The Magicians' Realm Chapter 100: Future-Crime Scene Investigation, a yu-gi-oh fanfic

Chapter 100, everybody! ALL RIGHT WE MADE IT WOO! :D And to celebrate we're exploring the area around Delvaire and investigating Kineil's murder….

Real talk these past two chapters were just me letting the characters do what they want so I could see where the story went, and in doing so Skulduggery rocked in and announced he was doing detective work. Also in this chapter is gun safety, as this fic and writer are big supporters of Second Amendment rights.

Also, weirdly enough, I found out that when animals are put down they do go to a farm—they get cremated and their ashes dumped in nearby fields. And the playing field Skulduggery references is a football field in this case—about 100 yards or 300 feet. And the crack-shot grandfather in this case is in reference to my grandfather on my Dad's side—my Dad's dad was the best shot in Texas, while his brother (my Dad's uncle) was the worst shot in Texas. Just picture the two guys from Secondhand Lions, you'll get it.

Movie this week is The Mummy, which I can watch again and again and not get tired of. Love that show. :D

Angiembabe, thanks for the review! Yes, but it's been a while since we discussed biscuits-and-bacon-loving Frost Kings, so it was worth bringing up again. :D Ohh…ooh I like that theory….

References:

Original characters, + setting © Kineil D. Wicks (myself, not the girl in the story)

"A little farther, maybe."

"This is awfully far from town," Skulduggery observed, holding his jaw at a considering angle as he examined their surroundings. "Matter of fact, this is one of the main roads out of town—have you ever been this far out Miss Wicks?"

"Never," Kineil said, nose pressed to the window. "Well, no wait that's not entirely accurate—I've just never been on this road before. When I came here with Yami it was from up north. What's out here?"

"Well, somewhere in a general that-way direction is the tracks we crossed," Skulduggery said, pointing to their left. "And you can see the mountains to our right—pretty soon up ahead will narrow to one of the mountain gaps, the train will go up on trestles in the river to avoid dealing with the mountains, and then it's all uphill and rocky from there. It's a fast, not-often-used way to get out of town, all things considered."

"Then why would you call it a main road out?" Teana asked.

"Because if you want to get technical there's really only three roads out of Delvaire—one heading north, one heading east, and then this one. If you want to go south you have to take the river, and most people take the train over trying to drive these roads. This road is honestly only ever used by Atlas and his boys."

"'Let me tell the story, I can tell it all,'" Kineil half-sang.

"Yes, about like that. What about this orchard? It's the last one in Delvaire."

"If it isn't this one that means I can never leave Delvaire."

"A sad narrative, to be sure."

"You're just saying that because then you're stuck with me."

"Not so—there's nothing saying that I can't leave Delvaire. Is there?" he asked Teana.

"I don't know, I'm just really not feeling this anymore," Teana said—this had gone from maybe being worth a try to feeling totally ridiculous about an hour ago. "Maybe it really was just a dream and everyone's just getting too worked up about it."

"Maybe, but it's better to get worked up about nothing than to not care and get blindsided."

"Yeah well—wait. There—right there!"

Skulduggery stopped the car, looked around the area, Kineil doing the same.

"Seems a peaceful place to die, excluding the method," he observed, getting out.

"Wait we're getting out of the car?" Kineil asked, stunned—grumbled when Teana did so as well, leaning on the door as she looked at the spot. The air was muggy, but there was almost a hint of that spicy smell fall got—the weather was getting ready to break, finally.

Kineil finally got out of the car, a death-grip on the door. "So where, exactly, do I bite it out here?"

"That—is an excellent question. Come," Skulduggery said, closing his door and stalking off. "Let me know when we're getting close, Miss Teana."

"Oh we're doing it right now."

"Now hold it," Teana said, closing the door and following him. "I'm having second thoughts about this whole mess."

"You wouldn't deny a detective the chance to solve a future-murder, would you?" Skulduggery asked her, glancing back. "It's not an opportunity that happens very often. Come on, Miss Kineil, we need you too."

"I was thinking maybe I wait in the car," she called.

"Oh don't be silly we have time between now and your death."

Teana flinched—finally stopped.

"I've had enough of this," she announced. "You can poke around as much as you want, I'm waiting in the car with Kineil."

Skulduggery stopped, considered her…paced back, pointing down the row she had stopped in front of. "This row."

"So you're just going to ignore what I said."

"Sadly, comfort often has little to do with murder. You stopped in front of this row, which suggests…is it?"

She refused to look. "Maybe."

"Excellent. Miss Kineil, if you would go down there, please."

"Do it yourself," Kineil said, mincing over and rubbing her neck, trying to see everywhere at once. "This place gives me the willies—knowing you die here does that to a person."

Skulduggery made a pensive noise, started heading down the row. "Tell me when, Miss Teana."

"I will not—Detective Pleasant," Teana stressed.

"Skul, I'm with Teana now get back here," Kineil snapped.

"Tell me when, Miss Teana," Skulduggery insisted.

"If I tell you, will you get back here?" Teana asked.

"Hmm, but that doesn't feel sincere."

Teana blew out an irritated breath, rubbed at her face.

"So what's the plan then?" Kineil asked, gesturing at Skulduggery's retreating form. "Let him wander off into the woods? Oh I'm sorry, Idgy, Skul went to a farm. Hey wait—Skul if you don't get back here I'm taking the Bentley!"

"I have the keys!" Skulduggery countered.

"Oi vey—Skul! Skul I'm perfectly fine with just avoiding this place for the rest of my life we don't have to do whatever this is! SKUL!"

"Miss Teana I'm still waiting—"

"You're being ridicu—right there!" Teana burst out, right when Skulduggery stepped through the mental image of Kineil going down. "Right there now can we go?"

Skulduggery stopped, looked around, back at them—seemed a little concerned. Turned to the nearest trees, summoned some sticks and an apple, set up a little tripod where he had been standing before nestling the apple on top.

"That's pretty far in," Kineil observed as Skulduggery walked back. "What was my reasoning here?"

"I'm sorry, the dream didn't include mind-reading," Teana said, aggravation making her tone testy.

"Hey don't get snippy with me—now that I know the where I can avoid it. For like, all time." Look around. "Which shouldn't be hard—orchards shouldn't be this creepy."

That tended to happen when someone was going to die there. But if Kineil said she was going to avoid it from now on….

Examining the threads as Skulduggery came back did have some of them shriveled up by the wayside, cut off from her now that the events leading to them didn't occur—except the one leading to the exact moment that had them here was still present. Despite what Kineil said, she still ended up dead in this orchard.

"Okay," Skulduggery said once he was close enough to not be shouting. "Now, where is the shooter going to be?"

"Right here," Teana said, still distracted by her mental digging. Realized both Skulduggery and Kineil were staring at her. "What?"

Skulduggery looked at the little tripod, back at her—gestured to where they were standing. "Here. Right here."

"Uh, yeah."

Still that disbelieving look—glance at the tripod, back at her, indicated it. "That's got to be the length of a playing field."

"About half of it, actually."

"Wow," Kineil noised. "At least I'm not killed by a slouch."

Skulduggery made a noise in the back of his throat, expression crumpled in thought. "What kind of gun was used?"

"I don't know—a long one," Teana said, flopping her arms in frustration. "Can we go now?"

"No," Skulduggery said, pacing to the car. "A long one—shotgun? Rifle?"

"I have no idea—what are you doing?"

"Accessing the armory," Skulduggery said, unlocking the trunk and opening it before digging within. "Just a mo…ah." Pulled back out, holding up two guns. "Shotgun, rifle," he said, hefting each one in turn.

"Neither one of those, and why do you have guns in your trunk?"

"Reasons," Skulduggery said, considering the guns before putting the shotgun back in and pulling a different one out. "What about this? Bolt-action shotgun, bears resemblance to a rifle but not as accurate."

"I guess," Teana said, waving a hand irritably. "Back to why you drive around town with guns in your trunk."

"Contrary to popular belief, guns behave themselves, especially when they're taken care of and gun safety is followed," Skulduggery said, putting the rifle back in the trunk before bringing the shotgun over, checking the chamber. "Guns going off from rough handling usually comes from being roughly handled and dirty, and these are neither. Also, the safety is on and keeping them in the trunk keeps them away from Jack for most of the day. Right here, you said?"

"Yes," Teana said, taking several steps back. "On the point of you keeping several guns in the trunk though."

"Sometimes there's a need. Although I did have to store them in the gun case a bit this year—ridiculous weather we're having. Now if you'll excuse me."

"You're going to want to cover your ears," Kineil counseled.

Teana did so, glancing between Skulduggery and the apple he was aiming for. Even knowing it was coming, the length of time between doing so and the actual firing of the gun meant she let out a bark of surprise when it happened.

The apple exploded in a puff of pulp.

"It's a long shot, but not impossible," Skulduggery said, bringing the gun back, putting the safety on before dipping down and picking up the shell. "Whoever does this has to be a crack shot."

"So that makes you a suspect," Kineil said. "Or my grandfather, but since he's dead I'm going with you."

"Miss Kineil, I assure you I wouldn't make such a shot unless you gave me exceedingly good reason to." Consider the whole thing. "And that isn't a shot that can be made in anger. Whoever does this did so with cool calm deliberate intention."

"Well yay for me. I'm going back in the car now."

"Yes, well, I do think we've done all we can here."

Teana hustled to the car after Kineil, the two of them sitting in there in deafening silence as Skulduggery put the gun back in the trunk and shut it.

"So," he said, sliding back in. "We've determined time, location, and means—what about suspects? Can you describe the shooter?"

"About your height and he has a hat and a badge," Teana told him.

"So a professional in a position of power. Hmm."

"I'd like to go home now."

"Me too," Kineil said. "Learning about your own murder is draining."

Skulduggery considered them both, looked around one last time—started the car.

"Probably a good idea," he said, hooking the Bently into a slow U-turn. "And perhaps we'll skip Algebra today—I think you've been stressed enough."

"Glad you agree," Teana said drily, watching the orchard stream by as they picked up speed. If she never had to see that again, it would be too soon.

But it was still coming—she had to avoid it somehow. She had to have a plan.

Now if only one were forthcoming.