91 ace attorney 6 - the sons of dhurke!

Dear Readers,

Datz told me more about the photograph of the man and his two sons. The man was Dhurke and the boy on the left was Nahyuta! That explains that little exchange they had in court where he called him "Yuty"! Nahyuta used to be a rebel as well and respected his father, but became a prosecutor because of the DC Act and the culture it created. Datz said he wanted to spark a revolution from the inside, so he dove right into the enemy's den.

Really? I said I never would've guessed it, looking at Nahyuta now. Datz said I could say that again! Dhurke was battling to change the legal system and the will of the dragon spurred him on. They thought Nahyuta would take up the mantle, but it looks like he changed, using the law to do the queen's bidding. It seemed like Nahyuta didn't carry the will of the dragon anymore. I wondered what happened between his father and him.

I asked about the Apollo-looking son (come on it's him haha) and Datz said he was Dhurke's adopted son, but he went back overseas. He said his name was Apollo! It was then I noticed the bracelet and everything! Datz said he could shake a room with his voice. I thought to myself that his description wasn't really doing Apollo... justice. Nice joke they put in there!

Apollo has come a long way indeed. I didn't mention him at all though.

After this, Datz said he had to get a move on and start packing, even though I hadn't examined the room fully with him yet... I asked him to wait and tell me what they were trying to do as rebels?

He paused for a moment. I took this chance to look around the room more. Dhurke's old business sign was against the wall. I said I hoped he could put it back up again someday and Datz said not to hold my breath. I admired the coat, which was Dhurke's. Datz encouraged me to try it on so I did and it wasn't a good idea as it was hanging there forever!

There was also a ladder in a hole in the floor. It looked really small from here... Not sure how he brought me in through that.

I hung around to ask him more about what they were doing as rebels.

90 ace attorney 6 - datz tells me about dhurke

Dear Readers,

Everything really went black when I lost consciousness in the manhole. When I came to I found myself in a strange room. It had furniture and seemed like someone was living here, but everything was dark and dingy. 

A figure appeared before me, saying I had finally come to and I recognised him immediately from the wanted poster. He pulled out a huge knife, which made me yelp, and he started peeling an apple with it.

He said sorry for getting rough with me but he thought I was the cops. He offered an apple as he gobbled them just like he was gobbling the stick lizards before. He had different features from the hairy guy from before but he had the same clothes and same mannerisms, with the smiles and thumbs ups and everything! It was indeed him!

He said this was the office of his brother in arms, Dhurke! They were using it as a rebel safe house. I asked what kind of office it was exactly and he said it was a law office! Dhurke used to be a lawyer! It adds up! It adds up!

He said he wouldn't be coming around here anymore as he wanted to get out of the rebel business. He was tired of being hounded and everything. He said he was stopping to pick up his stuff and he was gonna sell Dhurke's info to the minister of justice and leave the country!

I said he couldn't leave as I needed him for the case! He said I could ask him whatever but wouldn't know if he'd be much help.

Gotta admit his jolly smile and thumbs up are very entertaining, even though he's a sketchy character.

I asked him for everything he knew about the murder. he said he didn't remember much after hitting his head. I asked him why he testified otherwise and he said he was afraid he'd seem suspicious, so he came up with the story. He said he was sorry as he pointed and laughed at me.

I asked him about Dhurke's time as a lawyer and he said Dhurke had a dragon's glare, which made criminals confess and pass out and prosecutors become terrified. Most importantly, he never gave up on the accused, no matter how the odds were stacked against him, drawing comparison to how I was in court.

He seemed to have a great love for food, making do with the lizards and apples and all that appetising looking stuff on the table!

Dhurke's law book was here and it had his branding on it. Looks like he did a lot of research on the DC Act.

I observed the picture of the queen with the knife stuck in it, but didn't dare ask about it.

I observed the photograph. It was an old one with a man and two boys. Datz said it was Dhurke and his two sons. He didn't seem particularly evil at all. Also, his sons were familiar... very familiar! Left one looked like Nahyuta and the right one looked like Apollo!

DUN DUN DUNNNNN!

89 ace attorney 6 - chasing the escaped prisoner

Dear Readers,

Princess Rayfa and I rushed to the bazaar on hearing that the police were chasing the escaped prisoner through there. I stopped to catch my breath and to deal with my back pain when Ahlbi arrived. I told him what was going on. Rayfa came up to us, puffing and panting as well. I told her it wasn't safe with that guy running around the place and she put on a brave face.

I examined a manhole that was open and Shah'do started barking. I was able to get the escapee's scent with the weird new flag and Shah'do reacted. Ahlbi had no idea that he could pick up scents like that and allowed me to take him down the manhole. 

I told Rayfa I was going down the manhole and that she should stay as it could be dangerous. She told me to wait. I promised I wouldn't do any lawyerly misdeeds. She wasn't worried about that. I asked if she was worried about me. She said she was simply wondering why I would go to such lengths to chase after a dangerous insurgent in my investigation. I said I had faith in Maya's innocence and that lawyers were supposed to believe in their clients to the bitter end. She called me a lamebrain and that I could do what I willed. 

That was that. I went down after Shah'do but it was pitch dark down there. Suddenly with a *WHAM!* I lost consciousness...

88 ace attorney 6 - the secret of names

Dear Readers,

Princess Rayfa and I returned to the high priest's home since I was now to collect Maya's book. Beh'leeb wasn't here.

Rayfa said she was watching me like a hawk, or more accurately, a warbaa'd. I said I was only collecting something for Maya. She asked what was the strange symbol on Maya's bag and I told her about the Steel Samurai. She noticed the similarity between that and the Plumed Punisher and she was genuinely intrigued. I wondered who the big fan was that Maya met.

I found the Tome of Secrets in Maya's bag and something slipped, revealing the book to Rayfa. She knew what it was and yelled at me to put it away, saying we would go blind as punishment!

I asked Rayfa if she would tell me about the Tome of Secrets. She consulted her "pocket internet" and obliged, telling me about the importance of Lady Kee'ra's name and the importance of a name in general when the queen uses her secret art. I pretended not to know what Maya told me. Rayfa was more than willing to tell me, saying I had no chance of learning this big secret art, the spirit channelling technique.

Rayfa told me about souls that came back from death, that they had no concept of time passing since they died. She said souls were brought back to be learned from and to help counsel other countries, which was why their country had never been invaded and how they were able to keep their unique culture. This is food for thought. Could be good in helping to keep ones own culture alive.

She also mentioned immigrants coming in and trying to seek salvation in their culture. Some of dubious nataure that were driven from their lands. I thought Gaspen Payne definitely fit that bill! However, they treated him extremely well over here and let him do a lot.

I asked her if she could channel spirits and she said she had much she had to learn. Her limit was the Divination Séance. I was thinking that Maya was better than her and she could see this written all over my face and got mad at me again! I asked her to forgive my ignorance. She aspired to master spirit channelling, just like Maya.

Rayfa guessed right when she said I was about to suggest that maybe the queen was channelling Lady Kee'ra. She said her mother was at the palace, doing her duties and it wouldn't be a thing she'd do anyway, going around battling the insurgents by herself.

It was time to leave and check other leads but we could hear voices outside. Rayfa asked her pocket internet and we learned it was the cops chasing the escaped prisoner, Datz, through town! We rushed to the bazaar!

87 ace attorney 6 - maya puts rayfa in her place

Dear Readers,

Princess Rayfa and I returned to the detention centre to see Maya. She seemed really tired and I apologised to her for being unable to defend her in that trial. She said I should withdraw from this new case and maybe they would commute my sentence. I said not to worry, that maybe this extra day was a blessing from the Holy Mother and maybe we could use it to our advantage and turn everything inside-out and upside-down!

Rayfa was quiet and I commented on it. She said she would give us time to talk before we were executed. I told her we weren't giving up until the bitter end. She told me not to worry about Maya, that her soul would be cleansed. I wondered if she was trying to comfort me. She told me to stop my struggle.

Maya interrupted, asking Rayfa why she was always like that and that I was only doing what lawyers were supposed to do. Rayfa said lawyers weren't needed when she had the Séance and Maya told her flat out that her Insights were wrong.

Ouch. Rayfa looked really upset at this.

Maya continued, saying errors were bound to happen if Rayfa's Insights were accepted without question. She then asked Rayfa what was her true duty as the royal priestess and if the victims' souls or the Holy Mother wanted her to judge people in error. Rayfa was furious and told us to struggle all we wanted.

I could see right through her. I knew she didn't really want to be like this and it was just the way she was raised.

I wasn't really able to get many answers from Maya. She had no memory of the rite since she got sleepy and she didn't know Puhray Zeh'lot that well either since he was so quiet. She was sad about this. I said not to worry because as soon as this was over we'd be able to go home, try Eldoon's Noodles or her favourite burger place! She perked up, saying she'd go for best of both worlds!

Just when I was about to go, she suddenly remembered something and whispered to me that she left something super important at the high priest's house. The text bipping got quiet while we whispered, which was a nice touch!

She asked me to get it and hold on to it for her. I said I would. She said it was a folding book in her bag called the Tome of Secrets, given to the priestess who performs the rite. She revealed that Lady Kee'ra's real name was in it but to keep that a secret!

Rayfa didn't hear. Good. Time to get the book!

86 ace attorney 6 - talking about gingihl

Dear Readers,

Princess Rayfa and I visited the high priest's house again and Beh'leeb was here. Rayfa scolded me for questioning the grieving widow again, but I needed answers.

I asked her if she really thought Maya was the killer and she said she didn't know, but she was found guilty, so what else could she have believed? I said the truth was yet to be found because I believed with all my faith that Maya was innocent. She found my faith moving and decided to tell me what she could. She even took her husband's form again and said if my faith wasn't true that he would curse me and my disciples for the next eight generations. Yikes!

I asked her more about Puhray Zeh'lot. She said her husband found him collapsed on the ground and brought him home.

I was able to examine the surroundings with a different context this time. I observed the family photo which had the high priest, his wife, Acolyte Zeh'lot and Maya in it. Rayfa called it suspicious but I stood firm and said it further proves Maya's innocence. I asked Beh'leeb about it and she said it was taken during the Feast of Blessings. She mentioned Gingihl, which I heard you could go three days without sleeping after eating some. It's eaten before the purification rite because there's a period where it's forbidden to eat. She said that it had to be eaten at a specific time as well, so that the smell would dissipate in time for the rite. I took the specifics of this ritual as her statement.

That was all I had to go on here. She wouldn't respond to anything else, not even the flower that's used in situations like this. I decided to visit Maya.

85 ace attorney 6 - ema introduces rayfa to forensics

Dear Readers,

Princess Rayfa and I went to the new murder scene at the Plaza of Devotion. The outline of Acolyte Puhray Zeh'lot was here along with flowers. There was something different about the flags. The police had already been here. Ema was still here though!

Ema greeted me and got a fright when she saw the princess. She asked Ema if she was displeased to see her and she said of course not! Ema said she was sorry about what was happening to Maya and offered to help. Rayfa watched us closely.

I asked Ema for an overview of what happened. The victim here died during prayer as seen in the crime photo she gave me and he had the dagger sticking out the top of his back below the neck, which looked really gruesome and painful. He was still in the prayer position. I noticed the peach tattoo on his neck.

Ema said the estimated time of death was sometime between the start of the rite and the discovery of the high priest's body. They believed it took place during the rite and the murder weapon was the same dagger that killed the high priest. The prosecution believed Maya killed him after she came back from the rite. The death was instant.

Rayfa asked how the time of death could be determined and Ema was pleased with her apparent interest, which she denied haughtily, saying it would be wise to know what silly things the common folk were interested in. Ema tutted there was nothing silly about it, saying Nahyuta held it in high regard. Rayfa seemed impressed but insisted the Séances were better.

Ema said Rayfa didn't have an adorable bone in her body and I said I believed she really was interested and asked Ema to explain it to her. Ema told her about the drop in body temperature. Rayfa seemed really interested and playfully took my temperature, saying I wasn't dead yet!

I asked about witnesses but since everyone was bent over in prayer, there weren't any. I asked about the murder weapon and yes, Maya's fingerprints were indeed on it, Ema was sad to say. I asked about a motive, insisting that Maya didn't have any. Ema said that since Zeh'lot was a disciple of the high priest, found to be a rebel, it was likely that he was a rebel as well. Ema agreed with me on a personal level, but that was the opinion the police had.

I examined the scene a bit. The flowers that were here were called nahmanda, given to express sorrow when a life is lost.

The last thing we saw was this new flag, seemingly uninteresting but was added to the court record anyway. It had some short message about bringing grub and a key. May have some dramatic context later!

Ema asked me if I had any hope of winning. I said I couldn't say at this point and I had to keep investigating. Rayfa was ready to report her for dereliction of duty, treating her with the same punitive manner that they treat everyone with in this kingdom. Ema wished me luck before leaving.

I didn't have any particular place in mind to go next, but I had to cover everything, so off we went.