The Shadow's Acid

IX.

Visitors continue the narration

TW: mentions of injury and fire

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Wels shifted his stance, finding himself in a similar position as less than a day prior. The only difference was the presence of three additional hermits in the room and the absence of a ravager. He had left SkipTheRavager and Benster outside, not wanting them to react aggressively to the hermits. A part of him wanted to chuckle at the names he and Tango had come up with, with many of them being parodies of famous heroes in centuries past. However, he knew the current state of the beasts was more than dangerous and far too serious for the lighthearted jokes he shared with the red-eyed hermit.

Grian stood slightly forward, having been the one to break the news. Doc and Zedaph stood in the shadows, the latter clinging to the other's arm. Undoubtedly, they were present for Grian to clear their names. Doc seemed to be fighting his entire system against bolting out of the room to investigate his discoveries, while Zedaph looked like he needed to slap together an insanely impractical contraption to take his mind off things.

Xisuma fiddled with the quill in his fingers, either thinking of solutions or how he was going to word his next sentence. Evidently, it was the latter. "Both Etho and Iskall were found dead in the Labyrinth with signs of battle. Were there any signs of a third party?"

"Yes, but none of them were physical. I'm still formulating how to present the information," Grian answered, running a hand through his disheveled hair. He'd been up late the previous two nights, and had arisen early the previous morning to deliver his report. This morning was no different, and the builder's nerves were certainly being torn to shreds by the amounting stress.

Xisuma took a deep breath, steadying himself. He looked up, noting the knight's stoic presence in the conference room. "Thank you Wels, you may return to your duty." Wels bowed and, turning stiffly, left, his armor barely making a sound as he closed the door behind him.

Xisuma's tired eyes returned to the trio before him. None of them said anything as they faintly heard Wels calling to the ravagers through the wooden door. The heavy footsteps of the creatures faded away, leaving them in complete silence.

Finally, Xisuma broke the silence. "Is that it, then? The case is solved, with the murderer found dead in the Labyrinth alongside his final victim. Either could have been the perpetrator, and they died nearly in each other's arms. It fits perfectly."

"A little too perfectly, my friend," Grian interjected dubiously. He played with a loose thread on his jumper as he spoke. "Their bodies were a fair distance between them, with each suffering different injuries. In addition, neither had received many strikes to the back. Nearly all of the slashes were on Iskall's chest, and the acid covered Etho's torso, pooling in the front."

"What does that tell you?" Zedaph piped up, determined to be involved.

"It can be deduced they were attacked simultaneously by a third party wielding both knives and the infamous acid. We all know of Etho's obsession with the Labyrinth. Furthermore, Iskall's combat skills are unparalleled by many of the members in Hemritia."

"You are able to draw a conclusion from this evidence?" Doc inquired, shaking Zed off his arm.

Grian grinned, his face lighting up for a brief second. "They don't call me Sherlock Grian for nothing, Doc-son." Doc grunted in amusement at the nickname.

Xisuma's smile was short-lived as he returned the conversation to its root. "What do these clues tell you, Grian?"

"They tell me that Etho had brought Iskall with him into the Labyrinth to investigate an abnormality in the tunnels. Etho knows every turn of the maze below, and any difference in the twists is bound to capture his attention. I believe he had a hypothesis about the murderer's rapid journey through the city and linked it to the Labyrinth."