~~~~~
Two guardsmen lifted the blanket-wrapped body and dropped it onto the waiting cart as Magnus pulled a coin from his pouch. He held it out to the cart’s owner. “Take her to the temple of Aphrodite. They’ll be expecting you.”
“Yes, sir,” the man replied taking the coin.
With that unpleasant task out of the way Magnus could finally try to catch up with Yasmin. As if to thwart his unspoken plans, Chara walked up with Gaius trailing behind her. Damn it, he had forgotten about her again.
“Shall we go to the palace now?” Chara asked.
“Yes, that’s a good idea,” he said before turning to the senior guard. “File leader, please escort the Lady Chara and her bodyguard to the palace.”
“Excuse me,” Chara said in a tone of indignation.
“What?” Magnus asked.
“I am struggling not to be insulted here. Surely escorting me to the palace takes precedence over any further investigation into the death of a prostitute.”
“Ma’am I mean you no insult,” he said. “Prostitutes in the city of Cyrene are under the protection of the church of Aphrodite and the church reacts violently to anyone who harms them. I need to find the killer before the situation escalates.”
“It’s a race to find the murderer?”
“Somewhat,” he replied.
“Then I’m going with you,” Chara said.
“What? This isn’t a game, Lady Chara. I can’t take you with me. It could be dangerous.”
“I am to be a shield maiden of Athena, Captain,” Chara said. “The goddess I worship is the goddess of truth and knowledge. I have studied investigative techniques. I can be an asset to you.”
“That wouldn’t be appropriate.”
“I’m not giving you a choice, Captain. You can either escort me to the palace yourself or include me in your investigation,” Chara said.
Magnus looked over at Gaius, silently pleading for him to talk some sense into her. The man was supposed to be Lady Chara’s bodyguard, keep her safe. All Magnus got was a shrug in response, the universal symbol of "nothing I can do." This wasn’t good. He didn’t have time to escort her to the palace. Yasmin wouldn’t wait long before she started acting on her own. It didn’t look like he had much in the way of options.
“Fine,” he said and then pointed at Gaius, “but her safety is your responsibility.”
“Of course, Captain,” Gaius replied.
“Let’s go,” Magnus said. He started walking north toward the edge of the city. A couple of moments passed before Chara caught up to him and started walking alongside.
“You have a problem,” she said, “the flower and sigils were the work of Hera worshippers.”
“What makes you say that?” Magnus interrupted.
“Well the flower you pulled from her mouth was a pomegranate blossom, holy to worshipers of Hera. The iconography carved into the girls flesh was symbols of Hera and worshippers of Hera hate prostitution. That killing was an act of religion.”
“No,” Magnus replied, “that’s what someone wants us to believe. The sigils were sloppy.”
“So?”
“Tell me something, Initiate,” Magnus said using her religious title. “When you draw symbols of Athena are you careful about it or do you just slap them down as quickly as possible.”
Chara glanced back in the direction of the cart and the dead body it held with a look of confusion on her face.
“It was supposed to look like a ritual killing,” Magnus continued, “but the details were wrong. The cuts were sloppy and they were made after the woman’s death.”
“How could you tell?”
“The wound on her thigh was puckered and had bled significantly,” Magnus explained. “The ritual cuts, on the other hand, showed little sign of swelling or bleeding. Therefore the wound on her thigh was the only one that happened before her death.”
“But that wound wasn’t fatal,” Chara said.
“You’re right,” Magnus agreed. “She was poisoned.”
“Poison?” Chara asked. “Why do you say that?”
“There was a distinct color to her lips and the tips of her ears. I’ve only ever seen that in people who were exposed to a distillation of cherry laurels.”
As they got closer to the edge of the city the pedestrian traffic began dropping off and the quality of the homes decreased. Few people liked to live in the northern portion of Cyrene.
“Where are we going Captain?” Chara asked.
“There are only three people I know of who distil cherry laurels,” Magnus replied. “One of them lives nearby. I want to talk to him.”
[divider]
The buildings on the northern edge of Cyrene were simple structures made of rough-hewn wood, stained by the elements. One of them was different though. It was a large compound surrounded by a fence. The home of a man named Korax.
A flash of color caught Magnus’s attention as they walked toward Korax’s compound. A feminine figure in a pale blue robe stepped out of an alleyway. She lowered her hood and approached with a mischievous smile.
“Fancy meeting you here, stranger,” Yasmin said.
“Hello, Priestess. Why are you here?” Magnus asked.
“Delpha used dryad hair charms to maintain her appearance. There are only two people in town who sell those. And yourself?”
“Cherry laurels,” he replied.
“Shall we go in then?” she asked.
Her smile had hardened, becoming less mischievous. She knew as well as he did what it meant for them both to be outside Korax’s home. The odds of it being a coincidence were low.
“Working for the city guard now are you?” Magnus asked.
“No, I just need you to distract his goons,” Yasmin replied.
“I’m not going—”
“Speaking of working for the city guard who are your companions?” she interrupted, gesturing to Chara.
“The Lady Chara and her bodyguard are diplomatic envoys from Athens,” Magnus explained.
A single raised eyebrow was her only response. Yasmin wanted to know why he had taken a diplomat to a suspected murderer’s home. He wasn’t entirely sure of the answer himself.
“Never mind,” he said, not wanting to explain.
“Okay,” she replied shrugging. “But I’ll bet you that Korax’s goons won’t let you in to talk to him. I on the other hand won’t have any difficulties.”
“Priestess ...”
“I promise not to interfere,” she said.
That stopped him. Yasmin was usually true to her word. If she promised not to interfere then she probably wouldn’t. He was missing something; he had to be. Nevertheless he couldn’t see the harm. He had come to ask questions, not make an arrest, if letting Yasmin tag along kept her happy then it wasn’t necessarily the worst idea. It was best to be satisfied with her promise and then keep a close watch on her.
With a shrug, Magnus walked to the metal gate leading to Korax’s compound. The gate had gaps between the bars large enough to reveal a man in dark leather lounging on the other side.
“What do you want?” the man asked.
Reaching into his tunic Magnus pulled out his chain of office, showing it to the doorman. “I’m here to speak with Korax.”
“Korax doesn’t want to talk to you,” the man replied.
“That’s interesting,” Yasmin whispered.
She was right, interesting and suspicious. The city guard were representatives of the King’s authority in Cyrene. Nobody turned away the guard without a good reason. “Open the gate in the name of the city guard,” Magnus growled.
The man licked his lips nervously but didn’t obey.
“If you don’t open this gate I’ll come back with a squad of guards and we’ll break it down.”
“You do what you have to do,” the man replied. He looked nervous, really nervous. He was committing a crime by refusing to open the gate. He could be thrown in the stocks for it.
The
doorman glanced past Magnus, focusing on something behind him. Honeyed words suddenly slipped through Magnus’s mind. They were words not meant for mortal ears, gliding through his thoughts without meaning, leaving behind only a sense of desire. The doorman’s eyes seemed to glow with an unnatural light in response to the words.
“Open the gate and walk away,” Yasmin said from directly behind Magnus.
Without a word the doorman opened the gate and stepped out of the compound. He pushed his way past Magnus and wandered aimlessly out into the street, his eyes glazed and unseeing.
“Priestess!”
“What?” she asked. “I’m not interfering, I’m helping.”
Magnus took a deep breath to calm his nerves. The doorman probably wouldn’t suffer any harm from the spell. Yasmin had magically scrambled his brains, but it would likely wear off in a few minutes. Nevertheless, he didn’t want any more of her help.
“I need you to go away,” he said.
“Of course Magnus,” she replied.
She began speaking, the words slipping through Magnus’s ears like oil and fading away without comprehension. Simultaneously with the words fading from his mind Yasmin faded from sight. One moment she was there and the next her robe flumped to the ground empty and discarded. Yasmin was nowhere to be seen, her magic making her invisible.
“Damn it, that’s not what I meant, Yasmin.”
Silvery laughter was her only reply, and the sound of it faded into the courtyard of Korax’s compound.
“What now?” Chara asked making Magnus jump.
He had forgotten she was there, again. Whether she liked it or not she was a born diplomat, able to fade into the background effortlessly. It was a good question though. It was tempting to walk away, but he knew he couldn’t. “I can’t let her go in there alone,” Magnus said. “You two wait here.”
With those words he stepped through the gate into Korax’s compound. The courtyard wasn’t large, just big enough to bring in a horse and wagon and turn it around again. At the far end of the courtyard was a brick house — luxurious for the neighborhood it was in, consisting of multiple rooms and sporting a thick wooden door.
“Lady Chara, wait,” Gaius whispered.
She ignored his order and followed Magnus into the compound. Before Gaius could reprimand her, the front door of the house opened and four men stepped out. Three of them were in black leather matching the doorman; the fourth was Korax. He was a short man with a darting look about him. All of them were armed with an assortment of knives. “What are you doing here?” Korax demanded.
“I am investigating the death of a woman named Delpha,” Magnus replied. “Your doorman let us in.”
“What? That’s impossible.” Korax advanced into the courtyard with a look of anger on his face. The anger turned to confusion though as his searching eyes failed to find his doorman.
Unfortunately there was also no sign of Yasmin either. Whatever magic she used was making her incredibly hard to find. Magnus needed to stall for time while he figured out how to get her out of the compound. “I’d like to ask you a few questions,” he said.
“I have no interest in your questions,” Korax replied.
“That’s too bad. I guess I’ll have to arrest you for refusing to cooperate with the city guard.”
A vicious glare was the only reply he received. Korax wasn’t the type to quietly allow himself to be arrested. On the other hand he wouldn’t attack a member of the city guard unless he felt he had no other choice. That left a small window that Magnus could use. “Do you know anything about the death of the street priestess Delpha?” he asked.
“No, I don’t,” Korax replied.
“He’s lying,” Chara said.
Looking back, Magnus could see that Chara was peering at Korax through a glowing glass sphere she cradled in her hands. He hadn’t heard her casting her spell but the sphere looked exactly as it had when she questioned Magnus in the dockyards.
“I am not,” Korax said.
“Yes you are. Did you kill her?” Chara asked.
The situation was spiraling out of control. This wasn’t the time or place for a magical interrogation. Magnus began backing up towards Chara, gesturing for her to be quiet while keeping his eyes on Korax.
“No,” Korax replied.
“Did one of your men?” Chara asked.
The body language from Korax and his men suddenly changed. Hands began reaching for weapons while they shifted their feet and transitioned into fighting stances. Behind his back, Magnus brought his ring into position.
“Lady Chara, please stop,” Gaius whispered.
“No, of course not,” Korax replied.
“You’re lying!” Chara declared.
At Korax’s gesture his men erupted into violence. The three of them started pulling out and throwing knives, the blades glittering as they flew through the air toward Magnus and his companions. Fortunately Magnus had been watching Korax and he was already speaking the activation word for his ring. In the blink of an eye the ring was gone and a large bronze shield appeared on Magnus’ arm. There was a pair of reverberating clangs as knives bounced off of the shield.
Behind him, Gaius reacted without hesitation. His sword whispered as he pulled it from its scabbard and batted a knife out of the air. Grabbing Chara by her tunic, Gaius shoved her behind Magnus as a second knife glanced off of his breastplate. Within moments he was crouched beside Chara, his body sheltering her where Magnus’s shield didn’t cover.
What in Hades had the fool woman been thinking? A quick glance at her face showed she was in a state of shock at the sudden violence. It was as if she had expected her actions to somehow turn out well. Another knife plinked off the shield, this one falling away at an odd angle. Korax’s men were circling to the sides, trying to get into position for a clean shot.
“We need to move,” Gaius growled.
“Wait for it,” Magnus replied drawing his sword.
“Wait for what? They’re going to flank us!”
“You idiots,” Korax yelled. “He can’t ...”
Suddenly Korax made a liquid rasping sound as blood gushed from a gash across his throat. He fell to his knees, looking in bewilderment at the woman in tight leather who had appeared beside him, a knife wet with his blood in her hand.
“That,” Magnus said.
Throwing himself into a sprint, Magnus charged the knife throwers on the right while Gaius went left. Staring in shock at their dying leader, Korax’s men didn’t react fast enough to save themselves. The fight was quick and brutal and ended with two of them falling to Gaius’ blade while the third collapsed with Magnus’s sword in his chest.
A hush fell over the courtyard, broken only by the panicked breathing of Lady Chara. Four men lay dead on the ground. It was tempting to blame Chara for what had happened, but Magnus knew different. There was only one person responsible for what had just happened and justice had been served when Yasmin slit his throat.
Korax had made a stupid mistake. He had assumed that because Delpha worshipped Aphrodite she was an easy victim. After all, what was the danger in going after a prostitute? One look at Yasmin was enough to end that misperception. She was dressed for battle. Granted, her armor was skin-tight and more revealing than any warrior would wear, but it was war gear nonetheless. Aphrodite wasn’t just the goddess of lust she was also the god of war’s lover and the mother of his children, the personifications of dread and terror. Aphrodite was a destructive goddess, and Yasmin was her servant.
“I wasn’t here, Magnus,” Yasmin said walking to the front gate and picking up her robe.
“Of course not,” he replied.
“Wait, yes you were,” Chara said. “You killed that man. If ...”
“No dear,” Yasmin interrupted. “I simply assisted a member of the city guard who was being attacked. And I wasn’t here because everyone knows that the church of Aphrodite and the city guard never work together.”
She put her robe back on, cov
ering her leather armor. Then she walked away, pulling up her hood as she went. With the robe and hood she didn’t look dangerous, just another anonymous shape disappearing into the crowded city.
There was one last thing that needed to be done. Reaching into a pouch on his belt Magnus removed a small metal object. “Lady Chara,” he said, “I’m afraid we’re going to be delayed in getting you to the palace.”
Chara wasn’t listening to him though. She was leaning on Gaius, shaking with spent adrenaline. A look of nausea slowly creeping across her features as she stared at the dead bodies around them.
Magnus lifted the metal object to his mouth. The shrill sound of a whistle echoed over the city streets.
Alex Doiron lives deep in the frozen wilderness of Canada near a small settlement called Ottawa. On a daily basis he braves feral polar bears in order to bring food and firewood home to his three-bedroom igloo. He is a chartered chemist and has multiple non-fiction publications on the exciting and dynamic topic of rust in journals such as Corrosion, Corrosion Reviews, Materials Performance, and Oil and Gas Journal.
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About Fiction Vortex
Fiction Vortex, let’s see …
A fiction vortex is a tornado of stories that pick you up and hurl you through a barn to find enlightenment on the other side. It’s a whirlpool of fascinating tales so compelling that they suck you in, drag you down to the bottom of your mind, and drown you with incessant waves of glorious imagery and believable characters.
Nope.
A fiction vortex is an online speculative fiction magazine focused on publishing great science fiction and fantasy, and is run by incredibly attractive and intelligent people with great taste in literature and formidable writing prowess.
Not that either. But we’re getting closer.
Founded in the 277th year of the Takolatchni Dynasty, Fiction Vortex set out to encourage people to write and publish great speculative fiction. It sprang fully formed from the elbow of TWOS, retaining none of TWOS’s form but most of its spirit. And the patron god of writers, the insecure, the depressed, and the mentally ill regarded Fiction Vortex in his magic mirror of self-loathing and declared it good, insofar as something that gives writer’s undue hope can be declared good. Thereafter, he charged the Rear Admiral of the Galactic 5th Fleet to defend Fiction Vortex down to the last robot warrior.
Now we’re talking.
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