Once more Aeriliya found herself being led to the underground library. Barya, who like last time, still had a small haze of a liquor stench around her, brought her to the same section as before. Though unlike last time, Aeriliya seemed to be able to spot the area she needed to go without a guide, even though it was only one time. When they arrived, Barya gave Aeriliya a sharp glance, “I thought you had already gotten everything you needed and that you didn’t need to return.”

  Aerilya stared right back at the librarian without a hint of being cowed, “It never hurts to be too thorough in a case like this. And considering that maybe all this secrecy has allowed a terrorist to amass a frightening amount of power, ‘everything’ will barely meet the requirements of what is needed to apprehend him.”

  Barya didn’t take the barb about potential culpability lightly, “Remember, this is purely professional courtesy”, she marched off without another word and left Aeriliya in the barely contained darkness.

  Unlike last time, the librarian didn’t bother to bring the Sergeant any of the records, but rather than bristle at the rudeness, she smiled. Activating her Eyes of Discernment, Aeriliya found the one record that she had been denied the last time. Since it was protected, the people of the Library of Chronicles may have thought that by dangling the record in front of her wouldn’t matter. Reaching inside her pocket, Aeriliya brought out a small vial that the police used for preserving evidence. Smiling at the vial containing a small scrap of paper with a few blood droplets, the elven woman intended to show how wrong they were to tempt her with a challenge.

  (Back at the precinct)

  Aeriliya’s hands were moving at a feverish pace, trying to take note of every minute detail, “So, the people who thought Thatch to be a bad omen tried to assassinate him merely a few days before International Selection happened?”

  Priest Luca slowly nodded, “In their minds, it was better to risk the entire reputation of Acolynia and even the Pontifex if it meant keeping the Unknown Hero from being released into the war.”

  Tapping her lip with her finger she pondered, ‘The Faith’s inner dealings continue to be rather insular, but what about back then?’

  Studying the priest, “Even if there was much contention surrounding Thatch, I don’t think many approve of the killing of a summoned hero.”

  Luca grimaced as he sucked some air through his teeth, “The entire city was in uproar”, he confessed, “The Unknown Hero was an open secret, but after the assassination attempt, everyone became readily familiar with his existence.”

  “Were the assassins taken to trial?”

  Luca let out an amused snort, “One of them.”

  Aeriliya already knew the answer, but still had to ask, “What happened to the others? How many were a part of the attempt?”

  This novel's true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

  “Three entered the house and…”, he closed his eyes and shook his head, “All of them would have died anyway when the fourth destroyed the house.”

  Aerliya drummed her fingers on the table, “I would assume that such a notorious event would have caught the attention of the high priests, if not the Pontifex himself.”

  Luca nodded sedately, “That much is true.”

  Aeriliya continued probing for information, but every question she asked was met with either silence, hesitance or simply being told that he couldn’t divulge anything. The elven woman knew she had to tread carefully, questioning a member of the Pantheonites was already walking close to the proverbial hornet’s nest. A line of questioning that potentially shone a bad light on the Pantheonites was just throwing rocks at the nest. When Aeriliya had exhausted every possible angle she could surmise to ask the Epiphinian priest, she took a moment to review everything she had written down.

  She offered the small sheaf of papers to the priest and said, “I understand that discretion is highly valued in a case such as this”, to which Luca heartily agreed, “Which is why I believed you would appreciate looking through these to ensure proper secrecy”, she let him take the stack from her hands. For a few moments, the interview room was devoid of sound aside from the shuffling of the papers and the occasional murmur from the priest to certain notes. When he had finished, “It may be redundant of me to say, but I urge you to be extremely cautious of the Hatchetman.”

  “I understand, Priest Amata”, Aeriliya reassured him.

  “NO!”, he suddenly shouted, giving Aeriliya a stern look, “You don’t understand, Sergeant. That man… He was capable of things that nobody should be able to do”, he had to put his hand to his mouth as if keeping himself from vomiting, “There are so many things that aren’t known about him. But the few things that were confirmed as truth… I’ve never heard of anyone who could do such things and wasn’t turned into a demon.”

  She didn’t show any outward sign of fear, but inwardly, the priest’s demeanor turned Aeriliya’s stomach inside out. All she could do was level her silver eyes at the haunted priest and reverently tell him, “I take my duty seriously, Priest Amata. The entire empire will be hunting this man down and we’ll do whatever it takes to see justice done.”

  Luca didn’t seem convinced, but he nodded in affirmation as he handed Aeriliya the stack of papers. As she took them from his hands, “Ouch!”, he suddenly barked out before reassuring her, “I am fine. That paper must have scratched me.”

  He held up his thumb to show a nasty cut that was starting to bleed, “Oh, I am so sorry. Here, use this”, she gave him a handkerchief which he accepted gratefully. After thanking the priest for his help, Aeriliya quietly took out a small, glass vial and slipped the handkerchief inside.

  (Back at the Library of Chronicles)

  She knew that opening the pages within would mark a point of no return. Even if there was nothing noteworthy to her investigation. She had done things she heavily questioned, but never before had she so readily defied authority. As someone who pledged her life to the pursuit of justice, both in the physical and divine sense, when she took a moment to think about her recent actions; she almost felt revolted with herself. Once again, her capricious need for answers had made her stop and stoop to measures that someone of her station shouldn’t consider. But for as much as she knew she was crossing a line, the time for things being concealed was over. Unstopping the vial, Aeriliya wiped the handkerchief across the sealed file. When the blood smeared across the runic array, the large file began glowing and the various runes spun in a dizzying pattern before finally settling and a clicking sound like a lock was heard. When the light died down, there it sat on the table. Looking at that blank manila folder, her hands felt like they were chained to the table.

  Breathing deeply through her nose, “Aequita, may I be found innocent.”