Corvina stood by her father Jarkayn watching as he slowly mouthed the words Silver Ash. She saw the former InkBorn now a shell of himself swing from the gallows by his neck. His eyes were open and held nothing of the humanity that she always remembered about Feladde.
Corvina woke abruptly from her dream. She had dreamed again about Feladde and her father. This was common enough for her to dream of Jarkayn but this was scary as history repeated itself.
She had been studying for over 20 years what had happened in a more scientific way. Silver Ash Ink was illegal as it was more of a poison but she had recently found out that it could corrupt the tattoos of those who were InkBorn.
It was hard as she hasn’t been able to confide in her father. Feladde had killed a guard in the skirmish where he had been captured. She had felt his emotions and knew that he wasn’t capable of the cold blooded murders that he was executed for.
However she had lived through his final day as a passenger in his body with her empathy. He wasn’t the same person, while she may have only been 13 but she could still see what others didn’t.
She had pushed her father to find out more about what happened. He knew of Silver Ash Ink and the insanity it caused but everyone assumed that he had voluntarily used it.
Corvina had never been so sure about this. She had seen Bez was powerful but she could also feel some darkness. She had probed his mind as lightly as she could and there wasn’t Darkness in his mind it has to be external.
She wasn’t tired so she got up and went to her desk where she had stored the items. She looked at the ink vial as well as the needles. There was some paper that had special spells that her father had written. One paper caught her eye and it was something she remembered from that day.
—-
Jarkayn glanced around the room where Feladde had lived for decades. He was currently in custody awaiting his trial. However the investigators were talking about just putting him to death as he killed one of the guards.
He had seen a black leather glove thing and soft with the middle two fingers missing. He thought something was off as Feladde had small hands but the gloves looked very large. There was a black bladed knife as well and she noticed it wasn’t serrated and all information showed that a serrated weapon had been used to carve the star.
This wasn’t in his character then he saw that the gloves had a silvery substance that glowed. He invoked his sight and knew that this was Silver Ash Ink, a substance that had been banned a century ago. There was no way that Feladde could have known about this as he was not as much into the magical but more the physical.
There was something off, Corvina had been right, this was not normal and corruption must have taken hold of him.
——-
Bez placed the special Silver ring that had once belonged to Jarkayn, the man that was his mentor but also the man who had been like a father to him, onto his finger. It would only fit the pinky finger.
As the ring was slid onto his finger he felt an icy cold sensation running through his body starting at the pinky finger.
It felt off but he wasn’t used to wearing any adornments. He felt his tattoos moving slowly around the body and could feel that they were in pain.
Corvina rushed in, and grabbed the right hand of bez and initiated one of her tattoos. Her mind opened and she saw the glint of silvery oil that was attached. “Bez we need to cleanse now.”
She dragged him to an area and quickly submersed his hand with the ring on it. It was very cold water with a special ink desolver. Bez tried to pull away but the the ring was purified and so was the damage that has been done to Bez for the most part
Bez was sent back to bed while she went back to her study. When she looked at the note it wasn’t in words but a cypher. She didn’t know the key but she would find it out.
Studying she remembered the feeling of the Silver Ash from the initial murders. The ring residue held the same magical taste. That means that someone who was trusted by her father had been directly responsible for his death.
She had felt the soul of Bez and it wasn’t something that he would do. He was too honourable.
Moving into her workroom she still felt that some of the corruption had reached into one tattoo of Bez. It was contained there and wouldn’t be able to leave that tattoo. She opened her mind allowing the shields she always kept to fade away.
She felt fear and anguish, there had been more murders and it was escalating quickly just like last time. Time between deaths was decreasing, this meant that whoever it was somehow was linked to Velmora City.
———
Jarkayn stood at the pool feeling the pain in his chest. Silver Ash was the only thing it could be. His tattoos were out of control and moving without being instructed. He could sense their confusion and wouldn’t obey his command.
He opened his mind to his tattoos and knew they were dying as was he. The ink that had corrupted his body was attacking his lifeforce and his magic was of no value.
The tattoos were changing colour to a sickly green. He knew he couldn’t prevent his death the corruption had spread too far for the cleansing to work at all.
He had found the silver ash ink hidden away, who had brought the cursed vial into his home? He grabbed the special ring that he had kept as a sacred memento of his original master. Each master of the ring carved a small piece into the ring. His idea was to create the cipher key that would help protect the people.
He grabbed some of the cleansing solution for the silver ash ink. Opening the vial he grabbed an eye dropper and added 7 drops to the silver ash ink. The compound bubbled a bit but he knew the ink was weak. It was time to dip the ring in it.
The beautiful ring hissed as the liquid ink touched it. His carving would be a key to the cipher that he used to give information when they were ready.
He felt guilty as he knew who the ring was destined to. Bez was his best student and like a son to him. The guilt wouldn’t last long as he knew his death was quickly coming upon him.
——-
On the seventh day after the second murder another body was found with a silvery substance on her lips. A five pointed star was carved this time on her cheek instead of the forehead.
Investigators were confused, as the star was carved in a different part of the face this time. The lady in question wore a headband with a jewel on it, The jewel was smashed and cuts were on her forehead.
Corvina went to Velmora City and was there scanning the crowds trying to find out what had happened. She was hiding her tattoos to avoid exposure for herself.
The town was already suspicious of anyone that was different. The tattoos were a sign that she was an InkBorn and she didn’t want that known
Kaelen Voss walked the streets, wearing a badge that indicated that she was a senior investigator. She was nearly 60 years of age with white hair braided down her back that touched her hips.
She saw the information and remembered the old case so she has been brought out of her desk job and was now on the ground trying to find out information. The Mayor Cassian Valecroft had insisted she return to do this investigation.
She had read the reports of the arrest and subsequent release of the InkBorn Bez. She believed in her heart that the giant man with the tattoos was definitely at fault for the murders. He came in and immediately more murders were happening.
They were now coming even more frequently and little did she know that there was a lot more to come.
—–
Kaelen was new on the job and she had never seen such brutal murders. Over the span of 7 months there had been many deaths and all were from the middle classes and all were women who had been a bit quiet.
She watched as Feladde, a man whom she had respected all her life was caught with the black glove with the missing fingers, as well as a black bladed knife.
Suffice it to say she was utterly shocked at this revelation that a man who had been respected and helpful to the Guard suddenly changed his character and committed the murders.
She had watched in horror as the guard Devid had been attacked by Feladde. She rushed over and saw bleeding from his neck as the blade had been slashed across his throat.
She put a cloth over the wound and put pressure as she had been trained to do when learning the job of a medic. The white cloth stained red and the blood kept pumping out of his neck. It was only a minute and she saw his eyes roll back and he passed out.
The blood seeping out of the wound he soon died. She never forgot the horror in his eyes and the begging look to her to save him.
Kaelen had failed, and the anger was all she had. Devid had been a jerk but he didn’t deserve to die for doing his job.
It was going to be good to watch the man go on trial for this and watch him hang. He was no longer in her eyes the respected elder who helped on cases but a cold-blooded killer who only could do harm.
Jarkayn came over and touched Kaelen on the shoulder “I am sorry Kaelen, He lost too much blood too quickly to be saved.” He handed her a box. “Here is the evidence I found about the murders. We found it in a sealed container in the workroom. He had hid it well but nothing can stay hidden forever. The final report will be handed to your bosses tonight for the ritual murders.”.
Kaelen nodded “Thank you Jarkayn. The guard thanks you for your help with this case. Ritualist killings are not something that we have experience with.”. She took the box and left the scene of the crime her hands stained red.
The next day she went to work and they said that the Mayor had ordered the hanging and that no trial would be held as the guards all witnessed the death of Devid.
—–
They stood in the town square. The head of the guard stood solemnly with tears in his eyes. She knew that he was a good man and that Devid had been some relation to him, a cousin quite far removed.
Mayor Cassian Valecroft stood at a podium looking out at the audience. He nodded to the guard who dragged in the InkBorn Feladde. He looked rough.
He was in a torn up shirt and there were cuts along his back. It looked like someone had taken the whip to him. He had marks on his pectorial region as well from the whip. They must have tortured him to try and get information out of him. He had eyes that showed no sign of sanity and he looked like a scared cat.
They marched him up to the gallows. “This man killed Devid of the guard and many women of our city. There is no denying what he did and as such he will be publicly executed by hanging today. We have questioned him about his motives and if he had any co-conspirators but he wouldn’t answer any of our questions. His life is forfeit”
The Mayor nodded and they dragged him up to the noose and slid his head through it so it was on the neck. They released the trap door and he dropped, you could hear the sickening sound of the bone breaking. You could smell the aroma of shit as his body relieved itself as the body died.
——
The pain was everything, and everything was the pain. Cassian Valecroft stood there looking at the report that has been given to him many years ago when Feladde was investigated.
He had taken the report and made a copy and then altered the copy making it look like it was the original report.
Jarkayn had made comments about the Silver Ash corrupting Feladde and that he didn’t believe that or was something that he would have done to himself. He also made note that the gloves were very large and the hand sizes didn’t match.
Cassian had the evidence that was found and he wouldn’t allow this report on ritualistic killing to destroy the peace that would be gained by killing a mass murderer.
He knew he should not have summarily executed the InkBorn but he wanted to ensure that his people felt safe in their homes and city knowing that the murderer was dead. A trial was a waste of time and money and might show the flaws that Jarkayn had found.
He remembered after Devid had died he felt the anger. Devid by all Rights was a schemer and has abused his power many times. In fact he had been punished by whipping 6 times for criminal acts done on the job. Normally that would have meant jail time and him losing the job and potentially exile. This was his family he wouldn’t allow that so they had used old fashioned methods on him. In fact his own father had been the one who whipped him.
Going back he knew that he should not have listened to his family and not hid what Devid had done. He now was worried that the evidence that was found by Jarkayn had been planted to make the InkBorn look more guilty. Could Devid have done this?
He was shocked and those who had helped to cover crimes Devid did commit were mostly dead now. He couldn’t ask them why has Devid done this or what his purpose was.
—–
Corvina was in the legal library having been granted access years before. She looked up the report and saw her father’s signature. She then saw a different handwriting as part of the report.
Black leather gloves belonging to Feladde.
She went to the office and opened up the forensic files and scanned the report. It was the same and the handwriting was not that of her father.
Hearing footsteps behind her and she spun around quickly. Kaelen stood staring and in shock. This lady was able to access sensitive documents with no one watching her.
She stepped forward “What are you doing here?” she demanded.
Corvina smiled “I know you, it’s Kaelen. I am here investigating the murders and saw a corresponding entry going back to the initial murders that happened decades ago. I can to check on them”
Karlene glared keeping her eyes “That report is the original you shouldn’t be touching it”
Smiling Corvina sat it down gently. “Yes the copy has something that I believed was odd so I validated the original. There is a section that has different hand writing that doesn’t match or even closely resemble the official records.”
Kaelen grabbed it and looked at it. She was right, part was very different than the original and she could see that this was a close resemblance but was actually not original. “You are right there is a difference.”
“I knew something was off the day that Feladde was executed. I felt his mind. He was not guilty because of mental instability. Something changed him.”
This didn’t surprise Kaelen; many had claimed that Feladde had been innocent of the crimes. “I saw him kill Devid. He was guilty “. she did in a quiet voice.
“Oh he was definitely guilty of that murder but his mind was no longer his own. We need to speak to your boss Cassian about this, he may know who had access to the original report made by Jarkayn “
They walked out of the legal library taking with them the information and showing that there were changes to the report.
They entered the office area of Cassian and heard him mumbling behind the doors “Could I have been wrong? Could justice truly have. even missed?
Corvina opened the door. “We need to talk, Cassian. You probably won’t remember me but I was at the execution of Feladde as a child. I felt his emotions. The report that was filed has been doctored.”
He nodded “You have been here before as a person who helps victims find closure. I remember you and gave you access to the Legal Library.”
She nodded “You are correct. What you may not know is that Jarkayn was my father. When he died there were many cases he had, that were not closed. Feladde was one of those cases. What happened to the actual report?”
She opened her mind and could feel guilty coming off of him in waves. So he had done something, and it might be enough to destroy his career and even put him in jail.
“I am so sorry, I never meant this to happen. I was stupid and allowed my family to push their own agenda at the time. The city needed a monster who committed these crimes and have him punished so that we would feel safe again. Not again, this can’t be happening again.”
Kaelen stepped forward “Sir I saw him murder Guard Devid but I am so confused what did you do?”
He looked at her his dark eyes held tears in them “I fixed the report to match what we needed for the summary execution.”
The guard looked absolutely shocked. She was young and tried to save Devid but her best wasn’t good enough and now to find out he had doctored a report to ensure a summary execution without due process. She was disgusted, this was a man she had looked up to and he has betrayed that trust and the trust that the people put in him.
“Where is the original report?”. kaelen demanded
he pointed at a filing cabinet labeled personal and confidential. Corvina moved over and opened it finding a sealed report labelled “Feladde”
Opening it was easy as the wax seal had already begun to decay. She skimmed through it and saw the part that had been altered.
Black leather gloves — oversized. Middle fingers removed. Silver residue present.
This changed the context of the report that they had seen. The evidence was planted from what she could surmise as Feladde had normal sized hands which wouldn’t have fit the gloves on the ritual murders.
“I thought I was burying doubt. I didn’t understand I was burying the truth.”. Cassian said
Neither lady knew what to do. “What we both saw was correct. However there is more than what we see on the surface. If history is repeating itself then we need to find what really happened in the past. I must go back and speak to my people and find the code.”
—–
Bez had been sitting in the dark since Corvina had left. He didn’t feel good about her going to the Lions Den alone. She needed his help and because of the poisoning he was less than useless.
He stared at the silver ring sending his mind down the entwining lines of artistry. He noticed a five pointed star and activated his senses.
He saw a glowing cloud-like image appear. “The 7 cyphers. I have waited for decades for someone to finally grasp what I have done. You are the key to the texts and will be able to understand the 7 signs that have been done. Only one who has been touched by corruption may see clearly as to what must be”
Crazy Canadian Writing 