Chapter II: Brotherly Love

Septanus, the 3rd Sevimus brother and the leader of the secret police of the Empire, is introduced in this chapter.

Chapter II: Brotherly Love

Abbadon, followed by a shocked and surprised Decius, charges into the room, coming face to face with the tall, lithe and quiet man in the middle of the room silently observing and taking notes. He smiles to himself, quietly chuckling and putting away his notes into his flowing black and crimson trench coat. “Septanus!" Abbadon exclaims, his grip on his ax tightening as he continues to shout at the man. "What in the hell are you doing here?! Shouldn't you be busy doing something else? Like making sure Arcim-“the Warmaster gets cut off as Septanus clears his throat and shakes his head, still smiling and quietly laughing, before responding quietly and coolly. “Well, now! Look who graces us with his presence! Welcome! It’s such a delight to see you again as well!" Septanus stops and gestures to the men silently and diligently working around him, all dressed in black and crimson trench coats, before addressing Abbadon once more. "Well, to answer your question: I’m just here with my agents investigating the death of the Emperor… our father.” Septanus says, tearing up a little bit, but recovering instantly. “In case you don’t remember, dear brother, I am the head of the Imperial Intelligence Service, which IS the secret police, which ALSO means that I have the right to be anywhere I want.” He smiles after saying this, knowing that he is right and there isn't a thing that Abbadon can do about it without killing him. 'I love it when I play by the rules' Septanus thinks to himself, smiling. 'He get so frustrated so easily!'

Silence overtakes the room, as investigators and agents work around the room and as Abbadon and Septanus look like they are about to kill each other, the silence is broken by Decius. “So… Master Septanus. What have you and your agents discovered, if you do not mind sharing? And does the Chaplain know about what has happened?” he cautiously says, making sure that he doesn't offend the head of the secret police. Septanus eyes the captain carefully before replying. “The Emperor was murdered at approximately 4:45 this morning. His throat was cut with accuracy and precision by a thin blade, most likely a dagger or some kind of knife, in the hands of a trained expert. We sent it back to some of our underworld contacts to see if they could identify the origins of the weapon.” He thinks about the second part to the captain’s question, before shaking his head. “I could not inform my other older brother, no. I went to his quarters, but he wasn't there. I want to say he went to go meet with Elven ambassador who is staying in town, but I also want to say that he just simply went for a stroll. Don’t worry; he should be back anytime now. He’s been getting good at sensing what’s wrong with others, him being a psychic and whatnot.” Septanus responds, grinning just a little bit.

“Well, I have better things to do than talk to a conniving rat such as yourself, so I will take my leave. Continue your investigation, Septanus. I want ALL the details ready for me by this evening. Got it?” Abbadon growls, his grip on his ax tightening. Smiling maliciously, Septanus nods. “Of course, Warmaster. You will have all the details of my investigation as soon as I figure out everything. Now, run along and go beat something to death for me, you simple mongrel?” Abbadon raises his ax with a roar of frustration, but is effectively stopped by Decius. “Milord, let’s go train with the troops. It’ll help take your mind off all this.” He turns to Septanus, who is very entertained at the fact that his older brother just tried to cut him in half. “I apologize, Master Septanus. Lord Abbadon is under lots of stress. We will depart now for the training fields and let you investigate.”

As the pair leaves, another man in standard secret police garb enters the room and stands in front of Septanus. “What do you have for me, Dion?” Septanus says in a hushed tone. The man bows and reveals a very ornate and bloodstained dagger. “Our contacts have no idea who could have made it. Its an entirely foreign weapon to their experts, sir.” The man hands it to Septanus, who begins to study it. He then looks up from the dagger with a slight smile. “I think I know who will.” The man, baffled but isn't showing that he is, bows and responds. “Who could know?” Septanus pauses as he’s about to leave the room. “Keep the crime scene locked down; nobody other than me or secret police is allowed in. I’m going for a little stroll in the greenhouse…”

Author's Note

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