"Xeph!" Lalna quickly crouched down beside the spaceman as the others took a step back in shock. All except for Lomadia, however, who looked to be in near tears as she knelt down opposite of the scientist. Lalna didn't even have to check for a pulse. It was obvious that the man had been dead for quite a while now, apparently killed instantly by whatever struck him in the back of the head. He looked over to Lomadia with a somber expression.
"I'm sorry." He whispered to her before standing up. The owl keeper dried a wave of tears before she gave a small nod to show him she had heard. Nilesy and Ravs bent down to comfort her, but Lomadia ignored them for the most part as she cradled Xephos' limp form in her arms. Lalna looked over to see Rythian wrap an arm around Zoey and pull her close, both of their eyes filled with great sadness. Lalna was willing to take a guess that at least one of them was thinking about what would've happened if the current situation occurred between them instead.
The overall quiet display was suddenly shattered, however, when a series of hurried footsteps came down the hall and around the corner.
"Guys, we heard Lomadia scream. Is everything- Oh my shit." Sips slid to a stop, allowing Sjin and Minty to nearly crash into him from behind. His panicked demeanor quickly changed to one of confusion. "What the hell happened here? How did you guys get down here before we did?"
"Kind of a long story..." Zoey mumbled, her face still partly buried in Rythian's side.
"We found Xeph's body crammed in the closet." Ravs said as he stood up, straightening his kilt as he did. "An' like before, we have no idea who could've done it."
"Well, isn't it kind of obvious?" Sjin spoke suddenly, causing most of the crowd to turn towards him. "Honeydew was the only one with near Xeph after we split. He must have done it!"
"Sjin you big dumb-dumb! Why would Honeydew kill his best friend? It would be like if I killed you, and I'd never kill you."
"Aww, thanks Sips. It means a lot, pal."
"That's enough of the bromance, you two." Lalna suddenly stepped up to speak, causing the people in the hall to turn to him again. He quickly scanned the room with a judgmental eye. With Xephos out of the picture, someone had to take the lead. "Everyone in this house is a suspect until proven otherwise. Let's stick to what we know, alright? For all we know, the murderer could've taken out both Xephos and Honeydew and hid their bodies around the manor."
"Gee, isn't that a pleasant thought." Came Rythian's sarcastic reply. "Two of the most experienced fighters we have both dead while the rest of us are stuck with the person who killed them." Lalna, not wanting to argue at the moment, simply hushed the mage before continuing.
"But as I said earlier, let us stick to what we know." The scientist turned to pace as he began to think out loud. "Ridgedog was stabbed and killed in the dining hall less than an hour ago with everyone present. This makes anyone a suspect. Xephos was found moments earlier stuffed in a closet, the cause of death apparently a heavy blow to the back of the head. Now, with what we factually know out of the way, every killer needs a motive. What do Xephos and Ridgedog have in common?"
"Well, um...uh...they both have brownish hair?" Nilesy inquired. This earned him an annoyed jab by Minty. "Ow!"
"No you idiot, they're both born leaders!" The barkeep snapped. Miss Minute certainly wasn't at her nicest in these types of situations.
"Well sorry miss, I can't think when I'm scared!"
"Correct!" Lalna stopped and pointed to Minty for a moment before he continued his thoughtful pacing. "This leads us to a possible motive. Power. It's quite possible that someone is taking out the competition to take Ridge's position as overseer, and all the perks that come with it. You'd get the manor, the servants, access to the finest foods and equipment. The works."
"Well, before we start pointing fingers..." Rythian paused a brief moment to shoot Sips a look. "...I say we locate the others and inform them on what has happened. Also, keep an eye out for Honeydew. I doubt he has anything to do with this, but so far all evidence points to him being the culprit."
"Ravs 'n' I'll stay here to keep miss Lomadia company." Nilesy spoke as Ravs bent down next to Lomadia again, whom was still holding Xephos close. "Once she's ready, we'll meet up wit' ya."
"The boys and I'll try and find Martyn's group." Minty spoke up now, Sips and Sjin giving a nod of agreement as she did. "If they're all still alive, we'll come back down to the main foyer. You three should investigate the basement and see if you can find out more about what happened down there."
"Sounds good to me." Rythian said as he let his arm around Zoey fall back to his side. Both Zoey and Lalna nodded in agreement.
"Stay safe, all of you." Lalna told them. The group then split into their teams again; Sips, Sjin, and Minty turning to head up to the third floor, Ravs and Nilesy staying behind to sit with Lomadia as she mourned, and Zoey, Rythian, and Lalna turning to go find the door to the basement. The three were silent for about a minute or two before Rythian spoke up.
"Hey, uh, Lalna." He began. Lalna turned to face him as he began to walk backwards.
"Yes?"
"Just letting you know, the way you handled everyone back there and sorted through information, um..." The mage seemed to mutter something to himself before he spoke louder so the scientist could hear. "...Good job."
Lalna couldn't help but smirk as he stopped. He leaned closer to the mage and cupped a hand around his ear.
"I'm sorry, what was that?"
"I said you did a good job..."
"A little louder?"
"You did a good job."
"One more time, please."
"Don't push it man. I still don't like you."
"Alright, alright. Fine."
The whole exchange made Zoey giggle, and Lalna turned and continued down the corridor, chuckling a bit to himself as he did. Rythian was far too serious for his own good, and messing with him was always fun. Lalna quickly became serious again once he remembered the task at hand, and the three continued their search for the basement.