Child of Ember - Chapter 8

"You speak of deaths to follow. What makes you think that?" Asks dolph.

"If the child of Ember wants revenge, she will not stop with this death. Vengenace does not work that way. It hardly ever starts at the root. It works its way up until the whole tree collapses, taking everything with it, the bad wood and the green leaves.
I sense people think this is sourcery. I am unsure about that. But I think that this woman was dead long before her body killed your noble friend."
She points at the man's body on the bed.
"And regardless wether he was a rapist or not, I suspect the one who killed him considered him thus, as I did."

Katherynne, till now distracted by her surveyal of the room, notes her protector upset and joins her by the door. "Cornelia, stand with me for a moment please" If the woman complies, Kat will place a hand upon her shoulder and look into her face with a (hopefully) calming visage. "I need you strong my friend, so that we might save another from such a fate. Will you try to do this for me?"

Cornelia leans her head in towards Kat's and says quietly, "I will be all right. I was just reminded of those I was forced to leave behind - they have no protector, and the lands they travel in are still dangerous. I know that I cannot return to them, but that does little to assuage my guilt."

"I will do everything that I can to help you find your way home my dear. Guilt is difficult to overcome I know, but you need to focus your attention on acheiving those ends, instead of fearing that you havent yet." Kat replies thoughtfully, giving the woman a small squeeze if she allows it.

"Tell me Pyromancer, what is your take on this?" he says without looking back to Lit.

"And as you answer that, tell us your name too. I believe it is considered polite.", Dea challenges, not unfriendly.

"And while you are at it you may perhaps care to explain just what a Pyromancer is and what he might be doing in a burnt out room like this?"
Natacha looks suspiciously at the man. In an aside to Dolph she asks: "Lord Lithenstien, can you vouch for this man?"

"I can say only that I know he believes that the one he seeks is responsible for the deaths here," Dolph says.

The man is taken off-guard as Dolph speaks of things he has not yet revealed.
"How did you-? Never mind. As to your questions..."
He turns to the rest of the group, "My name, good people, is Lit. I am, as this man has spoken of in such an archaic term, a 'pyromancer,' an elementalist, a practitioner of the magical arts who specializes in fire and flame. As this man, whose name I do not know, has also stated, I believe I know the creature responsible for these deaths. I have hunted him through countless countries, from my own home of Quionos into this strange, dark land."
He looks at the others assembled before him, gauging them, "and you all are?"

"I am Dolph Lithenstien. As to your quesion, I know a great many things that go on within Mortigny."

Cornelia swallows and opens her eyes. In a quiet voice, she introduces herself.
"Cornelia Sulla, a warrior from the city of Palanthas."

"Katherynne Chaumont" Kat replies in a distracted tone.

"Another mage", Dea sighs.
"And a flame wizard, too. I do seem to be destined to meet the arcane at every turn. Very well.
You can call me Dea, a name I prefer above the number my father gave me when I was born. I draw my magic from the divine.
You seem to know a lot of the creature that took possession of this woman.
I have an idea on which path to follow, but I may be wrong, and, in those cases where I have been wrong, I have generally ended up on the other side of the forest.
So I am interested to hear what you can tell us."

Celestia puts out a hand to steady Cornelia. A look of concern on her face. As the scene unfolds, Celestia watches each person's reaction to what everyone else is saying.
When introductions are made, Celestia says "I am Celestia. I have seen many things, some strange and some quite normal. Maybe instead of looking at the victims and jump to conclusions about their social habits, we might want to look at who would benefit from this man dying. There is something that had to happen or he had to possess that would make him a target." Celestia pauses and looks at Dolph. "Maybe it was his social standing and other nobles are next." Celestia pauses again to let that statement sink in and then continues. "We might also want to trace the path of the female. We might be able to find out if and when she was killed and why the killer picked her to carry out his or her crime. It might also give us a clues as to things to keep an eye out for. For all we know, the killer could be a creature that possesses others and hides until ready to strike the next victim. The killer could even still be here in this room, hidden from normal vision, but watching and laughing."
Celestia glances around the room to see the reactions to her statements.

"Maybe I am wrong. Maybe not." Dea says. "But I do not think who he was is the key to this drama. It think what he was is.
The social backgrounds are therefor important.
Whoever did this seeks satisfaction, out of vengeance or an evil glee, in destroying men like him. That is my theory. The woman is a vessel and nothing more."
She rummages in her satchel, pulling out a few candles.
"But we might be able to discern whether I am false or not. You are magi, so you should not be as disturbed about this as some people get. I can perform a rite with which to call forth either this man or this woman to answer two questions of our choosing - whether they will answer is another matter.
Ofcourse we need to establish what we need to know."

"I seek one that moves in this way, he... it is very dangerous. It feeds off chaos and distruction. It is fire personified, and will burn the hand that stokes the coals if it has the chance. If this is its work we must take care," he says looking at the body on the bed, his eyes sparkling with a slight hint of fascination.
"I can tell you more when i have examined the remains."

Dea poses herself between Lit and the body, a look of concern (or is it fear?) on her face.
"Which I will trust you will do after I am gone. Though I would prefer if you would not touch the bodies at all. The dead can get restless and vengeful.
Even though, if you must, do so after I have asked the questions. Now, what would people like to know?"

"Let us discover that which she might know. If she is not the one that committed the crime," Dolph says meeting each of your eyes in turn, "and I believe we have all come to that conclusion, then we need to ask her things she might know of who did. What things might be helpful to determine the killer's identity?"

Natacha has been silent while the others have spoken. Having reached some kind of decision she strides up to Lit and extends her hand: "I am Natacha." Before Lit can take it her white owl suddenly glides in through the missing window and land on her shoulder. This causer her to lapse into a fit of giggles. Gently stroking the bird she turns to Dea: "...and I'm afraid poor suffering Dea that I'm 'another mage' as well. Terrible bad at hiding it, I'm afraid." Smiling to Dea she turns back to Lit. "An archeologist if you'd like... a student of the hidden lore that can be found in the layers of old tomes... hidden and most dangerous lore sometimes... but..." Natacha holds a short break while composing herself "But, alas I'm only a student and not much of a practitioner. I have had little to do with the dark creatures and sinister secrets I've studied these past years. It seems that this is about to change though and I can't help feeling a bit unprepared. Forgive me if I seem rude, but I sense that this is most dangerous ground we are about to tread, and I would prefer to be sure whom to trust and whom not..." Extending her hand once more: "I'm Natacha and this (inclining her head to indicate the owl) this is Ella."
"Lord Lithenstien here suggests that you may know more about the thing that did this. I pray, please tell us what you know. What motivates it? Has it any weak spots?"

Lit takes her hand.
"I am uncertian if my foe is yours. Only upon further examination will i be certain. If my foe is indeed yours, I can tell you that it feeds off of fear and death. It will try to cause the greatest amount in the shortest time. I do not know its weaknesses... save those of the common flame."

"If you chased it all over the land, I have my doubt that it is. I have some reasons to believe that who caused this was.... created here. But again, I may be mistaken.
I will prepare my rite. I will intend to ask the lady how she died. Though I have plenty other questions of my own, you " - and with that, she seems to be addressing primarily the other women - " may offer another question to ask, as the paths you see are different from mine."

Celestia looks around the room and responds, "Maybe ask her if she knows why this man was chosen as a victim or where the killer will strike next."

Natacha is thoughtful for a few moments: "If you spell allows it you may want to ask her just what she meant by referring to herself as 'The last of the red hot lovers'. You may also want to ask her if she is one of the 'Children of Ember' and what exactly that means."

Dea listen carefully, but then shake sher head.
"Unfortunately, I believe the one who said that was not the woman, but an entity that had possessed her body.
I could ask, but I doubt that we would get an answer.
And as the child of Ember - I believe there is only one, and if I am correct, it would be a daughter.
We will need to talk to the grandson of the old woman we met - she spoke a prophetic verse about vengeance relating to Ember's child, and it is on what she said that I base my suspicions. Again, I may be wrong, so we need to talk to someone who knows more."

"Well then," Natacha ponders again. "Then perhaps you should ask her where and when she was possessed and what she remembers there after. Also, it would be of interest to us if she could tell us something about the nature of the possessing entity itself."

Dolph has faded to the background while Dea prepares her spell. Lit is nowhere to be found.
Kat and Cornelia notice that Dolph is feeding a small black rat. He is talking to it in low tones and gently stroking it. The rat squeeks something and Dolph takes a concerend look.
Dolph gives a concerned look at the owl perched on Natacha's shoulder. "No, no. I think it is safe enough..." he says just loud enough to be heard, then he returns to his conversation with the rat.

Natacha is likewise caressing her owl, while she whispers something about being polite to ones host and not eat his pet.

The hawk that had been sitting on the windowsill comes as if called to rest on Kat's shoulder as well, and she strokes him absently also before waiting to see how the death calling spell works out. She doesnt give any thought to the owl or rat other than appreciation and a knowing smile.

Dea places the candles on the table, lighting the wicks. Using the newly created flame, she also burns some incense, filling the room with a musky smell.
Then she turns to the corps on the floor. As she kneels, she starts chanting, again in a incomprehensible language. Placing a silver coin on the lips of the dead woman, her voice almost fades to a whisper. There is a moment of silence before she speaks again, her voice strangely calm.
"Awake, dead one. Come to our calling.
Let the veil part and arise to answer our questions so we can avenge this foul deed done, and give peace to your tortured spirit once more."
Dea casts Speak with Dead. The coin she placed on the lips of the woman's lips bears Easan's face. As the spell is cast, it vanishes.

Celestia watches as Dea casts the spell. She remains by the door and keeps and eye out for anyone in the hallway that might come in and disrupt Dea.

With the vanishing of the coin the light of the candle flickers and fades, so too with the lanterns, plunging the room into darkness. The air becomes deathly chill, it feels almost as though you had stood naked in the snow. There is a sound as though a great breath has been released, and a sense of being watched.
To Dea, it feels as though the darkness is swirling around her, coiling up her body like a lovers carress. In her ear comes a soft feminine voice, "Ask your questions, but be ready to pay my price."

Dea nods, an unspoken agreement to pay for her incursions.
"Pray tell, young woman, the means through which you found your death, as we might avenge it."

"Consumed from within by the one you seek, a shell to contain the fires of her rage, my death to bring the death of another."

Dea nods to the answer she expected.
There is little time to ponder questions, so she heads on. "Then tell me, dead one, who it was that took your body for her fury?"

"The one known to you as the child of embers, known too was she by the prey she seeks," the darkness seems to lift your hair like a icy breeze, "unknown as well. They took from her that which was not theirs. Now she seeks to burn them as they burned her."

"Highborn to low,
lost in the music,
her first dance, her last step.
She too felt the embers glow."

The chill slowly fades from the air, with the faintest of whispers, "Remember your promise," the flame of the candle flickers back to life.

"Your price will be paid." Dea whispers. "whenever you demand it." She looks down at the body.
"and I will take care your body is laid to rest."
The she turns to the gathered, and to Lit.
She relates what she heard, only leaving out her bargain, as that is private. I assume the others have not heard well (as the voice was pretty soft).
She bends down at the body, studying the face.
"Lord Lithenstien, if you know the rabble your 'friend' associated with, you better part with that information. I am sure they are to die unless we interfere." she turns to him, a hard stare in her eyes.
"though if it were not for the death of this woman, I doubt I would find a good enough reason to do so."

"Friend? Hardly. Our circles were... rarely crossed. Though i may have noble blood, I am afraid my family is "New Money". Some of my family still has a little dirt beneath their fingernails," he says as he lowers a small black rat to the floor. The rat scurries off to the shadows, vanishing.
"He traveled with the more established families of Richmulot. Of the noble families, only the Bo`tana are less established."

Natacha treads softly to Dea's side: "Are you alright? These are terrible powers that we are tempering with..." She let the words hang in the air with an ominous look toward the body of the woman. "...yet it seems that we might have to dare it once more..." She looks at the charred body of the man. "He knew his slayer it seems."

"No, he didn't. He might have enjoyed her in the flesh, but I think he never knew who she was.
I fear he was as much a slayer as Ember's child."
Dea rests her hand on the dead woman's, then stands up.
"We need to arrange a proper burial for this lady. I do not know if we can find out her true name, but it must be possible. She is... pretty. A face people enjoy to remember. I would feel more comfort if I can lay her to rest."
She turns to Natacha, a sad smile on her face.
"And don't fear about me. I was trained for this."
But a quiver in her voice betrays her.