THE THIRD TRIAL

[strangerpeople]

THE THIRD TRIAL

[Once the final clues are found, the unsettling chimes sound three times again. However, the Debate Hall doors do not open for the Titled. At least, not for a moment or so.

When they do, though, and the Titled descend the stairs, they will find that the desks have been completely updated, up through the deaths of the previous night. It is...unsettling. Have they truly lost half their numbers in such a short time? But, what can they do about it?


The logs are on the desks, and the Intercessor finishes up the final touches of the evidence they made, placing it on the desks.

There is no chanting on the stage. The dragon, also, seems to be gone, leaving only traces of arms and legs and goo. So, the Intercessor simply goes and sits on the stairs, looking at the remaining survivors. They sound tired as they speak.]

All right. Everyone...do your best. Take your time, and...good luck.


[The trial of Raphtalia, the Dreamstrider, and Farkas, the Outcast, has begun.]

Comments

[carries_war]

[As always, Jr. strides to his desk with a sense of purpose. He's carrying a huge greatsword, doing his best to keep the bloodied blade from dragging the floor behind him despite the fact that it's longer than he is tall. He leaves it lying next to his desk as he looks around at who all is left. Not many.]

I looked over Raph's body, in the library. It looks like the culprit got two hits on her, a cut to the arm and the death wound. They stabbed her from behind with a blade long enough that it came out of her stomach. Something left a blood smear leading a couple feet away from the body, but I couldn't tell what caused it.

Maglor was unconscious next to her, knocked out by blunt impact to the head. He was completely covered in blood, and there was some kind of potion on his breath. From the fact that he woke up incoherently violent, I'm guessing it was a frenzy potion. There was also...this greatsword lying next to his hand, but it didn't match Raph's wounds.

For anyone who's worried about Maglor, I gave him a healing potion as soon as I found him. He should be fine, and so should a certain reckless someone who let his arm get bit.

[defriendestration]

SO HE'LL BE OK? WAIT, WHO GOT BIT IN THE ARM??

[He's brought more of his two week old bread for people to eat. Also his box of bones. He must guard them from the dogs after all!!]

[poorlovefool]

[Eric is at his podium. Pet-sitting has filled him with zen... just kidding. He's still stressed.]

Shouldn't we get Maglor to tell us what he was doing there?

[zephyranthe]

Did you check her for her keys?

[lightnen]

...it worked to get him calmer, didnt it? I wouldn't have done it if I didn't think it wouldn't work.

[ Killua huffed a bit, still being a bit moody about all of that mess. He'd only had a short time to think of a plan and he figured talking wouldn't have worked. ]

....but, fine. I'm sorry. I won't do that again.

[socialhacktivist]

A frenzy potion?

...could one of us even make something like that? Or do you think someone tried to interefere again...

[lightnen]

[ Straightening up in his seat, Killua exhaled a soft sigh. This was the first time that he was being the first to bring up something in trial so soon. ]

I ended up being the one who inspected Farkas' body, in the 3rd floor Hallway. Whoever killed him didn't use a blade, I suspect.

[ He tapped his good hand on the desk absently. ]

I mean... the wound in his stomach was deep enough that it nearly reached his spine. They say the cause of death was a stab wound but something doesn't sound right saying that. I also happened to find what I think were a bunch of invisibility potions on him... and then one that was half empty.

[ He looks to Junior and takes out the half empty bottle from his pocket to set it on the desk. ]

I think this one might have been the frenzy potion that made Maglor go all crazy, but that means the very likely possibility that Farkas found a way to give the potion to Maglor. I think it backfired on him though.

[ Sparing an apologetic look to Maglor curled up at his feet, it was then that he turned his attention to the Intercessor. ]

Hey, Alexis. Can you come here a second? I have something for you.

[intercessing]

[Blink.]

Of course, Dealmaker. What is it?

[carries_war]

I might be able to confirm if it's the frenzy potion, I smelled it on Mags' breath. And...you might wanna look at this. It's a big enough blade...

[He'll haul over the greatsword from the library, and reach for the half empty potion vial.]

[socialhacktivist]

What do you mean it doesn't sound right saying that he was stabbed?

[More than anything though, she's glad she wasn't the one finding and touching dead bodies this time.]

[zephyranthe]

[So here Fie is at the trial, having dragged along a bunch of shit. Some of it, like the sword and the note, are things she found while investigating, but uh... there seems to be an improvised bag made out of dresses or some shit and there may be a couple of bottles of alcohol there. Maybe. And a small pile of hay and clothing that's steadily burning next to her. No big deal at all.]

There was a weird note in Raph's room that made it sound like she was with some other group. I dunno if it was actually addressed to her though, since anyone could've put it in there when the door was unlocked.

[defriendestration]

CAN I SEE IT?

[Why though Paps]

[socialhacktivist]

Wait.. that kind of sounds like the letter I found before that talked about the Destroyer. Do you think that's the group of people it's talking about?

[At least... it seems as possible as anything else.]

Maybe she was working with them... or maybe they're moving again.

[Doing what though... she doesn't know what that would be yet.]

[intercessing]

[The Intercessor is shaking. They look so shocked, horrified.

Scared.]

Was...this was all my fault, wasn't it...

[The letter drops from their hands.]

[carries_war]

[Keeping one arm around Alexis, Jr. reaches down to pick up the note and read it. Then he shakes his head and holds even tighter to the Intercessor-no, the Dragonborn.]

No. This makes it sound like the bastards who put us here are your enemies. And whatever your enemies do, it's not your fault.

[poorlovefool]

[He's hesitant to say anything. He never really saw what the others saw in the Intercessor, but...]

...Hey, don't get like that. Farkas believed in you.

[If all of this is true, there must have been a great reason. Then maybe this information will be key to escaping with their lives. And speaking of which.]

What the hell is the key?

[bythewaves]

A low whine and the wolf drags himself up to press against the Intercessor, butting demandingly against them and licking consolingly at hands.

mods

[zephyranthe]

[By the way, that letter... if she compares the handwriting with that of the one she found in Raph's room, would it match?]

[poorlovefool]

So. We were talking about the killer being injured or something, right? I think I figured out what the chip on Raph's sword meant.

It probably got damaged when she was fighting the killer... then it was put back in her room so we wouldn't notice.

What do you think? Pretty good, right?

[defriendestration]

WHAT IF THE SWORD CHIP HURT THE...THE CULPRIT?

[carries_war]

Raph mentioned something about a coating that keeps blood from sticking back when we first got here, so if this is actually a sword from her home, it wouldn't show even if it was used to injure someone...

Strippin' all day e'ryday

[zephyranthe]

Stripping time again. There's too few of us though, so we can't split into groups. I'll go first.

[She takes off her school uniform in its entirety to reveal no recent wounds although she has some scuffs and dirt on her hands.]

[carries_war]

Just as long as you keep your breath over there...

[He's already down one shirt from making sure Maglor's head wound wasn't going to start bleeding again, and he doesn't seem to have developed any more shame since he was Rubedo. Again, people will be able to see his dragon tattoo and a black anklet tattoo, but no recent injuries.]

HMMMM

[defriendestration]

OK, SO NO ONE HAS WOUNDS, AND NO ONE HAS POTION BREATH SO FAR!!

WHAT COULD THAT MEAN?

[carries_war]

It could support my theory that the one responsible isn't one of us. Or maybe...what if Farkas and Raph killed each other? There's no way Raph could have swung that broadsword, but the cause of death was listed as a stabbing. Gut wounds are a slow death, so thirteen minutes from injury to death wouldn't be unreasonable, and depending on his pain tolerance, he could have made it downstairs before collapsing.

I found the broadsword next to Maglor's body, but it's unlikely he actually used it. He was completely covered in blood, but the sword's hilt was clean. It could have been used to obscure the true death wound, then planted by Maglor's body to make it look like he did it while frenzied. Likewise, Raph's sword, which wouldn't have held any bloodstains, could have been hidden in her room to hide the fact that she fought back.

The blood on Maglor...I think that was planted, too. It was too thoroughly covering him. It looked like he was just dipped in blood, rather than anything that could have come from an enemy's blood spray. I'm not sure why Farkas gave him that frenzy potion, but it's pretty clear from the rest of the scene that someone was trying to make it look like Maglor tried to cut Farkas in half.

VOTING

[strangerpeople]

[As soon as Maglor speaks about not remembering, something happens.

First, there is that strange, strange chill that seems to happen, either when something bad as happened, or when the strange happenings of the other cast came to light. Now, its come back, stronger as each moment passes. Things start to look blurry.

The female voice, however, is unmistakable.]

Very well. You now know who killed them both.

Vote. Now.

[zephyranthe]

I thought we were supposed to take our time. I don't think we're done yet.

MASS EXECUTION: Dragon Break

[strangerpeople]

[Instantly, everyone except for Rubedo is promptly grabbed and dragged to the stage by invisible hands. The Intercessor, too, is grabbed. The smell of a potion fills the air, as the Intercessor is paralyzed.

The strange sensation deepens.]

Now, Alexis. I suppose I should call you that. You always were so interested in the well-being of those you care about. I think it's only fair you watch others die.

Start with the weakest. We will deal with the Decayed momentarily, and he knows he cannot match our numbers.

[Instantly, blood begins to appear on Killua's and Futaba's throats as those holding them begin to slit them. At least, that is what happening one moment.

Then, suddenly, there is a bright light. Screams, and the sound of a dragon's roar. Everything blurs, and for a moment, there is a group of six silhouettes fighting a dragon and then--

The axe smashes down, and the figure holding Futaba collapses, visible and dead, and cleaved in half. The one holding Futaba is impaled in a sword, also now dead.

There is a shout from the female, from wherever she is standing.]

What-!?

[Three new figures have appeared on the stage.]

[carnageandclass]

Oh? Someone has indeed been naughty

[One of the figures, the owner of the axe who chopped down Futaba's captor did not look like she was meant to use one if her armor said anything but the way she held it up showed she had some damn good skills. But despite this woman's smile, it's best to be cautious around her.

Who is this woman?]