Frozen Memories 1.8 Bridge
Hidden Past – Back Cover
Kiyori – Tearts of Nothing
Chapter 10: Crossroads – Heart of Light
22 November 2057
Arendelle
Wolfe District
10 am
Mark sighed, for the moment he was alone. He scanned the area of the Wolfe Manor, the front door was closed as he had made sure of it being thus when he left a year ago. But what Xiaoden showed him in the dream world, people were living in it. He smirked. When Kiyori was taken out for good, The Kopekh could take the East Wing of the structure for themselves and do whatever the hell they wanted for all he cared.
But at that moment he was more concerned with the key, there was a new lock on the door. And there were two guards posted. He was going to have to get rid of the two, and fast. He moved without a word to the bushes and began to sneak through them towards the two guards.
Without a sound Marks hidden blade slammed home, the guard sank into the bushes without so much as a hiss of metal parting skin. The sceond guard looked to where his fellow once stood and did not see him. "Oy! Ya daft mulletbrained idijit!" The guard grumbled at his now missing friend. If the boss found them sleeping on the job, or laxing on the job, they would never hear the end of it. As the other guard looked into the bushes, Marks arm snaked out, caught the man without a sound and yanked the asshole in, slicing his neck and easily killing him.
Mark then patted down both men for the new key, he still had the original house key, that lock was still present. He got the new key and unlocked the door without so much as a "Thanks fellas" and knocked on the now dead guards helmets before going inside.
He made sure he was alone inside the foyer and that the front door closed behind him. He stepped into the house main foyer. It was packed with scaffolding and other cleaning supplies, so it was still being rebuilt, the tiled floor glittered in the nearby hallway and both sets of stairs were clean and newly rebuilt as well. The smell of fresh woodstain was still strong in the air.
"Gotta hand it to the crews I hired on last year, they know their stuff." Mark mumbled softly as he took in the state of the foyer, the walls were once more a beautiful dark stained hue. The floor was brand new, he went to each door and ensured he was alone, both on the second and ground floors before going to the symbol in the foyer floor. It matched, for the most part, the pirate symbol that Marion had thought up in the dream world when their father let Xeir into the ancient vault.
Mark briefly saw the vision from the dream world. The simulated floor nearly a dead match. He shook his head. The vision faded.
Mark looked from the symbol to his hand, there was no connection now, the holes had been seemingly filled up, but the hand itself, the gauntlet was clearly supposed to be present on Second's hand in the image on the floor. Mark looked at it carefully and started to think of what could make it work. He crouched down and balanced on the balls of his feet. Trailing a finger on the tiled design carefully. He saw what looked like two people on the floor from the second floor.
One of them had their hand open, as if they were waving a sign of hello. There was no sign of the gauntlet present upon the hand either. "Here goes nothing" Mark mumbled as he decided to try his luck, pressing randomly at points he found there was no real way to open the vault without tools, or making a huge mess. Or even worse, exposing critical secrets only the Wolfe Family knew.
The ancient vault was originally built, or at least started, by Yaekos father James, but had to stop work on the ancient vault due to his cancer. Yaeko with the help of a woman named Diamond had finished the vault. Or at least its massively complex entryway.
Mark sighed, setting his hand on the handprint of his ancestor. Palm open "How the hell am I gonna get this thing open ?" He all but screamed in frustration. The hand glowed with heat and a crack was heard. Looking up Mark saw the handprint move. From what had been a "hello" it was now a sign of welcoming or ushering another somewhere ?
A groan of ancient technoliges was heard as the floor becan to fold in on itsself, forming stairs down into darkness that became self lit. Blocks of energy, wires and otherwise danced as the opening appeared as Mark smiled, perfect. He was in the vault. He went down the steps a few paces and found a control box, hitting it, the controls sealed the vault door at the ground level, making it as if Mark had never entered. But the lights stayed on within the vault stairwell, alllowing him to see, the system sensing he was inside.
He all but fell down the stairs as he went ever downwards. He felt an odd call of a sort. It was most strange truth be told. There was everything that the dream had shown that he could see. He finally reached the bottom. But something concerned him as the vault door slid open, allowing him to enter freely.
In this case it more or less entirely confused him. Why was something glowing a strange blue hue as he opened the door ? The lights grew brighter the closer he got to the lowest level of the multi floored vault. This level normally housed the armor suits, and ancient technoligies that his ancestors had collected and chose to hide deep within the vault instead of using.
He caught sight of the blue glow again and wandered through the many stacks of armor, the many racks of weapons, most ancient in design yet all of them appearing as if made right off the blacksmiths anvil. He reached a dias of a sort and stared at it. The blue shard floated within a sliver of sunlight that focused directly on it. The blue glow danced with all sorts of facets as if it was showing different scenes of a film, little screens of a sort no larger then a common phone most people carried.
One screen held images, another screen held words that scrolled endlessly. A third screen held a mix of words and images together. But none of the images made sense. But as Mark neared he could see they were merely projected off the shard itself, the glittering flicker he had seen was the reflections thrown by the images and pictures.
It did not make a lot of sense. Infact none of it did. It looked rather convoluted, confusing. As Mark stepped onto the dias the images began to fade back into the shard one by one as he seemed to walk into a few of them, the shard sensed and knew what or who he was and began to close down the external imagery, at least most of it shut off, or seemed to. The lights in the vault grew brighter.
Mark picked up the shard from where it floated on the pedestal at the center of the dias "Another star shard ?" He said softly, he turned it over in his hands, it was about as large as a Six Inch sub from Subway in length and half that thickness in complete size. It was seemingly alive and in his hand it felt like it was room temperture to the touch.
Mark turned the shard over in his hands. Things were different from it more then likely and it felt like glass, it looked like glass. But it sounded like a heavenly choir as he held it. And to Marks ears, it also sounded as if trying to speak to him directly. And the more he listened, the less he could understand.
When the shard felt it was not getting its point across to Mark, it activated a memory corridor. Something Mark had seen a few times using the Dreamshare device, which was a precoursor to the Animus technology. It made sense for the most part at the very least.
But for Mark it was confusing. One moment he was standing within the Wolfe Clan's most hidden vault. And the next thing he knew, he was walking among a grid of some form with no floor, lit from, everywhere, and somehow the grid formed into a pattern, his DNA ? What was going on ?
"Where am I ?" Mark asked as he looked around, lines of his dna stream he recognised from the old dreamshare device danced around him and on the unseen floor as he walked around.
"That depends" Came a disembodied voice, "it depends on a lot of things. But you must want them to come to be. It is not often that certain things happen in such a way. It merely occurs."
Mark twirled in a circle as the grid formed something of a inverted globe of a sorts around him as he held the shard. "Who's there ?" He called out.
"I am, the shard you hold in your hand." Came the voice.
Mark looked at it confused. "You ?" He asked
"Yes me" Came the reply
"What are you ? Who are you ?" Mark asked again
"That all depends on who and what you want me to be" Came the reply
"If I ask a third time I'm gonna pitch you back where I found you" Mark growled. A chuckle came from the star in his hand.
"Very well, I am simply a memory, a fragment if you will, of something left undone. Perhaps then if you aid me in repairing the broken fragments I possess, I can answer your question properly" Came the reply. There was not a body to place the voice into, but there was actually a strong male feel to the voice.
Mark thought for a good moment, a sigh. "I guess I could help you. What do I have to do ?" Mark replied
"All you have to do is follow the directions I give you." Came the voice. Around Mark formed an obsticle course. "Head for the marker" The voice said, Mark suddenly did not hold the shard anylonger.
"Wait, whats going on ?" Mark asked looking around at the ghostly white shattered imagery before him.
"In due time Master Wolfe, now please, run to the marker." Came the reply
Mark sighed and started moving, running over a few crvices, diving over a block before getting to where the Marker should have been. "Now climb the wall" Mark stared. Great. Was this a training program ?
Once Mark got to a point where the program was complete something popped up on his vision. "Sync achieved ?" he read aloud.
"Ah good, that is to be expected. Perfect, we can begin. You see, I need your help collecting the fragments to properly let you out of here. All you have to do is run through each fragment, find its piece, and then the fragmented memory ends."
The voice then seemed to smile "Can you do that ?"
Mark sighed "Do I have a choice ?"
"Nope!" Came the reply, as little too chirpy for his liking, Mark sighed and rubbed his temple.
"Then I'll do it, where is the first memory ?" Mark asked. He started walking on seemingly solid ground as his body shifted and broke apart very briefly before reforming and as if in a computer simulation, reformed.
He recognised the place instantly "Wait, why am I in Scala ad Caelum ?" He was upset. He saw himself, a younger version of himself, doing a Session with a bunch of other kids. It was the mass battles they played when they were kids in this dream world.
"Does it not make you happy to see memories ?" Came the question.
"They do and do not, mostly they dont. Why show me this one ? It was just a dream and never really happened" Mark asked
"Because its something you can find within this memory to find the first fragment." Came the voice. "Tell me, Master Wolfe, do you know this place ?"
"I do, Scala ad Caelum, I... I had a dream shared with three others here. Anna, her sister Elsa, and a Assassin in my brotherhood named Diana." Mark noticed his outfit was stylised to the adult versions of the training gear that the kids wore.
But where he was going he then had a small clue, because as he left the training area he found himself walking along a road to the docks area. The rain began to fall but it did not affect him nor did it touch him, most of the people present in the streets ignored him, some walked right through him.
But Mark didnt care, his eyes became fixed on a symbol over an area. He walked towards it and activated it. A memory began to play before him. It showed a scene he never saw in his life. Charity, his mother, and his father Marcus, as they appeared in the simulation world. And a large crowd of people on the docks, a ship burned nearby.
Mark watched as the Bandit King, Taryl, was dragged into view. Talking about two girls he had gotten fair and square. Just like in his dream, he recognised the ship. It was on fire, it had blown up.
Mark smilled burning wood and resin as Chairty threatened the man, whacking him clear in the face, then shortly after his father did the same thing, shouting something at the man before Mark spotted it. A necklace hung from Taryls neck. It glittered a pale blue.
Like the star shard!
Mark snagged it fast as Chairty slit Taryl's nethers, then his eyes were on the strange shard. "Ah yes, you found the missing fragment! That's one down, five more to go!" Said the disembodied voice. Very briefly Mark could have sworn as the scene around him faded into the memory corridor that the voice had a body.
"Alright" Mark said, he let go of the tiny shard, it was about one sixth the size of the initial shard he had picked up in the vault. "That's one, where are we going next ?" He was unhappy at the result.
Fires burned, smoke filled the air.
A baby was crying.
Mark found himself standing in the front courtyard, dressed as a elite Guard of the Wolfe Clans soldiers. He remembered that day, and he tried his damnest to forget it. Fires burned in the courtyard, a baby was crying. He heard the sad tones of an infant and turned in that direction.
He saw a man, his uncle Nathan, faking his own death. Fighting with a group of very evil men, Mark did not even then know who they were, not yet. He never bothered to look into finding out who the men were, or who even ordered the attack.
And then he saw it. As his uncle fell, and the infant girl in his aunt Aretha's arms wailed for her father, he saw the killer of his uncle. Dark silver eyes glittered in the firelight. Like the eyes of a cat. He recognised the stature.
He snarled and stalked forwards. A glittery blue was upon the mans face. A part of his mask that covered his nose and mouth. Mark reached out and grabbed the mask to pry the shard from it . Ripping the mask clean off the killers face.
Only to find the body disappear as he wrenched the mask free, the shard with it, the mask fading into dust as he held the second shard. Once again focused on it he remembered what his cousin said "I saw dad fall, and then I saw, silver eyes, he killed dad, but I dont know who he is, or where he went, or if he is still alive" Mark sighed as the scene around him faded into nothing but a memory corridor. "Poor Sapphire, her birthday is the same day as the attack. Until the man who ordered the attack is dead, Sapphire will have that nightmare every year"
"Correct! That's two down four to go!" Came the chirpier voice, Mark turned as he heard it, thinking he heard footsteps, he just barely made out an outline of a figure nearby. "If only Hima were able to see these puzzles"
"Hima ?" Mark asked, "You mean Hima Alo ?"
"Hmm ? How do you know of him ?" Came the question, normally the Shard didnt worry too much of such questions, but knowing Hima Alo, that was something worth asking.
"I know of him because he's in the history books, and something tells me that you're making me rebuild you. Are you a prisoner ?" Mark asked the ghostly figure he could barely see the outline of.
"Maybe I am, maybe I am not, what you must know for certain however, is that I am infact made of memories, the more fragments you recover, the more of me you will see" The voice replied.
"I see, that's two then." Mark pointed at the two shards that floated nearby, almost as if set like pieces of sculpted glass that hung or floated in the air as if by magic. "You said there were four left ? Will they fill the space ?"
"Yes and no, they will form the link to a completed memory. But if the space will fill in, that is anyones guess." came the reply. The ghostly figure then held out a hand as if indicating "Shall we continue ? There are still four more shards to find"
Mark gave the ghostly figure a dirty look. "That last memory was not the best one to visit, nor was the first." he hissed through clinched teeth, he hated the memory of the attack on the manor when he was a boy. And yet this ghost, this memory of a star, wanted him to revisit his memories ? "Why are you making me do this ?"
"I am not making you do anything" Came the ghostly reply. "You chose to do this when you chose to pick up the shard, I could just as well spit you back out and gone inert for someone else to find. But no, you were the one I waited for. Just like the other Shards, we know who will find us and where we will be found."
"So you know about Irie, and Diana finding a shard each ?" Mark asked
The ghost nodded "Yes, and also a third Shard was found, but by who I do not know. I just know it has been found. The two you mentioned, they have the purple and pink Shards ?"
"Yes" Mark replied, "Irie has the purple, Diana has the pink" Mark explained as he walked along. It made little, if any, sense to him of what was going on around him. The world formed. A massive structure loomed before him. His nightmare ? No, this was Vitas palace. He looked at himself. Dressed similar to Vitas soldiers. Perfect cover.
He turned to the ghostly being. "How do you know this ?" He asked, meaning him visiting his old once love.
"I am a star shard, a fragmented memory within a star Shard. Repair me and all your questions will be answered. Maybe" The ghost replied, "Remember, find the shard, find the fragment and come back here." The ghost disappeared as did the grid holding Mark in, allowing him to explore the massive palace that belonged to Vitas Warmoon, his old girlfriend, Talak Horde.
It took him longer then he had hoped, but the palace of Sacremento was a maze, and there were places in it he did not think even were to exsist in the first place. But Mark persevered and finally located the fragment.
It was in the shape of a key. The key was kept with a bunch of other keys. But Mark knew that the minute he touched the shard, the fragment would be his and the memory would fade.
He picked up the glowing fragment. At once the memory and the Palace of Sacremento faded into nothing. "That is another one found" Mark said, the fragment broke apart, joining its fellows in the strange ring in the middle of the grid like globe of the memory corridor.
"Oh good, you got it, I was starting to lose hope" Came the voice, Mark looked to where it came from, seeing the much stronger yet almost still invisible outline of a man before him.
Seeing the outline now looking much more solid, Mark asked. "What can you remember now ? If anything, can you tell me who you are ?"
"Yes actually" Came the reply, the man smiled and looked at Mark carefully before saying after seeming to close a book. "I am Starmaster, or at least a resemblence thereof"
Mark looked him over carefully then nodded. "Alright, say I believe you, what can you tell me about these fragments, why are they scattered in my memories ?" Mark had never seen that part of Talaks palace. He had never seen what Chairty had done to the Bandit King in his dream world. And he had never seen those silver eyes before.
Or had he ?
Mark gave Starmaster a very hard look. "What is it you're trying to tell me ?"
For a long moment Starmaster said nothing, then seemed to smile. "There are still three fragments left to get. When you get them all, everything will be explained."
"Alright, fine" Mark replied, the scene around him shifted. He had three more shards to find. Three more shards and his questions would be answered.
A good six hours, or so it felt like six hours later. And Mark had all but the last one. But he had a strong feeling of where the last one might be. And he was somehow correct. Placing the last memory fragment into its place. He spoke. "Alright, that's all six."
"Good" Came the reply of Starmaster. Mark turned at the sound of the voice, seeing a man dressed similar to a dominican priest with a black robe. Only in this case looking more like a monk of a sort. Like a traveling priest. "Like what you see ?"
"You promised me answers, so give me what you promised and maybe I will like what I see" Mark replied.
"You found the fragments, traveled your memories to find them. Witnessed things you never saw before, but they exsisted in your memories." Starmaster said. "I have told you my name."
"Yes" Mark said in reply. "But you did not tell me anything else" He pointed out the things that were missed.
"I am simply a memory of Starmaster, each shard of the star that he broke, containes memories within it, I am also able to sense the other Shards" Starmaster's Memory image told Mark.
"You mentioned a shard was found by someone, but you do not know who ? Do you at least know which color ?" Mark asked. "Also, can we get out of this... corridor ?"
"I am not sure if I can project outside of the shard, so to answer your questions we will have to do it when in the memory corridor" Starmaster's Memory replied to the second question first. Mark gave him a dirty look. "The Shard you inquire about is a red hue. But who has it I do not know, I cannot sense them or connect with the shard in question. So I cannot tell you if the memory was triggered or not."
"That isnt what I was asking but it will do. You answered my question of your name. But. Who was Starmaster ? What was his connection to Hima Alo ?" Mark asked normally he did not worry of these kinds of things. But this star shard was in his own basement vault. "How long have you been down here ? Can you tell me where the other shards are ?"
"There are a total of six Shards, Pink, Purple, Silver, Blue, Red, and Green, and like I have mentioned. I cannot connect with any of them to see if their memories were triggered by those who found them." Starmaster replied.
"But you at least know where the other shards are ?" Mark asked.
"I do, the Pink, Purple, and now this blue one are in possession of two people you know and yourself. The red one is in the possession of someone nearby, within the kingdom is my best guess." Mark began thinking on what he was saying. "The green one is moving across a desert. And the Silver one is somewhere."
"Somewhere ?" Mark asked
"On the mortal scale its nearby, somewhere, on the cosmological scale its everywhere and nowhere at once." Starmaster replied, pointedly ignoring Marks glare in his direction.
"Alright wiseass. Who was Starmaster, who was Hima Alo. What is the Star Formation ?" Mark asked.
"The Star Formation was Starmasters greatest work. Hima Alo instructed him on how to harness the power of the stars in the night sky to control the fates of those around the maker. Or whomever the maker put in charge of the Star Formation." Starmaster replied. "Starmaster was comissioned by the royal family of Arendelle during a time period known as the Great Expansion of Arendelle, where Arendelle has fifty three districts."
"Fifty three districts ?" Mark repeated. The memory nodded. Mark smirked. "Its seventy one districts now," The image did not waver. Instead he looked to Mark.
"Hima Alo was a powerful man, skilled and knowledgeable in all sorts of technoligies, weapons, and spells and abilities. He was known as the Archeon. He could use a form of magic called a Spirit Ring." an image of the ring formed, it was a circle that hovered around Mark in a pale yellow hue. "So skilled in this rare magic was he that he could attain the rank of Doulo." As Starmasters memory image spoke. Mark watched a good dozen or more rings of different patterns and colors form around the ghostly body of Hima Alo.
"Sprit Rings ?" Mark asked, confusion on his tone, he'd only seen them in use once, by his aunt Redmane.
"A long forgotten magic" Starmasters memory replied. "Any more questions ?"
"Just one." Mark replied. Starmaster looked at him. "When did Starmaster disappear, or is he dead ?"
"Starmaster is quite alive, somewhere, but to tell you if he is on the cosological or mortal scale. There is no sure way to ensure a solid answer." the memory told him.
"So you cant just tell me straight that he's dead or not ?" Mark asked him
"I cannot" Came the reply
Mark rubbed his face. "Great, only shot I got at getting answers on how to defeat the current controller of the Star Formation. You are no help"
"You seek knowledge about the Star Formation ?" The memory asked.
"No, I seek knowledge on how to kill the fucker using it" Mark snarled in reply. He was clearly unhappy. "Look, your a memory of a guy who made the thing right ?" The image nodded. "So can you tell me, if the guy who made the Formation gave it a weakness of any kind ?"
"Yes" Came the simple reply
"Yes ?" Mark asked. "What do you mean yes ?" Was it really that simple.
"The whole reason a Star was shattered, the six shards. Without the whole star returned to the Formation, it will fail if its current user is slain. Which is impossible unless the Royal Family does not have their sworn protectors any longer." The memory explained
Mark sighed thoughtfully. It made sense, in a way. Not entirely the way he was hoping it to make sense, but it made enough sense for him to get a good grasp of what was going on. "The Royal Family was without their sworn protectors for some time. You saw the memory of the fight in the front yard of the Wolfe Manor." Mark growled out.
"I did ?" Came the question.
'What do you mean the question ?, You were not there ?" Mark asked, already past the point of wanting to shatter a shard.
"I was not. Your memories are your own, I only was scattered in fragments within your memories. I was unable to do more then give a pulse of the fragments location." Came the reply. The memory corridor started to fade. "If that is all...
"No, for now that is all, but." Mark nearly wanted to ask one more question.
"But ?" Came the paused fade out reply.
"Do you know where the red shard is ? Can you give me an approximate location to search ?" Mark asked.
The memory smirked, and then faded away. Mark blinked, staring at the pale blue glittery star shard in his hand. He was back in the Wolfe Vault. He opened a portal and disappeared into it. It was time to talk to his Aunt Blackmane
Arendelle
Marketplace Assassin Den
12 Noon
Blackmane was pacing in the courtyard of the Assassin Den, thoughtful and calm. And yet somehow unnerved at what was happening. Waterlight was seated at the nearby chair as Mark appeared from a portal. "I was starting to wonder where you went off to." Blackmane said. She went quiet when she saw what he carried. "Is that ?"
"A star shard ? Yes, just one of six. That gives Irie one, Diana one, and me one. Apparently there is a red shard nearby. And a green one being moved somewhere in a desert." Mark replied to his aunt. Then he saw she was upset. "Whats wrong ?"
"The high priest has agreed to let you and Vaeyuko investigate the murders. And your cousins have a crystal for you to read up on as well" Blackmane replied to him, it was clear she did not want him to go on such a mission either.
"And let me guess" Mark said "You are unhappy that Aunt Vaeyuko and I are doing this ?"
"Far from it, I am unhappy that your cousins are the ones who found the dead. For all we know, the room they used the open skylight to get news to and from Spike every morning. They will have to figure out a new means of information convoyence" Blackmane replied while crossing her arms over her chest.
"If you ask me and none did, its possible that this high priest guy has a weakness of some kind" Shadowmane spoke up from the seemingly empty table.
"None of us did ask, but, you're right in asking" Blackmane said with a nod in Shadows direction, "The high priest has a weakness, he loves to make models, and then use those models to trap his enemies or naysayers." Blackmane said.
Mark pointed at her. "That for a weakness isnt enough, from what you told me, he wanted you, then when he could not have you, he wanted Irie, far as I know, he still wants you." Mark told her.
"We know he has issues with another group. Spike and her brothers took to caring for the feral and stray cats on the Arko District Memorial Park area." Shadowmane said from where she suddenly appeared, using light and darkness she could easily conceal herself.
"And that is a good thing ?" Mark asked, if Spike and her brothers were causing trouble for the High Priest, that meant they had a unseen ally on the battlefield, so to speak.
"Word has it that Spike told off the high priest, well, more like really warned him, then her brothers showed up here looking for help in transporting as many litters of kittens and their feline friends as possible to the house you gave them to use as their own. According to her brother known as Xim, Spike is scared the kittens and cats might be injured or slain if transported to the high priests models. And she does not want to take any risks. One of those litters was minutes old when she came to us for help." Shadowmane replied
Mark smirked. Trust Spike to worry more about cats then people. He smiled with a nod. "Alright, I guess we can give as much help as she needs, as many men as can be spared to help transport the kittens as safely and as quickly as possible. We cant risk using portals or transport arrays, the kittens are too young. I know for a fact my first Transport Array I was trained to make once I got my hood, not before it." Mark said, he liked how Spike held herself, effectingly warning the high priest to the point of mouthing off at him directly and he never transporting her to a model
Was he scared of her ? Is that why he only left Spike alone with her brothers and the kittens and never bothered to try to model her ? Mark had to wonder. He shook his head. "Spike needs help, she'll get it, from what I remember of Sacxremento she's a heavy duty cat lover, and made a point to keep the kittens safe from any fighting that occurred."
"You know a lot about this woman, Nephew, care to share how ?" Blackmane said giving him a pointed look, Mark sighed
"When the contract took me from Madrid to Sacremento I met up with the woman I used to be in love with as a teenager. You remember her, Talak Horde ? She survived the attack because she was not at the attack location, she had, well, she tried to commit suicidce by falling off the cliff into the Nile River. But either she missed a step or fate intervined, she landed on a tour cruise ship and got herself a new family and a new lease on life." Mark sighed. "I swear I killed her in Sacremento though. But Spike was killed too, so to see Spike alive as if she was never harmed makes me wonder if Talak died and came back, or if she even died at all for that matter." Mark concluded.
"The mere fact that Talak Horde survived the attack on her parents, you confirmed the kill. Got a bloodied nose from what I remember too" Blackmane said. Mark simply nodded in reply. He hated doing that mission "Alright this changes things greatly. Spike is here as a friend not an enemy and she needs help moving kittens. I think I can do that. Its been a while since I had been around kittens."
"So you're going to help Spike out ?" Mark asked her. His aunt, Blackmane Elisar, moving kittens.
"Of course I am going to help. Shadow and I offered to be of help, we're both able to turn into cats, albiet big cats, but still, cats" Blackmane replied, she gave her nephew a thoughtful look. "While you and Vaeyuko investigate in the castle, Shadow and I will help Spike, and learn what she learned about the High Priest. Its possible that he is scared of her, or scared of the cats directly. Either one could work in our favor"
"While you are at it, can you ask her how Talak is doing ?" Mark asked his aunt. Blackmane raised an eyebrow in confusion. Mark knew that expresison. "Relax, if things end up the way they are, and my actions, according to Spikes sister Jek. My killing Talak made her look at things differently. She is not a cold hearted wanting everything under her control type of Templar, she was more of a 'what does this thing do and can I make it do it quieter and prettier ?' type of Templar." Mark explained
Talak Horde, at the time of her apparent death was using the name of Vitas Warmoon. And that meant Talak Horde had died at one point, when Mark broke up with her. "Are you planning on hooking up with her ?" Came the question, from of all people, the newly arrived Vaeyuko.
Mark thought a moment. "I am not sure if I should answer that." He said in reply. Vaeyuko merely smiled
"You are a widower after all" Vaeyuko said. Giving him a look as Mark glared at her.
He hated that word, every single mention of it. The thought of it, the thought of what it meant, its true meaning, and the fact that it was true, he was a Widower. And he hated that. Vaeyuko could see she hit a sore spot and turned to Blackmane. "I think we're going to have to make a desguise of some form." She said to her younger sister. Each one of them had some skill in desguising themselves to get around.
"You think you might need magic to do that ?" Blackmane said, energy dancing upon her hands as she spoke. She could form some new outfits for her nephew and sister, she already knew her sisters measurements. But then Vaeyuko shook her head. "what do you mean no ?"
"Magically created outfits might be an issue when or if the High Priest uses a antimagic field. Really all we can do is get fake names, possibly slightly magically altered facial features, eye color more then likely." Vaeyuko said, Blackmane liked that idea, Mark did not. But it worked. A brief moment passed and both of them looked slightly different. Mark went from his brown eyes edged in silver to bright green eyes edged in red. While Vaeyuko went from dark brown eyes to bright blue hazel. Mark also had a slightly flatter nose and Vaeyuko looked more like a movie starlet over a crime investigation unit.
Blackmane smirked and with a nod she said "That should do it, at least enough to get you into the castle. Kiyori might recognise you, but he also might not." She said simply. "Good luck. You guys are able to be immune to Kiyoris transport spells. But if you must get out of there in a hurry, use the portals, and go anywhere, and then make a portal to here."
Mark and Vaeyuko nodded. Turning to Waterlight Vaeyuko spoke. "Shall we ?" She asked. The Light Dragon nodded and the three headed for the castle as Shadow got up from the table she laid on as she and Blackmane were to meet up with Spike and her brothers to help move the cats and litters of kittens.
Arendelle
Castle District
Moments later to around 7 PM
"Halt and state your business" a guard at the gate called seeing the three arrive. Waterlight stepped forwards and told the man who they were. He recognised Waterlight, but not the other two, at least until she told them that Kiyori allowed her to send for them. "Investigators huh ?"
"The best investigators who ever investigated!" Mark said offhand, earning a confused fast glance from his aunt. The fuck did he drink ?
The Guard looked at Mark blankly for a good minute, then nodded and stepped aside. "Alright, the room is still locked, but here is the key, as far as I am aware nobody has been inside since the bodies were found." The guard handed Vaeyuko the key to Princess Annas room, he briefly thought he recognised someone with her stature but then dismissed it. "Good luck."
Once past the guard, Mark and Vaeyuko were lead to the bedroom of Princess Anna by the butler, Kai, though Mark knew the way he absently counted the soldiers on patrol, and stationed in the halls. It was clear he was upset at what he saw. All out in the open, if these were still Assassins they'd be protecting the place while entirely unseen. Mark thought darkly.
But rather then make a scene, Mark asked to his aunt. "What do you know of a guy named Hima Alo ?"
"Not as much as I'd like, but I do know he was incredibly powerful, knowledgeable, and incredibly kind to those he regarded as friends and family." Vaeyuko replied, Waterlight went to talk to Kiyori to let him know they got to work. "Why ?"
"I found this" Mark held out the dark blue star shard from his pocket and showed Vaeyuko the shard in the hallway as they walked. "It was in the Wolfe Vault under the manor. Inside it was a memory of a guy named Starmaster, who apparently was a friend to this, Hima Alo guy, the memory called him an Archeon or some such, a Doulo."
"And you wonder what that even means dont you ?" Vaeyuko asked as she unlocked Princess Annas bedroom door after the servant left.
"That and more, the image the memory showed me showed this Hima Alo guy and these rings, the memory called them Spirit Rings, there was a good dozen or more of them they floated around his feet as if showing where he stood on a wristphone RPG" Mark explained how when Hima Alo moved in the memory he had seen, the rings floated just off the ground about his ankles, yet stayed an spun in different directions. A good dozen different colors of the rings too. Each one a vastly different design.
"It was said in the books I had managed to read about them is that each Spirit Rings color denoted its age," Vaeyuko said, Mark had told her three colors he recognised. Red, White, and yello, the yellow ring apepared three times, three different disigns, spining in two different directions. The red rings appeared later after the white and some other colors had appeared. Colors he couldnt hope to name. "But I do not remember the exact system they used."
"It doesnt matter, do you know of anyone by the name Hima Alo then ?" Mark asked as they entered Annas room and shut the door behind them, Vaeyuko looked around. She shook her head.
"I never met the man, I have only heard of him, or read about him in history books." She replied truthfully.
Mark stepped over to the bed, there were three bodies on it, two men and a woman, all of them dressed as Arendelle Castle servants. Mark only recognised one of the men. A younger fellow he never got the name of. He was more or less a butler type. Kai still answered the door but he did not recognise them when he led them to the room.
"Two men and a woman" Mark said as he examined the bodies. "No signs of foul play either."
"Look at them a different way." came Vaeyukos voice as she inspected the two deceased by the window which was barred shut. From first glance those two bodies, both women, were simply dead where their laid, no signs of foul play at first. At least until Vaeyukop had torn aside part of the corset and dress top before letting out a soft hiss. "These two were shot by a barbed item. In its removal was when they were slain from bloodloss."
Mark shifted his vision and saw exactly the injuries given to the two men, one of them, the younger of the two, was shot between the shoulfers from behind. Mark rolled him over and saw no bloodstains on the clothing. But he knew he had been shot. He looked at the woman, there was no signs of being shot. He could have mistaken her death as heart stopping horror caused her to faint and never wake up.
The other man on the bed however had been stabbed, both of his arms were cut, and his stomach was missing. Mark grunted. "Looks like someone changed their clothing before dumping the bodies in here to make it look like they just stopped moving."
"That was the Healers guess" came a womans voice, Topaz had arrived, somehow in the room, the door was shut behind them but the door also was not locked. So Mark had surmrised she came through the unlocked but closed door. "From what Lazul and I could find out, these servants went missing yesterday evening and were never found. At least until this morning when a servant was cleaning the hallway and the princesses bedroom door was unlocked and partly open."
"So the servant screamed and alerted the guards into alerting Xercine and Kiyori that someone had died only to find seven servants dead in the Princess bedroom" Mark concluded as Vaeyuko counted two more in the bathroom. One of whom had hair that was still damp. It turned out they had both been drowned.
"The question now is, who did it, and why ?" Vaeyuko said.
Topaz smirked, answer that and you're queen for a day. Mark thought.
Arendelle
Arko District Memorial Park to Telo District
At that same moment
"Are you here to help us out ?" Asked Ezra Milligan to the newly arrived women, Blackmane and her older sister Shadowmane saw the sheer number of cats, some of which were indeed rather skittish, others curious, and all of them hungry and very scared.
"That we are, what do we need to do ?" Shadowmane asked as she knlet to one knee and gently stroked a beautiful tabby cats silken fur.
"See if you can find Spike, shes with the kittens somewhere in the park. Emile and Xim had found some guys to help transport the kittens, and Spike got focused on the newest litters first. Find the kittens, you find her. She'll tell you what to do." Ezra Blackmane and Shadow could see was tasked with moving the catfood onto a small hoversled.
"Let me help you" Shadow said to Ezra, turning to Blackmane she said. "You go find Spike, let her know I stopped to help with the catfood. I'll catch up" Blackmane nodded and was about to leave when ezra's voice broke in and caused her to stop.
"You cant miss her, the woman with black and red wings. Donting on kittens" Ezra told her. Blackmane thanked him and went in search for Spike
After finding a ruin, she found Spike, who was trying to get to some kittens hidden within a ruined structure. The mother was worried of course and Spike was trying hard to placate her and also safely get the kittens from the ruin. The yowling of the mother cat made Spike nervous, and yet it was the sudden calmness that came over the mother cat, a worried calm that scared Spike.
Turning around to see what happened she saw Blackmane. "Can I help you ?" Spike asked her then she recognised the woman in the black gown. "Oh, its you. Thank goodness, I was thinking my brothers only managed to scounge up some guys to help get everyone to the house safely. I'm glad you're here though I could use the help. This litter Emile told me was only a couple hours maybe a day old. We already got the other litters up to this one. And the mother is still frantic. I'm scared that if I go into this ruin to get her kittens I'll loose them all" Spike admitted she felt worried, scared even that the ruin would come down if she so much as moved a kitten or even tried to get near them.
"Let me" Blackmane said. "I have had experience with kittens in my lifetime, how many are left ?" She asked
"Three, I was able to get the mom and one of the kittens into the box there, but then the mother cat freaked out when the other three werent with the one. So when I tried to get back in, the ruins made a noise I didnt like. I'm worried that if I go in there the roof will come down." Spike pointed at the box, Blackmane saw a single gray and brown kitten with the dark calico mother. Looking up at her scared and clearly concerned for her day old babies. Three of which she did not have at that moment.
Blackmane thought a breief second or two. "Alright, I'll find them and bring them to the mom. How much time do we have ?"
"How much time do we have ? You mean to get these furbabies safely out of this location, or before the high priest idiot shows back up with a summons or a eviction notice ?" Spike asked
"Both" Blackmane replied, she saw that Spike also had massive yet comfortable wings that flexed and gently waved in the air. Blackmane surmised that Spike was too big to fit into the ruined building. "In either case, with you here with the mother and the baby with her, you can both keep her happy and keep watch for the high priest. I'll get the three remaining kittens."
"Please make sure they surivive. I want all of these kittens to be happy and healthy." Spike said, she made it clear to Blackmane she wanted to ensure the cat population of Arendelle survived as long as possible. Blackmane nodded and ducked into the ruin. A groaning creak was heard and briefly Spikes heart leapt into her mouth and hamemred for a good two minutes as Blackmane disappeared into the darkness.
Inside the ruin, Blackmane let her vision adjust slightly and then shifted her vision to take in everything, finding three bright golden dots of light not far away. Gently. Transforming in the darknes Blackmane gently climbed through the rubble within the home and found the remaining three kittens. They were still in the nest, and they were meowing loudly. There was a beautiful black and white striped girl, a orange tabby boy, and a solid black floofball of a girl.
The black Panther knew she couldnt move the kittens like a normal mother cat could. She'd accidently swallow them. Transforming to her human form, Blackmane made her choice, quickly casting a protection shield to keep the dust away from the kittens she used to her magic to force a way open to safely get the kittens out. Dispelling the protection shield she gently picked the kittens up one by one, and held them close within the folds of her gown before going back the way she had come. Kittens in her arms she knew she had to keep herself protected and made sure the kittens stayed warm, they mewed loudly as she carried them, they squirmed in her arms, looking for their mothers body. But feeling only cloth. Warm dry cloth.
Finally daylight dawned and Spike all but collapsed in relief, the mother cat yowled something, sounding like raw joy as Blackmane stepped into view. Very gently she lowered the kittens one by one from her dress sleeve she had carefully wrapped them in to give to the mother cat in the little box. The mother was clearly overjoyed and even allowed Blackmane to pick up the box as Spike sighed a visible sigh of relief. Her wings relaxing
"Is that it ?" Blackmane asked, dust wafted from the ruined building. She then recognised it, an old bank.
"As far as Emile and I found this was the only litter inside a building, the rest are all under free standing sheds and such. All of them much easier to get to." Spike replied. She gently rubbed the mother cat on the head. Loud purring was heard as all four kittens began to nurse off their mother.
"I'll take her and her kittens back to my place, they'll be safest there for tonight. You can count on it" She told Spike, for a brief second, Blackmane could see it clearly, Spike was torn at what to do next, but then she nodded.
"Alright, but just for tonight then, I can pick them up when I bring the info from the castle." She said, giving another gentle stroke to the mother cats soft dark calico fur. "You'll return to continue helping gather the cats we can right ?" So far they had cleared out most of the strays and some of the ferals, they might have to trap other ferals as far as Spiek could tell. Most of the ferals were simply just scared, but they were also very hungry.
"My sister is helping a guy move the cat food. She should be along shortly. Dont worry. I will come back once these five are safely in my bedroom at my house." Blackmane replied. Spike thanked her. Knowing full well that this litter of kittens was possibly in the safet hands they could be in.
The rest of the afternoon passed for Spike, and Blackmane in a blur. Blackmane was able to ask Spike further questions about life in Sacremento, and how Talak was able to survive. Spike then explained how Talak lead Sacremento, sure it was with an iron fist, but it was so peaceful, there was very little, if any crime in the city. The children were raised in a very peaceful city. They never had to see war or bloodshed. Families were never split apart.
Spike however seemed the most proud of how she met Talak in the first place, she detailed it to Blackmane, the only other person who knew of their meeting outside of her family and brothers was Mark. And he learned of it through a vault memory trip.
Blackmane smiled at the mention of the cruise for Spikes thirteenth birthday, as a reward or as a gift even though her brothers defended her honor so greatly on those other men at the time. Now Spike had her mother, her father long dead from a car accident when her baby sister was born. "Your parents sound wonderful." She said, her own father had died when she was a young woman, slain by the enemy factions of the Templars, a group more then likely designed to take her family down a peg.
"They were, mother and father wanted me to happy, it was on the Nile River cruise tour when Talak fell into my life quite literally" Spike explained how Talak had either missed a step, gotten pushed, or something as she landed on the cruise ships viewing deck. She was then permitted passage to the states, what was left of them at least and lived her new life as Vitas Warmoon, Spikes only real best friend.
But there was something more, the way Spike handled herself and cared for the cats and the litters of kittens so carefully, so expertly. So Blackmane asked her. "How is it then that you know so much of how to care for cats, kittens and everything inbetween ?"
"My brothers and I in Sacremento oversee three different feral cat colonies. Nobody messes with our proerties. After what my brothers did for me when I was thirteen shortly before meeting Talak, they beat the guy that dumped me, lied to me, everything. It was great really." Blackmane smiled as Spike explained it.
From what Blackmane could understand. Spike and her brothers were feared in Sacremento, and only more so because Talak Horde was the leader of the city, a queen of a sort more of a mayor type or even a regional govenor. So with Talak, known to Spike as Vitas in charge, Spike was her right hand woman, and then Spikes brothers were basically Spikes various errand runners or same level workers. They all regarded each other so closely as family.
"Was that why the High Priest was scared of you ?" Blackmane asked her
Spike smirked. "He was scared of me because I warned him, I did not threaten him. I warned him." Spike told her. Blackmane smirked, once Spike explained what had happened she nodded.
"You were right in warning him, threatening would have done no good." She said, Spike made a smart move. The High Priest was already on edge when Spike just bluntly hammered at him.
"I think the man shit himself too. He went white as a sheet when I drew my pistol, after he was gone, Daniel mentioned I should have shot him, and honestly I think I should have, to get my point across at the very least." When Spike explained to Blackmane how the high priest reacted to Spikes actions it mader Blackmane giggle like a schoolgirl it was too funny really. Too funny for her to not imagine and then not laugh whatsoever.
Finally they had one last box. "Alright, this is the last litter, the momma cat is nice and very social, she actually comes out when humans come close enough. I made the mistake of laying under the tree and she slept on my wing." Spike said. The way Blackmane could figure it, the litters ranged in age from barely a few hours old to as old as four weeks, and this last litter she also noticed trhat Spike paid special care to the litter as a whole as she gently picked up each rambunctious baby and gently set them in the kitty carrier. The mom easily hopping in. but when Spike lifted her hand out, one of the kittens had latched onto her long fingerless glove.
Blackmane smiled and gently reached to hold the kitten as Spike came untangled from the baby's claws. Blackmane could not help but see how beautiful solid white the kitten was. But Blakmane could see clearly that the white kitten was a girl. "She is like a little ghost kitten" She said
"Mhm, her name is Ghost too. I dont have a name for her mother yet." Spike replied, the kittens purred loudly in their guttery, stop start kitten purrs as they nursed. Spike finally gently set Ghost with her siblings and their mother purred contently.
"This is the last litter, all that is left is a few ferals." Spike said as her brother, Xim stepped into view. "I'll take them back to the house myself. Can you guys try and get those last few ferals safely transported too ?" The two nodded and Spike carried the litter of kittens and their mother to their new home
Arendelle
Castle District
Kiyoris Office
7 PM
Kiyori sat at his desk. Brooding. He was upset that his request to have certain parties evicted from the District that was formerly the residental district of Arko, one of the two islands connecting the castle District with the Marketplace District and thus the rest of the kingdom as a whole. Had been ignored outright.
But how mad could he be ? He could not stay so very angered over the fact that a woman, with wings, who was named Spike of all things. And her brothers apparently were caring for the wild cats in the parkland ? If it were up to him entirely he'd have the cats removed, or even rehomed, but he wouldnt exactly be gentle about it. Cats were cats, nothnig more. He did not like them very much to begin with.
So his request to have Spike, her brothers, and the cats evicted was denied by Xercine and even ignored by Spike entirely. So he looked up who Spike and her brothers were. Finding at first nothing until he searched further, word of mouth more then likely warned him who they were.
Powerful people. Spike and her brothers, and their mother, and Spikes younger sisters, they defined Friends in High Places. They were untouchable. Wholly so that nothing Kiyori could try would work. So he'd have to go in full force to try and evict them on his own.
But it was not going to be easy, and he knew it. He had no idea that over the last day alone that Spike with her brothers and her sisters help, as well as help from those within the kingdom, was already getting the cats, the wild, the social, and the newborn, safely out of the district park to somewhere else in the kingdom.
Kiyori could not explain it even to himself. Somehow, he was scared of Spike, not because of who she was, but because of her concern for something other then herself. The mere fact that Spike was ready to die defending a colony of wild animals made the High Priest pause. Spike and her brothers loved and cared for cats. And that was their strength, their bond with the animals was so great that it was almost on a telepathic level for them to communicate and get along with each other.
So why was he scared of Spike ? Was it because she had drawn a weapon on him and threatened him with it ? Or was it because of something else ? Was it her telling him that the difference between a threat and a warning were two different things ?
Why hadnt he just modeled her right then and been done with it ? So lost in thought he was that he never saw Topaz sneaking around in her cat form. He'd learned over the last two weeks to ignore the two cats wandering the castle directly. They did not make him much happier then he was when they first appeared.
But Xercine would give him hell if he insisted on getting rid of both animals, so he allowed Xercine, and the Healer, Kaedrian to have the two animals in their care. But he never knew those two 'animals' were infact the brother and sister combination of Topaz and Lazul. Skilled fighters, skilled theives, beautiful cats.
Kiyori brooded at his desk, upset. Finally pissed off enough he smashed a hand on the top of the desk, causing Deacon Dice to look up with startlement. "Is something wrong ?"
"Yes, everything is wrong" Kiyori replied. He looked at Dice. "For one, the winged woman, Spike. Why did she come to Arendelle, were your men able to find out more about her ?"
"Only enough to give you a heart attack" Dice replied, he sat back down, more relaxed. "This woman, Spike, she's got red and black feathered wings like a Red-Winged blackbird. Shes got six older brothers and four younger sisters. Her mother is an incredibly connected woman as well." How he knew that information Kiyori would never know.
Kiyori sighed. "Why did I not model her off when she drew the weapon ?" He asked himself aloud. He glared at Dice not to answer, but Dice kept his mouth shut. Sometimes Kiyori wanted to brood just enough that it made sense not to answer any questions he was asking himself.
Long moments of quiet followed. Kiyori stood from his desk and went to the window. "I trust you have news for me ?" He then asked to Dice who stood from the chair he had sat in.
"Yes, bad news I am afraid." Dice told him, "The last model to be installed was found moved to a nearby gazebo this morning, none of the guards, nothing anything amiss at all yesterday, so it is possible the model was moved this morning, or late last night. The model was broken as well, as if set afire like the others, the prisoners in it freed."
Kiyori sighed, he figured as much. But it was set up for a day, so that was good. "Either people are figuring out the truth, the models are harmless, or someone directly is targeting certain models that have figures in them" Kiyori mused aloud, Dice merely nodded in agreement.
Looking to the nearby in progress model. Kiyori murred softly in thought. "Curious... most curious" He said simply. He turned to Dice, "Have guards posted within sight of a model, I want them to see who frees the prisoners within it" when Dice did not move from the room, kiyori looked at him. "What are you standing around for ? You got work to do! Get busy!"
Kiyori never saw the unseen eyes watching him as every word was heard by unheared ears. A woman wreathed in thick Shadows in the corner of the room simply listened and watched without beeing seen or heard. It was Lakotas task. Spy on the High Priest while Sutri and Taris worked out a means to find a way to get their father back in one piece.
Lakotas job was simple, observe, listen. Never be seen, never be heard. The Unseen Eyes of Sutri could see everything, the Unheard Ears of Sutri could hear everything. So Lakota was watching the High Priest, listening to him when he brooded alone, seemingly so. Watching him when he could not see her.
He had no idea truth be told, that she was even present in his office right then.
Kiyori poured himself a glass of wine. Deciding then to relax thoughtfully. Things were moving faster then expected, and he needed to carefully plan his next move. If he could find who was releasing the models prisoners. The sooner he could figure out how to oust Xercine, and eliminate the Heirs.
The last thing Kiyori wanted was an Heir installed as Queen, and him nolonger having a proper puppet to control the kingdom with. He was the real power behind the throne. Even when Elsa was Queen, he was the real power, the real power behind everything.
Luring Hans to Arendelle that first time for Elsas crowning ceremony the years before was not his plan. It had occurred by sheer chance. Allowing him to plan around it. He had infact hoped that Hans would kill off Elsa out in the wilds somehow. Not bring her back to the castle as a prisoner.
The death of the Duke by the Queens own hands only made his plans hit the shitter a bit sooner then he had hoped. But then a bit later he had figured out a few other plans and set them into motion.
But now he had a new issue. Spike in town threw a major wrench into his plans. So he began to plan around such an event. He now knew Spike adored and cared for cats and kittens. So maybe he could use that as leverage and plan around it ? Kiyori sat in his chair. Setting his wine glass on the desk he smirked, steepling his fingers. "Target the cats, take down Spike. It is not much of a plan but it will have to do." He mumbled.
Spike was a new thorn in his backside, he needed a way to get her out of the picture. But there was a new issue. Waterlight had insisted on two investigators to search the Princess' old bedroom for the causes of the deaths of those servants. It was a bad idea, he tried to tell her that ,but the woman had insisted, so Kiyori had relented when Xercine agreed with her on sending in the third party.
The man and woman felt strangely familiar, but the man was not identical to the man he had fought briefly in the Star Formation chamber. He sighed, finished his wine, and left his office. The shadows danced a sultry dance and disappeared from the office shortly after.
Kiyori never saw the black haired silver robed woman looking at his retreating back from behind a curtain. Topaz saw the man head for a set of doors and never saw her as he looked in both directions of the hall. The doors slid open as if on a track, allowing him to enter. The colors that danced upon the walls were dark, like space, with pinpoints of sparkling light like stars.
At that same moment
Topaz smiled as she watched the High Priest disappear into the doorway and the doors slid closed behind him. She darted forwards, scanning carefully with her eyes, never seeing a part or crack indicating a door. Then she shifted her vision. Found you. Topaz thought before transforming swiftly into a cat and disappearing towards the Princess bedroom. Topaz had news for her cousin, news he might like. He was inside the castle to find out what happened to the servants, but also find a weakness to the Star Formation. From what Mark could remember as Topaz came back in and mentioned the Healer guessing the same lines as he was. Mark glanced at where Anna kept her clock by the bed, it was nearly eight in the evening and rain hammered outside. "Where have you been ?" Mark asked her
"Spying on the Priest. I found the door to that star formation thing you said that you wanted to know where it was." Topaz said, Vaeyuko confirmed the two men in the bathroom were stabbed, their livers missing.
"Seriously ?" Mark asked her, where was it ?
"You walked right past it when Kai brought you to this room, its at the foot of the stairs by the split in the front steps. I couldnt see inside it so I have no idea whats in there or if theres another doorway." Topaz said truthfully.
Mark merely smiled. "Its alright, we know where it is now, how did you find it when it was shut ? Doesnt it blend into the wall ?" He asked
"Its designed to hide in the wall, hidden in plain sight, At first I couldnt even find even so much as a crack of a door or even a draft point. It was as if it was void of air to give off a draft" Topaz replied, "I ended up having to use my Sight in order to see its outline. But it never opened for me so I have no idea how it works."
Mark smirked, "Its alright, I think I know how to get in there. But it wont be easy, if that." He said to her. Topaz leaned against the dresser with the large mirror atop it.
"We know where the door is, the two men in the bathroom do not have their livers. That woman and those two on the bed were shot. All of their clothing was changed after they were killed, as to keep the blood from being seen or found." Vaeyuko said coming to a conclusion that someone went to great pains to hide the fact there was a killer, a skilled killer, in the castle grounds.
"Someone killed the servants, waited for the blood loss to stop, and then changed their clothing, after that they dumped them in here ?" Mark said, Vaeyuko nodded.
"Now the question is, who would go so such great length to do such a deed, to hide the bloodied clothing. Remove the two mens livers ? Are those two in the batrhroom even servants or guards ? Do you recognise either of them ?" Vaeyuko said, Topaz shook her head, as did Mark, the two men were drunks taken off the Castle Docks the night before, their livers were gone a long time ago.
"So now what ?" Mark asked, looking to his aunt, as did Topaz. "We know that someone killed these servants." Three laid on Annas old bed, two laid by the window. Another two in the bathroom. But those two in the bathroom were town drunks
Nothing made sense
"Now we split up. Topaz." Vaeyuko said, the girl looked to her aunt, "I want you to inform your brother, search the servants quarters carefully. Anything you find or see, tell me or Mark, first chance you get. If you must tell someone and you cannot find us, tell the woman named Waterlight, or the woman with wings, what was her name again ?" Vaeyuko had only heard of Spike, she never met the woman.
"You mean Spike ?" Mark asked. Spike was the only woman with wings he knew of, did Vaeyuko mean the same woman ?
Vaeyuko nodded. "Yes, her. She can get the information to us."
Topaz held up a hand with a finger raised. "One question; When we find what we're looking for and are able to record it, what should we do then if we cant find any of you ?" Topaz asked looking between her cousin and her aunt.
Mark smirked, "Easy, speak to Waterlight, she apparently can come and go from the castle as she pleases" He told her. Topaz nodded. She could do that. "In the mean time, Aunt Vaeyuko and I can inspect the throneroom and main corridor for signs of an attack on the servants."
"See you guys tomorrow then or are you staying in the castle ?" Topaz asked as there came a knock on the door. By the time she heard the knock, Mark watched almost laughing as the timing was too damn good. Topaz was a pearlwhite cat on the dresser licking her paw and acting like she was always a cat.
"That depends" Mark said softly to his cousin, loudly he called. "Come in!" and the door opened, Kai entered
"Good sir, Good Lady, I've come to inform you that we do not have any available guest quarters for tonight, so you have been set up at a local place in the Marketplace District. A place called The Den or some such. I was told that you would know what it meant" He said as he stood calmly at attention as he spoke to Mark and Vaeyuko, never noticing the cat on the dresser.
It was just as well because Topaz hopped off the dresser and angled for the door, never noticed whatsoever by the man as he continued to speak. "Shall I request the soldiers to remove the bodies ?"
"You may" Vaeyuko replied. Kai stepped aside to allow Mark and Vaseyuko to proceed him into the hallway. "We have found what we sought within this room, what we now seek is in other rooms. However I sense you are to remove us from the castle grounds for the night"
"I am afraid so madam" Kai replied, he seemed disheartened in that fact alone. "The High Priests orders" he said simply at the unasked question from Mark.
Mark smirked. "That old blowhard ?" He asked the butler. Kai did not know how to respond but simply nodded. Mark sighed. He turned to his aunt, speaking in Arabic the two made a plan. Turning back to Kai he said, "Tell the high priest this, until the investigation for today is concluded, we will be at the Den, we will see ourselves out. However we expect you at the Marketplace Assassin Den, yes that is the Den when further information is brought to light by Lady Waterlight, agreed ?
"Agreed sir" Kai said, he stepped aside allowing the two to proceed down the hallway as he went in search of Kiyori or Xercine.
Mark waited a brief moment, then pointed his Aunt forwards, the woman nodded and they headed down the hall towards the castle entry. The Grand hall and throne room also had a connection to the Star Formation room.
As they walked along, Vaeyuko asked "What do you remember about the Formation ?"
"Not a lot, but I do remember there was a bridge to get to it, a large landing with a low railing that was connected to the bridge. It was also in space" Mark replied, he detailed what he could remember.
"When we get back to the Den, I want you to talk to Diana. If you can, have her explore the sewers of Arendelle, join her if you must do so. Find if you can spot a bridge above, but still in darkness. Odds are good the bridge is somewhere else in the kingdom, but also in space. But it must be anchored somewhere" Vaeyuko said to him
Mark nodded and the two went back to the Den after they left the castle.
Arendelle
Castle Council chamber
A few moments later
"So they found the bodies, and cant even stay in the castle to finish the search ?" Lazul asked his sister, the two cats were in the council chambers, it was empty, just the two furballs upon a table.
Topaz was grooming herself again. "Mhm,. Seems the High Priest is nervous, Aunt Vaeyuko wants us to search the servants quarters for anything out of the ordinary on the floor, look for bloodstains, that sort of thing, if we find anything, we report it to Spike who will report it to Mark. If we cant find Spike we report it to Waterlight." Topaz told her brother.
Lazul smirked, he wasnt cut out for being a spy, but he loved the sneakiness of it all. "Does this mean we get to check the kitchen ?" His stomach growled, Kaedrian fed them both quite well, and as far as he could tell, Kaedrian was also quite gentle. Or so Topaz told him.
Topaz stopped grooming herself and looked at her brother. The guy always thought with his stomach, but he had a point. If that meant they could search the kitchen. "Well, one of the servants were stabbed, so the only place with a knife outside of the castle armory would be the kitchen" She said
Lazul nodded as he stood to all fours. "To the kitchen then! I'm starving, we missed dinner. We can look around while in the kitchen too" He said
Topaz rolled her eyes and followed her brother. That evening ended with two cats filing up their bellies, and also finding out some more information. They had a nearly complete picture of whodunit.
All they had to do, was tell their cousin. Somehow.
