A Light in the Darkness Book: The Moonlight Murderer

Chapter Two: The Empress

"Further investigation must be made! The situation in the city has gotten out of control! First these murders, and now a Flame Weaver has been robbed. And not just anyone but one of our most respected scholars!" a familiar woman spoke, as she gestured to an older, robed, and bearded gentleman behind her.

The speaker was Adelais the Sentinel Flame assigned to the palace. Her rank and position at the palace gave some importance within the order and was the main intermediary between the rest of the Flame Weavers and the Emperor. Adelais had greying hair tied back into a ponytail, that matched the color of her eyes. her was constantly face fixed in a stern look, which portrayed dedication to her career. She had been working at the palace for a long time, since before Silvia had even arrived there to marry the emperor. The two women did not talk much and Adelais often regarded her with cold indifference as she did with most people, but there was no doubt of the Sentinel Flame's commitment to her role and loyalty to the imperial family.

The empress considered the woman's words, and beckoned the older man forward, "Thank you, but I think the court would prefer to hear the story from the gentleman, himself", she said as Adelais stepped aside with a bow, allowing a hunched elderly man to move toward the dais.

The man wore navy robes, with a large ornate lantern emblazoned on the back to signify his rank. He gave a bow and began to speak, "Your Majesty, I am Caius, Sentinel Flame and Scholar. A thief accosted me five days ago, in the evening, as I walked back toward the sanctuary after shopping trip in Low Town."

"Was there anyone with you when the incident occurred? Guards or other Flame Weavers?" Silvia asked, leaning forward attentively.

The elderly man scratched his head and replied, "I was by myself at the time. I had set my subordinates on their usual duties and was about halfway back to Ash Mountain when I felt a slight tug on my satchel. It was ripped clean off, with all my gold, and half my research materials. I looked to find the culprit but saw no one."

"I'm sorry for your experience. Normally a thief would not be so brazen as to attack someone of your stature. Is that all you had to tell me?" The empress inquired leaning back in her throne, with her eyes raised, appraising the scholar.

"Well, I may have scorched the street up a bit in my initial response to the robbery," the man replied with his head bowed in contrition.

"Thank you for your honesty. We'll see about compensating you for what was lost.", the empress responded with a look down at a sheet of parchment in front of her. "After looking over a list of what was taken, I think about sixty-five Cevri should do," she continued, calling the steward forward.

The imperial steward, Preston Varrus, was a middle-aged man whose had slightly greying light brown hair, brown eyes, a face lined with stress, and scar below his right eye. He was tall, thin, and always moving quickly with a light spring to his step. As usual, he wore a red silken outfit with intricate gold patterns with Cevarian Empire's phoenix symbol emblazoned on it. He came from a noble family and had been serving as the imperial steward for over ten years. As the steward, Preston oversaw a vast bureaucracy of economic ministers and tax collectors. Though his work kept him busy, he still had time to attend court and advise on financial matters. He approached the scholar and swiftly produced a small coin pouch. The Sentinel Flame took the sack gratefully, bowed and shuffled from the hall, escorted by several other robed figures.

Adelais again stepped forward to speak, "You all heard what he said. The situation has grown out of control. The inquisition has been hounding me to get imperial approval to scour the streets for this killer. When a sentinel flame can be robbed with impunity, no one is safe. What if that had been me, who got robbed?"