Chapter 2: The Investigation (2/6) [Repeat – Route 2]

This is a repeated chapter. There are no changes here.

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Radiant Age, April 3, 1127

Dark images scattered into my mind. Horrible symbols that etched themselves into my psyche were brought before me. They were bright orange and bled from the sides. But before I could look at them closely, creatures would assault me. Hopelessly, I'd stand there unable to move as my body was slowly eaten.

"Ah?!"

I woke up with my arm strangling the pillow beside me. Everything was a mess… like always. But the best part of it… nobody was around to see what I must have done in the dead of night.

"What time is it?"

I checked the clock I crafted by hand near me, seeing the time of 7 AM. It was earlier than our meeting time, but I didn't want to take any chances.

"Alright, I better get there before I'm arrested again."

I made my bed, fixed up anything I messed up during the night, and put on my clothes. As a ritual, I would always start the day by making my room perfect. It always brought my spirits down when my room was a mess when I woke up. Mentally, this helped me more than ever, seeing a room nice and clean before I leave. When I grabbed my blade from the holder on the wall, I turned around after opening the door.

"Goodbye, Maxwell."

I said to nobody as I shut the door and made my way to Radiant City. The day was just as bright as yesterday as I walked down my steps.

"Hm, I wonder?"

Curiously, I walked back over to the bush. Seeing that space in the sunlight, it didn't hold the magic of the night before. No small creatures were dancing about as that coy girl played with them. It felt as though that sight I saw was a mere dream that I was chasing.

"Well, I need to go."

A tad dismayed, I stepped away from the bushes and began my short journey to Radiant City. As I approached the gates, I saw large iron-like carts rolling up to the gates. They towered around 10ft high and stretched about 30 feet long. I've never seen a contraption like this before, so I curiously watched the sight.

"Lower it!"

There were a bunch of men in casual clothing next to knights. Together they unloaded this machine full of what appeared to be fruits, vegetables, meats, and other supplies. The knights would check the shipments and distribute them to smaller wooden carts. I guessed that they could easily supply them to the local markets and such.

"Alright, that's everything."

I turned to see two large men receive payment by the knight. Sacks full of gold were set in the iron machine. With the commotion nearly over, I continued my walk towards the west gates.

"Tell the Castrols we appreciate the shipment."

One of the knights casually spoke with what appeared to be a farmer. It was an older man with a straw hat. He sat in this iron-like cart as he nodded his head. Suddenly, the iron beast roared as its wheels started to spin. The contraption took a wide turn, causing the knights and me to back up. It rolled away back towards the farmland.

"You look like you've seen a ghost ma'am."

I was awestruck at the machine as it rolled about on the land. My body could feel that it was using a wind and earth spectrum, but I had no idea how it moved like that. Effortlessly, it took the hills as it faded into the distance.

"It's a machine built by the Castrol farms. They got the funds from the Cafree family, and now shipment has never been easier."

The knight rubbed his beard as he admired the machine now way off in the distance.

"Anyway, state your name and business here today."

"…Oh, I'm Feodora Cicer… and I'm here on business to help… ah, the knight Jade Opal with her investigation."

Surprised, he looked at me harshly, causing me to feel uncomfortable.

"So you're the fabled dark vessel that beat the living daylights out of Lana Pasco, huh?"

He laughed, but I didn't find it funny at all.

"You caused a lot of cleanups yesterday ma'am… but I didn't mind because someone finally taught that little brat a lesson."

The knight took a sigh and nodded sharply.

"I'll put you in the books, so you won't have to go through this process again. Have a good day ma'am."

"Oh… do you know where I can find The Radiant City Brewery?"

I caught myself and made sure I asked. I had no idea where to go in this city… it being so massive and I only visited yesterday.

"Ah, getting drunk this early? Well, it's in the north part of the city. When you enter, follow the signs heading north, and eventually, you'll come to the section promoting the brewery. You can't miss it."

"Thanks."

Not bothering to correct his misunderstanding, I timidly walked past him without saying another word. Just like before, all the knights casually went about. Everything was at peace on the bright and sunny day.

When I made my way through the west gates, the bustle of the city was in full bloom. Instead of being part of the mess, I made my way to the meeting spot. It was a tavern by the name of The Radiant City Brewery. When I finally found it, even the outside was jam-packed with people, so I kept my distance. Here in the morning sunlight, I stood across the street and watched the crowd come and go from in and out of the establishment.

"Wow… that many people drink this early?"

I was surprised to see the traffic this place had. It had a large wooden sign brightened up by holy spectrum. The exterior was made of lumber, and it was two stories high. The top had a balcony that one could sit out on. There was a collection of tables up there, too, full of people. There was a large canopy in the front that covered the outdoor seating. Around 5 or so sets of wooden tables and chairs.

"No wonder why everyone is so crazy here. They probably all start drinking around 5 AM."

Adding to my suspicion, at one of the outside tables, there was an old wineo that was going away at one of his many cups of gin tonic. He looked far too old to be doing that to his body, though. With a bald head and an arched back, he downed the liquor with vigor. His hands shakily picked up the next one. Forcefully, he threw back another one. There had to be at least 7 more on the table. It was a sight to see if anything.

"Ah, you made it."

The beauty's voice trickled in my ear as she approached. Her hair danced in the wind as she walked to me. Her sword clicked behind her as she strode with purpose. It was earlier than I expected, but she might have wanted to be the first one here. There we stood across the street from the popular brewery.

"Ah, good morning, Jade."

"Morning, Feodora. I'm waiting for two others to arrive before we get started."

She leaned her firm body on the wall next to us. In the shade that the wall cast, her body was still just as radiant. With that sword still at her hip… I honestly thought she looked cool like that.

"Why are you staring at me?"

She asked, not even looking my way. I was caught, and it caused my cheeks to warm up.

"Oh… nothing."

"If you have something to say, say it. If it's a complaint, you might as well bring it up so I can shut you down and be done with it."

She was firm, direct, the kind that doesn't take it from anyone. I rubbed the back of my head as I slowly contemplated what I wanted to say… if I wanted to say anything.

"No… ah… I was just a little interested in you, I guess."

"How so?"

"Well, you know I'm new here, so I don't know much about you… or your place here. This city is… strange to me."

Still looking towards the brewery, she opened her thin lips.

"I am Opal Jade, next in line to be the head knight of the Radiant Kingdom."

She announced in a firm and direct tone.

"That sounds like a high position."

She shrugged.

"It is what it is. My job is to keep order in this city. Lately, it's been harder than usual. So, to get ahead of this situation, I needed to bring in an expert of the dark spectrum."

She turned to me, causing her dark locks to roll behind her.

"And that just happened to be you. There aren't many people with your vessel around. By my list of people in the city, none are registered here that are dark vessels like you."

She rubbed her feet on the ground as she continued.

"Meaning, the person who is causing these people to go missing isn't registered here. They came to the city recently and don't live here."

"Yeah, I get it."

I held my shoulder.

"Well, I'm not the one who's doing it. Do… you know why they went missing?"

She shook her head from side to side. That beautiful black hair of hers glistened in the morning sunlight.

"No idea. It's been random from how I've seen it. Men and women who have families vanishing and only leaving a dark spectrum trail. The old, the young, there's no prejudice when it comes to who has disappeared. I concluded that it had to be someone like you, Feodora."

"I see."

"Hey, what the hell are you doing, ya dang kids?!"

We looked up to see a group of wineos going at it. That old man and some younger-looking guy with slicked-back hair. He had a possy of two others behind him as they accosted the drunken old man. Jade put her hand on her hip and sighed harshly.

"Come on people. You know not to mess with Ol' Man Yorks when he's having his gin-tonics..."

She yelled, but it looked as if the group didn't notice as they continued their banter.

"Who?"

I asked as I leaned my back on the wall too.

She pointed at the old man with around 10 gin tonics under his belt. He looked plastered like a skunk, and his face was bright red. I bet he couldn't even see straight with all that liquor in him.

"That man right there is a Radiant and former hero. But he's been washed up for nearly 400 years now. It's always best to just let him drink and leave him alone."

I found a new respect for the seemingly broken man. But it seemed a few young people were getting their kicks out of messing with him. I had no intentions to go over there. I… didn't want the attention it would bring.

"Aren't you going to step in and help, Jade?"

I asked, turning towards Jade. Her eyes were fierce as she bit her lip and coldly responded.

"No… I'm waiting for someone else to."

Curiously, I watched the fight go on. Ol' Man Yorks took to his feet and sucker-punched one of the three guys in the group. The victim's body fell to the ground as he flopped around like a fish about to die. He was already out for the count as he laid there… shamefully defeated.

"Ah… is that guy okay, Jade?"

I asked Jade who was unamused.

"Hopefully…"

She bit her lip in seeming frustration. Despite that, she coldly analyzed the situation.

"Alright! That's enough!"

From on top of the roof of the brewery, where the balcony was, a white-haired girl with a ponytail and a sailor uniform stood tall. Her figure burned in the sun. She had a green vest and red ribbon around her collar that flapped in the wind. The rest of her outfit was pure white besides the golden buttons on her sailor shirt. She was short, but what made me curious about her was the number of bandages she had wrapped around her arms and legs. With a white ponytail the danced in the morning breeze, she announced pointed to the group below.

"Evildoers, be afraid!"

She cried in a mighty tone. Her shadow cast in the sunlight over the group of drunken men. The short girl had one arm across her chest and the other hand on her hip. If she had a cape on, she would look like those superheroes found in comic books.

Like a bunny, she hopped wildly off the roof. After two or three flips, she landed on the ground. Flawlessly, she stood upright and faced the group.

"You are disturbing the peace and serenity of this land. Cease your mindless brawl before I have to lay down the law on you."

Her presence was massive. Like the sun, she shined. Her uniform looked like that pink-haired girl's that I saw yesterday too. Needless to say, I was taken away by the aura she captured.

"Leave this man alone; he is a veteran and deserves respect!"

She cried in a heroic tone.

"Oh, shaddap missy!"

"Eh? I'm here to defend you, Ol' Man Yorks!"

Her charisma broke when the one she came to protect turned on her. But as fast as she went out of character, she firmed up again and turned to the rough younger boys.

"Evildoers, leave now, else I'll have no choice but to immobilize you!"

"You're not a knight little girl, screw off! Our beef is with this old-timer."

One of the two thugs bit back at her. She cut her foot forward, causing her white ponytail to dance in the wind.

"I am Vivian Heart! As an associate to the Radiant Kingdom, I have every right to assert my authority here!"

I turned to Jade, who seemed unfazed by all this commotion.

"Ah… aren't you a knight? Shouldn't you step in instead?"

"Yeah, I should. But I want Vivian to take charge this time."

Jade glared at the short girl. I wasn't sure what she was thinking, so instead, I watched everything unfold.

Vivian's hands began to shine with holy spectrum. My body reflectively shook at the sight of it. There was no doubt about it, she was a user of the holy spectrum. She might even be… a holy vessel.

"Screw this chick; let's take her down then get what we're owed from Yorks."

The pair of thugs cried a chant of battle and pulled out their weapons. One sported a large hammer as the other readied up with their fists.

The white bunny pushed out her leg, gaining a battle stance. Despite her confidence… I could see openings in her stance. Training with Maxwell, I had to learn how to spot all kinds of openings.

The wind blew around her, and her body began to glow all the brighter. It was getting harder to look directly at her. She reminded me of an angel from a story that ascended down to the mortal realm.

"You have been warned."

Suddenly, she sped forward so fast that I didn't see her body move. Her fist connected with one of the thug's stomachs, and his body went flying. Like a ragdoll, he rolled on the ground and finally came to a stop thanks to a fountain nearby. He cracked the rounded bottom, and water rushed out on top of him. No doubt, he was out for the count.

"Wow."

I mumbled. I was surprised by how fast that all happened. My mind had to register it as my eyes couldn't perceive her.

"Are you going to be as foolish as your friend, or will you accept your fate, wrongdoer?"

The third and last thug was shaken to the core, but he still brought back his hammer. Vivian stood there as he brought down his judgment on her head. However, his weapon stopped as a bright barrier stood around her. The ground shook and cracked, showing that his strike was nothing to scoff at, but the petite holy user stood strong.

"I have warned you, and you made this decision. It is black and white that you are evil! I do not feel for your demise!"

Her eyes shined as she brought back her fist. Spectrum flowed from her body as the world around us got brighter. I shielded my eyes as I heard her scream.

"Let this light be your judgment!"

She punched him in the face, and like his friend, he rolled on the ground for quite some ways before being stopped by a street pole. It bent as its top flew off and hit the man in the head. Now unconscious… (hopefully) Vivian's power died down. She calmed her body by breathing in and out before a smile came on her face.

Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, she turned to Jade and gave her the brightest smile I've ever seen from someone. She looked like a puppy as her ponytail wagged about.

"I won, Ms. Jade! I won-"

Sadly, her victory was short-lived as the wineo named Yorks finally got into the fight and sucker-punched her in her stomach, causing her to roll on the ground like the thugs she just dealt with. Her body rolled like a tumbleweed until she was stopped by one of the brewery's outdoor tables. With a crash, her body lied there motionlessly.

"I'll shue yer not to mess with me!"

"H-hey!"

I unconsciously shouted. Jade kept her calm look as she watched everything unfold. She didn't even bat an eye.

"A-Are you going to step in, Jade?"

Concerned now, I asked.

"I have no intentions to. She knew that Ol' Man Yorks was hostile, but she let her brief victory get to her."

Coldly, she analyzed the situation. But the drunkard wasn't done as he approached her with his wooden table in hand. The countless shots of gin tonic glasses fell to the ground next to him. He had every intention to beat the passed-out girl with it.

"You got to be kidding me…"

Everything in me didn't want to make a scene, but this was going too far. Nobody was going to make the effort to step in. My anxiety was starting to rise, but I approached slowly.

"St-stop! Can't you see she's had enough?!"

I raced over, earning a swing of the table towards me. I ducked and moved out of the way. The crazed old man, now enraged, took the table and put it over his head. Instead of using it again on me though, he snapped it in half like a twig. The pieces scattered and fell to the ground around us.

"You're a monster!"

I screamed at the old man as he stepped closer.

Jade called him a former hero, and that strength was a testament to it. Barehanded, the brute approached me as I ran over and shielded Vivian.

"Okay… I shouldn't try taking him on while protecting her…"

I wanted to protect this girl first; that was my priority. When I looked around, the canopy of the brewery was my best option. But taking someone with me as I shadow walked was more strenuous than it sounded.

"Arrggg…"

The old man started growling like a beast. His eyes turned bright red, the color of a fire spectrum. He stomped closer, so I took the petite girl in my arms and readied for his attack.

"Arrrrrggg!"

He screamed, causing my body to shake. I could feel his spectrum levels far exceed anyone I've ever met so far. I took the passed-out girl in my arms, jumped to the side, and vanished into the shadow of the outdoor table. When I appeared in the nearby shade next to Jade, a hurricane of fire ascended in the spot I was just in. In terror, I watched such a devastating spell destroy the ground nearby. Out of his wrinkled hands, blazing fire chaotically destroyed the ground. The heat was… outrageous to the point that I had to sit down because it zapped all the energy from me.

"Why is he so violent, Jade?!"

I screamed. All Jade did was cross her arms and stare at the scene. The fire was erupting so chaotically I was afraid the nearby stores would also catch his rage. Yorks was screaming as the spectrum poured out of his hand.

"Okay, that's enough, Yorks."

That creepy girl's voice resonated in my ear. From behind the old man, the dark blue-haired woman who interrogated me the day before pointed her gun to the ground next to him. After channeling what seemed to be water spectrum, she shot her gun off at the cement. Bubbles rose from the ground around the crazed wineo. After a brief moment, he calmed down.

"What's happening?"

I questioned when finally, he fell flat on his face. He… seemed to be asleep. As fast as it happened… it was over.

"Thank you, Eve!"

Jade shouted. Here I still had the girl named Vivian in my arms as I watched this entire scenario go down. The front of the brewery was in ruins. Knights rushed in to clean up the scene. They took the thugs away but… left Yorks where he slept. Even they know not to mess with him, it seemed.

I couldn't imagine how much it would cost to rebuild it. Despite all the chaos, people were still coming and going like it… was normal.

And that worried me.

"Is this city… always like this, Jade?"

"Yeah, pretty much."

Jade scorned. Playfully, the girl named Eve skipped over.

"Sorry, I'm late… Oh, what happened to the eager Vivian?"

"She was being careless, and Yorks gave her a wake-up call."

Jade chastised her by shaking her head. Eve reached out her hand, her body began to glow the color of the ocean. The blood on Vivian's face melted away as a light mist echoed around her.

"Ngg… W-what happened?"

The short girl was still in my arms as our eyes met. They were bright, like looking at an opal gem. Unconsciously, I squeezed her small body. My face began to warm up. The last time I touched someone was that barklight the other day. It's… been a while since I was this close to someone.

"Oh, ah… hi?"

I pushed out those words from my lips as she ruffled her body in my arms. Her small shoulders nuzzled deep in my grasp as a slightly higher pitched voice came from her tiny lips.

"Oh… h-hi."

"Ah… Is it okay for me to set you down?"

Timidly, I asked.

"Ah… I-I think"

At that awkward command, I set her down. She stood up instantly and turned away from me, towards Jade.

"Sorry, you get failing marks for that one, Vivian."

Shamefully, she turned to the side.

"I was being careless, Ms. Jade. I figured Yorks would see me as an ally and not attack me."

The dark blue-haired girl chuckled as she walked about. She saw a broken piece of wood and stepped on it, crushing it further.

"You are a fool. He can barely speak coherently; do you think his judgment is on par?"

Scornfully, she mocked her.

"I think she did fine… but it's easy to see she does lack training."

I added, trying to lessen her chastising. Curiously, the woman named Eve turned to me and paced around me. With her hands on her hips, she pushed forwards with that creepy smile.

"And who the hell are you?"

"Y-You don't remember me?"

Annoyed, I tapped my finger on my blade.

"I was the woman you kicked in the face the other day!"

She boisterously laughed as she backed up slightly. With her gun in her hand, she paced around then turned her head back at me.

"Oh? If we did that then we'd, eh, I mean I would remember..."

She waved her gun around like a toy as she mocked me.

"I never met you in my life, redhead. Probably some other girl with a big gun toyed with you."

"No, it was you!"

I squared up to her. She put her large barrel gun under my chin.

"Listen, redhead. I'll blow your brains right out if you start something with me."

"E-Eve!"

Vivian cried out, stomping her feet as she did.

The psyco chuckled, pushing the gun deeper into my neck. Its cold barrel sank into my skin.

"That's enough Eve, Feodora is an important asset to this investigation, and I don't need her getting hurt."

Jade finally stepped in. She turned to me, causing me to straighten my shoulders. It was like she had a mental hold on me.

"I don't know what happened between you two, and honestly, I couldn't care less. But right now, I need you both to put your differences aside."

She turned back to Eve, who was twirling her gun in her fingers.

"Feodora Cicer, this is Eve Seed. She is another consultant on this case. The white-haired one is Vivian Heart; she also is a consultant for both this case and for the knights."

Vivian curtsied towards me.

"Oh, ah… it's a pleasure to meet you, Feodora Cicer! Oh, I mean Ms. Cicer! Or would it be… Ms. Feodora?"

"No, you can just call me Feodora, Vivian."

"Oh… okay, Feodora. Ah…"

She turned away and put her hands behind her back. Her body waved from one side to another like waves in the ocean. It was a sight to behold as her cheeks reddened a tad.

"Thank you… for saving me."

She blushed as she turned away… I blushed too as I looked away from her. Jade looked unamused as she turned to the side and crossed her arms.

"Anyway, I won't be joining you three on your mission today. Eve, you are the head in this investigation."

"We're investigating one of your previous crime scenes, right, Jade?"

I questioned.

"Correct, I want you three to re-investigate a crime scene from one of the missing people. Now that we have Feodora, I want to make sure we didn't miss anything."