Magick, Monsters & Murder

As soon as Riniock's lesson ended that day, he set out to execute his plan. If he wanted to uncover anything about Jorian, he would need to adopt the same methods as his target, shadowing him, and tailing his movements discreetly.

 Jorian's day, however, turned out to be more nuanced than Riniock had anticipated. After his peculiar pastime of seemingly spying on him, Jorian seamlessly transitioned into more mundane activities. He attended his lessons, completed his assignments, and interacted with others as any normal staff member would.

 This duality only deepened Riniock's curiosity.

 Determined to find closure, Riniock maintained a careful distance, observing and piecing together the enigmatic man's routine whilst ensuring his own presence went unnoticed.

 As time went on, following Jorian proved fruitless. Riniock decided it was time for a different strategy. If shadowing the man yielded no insights, perhaps others could provide the answers he sought. He began discreetly asking around, taking care to keep his inquiries subtle.

 During a break between lessons, he found himself sitting next to Elred, an acolyte with a penchant for gossip. Elred's brother, a former classmate of Jorian, often shared titbits about them and their histories. It made Elred a wellspring of information on nearly everyone in their cohort.

 'Elred,' Riniock began after a few minutes of exchanging words with him, his tone casual, 'has your brother ever mentioned anything about Jorian? He seems...different.'

 Elred arched an eyebrow, his curiosity piqued. 'Jorian? Oh, plenty. But why do you care? He's just one of the senior staff, assigned to...well, mundane chores, mostly.'

 'Assigned to chores?' Riniock repeated, feigning nonchalance. 'Is there a particular reason for that?'

 'Absolutely,' Elred replied with a sly smile. 'Acolytes like us, those with clear promise are usually given opportunities to flourish. But if someone reaches a bottleneck and stops progressing, they're often transitioned to roles like Jorian's. It's not failure – it's more like being put on hold indefinitely.'

 'So, he's a stagnant maegi?' Riniock asked, leaning in slightly.

 'Something like that,' Elred said with a shrug. 'From what I know, his focus shifted to escort duties. Those jobs are important but...not exactly glamorous.'

 'Escort duties?'

 Riniock leaned back, processing the information. If Jorian's role was more limited than it seemed, then his constant watchfulness could very well be personal. It might not be tied to the college's oversight at all. Was Jorian stepping outside the boundaries of his responsibilities to monitor him?

 If that were true, it simplified matters. With only one person invested, neutralising the threat could be straightforward.

 'Thanks, Elred,' Riniock said, standing up.

 'Anytime,' Elred replied, reclining with a grin. 'If you want to dig deeper, talk to those two seniors who guide us in the mornings. They were in Jorian's class.'

 As Riniock walked away, his thoughts churned. A clearer picture of Jorian's motives was beginning to take shape. After deciding to approach the seniors for more insight, Riniock resolved to postpone his inquiries until the following morning, when the two seniors would arrive to wake the acolytes – a routine that was often anything but pleasant.

 As usual, a few acolytes overslept and were met with stern reprimands. Riniock seized the moment.

 'Go on ahead,' he said to Niann, motioning for him to join the others heading to their lessons. 'I need to discuss something.'

 Niann hesitated briefly but nodded. 'Alright. Don't be late.'

 With the other acolytes out of sight, Riniock turned his attention to the seniors. He approached the female senior first, hoping for a straightforward answer.

 'Excuse me, would it be possible –'

 'Get lost, craven!' she snapped, cutting him off sharply.

 Riniock sighed inwardly, not surprised but deeply disappointed. Her fiery temper was a well-known trait, evident from the very first day. Deciding not to press further, he shifted his focus to the male senior, choosing his words with care to avoid a similar outcome.

 'Between you and Sir Noidron, who would you say is stronger?'

 The male senior paused, studying Riniock with a curious glint in his eye. Normally, he'd have scolded him, even berated him for failure to attend his lesson, but not this time. 'Why do you ask?'

 'I'm trying to understand more about the staff here,' Riniock replied, his tone measured. 'It seems...some of them, like Sir Jorian, have unique roles. I thought it might help to know how they compare to others.'

 The senior's expression softened slightly, his tone laced with mild amusement. 'Interesting question. Strength, in this context, is simply magickal power. Noidron is formidable, no doubt, but he wouldn't stand a chance against me. Jorian, on the other hand, is probably the runt of the staff members.'

 'Why is that?' Riniock pressed, sensing an opportunity to dig deeper.

 The senior crossed his arms, his gaze flickering momentarily towards the corridor where the other acolytes had gone. 'Let's just say Jorian never quite mastered martial magickal arts. His strength was in projecting his arcane sense, an exceptional skill. But even that talent was stripped from him about a year ago due to an injury.'

 'Injury?' Riniock asked, feigning mild curiosity. 'Are you saying his arcane sense no longer works?'

 'Exactly,' the senior confirmed, his voice lowering slightly. 'He couldn't detect a mouse trailing him even if it were right under his nose.'

 Riniock nodded thoughtfully. 'I see. Thank you for sharing.'

 The senior gave him a curt nod, his expression hardening again. 'Now, get to class before I give you something to really think about.'

 As Riniock walked away, the puzzle pieces were finally starting to fall into place. This revelation explained why Jorian had failed to notice him the day before when he had been tailing him.

 It wasn't a matter of oversight – it was a matter of inability. Jorian's once-formidable arcane sense had been rendered useless, leaving him effectively blind to subtle surveillance.

 Which raised an unsettling question: why was Jorian so determined to pursue the matter of the murder with such zeal? Even Professor Bhallen, a figure of authority, had dismissed Odrean's death as inconsequential.

 Was Jorian seeking some form of recognition, perhaps trying to redeem himself by unearthing the truth? Or was there something deeper driving his relentless curiosity?

 Whatever his motives, one thing was now certain – his vulnerability presented an opportunity. Armed with the knowledge of Jorian's weakened state, Riniock had a clearer sense of how to act. If all went according to plan, this investigation would be snuffed out before it gained any traction, fading into obscurity like a shadow never cast into the light.