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Message: <blockquote data-quote="talien" data-source="post: 4637175" data-attributes="member: 3285">Songs: Part 6a – Dead Man TalkingAs they made their way towards the warehouse, the streets were relatively empty.  “It seems the incident in the Splintered Oak has left a lingering fear in the populace,” said Beldin.Aside from the burning lanterns they passed every so often, there was no other light to guide their way.  The unsettling silence only reinforced the desolation.A tiny bat crawled out of the folds of Sebastian’s robes.  He whispered to it and the bat flitted off into the darkness.  A couple of moments later it returned.  The bat chattered at him. “Dracuul says that the two lanterns nearest here have been shattered.  Someone wants it dark here.”“Do you actually understand that thing?” asked Kham.Sebastian looked offended. “Of course.  And he understands me perfectly.”Skiz popped his head out of the extradimensional satchel where Kham kept most of his pistols.  “Talking rodents,” said the talking rat.  “Go figure, eh boss?”“Very funny,” said Kham. “One other thing: we are being followed by a large black bird.”Kham holstered his pistols.  “I’m going to investigate yet another warehouse.”Imbibing a potion, Kham jumped ten feet up onto the wall of the warehouse. Then he began to carefully climb his way up.He pushed the window open.  It was pitch black inside.  Skiz crawled out of Kham’s satchel. He sniffed the air with sensitive whiskers.  “Man, it stinks in here boss.”“Yeah, I smell it.” A strange, acrid smell burned his nostrils.  Kham flicked a tindertwig with one finger and it flared to life.  He held it in his mouth as he descended the labyrinth of wooden creates.He avoided stepping into a large pool of blood that coalesced on the floor before him.  It led to a gruesome scene.Before Kham lay the mangled and broken body of Augustus.  He lay in the still-fresh pool of his own blood, his face locked in an expression of utter horror.  What was most bizarre were three needle-like gray spikes, as long as shortswords, were driven through his chest and exiting through his back.  The spikes transfixed the corpse to the floor.  Wisps of pungent smoke rose like tormented spirits from the areas where the spikes contacted his flesh.  Kham took the tindertwig out of his mouth. “Well, I guess he’s not talking.”Skiz sniffed around the corpse, then wriggled into Augustus’ clothes.  Kham blanched at the sight of a rat burrowing into a corpse.  Skiz was rifling through the dead man’s pockets.  “Found a potion and…a note.” He dragged the note out with his teeth.  “What’s it say boss?”Kham scanned it.  Then he slowly lowered the note.  “I don’t believe this.”“What boss?” Skiz sat up on his hind legs.  “Come on, what?”“According to our dead friend here, a dark-kin named Lantross fell in love with Anulee and helped break up the relationship between the elf and Venton. Venton tried to hire Augustus to murder a town guard, one Heinrich Martell, and pin it on Lantross.  When Augustus wouldn’t do it, Venton did the dirty work himself.  Then he threatened to reveal his affair with Anulee unless she committed perjury during the trial and pinned the crime on Lantross.”  “Martell? That’s the big guy’s last name, right?  They related?”Kham nodded.  “I think so.  It’s Lantross’ name that worries me.”“Why?”“Lantross’ last name is Arnyal, the same as Sebastian.”Just then Kham heard Sebastian calling his name.</blockquote>

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