A Case of Confusion (EA, Ayfat's Home, Closed)

[Jewel]

Aydi, the man, was returning from his visit to the House of the Heavens to reclaim Aydi, the dog, from where he had been left with their father Ayfat.

As he approached the small home he quickly realized something was very amiss as a loud baying and desperate barking filled the air....

[Aydi al-Qais]

Acting on impulse, being instantly alarmed and co-experiencing his namesake's distress, Aydi threw himself into vigorous pace to get into the house, deeply anxious.

[Jewel]

No signs of danger seemed to await him outside and, as he began to open the door, he was nearly pushed back by a desperate furred shape shoving it the rest of the way.

Aydi, the befurred, barks were replaced by low whines as he pressed against the detective's legs. Through the now open door the room of the home looked more cluttered with papers than usual though there appeared to be no sign of a struggle. Still that barely lessened Aydi's concern as there was also no sign of his father at the desk where he would have expected to see him.

[Aydi al-Qais]

"Alab! Alab!" Aydi called his father, a sudden pang of fear gripping his heart just as he reassured the dog with a dynamic ruffle. He entered the room and started looking... at the floors. Had father collapsed?

[Jewel]

No answer came but, thankfully, no body was found either.

The dog continued to whine near the door, moving in and out of the doorway.

[Aydi al-Qais]

Father was rarely coming out, that much was certain. Aydi wanted to keep his cool, but he was increasingly distressed himself. "Where has he gone, Aydi? To the neighbours? Can you lead me?" He gave something belonging to his father for his namesake to sniff.

[Jewel]

Aydi, the smaller, barely gave a sniff before he was off like a shot. It seemed more like he had only been waiting to be followed.

To Aydi, the taller's, dismay the dog headed towards no nearby neighbor as he took off down the street... heading towards a nearby sewer entrance.

[Aydi al-Qais]

The bipedal Aydi hyperventilated a few times as he picked up the pace, not because he was a poor runner, but because of the sense of dread that he couldn't help mounting in him. He checked if his knife was leaving its hiding place smoothly. He tried to imagine what could have happened but his imagination was not up to the task. A kidnapping?

[Jewel]

The dog circled the entrance to the sewer.

The opening was normally covered by wooden planks weighed down with stones. A, perhaps futile, effort to help prevent anything climbing from the sewers into the neighborhood during the night. Now, under Shilah's gaze, the stones were piled neatly to one side and some of the planks moved away.

[Aydi al-Qais]

"Alab! Are you there?" Aydi called down, checking the descent. It felt unwise to go alone into the sewers, but the situation gave him little choice. He was resolved to follow even as fighting ghuls was a bleak perspective. He now realised that had father not left on his own, they'd have probably hurt the dog, whoever they could be. He also realised he hadn't alerted anyone and should anything happen, they would both be lost for good. Torn, he looked at the dog. Was Aydi willing to go down?