The Price of Gold

I often enjoyed lunch outside, nothing better than biting down on an egg salad sandwich while bathing in the spring weather.

A park bench was the perfect location to enjoy my lunch, even though at least a dozen small restaurants lay just across the street, but nothing could top my egg salad.

Watching people, just watching them, is an interesting hobby, especially when I have front row seats.

They're truly amazing, no care in the world what's happening around them, just focused on their own survival.

According to the news, a deranged murderer is about within Star City, and yet, that didn't stop these people from heading straight into the belly of the beast, oh but they scream when they're threatened.

I can attest to that from first-hand experience, they think someone is going to save them, they really think they're important to the world.

It's quite difficult to hold the laughter when the screams for help echo within the night, nothing more than crickets reply, and of course me after they realize no one is coming.

They don't know that I don't want to do this, surely I don't, but they honestly don't care for someone like me or my brother.

They just care about how they can sleep comfortably and what shit gets stuffed down their throats at night.

Yet again, the last candidate wasn't the one, I was wrong, again.

My brother is still afflicted with the curse, and I'm still here, now, looking for who is the next one.

Whenever that may be, I have to act quickly, I'm not sure how much longer I can take it without you, brother.

Whatever, I shouldn't daunt my environment with my problems, especially when I'm about to start eating this exquisite sandwich.

I should just shut down and let the wind blow through my eardrums, the leaves bristling, the birds singing behind me as I will take my first bite.

It's truly a beautiful instance, something that isn't appreciated nearly enough by these barbarians in tuxedos.

The first bite is always the best, but yet again, something caught my eye just before I swam with the swans, it was those two children that were snooping where they shouldn't be from the library, they looked lost, as if the map ended at their location.

This can't be a coincidence, can it, why are they within my sights for a second time?

There has to be meaning to this, is it possible that they truly are investigating me?

I have to know. No, that's impossible, the police don't have children who investigate a homicide.

Then what is it, why is this the second time I'm seeing these strangers that also have interests in my goal?

I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but then something else, something much more appealing, caught my eye, a possible candidate.

A girl approached them from the restaurant, she fits everything for a candidate.

Blonde hair, good posture, a little young but that isn't a problem, and her eyes…

Her eyes are what intrigued me the most.

I couldn't tell what exactly it was… but… but it was beautiful, it was similar to an underwater cave, I didn't know what it was…

The blue was deep yet bright, like a sinkhole in the tropical point of the ocean.

It didn't take long for them to follow her into the diner, I… I needed to get a closer look.

This had to be the reason for them being brought to me, I see it now, it's her.

It has to be, this all adds up now.

Them looking for Asclipeus, then me coincidentally seeing them a second time, and now her, this is almost perfect… thank you…

I packed up my lunch and shadowed the two into the store, which wasn't that hard being that I've done this plenty of times before today.

"Over here!" a large Hayan shouted at the two kids and the potential candidate in front of me, he seemed like the most threatening individual in the entire restaurant, but now I knew their destination, so I sat in the booth right beside theirs.

"It was urgent, what happened?!"

"Please don't tell me another victim showed up…"

They began conversing amongst each other, but I sat within my booth, doing nothing more than how I would usually do with other possible candidates, pay attention and listen, and of course, look for possible openings and clues as to how I can achieve success on the next candidate.

"What? No—well, I wanted you all to come here and eat, food's on me."

"What?! You had me and Kaso run from the library all the way here to eat?"

"Ha! Yeah, I thought that was funny to say it was urgent… but, you guys are doing a lot and I thought you needed a break from this, so, here we are."

"A break… we don't have time for a break! We should be working right now, doing all we can to find this guy! Not eating here like nothing is wrong! I can't eat knowing that someone like this is still out there!" The boy had an impactful tongue, but his words intrigued me, who were they looking for, who is still out there?

Another victim? Could my suspicions be true, I needed a bit more than this to confirm it, but this was enough to grab my attention off of the candidate for a few moments.

"Sit down Yuki. don't make me ask again. Listen, I understand your frustration, and frankly, we're all frustrated right now but we need to eat to survive, right? What can we possibly do to help others when we can't even help ourselves? We all needed a small break from this because sitting in this for too long without one… You'll just end up drowning. Now, does anyone know what they'll be ordering?" his vagueness bothered me, but apparently it was more than enough to get the child to sit, it didn't help me much though, I needed something more concrete than that.

"Where's the menu?"

"Oh crap... I was too busy trying to get you guys to run here that I forgot to ask for them. Excuse me! Can we get six menus over here!"

"Sure, no problem." this bickering grew annoying quite swiftly, I should regain focus on what's important here, that being the possible candidate.

She sat there, silent, subtracted from the rest of her group, she was alone.

Her eyes, I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but I gained a sense of familiarity with just a glance.

She was it, she was the perfect candidate, I don't believe I've found anyone more perfect than her.

Now, I'll just have to find the perfect opportunity to separate her from this nuisance, I'll have to wait, and watch, until that opportunity arises.

"Good evening sir, what can I get for you?" The waiter spoke to me, halting my thoughts.

"Oh—Um… can I get a cup of tea?"

"Sure thing, how would you like that?"

"Can I get chai?"

"Sure thing. Is that all?"

"Yes." The waiter finally left, allowing me to continue watching the group of children sitting with the Hayan and my candidate.

"What to eat…"

"There's a lot on here…"

"Better yet, I know what's good here so I'll order for everyone—Waiter, we'd like to order!"

"Ok, what shall you like?"

"Six orders of your Fragrant Beef Curry with Rice!"

"Ok… coming right up…"

"Well, maybe if you guys like we can talk about the case while we wait for our food." The hayan said, the case? My suspicions only grew stronger.

"Really?"

"I thought we should take a break from this?"

"You guys can't even focus on the menu, I know your thinking of the case, so spit it out already, what happened since I last left you?"

This only proves it, not only did these children somehow bring me the candidate that can be the solution to my current predicament, but they also are the very children investigating me.

It still baffles me that the Star City police are so clueless that they depend on adolescents to do their job for them.

"Here is the chai you ordered, sir."

"Oh—thank you…"

"Would you like anything else?"

"No, this'll be it for now, thank you."

"Well, if you change your mind just give me a shout, ok." the waiter said as he walked away from my table.

The chai looked delicious, but I simply couldn't enjoy it, especially with so many unraveling things on my mind.

The caramel-colored lake that oozed with steam and sat still within a classical white glass cup, the scent was quite blissful as well, I'm a bit surprised that this was my first time in this establishment.

But I couldn't enjoy this beautiful sight, the candidate was sitting right there…

I had to do something… Maybe.

Maybe I should walk over and say hello…

No, that's too reckless, what will she say? What will she think?

No. I'll just continue to watch from a distance for now, I shouldn't act aggressive, that won't get me anywhere.

That's the safest way to do this, isn't it.

Even though her beauty was far more than this dainty cup of tea, I can't risk losing the perfect candidate.

Her blonde hair was similar to dandelions in the spring as it sat on the white snow that was wrapped around her neck.

And her eyes, her eyes, I could watch those mesmerizing… those hypnotizing eyes all day if I wanted to, but no.

No, I have more important things to do than this, I need to focus on what's important, and that is lifting the curse from my brother.

"We've figured out that his victims are blondes as well." the candidate said.

Her voice was very fitting for her confident posture, and yet she remained separate from the group still.

Her words, however, caused me to act a bit rash, more so than I would usually do.

To think such vile words would come out of her innocent and hidden lips.

It caused me to spill my chai and break the teacup in the process, I simply didn't understand how such an innocent canvas was capable of sitting in a dark furnace.

The waitress ran over faster than I can count, simply thinking about his own survival rather than my accommodation, and said "I'm so sorry, there must've been something wrong with the cup, please forgive me."

The chai spilled onto my sweater as well, which wasn't something that I liked, but it was meaningless compared to the situation I found myself in.

In addition, I may have gotten too excited and lost control for just an instance, but that was more than enough for me to easily break the cup.

That wasn't known to the waiter, and that isn't easily explainable.

How can one explain to another that they're really someone who has been dipped within the Alcyonian Lake, someone who has been blessed but at the same time cursed?

That was too much to say, so I'd rather just blame it on the poor dining than what was true.

"Yes, I think there was something wrong with it."

"I'm so sorry, I should've known, I'll get you a new one right away!"

"It's ok, I'll be leaving."

"Are you sure, sir? You just got here…"

"It's ok."

I left a 20 on the table and headed for the door, I didn't want their filthy change, and I needed to get out of here before the two children noticed me, especially with the scene I accidentally created.

"Have a good day!" the waiter shouted as I successfully walked out of the restaurant unnoticed.

I now know that these children are the ones investigating me, especially with that hayan who seemed like a threat, he was the only one who noticed my incident after the candidate's words.

This doesn't matter though, I found my next candidate today. I'll need to do more research now, and since she is part of the investigation, I'm killing two birds with one stone…

I arrived back home eventually, entering with the hums of classical music as I usually do.

I had to tell my brother of the exciting news, more specifically of the new candidate, I can't wait to see what he has to say about it.

Brother was stiff and silent as he usually is.

"Brother, I found someone perfect today. I know how selfish you are when it comes to blondes but I think this one is the one—Well, don't worry. I'll get her for you, you need this. If this was different maybe she would've actually liked someone like me, or even you brother… But… But, she probably is the piece we need…"