I leaned forward onto the counter, looking him dead in the eyes. “Which one?” I asked, my voice clipped and terse. Frejr wasn’t the kind of person to go off on impulse, why would she have gone off with someone without telling me? Who could it possibly have been? The man shrunk a little, leaning backwards away from me.

“I… I don’t know.” He said finally, gulping. “I… They were… in a hood, kind of mottled grey?” My grip on the counter edge tightened, and he looked about ready to burst into tears. “I didn’t see anything else!” He exclaimed. “It was still dark and they just walked out! I don’t know anything.”

[Keep calm..] Page said. [He wouldn’t have known. We have to find her as soon as possible.]

I let out a frustrated snarl, but cut it off and backed away from the counter. “Sorry.” I said, quickly, taking a quick, calming breath. “How many inns and lodgings are there on the eastern side of the town?” I asked. What on earth was she thinking? Damn it. He took a short while to recover, brushing his thumb along the counter’s edge.

“I… there should be at least a dozen.” He said, thinking carefully, eyes flicking diagonally toward the ceiling. “Here. This is a map of the town, I’ll point them out to you.” He said, grabbing one of the rolled parchments from the counter of maps. He unfurled it, proceeding to point out all the inns that Frejr would have gone to see. “You can take the map, just bring it back once you’re done.” He said, as he gestured to the red insignia that marked where the guild was.

[I’ve got the image saved.] Page said, showing me a quick overlay with pins laid down. [I’ve marked the routes we need to take.]

I shook my head. “I’ve already memorized it.” I said. He looked up at me, surprised. “Thank you. I’m… sorry.” I apologized, quickly leaving to track her down. Asking them about Frejr’s location proved simple enough, few would easily forget someone like Frejr, and when they saw me no one even bothered to ask me why I wanted to know. Fame working for me I guess.

In between my mind wandered. Why… why would Frejr have simply left without calling me? After all my concerns there was no way in hell she’d have thought I’d be okay with it. What was she getting involved in? Who was that irregular? There was no way she was involved in the murder, did she suspect me instead? I grimaced, passing between the alleys as I moved on.

[No, she wouldn’t have, she’s too forthwith when it comes to talking to you and the others, if she suspected you she’d have just accused you outright, then drawn her sword on you.] I snorted at that mental image, but conceded the point. Then why? [I don’t know…]

A rock slammed into the side of my helmet, interrupting my thoughts. I staggered off to the side, casting my eyes to find a mottled grey cloak receding into the distance. I hesitated for only a moment, charging down the alleyway after them, drawing my dagger with my left and my sword with my right. I couldn’t risk accidentally killing civilians in the city with the Aesor. With so many houses and shops, people vomiting and collapsing would be… inconvenient.

As I turned the next corner I Delved for a short moment to take a glimpse of the soul. Something was… off about it, too singular, there weren’t nearly as many patterns as the others, the elements were splotchy. Deranged. I thought, it looked like a fractured soul. As I passed another corner I dropped into a roll, letting another rock sail over my head. A cackling laugh echoed in the alley, weirdly… familiar somehow.

[That sound…] Page remarked, then went silent, thinking.

I stopped in my tracks as I followed him into another winding passage, the scene for a moment completely obliterating any thought of following him. A brown-haired woman knelt, her back against a dilapidated building, blood staining the walls in the vague shape of a pair of wings, and pooling against the floor. A cold chill ran up my spine, and I looked around, Delving, he had left, disappeared in that one second I’d spent staring. You sick bastard. I thought numbly, stepping closer to the corpse.

[Frejr…] Page remarked, a small note of surprise and… was that fear? [No… Surely…]

Her armour sat in a neat pile behind her, pristine, still glowing with the magic that kept it whole. Kneeling down before her I hesitantly reached out to her face, my fingers stopping just short. He’d taken a pair of trophies, tear tracks mixed with blood, leaving me with another grotesque image seared into my mind. Her arms rested against her thighs, covered in cuts, and welts where ropes had once been. Shallow, meant to weaken, meant to bleed. A bruise on her skull, not so different from what my cosh would have given… Her stomach… I gritted my teeth, standing and stumbling aside before ripping my faceplate off and heaving an empty stomach onto the cobblestone path. The stench that struck me as I did so making it all the worse.

[… I’m sorry.] Page said. [I… I should’ve found some way to wake you. To…] I shook my head. [I’m sorry.]

I sank to the ground beside that, sitting beside filth and vomit for what seemed like hours. By the time I stood up, the sun’s rays no longer penetrated the alley, and the flies had begun to gather. I raised a hand to my face, and a shuddering breath escaped my lips. I pulled a cloak from my bag, wrapping her body in it. The armour… I’d return for later, if no one had stolen it by then. I replaced my faceplate, putting a strip of my armour over her face. No one stopped me as I walked down the streets, the guards themselves simply staring with wide eyes, unwilling to approach.

As I entered the guild all the tables fell silent, all eyes turning to me and the bundled body I carried. Two familiar faces were speaking to the receptionists at the counter, turning to me as the crowd was silenced. Their faces filled with growing horror as they realized what I had returned with. I didn’t trust myself to speak, instead just walking to them, the stench of blood and guts making some tables retch.

“What are you doing?” The second of the receptionists asked. “You can’t just bring a corpse into the guild!” The first one, the one who had given me directions, stopped him, pulling him closer and whispering urgently. His face flushed. “Bring her to the back. Now.” He said, gesturing for Numen and Rince to follow. I stared after him, and the two of them gently guided me over.

I lay her down on a quickly cleared table, he stared at the growing patch of red on the cloak, shutting the door and turning to us. “Is that… her?” He asked, fear and revulsion suffusing his voice. I turned away, but gave a curt nod, seating myself on a nearby table, my eyes never leaving her.

Numen laid a hand on my shoulder. “Are you… alright?” She asked, wincing as she said so.

“No, no I’m not.” I said. “I’m going back to return her armour.” I said, getting off the table and walking towards the door.

Numen reached out, grabbing onto my arm. “You’re not going out there on your own.” She said, seriously. “For all you know he’s out there waiting for you!” She swung out her arm.

“I’ve seen his soul.” I said. “I could never mistake it. If he comes, I’ll grind his bones into dust and rend his soul is ways the Tower can’t even conceive. If anyone is staying put, it will be you and Rince.” I snarled, shaking off her arm and pushing past the door. Finding my way back to the alley in the dark proved difficult even as Page marked the paths.

As I made my way one of the guards stopped me. “My men reported that you were seen carrying a body to the guild.” He said. “Was this the handiwork of the criminal you were looking for? You should’ve told the sheriff.” He said gruffly. “It would’ve been nice to know we had a gods forsaken Abyss spawned murderer in our midst!”

I snarled, turning to him. “It was not my choice to do so, and if you have a serious problem with it maybe you ought to take it up with Frejr. Though that might be hard considering how she’s dead.” I spat. He looked taken aback for a moment, but then bristled.

“If you lot had told us about them we’d have been able to treat it with the seriousness it deserved!” He nearly shouted. “And maybe we’d have been able to stop him before he…” He took a breath, spitting to the side. “Damn you, who are they and what do they want?!”

“He wants to kill us. Or at least, that’s what I think he wants, the founders.” I said, gritting my teeth, my hand reflexively raised to my head, brushing against the top of my helmet instead of my hair. “As to his identity, I don’t know, or I’d have quartered him already. Now… I have to retrieve her armour, if you would excuse me.” I hissed, stepping past the guard, who let out a breath, and followed.

“You’re insane if you’re still wandering the streets with them on the loose.” He said, still testy. “I’ll accompany you for this, but I will inform the sheriff to see you on the morrow.”

“If he manages to catch the bastard, I don’t care.” I said. “And I don’t need you to accompany me.” I remarked, giving a quick scan of the area as I made my way.

“And I’ll bet that’s exactly what each of you will think when he comes for you. He’s already come for you at least twice and you still think you can take him.” The guard said, a hint of mockery mixed in. “For all you know I’m the bloody murderer and you wouldn’t realize it until a dagger was in your chest.” I gave him a quick glance to confirm what I’d already seen, his soul wasn’t a match.

“You aren’t. Just by suggesting that you’ve proven that you have no idea what you’re talking about.” I say coldly, making my way into the alleys. “He’s fanatical, intense, and either insane or at the very least bloody unhinged, and too fascinated with fucking blood by half.” I snarled, pulling out a torch and lighting it as we went deeper. In these warrens it was dim enough during the day, at night, without a torch? Madness.

“What exactly happened?” The guard asked, quizzical, trepidation replacing his fury. “And why are we going this way? I know these streets, there’s talk of spectres about.” He said, eyes darting from side to side as though expecting them to jump out at him.

I grimaced. “I don’t want to talk about it.” I said. “And don’t be stupid, spectres barely give a damn about the light, and if there was one in the city It’d have been dealt with by now.” I said, giving him an aside glance. “Even if one does appear, we’ll be fine, or at least, I will be.” I gave a dry laugh.

[We’re almost there.] Page remarked. I caught a glimpse of Frejr’s armour as I Delved again, still in the same neat pile it had been left in.

“What is that… smell?” The guard asked, I was still mercifully somewhat insulated from it by my armour, but just coming here again brought me nausea.

“Blood, and what guts I didn’t manage to scrape off the floor.” I said, trying desperately to keep my voice neutral.