"MMmmMmFF!"
The man was squirming. I had him tied up and gagged on a chair in my room.
I don't really know how to interrogate someone... I've never done this before!
The sun had risen already, and I was running out of time. To be honest, I was quite nervous to remove his gag. I'd just kept hitting him over the head whenever he woke up over the night.
Speaking of the night, the shadow hadn't visited me.
Seems like I'm on my own for now...
I ripped the gag away from his mouth.
"What's your name?"
"Ha-ha. This little brat thinks he's something, huh? I'm not telling you shit!" he spat.
I kicked him in the chest, knocking him and the chair over.
"You're gonna talk. Don't make me ask again."
Do I sound menacing enough?
The man burst into laughter.
"You really think I'm intimidated by a dwarf?"
How do I show him I'm serious... oh, it's actually simple, isn't it?
I put my foot over his neck and pressed it down into the floor. He squawked, wriggling in his binds.
"I swear on my soul I'll kill you if you don't speak."
"OKAY OKAY! I'll speak!"
I lifted the chair back upright.
"What's your name?"
"Jeremiah. I don't think you care about my name, though."
Ehh... that's such a boring name...?
"Shouldn't the ringleader be a little more interesting?"
"That's where you're wrong. I'm not the leader of anything, I swear!"
"Why were you so talkative last night then?"
"Talkative? No, not me, I wasn't talkative, was I?"
"Stop messing with me."
"I admit, I was a little overconfident, but I was no different than the rest of the people there, honest."
"The rest of the people, then. Who are you people? Why are you after me?"
"I already told you why we're after you. As for who we are...?"
"Cultists of the saint Pischt, right? Why are you so crazed? Was normal worship not enough for you?"
"No, normal worship is not enough! You're a fool! Great Lady Pischt spoke to our leader. He gave her his dream, and in return, she's going to bless him and all his followers!"
His dream!?
"Your leader, he doesn't sleep?"
"That's right. He's climbing from the mortal realm, he's beyond a normal human already. He has no need for sleep. How'd you know that?"
I started to laugh.
"Your leader..." I sighed. "What's his name?"
"Lord Seer Malachai Droswen!"
"And where does he live?"
"He lives in the second largest estate in the city. It's hard to miss," he laughed.
"Pretty loose lipped now, aren't you? Won't you be punished?"
"HA? Loose lipped? Me? I could tell you the lord's exact location and it wouldn't matter. A scrawny brat like you couldn't even scratch him, even with that fancy explosion magic you tried last night."
"So he's strong, is he?"
"The strongest man I've ever met. Hold on, what're you doi—MmmmFF!"
I kicked him into the closet and threw pillows all over him to muffle his screams. I then closed the closet and turned to my room's door.
Like on cue, I heard a knocking.
"Linnie, are you... coming... to breakfast?"
Why does she sound so... strained?
"Are you okay...?"
I swung open the door.
It was a trap...!
I was knocked off my feet and felt her breath on my neck.
"Sorry..." her teeth sank into my veins.
I heard rustling from the hall, and to prevent another embarrassing incident, I kicked my door shut. I struggled for a moment, but the warmth spreading through my body made me feel limp.
"Liora...! Get off!"
The third time! Why is it always me? Can't she go attack a goat or something...!?
After a good while, she finally released her jaws.
"Haaah... sorry Linnie, I really needed that."
"..."
"Linnie? Linnie, are you asleep?"
Woah... I feel... weeiiirrdd...
As I was passing out, the closet crashed open, and the chair fell to the floor.
Liora yelped in surprise, jumping off of me. My head rolled to the side and I looked at the man.
His eyes were wide in surprise. I'm sure the bloody sight was quite shocking. In the moment though, I didn't comprehend what had happened at all.
For the first time in a long time, I fell asleep. Though, there was no dream on the other side. Just instantaneous, timeless darkness.
I opened my eyes. I was tucked in bed, and Liora was laid across the foot of the bed. She played with her toes, not realizing I was awake.
"What happened?" I yawned.
"Linnie, you're awake...! I thought I'd killed you or something."
"How long was I asleep?"
"Like, four hours I think."
Four hours...?
I looked over to the closet. I couldn't hear anything, so I assumed he'd either given up or suffocated from the pillows.
"Do you feel alright? Or should we go see the doctor?"
"No... I feel good."
Better than I have in weeks, actually! I feel like I could run a marathon.
I leapt out of bed and stretched.
"What're we gonna do today?" she asked.
"Huh? You're not going out with Marielle?"
"No... she's busy with the crown prince, and then she and her dad are part of the reenactment tonight."
Great... that ruins like, all of my plans...?
"Fine, we can explore the town like yesterday. But give me a second to get ready and wait in the hall, will you?"
"Okay!"
After she left, I walked over to the closet.
I swung it open, but the pillows didn't fall out like I'd expected.
Now that I think about it... the pillows were all on the bed, weren't they?
I looked at the man, passed out.
Is he really asleep right now?
I poked at him.
Woah, he's so cold. It's like he's dead.
I squinted, looking at him closely.
How'd he get so bruised around the neck...? I didn't do that, did I?
I then remembered what I'd seen before I passed out.
Ahh... but, there's no way? Why would she?
Liora, certainly, had killed this man. No one else had come into contact with him.
I swung the closet closed again and turned to the door.
Do I pretend I don't know? Why did she hide it? I mean, did she really think I wouldn't find out?
Liora seemed to be a poor criminal. It's her luck that there was no one out to persecute her for this obvious botch job.
The only thing I, Detective Lin, wanted to know, is how and why she would kill the man.
"Liora, come in here."
"Ah, em, okay."
She walked inside.
I stared at her for a while, and the room was silent. I noticed she started to sweat.
"You know I'm not mad right? I actually don't care at all. I'm just confused."
"Hm? What are you talking about? Aren't we leaving now?"
"Do you think I'm retarded or something?" I laughed.
I found the scene overly amusing. Though, there was certainly a problem.
"I'm sorry! I don't usually do this! I'm not a psychopath or anything, I swear! I really swear!" she said, teary eyed.
I slapped her.
"Wake up! I don't care! Take him out of the closet!" I ordered like a military commander.
"Yes sir!" she cried.
She unbound the man and dragged him to the center of the floor.
"Why did you even kill him?"
"I thought he was an assassin or something meant to kill you!"
"Tied up...?"
"I didn't realize!"
"Are you sure? You didn't just... I don't know... want to kill him?"
"Huh!? What type of freak do you take me as!? I don't find pleasure in killing. It's because I'm Siaryn, isn't it?"
"What? No! I'm just... kidding."
She isn't like me at all. Not that I pleasure in killing. Oh man, I feel kind of embarrassed now. She really was just trying to protect me.
"Well, what do we do!? We're going to get arrested and executed at this rate!"
"It's fine, we'll figure something out. I don't think anyone's looking for this guy, anyway."
"Who is he!? Why was he in your closet?"
"He's some guy that tried to kill me... it's a long story. I'm sorry, did you think you could just hide him in the closet and no one would find out?"
"Shut up! That's not... I was just buying time."
"For what?"
"I was going to... it's embarrassing..."
"What, you were gonna eat him or something?"
"..."
"Whole!?"
"Shut it!"
She kicked me in the jaw.
After that, we formulated a plan to get rid of the body. Neither of us were experts, so it was a little stressful, especially in such a populated place.
"What about you? Why're you so calm? You've killed someone before?" she asked.
"Well... yes," I scratched my head. "Does that upset you or something?"
"No. But who?"
The two of us were walking through the garden. There was no visible body. It was stored within a wizard/witch's most useful item. Of course, we put it in Liora's hat, since it was her fault. I didn't want the stench of a corpse stuck in my hat.
"Bad people."
"Was it wizard work?"
"Of course. All Alwyn-sanctioned, I swear."
Well, mostly.
"So that's what you two do at night, then?"
"You noticed?"
"Obviously. It's nearly every night."
"Oh."
"How come you guys never took me? Because I don't know any magic?"
"I know damn near nothing myself! Don't worry about it. I guess he's more reluctant to make you do his dirty work."
We arrived at our destination. The large furnaces.
"Why are there furnaces in the middle of the garden anyway?" she asked.
"I don't know. Maybe they use it the same way we're about to."
"Ew..."
Liora lifted the hat off her head and shook it over the ground. The body made a thud on the grass. The two of us worked together to lift him into one of the furnaces.
"Alright, this is the most important part. We have to get this done quickly so no one finds out what we're actually burning."
"How?"
"We're apprentices, aren't we?"
"I don't know any magic idiot."
"Just repeat after me, I swear." I aimed my hands into the furnace. "Tân!"
A fireball shot from my hands, instantly igniting the inside of the furnace.
"What was that?!"
"A chant. It's a way to cheat spells easy. Just don't tell Alwyn I taught you this. Tân!"
Another fireball shot into the furnace.
"Keep doing it over and over until he's burned past ash!"
"Uhhh... t-tân!"
A weak handful of sparks flew into the furnace.
Isn't she supposed to have even more mana than I do? Weak...
"Tân!" I shouted again.
"Tân!" she shouted.
A massive fireball flew inside, and the entire furnace shook.
The two of us repeated the chant over and over until we heard the footsteps of guards behind us.
"What are you two doing!?"
"Oh, sorry sir!" I said. "The two of us just needed a place to hone our magic. We thought it would be fine to send fire into the furnace. Sorry if it's not allowed!"
"That's right, sir! Our teacher, The Everflame Wizard Alwyn, gave us very important studying to do!" Liora shouted.
"Ah, you're the wizard's apprentices, are you? Well, I'll let you off, but don't do that again."
I glanced into the furnace. The fire was still burning, and there was nothing left larger than a grain of dust. I sighed in relief.
"Well, if you'll excuse us," I said, grabbing Liora.
"Wow! I really know magic! And to think it would be you that taught me my first spell, not our teacher..."
"As far as anyone else knows, I didn't teach you anything, okay? Alwyn isn't a fan of me practicing."
"Sure thing!"