Blackburn's Crossing Chapter 4: Snake Eater

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Peri glanced his way and blushed she normally didn’t have this much trouble sharing. “I realized that you make me feel different than my other friends.”

Looking away she pressed off the wall to walk the furthest she could away in case he thought she was silly. “I’m sorry I’m probably being silly, but I’ve never been kissed before and I, well I like your kisses.” She bites her lip, “I learned you make me feel good and strong and you have confidence in me and I wanted to tell you that I have confidence in you. I think, no I do like you.”

Wringing her hands, “I know it’s silly, but I hoped you might...” falling silent she looks up at Yelcan hopefully.
 
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Constabulary:

"I'm sure they were gloating, but me and Crooks are planning on revenge eventually," says Simon shaking his head. "I hope they had their fun. Good luck, out in the swamps. I pray you have fair weather out there." Simon walks over to the desk where a new guy sits in the receptionist spot moving papers between files and handing over a file to Simon.
 
Bernard nodded, "First off, does the word 'Subcinctus' mean anything to you?" He watched the dwarf carefully, aware that he was now asking questions that gave things away. Every question would be a trade, something he knew for something he might learn.
 
Stoneshatter Smithy:

"Doesn't mean anything to me, sounds like something ye might use in a foreign language to me," says Bjorn as he tilted his head to Bernard. He frowns his eye brows furrowing yet again. "If ter is something ye'd like to ask me son, just come on out and say it cus I'm not followin this train of logic. Maria's murder, and strange words? Ye think I might know something about it don't ye. Ye wouldn't be the first."
 
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"Subcinctus is the command word for Maria's latest project. A weapon she called the 'Adaptive Weapon'. It's a small sphere which can transform into any weapon the weilder can picture. It was that weapon which killed Maria, and it was in the form of Jonathan's first blade; a Falkovnian ceremonial blade with Jonathan's mark on it. There are only a few people who might be able to recreate that weapon with Maria's, specifically well enough to fool Jonathan." Bernard sighs, "You made the short list, someone with the skill and attention to detail to make the blade and who would benefit from Maria's death. The others are Derek and Jonathan as well as a handful of smiths up and down river from us, though the other smiths have much less to gain from Maria's death." Bernard looks around at he forge, already rebranded for Bjorn.
 
Stoneshatter Smithy:

"And naturally any sort of good fortune would throw me under suspicion," says Bjorn placing his hands on the counter. "I'll have ye know I haggled upwards on this smithy. Derek told me to offer a price so I threw out a low number, and the man accepted. Not wanting to be known as the greedy dwarf that undercut him, I counter offered with a higher price."

Bjorn crossed his arms. "Ye going around asking everyone on the list these questions? I get the feeling ye haven't been thinking this through. First of all, the stab wound should tell you if someone of my height did it, or someone of a much larger build. Secondly, if ye plan on catching whoever it is ye shouldn't go blabbing that information out loud. Ye want to catch em in a lie, it's how I stopped a mutiny once. Fucker was confident he had me fooled," says Bjorn uncrossing his arms. "So what other information do ye need from me to prove me innocent."
 
On her way out of the constabulary Kallisto bowed her head towards Simon, "Like I said, hopefully good news on both sides. Stay safe, Simon. Keep an eye on Marcus for me?"

She moved towards the Village Green, keeping an eye out for Aluc, sitting beneath her usual tree while Kallisto focused herself to understand Aluc again. As she focused, in the back of her mind she started to feel an anxiety build as she realized the hunt for the serpent was getting ever closer. What if she didn't get the killing blow? They'd have to hunt the snake all over again ... and the "children" of the serpent, what were they really? The witch? What was her part in things -- if Perian's father told her to stay away, what would happen if they had to deal with her? Cross her territory? Would she allow them to pass? Would she attack them...?

Focusing her mind she began checking over the large crossbow, making sure it was in working order, waiting for Aluc, anxiety slowly becoming more evident on her face.
 
The Green:

Aluc after a little bit of waiting flies down to Kallisto and just waits nearby watching people walk by. She bends down resting her body on the ground as if she was sitting. "Why?" At first is is unclear as to what she means before she inquires further. "Why you get close to the ground. It is hard and rough."
 
"The way Derek tells it you still got a great price on the place." Bernard paced as Bjorn spoke. "No, I haven't hardly been so forward with anyone, but I've been struggling to catch any lies lately. Honestly the easiest way to prove you innocent is to find the killer, but if you could tell me who was in your shop the night Maria was murdered and if anyone saw you somewhere other than the smithy that evening, it would be a start."
 
Kallisto smiled as she watched Aluc, setting the crossbow to the side. She leaned against the tree and stretched her legs in front of her, "It's not so bad Aluc -- if you sit on the grass, it can be nice. Maybe not as soft as your nest, but better than standing all the time."

Placing her hands in her lap she continued, "Aluc -- the 'Annoying Wings' you've mentioned a few times, are they who's been helping watch for the serpent? They seem helpful, even though you said they bother you."
 
Stoneshatter Smithy:

"I did get a good deal on the place, but I didn't rob him," says Bjorn crossing his arms again. "Guessin' maybe ye've been fishin to hard then. Anyways in regards to what I saw, just some of the towns folk that wanted ham for their dinner. Only thing I saw that night was Heather, and Jonathan, and then one of her Falkvonian contacts for cheap metal mined by probably mi own kin in the mines of Falkovnia. One of these days Falkovnia will get a reckoning. I ended up locking up well after they were completed, with their business. Maria was locking up her own business and I waved her good night and of course she ignored me like I was a stone cast on the side of a path. Typical."
 
The Green:

Aluc looks at Kallisto for a moment then turns her back to Kallisto for a moment. "He is annoying. Buzzes everywhere, and quick. Very quick but useless at everything else. He can't even hunt, and does not like corpses," says Aluc before turning back to Kallisto. "My nest is comfy and shiny."
 
Pulling her legs in towards her chest Kallisto nodded with a smile, "Yes -- it's shiny because I give you so many things. So if he doesn't hunt or eat corpses, what does he eat instead?"

Kallisto ran the pad of her thumb along her beads, "Aluc ... if you become awakened, do you know what you'll do then? When you'll be the smartest bird?" She asked with a hesitant smile, recalling Aluc's excitement from the day before.
 
Bernard cocked an eyebrow, Heather mentioned Grimdosh purchasing pigs from Bjorn, but he seems like he's not hiding anything. Is this the lie he was talking about?

"Bjorn, did Grimdosh purchase pigs from you that evening?" Bernard locked eyes with Bjorn. As Bjorn responds that he doesn't sell whole pigs, but butchers everything in house, Bernard nods. "I hadn't thought about it so much, I've been out of town for so long. I just accepted that James might send Grimdosh to get pig from you. I guess that shows me the lie, but I have no motive. Do the Blackstones have any stock in smithing? I don't recall their trade."
 
As Peri shares this information with him, as cute and as innocent as ever, Yelcan felt the frustration that was inside of him start to ebb. He took a few hesitant steps towards her, really scouring Peri's face, seeing the nervousness in her eyes, but she continued to meet his gaze, not look away guiltily, or have any kind of deception in them, and Yelcan began to doubt himself now. Stuttering slightly, Yelcan asked, just because the doubt inside him needed to be satiated, "...I'm...But, uh, how did Jonathan help you realize this exactly?"
 
Stoneshatter Smithy:

"The Blackstones? Who are you getting on about now... wait the Blackstones. Hmmmm... I remember someone by that name. Richemulouise scholar trying to map out the Sea of Sorrows. What do they have to do with anything?" asked Bjorn slightly taken aback by the question. He shrugs for a moment and then looks to Arissa. "Is he always like this?"
 
The Green:

"Do? What do? I be smart? What else do?" says Aluc flying up to Kallisto's shoulder and cocking her head. "Annoying wings likes flowers. He drinks flowers! No good! No sense in drinking flowers."
 
Peri blinked, “I kissed him, it felt like a kiss from Bear” she chuckled but then frowned. “He said I shouldn’t do that, because it can make things confusing. Does it make things confusing? I thought it made how I feel clear.”

Perhaps she was talking to much but she wasn’t sure Yelcan’s behavior was a bit confusing he never seemed cautious around her before or lacking in strength behind his words. “I don’t think you kiss like Bear or feel like James and Jon. My stomach flipped when you kissed me at the ball, and I feel different when you hold my hand or support me. You are easy to be around, you make me happy.” Peri give a big shrug she doesn’t know how to describe it further, that is the biggest part her discovery Yelcan makes her happy.
 
Kallisto gave Aluc a wide smile, "How do you know about the flowers? Ever tried one before? You might like it. I've seen many animals eat them, maybe you're missing out."

She rested her head on her knees, "Aluc ... I worry you'll get bored. What do you think being smart means? I -- I'm not trying to talk you out of it, just many keep worrying that maybe it's not what you're hoping for. I want to help you for the help you've given me, but I'm concerned you might regret it. When you become smarter, the things that you enjoy now, you might not. The other birds you interact with you may not like anymore either..."

Sighing she closed her eyes, "Sorry ... I'm just ... nervous about what we're finally getting ready to do, and looking for anything to take my mind off of it ... Having you along will be very helpful, but I worry you might get hurt as well. I worry everyone will get hurt..."
 
Yelcan's shoulders visibly relax as Peri admits to kissing Jonathan, much to his own surprise. Yelcan finds that he was not so much worried about the kiss itself as the implication that she might have feelings for another, or not feel the same way about him as he did for her. Also, it showed how adorably innocent this girl is, that she does not even feel the same or guilt for kissing another, and the frustration Yelcan was feeling completely dissipates. A tear threatens to roll out of his eye as he is filled with this relief, and to further solidify how Yelcan felt, Hyde stirred from his place on the bed, and smelling a familiar earthy smell of Peri, his wings instantly unfurl as he flies over to greet her. Yelcan knew that Hyde would not show this sort of affection for someone who Yelcan couldn't trust.

Yelcan strides forward quickly, closing the gap in only a few steps, and he grabbed Peri around the waist, lifting her clean off her feet and spinning her in a full circle. At this point a small stream of tears flows down Yelcan's face as he smiles as brightly as he ever could, and he sets Peri back on her feet and leans in, kissing her deeply. After what felt like an eternity, Yelcan finally pulled away, laughing slightly as he wiped his eyes. "I feel the same way about you too Peri, of course I do. I am so glad to have found you; you make me so incredibly happy as well, and I am so happy that you feel the same way about me."
 
With a squeak and a laugh as she was lifted Peri smiled down at Yelcan she didn’t know what exactly she said but she was happy he accepted her feelings. When his lips came for hers her eyes popped open at first surprised, this was even different from the first. She quickly eased into it losing her surroundings as her eyes fluttered closed.

Peri felt a bit dizzy as he pulled away, and her face was blush and warm. Crinkling her nose at him she giggled while reaching up to wipe his tears away. “No tears,” she pat his head gently, “I’m glad to know, nomore guessing, I like guessing games normally, but this feels much better not being a secret.”

Another giggle as Hyde settles on Yelcan’s shoulder the spinning having made him float back from landing before. Reaching up she pets Hyde in a similar manner. “Good morning Hyde,” She looks to Yelcan realizing she was still in his arms and blushed. “You know I think Hyde knew, I would tell him many secrets I wonder if he understood.”

“Did you tattle on me Hyde?” She asks the dragon while pulling a small ration from her pocket as she let the butterflies settle from the kiss.
 
Arissa watched the conversation intently without weighing in one way or the other as she tried to read the odd man before her. He seems as if he has expected to be questioned... He is certainly rather callous, but I do not believe he is being deceitful about his involvement in his lack of involvement. Heather’s testimony does sound as if it contradicts Bjorn’s... is that what Bernard is hinting at? She smiles apologetically to Bjorn. “I am sorry, Bjorn. Jonathan is a close friend of ours, and he had asked Bernard personally to attend to this case. Please do not mistake his determination for a lack of trust. There are so many moving pieces in this investigation, it can be frustrating that we are unable to pin down the killer. It is odd, though. Heather Blackstone had mentioned seeing Grimdosh with a whole hog or two on his back on that night. Is there anyone else who would have been selling them at that time of night? It was a rather specific detail that she had mentioned...”
 
Stoneshatter Smithy:

"I understand ye, but that don't make it any easier bein one of the one's questioned. Human's don't quiet exactly have the best track record in my book, so ye'll forgive me if I'm a bit weary of an inquisition," says Bjorn as he then shrugs to her next question. "I get them from the farms up north, then people usually come to me because I'm arms deep in it's guts and no body wants to deal with the shit in them. Most probably couldn't even kill the pig themselves if they had to."
 
The Green:

"Bored? What is bored?" Aluc settles down on Kallisto's shoulder for now. "I fly fast, nothing hurts me when I fly fast. I like shines." Aluc then continues to listen for a bit and then seems to be silent for a time. "Also flowers taste bad. Nuts take good though."
 
Léone shrugs at his theory about Legba, sitting up and swinging her legs over the bed to face him. "Maybe they were desperate, though the times don't really line up - almost seems like an agreement with the natives, from what I'm gleaning. If you'd like to check I summarized the gist of those notes here," she says, pointing to the stack of notes up top. "Not as much as I'd have liked, but it's something."

Mulling it over again, she sighs and frowns at James. "I'm not sure if your memory should be jogged, that's my problem. But I think you deserve to know at least - I shouldn't be keeping something in your head a secret from yourself. I'll start from the beginning, close the door will you?"

She flips through her spellbook to her notes on thought detection and turns it so that it faces James, gesturing at the diagrams. "At base, a thought detection spell works by gleaning the surface thoughts of an individual, whatever they are actively vocalizing in their head. Obviously most people are single track with their line of thinking, but when I tested you I heard... other residual thoughts. Almost like two different people speaking at the same time." She closes her book and lets that sink for a second before continuing. "I thought something was up, so I used the concentration to probe deeper with your permission. Normally, it just gives me subconscious imprints - concerns, emotional state, etc."

She looked downwards, recalling the vision all too clearly. "Not this time. I got a full sensory vision of what I think is one of your repressed memories... except you weren't 'you', but a completely different person with the same voice. This 'James' bowed in front of Azalin like he had lived his entire life as a loyal citizen of Darkon. Azalin took out a book and scratched something out and suddenly... there was a clash of identities, as the memories of James Blackburn came rushing in and he claimed the 'other James' to be a mere figment of the imagination, though it still lingered. Then he put a finger to your head and then I was suddenly back in the real world."

She sighs, putting a hand to her head. "I've never even heard of a memory modification of that scale before, and it makes me feel like I'm going crazy... but the pieces seem to line up, especially with the spell active on you. It scares me to think what else he could have changed in the meantime, or how this could have affected your psyche."

She looked back up to James, a hint of fear in her wavering eyes. "You know what he said? 'There will come a day when I need something from you, and you will provide it to me for I am both your Lord and the Savior of your mind. When that day comes, think hard before thinking of betraying me.' And then, for a second... I could swear he was looking at me. I'm concerned, James." She stares at James worriedly, wondering how he'd take this news.
 
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