Dead Beat

D

daird

Guest
Original poster
It was a crisp fall day in Willowby. The leaves had just started to turn on the maple trees, and the wind carried the faintest nip. Rebecca opened the door to her shop/home, and put out the sign with the scissors on it to show she was open for business.

The building itself was unpainted wood- she couldn't afford anything else yet, and likely never would. A small loom had been set up on the left side of the room, ready for either wool or cloth, depending on what the customer wanted. Dye pots occupied the center of the display, for those who decided against natural colors. Finished clothes were on the right. Behind a small wooden wall lay a bed and cupboard, perfect for hiding... sensitive items.

The auburn-haired women rolled her eyes as she looked over her supplies. Some of her dyes were running low, and no traveling merchants were expected for several days. Dye-making was the worst part of the business by far, so after checking to make sure wasn't being watched, she muttered a quick duplication spell. Saves me hours of filthy labor. Thank the gods.

Putting the newly conjured jars together, she slipped behind the counter, looking across the way at the blacksmith's now-unoccupied forge. It has to be tonight. The longer I wait, the longer the killer walks free.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Mahou-Shoujo
The town was on high security after the killing, with the local law enforcement on constant patrols and though there technically was no curfew in place, most people seemed to have decided not to stay out too late anyway, so there would be few people capable of catching her as long as she kept an eye out for any patrols.
Shortly after she slipped behind the counter her day began, with several customers lining up, most were the usual townspeople with only one traveler who seemed to be content to just stare at the merchandise.
 
Rebecca tutted as one of the guardsman patrols passed by. They couldn't find their brains with a map. Three days, and not a single hint as to who had done the deed. She worked through her day, selling quite a few shirts and dresses. Business was always good around this time of year- children needed new winter clothes, and many an adult's had been eaten by moths or simply no longer fit.

As the sun went down, the necromancer made her move. Grabbing a few supplies and stuffing them in a bag, she stole across the way to the blacksmith's house.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Mahou-Shoujo
The guards DID try... But they were really just a few of the townspeople with some basic combat training and ill fitting equipment, hardly elite investigators.
No one was watching as she darted across, or at least no one appeared to be...
The door was of course locked.
 
Rebecca made her way into the room in silence. One could only perform a Calling anywhere they wished if they had a possession of the deceased- but it could always be done at the site of death. She opened her bag and took out a piece of chalk, a black candle, and a small knife. She started drawing blasphemous symbols of death and rebirth, of things that desecrated the laws of nature. Placing the candle in the center of her drawings, she lit it with a simple charm, and then sliced her palm, letting a few drops fall into the fire. Blood sacrifices were an important part of necromancy. Feeling the energy of death in the room, she focused it into the symbols and whispered, "Charles, come back to us. The living have need of you yet." Nothing to do now but wait.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Mahou-Shoujo
The shop was a mess, things seemingly thrown around randomly, though whether that was from the killing or the ridiculously inept militia was anyone's guess...
The ritual seemed to go well and the dead man's ghost made it's return to the world of the living... Seeming confused, scared and not talking.
 
Charles looked the same as he did at the moment of death, with a small horde of stab wounds to the chest. Rebecca winced- whoever did this had been absolutely enraged. Fortunately, it seemed that it didn't pain him any. His problem was confusion and fear upon returning to the world of the living; a common enough occurrence.

"Charles, it's me, Rebecca. Listen to me- you're dead, but I need to speak to you. Whoever did this to you is still out there, and I want to make sure they face justice for their actions. Was there anyone you angered, anyone who might have had cause to do this?"
 
  • Like
Reactions: Mahou-Shoujo
"Dead?... I... Yes, they killed me after all..."
He seemed to have a little trouble remembering, after all, who WOULDN'T block out something as traumatic as being brutally stabbed to death by some sort of crazed killer?
"I... I don't know... I thought I got along with everyone... There was this one customer though... They seemed really irritated... But surely not enough to kill?"
 
Okay, this is a start. "Anything you can recall about him, Charles? Why he was angry, a name, a description? Anything at all will help us find him." Rebecca kept her voice calm and level, trying to prevent the blacksmith from getting any more stressed. That might help with his memory somewhat.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Mahou-Shoujo
"I... I can't remember much... It wasn't a he though... It was a woman... I am sure of that".
He seemed to remember that detail suddenly.
"And they were not... They were someone new to the town, not anyone I knew".
 
We're getting there. Unfortunately, if Charles couldn't identify the killer, that meant there was only so much she could do. Thankfully, Willowby was a small town, and no caravans had passed through since the murder. Given the information Charles had recalled, there were only a handful of suspects left. Rebecca nodded. "Thank you for your assistance, Charles."
 
  • Like
Reactions: Mahou-Shoujo
"I... Please stop her... I don't want anyone else to be killed..."
The kindly blacksmith begged... Right before several guards burst in.
"Haha! The criminal returned to the scene of the crime... Wait... IS that... A ghost?! Necromancy!"
A guard shouted, drawing his blade.
 
You have got to be kidding me! Rebecca rose and whirled in one fluid motion, a bolt of dark energy in her hand. She doubted she'd have enough time to fight all the guardsmen, if it came to that, but hopefully the threat of a spell would cause them to hesitate, not wanting to be the one to make the first move. "You idiots, I'm trying to help you! How much easier do you think your investigation would be if you could question the victim?"
 
  • Like
Reactions: Mahou-Shoujo
The guards did hesitate, fear etched into their faces as they tried to hide behind each other.
"S..she is threatening us! W..with magic!"
One of the men shouted.
"Y..you're breaking the law! Come along quietly miss..."
 
Rebecca waved her free hand, and a tendril of shadow darted towards the speaking guard, stopping six inches in front of his face. Just to let them know she wasn't really pissed off yet. "I won't come with you, quietly or otherwise. I refuse to be torched at the stake for a public service. Charles has already told me that the killer was a woman, new in town. There can't be more than a handful of those. Find out which one of them did the deed, and leave me the hell alone."
 
  • Like
Reactions: Mahou-Shoujo
The guard yelped at the magic she cast, and a damp patch appeared on his pants as he fell back, meanwhile another guard spoke.
"H..how do we know YOU didn't kill him? You are already breaking the law, have threatened people, and were consorting with the dead!"
 
I have to admit, he does raise a good point. Rebecca looked up to see more guardsmen lurking just outside. That tore it- she'd have to cut and run if it came to violence. There were just too many. "Last. Chance." she growled, putting all the venom she could into her bluff.
 
"Sorry miss... We can't let you run..."
One guard said, as another who had snuck around back brought a club down on her head.
 
Rebecca groggily wondered why there were stars in her eyes, before her vision came clear. Instantly, she wished she'd stayed unconscious.

She was chained wrist and ankle to a stone wall in some sort of cell. Looking down at the restraints, she noticed they were reflecting more of the dim torchlight than they would were they ordinary iron. Silvered shackles. Great.

Silver was notorious for its antimagical properties. Her shackles would make it more difficult to channel her magic. She tried to summon a little power and could, so it wasn't enough to completely block her, but in her fuzzy state, she wouldn't be able to put out enough power to break free. All she could do was wait for her captors to come.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Mahou-Shoujo
"Hey! The necromancer is waking up!"
A guard shouted and several more ran over to her cell, with the mayor hiding behind them.
"Ahh... Y...you woke up... Umm, by the laws of our town... You will be hung... Umm, tomorrow".
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back