Blood in the Forest, Part 1 of Shadows of the Heavens

A scholar's murder in an unimportant village threatens to ignite political tensions in the empire. Village enforcer Adajo must accompany the city examiner investigating the death, navigating an alien landscape of intrigues and unfamiliar masks.

An 11000 word fantasy novelette.

Shadows of the Heavens
Not even half-way into its first century the empire is riven by strife hidden behind a polite facade. With political factions vying for imperial influence, regional politics subverting imperial law, and society still recovering from recent wars, how much is due to mythic beings many no longer believe in?
A scholar's death triggers a series of events which could unravel the tenuous empire, drawing into the deadly game a young enforcer searching for his childhood friend; an examiner who desperately wants to avoid politics; a masked woman whose curiosity could cost her everything; and a prince with nothing better to do.