The chatbox has been hidden for this page. It will reopen upon refresh. To hide the CBox permanently, select "Permanently Toggle Cbox" in your profile User Settings.
This chatbox is hidden. To reopen, edit your User Settings.
After her announcement, the two royal guards who had accompanied Athanasia stepped forward and stood on either side of her, their hands hovering above their swords. She stayed where she was, in front of Aedea, knowing that if she gave the word, they would protect both women. The priestess was safe as long as the princess was with her. Athanasia had no doubt that if someone in the crowd lunged at her, the dogs would defend her. That would just make things worse. She tried to keep her gaze from straying to the carnage at her feet. Never before had she seen a person killed in such a horrendous way.
Aedea seemed to know that Athanasia offered her protection. She called off the dogs snarling at the royal guards with a piercing whistle and then stepped forward and knelt in front of her, speaking in her simple and straightforward way. The princess would never forget that day in the White Temple when Aedea had given her some very useful archery tips. No matter how strange she might seem, she was definitely not a monster. The Cypress Sisterhood would not have taken her in and made her one of them if she was the least bit cruel.
“I know, Priestess.” she said softly. “There is no way you could have done this. I won’t let anyone harm you and I will help you hunt down the culprit myself.”
What was she supposed to do now? Should she take Aedea away from the grisly scene so that the accusations would stop? Should she stand her ground until somebody in authority arrived? A commotion in the crowd caught her eye. Somebody was pushing through to the front, and she breathed a sigh of relief when Magnus of Chaossis, the Master Informer, approached her. If anyone could figure out who had done this, it was he, and she was happy to let him take charge. All she had wanted to do was protect Aedea from a rampaging mob, who would, if given the chance, rip her to pieces too.
Athanasia knew how suspicious commoners were from her frequent evening excursions into the city. They actually believed that werewolves and other vicious supernatural creatures existed despite having never seen one. The poor victim had either been killed by a real wolf or a sadistic human being. Probably the latter, because wolves generally stayed in the woods. She had never heard of one caught in the city, or even spied close to it. The young princess had encountered them while hunting and they had run from her, disappearing into the trees. She knew they would attack if cornered, but they seemed to prefer avoiding confrontation if they could.
The city guards began to control the crowds, and Athanasia nodded graciously when Magnus bowed to her and than began issuing commands. When he addressed her, her eyes met his. “Yes, I know her. She is a priestess of the Cypress Sisterhood. I met her when the Queen and I visited the White Temple a couple of months ago. She’s been hunting. That’s why her clothing is stained with blood.” She waved a hand toward the bag full of dead animals. “Those are her spoils.”
She noted the arrival of Magnus’ sister, a woman she knew of but had never officially met. After curtsying to Athanasia and greeting her respectfully, the dark-haired woman studied the body and the princess looked down, trying to remain dispassionate. Yes, it did appear as if the girl had been purposefully butchered. As she had suspected, this was no wolf attack. Maybe the crowd would realize that the girl had not been torn apart by a mythical werewolf. “No, I’m not offended at all. This crime needs to be solved before anyone gets hurt and your observation will help speed up the investigation.”
The princess shivered as the woman suggested that the killer was in the crowd, observing the reaction to his macabre handiwork. She heard Aedea’s shout and raised her eyes, following the gaze of the crowd to a man standing on a rooftop with a knife glittering in his hand. He was covered from head to toe, his features concealed. Was this the killer? She heard shouts from within the crowd Something else had distracted them though Athanasia’s eyes remained on the oddly-dressed man. She watched as he silently disappear over the rooftop, as if he had never been there at all. A few of the bystanders took off after him.
Athanasia turned back to Aedea. “That man on the rooftop. You didn’t want anyone to look at him? Why? Do you know him?”
This character is currently a work in progress.
Check out their information page here.
This character is currently a work in progress.
Check out their information page here.
Badges
Deleted
Deleted
After her announcement, the two royal guards who had accompanied Athanasia stepped forward and stood on either side of her, their hands hovering above their swords. She stayed where she was, in front of Aedea, knowing that if she gave the word, they would protect both women. The priestess was safe as long as the princess was with her. Athanasia had no doubt that if someone in the crowd lunged at her, the dogs would defend her. That would just make things worse. She tried to keep her gaze from straying to the carnage at her feet. Never before had she seen a person killed in such a horrendous way.
Aedea seemed to know that Athanasia offered her protection. She called off the dogs snarling at the royal guards with a piercing whistle and then stepped forward and knelt in front of her, speaking in her simple and straightforward way. The princess would never forget that day in the White Temple when Aedea had given her some very useful archery tips. No matter how strange she might seem, she was definitely not a monster. The Cypress Sisterhood would not have taken her in and made her one of them if she was the least bit cruel.
“I know, Priestess.” she said softly. “There is no way you could have done this. I won’t let anyone harm you and I will help you hunt down the culprit myself.”
What was she supposed to do now? Should she take Aedea away from the grisly scene so that the accusations would stop? Should she stand her ground until somebody in authority arrived? A commotion in the crowd caught her eye. Somebody was pushing through to the front, and she breathed a sigh of relief when Magnus of Chaossis, the Master Informer, approached her. If anyone could figure out who had done this, it was he, and she was happy to let him take charge. All she had wanted to do was protect Aedea from a rampaging mob, who would, if given the chance, rip her to pieces too.
Athanasia knew how suspicious commoners were from her frequent evening excursions into the city. They actually believed that werewolves and other vicious supernatural creatures existed despite having never seen one. The poor victim had either been killed by a real wolf or a sadistic human being. Probably the latter, because wolves generally stayed in the woods. She had never heard of one caught in the city, or even spied close to it. The young princess had encountered them while hunting and they had run from her, disappearing into the trees. She knew they would attack if cornered, but they seemed to prefer avoiding confrontation if they could.
The city guards began to control the crowds, and Athanasia nodded graciously when Magnus bowed to her and than began issuing commands. When he addressed her, her eyes met his. “Yes, I know her. She is a priestess of the Cypress Sisterhood. I met her when the Queen and I visited the White Temple a couple of months ago. She’s been hunting. That’s why her clothing is stained with blood.” She waved a hand toward the bag full of dead animals. “Those are her spoils.”
She noted the arrival of Magnus’ sister, a woman she knew of but had never officially met. After curtsying to Athanasia and greeting her respectfully, the dark-haired woman studied the body and the princess looked down, trying to remain dispassionate. Yes, it did appear as if the girl had been purposefully butchered. As she had suspected, this was no wolf attack. Maybe the crowd would realize that the girl had not been torn apart by a mythical werewolf. “No, I’m not offended at all. This crime needs to be solved before anyone gets hurt and your observation will help speed up the investigation.”
The princess shivered as the woman suggested that the killer was in the crowd, observing the reaction to his macabre handiwork. She heard Aedea’s shout and raised her eyes, following the gaze of the crowd to a man standing on a rooftop with a knife glittering in his hand. He was covered from head to toe, his features concealed. Was this the killer? She heard shouts from within the crowd Something else had distracted them though Athanasia’s eyes remained on the oddly-dressed man. She watched as he silently disappear over the rooftop, as if he had never been there at all. A few of the bystanders took off after him.
Athanasia turned back to Aedea. “That man on the rooftop. You didn’t want anyone to look at him? Why? Do you know him?”
After her announcement, the two royal guards who had accompanied Athanasia stepped forward and stood on either side of her, their hands hovering above their swords. She stayed where she was, in front of Aedea, knowing that if she gave the word, they would protect both women. The priestess was safe as long as the princess was with her. Athanasia had no doubt that if someone in the crowd lunged at her, the dogs would defend her. That would just make things worse. She tried to keep her gaze from straying to the carnage at her feet. Never before had she seen a person killed in such a horrendous way.
Aedea seemed to know that Athanasia offered her protection. She called off the dogs snarling at the royal guards with a piercing whistle and then stepped forward and knelt in front of her, speaking in her simple and straightforward way. The princess would never forget that day in the White Temple when Aedea had given her some very useful archery tips. No matter how strange she might seem, she was definitely not a monster. The Cypress Sisterhood would not have taken her in and made her one of them if she was the least bit cruel.
“I know, Priestess.” she said softly. “There is no way you could have done this. I won’t let anyone harm you and I will help you hunt down the culprit myself.”
What was she supposed to do now? Should she take Aedea away from the grisly scene so that the accusations would stop? Should she stand her ground until somebody in authority arrived? A commotion in the crowd caught her eye. Somebody was pushing through to the front, and she breathed a sigh of relief when Magnus of Chaossis, the Master Informer, approached her. If anyone could figure out who had done this, it was he, and she was happy to let him take charge. All she had wanted to do was protect Aedea from a rampaging mob, who would, if given the chance, rip her to pieces too.
Athanasia knew how suspicious commoners were from her frequent evening excursions into the city. They actually believed that werewolves and other vicious supernatural creatures existed despite having never seen one. The poor victim had either been killed by a real wolf or a sadistic human being. Probably the latter, because wolves generally stayed in the woods. She had never heard of one caught in the city, or even spied close to it. The young princess had encountered them while hunting and they had run from her, disappearing into the trees. She knew they would attack if cornered, but they seemed to prefer avoiding confrontation if they could.
The city guards began to control the crowds, and Athanasia nodded graciously when Magnus bowed to her and than began issuing commands. When he addressed her, her eyes met his. “Yes, I know her. She is a priestess of the Cypress Sisterhood. I met her when the Queen and I visited the White Temple a couple of months ago. She’s been hunting. That’s why her clothing is stained with blood.” She waved a hand toward the bag full of dead animals. “Those are her spoils.”
She noted the arrival of Magnus’ sister, a woman she knew of but had never officially met. After curtsying to Athanasia and greeting her respectfully, the dark-haired woman studied the body and the princess looked down, trying to remain dispassionate. Yes, it did appear as if the girl had been purposefully butchered. As she had suspected, this was no wolf attack. Maybe the crowd would realize that the girl had not been torn apart by a mythical werewolf. “No, I’m not offended at all. This crime needs to be solved before anyone gets hurt and your observation will help speed up the investigation.”
The princess shivered as the woman suggested that the killer was in the crowd, observing the reaction to his macabre handiwork. She heard Aedea’s shout and raised her eyes, following the gaze of the crowd to a man standing on a rooftop with a knife glittering in his hand. He was covered from head to toe, his features concealed. Was this the killer? She heard shouts from within the crowd Something else had distracted them though Athanasia’s eyes remained on the oddly-dressed man. She watched as he silently disappear over the rooftop, as if he had never been there at all. A few of the bystanders took off after him.
Athanasia turned back to Aedea. “That man on the rooftop. You didn’t want anyone to look at him? Why? Do you know him?”
This was turning into a spectacle of which she had no interest in continuing to partake. Her presence here was nothing more than an odd quirk of fate and bad timing that had come together for this and she truly felt unmoved about the loss and disinterested in the company gathered.
There was only minimal interest managed in some semblance of gratitude that the princess had shown up. This wasn't because she had any particular interest in speaking to her or offering any suggestion as to how this might be handled, but because her presence meant Nethis could absolutely wash her hands of any sort of feeling that she ought to be a responsible presence or actually take any step to see to it that the crown was notified.
The master informer, too, garnered a moment’s consideration, not because she cared for him, but because she happened to notice him regarding her. If she felt she needed to defend herself against whatever conclusions he might draw, she would have joined the conversation and—at bare minimum—explained her presence here, but she thought there would be little benefit in the attempt. For most, if they wanted to suspect her based on her reputation, then they would. Nothing she could say would change that and she knew it; she had lived too long amidst swirling rumors to think that she had any control over facilitating disillusionment.
People would believe what they wanted.
Ultimately, there was something vicious about all this and while that would no doubt bother many Colchians, she was familiar with her own brand of cruelty and violence. Typically, there was less blood and gore in her own workings, but the end result was no different: death in its plainest, most final form. That merely served as a reminder that she had come here for a purpose: to pray for Mihail so that he would avoid sharing anything with the body currently splayed on the floor.
Seeing a path that would allow her access toward facilitating her initial intention, she began to pick her way through blood pools and violence, concern toward not disturbing the scene further only present insofar as she thought getting blood on her clothing highly undesirable. All of this was probably in poor taste, but that had never stopped her from doing anything.
Unless anyone stopped her, she was finished playing observer to a tragedy she didn’t care about.
This character is currently a work in progress.
Check out their information page here.
This character is currently a work in progress.
Check out their information page here.
Badges
Deleted
Deleted
This was turning into a spectacle of which she had no interest in continuing to partake. Her presence here was nothing more than an odd quirk of fate and bad timing that had come together for this and she truly felt unmoved about the loss and disinterested in the company gathered.
There was only minimal interest managed in some semblance of gratitude that the princess had shown up. This wasn't because she had any particular interest in speaking to her or offering any suggestion as to how this might be handled, but because her presence meant Nethis could absolutely wash her hands of any sort of feeling that she ought to be a responsible presence or actually take any step to see to it that the crown was notified.
The master informer, too, garnered a moment’s consideration, not because she cared for him, but because she happened to notice him regarding her. If she felt she needed to defend herself against whatever conclusions he might draw, she would have joined the conversation and—at bare minimum—explained her presence here, but she thought there would be little benefit in the attempt. For most, if they wanted to suspect her based on her reputation, then they would. Nothing she could say would change that and she knew it; she had lived too long amidst swirling rumors to think that she had any control over facilitating disillusionment.
People would believe what they wanted.
Ultimately, there was something vicious about all this and while that would no doubt bother many Colchians, she was familiar with her own brand of cruelty and violence. Typically, there was less blood and gore in her own workings, but the end result was no different: death in its plainest, most final form. That merely served as a reminder that she had come here for a purpose: to pray for Mihail so that he would avoid sharing anything with the body currently splayed on the floor.
Seeing a path that would allow her access toward facilitating her initial intention, she began to pick her way through blood pools and violence, concern toward not disturbing the scene further only present insofar as she thought getting blood on her clothing highly undesirable. All of this was probably in poor taste, but that had never stopped her from doing anything.
Unless anyone stopped her, she was finished playing observer to a tragedy she didn’t care about.
This was turning into a spectacle of which she had no interest in continuing to partake. Her presence here was nothing more than an odd quirk of fate and bad timing that had come together for this and she truly felt unmoved about the loss and disinterested in the company gathered.
There was only minimal interest managed in some semblance of gratitude that the princess had shown up. This wasn't because she had any particular interest in speaking to her or offering any suggestion as to how this might be handled, but because her presence meant Nethis could absolutely wash her hands of any sort of feeling that she ought to be a responsible presence or actually take any step to see to it that the crown was notified.
The master informer, too, garnered a moment’s consideration, not because she cared for him, but because she happened to notice him regarding her. If she felt she needed to defend herself against whatever conclusions he might draw, she would have joined the conversation and—at bare minimum—explained her presence here, but she thought there would be little benefit in the attempt. For most, if they wanted to suspect her based on her reputation, then they would. Nothing she could say would change that and she knew it; she had lived too long amidst swirling rumors to think that she had any control over facilitating disillusionment.
People would believe what they wanted.
Ultimately, there was something vicious about all this and while that would no doubt bother many Colchians, she was familiar with her own brand of cruelty and violence. Typically, there was less blood and gore in her own workings, but the end result was no different: death in its plainest, most final form. That merely served as a reminder that she had come here for a purpose: to pray for Mihail so that he would avoid sharing anything with the body currently splayed on the floor.
Seeing a path that would allow her access toward facilitating her initial intention, she began to pick her way through blood pools and violence, concern toward not disturbing the scene further only present insofar as she thought getting blood on her clothing highly undesirable. All of this was probably in poor taste, but that had never stopped her from doing anything.
Unless anyone stopped her, she was finished playing observer to a tragedy she didn’t care about.
Somra had heard that there was some sort of commotion happening at the temples that day, unaware that two of her own ilk were there already, she made her way to the scene to see what was happening. As far as she knew, none of it had anything to do with the Sariqas. Though at this point she was feeling more comfortable with them, and they seemed to be accepting her, she knew that she wasn’t told every single detail of what was happening. Something she was still struggling with, but was working on accepting.
Still, when she arrived and saw the bloody scene, she did not think this was her group. There seemed to be no real purpose to it, other than to send some sort of message maybe.
Somra wore a plain black dress, hood up, few people paid attention to her. She looked just like any other foreign visitor to Midas. She spotted Akhmad just as he turned tail and took off, some men who might have been guards were attempting to follow after him.
She held no worry for the man, the only person who stood any chance of catching up to him, especially across the roofstops, was Somra herself, and she had absolutely no intention of drawing attention to herself by going after him.
She also spotted Nahash, which she found a little more surprising than spotting Akhmad. Their leader normally wouldn’t concern himself too much with this sort of thing, this was the type of situation that one of them would normally report back to him, since it didn’t seem to concern their little group nor their reasoning for being in the city.
Nahash seemed to be helping some woman who fainted, which was even more strange to Somra. Who was this woman to him, that he would care enough to help her. The way that he held himself near her made Somra think that they were familiar with each other. She debated approaching, not wishing to intrude if this was some moment between the two of them, but she decided that it wouldn’t be the end of the world if she approached.
So she slipped through the crowd, her small frame making it easy for her to do. She made it over to Nahash and the woman and cleared her throat a little, enough to draw his attention but not the attention of anyone else.
Feigning concern in her voice, she set herself up to seem like one of the people in the small crowd who had gathered to make sure the woman who had fainted was fine. A distraction for them from the bloody mess that had still not been cleaned up.
“Are you alright?” Somra asked.
Her attention was caught as a woman stepped over the carnage and continued on her way with no care, and Somra couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow. Who was she that she thought it appropriate to do such things? Surely it would mark her as suspect that she held so little care as to simply step over the dead woman.
She took care to memorize what the woman looked like before her attention turned back to Nahash and the woman with him.
This character is currently a work in progress.
Check out their information page here.
This character is currently a work in progress.
Check out their information page here.
Badges
Deleted
Deleted
Somra had heard that there was some sort of commotion happening at the temples that day, unaware that two of her own ilk were there already, she made her way to the scene to see what was happening. As far as she knew, none of it had anything to do with the Sariqas. Though at this point she was feeling more comfortable with them, and they seemed to be accepting her, she knew that she wasn’t told every single detail of what was happening. Something she was still struggling with, but was working on accepting.
Still, when she arrived and saw the bloody scene, she did not think this was her group. There seemed to be no real purpose to it, other than to send some sort of message maybe.
Somra wore a plain black dress, hood up, few people paid attention to her. She looked just like any other foreign visitor to Midas. She spotted Akhmad just as he turned tail and took off, some men who might have been guards were attempting to follow after him.
She held no worry for the man, the only person who stood any chance of catching up to him, especially across the roofstops, was Somra herself, and she had absolutely no intention of drawing attention to herself by going after him.
She also spotted Nahash, which she found a little more surprising than spotting Akhmad. Their leader normally wouldn’t concern himself too much with this sort of thing, this was the type of situation that one of them would normally report back to him, since it didn’t seem to concern their little group nor their reasoning for being in the city.
Nahash seemed to be helping some woman who fainted, which was even more strange to Somra. Who was this woman to him, that he would care enough to help her. The way that he held himself near her made Somra think that they were familiar with each other. She debated approaching, not wishing to intrude if this was some moment between the two of them, but she decided that it wouldn’t be the end of the world if she approached.
So she slipped through the crowd, her small frame making it easy for her to do. She made it over to Nahash and the woman and cleared her throat a little, enough to draw his attention but not the attention of anyone else.
Feigning concern in her voice, she set herself up to seem like one of the people in the small crowd who had gathered to make sure the woman who had fainted was fine. A distraction for them from the bloody mess that had still not been cleaned up.
“Are you alright?” Somra asked.
Her attention was caught as a woman stepped over the carnage and continued on her way with no care, and Somra couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow. Who was she that she thought it appropriate to do such things? Surely it would mark her as suspect that she held so little care as to simply step over the dead woman.
She took care to memorize what the woman looked like before her attention turned back to Nahash and the woman with him.
Somra had heard that there was some sort of commotion happening at the temples that day, unaware that two of her own ilk were there already, she made her way to the scene to see what was happening. As far as she knew, none of it had anything to do with the Sariqas. Though at this point she was feeling more comfortable with them, and they seemed to be accepting her, she knew that she wasn’t told every single detail of what was happening. Something she was still struggling with, but was working on accepting.
Still, when she arrived and saw the bloody scene, she did not think this was her group. There seemed to be no real purpose to it, other than to send some sort of message maybe.
Somra wore a plain black dress, hood up, few people paid attention to her. She looked just like any other foreign visitor to Midas. She spotted Akhmad just as he turned tail and took off, some men who might have been guards were attempting to follow after him.
She held no worry for the man, the only person who stood any chance of catching up to him, especially across the roofstops, was Somra herself, and she had absolutely no intention of drawing attention to herself by going after him.
She also spotted Nahash, which she found a little more surprising than spotting Akhmad. Their leader normally wouldn’t concern himself too much with this sort of thing, this was the type of situation that one of them would normally report back to him, since it didn’t seem to concern their little group nor their reasoning for being in the city.
Nahash seemed to be helping some woman who fainted, which was even more strange to Somra. Who was this woman to him, that he would care enough to help her. The way that he held himself near her made Somra think that they were familiar with each other. She debated approaching, not wishing to intrude if this was some moment between the two of them, but she decided that it wouldn’t be the end of the world if she approached.
So she slipped through the crowd, her small frame making it easy for her to do. She made it over to Nahash and the woman and cleared her throat a little, enough to draw his attention but not the attention of anyone else.
Feigning concern in her voice, she set herself up to seem like one of the people in the small crowd who had gathered to make sure the woman who had fainted was fine. A distraction for them from the bloody mess that had still not been cleaned up.
“Are you alright?” Somra asked.
Her attention was caught as a woman stepped over the carnage and continued on her way with no care, and Somra couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow. Who was she that she thought it appropriate to do such things? Surely it would mark her as suspect that she held so little care as to simply step over the dead woman.
She took care to memorize what the woman looked like before her attention turned back to Nahash and the woman with him.
Turning to the young princess as she responded, he took in the details she offered, but otherwise merely let his gaze flicker over to the bloodied looking woman, just to double check as to what the princess said was true. A quick flicker of his gaze was enough to see the truth in the young Kotas's words, but it did not cease the angry cries of the commonfolk despite them being held back by the city guards. Of course, that the priestess was surrounded by dogs did not help her case, but he was willing to trust what the princess said.
He had not expected his sister to appear, but then again Leto has a knack for popping up where Magnus did not want her to the most. She's always getting herself in scrapes which he's had to fish her out of ever since they were children back in Chaossis that these days, while Magnus may roll his eyes at his younger sibling's antics, he merely worked with it, even if it did put a screw in his plans sometimes. It has been hard for the man to come to terms with the fact that Leto is no longer that young girl he's seen grown up, and technically she should be of an age to think of marriage already, something the elder brother still balked at, but he was working on it.
His first instinct was to perhaps cover Leto's eyes from the bloody carnage, but trust his sister to not even bat an eyelash as she arrived at his side and then stared at the scene. He raised a brow at her, partially amused at how unresponsive she was to the whole bloodied body, but otherwise showed no outward reaction, but merely listened to her analysis - which wasn't inaccurate. They did share the same parentage, and it was obvious the smarts was a shared trait in the family.
As if there wasn't commotion enough, someone within the commonfolk crowd suddenly fainted, and created further furor, something which Magnus frowned at. The excessive noise and action was not at all conducive to anything, least of all to him figuring out what was going on, but as the city guards closed ranks, Magnus eventually left the commonfolk to their matters, trusting the guards to handle any situation as it arises, and turn to the priestess now bowing at the princess, at a distance kept safely by the royal's own guards.
She was not wrong in assuming the killer may still be in the crowds, but Magnus had also seen some people slinking away, as if once they had figured out what was going on, it was no longer an interest to them. Afterall, in their climate or uncertainty, death was beginning to numb their senses. "No, it would be too obvious to perch on a rooftop if they were the one who did the deed." he murmured, catching on the conversation between the prietsess and the princess, but not interjecting. Instead, Magnus frowned as he watched the departure of the eldest Thanasi sibling, and then turned to give a questioning gaze at Leto. That a Thanasi was at the site of something like this was a fact worth noting, but he would have that conversation with the royal advisors later.
"Think you can figure out the weapon?" he asked, as Magnus waved at the princess's guards to close ranks around her, keeping one eye on the royal figure even as he waved at Leto to come with him as he wandered closer to the body. A few of his servants had appeared, and an instruction was quickly issued for them to get the body on a sheet with as little disturbances as possible, so Magnus could study it further. But for now, the man merely stood at the edge of the work and pools of blood as his keen eyes watched the work being done. "Jagged, so the weapon may not have been sharpened." He bent, and brushed his finger against one of the pools of blood. "Lukewarm. The blood has been spilled, but not too long ago."
This character is currently a work in progress.
Check out their information page here.
This character is currently a work in progress.
Check out their information page here.
Badges
Deleted
Deleted
Turning to the young princess as she responded, he took in the details she offered, but otherwise merely let his gaze flicker over to the bloodied looking woman, just to double check as to what the princess said was true. A quick flicker of his gaze was enough to see the truth in the young Kotas's words, but it did not cease the angry cries of the commonfolk despite them being held back by the city guards. Of course, that the priestess was surrounded by dogs did not help her case, but he was willing to trust what the princess said.
He had not expected his sister to appear, but then again Leto has a knack for popping up where Magnus did not want her to the most. She's always getting herself in scrapes which he's had to fish her out of ever since they were children back in Chaossis that these days, while Magnus may roll his eyes at his younger sibling's antics, he merely worked with it, even if it did put a screw in his plans sometimes. It has been hard for the man to come to terms with the fact that Leto is no longer that young girl he's seen grown up, and technically she should be of an age to think of marriage already, something the elder brother still balked at, but he was working on it.
His first instinct was to perhaps cover Leto's eyes from the bloody carnage, but trust his sister to not even bat an eyelash as she arrived at his side and then stared at the scene. He raised a brow at her, partially amused at how unresponsive she was to the whole bloodied body, but otherwise showed no outward reaction, but merely listened to her analysis - which wasn't inaccurate. They did share the same parentage, and it was obvious the smarts was a shared trait in the family.
As if there wasn't commotion enough, someone within the commonfolk crowd suddenly fainted, and created further furor, something which Magnus frowned at. The excessive noise and action was not at all conducive to anything, least of all to him figuring out what was going on, but as the city guards closed ranks, Magnus eventually left the commonfolk to their matters, trusting the guards to handle any situation as it arises, and turn to the priestess now bowing at the princess, at a distance kept safely by the royal's own guards.
She was not wrong in assuming the killer may still be in the crowds, but Magnus had also seen some people slinking away, as if once they had figured out what was going on, it was no longer an interest to them. Afterall, in their climate or uncertainty, death was beginning to numb their senses. "No, it would be too obvious to perch on a rooftop if they were the one who did the deed." he murmured, catching on the conversation between the prietsess and the princess, but not interjecting. Instead, Magnus frowned as he watched the departure of the eldest Thanasi sibling, and then turned to give a questioning gaze at Leto. That a Thanasi was at the site of something like this was a fact worth noting, but he would have that conversation with the royal advisors later.
"Think you can figure out the weapon?" he asked, as Magnus waved at the princess's guards to close ranks around her, keeping one eye on the royal figure even as he waved at Leto to come with him as he wandered closer to the body. A few of his servants had appeared, and an instruction was quickly issued for them to get the body on a sheet with as little disturbances as possible, so Magnus could study it further. But for now, the man merely stood at the edge of the work and pools of blood as his keen eyes watched the work being done. "Jagged, so the weapon may not have been sharpened." He bent, and brushed his finger against one of the pools of blood. "Lukewarm. The blood has been spilled, but not too long ago."
Turning to the young princess as she responded, he took in the details she offered, but otherwise merely let his gaze flicker over to the bloodied looking woman, just to double check as to what the princess said was true. A quick flicker of his gaze was enough to see the truth in the young Kotas's words, but it did not cease the angry cries of the commonfolk despite them being held back by the city guards. Of course, that the priestess was surrounded by dogs did not help her case, but he was willing to trust what the princess said.
He had not expected his sister to appear, but then again Leto has a knack for popping up where Magnus did not want her to the most. She's always getting herself in scrapes which he's had to fish her out of ever since they were children back in Chaossis that these days, while Magnus may roll his eyes at his younger sibling's antics, he merely worked with it, even if it did put a screw in his plans sometimes. It has been hard for the man to come to terms with the fact that Leto is no longer that young girl he's seen grown up, and technically she should be of an age to think of marriage already, something the elder brother still balked at, but he was working on it.
His first instinct was to perhaps cover Leto's eyes from the bloody carnage, but trust his sister to not even bat an eyelash as she arrived at his side and then stared at the scene. He raised a brow at her, partially amused at how unresponsive she was to the whole bloodied body, but otherwise showed no outward reaction, but merely listened to her analysis - which wasn't inaccurate. They did share the same parentage, and it was obvious the smarts was a shared trait in the family.
As if there wasn't commotion enough, someone within the commonfolk crowd suddenly fainted, and created further furor, something which Magnus frowned at. The excessive noise and action was not at all conducive to anything, least of all to him figuring out what was going on, but as the city guards closed ranks, Magnus eventually left the commonfolk to their matters, trusting the guards to handle any situation as it arises, and turn to the priestess now bowing at the princess, at a distance kept safely by the royal's own guards.
She was not wrong in assuming the killer may still be in the crowds, but Magnus had also seen some people slinking away, as if once they had figured out what was going on, it was no longer an interest to them. Afterall, in their climate or uncertainty, death was beginning to numb their senses. "No, it would be too obvious to perch on a rooftop if they were the one who did the deed." he murmured, catching on the conversation between the prietsess and the princess, but not interjecting. Instead, Magnus frowned as he watched the departure of the eldest Thanasi sibling, and then turned to give a questioning gaze at Leto. That a Thanasi was at the site of something like this was a fact worth noting, but he would have that conversation with the royal advisors later.
"Think you can figure out the weapon?" he asked, as Magnus waved at the princess's guards to close ranks around her, keeping one eye on the royal figure even as he waved at Leto to come with him as he wandered closer to the body. A few of his servants had appeared, and an instruction was quickly issued for them to get the body on a sheet with as little disturbances as possible, so Magnus could study it further. But for now, the man merely stood at the edge of the work and pools of blood as his keen eyes watched the work being done. "Jagged, so the weapon may not have been sharpened." He bent, and brushed his finger against one of the pools of blood. "Lukewarm. The blood has been spilled, but not too long ago."
As her awareness returned, her embarrassment only grew. For all the shock and concern that surrounded her, she couldn’t help but believe everyone around her must think her some foolish simpering girl. That more than anything is what bothered her. She was no such thing. She was the practical one. The one who did what was needed with no complaints, even if it was disappointing or uncomfortable. She was stable always.
Feeling helpless was foreign and far too discomforting.
She focused her eyes on the scene around her, hoping that might bring a little relief if nothing else. Her vantage point being lower to the ground that normal, there was only so much she could see. Yet she was vaguely aware of Magnus and Leto and the Princess herself as they discussed the situation. Another woman walked away as though entirely unaware of the scene she moved through. None of these observations were enough to distract her from her humiliation however.
One voice stood out to her above the rest of the crowd. . She glanced up at the woman in black. She was beautiful, there was no denying that. The sort who likely never wanted for attention or suitors. Even if her dress and coloring made plain that she was a foreigner, she seemed the sort to have the world at her feet. She carried herself with the impossible grace of a dancer. More than that, she was clearly one who had at least tasted adventure, else she wouldn’t be here in Greece at all. Myrrine found herself surprisingly envious, wondering what it might be like to live even one day in the other woman’s shoes.
It was only then that she realized she was staring - well, gaping - at the woman rather than answering her all too simple question.
“Yes, thank you,” she answered, lifting herself up into a sitting position. “I didn’t injure myself in my fall at least.” She flushed crimson, a new wave of embarrassment flushing over her. “I’m afraid I was half-exhausted to begin with, and the thought that someone could butcher a person here of all places... The shock affected me more than I would have guessed.”
She was rambling now, feeling nervous and foolish all at once. Myrrine tried to push herself to her feet in a somewhat graceful manner, unable to deny the urge to run far from here and never look back. Only instead she found her balance wobbly at best, half toppling over from the head rush that accompanied the sudden move. Her hand reached out on instinct, gripping the woman’s arm tightly as she righted herself.
“Oh, forgive me,” she said, alarm in her voice as one hand flew to her mouth.
This character is currently a work in progress.
Check out their information page here.
This character is currently a work in progress.
Check out their information page here.
Badges
Deleted
Deleted
As her awareness returned, her embarrassment only grew. For all the shock and concern that surrounded her, she couldn’t help but believe everyone around her must think her some foolish simpering girl. That more than anything is what bothered her. She was no such thing. She was the practical one. The one who did what was needed with no complaints, even if it was disappointing or uncomfortable. She was stable always.
Feeling helpless was foreign and far too discomforting.
She focused her eyes on the scene around her, hoping that might bring a little relief if nothing else. Her vantage point being lower to the ground that normal, there was only so much she could see. Yet she was vaguely aware of Magnus and Leto and the Princess herself as they discussed the situation. Another woman walked away as though entirely unaware of the scene she moved through. None of these observations were enough to distract her from her humiliation however.
One voice stood out to her above the rest of the crowd. . She glanced up at the woman in black. She was beautiful, there was no denying that. The sort who likely never wanted for attention or suitors. Even if her dress and coloring made plain that she was a foreigner, she seemed the sort to have the world at her feet. She carried herself with the impossible grace of a dancer. More than that, she was clearly one who had at least tasted adventure, else she wouldn’t be here in Greece at all. Myrrine found herself surprisingly envious, wondering what it might be like to live even one day in the other woman’s shoes.
It was only then that she realized she was staring - well, gaping - at the woman rather than answering her all too simple question.
“Yes, thank you,” she answered, lifting herself up into a sitting position. “I didn’t injure myself in my fall at least.” She flushed crimson, a new wave of embarrassment flushing over her. “I’m afraid I was half-exhausted to begin with, and the thought that someone could butcher a person here of all places... The shock affected me more than I would have guessed.”
She was rambling now, feeling nervous and foolish all at once. Myrrine tried to push herself to her feet in a somewhat graceful manner, unable to deny the urge to run far from here and never look back. Only instead she found her balance wobbly at best, half toppling over from the head rush that accompanied the sudden move. Her hand reached out on instinct, gripping the woman’s arm tightly as she righted herself.
“Oh, forgive me,” she said, alarm in her voice as one hand flew to her mouth.
As her awareness returned, her embarrassment only grew. For all the shock and concern that surrounded her, she couldn’t help but believe everyone around her must think her some foolish simpering girl. That more than anything is what bothered her. She was no such thing. She was the practical one. The one who did what was needed with no complaints, even if it was disappointing or uncomfortable. She was stable always.
Feeling helpless was foreign and far too discomforting.
She focused her eyes on the scene around her, hoping that might bring a little relief if nothing else. Her vantage point being lower to the ground that normal, there was only so much she could see. Yet she was vaguely aware of Magnus and Leto and the Princess herself as they discussed the situation. Another woman walked away as though entirely unaware of the scene she moved through. None of these observations were enough to distract her from her humiliation however.
One voice stood out to her above the rest of the crowd. . She glanced up at the woman in black. She was beautiful, there was no denying that. The sort who likely never wanted for attention or suitors. Even if her dress and coloring made plain that she was a foreigner, she seemed the sort to have the world at her feet. She carried herself with the impossible grace of a dancer. More than that, she was clearly one who had at least tasted adventure, else she wouldn’t be here in Greece at all. Myrrine found herself surprisingly envious, wondering what it might be like to live even one day in the other woman’s shoes.
It was only then that she realized she was staring - well, gaping - at the woman rather than answering her all too simple question.
“Yes, thank you,” she answered, lifting herself up into a sitting position. “I didn’t injure myself in my fall at least.” She flushed crimson, a new wave of embarrassment flushing over her. “I’m afraid I was half-exhausted to begin with, and the thought that someone could butcher a person here of all places... The shock affected me more than I would have guessed.”
She was rambling now, feeling nervous and foolish all at once. Myrrine tried to push herself to her feet in a somewhat graceful manner, unable to deny the urge to run far from here and never look back. Only instead she found her balance wobbly at best, half toppling over from the head rush that accompanied the sudden move. Her hand reached out on instinct, gripping the woman’s arm tightly as she righted herself.
“Oh, forgive me,” she said, alarm in her voice as one hand flew to her mouth.
Leto felt a quiet sense of relief from not immediately offending Princess Athanasia. Despite her age, her delayed training among the upper class always left her feeling deficient when interacting with them. Still, it seemed she was getting at least somewhat better at navigating this world, even on the fly like this.
It was clear to see that Magnus was not expecting her, and to be quite fair, nor was she expecting to see him. Of the two of them, Leto was far more devout and frequented the Halls whenever she could. The reverence and peace there seemed to ground her, at least, initially. In recent days, though, she found herself drifting not just between Athena and Hestia, but now to the smaller Temple of Ares within the Hall of the Gods. In the simple cloth satchel, she had her two-fold offerings to give the god of war, begging his protection of both Maleos and Silanos. Even now, they would not have reached Egypt just yet, but that time would come. What she dreaded worst of all was not knowing...and also how her cowardice had left everything.
Leto's glance was late to see what had happened, but the calls for a physician and murmuring of fainting easily explained it, though from where she was she could only see a throng of people in a circle.
Her attention then turned in interest to her brother's question, a few blinks the only sign of her being surprised that he would postulate it so openly. In recent days, they made attempts to rectify the valley of separation between them by discussing some of his investigation. Partially, it was her doing, as she had taken it upon herself to 'tidy his study' in her attempts to 'manage the household' - which naturally meant that she read everything that he left in the open on his desk. While it most certainly seemed prying, she secretly knew that having a similar mind to bounce matters off was appreciated in moments like this.
"I can certainly try," Leto replied, readjusting the strap of her satchel across her shoulder as she used her hands to lift her chiton skirts up from the ground lest they find themselves covered in blood. Head tilted as she followed Magnus, her eyes examining the body as they drew closer.
Nature kicked in briefly as her stomach turned, seeing the face that was once clearly attached to the body as a whole and quickly turning her eyes instead to looking at the severed pieces. It was easier to think if she did looked at anything other than the glassy eyes and open mouth.
"A hatchet? Something blunt, because look," Leto said, pointing her finger towards specific splatters that seemed thinner and more dried than the smooth pools of blood around the pieces, indicating the blows. Leto's stomach did another roll as thought of the woman perhaps being alive as she was being mutilated, and she swallowed hard down on the bile that threatened to burn her throat. "She was killed right here."
As Magnus indicated the blood was lukewarm, Leto's eyes narrowed even further. It was recent. Someone had to have seen or heard something. The cool of the morning could have only chilled the blood on the ground but so much. Magnus' servants had already made quick work of trying to gather parts of the body, no doubt for him and the royal physician to have a closer look to see. Her mind was whirring as a memory sparked another question. This was not the only place in Midas to worship Ares.
"Do you think they did the same at the Naós of Ares outside of the city?"
Her attention was taken away briefly as she looked back to the commotion off to the side, which cleared away enough for Leto to recognize her friend Myrrine with a slight start. Placing a quick hand on Magnus' shoulder, a silent 'I will be right back', Leto's long strides carried her quickly over to her friend, who apologized profusely and gave reasons for her faintness. The concern was not limited only to her friend's physical well-being but also by the odd collection of people who surrounded her, lighting a bit of a protective flame in her chest as she stepped in closer. The closeness of the man and the way that her friend did not seem at all concerned beyond her embarrassment while near him flew flags of curiosity and question through her mind.
"Myrrine, are you alright?" Leto asked, extending an arm as if to help take support of her friend from the strange and clearly foreign bystanders. What were they doing at the Temples of Greek Gods? Her expression shifted slightly from it's stoney seriousness to a shade of courtesy towards them, suspicion still not gone from her eyes. "Thank you for helping my friend."
This character is currently a work in progress.
Check out their information page here.
This character is currently a work in progress.
Check out their information page here.
Badges
Deleted
Deleted
Leto felt a quiet sense of relief from not immediately offending Princess Athanasia. Despite her age, her delayed training among the upper class always left her feeling deficient when interacting with them. Still, it seemed she was getting at least somewhat better at navigating this world, even on the fly like this.
It was clear to see that Magnus was not expecting her, and to be quite fair, nor was she expecting to see him. Of the two of them, Leto was far more devout and frequented the Halls whenever she could. The reverence and peace there seemed to ground her, at least, initially. In recent days, though, she found herself drifting not just between Athena and Hestia, but now to the smaller Temple of Ares within the Hall of the Gods. In the simple cloth satchel, she had her two-fold offerings to give the god of war, begging his protection of both Maleos and Silanos. Even now, they would not have reached Egypt just yet, but that time would come. What she dreaded worst of all was not knowing...and also how her cowardice had left everything.
Leto's glance was late to see what had happened, but the calls for a physician and murmuring of fainting easily explained it, though from where she was she could only see a throng of people in a circle.
Her attention then turned in interest to her brother's question, a few blinks the only sign of her being surprised that he would postulate it so openly. In recent days, they made attempts to rectify the valley of separation between them by discussing some of his investigation. Partially, it was her doing, as she had taken it upon herself to 'tidy his study' in her attempts to 'manage the household' - which naturally meant that she read everything that he left in the open on his desk. While it most certainly seemed prying, she secretly knew that having a similar mind to bounce matters off was appreciated in moments like this.
"I can certainly try," Leto replied, readjusting the strap of her satchel across her shoulder as she used her hands to lift her chiton skirts up from the ground lest they find themselves covered in blood. Head tilted as she followed Magnus, her eyes examining the body as they drew closer.
Nature kicked in briefly as her stomach turned, seeing the face that was once clearly attached to the body as a whole and quickly turning her eyes instead to looking at the severed pieces. It was easier to think if she did looked at anything other than the glassy eyes and open mouth.
"A hatchet? Something blunt, because look," Leto said, pointing her finger towards specific splatters that seemed thinner and more dried than the smooth pools of blood around the pieces, indicating the blows. Leto's stomach did another roll as thought of the woman perhaps being alive as she was being mutilated, and she swallowed hard down on the bile that threatened to burn her throat. "She was killed right here."
As Magnus indicated the blood was lukewarm, Leto's eyes narrowed even further. It was recent. Someone had to have seen or heard something. The cool of the morning could have only chilled the blood on the ground but so much. Magnus' servants had already made quick work of trying to gather parts of the body, no doubt for him and the royal physician to have a closer look to see. Her mind was whirring as a memory sparked another question. This was not the only place in Midas to worship Ares.
"Do you think they did the same at the Naós of Ares outside of the city?"
Her attention was taken away briefly as she looked back to the commotion off to the side, which cleared away enough for Leto to recognize her friend Myrrine with a slight start. Placing a quick hand on Magnus' shoulder, a silent 'I will be right back', Leto's long strides carried her quickly over to her friend, who apologized profusely and gave reasons for her faintness. The concern was not limited only to her friend's physical well-being but also by the odd collection of people who surrounded her, lighting a bit of a protective flame in her chest as she stepped in closer. The closeness of the man and the way that her friend did not seem at all concerned beyond her embarrassment while near him flew flags of curiosity and question through her mind.
"Myrrine, are you alright?" Leto asked, extending an arm as if to help take support of her friend from the strange and clearly foreign bystanders. What were they doing at the Temples of Greek Gods? Her expression shifted slightly from it's stoney seriousness to a shade of courtesy towards them, suspicion still not gone from her eyes. "Thank you for helping my friend."
Leto felt a quiet sense of relief from not immediately offending Princess Athanasia. Despite her age, her delayed training among the upper class always left her feeling deficient when interacting with them. Still, it seemed she was getting at least somewhat better at navigating this world, even on the fly like this.
It was clear to see that Magnus was not expecting her, and to be quite fair, nor was she expecting to see him. Of the two of them, Leto was far more devout and frequented the Halls whenever she could. The reverence and peace there seemed to ground her, at least, initially. In recent days, though, she found herself drifting not just between Athena and Hestia, but now to the smaller Temple of Ares within the Hall of the Gods. In the simple cloth satchel, she had her two-fold offerings to give the god of war, begging his protection of both Maleos and Silanos. Even now, they would not have reached Egypt just yet, but that time would come. What she dreaded worst of all was not knowing...and also how her cowardice had left everything.
Leto's glance was late to see what had happened, but the calls for a physician and murmuring of fainting easily explained it, though from where she was she could only see a throng of people in a circle.
Her attention then turned in interest to her brother's question, a few blinks the only sign of her being surprised that he would postulate it so openly. In recent days, they made attempts to rectify the valley of separation between them by discussing some of his investigation. Partially, it was her doing, as she had taken it upon herself to 'tidy his study' in her attempts to 'manage the household' - which naturally meant that she read everything that he left in the open on his desk. While it most certainly seemed prying, she secretly knew that having a similar mind to bounce matters off was appreciated in moments like this.
"I can certainly try," Leto replied, readjusting the strap of her satchel across her shoulder as she used her hands to lift her chiton skirts up from the ground lest they find themselves covered in blood. Head tilted as she followed Magnus, her eyes examining the body as they drew closer.
Nature kicked in briefly as her stomach turned, seeing the face that was once clearly attached to the body as a whole and quickly turning her eyes instead to looking at the severed pieces. It was easier to think if she did looked at anything other than the glassy eyes and open mouth.
"A hatchet? Something blunt, because look," Leto said, pointing her finger towards specific splatters that seemed thinner and more dried than the smooth pools of blood around the pieces, indicating the blows. Leto's stomach did another roll as thought of the woman perhaps being alive as she was being mutilated, and she swallowed hard down on the bile that threatened to burn her throat. "She was killed right here."
As Magnus indicated the blood was lukewarm, Leto's eyes narrowed even further. It was recent. Someone had to have seen or heard something. The cool of the morning could have only chilled the blood on the ground but so much. Magnus' servants had already made quick work of trying to gather parts of the body, no doubt for him and the royal physician to have a closer look to see. Her mind was whirring as a memory sparked another question. This was not the only place in Midas to worship Ares.
"Do you think they did the same at the Naós of Ares outside of the city?"
Her attention was taken away briefly as she looked back to the commotion off to the side, which cleared away enough for Leto to recognize her friend Myrrine with a slight start. Placing a quick hand on Magnus' shoulder, a silent 'I will be right back', Leto's long strides carried her quickly over to her friend, who apologized profusely and gave reasons for her faintness. The concern was not limited only to her friend's physical well-being but also by the odd collection of people who surrounded her, lighting a bit of a protective flame in her chest as she stepped in closer. The closeness of the man and the way that her friend did not seem at all concerned beyond her embarrassment while near him flew flags of curiosity and question through her mind.
"Myrrine, are you alright?" Leto asked, extending an arm as if to help take support of her friend from the strange and clearly foreign bystanders. What were they doing at the Temples of Greek Gods? Her expression shifted slightly from it's stoney seriousness to a shade of courtesy towards them, suspicion still not gone from her eyes. "Thank you for helping my friend."
"Hush. No worry for me."
His voice was gruff, lower and more gravel pitched than the usual tone, and especially now that she'd spoken to him normally he had to ensure he kept it in disguise. Shaking his head at her thanks, he caught Somra's eye and gave a subtle glance down at Myrrine and then back up, tipping his head to indicate that he was getting out of here. Akhmad's disappearance from the roof was a relief, and he wanted to make sure his man was fully secure. Once the woman was on her feet and clinging to Somra he began to start away, stopping when a voice cut through.
The new arrival appeared to be of an age with Myrrine, and the way she spoke made it clear the two were acquainted. Giving a gruff sort of sound, he nodded and continued to move off, ignoring any other call and playing heavily on his aged appearance. The limp and staff, half bandaged face, and apparent deafness aided in his being able to slip away from the main site of the carnage. Only once he had found his way into a mostly empty side street did he feel he was able to let out the breath he'd been holding.
What in the name of the gods had Akhmad been doing there? And how could anyone have so fully dismembered a woman without anyone seeing? He and the other Sariqas had done things that were perhaps not on the side of right and good, but never had any of his people done something so horrifying as that. What were these Greeks up to with their sacrifice that it would be considered appropriate to place a human sacrifice there on the temple steps. And they considered his people barbarian. He didn't shake easily at the sight of blood and gore, but the way that woman had been destroyed...it was enough to make even him feel a bit nauseated.
Shaking his head, he started off on his winding trip back to the Sariqas hideaway, trying to ensure that anyone who saw him wouldn't be able to pinpoint where he was going. If things were going to get bad here he needed to ensure his people were staying safe, keeping an eye out for one another. It wouldn't do for one of them to become the next sacrifice.
This character is currently a work in progress.
Check out their information page here.
This character is currently a work in progress.
Check out their information page here.
Badges
Deleted
Deleted
"Hush. No worry for me."
His voice was gruff, lower and more gravel pitched than the usual tone, and especially now that she'd spoken to him normally he had to ensure he kept it in disguise. Shaking his head at her thanks, he caught Somra's eye and gave a subtle glance down at Myrrine and then back up, tipping his head to indicate that he was getting out of here. Akhmad's disappearance from the roof was a relief, and he wanted to make sure his man was fully secure. Once the woman was on her feet and clinging to Somra he began to start away, stopping when a voice cut through.
The new arrival appeared to be of an age with Myrrine, and the way she spoke made it clear the two were acquainted. Giving a gruff sort of sound, he nodded and continued to move off, ignoring any other call and playing heavily on his aged appearance. The limp and staff, half bandaged face, and apparent deafness aided in his being able to slip away from the main site of the carnage. Only once he had found his way into a mostly empty side street did he feel he was able to let out the breath he'd been holding.
What in the name of the gods had Akhmad been doing there? And how could anyone have so fully dismembered a woman without anyone seeing? He and the other Sariqas had done things that were perhaps not on the side of right and good, but never had any of his people done something so horrifying as that. What were these Greeks up to with their sacrifice that it would be considered appropriate to place a human sacrifice there on the temple steps. And they considered his people barbarian. He didn't shake easily at the sight of blood and gore, but the way that woman had been destroyed...it was enough to make even him feel a bit nauseated.
Shaking his head, he started off on his winding trip back to the Sariqas hideaway, trying to ensure that anyone who saw him wouldn't be able to pinpoint where he was going. If things were going to get bad here he needed to ensure his people were staying safe, keeping an eye out for one another. It wouldn't do for one of them to become the next sacrifice.
"Hush. No worry for me."
His voice was gruff, lower and more gravel pitched than the usual tone, and especially now that she'd spoken to him normally he had to ensure he kept it in disguise. Shaking his head at her thanks, he caught Somra's eye and gave a subtle glance down at Myrrine and then back up, tipping his head to indicate that he was getting out of here. Akhmad's disappearance from the roof was a relief, and he wanted to make sure his man was fully secure. Once the woman was on her feet and clinging to Somra he began to start away, stopping when a voice cut through.
The new arrival appeared to be of an age with Myrrine, and the way she spoke made it clear the two were acquainted. Giving a gruff sort of sound, he nodded and continued to move off, ignoring any other call and playing heavily on his aged appearance. The limp and staff, half bandaged face, and apparent deafness aided in his being able to slip away from the main site of the carnage. Only once he had found his way into a mostly empty side street did he feel he was able to let out the breath he'd been holding.
What in the name of the gods had Akhmad been doing there? And how could anyone have so fully dismembered a woman without anyone seeing? He and the other Sariqas had done things that were perhaps not on the side of right and good, but never had any of his people done something so horrifying as that. What were these Greeks up to with their sacrifice that it would be considered appropriate to place a human sacrifice there on the temple steps. And they considered his people barbarian. He didn't shake easily at the sight of blood and gore, but the way that woman had been destroyed...it was enough to make even him feel a bit nauseated.
Shaking his head, he started off on his winding trip back to the Sariqas hideaway, trying to ensure that anyone who saw him wouldn't be able to pinpoint where he was going. If things were going to get bad here he needed to ensure his people were staying safe, keeping an eye out for one another. It wouldn't do for one of them to become the next sacrifice.
Somra kept her gaze locked on the other woman’s as she stared. Likely because of the colour of her skin and the clear tinge of an accent to her Greek. It was clear that she was not from here, she had never tried to pretend otherwise, she was a fairly good actress, but there was no real way to cover up the fact that she was foreign. It was obvious even from a quick glance that she came from outside of Greece.
Somra didn’t expect her arm to be grabbed as the woman stumbled, but she gave the other woman a smile.
“Not your fault.” She stated simply, and it was true. She recalled the last time someone had grabbed her when they had lost their balance. It hadn’t exactly been her arm that the Lord Silanos had grabbed for balance, and that interaction still made her laugh when she thought of it. Not much had come from that connection really, unfortunately. But not every lead actually went some where. She would try again if the opportunity arose once more.
She made sure that the woman was steady on her feet and wouldn’t be likely to fall again, not acknowledging Nahash’s departure aside from a small subtle nod so her leader knew that she had understood his intent to leave before he did exactly that.
Suddenly there was another woman approaching them, and this one seemed far more suspicious of the foreign woman than her friend was.
“No need to thank me, I really didn’t do anything, aside from being here for her to steady herself with.” Somra said, she knew she had to find a way to excuse herself, a way that wouldn’t seem suspicious. If she just turned and left now, she would likely draw more attention to herself than necessary. And besides, they really hadn’t gotten any information on what happened. Nahash would deal with the whole Akhmad thing, and find out why he had been here, and she would at least attempt to find out what the Greeks knew of the situation. She was already there, and had already drawn attention.
“This is not a normal thing for Greek temples, is it? What happened?” She asked, deciding that playing up the foreign visitor who had just arrived here was her best bet. If they had thought she had only been here a short time, they were a lot less likely to dig around and discover that she had been around for longer than she said she was. As long as she didn’t do anything that might bring too much attention upon herself while she tried to see if anyone knew what was going on, she would stay.
If people started looking at her too suspiciously, she would take her leave. Too many eyes on her was not a good thing. Luckily, most seemed to have their attentions on the gory sight in front of them instead of on the woman who had fainted or the foreign woman who now stood with her.
This character is currently a work in progress.
Check out their information page here.
This character is currently a work in progress.
Check out their information page here.
Badges
Deleted
Deleted
Somra kept her gaze locked on the other woman’s as she stared. Likely because of the colour of her skin and the clear tinge of an accent to her Greek. It was clear that she was not from here, she had never tried to pretend otherwise, she was a fairly good actress, but there was no real way to cover up the fact that she was foreign. It was obvious even from a quick glance that she came from outside of Greece.
Somra didn’t expect her arm to be grabbed as the woman stumbled, but she gave the other woman a smile.
“Not your fault.” She stated simply, and it was true. She recalled the last time someone had grabbed her when they had lost their balance. It hadn’t exactly been her arm that the Lord Silanos had grabbed for balance, and that interaction still made her laugh when she thought of it. Not much had come from that connection really, unfortunately. But not every lead actually went some where. She would try again if the opportunity arose once more.
She made sure that the woman was steady on her feet and wouldn’t be likely to fall again, not acknowledging Nahash’s departure aside from a small subtle nod so her leader knew that she had understood his intent to leave before he did exactly that.
Suddenly there was another woman approaching them, and this one seemed far more suspicious of the foreign woman than her friend was.
“No need to thank me, I really didn’t do anything, aside from being here for her to steady herself with.” Somra said, she knew she had to find a way to excuse herself, a way that wouldn’t seem suspicious. If she just turned and left now, she would likely draw more attention to herself than necessary. And besides, they really hadn’t gotten any information on what happened. Nahash would deal with the whole Akhmad thing, and find out why he had been here, and she would at least attempt to find out what the Greeks knew of the situation. She was already there, and had already drawn attention.
“This is not a normal thing for Greek temples, is it? What happened?” She asked, deciding that playing up the foreign visitor who had just arrived here was her best bet. If they had thought she had only been here a short time, they were a lot less likely to dig around and discover that she had been around for longer than she said she was. As long as she didn’t do anything that might bring too much attention upon herself while she tried to see if anyone knew what was going on, she would stay.
If people started looking at her too suspiciously, she would take her leave. Too many eyes on her was not a good thing. Luckily, most seemed to have their attentions on the gory sight in front of them instead of on the woman who had fainted or the foreign woman who now stood with her.
Somra kept her gaze locked on the other woman’s as she stared. Likely because of the colour of her skin and the clear tinge of an accent to her Greek. It was clear that she was not from here, she had never tried to pretend otherwise, she was a fairly good actress, but there was no real way to cover up the fact that she was foreign. It was obvious even from a quick glance that she came from outside of Greece.
Somra didn’t expect her arm to be grabbed as the woman stumbled, but she gave the other woman a smile.
“Not your fault.” She stated simply, and it was true. She recalled the last time someone had grabbed her when they had lost their balance. It hadn’t exactly been her arm that the Lord Silanos had grabbed for balance, and that interaction still made her laugh when she thought of it. Not much had come from that connection really, unfortunately. But not every lead actually went some where. She would try again if the opportunity arose once more.
She made sure that the woman was steady on her feet and wouldn’t be likely to fall again, not acknowledging Nahash’s departure aside from a small subtle nod so her leader knew that she had understood his intent to leave before he did exactly that.
Suddenly there was another woman approaching them, and this one seemed far more suspicious of the foreign woman than her friend was.
“No need to thank me, I really didn’t do anything, aside from being here for her to steady herself with.” Somra said, she knew she had to find a way to excuse herself, a way that wouldn’t seem suspicious. If she just turned and left now, she would likely draw more attention to herself than necessary. And besides, they really hadn’t gotten any information on what happened. Nahash would deal with the whole Akhmad thing, and find out why he had been here, and she would at least attempt to find out what the Greeks knew of the situation. She was already there, and had already drawn attention.
“This is not a normal thing for Greek temples, is it? What happened?” She asked, deciding that playing up the foreign visitor who had just arrived here was her best bet. If they had thought she had only been here a short time, they were a lot less likely to dig around and discover that she had been around for longer than she said she was. As long as she didn’t do anything that might bring too much attention upon herself while she tried to see if anyone knew what was going on, she would stay.
If people started looking at her too suspiciously, she would take her leave. Too many eyes on her was not a good thing. Luckily, most seemed to have their attentions on the gory sight in front of them instead of on the woman who had fainted or the foreign woman who now stood with her.
The words of the princess filled Aedea with reassurance. She knew she was not a monster, nor were her dogs. She knew exactly the reasons of her bloody visage, and pointed at her backpack, full of meat and pelt, as proof of her endeavors.
She also had to admire the determination of Athanasia, who – as Aedea understood – was going to take up arms herself and hunt down the culprits. If it was with her, the Huntress would scour all of Greece to find who did this, in the name of the Goddess of the Hunt.
Aedea shouted at people to stop looking at the strange looking man she knew from before, and in turn, her wolfdogs began to bark aggressively, making people nervous, and with reason. Aedea was not going to tolerate people staring at someone just because someone looked different and odd – her being different and odd herself, she understood it painfully well – and if someone tried anything, she was more than willing to send her companions after them.
But Athanasia came to her side, and she turned to look at her with bare teeth. She answered her question with an angry tone, which seemed even more severe due to the particular way she spoke, “I hate people look! Judging! Hating!”, she expressed, knowing she was perfectly clear, “I know him. We share food. We share camp. He no bad. I know!”, that last part, anybody could argue, but she knew he was innocent, just because she trusted her instincts on this one. And she hoped the princess would listen to her as well.
This character is currently a work in progress.
Check out their information page here.
This character is currently a work in progress.
Check out their information page here.
Badges
Deleted
Deleted
The words of the princess filled Aedea with reassurance. She knew she was not a monster, nor were her dogs. She knew exactly the reasons of her bloody visage, and pointed at her backpack, full of meat and pelt, as proof of her endeavors.
She also had to admire the determination of Athanasia, who – as Aedea understood – was going to take up arms herself and hunt down the culprits. If it was with her, the Huntress would scour all of Greece to find who did this, in the name of the Goddess of the Hunt.
Aedea shouted at people to stop looking at the strange looking man she knew from before, and in turn, her wolfdogs began to bark aggressively, making people nervous, and with reason. Aedea was not going to tolerate people staring at someone just because someone looked different and odd – her being different and odd herself, she understood it painfully well – and if someone tried anything, she was more than willing to send her companions after them.
But Athanasia came to her side, and she turned to look at her with bare teeth. She answered her question with an angry tone, which seemed even more severe due to the particular way she spoke, “I hate people look! Judging! Hating!”, she expressed, knowing she was perfectly clear, “I know him. We share food. We share camp. He no bad. I know!”, that last part, anybody could argue, but she knew he was innocent, just because she trusted her instincts on this one. And she hoped the princess would listen to her as well.
The words of the princess filled Aedea with reassurance. She knew she was not a monster, nor were her dogs. She knew exactly the reasons of her bloody visage, and pointed at her backpack, full of meat and pelt, as proof of her endeavors.
She also had to admire the determination of Athanasia, who – as Aedea understood – was going to take up arms herself and hunt down the culprits. If it was with her, the Huntress would scour all of Greece to find who did this, in the name of the Goddess of the Hunt.
Aedea shouted at people to stop looking at the strange looking man she knew from before, and in turn, her wolfdogs began to bark aggressively, making people nervous, and with reason. Aedea was not going to tolerate people staring at someone just because someone looked different and odd – her being different and odd herself, she understood it painfully well – and if someone tried anything, she was more than willing to send her companions after them.
But Athanasia came to her side, and she turned to look at her with bare teeth. She answered her question with an angry tone, which seemed even more severe due to the particular way she spoke, “I hate people look! Judging! Hating!”, she expressed, knowing she was perfectly clear, “I know him. We share food. We share camp. He no bad. I know!”, that last part, anybody could argue, but she knew he was innocent, just because she trusted her instincts on this one. And she hoped the princess would listen to her as well.
The siblings had an odd relationship, one that was close, yet not as close as it used to be when they had been younger. It wasn't strained by any means, because Magnus still enjoyed the occasional late night board game with her, and he had no doubt she often sat in his office while he was away on business trips, but they did not have the youthful closeness as they had in their teens, and in a certain sense, Magnus missed that.
But wanting that same closeness was akin to wanting to go back in time, and so the spymaster merely came to terms with their new normal, and accepted his sister as she were - as long as she behaved in a decorum appropriate to upper society. It wasn't that he was ashamed of her, for Magnus could never be that. He was simply afraid of what the upperclass people of the society would do to her. He's been in these ranks of people for a few years longer then she had, before he had brought his family to have permanent residence in Midas, and he didn't know if Leto could handle the snide whispers that often circulated.
Yet now they were both not within those folds of people, but were instead in a situation they both excelled in. The bright minds of their parents seemed to have been passedon to both Magnus and his sibling, and sharpened even further by his scholarly and eager pursuits. The man frowned when she hitched her chiton skirts up, but Magnus said nothing. Logically, he knew it was necessary considering the blood on the ground, but as a brother, he still didn't like Leto showing more skin then was normal.
So rather then focus on that at an inappropriate time, Magnus instead tuned that out to focus on her words, digesting them as he would evidence in a litigation court. His eyes followed Leto's fingers, frowning as he examined what she discoevred. He raised a brow at her presumption, but did not choose to address it with words. Confirming it would cause unnecessary panic, and denying it would seem overconfident if that was indeed true. Instead, Magnus merely made a mental note to send his men to check the Naos, as he turned his back just as the rest of his trusted crew came to collect the evidence.
With soft murmur's under his breathe, he watched as Leto's legs carried her to her friend whilst supervising the picking of evidence, careful to ensure as little of it was compromised as possible. It was a good ten or twenty minutes later before the plot of land was at least free of bodily debris, if still stained with blood. The rains would come and wash the blood away soon enough.
Turning on his heel, his dark eyes ran quickly to his sister, catching sight of a brief, older looking limp on the way. Was he there earlier? Magnus frowned again, making a brief mental note to recheck everything he had seen, but proceeded to address the general crowd as he finally managed an easy smile on his face, the kind a diplomat would wear.
"Rest assured, we will investigate to find out the cause of this. You are safe, do not worry. The city guards will increase their patrols to ensure your safety." he addressed the crowd, once he exchanged a look with the Captain himself, who nodded in agreement with the increased patrols. "Now please, return to your homes or your daily activities. To gather would be to call unncessary attention, so please continue with your lives, folks."
With that, he turned and cocked a head at his sister, a silent signal for her to come with him. While he had given an easygoing demeanour for the rest of the people, he had much work to do in the background, and he needed to pick his sister's brain for the tools used in the mines as well, so he needed the young girl to follow him back as he went through everything he had collected back in his study - but first, he needed to check the body being brought to the Dikasitirio.
This character is currently a work in progress.
Check out their information page here.
This character is currently a work in progress.
Check out their information page here.
Badges
Deleted
Deleted
The siblings had an odd relationship, one that was close, yet not as close as it used to be when they had been younger. It wasn't strained by any means, because Magnus still enjoyed the occasional late night board game with her, and he had no doubt she often sat in his office while he was away on business trips, but they did not have the youthful closeness as they had in their teens, and in a certain sense, Magnus missed that.
But wanting that same closeness was akin to wanting to go back in time, and so the spymaster merely came to terms with their new normal, and accepted his sister as she were - as long as she behaved in a decorum appropriate to upper society. It wasn't that he was ashamed of her, for Magnus could never be that. He was simply afraid of what the upperclass people of the society would do to her. He's been in these ranks of people for a few years longer then she had, before he had brought his family to have permanent residence in Midas, and he didn't know if Leto could handle the snide whispers that often circulated.
Yet now they were both not within those folds of people, but were instead in a situation they both excelled in. The bright minds of their parents seemed to have been passedon to both Magnus and his sibling, and sharpened even further by his scholarly and eager pursuits. The man frowned when she hitched her chiton skirts up, but Magnus said nothing. Logically, he knew it was necessary considering the blood on the ground, but as a brother, he still didn't like Leto showing more skin then was normal.
So rather then focus on that at an inappropriate time, Magnus instead tuned that out to focus on her words, digesting them as he would evidence in a litigation court. His eyes followed Leto's fingers, frowning as he examined what she discoevred. He raised a brow at her presumption, but did not choose to address it with words. Confirming it would cause unnecessary panic, and denying it would seem overconfident if that was indeed true. Instead, Magnus merely made a mental note to send his men to check the Naos, as he turned his back just as the rest of his trusted crew came to collect the evidence.
With soft murmur's under his breathe, he watched as Leto's legs carried her to her friend whilst supervising the picking of evidence, careful to ensure as little of it was compromised as possible. It was a good ten or twenty minutes later before the plot of land was at least free of bodily debris, if still stained with blood. The rains would come and wash the blood away soon enough.
Turning on his heel, his dark eyes ran quickly to his sister, catching sight of a brief, older looking limp on the way. Was he there earlier? Magnus frowned again, making a brief mental note to recheck everything he had seen, but proceeded to address the general crowd as he finally managed an easy smile on his face, the kind a diplomat would wear.
"Rest assured, we will investigate to find out the cause of this. You are safe, do not worry. The city guards will increase their patrols to ensure your safety." he addressed the crowd, once he exchanged a look with the Captain himself, who nodded in agreement with the increased patrols. "Now please, return to your homes or your daily activities. To gather would be to call unncessary attention, so please continue with your lives, folks."
With that, he turned and cocked a head at his sister, a silent signal for her to come with him. While he had given an easygoing demeanour for the rest of the people, he had much work to do in the background, and he needed to pick his sister's brain for the tools used in the mines as well, so he needed the young girl to follow him back as he went through everything he had collected back in his study - but first, he needed to check the body being brought to the Dikasitirio.
The siblings had an odd relationship, one that was close, yet not as close as it used to be when they had been younger. It wasn't strained by any means, because Magnus still enjoyed the occasional late night board game with her, and he had no doubt she often sat in his office while he was away on business trips, but they did not have the youthful closeness as they had in their teens, and in a certain sense, Magnus missed that.
But wanting that same closeness was akin to wanting to go back in time, and so the spymaster merely came to terms with their new normal, and accepted his sister as she were - as long as she behaved in a decorum appropriate to upper society. It wasn't that he was ashamed of her, for Magnus could never be that. He was simply afraid of what the upperclass people of the society would do to her. He's been in these ranks of people for a few years longer then she had, before he had brought his family to have permanent residence in Midas, and he didn't know if Leto could handle the snide whispers that often circulated.
Yet now they were both not within those folds of people, but were instead in a situation they both excelled in. The bright minds of their parents seemed to have been passedon to both Magnus and his sibling, and sharpened even further by his scholarly and eager pursuits. The man frowned when she hitched her chiton skirts up, but Magnus said nothing. Logically, he knew it was necessary considering the blood on the ground, but as a brother, he still didn't like Leto showing more skin then was normal.
So rather then focus on that at an inappropriate time, Magnus instead tuned that out to focus on her words, digesting them as he would evidence in a litigation court. His eyes followed Leto's fingers, frowning as he examined what she discoevred. He raised a brow at her presumption, but did not choose to address it with words. Confirming it would cause unnecessary panic, and denying it would seem overconfident if that was indeed true. Instead, Magnus merely made a mental note to send his men to check the Naos, as he turned his back just as the rest of his trusted crew came to collect the evidence.
With soft murmur's under his breathe, he watched as Leto's legs carried her to her friend whilst supervising the picking of evidence, careful to ensure as little of it was compromised as possible. It was a good ten or twenty minutes later before the plot of land was at least free of bodily debris, if still stained with blood. The rains would come and wash the blood away soon enough.
Turning on his heel, his dark eyes ran quickly to his sister, catching sight of a brief, older looking limp on the way. Was he there earlier? Magnus frowned again, making a brief mental note to recheck everything he had seen, but proceeded to address the general crowd as he finally managed an easy smile on his face, the kind a diplomat would wear.
"Rest assured, we will investigate to find out the cause of this. You are safe, do not worry. The city guards will increase their patrols to ensure your safety." he addressed the crowd, once he exchanged a look with the Captain himself, who nodded in agreement with the increased patrols. "Now please, return to your homes or your daily activities. To gather would be to call unncessary attention, so please continue with your lives, folks."
With that, he turned and cocked a head at his sister, a silent signal for her to come with him. While he had given an easygoing demeanour for the rest of the people, he had much work to do in the background, and he needed to pick his sister's brain for the tools used in the mines as well, so he needed the young girl to follow him back as he went through everything he had collected back in his study - but first, he needed to check the body being brought to the Dikasitirio.
So Aedea had met the man who had disappeared from the rooftop. Athanasia understood why she didn’t want anyone to stare at him. The priestess’ unusual appearance drew the same kind of gazes … wary, suspicious, accusing. If she stayed in the White Temple, she would be protected, but apparently she liked to hunt in the forests of Midas. Perhaps the game was more diverse here than it was on Illytia. The princess heard Magnus comment, and she nodded toward him. “The Master Informer doesn’t think your friend butchered that woman. He was too visible. The killer would have hidden himself … or herself … in the crowd to avoid discovery.”
Her eyes turned from the priestess and scanned the throng. Was the perpetrator still watching or had he or she slunk back into the shadows? Nobody she glanced at looked guilty, but then how could they when their eyes lowered as soon as they saw her looking at them, and dropped into a deep curtsy or a bow. Her attention was caught again by Magnus sister and her revelations about the murder weapon and that the young woman had been killed where she lay.
Athanasia stepped out of the way, beckoning Aedea to do the same. It was best to leave the inspection to the experts. There was no reason for her to remain any longer. Her royal presence might actually hinder the investigation. “Come, Priestess,” she said. “My guards and I will escort you safely to your destination.” It was possible that Aedea could be attacked if she ventured through the city alone. If so, her dogs would defend her and she would be held responsible if they harmed anyone. Nobody would dare assault her while she was under the protection of the princess and her guards.
After she left Aedea, she intended to return to the temple. By that time, the crime scene would be cleaned up and she could do as she had planned and pray to Ares for the safe return of her father and brothers. With a nod to Magnus, she led the priestess back the way they had come. The crowd parted to let them pass and they continued on their way. Athanasia hoped she would never witness such a horrible sight again and she looked forward to assisting in the capture of the culprit. In fact, she could hardly wait.
This character is currently a work in progress.
Check out their information page here.
This character is currently a work in progress.
Check out their information page here.
Badges
Deleted
Deleted
So Aedea had met the man who had disappeared from the rooftop. Athanasia understood why she didn’t want anyone to stare at him. The priestess’ unusual appearance drew the same kind of gazes … wary, suspicious, accusing. If she stayed in the White Temple, she would be protected, but apparently she liked to hunt in the forests of Midas. Perhaps the game was more diverse here than it was on Illytia. The princess heard Magnus comment, and she nodded toward him. “The Master Informer doesn’t think your friend butchered that woman. He was too visible. The killer would have hidden himself … or herself … in the crowd to avoid discovery.”
Her eyes turned from the priestess and scanned the throng. Was the perpetrator still watching or had he or she slunk back into the shadows? Nobody she glanced at looked guilty, but then how could they when their eyes lowered as soon as they saw her looking at them, and dropped into a deep curtsy or a bow. Her attention was caught again by Magnus sister and her revelations about the murder weapon and that the young woman had been killed where she lay.
Athanasia stepped out of the way, beckoning Aedea to do the same. It was best to leave the inspection to the experts. There was no reason for her to remain any longer. Her royal presence might actually hinder the investigation. “Come, Priestess,” she said. “My guards and I will escort you safely to your destination.” It was possible that Aedea could be attacked if she ventured through the city alone. If so, her dogs would defend her and she would be held responsible if they harmed anyone. Nobody would dare assault her while she was under the protection of the princess and her guards.
After she left Aedea, she intended to return to the temple. By that time, the crime scene would be cleaned up and she could do as she had planned and pray to Ares for the safe return of her father and brothers. With a nod to Magnus, she led the priestess back the way they had come. The crowd parted to let them pass and they continued on their way. Athanasia hoped she would never witness such a horrible sight again and she looked forward to assisting in the capture of the culprit. In fact, she could hardly wait.
So Aedea had met the man who had disappeared from the rooftop. Athanasia understood why she didn’t want anyone to stare at him. The priestess’ unusual appearance drew the same kind of gazes … wary, suspicious, accusing. If she stayed in the White Temple, she would be protected, but apparently she liked to hunt in the forests of Midas. Perhaps the game was more diverse here than it was on Illytia. The princess heard Magnus comment, and she nodded toward him. “The Master Informer doesn’t think your friend butchered that woman. He was too visible. The killer would have hidden himself … or herself … in the crowd to avoid discovery.”
Her eyes turned from the priestess and scanned the throng. Was the perpetrator still watching or had he or she slunk back into the shadows? Nobody she glanced at looked guilty, but then how could they when their eyes lowered as soon as they saw her looking at them, and dropped into a deep curtsy or a bow. Her attention was caught again by Magnus sister and her revelations about the murder weapon and that the young woman had been killed where she lay.
Athanasia stepped out of the way, beckoning Aedea to do the same. It was best to leave the inspection to the experts. There was no reason for her to remain any longer. Her royal presence might actually hinder the investigation. “Come, Priestess,” she said. “My guards and I will escort you safely to your destination.” It was possible that Aedea could be attacked if she ventured through the city alone. If so, her dogs would defend her and she would be held responsible if they harmed anyone. Nobody would dare assault her while she was under the protection of the princess and her guards.
After she left Aedea, she intended to return to the temple. By that time, the crime scene would be cleaned up and she could do as she had planned and pray to Ares for the safe return of her father and brothers. With a nod to Magnus, she led the priestess back the way they had come. The crowd parted to let them pass and they continued on their way. Athanasia hoped she would never witness such a horrible sight again and she looked forward to assisting in the capture of the culprit. In fact, she could hardly wait.