The Festival of Color. Colorful banners decorated the streets and homes of Abed. Inns and taverns had entrancing scents of the best curries that wafted in the air. Some stalls sold the usual produce, but around this time of year there were a few that sold colored sands and chalk. Music played loudly and cheerfully, with equally cheerful dancers and singers, and storytellers all around the globe came to practice their tale in front children who were struck with awe. 

But it wasn't the prospect of hypnotic food, games, dance, nor competitions that drew the Eldritch pair to the Blessed City of Abed. Rather it was the strong scent of blood and death that lurked underneath the streets that had them salivating, and wishing to pay the city a visit…

Several months had gone by after the pair had finished their travels throughout Revaliir. Learning from it, observing its strengths and weaknesses. Even having encountered several Gods along the way. No longer were they confused foreigners, struggling to get their speech right. Or offering their blades for coin. No, they've moved up in the social ladder. Through…unconventional means they were now considered Nobles. Count and Countess  Blaque (pronounced Black) were their identities for the public ever since they joined the aristocrats. Their home was Kurayo, on Koschei Isle. The island's perpetual darkness was perfect for their 'complexion'. 

Ramla, who by her noble name went by Sybille Blaque now and Nihr went by Solomon Blaque. Although only a handful of people know their true names, something they wish to keep it that way. Ramla was browsing the market stalls, wearing a beautiful, long, dark - bronze colored dress. It was long-sleeved but the shoulders were bare, and it had a deep cleavage, it was also tight fitted around the torso but the skirt part gently, flowed out. An intricate embroidery design with sparkly thread, and beads really made the dress dazzle. And over the dress she wore a light, feathery coat of a lighter color. Her thick, curly hair was pinned up with pins that were made in Ataiyo.

Leaving another stall she briefly glanced around, her amethyst gaze finding Nihr, who was listening to the storytellers as they practiced. But as she glanced around she could hear a familiar voice, and a set of carefully placed hooves. Turning around she found the voice and smiled as she immediately recognized the Centaur. Paradox, the first Revaliir inhabitant they befriended when they came here. Ramla waved at her, "Paradox!" With a chuckle as she watched the large horse-woman push through the crowd. Shouting over her shoulder for Nihr to pay attention while she approached Paradox. "It's good to see you again, friend. Hereto see the festival as well I assume?" Ramla smiled as she proudly showed how well her grasp for the language was. Of course their accent was something they  couldn't get rid of but at least now they could fool people into thinking that they almost know the language fluently.

Nihr was excited to be here, lately it was all work and no play for them. Both he and Ramla had worked hard to get to where they are now. Starting in Tarishitar as a dockworker and she as a cook at an Inn that could barely get itself out of debt. After the events of the Dream Rift they grew restless. No longer did they want a mediocre life as peasants, it was time they moved forward. And so they parted ways for a while, Nihr exploring the Canelux continent and its islands while Ramla stayed on Parvporan soil to explore it. Both made a living and gathered a wealth by offering their blades for hire, but then they found someone who was willing to help them out in exchange of becoming a more exclusive employee for them.

She was a noble, and a con-artist. Illusions and deception was her form of art. And she also happened to know someone who had a friend who knew someone that was befriended with someone, whose entourage was familiar with the Sultan of Abed. A couple of favors later and she managed to get us a 'title' provided we could live up to it of course. Which wasn't a problem. Death can be very profitable….

So Count Solomon Blaque he became, it had a nice ring to it and fit the populous of Koschei Isle perfectly. It was nice and…gloomy sounding. Nihr had changed his appearance however, his previous look apparently wasn't 'noble' material. Too scruffy looking. So he choose this; long, white hair like snow almost. His eyes still the same purple color, his physique was that of a chiseled Adonis but not too buff. He didn't like the buff look, too much, too over the top. His hairstyle was a long pony tail that reached till mid waist, much like Ramla's length of hair. His bangs were a bit unruly though but some ladies said it had its charm that way. For the festivities he wore an Abedian styled outfit, dark in color with a professional look to it. Almost a 'gentleman meets military' look to it. With a bronze colored sash around his waist and over one shoulder to match Ramla's outfit. His coat was also with a feathered trim and it was heavier in material than Ramla's was. All in all, both of them matched in outfit. Like a true Noble couple would.

He watched the storytellers entertain the local children as they practiced their 'colorful' tales. Using colored powders and sands to shape it into a moving painting to tell a story. One told the tale of a damsel in distress who was imprisoned by a dragon, but a brave knight slayed the beast and rescued the fair maiden. The next told a children's tale about a little duckling.  And so on…and so on…

It made Nihr wonder if perhaps he should join this art contest. If he did…he'd probably tell a scary story then. He began to chuckle to himself when he pictured all the children getting scared. His moment was interrupted when Ramla called for him. Turning around, he spotted her and their friend Paradox. He was actually pleased to see the Centaur. After all they owe everything to her. The woman showed them kindness when no one else would. With his hands clasped together behind his back he made his way towards the ladies. "Paradox, how nice to see you!" His change of appearance must've seem odd to the woman, " It's me Nihr-Th'tep-Ar. Although now we go by the names of Solomon and Sybille Blaque due to our status. We belong to the noble caste over at Koschei Isle. Nice people once you get past the whole 'doom-and-gloom' and  'get-off-our-island-strangers- vibe'."

Paradox was walking calmly through the crowded market, careful not to step on any of the small children that ran wildly underfoot. This was one of the few times when parents could let their children run freely without supervision, and they little ones were very obvious in their enjoyment of this newfound, abet temporary, freedom. She smirked down at them and a few looked up at her in awe. She was getting used to being stared at, she's been travelling in human country alone for a long time now. So it was of no shock to her when she realized that she was the only centaur in the city.

She was of slight shock when she heard someone, a lady, calling her name from across the square. She turned and looked over, her ears perked in interest. She saw the girl, waving her hand at her and smiling. She squinted at her, recognizing the face but everything else seemed alien and unfamiliar. She called her name again and this sparked her curiosity. She'd met her before, but she couldn't place where. As she waded her way through the crowd she remembered a pair of new settlers coming to Revaliir a short time ago. Perhaps these were the same such persons.

She stopped in front of the couple and smiled at them. She remembered their scents and their names quickly followed. "Hello Ramla, Hello Nihr." She nodded at both of them. They had changed a lot in their appearances since she last saw them and their fluency in the common tongue was impressive. "It's good to see you lot as well. Ramla, I see you have recovered from you old hurts quite nicely I see. And Nihr, still the looker you used to be, even with the change in appearances. It's good to see you all again. I was wondering what became of you. I'm glad to see that you all are well off in the aristocracy." 

She was still talking with them when she caught the scent of something strange. Rot? She thought to herself. She paused in her conversation with her old acquaintances and looked over towards an alley between two nearby buildings. It smelled like something died, and fairly recently too. She glanced back down at her friends. "Excuse me please." She said politely. She turned and walked slowly towards the edge of the crowd and disappeared into the darkened space. 

She didn't have to walk far before the scent of death was overwhelming. She looked down and saw the body of a young man on the ground, lying next to a pile of trash. A large black dog was standing behind it and as she approached the dog turned and looked at her. The dog wasn't eating the meat and its paws and muzzle wasn't bloodied, so she was sure that it hadn't killed the man. It likely had come to the body for the same reason she had, it had smelled it and was merely curious. She didn't see any point in chasing it off. It wasn't hurting anything. 

Ramla was glad to know that Paradox still recognized them. She nodded and rubbed her arm where her old wounds were, "As am I, it took us a while to recover from it. That healer did a grand job at patching us up. I wished I could've properly thanked him now that I know the language better." She said as she thought back about that Inn. She chuckled when Paradox told Nihr he had become a looker, to be fair Ramla thought so too. She had challenged him once, told him that if he was going to choose a face then it should be a face of his own creation instead a stolen one. 

She glanced at him briefly and looped an arm around his, smiling proudly at him. Ramla nodded at both Paradox and Nihr, "It took us many months to accomplish this, but we made it." The trio caught up with each other, talking about their adventures until Paradox's attention was drawn elsewhere. Ramla followed the Centaur's gaze before she excused herself and went to investigate a dark alley. Ramla and Nihr stayed behind for a few seconds, enough to give each other a knowing look before they followed the Centaur. Pushing through the crowd and into the darkness, Ramla lifted her skirt a bit off the ground as not to dirty it when walking through the alleyway, gods know what lies in the gutters.

It wasn't hard to figure out that Paradox was following the same scent that the Eldritch pair were picking up on. "Oh my…" Ramla managed to say with a sense of fake shock, her hand pulling her coat closer to her. "That poor man, what happened to him?" She glanced around to see if perhaps there was a murder weapon, the corpse was disposed of so … publicly and clumsy. Perhaps the killer left something behind but she couldn't see anything peculiar other than a black dog.  

Nihr listened to the women with his hands still clasped behind his back. His posture over time had also changed with his appearance, it wasn't that of a playful Don Juan anymore. He had a more stern posture, regal, militaristic. One that showed power and made people think twice before messing with him. When they changed their rags for nobility they really changed everything about them in order to fit in. Nihr chuckled a bit when Paradox told him he became a looker, he wasn't sure if he should feel flattered or insulted. He always thought he was a good looking man. It's why he chooses his faces, to attract not repel. 

But this face was different, it was an original one. Not one he had borrowed from people he encountered or killed. This was his own creation. Something Ramla told him he should give it a try, instead of stealing faces he needed to have an identity of his own for once. And he completely agreed, he liked his new face. Nihr mostly listened to the ladies talk, until a breeze made him catch a whiff of something familiar. Something decaying. Unlike Paradox though he didn't react to the scent, not yet at least. 

Nihr looked down at Ramla, noticing she gave him the same look he had. "Let the games begin then." He said in a low voice with a small grin. With Ramla around his arm he headed the same direction Paradox went. Once there they found her towering over a corpse, a fresh one it seemed. Nihr almost immediately spotted the black dog while Ramla pretended to care about the wasted life. "Perhaps a rabid dog?" He asked the group. Then he remembered something, "I remember overhearing some guards as we walked towards the market, something about corpses showing up mysteriously here? Puts quite a damper on a festival. What do you think Paradox?"

Aspect had only been investigating the carcass a short time before she heard the sound of hooves and footsteps. She looked up and saw a large female Centaur approach her followed closely by a noble couple. She backed up a few paces to give them room to look over the body as she had. It was very peculiar, she didn't know why this man was killed, but the splattering of colored curry around the body was very odd indeed. She'd seen it around a few other bodies that she'd discovered in the past few days she'd been here. She questioned whether there was a connection between the two. 

The centaur said nothing but the woman and man were quick to speak up. The woman's voice sounded strained and, even though she tried to make her words sincere, they leaked sarcasm and were painful to listen to. It was nice to know that both of them were comfortable being around a body of one of their own. She silently wondered if they were mercenaries, not many people were as relaxed as them in the presence of a murder. The man's voice was lower and without the drama of his partner. Rabid dog? Really…She didn't know how she felt about this man. She was getting the impression he was rather accusatory and didn't like to take the blame for himself when something went wrong. As she listened she picked up that the centaur's name was Paradox, and she thought the name was rather fitting.

She stepped forward and looked up at them. "I am many things," she said quietly, flicking her tail back and forth. "But I can assure you that rabid is not one of them." She shook herself and felt the fur coat melt away into her leather jacket and pants. She stood up, brushing aside some of the dark red hair that fell over her shoulder. She was almost as tall as the male noble and couldn't help but look him in the eye for a moment. She put her hands in her pockets and leaned against the wall, not caring if it was dirty or not. "I found a few more like him already this week. They're rather common if you know where to look." She kicked a small amount of colored powder with the toe of her boot. "This curry crap is next to all of the bodies as well. I find it rather disgusting but I know a lot of folks enjoy it."

Ramla looked down at the possible rabid dog but she didn't see any foaming around its muzzle, nor any weird behavior. In fact the dog seemed rather docile and was just as curious about the corpse as they were. "Hmm, I don't think it's the dog's fault. It's just waiting for its meal." She turned her gaze to Nihr when he told about the guards, "Yes, I remember that. Weren't they giving out rewards to whoever who give them more information?" She grimaced when he squatted down and began to inspect the corpse more closely.

She agreed with his analyzes that the man was killed elsewhere, else this alley would've been more messy. What she didn't expect was that the dog could speak? She watched as the dog, now clearly female, shifted into her human form. A pretty one at that too. And Nihr noticed this too she saw. She cleared her throat and whacked him across the head with her hand. "Hey, focus!" She told him. She gave the redhead a small smile and a apologetic look. she didn't get the chance to introduce themselves because Nihr beat her to it. Typical when around beautiful women. "Don't forget our friend Paradox, dear." She said with clenched teeth.

Once introductions were done, Aspect came to the point and explained them what she had discovered. Ramla pondered, "On all the bodies this curry is found on them? Well there has to be a connection then? A restaurant that sells curry? Or a smaller vendor?" 

Nihr squatted beside the corpse and inspected it more closely. Besides the scent of decay, blood, and other bodily fluids that were slowly being released there was 1 other scent. Something sweet and savory? The scents were too muddled for him to pinpoint it. Until he noticed the splatters beside the body. "Well, his throat was sliced, almost deep enough to behead him. No blood pools so he was killed elsewhere. The dog is innocent then." He chuckled as he stared at the beast before it replied back to him which stunned both him and his wife.

He blinked a few times as he watched the shapeshifter transform into her human self. And might I say…Rarw….He thought as he stared at the redhead, until Ramla snapped him out of it by slapping the back of his head. He chuckled at her reaction and then stood up, brushing his pants and turning his purple gaze at the redhead again. "The name is Blaque, Solomon Blaque. Count Solomon Blaque. And this is my wife the Countess Sybille Blaque." 

He cleared his throat and then focused on the job. Listening to Aspect as she explained her findings. He looked down at the splatters of curry, frowning he dipped a finger in the colored stains and sniffed it. So that's what he was smelling. Curry. He got back up and listened to Ramla as he wiped the gunk on his pants. "I agree, it's no coincidence then. What do you think Paradox? You seem to be more familar with Abed than we do."

Paradox stood calmly as they investigated the body. She wasn't really surprised at all when the dog transformed. She had smelled off and now she understood why. The colored curry was brought to her attention and she reached down and took a small pinch from next to the dead man. It was a strange concoction, unlike any she had seen before, at least in Abed. It had a strange odor and the coloring itself was very unnatural. She wasn't quite sure what to make of it.

"Yes Ramla," she said quietly, letting the powder drop out of her hand. "I am convinced there is a correlation between this curry and the deceased persons this one has been finding around the alleys." She looked down at the shapeshifter as she spoke. "I think it would be good to search the vendors and find whoever sells this specific kind of powder. Whoever does, likely has some involvement, or at least knowledge about the killings happening here. I think it would be best if we split up to cover more ground."

She looked at the shapeshifter again. "Horses are faster than men after all," she implied to her. The shapeshifter met her gaze and gave a slow nod. Her back arched as she dropped to her hands and knees and took on the form of another, a horse, the size of Paradox's lower half and the color of dark liver, the only white being a small mark on her brow. She tossed her head and looked at Nihr and Ramla expectantly.

 "I shall go with Ramla and check the right side of the market. Nihr, you and the shapeshifter shall explore the left. We shall meet you in front of the temple in the center of the square." Paradox extended her hand to Ramla as an invitation to come astride and they would quickly be off to inspect the curry vendors.

Aspect was quiet as she listened to the nobles speak. The man introduced them as Counts and a married couple. How odd, she thought of him as the sort that would run amok with any woman he caught. His "wife" certainly had gotten a good catch, at least in looks, the fidelity that he had was something only measured in time. They were also strange in their attitudes and demeanors, which she found rather strange for noble creatures they advertised themselves to be. She suspected they had either killed some rich, or were recently inherited to the upper class. Either way, they weren't naturally the well off sort.

As they spoke, she decided that the woman was rather clever and intuitive. She had made the same connections that she had. The man, she was still unsure about, as after she had changed into her current form, he stared at her like a piece of meat. The nerve, how disrespectful to his wife. She couldn't help but give a small smirk when she slapped him upside the head. Ungrateful man. She gave him a glare before turning her attention to the centaur. The plan was decided that they would go and look for possible vendors selling this particular curry. Her nose wrinkled at the thought, she hated curry. The vile stuff.

They would split and search the market for the origin of the curry and its original vendor and owner. Once discovered, they would interrogate the individual for information about the murders taking place in the dark parts of the square. They would meet at the temple to discuss their findings afterwards. Sounded fair enough to her. The centaur would search with the woman and she would be stuck with the unfaithful husband. Oh, lucky her. She turned into her horse form, after being suggested to by Paradox. She watched her assist Sybille and they seemed ready to go. She pinned her ears back as she grudgingly made her way over to Solomon, or whatever the man's name was.

She snorted hot air in his face before turning her head to stare at him with one of her grey eyes. "Let's get one thing straight. If you kick me, I will have no qualms about dumping you in the street," her teeth clicked together as she spoke. "If you slap me, I will dump you. If you hit me with your hand or anything else, I will dump you. If you spur me, I will dump you. If touch me where I do not want to be touched, I will dump you. If you yell in my ear, I will dump you. If you fall off, I will dump you. If you do anything besides sit on my back and be quiet, I will dump you. Is that understood?" She gave him a harsh glare before turning and standing next to an old crate in the alley.