Case File: X- 16-20785
Investigator/s: Nathaniel "Zepp" Wilde and Iniego "Fang" Blithe
Report: Investigators responded to a report that a murder had taken place at the border in Talon Cave. When investigators arrived, they found suspect "Brandybuck", an arms dealer within the village who has previous accounts of violence on record kneeling over and yelling incomprehensibly at the victim who was later identified as Conway Redvine. the following is the actual account and testimony:
"I know that despite my disposition on the matter and the lack of evidence in support of this testimony I will hang for this, so consider this my confession...I did not kill Conway Redvine. I did not kill him because although it was his body I had slain, it was neither his mind nor his soul that occupied him. No... I avenged him.
" First, in order to understand what it was that happened you need to know our previous history. Conway and I go back fifteen years ago, we were only small children in a world of impersonal hostilities. He and I grew up living together as we were deprived of parenthood. We survived, we lived.. Things were good. Then he found.. The book.
"We were exploring a new part of the land that Conway had discovered accidentally while on a hunting trip. He told me he had fallen down a hole while chasing a rabbit and landed on what he described as a grave. Around this grave there were several flowers; roses, daffodils, dandelions.. And bones... Lots of bones all piled up in front of the gravestone marked: "The Soul Eater lays in slumber deep, do not disturb. Should you find your curiosity overcoming your fear, may God have mercy on your soul." In front of the bones Conway found a book with weird writing on it. Despite his better judgement telling him to leave it alone.. He picked it up and looked inside. There were unspeakable horrors.. Pictures of animals which were turned inside out in what looked to be a diagram describing how to relinquish one of its own soul.. And a Demon... Oh how I resent reading it.
"We had heard the tales of old, people used to tell of a Demon, eons old. It would slowly torture it's victims into releasing their mind and their body, giving it full control. This would take place over the course of several days mind you, so the victims decline would be at a steady pace... Well... Some at least. The creepiest part? They would still act completely normal as if nothing had happened. It could have taken control of you, Zepp.. And you wouldn't even know it. Neither would I.
"So that brings me to my next part of the testimony.. How did I know he was under control of such a thing? His eyes. The eye, Zepp, is the window to the soul.. Has anyone told you that before? You can tell anything about a person just by their eyes, you can instantly see if they're trustworthy, if they're lying, if they're... Psychotic.. I knew when I looked into Conway's eyes that he was not himself. He had a... Vacant look in his eyes. Have you ever seen such a thing? You know the person is there.. You KNOW they're real... But.. They aren't.. I can't describe it. They aren't them. He wasn't himself.
"He read that stupid book.. All of it. I told him not to, but he did. That's when I noticed he began acting weird. Only I noticed. Only I cared. Me. Anyway, he seemed the same on the outside.. The stupid daredevil hunter who didn't give a shit about anything, that's how he was. But... At night I noticed he wouldn't go to sleep. I figured it was because he was sick.. Until that night..
"Years later, After reading the book, he had a nightmare. He came to me about this nightmare, telling me what he saw. Do you want to know what he said to me that night, Zepp? Allow me to shed some light...
It was night time when this happened, around midnight. The air was dense around me as I walked to nowhere in particular. I had no idea why..I just was. There was a mist around me, with the moonlight shining dimly across the land. Beneath me there was dew, making my feet a little wet. It felt good on the grass. Then I heard it... The moan.. It was awful Brandy... Like someone was dying of blood loss in a pitiful shell of existence.. Knowing they're quickly fleeting. It came from the east. It was creepy, but I didn't think much of it.. That was until I heard it in front of me. Ugh... I can still hear it. Just... Awful. Pitiful... Distraught.. Then it appeared. A face. Skinless..eyeless.. Ghostly. It opened its mouth and a stench of rotten flesh and death overcame my sense of smell. I tried to run.. But I couldn't move. It extended it's boney hand.. Bones... That was all I could see. It touched my head, Brandy... It touched me with a cold, unfeeling hand. I can hear it.. Crunching.. Squirming.. Slithering...In the back of my head.. Something prickly.. I can still hear it.. I can hear it, Brandy...EEEEHHH! IT'S IN MY HEAD! IT'S IN MY HEAD GET OUT OUT! HELP ME! OH GOD IT'S IN MY HEAD!
"I didn't know what to think. Conway had gotten into the psychedelics.. Eating mushrooms and hallucinogenic berries. Very spiritual guy. He could go on and on about the universe, energies, auras.. Don't know what got into him. Normally I would have thought he was hallucinating... But this was different.. His eyes, Zepp. Remember the eyes? They tell the truth.. He saw it. He really did.
"From that point on he had changed. Like I said, you can only see it in the eyes.. And I saw it. They were cold.. Vacant... Unfeeling.. Dear God.
"One day I asked him to give me the book, I had previously told him that I was going to destroy it, but... It has a mind of its own. I made a fire one night while everyone was asleep. Conway had agreed that we would burn it, and decided that it would be best for him to be there. He was late, and I would later understand why.. But he came. He gave me the book while standing in front of this fire which climbed high up into the air. I should have sealed it.. GOD I'M SO STUPID! I threw it into the fire, and I swear, Zepp.. I heard that cursed thing scream in agony.. Not one voice... But a thousand.. Ten thousand.. The most chilling, blood curdling, agonizing screams of pain I've ever heard.. As if the souls of thousands had all but perished in the very fires of hell..It opened up, BY ITSELF in the fire. Zepp... I read it.. What I could at least. I was stupid.
"Afterwards, things, in an uncertain and sudden way.. Went back to normal. He seemed himself for a long while. I was content at that point, I had my friend back. We hung out, we traveled, things were good. Back to normal like nothing ever happened. Then... I still shudder at the thought. I saw him leave his hut one night. I didn't know why he would, he normally doesn't wake up like this.. So I followed him. He led me to a cave, Zepp... A cave with... There was a small animal, tied up.. He was performing some sort of ritual on it. There were torches lined up on the walls, and... He had a page of the book. I couldn't believe it, I WAS TRICKED INTO BELIEVING HE WAS BACK.. He spoke in a tongue completely alien to me.. What he said came directly from the page I'm guessing, so I won't repeat it. I watched... I watched him cut off a piece of its flesh and eat it. I couldn't take it anymore, I had to do something.
" I ran up to him...I...I tried to srab him, but he turned around and my blade went through his eye.. Good thing too, it wasn't his own. He shrieked in pain.. It was an ungodly, ear piercing shriek that tore every shred of courage left in my body out. I continued to attack. I stabbed him.. Over... And over... And over. He screamed, telling me to stop.. That I was killing him. But I knew it wasn't him. After a while the screams became murmurs.. Then the murmurs became moans.. Until at last he was silent. I...I watched this.. Being.. Skeletal.. Boney.. Skinless.. It left his body. With a chilling shriek it tried to intimidate me, getting in my face... Studying me. I saw within its eyeless holes the same death that is staring me down today.. And probably when I die. It still haunts me.. And forever will. That's when you came along.. You didn't see anything. It left, Zepp... Returning to whatever depths it could find, dark steep gorges and mountains so evil that even the wolves shun those parts of the forest.
"Don't... Touch... The book.
End of testimony.
Additional report: Evidence was later found at Brandybucks hut. A note was found on scene, a note, written with blood. The following was read:
"The Page... Kill him.. It isn't him. His soul is trapped in a world beyond his own. The being, it calls to him. I never should have read that book... It knew I was weak. It knew.. Oh god it knows. I now know that there would be no end to this horror, this.. Demon of Hyrax. It will forever roam this world.
Something prickly is moving..I feel it in the back of my head. Oh no.. It's. Squirming.. Stuck inside there and I can't get it out.. The parasite.. It's alive. I can feel it scratching at my skull, rubbing up against it. But I can't hear it.. I'm going insane.. Oh god I'm losing my mind.. I must kill him.
I'm sorry Conway...
Investigator in charge: Zepp
Charge: Murder in the first degree
Punishment: Death by hanging
" And you expect me to believe that this case isn't solved? Based on the testimony of a madman? Zepp.. That's crazy. " The King sat back in his throne, unhappy at the thought of wrongly killing this man.
"Sir, I have reason to believe that he didn't. His testimony matches completely, I saw the fear in his eyes.. Please. Give me a chance."
"Come on, Zepp. That case was closed YEARS ago. Why are you dwelling on the past?"
"I do that a lot sir."
Tyran sighed, instantly realizing what he meant. "This job is no doubt arduous, Zepp. I can see the toll it has taken on you. But... You know as well as I that he did it."
"Sir, with all due respect, I don't think you understand the other concepts of a murder. I'm not just talking about physically killing someone, I'm talking about philosophically.. Spiritually, mentally, etc."
"Don't pester me about what is and what isn't murder Zepp! I've seen it myself.. I know what it is."
"Then you would know that in order for it to be murder the person has to be killed both mentally AND physically. According to Brandy.. That wasn't the case."
"BRANDYBUCK IS A LIAR!" Tyran shifted in his seat, "You won't reopen that case.. If you do.. I will suspend you. Are we clear... Zepp?"
Zepp stared into Tyrans eyes, frustrated by his unwillingness to reopen the case. Nonetheless, he obeyed.
"Crystal, sir."
"Good.. Now leave." Zepp did, and walked straight to his own hut. He slammed his fist down on the stone slab which was his desk and cried out in frustration.
"GOD DAMMIT! BASTARD!" He brushed his paw up against his mouth, pondering what to do next. In all of his years as an investigator, Zepp vowed only to do one thing: get to the truth of things. It's been a long road, and tough, but so far he managed.. He remembered the times it nearly cost him his life as well as his partner. He was brought back suddenly when a twig snapped behind him, and Zepp looked to see a wolf standing at the edge of the entrance.
"Hey.. Am I interrupting something?"
"You mean me taking out my anger on my desk because the ignorant bastard of a " King " won't let me investigate this file? Of course not."
"I was only asking."
Zepp sighed, he knew that Edon was right, he shouldn't have projected his frustration out onto him. "I'm just having a rough morning. Tyran won't let me reopen this case."
"What case?"
"The soul eater of Talon Cave. I have reason to believe it wasn't murder."
"Zepp.. Don't do this. You know that case was closed, all of the evidence supported murder."
"That's exactly what Brandy said. But what gets me is why he would be so truthful about this... His eyes told me exactly that. He was legitimately horrified."
"I think you're reading too far into this."
"Maybe.." Zepp slammed his fist down on the desk. "GOD DAMMIT!"
" Hey! Calm down man, you're stressed. This isn't helping. I realize it's hard work... But taking out your anger out on an inanimate object won't solve things.
"ZEPP!" Both animals turned to see Fang at the entrance. "I think I may be able to-" he eyed the wolf with distaste, "Can I speak to you.. In private please?"
"Why? Just say it."
"I'd like to think what I have to say is content for the more.. Experienced agents here."
Zepp looked at Edon, who gave him his own nod. Edon nodded back, and began to make his way out of the hut, and began to mingle with some of the villagers.
"What is it, Fang?"
"Mingling with the mutt, an interesting thing considering it's a predator Zepp. I'd already known you were social but.. I didn't think you'd break the rules of nature itself."
"You know me, I'm always breaking something."
"We don't need him Zepp. We can handle things ourselves."
"Come on Fang, you remember who sniffed out Dex the 'Log Killer' as he's known by now. You and I both know he would've gotten away if it weren't for Edon."
"I had things under control." Fang walked over to Dax's desk and sat on it. "The villagers are already in a state of unrest because of you trying to reopen this case.. No one wants dwell on the past out of fear of bad blood. I-Its not really helping having him around scaring them."
Zepp laughed and glanced out of his hut towards Edon who was now being picked on by little children, he smiled as they laughed and poked him with sticks. Edon was apparently having fun himself because he flopped onto his side, and the kids instantly began to rub his belly in an attempt to make his leg move, trying to find 'His Spot' he supposed. "Yea... Scary... He's vital, and we're keeping him."
"Whatever, he's your pet, not mine."
"So what did you come here to talk about?"
Fang shook his head, "You know.. You reopening the Talon Cave murder case-"
"Don't bother. It's not happening."
"Well... You may be surprised to find it might. How would you feel if we went for a walk, just the two of us?"
Zepp eyed the weasel in front of him. "Where are we going?"
"Talon cave. Several villagers have reported another murder has taken place there." He smiled at Zepp, "Looks like you may get what you want."