The Demon’s Bride

Elise looked at the new guest who stood beside her, like how she was, the only person who stood before the tree, perusing the evidence, he was watching the corpses even closer than her, seemingly used to the idea of death and the gore.

"What do you think about this?" asked the man who stood against the tree.

Elise noticed how there was still shadows all over the people beside her with Ernest and the elf being an exception, "About what?" she asked, being cautious as she speak as she knew how amongst the candidates there could be possibility that one of them are dark sorcerer in disguise.

The elf's eyes turned to her, the color of his eyes holding both gold and brown color that was strange. Was it her eyes that were playing trick on her? But she was sure she could see the color of the man's eyes shifting, "The killing method. Two church member are killed and they are vampires. Unlike humans who have less power, vampires are born with strong qualities, that make them hard to kill; especially by looking at the method of this attack which is..."

"A one sided attack," Elise completed the man's words as he did earlier. "And the person must be as very tall and strong person. The killer's height is very notable looking by how they had hoisted the two bodies to hang them on the tree."

The elf stared at her which Elise could feel but she acted as if she didn't notice his gaze. "Have anyone notified the church member who might still stay here?" asked Elise to the people around her.

Some men looked at her without wanting to speak as if it was beneath them to speak or obey a woman's words. "I just came back from the resting house the church member took. There was no one there," it was Ernest who had spoken. A frown on his forehead. "And when I came this greeted me," he said, tipping his chin toward the tree.

"What?! They are not here?" asked one candidates amongst them who is a vampire, "Who will be investigating the murder if it isn't them?"

Another man from the batch rolled his eyes, "Are you not capable of doing so yourself?"

"We are still candidates. How do you expect us to find the killer?" The vampire questioned, "And how you can expect us to stay here in this place when the killer is still let loose?"

Whispers came between the candidates and Elise could tell how slowly the men turn against each other when one man stated, "Then is the killer someone amongst us?"

Sharp eyes begin to look at each other and seed of doubts appeared between the candidates. Elise could tell how many people begin to doubt the person standing next to them almost within a second that was so quick to happen.

"It could also be someone not amongst us," answered another person who was a human when he gathered people's attention, the man hurriedly say, "Everyone here are tasked to solve the case the Church members recreate. Why would they run around killing people when it would only be a disadvantage for them?"

But there are reason, thought Elise. She recalled Dalton words. There are currently two hundreds candidates in this place. And amongst them, Elise who stood far away from the crowds could see the thick Black Death shadows that covered them which mean all this people would die soon and it is something she wouldn't be able to change. With many people who is about to die, the only strongest possibility she has is that there are a dark sorcerer in between them.

The vampire said, "If I were you, I won't entertain that thought. We know that there are beings who won't discriminate on who to kill and how to kill. The dark sorcerers," uttered the man to instill silence and fear to the candidates.

"Does that mean we have been trapped?" The human man from earlier asked, fear catching his eyes, "That woman there also said it is a doing of a very tall man. Amongst us is there any very tall man?"

The people's eyes went over each other and Elise heaved a sigh. With how it is going, she could tell that fight could break soon and as the thought passed her mind, someone had said, "That man is the tallest here! He seem like he could reach the top of the tree!"

The tree was considerably tall unless the person was over two meters would they be able to reach the top of the tree. The man who was suspected was as tall as the people had been searching but he wasn't happy with the accusation, "Should I try to hang you on the tree and see whether or not I can kill you?" The man's eyes glistened in silver color, his hand slowly morphed into a large claw that startled the human. 

"Everyone!" came a louder voice from beside Elise and she saw the elf spoke, "We should not doubt each other. Considering what had happened, we can say that there are killer amongst us or maybe a killer who had came to this place and possibly target both you and I. Killing each other now will not solve the problem but only help the killer to hide amongst us. It would be wise if we do not cross each other and work together."

"Work?" Huffed the human man who had accused the werewolf earlier, "With them?" He pointed his hand on the group of mythical beings. Elise could tell something worse is going to happen, "The beings that suck blood from us and those werecats and werewolves? We both know and we could see how this is something only something that people who are not human could do. I would like to suggest these people to be check first."

The mythical beings were not happy with the human man's accusation, as they had been blamed for doing something they had no hand in. The vampire who had spoken earlier huffed, "To me though, you humans are more suspicious as maybe one of you could be a dark sorcerer in hiding. We all know how only humans could be dark sorcerer."

Both the humans side and the mythical sides begin to stare with each other, throwing glares and anger between them as none of them want to move ground on their opinion. Both sides didn't accept to be accused but still accuse each other.

"I think it is right that we let the two men rest in peac," Elise suggested, compared to the people, her voice was much calmer as she knew even if she suspect one of the candidates, she wouldn't be voicing out her thoughts here that could only lead to fight breaking between them. 

The human man who had been speaking from earlier chuckled over her words, "Do you think we would listen to your words woman? A woman should say quiet on her post and not speak. I would say you to be the most suspicious one here seeing how calm you are over these two people's death and not to forget you are already strange enough to aspire to become a Church member as a woman. Maybe it is your goal to kill us?"