EliteCommander

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei remained silent through Vera's explanation, making notes of where she said the others were in particular. So far, Meesei had identified two points at which Jerrick could have been poisoned: sometime before her pack arrived, perhaps while he was training students, and immediately after Gallus led her pack on the tour. Of course, questioning the others could also reveal opportunities for the poisoning. Fortunately, Meesei doubted they would have to do much guesswork as to when Jerrick was poisoned. Once Sabine identified the poison, she could determine how long it would have taken to kill him. That would help narrow down when the poisoning occurred. "Thank you, Vera. That is all the questions I have for right now. If I need to ask anything else, I will send someone for you, or simply find you myself. And if you think of anything else that might be helpful, feel free to come to me. Now, come on; I will have someone take you to Jerrick." Meesei said softly as she stood up and motioned for Vera to exit the small room. One they were back out with the others, Meesei turned to the first of her pack she saw, in this case, Ahnasha. "Ahnasha, could you take Vera to Jerrick's body? He needs to be moved somewhere he can be preserved for his funeral." Meesei requested, to which Ahnasha was quick to nod in confirmation. Wasting no time, Meesei turned her attention to the nearest lieutenant, Oswall. "Alright, Oswall, I will speak to you next."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

As Vera was talking, Meesei took notes on everything she was saying. She gave a few leads that Meesei could follow up on, as well as a list of where she had been all day. Once she finished, Meesei lowered and shook her head solemnly. "I wish I could tell you that was the case, I really do. His body is in the meeting room. Once we are done here, I will send one of my pack with you to see him. His body needs to be moved and preserved for his funeral anyway. I just have a few more questions for you, then you will be free to go." Meesei made another few notes on her parchment, then looked back up to Vera. "We know that the poison used was slow acting, so it seems likely he was poisoned sometime before my pack arrived. The poison was found in the waterskin, so I believe it is safe to rule out his breakfast as the vector. And given the size of the canal and the sheer amount of the substance that would be required to poison it effectively, it is also safe to say that the waterskin was poisoned sometime after he filled it. As well, if the canal were poisoned, then more than just Jerrick would have been affected. Although, there might have been some points after I arrived that it could have been poisoned as well. Was there any time after my pack left with Gallus that you can think of where he was separated from his waterskin? I also need you to tell me everything you know about what the other lieutenants have been doing all day. Please, be as specific as you can."

The Aesteria Chronicles

Ignis was carefully watching the movements of everyone around Alan, just as requested. Part of him wanted to make something happen, if only to make the situation more interesting, but that would probably annoy Helen. There were some tense words that might be considered an argument, but not long after Helen made her point, they seemed to be calming down. However, that was not the case just a short distance away, as another man was quite suddenly knocked to the ground with a few shards of glass in his face. Ignis was still invisible in form, but his gaze darted back and forth between Alan and the incapacitated man. "Wait, what? I'm confused, which fight am I supposed to be stopping?" He asked Helen. Helen sighed when she heard the glass shatter, her head tilted back to spot Eli's fist come into contact with the Serpentine's head and cause him to crumble. She inwardly groaned while Sira knew what to do. After all, she hadn't discouraged her spirits free thought and action as long as it didn't worse the situation. The cat immediately flash banged Eli sending the man to stumble after being blinded and made her smirk slightly. Damn fool. She might've found the thugs from the Serpentine's little band annoying, but didn't mean they deserved to be provoked. When Ignis' thoughts hit her own, his emotions filled with confusion and concern, she poured some the more soothing sensations from her current mood his way. Alan's table though it seems to have tapered off. Now, are you still eager to eat? While she knew he didn't really need to eat or use the food, she noted long ago how much Ignis liked to 'taste' it. She had made a point not to touch her food until he was free so he could experience it. Helen settle Adonai's plate beside him and nudged him to dig in, followed by taking her own seat. Waiting for Ignis, her ears caught her husband's comments about a normal day at the pub. He immediately followed up with an observation on the robot which she herself also noted, a thing that had bothered her since it originally walked in. "Yes it is. Nothing like a little conflict for the morning, but I swear anything else happens then I'm going to bandage someone's mouth shut." Helen said, adding a bit more. "The machine's odd, that's for sure. I've never seen or made one that advanced. I think it's almost alive which means someone's a genius or it's a fake." Sira trotted up to her calf and started to nuzzle, his head wrapped and pushed against her leg for his reward. His mewling cries shortly followed. "For crying out loud Sira! Can't I eat first?" Ignis looked at the man on the ground with at least a small measure of curiosity. He had not been paying near enough attention to know what he did to earn the hit, especially one that involved breaking glass over his face. Ignis had been with Helen more than long enough to know that cuts like that could easily get infected, so there was a good possibility he would need a doctor. However, that was something that Ignis actually couldn't care less about, since Helen was currently offering him the chance for a meal. After floating away from Alan's table without a hint of him ever actually being present, Ignis finally materialized into a visible form near Helen's table. Taking on his normal, translucent form, he sat down next to her, not unlike a dog. Although, he was a fair amount larger, and much more...exotic. He did not know what she was eating, but it didn't really matter as long as she enjoyed it. Of course, Sira was not going to let him have all of the attention, so he made it a point to show up again. Ignis sometimes fell into the trap of trying to compete for attention with the feline spirit, but this time, he just ignored it to enter the conversation. "Oh, are you talking about the big spirit-robot thing? I've seen it around sometimes when I...wander around. I wonder if you would like that drink it made?" He commented, not all that concerned about the spirit's presence. Sira continued to meow louder as Helen scowled, her voice trying override the annoy thing. "Spirit? Are you sur... Fine, Sira! Impatient thing!" Helen huffed and paused in her conversation, her hands bent down to scoop up the shimmering cat. He naturally looked rather smugly at Ignis' direction while Helen took a deep breath. She placed her mind on a key memory and trying to calm down. Slowly the memory filled the spirit's core as she held the tom on the table. A sudden rattling sound came from Sira's throat before his image vanished slowly, yet Helen seemed to have gone paler then usual. "Ignis, are you sure it's a spirit?" Ignis nodded to Helen. Even if he had not been capable of feeling her emotions at the moment, he knew well her feelings about unbound spirits. He had been the one to save her all those years ago, but even so, he couldn't quite understand the fear. Of course, he also couldn't understand the concept of death in the same way she could. And he could recognize how dangerous some spirits could be to Humans. "Yeah, of course. Spirits can sense spirits. Summoners can too, not that I really understand how that works. Just...don't worry. I mean, we don't even know for sure it's unbound. I go wherever I want, don't I? It could too" "I'm sure it'll be nothing" Adonai joined in with calming Helen. Despite how much she cared for her own spirits, she was particularly uncomfortable around unbound spirits. He didn't really understand any of the spirit things she did or why, but it didn't matter. He grasped her hand in his to reassure her with his touch. Shortly after that, however, an even stranger event happened with which he could draw her attention. A pair of children edged their way in and then sprinted to hide behind the bar. "Now what are they doing here? I wasn't aware the Guild let members bring their children here." Things got even stranger then, and as the door opened for a second time, Adonai's sixth sense crept up on him again quite suddenly. The men that came it looked thuggish, not like any Guild member he had ever seen. There was a certain style that all guild members seemed to adhere to, whether it was int heir clothing or the way they walked and held themselves, no matter the band. It was part of the Free City pride. Even the shadiest of Bands had it to some extent. These men didn't. At that moment he cursed the fact that they were sitting next to the door. They marched right up to the table and looked at Helen, asking her rather bluntly about the two kids. Adonai pulled a vial of brightly coloured liquid from his coat and set it on the table. Helen, and some of the pub regulars that had bought from him before would know that this was one of the explosive kinds, though to anyone else it could be anything. "A word of advice friend, whatever the answer anyone gives to your question, dont go causing any trouble here." He said with a friendly tone to the newcomers. He had a feeling they'd ignore it if they didn't hear what they wanted to hear, but that was what the vial was for. Helen's spirits, Sira as well as Nahor and Heimda sensed the discomfort within their summoner. Sira made an ear splitting hiss that made her flinch, accidentally sharing the pain with the others. Nahor snorted followed by swirling images in the form of steam rushed into her vision. Finally Heimda snarled before his icy sensation filled her body making her feel rather cold. All three had their own way to make their feelings known while they sought the source of her fear. Rattling her after all was rattling them all. "I hope you both are right... now, these damn nerves got everyone shaken up." Helen commented before her attention was shifted by Adonai's odd mention of children. She gave him a look and immediately twisted in her chair, her body half turned to spot the pair slip behind the bar. Her expression was nothing short of bewilderment. "No, I don't think they are anyone's, Adonai." Helen said still watching the spot where the two had vanished. It was then she noted his hand wrapped about her own causing her to give him a warm smile and gentle squeeze of thanks, keeping a firm grasp on his for comfort. These little gestures were a reason she loved him so. Her attention to her husband was short lived when someone new entered and took a table nearby, one of them tapped her on the shoulder. Something wasn't right. While Adonai gave the man a bit of sound advice, Helen noticed the younger one's, a girl by her dress and smaller frame peek out to shake her head. Her heart felt a warmth to the child almost instantly before she pulled down and was replaced by the cheeky little bugger, her mini protector, giving her a cold stare. An image of her brother and herself flashed in her head causing her to communicate with Ignis. I hate to farther delay your treat, Ignis, but something's not right. I'm going to tell you to withdrew, but instead I want you to head over to the pair currently hiding behind the counter? I get a feeling there's more to this story then meets the eye. Could you ask them if they know these men and why they are looking for them? I promise not to eat until you get back. "Let me put my spirit back and I'll see if I can recall. A little fight happened not too long ago and I might be needed shortly. So pardon me if I have to suddenly excuse myself. Now to answer your question, I want you to answer one of my own. Namely what would four burly, rough men who seem to be rather new around here would be wanting with two young children?" Helen asked while allowing Ignis to do his thing. Ignis was silently proud of his own answer to what the spirit-robot might be. She seemed to calm down, or at least not get any more upset. He moved from a sitting position to a laying position, not that either was any more relaxing to him than the other, and simply waited for the meal to begin. Ignis was not a spirit that liked to be idle, but for a few situations, he could make an exception. Unfortunately, now that he actually wanted everything to be calm, it seemed like the universe was making it a point to have everything happen at once. At first, Ignis paid little mind to the children who stepped into the tavern. Adonai and Helen thought it was peculiar, but he had seen far stranger in his time. However, it was not long before another group entered the tavern, took a table nearby, then started to question Helen. Out of all the people they could have bothered, they went straight to her. Can't everyone just leave them alone for a few minutes? It's like the world's only interesting when I don't want it to be. He thought to himself. Not only that, but apparently Helen wanted him to do something as well. "Alright, I guess. But it's not my fault if they start screaming or something." Ignis responded to Helen, dissipating into the air after Helen claimed she was recalling him. He made his way across the room to the children, then positioned himself behind the counter along with them. While he was still out of their line of sight, he coalesced once more into something close to his normal form, but smaller, and with features that were all around less harsh. He had no real problem speaking with children; in fact, they were some of his favorite people. Adults could be exciting in their own ways, but Ignis found that children had much looser interpretations of societal rules. That, or they just didn't care about them, much like himself. If he ever wanted an accomplice, or a target who would give a more entertaining reaction to one of his pranks, a child was always a good choice. "So...what are you hiding from?" Ignis finally asked in a quiet voice. He acted as if he was hiding with them, just to make himself seem a bit less threatening.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei nodded to her pack's suggestions. Having the interrogations in private would allow the innocent lieutenants to speak more freely, and hopefully reveal information that could be useful. At the very least, Meesei could get each of their perspectives that she might later deconstruct for inconsistencies. Once Najirra showed them the room they could use, Meesei was sure to request a quill and another parchment as well so she could take notes on the details of their statements. Vera was to the first Meesei would question. Despite her overall melancholy mood, she stepped inside the room when asked. Just as Meesei was about to follow, she gave one last glance to the still-frozen lieutenants. "Perhaps they could use some tea as well?" She suggested, though mostly it was so they would not have to spend their entire wait frozen in place. As long as they did not break into any more arguments, they could have their freedom of movement. As soon as Meesei and Vera were alone in the room, Meesei's expression immediately became much more sympathetic. She could not dismiss Vera as a suspect, but there was a greater chance than not that she was innocent, and this entire situation was especially horrible for her. To have her husband die and be suspect to his death would not be easy for anyone. Her sympathy was genuine, but that did not make her any less alert to potential treachery. "Vera, I...do not know what I can say. I did everything I could to preserve his life. I told him to avoid eating and drinking, I was in the shadows the entire time, waiting for him to be attacked, but...the poison was already there. As I have said, it would be a disservice to Jerrick to absolve you of suspicion, but...I know I cannot understand your pain." Meesei sat down across from Vera, then leaned forward with her elbows on her knees. "Just...believe me when I say that I am going to do everything I can to find Jerrick's killer. Anything you can tell me might help find the murdered. Let's start at the beginning, this morning. What did you and Jerrick do this morning, and around when did he fill his waterskin?"

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Surprisingly, Meesei was the last to start drinking the tea. Ever since Jerrick had first relayed to her Hircine's warning, her mind had been utterly focused on the task at hand, as it well should have been. Still, she found herself wanting to take action at all times, to not let herself waste a moment. Taking a break for tea seemed like it would waste vital time. It was not as if she could release the lieutenants on her own, however, so she eventually took up her own cup as well. In the few moments of relative silence that Meesei had, she elected to calm herself and think on how to proceed. Sabine was likely finished her tests on the poison, so hopefully, she would be able to identify what it was, and what could be used to make it. It would probably take some time for Najirra's daughters to collect all of the people she listed, so Meesei would need to come back in an hour or two in order to meet with them. As for the present, she needed to see if any of the lieutenants had anything to say about when Jerrick's water could have been poisoned. There were also some things she needed to make clear to them, especially when it came to mentioning Jerrick's death. Unlike most of the pack, Ahnasha liked the tea quite a lot, though that was perhaps to be expected. Also like the others, she had been silent through the entire situation. Meesei was in charge, and she was the most knowledgeable on what was happening, so it did not seem as if there was anything she could say to help. Still, she did hazard one comment after Fendros spoke. "I have the feeling this isn't the first time this has happened." Once Najirra's daughters had left and Meesei finished her tea, there were a few moments of silence before she spoke up in a calm, respectful tone. "I believe, since we have all had time to...calm ourselves, that I would like to hear the lieutenants' thoughts on how Jerrick could have been poisoned."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei nodded affirmatively as Janius moved to find Najirra's daughters. As for herself, she listened to the lieutenants begin their accusations and arguing as she looked around for a parchment on which to write. Meesei did not want the lieutenants to know the identities of the individuals who received the letters, as she had a plan for how they could be helpful. If Jerrick wrote to them, that meant they were trustworthy. Therefore, they might be able to provide aid to the investigation in ways Meesei or her pack could not. The traitor was certainly going to be on guard whenever she or her pack was around, so having secret informats could prove useful. It was shortly after Meesei gave Najirra the list of names that the lieutenants were starting to get into another argument, which was suddenly put on hold by a spell from Najirra. For a person of his age, Meesei supposed he had considerable arcane knowledge. One quality of mages, unlike warriors, was that their power only increased with time, as long as they retained their right mind. Meesei shifted somewhat awkwardly, as even she would not have paralyzed the three, but being an old, respected man, she supposed they would judge Najirra less harshly. Meesei cleared her throat, then returned to addressing the group. "Yes, well...I am not as focused on the specifications of the poison at this moment. Once we have identified exactly what it is, I will investigate that. For now, what I want to know is who had the ability to actually place the poison in Jerrick's waterskin without his knowledge. He carried it around with him all day, did he not? From where would he have gathered his water, and at what point might he have not been carrying it on his belt? There could not have been too many opportunities for someone to get to his waterskin unnoticed." Meesei quieted down once she heard footsteps approaching, as she too assumed it was Janius with Najirra's daughters. She wanted to minimize the number of people who were aware of Jerrick's death.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei gave a respectful nod to Najirra. It was fortunate that the old Khajiit was such a respected member of the community, as his word was greatly helpful to prove Meesei's own innocence. His old age meant he had essentially no motivations for power, no reason to take sides in petty politics. He was someone Meesei might be able to seek advice from, once she was away from the lieutenants. Now Meesei's own innocence had been established, Meesei was able to speak with much more weight. However, she did not want to anger the lieutenants too greatly. After all, they would still have their positions once the traitor had been found. At this point, she needed to approach the situation in a way that would convince them to cooperate. She had to remind them that all but one of them were on the same side. She nodded to Oswall, but her expression seemed regretful. "I am afraid Jerrick was rather certain of it. Hircine warned him of it, and, despite my best efforts, his prophesy came to pass. This makes the rest of his warning all the more concerning. You see, this traitor is playing directly into Vile's hands, whether they are aware of it or not. Jerrick warned that, if chaos was allowed to spread in the clan, then when the full moons rise, this clan will fall. We cannot afford to allow the clan to divide itself in some sort of struggle for succession. Therefore, we cannot allow the clan as a whole to learn of Jerrick's passing until the traitor is found. Once that is done, you will all get a chance to prove your worthiness in leadership to me." Meesei paused from speaking to the lieutenants to address Najirra. "There were a few other letters sent to trusted individuals. Could you have your daughters bring them to you so I can speak to you all at once? I will give you a list of their names. There are some things I wish to ask of you" Meesei shifted her attention back to the lieutenants. "Just remember, we are not all enemies in this. Only one of you is the traitor; the rest are just as dedicated to the clan as they have ever been. With all of your cooperation, we might end this quickly, as right now, we have a lead. We know exactly how he was poisoned, we just need to determine who had the ability to poison his waterskin."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Quite understandably, everything about this situation was generating considerable anger and frustration among the lieutenants. Not only had they lost their leader, but now they were each being accused of being the murderer. In particular, Meesei was sympathetic for Vera. If she was innocent, then all of this together would be beyond devastating. Meesei just hoped she could resolve the situation swiftly so that Vera and the others would have a chance to grieve and recover from the loss. At the moment, none of the lieutenants seemed to trust Meesei. Darahil was the closest, but she suspected it was an act on his part to keep his distrust hidden. Hopefully, once Meesei proved that her words were genuine, they would see the gravity of the situation and become more cooperative, at least with her. After all, only one was a traitor. The rest had at least been loyal enough to follow Jerrick's leadership, and they would likely want to expose the traitor as well, especially since Meesei mentioned she would be selecting a leader from among them. With Fendros leading the way, it did not take too long to reach Najirra's chamber. The daughters awoke first, then left upon Darahil's request after they woke their father. Meesei kept her eyes on the daughters as they left the room, then, once they were sufficiently far away, stepped forward to address Najirra. From his expression, Meesei suspected he knew what was happening, though she would ask all the same. "I am Hircine's Champion." She said, extending forth the hand that bore the ring so he could see it more clearly. "Earlier this evening, Jerrick had a letter delivered to you. Have you yet had a chance to read it?"

The Depths of Deception

After the healing was complete and Shiva went on her own way, Rareth actively sought to make the rest of her day as relaxing as she could. Once she had a shower to clean up, she headed straight to the mess hall for a well-earned meal. Her armor and equipment was being cleaned and repaired, so she did not have to worry about it beyond just giving the technicians a place to deliver it. For her meal, she decided on something exotic, or at least exotic to her. Like all Rothian vessels, it was supplied with plenty of meat in its cuisine; in this case, from animals native to Pax. Given the diversity of the crew, there were also plenty of plant-based foods available, but Rothian physiology was less accepting of plant matter. There were some that were safe to eat, but others could cause rather...uncomfortable digestive problems. Since she was not sure of what plants she could eat from Pax, she avoided them entirely. The rest of Rareth's day was spent in her room, enjoying the downtime after the mission where no one was being sent to bother her. She was able to disregard formality and lounge in casual attire, which, for a Rothian, was nothing. It reminded her of her off-duty time in her own apartment back on Rothia, aside from the fact that the officer's quarters were far smaller, undecorated, and with few luxuries. Still, even just the entertainment she had saved on her own computer was enough to last months. The only thing that would make it better would be a network connection to anything outside the ship. Eventually, Rareth heard a knock on the door, which she expected was one of her team members. Given that they shared the room, Telmeck was already present, but she did not know how many more would be arriving. She supposed she would just give an hour or so from that point for everyone who planned on coming to arrive. Standing up from her bed, she walked over and opened the door, revealing Shiva standing outside. Somehow, Rareth guessed she would be the one to arrive first. "Ah, Shiva, good to see you. Come in; we'll wait a while for the others before I get started. I'll turn down the heat for you."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

As Meesei expected, the reactions of the lieutenants were varied, ranging from despair to anger. It was difficult to determine from their emotions alone which was the guilty party, especially since she did not know them too well. However, it was notable that Oswall was the first to attempt to blame Meesei for Jerrick's death. She would remember that. Just as she also expected, the news quickly prompted the lieutenants to begin arguing amongst themselves, casting the blame on everyone around them. It certainly seemed like Jerrick's prediction was accurate. Meesei needed to once again take hold of the situation, so while the others were arguing, she brought her hands together to subtly charge a spell. She cast it moments later, sending a green haze across the room as the spell of silence took hold. Suddenly, all but Meesei found that their voices, and indeed, nothing they were doing, could produce a sound. Her response was not to shout, but nonetheless, she carried an authoritative tone. "Enough! If I wanted to promote someone I liked, I would pick from my own pack. The next alpha will be chosen based on the merit of their leadership ability, nothing more. And no one here is going to become the alpha until the traitor is brought to justice, I will be sure of that. If the traitor's identity cannot be proven, then I will ensure none of you gain the title. Turning her head to Vera, her expression and tone adopted some sympathy, but was still overall firm. "Vera, this is the worst of any way I would have chosen to give you the news, but it is necessary. You may see him in time, but for right now, understand that I cannot, and will not absolve you of suspicion. Jerrick trusted you, this I know for sure. His...final words to me were that I tell you he was...sorry. He loved you with his last breath...but I do not know any of you. I have arrived only today, and Hircine's word was that one of his lieutenants would be the one to murder him. I have to recognize that Jerrick's own feelings might have clouded his judgment. If I refused to accept that you, or any of the others, might be the traitor, then I would be doing a disservice to your husband." What Meesei said to Vera was not what she wanted to say in such a time, but it was what she needed to say. She could not afford to show any break in her resolve. As such, while the spell was still in effect, she looked to address the group as a whole, though initially, she looked squarely at Oswall. "You are quick to blame me for his death, but take a moment to think, and you will see that I have no motive for such an attack. I am the Alpha of alphas; there are none among Hircine's hounds who are above me. I cannot gain rank by killing an alpha, as I already outrank them. If I felt that Jerrick was unfit for his position, I can command he be replaced; such is my authority. Jerrick, from all I know of him, was a capable and honorable individual. To have built and sustained a clan such as this proved he was deserving of his title. This clan is lesser for his loss, and our lord's Hunting Grounds have strengthened with his gain. But, you do not need to trust my word, as Jerrick and I prepared for this...outcome. Just as night fell, he had letters delivered to a few, trusted individuals explaining our plan. Each letter was tailored to the recipient to prove that he was the writer. You are all going to follow me to Najirra's chamber; he will confirm my words. Once we are done there, I have an idea for an angle to pursue to uncover the traitor. Until that is complete, none of you are to leave my sight, and none of you are going to breathe a word of Jerrick's death to anyone else." Upon delivering her orders, Meesei ended her spell, allowing the others to speak once more.