Chapter 3 : The Investigation (1/2)

Radiant Age, April 3, 1127

“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. I wondered… where that pink-haired bunny went that night.

“Well, I need to go.”

A tad dismayed, I stepped away from the bushes and began my short journey to Radiant City.

…

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 the 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 pointing 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 the 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'd ever seen from someone. She looked like a puppy as her ponytail wagged about.

“I won, Ms. Jade! I won!“

Happily, the white-haired girl danced her way and stopped right next to us.

“Aren’t you forgetting something, Vivian Heart?”

Confused, she looked back. I looked back over to see Ol’ Man Yorks cursing up a storm. There was a black-haired woman walking about the sense. She had a blue flower in her hair and a blue dress shirt in a plaid blue pattern. With a long dress that cut off at her knees and a flowery design, she looked annoyed as she channeled a sleep spell on the thugs.

“Learn to clean up your mess.”

The woman cried out. Her eyes… were glowing a bright blue and it threw me off. Clearly, she was strong in the water element. A water vessel.

“Thank you, Eve Seed!”

Jade shouted.

“Is this city… always like this, Jade?”

I asked.

“Yeah, pretty much.”

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

"Sorry, I'm late… You made quite a mess, Vivian.”

Embarrassed, she turned her head and met my gaze.

“Oh, ah… hi? My name is Vivian Heart…”

I rubbed the back of my head.

“Ah, Feodora Cicer. I’m working with Jade for the time being.”

The dark blue-haired girl chuckled as she walked about swinging a gun around like a psychopath...

“Anyway, we have a job to do.”

Eve glared at me.

“And you’re the dark vessel Jade spoke about?”

I nodded.

“Yeah, as I told her, I’m Feodora Cicer. I’ll… be working on this case for a bit.”

“Eve Seed, I’ll be in charge for the time being.”

Jade confirmed.

“We’re investigating one of your previous crime scenes, right, Jade?”

I questioned.

“Correct, I want you three to reinvestigate a crime scene from one of the missing people. Now that we have Feodora, I want to make sure we didn’t miss anything.”