ã€ŠThe God Machineã€‹


 Ice, Iron, Lightning.

    It was the 8<sup>th</sup> of July, an important day for Sandra Larsen as she reached her 15<sup>th</sup> summer of being alive. Her uncle, Ken Larsen had decided to take her out of the city to celebrate, a surprise destination that he was sure she would like. And so they departed on a train leaving Freedom Square to a town south of Yggdra, known as Gold Ocean Hills.

    Meanwhile, on the train that contained all manner of passengers from the animalistic lion-like Leonuns, to the more humanoid but fox-like Vulpines, to the rarer Elves. Ken was placing his and Sandra¡¯s luggage on the overhead compartment while Sandra was seated, giddily kicking her feet over the surprise Ken had planned for her.

    ¡®Okay, so you haven¡¯t told me where we¡¯re going, but you¡¯re sure that I¡¯ll love it?¡¯ Sandra probed.

    Ken grunted as he placed Sandra¡¯s luggage behind his, and he responded as he shut the compartment door, ¡®Yep, very sure you¡¯d love it. It¡¯s a real pretty place I got to pass through working a case last year. Anyway, move over a little.¡¯

    Ken took his seat next to his niece, a dark-skinned human girl with dark brown shoulder-length hair that messily formed fringes around her eyes, which accentuated her bright red pupils. Ken himself was human too, but far removed from Sandra in both blood and appearance. He was white, blond, and with ocean blue eyes that contrasted her ruby red. Their clothes were quite different too, with Sandra wearing a grey dress shirt stained in oil in some places under a pair of suspenders that connected over a lower back brace to her trousers. Ken himself wore a normal white shirt buttoned at the top, with a small scarf wrapped around his neck, all of which was under an open thick dark-blue trench coat. His shirt was tucked into his beige pants, which was noticeably cleaner than Sandra¡¯s.

    Ken took notice at Sandra¡¯s attire. ¡®Sandra. Are you wearing your shirt from the workshop?¡¯

    ¡®Umm, yeah. I didn¡¯t have anything else.¡¯

    ¡®You forgot to do the laundry.¡¯

    ¡®Yeah¡­¡¯

    Ken merely sighed. He¡¯s lived with the girl for five years now, and if he knew anything, it was that Sandra had a handful of interests, and if you told her to do something else, her mind had a magical way of blocking it from her own memory.

    ¡®I¡¯ll get off your back for now. Are the clothes you packed clean at least?¡¯

    ¡®Clean enough.¡¯

    Ken stifled a laugh, ¡®Clean enough¡­ Sure.¡¯

    Sandra leaned against the windowsill of the train as it powered through meadows of green and distant mountains. She touched the glass and felt the train¡¯s infernal engine roaring and chugging along these country tracks, and for a moment, she sighed contentedly at the idea of riding this mechanical marvel for many more kilometres. Trains gave her a measure of peace for reasons she never truly parsed, infact, all machines did. That¡¯s why she decided to become an apprentice for a Mr. Gabriel Vernon, a Leonun car mechanic. She spent hours, days, and weeks poring over diagrams of the inner anatomy of these machines, and obsessing over every function. She still remembered the reason why she started in the first place, a magazine that her uncle happened to own was lying on his coffee table. She was just visiting then, but she saw the magazine, and upon inspecting its contents, was immediately transfixed on the adverts of cars and other motorised vehicles talking about ¡°horsepower¡±. She hoped that one day, she¡¯ll attain her ultimate goal, working on an airship.

    She was 6 back then, and it was a memory she cherished to this day.

    ¡®Enjoying the view?¡¯ Ken asked.

    ¡®More the train.¡¯

    ¡®The train?¡¯

    ¡®Oh, I¡¯d like to dissect this entire place and see how it works.¡¯

    ¡®I¡¯d imagine it¡¯s burning the coal.¡¯

    ¡®And then?¡¯

    ¡®And then¡­¡¯ Ken trailed off and merely shrugged.

    ¡®Right so, the coal and the engine are over at the front of the train, right? The coal is in a car known as the ¡°tender¡±. It¡¯s then shovelled out and p-¡¯ Sandra proceeded to explain in explicit detail of how coal-powered steam engines worked to propel the train forwards. At some point, Ken noted that she had trailed off and began talking about rails instead and how they were constructed. When Ken pointed this out, Sandra merely apologised and returned to talking about the train. By the end of her lesson, Ken was leaned back into his seat smiling and nodding, but empty in the eyes like his soul had left.

    ¡®I thought you said you wanted to see how it worked, as if you didn¡¯t know.¡¯

    ¡®Well, yeah. Knowing something isn¡¯t the same as seeing it for yourself.¡¯

    Ken laughed an exhausted laugh. ¡®I suppose you¡¯re right.¡¯

    Right as this conversation ended, the conductor entered the car and began to check everyone¡¯s tickets. Ken pulled out his wallet to take out his and Sandra¡¯s tickets, only for Sandra to pounce quicker than lightning, snatching it out of his hands.

    ¡®Hey!¡¯

    Ken tried to reach back for it, but Sandra leaned her back against the window while raising her boot, threatening to dirty Ken¡¯s coat. She began to read the ticket¡¯s destination and right as she read the words upon them, it was as if the sun had shone on her face, causing her to brighten up. A smile crept its way to her and she bursted.

    ¡®You¡¯re bringing me to the Gold Ocean Mechanical Carnival!?¡¯

    ¡®It was supposed to be a surprise.¡¯ Ken huffed annoyed.

    ¡®You¡¯re the best, Uncle Ken!¡¯ She exclaimed, leaping at him to hold him in an embrace.

    Ken just sat idly as his niece hugged him. A couple of seconds passed and he held her back, smiling.

    ¡®I hope you¡¯ll enjoy it, kiddo.¡¯

    ¡®I will.¡¯

    ¡®Now would you give me the tickets back? The conductor¡¯s right there¡¯ He said, pointing over at the conductor standing by, politely staring at the two.

    Soon enough, the train stopped at Gold Ocean Hills, and many passengers began to step off of the train, including Sandra and Ken, who for a moment, stopped to help an older Vulpine lady with her luggage that had gotten stuck between the train and the platform. Afterwards, they were off to visit the town proper.

    It was a small and cosy town. Surrounded by fields of wheat, maize, tomatoes, and other produce, people flocked to that spot to collect water for irrigation as it was the spot where a river flowed through. Farmers and merchants began selling their goods to ferrymen going up and downstream, and soon enough, a town was built. As such, it became a prime spot for a train station to be built, making an easy access to transportation for the people of the town to bring their produce. Many other towns were built through the same manner, and so many towns looked like Gold Ocean, but this one was simultaneously special and cursed, at least to Sandra.

    As Ken and Sandra left the train station, Ken saw Sandra leaning against a railing between parallel staircases that lead down further into the town. Sandra was hunched over, a hand supporting her chin as she stared off into the township, reminiscing past memories. Ken approached the daydreamer and stood beside her, letting his hands rest on the railing.

    ¡®Missed this place?¡¯

    ¡®Yeah.¡¯

    They stood by, soaking in the sights and sounds, allowing the world to move while they stayed still just for a moment. It was daytime, and Sandra could see all the lingering memories lit up in broad daylight, the days she ran around the fountain in the square with a childhood friend of hers, some adults maddened at the sight of children experiencing loud but simple joy, and telling them off. She also recalled when her father took her to the ¡°Shaven Sheep¡±, a restaurant that was fancy in the eyes of a girl who grew up in the countryside. They¡¯d serve primarily fresh fish taken from the river and fried or steamed and seasoned with a variety of herbs and spices, and garnished with home-grown vegetables, allowing a flood of great flavour to grace the tongues of patrons starved by a long day of hard work or travel. She always felt like a princess when being served by the dedicated wait staff and kitchen, and her stomach grumbled at the memory of their cuisine.

    ¡®Uncle Ken?¡¯

    ¡®Would you like to eat lunch soon?¡¯

    ¡®More like right now.¡¯

    Sandra looked toward the direction of the Shaven Sheep, and pointed it out with a glimmer in her eye. ¡®Let¡¯s go there!¡¯

    ___

    After a long day of exploration along with a quick check-in at a local inn, the two had dropped off their luggage in their room and then decided to head out for one last foray, the Mechanical Carnival. By this point, enough time had passed that the sun had once again left to allow the night to take over in governing the sky, and the streets covered in sunlight slowly regained a yellow hue as the streetlamps began to turn on one by one in defiance to the dark, and so the town maintained a way to live up to the name even in the night. But even the lamps were not enough when compared to the lights off in the distance. Going past the main square of town, taking a left at the roundabout path with the fountain in the middle, Sandra and Ken saw bright lights like stars come to build a kingdom upon the earth. It was there that stood a gate swung wide open, allowing crowds of people inside. It was the entrance to the outdoor Mechanical Carnival.

    Sandra and Ken soon found themselves within that sea of people being corralled inside, and as they entered, Sandra was entranced by the sights of many exhibits that showed all sorts of man-made wonders, the finest metalwork displayed via sculptures of folkloric heroes of times long past, a stall showing the latest developments in prosthetic limbs, a shop selling metallic masks carved inch by perfect inch, and far behind all of these, at the very edge of the premises that hosted the event, rising far above the rest with its gargantuan size, a real behemoth-type airship, the airship exhibit.

    Ken quickly tapped Sandra on her shoulder. ¡®Kid, I think I¡¯ll stick around here at the prosthetics section. You go explore this place, and I¡¯ll meet you back by the entrance in an hour.¡¯

    ¡®Sure.¡¯

    Sandra soon found herself wandering to the direction of the airship, lured by a promise of studying the interior of a real-life airship, but as soon as she was about to enter, a hand reached out in front of her face, stopping her dead in her tracks. She looked at the man holding out the hand and saw a humanoid man with dragonic features known as a Dratshi.

    ¡®Stop. This exhibit is not available to the general public. Special invite only.¡¯

    Sandra felt her heart drop. ¡®B-but.¡¯

    ¡®No buts. No pass, No entry.¡¯

    Sandra leaned over and peeked at the entryway of the airship. She was so close, the hangar bay door was open, but she wouldn¡¯t get to see it. What rotten luck, She thought. And as she turned around to face the rest of the Carnival, a light voice rang out.

    ¡®Wait! That one¡¯s with me.¡¯

    Sandra¡¯s face lit up with recognition. She turned around to look at the appearance of an old friend of hers, the one she¡¯d play with all those years ago, a Leonun boy with white fur and a mane that was beginning to grow in. She called out to him. ¡®Evander?¡¯

    ¡®Sandra!¡¯

    Evander ran up to her and gave her a tight hug, raising her in the air and laughing all the while. ¡®Oh, what luck! What are you doing here, old friend.¡¯

    ¡®I might ask you the same thing!¡¯

    ¡®I¡¯m working on the airship exhibit.¡¯

    ¡®Seriously!? You¡¯re kidding.¡¯

    ¡®Nope. And I get to bring a guest in. I was so busy that I didn¡¯t get around to inviting anyone yet though, but since you¡¯re here, you¡¯re the guest now! Happy birthday!¡¯

    ¡®Seriously!?¡¯

    ¡®Seriously!¡¯

    ¡®Seriously?¡¯

    Evander paused, still smiling at his friend. ¡®...Seriously.¡¯

    Sandra turned her head toward the entrance and the bouncer who stepped aside upon seeing her stare into the exhibit.

    ¡®This is the best birthday ever.¡¯

    Evander placed her down and proceeded to take her by the hand into the exhibit. It¡¯s there that Sandra bore witness to magnificent artefacts in glass displays far more ancient than they could fathom. They were magical constructs from a time long past that could still fill out their functions to this day, a pure opaline orb which remained floating in place within its stand without an external force forcing it there, a white cube made of smaller cubes so perfectly aligned that it could shift into different shapes and colours but you would see no line separating each cube, a one-sided marble blade with a red metal hilt and engraved golden handle that was said to be able to cleave a rip through reality. They were unscathed with not a single blemish, crack, or scratch upon them despite their age.

    ¡®Cool.¡¯ Commented Sandra.

    ¡®I know that tone. You don¡¯t actually care that much.¡¯ Evander stated plainly.

    ¡®I mean. It¡¯s cool.¡¯ Sandra said stepping away from the displays further into the exhibit, ¡®but the Dawnites really didn¡¯t have to eliminate the guts out of their technology. I wanna see pipes and wires! I wanna see the veins of technology come to life!¡¯

    Evander followed along with his hands behind his back. ¡®I figured you might say that. So I decided I might show you-¡¯

    ¡®The airship engine?¡¯ Sandra interjected.

    ¡®Umm, sorry. This is a real functional airship, so the boss wouldn¡¯t want anyone to touch the engine block.¡¯

    ¡®Aww come on! Can I at least see the control panel?¡¯

    ¡®I think that would be worse. Someone would think you were trying to steal the ship.¡¯

    ¡®But I wanna see airship guuuuts¡­¡¯

    Evander merely placed a hand on her head and gave her hair a good rub. ¡®I know. But these guys hired me, and if I perform well enough, I might get into the Yggdran Magus Academy.¡¯

    Sandra furrowed a brow at his words. ¡®Magus Academy?¡¯

    ¡®Yep. Now, I know you hate school, but I really wanna learn all I can to-¡¯

    ¡®I go to the Magus Academy.¡¯ Stated Sandra who beamed at the realisation.

    Evander went wide-eyed and slack-jawed. ¡®Seriously!? You never told me that in your letters!¡¯

    ¡®I said I was attending an arcane institute.¡¯ She calmly said.

    ¡®Not the goddamn Yggdran Magus Academy! Pardon my language. How did you get in!?¡¯

    Sandra paused and looked away, ¡®Oh umm. I suppose I did do a special little thing.¡¯

    Evander held her by the shoulders and gave her a piercing glare. ¡®You are telling me.¡¯

    ¡®...Sure.¡¯

    ¡®But I wanna bring you somewhere cool.¡¯

    ¡®This isn¡¯t cool?¡¯

    ¡®It is, but is it as cool as a mechanical dragon?¡¯

    Sandra paused as she processed what he had said. ¡®A what?¡¯ She said with an excited smile.

    ¡®It¡¯s a project of our group. We¡¯re all trying to get into the academy this way, but we¡¯ve recently reached a bit of trouble with the fire-breathing apparatus.¡¯

    ¡®IT BREATHES FIRE!? You¡¯re shittin¡¯ me.¡¯

    ¡®Not yet, we¡¯re fixing it!¡¯ He corrected, and then paused. ¡®Also, please don¡¯t swear. My mom might be in the crowd to see it get unveiled tomorrow.¡¯

    ¡®You¡¯re showing me.¡¯

    ¡®I knew you¡¯d bite. Come on.¡¯

    As the two left for elsewhere, it was just then that one of the airship¡¯s door¡¯s vault-handles began to twist, swinging open to reveal a crew of three shady men.

    One of the men, a human red-head with a chipped tooth began to speak. ¡®Those kids took so damn long, I got a stiff-neck hiding in there.¡¯

    One of the other men, a shorter Leporid with long rabbit-like ears and a gaunt stature, spoke back with a lisp as a tongue slid against his buck teeth, ¡®W-when is S-Skalla and Duke g-gonna be done with the f-fuel?¡¯

    The last of the three men, the tallest among them, a Dratshi man with a strong appearance that matched his demeanour. ¡®Skalla and Duke will be done when they¡¯re done. As for now, we need to make sure the path to the control room is clear. Don¡¯t forget the backup plan if things go wrong.¡¯

    ¡®Yes sir!¡¯ ¡®Y-yes sir!¡¯ The other two said in unison.

    ___

    Ken walked into a tent within the prosthetic exhibit. Within it lay dozens upon dozens of prosthetic limbs of various functions, forms and materials. Shelves were stocked with metal and porcelain-like legs and arms and attachments like hammers, pliers, and machetes. Other people were in the store too, perusing the wares on display, and Ken took note of a Vulpine lady with red hair standing with an older wolf-like Lupine man with a grey mane of fur. He walked past all the shelves and went straight for the counter where a lizard-like Siyokoian woman with auburn scales stood with a bronze left arm. Ken then greeted her. ¡®Howdy. Quite the collection you got.¡¯

    The Siyokoian, thick with a southern accent, greeted him back, but with a slight sharpness to her tongue. ¡®Ohoho, city folk coming in saying ¡°howdy¡±. Should I be honoured or offended?¡¯

    Ken merely smiled, barely stopping his brow from twitching. ¡®Yep. That¡¯s me. I am city folk.¡¯

    ¡®So, what¡¯re you in here for, Mr. City Folk? You lookin¡¯ to replace a lost limb? Do some repairs?¡¯

    ¡®Actually, I¡¯m hoping to just get some oil.¡¯

    ¡®Got a mechanic at home I take it?¡¯

    ¡®Yeah. She¡¯s real talented. I actually brought her here for her birthday, but she¡¯s gone off to the airship exhibit.¡¯

    ¡®Ah, tell her ¡°happy birthday¡± from me.¡¯

    She paused for a moment and raised a few fingers to her chin. ¡®Wait. The airship exhibit¡¯s closed off for public visitors?¡¯

    ¡®Really?¡¯

    ¡®Yep. I think some rich guy¡¯s just landed it here to show off to a couple of friends in town.¡¯

    ¡®Equally rich friends I take it?¡¯

    ¡®The Mortimer Agricultural Company actually.¡¯

    Ken sighed. ¡®Seriously?¡¯

    ¡®Don¡¯t like them?¡¯

    ¡®Don¡¯t like their practices.¡¯

    The Siyokoian laughed. ¡®I didn¡¯t realise you were so aware.¡¯

    Ken talked back in a playful fake offended tone. ¡®Well, of course I¡¯m well aware. They¡¯re one of the major suppliers of produce to the city and they¡¯re strong-arming farmers to selling their crops for dirt cheap. People can¡¯t live off of dirt cheap.¡¯

    ¡®I apologise.¡¯ She said, smiling back at him. ¡®I mistook you for just another cute city kid who lived a cushy life. Now, I¡¯m starting to like you.¡¯

    It was then that the two other people in the tent exited, and Ken had a glint in his eye. ¡®Is that so?¡¯

    ¡®Usually, city folk come by here only cause their car broke down, or they leave the train on the wrong station. The only other explanation is they got family here.¡¯

    ¡®Apart from a carnival of course.¡¯

    ¡®Of course, but between a carnival out in the countryside and staying within city premises, folks really don¡¯t feel like leaving the city. You¡¯d need to be someone who gives a damn about magic, machinery, or have business with some locals here.¡¯

    ¡®Like how Mortimer does?¡¯

    ¡®Correct. The company¡¯s one of the sponsors as a result. Other sponsors are also on the lookout for smart young minds like the Magus Academy.¡¯

    ¡®I see. So what¡¯s the airship for?¡¯

    As Ken mentioned the airship, her demeanour changed as she slightly slumped over the table. ¡®Like I said, it¡¯s just for show. The guy who had it brought here is having folks from Mortimer, Magus Academy and other company just to show off. You¡¯d think they¡¯d do some sort of air-show, but instead, they¡¯ve suctioned out the fuel to keep it from flying, and now it¡¯s just grounded there.¡¯If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    ¡®Quite a waste.¡¯

    ¡®Yeah, but rich folk like wasting.¡¯

    ¡®Can¡¯t argue with that.¡¯

    He then looked around, and upon seeing the tent to be empty for the moment, he placed a hand on the counter and leaned in. ¡®Maybe, we could talk more about ¡°entertainment¡± after the carnival dies down a bit.¡¯

    Her ears perked up. She then stared at Ken who sported a slight smirk at the corner of his mouth. Clearing her throat, she spoke. ¡®What would you mean by that?¡¯

    Ken shifted in response, looking away and tilting his head before darting his eyes back at her. ¡®I mean, we could enjoy a quiet evening together talking more about business and¡­ Stuff. But I also have a prosthetic that I¡¯ve been meaning to have looked at, and I¡¯m here for a couple of days.¡¯

    ¡®Did you come here with your mechanic?¡¯ She smirked, ¡®what would she think?¡¯

    ¡®I came here with my niece.¡¯

    ¡®Your mechanic is your niece?¡¯

    Ken¡¯s face shifted from having a flirty look, to being completely relaxed. ¡®Yeah. She¡¯s real smart.¡¯

    The Siyokoian released some tension in her body that she didn¡¯t realise she was holding until now. ¡®Then maybe you should let your niece know that the airship¡¯s closed, but tell her there¡¯s a whole bunch of other exhibits she can look around. And then, maybe, you could return here, and I¡¯ll show you around inside my workshop.¡¯

    Ken had her. He smiled satisfied and began to leave. ¡®I¡¯ll be sure to tell you how it goes.¡¯

    ¡®Yeah yeah.¡¯ She responded then muttered, ¡®you big flirt.¡¯

    Making his way to the airship, Ken practically skipped as he thought about making his way back to the Siyokoian woman. What was her name again? He asked himself, but decided that he¡¯d ask after he got his prosthetic serviced. After making it about halfway to the airship, he took notice of the two other customers who were in the tent with him. They walked off the main path between two tents, and after passing by, they then made their way to what was a cargo truck with jerrycans stacked in the back. Ken saw everything occurring and something in him felt odd. He decided, however, that he should brush it off for the moment and continued further in.

    And that was when he took note of his niece walking alongside a Leonun boy. Sandra saw him in returned and began pulling Evander toward him.

    ¡®Ken!¡¯ She beckoned. ¡®Guess who I found!¡¯

    ¡®Oh hey, kiddo.¡¯ Ken greeted, ¡®you¡¯re Evander right? Evander King?¡¯

    Evander gave him a warm smile and politely spoke. ¡®Yes, sir. I¡¯m Sandra¡¯s friend.¡¯

    ¡®Sir?¡¯ Ken laughed, ¡®now that¡¯s a formality I haven¡¯t had in a while.¡¯

    ¡®Just how I was raised, sir.¡¯

    ¡®Then you were raised well, but I¡¯m alright with just Ken.¡¯

    ¡®No can do.¡¯ Evander responded back, ¡®The best I can do is ¡°Mr. Larsen¡±.¡¯

    ¡®Alright.¡¯

    Ken leaned in nearer to Sandra. ¡®Uhh, kid, I was gonna tell you that the airship was closed.¡¯

    ¡®Yeah, I know.¡¯ Sandra said beaming, ¡®but Evander was actually working for the guy who owns the ship, and he brought me in as a special invite.¡¯

    ¡®Is that so.¡¯

    Just then, to his right, Ken once again saw the truck, this time making its way toward the airship. He furrowed his brow, giving Sandra a slight worry.

    ¡®I know that look.¡¯ Sandra gathered his attention, ¡®Is there something wrong?¡¯

    ¡®Oh um. I suppose I just feel a little odd.¡¯ He stated back, ¡®I feel as if I should be headed over to the airship. Just a hunch is all.¡¯

    Evander raised his voice in return ¡®Oh no. You can¡¯t do that. They won¡¯t let you in.¡¯

    ¡®I know. I¡¯ll just be looking around the outside.¡¯

    Sandra huddled close to Evander and whispered into his ear, ¡®He¡¯s got this crazy good detective sense. It¡¯s like his instincts just scream at him sometimes, and you can tell when it happens ¡®cause his eyes get all serious.¡¯

    ¡®Woah that¡¯s so c-¡¯ He paused as his thoughts began to race. ¡®Wait, if there¡¯s something wrong with the airship, I¡¯d need to be there.¡¯

    Ken looked at the boy and his niece and made a decision. ¡®No. If it is something bad, then you should stay out of it.¡¯

    He pushed back against his words, ¡®No. If there¡¯s something bad, you¡¯d need me to get inside to check.¡¯

    Evander then shot a glance at Sandra. ¡®Sandra, I told you were the Iron Dragon was. Could you go there and tell the boys there might be something going on at the airship?¡¯

    Sandra nodded. ¡®Got it.¡¯

    ¡®Wait.¡¯ Ken interrupted. ¡®Be on the lookout for a red-headed Vulpine lady and an older grey-maned Lupine man. Just in case they go your way.¡¯

    She nodded, and she was off.

    ¡®Alright, Evander.¡¯ Ken said. ¡®Lead the way.¡¯

    The two left for the airship, and on the way there, Evander took a pair of white gloves in his pocket and began to wear them. Ken looked puzzled at first, then noticed the intricate white circular markings and lines carved into the gloves. ¡®Runic gloves?¡¯

    ¡®Yep,¡¯ Evander confirmed, ¡®and why¡¯d you feel like there was something wrong in the first place?¡¯

    ¡®I heard the airship was drained of fuel, but I noticed two people driving a truck full of jerrycans toward it.¡¯

    ¡®Tsk. You think they¡¯re trying to steal the whole airship?¡¯

    ¡®Not sure, but we can make sure nothing funny goes on.¡¯

    Soon enough, the two reached the front of the airship, but with no sight of the truck. Evander briefly stopped Ken and imparted some information. ¡®Mr. Larsen, the airship¡¯s fuel port is around at the back. If the truck went anywhere, it¡¯s there.¡¯

    ¡®I¡¯ll head there. You go ahead and ask the guard up front to check inside.¡¯

    And so, Ken bolted around the side of the airship toward a clearing where he noticed the pair of customers that were with him earlier pouring jerrycans full of a clear liquid into a funnel leading into the airship¡¯s fuel port. Beside them was the truck they drove there with. Ken ran silently toward the side of the truck, only to slip ever so slightly upon the moist grass beneath him, allowing the two to notice him.

    In the moments that followed, the Vulpine lady whipped out a pistol and fired a round in his direction before he managed to slip behind the truck. She then leaned her head, signalling to her imposing Lupine companion to begin circling around the back of the truck. She, in turn, circled by the front side, only to find Ken missing upon reaching there. The two began to investigate the immediate surroundings with the Lupine searching the cargo of the truck, scraping a metallic claw that was initially hidden underneath his cloak against the body of the truck, while the vulpine stared off into the rest of the open field behind the airship in front of the driver-side door. The Lupine then saw the ever subtle glint of blonde hair barely poking past the bottom of the back-window of the truck.

    ¡®He¡¯s in the truck!¡¯ He exclaimed.

    *SLAM*

    Right as the Vulpine turned around to face him, the driver-side door swung fast and hard against her face, launching her and her pistol into the cool grass. The Lupine, upon seeing this, growled and ran toward the door, tearing it open with great ferocity. Ken, however, kicked through the back window with a surprisingly strong force and began to climb through, only for the Lupine gain a grasp on his right leg.

    *CRAACCKKK*

    His left foot landed hard upon the sensitive nose of the Lupine, causing a resounding crack to ring through the air and sending the Lupine back.

    ¡®Gun¡­ The lady had a gun¡¯, Ken thought in his eerily calm mind.

    The Lupine growled louder than before, then shouted into the night air ¡®ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!¡¯

    With a single slash of his metallic claws, the back windowpane of the truck along with a couple of jerrycans were utterly obliterated with a claw mark going through them, spewing metal and fuel all over.

    Meanwhile, Ken stood upon the edge of the back, holding a silver object in his hand. The Lupine man¡¯s gaze focused in on it, and upon realising what the object was, began to panic. ¡®Y-You wouldn¡¯t DARE!¡¯

    Ken held a silver lighter in his hand. ¡®I was gonna go for the gun,¡¯ he confessed, ¡®but this is even better.¡¯

    ¡®AaaaAAAAAHHHH-¡¯

    ¡®Run, wolfie.¡¯ Ken said, tossing the lighter high into the air, allowing him enough time to run away.

    *BOOM*

    And as the resounding explosion sent shock-waves that reverberated throughout the carnival, Ken stood from the grass he dove into, noticing a giant piece of shrapnel lodged into his left shin. He merely sighed and pulled it out, revealing through his tattered pant leg, a metallic piece of prosthetic fused to a joint that was in turn fused with a big ring of metal that wrapped around the end of his thigh. ¡®Damnit. Sandra¡¯s gonna kill me.¡¯

    However, as he was about to walk off, a Lupine figure rose from the front of the now burning truck, and the Vulpine lady cocked the pistol aimed to Ken¡¯s head, eager to spill his brain matter.

    Ken merely smirked as he raised his hands. ¡®You should know I wasn¡¯t trying to kill you.¡¯

    The Vulpine, furious and with venom in her voice, spat back, ¡®I¡¯m gonna enjoy this, you son of a-¡¯

    ¡®ah-ah. You hear those sirens?¡¯

    Her fox-ears perked upward, reacting to the noise of distant police sirens. ¡®Shit!¡¯

    And she began to run. The Lupine however, stayed briefly, ¡®but what about this asshole!¡¯

    The Vulpine ran and merely screamed, ¡®If you want to spend life in jail, go ahead!¡¯

    The Lupine looked at Ken who smiled back at him. With no other choice, he left, grunting all the while.

    Ken looked back at the airship as brushed away a trickle of blood pouring from his head, and before he could concern himself with it, he began to walk toward the entrance of the airship. ¡®I better check on the kid.¡¯

    ___

    A short while back before the explosion, as Evander entered into the airship with the guard in tow, they ran throughout the premises noticing that not a single artefact was touched or shifted. The Dratshi guard ran back to Evander. ¡®Evander, there¡¯s nothing out of place. I¡¯m sure nothing bad¡¯s going on.¡¯

    Evander grimaced. ¡®I was part of the guard detail hired for this place.¡¯

    ¡®I know, but-¡¯

    Evander stared at him with a determined look. ¡®I¡¯m not resting until I know nothing¡¯s wrong. I¡¯m going to be a little more thorough.¡¯ He stated, walking off.

    ¡®Where are you going, kid?¡¯

    ¡®I¡¯m off to the upper deck, then the control bridge.¡¯

    However, as Evander ran toward the doorway heading further into the airship, a cold sharp sensation rested upon the side of his neck. A blade was now hovering above his right shoulder next to his throat

    The Dratshi sighed, ¡®I¡¯m sorry, kid. But I¡¯m not gonna let you take another step.¡¯

    ¡®You¡¯re part of this!?¡¯

    ¡®My little brother¡¯s not doing too well these days. You know this. And the shipping company¡¯s not paying us like they used to.

    Just then, a gunshot rang out, causing a rise in Evander¡¯s pulse. The detective might¡¯ve been killed all because he got wrapped up in this business he should have had control over. His eyes were wide open as the Dratshi spoke. ¡®I¡¯m sorry about your friend, but he shouldn¡¯t have gotten involved.

    Enraged deep within, Evander was tempted to lash out, but decided to calm himself. A panicked mind was one to make mistakes, and he was going to keep his cool. He slowly placed a finger touching the blade. ¡®Mr. Forester, we trusted you.¡¯

    ¡®And my brother¡¯s counting on me.¡¯

    Ever so subtly, the runes upon his gloves began to glow blue, but he hid it barely out of sight of the Dratshi with his shoulder. He continued, ¡®you know what this job means to me, right? What it means for our entire team.¡¯

    ¡®It¡¯s not worth more than my brother¡¯s life.¡¯

    ¡®So now you get to play with life itself? Have your friends kill a detective just trying to bring some peace and justice into the world!?¡¯ He interrogated him as the room got just a little bit cooler.

    The Dratshi scowled. ¡®...I¡¯m just doing this to save my brother.¡¯

    ¡®You should have relied on us. Asked us for money or extra work. We¡¯re a community!¡¯ Evander turned his head to his side, his piercing glare now matching the ice-cold temperature of the room as his breath condensed around his words sharpened to a spear¡¯s point. ¡®And now, you¡¯ve gone too far to turn back.¡¯

    The Dratshi man began to panic as he noticed that the sword he held to his neck was now frozen solid with a block of ice at its tip, dulling the edge and turning it so heavy at the end that he couldn¡¯t stop himself from dropping it.

    Evander turned to fully face him. ¡®Did you even bother to think about anything else?¡¯

    ¡®S-stay back!¡¯

    ¡®Did you even think about what your brother would think!?¡¯ He began to walk closer to him.

    ¡®I said stay back!¡¯

    ¡®Your brother only has you left after the war, and you decided to throw it away because you were too prideful to ask for help!¡¯

    ¡®Please.¡¯ The Dratshi pleaded, dropping to his knees.

    ¡®We were your friends. Your comrades. We promised to help each other through thick or thin, but you wanted to take the easy way out.¡¯

    ¡®I just wanted to-¡¯

    ¡®Save your excuses.¡¯ Commanded a rageful Evander now standing above him. He stared him down as he was reduced to a puddle of tears, unable to reconcile his actions with desire to save his brother. Evander spoke once more. ¡®Save it. Just turn yourself in.¡¯

    Just then, a shock-wave shook the two of them, throwing Evander off balance. He nearly fell to the floor, but managed to catch himself using a pedestal of one of the artefact displays. However, as the Dratshi saw Evander tossed back, he stood and ran right as the earthquake ended. Evander yelled. ¡®FORESTER!¡¯ But he didn¡¯t bother to chase him down. The local police were probably on their way now, judging by how loud the explosion was. Instead, he braced himself and started walking toward the ship¡¯s control panel.

    ¡®What the hell was that!?¡¯ Exclaimed a red-headed human.

    ¡®Oh no. An EXPLOSION!¡¯ A rabbit-like Leporid man shouted back. ¡®We¡¯re GONNA DI-¡¯

    The slap hit hard and loudly from their tall Dratshi leader. ¡®I don¡¯t know what the hell that gunshot or explosion was, but we¡¯re going to steal this airship no matter what!¡¯

    ¡®y-yyeeess sirrr.¡¯ The Leporid pathetically responded.

    ¡®Silus!¡¯

    ¡®Yes sir!¡¯ The red-head responded.

    ¡®Go check on it!¡¯

    ¡®Yes sir!¡¯

    ¡®He won¡¯t be checking on anything!¡¯ A young voice echoed through the metallic walls of the airship. Right at the opened vault door entrance stood Evander.

    The human tried to run toward him, but Evander slammed the door shut and with his glowing runic gloves, froze the entire door shut.

    ¡®OH NO! WE¡¯RE LOCKED IN! NOW WE¡¯RE DEFINITELY GONNA D-¡¯ The second slap to the screaming Leporid¡¯s head was louder than the previous one.

    ¡®Shut up!¡¯ The leader spoke. ¡®That stupid kid might have locked us in, but he hasn¡¯t realised that we¡¯ve already hijacked the panel, and there¡¯s already enough fuel to at least get us far enough away to our escape vehicle!¡¯

    ¡®Shame about the airship though.¡¯ The human lamented.

    ¡®Now let¡¯s power the ship!¡¯ He yelled as he flipped the lever, starting the ignition. As the airship began to whirr all around them, he grinned.

    But that happiness was short lived. The human called out. ¡®Sir! The fuel gauge is lowering!¡¯

    ¡®What!? What the hell is happening!?¡¯

    As the three of them leaned over to look through the front window of the control bridge, they saw a grinning Evander standing right next to a gigantic shard of ice that was sticking to the side of the airship, freezing the area where the fuel would be. Even though Evander knew they couldn¡¯t hear them, he couldn¡¯t help but announce to them, ¡®There¡¯s an important ingredient to using fuel, you dummies! That¡¯s ignition! And without heat, there is no ignition, and therefore no flying!¡¯

    And so the three criminals in the control bridge fell unto the floor utterly defeated.

    ___

    Elsewhere, a Vulpine and a Lupine were running past crowds of concerned people who started to crowd around the plume of fire and smoke rising into the night sky.

    ¡®This way. I can see the exit to this damn carnival!¡¯ The vulpine blurted, and the two ran toward it.

    However, right then, a sight straight out of a legend rose from a large tent ahead of them to the right. A dragon ripped through the tent roof, breathing fire into the sky, stopping them in their tracks.

    The Lupine skidded to a halt. ¡®A Goddamn dragon!?¡¯

    Only it wasn¡¯t just a dragon, it was a dragon of pure metal scales with oval eyes shining out spotlights which then pointed straight at him.

    A deep voice boomed from it ¡®Stop right there, you foolish mortal. Stop or be burnt to ashes from my flame!¡¯

    The Lupine, scared out of his wits, looked to the Vulpine saying ¡®W-what should we do?¡¯, only to find that the Vulpine had already left him behind. Upon realising that his friend had abandoned him, he simply got down on the ground with his hands on his head begging for mercy.

    The Vulpine now ran into the town proper, but as she ran through the straight road, a girl stood far far behind her wearing white gloves that glowed golden. The girl, Sandra, pointed two fingers pinched together resembling a gun.

    ¡®God, I hope Uncle Ken doesn¡¯t find out I brought my gloves. He¡¯s gonna get so mad if I pass out again.¡¯ She muttered to herself. ¡®Okay, just like he taught you. Lightning has no recoil, so I won¡¯t have to brace myself like I did when I was training with his revolver.¡¯

    Sandra pointed her fingers toward the direction of the fleeing Vulpine. ¡®Breathe, Sandra.¡¯

    The Vulpine was now even further away. She was fast. ¡®Control your heart. And don¡¯t brace.¡¯

    She was so fast that even if Sandra decided to run after her instead of using her magic, she wouldn¡¯t have caught up. ¡®Fire on the exhale, and don¡¯t forget-¡¯

    And so, despite the unique disadvantage Sandra had with magic, she knew this was the only way to do it. After all, nothing was faster than light.

    ¡®Don¡¯t brace on the-¡¯

    Sandra exhaled.

    ¡®-Release.¡¯

    A flash of golden light, then roaring thunder. In a fraction of a fraction of a second, lightning shot its way through the streets of her home town, arcing wildly as it swiftly approached the Vulpine. All the Vulpine knew was that her eyes were suddenly adjusting to the sudden appearance of a golden light, and then she was hit with an electric force that sent her crashing to the ground.

    The Vulpine then woke up from the sheer shock to her system, and tried to stand up, only for a handful of officers to have already surrounded her.

    ¡®HANDS IN THE AIR!¡¯

    Meanwhile, Sandra watched, satisfied as the police surrounded her. She began to walk back toward the carnival, noting something important for her. ¡®Hey, I didn¡¯t faint this time.¡¯

    However, right as the words left her mouth, blood began to flow out of her left nostril. ¡®Ah, nope. There¡¯s the blood.¡¯ And she was out cold.

    ___

    Sandra¡¯s eyes shot open only to see blinding white light and a three-pronged spinning mass. As her vision adjusted, she recognised the mass as a ceiling fan, and the light itself as daylight streaming through a bedside window, the heat of it tickling her eyelids, and the sunlight illuminating her ruby eyes. She sat herself upright, yawned, and placed her palm to her face, only to notice that she¡¯s wearing a hospital gown with a bandage over her right arm. Right then, a doctor opened a door to her right and her face lit up. ¡®Oh, you¡¯re awake, Miss Larsen. I recall it was your birthday yesterday, so I want to wish you a late happy birthday, even if the circumstances aren¡¯t so positive.¡¯

    Sandra stared at the doctor, an older male brown-haired Elf who Sandra recognised but couldn¡¯t quite recall the name of. ¡®Thanks, umm. Shoot. I don¡¯t think I remember your name.¡¯

    ¡®Oh, then it appears I should get you tested for any brain injuries.¡¯

    ¡®Ah, umm.¡¯

    ¡®I¡¯m just kidding. I¡¯ve only served you a couple times before when you were much younger, so I don¡¯t expect you to remember me just like that.¡¯

    ¡®Ah. I¡¯m sorry.¡¯

    ¡®It¡¯s more than fine. Now, do you recall who the current president is?¡¯

    ¡®President Lake Preston.¡¯

    The doctor placed a tray full of food on a table next to Sandra. ¡®Good, and what¡¯s your full name?¡¯

    ¡®Sandra Valentini Larsen.¡¯

    ¡®Good, and do you remember what happened last night?¡¯

    ¡®I-¡¯

    The memories flooded back to her all at once, crashing like a tidal wave.

    ¡®Shit, where¡¯s Uncle Ken.¡¯

    ¡®Speak of the devil and he shall appear.¡¯ Said a voice from the doorway. It was Ken, now holding a crutch under his left arm along with a bandage wrapped around his head. ¡®That was a hell of a trick you and those boys pulled with that dragon. Me and Evander could see it from the deck of the airship.¡¯

    ¡®Uncle Ken!¡¯ Sandra exclaimed as she ran to Ken, enveloping him in an embrace. ¡®Oh, I¡¯m so glad you¡¯re okay.¡¯

    ¡®Of course. It¡¯s not my first scrape with danger, and it ain¡¯t gonna be the last.¡¯ Ken paused and inspected Sandra¡¯s face, ¡®now what about you? Are you whole?¡¯

    ¡®Yeah, of course. Just scrapped my arm a bit, but it¡¯s fine.¡¯

    ¡®How¡¯d it happen?¡¯

    Sandra scratched the back of her head and looked downward, away from Ken¡¯s eyes. ¡®Well y¡¯see¡­ I kinda maybe brought my gloves and shot lightnING- WHAT THE HELL IS THIS!?¡¯

    Sandra swiftly lowered herself to see a massive hole pierced straight through the metallic shin of Ken¡¯s prosthetic leg, exposing wiring, gears, and other parts. ¡®Y-your leg¡­¡¯

    ¡®I¡¯m surprised you didn¡¯t see it right as I entered.¡¯ Ken muttered, only to find Sandra giving a deathly stare from below. ¡®W-well, hey now. You shot lightning, when I specifically told you not to¡­¡¯

    Sandra was immensely angry. None of Ken¡¯s words were reaching her ears, and the only thing on her mind was the destroyed prosthetic. ¡®DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH WIRING YOU TORE THROUGH!?¡¯

    ¡®Sandra¡­¡¯

    ¡®This was STATE OF THE ART! I WOULD KNOW, I MADE IT!¡¯

    ¡®Sandra, please¡­¡¯

    ¡®BACK DURING THE WAR, THEY HAD TO RELY ON MAGIC TO MAKE THESE MOVE, BUT THE MOMENT THEY STARTED FUSING NERVES TO WIRES, IT WAS AN EXCITING TIME!!¡¯

    ¡®Sandra, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡¯

    ¡®Do you have ANY idea how much wires that can connect to the NERVOUS SYSTEM COST!? Not to mention, the amount of effort I went through to make this new stuff WORK for you!¡¯

    ¡®L-let me make it up to you with some good news.¡¯

    ¡®WHAT could POSSIBLY be GOOD ENOUGH news that would MAKE me forget about you DESTROYING the prosthetic leg I DESIGNED for you¡­ ON MY BIRTHDAY!?¡¯

    ¡®Evander says they¡¯re letting you help with the airship repairs since you repaired the dragon.¡¯

    ¡­

    ¡®Well¡­ If that¡¯s the case.¡¯ Sandra said calmly.

    Ken and the doctor let out a heavy sigh of relief.

    Sandra piped up once more, ¡®but Don¡¯t Forget. You¡¯re not off the hook just yet, Uncle.¡¯

    Ken gave her a pained smile. ¡®Yes ma¡¯am.¡¯

    ¡®Now get out. I¡¯m gonna get dressed for my date with airship guts.¡¯

    Chapter End

 Chapter 2: An Ocean of Opportunities

    ¡®We¡¯ve searched high and low and just about collected any piece of evidence important to the investigation.¡¯ Said Vulpine police officer, Drake Neuman.

    Ken marched into the airship with a cane clacking against the hard metal floor, his gaze sharply peering throughout the compound. He now stood in the hall of Dawnite artifacts, and upon noting nothing of particular importance, turned the face the officer who spoke to him. ¡®You¡¯re sure you got everything you need?¡¯

    ¡®Yes, detective. We¡¯ve asked around town about the fuel that the perpetrators used, but the local gas station just laughed at us when we asked about whether their fuel could have been used to power the airship.¡¯

    Another voice piped up, echoing through the hall. ¡®That¡¯s cause you asked them if car fuel would work on an airship!¡¯

    The two turned toward the source of the voice finding Sandra, wiping her forehead with the back of one hand, while holding a toolbox on the other. She continued, ¡®airships use a specialised fuel that has a high concentration of helium. As it burns, the energy causes the helium to expand and rise into the envelope, which is the giant balloon part. I don¡¯t imagine cars need to float.¡¯

    ¡®Hello, Sandra¡¯ Ken greeted.

    ¡®Hi, prosthetic breaker.¡¯ Sandra bit back.

    Ken sighed and resigned himself to a month of Sandra¡¯s torment. ¡®Are you enjoying yourself working on the airship?¡¯

    ¡®I¡¯m loving it! I get to learn all sorts of things about the internal workings of the arcane-mechanical engine! Like, did you know that the fuel not only has a mixture of helium, but also grounded soul crystals? They designed the airship to fly not just with conventional chemical reactions, but also arcane ones, utilising wind magic to help with steering and floating, thereby reducing the necessary size of the envelope.¡¯

    The officer beside Ken cleared his throat, allowing his annoyance to be known. ¡®As much as we appreciate the lesson in aerodynamics, don¡¯t you think you have somewhere to be?¡¯

    She looked back at him with a dazed expression, fidgeting around with the toolbox in her hand before looking at a watch wrapped around her wrist. ¡®Oh right! I needed to bring this to the boys!¡¯

    ¡®Yes, thank you.¡¯ The officer said as Sandra rushed further into the airship¡¯s main hall. ¡®Now, where were we?¡¯

    ¡®She¡¯s got a point y¡¯know.¡¯ Ken stated.

    ¡®What do you mean by that? That has nothing to do with what we¡¯re investigating.¡¯ Spat back the exasperated officer, his vulpine ears sloping downwards.

    ¡®The fuel.¡¯

    ¡®The fuel?¡¯

    ¡®Yes, the fuel.¡¯

    ¡®Umm¡­ I¡¯m lost¡¯ the officer admitted.

    Ken cleared his throat and started his explanation. ¡®The airship uses a specialised type of fuel specifically used for airships, correct?¡¯

    ¡®That was what she said, yes.¡¯

    ¡®It¡¯s a mix of both chemical and arcane components that aren¡¯t necessary for powering a car. I would wager that such substances would be far too expensive for the average car owner.¡¯

    ¡®So you¡¯re implying that my inquiry at the gas station was an idiotic move¡­¡¯

    Ken laughed. ¡®No, you¡¯re just uninformed about these types of things. Meanwhile, I have to hear about it nearly everyday.¡¯

    ¡®Right, and where does this lead us?¡¯

    Ken hunched closer to the Vulpine officer. ¡®Think about it for a moment. An expensive and specialised fuel that you can¡¯t get in your average gas station¡­¡¯

    ¡®That means they¡¯ve outsourced it from somewhere else!¡¯ The officer declared.

    ¡®Bingo.¡¯

    ¡®And the people who gave them the truck full of specialised fuel would be¡­¡¯

    The vulpine officer stopped in his tracks as he realised he couldn¡¯t complete the sentence. For a moment, he looked at Ken¡¯s face for an answer, only to find Ken smiling reassuringly. He stuttered. ¡®I-I¡­ Ah¡­¡¯

    Ken pat his shoulder, ¡®You¡¯re on the right track, but you¡¯re jumping too far ahead.¡¯

    ¡®Man, I¡¯m no good at this investigation stuff.¡¯

    ¡®You¡¯re just a rookie, alright. Everyone starts off looking like an idiot at first. Just keep your eyes peeled for the details and don¡¯t go rushing off to find the answers.¡¯

    ¡®But wouldn¡¯t finding the answer solve the mystery?¡¯

    ¡®Sure, but if you¡¯re impatient, you¡¯ll start making them up as you go. That¡¯s dangerous as an officer.¡¯

    ¡®R-right.¡¯

    Ken then straightens himself before continuing his questioning. ¡®What about the suspects. You¡¯ve already interrogated them?¡¯

    Drake straightened himself as well before answering. ¡®Yes sir. The Vulpine woman refused to say anything, and the Lupine man is still in a state of shock from the incident regarding the mechanical dragon.¡¯

    ¡®And the other three?¡¯

    ¡®They gave the most details, albeit accidentally. The Leporid was very jumpy and nervous, so it was easy to trick him and coax out information from him.¡¯

    ¡®And what did he say?¡¯

    ¡®They were given the job by a middleman. He met them on Autumn Boulevard in the Rabuddon District inside Yggdra City.¡¯

    ¡®Autumn Boulevard? That¡¯s near-¡¯ Ken stopped as he made a realisation. ¡®Did they say what the man looked like?¡¯

    ¡®A Leonun man with black-grey fur and a white mane. He was dressed in a dark-blue long-coat.¡¯

    Ken shut his eyes. ¡®I might have a lead. I knew this was a little too well coordinated.¡¯

    Just then, yet another voice rang through the halls as a seemingly jubilant Elven man stepped toward Ken. The moment he took notice of the Elf, he noted how clean and sleekly he was dressed, a find red coat with a golden-brown fur lining and gold accents wrapped around his tall slender frame, and a hand with fingers covered in rings wrapping around the tip of a finely crafted reddish wooden cane. He stepped toward Ken, staring him down with slanted eyes before a smile crept up to his face. He spoke. ¡®Ah, you must be Detective Ken Larsen, correct?¡¯

    Ken, a little unnerved by the appearance of someone looking so regal, forced himself to lower his shoulders the moment he realised they were tense. He politely reached out a hand. ¡®Indeed, and you are?¡¯

    The Elven man firmly grasped his hand, excitedly shaking it. ¡®Why, I¡¯m Roswell Hein. I own this airship.¡¯

    That makes a lot of sense, Ken thought. He had always found the tastes of the upper class a little too extravagant for him, and to him, found the entire setup of a temporary airship-museum as being a little gaudy, and unaligned with the actual artifacts that the museum was showing off. Seeing him now was a confirmation of what he believed about the rich: the more money you have, the more nonsensical your tastes become. Regardless of what he thought, he continued to practise a modicum of respect. ¡®Well, Mr. Hein, I hope you¡¯ll consider increasing your security detail next time. If it weren¡¯t for me and two kids, this airship would have crossed the Khrysean border by now.¡¯

    Roswell laughed, ¡®why of course! If it weren¡¯t for you and those two kids, I¡¯d be having to explain why the venue I invited a handful of my friends and family to has suddenly upped and vanished!¡¯

    ¡®I don¡¯t think you realise the severity of the situation. The suspects, despite being a bunch of buffoons, were still well-funded and had a half-decent plan. They even had a backup plan that likely involved snatching just the artifacts and leaving via a getaway vehicle.¡¯

    Despite hearing this, Roswell remained in his whimsical behaviour, ¡®And that would have been rather worrying since losing just one of these artifacts would have costed me more than the price of this airship!¡¯

    Drake¡¯s eyelid twitched. Enraged, yet remaining formal, he asserted, ¡®sir, if you could just listen to the detective here. You¡¯d know he¡¯s right. There¡¯s no reason to pretend as if there¡¯s nothing wrong going on, when something wrong did happen just last night! Detective Ken got hurt protecting your property, so please just treat the situation with a little more gravity.¡¯

    ¡®Oh, I suppose you¡¯re right,¡¯ Roswell admitted, ¡®Detective Larsen, I do genuinely thank you for what you¡¯ve done for me. May I speak to you alone?¡¯

    Ken and the officer stared at each other confused, but after a brief moment of considering his choice, decided to nod at Drake, signalling him to leave the room. ¡®Alright, what do you want to say?¡¯

    With Drake out of the room, Roswell¡¯s demeanour shifted, a mask slipping away from his face, revealing the face of an entirely serious man. ¡®My apologies for the act. I simply do not trust the local police just yet.¡¯

    ¡®But I¡¯m an officer too.¡¯ Ken pointed out.

    ¡®Yes, but one with a reputation.¡¯ He interjected. ¡®A brilliant detective, one of the best in Yggdra, is that correct?¡¯

    Ken¡¯s face remained stoic, ¡®I hope you realise that flattery won¡¯t get you anywhere with me.¡¯

    ¡®But the intrigue will, won¡¯t it?¡¯ He asked, raising an eyebrow along with giving a slight smirk. ¡®I¡¯ve seen your type, the nosy kind that never rests until the truth is revealed, and justice is served.¡¯

    ¡®Just get to your proposal. I¡¯m not here to wait in suspense.¡¯

    ¡®Right.¡¯ He said, dragging out the word, then continued, ¡®I suppose you¡¯ve realised just how much backstabbing can occur in the higher echelons of society?¡¯

    ¡®I take it you think one of your visitors might¡¯ve been responsible for planning this heist.¡¯

    ¡®Such impatience! I am trying to set the stage here for you.¡¯

    ¡®Sorry, but I really am not in the mood to play around right now.¡¯

    ¡®Oh, fine fine. I came to ask you to continue this investigation when you go back into the city.¡¯

    ¡®Oh yeah, and what¡¯s in it for me?¡¯

    ¡®Hah, what¡¯s in it for you!?¡¯ He chuckled, ¡®I was entirely sure you¡¯d have taken the case on your own!¡¯

    ¡®But a rich man like you doesn¡¯t like owing things to people.¡¯ Ken said piercing straight through his obfuscation, ¡®meaning that you¡¯d much rather offer me something outright.¡¯

    ¡®Very correct,¡¯ he said as he smirked. ¡®I would reckon that you aren¡¯t the type to accept too much money from your clients. But you do have a soft spot for your loved ones, particularly the mechanic girl?¡¯

    Ken flashed his teeth, ¡®I would hope that you aren¡¯t about to make a threat, Mr Hein.¡¯

    ¡®Oh, good heavens no!¡¯ He reassured. ¡®I simply have an interest in budding young minds, and I may wish to offer her not just a full-ride scholarship to the Magus Academy, but also a place in the Odingardian Arcane Institute the moment she graduates. Think about it, the girl surrounded by the brightest minds in arcane research, all working together for a brighter tomorrow.¡¯

    ¡®Thanks, but she¡¯s already got a full-ride scholarship in the Magus Academy.¡¯

    ¡®And the Arcane Institute? She could still be part of that.¡¯

    ¡®She¡¯s a mechanic, so I doubt being in a stuffy lab coat is what she¡¯ll look for in the future.¡¯

    ¡®I see¡­¡¯

    ¡®That said. I¡¯m still taking on this case.¡¯

    ¡®Really?¡¯

    ¡®Maybe I¡¯ve just been a little bored as of late, and I need a good mind twister.¡¯

    ¡®Perfect! Then I shall rely on you.¡¯

    ¡®I still want money.¡¯

    ¡®Of course. I would not expect you to work without pay.¡¯

    ¡®That said, we didn¡¯t catch everyone, Mr. Hein.¡¯

    Roswell tilted his head, ¡®Oh?¡¯

    ¡®The guard you had on duty on the entrance.¡¯

    ¡®He was part of this plot?¡¯

    ¡®Yep. There¡¯s someone going over to his home now to search for any signs of where he might¡¯ve run to.¡¯

    ___

    Evander stepped closer to the premises of a small farmstead, left uncared for, the maize field slowly rotting away from neglect. He crouched down, observing the leaves of one, noting the yellow colouration upon them, along with a myriad of other problems. ¡®Nitrogen deficiency, uneven soil, weak root development¡­ Mr. Forester, you¡¯ve not only left your brother, you¡¯ve left the farm behind too¡­¡¯

    Getting back on the proper soil pathway, he walked through the fields of maize that was considerably smaller than the other farmsteads, and eventually reached the front door of the Forester household, also left decrepit from an age of oversight. Upon twisting the doorknob of the entrance and finding it unlocked, he entered to find a deeply broken house with photos, some cracked, hanging upon a wall of a family of four from a much happier time. He took a moment to stare at the faces in the photograph, recognising Mr. and Mrs. Forester holding their children, the younger Thomas, and the older Gabriel. He noticed the horns that had begun sprouting from the top of Gabriel¡¯s head that haven¡¯t yet reached even a quarter of the length that he recognised from his ¡°friend¡±. As he was getting further engrossed in the potential tales that the photos told, a noise resounded from the kitchen, a dragging noise, the sound of wood scrapping against the tiled floor.

    Evander hurried into the kitchen, only to find a pale Dratshi child no older than seven years, calmly pouring cereal into a bowl.

    Evander called out. ¡®Thomas?¡¯

    The boy beamed in return, ¡®Evander?¡¯

    The boy, Thomas, weakly but excitedly rose from his chair and shuffled toward Evander, only to fall over his own feet. As he fell forward, Evander leaped toward him, managing to grab him before he hit the ground.

    ¡®Are you okay?¡¯ Evander asked.

    ¡®I-I¡¯m okay.¡¯ Thomas meekly spoke with a slight rasp to his voice.

    ¡®Let¡¯s get you seated, Tommy.¡¯

    A minute passed and Thomas was now seated across from Evander. The Dratshi boy continued to eat from his bowl of cereal, which Evander noticed entirely lacked milk. Evander frowned at the sight, and spoke. ¡®Hey, Tommy.¡¯

    ¡®Yeah?¡¯ He responded inbetween bites of his breakfast.

    ¡®Has your brother stopped by?¡¯

    ¡®He stopped by last night, but it was after my bedtime so I pretended to be asleep cause he gets mad if I¡¯m not asleep by then.¡¯

    ¡®Did he say anything?¡¯

    ¡®He gave me a kiss on my forehead and said ¡°I¡¯ll be going away for a while, but I promise I¡¯ll be back.¡±¡¯ He said, imitating his brother. ¡®I guess he¡¯s very busy.¡¯

    ¡®Yeah¡­ Busy¡­¡¯ Evander trailed off into silence, unable to fully face the boy.

    The two sat there as Evander was unable to tell him the truth, the only sound in the room coming from the crunching of cereal and clanking of the spoon against the porcelain bowl. A wind began to whistle as it hit the kitchen window at an angle, and the sunlight illuminated the boy, but Evander remained in the dark. Eventually, the boy finished his meal, and after downing a glass of water, asked Evander. ¡®Why do you look so sad?¡¯

    ¡®Huh? Oh.¡¯ Evander was caught in surprise. He stayed quiet as he searched for the right words to alleviate the situation. ¡®I¡¯m not sad.¡¯

    ¡®Then why do you look sad?¡¯

    ¡®I-¡¯ Evander couldn¡¯t answer, and so he thought of something else. ¡®Hey, Thomas?¡¯

    ¡®Yes?¡¯

    ¡®Do you want to live- I mean, stay over at my mother¡¯s place?¡¯

    The boy looked upwards as he thought about it. ¡®Like a sleep-over?¡¯

    ¡®Y-yeah. Like a sleepover. But it¡¯s everyday.¡¯

    ¡®Everyday?¡¯ He asked excitedly then lowered his energy, ¡®but what about my brother? I should wait until he comes back.¡¯

    ¡®A-Ah. Well y¡¯see.¡¯ Evander stammered, ¡®your brother¡­ He¡¯s working out of town!¡¯

    ¡®Working out of town?¡¯

    ¡®Yes! And it¡¯s an important job, so he told us that we should take you in temporarily.¡¯

    Thomas looked at the Leonun teenager in front of him, not fully comprehending the reasons for his nervous behaviour. Thomas trusted him though. He was the closest thing to having a second older brother he could depend on, and so even if there was something else that he wasn¡¯t telling him, he liked him well enough to go with what he said. ¡®Okay.¡¯

    ¡®Okay?¡¯

    ¡®But one thing, Evander.¡¯

    ¡®O-oh?¡¯ Evander stuttered out, thinking he had been caught in his lie.

    ¡®You have to stay.¡¯

    Evander looked puzzled. He stared at the boy and asked, ¡®what do you mean by that?¡¯

    ¡®My older brother said that you wanted to go to the city, but I don¡¯t want you to go.¡¯

    ¡®Ah¡­¡¯ Evander began to rub his arm. ¡®The thing is¡­¡¯

    ¡®Heyyyy¡­¡¯ Thomas pouted and complained, ¡®my parents are gone. Big bro said they¡¯re not gonna ever come back again, and brother¡¯s gone now too, and I don¡¯t know when he¡¯s coming back. Why do you wanna leave too?¡¯

    ¡®Well, this is different.¡¯

    ¡®Why is it different? I don¡¯t get it.¡¯

    Evander breathed deeply and steeled himself. It was not kind to lie to the child, he thought. His mother didn¡¯t raise him to lie, and especially not to someone who needs to hear the truth. He began to explain, ¡®your parents aren¡¯t coming back because they¡¯re dead.¡¯

    ¡®Dead?¡¯

    ¡®Yes.¡¯

    ¡®Dead like the frog we saw getting pecked at by a crow by the stream that one time?¡¯

    ¡®I¡¯m sorry¡­¡¯

    ¡®B-but big bro said that they were just travelling to another world, like in the fairy tales!¡¯

    Evander clenched his fists. The boy continued to speak.

    ¡®Big bro said that the c-c-c- Oh what was it called?¡¯

    ¡®The coffins.¡¯ Evander said quietly.

    ¡®He said that the coffins were actually magical doors and that they opened to other places, but for it to work, we had to bury them.¡¯

    ¡®I¡¯m sorry¡­¡¯

    ¡®They can¡¯t be dead. They¡¯re nothing like the frog!¡¯

    ¡®I¡¯m so sorry¡­¡¯

    ¡®Evander, why do you keep saying you¡¯re sorry.¡¯ He cried out with his voice crackling and tears beginning to flow, even if he didn¡¯t fully understand why.

    ¡®I¡¯m so sorry¡­¡¯ Evander cried too.

    ¡®Evander¡­¡¯ He called out. ¡®Evander please don¡¯t tell me they¡¯re dead¡­¡¯

    The boy stumbled off of his chair and once more and walked toward Evander. Evander stood in return and caught him, holding him in an embrace as the two wept, the boy releasing his tears and snot unto his shoulder, clutching at his back all the while. Evander could only whisper the only phrase he could think of saying.

    ¡®I¡¯m so sorry.¡¯

    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    After a while, the two stood outside of the house, the boy carried upon Evander¡¯s back while he himself carried a small backpack. Evander began to march down the soil path all the while explaining everything. ¡®Your brother got himself into some big trouble, and as much as I want to find him, we don¡¯t currently have any leads as to where he is.¡¯

    ¡®He isn¡¯t dead, is he?¡¯

    ¡®No, no. He¡¯s just on the run. He got roped into some bad stuff, but I believe we can convince him to let go of all of that, if we could just find him.¡¯

    ¡®And what about me? Your mom¡¯s gonna take care of me?¡¯

    ¡®Yeah. And you can use my room while you¡¯re there.¡¯

    ¡®Big bro Evander¡¯s room? So cool.¡¯

    ¡®Not just that, the neighbours are gonna be coming by every once in a while since me and my mom help them out sometimes. Usually they drop off some extra fruits they grow.¡¯

    ¡®Big bro Evander?¡¯

    ¡®Yes?¡¯

    ¡®Why do you have to leave too? Are you also on the run?¡¯

    Evander stayed quiet, allowing the sounds of his boots crunching against the soil and gravel to overtake the air. He frowned, then began to speak. ¡®I want to be like my dad.¡¯

    ¡®Your dad?¡¯

    ¡®He was a hero of the army. They called him the ¡°Ice Tempest¡± with how powerful he was.¡¯

    ¡®Ice Tempest? That¡¯s so cool!¡¯

    ¡®Literally!¡¯ Evander exclaimed, ¡®he was one of the strongest army mages, a true elite. He saved so many lives of fellow soldiers with his abilities. Did you know he could cloud an entire field in cold fog and rain hail from above, chipping down enemy defences with ease while removing the enemy¡¯s sight-line against his allies!¡¯

    ¡®Why haven¡¯t I seen him?¡¯

    ¡®He died trying to save someone out on the frontlines.¡¯

    ¡®Oh.¡¯ Thomas said sadly, ¡®I¡¯m sorry.¡¯

    ¡®Don¡¯t be. He died saving someone, and I¡¯m proud to be his son. If I can be a quarter of the man he was, I can already stand proud as one of the greatest living mages.¡¯

    ¡®You¡¯ll be twice as good.¡¯ He giggled.

    ¡®What? No. He¡¯s totally awesome. Too awesome for me to reach.¡¯

    ¡®But you will. And you will surpass him.¡¯

    ¡®Nonsense, my dad is the best and no one can beat him!¡¯

    ¡®You¡¯re the best¡¯ Thomas said before yawning.

    Evander smiled, ¡®getting tired up there?¡¯

    ¡®A little bit,¡¯

    ¡®Don¡¯t worry, We¡¯ll be home soon.¡¯

    ¡®Promise?¡¯

    ¡®I promise.¡¯

    ___

    Throughout the hangar bay of the airship was a cacophony of striking hammers and sizzling blowtorches. A whole crew of engineers were working on fusing together a whole bunch of sheet metal to put in the place of the hole in the hull along with repairing the door broken by Evander when he froze it shut. Throughout this time, Sandra was running from place to place helping out the engineers as an errand girl, while also learning all she can about what each men were doing. She ran from place to place, shuffling around with boxes of tools and materials, nearly bumping against some of the men at multiple points. Eventually, she was able to come to grips with the workflow of the men, ducking and weaving right through a flood of workers moving around the room. In the midst of all of the chaos of clattering metalwork, someone stepped into the room imposing in his appearance. ¡®Step it up, everyone. I need to see that hole filled by tonight!¡¯

    Sandra looked at the man, a skinny human that was much taller than her with a gaunt stature that made him look a little closer to a skeleton than a man. Despite the apparent fear she felt in her system, she spoke up against his order. ¡®Sir, we all know that¡¯s impossible. Everyone¡¯s being driven up the wall as it is, but with the deadline being tonight-¡¯

    ¡®Who let this girl in here?¡¯

    ¡®Sir-¡¯

    ¡®Get her out.¡¯

    ¡®What!?¡¯

    The man, now obvious as the manager of the crew, walked away from her, ignoring her completely. However, just as a handful of the crew were beginning to approach Sandra to bring her out, her mind raced through all of the different ideas that might be able to speed up the process of repairing the ship.

    ¡®I know a way to get this done in the next hour!¡¯

    The entire crew stopped. All of their eyes now darted toward Sandra, causing her to sweat in response.

    ¡®Prove it¡¯, one of the crew called out.

    ¡®W-well,¡¯ Sandra began to explain, ¡®we just need to repair the wall right?¡¯

    The manager¡¯s icy stare pierced holes through Sandra. ¡®What nonsense are you on about, girl?¡¯

    ¡®I¡¯m saying,¡¯ Sandra continued, ¡®the airship wasn¡¯t meant to fly in the first place right?¡¯

    ¡®Go on.¡¯

    ¡®Meaning that the fuel tank doesn¡¯t need to be repaired, only the superficial damage.¡¯

    ¡®You¡¯re saying that we should simply ignore the fuel tank?¡¯ He laughed. ¡®Don¡¯t be silly.¡¯

    ¡®I just think we shouldn¡¯t be wasting our time trying to reach an impossible goal when I can accomplish what¡¯s actually necessary much faster.¡¯

    ¡®H-hah!¡¯ He scoffed once more, ¡®if you think you can achieve this in the next hour like you claim, then by all means. Men! You are to listen to every order she says for the next hour, and if she doesn¡¯t accomplish what she claims she can do, then she is to be barred from the carnival as a whole.¡¯

    Some of the men got together in a corner and began to whisper amongst themselves. ¡®Poor kid. She¡¯s gonna get humiliated.¡¯

    ¡®I know. The manager¡¯s just a big asshole picking on the girl.¡¯

    ¡®Regardless, let¡¯s just give the kid whatever she asks. I don¡¯t know what she¡¯s gonna pull, but we should at least give her a shot.¡¯

    The men then turned to look at the girl expecting her to be on the verge of tears, only to find Sandra oddly smiling as she observed the situation. Sandra then stepped forward, leaning on a waist-high crate in front of her, then climbing it. ¡®Men! I need you to drop your tools and bring as much sheet metal as you can! Leave it on a pile beside the hole!¡¯

    The men obeyed her and began to make their way outside, and the manager himself walked off not expecting anything much from her despite her bold confidence. Sandra, on the other hand, merely walked in front of the hole and crouched down. From a pocket in her jeans, she pulled forth a small pouch that, when she opened it, contained a bunch of what seemed like bluish white chalk. She took a piece and proceeded to draw a series of wide circles, and then a giant glyph in the middle. She then got down and began to draw smaller sigils on the corners between each circle. From this giant ¡°leyline¡± scrawled upon the floor, she drew lines from it and traced it on the floor toward the sides of the hole, and when reaching the corner, tracing up the wall as well, where she then drew two smaller runes on both sides.

    This act took a good twenty minutes to complete and most of the men had already crowded around Sandra, watching the young girl drawing strange symbols that didn¡¯t mean much to most of them.

    ¡®Boys, could you place the metal within this big circle on the floor?¡¯ She requested.

    ¡®Sure, little miss.¡¯ One said and the rest followed.

    Soon enough, there was a mass of metal in the middle of the circle. Sandra then kneeled and placed both of her hands upon the outer edge of the circle.

    Just then, the men began to note how the room seemed to get hotter. They stared at the lines drawn upon the floors and walls and saw that they began to glow golden. The metal glowed too, albeit looking a little more muted. Then without warning, the metal began flying to the edges of the hole, fusing with the airship¡¯s hull as they made contact. The sheet metal was very quickly forming a wall as if they were platelets in a blood vessel blocking a wound from bleeding. The men stared in awe, some of which audibly gasped as Sandra¡¯s little spell sealed and then smoothened out the hole, leaving a perfect metal wall in its place. The lines drawn by Sandra then evaporated, leaving no trace of ever being there in the first place.

    Sandra stood up, stretching her back and legs. ¡®Oof. I think I¡¯m just about done. Needs to be painted though.¡¯

    The crew rushed past Sandra and began to examine the walls, some of them even touching it then pulling away when they realised it was hot. It was a miracle, and they all knew it.

    All the while, Sandra¡¯s nose dripped blood. One of the crew took notice, and took out a handkerchief. ¡®Ma¡¯am, your nose is bleeding.¡¯

    ¡®Oh, thanks.¡¯ She replied, taking the cloth and wiping her nose with it.

    ¡®Looks like I¡¯m out of a job.¡¯ One of the men commented.

    Sandra smiled at him and corrected him. ¡®Nah. What I did was a basic reconstruction spell.¡¯

    ¡®If that was basic, I¡¯m afraid to hear what¡¯s advanced.¡¯

    ¡®I¡¯m just saying.¡¯ Sandra explained, ¡®there¡¯s limits to what a mage can do. I just sealed a wall, but if you noticed, there¡¯s a lack of detail.¡¯

    ¡®She¡¯s right.¡¯ One called out. ¡®It¡¯s completely smooth.¡¯

    ¡®That¡¯s ultimately the problem with large scale reconstruction magic. You can¡¯t really get the smaller and more detailed components down correctly unless you actually took the time to understand and form it in your head.¡¯ She told them. ¡®Not to mention, the fuel tank and engine would require someone who actually understands every single moving part to the smallest bolt, but even if I did, I wouldn¡¯t be able to reconstruct it channelling that much mana.¡¯

    ¡®H-how does it work?¡¯

    ¡®I basically used the runes I drew to channel mana directly into the metal. It excites the molecules, essentially melting it just a little bit, which allows it to fuse with the wall and mend. But with the amount of material I had to work with, I¡¯ve had to use even more mana, which makes smaller intricate details impossible.¡¯

    ¡®It¡¯s like a dam releasing water.¡¯ One exclaimed.

    ¡®Correct. The larger the release, the less control you have.¡¯

    ¡®I¡¯ve always heard stories about mages from my momma. I got told about how they were able to increase harvests and double the food supply!¡¯

    Sandra chuckled. ¡®I¡¯m sorry, but no. While Herbamancy is a real field of study that allows mages to alter the biological makeup of plant-life, theoretically allowing increased harvests, the idea of doubling food supply directly is entirely outside of the realm of possibility.¡¯

    ¡®Y¡¯mean there¡¯s things magic can¡¯t do?¡¯

    ¡®Well yeah. You can¡¯t create or destroy matter, only transform it. That¡¯s why I had y¡¯all collect a bunch of metal for me.¡¯

    ¡®Oooohhhh¡¯ Everyone collectively resounded.

    ¡®Just what is going on he-¡¯ The manager marched in exasperated, only to see the fixed wall leaving him entirely speechless. And then from behind, the sound of a cane clacking against the floor.

    Roswell Hein revealed himself from behind the manager, and upon seeing the job already done, bore an expression of pure glee. ¡®Oh my goodness! A job well done already!?¡¯

    ¡®A-ah, w-well¡­¡¯ The manager behind him stuttered, ¡®I-I happened to hire someone new, y¡¯see.¡¯

    ¡®You didn¡¯t do shit!¡¯ One of the crew shouted. ¡®This girl did. She did all of this with magic!¡¯

    Every single person in the construction crew pointed toward Sandra, which caused her to blush at the recognition of her work.

    ¡®Sandra?¡¯ Roswell asked aloud, ¡®as in the same Sandra who helped to catch one of the thieves last night?¡¯

    ¡®That¡¯s me.¡¯ Sandra confirmed. ¡®And it was two of them.¡¯

    He approached Sandra excitedly. ¡®I¡¯m amazed. You¡¯re truly a capable mage.¡¯

    ¡®Well¡­ It¡¯s just the wall that was repaired. The fuel tank is still busted.¡¯

    ¡®That¡¯s no problem. I wasn¡¯t planning on flying it soon anyway.¡¯

    She stared at the manager smugly smiling, to which the manager merely rolled his eyes and looked away.

    Roswell continued, ¡®I¡¯m thoroughly impressed by you, little miss. Say, might you be interested in a small reward for your help?¡¯

    ¡®Why, I could never¡­¡¯ Sandra played coy, placing a hand behind her head, ¡®but if you¡¯re insisting¡­ Could you maybe pay the amount to repair my uncle¡¯s prosthetic leg? It¡¯s quite expensive and he got it ruined last night.¡¯

    ¡®Why of course. I shall go and write the check.¡¯

    ¡®Thank you~¡¯

    The crew then stepped up toward Sandra and began to thank her. ¡®Hey kid, we all really appreciate what you¡¯ve done. You saved us from a completely unreasonable task.¡¯

    ¡®It was the least I could do to pay y¡¯all back for being able to shadow you guys.¡¯

    ¡®We mean it. We wanna celebrate and take you with.¡¯

    ¡®Then how about dinner at the Shaven Sheep?¡¯

    ¡®The one near the station? Sure.¡¯

    Sandra smirked. ¡®Perfect.¡¯

    ___

    The night once again fell over the golden town, allowing the moon and the twinkling stars to take their place in the sky, and the construction crew are making merry in the Shaven Sheep feasting upon countless orders of steak and seafood while imbibing on barrels worth of locally made beer and ale. In the midst of the half-drunken conversations and audible munching and clinking silverware, Sandra and Ken sat at a smaller booth table separate from the rest of the crew eating their meals while having their own conversation.

    Ken spoke in-between swallowing bites of his lamb chops, ¡®y¡¯know, I gotta thank you for working your magic with the construction boys. But you also know that I have to point out-¡¯

    ¡®I know, I know. I shouldn¡¯t push myself if I can help it.¡¯ Sandra responded apologetically, ¡®but the manager was being an ass. I had to step in.¡¯

    ¡®Sandra.¡¯

    ¡®I know.¡¯

    ¡®Sandra,¡¯ Ken firmly placed his utensils back by the sides of the plate. ¡®I mean it. I don¡¯t want you passing out all willy nilly. Especially not around a bunch of strangers.¡¯

    Sandra slightly sunk into her seat as she looked downward into her stew. ¡®...They just needed help.¡¯

    ¡®I know, but people do terrible things to people who want to help sometimes.¡¯ Ken stated. ¡®So it¡¯s important that you can at least keep yourself a way out.

    The duo continued to eat in silence, letting the ambience of the restaurant overtake them. However, as Ken¡¯s eyes continued to dart between his meal and his niece, a pang of guilt began to rise from his stomach, causing him to scratch his head before breaking the silence. ¡®Look at the bright side.¡¯

    Sandra looked up back at her uncle who continued to speak. ¡®You didn¡¯t pass out.¡¯

    She smiled. ¡®Yeah. I got a nose bleed and felt a little light-headed, but I was fine.¡¯

    ¡®Good. Your body might be getting used to it.¡¯ Ken smiled back. ¡®I remember when you straight up couldn¡¯t do a single spell without hurling.¡¯

    ¡®God, yeah. I¡¯ve entirely forgotten about the fact that I used to vomit.¡¯

    ¡®And I had to catch you before you lost consciousness since you¡¯d fall into said vomit.¡¯

    ¡®Eww. Don¡¯t remind me while I¡¯m eating.¡¯ Sandra said grossed out, but with a slight chuckle.

    ¡®Still.¡¯ Ken continued, ¡®despite being born with red eyes, you still decided to pursue magic, knowing full well what it might mean for you in the future.¡¯

    For a sliver of a moment, the look of innocence disappeared from Sandra¡¯s eyes, leaving nothing but the look of sheer determination, the real core deep within Sandra¡¯s soul. Ken looked directly into that core through her eyes and spoke. ¡®Everything you are now is a far cry from that little girl I picked up at Freedom Square.¡¯

    Sandra¡¯s eyes softened as she gave her uncle a small smile. All the while, Ken softened all the same, recalling that distant memory. He spoke once more. ¡®I¡¯m proud of you, Sandra. And I know you¡¯ll only continue to grow.¡¯

    She brushed some stray strands of hair that landed in front of her eye, and as she did, she noticed the familiar sight of her Leonun friend entering into the restaurant. He then walked toward their table, to which Sandra shifted herself closer toward the wall that the table was pinned against, allowing Evander to sit beside her. And as Evander sat, he deflated into the leather cushion, letting out a tired breath.

    Sandra and Ken looked at each other, then at Evander. Sandra was first to speak. ¡®Evander? Are you alright?¡¯

    Evander inhaled and then talked in-between laboured breaths. ¡®Tired. *wheeze* Had to carry Thomas *wheeze* To my place. *wheeze* Mom wasn¡¯t happy *wheeze* about suddenly having *wheeze* to take care of another kid. *wheeze* She came around though.¡¯

    Ken¡¯s eyes darted to Sandra, then back at Evander, who¡¯s stomach grumbled. Ken then began to mention Sandra¡¯s accomplishment.¡®Well, Sandra helped out the construction with magic.¡¯

    ¡®Oh, sweet.¡¯ Evander said, still panting, ¡®did she faint?¡¯

    ¡®Nope.¡¯ Sandra responded happily.

    ¡®And now, we get our meals paid for by the construction crew.¡¯ Ken continued. ¡®So just name your order.¡¯

    ¡®Oh thank God. *wheeze* Medium ribeye *wheeze* and a milkshake. *wheeze* Vanilla.¡¯ Evander requested, slowly shutting his eyes. ¡®And wake me up *wheeze* when it¡¯s here.¡¯

    And so, Evander was out cold, his mouth left agape breathing out condensed hot air as his kind didn¡¯t sweat. Sandra was quietly stifling a laugh observing her best friend entirely out of it, while Ken was merely giving a wide grin to Sandra.

    The two of them continued their meal while starting a conversation, this time kept a little quieter in respect for their unconscious friend. They enjoyed a night of merriment, an admittedly late celebration of Sandra¡¯s birthday, and when Evander¡¯s meal arrived with his milkshake, the two didn¡¯t even have to wake him up as his head immediately jolted in response to the scent, causing Sandra and Ken to laugh aloud accompanied by Evander¡¯s confusion.

    ___

    It was now the day after the morrow. The three-night carnival was over and the three managed to avoid any more incidents regarding would-be thieves and thugs. Evander was able to showcase the mechanical dragon, the pride of him and his crew that they laboured on for months, to a crowd of wowed spectators. Sandra was pleasantly overwhelmed at every piece of technology at display within the carnival, making sure to ask every single tent about every single advancement made in their respective fields, much to the chagrin of the people running each exhibit. Ken, however, returned to the Siyokoian woman, now annoyed at him for missing their own date with hardly a word about why Ken had disappeared, but after a quick slap from the woman, Ken was able to explain the extraordinary events of the night he promised to receive her exclusive workshop tour. After some convincing, Ken continued to have that tour, leaving Sandra a little bit confused when he arrived back at their inn room late into the night and covered in small purple bruises.

    Soon enough, the night passed by with Sandra having a restful sleep and waking up with a pep in her step, and Ken still groggily rubbing his eyes in the middle of packing his items into his luggage. After checking out and a quick breakfast at the inn, they met with Evander one last time as he escorted them to the train station, talking with Sandra all the while.

    ¡®Here we are.¡¯ Evander said, ¡®I don¡¯t suppose you¡¯d need help bringing your luggage into the compartment?¡¯

    ¡®We got it from here.¡¯ Ken yawned.

    Sandra dragged her luggage along and turned to face Evander. ¡®Thanks, Ev.¡¯

    ¡®It¡¯s no problem.¡¯ Evander responded.

    Sandra looked at her childhood friend that she was about to leave once more and smiled with a sense of melancholy. ¡®Ugh. Time is too short. I really wanna hang out with you more.¡¯

    ¡®Hey now,¡¯ Evander assured, ¡®I¡¯ll be going to the city soon enough.¡¯

    ¡®You¡¯ve gotten your scholarship?¡¯

    ¡®Yep. They liked the dragon a lot.¡¯

    ¡®Well, at the city, you¡¯re gonna see the real thing flying around.¡¯ Sandra said with a twinkle in her eye.

    ¡®Goodness. To think that you outright have dragons delivering mail¡­¡¯

    ¡®Have they never appeared here?¡¯

    ¡®I don¡¯t think people would bother ordering shipping from a dragon when the train station works well enough.¡¯

    ¡®Fair¡­¡¯ Sandra trailed, ¡®Oh. Speak of the devil¡­¡¯

    The whistle of the distant train¡¯s horns tore through the air, drawing the attention of people in the entire station. Sandra turned to look too, and while her attention was focused on the locomotive, Evander leapt toward Sandra, holding her in a tight embrace. Sandra hugged back, and for a moment, the world disappeared and they only had each other to hold onto once again. The embrace lasted long enough for the train to eventually arrive and stop in place for everyone to begin boarding.

    ¡®Well,¡¯ Evander spoke wiping a stray tear. ¡®I guess this is it.¡¯

    ¡®You don¡¯t need to be so emotional, you big goof.¡¯ Sandra teased. ¡®Like you said, you¡¯ll be in the city soon.¡¯

    ¡®It¡¯s just¡­ No matter what I decide to do, I¡¯m always leaving someone.¡¯

    ¡®Come on now. You belong in the academy more than me.¡¯

    ¡®That¡¯s not true! You¡¯re such an amazing mage, and you¡¯ve already figured out how to utilise it in technology.¡¯

    ¡®Evander, you were strong enough to bust a hole through a behemoth-type airship! If that doesn¡¯t prove how amazing you are, I don¡¯t think I could ever convince you.¡¯

    ¡®It¡¯s just¡­ I¡¯m gonna be leaving home for the first time. Leaving my mom, leaving my friends, leaving Thomas¡­ And if I don¡¯t go, I don¡¯t know the next time I¡¯ll get to see you again.¡¯

    ¡®If you don¡¯t go, you¡¯ll never figure out how you can help our home town with your magic.¡¯ Sandra declared. ¡®I¡¯ve figured out how I can do it. I¡¯m a mechanic. I fix things. Don¡¯t you want to figure out what you are too?¡¯

    ¡®I¡­¡¯

    ¡®You can help our home much more if you go. Otherwise you might regret never taking that opportunity to see just how much more you could have grown.¡¯

    Evander was speechless. The wind ruffled his white mane and fur, and his eyes grew wide at Sandra. Perhaps she was right, he thought. He was an amateur, a complete newbie in the ways of the arcane, and yet he was able to channel it to stop evil men from enacting a heist in the town he loved.

    He thought about his father who fought in the Great War not to kill, but to save, to spare his fellow comrades from never seeing their wives, their sons, their daughters, and their parents. He remembered growing up through the war-torn years now five summers past, wondering when his father would come home alongside Sandra who did the same for her own father. He remembered the day when soldiers came to Sandra¡¯s home, letting her and her mother know that the father of their family would never come home, never hold his daughter and wife while they cried. He remembered when Sandra¡¯s mother decided to leave for the army in a fit of revenge, wanting to end the lives of those responsible, leaving her to grow up being raised alongside him by his mother and neighbours. He remembered when soldiers came to him and his mother¡¯s own home, and that he knew exactly what it meant before they reached the front door. He remembered his mother breaking down during the nights past his bedtime since she didn¡¯t want to show her son weakness when he was awake to see it. He remembered seeing it anyway. He remembered being unable to sleep, weeping all the same while Sandra held him, sharing in his sorrow. He remembered whispering

    ¡°I just want this all to stop. I don¡¯t want any more people leaving forever.¡±

    Sandra planted her hand upon her best friend¡¯s shoulder. ¡®Are you okay? You¡¯re still tearing up a bit.¡¯

    ¡®Huh?¡¯ Evander snapped out of the walk through his memories. ¡®Yeah. I-I¡¯m fine.¡¯

    ¡®Listen, I gotta go. The train¡¯s gonna leave soon.¡¯

    ¡®Of course.¡¯

    ¡®Bye. I hope I¡¯ll see you in the city.¡¯ Said Sandra who turned to enter the train alongside her uncle.

    ¡®Sandra!¡¯ Evander called out as Sandra was by the train¡¯s entryway. ¡®You will!¡¯

    Sandra smiled warmly, then entered, but just as she was about to go further in, she waved at him, and Evander waved back.

    It was the 11<sup>th</sup> of July, a melancholic day for Sandra Larsen as she was now a little older and leaving her best friend once more. She sat next to her uncle, Ken Larsen and waited as the train began to move away from Gold Ocean Hills. She watched with her hand pressed against the glass window as Evander chased after her, stopping at the very edge of the station and waving once more, prompting Sandra to wave back for one last time. North of her home town, the next stop was Freedom Square within the capital city of Yggdra. She began to see the final world tree, the city¡¯s namesake towering in the distance, a colossal tree with billions of leaves fluttering in the wind that glowed golden in the day, and blue in the night. It was a grand spectacle, but it was also the sight she grew up under when she left to live with Ken, and so it was the sight of home. Even though they had just begun their journey, they could still see it from here, and indeed, you could see it from many miles away towering over the mists settling at the peak of mountains. And Sandra smiled warmly knowing that she was returning to her home under its shade.

    Chapter End.

 Chapter 3: Samsara, Part 1.

    Friday, 13<sup>th</sup> July, 1923

    The air hung heavy with the thickness of condensation left from a day of rain, leaving a feeling of stickiness that laid over the pale-skin of a vulpine woman trying to ignore the feeling by wiping down whiskey glasses. To her dismay, sweat continued to form, dripping down past her brow and entering her eyes. They were already red with her scarlet pupils, but now the sweat was making them even redder. She raised her left arm, a mechanical metal limb, swatting away at the beads of liquid pouring down her face, then pushing away stray strands of her white hair away from her eyes.

    ¡®BUGBEAR! Please tell me the fans are fixed.¡¯ Her high-pitch voice with a southern slang resounded off of the metal and wood walls of her bar.

    ¡®Trust me, I¡¯m working as fast as I can, Fang.¡¯ A deep voice growled from atop a stepladder extending toward the ceiling fan. The man atop it, a tall black-furred leonun man with a silver mane had his hands picking apart and rearranging wiring.

    ¡®It¡¯s hot as shit, Bug, and we¡¯re gonna be open soon.¡¯

    ¡®I¡¯d really rather not have someone shouting at me while I¡¯m doing my best just trying not to fall off!¡¯

    Just then, a phone began to ring from the bar. Fang, the albino vulpine, grumbled as she turned around to pick it up.

    ¡®Samsara. This is the manager speaking.¡¯

    ¡®Fang.¡¯ A voice of a man ominously called out from the other side of the line.

    ¡®Oh fu-¡¯ she muttered under her breath.

    ¡®I wanted to discuss that job I tipped you off on. I do recall telling you something about-¡¯

    ¡®Expecting results, yes.¡¯ She interrupted.

    ¡®Not just that. I wanted a clean job, and yet, I just so happened to notice a little something on the papers this morning.¡¯

    ¡®Look, I get that you¡¯re disappointed-¡¯

    ¡®Very disappointed.¡¯

    ¡®Then why the hell did you recommend those mooks in the first place!?¡¯

    ¡®Fang...¡¯ His voice trailed, expecting her to remain calm.

    ¡®I could have gotten my usual guys, and have this one done before the Goddamn event even started. But no~!¡¯

    ¡®Fang.¡¯

    ¡®You just had to make me pick out a couple of no-good brainless evolutionary dead-ends for a simple gig that my usual crew could have done in their sleep!¡¯

    ¡®Fang!¡¯ The leonun man, now climbing down the stepladder, shouted at her.

    ¡®WHAT!?¡¯

    ¡®Customer.¡¯

    ¡®We¡¯re not open ye-¡¯

    ¡®I can see that your temper never left.¡¯ Said a blond human man as he walked in the bar.

    Fang stood frozen still, her mind racing between choosing which of the three conversations she needed to continue. The human man, who she knew was Ken Larsen, pointed a finger over to the landline in her hand, breaking her out of her trance. She lifted the phone up to her ear and calmly continued the conversation facing away from Ken and covering her mouth all the while.

    Ken, on the other hand, greeted the leonun with a handshake that clapped against his hand, prompting him to return the gesture. Ken then spoke. ¡®S¡¯up, Bear. She been treating you well?¡¯

    Berrian, the real name of the leonun, tilted his head in response. ¡®You know her. Worse yet is that she¡¯s lost a lot of money on something recently.¡¯

    ¡®That so?¡¯

    ¡®Yep.¡¯

    ¡®You mind if I?¡¯ He asked, pointing over to a table with a stool stacked upside down upon it.

    ¡®Sure.¡¯ Berrian said, flipping and placing the stool on the ground, allowing Ken to sit by the table.

    ¡®Man, it¡¯s hot as hell in here. Could you turn on the fan?¡¯ Ken said, exaggerating by wiping the back of his hand against his forehead.

    ¡®I would if it wasn¡¯t broke.¡¯

    ¡®You mind if I take a look?¡¯

    ¡®Be my guest.¡¯

    Ken climbed up the stepladder with Berrian holding down the bottom, allowing him an easier time standing still at the top. He went to work deftly rearranging the wires while talking. ¡®I have to give credit to my niece. If it weren¡¯t for her showing me, I¡¯d have no idea how to fix anything.¡¯

    Berrian¡¯s voice resounded from below. ¡®Does that mean you can fix it?¡¯

    ¡®Yeah. There¡¯s a bit of the wiring that¡¯s been burnt, but I¡¯ll give it a temporary fix by cutting the burnt bit and then tying the ends together. My niece called it a ¡°bypass¡±.¡¯

    ¡®Sounds like I gotta hire this niece of yours.¡¯

    ¡®You really should. She could use the extra pocket-money.¡¯

    After stepping off of the ladder, Ken wiped his hands on a cloth Berrian offered him. He thanked him as he sat back at his table, and Berrian flipped a switch, marveling as the fan began to spin. ¡®Well, would you look at that.¡¯

    ¡®I¡¯d recommend getting someone to look at that though. I doubt my work will last for very long.¡¯

    Berrian dragged a stool across from Ken and sat on it. ¡®Are you sure you aren¡¯t just being a salesman again?¡¯

    ¡®Hey!¡¯ Ken exclaimed, ¡®I¡¯ll have you know that whatever services I hawk at you are completely legit.¡¯

    ¡®So that¡¯s a yes.¡¯ Berrian smirked.

    ¡®So what if I am. I gotta support family no matter what.¡¯

    ¡®You got that right.¡¯

    Just then, Fang huffily marched toward them with her teeth bared and fox-ears pulled back, firmly slamming her hands on the table on her arrival. ¡®Just what the hell do you want, Ken?¡¯

    Berrian looked at Fang, then at Ken, and rose from his chair to walk away. ¡®I¡¯ll just be somewhere else.¡¯

    ¡®Take a seat, Chao.¡¯ Ken requested.

    ¡®It¡¯s Fang.¡¯

    ¡®Was this a recent change or-¡¯

    ¡®Have you come to brag? Is that it?¡¯

    ¡®I have no clue what you¡¯re on about-¡¯

    ¡®The airship! Your name ended up on the papers, and now you¡¯ve probably made some kind of connection linking this to me.¡¯

    ¡®Actually, I linked it to Berrian.¡¯

    ¡®What do you want?¡¯

    Ken leaned back on his stool, allowing it to tip ever-so-slightly on two legs. ¡®Well, I¡¯d like a beer with an old friend.¡¯

    Fang¡¯s expression matched the furiosity of her red eyes as she grumbled countless curses as she walked over to the bar, pouring a pint for the both of them. ¡®If you expect this for free, I¡¯m spitting in your glass.¡¯

    ¡®Actually¡­¡¯

    ¡®What?¡¯ She questioned as she returned with both of their mugs.

    He bore a half-smile as he pointed up to the ceiling. ¡®I didn¡¯t get paid for the fan repair.¡¯

    She sat angrily, the bar-stool dragging against the floor from the force. ¡®You get one pint spit-free.¡¯

    The two took swigs at their mugs of frothy golden beer, the burning bitterness being savoured, and all the while, Ken took notice as Fang¡¯s furrowed brow loosened along with the rest of her scowling face. She planted her glass on the table after she cleared more than half of her drink. Ken raised an eyebrow at her. ¡®You thirsty?¡¯

    ¡®Shut up. I didn¡¯t wanna see your face today.¡¯

    ¡®But that¡¯s everyday.¡¯

    ¡®Exactly.¡¯ She stated, wiping the froth from her lips. ¡®Now would you tell me why you¡¯re here.¡¯

    ¡®Well, I¡¯m not here to make an arrest if you can believe it.¡¯

    ¡®You got nothing but hearsay to link it to us.¡¯

    ¡®Precisely. You got nothing to worry about on that front.¡¯

    ¡®So are you leaving?¡¯

    Ken chuckled. ¡®Y¡¯know, I recall from the last time we were together, you were begging me to stay.¡¯

    ¡®Is that what this is about? You came all the way to talk about us?¡¯ She said and began to laugh. ¡®I think I¡¯m just gonna tell you to piss right off.¡¯

    ¡®Alright, I¡¯m sorry. That came out of nowhere.¡¯ Ken apologised. ¡®Look, I didn¡¯t wanna come here in the first place, so I¡¯ll keep it brief-¡¯

    ¡®Should¡¯ve done that from the start.¡¯

    ¡®I just wanna know who tipped you off. I¡¯ll even cut you some of the money I¡¯m getting from looking into this.¡¯

    Fang crossed her arms and tried to keep a straight face, entirely failing at the attempt as her face maintained a frown. She looked at her feet, refusing to look Ken in his eyes.

    ¡®Fang.¡¯ Ken attempted to catch her attention, but failing to make her look his way. ¡®There¡¯s money in this, Fang.¡¯

    ¡®I heard.¡¯

    ¡®Then could I have a name? That¡¯s all you¡¯ll have to say.¡¯

    ¡®I don¡¯t know.¡¯

    Ken stared at the vulpine and sighed. ¡®I knew this was a mistake.¡¯ Ken whispered, and Fang¡¯s ear twitched.

    He rose from his seat and was fixing his coat to get ready to leave, but before he could make a step to the door, Fang spoke. ¡®I don¡¯t have a name, but I have another gig.¡¯

    He stopped dead in his tracks, and allowed himself to release a breath he was holding. ¡®Gig?¡¯

    ¡®Yep. I got a gig from the guy. Wants me to keep tabs on some schmuck from the ¡°Yarrows¡±.¡¯

    ¡®Huh¡­¡¯ Ken pondered aloud. ¡®Isn¡¯t that-¡¯

    ¡®The gang that robbed the Grand Library some time back, yes.¡¯

    ¡®So do they want you to steal what they stole?¡¯

    ¡®There¡¯s a bonus if we do that.¡¯

    Ken paused.

    ¡®Wait, we?¡¯

    ¡®That¡¯s what you¡¯re gonna offer right? Want in on this job so that we can bust them once we hand over the stuff?¡¯

    He scratched his cheek as he thought about it. ¡®Well, that¡¯s assuming they don¡¯t use a proxy to pick it up.¡¯

    ¡®But then we can tail the proxy. Find who they work for that way.¡¯

    ¡®Who else will you hire for the job?¡¯

    ¡®No one.¡¯

    ¡®No one?¡¯

    ¡®I mean,¡¯ she took one more swig from her mug, finishing her beer, ¡®I¡¯m flat broke after spending money on that last gig that completely failed.¡¯

    ¡®So we¡¯re alone.¡¯

    ¡®Berrian¡¯s there too.¡¯

    ¡®I got clinic duty.¡¯ Berrian¡¯s voice rang out from another part of the bar. ¡®Don¡¯t rope me in.¡¯

    ¡®Boooo. You suck, Bug.¡¯

    ¡®Then that leaves two of us.¡¯ Ken said, placing a hand on his hip, reaching out the other toward Fang. ¡®Like old times?¡¯

    ¡®Up yours, you blond mole rat.¡¯ She swore, reaching out to shake his outstretched hand.

    ¡®Good to be working with you.¡¯

    ___

    ¡®Are you sure I can¡¯t come?¡¯ Sandra wistfully asked.

    ¡®Yes, kiddo. I¡¯m not gonna put you in danger just ¡®cause you insist.¡¯ Ken answered, adjusting the collar of his long-coat.

    Ken looked at the interior of their house, an oldly thin two-story abode with a staircase that took up more than one-third of the place past the more spacious living room. This made an awkward squeeze when walking to the kitchen.

    Their only bathroom was a former broom closet beneath the stairs that¡¯s been remodelled to have a toilet and a shower. Upstairs was their rooms, with Ken¡¯s room above the kitchen, and Sandra¡¯s room separated by a small hallway that the stairs lead to.

    Needless to say, the house in which they lived was cumbersome in its small size, and the density of their everyday objects was scattered about, pictures of friends and family framed on the walls, science and engineering trophies on shelves that collected dust around the hard-to-reach corners. A radio sat atop a small cupboard across from a coffee table in the middle of the living room, which in turn sat in front of a couch where Sandra was now idly laying upon.

    Sandra noticed the lowest cupboard under the radio and saw that it was open. Within it was a small ornate wooden box with its lid removed and a cushion with a felt lining placed at the bottom that had the imprint of a revolver. ¡®You forgot to close the cupboard.¡¯

    ¡®My bad.¡¯ Ken apologised.

    ¡®I¡¯ll get it.¡¯ Sandra said as she rose from the couch and walked to the cupboard. After placing the box in its original state with its lid on top, she closed the cupboard doors and turned to face Ken. ¡®Are you going after the guys from the airship thing?¡¯

    ¡®We already got the guys directly responsible-¡¯

    ¡®Except for one.¡¯ Sandra corrected.

    ¡®Right, except for one.¡¯

    ¡®Is he next?¡¯

    ¡®No, he¡¯ll get caught sooner or later, I¡¯m sure.¡¯

    ¡®What makes you say that?¡¯

    ¡®A kid like him?¡¯ Ken reasoned, ¡®he ain¡¯t got no clue how to be a criminal. Probably just got swept up in the motions when the others offered him a ¡°quick and easy¡± job.¡¯

    Sandra pinched the bottom of her chin and thought aloud. ¡®So you¡¯re going after the guys who planned it?¡¯

    ¡®Yep.¡¯ He confirmed, ¡®but that¡¯s enough about what I¡¯m doing. What are you doing?¡¯

    She stretched her legs out and sat on the floor. ¡®Well, I¡¯m going out to meet with Riley for lunch. And then we¡¯re gonna go to the Grand Library so I can return some books.¡¯

    Ken chuckled, ¡®you mean the overdue ones?¡¯

    Flustered, she responded. ¡®W-well, they aren¡¯t that overdue.¡¯

    ¡®Okay, well how about this. We can go over to your room and collect every book you need to return today so you don¡¯t forget to bring them. Then, we can leave together.¡¯

    ¡®Fiiine¡­¡¯

    ¡®And while we¡¯re at it, I got a favour to ask of you.¡¯

    ¡®Hmm?¡¯

    ¡®Could you ask Agatha a couple of questions?¡¯

    ¡®The Lorekeeper?¡¯

    ___

    Soon enough, the two left their household, Ken leaving off in a different direction from Sandra. Ken waved her goodbye and yelled. ¡®Don¡¯t forget to tell Agatha I said hi.¡¯

    ¡®I won¡¯t!¡¯

    Sandra carried her knapsack of overdue books as she began to walk to the open street where the trams were located. The day was bright in contrast to yesterday, and the heat of the summer sun hit Sandra as she rushed to catch a moving tram, hopping onto the platform staircase and grabbing unto the railing, allowing her to squeeze in with a collage of other strangers making their everyday commute.

    Even in summer break, Sandra thought, people are still so busy. Sandra herself had to keep together some of her own vacation days from her apprenticeship so she could celebrate her birthday with Ken, and she¡¯s now spending the last two days before having to return to her work.

    At least Riley could enjoy her summer break unbothered by work like she was. After all, while Riley wasn¡¯t rich, her family was well off, allowing her a level of freedom that teenagers in Sandra¡¯s economic class usually don¡¯t have.

    Regardless, Sandra didn¡¯t really mind working, in fact, she loved her apprenticeship well enough to work overnight at times. But as her thoughts trailed off to daydreams on the next car she would work on, the voice of the tram conductor boomed out ¡®Arriving at the Grand Library.¡¯

    She stepped off of the tram, knapsack in hand, and walked toward the steps of the Grand Library of Yggdra, a massive place carved into the southern base of the last ¡°World Tree¡±. The marble steps lead toward an entrance with two massive red-brown doors leading into a many-floored interior made of lavish wood with many different fae creatures like glowing pixies and short goblins roaming with books in hand, moving about and placing them upon lines and lines of shelves all with books stacked in a particular order in different sections.

    Sandra jogged up the stairs through the great doors and walked her way to a counter to the right where a neatly dressed leonun woman with a long braided ponytail and silver-white fur with black spots was ordering a couple of pixies on where a particular stack of books were supposed to go. Sandra walked up, placing her knapsack on the counter, the sound of it thumping notifying the leonun on Sandra¡¯s presence.

    ¡®Sandra! And¡­ Are those my books I see?¡¯

    ¡®Yes, Agatha. I¡¯m sorry I keep on forgetting about it.¡¯

    Agatha leaned against the counter-top closer to Sandra and adjusted the glasses pinned to the bridge of her snout. ¡®My oh my. I didn¡¯t expect to see these today.¡¯ She said, watching Sandra placing each book on a stack. ¡®Let me guess, your uncle finally gave in and made you carry these?¡¯

    ¡®Aha¡­¡¯ Sandra laughed awkwardly, ¡®I¡­ Yeah¡­¡¯

    ¡®And you do remember about the late fees?¡¯

    ¡®Uuuhmmm¡­¡¯

    Agatha laughed as she began to record each tome on a logbook she pulled from under the desk. ¡®If it weren¡¯t for me owing your uncle some favours, I¡¯d have charged you ten-times over by now, not to mention all of the other times I¡¯ve caught you late.¡¯

    ¡®I¡¯ll be sure to thank him for it.¡¯

    ¡®But you sure are burning through his favours, Sandra.¡¯

    ¡®Yeah¡­¡¯

    ¡®Still.¡¯ Agatha mused, ¡®I¡¯m shocked that the dream hexes that the fae place on these books are entirely ineffective on you.¡¯

    ¡®Dream hexes?¡¯

    ¡®Yes. The books have a tracking rune as well, and people that sleep around an overdue book from this library get nightmares and the only way to end it for good is to return the book where I~¡¯ She lingered on her words as she pulled out a special red stamp, beginning to mark the first pages of every book Sandra returned, ¡®-dispel it with this.¡¯

    Sandra scratched the back of her head fully unable to recall a single time she had a bad dream around the book, or any other dream for that matter. ¡®I kinda don¡¯t recall any nightmares.¡¯If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡®Honestly,¡¯ she said continuing to stamp the books, ¡®my theory is that you still have the nightmares, but you¡¯re so forgetful that the whole thing entirely leaves your mind when you wake up.¡¯

    She stamped the last book and closed the cover, continuing her speech. ¡®Speaking of which, aren¡¯t you usually here with a friend?¡¯

    Sandra¡¯s face dropped as Agatha¡¯s word sent a shiver down her spine. ¡®Oh shoot, I was supposed to meet with Riley for lunch first!¡¯ She exclaimed and ran off.

    However, as she ran out, she stopped and slowly returned to Agatha. ¡®I also forgot. Ken wanted me to ask you a couple of questions.¡¯

    ¡®Do you have them written down?¡¯

    ¡®I do.¡¯

    ¡®Go meet your friend and I¡¯ll remind you about it when you return.¡¯

    Sandra began to bolt through the doors, managing to squeeze out a couple of words out before she left, ¡®thanks, Agatha, you¡¯re the best!¡¯

    ¡®Let¡¯s hope your friend remembers to return.¡¯

    ___

    Over on the south western end of Yggdra was the Haita district, a place known to carry the largest population of members for a religion known as ¡°Lucendism¡±. As far as Ken could recall, the religion started almost two thousand years ago when they believed that the moon covered the sun and never left, leaving the world sunless for months and creating famine, mass starvation, and allowed all sorts of monsters from the underground to emerge and cause untold amounts of death to the lands above. That was until a deity descended from the moon known as Sofia, who provided light in place of the eclipsed sun, scaring the beasts of the dark back underground and bringing life back to the blighted lands. She then left back to the moon and shifted it out of the way of the sun. Or so the story goes.

    In reality, the history recorded of the time mentioned that while the prolonged eclipse was true, it didn¡¯t last months and no evidence of such a goddess was left behind, just a mere astronomical event. Regardless, the ¡°Faith of the Last Light¡± was created, another name for what people call ¡°Lucendism¡± in this age.

    Ken wasn¡¯t much of a believer in such a thing as a ¡°god¡± despite living in a world of magic. As such, Ken never set foot in a single church or temple in his life, and he largely avoided the Haita district until a case or an event called for him there. The idea of being approached by eager Lucendists inviting him or any of his friends or family to their church didn¡¯t sit well with him.

    He stepped off of a tram in front of a church within the district, one of many. He made his way through streets and buildings built with gothic architecture, the structures made to allow light through colourful stained glass windows along with pointed spires that raise up to the air, reaching up to the heavens above. Walking past a group of women dressed in full black garbs with headdresses carrying candles to a shrine with a statue of the goddess, he carried on past this small chunk of the district. They called the place ¡°Little Ciselya¡±, named after the theocratic nation-state of the same name, the home and origin of Lucendism.

    Exiting the mini-district, he turned left past a small fruit store and walked down a long set of steps between two buildings where he saw Fang puffing away at a cigarette at the very bottom. Approaching her, he spoke. ¡®You happen to find God on your way here?¡¯

    Fang turned to face him, her face covered in smoke as she talked back. ¡®I¡¯d rather find her in the barrel of a gun.¡¯

    Ken stood by her, patiently waiting as she finished her cigarette, which she then tossed beneath her, stomping it out with the tip of her high-heels. She lingered just a little longer, looking out past the alleyway with stairs that they were in while remaining in the shade, and after readying herself, placing a hat atop her head that kept sunlight from streaming unto the pale skin of her face. ¡®It¡¯s days like these that I absolutely hate being an albino.¡¯

    ¡®You want to borrow my coat?¡¯ Ken asked, looking at the vulpine wearing a long elbow-length lace glove covering her left arm and dressed in a white dress-shirt that was unbuttoned at the top as to ever-so-slightly reveal a little bit of her cleavage pushed up by her bra.

    ¡®Don¡¯t let your eyes wander, Ken.¡¯

    Ken faced away unbothered. ¡®All I¡¯m saying is that you need to take better care of your skin considering how fast it cooks under the sun.¡¯

    The two lingered quietly for a few more seconds before Ken broke the silence. ¡®So, what are we doing?¡¯

    ¡®Across the street from here is a slot machine parlour. The person who owns it is a friend of mine, a nice old lady we call ¡°Ginger Ale¡±.¡¯

    ¡®Okay?¡¯

    ¡®One of her frequent players is an elven woman, a tall and tanned red-head with scarring around her arms. Her name is ¡°Kalem Vi-Shana¡±.¡¯

    ¡®¡°Great Justice.¡±¡¯

    ¡®I¡¯m sorry?¡¯ She asked, perplexed.

    ¡®Kalem Vi-Shana is Alfrian for ¡°Great Justice¡± or more accurately, ¡°Greatly Just¡±.¡¯

    ¡®Why do I care?¡¯ She looked at him utterly annoyed.

    ¡®Do you know anything about this Kalem?¡¯

    ¡®Nope.¡¯

    ¡®Elves generally keep to more modern naming conventions since using their traditional names tend to attract attention.¡¯

    ¡®The wrong kind.¡¯

    ¡®Yep.¡¯ Ken confirmed.

    ¡®So she¡¯s got a decent chance of being attached to her culture. Big deal.¡¯

    Ken shrugged. ¡®Might not lead to anything, but knowing who we¡¯re dealing with and what they believe in might prove useful. If she¡¯s got really long hair, it means she¡¯s very much still attached to her Alfrian roots.¡¯

    Fang scoffed. ¡®I forget that you somehow were smart enough to become a detective.¡¯

    ¡®I forget you sang well enough to be a singer before-¡¯

    Ken turned his head to Fang who bore the expression of an animal ready to claw his face off. ¡®Sorry.¡¯

    Fang sighed and turned back to the parlour now with a dour expression. Ken watched the place too, now brought to silence from their last exchange. They both stared the entrance down until a tall elven woman with a long braided red ponytail exited and made her way to the left of the street. Ken turned to Fang and asked, ¡®that her?¡¯

    ¡®That¡¯s her.¡¯

    And the two left the alleyway as they began to tail the woman from a distance.

    It went smoothly at first. The two were able to maintain vision over the elf for a couple of minutes as she made her way through busy streets with crowds occasionally passing by, but with her tall stature, she stuck out. So it was that for a while, they simply watched her go about her day while Ken initiated a conversation with Fang.

    ¡®So. Seeing as how we¡¯ve got a while before we reach anywhere important, why don¡¯t we catch up?¡¯

    ¡®Catch up? Sugar, don¡¯t tell me you wanna hook up.¡¯ She said with a mocking pout.

    Ken winced. ¡®That¡¯s not anywhere near what I was talking about.¡¯

    ¡®Ken, I know you.¡¯ She stated. ¡®You got a smile like a million bucks and the only time you talk to a woman about something other than business is how you could slip them outta their clothes.¡¯

    ¡®Well first of all,¡¯ Ken responded, ¡®I¡¯m honoured that you still think I¡¯m attractive.¡¯

    ¡®Hah.¡¯

    ¡®Second of all, maybe I¡¯d like to hear more about what you¡¯ve been up to.¡¯

    Fang grumbled under her breath and faced Ken who bore a smirk that she couldn¡¯t quite tell whether it was genuine or smug.

    ¡®Fine. If it gets you off my back.¡¯ She continued. ¡®It¡¯s been a real rosy five years. I returned from the war after losing my arm and watching everyone I cared about in the army die to Imperial gas attacks. I find out old-man Bison died and left me the bar, giving me an entirely new headache to deal with.¡¯

    She paused briefly as if to structure her story. ¡®Then an old friend came in at the right time. We became lovers, and we sang, and danced, and drank our sorrows away, and he rocked my socks off ¡®till we saw daylight many-a times.¡¯

    Ken stared down at the vulpine, knowing full well who she was talking about.

    ¡®And then- and then- and then¡­¡¯ She repeated before continuing. ¡®He left.¡¯

    They walked side-by-side, yet distant all the same. Ken thought back to the night before and wondered why she even bothered having him stick around for this job. Was it just so she could voice out her half-decade-long anger toward him? For a moment, he thought about hurrying this whole situation and merely making an arrest on the elven woman, just so he could interrogate her and be done with it, be done with her.

    Fang wasn¡¯t done though. ¡®But if you must know what happened after¡­ I found someone.¡¯

    Ken stared at her slightly perplexed as to what to feel in the moment. He wasn¡¯t jealous, in fact he fully expected her to have moved on from him when he visited her, but this revelation spurred an odd feeling regardless.

    She spoke once more.

    ¡®There was a girl. Black hair, blue eyes.¡¯ She tilted her head at the memory of her image. ¡®Great ass.¡¯

    ¡®Lucky you.¡¯

    ¡®Luck never stays long for me, you know that.¡¯ She retorted bluntly. ¡®We did the same things. We laughed, we danced, we made love. We argued a lot too.¡¯

    ¡®Don¡¯t think it would¡¯ve been a relationship with you otherwise.¡¯

    She glared and then resumed. ¡®She stayed though. For the next three years, she stayed. She picked up all the broken pieces of me, kissing every single one like it was some magic glue and put me back together.¡¯

    ¡®And then?¡¯ Ken asked in a gentle tone.

    ¡®My luck caught up.¡¯

    Just then, the elven woman they were following approached a street that entered into a boulevard. She then walked into a small park within the boulevard where she proceeded to a concrete tunnel that lead down below ground. Ken and Fang ran up by the side of the tunnel and watched as the woman descended further until disappearing through a door at the bottom of the stairs, with it closing behind her.

    ¡®She¡¯s going into the sewers?¡¯ Fang¡¯s nose scrunched up, disgusted at the thought of entering.

    ¡®It¡¯s a maintenance tunnel. Likely leads to an underground substation so I don¡¯t think we¡¯re gonna be entering the sewers.¡¯ Ken said, starting to walk down the steps.

    Fang¡¯s face eased as she followed along. ¡®As long as we ain¡¯t stepping in shit.¡¯

    The two took steps down into the tunnel and the dark depths below. They stopped at the door after Ken tried to turn the knob, only to find it locked.

    ¡®I got it.¡¯ Fang said as she kneeled down, taking a thin set of lock-picks hidden in a compartment in the hem of her skirt, locked in place by a clip-button.

    ¡®Gotta try that at some point.¡¯

    ¡®What?¡¯ She questioned, working on picking the lock¡¯s tumblers. ¡®Wearing a skirt?¡¯

    ¡®I was talking about lock-picking, but do you think I¡¯d look nice in a skirt?¡¯

    She let out a chortle. ¡®You¡¯d have found a way to be queerer than me.¡¯ She said as the door swung open.

    ¡®Great work.¡¯

    ¡®Maybe we can celebrate by going dress-shopping after this.¡¯

    They entered a decently spacious compound made of concrete lit up by a handful of glowing orange lightbulbs connected by a mess of wires to some junction boxes screwed unto the walls. The low lighting, and dust-filled stuffy air gave the place a derelict quality exacerbated by some vulgar graffiti and cracks in the walls. The floors had some small chunks of the wall littered upon it, along with some pebbles dragged from above, causing subtle crackling noises under the weight of each step they took.

    Ken pulled out his ¡°Shaw and Watson Model 3¡± revolver, an elegant-looking old break-action service revolver he kept from his days in the army. Although, he noted that the more recent semi-auto pistols in the current century were far more reliable in stopping threats especially with more than the six bullets his revolver could hold. He simply chose to rely on this specific firearm instead, as he took a particular pride in making each shot count.

    Fang, on the other hand, pulled out a ¡°Holtz Model 1911¡±, a much newer semi-auto handgun. Ken took notice of the intricate engravings carved into the slide and whispered a comment in response. ¡®Engravings? Really?¡¯

    Fang stopped to stare at him in annoyance. ¡®What?¡¯

    ¡®So tacky¡­¡¯

    ¡®Screw you.¡¯

    The sound of a couple of voices echoed through the hall putting them on high alert as they continued to approach. The voices emanated from a doorway on their left, and Ken pinned himself to the corner of it, with Fang right behind him, both with pistols at the ready.

    ¡®This deal gives me the heeby-jeebies.¡¯ A strong feminine voice stated. ¡®Do you think they¡¯re gonna honour the deal?¡¯

    ¡®I reckon, they gotta.¡¯ Another much lighter feminine voice responded. ¡®It¡¯s gonna happen at some fancy house party right?¡¯

    ¡®Do you even know what¡¯s being traded at the party?¡¯

    ¡®Beats me. The boss put this whole thing under a full information black-out so only those involved actually know.¡¯

    Ken felt a small nudge from behind him and found Fang handing him a small make-up mirror, which he took and used to peek around the corner safely, revealing a room lit up by three floating ¡°fairy fires¡±, these palm-sized balls of light hovering throughout the room. There were two people that Ken could see, Kalem, the elf woman they were following, and one much shorter green-skinned goblin-woman seated upon an appropriately small straw and metal chair with a cushion beneath her. He then looked at the right side of the room and saw some radio equipment with large wires leading from it and entering through a hole in the ceiling.

    The strong voice, now revealed to be the voice of Kalem Vi-Shana, continued to speak. ¡®I don¡¯t like it one bit.¡¯

    The goblin playfully kicked her feet as she spoke back. ¡®Like it or don¡¯t like it, you gotta trust the boss on this one.¡¯

    ¡®I know. I trust the boss with my life, but this whole situation just shouts ¡°backstabbing waiting to happen¡±.¡¯ She complained as she stressfully adjusted her long ponytail with a blue ribbon at the end, unsure whether to keep it hanging behind her or dangling off of her shoulder. ¡®And why do it at such a public place? Won¡¯t some people grow suspicious about it?¡¯

    Ken continued to adjust the mirror to confirm the presence of anyone else in the room, and upon seeing no other figure, handed it back to Fang, pointing up two fingers, to which she nodded. He then gave her a nod with three fingers up, prompting her to ready herself. The three fingers became two then one then-

    ¡®Hands up where I can see them.¡¯ Ken ordered as they ran in with guns drawn and pointed toward the people in the room. The goblin and the elven woman did as they asked

    However, as Ken approached the elf, she swung her leg back and her torso forward, hitting his hand with the heel of her foot. The revolver was sent into the air, and as Fang turned her gun on the elf, the elf leaped to her side, flipping herself and throwing her ponytail toward Fang. The ribbon at the tip of the ponytail released, revealing the silver glint of a blade swiftly finding its way toward Fang¡¯s neck, only to be blocked by her metal arm.

    Ken attempted to approach the elf, only for her to respond with a series of acrobatic flips and kicks, her hair-blade swinging vigorously around, forcing Fang and Ken to keep their distance.

    Fang, frustrated at the retaliation, tried to steady her aim to the spinning ballerina of death in front of her, only for her gun to be kicked out of her hand as well.

    In a matter of a few seconds, the elf grabbed unto the blade of her ponytail and thrust it toward Fang, while Ken dove for the revolver that was flung out of his hand. Fang was readying herself against her attacks and was using her metal arm as a small shield against the strikes of her blade.

    Ken grabbed hold of his revolver and swiftly pointed it over toward the elf, only to find her constant melee against Fang being far too risky to pull the trigger on.

    Fang was constantly being pressured by her, but upon recognising a small pattern in her attack, successfully caught her hair mid-thrust. She pulled hard, causing the elf to yell in pain and buckle down.

    CRACK!

    As Fang pulled her hair, her knee flung hard against her face, launching her back and sending sputters of blood into the air.

    Upon seeing Fang handling the fight well on her own, his attention turned toward the goblin in the room who was in the process of scurrying toward Fang¡¯s pistol left on the floor. She stopped short of grabbing it as the cold barrel of Ken¡¯s revolver planted itself firmly against the back of her head.

    Ken then looked toward Fang and saw that she held the elf under her arms with her hair-blade placed right by her jugular, ready to release more blood than just her now broken nose.

    ¡®Ready to behave?¡¯ Ken heaved out. ¡®We just came to ask about this little trade of yours.¡¯

    The elf spat near Ken¡¯s foot. ¡®Shove it, you flame-haired rat-boy.¡¯

    ¡®Wha-¡¯ Ken said exasperated. ¡®Why do people keep calling me a rodent?¡¯

    ¡®What do you think we should do, Ken?¡¯ Fang questioned. ¡®They don¡¯t seem like the talkative types.¡¯

    ¡®I¡¯m not really keen on killing any-more.¡¯ Ken stated.

    ¡®Then?¡¯

    ¡®You got a blade. Use it to cut her hair.¡¯

    ¡®WHAT!?¡¯ The elf panicked at the suggestion.

    ¡®With pleasure.¡¯ Fang grinned.

    ¡®Wait-wait-wait!¡¯

    ¡®Your hair or your info.¡¯ Ken offered.

    ¡®I don¡¯t-¡¯

    ¡®Wrong answer.¡¯ Fang seethed, letting the knife slice one strand of hair.

    ¡®WAIT! I know where the party is!¡¯ The goblin shouted.

    ¡®Okay,¡¯ Ken said crouching down to meet the goblin¡¯s fearful gaze as she turned around slowly. ¡®Sorry, by the way. Wasn¡¯t supposed to be this violent.¡¯

    ¡®A-ah. It¡¯s okay.¡¯

    ¡®Don¡¯t be a damn pushover!¡¯ The elf yelled angrily.

    ¡®Look.¡¯ Ken raised his gun away from the goblin.

    ¡®What the hell are you doing?¡¯ Fang asked loudly.

    ¡®You already have a knife to her throat, and I¡¯m honestly just tired. Can¡¯t we just relax for a moment? ¡®Cause I just realised something important.¡¯

    Ken leaned past the goblin and picked up Fang¡¯s pistol off of the ground, unloading it and emptying the chamber for her to watch. He then did the same for his revolver, and placed both guns along with their ammo in the pockets of his coat. He spoke his thoughts aloud while maintaining level eye contact with the goblin. ¡®We happened to be eavesdropping before we barged in, so I just wanted to ask. Just how much do you trust the people you¡¯re doing this trade with?¡¯

    ¡®They don¡¯t really have a reputation, so the boss is dealing with some real unknowns.¡¯ She answered.

    ¡®Well, I happen to think that we can help each other out here. Y¡¯see¡­ I¡¯m currently trying to find information about her boss over there.¡¯ He said pointing over to Fang. ¡®Her boss happens to want something to do with that item your boss has.¡¯

    ¡®We¡¯ll die before we hand it over to you.¡¯ The elf shouted.

    ¡®Who says we needed it for long? All I¡¯m saying is that we use it as bait, and then you can have it back after.¡¯ Ken asked, then continued his speech. ¡®There¡¯s a real tidy sum of money that would come out of capturing her boss, so-¡¯

    ¡®So you¡¯re offering our group a better deal?¡¯ The goblin asked with a beaming expression.

    ¡®Yes, little miss.¡¯ Ken answered. ¡®I¡¯m talking a small amount of two-thousand Bullions going straight into the coffers of the Yarrows.¡¯

    ¡®Two-thousand!? Shit, Kalem! That¡¯s a lot more than what was offered to the boss!¡¯

    ¡®Keep your mouth shut, Elen.¡¯ The elf rebuked.

    ¡®Look,¡¯ Ken reasoned. ¡®You got a knife that¡¯s ready to give you an impromptu hair-cut and I know you love your hair too much. Instead of that, I¡¯m giving you an offer so good that it¡¯ll send you up the ranks of the Yarrows.¡¯

    ¡®Prove it then, asswipe. I don¡¯t believe a word you say.¡¯

    ¡®You checked a newspaper lately? Or listened to the radio?¡¯ Ken smugly asked. ¡®If you¡¯ve seen the name ¡°Ken Larsen¡±, that¡¯s me. I helped someone real rich and now he wants me to get to the bottom of a personal case of his.¡¯

    ¡®W-well,¡¯ the goblin called Elen interjected, ¡®the newspapers described Ken Larsen as a detective with blond hair, blue eyes-¡¯

    Ken lifted up his left pant leg, revealing the sheen of his mechanical limb. ¡®I got my badge here too.¡¯ He said as he pulled it out, showing it to the two of them. ¡®I don¡¯t think I could fake both my badge and getting my leg cut off.¡¯

    ¡®You expect us to work for a cop?¡¯ The elf asked rhetorically.

    ¡®If it makes you money and keeps you out of jail?¡¯ Ken responded. ¡®Yeah. I would say so.¡¯

    The elf named Kalem sighed. ¡®Fine.¡¯

    Ken nodded to Fang, making her release her grip on the elf. He then took a handkerchief from his pocket and handed it over to Kalem, who snatched it out of his hand and plugged it straight into her bleeding nose.

    He continued to kneel in front of the goblin, asking one more question. ¡®Now. How much do you know about the trade taking place?¡¯

    ___

    ¡®An Alfrian manuscript?¡¯ Sandra interviewed Agatha as they walked to an emptier part of the Grand Library of Yggdra.

    ¡®Pages of an Alfrian manuscript.¡¯ Agatha answered. ¡®To be more specific, pages of an Alfrian and Sylvian manuscript.¡¯

    ¡®Sylvian?¡¯

    ¡®Fae.¡¯

    ¡®Ah.¡¯

    Agatha explained. ¡®Essentially, the thieves broke into a part of the library that no person from the races of Man could ever open unless they planned on hacking their way through. Which would be entirely too time-consuming against this impossibly hard wood.¡¯

    Sandra snickered, and Agatha raised an eyebrow. ¡®Sorry.¡¯

    Sandra composed herself before continuing her interview. ¡®You couldn¡¯t just use ¡°Herbamancy¡± to shift your way through?¡¯

    ¡®The Great Tree only listens to its own denizens, so no.¡¯

    ¡®I see.¡¯ Sandra said before realising something. ¡®Wait, you said ¡°no person from the races of Man¡±.¡¯

    ¡®Indeed¡­ There are beings that have capabilities that are beyond that of a standard mage. Dragons for one.¡¯

    ¡®I doubt a dragon did it, though.¡¯

    ¡®Nope. It was a fairly clean job for the most part, and nothing was destroyed. So that leaves two types of creatures that might have been responsible.¡¯

    ¡®The fae?¡¯

    ¡®And an ¡°Outer-planar entity¡±, but once again¡­¡¯ Agatha said as she adjusted her glasses. ¡®That¡¯s assuming that the thief wasn¡¯t alone.¡¯

    ¡®I see¡­¡¯ Sandra¡¯s words trailed off before she remembered about her uncle¡¯s request. ¡®Oh but more on the manuscript!¡¯

    ¡®Well, the manuscript was stolen by a group called the ¡°Yarrows¡±. The thief even left a calling card, so they were pretty damn sure they weren¡¯t gonna get caught. Some folks who were in the library at the time noticed them leaving though, and they ended up tearing some pretty important pages before tossing the book for the guards to pick up.¡¯

    ¡®Right, so what exactly was on the pages?¡¯

    ¡®Well, that¡¯s the issue.¡¯ Agatha said as she started to shift more out-of-place books. ¡®It¡¯s written in two tongues, Alfrian, a dead language, and Sylvian, one only the fae within the deepest parts of the Fae realm know, so it¡¯s to anyone¡¯s guess as to what the hell it even says.¡¯

    ¡®That¡¯s quite a pain¡­¡¯ Sandra sighed as she wrapped her head around what she¡¯s heard.

    ¡®Why does Ken want to know anyway?¡¯

    ¡®He¡¯s trying to find the people who planned the heist on some Dawnite artefacts.¡¯

    ¡®Ah. And he believes it¡¯s connected somehow?¡¯

    ¡®I mean, it¡¯s at least interesting.¡¯

    ¡®Yes, indeed.¡¯ Agatha agreed. ¡®A case involving the oldest known civilisation known to man, and a more recent, but still long-destroyed elven society. Not to mention the fae.¡¯

    ¡®Well, when you put it like that,¡¯ Sandra said, letting out a nervous chuckle, ¡®I¡¯m honestly a little worried.¡¯

    Agatha looked at an anxious Sandra and placed a hand on her shoulder. ¡®Hey.¡¯ She whispered gently as she hunched closer to Sandra¡¯s face. ¡®This is your uncle we¡¯re talking about. He can weasel his way out of anything, no matter how dangerous.¡¯

    ¡®Yeah¡­ He really can.¡¯ Sandra muttered, attempting to cheer herself up.

    ¡®Why don¡¯t you go home and wait for him? Borrow some books. Take Riley over to your place and read them together.¡¯

    ¡®Y¡¯know what, sure.¡¯ Sandra settled.

    She walked off to another part of the library where she met with her friend, Riley, who was a ginger leporid girl with long drooping rabbit ears, and a face full of freckles partially covered with a thick set of circular spectacles placed atop a nose that slightly glowed red from her natural blush, and a mess of auburn hair that extended to her mid-back. She wore a white headband atop her head, and on this day, she wore a silky white sundress and a yellow yarn top.

    She sat by a table with a stack of books left behind by other visitors, and upon seeing Sandra, her face lit up. She stood, setting aside the small novel she was reading and approached Sandra. ¡®Done, Sandra?¡¯ She asked in her thick Islian accent.

    Sandra had a hint of a blush as Riley stood close to her. A little too close, she thought. ¡®Y-yeah¡­ We can go¡­¡¯

    The pair set off and after checking out a handful of tomes, exited through the massive doors of the Grand Library. Riley then asked ¡®where to, Sandra?¡¯

    ¡®We could go to my place and hang out there.¡¯ She suggested.

    ¡®Oh, I¡¯d love to.¡¯ Riley excitedly said. ¡®We could look through the airship catalogue. I know you¡¯ve been right excited to read that.¡¯

    ¡®We chose one of my books last time, and the time before that.¡¯ Sandra pointed out. ¡®Why don¡¯t we choose one of yours this time.¡¯

    ¡®Okay, then why not help me study up on runic theory?¡¯

    Sandra barely stifled a groan at the thought of having to do arcane studies during summer break. ¡®Uhhh¡­ Sure¡­¡¯

    ¡®Alright! When we get to your place, we can get started with the section on controlling manaflow. I feel like I always get the exit glyph¡¯s syntax wrong.¡¯

    ¡®But on one condition.¡¯

    ¡®What might that condition be?¡¯

    ¡®I wanna hear you talk all about it.¡¯ Sandra said smiling warmly.

    CHAPTER END