Private Tales S.A.P.

[Kiara]

Put him out of the equation, then, you should be able to return to your normal life. I mean, you should, since you exposed his dirty little secret, I'm sure that you'd be forgiven. So I guess you are stuck with my guilt for a while." he chuckled.

Kiara tilted her head, confused, why was he chuckled, anyway she was never good at reading or guessing what was on others people heads.
“What if I don’t want my old normal life back, don’t get me wrong, I like the college, it’s the place that i call home and of course I would be happy for being forgiven and could return to it whenever I wanted, but what if I want something else..?" she said lowering her head even more.

Kiara was now sleeping for just a pair of hours, suddenly she just woke up in panic, jumping out of bed , her heart racing, she could feel all her body shaking, it was pure fear.
She looked around her trying to understand what was happening, she just had a hell of nightmare, but for some reason she couldn't recall what was it about. Then she spotted Jaken eating an apple.
“Good morning , sorry if I startled you” she said reaching one hand to her head, she was still exhausted and for some reason her had headaches.
Finally feeling a bit calmer the elf noticed that she was on the bed… but didn't she had fallen asleep near the window? At least that was the last memory she had, maybe she had moved to the bed before fallen asleep but for some reason her mind did not recorded that, anyway she couldn't even tell for sure.
“You woke up early, did you sleep well?” Kiara asked, now turning is attention to Jaken giving him a soft smile. Getting up and moving closer to him"Is that breakfast?"

 

[Adriwolf]

What if I don’t want my old normal life back, don’t get me wrong, I like the college, it’s the place that i call home and of course I would be happy for being forgiven and could return to it whenever I wanted, but what if I want something else..?

"What would that be?" the werewolf said, lifting her chin up with two of his fingers "Would you like to get out of college and go on adventures? Maybe a crime solving life?" he laughed "Kinda like the one we are having right now? Is that it?" he smiled at her.

Kiara was now sleeping for just a pair of hours, suddenly she just woke up in panic, jumping out of bed , her heart racing, she could feel all her body shaking, it was pure fear.

Jaken reacted fast and ran to her help. Kiara was panicking for some reason, he did not know why, maybe it was a nightmare or her mind just startled her out of nowhere. Jaken hugged her tight, making sure she doesn't move much "Hey, hey, hey. It's ok, it's ok, it's ok. Everything's ok. Chist, chist, chist." he rocked her. Eventually Kiara calmed down, still breathing fast but more relaxed than few seconds ago. "You beter? What happened?" he said, standing up from the bed to give her some space to breathe and continue eating the apple.

“You woke up early, did you sleep well?” Kiara asked, now turning is attention to Jaken giving him a soft smile. Getting up and moving closer to him"Is that breakfast?"

"Uhh... yeah. Yeah, it is." he gave her breakfast "Sit down. You should relax." he pointed to a chair nearby "What was that all about? I should be asking you if you slept well. Was it a nightmare?"

 

[Kiara]

"What would that be?" the werewolf said, lifting her chin up with two of his fingers "Would you like to get out of college and go on adventures? Maybe a crime solving life?" he laughed "Kinda like the one we are having right now? Is that it?" he smiled at her.

Kiara locked at him in the eyes for a few seconds surprised by his action, placing her attention to the ground a second later. She felt humiliated, she already had this conversation with Hellius over and over again and the result always the same, this was no different. Why no one could understand her. Being locked up was the perfect life for everyone else and she was the only one that couldn't understand it? She didn’t answered him, there was no use, based on her previous experiences with Hellius, he would just said that she was just daydreaming and being naïve and that she should cherish the good life she had. All this just had her feel even worse.

"Uhh... yeah. Yeah, it is." he gave her breakfast "Sit down. You should relax." he pointed to a chair nearby "What was that all about? I should be asking you if you slept well. Was it a nightmare?"

Seeing him offering her breakfast she just refused. “No, thank you, i'm not hungry, just thirsty” she then reached for the water, sitting on the chair. “Im ok don’t worry, im fine, it was just a … nightmare I guess… anyway we have more important things that requires our attention. I talked to my source.”
Kiara then started to tell him everything she knew. The meaning of the altersphere, what its really was, what had happened in the past during the experiment, the elf also told him about the stolen magic device and what the ritual could do, for last she just said that her files were also stolen.
During all the conversation Kiara was having difficulties on focus her attention, maybe she was more exhausted than she thought, but she just pushed all of that aside and kept going until she had finished. In the end the headaches had returned again. This was weird, she never had so many difficulties on focus and maintain a conversation before, not even if she had pulled an whole night of hard studying. But since she didn't want Jaken to be worried about this small matter, she just acted like everything was normal.
“What about you, what information did you get?” she asked him tilting her head.

 

[Adriwolf]

Jaken absorbed everything that Kiara told him: the ritual, the device, the chaos it would bring. His hypothesis was right, the ritual of the Altersphere wasn't exactly to bring joy and peace into the world, it was the opposite. They seeked chaos, maybe destroying the world. Why? That was not what mattered right now, sometimes peopole just do bad things because they feel like it. It's just how it works sometimes. "So if the school had reteieved the missing piece and was stolen by the assasins, then maybe that could mean that either the assasins are in posession of the other piece or they are just looking for them, besides, how many pieces are there? Is it 2 pieces? 5? 20?" he analyzed, scratching his head.

“What about you, what information did you get?”

He sighed. "Not much." he said "All I know is that the dean might have put me under a truth spell." he said, grabbing the rune and tossing it at the table "I managed to keep the rune on my way out as we escaped. I did not gave it much thought back then, but now, I am one hundred percent sure it was. Think about it: why would I spill information out? Just like that? To this random headmaster I just met that day? I was not even aware of the consequences of spilling the information out. Plus, I am sure that they did not want to take information about the clock tower, to see if I was responsible for it. Something tells me that this goes way deeper than what you might see at first glance. The question is: why? Why would they want me to spill it out? I am not sure, but I think they are onto us. Not just about the whole... dungeon breaking operation. No. I think they know what we are doing." he concluded.
"Also, this might be a stretch, but I think the school may be related with the assasins. Just to remind: THIS MAY SEEM LIKE A STRECTH, maybe I am overthinking, but this is what I´ve been thinking about. In the day we met, I was attacked by this lady, I manged to run away, that's when we bumped into each other. Then, 2 days later, the day you were arrested, as I made my way into the college, the same lady attacked. I think I won because she retreived. She disappear in a cloud of dust. Now, at the college, I was the one that sent the gargoyles to protect you. When I saw the gargoyles retreive, they disappear in the same cloud of dust as the woman that attacked me. Those dust clouds looked WAY too similar to be just a coincidence."

"But right now, I've got nothing, except than this stupid rune and the dust clouds... dust clouds... maybe that could be another lead. Dust clouds are a way to disappear. So whoever the lady was, she wanted to be kept a secret. Creatures like those, that can magically dissolve into dust are not common. What if she is something? Some type of creature forgotten in time? A creature that can slip away in the crowds with people barely noticing." he looked up to Kiara "Maybe this lady that wants to kill me is part of the assasins too. Back at the clock tower, the guy that exploded. Before he blew up, his eyes glowed red, so did the lady, but instead of blowing up she dissolved into dust."
"Maybe she is part of S.A.P."

 

[Kiara]

Kiara was a bit more relaxed, her plan had worked, since bring up all this conversation would avoid any more comments about last night talk. Clearly there’s was no use on continuing that discussion, both of they had different opinions.
A bird can have all the food, water and protection against predators on a cage, but that does not mean it has a life, it was simple surviving. Having everything necessary to stay alive, this is why, whenever the cage’s gate is open they always fly away, into the nature to the freedom. Because even knowing that there is danger out there and they will have a shorted live, they choose to leave, because survive is not the same as living a fully live.
Kiara might not knew why the wolf acted the way he did last night, since she didn’t knew anything about him, so, she could only guess that he had not choose the life he had, but also she would not give upon her freedom, for her the college could be her home but it was also her golden cage, that was how she felt.

how many pieces are there? Is it 2 pieces? 5? 20?"

“I dont know for sure, but by the way that Hellius talked, it seem like there was only one piece, the container device. As far as I can understand seems like they already have everything to start the ritual. Well that is if they have all the necessary magic power. Back then when the college tried to activate the spell for the first time, they needed a lot of experienced mages, and since the attack of the college nothing more happened so I can just deduce two things.”
“First, maybe they don’t have enough people with the necessary requirements to participate in the ritual and second maybe they are having problems do understand how the ritual works. Hellius said it was very complicated, with a lot of essential steps. That, or they just can't decipher what is written on the scroll they had stolen, since it must most likely be written in some old dead language. Anyway that’s just me trying to guess, I don’t really know for sure.”
“Oh.. sorry I forgot to tell you, so you may be wondering who Hellius is. Hellius is my source, he is my guardian and former mentor, so don’t worry about the veracity of the information, he would never lie to me” Kiara said with an innocent bright smile.

"All I know is that the dean might have put me under a truth spell."

Why would they want me to spill it out? I am not sure, but I think they are onto us. Not just about the whole... dungeon breaking operation. No. I think they know what we are doing."

The elf took a deep breath “I knew you would never sold me out, but like a said before, it was not your fault. You didn't knew you were under a spell, but I just don’t get one thing, if you spilled all out, why didn't they arrest you as well, why only me?” This was getting harder, Kiara could feel her headaches getting worse with all the thinking, processing all the information and conclusions they are getting from it. Still she managed to conceal it all, now placing her attention to the rune that Jaken had tossed.
Kiara took the rune on her hands starting to analyze it, but she couldn't feel anything out of the ordinary. “Let me try one thing” she said to the wolf, placing the rune on the table again.
She got up, summoning her staff, millions of little glittering blue particles appeared on the room, starting to converge all in one spot, crystallizing into the shape of her crystal staff, all this happened in just a few seconds. Then she took a few steps back, now summoning her grimoire, a magic circle appeared under her feet, the book revealed itself flouting in the air. A magic wind could be felt, opening the book and flipping the pages and messing a bit with Kiara’s skirt, stopping on a particular page.
The sorceress then started to chant the spell, her whispered voice filling the room, the magic circle now glowing with more intensity, and as a response the rune started to glow in a white color. It was a quick spell no more than a couple of seconds, when she had finished everything just stop. The magic circle fated away, the grimoire could no longer been seen, despapearing on the same way that had appeared before the only thing that remained was Kiara’s crystal staff.
The elf sighed , somehow this little spell made her feel tired, but it shouldn't, since she had all her magic, unless something was draining her, once again, that didn't make any sense, sure she had sleep only a little but she was rather fine, pushing that thought aside the elf now turned her attention to Jaken.
“I tracked for any spell placed on the rune, but there is none, it just an ordinary rune that allows you to enter the college, I can only guess that the truth spell was directly casted on you. By any chance, did someone touch you before they interrogate you?” The elf said now returning to her seat.

"Also, this might be a stretch, but I think the school may be related with the assasins.

“Me and Hellius also share a similar theory, it seems like someone is betraying the college. But… i also thought on this new theory when I was locked on the dungeons, what if the traitor, whomever he or she is, is using some kind of influence to make others works for his/her purpose without they even realize that?”
Kiara was now getting dizzy, all this mental effort was draining her faster than it should. All her senses telling that something was not right, but it had no logic. Maybe she should had sleep for a little longer, she took note of that so the next night she would rest better. Besides she could no longer follow Jaken’s theories, she just had this lost look on her face. She tried harder to process all now racing her mind.

"Maybe this lady that wants to kill me is part of the assasins too. Back at the clock tower, the guy that exploded. Before he blew up, his eyes glowed red, so did the lady, but instead of blowing up she dissolved into dust."
"Maybe she is part of S.A.P."

“Let me see if I get all of this right” She tilted her head trying to collect her thoughts “You are saying that … this mysterious lady that attacked you, may have some type of connection with what is happening to the college or that she is connected with the S.A.P. assassins and that she can be some kind of … mystical creature, is that it?” Kiara had now a worried look on her eyes.
“This is getting out of control, who knows how deep this can go, and how truly things are connected.”

 

[Adriwolf]

“I knew you would never sold me out, but like a said before, it was not your fault. You didn't knew you were under a spell, but I just don’t get one thing, if you spilled all out, why didn't they arrest you as well, why only me?”

"Actually, that is a good question. They had me on their campus, they could have easily arrested me, or well, I'd probably fight for my freedom. Maybe they did not arrested me for that reason. They didn't want a fight to break out, scaring the students and alll that crap that made me go 'yellow alert'. But still, I don't think that's the principal reason they decided not to arrest me. I think there is something bigger in here. A bigger reason that they decided to let me out. Urgh, damnit." he lowered his head "Fuck this mystery." he whispered.

When Kiara summoned her staff, Jaken backed up from where he was to give her some space for her magic. He stood besides her to let her do what shee was doing. From what was happening, he deduced that Kiara was doing something to the rune. As the rune glowed white, Jaken could only stare at what was happening. He knew he could not do anything right now, as he does not possesses this kind of magic. Not even in his werewolf form, well, it wasn't really magic in the first place. The Marks of Runes were just something to enhance his power... The Marks of Runes... could that green glow on his back when being a werewolf could help them on a way? They were talking about runes, so... maybe they's help? However, Jaken decided to stay quiet for now. They could talk over this at night, when he could transform into his werewolf form.
When Kiara ended what she was doing, he just stared at the rune, looking for something different: any kind of scar that the spell had left, but no, it was the same rune that the guard gave him yesterday. There was no difference.

“I tracked for any spell placed on the rune, but there is none, it just an ordinary rune that allows you to enter the college, I can only guess that the truth spell was directly casted on you. By any chance, did someone touch you before they interrogate you?”

"Not that I remember. I think no. No one ever touched me. But then, why would I sell you out of this rune had nothing to do with it." he grabbed it and stared at it "The guard did not touched, nor the dean, nor the teachers that were with him. Wait! The teachers... when the dean was interrogating me, I noticed that we were being followed by some other teachers, however, they never asked a thing, they were just there to follow us. Could they have been putting me under the spell? What if they all were controlling me? With the truth spell? Is that even possible? People being able to spell someone few meters away?"

whomever he or she is, is using some kind of influence to make others works for his/her purpose without they even realize that?

"You mean like the truth spell I was on? Someone that made them act in ways they would never do without them ever realizing it? Well, that could be a possibility. If your theory is true, then maybe that could explain why I was not arrested. The brain of this operation could have persuaded them to let me go and arrest you. Maybe they wanted us to be separated, If S.A.P. is influencing them, then they'd want us apart, so that it could be easier to kill us. Then again, that would be the most probable thing if your theory is right."

You are saying that … this mysterious lady that attacked you, may have some type of connection with what is happening to the college or that she is connected with the S.A.P. assassins and that she can be some kind of … mystical creature, is that it?”

"Yes..." he closed his eyes "Crap, there are so many things happening right now. Makes my head spin around." he sat on the matress "I'm not the mystery guy, I'm always the go-in-there-and-fuck-shit-up-in-your-werewolf-form guy. Damnit." he breathed deeply "Then I guess the whole lady-being-a-mystical-creature is our best lead. We should do some research, the folklore of what she is could give us something to work on: her purpose, her thoughts, weaknesses, desires, all that bullcrap. The library should be the best place to start." he stood up and looked at Kiara "Ready to do some more boring research?" he nervously laughed.

 

[Kiara]

Could they have been putting me under the spell? What if they all were controlling me? With the truth spell? Is that even possible? People being able to spell someone few meters away?"

“Yes, of course it is, but you are mistaken on one thing, there is only one caster, only rituals requires more than one. There is various ways to cast a spell on a person, for example the spell of truth, can be carved on a rune and then given to the target, or can be placed directly on the victim through touch, or even casted a few meter, the only condition of this method is that the caster need to keep eye contact with the target so the spell won’t end and finally there’s also another way, having some personal object of the target”… Kiara then fallen silent, her eyes widen at her own thought, she lowered her head and continue with a small voice… “Jaken do you remember the dagger I had lost … ” she looked up with an apologetic face, what if all of this was indeed her fault?

Someone that made them act in ways they would never do without them ever realizing it? Well, that could be a possibility.

The library should be the best place to start." he stood up and looked at Kiara "Ready to do some more boring research?" he nervously laughed.

“Sorry, it seems like the only think I can do is bring even more theories, and each one worst than the previously” Kiara said with a sad face.
His comment made her relax a bit, so she was not the only one struggling with all this information.
Kiara giggle a bit before responding, “I always up for more knowledge, besides, researching with you don’t sounds that bad at all.” giving him a playful smile. Turning to the door, Kiara just unsummon her staff, the staff turned into millions of bluish particles started to disperse on all directions then fading away.

Jaken lead the way, they didn't had much troubles to arrive they destination. Once there Kiara was so amazed, she never had been on that library before. The elf would only leave the school grounds to do some errands for Helius, mainly buy magic supplies, so the only library she had been before was the school’s library.
“It’s so big and look at all this books, I wish I could read them all!” she said looking in all direction, her eyes sparking, she was delighted “Where do we start?” she finally asked turning her attention to Jaken.

 

[Adriwolf]

Jaken do you remember the dagger I had lost …

The werewol's eyes widened at Kiara's phrase. "The dagger." he whispered "You said you lost my dagger when the assasins attacked the college. That's it! The staff took it and used it to put the spell on me. That puts me in danger. If they were able to subdue me into a truth spell with the dagger, what stops them from subduing me inot any oother type of spell? Are there any other spells that could influence my behavior? If there are... " he sighed "We'll need to go back to the college and get it back. <<Hope there is no need to going back, to be honest.>>"

“It’s so big and look at all this books, I wish I could read them all!” she said looking in all direction, her eyes sparking, she was delighted “Where do we start?” she finally asked turning her attention to Jaken.

Kiara was right. The library was enormous, millions of shelves with billions of books to be read, going from the children fairytales to the boring political shit Jaken would never be interested on. The only sound of the library were the footsteps on the wooden floor and the sound of pages tuning (at least until it was broken by Kiara's excitement). Jaken sighed "We might as well have to read all of them if we want to inform oursleves about this, so i guess this is your lucky day. <<FUCK ME!!!>>" he patted Kiara on the back "We should start on the "creatures" area, should be on the second floor. Let's go, we need the time."

They both went upstairs and looked for all the books they could find that were related with creatures. What the werewolf could find were the creatures that someone would commonly see: humans, elves, centaurs, minotaurs, sea creatures, but there was othing related to what they could find. Jaken was on his third book looking for any kind of information but nothing came up. He then grunted in frustration, he hid his face in his hands on thought: "<<If we are talking about someone that could magically disappear into a cloud of dust, then we would be talking about a creature that could easily go around areas with people never noticing. THINK STUPID WOLF!!! A creature that could slip off anywhere, anytime...>> A SPIRIT!!!" he yelled.
"Sssshhhhhhh!!!!"
"Kiara. I got it." he whispered "We are looking for a spirit."

 

[Kiara]

what stops them from subduing me inot any oother type of spell? Are there any other spells that could influence my behavior?

The sorceress lifted a finger to her cheek adopting a thoughtful position, thinking for a little bit.
“Well yes, like curses for example, but… to be honest if they really have you dagger and used it for the truth spell, then I think there is no need to worry now, because once a object is used for a magic spell, it becomes contaminated with the previous magic, it would be like leave the fingerprints of the last caster, so it wouldn't be very wise use the same object for another spell, unless they want the new spell bounce back to the caster that casted the truth spell on you.”

Kiara followed Jaken until the second floor, once there she started to read the book’s covers, opening the ones that seemed promising, and placing then back if the info was not what she was looking for. After a while a book caught her eyes, opening it and read all the information, then the elf moved to another section "magic", where she went directly to one specific book, shadowmancy.
Maybe this was it, at least some traits feated the description that Jaken had provide about the mysterious women. Suddenly Jaken called for her.

"Kiara. I got it." he whispered "We are looking for a spirit."

Kiara looked at him, this only raised another flag, so the elf make a sign to him to come closer, she then showed him the two books she had on her hands, whispering softly.
“I don’t know if this is what you saw but it’s what fits your description the most.” She then began to read some parts of the two books.
“Shadowkin - almost entirely black and taking the form of a host, willing or otherwise, their eyes are distinct from their bodies and take on a hollow look. Very rarely they will glow blue, purple or red if given purpose or directive from someone or something.”
“This rings you a bell, red eyes and dust clouds, well more like shadow clouds… I don't know if this is what you saw, so here take a better look.” She hand him the books, moving to another corner searching for new information.

 

[Adriwolf]

“Shadowkin - almost entirely black and taking the form of a host, willing or otherwise, their eyes are distinct from their bodies and take on a hollow look. Very rarely they will glow blue, purple or red if given purpose or directive from someone or something.”
“This rings you a bell, red eyes and dust clouds, well more like shadow clouds… I don't know if this is what you saw, so here take a better look.”

"Yeah, this might cut it. " he took the book "So we are under the suspicion that the lady is a shadowkin. That might help us out. But then, what was the other assasin? The one that blew up the clock tower. His eyes glowed red like the lady, but he did not disappeared. He bursted in flames. Maybe shadowkins can do that?" he sighed "I don't think so." he sat down to read the book Kiara had given him. The book contained information like:

Habitat: Any place with low light levels. Shadowkin cannot exist in bright light for long. Even the stronger variations suffer greatly the longer they are exposed. They prefer colder climates but will tolerate warmth if it’s necessary. Without a shadowmancer giving to his shadowcraft, the shadowkin will slowly fade away.

Jaken tapped his head out of boredom, trying to think on what to do, there were other types of information, some of it nailed it (like the glowing eyes), but other times they didn't (like not being able to be in the sunlight for long, the fight they had 2 days ago lasted for some minutes and she never dissolved). Jaken sighed, covered his face and grunted "Fuck this mystery." he said "I don't know what to do. Some things are applyable, but other are not. What is this bullshit?" he was getting angry "Grrrrrr..... calm down wolfy." he said to himself "So many things going on... gggrrrrrrrr...." he breathed deeply and exhaled slowly.

 

[Kiara]

In the end Kiara came up with nothing more, so she just returned to Jaken to hear what he had to say about the books she had given to him. She could see him getting angry for some reason. Moving slowly she approached him, sitting on her knees, that way she would be on his eyes level, she then patted on his shoulder to call his attention
"Are you ok? Why are you growling?" asked the elf a bit worried. "Sorry I couldn't find anything else.” She sighed, feeling once again exhaustion taking over her. “Did that books helped at all? Because, I don't have any other ideas, furthermore, I think it’s almost noon, maybe we should gather information elsewhere."

 

[Adriwolf]

she then patted on his shoulder to call his attention

Jaken quickly looked at what had touched him. It was Kiara, her eyes connecting with his, it made him calm down, his heart rate went down and the anger sedated. He made eye contact with the elf's eyes then exhaled, regaining neutrality once again. He responded by placing his hand over her's.

"Are you ok? Why are you growling?" asked the elf a bit worried. "Sorry I couldn't find anything else.” She sighed, feeling once again exhaustion taking over her. “Did that books helped at all? Because, I don't have any other ideas, furthermore, I think it’s almost noon, maybe we should gather information elsewhere."

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just... stressed. Stressed that we can't find what we are looking for. What you brought to me kinda helped, there are some descriptions that fit the woman that attacked, but there are other traits that do not match. Maybe we need to look on something else. Other kind of creatures apart from the shadowkins." he sighed, leaning his head back in the air, closing his eyes "Maybe we could focus on something else: S.A.P. I'm sure the guard's corpsethat had the mark was taken to the morgue. If this 2 things -the lady and S.A.P.- are related, then we should have something on our hands. Looking here would take us forever and some information might be misleading. We need to get direct information: on the guard's corpse."
"The morgue should still be open. We can find the body and examine it, maybe ask Tauris, a contact of mine I have over there." he explained.

 

[Kiara]

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just... stressed. Stressed that we can't find what we are looking for

“I understand, im also a bit nervous, it seems like we are getting more questions than answers" the elf said seeing the werewolf now a bit more calm.

"Maybe we could focus on something else: S.A.P. I'm sure the guard's corpsethat had the mark was taken to the morgue.

“Yes, you are right, we aren't getting nothing more from were, maybe adopt a new strategy wouldn't be that bad, but the morgue … well for sure that is not my favorite place.” Kiara sighed starting to get up, looking down at him. “Anyway, you can count on me to assist you the best that I can, we are on this together, so you are not alone.” The elf says giving him a kind smile and giving him her hand to help him to stand. “Just one more thing, please promise me that we wouldn’t stay there until night time, i'm not really fond of corpses” she said feeling a bit uneasy.

 

[Adriwolf]

He smiled at Kiara. He was glad that she was there to comfort him. He always get frustrated when things do not go his way. It has always frustrated him, but he now hadsomething to calm him down: Kiara's sweet touch and comforting eyes. It made the wolf inside of him calm down. It kept him neutral. "Thank you." he said. Just that.

“Yes, you are right, we aren't getting nothing more from were, maybe adopt a new strategy wouldn't be that bad, but the morgue … well for sure that is not my favorite place.”

“Just one more thing, please promise me that we wouldn’t stay there until night time, i'm not really fond of corpses”

Jaken chuckled at Kiara's schedule preference. It made him smile. Somehow, he loved seeing Kiara in this situation. An innocent soul merged in a dangerous situation. It created for anguish thanks to some situations, but it also made for some funny scenarios as a breather of all the bullshit they had to go through. "Yeah. Ok, we'll go back at dust." he held Kiara's hand and dragged her to the exit "When this shit's over, you can read all the books you want back here. I owe you that time." he laughed.

The morgue was on the other side of town, they of course, had to evade going near the college and avoid guards looking for them, but a part from that, the path was easy. They merged with the citizens and kept their hrads down. The morgue was there. A medium building, seemed dirty on the outside, its white paint was spilled with dirt and mud fromm the storm few days ago and it had a dead aura.
"Here we are." he informed "In and out, maybe ask some questions to my contact and we'll be back to the motel room. But, maybe you should prepare mentally, you might see some gruesome things in there. C'mon."
They both entered and went to the counter where a black cat stared at them with his yellow eyes. It meowed at them. Few seconds later, a beatifull woman stepped in. She was reh-haired, with green eyes, and blood-red lips. "May I help you?"
"We need to see the body of a guard found days ago. He was aguard of the College of Elbion. We need to see it."
"I'm sorry, but that is not possible."
"Tauris..." the woman looked nervously around.
"I told you to stop calling me that." she whispered.
"C'mon. I know that's your real name and not Meredith. We need to see that body."
"Why? And who's this?" she looked at Kiara.
"A friend of mine. We are trying to solve a mystery."
"Oh, don't tell. You are a detective now? Is that it?" she said in a cynical tone.
"Well, if I'm looking for people that have tried to kill me, then I guess I would become a detective." the werewolf growled.
"I could get fired if I showed you. And there are not much laboral opportunities for banshees. Need I remind you that I am a banshee myself?" Jaken sighed. He took out a bag of coins and tossed into the counter "However, being a banshee is lonely. You don't get to talk to people about this. We need to move fast." she said with an innocent smile, taking Jaken's money "Please follow me." she opened the counter to let them through.

The three of them walked to the morgue, where it was almost freezing cold and 30 lockers were bodies were in.
"Ah, here it is." she said. Going to one of the lockers and opening it, sliding the platform where the body was. The guard was pale, with the marks S.A.P. still on his chest. "Yeah, I don't think he'll come back to life. Any questions?"

 

[Kiara]

"When this shit's over, you can read all the books you want back here. I owe you that time."

Kiara got surprised at Jaken’s comment then a gorgeous smile took over her face “Really... and would you come with me? I could read you some books” she said looking one last time at the library while Jaken dragged her by the hand.
She really loved reading, after she gain the title of Maester of the Fifth Order on Elemental Magic Arts, there was nothing more for her to do on the college besides assisting Hellius whenever he needed. So books were what occupy most of her time, of course she would read all the kind of magic books to expand her knowledge, but it was also true that the elf loved adventures stories. It was her way to escape from that walls, she could travel to far distant lands and be free, sure physically she would still be inside the school but that didn’t mean that her mind would also be refrained.

Both made they way until the morgue, it was a very shady building with a death aura surrounding it, Kiara really didn't like that place, it gave her chills. She simply nodded at Jaken’s words, in and out, that sound great for her.
Once inside, the first thing that caught Kiara's eyes was this black cat with piercing yellow eyes, she couldn't resist, moving close to pet him, the elf loved animals but cats had a special place on her heart. She petted the cat under his chin making him purr, suddenly the cat meowed maybe to call for his owner, a few seconds later a beautiful woman stepped in, at least according to Kiara’s standards, the contrast between her red hair and her green eyes, it was hard to not stare at them. The woman locked eyes with the elf, Kiara pushed all her thoughts aside realizing that she was talking about her.
“Im sorry for not introduce myself, my name is Kiara” she simple said now paying attention to what was being said, her attention shifting between woman and wolf.
So the woman was a banshee, Kiara tried to recall what she read about that creatures, she never had seen one before, but one thing was for sure, this was not what she was imagine a banshee to be like, she was expecting something more … scary… Kiara shook her head trying to regain focus.
Once on the morgue Kiara could feel the freezing temperature, that didn't bother her, on the contrary it helped her with the persistence headaches, maybe she was getting sick, it was the only explanation she could find for all her exhaustion and dizziness.
Seeing the woman unlocking and sliding the platform where the guard’s body was, Kiara without even realizing moved a bit closer to Jaken, it was this part that made her uneasy.

"Yeah, I don't think he'll come back to life

<”I really hope not…”> this was Kiara’s worry, once she had learned about necromancy for some reason she started to fear the undeads, not because of they appearance, but mostly because of the pain they could cause.
It scared her the thought of seeing someone that she cared die, the pain the grief, but seeing that same person coming back to live, knowing that it was no longer the person she once knew, being tormented by a hollow version of them and being force to kill it, that would be unbearable.
That was the worst thing she could imagine and could only hope for that never happen to her. This is why from all the kinds of dark magic, she hated necromancy the most, the way that could hurt people feelings, not only the living ones by not showing no respect for they grief and pain but also for death ones by disturbing they rest.

 

[Adriwolf]

""Does the letters S.A.P. mean anything to you? Have you heard of them before?" asked the werewolf.
"No. Not at all. When I first saw this, I became astonished. It was the 5th case in the last 2 weeks."
"5th case? You mean there are more bodies with these letters on?"
"Yes."
"Show us."
The banshee sighed, leaving the locker open and going for other four. 3 of them on the same side they were, 1 on the other side of the room. The victims varied on their looks, they were all different races: a minotaur, a dragon, an elf, and an ogre. All of them looked nothing like the previous victim, not even the human guard that Jaken and Kiara had found days ago. However, they all shared the same mark on their chest.
"All this bodies came from different places but near Elbion. The guard you two found waas from the college, the minotaur came from the desertic places at the edges of The Forbidden City, the dragon from the woods of Elbion, the elf from the plaza, and the ogre at the same forest as the dragon, only difference was that the dragon was found out in the open, the ogre in a den."
"Did these bodies have any relation at all? Did they know each other?"
"All records of their lives were erased. It's like they never even existed in the first place."
"What about him?" he pointed at the human guard "Do you have any information on him?"
"All I know is that he was guard at the College of Elbion. Not even his name."

Jaken took out his mnotes and edited them with information he has gathered:

S.A.P.: Found in guard's dead body alongside with 4 more bodies. Acronym? Mark? What does it stand for?
Bodies: 5 confirmed bodies with S.A.P., different races (minotaur, dragon, elf, ogre). All found near Elbion. All life records erased. Are they related with each other?
2 assasins:

1. Assasin one (clock tower) (DECEASED): Glowing red eyes, blew up. Decoy or murder attempt?
2. Assasin two (documents): Stole from secret room (CONFIRMED). Why? How? (THROUGH FIRE PLACE) What documents? (RELATION PROBABLE: ALTERSPHERE)
3. Possible assasin 3 (lady): Glowing red eyes, capacity to dissolve into dust. Shadowkin? Spirit?

Secret room: who told the assasins? Current headmaster? Previous headmasters? Teachers that know?
Inside job? (PROBABLE)

Jaken looked at Kiara "Do you know his name? Anything else?"

 

[Kiara]

Kiara become astonished at the new findings, more four for bodies, all from different places and different races, what was happening? She could feel Jaken's eyes on her so she turned to him answering to his question.

Jaken looked at Kiara "Do you know his name? Anything else?"

“No, I don’t know anything about him, guards are not allowed to speak to students or residents. So the only way to find anything about him is to talk to another guard, but that’s not possible right now, not after what happened… But why they records were erased and what about the guard's record was it also erased?” Kiara said a bit nervous remembering that her student file was also stolen, her heart started to pound faster, she was not feeling very well.
“Hmm... if you don’t mind, I will get a bit of fresh air, I will be waiting for you outside” she said to the werewolf while moving towards the exit.

Once on the outside the building she leaned against a wall, she was feeling dizzy, with headaches and her heart pounding fast for no apparent reason. She felt sick, like she was having one of her magic's withdrawals, but why, she didn't use much magic that day. Kiara just focus on breathing, everything would be fine, she just needed to relax. A few minutes after she was feeling much better, returning now to the counter, waiting for Jaken while she was petting the cute cat.

 

[Adriwolf]

As the elf stepped outside of the room, the banshee looked at Jaken. "What's her deal?"
"She's just not used to this. Few days ago, she had a life of 'luxury'. She is not used to all of this."
"Then I guess you dragged her in this."
"Why does everyone assumes that?" the banshee raised an eyebrow to the werewolf. He sighed "Yeah, I dragged her in. We are in this together."
"Awww, that's so sweet of you. Who's a good puppy? Who's a good puppy?" she said in a mocking tone.
Jaken growled at her and gave her the finger. Then redirected his attention to the body (the dragon's), he was as pale as the other bodies, with the S.A.P. letters on his chest. What was all of this about. He focused more on the body, trying to find something unusual on it. Something that mmight help them out. And he noticed it. There was a purple liquid sample near the 'S', it was almost invisible, but Jaken managed to notice it. "You saw this?"
"What?"
"This." he pointed at the sample. He got a glove and passed his finger through it. He raised it to his face to inspect it further. He sniffed it. The smell made him retreat his nose "Wolfsbane." he said "Why would wolfsbane be on the corpse?" something popped in his head "I may have something to work on. Where was this body found?"
"In the forest, east of Elbion."
"Got it. Thanks Tauris. See ya around." both the werewolf and the banshee got out of the room and into the waiting room again, where Kiara was petting the cat.
Oh. I see you have met Oscar." said Tauris to Kiara "He's been a loyal compannion. He have always told me when somebody died."
Jaken looked at Tauris with a ferocious look. "Let's go Kiara, we have something to look for." he said, guiding Kiara outside of the morgue "On the dragon's body I saw this." he raised the glove to her "It's wolfsbane. It makes us werewolves go weak and disorented if exposed by it for a short time. If we have an overdose, it might kill us. I found these on the body so maybe there is something that can help us. We must go to the east forest of Elbion, where the body was found." as they walked through the town Jaken explained further "The day I rushed to the college to send the gargoyles to protect you, Merkl and I were attacked by some thugs carrying wolfsbane greneades. So, this plus the wolfsbane on the glove, it has to tell us something."

He then rented a horse to travel there faster.

 

[Kiara]

Oh. I see you have met Oscar." said Tauris to Kiara "He's been a loyal compannion. He have always told me when somebody died."

Kiara noticed Jaken and Tauris returning to the waiting room turning her attention to them but still petting the cat. The moment the banshee spoke to her, Kiara’s eyes widen looking back to the cat. She couldn't understand why the woman would tell that to her, what has the point of that and how a cat could guess when someone died. The elf didn't had time to think further on that matter since Jaken started to guide her outside the morgue.

Now giving her full attention to the werewolf, she listened carefully to all the information he had gathered, the purple liquid found on the dragon’s body, the effect of wolfsbane on werewolves and that they needed to go to the east forest of Elbion. Kiara simply nodded her head, taking in everything he was saying to her, then he spoke about him and Merkl getting attacked on the day she got arrested.
“What!? Why didn't you tell me anything of this before?” she said a bit shocked, taking a deep breath to stay calm, “ Well… at least both of you are ok, nobody got hurt” she then looked at him on the eyes “Please next time tell me sooner, we are on this together right, so don't hide stuff from me …” her eyes reflecting her worry for him, somehow Kiara had gotten attached to him, she really cared for him.

 

[Adriwolf]

Please next time tell me sooner, we are on this together right, so don't hide stuffs from me …

Jaken nodded, grining at her.

As they galloped to the east forest, Jaken noticed some guards still looking for them. No doubt, they were being hunted down by them, they were now fugitives. Jaken did not cared for this, he was always out of town, living where the wind took him, so that was not his concern. Kiara, on the other hand, was. She had been dragged into this type of life by pure accident. Maybe her life would not go back to be the same as the one she has enjoyed for years. If they grabbed her, maybe that would be the end for her. He would not let them, they'd had to go over his furry body to grab the innocent elf.

It was almost turning dusk when they arrived to the forst where the dragon's body was. "Well... here we are..." Jaken said "This our next lead, I'd have to smell the wolfsbane sample from time to time. It may disorient me, not enough to kill me, but it should lead to where the body was found, I can identify a different smell from the wolfsbane: the dragon's. It may be a small one, but hey, good things come in small packages. So... let's move." he patted Kiara's back.
The forest was quiet and peacefull, with crickets chrping and dead leaves being crunched under their feet. As he said before, the werewolf had to sniff the sample he got to know where to go. Sometimes, he became dizzy and had to take a break from the smell going near to other flowers and smelling them. THey had been walking for long, it was almost nightimme when Jaken stopped dead. He sniffed the air. "I think I've found it." he whispered. He took the lead to a tree nearby. It seemed old and had an uncharacteristic smell. "This is weird. I can identify 3 smells: the tree, the wolfsbane and dragon blood. We are here. This tree is where the body was found." he inspected the tree "But there is nothing. No signs of struggle, no weapon damage on the log, not even a scratch. Just wolfsbane traces. This is so weird." he analyzed.

 

[Kiara]

Kiara notice Jaken looking in one direction, she followed his gaze, it was the guards, they were looking for both of them, she just turned her head to the other side. Sadness taking over her, she never meant any harm to the college but being hunted down like this, just the thought of never being able to return to her home or see Hellius again it broke her heart. She sighed, the only thing she could do now was to clear all of this mess, so she pushed all those thoughts aside, now paying more attention to the scenery. The elf never had been on the forest before and for sure she would enjoy the most of it, the wind, the birds chirping and the beautiful sunset, so much different than the view she had from her room, so much… real… all of this lifted her spirit, she could really get used to this.

They have been walking for a long time now, night was almost upon them, the bird’s song now being replaced by the crickets chirping. She followed Jaken through the forest, sometime the werewolf would stop due to his dizziness, on that times Kiara would move close to him, see if he was ok or patting his back trying to comfort him. After a while Jaken stopped, sniffing the air, moving close to an old tree starting to inspect it.

This is weird. I can identify 3 smells: the tree, the wolfsbane and dragon blood.

But there is nothing. No signs of struggle, no weapon damage on the log, not even a scratch. Just wolfsbane traces.

Kiara moved closer, also analyzing the situation, finally speaking what she had on her mind.
“Did the dragon had any other wounds besides the letters? If not, then it can only mean that he died from other cause. Like for example a magic spell, some spells don't leave marks on the victim, or they could also have been forced to drink some kind poison, or someone took him down by breaking his neck. These are all theories, since i didn't see the body, did you read the autopsy report? That could give us some leads.” Kiara lowered her head “Im sorry, I said that I would help you but back there at the morgue, I don't know, I just didn't feel well, sorry” said the elf looking at the werewolf once again.
“The last thing that came to my mind is that this is not the crime scene, maybe someone killed him somewhere else then dragged the body here…” Kiara looked around trying to find any signs like a track or broken branches, but definitely that was not her expertise… everything looked normal to her.
“Can you see any signs that may indicate that the body was placed here? You are a bounty hunter so tracking is your expertise” said the elf smiling at him.

 

[Adriwolf]

Did the dragon had any other wounds besides the letters?

"No. Just the letters S.A.P., there were no other signs of injuries, just the letters."

If not, then it can only mean that he died from other cause. Like for example a magic spell, some spells don't leave marks on the victim, it could also be forced to drink some kind of poison, or someone took him down by breaking his neck. This are all theories, since i didn't saw the body, did you read the autopsy report? That could give us some leads.” Kiara lowered her head “Im sorry, I said that I would help you but back there at the morgue, I don't know, I just didn't feel well, sorry” said the elf looking at the werewolf once again.

"Yeah, yeah, I hear you. There's gotta be something that might indicate something else. There are no autopsy reports, they come after the body is taken to said process, they are just there, freezing. And... neh, don't worry about it. Seeing bodies may not be your thing, you've been living on the college for your whole life, so I get that something like this might freak you out. Beleive me... the first body I saw... wel... it cracked me. But I got over it." he shook his head.

“Can you see any signs that may indicate that the body was placed here? You are a bounty hunter so tracking is your expertise” said the elf smiling at him.

"Yeah, I can track. Plus, I'm a werewolf, so tracking should be a piece of cake... hmmm... wolfsbane, werewolves..." he whispered "Wolfsbane... werewolves." he started to undress out of the blue, hiding behind a tree to have more privacy, throwing his clothes on the ground and transforming into his werewolf self "There is something I haven't told you." he said "You see these things over here." he pointed at the green glowing marks on his back "These are The Marks of Runes. They give me certain abilities that can enhance my power in my werewolf form. ONLY in my werewolf form. One of these abilities is 'Blue Lights'. They can make my eyes see better on the dark. SO I figured, we are talking about wolfsbane, a plant that is harmful for us werewolves, maybe something about 'my kind' can help us out." he closed his eyes focusing on his power "<<Blue Lights.>>" he opened his deep blue eyes, now glowing with more intensity. He looked at the tree and saw something. He saw hollow marks on the log "Got it. I can see golden flowers, shaped like a sunflower. Damn it, if you could see this..." he started to think out loud "Maybe Blue Lights have something to do with this. I can detect things the naked eye can not. What if we missed something?" he turned to Kiara "What if all those corpses have something that only I can see with Blue Lights. What if there are places with clues we've left behind?" his heart bumped with excitement.

 

[Kiara]

Seeing bodies may not be your thing, you've been living on the college for your whole life, so I get that something like this might freak you out

“No, it was not like that, believe me you can see pretty nasty things in the college too, it was just… I don't know, maybe i'm just getting sick … but don't worry about it, a good night of sleep and I will be good as new” she said trying to reassure him.

Then for no apparent reason Jaken moved behind a tree. “Where are you go-“ Kiara didn't finish her question, seeing clothes being thrown at the floor. Realizing what he was doing she just turned around , her face all red, for sure she was not expecting that. Only when she heard him stepping out from behind the tree and spoke to her she turned to face him.

There is something I haven't told you." he said "You see these things over here." he pointed at the green glowing marks on his back "These are The Marks of Runes. They give me certain abilities that can enhance my power in my werewolf form.

What he said picked Kiara's curiosity, so the elf moved closer to him giving all her attention to the marks and listen carefully what he was saying about them. When he finished his explanation the elf could see the wolf focus, his eyes glowing with more intensity it seemed like he was looking for something, but what?

I can see golden flowers, shaped like a sunflower. Damn it, if you could see this...

Kiara looked at the same direction as him, but she couldn’t see anything there. “Us elves have a better sight than humans, we can see pretty well in dim light, but... sorry I can't really see what you are talking about … what do you mean with golden flowers?” Kiara was confused since she couldn't see it, making quite difficult for her to understand. “These flowers that you are talking about have some meaning for you werewolves?”

What if we missed something?" he turned to Kiara "What if all those corpses have something that only I can see with Blue Lights. What if there are places with clues we've left behind?

Kiara gave a thought about what he was saying “If what you are saying is right, then we must go to the others places where the bodies were found, that means that we have at least three more places to search.” she said feeling a bit excited, finally they were getting something to work with, besides, this was her first adventure, it was like she was living one of those adventures she had read on books, travelling to different places while solving a mystery.
Kiara then noticed, she was not the only one, she could see how excited the werewolf was, the way he was talking, his body language, it was kind of funny seeing him like that for an exchange.
At first the bounty hunter was always serious and a bit cold, but lately his attitude towards her had improved a lot, now he was much more friendly and nicer, he would even smile, nothing like the first day they had meet each other. Somehow it made her happy, smiling a bit.
Tiredness was now taking over the elf, she sighed, lifting her head towards the sky, it was already night. Her eyes widened at the scene, for a few seconds Kiara got lost on that starry sky. The night sky on Elbion was nothing alike, with all the artificial lights hiding the shine of the stars.
Noticing her mind drifting away she tried to focus, lately focus was something that she couldn't keep for too long. Turning her attention to the wolf she asked “What are we going to do now? It’s late to continue our journey, will we set up camp here?” she simply said tilting her head a bit.

 

[Adriwolf]

"I can´t really explain it, I'm not good with verbal explanations." he grunted, trying to find a way to make it better to explain it to the elf "<<Draw!>> Got it!" he said, crouching and tracing with his claws on the sand the exact same figure as in the tree. With his claws he drew the large and thick peduncle, then diverted from one point to the southeast, drawing the 55 small petals around a circle, who was later given dots by Jaken stabbing the dirt "I know it's not much." he said "But this how I see it. Now Imagine this flower all over the log. That is what I see."

The werewolf grunted trying to find something else that he could add to the drawing, but then he heard that Kiara asked him if this meant anything to werewolves. "No, not at all. The only flower that has any meaning to us is wolfsbane, that can harm us. But a sunflower... I don't know, I haven't heard anything about it. Maybe there is something, but I don't know about it. Maybe an organized pack knows about this. I am lone wolf, so I have no clue."

“What are we going to do now? It’s late to continue our journey, will we set up camp here?” she simply said tilting her head a bit.

The werewolf smiled at the elf. "Yeah." he said "I'm getting tired anyway, all that wolfsbane sniffing made my head go dizzy." he chuckled "I'll set a camp." he said.
The wolf went for his bag and placed it near Kiara, unpacking a lighter. He then went for some rocks, wood and dead leaves to make a campfire. Once everything was in place, Jaken lit up a leaf and tossed it into the fire, making it slowly burn. He blew on it to make the fire spread and rise faster. "I guess we are good for the night. I always carry this little sleeping bag on my bag whenever I sleep in my human form. You can take it for the night, I don't need it in my wolf form."

 

[Kiara]

"But this how I see it. Now Imagine this flower all over the log. That is what I see."

Kiara looked again to the log, now wishing that she could see it, sighing a bit, she could only use her imagination, it was indeed a shame not being able to actually see it.

Soon Jaken was setting a campfire and Kiara decided to help by gathering some wood and giving it to him. She sat on the floor, now watching the wolf trying to ignite it, sure the elf could use fire magic and start the fire right away but she didn't, allowing the wolf to do things on his own way. Besides, it was quite fascinating seeing him doing it, she shook her head noticing she was once again giving too much attention to the werewolf, she needed to put her head in place.

"I guess we are good for the night. I always carry this little sleeping bag on my bag whenever I sleep in my human form. You can take it for the night, I don't need it in my wolf form."

His words brought her to reality, “Are you sure? I don’t mind sleeping on the floor, just some leaves and I will be fine, furthermore, I don’t want to trouble you…” she lowered her head, like she was deciding on something. “Ok I take your offer, thank you very much” she said at the end giving him a kind smile.
“Jaken” the elf called for him, making a brief pause, now looking at him “I know I said that I would wait until you were ready to tell me about yourself, but … I’m just curious and I will try to not pry too much and you don't have to answer me if you don't feel like it” she paused trying to find the right words “You said you are a lone wolf, why don’t you have a pack? Is it because you are a bounty hunter?” once again Kiara lowered her head” Sorry for asking… it's just… I want to know you a little bit better… that’s all” she said with a small voice.