On a cold night in Noir, a group of adventurers recently exited a Dungeon.

“Man, what was up with that abandoned stadium?” A Nekomata bard asked.

“Beats me,” an elf gladiator said, looking over the various sporting-themed armor they’d acquired. “But we got all this sweet gear at least!”

A dwarven mage looked at the battle mage armor she had acquired. It bore a double-digit number on the front and back with the outer layer of cloth having porns at uniform distances. The color scheme of teal and white distressed her, as did the helmet with an unusual mouthguard compared to standard helmets. She looked at her elven friend with bemusement. “I get it, you’re a gladiator, a real showboat, but don’t you think this attire is a little garish?”

“What do you mean?” the elf said. “I think it suits me just fine” as he took his gladius and struck several poses.

“Typical meathead,” the mage said.

“Let’s go, Eleanor,” the bard said. “We can discuss it over some nice ‘grape juice’ at Club 4706.”

“Hell yeah!” Eleanor said. “John, you coming? Makoto’s treating us to drinks!”

The elf gladiator heard the mention of drinks and followed the bard and mage. As the trio headed to the nightclub for illegal beverages, they were unaware that they were being watched.

Later they arrived at an alleyway. “We can take this shortcut,” Makoto said as they strummed their guitar.

They entered the alleyway. John heard rustling from behind them and turned back, but he saw no one there. The elf scratched his head and shrugged.

As they were halfway through the alley, Eleanor noticed something. She took her wand and immediately cast a fire spell. The fireball missed, but she caught a fleeting glimpse of a shadow moving behind strewn waste.

“On your guard!” She said. “Someon—” Before she could finish her sentence, she was knocked out from behind.

“Eleanor!” Makoto said. They tried to prepare a bardsong spell, but a shadowed figure tripped them and knocked them unconscious.

John took his gladius and shield and rushed to his fallen friends. He is assaulted by rapid blows from the shadows. One of the figures took a dagger and slashed his bared neck with it.

“Wow, the lunkhead was a lunkhead, who would’ve thought?” a voice said as the elf collapsed. Her voice had a tinge of exuberant cheer and snark.

“We gotta get this to the coffin, those organs won’t harvest themselves,” a second voice said. His voice in contrast was dull and tired.

A while later, a black truck had arrived and the three unconscious bodies were placed into the back of the truck. The two then closed the truck and drove away from the alley. The three adventurers weren’t seen again since.

✦✦✦

Meanwhile, Clover frolicked in a lush meadow. Her parents gazed at her from a distance. Their verdant hair blew serenely in the wind.

Clover laughed and played and smelled the various flowers. Her smile brightened up the sky as much as the midday sun. A while later, Clover felt a drop of rain on her green-toped hair.

Another drop fell on her antler, then on her wing, then on the tip of her tail. Clover looked up and saw the sky had turned grey with storm clouds. Halcyon’s tears blotted out Stella from the sky. She looked at the meadow around her. The flowers had wilted and the earth had trembled.

“Gretchen!” her mother cried out. The young fawn turned in the direction of her voice and saw her parents rushing to grab her. She rushed toward them, but before they could reunite, the earth trembled. Anesidora’s rampage carved an ever-widening crevasse between parent and child. The peryton fawn tried to use her wings to cross the gap and reach her parents, but as he made her leap, the earth rumbled once more.

Clover tried to reach for her parents, but they receded from view as the cavern widened. Her descent into its depths began. The brown soil soon gave way to vertical iron bars, behind which the silhouettes of stampeding bulls could be seen. Clover tried to use the bars to stop her advance, but they were frictionless, her grip was unable to slow her descent to the bottom of the cage she found herself in.

“Mommy! Daddy!” she cried out, despite knowing they were beyond her reach. The bovine heard circled her like vultures, their stampede drowning out her pleas as she plummeted further.

She soon landed on a disc. The shock and impact broke her legs and pinned her to the ground. She saw ravenous bulls staring intently at her. The disc tilted and Clover slid toward the edge, towards the hungry animals. She saw that beneath the dish was a hellish maw. Rows of teeth lined the pit as she gazed into its infinite depths.

The disk was now vertical. Clover yelled again as she fell once more. But her fall was halted by someone grasping her hand. The fawn turned up to see her savior, but she could make out the silhouette of a minotauride. One of the figure’s arms hung onto the edge of the upright disk, while the other grasped Clover’s arm.

“Hold on,” the young girl said. “…won’t let them…” Clover could barely make out the figure but knew it was a child her age. A gut feeling told her that this minotaur could be trusted. Yet her nightmare was not over, as her arm began to slip from the figure’s grasp. Clover tried to reach her with her other arm, but despite her best efforts, it wasn’t able to reach even the arm. The figure too tried to tighten her grip, but despite her own efforts, Clover still slowly slipped away.

The disk wobbled and tiled as if trying to lose the minotaur’s hold on it. Eventually, it tilted towards the heavier side, weighted down by the minotaur and fawn hanging on its edge and the sudden movement was enough to force the minotaur girl to let go.

The two girls screamed as they fell. The maw slowly closed.

Clover suddenly woke up from her nightmare with a mighty scream of terror, enough to break the trance on Strelitzia next to her.

The orange-haired minotauride groggily rubbed her eyes. “Is it morning yet?”

“Stre! Did they…” Clover began to realize that what had recently transpired was in fact, a nightmare.

Streltiiza looked at Clover and realized it was her that woke up her. The two then looked at the other children with them. They are still in a trance. Still kept in slumber by the timed Bardsong eyes of the Arachne helpers of the Black Box. The time is three minutes until eleven.

“I’m sorry,” Clover said.

Stretlizia stretched her arms. “Don’t sweat it, Clo. I’d been roused by worse.”

Unusually, Lydia is taking a while to get here. Strelitzia noticed her friend’s sullen expression. “Was it about them?” the horned girl said.

Clover nodded. “At first. There was a great tremor, I tried to reach them, but…but.”

“Ah.” Strelitiza was aware that Clover was separated from her parents, and that she had tried to find them after they escaped where she was being held captive.

“You were there too, Streltizia.”

“I was?”

Clover nodded. “You tried to save me, but…” Tears welled up in her eyes.

Strelitzia understood what she was about to say. She patted her friend on her back. There there,” she comforted. “It’s just a bad dream.”

“I know.” Clover sniffled. “But—”

“No buts,” the minotaur said. “I said I’d keep you away from the reaper. I have done well on that so far right?”

“R-right.” Clover turned to her friend.

“And you have the other Coloraturas, and Emily, and Elizabeth, and the others as well,” Strelitzia said. “You know we won’t let you down. You know that I would never let you get harmed, right?”

Clover was assured by those words. “Thank you, Stretlizia,” She said with a chuckle.

At that moment Lydia arrived. Her calm expression was marred by bags under her eyes. “I see most of my work here was done for me,” she said cheerfully. “Is this your bid to prove you don’t need a broodmother?”

Strelitzia was startled to hear that. “Sorry,” the minotaur said. She then held her mouth in shock. She knew she was usually more hostile to Lydia and Heathcliff.

Lydia chuckled. “It’s no problem, silly. Besides, I should be the one apologizing for the delay. Took me a while to figure out who broke the spell.”

Clover shied away from Lydia.

“Besides,” the Arachne broodmother said. “What kind of a broodmother would I be if I get worked up over something like a nightmare scaring my charges awake? Things like nightmares breaking the trance we use to send you guys off to dreamland just happen.” Her eyes began to glow with the Arachne’s mesmeric abilities. “Now then, get some rest. It’s still late here.”

The minotaur and fawn gazed into Lydia’s eyes. “Night,” Streltizia said as they were lulled back into a trance. Once they were asleep, Lydia wiped the drool from Clover and Streltizia’s mouths, and then she left them and the rest of her brood to rest.

✦✦✦

The next morning, Emily, Tim, Elizabeth, Atsuko, and Heathcliff were again at Spearhead’s Peak. Wu Jingyu wanted to speak with them about certain matters.

“‘Tis a shame that I am unable to partake in the cinema,” Jingyu said. “I heard plenty of things about this ‘Pearl’.”

“Is that what you wanted to talk to us about?” Tim said.

Jingyu laughed. “No, I want to review what you’ve learned so far.”

“We are currently in the Nigredo phase, the gathering of mana,” Emily said. “We need to complete the Magnum Opus cycle once before we can revive the Golden Spear and find the other remnants.”

“At that point, we need to find the Jian, the Gun, and the Dao,” Tim said. “The other three treasures of the school, and likely markers of the remnants.”

“Indeed,” Jingyu said.

“Now excuse me, monsieur,” Heathcliff said. “When you say ‘gun’ are we talking ‘shooty shooty bang bang’ here?” the knight made pointing gestures with his hands as she asked the question.

“It’s actually a staff,” Elizabeth said. “Tim’s [Qiang] is part of a collection of weapons believed to have been sued by the sect.”

“Correct,” Jingyu said. “The Gun is what you would call a ‘polearm’, much like the Qiang. In the same vein, the Dao and the Jian are different forms of swords. The latter is defined by its elegant two edges, while the former is considered more brutish. A contrast by how westerners considered sabers.”

“It’s mainly rapiers,” Heathcliff said. “Several elite knights are also skilled fencers.”

“And yet the Crimson Hound, favors broadswords more analogous to the Jian?” Jingyu said.

“You could say that,” Heathcliff said. “As a follow-up question, are these four unique in any way?”

“That would depend on your perception,” Tim said. “The types themselves are not unique, in fact, Elizabeth and Master said that every sect worth its salt has them and trains students in them. In my own experience, I used a different qiang at my time in Jiang-Hu.”

“Yet, at the same time, the ones we speak of were imbued with the founder's techniques, left behind so that his disciple may one day follow them into the higher realms.”

“Wait,” Emily said. “Heathcliff, you mentioned rapiers right?”

“Oui,” the red-clad knight said. “Something the matter, cher?”

“Didn’t Sarah make a Rapier for Rose?” Emily said.

“That is true,” Tim said. “She did.”

“I highly doubt that is related to any veneer of regularity, Emily,” Heathcliff said. “Just because they’re associated with frou-frou royalty doesn't mean you have to be one just to use it. Hell, the guilds probably have fencing inspectors on their payroll.”

“Rose has proven to be a rather troublesome student,” Jingyu said.

Elizabeth glared at Jingyu.

“Before you get the wrong idea, her focus is not the issue. Rather it’s the techniques itself. Bajiquan focuses on the use of all extremities, but they were designed for bipeds. Her serpentine tail renders those involving the lower body difficult at best and incompatible at worst, surely you must know this, Elizabeth.”

“…Oh,” the fairy said. “Sorry.”

“If she were here,” Tim said. “She is demanding an apology as well.”

“Rightly so, at that,” Heathcliff said.

Atsuko stood silent throughout this conversation. But a question suddenly sprang to the teal-haired girl’s mind. Her two tails swished as he turned her eyes to Jingyu. “Hey Jingyu, do you know how relations between Jian-Hu and Yae Shoto are going?”

“That I do not know, Miss Atsuko,” Jingyu said. “I am aware that both of our homelands are gripped with internal strife and disarray, but now if they had made contact with each other. The state of diplomacy there is beyond my ken.”

“I see,” the nekomata said. “Sorry for troubling you.”

“Is something wrong Akko?” Emily said.

“It’s nothing,” she replied.

“I have known what I needed to know for the moment,” Jingyu said. He turned to Emily and Tim. “You both are but a half step away from Albedo.”

“Didn’t you say that last time?” Emily said.

“Perhaps,” Jingyu said with a laugh. “But it is true. When the furnace forms in your root, your core. You will know. But be warned, for the shades will come to assail you once you do. Take good care.”

“May you be blessed in the Starlight,” Elizabeth said to Jingyu.

The group leaves Jingyu and Tim’s Qiang’s microdugneon.

✦✦✦

A few days later, over at Noir’s underground. Clover and Streltizia chased a man down the dilapidated streets.

“Cyclonic Crescendo!” Clover shouted, a small horizontal cyclone emerged from her fan and lifted the man into the air.

Strelitzia leaped into the twister and faced the man. His eyes showed a frightened look.

“Look there has to be some mistake,” the man pleaded.

Clover shouted at the man. “Yield you thief!”

“Thief?” the man said with confusion.

The orange-haired minotauride pinched her brow. “Do you know of the ‘Orb of Fata Morgana’?”

“What orb?” The man said as they floated in the whirlwind. Strelitzia could see that the man in question had nothing to do with the object in quest and let out a sigh of resignation. “Clo, put us down, this guy’s clean!”

The fawn used her wand to gently lower the cyclone and let down both her friend and her assumed suspect. The man looked at her with fear.

“Sorry about that,” Clover sheepishly said.

The man simply ran away in fear. Strelitzia sighed again. “Clover, this is the eighth time this month!”

“I’m sorry!” Clover said. “I was certain that man was the one that took the Orb.”

Later, the girls regrouped at the Diner where they used to live. After greeting Jacqueline and paying for their meals. The girls took to a table in the corner.

“So did you find anyone?” Raine said.

Clover bore a forlorn look on her face.

“Another red herring?” Hydrangea said.

“Uh-huh!” Clover said.

“Darn it, Clover,” Raine said. “That’s the eighth time this month.”

“I know…” the winged fawn hung her green-haired head in shame.

“Even Rose never flew off the handle like that,” Azalea said.

Jacqueline delivered several orders of burger friends and the “all the way” special for Rose and Raine.

“How about you?” Stretlizia said. “Any leads on the Orb of Fata Morgana?”

“Esteban said he and Heathcliff might have a lead,” Anemone said. “The orb is like the Mirage Staves, an illusion-attuned artifact, and it’s possible that it might not have been stolen at all. Emily is already at the Met to confirm the theory.”

“So you’re saying it might not have been stolen at all?” Clover said.

“Correct,” Anemone said. “It might be a false alarm.” She then turned her attention to Rose.

Raine also shot a glare at the lamia.

“What did I do?” Rose said.

“Were you the one that claimed the orb’s disappearance in the first place Rose?”

“I thought it wasn’t there!” Rose said. “It’s not my fault the thing could easily fade from sight.”

Clover sighed. “I frightened that guy over nothing.”

“He did act somewhat suspicious,” Rose said in an attempt to cheer Clover up. “Like there was something shady about him.”

Raine sighed.

A while later, an irate Emily arrived at the diner. “I heard from the Rouges about someone being thrown several feet into the air?”

“Sorry,” Clover said timidly. “It’d the eighth time this month.”

Emily sighed. “It turned out the Orb simply turned invisible. There was nothing to worry about. But please, try to avoid attacking strangers without evidence.”

“Okay,” Clover said.

The radio suddenly aired breaking news. “Breaking: Elf, dwarf, and nekomata went missing last Monday. The last reported sighting was at Madison Ave at 11:00 PM. The Ebony guards are currently investigating.”

Emily and the Coloraturas heard the report and are curious about the disappearances. They were reminded of the Project Stronghold rumors and wonder if this is connected to that. Emily requested containers for the Coloratura’s leftovers. Once that was provided, the group thanked Jacqueline and left the diner.

✦✦✦

Meanwhile, A young woman had entered a strange apartment complex. The tears of Halcyon fell from the heavens as the roar of thunder boomed throughout the sky above Noir. The scent of meat wafted from the open windows as the woman entered the door.

“I’m home!” the woman said, she heard no response as she looked around the messy apartment. Her mischievous smile remained plastered on her pallor face, her black and pink hair kept in unkempt tangles. She took out a black top with pink and yellow splat designs, matching black jeans, and studded bracelets, as well as a hair tie. A replica of the outfit she currently wears. She giggled as she took the clothes and prepared for a shower.

At the same time, her brother lounged on the sofa as the radio mentioned the abduction of three adventures, a drawven mage, a nekomata bard, and an elvish gladiator. He yawned and placed his hand on his black and teal hair.

Later the woman found him lying on the sofa. “There you are,” the woman said playfully.

“Hello, Patricia,” the brother said.

Patricia walked in front of the sofa and looked at her brother and his black shirt, decorated with teal and blue designs. Her gaze held an exuberant look yet also had a tinge of frustration. “C’mon, Normie, we’re expecting Hathor tonight. I’ll cook dinner!”

“It’s Norman,” the older brother said apathetically. He knew she wouldn’t heed his correction. Patricia had always used that name for him ever since they were children. He stood up from the sofa and headed to another room. His hair cascaded to his back as he stood up and looked at his sister. A slightly pungent odor lingered in the air as he headed towards the basement of the building.

While Patricia was busy getting food made, she saw a girl sitting on a chair in the dining room. “Oh, you’re still here.” Her grin turned into a frown.

“Hello Patty,” the child said. Light passed through her body as if it were stained glass. Her smile while cherubic was paired with a look that betrays both innocence and lament. “Did you find an exorcist?”

“Not yet,” she groaned. “Would be nice to get a rise of that brat,” she thought.

The three had been living together for years. Two siblings and the spirit that haunted them. The ghostly child turned her gaze toward the living room. Her skin, despite the pallor, is slightly less pale than that of her hosts.

“You know you could just leave if you wanted to,” Patricia said.

“I would, but I have to make sure Tony is—”

Patricia glared at the child. “That Tony is safe,” the ghost finished.

“You don’t have to worry about him,” Patricia said. “I’m all the protection my brother will ever need.” She said with a confident tone.

“Uh-huh,” the child said skeptically. “You heard about the people who went missing recently?”

Patricia ignored her. “Mr. Hathor is arriving tonight, be on your best behavior,” she said.

“You first!” she said.

“Are you two fighting again?” Norman shouted from the other side of the apartment.

“No!” the two girls shouted.

Norman sighed. He took out a steel crate. “That’s what Hathor requested, yes?” she said with his usual tired tone.

“That’s my Normie, ever the reliable brother!” Patricia said excitedly.

Norman groaned.

Later that night, a well-suited visitor arrived. He was a minotaur with sunglasses and a black suit. His horns were adorned with several golden bands.

“Welcome back Master,” Patricia said as she and Norman bowed respectfully.

“Evening,” he said to the tenants. He looked at the impudent spirit behind them as he walked in. “I’m here for this week’s haul.”

“It’s not like he visits for any other reasons,” Patricia thought to herself.

The minotaur took the crate Norman had placed in the living room and returned to his vehicle.

“Do you think it would be enough?” Patricia whispered to Norman.

“I don’t know,” Norman whispered back. “You know how lousy these things are.”

Patricia placed her land on Norman’s back. “I’m certain we have enough,” she said as she lowered her hand for a bit.

“Remind me again,” the minotaur said. “That child, how long has she been with you guys?”

“Several years now, Master,” Norman said.

The child humphed.

“Sadie hasn’t caused us any trouble yet,” Patricia said.

“Good,” the minotaur said. “You took your cut, right? It would do neither of us any good if you lack the energy to do your job.”

“Of course Master Hathor,” Patricia said eagerly. “I try to make sure we’re well fed. Especially since Normie would rather spend all day on the couch.”

“Patricia,” Norman said. “You know how tiring these night shifts are?”

“Oh Normie, I know,” Patricia said with a giggle.

“There she goes again,” Sadie said. Her ethereal form turned away from Patricia.

Hathor handed them a list of locations. “My contacts gave me this. It should lead you to more …bountiful places in Noir. Be sure to scope them out at your earliest convenience.”

“Will do!” Patricia said.

The minotaur left with the crate.

Patricia took a look at the list. “Hmm, these do look interesting,” she said. “What do you think, Normie?”

“Will you please leave me alone?” Norman said in a tired tone. “I have to sleep.” He walked towards his bedroom. Sadie looked at the older man with concern in her eyes.

“Sleep tight!” Patricia said.

✦✦✦

A few days later. Minerva took Nina, Clover, and Strelitzia to the Floreginum flower shop. After picking up a few seeds for Clara and Charlotte, they heard a cry for help. Clover rushed off to find the source. Strelitzia and the two arachne followed them.

There they found a black-and-pink-haired woman lying on the ground. A porcine man loomed over her.

The man, clad in a pastel green suit looked at the interlopers. “Stay back, this isn’t your concern.” The pastel suit contrasted with his tanned skin.

The fallen women cried out. “Help me! He’s going to hurt me!” Her unkempt hair flowed to the back of her shoulder. A part of it was tied in a small tail to the upper right of her head.

Strelitzia noticed something strange in the air. She looked at the green-suited man.

“Leave her alone!” Clover yelled to the man. “What business do you have assaulting an innocent woman?”

“Innocent?” the man in the green suit said. His porcine ears jutted out of his hat in shock before he turned back to the woman who flashed a mischievous smile.

“Checkmate,” the woman whispered slyly.

The porcine man growled before turning his back to the peryton fawn approaching him. “Miss, this isn’t what it looks like.”

The wind began to swell as Clover glared at the man and brandished her fan. “You have five seconds to leave, or else!”

The man cursed internally as she saw how serious, and how dangerous, the young girl before him was. He accessed his options and decided that the best course of action was to flee. He leaped towards a nearby rooftop. “You’re making a mistake,” he yelled before leaving the vicinity.

Clover smirked as she approached the woman. Her hooves and her fan propelled her to the fallen woman. “Are you okay?” she asked.

“Thanks to you,” the woman said. “Who knows what dastardly thing that man would’ve done to me if you hadn’t interfered?”

Strelitzia sniffed the air and learned that the strange scene still lingered. “That’s strange?”

“Is something wrong?” Nina asked.

“I don’t know,” the minotaur said. “Something isn’t right,” she thought.

“My name’s Clover!” the fawn said to the woman. “Clover Capriccio!”

“Name’s Patricia,” the goth said in a perky voice. Her face turned into her usual mischievous grin. “Say, could you lead me to this place?” She handed Clover a note.

The deerlet girl read the slip of paper. “I know that place, it’s the Breakdancer Hall at Madison Avenue!” We’ll take you there, right guys.

Minerva and Nina noticed Strelitiza’s apprehension at the request. “We’ll bring you there,” Minerva said.

“What?” Stretlizia said.

“Perfect!” Patricia said exuberantly.

Along the way, Clover and Patricia had hit it off as they talked about various things. Much to the dismay of the minotauride who suddenly learned that Patricia is as prone to long-winded rambles as Clover.

They eventually arrived at the Madison Breakdancer Hall. There they find several people wearing white pants, tied with a rope as they perform several dance moves tot he tune of drums. Many of them dance in pairs. The sound of drums filled the room as they capoeiristas practiced their moves in their rodas.

“I’m here!” Patricia said.

“Ah,” the dark-skinned instructor said. “Glad to see you, Patricia. What happened, you’re usually not this late.”

“Oh, nothing,” Patricia said. “Just a li’l snag.”

Clover and her group prepared to leave but Patricia approached the peryton fawn before she could. “Maybe we can hang out later?” Patricia said. “I’d love to give you a more proper thanks for your help.”

“Sure!” Clover said enthusiastically.

“Clo,” Streltizia said. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?” She suspected that the source of the stench was Patricia.

“Of course I’m sure! It’ll be fun Stre!” Clover insisted.

“Yeah,” Patricia said. “I have so much to show you!”

Nina looked at the young woman and noticed that Patricia’s appearance was slightly disheveled. Her clothing is torn, her hair is tangled, and her bracelets are missing some studs. “Did that man rough you up?”

Patricia was confused before she realized that the spiderling was referring to her appearance. “Crap, I just had these wahsed!” she responded.

After a few minutes, Patricia parted ways with the group. Streltizia couldn't help but think about the stench, she found it familiar for some reason.

✦✦✦

A while later, Norman and Patricia are inside a warehouse in the underground, alongside other students of Hathor. With them is Hathor and a woman beside him.

The woman resembled an Arachne, but the characteristic abdomen was replaced by a long segmented stinger tail. “I heard you visited another dojo already today Patricia,” the scorpion woman said.

“Oh don’t worry Master Serket,” Patricia said. “Those guys were chumps. They wouldn't last long in a serious fight.”

“I would hope so,” Serket said.

Another man spoke up. “Remind me again, how did an Antarean and a minotaur get—”

Hathor interrupted the man. “Training begins now!”

Patricia already took the initiative and used a sweeping motion on the inquisitive man. Her foot hooked his heel and knocked him to the ground. She and her brother moved in a cyclic dance-like motion as they anticipated the actions of their opponents.

“Rule one,” Serket said. “Never stop moving, A still target is a sitting duck.”

Another of the students lunged at Norman. Norman leaned backward to dodge the jab and then pivoted towards a handstand. With his legs high into the air, he rotated his body and performed a kick at the opponent. The riposte hit the jaw of the man and forced him back. The other man noticed blood dripping from his cheek.

A woman lunged towards Norman from the other side, using cartwheels to move towards him. Patricia countered with a headbutt to throw her off her course, then made a roundhouse kick. The other woman dodged by crouching and attempted a leg sweep, but Patricia jumped to avoid the attack and landed on her hands. Patricia then used her legs to grip the other woman and then threw her over her own body. The opponent collided with a merman to the light and knocked them both out.

Hathor and Serket looked at the display with a sense of pride.

“They’d been taught well Hathor,” Serket said.

The minotaur smirked. “Nothing but the best for our students. Now then, what about the deliveries?”

“Anubis handled the blood transportation,” Serket said. “Thoth had acquired the organs for conversions into philosopher’s stones. Nephthys already took care of the other items. By the way, Horus mentioned the Maahes is ready.”

“You cleared it with Sekhmet?” Hathor said.

“Of course,” Serket said with a smirk. “She owed me a lot of favors.”

The siblings had overcome most of their opponents by now. The only ones left were a dwarf and another student. They tried to attack Patricia, but the dwarf was ambushed by Norman maneuvering behind them and slapping their ears, and the other student was easily dispatched by a roundhouse kick from Patricia. With all of their adversaries defeated, Patricia clapped their hands together.

“Maybe you should be worried about that other school after all,” Patricia snarked. “Seems like they are more evenly matched.”

“If necessary we’ll know who to send,” Serket. “Now then, we have something for you two.” She clapped her hands.

A monster entered the room, heeding Serket’s call. The beast resembled a lion, but its fur matched the hue of a clear blue sky, and its snout and jaw had features that resembled a Lynx.

“Leonis Azurius,” Hathor said. “Better known as a Maahes lion.”

“Gee, wonder who came up with that name,” Patricia said while pinching Norman’s cheek.

“We had gone to great lengths to import these lions from Jiang-hu,” Serket said. “Many of us had lost our lives trying to bring these beasts to Liberté. Many more had struggled to ensure they did not escape and bring unwarranted attention. I think you two can make excellent use of this creature.”

“You’re saddling us with pet duty?” Norman said with a groan.

“Oh come on, Normie, It’ll be fun,” Patricia said.

“This is no mere pet,” Hathor said. “The Maahes is capable of limited shapeshifting. It can take forms that would be well suited to your tasks, and its fangs and claws are both sharp enough to rend flesh apart if necessary.”

“Fine,” Norman said. “We have more than enough food anyway. Anything else Master Serket?”

“Glad to hear it,” the Antarean woman said. “As for your question, Hathor gave you the list right?”

“Normie found several people with good roots,” Patricia said. “I think they can make a great contribution to our cause.”

“Excellent,” Serket said. “You know what to do then?”

“We go up to them and feed them homemade treats of course,” Patricia said.

“Those dumplings of yours were …decent, Master Serket,” Norman said in ignorance of his sister’s sarcasm.

“They need certain …ingredients to produce, to remind,” The antarean woman said.

“…noted,” Norman said. He turned toward the exit. “Come on Patty.”

Patricia noticed that Norman had used a name she wanted him to use more often. “Coming!” she said gleefully. The Maahes followed them out.

The two siblings left the dojo.

“How’s your visions?” Norman asked.

“Haven’t been able to see anything past five seconds,” Patricia said. “I think I need to eat some more.”

Meanwhile, Hathor turned to Serket. “Has Ra finished preparations?”

Serket turned to the minotaur. “He has. The Tombraiders will make a move near Joyfuller Island. I’m sure the rest of the Syndicate will make good use of their treasures.”

Hathor smirked. “I’ll check in on Thoth. We’ll need those Philosopher’s Stones if we are to bring these Alkahestists up to speed.”

“I’m certain it will take more than that to keep up with these two,” Serket said. “I wonder what enabled them to become cultivating prodigies?”

“That is a mystery, but a fortuitous one,” Hathor said. The two left the dojo, now empty of living souls.

✦✦✦

Meanwhile, at the Black Box. Emily’s Avatara, as well as Tim, Heathcliff, Elizabeth, Nina, Minerva, Atsuko, The Truces, the Coloraturas, the Hermnadezes, the Smiths, and Elisa were all gathered around a table.

“What’s going on, mommy?” Nina asked.

“I brought something back with us from our trip to Noir,” Minerva said. She placed a small box on the table. Elizabeth opened it and saw a deck of eighty-eight cards.

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“A [Stardeck]?” Elizabeth asked.

Emily recalled the cicadian girl who visited the Black Box a while back. Carla also recalled her encounter with the Stardeck-wielding witch.

“Why this?” Charlotte asked.

“Are we getting fortunes?” Rose asked.

“That is what I bought the deck for,” Minerva said.

“I see,” Elizabeth said. “Would you mind if I perform the readings? We’ll need to find out everyone’s [Astral Cards] before doing any readings.”

“Be my guess, Lizzie,” Minerva said.

Elizabeth puffed her cheeks, she still preferred the nickname to not be sued, least of all by anything except Emily. The magenta-haired fairy turned her eyes to the deck and touched it. Eighty-seven of the eighty-eight cards turned transparent leaving behind a cyan-backed card, marking it as belonging to the Stilbon deck. She removed the card from the stack and held it up. She saw a triangle with its bottom edge curved. And a cross intersecting it from the bottom of the curve and the three points.

“Sextans?” Elizabeth asked. “It does make sense as I am meant to be a guide.”

Nina giggled a bit, to Minerva’s exasperation.

Elizabeth shuffled the Sextans card back into the deck and lied it down. “I think Emily should go next.”

Emily touched the deck with her avatara’s arm. As with before, all but one of the cards turned transparent. Elizabeth picked up the sole visible card and saw an incomplete circle, ending in a triangle in a way that made it resemble a stylized dog. The sigil and back of the card are green, the color of the Glaucus deck.

Heathcliff looked over Elizabeth’s shoulder and saw the card. “Looks like you got Canis Major, cher.”

“You know the Stardeck’s signs?” Emily asked.

“Oui,” Heathcliff said. “Been crossing paths with several seers and astrologians in my travels.”

“Then perhaps you wouldn’t mind telling us your [Astral Card] then?” Elizabeth said.

“I got Scutum, of the Pyrosis deck,” Heathcliff said. “Tim got Aquilla.”

“Aquilla?” Elizabeth said.

“Yeah,” Tim said. “They said to mark a destiny of nobility and righteousness.”

“Yeah, that fits Timmy alright,” Emily said.

“Knock it off,” Tim said.

“My sign is Corvus,” Esteban said. “Same with Julia, we can confirm it if you want.”

Elizabeth agreed to it and had Esteban touch the deck. The revealed card is indeed Corvus of the Mesonyx deck, as marked by its crow-leg-like sigil and purple background. Elizabeth placed the card on top of the deck and had Julia touch it. The cards beneath it had disappeared confirming it as well.

“I already know my sign,” Sarah said. “A friend was big into Horoscopes, she said I got Fornax and Brother got Sculptor.”

“That would track with artisans such as yourselves,” Elizabeth said.

Richard rolled his eyes. “While the Stardeck’s skills are formidable in battle, if you get the right card that is. I believe their divinatory uses are little more than malarky,” the blond dwarf said.

“Ah don’t mind him,” Sarah said. “He’s just mad because our friend claimed he was doomed to lose all his money on gambling debts.”

“It is rather presumptuous to assume me the type of person to waste money on something as frivolous as that.”

“Can I go next?” Azalea said. “I want to be an ace!”

Raine groaned. “Azalea that pun was awful!”

“Really,” Azalea said. “I thought it was a royal flush.”

“I think it would be better to save you and the other Coloraturas for last,” Elizabeth said.

“Aw,” Azalea said.

“Let’s see,” Elizabeth said. “I got Sextans, Emily got Canus Major, Tim got Aquila, Heathcliff got Scutum. Both Esteban and Julia got Corvus…” She noticed that neither Minerva nor Nina haven’t gotten their turns yet despite Minerva buying the deck. She offered the next spot to the Arachne mother and daughter.

Minerva went first. Elizabeth confirmed that her card was the Ursa Major card of the Pyrois deck, claimed to be for protective mothers. Nina’s was revealed to be Circinus of the Mesonyx deck.

“Circinus?” Nina said.

“Though many cards have various interpretations,” Julia said. “This one is the most vague. For some, it is said to be directionless and being stuck in a rut, for others is instead an assurance that you will always return to where you’re needed most.”

“So Sarah had Fronax, Richard had Sculptor, Nina had Circinus and Minerva had Ursa Major,” Elizabeth mused. “How about you Atsuko?”

“Ooh,” the teal-haired nekomata said. “Haven’t had a reading in a while.”

“You already knew your astral card?”

“Noboru said it was Lynx,” Atsuko said as she touched the deck. Sure enough, Elizabeth saw a single card with the characteristic purple hue of the Mesonyx deck and saw the sigil of Lynx on its front.

“Um, Can I go next?” Elisa said. “I hadn’t had a reading done for me before.”

“That’s a great idea!” Lily chimed in.

“Go ahead,” Elizabeth said as she shuffled the Stardeck. The porcine magical girl touched the deck and saw one card remained visible. Elizabeth took it and saw it was of the yellow Eosphoros deck.

“Corona Borealis?” Elizabeth said.

“Doesn’t that usually denote fame and fortune?” Julia said.

“That’s amazing, Elisa!” Lily squealed as if she was a porcine girl instead of a centaur.

“Elisa” herself is shocked. “Is this because…” she thought about her true self and her long career as an actress.

“Who’s left?” Elizabeth said. “We did myself, Emily, Tim, the Lycosas, the Smiths, the Hermandezes— Oh Carla and Charlotte, you haven’t gotten yours yet!”

“Hm?” Carla said. “So we haven’t, very well.”

The alraune mother and daughter had their Astral Cards revealed. Carla had the Pisces card of the Glaucus deck while Charlotte had the Phoenix card of the Pyrosis deck. The latter’s fiery imagery had given the young girl pause as she saw it. Yet Charlotte saw that the presence of the Stardeck itself gave her peace.

✦✦✦

“Well that’s everyone but the Coloraturas,” Elizabeth said. “Azalea you want to—”

“Wait!”

Euryale, Sthenno, and Kaitlyn barged in. “We want to know our cards too!”

“Were you eavesdropping on us?” Emily said.

“Sorry, Emmy, Kaitlyn said.

“It was Euryale’s idea,” Stenno said.

“Nuh-uh!” Euryale said. “I heard you said you saw Minerva with that Stardeck!”

“Let’s wait until after the Colroatura’s are done first,” Elizabeth said. “They already waited long enough.”

Elizabeth started with Azalea. She took a look at a purple card and showed it to the clionid mermaid. “Your [Astral Card] is Delphinus.”

“Nice, I knew it would be a straight win!” Azalea said.

Elizabeth then did Lily. She showed the centauride a red card. “Aurgia,” she declared as Lily looked at the respective card.

Rose came after her. Elizabeth saw an orange card, something that had never shown up this far, and looked at it. “Rose,” she said to the lamia. “It seems your card is Ophiuchus.”

“Isn’t that a doctor?” Rose said quizzically. Elizabeth nodded as she beckoned Raine forward.

Elizabeth saw another Orange card and flipped it up for the Phoenixian girl to see. “Bootes, looks like.”

“The shepherd huh,” Raine said. “I’m not sure how well that fits.”

Anemone stepped up, requesting to be next. Elizabeth obliged. The lone visible card was of the Mesonyx deck. “You got Lupus.”

“Fascinating,” the lycanthope said. “Thank you?”

“Wait,” Rose said. “Is that right?”

“Something wrong?” Elizabeth said.

“It’s just,” Rose said. “My astral card wasn’t the snake, Lily’s wasn’t the centaur and Raine wasn’t the Phoenix, right? Why does Anemone have Lupus as her sign?”

“Rose,” Raine said. “The cards weren’t based on species.”

“If it did,” Azalea said. “I would’ve had one maid in my image.”

“You said the Stardeck was said to be created by Messengers, right?” Emily asked.

“Correct,” Elizabeth said. “As you recall, the cards were based on the night sky of the old world.”

“Can we move on already?” Euryale said impatiently.

“Patience, dear sister,” Sthenno said.

Elizabeth returned to the deck. Hydrangea was next. “Annemone and I knew a fair bit about the stardeck,” she said. “If I remember right, my Astral card should be Andromeda.” She touched the deck and saw all but a blue card vanish. Elizabeth took the card and saw Hydrangea’s recollection was correct.

“Isn’t that card supposed to imply you’re bound to something?” Evelyn said.

“That is correct,” Sarah said. “Thought the specifics vary.”

Strelitzia apprehended the table and calmly touched the deck. Elizabeth saw another Mesonyx card and showed it to the minotaur. “You have Apus, huh?”

“Apus huh,” the orange-haired girl said. “What does that mean.”

“It suits you well, Stre!” Clover said.

“It does match your name,” Anemone said.

“I’d expected Taurus,” Rose said. “But okay.”

The last of the Coloraturas is Clover. The peryton fawn looked at the deck and touched it. All but one card had vanished as had been done with the previous Astral Card readings. The exception was colored yellow. Elizabeth picked up the card and saw a representation of scales.

“Libra, the balancing scales,” Elizabeth said to Clover. “Those with this sign are said to hold justice to their heart.”

“That tracks,” Raine said.

“Heck yeah it does,” Rose said. “As heroines of justice, we should be embodiments of that which is right!”

Clover made a determined gaze at the card. “She’s right,” the fawn thought as she saw Elizabeth shuffle it back into the deck. The other cards became visible as the fairy placed them on the table.

✦✦✦

“The Coloraturas are done,” Elizabeth said. “Euryale will be next.”

“Finally!” Euryale said as she walked to the table. Both she and her sister Sthenno were revealed to have Serpens of the Phaenon deck as their Astral Cards. Evelyn was the next and last and the artist was revealed to have Pictor of the Eosphoros deck as hers.

“Guess we’re all done,” Sarah said. The dwarf took her hammer. “Now if you’ll need me and Raine, we’ll be working on creating a new hammer design. I think I can put that bismuth to good use there.” She left with her phoenixian apprentice in tow.

“I’m gonna turn in early,” Heathcliff said. “Pauline wants to meet me early about that movie shooting thing.”

Elisa winced upon hearing Heathcliff mention that.

“Is something wrong, Elisa?” Lily asked.

“Everything’s fine,” Elisa said. The porcine girl continued to act the part of Elisa, a normal adventurer. “I got to go. Scarlett’s is probably here to pick me up by now.” She left the Black Box to wait for her mother.

“I’m going to head back to Noir,” Julia said. “Heard a friend of mine is looking into a cold case.”

“Come to think of it,” Minerva said. “It is about time for your girls to rest.”

“What do you mean?” Rose said before she saw the time. “Wait, it’s that late already?”

“Seems like it,” Tim said as he left to meditate. Emily’s avatara receded into the floor while Richard went back to the Atelier to check on Sarah and Raine.

As most of the children are preparing for bed. Clover and Strelitizia began chatting about their encounter with Patricia. While the fawn spoke highly about her, the minotauride still can’t help but feel like there is something wrong with the woman.

✦✦✦

Later that night, Julia arrived at Noir and at Club 4706. There she saw a Porcine man in a mint green suit partaking in the sake served in the club.

“Better be careful with that,” Julia said. “The temperance laws are still in effect.”

“It’s just one cup,” the man said. “I know my limits.”

Julia sat down next to the porcine man. “It’s been a while, Raimundo.”

The green-suited man turned and saw Julia. “Haven’t seen you since the Hapsburg fiasco. How’s Esteban?”

The two were old acquaintances. It was Raimundo who brought Julia to Wintersun all those years ago.

“Esteban is doing well,” Julia said. “The rouges assigned us to help a Dungeon Core near Rosenkreuz.”

“That seems rather far,” Raimundo said. “How do you get to Noir on such short notice.”

“I have my ways,” Julia said.

The two talked about what had happened since they last met.

“I took up a cold case recently,” Raimundo said. “I was hired to investigate the disappearance of three people.”

“Three people huh?”

Raimundo is a private investigator. He made it his business to solve cases the Ebony Guards won’t solve and help with those the Rouges cannot solve.

“So what is it this time, Rai?” Julia said.

“Fifteen years ago, a Yanese-Libertéan child went missing,” Raimundo said. “The investigation had questioned the neighbors about it, but they didn’t see the girl. A week later, two other kids went missing. I was hired to look into the mystery.”

“I see,” Julia glanced around and noticed a figure in the room. They wore a black jacket, and their hooded face was covered in gauze. They wore sunglasses to conceal their eyes. Julia knew that the attire signified.

“People had some theories on what happened,” Raimundo said, the alcohol in the sake hindered his alertness. “The sensible one assumes they just ran away from home, but others claimed they were taken by the Vanishers. The wildest one claimed they attempted to summon a demon and were taken by them.”

“A demon huh?” Julia said. She had recalled hearing about the Piper Pruflas from Carla and Emily, a normal bard possessed by a demon. She turned back to the figure in the strange garb. His posture was slumped over an empty table. Their shaded gaze seemed directed at nothing at all. Not the bartender, not the various dancers, not even Julia and Raimundo, or so it seemed. Julia sensed that despite appearances, the figure was watching them.

“We should talk elsewhere,” Julia said.

“Huh?” Raimundo said.

“You know this place attracts all kinds, Raimundo,” Julia said.

Even in his drunken state, the Porcine detective understood what Julia implied. “Noted. Let’s go.”

The two left the nightclub. On the way out, Julia looked back at the table where the figure slouched over and saw no one there.

✦✦✦

A few moments later, Raimundo was sober. He led Julia to a nearby diner where they continued their talk.

“So do you know what those missing kids looked like?” Julia asked.

“I do,” Raimundo said. “Two girls and a boy. The first one had blond hair tied in brunches and freckles on the bridge of her nose. The other two were a brother and sister, both with black hair and a slight pallor.”

“Wait, didn’t you say the first one was Yanese?” Julia said.

“Her mother claimed that a hair-altering spell was used on her,” Raimundo said. “Her natural hair color was black.”

“Ah,” Julia said. She heard a rustle outside the diner and glanced at the window. She could only see the effects of the wind blowing on the nearby trees. She turned back to the private eye. “Go on?”

“As for the siblings, the brother is older by a couple of years. Their parents were landlords.”

“Landlords huh?” Julia said.

“While they lived as Elegere, they were actually Emperyans,” Raimundo said. “With ownership of several properties on the surface. The missing siblings were likely being groomed to inherit some of these assets. The other one was instead an Elegeo.”

“Any names?” Julia said.

“Unfortunately the siblings’ parents were unwilling to share their names. They are very private individuals and thought the physical description they volunteered would’ve sufficed. They used a representative of their company as a proxy for them in the investigation. The other child did have a name provided. Sadako Morgana.”

“I see,” Julia said. “Did you find any leads?”

“I had one,” Raimundo said. “I encountered a woman that resembled one of the missing children and tried to approach her, but…”

“But,” Julia said.

“There was an altercation,” Raimundo said. “She had lured me into an alleyway and attacked me. Her attacks matched the techniques of a caporiragem.

“But that was outlawed,” Julia said.

“So was alcohol and there we were,” Raimundo said. “I managed to subdue her, but when I tried to take her in for questioning, some interlopers butted in.”

“Interlopers?” Julia said.

“Fools,” Raimundo said. “She accused me of attempting untoward deeds towards her. I didn’t want to escalate things, so I bailed.”

“Do you think she was one of the missing children?”

“A lot could happen in fifteen years Julia,” Raimundo said. “Whoever she was, it is clear to me that she is dangerous.”

“How so?” Julia said.

“Use of forbidden fighting techniques aside,” Raimundo said. “There are rumors about this part of Noir. Recently, more people were vanishing without a trace. Others thought it was connected to those Project Stronghold rumors, but many of them seemed too concentrated to relate to that mess.”

“How so?” Julia asked.

Before the porcine private investigator could answer. They heard a bang outside followed by one of the employees running through a door.

“Run!” the waiter screamed. “The Tombraiders are here!”

“Tombraiders?” Julia said. She recalled the strange figure from the nightclub. Her suspicions confirmed she went outside to confront them. Raimundo followed her.

✦✦✦

Julia and Raimundo went to the source of the noise, there they saw only a lone man unconscious on the ground.

“Are they gone?” Raimundo asked.

Julia suspected something was off. She carefully approached the unconscious man. A sense of dread warmed over her as she inched closer to the man. As she began to place her hand on the unconscious body, he suddenly sprang up and attempted to ponce on Julia.

Julia dodged the attack and saw the “victim” transformed into a blue-furred lion.

“A Maahes?” Julia said as she whipped out her dagger and summoned her guardian. Her shadow rose from the ground and grappled with the beast.

While Julia fights the Maahes, Raimundo saw two figures approach the dark corner of the alleyway. Both were clad in black jackets and grey gauze, both wore sunglasses to conceal their eyes. Raimundo started moving his legs in a triangular pattern.

The two adversaries mirrored his movements. Raimundo is disgusted by their act. “Vile fiends,” the detective said. “If there no end to your defilement?”

The taller of the pair scoffed as he lunged towards Raimundo. The green-suited man leaned backward and placed his hands on the ground behind him. He then uses the momentum to lift both legs to kick the opponent. Now upside down, he followed suit with a spinning kick and knocked the elder back before returning to an upright stance.

The other danced forward toward him and tried a flurry of chops. Raimundo ducked and dodged through several moves and attempted to use his feet to sweep the assailant off hers. She, in turn, countered by leaping to her left and keeping her knee close to her chest, she then transitioned into a sweep, but Raimundo blocked it with his knee. The other Tomeraider used the distraction to ambush Raimundo.

Julia and her shadow continued to fight the Maahes. Her guardian intercepted the claws of the beast while she used her dagger to strike at its back. The attack missed and the lion maneuvered behind Julia and towards Raimundo.

Raimundo is now surrounded, the porcine man continues his ginga steps while dodging attacks from the two assailants and the Maahes.

“Now bad,” the female Tomeraider said. “But not good enough. She rushed forward and threw a punch that Raimundo dodged. The male one attempted an upside-down kick, but Raimundo assumed a position similar to a horse stance and parried the kick with his arms. The Maahes leaped at Raimundo and pinned him to the ground, but the private investigator repulsed it using his legs and followed it up with a throw.

Julia regrouped with Raimundo. Her shadow covered the pair.

“These guys are getting on my nerves,” Raimundo said.

“Mine too,” Julia said. “They shouldn't be able to land a hit on us for now.”

The orb of darkness prevented the assailants and their “pet” from seeing the two. Any strikes they land missed and hit thin air. The female assailant had an idea and closed her eyes. A few seconds later, she dodged a strike from Raimundo, positioned herself into a handstand, and retaliated by kicking the detective with both legs.

Raimundo was knocked away from Julia’s shadow and slammed his body into the way. Julia tried to help her friend, but the Maahes got between her and Raimundo.

The Tomeraider assailants approached Julia, but as they prepared their attack. Julia noticed a student’s presence. She rushed forward and threw the male assailant over her.

The female Tombraider was both shocked and angered by this act. She danced toward Julia, but an invisible force blocked her attack. Before she knew it, she was knocked back by an attack as Esteban revealed himself.

“Perfect timing,” Julia said to her husband. “This was getting down to the wire here.”

The male assailant stood up and danced his ward to his partner. Esteban and Julia worked together to protect the unconscious Raimundo and fight off the assailants and their Maahes. Eventually, Julia slashed at the female one with her knife. The assailant dodged the attack, but the blade still made contact with the grey gauze that wrapped her face and sliced through it. Parts of the gauze fell to the ground and revealed her right eye and mouth.

Raimundo soon woke up and got a glimpse of the girl’s revealed face, showing a pink eye, pale skin, and pick and black bangs. The woman tried to cover her face, but it was too late Raimundo had recognized her.

The sound of sirens in the distance alerted the brawlers to the imminent presence of the Ebony Guards. They all knew that if they ling here longer then they would be taken in for questioning, and that of the two parties here, the Tombkeeper assailants would be the one punished. The hooded figures and the Maahes quickly left the alleyway.

Esteban and Julia helped Raimundo up. “It’s been a while old chum,” Raimundo said.

“Save your strength,” Esteban said as he prepared his cloaking magic. The three turned invisible before the Guards arrived.

One of the Ebony Guards, an elven man, took a flashlight and swept the alley with it, but found no one there.

“Must’ve left already,” the elf said.

“Or it was just a prank call,” a lamia woman said beside him. “Damn pranksters.”

The two adventurers returned to their vehicle and drove off. Leaving a concealed Esteban, Julia, and Raimundo to move away from the alley. By the time the cloaking spell wore off, they were already close to the Black Box’s extension.

✦✦✦

The Hermandezes and Raimundo arrived at the Black Box, entering through the extension in Noir. Emily’s consciousness was roused by their presence and she turned her gazed onto the three.

“Esteban?” her groggy voice echoed to the Rouges. “What’s going on?”

“Good question,” Esteban said as he turned to his friend and wife.

“Right you weren’t there when I explained to Julia,” Raimundo said. “First an introduction,” the porcine man introduced himself to Emily and then explained to her that he was investigating a cold case.

“…as for that night’s events,” he continued. “We were ambushed by the Tombraiders.”

“Tombraiders,” Emily said. She had heard a bit about them through her talks with Esteban and the Rouges. “Why were they after you?”

“If I had to hazard a guess,” Raimundo said. He recalled his glimpse of the shorter one and the uncanny resemblance to the woman that he encountered earlier. “I think the missing children were entangled with the Syndicate.”

“Two girls and a boy went missing fifteen years ago?” Esteban said.

“Right, friend,” Raimundo said. “One of them resembled the woman enough that warrant suspicion, but—”

“You were unable to confirm it, right?” Julia said.

“But if it is true,” Raimundo said. “Then they would’ve seen me as a threat to be eliminated.”

“I see,” Emily said. “Would you like to stay here for the night?”

“Are you sure that is wise?” Raimundo said. “If they know I’m here they might try to come after you as well?”

“I’m sure,” Emily said. “At the very least wait until your wounds heal.”

“Alright,” Raimundo said. “I don’t think there is much that could be done tonight anyway.

Esteban and Julia led Raimundo to a bedroom that Emily conjured within herself. There he stayed the night.

✦✦✦

Meanwhile, Norman and Patricia walked through a corridor in their apartment. All the doors were locked and barricaded. Each barricade had a note with the name of certain metals on the,.

“Ugh that was an awful night,” Patricia said as they went into their apartment, the only one without a barricade. There they saw the specter of Sadie lying down on the floor.

“Welcome home,” she said with a tone that matched Norman’s. She knew they had been out doing tasks she preferred they didn’t do.

“Been up to anything, twerp?” Patricia said.

“And what do you think I could’ve done in my current state?” the ghostly child said.

Norman simply walked to his bedroom. Patricia turned on the radio for some music. Sadie followed Norman.

“She has him wrapped around her finger,” Sadie thought. As the two walked across the apartment, Norman began to see memories of past times. Memories of things gone tragically wrong. He entered his room and told Sadie not to walk in as he prepared for a night’s rest.

✦✦✦

The next morning, Raimundo talked with the Hermandezes about what to do next when the porcine detective saw several statues emerge in the nearby tubes. The statues were of various people, including a fairy, an adult man, a teenage boy, and eight young girls.

The porcine private eye was surprised to see the statues turn into living beings. Esteban told them that they were Emily’s Fairy, Master, and some of her Sentinels.

Clover was the first to wake up after arriving at the extension, and the first thing she saw was the porcine mand they had encountered earlier. She immediately let out a scream upon seeing that.

“Clover, what’s wrong?” Emily’s voice echoed out to the fawn.

“What is that creep doing here?” Clover asked.

“Creep?” Raimundo said he took a long look at the girl as she ran to brandish her fan.

“Now I get it,” Julia said.

Raimundo realized that she, and the minotaur, were from the group that the woman asked her for help.

“Seems like there is some ‘splaining to do,” Heathcliff said after walking up.

Emily and Julia calmed Clover down as Raimundo explained things again.

A while later.

“You were looking for three kids that went missing fifteen years ago?” Rose asked.

“Yes,” the private investigator said. “I apologize for my conduct back then, but I had reason to believe that the woman you aided was one of those three, and more pressingly, that she had become embroiled with the Tombraiders.”

“Liar,” Clover said. “What makes you think Patty would join the Syndicate?”

Unlike her friend, Stretlizia was more convinced by Raimundo’s explanation.

“Do you even know her?” Raine said. “You said you only met each other for a day.”

“This is just like what happened with the Edelweiss fiasco,” Rose lamented.

“That had nothing to do with that!” Clover said. “I was certain that they attacked that innocent man.”

“Clover,” Tim said. “Has it ever occurred to you that maybe all is not as it seemed?”

The peryton fawn turned to Tim. “What do you mean?”

“There are two sides to every story,” Heathcliff said. “Right now we don’t have the full details.”

Hydrangea took a look at the Procine man. “Besides there is the matter of the Tombraider attack on his life. Don’t you think it is worth investigating why they would go out of their way to fight a private investigator?”

“Maybe he stumbled onto their operations somehow Clover said?”

“And how would investigating a cold case lead to that?” Raimundo asked.

Clover thought about the matter. She noticed there were some questions about the woman. But she still couldn't think Patricia was evil.

“I think his story checks out,” Streltiiza said.

“Stre?” Clover said.

“When we took her to that place, there was something about her I couldn't shake,” the minotauride said. “An aura that just didn’t sit right with me. It has been nagging at me ever since. I do think it’s possible she did get involved with them.”

Clover understood her friend well. Ever since they escaped together, they had been inseparable ever since. She knew Streltizia was not the type to lie to her. Even if she couldn't trust anyone else on Titania she was certain she could trust her.

The fawn turned to Raimundo. “We’ll help you?”

“You will?” Raimundo said.

“They will?” Emily said confusingly.

“I want to learn more about that cold case. See for myself what is going on with Patty and the Tombraiders. I want to make sure that the people in Noir sleep soundly at night, free of the terror that lurks in the shadow and the machinations of the mob. I want a world where no child should ever be separated from their parents. If that means helping you solve the mystery of those missing children, so be it.”

“Well, that settles it then!” Rose said. “You sir have the aid of the Coloraturas. The eightfold defenders of peace. The banishers of wickedness!”

“That’s Rose and Clover for you,” Raine said exasperatedly.

“I’ve seen glaciers colder than that case,” Azalea said. “That mystery will be solved with a snap!”

“But do you girls have any idea where to start?” Raimundo asked.

After a few moments of silence, none of the eight Magical Girls could provide a satisfactory response.

Strelitzia, Lily, Anemone, and Hydrangea gave their own responses and affirmed the group of eight magical girls are willing to assist Raimundo.

Emily then manifested her avatara. “I might have an idea,” the dungeon core said as she took a good long look at Raimundo.

“Are you planning to use {Shapeshfting}?” Elizabeth asked.

The form of Emily’s avatara begins to change into that of a porcine man in a pastel green suit. “What do you think?” she said.

Raimundo looked over Emily’s new form with his eyes, seeing any sign of deviation from his own appearance. “That’s your gambit, huh?”

“You sure that is what you want to do?” Tim said.

“There has been no indication that the Tombraiders were capable of claiming Cores like the Baron Roberts,” Elizabeth said. “and yet...”

“They are still part of the Syndicate,” Esteban said. “If they are connected to Project Stronghold…”

“Guess that means we’ll have to be on our toes,” Emily said.

“Right then,” Heathcliff said. “Esteban do you think you can get a list of scenes of abductions.”

“Si,” Esteban responded. “Julia and I can handle that.”

“Club 4706 seems like a good place to start,” Julia said.

“In the meantime,” Emily said after returning to her normal form. “Clover, Strelitzia, can you help me find this ‘Patricia’ person?”

“Yeah,” Clover said. Her eyes showed a determined glare. “We can start with the Breakdancer Hall.”

“I’ll head to the library then,” Hydrangea said.

“The library?” Rose said.

“I’m certain the records of what occurred the day they went missing would offer some useful clues,” Hydrangea said. “Rose, Lily, Anemone maybe you can help me.”

“That’s a great idea!” Lily said.

“I’m certain that it can help us gleam the context at least,” Anemone said.

“I’ll go too,” Elizabeth said. “A [Maahes] being involved means that I’ll need to learn how that beast operates.”

Rose was less than enthused.

“Guess that leaves me and Azalea,” Raine said.

“Actually,” Tim said. “If the Tombraiders are involved then Heathcliff and I might have some ideas for leads. We could use your help there.”

“Actually,” Azalea said. “Can I go with Emily’s group?”

“Of course,” Emily said. “But why?”

“I just get the feeling that I can get a kick out of seeing what goes on at Breakdancer Hall,” Azalea said with a giggle.

Raine sighed, knowing that Azalea had made yet another pun.

With that settled there are now several groups. Emily, Clover, Streltizia, Azalea, and Raimundo will head to the Madison Breakdancer Hall. Esteban and Julia will head to the nightclub to search for clues. Hydrangea, Lily, Rose, Anemone, and Elizabeth will look at the historical record of the year the cold case began and Raine will go with Tim and Heathcliff to pursue their own leads. With this, the four groups set off for their respective tasks.

✦✦✦

Emily’s group arrived at the Breakdancer Hall in Madison. The sound of drums is heard as Emily, Clover, Streltizia, Azalea, and Raimundo see the people engaged in dances. The movements of the capoeiristas move in nigh ritualistic motions, each trying to upstage their partner.

Clover and Streltizia remembered the place from the other day, but they hadn’t lingered there long enough to understand what was going on there, and who to ask about Patricia.

“Leave it to me,” Raimundo said. He saw the bamba overlooking the class and the musicians. Raimundo navigated around the dancers.

“Welcome, friend,” the master said. “What brings you here today?”

“Raimundo Silva Peres,” the porcine man said as he flashed his business card. “I want to ask about a woman that was here recently.” He then described the woman in question.

“Interesting,” the other person said. They took out a berimbau. “My memory is a little hazy, perhaps you could jog it with a little dance?”

One of the students stepped up to challenge the detective. Raimundo expected as much and obliged the master and his challenger.

“What is going on?” Azalea said.

“I don’t know,” Clover said.

“Looks like they’re testing him,” Streltizia said. “I’ve heard about this from Jacqueline once. The dojos have to conceal themselves to avoid the scrutiny of the Ebony Guards.”

“Because they outlawed the practice?” Emily asked.

“Yeah,” the minotauride said.

Raimundo and his opponent entered a roda. “Manuel, Raimundo,” the bamba said as they began playing a tune with the berimbau. “Begin!”.

Manuel took the first move, striking with an attempted high kick. Raimundo evaded by falling backward and landing on his hands. He moved backward and resumed an upright stance before trying to chop the opponent.

Manuel parried Raimundo’s attack and landed a chop on Raimundo. Raimundo then ducked the subsequent punch and performed a leg sweep to topple Manuel. Then performed a handstand while positioning his legs into an L.

The Bamba was impressed. They helped Manuel up and congratulated Raimundo. “I’ve seen enough, thank you for your performance.”

“Thank you, sir,” Raimundo said.

“About that woman,” the master said. “I recalled she had wounded several of my students in her rodas that day…” They led Raimudo and his group to the affected students. Each of them gave their own testimonies, but they didn’t know where she came from or where she learned her techniques.

“Maybe it was a different woman?” Clover said, hopeful that it wasn’t Patricia.

“Black and pink hair with a gothic outfit?” one of the students said. “There was only one girl like that in the past month.”

Emily turned to the Bamba. “Do you guys know where she went next?”

Another of the students said, “I saw her go that way after she left here.” He pointed in the direction of a shopping center.

“Thank you,” Emily said.

The group headed toward the shopping center to look for leads on Patricia.

✦✦✦

Later at the shopping center. Emily and her group asked around for Patricia.

“She gave off an eerie vibe, to be honest,” one store clerk said to Emily.

“I recall a girl like that,” another clerk said to Clover. “She didn’t talk much.”

“I didn’t pay attention to the customers,” another clerk said to Strelitzia. “They get in, buy stuff, and get out. Speaking of which…” The clerk then had the young minotauride escorted from his storefront.

Azalea was likely kicked out after a failed attempt at a stand-up routine got on the clerk’s nerves.

Raimundo likewise had little luck. Many of the clerks were distrustful of the porcine man.

They soon converge at a restaurant, a family diner that specialized in salad bowls and seafood. Strelitzia was the first to order food there. A plate of several vegetables appears in front of her.

“Well that was a bust,” Clover said.

“Seems like we put the cart before the horse,” Azalea said.

While Stretlizia finished her all-vegetable meal, the others ordered some lunch as well. After they finished their meals. Strelitzia and Clover went to the restroom. As they headed towards the sink, alone in the lavatory. They began to talk a bit.

“You said you had a strange feeling from Patricia, right?” Clover said.

“Yes,” Streltrizia said. “Something about her didn’t sit right with me.”

Water flowed from the faucet as Strelitzia washed her hands. She lathered the soap as she said. “It was like I…no never mind.”

Clover understood her friend. “Was it your parents?”

Strelitzia turned the faucet and took out some paper towers. They both knew about what had happened with the minotaur’s parents, for they were there when it happened. That was the night they had escaped the Labrynthia Minoa.

Strelitzia flashed back to time when fellow minotaurs surrounded her. A place black and dark orange in color, decorated by marble statues. She saw memories of people being paraded around to a room she was forbidden to enter. Memories of other minotaurs eating meals that exuded strange scents.

Her reminisce ended with lament, as she recalled picking up a bloodied labrys before escaping with Clover.

Clover in turn recalled memories of being captured and placed in a cell, with Streltizia sneaking out to talk to her. As the fawn washed her hands she recalled her many talks with her best friend.

“Do you think that things would have ended differently, back then?” Clover said.

“I don’t know,” Streltizia said with a sigh. She didn’t know why her parents were the way they were. Why did they have to impede her and Clover’s escape? Why they haven’t respected their wishes? Above all, why did they eat the flesh of… Her lamenting train of thought was interrupted. She suddenly heard a loud growl. That of a predator stalking her prey.

“Clover,” Streltizia said. “Stay calm.”

Azalea opened the door. “Are you two done, we’re getting ready to—”

Strelitzia tacked Clover as a blue creature lunged forward. She punched the mermaid just enough for the beast to miss. The three Coloraturas sighted a blueish blob transforming into a more leonic form. The natural form of a Maahes.

✦✦✦

Meanwhile, Esteban and Julia had just left Club 4706. Raoul approached them.

“So you are helping with a cold case huh?” the talbard-wearing man said.

“An old friend wanted help,” Esteban said.

“I see,” Raoul said. “Mr. Sorpano and Rebecca had come across something that might help.” Raoul handed them a slip of paper. “It turns out that people near certain apartments are dispersing en masse.”

Esteban and Julia read the paper. It tells of a string of missed person reports near apartment complexes. As well as sightings of people near the more dilapidated buildings. Many of them were in the Underground, but there were a few on the surface as well.

“Interesting,” Julia said. “Housing is at a premium up on the surface. In no small part due to investors buying the deeds and doing nothing with them.”

“Aye,” Raoul said. “Those on the surface, that weren’t converted into other establishments were instead left to rot, while the Ebony Guards scoured the place for trespassers and squatters. If these were actually being used, I doubt it is for housing.”

“That the apartment in the underground is among these indicates something suspicious is happening,” Esteban said.

“That is true,” Raoul said. “There is no value to landlords in the Underground, that is why the city uses it to house the Exsecratii.”

The Hermnadezes thanked Raoul and set off to examine the apartments on the list.

✦✦✦

At the same time, Elizabeth, Hydrangea, Anemone, Lily, and Rose are at a library. They surveyed various newspapers and other records about the year those three kids went missing. As well as various material related to the incident. Elizabeth began reading a book about the Maahes and its abilities.

“Palimpsest Boulevard,” Hydrangea read one of the newspapers. “Tertimber 20th. Child vanished under mysterious circumstances.” The front page displayed an image of a box with a transparent side.

Rose looked at the image curiously. “What is this?”

Elizabeth looked at it. “I don’t know.”

“I found something!” Lily said. The centaur held up another newspaper, dated before the one Hydrangea read. The headline reads “Experimental manameter to be moved to Palimpsest.” The image shows a device similar to that seen in the other paper.

“A [Manameter]?” Elizabeth said.

“So they were using it to gauche the mana levels of items then?” Anemone asked.

“It seemed too large for use with simple items,” Elizabeth said. “Was it intended for use with armor?”

“Maybe it was used for people?” Rose said.

“That seems plausible, but,” Anemone said. They read through the papers and discovered that the articles had details on their specifications. “Vacuum spells to used to seal Manameter, placing live animals or people inside prohibited, dyspnea and asphyxia will ensue.”

Elizabeth mused on the device. “I wonder what such a device was doing in a normal apartment?” She took a pen and paper and began writing down several details. Hydrangea helped with the notes.

Rose meanwhile sighed heavily. Her distaste for libraries was well-noticed among the rest of the Coloraturas. The lamia child slithered around the table looking for something to stave off her boredom until she stumbled upon a third newspaper. An issue of The Bugleblitz. A name that felt like something Azlaea would come up with after hearing one too many cacophonies of brass instruments. The headline of the paper reads “Siblings reported missing in Palimpsest apartment.”

“Look at this,” Rose said upon showing them the Bugleblitz issue. The date is exactly one week after that of the first issue they checked, Tertimber 27th. The article detailed that an Empyrean brother and sister were reported missing the night before and that the parents offered a large bounty for those who found them and returned them safely.

Anemone then found another issue of The Bugleblitz with a headline reading in big bold letters “REAL ESTATE MOGULS FOUND DEAD IN THEIR HOMES”. The group of five looked closer and found a reference linking the deceased to the missing siblings.

“That family seemed cursed,” Lily said.

Elizabeth read the article and found out that they were living in a different apartment than the ones where their children were last seen. The issue also held another article. Elizabeth turned toward it and was shocked to see a photograph depicting a box resembling the manameter, and someone inside of it.

The accompanying article said that eyewitness accounts claimed that someone accidentally got trapped in the manameter and perished inside and that attempts to investigate it and verify the rumors were stymied by the sudden disappearance of the manameter.

Reading through various newspapers, they learned that the photographer was killed and that a strip of gauze was found at the crime scene. A tabloid article claiming that “mummies” prowled the streets to drag people into the Underground and an advertisement for breath mints juxtaposed with complaints of apartments with foul odors around the same time.

After perusing the material, Elizabeth had finished her notes. “Well, I think we learned all we could about the incident.” She said.

“Still,” Hydrangea said. “This opened more questionable than answers.”

The group left the library and headed towards Madison to regroup with Emily’s group.

✦✦✦

At the same time, Raine, Tim, and Heathcliff are at one of the Rouge’s guildhalls.

Heathcliff asked the guildhalls for rumors on Tombraider activity.

“Tombraiders huh?” the receptionist said. “That is quite a broad net you’re casting with.”

“I figured, cher,” Heathcliff said.

The receptionist hands the three a paper with rumors of “mummies” written on them. They looked over the ones pertaining to the district of Madison.

“Let’s see,” Heathcliff said. “An assault on a group of bards after a concert. Suspected theft of the ‘Codex Altair’ from the Met. Loitering near Halcyon’s Aqueduct.” He came across something peculiar and read it. “Sighted escorting several individuals, attempted to intercept them failed. Later intercepted by the Ebony Guards, but slipped passed them. Blackmint Way. House 453.”

“Blackmint Way?” Tim said.

“Isn’t that close to an abandoned condominium?” Raine asked.

“Actually,” Tim said. “There was news about it being taken under private ownership recently.”

Heathcliff rubbed his chin. “It seems like something worth checking out. Let’s come see to the others first.”

“Hold on,” Tim said. “There is something I want to check first.” Tim took the list and skimmed through it. He found several similar sightings on Firestorm Way, Silvermist Road, and Palimpsest Boulevard. He then wrote a list of those and other similar sightings. “There.”

“Any reason why you wrote those down?” Raine said.

“Just in case Blackmint’s a dead end,” Tim said. “Heathcliff tends to jump in unprepared.” He returned the original list to the receptionist.

“S'il te plaît, cher,” Heathcliff said. “I’ve never jumped into an adventure with any less than I needed.”

Tim rolled his eyes. The three left the guild hall and and headed for Madison as that is the closet to Blackmint and where Emily’s group is.

✦✦✦

Meanwhile, Clover, Streltizia, and Azalea are fighting a Mahees in the restroom of the restaurant.

“Halcyon’s Rhapsody!” Azalea shouted out. She channeled water from the running faucets into a chain-like form that wrapped over the legs’ of the beast. Clover used her fan to try to channel cool air to freeze them.

“It would be easier if Hydrangea’s here!” Clover said.

Before the chains could freeze, the blue lion changed its form into that of Streltizia’s. The real one, incensed, plunged forward and slashed at her doppelganger with her labrys. The Maahes dodged her swings and counted with a slash from its unmorphed claws. The minotaur’s armor protected her from the claws, but the attack still severed the axe from Streltizia’s grasp and sent it in front of a stall.

Clover rushed to Streltizia and used her wand to call forth a gale strong enough to forbid the Maahess from approaching them. “Stre, lend me your strength!” she said.

Strelitzia knew what Clover was planning and drew her wand. “Giocosto…” she began as she crossed her wand with Clovers.

“…Sandstorm!” Clover finished the spell as their magical foci glowed in orange and green light.

Sand began to form in the restroom and coalesce into a cyclone circling the Maahess and buffeting it.

“Don’t leave me out of the fun!” Azalea said as she took her knife. “Mudslide Ostinato!” she shouted as she threw her knife into the sandstorm.

The sand began to turn to a mud-like quicksand and bury the Maahes. It attempted to shapeshift, but the fluid sand simply flowed to trap it further. Clover used her fan to summon a gust of air to dry the quicksand enough to trap it. Strelitzia retried her ax as she ran out of the lavatory. The three girls then escaped the restroom while the predator tried to break out of its sandy fetters.

Emily and Raimundo saw the children running from the ladies’ restroom. “What happened?” the avatara said.

“Ma— Maa—“ Clover attempted to tell her what they encountered in eh restroom.

“There’s a Maahes in the restroom!” Streltizia yelled.

Nearby diners spat out their drink upon hearing what the minotaur uttered. They asked for a check in a frightened manner.

The Maahes used their abilities to change into an avian form unbound by the quicksand and flew into the restaurant dining room. Several diners and employees fled the establishment as Emily and the three Coloraturas prepared to fight off the monster.

The manager of the restaurant joined the fight, using a mop to attack the shapeshifter. “Back you foul beast! Back I say!”

“Yeah!” Azalea said. “Back you fowl beast!” she used water spells to encumber the Maahes, but it changed its for to mirror the clionids’ and deft swam across the tables, retailing with its won water magic.

Emily used her swords to deflect the dense water that flew toward her. Strelitzia charged the Maahes and used her labrys to leave a wound on the beast. The disguised Maahes recoiled in pain and shifted to its normal leonid form. Emily’s swords glowed green as she enchanted them with wind magic. She and Clover then summoned a gust that blew the Maahes out of the building alongside several trays and plates. The Maahess began to charge until…

“Presto Electro!”

Rose zipped to the side of the Maahes and struck it with a heavy bolt of lightning. The beast collapsed onto the ground. Elizabeth, Hydrangea, Lily, and Anemone came towards Emily and her group.

The Maahes tried to stand up, but before it could, it sensed another attack coming its way. It shapeshifted into a slime-like form right as Tim impaled it from above with his Qiang. As Tim made the blow, the spear cut off a path of fur and skin loosened by the wound Streltizia left on it. The beast used this slime form to escape, knowing it was now outmatched.

Tim swiped his Qiang at the air in front. Raine flew towards the group and Heathcliff rushed toward the others. “Are you alright, cher?”

“I’m fine,” Emily said.

They looked at the direction the Maahes fled. Anemone saw the patch of flesh left on the ground and picked it up. The blue fur felt coarse to her fingertips.

“We lost it,” Heathcliff said. “Lovely.” He let out a sigh.

“We have gathered some information,” Tim said. “How about you?”

“I’ve learned all I need to know about fighting the [Maahes] now,” Elizabeth said.

“We also looked into the day those kids went missing,” Hydrangea said.

“We came up with zilch,” Azalea said. “Just a Maahes attack.”

“Actually,” Anemone said as she presented the patch of fur. “I think I can use this to track the monster.”

During the discussion. Emily saw the restaurant manager and employees look over the destruction wreaked by the battle in a mix of shock and shame. “Can you give me a minute?” she said. She went to talk with the manager. “We’re sorry about what happened.”

“It happens,” the manager said. “Monsters thinking they could just waltz in here and terrorize the patrons.”

Emily offered to help clean up the restaurant, to Rose’s dismay. The rest of the group also agreed to lend a hand to her efforts.