City of secrets

"Do we need to sign some contract? Because if that's the case, I'm not doing it." Jean looks at me and raises his right thumb.

"But you promised, Jean."

"I'm just kidding, Nelen. When can we start?"

"Well... When do you guys wanna start?" Arra looks at Jean with questioning eyes.

"Does it have contracts?"

"No."

"Then how about now?"

"Really?"

"Yeah. The sooner, the better."

"Then it's decided! How about we get going now?" Arra offers her hand and Jean shakes it.

"Khrall! Strauss!"

Arra's words caused the two stationary guards in the counter to march towards the table. One had a bald face, a tall figure and a dark complexion. The other was slightly shorter than him, almost as tall as me. He wore the same lazy expression I did and had burgundy eyes. They just stood near Arra and did nothing until they were ordered.

"From now on, all the information you guys receive shall also belong to them." Arra points to us.

"Wait." Jean replies. "Isn't that a bit too much trust? What if we're the criminals all along?"

"He's right." I add. "We just met like, what, forty-five minutes ago?"

"Don't worry. If that happens, then I'll just report you guys to the headquarters. Approximately a hundred and twenty Chimerians will be on your necks. Besides, that's not how criminals talk."

"Point taken."

...

"We're only going to look for information since we don't have any leads yet."

Arra asks while putting her hands to the back of her head. Apparently, we were separated into two groups because Jean suggested that we will gather more information that way. Fearing that Nelen and Esmeralda would do something naughty again, Jean gave Esmeralda a choice by either separating the two or not participating at all. It was funny, considering Nelen's child-like reaction when she heard the offer. She clung to Esmeralda while looking at Jean with a blank face. Arra ordered her two underlings to join Jean and Esmeralda, while she insisted that she come with Nelen and I.

"That's, of course, after we eat. I'm starving."

"We should ask people about a guy with blue eyes. That's a good way to get started." I said.

"Are you talking about me?" Arra replies.

"No. One of the two guys who infiltrated the theatre. He wasn't wearing bandages unlike the other one, so I got a clear look on his face."

"Wait... You were inside when that happened?"

"Yeah. Jean gave me a mask that nullified the poison. Or at least, that's what I think."

"That's... interesting. Can you tell me a bit more of what you saw?"

"He was actually a good-looking fellow, with dark skin and deep blue eyes that rarely moved. He also had this cool demeanor that made him seem detached, and I think I also saw him in the bathroom following a murder. We were at a bar back then."

"... Do you mean the one with the strangling?"

"Yeah. How did you..."

"The one who got killed was my brother."

"Ohhh... Sorry..."

"... It's alright. Murder. It's... pretty common here. It's always been. Unjustified killings, corrupt officials. Just like any other city."

Arra softly says as she leads us to a small restaurant. It's two in the afternoon now, and the smell of pork and beef welcome us as we enter the door. Nelen was tight-lipped all the way, so I tried my best to fill the awkward silence by asking Arra about her dress.

"That dress looks amazing. It suits you."

"Thank you."

"What's it made from?" I question as I take the menu.

"Ironically, the cloth is made from the Phantom Lilies' petals. Their texture is a bit similar to wool and they feel... Very comfortable." Arra sighs.

"Wow. That is one useful flower. Esmeralda told me that the petals can be used in cooking as well."

"Yeah. I'm... Sorry. I was just thinking about my brother."

"Don't be. I'm sorry for bringing up the topic as well."

Arra smiles and calls a waiter serving drinks.

"I'll have the usual." Arra smiles at the waiter. "What do you guys want?"

"I'll have cheese tarts and... What is this? Wild Boar-ger? I'll have one of those as well."

"I'll... have the same thing he's having." Nelen smirks.

"Okay." The waiter clears his throat. "One pork noodles, one beef sandwich, two wild burgers and two cheese tarts. Will that be all?"

"Yeah."

"Please wait fifteen minutes. Will that be alright?"

"Sure. We're not in a hurry."

The waiter walks out of view and into the kitchen as the three of us sat around a small round table. Everything is colored brown for some reason, and the lights were yellow, just like the one in Esmeralda's. A family sits on a table next to us, the mother trying to calm the youngest child by rocking her slowly. The father tries to discipline the older child by telling her to keep quiet, but he quickly hugs her as soon as she starts crying as well. Huh. I wonder if I had relatives like that.

"This brings back memories, huh?" Nelen starts as she stares on the window.

"Yeah." Arra smiles and looks at the menu for no reason. "It's been a while, Nel."

Arra opens her mouth as if to say something, but decides against it. A man and a woman passed by the window Nelen was looking at, clinging to each other's arms as they walked without a care in the world.

"How have you been?" Arra looks at the kitchen. There's a hint of sadness in her voice.

"...Good. You?" Nelen replies weakly.

Arra didn't respond after that, and the fifteen minutes it took for the food seemed to pass slowly. I look at the family again. This time the youngest is sleeping, and the father and daughter took turns feeding each other. The mother catches my attention and smiles, and I look away in embarrassment. The waiter comes out with a tray full of food and goes to our table.

"Here's your order. Enjoy!" the waiter smiles at us before walking off.

"Your food looks better than mine." I said as I take a bite of my food... WHOA. THIS IS GOOD!

"Want some?" Arra says as she breaks the sandwich in half and hands it to me.

"Thanks. I'll let you have some of mine as well."

For a moment, the two of them stared at each other. Arra then quickly averts her gaze and speaks.

"Right. Business. Today, we're going to be looking for people who can use voodoo, but we won't make any arrests yet. We still don't have evidence, after all. Questions?"

"What's a voodoo?"

"It's Dark magic that allows you to control the body of the dead."

"That kind of magic actually exists?"

"I'm afraid so."

"What makes you think that someone in the group uses voodoo?"

"Unnatural strength because the heart and brain are fueled by magic, deep blue eyes that hardly move because the magic from voodoo doesn't reach the optic nerves, and detachment from all things because the body is clearly only a puppet. All of these are the effects caused by using voodoo on a dead person."

"Wait. Does that mean what I think it means?"

"Yep." Arra looks at me as she takes a bite of her sandwich. "The person you saw was already dead. I've looked up into his profile, you know. His name is Sergei Vammos. He used to be a Lion in the Legion, but he got killed on Judgment Day. He still looked the same way like I saw him when I was a teen. It must be because of the magic."

"Judgment Day?"

"It's a yearly occurrence, specifically on the eight of June, where people defend the land from the Ancients. There are many theories as to why this is happening, but no one has yet to draw a conclusion."

"What's an Ancient? Some kind of monster?"

"Yep. Giant monsters capable of destroying entire cities and... Wait, we're straying off now."

"Oh. You're right."

"So, anyways... Vammos was killed in action, but his body went missing, so everyone left it at that. Twelve years later, he shows up out of nowhere and literally gasses some nobles inside a theatre. I swear this place is full of crazy people."

Nelen stuffs her mouth with the last handful of cheese tarts and fills a bottle of water from the pitcher. Arra instructed that we leave our Cings on the table and head out, so we followed her outside. The corners we went through were filled with shadows from the tall buildings, so sunlight rarely showed except when we walk into town squares and supermarkets... Boy, that was satisfying. Sure, it was heavy on the stomach, but it's very delicious. Ten out of ten. I'm going to recommend it to Jean and Esmeralda.

"Maybe the one in the bandages did it." I said as our footsteps echoed on the quiet street.

"Maybe. We'll never know for sure." Arra takes something out of her pocket and pops it in her mouth.

"We've been walking around for a while now." Nelen finally says something again.

"I'm on it, love." Arra giggles. "Just wait."

"Where exactly are we going?" I ask.

"We're going to ask questions, of course."

"Well, yeah, but... What exactly is this place?"

I ask as Arra leads us to a comfortable-looking bar. It's quiet, and the place had an elegant design to it, with the red seats and the black walls complementing each other's hue. Two large pool tables lay on the right, and there was enough room to fit more than fifty people in. Maybe even more. No one seems to be manning the station. What kind of business is this? I'm gonna sue.

"Are we going to drink now?"

I joke, but none of them paid attention to me. Ouch. I've never felt more rejected. Arra enters a small staircase leading to what I assume to be the basement, and Nelen follows her down. Me, being the curious little boy I am, stayed for a minute, watching a pair of birds laying on a cage. They seem to be dead.

"Sol!" I jump as Nelen's voice startles me.

"Gods, Nelen! Don't scare me like that! I'm coming."

My heart beats rapidly as I go down the stairs. Not because I was scared, but I still can't get over the shock Nelen had caused earlier. A few expensive-looking lamps lit the stairs like an old medieval castle, and it took me a bit of a struggle because the place was so dark. Yellow fluorescent light greets me on the other side as I cross the last steps...

Huh.

So that's why the stairs were taking so long.