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Message: <blockquote data-quote="DispelAkimbo" data-source="post: 1041850" data-attributes="member: 1916">Hard at work on the sample of the poison the royal investigators had brought to him, Fellonius had spent several hours pouring over the tomes in vain to identify it. And then in a moment of inspiration it had come to him what the poison was!Still he could not be sure unless he tested it first, standing carefully from his workbench he groaned as he straightened his back, he was getting too old for all this excitement he thought.Hobbling over to the shelves behind him he took two small glass tubes and a jar of herbs, carrying them carefully he moved over to a small Bunsen.Placing the items carefully on the bench around the Bunsen, he took a pestle and mortar and poured some of the poison into the dish and sprinkled some of the herbs in the jar onto them.He was disturbed momentarily as a shadow flew past his window. Damned pigeons he thought, they’re nothing but flying rodents as he looked back towards his work.Slowly he ground the herbs into the poison until the mixture turned a viscous green colour. He wrinkled his nose the aroma was quite pungent.Satisfied he set the dish down and took out a stand; into it he placed the two glass tubes. In one he poured the green viscous fluid he had just created and in the other he sprinkled some iron filings.Next he lit the Bunsen, behind him a shelf rattled, but engrossed in his work he ignored it… the wind he thought.Moving the Bunsen under the tube with the viscous green fluid in he let it heat, after a few seconds it turned a clear yellow in colour.With a pair of tongs he lifted the tube and poured the yellow contents into the other tube with the iron filings, within seconds the liquid cleared!With a gasp he dropped the tongs on the floor “MY GOD” he exclaimed “I know what it is, I can make the antidote now” he continued to himself “Its so simple” turning he was suddenly confronted by the Lord High Justice“Milord, when did you enter?” He asked “I was not told you were co..” suddenly he stopped, maybe something about how the high justice stood there, or maybe the way he looked at him, but something was not right.Backing away he suddenly found himself pushed up against his workbench “I..If there's anything I.. er.. can do for you milord, you have but to ask” Fellonius asked nervously.“Just one thing, wise Fellonius” the High Justice added “DIE”!Suddenly Caervelyn thrust forward, sticking a slender dagger up to its hilt into the chest of the old physician who sprawling backwards knocked the tubes and the dish onto the floor, smashing.With the lightest of groans the old man crumpled.Caervelyn put his foot on the old mans chest, leaned forward and roughly pulled his dagger from the old mans heart, slowly he wiped the blade clean on the dead mans robe.“You, were just too nosey old man” the high Justice added, with a look of disdain at the dead old man on the floor before him.Standing he turned to the window and walked forward as he did he pushed a shelf of vials over, smashing on the floor a fire started.“Just one more problem and Sarivale is mine.” He thought to himself as he stepped up to the windowsill and out.For a few seconds he was falling and then he was flying…A Crow spiralled away, as seconds later the Physicians tower exploded, smoke, fire and debris blowing outwards in all directions.***Jalderins hand instinctively flies to the sword at his side as he hears an explosion and feels the tower momentarily shake. He slams open the door to the princesses quarters to check all is okay and unfortunately finds her changing her clothes."My apologies your highness." He briefly sketches a bow. "Bad things are afoot today in the palace and I fear for your safety. If you are in danger then this is where any assailant would expect to find you. Therefore I'd like to move you immediately. Please get dressed and join me outside when you are ready." He backs out of the room with his eyes averted.***Deep in the palace dungeons, everyone hears what sounds like a door slam in the distance and then they feel the room shake briefly."Was that an explosion?" Jaider asks. Everyone shrugs."Explosion! Explosion?" Rowan Helmsblade asks, worry starting to creep into his voice. "There are rocks falling from the sky outside my cell window! Get me out of here, I don't want to be buried alive!""Calm down and shut up prisoner!" the Jailer shouts back at Rowan Helmsblade. Eben and Jaider decide to head outside to have a look what has happened. Margarian stays with the Helmsblade brothers to watch over them.***"You there! What's going on, what's happened?" Jaider asks a passing guard when he and Eben arrive at the palace courtyard."Explosion from the royal physicians laboratory.""Great, there goes the kings antidote. Probably Fellonius and Phil too." Eben says."No." Replies the guard. "I saw Phil, the physicians assistant around here a moment ago, he headed off in that direction." Eben and Jaider exchange glances and set off around the side of the palace where the guard pointed.They find Phil, the royal physicians assistant, in another part of the palace courtyard. He was helping to tend to people wounded by falling debris from the explosion. Phil explains how Fellonius had just sent him out to buy some supplies. He also confirms that Fellonius was indeed inside the lab when he left and likely when it exploded."You know", Eben says to Jaider, "I think its time we paid a visit to the High Justice. It could be enlightening to see him at work, and we have to tell him about his daughters death sooner or later." Jaider nods and they set off towards the Magisters Building.***Eben Hakkan and Jaider Lightbringer find a place in the public gallery of the Magisters Building and watch the High Justice convict and sentence an accused burglar. Convincing evidence is presented, and the accused has no alibi, so the High Justice soon finds him guilty and fines him some money and sentences him to a week in a prison cell. Jaider and Eben can find no fault with the High Justices' judgement and agree that he conducts his work fairly and professionally. The court is soon adjourned and Eben and Jaider manage to catch up with the High Justice just before he enters his chambers within the building."Milord!" Jaider calls out. The High Justice removes his hand from the door handle to his chambers and turns to face Jaider and Eben."Ah, the Royal Investigation team", the High Justice pronounces, "I hope my daughter is well?" There is a momentary silence before Eben seizes the bull by the horns and tells the Lord Caervelyn about his daughters death."I'm afraid to report sir that we have reason to believe that your daughter is now dead. There is magic of some description involved that is making things difficult to be totally certain, but we believe she was poisoned a couple of hours before we found her." The High Justice visibly sags and steadies himself by falling back against the door to his chambers. He sobs and covers his eyes for a moment.Eben watches the High Justices' reaction very carefully. His upbringing in Khaddish and training in Sarivale mean he is good at reading people and knowing when people are hiding things or lying. From the body language that the High Justice shows, Eben suspects that while he may well be upset, he is no way as upset as he is trying to appear. Eben keeps his suspicions to himself though."It is a bad day today for Sarivale." The High Justices comments, recovering himself slightly. "First the Queens suicide and now my daughter murdered. I'm sorry but I need to be alone, thank you for letting me know." The High Justice enters his private chambers and leaves Eben and Jaider stood in the corridor."Word of the Queens death certainly travels fast around here." Eben comments. Jaider asks a Bailiff how long the High Justice has been in the building and is told that he was there since court began, four hours ago. Satisfied for now, they head back to the Palace.***As the investigators leave the corridor outside of his private chambers, the High Justice sank into his seat, satisfied he lay back and smiled to himself.“Do not be so confident Jahayle” a strong but soft voice said from behind him “They could still stop you, even at this late stage.” It said.“I highly doubt that, old fellow” the high Justice replied without turning.“They do not even have an inkling of half of what has occurred, those bumbling idiots can barely dress themselves in a morning” he said with a chuckle.“You are a fool Jahayle” the voice replied.Dismissively the high Justice sat forward and picked up a glass of wine.“Have the preparations been made?” The High justice asked.“They have” the voice replied. “Be ready and what you seek will be yours by the end of the day” it added.“And as for my side of the bargain?” the voice queried.“It is waiting for you in the arranged place” the high Justice replied with a chuckle “Ironic, really” he said.“Then our bargain is complete” came the reply.The high Justice sat back once more in his seat and took a sip of his wine before speaking once more.“Maybe we can do business again in the future?” he asked.But silence was his only reply as his collaborator had already departed.***Jalderin and Princess Melissan have descended from the palace tower and are now on the second floor of the palace. Jalderin commandeers a pair of passing guards and orders them to accompany him and the princess until the palace has been declared safe.The four of them move into one of the palaces many dining rooms and wait. During one of the many moments that pass, Jalderin notices the princesses earrings. They are the same as the one Jaider found in the stable, and she has both in anyway. Strange. He resolves to mention it to someone else later on.***On their way back to the Palace, Jaider and Eben pass a messenger on horseback. Jaider stops him and pays him to take a message to the head of his order, back in his homeland. The messenger says it will take a week to get the message there and another week to return with any reply, but he will do the task asked. Jaider sets pen to paper and writes...--Dear Holy Father,My stay here in Sarivale is going to be longer than I expected with there being an attempt on the kings life.I have been gaining experiences while here & believe I am becoming more adept in my abilities and stronger in my beliefs of Girion, but I am having strange dreams of a weapon. I hope that you can give me any insight on this matter.Holy father I ask that you and the order pray for the royal family and that of the princess, as the turn of events have turned to the worse and the queen has recently committed suicide.The twists and turns in the events happening here are not making the solving of this easy and so this is why I send this letter.Your faithful servant, Jaider Lightbringer, paladin of Girion.--Jaider and Eben then return to the palace and head towards the dungeons.</blockquote>

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