Dev’s fortune-telling career.

The Seer began to return the cards and scarf into the box when she spotted a small scrap of parchment.

“Oh? It seems there is something else in here.” She took the paper into her hand and unfolded it. “It’s...it’s another clue, I think. It just says ‘Blue’. Anyone have any idea what that might mean?”

[Madeira Dusk]

"A Reimancer", Madeira explained to Octarus in a whisper while Dev was silently studying the cards, "is a mage that can control fire, air, water and earth with the energy their soul produces. It is a dangerous ability, and if we do run into this mage we should expect everything."

After taking her moment to study the cards, Dev'ania took the time to explain to her two out-of-their-depth partners what they meant. Her explanation was clear and succinct, telling them exactly what the cards meant in the position they were in. Madeira listened closely, so focused on the Konti that she didn't notice Octarus quietly slipping out of the room.

"Taking all those meanings together, do you think it means a woman is carrying out these murders for material gain? Meaning she's being paid for it? A woman who's... caring for someone? Like a maternal figure?" That was the clearest idea she could surface with from that jumble of meanings. Death and Justice could mean anything in this situation, and the revealing of illusions wouldn't help them when they couldn't spot the illusion.

Dev took the box from Madeira's hands and opened it to reveal the Crones last gifts to her. The Spiritist felt a sudden warm appreciation for the Dhani as Dev's face cracked into a bittersweet smile. It obviously meant a lot to her. But the feeling was short lived as the Konti pulled a second note from the bottom of the box, and the reality that they were solving a murder where the victim refused to name their killer came back to slap her in the face.

“It’s...it’s another clue, I think. It just says ‘Blue’. Anyone have any idea what that might mean?”

"Sapphire", Madeira announced immediately, sighing heavily through her nose. It was the only connection that made sense. The Inverted had a weird obsession with the colour that denoted their stage names and even their hierarchy and ranking system. But if anybody was going to be as tight lipped as the ancient Divinist, it would be the illusive Illusionist.

She didn't want to believe the cult of her childhood god would ravage her new home, but it was obvious they were involved somehow. Sapphire even admitted she was the one who started the whole mage civil war that in turn kickstarted the murders. Now it seemed even the Crone was telling them to ask more questions.

"I think we've seen what we were meant to see here. Let's go and see if Sapphire will let herself be found."

Madeira took one more tick to look at the scene before them before following Octarus out into the night. After the heady, blood and incense choked parlour the park air felt almost painfully fresh in her deprived lungs. She stood for a moment on the porch simply breathing before joining Octarus on the grass.

"Are you okay?" she smiled kindly, before looking down at the Crone, who's dark eyes reflected the starlight. "I'll send one of my ghosts to notify the Shinya. I don't want to leave her here, but they won't want her moved." Her eyes flicked back to the Eth, drinking in his beauty that was even more intense under the moonlight. "Dev and I are going to move on. There in a person we need to talk to, one I think you should meet too. Her name is Sapphire, she's one of the Inverted and she's been the catalyst of this entire tragedy from day one. Will you come with us? I know this is a lot, but we need you." She smiled sheepishly, sweeping a few stray strands of hair behind her ear. "We need extra eyes, extra ears, someone from Alvadas who knows at least something about how the cult works..." she waved her hand over the scene, as if to brush it away. "Truly, we need you."

Once the Konti met them outside, Madeira would turn to her.

"Dev, do you remember where my house is? I'd appreciate it if you could take us there." Ever cool and composed, there was none the less a flush of colour high in her cheeks as she asked. She hated to admit that her broken mind couldn't navigate the static city even enough to find her own home only a few blocks away. "We'll try to contact Sapphire with Bird again, and pray she's in a more talkative mood."

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Madeira was pleased to see the Infinity Manor on lockdown, like she had ordered. Her Octarus and Dev'ania stood in front of the tall wrought iron gate, which didn't open even at the creators touch. Deep into the acer property the tall domed manor was dark and silent as a grave, every light extinguished and every resident asleep or locked inside.

The Infinity Manor's consciousness had grown enough to reach every centimetre of its property, but Madeira still hand to press herself against the gate in order to feel it brush against her mind. "Infinity! You've done great, my love. Now, release Bird. Open the windows and let him escape. We will bring him back, I promise."

[Octarus]

In all the lives that he could recall, death never got any easier to deal with. He’d hoped Dannette’s was the last. Now he could see that had been a false hope. After all this was the mad world that had taken a young Vantha’s life, and he had been foolish to think this city would be any different. Stepping away from the house, he looked up the night sky. It was not the soothing presence he expected. He still saw her severed head lurking like a trap within his thoughts. Seeing the Crone’s corpse had dredged all of that up for him, and now he teetered on the edge of despair. Footsteps. Breathing out a long sigh, he wiped away at the corner of his eyes, and looked to see Madeira. His eyes were shiny when they met hers. “I’m fine.” He bit his tongue before he could say more, the world threatening to spill from his lips. Thankfully Madeira filled the void and gave him something concrete to focus on. He found himself nodding before he’d even fully considered her proposal, more than willing to go along with anything just to get away from this place, and its memories. “Of course, I’m willing to see this through” He said with a bitter smile, his eyes flicking between Madeira and Dev’Aina. It was safer to travel together anyways, and he supposed it would be easier to talk with the Shinya later if they all stayed as a group. As much as he felt unsuited to this task, he felt an obligation to see at least where this lead. He owed it to Dannette’s memory.

[Luminescence]

Locked down tight and sealed as it had been ordered, it took the house a moment to respond, but then Madeira felt the brush of understanding against her mind. Up the winding path, one of the windows on the lower floor rattled for a moment as the latch was undone before it swung open.

A moment later, a shape fluttered to the windowsill. Bird cocked his head this way and that for a moment before the cerulean pigeon took to the air, passing low over the heads of Madeira, Octarus, and Dev'Ania with a cooing noise before banking sharply onto an invisible path that Madeira and Dev'Ania would find familiar.

The pigeon, however, seemed much more confident this time, as he lead the way deeper into the peak, going just fast enough that his followers had to jog slightly to keep sight of him.

The blue bird lead the trio down streets in a path vaguely familiar to the two women; the unspoken anxiety that they would once again be lead to an abandoned, dusty house hung in the air between them. When Bird began circling over the house, however, something was different.

It still looked in need of a good few repairs, but the dusty windows were propped open, and there was a light on inside. Bird cooed happily, diving down and fluttering in through the window, vanishing from sight.

There was a long stretch of silence as the trio of investigators approached the door; before any of them could knock, it suddenly swung open. Sapphire stood in the door frame, Bird perched on her shoulder and cuddling up against her neck. She wore the face of a young woman this time, with bobbed blonde hair and warm skin; her eyes were the same sharp blue that they always were.

"Madeira, Dev'Ania," Sapphire greeted the two women, then turned her penetrating, icy gaze on Octarus. "And one of Leth's own. Welcome to the party, Octarus." She smiled thinly and without humour before stepping aside and motioning for the group to enter. "Please, all of you. Come in." She waited for the group to file inside before shutting the door behind them, clicking the lock shut.

The home hadn't changed much since the last time Dev'Ania and Madeira had been there; it was still rather run-down, with the same worn furnishings, though it was significantly less dusty and looked marginally lived-in. The table had been righted, though it was clear of any dishes this time.

"It's not much, but do make yourselves at home. I imagine that this is far from a friendly evening call, though, isn't it?" Sapphire arched a thin brow as she turned to face the three, absentmindedly reaching a hand up and scratching a finger over Bird's neck. Her unwavering gaze flicked back and forth between all three of them. "What's happened now?"

She stood in the center of the sitting room, arms folded as she surveyed the others; there was a worn but clean couch with faded pillows and a tattered armchair if any of the late night callers cared to have a seat. Regardless of if they sat or not, Sapphire remained standing.

Silence hung thick and heavy in the air as Sapphire waited to hear what they had to say, the only sound a soft coo coming from Bird as he ruffled his feathers and preened at his wings from his perch on Sapphire's shoulder.

[Madeira Dusk]

Madeira was out of breath and wiping away sticky tendrils of her fraying chingon off her neck when the trio finally came upon a familiar run-down cottage. Immediately her heart sank. Not this again, she inwardly begged. Let this not be another big cosmic joke at her and Dev'ania's expense.

She approached the door with a heart guarded against disappointment. But before she could even lift a hand to knock, the door suddenly swung open from inside.

A tall woman with chopped blonde hair was smiling thinly at them, the cerulean pigeon cooing contently on her shoulder. Sapphire, Madeira recognized immediately. Not because of her appearance, as she was sure she had never seen this woman before, but because of her eyes. She had never seen anything so disdainfully blue.

The woman greeted the assembled cast politely, if coldly. She seemed to get a kick for greeting strangers in the most unsettling way possible, as she turn to Octarus and spoke his name though it was obvious by his reaction that they had never met. Madeira remembered her pulling the same trick on her, and that stone of unease that it dropped in her stomach.

"Octarus, this is Sapphire. She's part of Ionu's cult, the Inverted", Madeira introduced the stranger to him.

She didn't exactly know that to be true, but she was pretty sure of her guess, given the woman's flair for the dramatic and constantly changing appearance. Not to mention the gnosis that pulsed dully on the back of her slender hand as she motioned them inside.

The inside of the cottage hadn't changed since the last time Madeira and Dev had been there, except for that vague air of being lived in. Madeira glanced at the righted table and quickly away, fighting the embarrassed blush that threatened to light up her cheeks. She prayed to whatever gods that were listening that Sapphire didn't witness the temper tantrum that the dignified Spiritist had unleashed on the place the last time.

"It's not much, but do make yourselves at home. I imagine that this is far from a friendly evening call, though, isn't it?" Sapphire cut through the pleasantries, seemingly determined to get to the meat of the matter. "What's happened now?"

Madeira worked her tongue around her mouth, thinking before she answered. This was the first interaction she had ever had with Sapphire where she had information that they didn't. She shared a glance with the other two before working herself up to speak.

Throughout this whole horrible business Sapphire had a habit of being shockingly unhelpful. She kept what she expected was a lot of information to herself, vanished the one other time Madeira and Dev sought her out, and would tell them where to look, but not what they were looking for. They were always on the frustrated end with this woman. But maybe, just maybe, they could coax more out of her

One thing she knew for sure about the mysterious supposed woman was her flair for the dramatic. It made sense for a follower of Ionu to revel in such things. Perhaps she could appeal to that side of her, to get her more involved in the drama of it all. Actually get her to work with them instead of in the sidelines, doing whatever it is she did.

"There's been a murder", Madeira started ominously, her pale, fish-like eyes wide. "In the darkest part of the Ahleas park, The Crone is at this moment cooling in a pool of her own blood."

Madeira considered herself a good actor, when it came down to it. It came from all they professional lying that was part of her magic craft. She leaned into it, her voice dropping in pitch, like the narrator of a doomed play.

"But the dead speak, and she spoke to us. She knew her death was coming and planned her final moments to reveal her killer: a woman with dark eyes, a reimancer..." She glanced at Dev, uncertain of how to talk about what the Konti had read in the tarot, since she barely understood it herself. In the end she decided not to, letting the Konti dive into the messy subject of fortune if she desired. "And then the Crone raised her blood covered hand and pointed at you, Sapphire. The dead woman seems to think you can help, or know more than you let on."

[Dev'Ania]

Dev’Ania nodded her head at Madeira’s announcement. “I was afraid you would say that.” Her face became worrisome as she exited from behind the table with a sigh. “I don’t get a good feeling from her. I’m not sure why...but something is really strange about Sapphire.”

"I think we've seen what we were meant to see here. Let's go and see if Sapphire will let herself be found."

The Konti agreed. There was nothing left to see and if she stayed in the heavy scent of metallic blood and incense, she would become sick. She needed to leave. She wanted to leave, but something held her where she stood as Madeira stepped out. She knew that once they left, she wouldn’t see the shack ever again - something she had mixed feelings about.

She started her journey at this shack. It was a place she would always keep in her heart, but now the good memories of her mentorship were now tainted with the haunting memory of finding the Crone’s dead body.

She looked around the room one last time, let a single tear stream from her eye, and then turned around to leave.

Dev’Ania joined Octarus and Madeira outside with the tear wiped away, and a gentle smile on her face. She nodded to Madeira’s question. “Of course.” She took a chime to take everything in once more. This was it. Chances were, the shack would mysteriously disappear and she wouldn’t see it ever again.

“Let’s go.”

♦────────────────────────♦

It only took Dev’Ania a couple of chimes to lead the group to the manor. Her memory served her fairly well, as she only forgot the direction of the Spiritist’s home a few times. As they approached the iron fencing that surrounded the manor, she stayed behind to allow Madeira to enter first.

For a moment, the Konti had forgotten how…alive the house was. But, her memory was jolted back as she listened to Madeira speak to the manor, asking it to let out Bird. Still, she stayed in awe of the sentient building.

Wanting to lighten the mood a bit before walking into the chaos she felt they were bound to face, she turned and looked at Octarus with a playful smirk.

“I promise Madeira is not crazy,” she said with a giggle. “The Infinity is somehow able to communicate with her. It really is fascinating.”

It wasn’t long until the manor opened one of it’s windows and let out the blue pigeon. The Konti’s head swung in the direction of the cooing bird then back to Madeira, then to Octarus. “Well, that’s our cue.”

As the pigeon began to fly away, Dev’Ania followed it, keeping pace with the others. The farther they went, the more familiar everything became. This was the same path Bird took them before, which set a feeling of anxiety in the blonde woman’s stomach. A mix of emotions flowed, intertwining throughout Dev’s body. Anxiety of what they would find should they be brought back to the cottage. Anger from feeling like she and Madeira were being tricked, once more, during a time like this. Tonight was just not her night.

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Just as she suspected, Bird led them right back to the seemingly abandoned cottage, only this time it was clearly being inhabited.

Dev’Ania’s face lit up a red of anger. Her fists tightened as they stood in front of the home for some ticks, until Madeira worked up the courage to attempt to knock on the door. Her attempt, though, was unnecessary, for as soon as her hand raised, the door was swung open by a bright, blue-eyed woman - her appearance differing from their last meeting except her distinguishing eyes.

Rage seethed though Dev’s body, leaving her mouth shut and not saying a word as Sapphire welcomed them. She could have said so petching much, but for one, she hated confrontation, and secondly, she decided it would be counterproductive. The only thing she wanted to focus on was finding the murderer once and for all.

Her arms crossed her chest as they entered the cottage. It was cleaner than the way she and Mads left it. Sapphire had offered for them all to sit, but Dev decided to stay standing. She didn’t trust Sapphire for one tick. The woman was a stranger and a trickster. Dev wanted to stay prepared for any moment.

Thankfully, Madeira had taken the lead in talking. explaining what had happened all except for explaining the tarot reading left by the Cala, leaving it up to Dev’Ania. The fortune-teller’s eyes flicked between Sapphire and Madeira. She had known Mads long enough to know that she was up to something by the way she spoke.

Her arms dropped and her fingers interlocked in front of her. An expression of frustration of her face as she looked at the woman. She rolled her eyes with a sight. ”Stay focused,” she thought to herself before speaking aloud.

“It is likely that this woman...seeks vengeance for a loved one. Her strong emotions and love make her most dangerous. Not only is she vengeful, but she seeks material gain from these murders...As if she is not working alone.”

Finished with another sight, she looked at Madeira and Octarus as Mads continued. "And then the Crone raised her blood covered hand and pointed at you, Sapphire. The dead woman seems to think you can help, or know more than you let on."

Dev chimed in once more. “I think it is in your best interest to help us. I am petching tired of all these tricks and games. It has all been too much now. So please...please help us.” Though it was not all of it, Dev had released some of her anger. The Konti hated this feeling of anger. It wasn’t part of who she was.

Realizing she took a slight detour from Madeira’s impromptu plan, she looked at her, once more, without saying anything.