Open Chronicles Fish Out of Water

[Peripta]

Peripta hadn't known the victim. He didn't know many land-dwellers personally. But her presence on the river bank, bloody and beaten, hadn't gone unnoticed, Especially by him. A few quick moments to pull her away from the water's edge and leave her noticeable for the next fisherman who ventured near was the best he could do, given his appearance.

Now the incident had caught the attention of the Allir guard had been caught, and their patrols were incessant. Not a night went by where their steel and torches didn't illuminate the wilderness. Hunting for the perpetrator, wherever, whatever it might be.

The Kivren knew there was no doubt he would be blamed if he was spotted. No one saw individuals like him this far inland, and they certainly weren't born any goodwill either. So Peripta had been given a choice. He could either run, and forget about ever returning to this corner of land-dweller's domain, or he could try and find the culprit himself.

The former was cowardice, and the latter was all but impossible. No one in the Guard would give him an inch of trust, much less enough to aid their investigation. To that end, he had sneaked his way into a local tavern, left a notice for the owner to send anyone interested in solving the matter his way, and had set off to prepare the meeting place.

A grove of trees, interrupted on one side by the rush of the river, upstream from the victim's location. With plenty of water-root to keep Peripta's gills wet. He had prepared the meeting ground, now all he had to do was wait for someone willing to listen.

If he couldn't get along with land-dwellers, then there was nowhere safe for him.

 

[Lia]

"Listen you fools, just because there's a dead girl doesn't mean it was the work of a monster." Lia growled quietly at the Guard Captain, her hand resting on the pommel of her sword-breaker.

The man was painfully obtuse, refusing to give even an inch of reason or a second of thought to what he was saying or why he was saying it. In his foolish mind he'd found a dead girl, her wounds had been harsh, and that of course meant there was a monster out there.

It couldn't possibly one of the citizens, no, they were pure as the driven snow.

"This isn't your business Ranger."​

The way he used to title was meant to be derogatory, even a fool would be able to see that. Still, Lia decided to ignore, frowning for a moment before she continued.

"The girl was beaten, cut, not torn apart and eaten." Not a beast likely. "This was the work of human hands."

The Guard Captain shook his head.

"Let the law handle this. Go back to escorting caravans."​

Lia simmered, growling and kicking a small bucket at the side of the room before she turned around and headed out of the small Inn. This was the frustrating thing about being a Ranger. She had no real authority, only what was granted to her voluntary by the towns of the Reach.

There was not much she could do...not unless she found the killer on her own.

Peripta

 

[Korak Benthai]

It had been a few years since Korak had left the comfort of his home in Bhathairk. In truth, there was little to miss: a false title, a convenient forgotten hole to hide in, and Orcs to constantly fight. He had not minded any of those, but he had rediscovered his sense of adventure! Now out in the world again, he was able to take on all kinds of new troubles! Like guarding a caravan without being assumed a spy or assassin. Or being mistaken for being a particularly hideous Halfling (which happens far more often than he would care to admit).

Or being wrongfully accused of murdering small children of the local populace. Had he been in the area? Absolutely. Did he do it? Of course not. But, he had evaded detection thus far. The Allirian Guard were cautious, but clumsy. When they had come to the camp to arrest the usual suspects, Korak had already made safe his escape.

But he had unfinished business in the city proper. His contact still waiting on the package Korak had obtained, and the drop was to be in broad daylight. No, Korak couldn't just sneak in and drop it off; he'd have to exonerate himself before he could go in. Love it as he might, his hair made him incredibly distinctive.

So he made his way to one of his reliable contacts.

"Lily! Here bout all the trouble hitting the outskirts? Little girl and all that?"

Lily was a Half-Elf wench at a local tavern, and to those in the know, an information broker. In response to Korak's question, she arched one eyebrow. "Of course I know about it. Try this one on: you're not the only one looking into this, other than the guards. There's a grove up the river where this character want to meet. You're no snitch, no matter what they say about you."

Korak grinned at the intel, then stood up and gave her a kiss on the cheek, palming a handful of gold over to her, then exclaimed loudly, "You're too kind, sweet Lily!"

"Go home you drunk Goblin!" She shoved him off then winked and continued with her work, business as usual.

Well, time to find me this guy at the grove...

 

[Peripta]

Korak Benthai

The grove was quite a ways upstream, requiring the goblin to cross at least one bridge, moderately guarded, in order to reach the designated location. Well off the beaten path and a near half hour of walking required to find it. Whoever it was, their caution was appreciable.

Eventually, after breaking through one last row of trees, the goblin would stumble into the grove. Quiet, aside from the running of the stream nearby, no indication of a campsite or other visitors recently. At least to those lacking a keen eye. An investigation of the area would likely draw some conclusions of this mysterious person's whereabouts.

-

Naturally, Peripta had not been sitting out in the open for someone to arrive. Back to one of the trees on the opposite side of the grove, his skin and scales matching the shade of brown he was resting against, he peered over his shoulder, observing his first visitor.

Not too shabby, but a goblin was as noticeable as he, if not more so. Perhaps a more common land-dweller would make their appearance soon.

 

[Lia]

The innkeeper had grabbed her on her way out, her anger had been more than plain after all.

At first she hadn't quite believed the story she'd been told, but then the more she mulled it over the more it made sense. As much as it claimed to be unlike Vel Anir, Allira and especially the Reach still had it's own...problems when it came to other species besides humans.

There were few who felt comfortable around those who were not their own, and little villages like that made it all the more truth. For Lia's part, she didn't much care.

The Ranger's accepted any and all sort, no matter race, gender, or any other thing that might stand in the way of gaining another recruit. As long as you worked hard there was no stopping you. She had always taken that same attitude. Judging ones character, not their skin.

So, she listened to the Innkeeper, and with all the stealth she could muster made her way to the grove.

 

[Korak Benthai]

Korak had found the grove easily enough, slipping past patrols and affecting a crossing. But to his mounting disappointment, the place was deserted. No sign that he could tell that would say anyone had been here very recently, but the bedding ground fro deer and other such animals made it less-than-ideal for trying to do any kind of tracking here. So instead, settling in for the long wait, he propped himself up on a fallen log and began to tamp his pipe.

He was well into his second filling of the pipe when someone did show, but it wasn't what he had been expecting. A Human woman, dressed in full Allirian Ranger garb stepped into the grove from the road to the city. Korak's first thoughts were to bolt and abandon this fool errand. But, the longer his indecision weighed, the more he was inclined to stay and figure out the truth of this and if this truly was his fellow "concerned citizen".

"Hello there, pretty lady!" Korak took a long draw from his pipe, letting loose a beautiful smoke-ring which he released in her direction. "Lovely evening here in the grove by the river. Thirsty?" He then offered a wineskin to the Human. "What can I call you?"

 

[Peripta]

Peripta, likewise, waited. Settling against the back of the oak, the Kivren did his best to ignore the smoke coming from the goblins pipe. This was going to a long wait indeed.
-
His patience was eventually rewarded by the arrival of a second individual, human. More common, and all the more in his favor to work with. From her garb, he concluded she was some sort of warrior, but outside the light armor and weapons, he couldn’t conclude what.

Peripta would wait until the goblin and the new arrival were acquainted. After all, she might have found her way here on her own accord.

 

[Lia]

She blinked.

A goblin? Not many of those folk around here. "Lia."

The Ranger offered a curt reply, not rude, but not exactly polite either. Part of that was due to the shock. She had hardly expected to find a Goblin here, especially one that spoke common. Generally they tended toward their own tongue or that of the Orcs. At least those she'd met anyway.

"No water." She said waving her hand. "But you can solve a curiosity."

Many of them, she guessed. "Were you the one that left the message?"

 

[Peripta]

Peripta smiles. Now was the right time. Stepping out from behind the tree, still somewhat hidden by their camouflage, the Kivren revealed themselves with a short “ahem,” their magic quickly fading away to reveal their natural blue color.

“That would have been me. Our friend here likely is here for the same reason you are,” Peripta spoke, his voice bearing a slight warble as he spoke to the two land-dwellers. We’re they astute enough, they might notice the pair of daggers, hewn from a mix of stone and coral, that he bore.

“I assure you, I mean you, nor anyone else who lives here harm.”

 

[Korak Benthai]

"Well, took your time in showing yourself, or did you like watching me smoke?" Korak snuffed out his pipe and hopped down from is low perch.

"Hello blue one! The name is Korak." He dipped into a low sweeping bow at both Lia and the Kivren. "And we all seek the guilty party for the murder of that Human girl? Terrible tragedy, far as deaths go. Much prefer an armed fight. So what may we call you? Definitely not boss..."

 

[Lia]

Lia put a hand on her sword, not because of Peripta's appearance, but because of the shock of having someone suddenly step from seemingly nowhere.

Lips thinned for a brief moment, fingers tightening around the hilt of her sword-breaker before she released it with a sigh. "I suppose you think they would frame you?"

The question was an obvious one, the premise drawn from the encounter with the innkeeper.

Alliria and the Reach claimed to hold no prejudice, at least far less than Vel Anir, but it was still there among the common folk. If not the noble merchants.

 

[Peripta]

Peripta looked from the human to the goblin, an inquisitive look on their face. Interesting characters, these two. They would do.

They turned to the human, who was asking the more pertinent question. “That would be the correct assumption. Given my appearance, it would not take long for them to draw several tenuous conclusions. All of them labeling me guilty.” They took another step forward before stopping, hands held in front of them as they continued to speak. “It would be difficult for me if they came to those conclusions. Hence, why I asked you here.”

He turned back to the goblin. “You may call me Peripta. I assure you, though my fellow children of Kiva may be hostile to land dwellers, I have no such inclinations. Outside of the occasional individual who is hostile to me.” Their daggers shifted in their sheathes, a slight threat to those looking for one.

 

[Korak Benthai]

Korak pulled his leg-cutter from its place at his side and twirled it nonchalantly before planting it in the soft ground of the meadow. Then he started adjusting the straps for his shoulder pad. The fur lining was soft and felt comforting against his skin. It had been a gift from a travelling armorsmith he had grown fond of. Both it and his lone bracer. He sighed with the remembrance of a simpler time and his unrequited love. Another time, perhaps in another life.

"What exactly is your plan, Peripta? Aside from Lia here, we don't exactly have a good group for fitting in. I can get in plenty of places without being seen, but we need to be able to go into the city without being arrested and tortured until we confess to a crime we didn't commit."

 

[Lia]

"Rangers can offer protection." She said blankly, though truth be told she had no idea how well that would work with the town watch.

The Captain had already rejected any sort of help from her, and she had a feeling that if she did anything now that went counter to his orders he would likely do something just to spite her. A frown touched her lips, and slowly her teeth sank into her tongue as she thought.

"The body." She asked. "Did you see it?"

Lia had not been allowed to unfortunately.

The injuries the girl sustained might have been a clue to what killed her.

 

[Peripta]

Peripta rolled their eyes at the question, but sighed, and met Lia's gaze head on. "Yes, I did. Or we wouldn't be talking about this." He closed his eyes, mumbling to himself as he clenched one hand. It wasn't obvious what he was doing until he opened his hand, a clutch of red berries squashed in his palm. There was more than just the stain of red juice however, his palm had...

"There was a slash across her face, going from her chin to above her left eye," he began, using a finger to trace the cut across his own face. Where his digit touched his face, a red mark bloomed on is skin, giving a visual replication of the wound. Or at least where it was, if not what it looked like.

"There were cuts along both of her palms, sideways, as if she'd tried to grab something sharp, and slipped," Peripta continued, marking the lines into his own palms. The depiction managed to standout from the juices staining his one hand, though it was still somewhat obscured in comparison to the other.

"The fatal wound, however, was to the chest. It wasn't a cut or a stab. It was more...," he began to mark his chest, between both of his pecs, creating a large splotch of red, "like something had caved it in."

His hands fell, Peripta's body now a strange canvas of various red marks. Creative, visceral, if not a unique way to show how someone died.

 

[Korak Benthai]

Intrigued by their host's talent, Korak stepped closer and examined the false wounds all over his body. "Interesting...were they exactly like this? It looks like more of a rip than a slice.Some crude instrument of cutting, or a claw under the surface. Much more painful than a slice by knife."

As he spoke, he drew shapes in the wet dirt with his blade. One was of a hooked claw, almost a talon. And the other was some blade shaped like a crescent moon (an instrument of torture for those who knew). When he had finished, he stepped back to examine his work, a look of pride settling in. It had been years since he'd seen its likeness, and he rather liked how close the image was to the source. But after a moment or two, he corrected himself.

"As for the crushed chest, I've only known a handful of Orks to be able to throw a punch like that, and I'm fairly certain that they don't frequent these parts."

 

[Lia]

"Intriguing." the Ranger said slowly.

Not human.

No. There were larger humans of course, men who stood head and shoulders above herself, but they would not kill someone like this. The method there was usually strangulation, something far more personal. This...this was not the work of a man.

"A monster." She glanced at the two of them for a moment. "Beast of some sort."

Lia did not want to offend. "There are a few in the Reach who could do something like this, though none of them are common."

 

[Peripta]

"Possibly."

The marks faded away, and Peripta crossed his arms. "Although, I've come to learn that rarity seldom indicates possibility. Anything is possible."

"But I doubt we'll get much further discussing what could have or couldn't have done this by speculating here," the Kivren continued, straightening himself. "I suggest we revisit the scene of the incident. I only had a few moments to peruse it, and I doubt my eyes caught everything of interest."

 

[Korak Benthai]

Korak nodded in agreement with the Kriven’s thoughts on the matter and slid his blade back to his side. “Indeed. Though no doubt the Alirrian Guard have trampled all over the scene by now. Still worth looking into, big folk often miss small things. No offense to the two of you of course!”

He started off at a slight clip towards the river when he noticed the two others were not quite moving to follow. In an exasperated tone, Korak added, “I stowed a small boat. It’ll fit myself and Lia,” he looked straight at Peripta, “I’m going to guess you have yourself covered as far as the water is concerned.”

______________________________________________​

When the small craft cramped with Goblin and Human, and being shadowed by Kriven arrived, it appeared that the guards had already taken all that they had wanted to, the riverside and dock barren all but for its normal complement, though a must shrouded all, so details were difficult to make out.

Korak slowed the boat and waited for Peripta to surface beside before he began his whisper. “Well, here we are. At least the river is easy to follow. If I had to go overland I might’ve missed it. So what do we do now?”

 

[Lia]

She mused for a second, waiting in the small cramped bow.

Lia had made sure to stuff her armor with rags so that the plates did not rattle against one another. It was a surefire way to ensure stealth...but it wasn't exactly comfortable pressing constantly against her. Lips thinned for a moment and she shook her head.

"We'll have to get on the shore." There was no question of that.

She didn't know if the Goblin or Kivren had better low light vision than her, but Lia was just a human. Worse, she was a human with no magic.

The night was as dark as could be to her.

Without waiting for a word Lia slipped from the small boat and jumped into the water, wading through towards the shore.

 

[Peripta]

When Peripta emerged, his eyes would be giving a faint, yellow glow. Occasionally it stopped for a moment, before his companions would realize it was due to him blinking. Whatever he had used for this feat of magic, it had likely been done recently.

"Examine the scene, first," he answered, matching the pace of Lia as she waded to the shore, scanning the surrounding area, "they certainly left a mess for us to deal with." He paused, stepping onto the shore and surveying the area, before turning back to the other two.

"It should be safe for a lantern. Cover it with cloth, and don't speak above an idle conversation voice," he ordered, before turning to observe the area.

A steep, forested ridge formed only a few meters away from the shore, with several trees growing at various heights along the craggy, moss-ridden stone. The footprints seemed to have converged along the lower part where the three were, but other signs of heavy activity from the guard were also present.

"When I discovered her, she was adrift in the shoreline," Peripta started, stepping towards the cliff-face before turning to face his allies, "...there's a likely chance that may have confused their efforts to investigate the incident, but I suppose it gives us more time to arrive at the proper conclusion."

 

[Korak Benthai]

Korak was loathe to ruin his grooming in the murky water of the shallows, but there was no way for him around the fact that they couldn’t afford to bring the boat to the near shore. Anchoring it slowly and delicately, Korak sighed in resignation. Then, when he had steeled himself to the concept and wrapped his blade in wax cloth, he slipped noiselessly beneath the surface of the water.

When he emerged again, it was in the grass of the shallows. His hair lie matted against his head and limbs, and his mouth was stuck in a thoroughly unsettling frown. He looked to his compatriots, only one of which took naturally to the water. “I hope this visit will produce. It is not agreeing with me so far.”

Then, when the three had walked a bit in shore and begun to look at the sets of prints, he noticed it. Perhaps it was only because of his height that he was the first to notice it, or perhaps it meant nothing. Korak reaches out and procured a small scrap of something off a low bush. “Perhaps this will help us to come to conclusions.” He pulled Peripta closer to examine it. Whatever it was, it was strange.

 

[Lia]

Lia crouched low, frowning for a moment and listening to the Kivren as he spoke.

She nodded slowly in understanding.

Part of being a Ranger was investigating murders and robberies out within the Reach. It was a practice that they often had to take part in, though more often than not it lead to dead ends. A frustrating fact of their lack of skill.

Only a few Rangers were true investigators, Lia was unfortunately not one of them.

She had always been better at defending men and women of the Reach rather than investigating crimes. Something that shamed her slightly.

When the Goblin found a scrap of something Lia crouched besides him. "A piece of clothing?"

She said, touching the material softly.

"Silk." Expensive. "From Elbion I'd guess."