Daffodils+Nightshade Chapter 5: 100% completion

Chapter 5:

 Abigail had shown Cicero to the old community centre while Harvey had gone to get beds, and now they were busily checking the place out, well Harvey and Abigail were. Cicero was busily taking a nap.

“Harvey come look at this!” Called Abigail. She was gazing at a strange yellow plate, written in a language she didn’t recognise, with various random objects positioned around it in a sort of circle. “Maybe this is what that farmer, what was her name, ‘Jean’ was working on?”

“Oh no.” Said Harvey as he looked upon the arrangement of colourful stones  and rotting food. “We should get this all cleared up.”

“Wait, no!” Hissed Abigail, “There are places missing, I think if we compete it something will happen.”

“Well, what do you think the missing items are, then?” Harvey asked in frustration at the smell of rotting fruit and fish.

“That might tell us.” Shrugged Abigail, pointing at the plate.

“Abigail, I don’t think anyone could translate that.” Harvey argued.

Abigail looked thoughtful for a second, before a thought struck her. “I think I know someone who might.”

Cicero’s nap was oh so rudely interrupted by Abigail throwing cold water over him, yelling that they needed to go talk some wizard up into translating a plate, and now he was bing dragged into the forest during the post kill adrenaline drop of his life. He was not happy.

“Is this it then?” Asked Harvey, who also wan’t too keen on traversing the wilderness with a mopey murder hanging off his shoulders for much longer.

“Yup.” Chirped Abigail, staying up, entranced at the stone tower. “I’ve overheard that Rasmodius guy talking and stuff and this is the sort of shit he does all day.”

“Abigail, watch your tongue!” Harvey scolded as they approached the door.

She looked quite offended at that, “Cicero killed a man earlier today and you're pissed about me swearing? What even is your logic.” She said rolling her eyes.

They both hushed as door swung open and the decor was certainly… unique. Between the skulls, circles and foul smelling cauldrons the two townsfolk were distinctly uncomfortable, …but Cicero was thriving in this place. His mania was back, and apparently this reminded him of his old home; because that was what he kept screaming about.

“Is there anything I can help you people with?” Asked Mr Rasmodius wearily as he confronted the visitors.

“Yes, actually.” Harvey piped up. “We need you to translate something for us, up in the old community centre, a plate.”

“Is that so?” Went Rasmodius, “That farmer girl asked the exact same thing fo me! …whatever did happen to her?” Harvey flinched at the very mention of that name, and Rasmodius knew what that meant. “Oh. Well I’ll go and translate that plate for you.” He disappeared in a cloud of smoke, leaving the newfound assassins on their own.

“Where’d he go?” Asked Cicero.

“You make a good point.” Added Abigail, who jumped out of she shoes when the wizard phased straight back though the wall, into the centre of the room.

“Right. To compete that you want a prismatic shard, a human heart and weirdly enough: a sardine.” Said Rasmodius, “Now I have some very important work to be getting on with so could you please leave me and my tower.”

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Back in the community centre, Harvey lay out the possibilities. “Right, a guy in the desert was trading prismatic shards for a few different things; I talked to him while you were, well um. One of the things he was trading for was a particular medicine that can be easily, well, abused. I could get that. Abigail, you could get the sardine off Willy and that leaves the heart to…”

“Oh yes, oh yes! Cicero will happily get that heart for you, why it would be simple leisure for humble Cicero.” Cicero said jumping into Harvey’s arms.

“Haha, nice.” Laughed Harvey, before he realised he should clarify something, “Just don’t kill one of the villagers, it’s horrible to say, but make it someone we don’t know.”

“Will do.” Purred Cicero, burying himself deeper in Harvey’s arms.

To be honest, Harvey wasn’t truly sure what he and Cicero had with each other; did Cicero think they were… a thing? Harvey would have to clear that up. He really would have to clear that up, but at the same time, it wasn’t like he minded the affection.

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While Cicero and Abigail dealt with their work in Pelican Town, Harvey had had to bus back up to the desert, and was having a hard time bargaining with this drug-peddling merchant.

“Thirty bottles.” The merchant insisted, pulling a prismatic shard onto the counter top.

“Twenty five.” Harvey countered, he probably shouldn't sell too many of these medicines to people who would use them for harm, it was against his good conscience and the literal law! He would loose his medical licence if anyone found out.

“Thirty five.” The merchant angrily raised his price; withdrawing the prismatic shard from the counter and clutching it close to himself.

“Fine.” Harvey relented, he didn’t see a different way forward, he would have to set his morals aside for this one, however painful that may be. He supposed he would have to do a lot more of that in the future, now that he was actually working with Cicero and Abigail. He was part of this ‘Brotherhood’ thing now, right? He certainly deserved to be. If he wasn’t part of it yet he would have to have a serious convocation with Cicero, and maybe that jester would loose cuddle privileges. Wait what was he saying?  

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“Come on Willy can’t you just sell me the fish!” Pleaded Abigail, pulling at her hair and stomping her feet.

“Ah, no.” Replied Willy as he gently tapped his pipe and leant back into his chair. “Too many young people are forgetting the art of fishing, I’ll help you, but you will have to catch it yourself.”

“That’s crazy!” Argued Abigail, “I’ve never fished in my life- you’re not going to give up, are you?” Willy shook his head slowly. “Well okey then. Show me how to catch a sardine.”

Willy creaked towards his cabinet and pulled out a fishing rod, which he handed to Abigail. “You just follow me.” He said and lead her out onto the docks. “Go on then. Give it a go for me.”

Abigail awkwardly threw the line out and somehow had managed to get herself tangled with the string in the process.

“…Give it another go.” Encouraged Willy, so Abigail tried again. This time she didn’t get herself cut up with the string, but she did almost drop the rod into the sea, and that gave Willy a mini heart attack, so he decided to step in. “No no! Not quite. More like this, let me show you…”

Abigail was hopeless, but Willy was a good teacher, so she managed to catch a few fish. Unfortunately, none of them were sardines.

“Well what now!” Said Abigail, throwing her hands up in desperation.

“Give it another try. If you don’t get one this time I’ll go get you one, free of charge.” Suggested Willy.

Abigail tried again and, for a while, she got nothing. In fact, she was considering giving up when she started to feel a little tug on her rod, It wasn’t easy, but with Willy’s help she was able to catch the fish.

“I did it!” Said Abigail, “I got the sardine!” She felt her heart do a little dance and held the small fish in front of her with a reverence as if it was made of pure gold.

“Well done lass.” Congratulated Willy, “You’re doing well to keep the art of fishing alive, not many new people taking up the hobby these days. Keep the rod, would you? I’m looking forward to seeing you down here again.”

“…sure.” Abigail didn’t actually have any intention of coming back here to fish, but she would hate to crush an old mans heart. Who could do that and still live with themselves? Probably the sort of people who condoned murder. But she didn’t condone murder, did she?

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Now this was fun, very fun! Cicero got to kill someone, rip their heart out and his new family wouldn’t think any less of him for it; not that he . Of course, there was one problem. And that was needing to kill someone from outside the town, while him himself being inside the town. Quite a pickle.

So Cicero had to ask around and, as it turned out, most the employees of this ‘Jojamart’ place were shipped in from the city. Most, he would have to be careful he didn’t kill someone called ‘Shane.’ The man was apparently an asshole, but it would still ‘upset’ people if he were to meet a bloody and untimely demise.

There was one person who looked like a good target, though. A red haired cashier who was just about to go on her break. Red hair, but not like his, not like blood. This was the work of dye. Cicero thought this was quite ironic, considering she would soon, well, die. He watched from the shadows as the woman came around the back of the building and lit a cigarette, finally relaxing after her long shift.

Thats when the fool of hearts struck.

He threw knife into her throat, blood splattering everywhere. But it was due to rain tomorrow, this would be gone overnight. Cicero would have gone for the heart, but they needed that part.

“Why…” She called out with her last breath of air, before Her chest was hacked into and the blood loss took her. Cicero carved out her heart, not efficiently mind you. No, he took his time. But he did get the heart out, that was done. But now Cicero had a problem he didn’t really for see. Where to hide the body? That was less of a problem back in Tamriel, but here… different.

Cicero was starting to panic, he didn’t want to get found out. Not so much for him, but for the other two. But he calmed down when he saw the large fenced off wilderness patch planted firmly between the blacksmiths and the jojamart, so he dragged the woman up to it and shoved her into a hedge. He also took her ID badge. No one needed to know who she was, job done.

Cicero did a little nonchalant whistle as he started to mosey back to the community centre with a human heart in his pocket. Nothing to see here.  The benefit of having red cloths wasn’t just that it was the superior colour choice, they also hid blood just perfectly!

Most killers would have gone ahead and …done something, with the body. But not Cicero! He always seemed to be content with the blood and guts and the fact he just killed someone. That worked well in the Dark Brotherhood, it was was what separated them from most common serial killers. To be honest, they were the good guys all things considered.

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Cicero had been waiting in the community centre for about three hours, and it was so boring! Nothing to do, nothing! The others were taking for too long with their parts, how could he kill a person before Abigail could kill a fish, actually he could see how he could do that. Cicero was very good at his job.

Then came a knock at the door, but the knocker didn’t wait to be answered. Abigail came prancing into the centre proudly brandishing a sardine. “Look! Look what I got, I did it!” She waved the fish in Cicero’s face.

“Oh well done, very good!” Cooed Cicero, “Look what Cicero got! He did a good job, no?” He continued, pulling out the heart showing it to Abigail, somewhat unsurely, and from the look on Abigails face that was warranted.

“Wait what’s wrong!” Cicero cried, “Did humble Cicero damage the heart? Does the listener feel unsatisfied bye Cicero’s work? Please tell him!” The little man looked like he was on the verge of tears, actually, he was past the verge. He was crying. Great.

“Look Cicero, you did great. I’m sorry but I’m just not used to having severed body parts shoved in my face, I’m going to go look after Charles.” Abigail had tried to fix things but Cicero still looked mortified. When Harvey soon returned from his trip to Calico desert Cicero immediately rushed to him.

“I got the prismatic shard.” Said Harvey, looking a little down. “Cicero are you ok he sighed?” Cicero’s tears seemed to magically stop and his eyes widened.

“Never mind humble Cicero, is Harvey upset?” Cicero asked with a suddenly honeyed voice, “Cicero does hate to see a dark brother hurt, what happened?”

“I guess it’s that…” Harvey sighed, “I just had to sell my medicines to people who would hurt themselves with them. What sort of doctor am I if I let people hurt themselves?” Silence followed. That was a tough one, Abigail didn’t know what to say. Fortunately, Cicero was full of infinite wisdom.

“There are lot’s of people Cicero chooses not to kill,” he said thoughtfully, standing upright,  “…and Cicero is still a good assassin!”

That did get a chuckle out of Harvey. “Yes, well let’s go complete this ritual, or alchemy circle, or offering or whatever that thing actually is.”