Kestrel's Downfall

This was Harry’s unfinished personal project, following the bastard child of Watcher Keres and Watcher Septentrion who is abandoned and murders people to prove he is strong enough to be a Watcher, fails, runs away, and ironically drowns under a frozen river/lake.

### Characters

Kestrel, male, antagonist of this story, child of W. Keres and W. Septentrion (Jack the Ripper but a femboy)

Dieval Nitefes, 45 male, the protagonist of the story, think of Jace Belern during Shadows Over Innistrad, but silver fox

Stil Thern, 22 male, assistant (Wattson) to Dieval Nitefes (Holms).

Sijyth Rheld,  male, dead fucker (currently irrelevant extra)

Galeren Rheld, female, wife to Sijyth

Cerebyl, male, works at the inn, hyperactive (ADHD), well-dressed

Phenes, male, militia guard

Davarn, 61 male, owns the pub

Cadar son-of Davarn, 40 male, works at the pub, lethargic (heavy sleeper), gruff

Gwaro, 19 male, apprentice undertaker, new to the job

## Scene 1

You stand there over the body, blood dripping from your weapon.

*I did it.* You think to yourself.

The body is a bloody mess, with several stab wounds in the torso.

They said you weren’t strong enough, that you were too late.

But you will prove them wrong.

You’ll kill another person. And if they still don’t accept you, you’ll just kill another, then another.  *Until we are the last ones.*

You will prove them wrong.

The weapon feels cold in your hand, so you throw it at the body.

It hits him in the forehead.

You turn and walk away.

I *will prove them wrong.*

- - - - - -

“What happened here?” says Dieval Nitefes.

“Murder,” explains militia guard Phenes.

Dieval looks at the body, It has several round stab wounds in the torso. The body smells of rot and decay.

“Who was it?”

“The victim's name was Sijyth Rheld. But there’s no murder weapon, no footsteps. In fact, there are no traces of anyone else being here at all.”

“But it couldn’t have been a suicide. There is no weapon.” pipes up Stil Thern from behind him. “Besides, he’d be dead after just 4 hits, or at least passed out from the pain.”

“And there’s no trace of healing potions on him, so it couldn’t be that either.” Phenes clarifies.

“What ways could the killer have escaped?” Dieval asks.

“There are two doors over there, one leads to an inn, the other -- a pub.”

Dieval looks at the back of the alley, there are indeed two doors, the pub on the right, inn on the left. He also spots a woman crying by the door along with a bulky-looking man to her left, and a well-dressed man to her right.

“You’re welcome to go ask them any questions you might have.”

Dieval walks to the back and begins to hear their conversation:

“I just think it’s absurd to think that we did anything wrong, I’ll swear to god if that changes your mind.” says the well-dressed one.

“It won’t. Whoever did this has obviously given up on god already.” says the buff one.

Dieval decides to walk up to them and question them. “So, where do you all work?”

“I work at the inn right there.” the well-dressed one responds. He sticks out his hand, “Cerebyl”

“Dieval. And you didn’t hear anything last night?”

“No, I was out at that time.”

“Where?”

“Oh you know, the usual.”

“Huh… And you miss, what about you.”

“I-I,” she immediately breaks down crying again.

“It’s ok, calm down. I don’t suspect you too much yet.” he chuckles awkwardly.

“Sijyth w-was my husband.”

“Oh, I. I’m… sorry for your loss,” he says sorrowfully. “Anyway, In what way are you connected to this sir?” he nods at the bulky man.

“Cadar,” he says, his voice gruff, “I work the pub right there.” he nods to his left.

“And how did you not hear the murder?”

“I was asleep.” he says “I’m a heavy sleeper” he sounds agitated. Dieval decides to leave now before anything happens to him.

“Yes, well, I’ll leave you to it then,” he walks away not sure how to feel about all this. *Murder should wake you up from a mile away.*

## Scene 2

I walk my way home, past all these people.

I will show them what I did.

I will prove my strength.

I will give them what they want.

I will prove them wrong.

- - - - - -

Dieval is walking back to talk to Phenes. *How do you sleep through a murder?*

“So, did you find what you wanted?” Phenes asks.

“Not really; the big one kept looking at me funny.”

“Cadar has been giving us all a bit of trouble. We think he isn’t ok with us accusing him of murder, which makes sense.”

“Heh, yeah… anyway, who’s the girl?”

“Galeren was Sijyth’s wife, poor soul, she’s barely able to answer any questions we give to her.”

“Possible motive?”

“None so far. I doubt she did it though, she came here all by herself after hearing about it.”

Dieval looks back at Galeren. She is still crying into her hands. He notices Cerebyl tapping the side of the bench very fast.

“What’s wrong with Cerebyl?” He asks

“He’s just hyperactive. He doesn’t like to sit still,” Stil answers, looking at the crime scene behind them.

“Well it seems suspicious to me,” Phenes says. “We’ll keep that in mind for the future. Anyway, we’re going to go to Davarn’s pub for lunch, wanna come?” Phenes asks

“I think I’ll stay here. Keep reviewing the evidence.” Dieval answers. “Not that there’s much.”

“Yeah, we do have to let the suspects go before we leave though. You ok with us doing that?”

“Of course, I just want to go over my thoughts.”

“Allright.”

Phenes walks over to the bench where the three suspects are sitting, and says something. Cerebyl seems anxious to leave. The two men walk into their respective establishments - Cadar taking hours - while Galeren begins walking with Phenes back to where Dieval is standing.

“Allright, I’m walking Galeren back home.” Phenes says. “I’ll meet you at Davarn’s.” He walks away.

“See ya,” Stil says as he walks away.

After they leave, Dieval was left to himself and the soft murmur of the cleaning crew. Dieval walks back to the body. *What on earth made these holes?* They are perfectly round. As if made by a perfectly smooth cone. Yet there was no trace of a murder weapon anywhere. *Hold on.* He looks at the forehead and sees a bruise. *Could this be the sign of a struggle?* He leans in closer. The bruise is about the same height as the width of the holes, and about 4 inches long. *The killer threw the weapon here.* He deduces. *But where is the weapon?*

Dieval stands up and grabs one of the people cleaning the scene.

“Wha-”

“Hi, my names Dieval, I’m the detective. What’s your name?

“Uh... Gwaro.”

“Well Gwaro. I need you to do something for me.