The Shadow's Acid

VII.

Suspects come ringing

TW: mentions of murder and blood

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Wels Knight walked up the pathway to Grian's door, ordering Ben to wait by the road with a single gesture. His armored knuckles knocked harshly against the builder's red door, the wood reflecting the early morning's sun. No sign of answering came from within the house.

Sighing, the knight took a few steps back, noticing the barrels stood at either side of the door. "Oh Notch," he groaned, taking the eggs out of the container. The first shell broke right at the center of the target, setting off the noteblocks. Wels smiled, despite his annoyance.

Grian pounded down the stairs, sliding on his wool socks along the front hallway. Once again, he failed to stop before hitting the door, ramming into it with a solid thud. He rubbed his forehead as he opened the front door.

"Oh, hey Wels!" He smiled, refreshed after a good night of rest. Despite the stress of current events, Grian still managed to cram energy into his body, resulting in the usual hyperactivity.

"Good morning, Grian," Wels remarked cordially. "Xisuma wishes to meet with you in the infirmary this morning as soon as possible."

"I'll be there." Grian's morning attitude was replaced by a serious demeanor as the knight bowed. The Brit watched him stride off into his morning routine with the Ravager close behind.

Grian sighed, closing the door and walking into his kitchen. He fried a few eggs and put them on toast, creating a simple breakfast. He ate it silently as he walked down the cobblestone road toward the castle.

The scene from the previous night came back to his mind, vivid and horrifying. He and Mumbo had returned to the lab at nearly midnight to carry Cub's body to the tiny graveyard in the castle's gardens. Under the watchful eyes of Scar and Cleo, they had buried the chemist after rushing through the burial rights. Now that the threat lurked in the shadows, none of them wanted to be out at night.

The ground changed under him as he reached the front steps of the castle. The road changed from rough cobblestone to smoothly cut stone bricks, accented with colorful flowers on the sides. Scar spotted him from across the garden, waving cheerfully before magicking a pair of plants to carry him over to the red-sweatered hermit.

"Good morning, Scar," Grian greeted as the wizard tripped over the vines of the plants that had carried him over.

"Morning, Grian!" he cried cheerfully, tipping his tall, pointy, wizard hat. "Here to see Xisuma, I presume?"

"Yes, I am. In fact, I might be late," Grian chuckled, glancing up at the sky. Already, the sun had cleared the horizon and was soaring through the clouds.

"Good luck to you, then," Scar said, lightly pushing the shorter many toward the door. "Detective work isn't all fun and games!"

"You're right about that!" Grian laughed, waving and shoving open the heavy oak door. His smile faded as he entered the chilly castle. He made his way through the cool hallways, the stone walls and tall ceilings keeping the air inside cold.

He strode through the last hallway, knocking on the infirmary door. It opened, revealing Stress. She turned back and called something inaudible to the people within before opening it all the way and admitting him. He nodded to her, slipping into the room.

Xisuma looked up from where he sat at Bdubs' bedside. The admin looked significantly more rested than he did at the last meeting, but dangerous amounts of pressure seemed to have aged him several years. "Good morning, Grian," he greeted, moving over to the bed and gesturing for Grian to have a seat. The builder-turned-detective sat in the wooden chair, the weight of his new settling on his shoulders.