Having visited the wife of the victim, Inigo was left with a number of leads to follow. Initially, however, he would need to rest. It was not longer after visiting Lady Armelle that he decided it was best to regroup, at least for a time. If anyone, he knew better than to attempt and investigation on an empty stomach. Plus, it was less for his sake, and more for Nils, who seemed intent on following him around and neglecting his own personal needs. “Let’s stop in here.” Inigo suddenly spoke and turned a sharp corner, stepping into the inn in which he had a room. Nils followed behind with a curious expression, watching as the reptile reached the counter. “Two meals, please. Whatever you have will manage, as long as it’s filling.” Inigo asked the barkeep, who gulped nervously at the sight of him and nodded, taking the coins that Inigo then placed on the table. “Two? Are you hungry, sire?” Nils questioned, peering his head by the side of him. Inigo shot him a glance, as if to say ‘please, don’t tell me you are this naive’. Nils’ sheepish expression at his glance told Inigo that he was, in fact, correct in his assumption. he sighed through his nose. “It’s for you, puppy.” He remarked, using a teasing, even derogatory nickname for the subservient canine. Nils whined quietly under his breath and tucked his tail between his legs, albeit briefly. “The Matron used to call me that.” He complained quietly, and Inigo found himself curious, if only for a little. When the barkeep finally placed two wooden plates in front of them piled with lukewarm strew and hunks of stale bread, Inigo gestured the canine over to an empty seat with a sharp jerk of his head. He slipped into the seat opposite the canine and placed his food on the table, picking up the thick wooden spoon. “You lived in an orphanage?” Inigo did his best to strike up some meaningful conversation, hoping to learn more about the aide. Even if they weren’t going to be working together for very long, getting along was necessary if they wanted to catch the murderer. It helped that Nils seemed awestruck to be working with him. “Mmhm. Until I was 14, or so,” Nils explained as he bit into his bread, speaking with a full mouth. “I enlisted in Sinaca’s military and they placed me as a guard in Aelibuch last year. “Does Sinaca make you train for 4 years?” Inigo was vaguely interested. He briefly remember how it was in other kingdoms. In Meva, the kingdom of the avians, children were trained in their most expert subjects from at least as 8 years old. At least, the nobility was. “Oh, no. They only train you for 2 years or so, on things like combat, and magic if you’re capable,” Nils elaborated quickly. “Before being posted in Aelibuch, I was doing guard duty in my home town, Mulutac.” “I see,” Inigo understood, bowing his head and nodding. “You seem to be rather familiar with the nobles.” “Only because some of them regularly come in and out of the castle, where I used to be posted. Well, still am, sort of, until the captain assigned me to follow you around.” Nils looked a little embarrassed. “Well, your knowledge of some of the nobles is, at least, very useful.” Inigo assured him, and that seemed to make Nils more and more embarrassed. He looked down at his food, but Inigo spotted the canine’s tail wagging furiously behind him. The two of them continued to eat their food in silence, unsure what else to discuss. As they were nearing the end of the meal, Inigo remember something that he needed to ask. “Nils,” He began. “The captain said you were to aid me, but if I require, will I be able to enlist the assistance of some of the other guard? I imagine I might have caused a stir with my previous request.” Nils’ face twinged a little and he looked a little envious, before he nodded. “It was no problem. But, if you want, yes, you could ask me to ask the captain. I mean, you have the superior authority, right?” The canine’s face broke out in an awkward grin and Inigo nodded quietly, looking down at last of his stew. He spooned it into his mouth and then moved to stand, his armour straining as he shifted. His tail hit the bench as he turned and Nils quickly slurped and gulped, and he quickly followed him, getting to his feet. They stepped out into the street and Inigo turned towards Nils, jerking his head towards the busy street. There, splintering from the fountain, was a wide path that lead towards the market in another part of the city. There, they’d likely find the ‘specialist shop’ Lady Armelle spoke of. At least, that was what Inigo was thinking. When they reached the market, Inigo was briefly surprised at the sheer size of it. Sinaca must have an extensive trading system, for the market was packed with small stalls, selling all manner of things from fresh food and fruit to ancient trinkets and old furniture. Not only that, but the paths were packed with canines left and right, all of them bustling their way through the stalls, haggling with stall owners, and carting their goods back to their place of residence. Above them, a bird made of paper fluttered and swooped around in the air, and Inigo turned his head to the sound of children laughing and giggling. He watched as a small collection of young pups ran past him, arms outstretched as they reached for the magical bird just out of reach. “It’s lovely, isn’t it?” Nils said wistfully. “If I had any affinity of magic, I would use it to make others smile.” “Wishful thinking,” Inigo spoke darkly. “Magic rarely does anything but destroy.” The reptile strode into the crowd and Nils watched him with a quizzical, almost empathic expression, before he quickly started off after him. They wormed their way through the crowd until they reached the other side. There, Nils directed Inigo to where he wanted to go, and in a matter of a few minutes, they stood outside a well lit, well decorated shop with an overhang at the entrance to shield those standing by the shop from the rain. A window was illuminated with magical crystals, each of them glowing and humming a gentle, almost melancholic note. Inigo wasted no time in stepping into the shop, and the minute he passed through the door, he heard a gentle ringing signifying his entrance. He looked up to see a bell overhead that jingled left and right. Nils stepped in behind him and the bell rang again. “Welcome, welcome!” A voice at the far end of the room caught their attention. Between the wooden aisles filled to the brim with all manner of artefacts, Inigo spotted a counter. There, sitting behind it, sat a feline of some description. It’s midnight black fur made it almost invisible to the eye, were it not for the glow of things behind him on the shelf. Inigo walked through the middle aidle to cross the distance between him and the shop owner. The minute that the feline spotted the reptile’s insignia painted in his chest, he gulped, and his eyes widened. He took an immediate step back and ducked a hand under his counter, as if readying himself for combat. “Hello,” Inigo spoke deeply. “I’m here on bu--” Before he could finish his sentence, the feline’s hand shot up, holding a twisted, wooden wand in his hand, the end tipped with white ash. He pointed it directly at Inigo’s face, and Nils let out a cry of surprise at the sight, starting forwards. The reptile twisted his head to the side at just the right moment, for he felt the warmth of energy and heat passing his cheek. He dipped his head forwards and shot out a hand, clenching it into a fist as he thrust it forwards. His fist connected squarely with the feline’s stomach and the shop owner keeled over. Seizing the opportunity, the reptile lifted his other hand and forced the feline’s head down to the counter. “You have two choices, sir,” Inigo spoke slowly and quietly, his voice barely above a whisper, irritation riddling his tone. “You can either co-operate, or be arrested. I will be willing to overlook this attack if you are forthcoming.” The feline mewled, his eyes wide, his tail flicking left and right from beneath his expensive robes. The wand was still firmly clutched in his hand, but at the reptile’s word, he hesitated. Eventually, his grip loosened, and a sigh escaped his nose. Slowly, Inigo raised his hand and allowed the man to stand up straight. Nils stood behind Inigo with his sword at the ready. Though Inigo was willing to let him go, Nils clearly wasn’t that trusting. “Now...” Inigo began, clearing his throat. “I just need to ask a few questions about your merchandise.” The feline shopkeeper smoothed his fur and placed his hands on the counter, face sour. He nodded for the reptile to continue. “Have you been broken into recently?” Inigo pressed, leaning forwards. “No,” The feline purred, his voice quiet, but sharp. “No one would dare, not even a commoner. The things I hold in this should could annihilate them with a snap of their fingers. They are simply too scared of the unknown.” “I see. In that case, I will require a record of wand purchases that were made within the last 6 months, if you have them.” The feline nodded solemnly and stepped to the side, crouching down behind his desk. Inigo heard him rummaging around as Nils anxiously peered over the counter, attempting to see what the man was doing. The feline rose and placed down a large book. He opened the cover and flicked through a large number of places, before he began to slow down. He eventually stopped on a page and ran down his finger. “Wands. Lets see...” He began. “I’ve only 10 purchases in the last 6 months. 5 were ordered to the gem cutter’s lodge in the noble’s district...the other 5 were for personal use.” “Would you mind if I saw the list?” Inigo asked, and the feline turned the book around for him to see. Nils stepped up against Inigo’s side and looked down at the list with him. Those that weren’t their own people were listed with their owner, or at least their employer. “Do you see this one? Eman, servant to Marcus Lund.” Nils pointed to one of the names, and Inigo let out a rumble of approval, his brow wrinkling. “That does put Kristoffer’s brother in a rather difficult position, doesn’t it?” Inigo murmured. It wouldn’t be this easy. No, it shouldn’t be this easy to catch their murderer. A nobleman with an expensive company wouldn’t be so clumsy, even in a fit of desperation or rage. “The others seem inconsequential, but note that they’re all servant purchases, on behalf of various houses,” Inigo remarked. “We’ll have to track them down, somewhat. The sooner we can retrace the steps of all of these people, the better; the borders are too harsh for magical artefacts like wands to make it in and out of the kingdom without someone noticing.” “Very true, sire,” Nils nodded along with Inigo’s way of thinking. “Might you then want to utilise the numbers of the guard, as you mentioned earlier?” “I think that would be best, Nils.” Inigo muttered, before nodding at the feline in front of him and offering his thanks, pushing the book back towards him. He turned to leave, keeping to his word: the shopkeep co-operated, so he kept to his word and left him in peace. That didn’t mean he wouldn’t return at a later date, however. Instead, he had to focus on his mission. That were his orders. He stepped out into the warm late summer air and looked up above him, briefly basking in the warm weather that his cold-blooded body quietly craved. Satisfied, he turned to his aide, who expectantly stood waiting, hands by his side. “Please go and inform the captain of my intentions, Nils. I will need to track down the gem cutters and just confirm whether they had any robberies or not.” “Yes, sire.” Nils straightened and stood to attention, pushing his arms to his side. He hesitated briefly, before turning to leave. Inigo watched him go with a thoughtful expression. ---------- x x x ---------- In a lone study, surrounded by bookcases that stretched as far up as the ceiling, a man sat behind the counter. Avian in origin, the sea blue feathered male wrote on the parchments in front of him. The Avians of Meva didn’t have feathered arms like their less sentient companions. Some bore scaled talons, whilst others simply looked humanoid, covered in a plethora of feathers. For the man, it was the former. He scribbled quietly on a parchment with a quill in his hand, but suddenly froze, slowly raising his head. His body tingled. He leant back and sighed, placing his quill down. “Enter.” He spoke loudly, as if calling to the door at the far end of the room. However, no-one opened the door. Instead, a figure materialised in front of his desk. Standing there, having appeared out of thin air, was none other than Inigo Taborette. He was missing his armour, but his black and orange scaled face was unique. “Inigo. I trust you are here to give me your report. Tell me, what have you learned about the death of Kristoffer Lund?” The man leant forwards and rested on his elbows, expression unreadable. “Archmage Zinon, master,” Inigo greeted him with a neutral demeanour. “I’ve deduced that Kristoffer Lund’s death was no accident. It was murder, and of magical origin.” “As we suspected,” Archmage Zinon sighed, both melancholic and irritable. “Could you ascertain if it were an assassination or not?” “The nature of the killing was gruesome, and violent. Whoever murdered him loathed him. To that end, I can assume that his murderer was someone who let their feelings get in the way. An assassin is trained to do the opposite.” Inigo explained. “Very true...” Zinon leant forwards and clasped his hands together. “Whilst his death is tragic, it is relieving to know this was not the work of another kingdom. Lund’s ties with the Sinaca king made him a target, but were this just a coincidental death...yes.” He leant up and stared over at Inigo, looking him up and down. “Your stature is a little more relaxed, Inigo,” Zinon teased with a half-cruel, half-amused smile. “Did you finally find solace?” “No, master.” Inigo straightened up almost immediately at the archmage’s remark and Zinon smirked, lowering his gaze. “I trust that the guard of Aelibuch are keeping you well?” “They did as you asked, master. However, they don’t trust the Omnimallage. They’ve assigned an aide to me who I suspect is passing on my current thoughts and what I’ve been doing around Aelibuch to his superior.” “That’s to be expected, I suppose,” Zinon scowled. “It’s not as if we’re doing anything horrible, after all. We’re here to catch a murderer. Where possible, don’t deviate from that goal. If you encounter resistance, deal with it. The murderer must be found. We’ve already received complaints from the king about the murder of his ‘friend’ and he’d getting restless.” “Yes, sir.” Inigo bowed his head. “In the meantime, I shall assign a new spy in the capital.” Zinon muttered, glancing at Inigo as the reptile space his gaze, his eyes glazing over. “Trouble?” Zinon questioned, and the reptile shook his head. “Trilocus are approaching, and it seems my aide has finally arrived. I must depart for now, sir.” “As you wish. Report to me again when you’ve caught your killer, or in a week’s time, whichever comes first.” Inigo bowed, and his body faded into another plane. ---------- x x x ---------- By the time Nils was done relaying his intentions to the captain, he wasn’t quite sure what to do afterwards. He had no idea where Inigo was, and so opted to return to his place of accommodation, hoping to get a hold of him there. When he reached it, he asked the barkeep if he’d seen the reptile. He was glad to hear that the reptile had returned not too long ago and was still in his room. Nils ascended the steps and quietly knocked on the man’s door, waiting patiently. He frowned when, after a few minutes, no-one answered. Nervous, he decided to turn the handle and step through into Inigo's room. There, he paused, rather surprised at the sight. Inigo sat cross-legged on his bed, his shoes laying on the floor as he feet curled up for him to sit as properly and as efficiently as possible. His hands were placed on his knees, and all the metal armour that had been covering his body was left on the bed next to him, neatly placed and organised. He sat with his eyes closed, breathing slowly and quietly. “Mr. Taborette? Sire?” Nils whispered, stepping a little closer. He gulped nervously at the peculiar sight of the still, slowly breathing canine. He seemed fine, but it was odd that he sat so straight, so squarely, without making a sound. “Inigo?” He whispered again and placed a hand on the reptile’s knee. He felt a suddenly shock against his skin and snapped his hand back, eyes wide in surprise. After a moment, Inigo let out a long sigh and opened his eyes, turning his gaze to the canine standing next to him. “It’s not wise to interrupt a mage whilst he walks the astral plane, puppy.” Inigo mocked him again, albeit slightly, before he unfurled his legs and relaxed them, taking in a deep breath. “S...Sorry,” Nils looked awkward, and he rubbed the back of his head, stroking his own fur. “What’s the astral plane?” “Another realm of being. Those versed in magic and enough concentration can project their consciousness onto the astral plane the traverse it,” Inigo explained with a very brief, very amused smirk. “I use to speak with my superiors at the Omnimallage without having to travel.” “Oh! That’s what you were doing?” Nils seemed rather awestruck. “I wish I had that power...” “It’s dangerous to use. The astral plane is full of monsters. Notably, the Trilocus are vicious predators that can smell the consciousness of the mortal from a considerable distance away.” Nils shuddered at the thought. Inigo slowly leant down and grabbed his boots, beginning to slip them back on. He sighed quietly to himself and then straightened up. Nils noticed he looked a little tired. “So, what did you find out?” The reptile questioned, turning towards his aide. Nils perked up and then grimaced. It looked as if he didn’t have any good news. “I’m afraid the servant to Marcus Lund is missing. He hasn’t shown up for work in the past week or so. As for the others...they were all sadly dead ends. The wands were given away as gifts months ago and are no longer in the capital.” “That’s a shame. The gem cutters didn’t lead to anything, either,” Inigo muttered. “Which means our mystery servant is our best lead. That, and his brother, Marcus. We’ll need to speak with him.” “Yes, sire. Though, perhaps it’s too late in the evening to see him now. Might I suggest tomorrow?” Nils offered, and Inigo nodded, agreeing. “Indeed. I also contacted our peculiar informant, Niklas Fure. I was hoping to get some more information on Marcus and Armelle, and he offered an exchange of information for...” He trailed off, and Nils tilted his head, tail swaying. “For what?” The canine asked. “Brunch. Tomorrow,” Inigo visibly looked irritated. “He claims to be friendly. One might argue he has other intentions. And it wasn’t just me he asked for. He wants to see you, too.” “Oh. I see.” Nils’ face flushed and he looked a little anxious about it. “Engage in the pleasantries, and this investigation will likely go a lot smoother.” Inigo suggested, resting on his bed as Nils moved to pull up the chair that sat in the far corner of the room. He slipped into a seat and looked over at the reptile with a peculiar expression, one that was hard to read. Inigo was momentarily perplexed, though it didn’t show on his face. “So...” Nils began awkwardly, before he eventually got his words out. “The Omnimallage. What’s it like?” The question was bound to come up at one point or another. Any non-magic user was always curious about what the Omnimallage was like, the scary higher authority who had the power to command the sea and sky at their fingertips, even raise the dead or raze towns with a snap of their fingers. Those who didn’t know magic were scared of them. They wanted to alleviate that fear, perhaps their wonder, by finding out what they were like. Inigo didn’t necessarily have particularly exciting stories to tell. “It’s like...a tall tower that has no end,” Inigo began. “Dungeons with bottomless pits, council chambers as large as a small town. They are as ruthless as they are lacking in emotion. They are cold, calculating, uncaring. They have no passion, and make it their life’s work to control magic in every facet. That’s why they have the detectors; they don’t trust those without magic to catch those criminals who use it. What better way to deal with those criminals than with your own trained guard?” “I see...” Nils ears flattened against his head, looking a little disheartened. “If I may ask, then...how did you come to be in service of the Omnimallage?” “I was found to have a lot of potential,” Inigo sighed through his nose. “Potential like mine should not be squandered, or so they told me.” “So they just...whisked you away?” “Of a sort, yes. I lived in a small town with my family and when I grew to the age where my magic manifested. The Omnimallage came to our village on the year of my manifestation and began scouting for new recruits. When they found me, there wasn’t a choice involved. I was taken away.” “That sounds....” Nils wrinkled his snout. “Barbaric? You’d be correct. The Omnimallage are intelligent and wield a lot of power. With that power comes a skewed moral compass. They will do anything to achieve their goal, and keep people in line.” Inigo’s tone was sour, but his expression was unreadable. He had accepted his fate long ago, and he didn’t like to complain that often. The details of his past were just that: in the past. Nils expression made Inigo a little uneasy, and he felt a swirling sensation of guilt in his stomach. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to skew your perception.” Inigo muttered. “It’s alright,” Nils offered a sheepish smile. “I always knew that the magicians were a little high and mighty...I just wished it was as magical as the stories used to be.” Back in the days of their childhood, nearly everyone had heard the stories of the incredible Omnimallage, their army of magicians, their artefacts that sat on shelves as tall as the ceiling. Most children had been awestruck with the thought of it, but Inigo’s time with the Omnimallage had been less than inspiring. He had neglected a few details about his time with them to Nils. He didn’t want to hear his pity. “We should rest,” Inigo changed the subject, sitting up. “We will be required to see Fure in the morning, as you recall.” “Indeed. I’ll bid you a good night, detector.” Nils stood and snapped his arms to his side sharply in salute, before he turned and left the room, giving Inigo some much needed privacy. With a sigh, the reptile re-organised his armour onto the floor and turned, sliding into a laid-back position on the bed, his expression sombre. Talking about his past had resurfaced old memories and uncovered old wounds he would have rather forgotten. ---------- x x x ---------- The captain turned as he heard a knock on his door. Setting aside his tankard and wiping his sweaty brow, the captain cleared his throat and straightened, before opening his mouth. “You may enter.” He forced his voice to sound straight and simple, but he could hear the slur in his voice, the slight lilt of his accent that made his dialect almost undecipherable. The door slowly began to creak open and in stepped the auburn-furred canine, his wide green eyes examining the captain from across the room. “Captain? You wanted to see me?” Nils asked quietly, his ears folded against his head. He was always rather subservient around his superior officer. The captain waved him to come forwards, and Nils stepped inside, shutting the door behind him. “Inform me about what this detector’s been up to.” The captain snapped with a quiet snarl, and Nils anxiously stood in place, keeping his arms by his sides. “Nothing out the ordinary, sir,” Nils began. “He examined the crime scene, and asked me to put in a request. He conducted business at the bath house that the nobles frequent, and then spoke to the victim’s wife.” “What request is he demanding?” The captain looked at Nils with a lidded gaze, face sour. “He asked if I could ask you to conduct another search at the premises of the victim, in the hopes we might find a magic wand.” “So...it was magic that did him in. Fuck,” The captain put a hand to his head. “I fuckin’ hate magicians.” “I...think it would be in our best interests to co-operate as much as possible,” Nils suggested, skirting his gaze down. “Especially if the Omnimallage is involved.” “I’m not a fuckin’ idiot, boy,” The captain snapped and raised his voice, causing Nils to whimper and lower his head, shrinking away from him. “I know full well we should co-operate. Doesn’t mean I have to like it.” “...If it’s any consolation, I think we’ll find the murderer with his help.” Nils suggested quietly. “I know,” The captain grumbled to himself, reaching for his tankard. “Wont be on our merit, though. We’ll be seen as the people who couldn’t do it in on their own.” Nils stood there awkwardly as his captain drunken protested the inclusion of the detector. It was clear that he wasn’t a big fan of Inigo’s appearance, or of magic in general, but he was a man whose hands were tied, metaphorically speaking. The captain shot Nils a look and glared for a moment, before sighing and returning to his tankard. “You can go. Keep me informed.” He waved a hand in dismissal and Nils stepped out from the room, closing the door behind him. He breathed a quiet sigh and then stepped away. His muscles ached. Maybe tomorrow would be better. The fleeting thought of gallivanting around with Inigo made his stomach twist. What an odd feeling.