Foreseen My Death/Dialogues

**You are experiencing the story in third-person view.**

***In Nova Roma. At Audenzia’s room.***

* Audenzia and Tara (Audenzia; annoyed): Is something wrong, Tara? Your hand is trembling.
* Audenzia and Tara (Tara; dressing Audenzia; nervous): I-I’m sorry Milady, it’s just…. I’m really scared… About what Augustus is going to do to us.
* Audenzia and Tara (Audenzia; eye rolling): There’s nothing to be scared about. We’ll be alright as long as we’re within the palace grounds.
* Audenzia and Tara (Audenzia; concerned): If there’s anyone who has to worry, it’s the people roaming the streets of Rome and what will become of their city…
* Audenzia and Tara (Audenzia; serious): Now compose yourself and help me with the dress! I’m already late for dinner!

*After being dressed.*

* Audenzia (admiring herself): There we go. I’m ready. How do you think I look?
* Tara (sweating): You look great… But don’t you think this dress is a little too inappropriate for dining with Augustus?
* Audenzia (serious): I don’t give a damn what he thinks and I want to set this message clear. Now lets go join the others to the triclinium.

***At the triclinium.***

* Augustus (smirking): It is in my deepest pleasure to be sitting here with the latest generation of the Caesar legacy. Are all the members of the household present here tonight?
* Carolus and Livius (Livius; sweating): Y-yes. I mean, there’s still one more but she should be present here at any minute…
* Claudilla and Anna (Claudilla; eye rolling): Who cares if Audenzia is here or not? She’s not even one of us-
* Audenzia and Tara (Audenzia; serious): Has anyone called my name?

*Audenzia’s appearance immediately turned heads.*

* Claudilla and Anna (Claudilla; appalled): *Gasps.*
* Claudilla and Anna (Anna; whispering): No way she showed up to dinner dressed like this!
* Carolus and Livius (Carolus; holding his angry): Absolutely disrespectful!
* Carolus and Livius (Livius; hopeless): Audenzia…
* Augustus (grinning): So the latecomer has finally graced us with her presence. I was starting to get impatient but I have to admit the wait was worth it…
* Audenzia and Tara (Audenzia; glaring): …
* Marissa (whooping): Lady Diodora! Over here!
* Audenzia and Tara (Audenzia; glancing at Tara): Tara, why don’t you play us a tune on the harp?
* Audenzia and Tara (Tara; bowing): As you wish, milady.

*Tara sits on a stool.*

* Tara (playing the harp): …
* Marissa (smiling; laying on coach): I made sure to save a spot for you, come and lay down!
* Audenzia (smiling): Thank you, Lady Catonis. That was very thoughtful of you.

*Audenzia lays on the couch next to Marissa.*

* Augustus (eating): Mmm… That Libum is very delicious, what’s the secret behind its rich taste?
* Carolus and Livius (Livius; nervous smile): Well… We have Lady Buttox to thank for this. She produces the best dairy products in the empire-
* Augustus (clueless): Pardon me, but did I hear you say ‘lady’?!
* Carolus and Livius (Livius; blushing): Uh…
* Marissa and Audenzia (Marissa; offended): He did, is there a problem with that?
* Augustus (smirking): Hey now, I never explicitly said that, have I?
* Augustus (grinning): You should be careful not to put words into people’s mouths. After all, you don’t want to say anything you might regret…
* Marissa and Audenzia (Marissa; sweating): Uh…
* Claudilla and Anna (Claudilla; blushing): Um… Augustus?
* Augustus (smirking): Yes, dear? How can I help you?
* Claudilla and Anna (Claudilla; nervous smile): You don’t mind if I… Asked you some questions?
* Augustus (welcoming): Of course not! Feel free to ask whatever question is on your mind!
* Claudilla and Anna (Claudilla; sweating): Don’t mistaken me, it is an honor to have you with us, but I’m also curious….
* Claudilla and Anna (Claudilla; clueless): Why are you not dead?!
* Carolus and Livius (Carolus; furious): CLAUDILLA! Have you no manners-?
* Augustus (laughing): Hahaha! It’s fine! I get where this is coming from…
* Augustus (grinning): Well, my dear. I think you need to learn some things about death and what it really means.
* Augustus (smirking): You see, no one can truly be gone. Once you die, you aren’t perished from existence, instead you just go on to live another life, in a different place and the atmosphere of the place depends on your actions and what the gods think of them.
* Augustus (indicating): A few years ago, there’s been a war. Between the gods and their predecessors- the Titans! The Titans have risen from their graves and as a result, the doors of death have opened, leading to many of the deceased to break free.
* Augustus (serious): I was one of the lucky ones and managed to escape with my loyal soldiers. For years, I’ve kept a low profile until I met a woman and she told me that somewhere in the middle of nowhere there is an empire consisting of what’s left of Rome, where my legacy still lives on…
* Augustus (smirking): When I heard those news, I made it my quest to look for your empire and came in hopes to bring Rome back to its former glory!
* Claudilla and Anna (Anna; twirling her hair): And how exactly do you expect to do this?
* Carolus and Livius (Carolus; grinning): Like how they did it in the past- By waging war against other empires!
* Marissa and Audenzia (Audenzia; spitting her drink): WHAT?!
* Carolus and Livius (Livius; shocked): Wait, what-
* Carolus and Livius (Carolus; excited): Think about this, Livius! With Augustus by our side, we can make Rome great again!
* Carolus and Livius (Carolus; fantacizing): We will shed blood, expand our empire and force everyone to bow to our rule!
* Carolus and Livius (Carolus; determined): And we can start by attacking those that have invaded us in the past! We will burn Graecita to the ground!
* Marissa and Audenzia (Audenzia; worried): Oh no…
* Carolus and Livius (Carolus; serious): Think, Livius! Don’t you want vengeance against those who tried to get you killed?!
* Carolus and Livius (Livius; sweating): I…
* Augustus (thinking): Of course, if you need my help, there’s also a catch…
* Carolus and Livius (Carolus; smiling): A catch? What more could you possibly want than glory to the empire?!
* Augustus (smirking): I want the throne.
* Carolus and Livius (Livius; sweating): Did you say… T-the throne..?
* Augustus (grinning): Yes. So, what do you say? Will you give me the throne and let me bring glory to Rome, or will you choose to turn me away?
* Claudilla and Anna (Anna; whispering): *Do you think Livius will actually step down?*
* Marissa and Audenzia (Audenzia; worried): *No! I can’t let him do this!*
* Augustus (smirking): What’s your choice, dear Livius?
* Carolus and Livius (Livius; sweating): I-
* Marissa and Audenzia (Audenzia; shouting): NO!
* Claudilla and Anna (both startled): AH!
* Audenzia (begging): Livius, you can’t hand Augustus the throne!
* Carolus and Livius (Carolus; pissed): Lady Diodora, who gave you permission to spea-
* Audenzia (furious): SHUT UP!
* Audenzia (hopeful): For millenia, we’ve been living in peace and dead quiet, isolated from the rest of the world.
* Audenzia (serious): And we were happy! We don’t need to go in a war, all for just a little sense of glory!
* Audenzia (worried): Livius… That man… He represents everything that you’ve preached against! Think about the people of Rome and what would happen to them when he becomes emperor again!
* Audenzia (begging): Think about Nebet!
* Carolus and Livius (Livius; holding his anger): Don’t-
* Audenzia (begging): If she was still alive… Would she want this? Do you think HE would’ve allowed you to be with he-
* Carolus and Livius (Livius; furious): Audenzia, ENOUGH!
* Audenzia (shocked): B-but…
* Carolus and Livius (Livius; pissed): You’ve talked for long enough. I don’t need to hear what else you have to say.
* Audenzia (disappointed): *Sighs.*
* Augustus (snickering): Yeah, listen to your “emperor”. After all, women like you have no place in political discussions.
* Marissa (offended): *Gasps.* Excuse me?!
* Audenzia (offended): Are YOU telling me what MY place is?!
* Tara (worried): Milady… I think we need to go away-
* Audenzia (pissed): First, you come to our land uninvited and you attack our people. Then you barge into our palace, pretending you have more authority than us and now you think you get to boss me- or any of us around?!
* Audenzia (angry): You may have been welcomed by everyone with open arms but I see your for what you are! And you’re not the great emperor the legends make you out to be!
* Audenzia (furious): You are nothing but a cruel, cold-hearted and ruthless dictator and I’ll die before I call you emperor!
* Carolus and Livius (Livius; nervous): Audenzia-
* Augustus (grinning): If that’s what you want, so be it. GUARDS.
* Audenzia and guards (Audenzia; being captured): Hey-!
* Livius (shocked): NO-! Wait!
* Augustus (smirking): Is there something you’d like to say, “your Majesty”?
* Livius (sweating): You can’t kill her! She’s… She’s… She’s pregnant!
* Livius (hopeful): She’s pregnant with my child! If you kill her, she’s taking your legacy with her!
* Augustus (shocked): Now, why did you fail to say this earlier? That changes everything!
* Augustus (grinning): Centurions, escort this lady to her chambers and lock her up. Make sure she has no way to leave the palace.
* Augustus (smirking): And I want her too be provided just enough care to ensure she survives, at least until the child is born.
* Audenzia and guards (Guard 1; saluting): Yessir!
* Audenzia and guards (Guard 2; pushing Audenzia): Come on, get moving!

***Previously, at Graecita…***

* Marionette (pissed): In fact, I bet this is the first time Maylin over there have heard about any of this! Right?!
* Maylin (in disbelief): I…

*Shirley barges in.*

* Shirley (panicking): Your Majesty-
* Leonora and Norah (Leonora; serious): Now’s not the time, Shirley!
* Shirley (sweating): But it’s important!
* Leonora and Norah (Leonora; impatient): What is it?!
* Shirley (shocked): Sveta Rasputina was murdered!
* Leonora and Norah (Leonora; shocked): WHAT?!
* Marionette (shocked): H-how?! Where did you hear that from?!
* Shirley (nervous): My hus- I mean, one of the soldiers came knocking on the palace and he told me he’s received a report about her body found in the city library!
* Alex (shocked): B-but, we were just about to go meet her! How did that-
* Jennifer (pissed): Ugh… We should have went to her directly after the burial! We could have prevented this!
* Alex (hopeless): Hey, lets not beat ourselves over this. There was no way we could have anticipated this…
* Marionette (determined): Yeah, if there’s one thing we should be doing right now, is go to the library and find out who murdered her!
* Alex (determined): I’m coming with you! Lets get to the bottom of this!

**You are now playing as Marionette Patrick.**

## Chapter 1

***Investigate the library (Victim identified: Sveta Rasputina).***

* Alex (shocked): Holy mother of pearl! What happened here?! The bookcases are literally flipped like dominoes!
* Alex (covering his face): There’s Sveta’s body, and looks like she was crushed by the bookcases. Man, I don’t want to imagine how that would feel!
* Alex (curious): Now the question is… Was this murdered or could that have been just a freak accident?
* Alex (crossing his arms): You have a point, it’s very unlikely that the bookcases have “fell on their own”, unless there’s a design issue or a problem with how the books were placed, but surely the librarian would have noticed these things?
* Alex (thinking): Anyway, the body must be autopsied. Dr Greg Gibbs is free at the moment, so lets see if he’d agree to do this for us.
* Alex (serious): In the meantime, lets talk to the librarian and see if she witnessed anything!

***Ask Emilie Bouton if she witnessed the murder (1 star; Prerequisite: Investigate the library).***

* Alex (sympathetic): Emilie Bouton, we can tell you must be really traumatized over what happened here. How are you feeling?
* Emilie (panicking): Terrible! My library! It’s ruined!
* Alex (blushing): Um… Miss Bouton. You realize that a woman just died, right?
* Emilie (biting her nails): I know, I know, and that’s terrible too. But look at all the books on the ground! How am I supposed to get them back to how they were?! It’ll take ages!
* Alex (thinking): You know, you could always just ask someone to help you-
* Emilie (happy): You’ll help me tidy the library up?! Oh my gods, that’s so sweet of you-
* Alex (shocked): What?! NO-
* Alex (awkward grin): I mean, we’d like to help but our hands are full at the moment. We need to investigate Sveta’s cause of death.
* Alex (curious): And speaking of her death, we want to know if it was possible the bookcases have fell by themselves?
* Emilie (shocked): Very unlikely! I made sure all the bookcases are thick and I made sure both sides were balanced with equal weight!
* Alex (thinking): So you think there was human involvement in the incident? Did you happen to see anyone pushing the bookcases toward Sveta?
* Emilie (rubbing her eyes): I’m afraid not. I was taking a nap after filling my stomach with salty oysters. I did not see anyone entering and leaving the library.
* Emilie (yawning): I only woke up after hearing a thud and found the library in a complete mess and Sveta crushed by the bookcases and I immediately ran out to inform a guard…
* Emilie (sleepy): But… I did notice the door moving when I woke up, so… I suppose there was someone else inside…
* Alex (curious): Did you see anyone running away when you were outside? Who was the guard you informed of the murder?
* Emilie (sleeping): Zzz…
* Alex (confused): Um… Hello?
* Emile (snoring): …
* Alex (covering his face): Ah, she must be a child of Hypnos. Those sleep quickly and very deeply…
* Alex (crossing his arms): I guess we’ll have to find this out by ourselves.
* Alex (serious): We should go to the Oracle’s temple! After all, Sveta was the Oracle herself and hopefully we’ll learn if anyone wanted her dead by giving it a look!

***Investigate the Oracle’s temple (Prerequisite: Ask Emilie if she witnessed the murder).***

* Alex (thinking): This looks like one of our soldiers’ helmets. I’m not seeing any guards around so someone must’ve dropped it while paying the Oracle a visit. We should check it for fingerprints to see whose it is.
* Alex (curious): Do you see anything else that’s worth looking at?
* Alex (shocked): A lyre? Wait! That’s not just any lyre! I recognize this one, it’s Apollo’s!
* Alex (thinking): He must’ve forgot it here while getting in contact with Sveta and seeing that he didn’t come back to retrieve it, the visit must be really recent!
* Alex (awkward grin): We should probably get in contact with him, before he starts freaking out about his missing lyre…

***Hand Apollo his lyre back (1 star; Prerequisite: Investigate the Oracle’s temple).***

* Apollo (panicking): Whatever you called me here for, I cannot help me! I’m under a lot of stress right now! I lost something very important to me and I can’t-
* Apollo (happy): My lyre! I’ve been looking for it everywhere! Where did you find it?!
* Alex (serious): It was right there, in the temple.
* Apollo (scratching his head): Ah, I must have left it there while I was talking to Sveta. Silly me!
* Apollo (covering his face): Speaking of her, you must be here because of her murder…
* Alex (confused): You know about that?!
* Apollo (indicating): Of course I do, I’m the god of prophecies after all!
* Apollo (sad): And when we talked today, I knew that she didn’t have much time left to live.
* Alex (shocked): Wait, if you saw her death coming, does that mean… You know who killed her?!
* Apollo (awkward grin): Hey look, prophecies may technically be “my thing” but even I have limited divination skills.
* Apollo (innocent smirk): Besides, you know that I can’t just tell you. That’s not how prophecies work.
* Alex (displeased): But-
* Apollo (winking): Sorry, can’t talk! I have a date in a few minutes! Bye!

*Apollo disappears.*

* Alex (crossing his arms): *Sighs.* Well… That was helpful…

***Examine helmet (1 star; Prerequisite: Investigate the Oracle’s temple).***

* Alex (glad): Great job, Marionette! Now lets identify the owner of those fingerprints!

***Examine fingerprints (1 star; Prerequisite: Examine helmet).***

* Alex (thinking): So the soldier this helmet belongs to is called Vicci Soprano.
* Alex (indicating): Hey, I know that guy! We’ve crossed paths after Jenny and I went to Sarpedon to help Medusa. He’s one of the soldiers Zach and his team were rescuing from Anne Bonny!
* Alex (serious): But whoever he is, his helmet being in the temple marks him as a suspect in Sveta’s murder, let’s go talk to him!

***Talk to Vicci (1 star; Prerequisite: Examine fingerprints).***

* Alex (thinking): Private Soprano, we found this helmet at the Oracle’s temple. We believe you may have dropped it?
* Vicci (crossing his arms): Ah, I’ve been waiting for someone to come and interrogate me. I assume that you’re here to question me about the murder?
* Alex (curious): We are, so you heard about the Oracle’s death?
* Vicci (serious): I did, I was actually the one who delivered the news to the palace!
* Alex (serious): And we appreciate that you brought this to our attention, but we do have a few questions we’d like you to answer!
* Alex (curious): For instance, what were you doing outside the library?
* Vicci (crossing his arms): I was heading to the docks to buy some fresh oysters and happened to pass by the library. Suddenly, the librarian comes out yelling that there’s a dead body in the library, so I went rushing to the palace to share the news.
* Alex (thinking): While you were passing by the library, did you notice anyone running out of it? Aside from the librarian, of course.
* Vicci (shrugging): I don’t know, I was just minding my own business and not focusing on the people around me. I only noticed the librarian because she made an effort to get my attention.
* Alex (covering his face): Oh well, thank you for answering our questions. We’ll leave you for now, but we mind come back to talk to you again so don’t go too far.
* Vicci (serious): No worries. I have some duties at camp, so if you need anything you can find me there!

***Autopsy victim’s body (Attribute: The killer is fit; Attribute: The killer eats oysters).***

* Greg (covering his face): During my time in Grimsdale, I was asked to examine many wounded people but never have I been asked to look at someone who was already dead!
* Greg (crossing his arms): Now the way this woman died is very clear. She was killed immediately after the bookcases fell on her and crushed her body.
* Greg (clueless): The interesting thing is, the bookcases falling alone would have a low chance of killing her. She would have had enough time to get away and if by chance she didn’t notice, the worse she’d suffer is broken bones.
* Greg (thinking): For her to get killed, a strong force would have to be applied against the bookcases, one that came from a crash…. Or a push.
* Alex (serious): So you mean to say there was definitely foul play going on here?
* Greg (serious): This appears to be the case and if there was indeed human interference behind her death, they were smart to use such an assassination technique as it hard to obtain forensic evidence.
* Greg (smiling): Except the oyster juice I found smeared on her wrist and since there was no traces of oysters in her digestive system then it must have come from the killer!
* Greg (thinking): I’ve also looked at the bookcases that fell on her and would like to point out that for them to be able to push them with such strong force, you should be looking for someone who is fit and athletic!
* Alex (determined): So, the killer eats oysters? Let’s hope their body language would be as fishy as their taste!

***Later, at the Oracle’s temple…***

* Alex (covering his face): I cannot believe that Sveta is dead. We were supposed to meet her today but just as we were about to go to her, she suddenly gets murdered?!
* Alex (thinking): I know this sounds far-fetched, but it makes me wonder if her murder could be connected to the prophecy she was about to give us? As if someone is trying to prevent us from hearing it…
* Alex (blushing): I should probably not be coming up with such wild conspiracy theories, lets just focus on what we have right now…
* Alex (crossing his arms): We know the killer is, supposedly, fit. Naturally, as a god, Apollo fits this bill.
* Alex (thinking): And being a soldier, that would obviously mean Vicci must be working out, regularly.
* Alex (blushing): Greg also said that the killer eats oysters and so far, both Vicci and Emilie confirmed they enjoy such a delicacy… If you could call it that.
* Alex (thinking): The most obvious killer choice would be Emilie, as the murder took place in her library after all.
* Alex (confused): But on the other hand, children of Hypnos can be, how do I put it kinda? A bit lazy and it seems out of character of them to just suddenly wake up and choose violence.
* Alex (crossing his arms): Unfortunately, it doesn’t help her case that she claims not seeing anyone in or out of the library except for Vicci. Is it possible that he entered the library, killed Sveta and just as Emile was about to wake up, he left the library and pretended he was just passing by?
* Alex (thinking): It’s a crazy theory but anything is possibl-
* Belinda (shocked): Alex! Is it true that Sveta is dead?!
* Belinda (clueless): But how is that possible?! She seemed perfectly this morning when I saw her!

## Chapter 2

* Alex (covering his face): I cannot believe that Sveta is dead. We were supposed to meet her today but just as we were about to go to her, she suddenly gets murdered?!
* Alex (thinking): I know this sounds far-fetched, but it makes me wonder if her murder could be connected to the prophecy she was about to give us? As if someone is trying to prevent us from hearing it…
* Alex (blushing): I should probably not be coming up with such wild conspiracy theories, lets just focus on what we have right now…
* Alex (crossing his arms): We know the killer is, supposedly, fit. Naturally, as a god, Apollo fits this bill.
* Alex (thinking): And being a soldier, that would obviously mean Vicci must be working out, regularly.
* Alex (blushing): Greg also said that the killer eats oysters and so far, both Vicci and Emilie confirmed they enjoy such a delicacy… If you could call it that.
* Alex (thinking): The most obvious killer choice would be Emilie, as the murder took place in her library after all.
* Alex (confused): But on the other hand, children of Hypnos can be, how do I put it kinda? A bit lazy and it seems out of character of them to just suddenly wake up and choose violence.
* Alex (crossing his arms): Unfortunately, it doesn’t help her case that she claims not seeing anyone in or out of the library except for Vicci. Is it possible that he entered the library, killed Sveta and just as Emile was about to wake up, he left the library and pretended he was just passing by?
* Alex (thinking): It’s a crazy theory but anything is possibl-
* Belinda (shocked): Alex! Is it true that Sveta is dead?!
* Belinda (clueless): But how is that possible?! She seemed perfectly this morning when I saw her!
* Alex (startled): Holy shit, Belinda! Where did you come from-?!
* Alex (shocked): Wait-?! Did you just say you saw Sveta this morning?!
* Alex (serious): I’m afraid that we need to talk to you about this!

***Ask Belinda about her meeting with Sveta (1 star).***

* Belinda (biting her nails): I know that what I told you sound suspicious, but I swear that I knew nothing about Sveta’s death until a few minutes ago!
* Alex (appeasing): You are not in trouble, Belinda. We just have some questions for you since you’re the last known people to have seen Sveta alive.
* Belinda (serious): Before you ask your questions, I’d like to make it clear that we were not alone together and you can go anf talk to all my coven members to verify this!
* Alex (curious): I hope you don’t mind me asking, but why was Sveta in your coven anyway?
* Belinda (covering her face): It’s a bit complicated… But lately, the members of my coven have been showing great interest in fortune telling and divination, and have been asking me if I could teach them how to see their futures.
* Belinda (thinking): I may be a witch but prophesying is way beyond my abilities, so I decided to ask Sveta if she had time to give them a lesson.
* Alex (clueless): But isn’t divination a gift that could only be given by the gods?
* Belinda (eye rolling): I know that already but my students wouldn’t listen so I thought if they heard that from an actual prophetess, they would let it go.
* Alex (curious): Ah, we see. Did you happen to see if any of your coven members were following Sveta when she left?
* Belinda (shocked): No, I haven’t and I’d rather imagine that none of my students are behind her murder!
* Alex (serious): Thank you for giving us some of your time, and if you’ll excuse us then we’d like to take a look inside the coven!

***Investigate the witch coven (Prerequisite: Ask Belinda about her meeting with Sveta).***

* Alex (nervous grin): This is the first time I’ve been to the witches’ coven and I have to admit… It’s a lot spookier than I anticipated.
* Alex (displeased): And pretty messy too. I cannot find anything in this dump. What about you?
* Alex (thinking): This broken object looks familiar but we’ll need it pieced back together for me to completely recognize it…
* Alex (curious): That piece of paper you found seems to be a notice issued from the library to Sveta, what does it say?
* Alex (crossing his arms): Ah, shit, the content is faded. I guess we’ll have to bring out the dusting kit to recover it.

***Examine broken pieces (1 star; Prerequisite: Investigate the witch coven).***

* Alex (shocked): I knew I’ve seen that thing from somewhere! That’s Jennifer’s hand fan!
* Alex (clueless): But what was she even doing in the coven?! That’s the last place I’d expect to find her in!
* Alex (blushing): I don’t believe Jennifer had any involvement in Sveta’s murder, but this is all so strange to me, we have to go speak with her!

***Question Jennifer on what she was doing in the witch coven (1 star; Prerequisite: Examine broken pieces).***

* Jennifer (worried): Alex, please tell me that you and Marionette are getting close to finding Sveta’s killer?
* Jennifer (covering her face): I still can’t help but feel guilty over what happened to her. If we had just went straight to her after the funeral-
* Alex (serious): Jennifer, as friends of Leonora and Norah, it was our obligation to be in the relapse for them! Sveta’s death was by no means our fault!
* Jennifer (hopeless): I guess you’re right, I just find it so hard to let this feeling go… That we could have somehow prevented her death.
* Alex (covering his face): I feel this way too but blaming ourselves isn’t going to bring her and all we can do is bring her justice by finding out who killed her.
* Alex (clueless): Belinda told us that Sveta visited her coven in the morning and we found your hand fan there. So we came to ask you, what were you doing there?!
* Jennifer (serious): I went there to inform Lavender that the funeral is starting. As you know, she is pretty close to the Willoughbys.
* Alex (awkward grin): The young witch? I keep forgetting she was with us during our escape from Cambright…
* Alex (curious): Sveta… Was she there when you came to call Lavender over?
* Jennifer (thinking): Yeah, she was giving out “fortunes” to the coven members and I decided to have small talk with her.
* Jennifer (covering her face): I asked her if she was coming to KJ’s funeral but she said she’d rather not to since Kaleb didn’t like her anyway because of… You know…
* Alex (blushing): Yeah… That. I can’t say I blame her.
* Jennifer (sad): Anyway, I left quickly so I’m sorry to say that I didn’t see anyone following her. But I hope you find who’s behind this soon.

***Examine library notice (1 star; Prerequisite: Investigate the witch coven).***

* Alex (shocked): The notice we found is saying Sveta’s borrowing privileges have been suspended!
* Alex (blushing): Libraries in my experiences are often really lenient in penalties, they would never go this far unless if the visitors made really serious offenses.
* Alex (thinking): I can’t imagine what Sveta could have done to land such consequences. I agree, we should go talk to Emilie again!

***Ask Emilie why she revoked Sveta’s borrowing privileges (1 star; Prerequisite: Examine library notice).***

* Emilie (on a ladder; carrying a stack of books): Now onto the philosophy section. Hmm… Lets see if any of these books belong here-
* Emilie (yawning): …
* Alex (curious): Emilie, do you have a minute-?
* Emilie (sleepy; falling): Zzzz…
* Alex (shocked): EMILIE!

*Alex catches her, but the book cases get knocked over causing them to fall again.*

* Alex and Emilie (Alex; blushing): Whoops-
* Alex and Emilie (Emilie; startled): AH! What happened?!
* Emilie (panicking): No! The bookcases! Not again!
* Alex (awkward grin): Sorry… We tried to say them but we were too busy saving you from falling and-
* Emilie (calming down): It’s fine! I’ll just take a deep breath and start over all again…
* Emilie (curious): What are you doing here anyway?
* Alex (curious): We came to talk to you about Sveta. You see, we found this notice that you issued to her and we want to know the story behind it?
* Emilie (blushing): Oh that…
* Emilie (frustrated): Well, to put it in simple words- Sveta was an absolute nightmare of a customer!
* Alex (clueless): We came to this assumption already, we just want to know how so?
* Emilie (covering her face): Where do I even start… Oh yes, first of all, she never returns the books in time.
* Emilie (shrugging): The library has limited copies of each book and for this reason we expect borrowers to return the books after two weeks and if you keep a book beyond this period, we expect you to pay a fee.
* Emilie (covering her face): Sveta keeps forgetting to return the books and usually doesn’t bring them back to the library until after a month or more and when I request her to pay the fees, she comes up with excuses on why she couldn’t do it.
* Emilie (pissed): Now I would have been willing to overlook this, but often times the books returns are either damages or when I skim through it, I see that she made notes and circled random phrases in the books IN INK.
* Emilie (hopeless): I’m usually a forgiving person, but enough was enough and I felt I had no choice but to revoke her borrowing privileges.
* Emilie (carrying a stack of books): Anyway, I cannot talk to you for too long, I want to open the library and I need to get the books to their places as quick as possible!
* Alex (curious): Are you sure it’s a good idea to carry that much books at once?
* Emilie (yawning): Don’t worry about me, I… Have experience in lifting stuff…
* Alex (whooping): Make sure you don’t doze off!

***At the city square…***

* Alex (covering his face): Our visit to the coven wasn’t really helpful. The only thing we learned about Sveta and the investigation is that she kept a couple of overdue books from the library.
* Alex (serious): This will not do, we need to find more information. I think we should take another look around Sveta’s temple!

***Investigate the cella.***

* Alex (thinking): Someone seems to have left a letter here, what does it say?
* Alex (shocked): That’s not just any letter! That looks like a death threat! How much do you bet this is from Sveta’s killer?
* Alex (crossing his arms): There’s some flakes covering the paper, we should collect them and have Dr Gibbs analyze them. Maybe it could tell us something about the killer…
* Alex (indicating): What did you pick up? Ah, that’s Sveta’s sacrificial dagger! I’ve seen her use it to provide offerings to Apollo!
* Alex (observing): Wait a minute… The blood on the dagger is not that of an animal, it looks like human blood!
* Alex (shrugging): Do you believe Sveta may have gotten in a physical fight with someone? We should have Dr Gibbs look at the dagger too.

***Analyze dagger (Prerequisite: Investigate the cella).***

* Greg (serious): I examined the blood on the dagger and I can verify that it is human blood!
* Alex (serious): Aha! I had a feeling about this! Do you know who it belongs to?
* Greg (crossing his arms): I cannot tell for sure, but what I know is that the person injured by the dagger has an O+ blood type.
* Greg (smiling): However, I was able to determine that the blood is at least a day old and coincidentally a soldier came to me yesterday to tend a wound he claimed came from a dagger fight. His name is Vicci Soprano!
* Alex (clueless): So does that mean he and the victim had an alteration?
* Alex (crossing his arms): He completely left that out when we spoke with him! Lets go grill him over this!

***Confront Vicci about his fight with the victim (1 star; Prerequisite: Analyze dagger).***

* Alex (crossing his arms): Private Soprano, we found your blood on Sveta’s dagger. You failed to mention that you two had a fight?
* Vicci (pissed): It wasn’t a fight! I didn’t lay a finger on her, she was the one who attacked me!
* Alex (shocked): Sveta attacked you? But what for? Were you two arguing or something-
* Vicci (shocked): No! I just came to her building, hoping that she would give me a prophecy but the moment she saw me, she went berserk and lunged at me!
* Alex (clueless): Did she say anything about why she’d do this-
* Vicci (covering his face): I don’t know! I didn’t ask her! I was scared for my life and munched on my nails as I ran to the infirmary for Greg to see my wounds!
* Alex (blushing): Well… We’re sorry that Sveta would just attack you like that for no good reason. But we hope that her assault didn’t drive you into ending her life.

***Examine death threat.***

* Alex (glad): Great work, Marionette! Now lets send these flakes to Dr Greg Gibbs!

***Analyze flakes (Attribute: The killer bites their fingernails).***

* Alex (serious): Hey Gibbs, did you figure out what those flakes we gave you are?
* Greg (smiling): I did, and there were actually fingernails!
* Greg (thinking): I looked back at the victim’s hands to see if they were hers but her nails were perfectly cut and manicured so it couldn’t be hers.
* Greg (smiling): So the fingernails must’ve come from your killer and seeing that nails don’t typically fall out by themselves, I assume that they have a habit of biting their nails!
* Alex (grinning): I bet they are biting their nails right now, knowing that we’re on their track!

***Outside the coven…***

* Alex (thinking): Lets see the progress we made so far. First, we uncovered a new clue about our killer and its that they’re a nail biter.
* Alex (scratching his head): We caught both Belinda and Emilie bite their fingernails at one point when interrogating them and if I remember correctly, didn’t Vicci talk about “munching on his nails”?
* Alex (blushing): We also learned that Jennifer interacted with Sveta before she died and while she’s the last person I’d accuse of murder, I’d like to point out that she was a model in her past so she is quite fit…
* Alex (shrugging): It also looks like Sveta got into a quarrel with some of our suspects. Like Emilie, who says Sveta had a habit of damaging or keeping books overdue but could she have murdered her over this? Yeah, that just sounds like overkill- No pun intended.
* Alex (clueless): There’s also Vicci who claims Sveta attacked him unprovoked which just… Sounds strange to me. Sveta is an eccentric character but I never knew her to be violent!
* Alex (crossing his arms): It makes me wonder if he’s leaving out some parts of the story-

*AHHH!!!*

* Alex (shocked): Marionette, did you hear that?! Someone is screaming!
* Alex (concerned): It’s coming from the coven, you think someone got hurt there?
* Alex (serious): Lets go check on them!

## Chapter 3

* Alex (thinking): Lets see the progress we made so far. First, we uncovered a new clue about our killer and its that they’re a nail biter.
* Alex (scratching his head): We caught both Belinda and Emilie bite their fingernails at one point when interrogating them and if I remember correctly, didn’t Vicci talk about “munching on his nails”?
* Alex (blushing): We also learned that Jennifer interacted with Sveta before she died and while she’s the last person I’d accuse of murder, I’d like to point out that she was a model in her past so she is quite fit…
* Alex (shrugging): It also looks like Sveta got into a quarrel with some of our suspects. Like Emilie, who says Sveta had a habit of damaging or keeping books overdue but could she have murdered her over this? Yeah, that just sounds like overkill- No pun intended.
* Alex (clueless): There’s also Vicci who claims Sveta attacked him unprovoked which just… Sounds strange to me. Sveta is an eccentric character but I never knew her to be violent!
* Alex (crossing his arms): It makes me wonder if he’s leaving out some parts of the story-

*AHHH!!!*

* Alex (shocked): Marionette, did you hear that?! Someone is screaming!
* Alex (concerned): It’s coming from the coven, you think someone got hurt there?
* Alex (serious): Lets go check on them!

***In the coven.***

* Reynold and Peter (Reynold; crying): MY HAND!!!
* Lavender (stern): Reynold! You thick-headed buffoon! I told you it was a bad idea!
* Alex (curious): Woah! What’s going on here?!
* Reynold and Peter (Reynold; tearful): My hand… It’s bleeding!
* Alex (shocked): How did that happen?!
* Lavender (eye rolling): That idiot was playing with sharp crystals and wound up cutting himself!
* Reynold and Peter (Reynold; furious): I wasn’t playing! I was trying to repair the ball!
* Belinda (concerned): I heard someone crying, is everyone okay-?
* Belinda (shocked): Reynold! What happened to your hand?!
* Reynold and Peter (Reynold; tearful): I-
* Lavender (serious): He disobeyed your orders and touched the broken crystal shards.
* Belinda (stern): What were you thinking, Reynold?! This is exactly why I warned you all from touching it!
* Reynold and Peter (Reynold; serious): I was trying to repair the ball! I wanted to be able to see the future like the Oracle!
* Belinda (hopeless): *Sighs.* Come with me, I’ll treat your wound. Mr. Stamos, I apologize if we caused you and the lady any trouble.
* Alex (thinking): It’s fine. In fact, Marionette and I are thinking about taking another look around the coven, if you don’t mind.
* Alex (determined): Maybe we could find something we may have missed last time!

***Investigate classroom.***

* Alex (thinking): These must the crystal shards that kid had injured himself with. One of the shards even has his blood on them!
* Alex (clueless): But how did the crystal ball break in the first place? I’ve held one of Sveta’s balls before, they were pretty heavy and robust!
* Alex (curious): Only way it could break that I could think of is if someone put the effort of throwing it hard on the floor. But why would anyone do this? Out of anger or just trying to be a bitch?
* Alex (nervous grin): We should try and figure this out but before we do anything, we should probably fix the ball so we don’t end of cutting ourselves too.
* Alex (curious): Hey, don’t you think that cloak looks different than the ones the coven members are wearing?
* Alex (determined): Must’ve been left behind by someone from outside. You think it could be Sveta’s? If so, lets check the pockets-!
* Alex (clueless): Huh? What are you looking at-?
* Alex (smiling): The blackboard? Something is written on it, I wonder what the younglings are being taught-
* Alex (overlooking): “Forbidden spells- Divination”-
* Alex (clueless): What?! Why and since when is that considered “forbidden”?! The hell is Belinda teaching her students?!
* Alex (serious): Also, divination is basically Sveta’s whole schtick! If Belinda disapprove of it, then why would she invite Sveta to give a lecture?! We should go talk to her!

***Question Belinda on her views regarding divination (1 star; Prerequisite: Investigate the classroom).***

* Belinda (holding a soaked napkin): First, we need to sanitize the wound. This may sting a little-
* Reynold and Peter (Reynold; startled): OW! That hurts!
* Belinda (sympathized): I know and I’m sorry. But hopefully this will teach you not touch sharp objects next time.
* Belinda (unwrapping bandages): Now I’ll just cover your hand with bandages and-
* Belinda (smiling): Done! How do you feel now?
* Reynold and Peter (Reynold; feeling his palm): Better…
* Belinda (relieved): Good, what’s left now is for you to wait until it heals. You may not be able to use your wand for a while.
* Reynold and Peter (Reynold; worried): Does that mean I can’t participate in Quidditch class?
* Belinda (sympathetic): I’m afraid so, Reynold. Doing physical exercise with your hand like this isn’t a good idea…
* Belinda (smiling): Now off you go!
* Reynold and Peter (Reynold; disappointed): Thanks Belinda…

*Reynold leaves the room.*

* Belinda (shocked): Oh! I didn’t see you two standing there! Is there a way I could help you?
* Alex (serious): We have a few questions to you about your outlook on Sveta’s abilities…
* Belinda (sweating): M-my outlook? What about it?
* Alex (clueless): Why is divination listed under “forbidden spells”?
* Belinda (covering her face): This… I can explain.
* Belinda (blushing): I just want to make it clear that I’ve got nothing against Sveta or anyone who chooses to practice divination. I don’t think what she’s doing is evil but…
* Belinda (covering her face): But I believe what she is doing could be… Harmful.
* Alex (crossing his arms): How is giving away prophecies “harmful” in any way?!
* Belinda (serious): It may be useful when needing help for quests, but when it comes to personal reasons like knowing your own fate? I think it brings nothing but harm!
* Belinda (shocked): You heard about what happened to Oedipus? Or that pharoah who slaughtered male Hebrew newborns because of a prophecy about his own death? Learning about your fate could drive anyone to insanity!
* Belinda (sweating): So when my coven showed interest in fortune telling, I wanted to discourage them. So, I reached out to Sveta to give them a lecture, hoping she’d dissuade them…
* Belinda (shocked): But when she came, she offered each pupil a chance to see aspects of their future! And the session ended with many of them terrified and a few of them ended up having mental breakdowns!
* Alex (blushing): This sounds like… A lot to deal with. But I hope you didn’t choose to punish Sveta for doing this to your class.

***Fix broken crystal ball (1 star; Prerequisite: Investigate the classroom).***

* Alex (glad): Now that the crystal ball is safe to touch, let’s start examining it!

***Examine crystal ball (1 star; Prerequisite: Fix broken crystal ball).***

* Alex (curious): What do you think this white substance we collected could be?
* Alex (thinking): I have a microscope back at my place, maybe if we put it under it then we could figure out what it is.

***Examine white mixture (1 star; Prerequisite: Examine crystal ball).***

* Alex (thinking): What we collected from the crystal ball is a mixture of crushed malachite and saffron. Malachite is often used around here to create eye shadow for the women to wear and I believe the saffron is supposed to give it a white color?
* Alex (shocked): We know a woman who’s been in the coven this morning known for wearing white eyeshadow- Jennifer! You think she may have been the one that shattered the crystal ball?!
* Alex (clueless): As far as I know, she and Sveta are in good terms. So why would she do that?!
* Alex (serious): You think they may have gotten in an argument this morning? But over what? We should go check with Jennifer, hopefully she’ll give an explanation!

***Ask Jennifer why she shattered Sveta’s crystal ball (1 star; Prerequisite: Examine white mixture).***

* Alex (thinking): Jenny, we found traces of your eyeshadow on one of Sveta’s crystal balls, were you the one who broke it?
* Jennifer (eye rolling): Yes, I was. But what’s the big deal about it? She has plenty of these!
* Alex (curious): We want to know how it ended up broken? Did you two get in an argument or something-
* Jennifer (crossing her arms): I’d rather not talk about it, thank you very much.
* Alex (serious): We’re investigating Sveta’s murder, you can’t just hide information from us! You get how suspicious that makes you seem?
* Jennifer (hopeless): I get it! But I really don’t want to talk about it, it’s embarrassing!
* Alex (curious): Jenny, we’re your friends, we won’t judge you. Besides, whatever it is, it can’t be that bad-
* Jennifer (pissed): Imagine yourself being the child of the goddess of love and beauty, and then imagine a prophetess telling you that you’re destined to be forever alone. How would YOU feel?!
* Alex (blushing): I mean… I guess that would feel like a big joke being thrown at me, but-
* Alex (shocked): Did Sveta say this to you?!
* Jennifer (hopeless): It was my fault. I asked her about my love life but still… I was not prepared to hear what she told me…
* Jennifer (sad): My whole life, I’ve always had trouble when it came to love. I got a lot of attention from men but none that I desired and the guys I actually liked never returned feelings to me.
* Jennifer (serious): Seeing my godly half-sisters hooking up with men and getting boyfriends made me jealous, I wondered when will I fall in love and find my soulmates. I thought about seeking Sveta for an answer but after what happened to Kaleb, I resisted the urge for my own sanity.
* Jennifer (hopeless): But when I entered the coven and saw her telling everyone there their fortune, I couldn’t fight it any longer so I gave in.
* Jennifer (furious): And she told me that “no mortal will heal my heart”!
* Jennifer (tearful): I just… Couldn’t believe it. I felt so angry and I… I knocked her crystal ball over and stormed out of the coven. It was so humiliating!
* Jennifer (panicking): I was biting my nails throughout the whole funeral service, thinking about the bombshell Sveta dropped on me. I mean, can you imagine it?! I’m a daughter of Aphrodite! How could that be my destiny?!
* Alex (blushing): Jenny, you know how vague prophecies tend to be. You said Sveta told you “no mortal would heal your heart” maybe that doesn’t mean you’ll be single forever, maybe she’s trying to tell you that your soulmate could be a god or-
* Jennifer (pissed): A god who will knock me up, abandon me and leave me as a single mother? You think that’s what I want, Alex?!
* Alex (sweating): No, I’m just saying that…
* Alex (sympathetic): I understand how hurt and embarrassed you must be feeling, Jennifer. But if we learn that you took your anger out on Sveta, your love life will be the least of your worries.

***Examine cloak (1 star; Prerequisite: Investigate the classroom).***

* Alex (smiling): Hey, there’s a note in the pocket! What does it say?
* Alex (scratching his head): “I’m sorry Sveta, I cannot accept your offer”. Huh? What does that mean?
* Alex (clueless): The note was signed by Apollo, but what did Sveta offer him?! And why’d he refuse it?!
* Alex (serious): There’s one way to find out. We have to summon him again!

***Ask Apollo what Sveta offered him and why he turned it down (1 star; Prerequisite: Examine cloak).***

* Apollo (startled): AH! Did you have to summon right when they were serving the oysters?!
* Alex (nervous grin): We’re sorry for interrupting your date, Lord Apollo. But we have some questions about Sveta…
* Alex (blushing): We found this note and erm… We’d like to know what it is about?
* Apollo (shrugging): Ah, nothing. Sveta was just offering me her soul and I turned her down.
* Alex (shocked): Offering you HER SOUL?! But for what-?!
* Apollo (prideful): Aside from my devilish good looks, apparently Sveta foresaw her death and wanted me to grant her immortality to save her!
* Alex (shocked): Sveta knew she was going to die?! How come she didn’t warn any of us about it?!
* Apollo (shrugging): And what exactly could you do about it? It’s impossible to cheat the fates. Even if you surrounded her with bodyguards, the fates will still find a way to kill her!
* Alex (crossing his arms): And I take it they would still manage to kill her even if you granted her immortality, right?
* Apollo (awkward grin): Hey, I get that you’re mad that your friend has died, but you can’t expect me to grant immortality to anyone who asks for it!
* Apollo (eye rolling): Sveta already had her chance to become my lover and live an immortal life with me two decades ago, when she was young and beautiful but she turned me down! She can’t just change her mind when she’s close to death doors and expect me to claim her!
* Apollo (shrugging): Don’t get me wrong, I’m sad Sveta is gone- Losing one of my followers is always depressing, but at the same time it was the consequence of her poor choices that got her.

***Later, at the library…***

* Alex (shocked): I cannot believe this! Sveta knew that she was going to die soon but she didn’t tell any of us about it?!
* Alex (covering his face): I get her death was bound to happen no matter how much we try to prevent it, but if we were just given a heads up we could have come to meet her sooner! Now we’ll never know what she planned to tell you, me and Jenny!
* Alex (crossing his arms): But this is not the right time to think about the prophecy, we have to focus on wrapping up the case!
* Alex (serious): We should take one last look around the library to find more evidence against her killer!

***Investigate bookcase gap (1 star).***

* Alex (impressed): Emilie did a good job putting the library back to place in such a short time, especially impressive from a spawn of Hypnos.
* Alex (curious): What did you pick out from the ground? Oh, a library case!
* Alex (serious): It doesn’t say who the owner is, but it seems they dropped it next to the first bookcase that flipped over, so it must be the killer’s!
* Alex (thinking): There’s a black smudge on the pass. I say that we collect a sample for Dr Gibbs to analyze!

***Examine library pass (1 star; Prerequisite: Investigate bookcase gap).***

* Alex (smiling): We have a sample! Lets go to Gibbs!

***Analyze black smudge (Attribute: The killer has black hair; Prerequisite: Examine library pass).***

* Alex (serious): Dr Gibbs, what was the black substance we sent to you? Did you identify it?
* Greg (smiling): I have indeed and it turned out to be black hair dye!
* Alex (clueless): Black hair dye?! But Sveta had black hair, how do we know if the smudge came from the killer or from her?!
* Greg (serious): First of all, you said you found the pass near the bookcase the killer pushed toward Sveta. Several bookcases have fell during the process so this means they would be too far away for Sveta to come in contact with the pass.
* Greg (shrugging): Also, I think I should state the obvious thing here. Sveta had gray streaks on her hair, so clearly she doesn’t dye it so how would the dye possibly come from her?
* Alex (smiling): You raise a good point! Marionette, lets write that down!

***After completing all the tasks…***

* Alex (covering his face): Marionette, we looked as hard as we could but it looks like still can't figure out who killed Sveta!
* Alex (shrugging): We need more clues! But where else should we look?! What else can we do?!
* Destiny (hand on hip): I think I can help you with that!
* Alex (curious): Destiny?! Where did you come from?! I didn't see you at the relapse?
* Destiny (yawning): I didn't feel like coming, dinners ain't really my thing. But I heard that you're investigating a murder and I thought I could help.
* Destiny (smirking): So we know that Sveta was crushed my a bookcase, right? And what's interesting is that when you push something heacy, it doesn't always fall towards they direction you're pushing it towards. Sometimes it would flip on you and then fall and crush you instead!
* Alex (stumped): So basically the killer is an idiot?
* Destiny (thoughtful): I guess you could say that, but this is where physics comes in handy!
* Destiny (indicating): The bookshelf that fell on Sveta is 11 feet tall, that's equal to 132 inches. Divided by two gives you 66 inches which is about 5 feet and an average sized dildo-
* Alex (clueless): Can you speak English?!
* Destiny (eye rolling): Okay okay, I'm getting to it. Basically if the killer is under 5 feet 6 inches tall- which is shorter than half the height of the bookshelves. If they try to push the bookshelf toward someone, it's going to backfire and fall on them instead.
* Destiny (indicating): But if they are 5 feet 6 inches tall or over, when they push the booksheld-
* Alex (smiling): The bookshelf will obey the force they are pushing at!
* Destiny (grinning): See? You get it now!
* Alex (confident): Marionette, I think I figured out who the killer is! Lets go put them behind bars!

***Arrest the killer (1 star).***

* Alex (crossing his arms): Private Soprano, we were told we might found you here.
* Vicci and Naunaeon (Vicci; startled): Ah! What do you want from me?!
* Alex (pissed): You know exactly what we’re here for! You’re under arrest for the murder of Sveta Rasputina!
* Vicci and Naunaeon (Vicci; eye rolling): Oh come on, I have no time for this nonsense!
* Alex (crossing his arms): What? You’ve got somewhere to go?
* Vicci and Naunaeon (Vicci; crossing his arms): That’s none of your concern.
* Alex (serious): It is and you’re not exactly denying that you’ve killed Sveta!
* Vicci and Naunaeon (Vicci; pissed): Well, I didn’t do it, is that what you wanted to here?!
* Alex (frowning): So how do you explain us finding traces of oyster juice on Sveta’s body?
* Vicci and Naunaeon (Vicci; crossing his arms): We are in an island, half of everyone’s diet includes seafood!
* Alex (serious): Then what about the library card we found in the crime scene smudged with your black hair dye?!
* Vicci and Naunaeon (Vicci; eye rolling): Black is hardly a rare hair color!
* Alex (determined): We’ve also found your fingernails on the threat you wrote to Sveta. If you want to, we could have our forensics analyze them to determine that they’re yours-
* Vicci (defeated): NO-! I mean, there’s no need to. I confess, I killed Lady Rasputina.
* Vicci (hopeless): I was hoping I would’ve already gotten out of Graecita before you could find out I killed her…
* Alex (clueless): And what good would that do?! Where would you even escape to?!
* Vicci (serious): To Nova Roma.
* Alex (shocked): Nova Roma? Marionette, isn’t that the Ancient city you, Kaleb and Norah went to-!
* Vicci (serious): I believe there are some things that you need to know about me. First, Vicci Soprano is not what I’m called. My name is Victorinus Spurinnus and I hail from Nova Roma.
* Alex (clueless): So, you’re a Roman?! How did you get in here and what are you doing in our city?!
* Vicci (crossing his arms): I used to be a plebian, someone with more rights and a higher class compared to the slaves but is viewed as no better by the nobles.
* Vicci (covering his face): That was until the emperor’s daughter invited me to her chambers and I was caught by the guards trying to sneak out of the palace.
* Vicci (pissed): The emperor’s daughter refused to claim me as a lover to save her our dignity and so, I was mistook for a thief, had my rights stripped from me and I became a gladiator!
* Vicci (serious): I was thrown into an arena, fighting fight after fight, my life on the line for others’ entertainment. I suffered greatly there so when I had the chance to escape the empire, I took it!
* Vicci (crossing his arms): After successfully escaping Roma, I happened to run into your city and while it was difficult to blend in at first, I managed to adapt and made it my sanctuary.
* Alex (pissed): And to repay us for the “sanctuary”, you decided to kill our oracle? You have an odd way of showing gratitude.
* Alex (clueless): What I don’t understand is that if you are a runaway slave, then why in your right mind do you plan to go to the same empire that enslaved you to escape punishment?! Isn’t that the last place you want to go back to?!
* Vicci (happy): All what I told you has happened in the past. A few days ago, I received a letter from Nova Roma, informing me that my charges have been dropped and they were offering to take me back.
* Alex (stumped): Congrats, I guess? So now comes the real question… Why did you kill Sveta?! What purpose does her death have to you?!
* Vicci (serious): That, you will learn when the time is right.
* Alex (eye rolling): Oh shut up! Marionette, lets put the handcuffs on him already-
* Vicci (whooping): NAUNAEON!
* Naunaeon (fierce): *NEIGHHH!!!'*

*Naunaeon hits Alex’s head with his back legs.*

* Alex (startled): AH-!
* Alex (fainting): …
* Vicci and Naunaeon (Vicci; neutral; mounting Naunaeon): It was a pleasure living among you all and I can’t say I won’t miss a couple of people here…
* Vicci and Naunaeon (Vicci; serious): But I’m afraid I overstayed my welcome. So long, and thanks for all the fish!

*Vicci flies out of the stables.*

## The Search For Cassandra (1/6)

```
***You are experiencing the story in third person view.***

```

***At the infirmary…***

* Alex (on the hospital bed): …
* Greg (wiping sweat): There, the wound is now clean and bandaged. Now we just have to wait.
* Marionette (concerned): Is he going to be okay, doc?
* Greg (serious): He should live, there is nothing too serious but he might experience a concussion. I recommend that he rests once he awakens and not busy himself physically or mentally.
* Marionette (relieved): Thank you, doc-
* Norah (serious): Marionette! Leonora told me about your message and I came as quick as I could! How’s Alex?!
* Marionette (startled): Norah! You scared me!
* Marionette (hopeful): Well, Dr. Gibbs says that he should be fine but-
* Jennifer (panicking): WHERE IS HE?!
* Norah (appeasing): Jennifer, please calm down-
* Jennifer (pissed): Where’s Alex?!
* Alex (waking up): J-Jenny..?
* Jennifer (relieved): Alex!
* Jennifer and Alex (hugging; Jennifer): I’m happy you’re awake! I was so so terrified-!
* Jennifer and Alex (Alex; wincing): Ow! My head!
* Greg (concerned): Miss, I suggest that you stay away from the patient. He might still be experiencing trauma from the injury.
* Jennifer (embarrassed): Oh, I’m sorry… I guess I let my emotions overcome me…
* Alex (dizzy): Ugh… What am I doing here?
* Norah (serious): You got hit on the head hard and Marionette had to take you to the infirmary to be checked.
* Alex (holding his head): Ah… I remember that now…
* Jennifer (pissed): How did this even happen?! Were you two attacked or-?
* Marionette (serious): Yeah, by Sveta’s killer! He had a horse he was training kick Alex with its back legs!
* Alex (crossing his arms): Speaking of Vicci… Did you catch him?
* Marionette (hopeless): Sadly no. After he had you knocked out, he mounted the horse and took off!
* Jennifer (shocked): Vicci? As in Vicci Soprano?! HE killed Sveta?!
* Alex (clueless): You know that sonuvabitch?!
* Jennifer (clueless): Yes… He’s one of my godly brothers’ friends, but that’s irrelevant. What did he kill Sveta for?!
* Marionette (blushing): He didn’t say why he did it, but what he did tell us is that he’s apparently from the empire Norah and I rescued her pet lioness’ mate from and we didn’t exactly leave a good impression on the emperor…
* Norah (eye rolling): Ha! Sure. WE’RE “the ones” that left a bad impression! It’s not like he was about to enslave us or whatever.
* Marionette (covering her face): In his defense, we didn’t exactly have proof we were being framed for his assassination attempt-
* Alex (shocked): Wait, I just remembered! The prophecy!
* Marionette (clueless): What prophecy are you talking about?!
* Alex (serious): The one Sveta was going to tell us about before she died!
* Jennifer (worried): Oh snap! I almost forgot about the prophecy! But how are we supposed to know what it is, with Sveta being dead and all!
* Marionette (hopeful): Maybe she left us a clue on what it said! She knew that her death is close, she had to have prepared a written copy for us to find in case she got killed!
* Alex (getting up): We have to go back to her temple, if she had a copy then she must’ve left it there- Ow!
* Jennifer (serious): You’re not going anywhere, Alex. Marionette and I will go look for the prophecy, you just stay here and rest…
* Norah (serious): Actually, before you two go. Leonora asked to see Marionette, it’s about Vicci’s escape!

***You are now playing as Marionette Patrick.***

***See what the queen is summoning you for (1 star).***

* Norah (grinning): Lea, I’m back and I brought Marionette with me like you asked!
* Leonora (serious): Thank you, Norah. Marionette, I assume that Norah told you already why I called you here.
* Leonora (thinking): I received your message about your encounter with “Vicci Soprano” and the particular detail about his Roman heritage caught my attention.
* Norah (shrugging): Same here. Like, how many people in our city are secretly from Nova Roma?! I thought Shirley was the only one but I guess we were wrong-?!
* Leonora (crossing her arms): Norah, I’m speaking…
* Norah (blushing): Oh of course. Sorry…
* Leonora (curious): Anyhow, I was wondering… Has Vicci made any mention of an accomplice of some sort?
* Norah (clueless): Accomplice?! What makes you believe he wasn’t in Sveta’s murder alone?!
* Leonora (crossing her arms): I’m just curious. So what’s the answer, Marionette? No?
* Norah (serious): Wait a minute, Lea! Is there a reason why you think someone is helping him-?
* Leonora (serious): Of course I do! As you mentioned just a couple of seconds ago, he isn’t the only one in the city we know hailed from Nova Roma!
* Norah (shocked): Are you suggesting Shirley was involved in Sveta’s murder?!
* Leonora (crossing her arms): I’m not saying she helped him with Sveta, I’m saying maybe she knew something…
* Norah (clueless): Are you serious, Lea?! I mean… Come on, this is Shirley we are talking about, we know how she’s like, what reason do we have to mistrust her-?
* Leonora (serious): I’ve seen her and that man sneak out together! It’s clear they were trying to hide it but they weren’t exactly doing a good job about it.
* Leonora (confident): At first I assumed they must be having a secret love affair but now that I think about it… I believe they both knew the other from Roma and I find it suspicious that Shirley never warned us about him!
* Norah (serious): And what exactly was there for her to warn us about? How was she supposed to know nine months in advance that he was going to kill Sveta?! And if she knew he’s Roman, I don’t think it was her business to expose his background-
* Leonora (curious): Norah, be quiet for a second. You wanted to say something, Marionette?
* Leonora (shocked): Excuse me, what? You think “Vicci” is Shirley’s husband?!
* Norah (shocked): Shirley’s MARRIED?! But- How… When did she tell you this?!
* Norah (clueless): After the orgy? And she told you her husband works at our military camp?!
* Leonora (serious): This cannot be a coincidence! That “Vicci Soprano” individual has to be her husband!
* Norah (hopeless): *Sighs.* You’re right… This is way too much for us to overlook. So what do we do now?
* Leonora: Just because she was married to the man, that doesn’t immediately mean her intentions are like him. I am still willing to give her a chance and let her stay, as long as she comes clean about her past. So I want you both to go talk to her and ask her about her husband and why he killed Sveta.
* Norah (serious): As you wish, Lea. Marionette, lets go speak with Shirley! Hopefully she’ll be transparent with us!

***Ask Shirley about the identity of her husband (1 star; Prerequisite: See what the queen is summoning you for).***

* Shirley (nervous): Lady Patrick? D-dame Cambright? Would you please tell me why you asked to see me? I’m not in trouble, I beg?
* Norah (crossing her arms): That depends on how deep your involvement is.
* Shirley (worried): Involvement with what?
* Norah (serious): First, we want to know what your relationship with Vicci, or should we say, VICTORINUS is like?
* Shirley (sweating): V-Vicci the soldier? So his name is short for… Victorinus?
* Norah (pissed): Lets get to the point. Is he your husband?!
* Shirley (blushing): W-what?! N-n-no! H-how did you even know I was married-?
* Shirley (shocked): Marionette, you told her?! I-I thought… You promised not to tell anyone-!
* Norah (serious): You two can make up later, right now lets not change the subject. So you deny that Vicci is your husband?
* Shirley (biting her gloves): No-! I mean, y-yes. I mean- He’s not my husband!
* Norah (stumped): But yet you told Marionette that he works for our military?
* Shirley (sweating): Well, y-yes but I meant someone else. N-not Vicci!
* Norah (serious): So if he’s not Vicci, then who is he?!
* Shirley (panicking): I-I can’t tell you!
* Norah (impatient): Why not?! The romance laws no longer exist, so it’s not like we can penalize him anymore! What reason do you have to hide your romance-?!
* Shirley (furious): Because it’s none of your business! Seriously, leave me alone!

*Shirley leaves.*

* Norah (shocked): Shirley! Where are you going-
* Norah (covering her face): *Sighs.* Maybe I may have pushed her way too hard. But she is clearly hiding something!
* Norah (crossing her arms): But if we ask her about it again, she’s just going to deny it. We need…We need proof that she and Vicci are married! But what could possibly prove this?
* Norah (stumped): You think we should look around the library? Like Vicci may have been carrying a marriage certificate with him? You’re not serious, are you?
* Norah (covering her face): This feels like a waste of time, but fine! It’s better than doing nothing, I guess…

***Investigate the library (Prerequisite: Ask Shirley about the identity of her husband).***

* Norah (crossing her arms): I’m not seeing anything that could possibly confirm Shirley and Vicci’s marriage, are you sure we’re not just beating around a dead bush?
* Norah (hopeless): If you insist about digging through these books, then fine, I’m not stopping you. I still think hiring spies on Shirley is a better option.

***Examine pile of books (1 star; Prerequisite: Investigate the library).***

* Norah (smirking): Well, well, what do we have here. Is that a ring?
* Norah (smiling): And not just any ring! It looks like the one Shirley is wearing over her left glove! Do you think it’s a wedding band-!
* Norah (shocked): Oh no, wait! The one Shirley wore was gold, this one looks like its made from silver, iron or… Ugh, I don’t know but definitely not gold, that I can tell!
* Norah: But… Aside from the material, it DOES look identical… But she’s still going to deny it, isn’t she? Ugh…
* Norah (crossing her arms): You want Jennifer to look at it? I guess she does know more about marriages than we do, but how is she possibly going to help us?
* Norah (hopeless): *Sighs.* Actually never mind, lets just see what she would have to say….

***Analyze ring (Prerequisite: Examine pile of books).***

* Jennifer (observing ring): Norah, where did you and Marionette find this… Item?
* Norah (crossing her arms): In the library. We think it was dropped by the guy who killed Sveta. Why do you ask?
* Jennifer (indicating): Because you see how the ring was designed, with two hands shaking? This is actually an Ancient Roman symbol called “dextrarum iunctio”, which represents the gesture of consent and union of a couple!
* Norah (blushing): Um… English?
* Jennifer (stumped): Seriously Norah? Do I have to explain this? Well, to ingrain this into your little mind, this is a wedding band!
* Norah (understanding): Ahaaaaaaa… So that means he’s married then?
* Jennifer (crossing her arms): If this is his ring, then I suppose so?
* Norah (shrugging): OK. So, we have THAT part cleared up. But how do we prove he is married TO Shirley when their rings are made of totally different materials?!
* Jennifer (checking her nails): Was hers made of gold?
* Norah (clueless): Uh... Yes, how do you know that?
* Jennifer (slightly glancing): I think I should explain that, traditionally in Rome, when putting on the bands, the bride is given a ring made of gold. However, the groom isn’t offered the same luxury and he wears a ring made of iron like the one we have in our hands!
* Norah (determined): So that means we hold proof of their marriage. Shirley cannot escape a confession this time! It’s time that we grill her, Marionette!

***Demand answers from Shirley (1 star; Prerequisite: Analyze ring).***

* Norah (serious): There you are, Shirley! What are you doing standing at the loggia?
* Shirley (blushing): I… I was just getting some fresh air. What do you want...?
* Shirley (nervous): If this is about Vicci again…
* Norah (serious): There is no point in lying, Shirley. We know you two are married, we found his ring! His wedding band!
* Shirley (sweating): You did...? Can you show it to me?
* Shirley (covering her face): I get why you’d believe that’s my husband’s, but my ring is gold and this one’s…
* Norah (pissed): Shirley, we’ve been studying Ancient histories and laws, both Greek and Roman! You think we don’t know how traditions are?
* Shirley (sweating): I…
* Shirley (hopeless): Alright, fine, you got me! Vicci… He is my husband. I should’ve been honest from the start I know, but he warned me not to tell you…
* Norah (eye rolling): And I bet he also told you to hide the fact he killed Sveta!
* Shirley (shocked): He did WHAT?!
* Norah (stumped): Are you seriously expecting us to believe you were ignorant about the murder?
* Shirley (panicking): N-no! I swear! I didn’t… He didn’t tell me he was planning to kill her!
* Norah (clueless): So he just escaped Graecita. Without telling you?!
* Shirley (sweating): N-no. I knew he planned for us to leave today after Kaleb Jr’s funeral. But he didn’t share any details! He didn’t me how we’d do it and he certainly didn’t tell me he was going to-
* Vicci, Shirley and Naunaeon (Vicci; grabbing Shirley’s arm): Sherise, it’s time to go NOW!
* Vicci, Shirley and Naunaeon (Shirley; startled): Vicci-
* Norah (pissed): Hey, you! Let her go-!
* Vicci, Shirley and Naunaeon (Naunaeon; flying): *NEIGHHH!!!*
* Vicci, Shirley and Naunaeon (Shirley; afraid): AHHH!!!
* Norah (shocked): SHIRLEY!

*Vicci flies away with her.*

* Norah (pissed): Fuck! They’re gone now!
* Norah (hopeless): Ugh… What are we supposed to do now?! We have no time to fly after them and we still have a lot of unanswered question like why did “Vicci” kill Sveta in the first place?!
* Norah (covering her face): I guess for now they aren’t our problem anymore… Ugh, Lea won’t be happy about this….

***Investigate the Oracle’s temple.***

* Jennifer (frustrated): This is hopeless! Has she not left us anything?!
* Jennifer (annoyed): What was she even thinking?! She KNEW she was going to get killed, yet she wanted to wait until after the funeral to tell us the prophecy! We couldn’t she just tell me and Alex then we could’ve shared it with you! Why did she want us all together-
* Jennifer (surprised): Oh, you found something?
* Jennifer (observing silver case): What is that thing…? It looks like…
* Jennifer (smiling): Like something you would put a scroll inside…!
* Jennifer (trying to open it): Hey! It’s… It’s locked?!
* Jennifer (frowning): What do they call these symbols? Codex or something? Whatever’s inside the case must be confidential…
* Jennifer (crossing her arms): You think our prophecy is hiding in there? I know nothing about lockpicking so I’ll leave this part to you.

***Examine silver case (1 star; Prerequisite: Investigate the Oracle’s temple).***

* Jennifer (smirking): Like we hoped for, there’s a scroll inside! Lets see what’s on the parchment-!
* Jennifer (clueless): What do you mean by nothing?! Give this to me!
* Jennifer (angry): Are you fucking kidding me?! We went through all the effort of searching for THIS?! What kind of joke is this-
* Jennifer (taking a deep breath): Okay… I’ll calm down…
* Jennifer (holding up the scroll): But seriously, what is this-
* Jennifer (shocked): Wait-! I think I just saw something-
* Jennifer (serious): When putting it over sunlight, I can see text on the parchment! Sveta… She must have recorded the prophecy using invisible ink!
* Jennifer (squinting): Still… The text is very hard to see. We need to make it more clear…
* Jennifer (smirking): I like your thinking! Why waste time looking at it under light, when we could just use a dusting kit!

***Examine parchment (1 star; Prerequisite: Examine silver case).***

* Jennifer (serious): I can see the text more clearly now! The prophecy says…
* Jennifer (shocked): *”In the shadow of knowledge, the Oracle’s fate is sealed, tall and dark the culprit prevails.”* Oh my gods! This must be referencing Sveta’s death! “Tall and dark” usually means a tall man with black hair, which describes Vicci perfectly!
* Jennifer (reading): Lets continue… *”In the land of the horse, another one awaits for the owl, the dove and the two-hooved goat. She holds a vision that none can compare and knowledge with thousands of lives at stake.”*
* Jennifer (stumped): Okay… This part must about us. The owl refers to a child of Athena, maybe Nike but lets assume its Athena. The dove is obviously a child of Aphrodite’s and the only goat with two hooves I can think of is a satyr. But other than these details…
* Jennifer (clueless): I don’t understand a single thing about what I just read, do you? Like what does it mean by “land of horses” and who the fuck is that other oracle its talking about?!
* Jennifer (shocked): And did you read the last part?! “Thousands of lives at stake”?! Does that mean if we don’t do anything then thousands of people would DIE?!
* Jennifer (hopeless):We have to do something! Alex could figure out what the prophecy is saying… Except he’s concussed right now and is in no condition to be playing riddles!
* Jennifer (indicating): We need the help of someone who knows exactly what the prophecy is telling us, like… Apollo himself!
* Jennifer (twirling her hair): I know there’s this stupid rule where he “can’t” interpret the prophecy for us, but you’ll be surprised at how even gods can be manipulated. Just watch and see…

***Beg Apollo to explain your prophecy (1 star; Prerequisite: Examine parchment).***

* Apollo (frustrated): How many times… Am I going to be pulled into this temple?! What do you need this time?!
* Jennifer (twirling): Lord Apollo, we need your help! We found this prophecy that Sveta has hidden for us but it seems like we’re having trouble understanding what it says-
* Apollo (stopping): Hey, look! You’re cute and I would love for both of you to succeed but I fear that is not how things work here!
* Apollo (innocent smirk): You see, how things are suppose to go is that we give you a vague definition of your quest and everything else, you’ll need your creativity to figure things out!
* Jennifer (pouting): It’s easy FOR YOU to say. You men… You’re idealistic. But us women, we’re realistic. It’s simple for you to solve riddles because you were made with creativity in mind!
* Jennifer (wiping her tears): But us women aren’t wired that way! We can’t play riddles or understand prophecies and all that difficult stuff and the one man in our team is suffering a concussion and he won’t be able to help us…
* Jennifer (crying): Without your help, thousands of people will die! We’ll have blood on our hands and all that because we couldn’t understand a fucking prophecy-
* Apollo (awkward grin): Hey, don’t cry! Look, its not that hard to understand!
* Apollo (shrugging): “In the land of horses”. When you think of horses in Greek history, which is the first horse that comes to mind?
* Jennifer (clueless): Uh… Pegasus?
* Apollo (indicating): No, it’s talking about the Trojan Horse! You heard about the Trojan War, did you?
* Jennifer (thinking): I did… And if my memory is correct, the Greeks invaded a city called Troy by disguising as a wooden horse?
* Apollo (smiling): Exactly! See? You’re starting to understand!
* Jennifer (curious): Okay, so basically we’re supposed to go to Troy. But then… What oracle are we supposed to be looking for?
* Apollo (indicating): Kassandra of Troy! Who else could I be talking about-
* Apollo (shocked): Wait… Did I just-
* Apollo (frustrated): Oh! Damn it! You goddamn daughters of Aphrodite and your charms! Can’t believe I’ve been bewitched!
* Jennifer (thinking): Okay, Marionette. From my understanding you, Alex and I are supposed to travel to Troy and find Kassandra. And when we get to her, she apparently has ANOTHER prophecy for us which if we need to hear and potentially save thousands of lives that are at risk.
* Jennifer (blushing): So, uh, no pressure… The first we have to do is get Alex and figure out where Troy is located-
* Apollo (blushed): Hey, uh… Before you go, I think there’s one detail that you need to hear…
* Jennifer (stumped): Are you still under my charmspeaking influence? I thought you said you aren’t supposed to help us?
* Apollo (nervous grin): I can’t, willingly, help you with things referenced in the prophecy, but I’m allowed to give warnings about other… Unrelated stuff, or things you already know about…
* Apollo (blushing): Before you look for Kassandra, I should you that in the past… I took a liking for her…
* Jennifer (crossing her arms): Oh wow… The horniest god of Olympus fell for someone, what surprising news! What else are you going to tell us? That you slept with her?
* Apollo (sweating): I wanted to, but I wanted more than that. I wanted her all for myself! To be my wife and companion! She… She was the most beautiful girl I ever saw!
* Apollo (smiling): So I made her offer! I promised her the gift of prophecy and all she had to do was comply to my desires and she accepted my proposal!
* Apollo (eye rolling): But once I gave her the gift, she backtracked from her promise and refused to give me favors!
* Apollo (nervous grin): So… I may have… Cursed her?
* Jennifer (serious): What did you do to her?!
* Apollo (sweating): Well… I twisted her gift so that while she’s able to look through the future- better than any other prophetess. Her prophecies… They could never be believed!
* Jennifer (horrified): So whatever she has to tell us- There’s a chance we might not believe her?! That it may not matter whether we find her or not?!
* Apollo (blushing): Maybe-
* Jennifer (pissed): The Trojan War- She knew about the horse, didn’t she? But she was unable to warn her people because her gift was basically useless, right?!
* Apollo (sweating): Well, uh…
* Jennifer (angry): So the poor girl had to watch her kingdom fall into a trap and not be able to do anything it all because your pride was bruised by refusing your advances?! Do you realize how pathetic that makes YOU sound?!
* Apollo (defensive): Look… I have heartbroken, okay?! I wasn’t thinking straight!
* Apollo (awkward grin): Anyway, what’s the time? Oh shit! I have to go!
* Jennifer (shocked): Hey, wait! I’m not done yet-
* Jennifer (pissed): Some men are just… Maybe being “forever alone” isn’t so bad after all…
* Jennifer (crossing her arms): So what do we do? Do we look for Kassandra or will it just be a waste of our time?
* Jennifer (hopeless): Maybe there is a way for us to hear her prophecy without us taking it… Un-seriously. Without us mistaking it for a lie…
* Jennifer (serious): We just need to be careful- And like I said earlier, we need to know where Troy is first!
* Jennifer (concerned): We should go release Alex from the infirmary. Hopefully he’s feeling better now…

***You are now experiencing the story in third-person view.***

***In Kaleb’s study…***

* Jennifer (impatient; looking through books): Where is that damned book-
* Alex (holding his head): Need any help there, Jen?
* Jennifer (serious): No, I’m doing okay…
* Alex (dizzy): You know… Just because I have a traumatic brain injury, that doesn’t make me totally incompetent!
* Marionette (clueless): What is she even looking for?
* Alex (bored): Some book that helped us look for Sarpedon…
* Marionette (clueless): What?
* Alex (shrugging): You know how Jenny and I had this quest to rescue Medusa? Well, Kaleb let us dig through his study to find her whereabouts and we found this book that had a map of Greek cities from the past, including Medusa’s lair!
* Alex (scratching his head): She is looking for that same book, hoping we could use it to look for Troy-!
* Jennifer (holding a book): I found it!
* Alex (relieved): Oh, good! So? What does the map say?
* Jennifer (disappointed): No…
* Alex (frowning): Jen, is there a problem?
* Jennifer (pissed): Worse that you’d imagine! Troy isn’t on the map!
* Alex (thinking): Hmmm…
* Jennifer (crossing her arms): You don’t seem very surprised?
* Alex (shrugging): Troy isn’t a Greek city so I doubted it would be on the map! Some Ancient Greeks even doubted the existence of the war since none of them knew the location of the lost city!
* Jennifer (hopeless): So what do we do now?
* Marionette (thinking): We could go to the library? Maybe there’s something we could find there about Troy?
* Alex (confident): We could but I have a better idea…
* Alex (serious): We should visit Chiron!
* Jennifer (displeased): Ugh, please no!
* Marionette (clueless): Huh? Who’s Chiron?
* Alex (shocked): You don’t know who Chiron is?!
* Marionette (glancing): Am I supposed to…?
* Alex (waving it off): Oh no… He’s only… The most famous centaur of all history!
* Alex (smiling): Dude literally trained and mentored some of the most famous Greek heroes, including the best and most powerful- the great Achilles! You must have heard of him, I bet?
* Marionette (clueless): Uh… Who?
* Alex (stumped): You got to be kidding me…
* Alex (serious): I’ll leave out the irrelevant bits. That Achilles guy- He fought and died during the Trojan War! Now I don’t know if Chiron assisted him for not, but HOPEFULLY he knows where Troy is and he’d give us the coordinates!
* Marionette (curious): So… Where do we find that centaur?
* Alex (indicating): On Mount Pelion, located in the Greek city of Thesally!
* Jennifer (crossing her arms): To be more specific, in the cave which he keeps cramped up with large, sweaty and mannerless meatheads!
* Alex (chuckling): Hey! You’re giving the people there too little credit!
* Jennifer (holding a hand mirror): Whatever. Hold my hand.
* Marionette (clueless): What is she doing?
* Alex (smiling): Just a little trick to get us to Chiron swiftly. Take my hand.
* Jennifer (looking at the mirror): Mount Pelion, Thessaly, Greece!

*The trio start to teleport.*

***Meanwhile in Nova Roma…***

* Audenzia and Tara (Tara; undressing Audenzia; worried): Oh Lady Diodora, whatever crossed your mind! You’re lucky the emperor blessed you with a child or… Or…
* Audenzia and Tara (Audenzia; eye rolling): Oh, calm down! Augustus wants me dead anyway! He’s just waiting for me to push out the child!
* Audenzia and Tara (Audenzia; displeased): Hopefully by then Livius would grow a pair and push HIM out-
* Audenzia and Tara (Tara; shocked): Milady! Someone’s outside talking with the guards!
* Audenzia and Tara (Audenzia; curious): It sounds like Livius, what is he saying?
* Audenzia and Tara (Tara; hopeful): Milady… About what you said earlier. Do you think the emperor decided to stand against Augustus?!
* Audenzia and Tara (Audenzia; serious): I wouldn’t hold out too much hope for this. And look, there he is…

*Livius enters the room.*

* Livius (serious): Tara, do you mind giving me and Lady Diodora a minute alone?
* Audenzia and Tara (Tara; blushing): Your Majesty! O-of course!

*Tara goes away.*

* Audenzia (crossing her arms): Why bother asking her?
* Livius (frowning): Pardon?
* Audenzia (looking at her nails): She’s a slave to the palace, she exists only to do what we tell her to do. So why ask her permission?
* Livius (serious): Just yesterday you were complaining about us keeping slaves in the palace and now you’re encouraging me to be cruel to them?
* Audenzia (pissed): You’re not following up with your promise to liberate them so I see no reason you should be speaking with them with fake politeness? Unless you believe that suddenly makes your treatment to them more justifiable?
* Livius (hopeless): I talked with the emp- I mean, Augustus this afternoon.
* Audenzia (glancing): Hmmm… About what?
* Livius (serious): About the way you behaved this morning. He said he is willing to forgive you.
* Audenzia (grinning): Ha! I bet. So what’s the catch?
* Livius (nervous): Well… He wants you to apologize to him in front of the whole household and… Accept him as emperor.
* Audenzia (firm): You can tell him to go fuck himself.
* Livius (angry): Alright, I’ve had it with you! I’ve tried all I could to have you accepted in this palace but you always find a way to blow it by demanding more!
* Livius (frustrated): First you pressured me into aiding a lie about the parentage of your child and now you’ve insulted one of the greatest emperors and refusing to compromise when your life is at risk! Do you think this is a game?!
* Audenzia (crossing her arms): Livius, why are you allowing Augustus to walk all over you?
* Livius (speechless): I-
* Audenzia (serious): Have you forgotten who you are? You’re the emperor! You RULE this place! And what is he? Nothing but an invader that you have every right to turn away!
* Livius (hopeless): *Sighs.* I can’t do this, Audenzia-!
* Audenzia (pissed): Why not?! What power does HE have over you-?!
* Livius (angry): Everybody loves him, Audenzia! The palace love him! The soldiers love him! The nobles love him! The- They feel HONORED by his presence!
* Livius (sad): Don’t you see, Audenzia? Noone here wants me! They want HIM! H-he should be the one sitting on the throne, not me! I’m not cut out to be the emperor!
* Audenzia (serious): Don’t say that, Livius! Claudius Messalinus chose YOU to be emperor! He picked you for a reason-!
* Livius (pissed): Yeah, because I’m the only living male biological relative he had! If Carolus had been his actual son or Claudilla was male, he’d have chose one of them instead!
* Livius (serious): I’ve made my decision, Audenzia. I’m giving away the throne to Augustus.
* Audenzia (disappointed): NO!
* Livius (sad): He’ll make a better emperor than me and… I hope that you’d come to terms with it-
* Audenzia (holding back her angry): No… Never!
* Livius (worried): Audenzia, if you don’t accept it-
* Audenzia (pissed): You’re a coward, Livius…
* Livius (begging): Audenzia, please…
* Audenzia (tears of anger): You’re ballless! Ever a eunuch has bigger balls than you!
* Livius (holding back tears): I… I’m leaving…
* Audenzia (angry): You are nothing, you hear that Livius? You’re nothing!
* Livius (tearful): …
* Audenzia (infuriated): I hate you! I HATE YOU!

*Livius goes in his room.*

* Livius (crying): …