Chapter 50
Deja Vu
Elith, Vale marketplace
"Look, I know the craft was a bit more difficult than you expected but this price bump is ludicrous," I complained. "I gave you a good amount of time to examine the blueprints before we set a price, you can't charge more because you didn't pay enough attention."
"Look, kid, I could always sell this to someone less obstinate." The smith I was haggling with countered.
"You'll be hard-pressed to find a buyer right now," I said. "Combat school is out so you won't find kids looking for an easy option for their weapons, and very few hunters are in the market for new weapons."
"Fine, you're a good dealer kid." The smith said. "You'd make a damn good businesswoman if the huntress deal falls out." I laughed at that for more reasons he could possibly know as he slid my new weapons over the counter and I set down my Lien. I grabbed the larger of the two weapons, a type of weapon that I'd learned was called a 'Shotel'. The hilt was wrapped in black leather and the blade was made with blued steel, thin lines running through the curved portion hinted at its secondary function. It was well made, this smith's reputation was clearly well-earned. Then I grabbed the second weapon, a parrying dagger of my own design. Its blade was heavily notched and each notch was shaped like an arrow to catch any weapon that slipped into the notches, it was less nice-looking than the shotel but that didn't really detract from it at all.
"I'll admit you did a really good job, so I'll give you some of the extra you asked for," I said, putting a few more lien on the table before leaving the building.
"Thanks, mam, come again if you ever need them repaired!" The smith called.
I went outside, the sun was starting to rise now and I could see people leaving their homes and crowding the street. I'm glad I'd chosen to avoid the traffic and leave home early, but now I'm worried that Isaac won't wake up on time. Thoughts of Isaac were immediately stripped from my mind as I heard a scream come from the direction of the town square, I readied my new equipment and made haste for the square, I staggered into the square as I pushed through a gathering crowd.
"I'm a huntress, let me through!" I called. "What's going on!" I stumbled into the clear and clasped my hand over my mouth at the sight, it was quite gruesome. The first thing my eyes landed on was large letters painted with blood on the ground as well as a few smaller letters. The words that called for the most attention read 'Remember this?', and the smaller words read things like 'Blood for Blood' and 'I.B'. But the centrepiece was most horrific, it was a dead woman who had been brutalized by a small bladed weapon. It looked like she'd been stabbed multiple times and the blade had been torn out at some points, only one part of the body was left clean. The head was clear of injury, the woman had round features a well as brown hair and two grey wolf ears protruding from her head. Then I saw one last thing protruding from the chest of the faunus, glinting in the light of sunrise, a well-crafted dagger that was far too familiar. That dagger, no doubt about it, was definitely one of Isaac's knixes.
"Well, shit," I said to myself.
Isaac, Thesheets
woke with a start, which was normal at this point with what my dad was doing. I rubbed my head and looked around, something felt off about the room today and I wasn't sure what.
"Elith, you still here?" I called, there was no response so she must be out. I quickly pulled on some clothes and started searching around the room, it didn't take me long to spot what was wrong. The sheaths to my knixes, which I always leave hanging next to my bed, were short one blade. I know for sure that I sheathed both of them, and Elith would've left a note or woken me if she took one. Someone had slipped in and stolen one of my knixes, and I already had a very good guess as to whom. I sat down on my bed and waited for what I knew was coming to the door, after twenty minutes a series of knocks sounded on the door.
"Mr Blythe, open this door or we will be forced to break it open!" A man's voice sounded. "We've got a warrant for your arrest."
"What grounds?" I asked.
"You know what grounds you sick bastard, homicide as well as a hate crime!" The man called.
"What makes you think I did it," I asked, knowing the answer but wanting these questions to be on the record.
"You're DNA was all over the place, not to mention the only one present on the murder weapon." The man shouted. "And you signed your initials all over the place like it was a fucking art display."
"I'll come with you, but I'll have you know that I plead not guilty," I stated, I opened the door to see a few officers prepped for a fight. I held out my hands, got cuffed, and walked with them to the outside of the building.
"Should've guessed he'd come peaceably, it's not like he was trying to hide that it was him or anything." Another officer said as they pushed me into the back of one of the cars, the vehicle took off immediately and I was on my way to a jail cell.
Clara, Vale marketplace
I walked out of the produce store with a few bags of things I'd started running low on at the house and took a deep breath.
"Clara, hold up!" I heard Elith call suddenly, I turned to see she had a distressed look on her face.
"Woah, what's the matter Elith?" I said, I'd never seen her look distressed like this before and I was honestly scared.
"It's Isaac, he's been arrested for homicide!" Elith said. "There was a dead body, his initials were there, his knife was there, fingerprints were everywhere…" She continued to babble about the murder, I couldn't tell if she was more distressed by the murder or Isaacs involvement.
"Take a breath Elith, breath and just tell me what this is about?" I said, my head was reeling enough without her rambling.
"There was a murder in the square this morning and all evidence points to Isaac, and to add more to the evidence it seems to not be the first time," Elith said, keeping the words in a more coherent order this time.
"What do you mean, not the first time?" I asked.
"As in he was tried for homicide in Vacuo before he left for here under similar circumstances, a nigh on identical homicide," Elith explained. "Down to the type of faunus and the most minute of the wounds inflicted."
"We've been on a team with a serial killer?" I said, still trying to wrap my head around how Isaac is in jail.
"I don't think so, I feel as though the scene makes it so obviously him that it must be a framing job," Elith said. "Come on, let's go get his side of the story, I was on my way anyhow." Elith swiftly dragged me off towards the Vale police department.
Erik, Xiao Long household
I stretched as I looked out at Vale across the water, I wonder what Isaac and Elith are up to? Probably nothing interesting, at best they might be chasing some punk looter with a pistol or a stray Beowolf. Not like I can say my guard duty is particularly interesting, there aren't as many Ursa or Beowolves strolling around in the snowy days.
"Hey, Erik." I heard Yang say as she walked up behind me. "Is Clara here?"
"No, she went for groceries," I said, Yang nodded and began to walk off. "Hold up Yang."
"What." She asked.
"I haven't known you for too long Yang but I'd say you're my friend," I said. "And I get why you've been so dejected as of late between your arm and Blake leaving, but I think it'd be good to talk about it."
"You aren't that great at opening up this kind of conversation," Yang said.
"Well sorry, but I don't exactly have the best people skills." I countered. "It just that your current attitude concerns me, I think that acting like this is hardly the best thing for you or anyone around you."
"And you know what's best?" Yang asked.
"Hardly, I'm just perceptive and can see the toll this is taking on you," I answered. "I don't know what's best, but I do see that how you are right now is having a negative effect on your dad, me, and Clara."
"What do you mean?" Yang replied.
"That the three of us are empathetic and seeing you hurt makes us hurt," I said. "We know we aren't suffering as much as you, but we know how much you're suffering if that makes sense."
"Sort of," Yang replied, then she started walking back inside. "Tell me when Clara gets back." I sighed, hoping she's gotten the gist of what I'd said.
Isaac, VPD
"Put him in the cell next to that nut job, it's the only empty one." One of the officers said as I passed. I was moved into a cell near the end of the hall and pushed back into it, they undid my cuffs and locked the door.
"Wait, when's my trial?" I asked the officer who'd guided me here before he left.
"A week, it could be sooner but some lady insisted she needed time to find evidence of your innocence." The officer replied. "What a fat joke that is, like there's any way it wasn't you." They left my view and I was left to the silence of my cell, I sat down on my bed and leaned against the wall. I almost immediately heard a knocking noise on the other side, I knocked back out of curiosity.
"Hey, just wanted to let you know that the walls are thin here." A gruff voice from behind the wall said. "I found that out day one."
"Well, at least I have someone to talk to," I said.
"What are you in for?" The voice asked.
"Framed for murder by my own family," I answered simply.
"Ouch, I'm in for Public Nude Assault." The voice replied.
"Is that an actual name for crime?" I asked.
"Well technically I'm charged with public indecency and assault, but I just put them together to speed up the process." The voice said. "I was taking a piss when I saw a few jackasses picking on a Faunus, I went over and beat the shit out of the assholes only to realise I hadn't exactly finished covering myself." I laughed to myself at that, what an odd way to get arrested.
"That's honestly hilarious, at least you were doing something good when you got arrested," I said. "I was just sitting at home, knowing that I'd been framed and I was on my way to jail once the cops got here."
"If it's worth anything, I believe you didn't do it." The voice said.
"Thanks," I replied, laying down and shutting my eyes.
Author's notes
watch?v=dv13gl0a-FA
Now that that cancer is out of the way, here's another chapter. I enjoyed writing this one, I think you lot will like this story arc.
