Chapter9: Darshon Evier

A horse drawn carriage traveled down the towards the Pronteran castle. There, King Tristam, Arch Bishop Monomer and General Augustus waited for the passenger.

The carriage stopped and its door opened from which a hooded man came out.

"Welcome Darshon, welcome to Prontera." Said the King.

Darshon took off his hood revealing his face. Fairly young, barely out of his thirties. He had long blonde colored hair, which he wore in a ponytail. His silver framed glasses rested on the bridge of his nose and behind it his bright green eyes shimmered in the sun.

"Thank you your majesty. Why have you called for me?"

"You must be tired from your journey. Let's discuss the matter over a meal."

The king went up the steps of the castle followed by Darshon then the other two.

"You see there is a killer on the loose." Said King Tristam sitting back on his chair in the dining hall "The curios thing about this killer is that he only target's priests and acolytes." Said King Tristam.

"He strikes randomly we suspect" began Augustus. "Killing any priest or acolyte within his grasp."

"He could be one from one of those satanic cults." Said Monomer "Or maybe an atheist."

The three looked at Darshon who was slicing a piece of the meet, on his plate.

"Master Evier have even been listening to us?" asked the King in a slightly annoyed tone.

"I'm afraid I have not been listening to you your majesty," answered the wizard before putting the piece of meat in his mouth.

"Then how do you propose you will solve the case without knowing anything about it first?"

Darshon swallowed the meat then wiped his mouth with his napkin. He cleared his throat then spoke. "First of all, your suspicions and hypotheses do not matter to me because they are most probably wrong. Next, my job is to find your killer and I will so I suggest you just stay behind me then move when I tell you to."

Augustus and Monomer looked at the wizard with gazes that could pierce steel.

"Now, you must bring me to the scene so I can figure out for myself" said Darshon standing up from his chair.

"Come on now Deuton (geffenese for quickly)" he called back from the hallway.

"Arrogant Pig." Muttered Augustus and Monomer in unison.

King Tristam looked at the both of them then spoke "I expect the both of you to be cooperative with Darshon Evier. Even though there is certain arrogance in him."

"We understand sire," said Augustus through gritted teeth "He's geffenese, arrogance comes natural to them."

Darshon was inspecting the scene; his hand was on his chin while his eyes moved from body to body.

Two knights from the chivalry walked up to the wizard.

"Oy wizard! What do you think your doing here?" said the bigger knight.

"Apparently what you can't do" answered Darshon still scrutinizing the dead bodies.

"What do you mean? This is a simple murder what else is there to know?" said the other knight

Darshon faced the knights "Tell me what is it exactly that happened here?" he asked with one eyebrow raised.

"These people here were skewered to death by spikes." said the bigger knight.

"That's all?"

"Yup" answered the two knights in unison.

"Oh it turns out I have my work cut out for me." Darshon clears his throat, walked behind a pew then spoke loud enough for everyone to hear. "Here is where the bomb was placed since the spikes radiated around this spot and judging by the powder around this spot the bomb was made from an aluminum shell and a marine sphere's detonator. The culprit must have been here a number of times already since he knew where to place the bomb. There are eight dead bodies in this sanctuary."

"HA!" said Augustus "Your not so smart after all, you see there are only six bodies in front of you."

"You are correct, there are only six bodies in front of me. But the other two are hidden and I'm surprised you haven't found them."

"What makes you think that?" asked Augustus

"Look at the aisle of the church there is a candle holder on the floor while the other candle holders of its kind are lined up by the wall. There is a spot without a candleholder there so this must be it. Then on the side of this candle holder there is blood."

"Big deal some blood must have just splattered on that while the people were being killed. Also, that does not prove that there were eight people who died."

"But if you would look more closely the color of the blood on the candleholder has turned maroon slightly on the brown side. But the blood everywhere else is still in its prime crimson color. The same fading blood is on the aisle surrounding the candle holder and the owner of the blood was dragged in there," Darshon pointed at the sanctuary storage room

"Prepare to be humiliated if your wrong wizard"

"But I'm not. Why don't you just go and take a look-see for yourself. I dare you"

The knights opened the storage room and saw the bodies of the acolyte girl and the cleric.

"How did you do that?" said Augustus in a mix of annoyance and amazement.

"It just comes natural," answered Darshon eyeing Augustus.

Augustus walked up to Darshon then said in a threatening tone "You just got lucky today wizard. You never know the killer might have a change of taste."

Darshon watched Augustus walk out the sanctuary with outmost loathing and distain

Evening descended down on Prontera and a single candle flickered in the city.

"Sign there must be sign" muttered Darshon "I've never encountered such a crafty killer. Hasn't left a mark, not one! I should take another look maybe I missed something."

The wizard entered the sanctuary it had been cleaned now but he remembered every single detail.

"Nothing…Still nothing. Who are you and how do you manage to elude every single chance of me catching you?" Darshon said in his mind "What can I do now? I'd hate to say it but I need help. As much as I can get."

The next morning Darshon entered the chivalry. All the knights were quiet after seeing this man humiliate their superior before them.

"Where is Augustus? I must speak with him." Called Darshon to the chivalry

A knight pointed to a door which Darshon then entered.

"What the bloody hell are you doing here!" shouted Augustus surprised to see the wizard.

"Look here I don't like you and you don't like me either. But I need your help to catch this killer."

"Well, I thought my suspicions didn't matter to you." Said Augustus putting his feet on his desk then smiling back at Darshon.

"I know what I said but I fear I...um…"

"Yes?" said Augustus leaning closer to hear what Darshon was about to say

"I fear I must admit that I was wrong," said Darshon through gritted teeth "I can not do this alone. I need your help."

Augustus almost laughed his head off. An apologizing geffenese was a both rare and bemusing sight.

"Sure I'll help since you asked so nicely." Said Augustus still chuckling "So what is it that you have in mind?"

Darshon tried to contain his anger before he spoke. "I wish to take a look at the criminal files over the last two years or so. I cannot find any suspect who has a motive whom I can recall."

"Right then!" Augustus went to a shelf behind him then started pulling out parchment. "Here you go then all the Crime that has happened in Prontera from the last two years." He handed the hundred-pound worth of parchment to the wizard"

"Thank you I shall look into it right away." Darshon left Augustus' room and passed by Sigmund outside.

The priest stared at Darshon while on the other hand one would even doubt if Darshon had seen the priest. Sigmund entered the chivalry then went inside Augustus' office.

"Was that the wizard that the King hired?" asked Sigmund

"Yup, Darshon Evier. It turns out we were wrong about him. He knows what he's doing but he still got the initiative to admit his limitations and ask us for help." Said Augustus

"Sound like he's just sucking up. I for one have never seen a geffenese apologize"

"Well he did. I feel that we can trust him after all he did save the King's life already once. Who's to say he can't save yours?"

"I still don't trust him. I suggest you do the same."

That night only Darshon's candle was lit again. The light from it flickered and played on the parchment he was reading.

"Zoh!!" (Geffenese for shit)

He accidentally knocked over the inkbottle while trying to dip his quill in it. The ink spread over the parchment. Darshon was about to perform a spell to clean up the mess he had made when he spotted the Ranulf's criminal record.

/1/25/083

Offence/s:

Disrupted the execution of Katie Houlton (deemed hazardous to the pronteran church).

Attempted Murder of Sigmund Untherere

Resistance to arrest

Sentence:

Lives in prison until he lets go for his love for Katie Houlton and renews his vow of celibacy

Signed:

Monomer

Debilucian

"I think I've found the killer." Muttered Darshon to himself

"AUGUSTUS I"VE FOUND THE KILLER!!!" shouted Darshon bursting into the knight's room.

"Jesus Christ Man do you have any idea off what time it is?" said Augustus half awake.

"But I've found a suspect who I have no doubt did it all! And it's a quite ironic answer as well."

Augustus sat on the side off his bed "Okay tell me who it is"

"Ranulf Filial"

"I'm sorry Darshon but that's quite impossible."

"And why is that? I mean all the facts point to him, his motive is very obvious and he has escaped from prison."

"He's also dead."

"But there is nothing here that says he is deceased."

"That's because there's ink all over it. Go on Darshon let me get some sleep let's continue tomorrow."

Augustus led Darshon out of his room then went back to bed.

"But I don't understand all evidence point's to him."

The next day Darshon gave all the parchment (already treated with the cleaning spell) back to Augustus.

"You couldn't possibly have finished all of that in one night!' said Augustus in surprise.

"Actually I have. Tell me Augustus why cant we catch this criminal or even get a glimpse of him."

"Because we're both not raving lunatics." Answered the knight.

"EXACTLY!!" shouted Darshon

"I was making a joke you don't have to be so kind to me."

"As far of as your motives were your answer was correct. We can't catch this killer because we aren't killers. To catch him we have to think like him or at least recruit some one who does."

"Who do you have in mind?" asked Augustus beginning to get the point of what Darshon was saying.

"I think you know who I have in mind."

"IT TURNS OUT I'M WRONG! ONE OF US IS A RAVING LUNATIC!! YOU CANT POSSIBLY SUGGEST FOR US TO RELEASE SAGA THE ASSASSIN!!"

"Please, He has the most complex mind I've ever encountered until our new killer we need him if we want to solve this case."

"We must enter the mind of a killer through the mind of another." Said Augustus "Fine but you ask the King because I wont do it."

The two went to the King to acquire his permission.

"Your majesty we request the release of Saga the assassin. We require his services for this case" began Darshon

"Are you sure you need him?" asked the King "I mean this man wanted me dead and it would make the citizens uncomfortable with a killer walking around the city."

"But sire there is already a killer on the loose and we need Saga to catch him."

"Very well." Said the King with a sigh "As King of Prontera I hereby clear Saga the assassin of all charges to the kingdom of Prontera and myself, once he has helped in the capture of the unknown killer who is terrorizing our land."

Darshon and Augustus went down the dungeon until they reached the lowest level where the most dangerous criminals are kept. The reached an iron door guarded by twenty soldiers.

Augustus placed the king's ring into a slot that activated the locks to the door. Slowly the ten-inch iron doors opened revealing it's prisoner an assassin was bound by many chains that were bolted to the wall.

"Saga." Called Darshon

"Darshon… how nice it is to see you. I can sense that you need something. What?"