Rose stood against the wall smoothing out the long since defeated wrinkles in her skirt. She looked around the cafeteria and started to walk toward the door, stopped and returned to her position on the wall. She saw a pillar a few feet away and decided to wait there instead. When she arrived, Rose tried to casually lean against the marble, but quickly returned to fussing over nonexistent imperfections in her clothes. She looked around again. The room was undoubtedly impressive; even more so considering it was a cafeteria. Sunlight poured in from huge windows along the far end illuminating the diners who filled the room. The room buzzed with chatter as employees grabbed breakfast, most taking their food to go, but more than a few lazily sat and took in conversation, as well as food. Rose felt the cafeteria more resembled the atrium of some museum than a place to eat; with all the chic tables and various indoor plants for scenery. A variety of flora garnished the room; some were taller than the ceiling and grew through the skylights, while others bloomed with huge leaves of purple, gold, and pink. They produced subtle, but delightful smells. Rose took a seat at a table near the front; an eye kept towards the door.
A sigh escaped her lips as Rose tried to mentally prepare herself for the first day. Her life had felt like a whirlwind, well for over a year now, but certainly over the last moon phase. Rose had gone from being around everyone and everything she knew in the provinces to a life in the heart of Aesos in what felt like the blink of an eye. That had always been the goal, finish Academy and move to where the action was, but this was not the way she had prepared for and envisioned. There was a clear line of demarcation in Rose’s life between her old plans and whatever seemed to be taking place now. Down to her core, Rose was sure she could handle things; she had always been one to take on a challenge, but it would be a lie if she didn’t admit that her life felt unruly at the moment. It was distressing to say the least.
“I don’t understand. Why have we returned here? Explain.” the voice said.
“It’s my first day of work.” Rose said.
“We were just here yesterday. Does that not count?”
“That was an interview, to get the job, so that I can come here every day to make money.”
“Absolutely tedious.”
“Do they not have jobs where you’re from?”
“I...don’t know. Based on how loathsome I find this, I assume whatever I did was far more compelling than...tilling the fields or whatever you people do.”
“Loathsome or not, don’t forget why we’re here. And again, I’m not a peasant farmer.” Rose muttered, once again glancing around.
“Of course I haven’t forgotten. I’m still waiting on gratitude which has yet to appear by the way. I couldn’t just watch you flail and struggle. I was embarrassed for both of us.”
“I wasn’t flailing and struggling, first of all. My concentration during Academy literally touched on spells and artifacts. I was going to be an Apothecary Administrator until ‘something’ happened and a lost year later, here we are.” Rose caught herself beginning to yell, and looked around to make sure nobody saw.
“Exactly. That sounds boring and disgustingly benevolent. I saved you from yourself.”
“Thank you so much. You must be the ghost of a fairy godmother.” Rose said as she rolled her eyes.
“No.” The voice hissed, louder and more insistent than Rose had ever heard before. It wasn’t possible to describe the voice. It sounded like nobody Rose had ever met while simultaneously being feeling familiar. It was as if she were talking to someone she had just met from beyond Aesos, and had known for her whole life. Rose could no more get a sense of who or what the voice belonged to by sound than she could its height. Besides snark, there was a pleasant, but uncomfortable evenness to the voice. This was the first time it had shown such emotion and Rose was taken aback. She cleared her throat.
“Well anyway, I meant the reason we wanted this job in first place.” Rose sat, leg bouncing while she waited, and surveyed the room again hoping to spot the Foreman. The sight of which she hoped would ease the tension from waiting, and from the outburst by the voice in her head. She noticed a man standing off to the side near the cafeteria entrance. He was perfectly unremarkable, except for a noticeable attempt at inconspicuousness.
“In my experience, anyone trying to blend in that well is worth keeping an eye on.” the voice said. Rose wanted to ask what experience exactly, but was too focused on the man. Something drew her eye to him. He wasn’t fidgety or making any sudden moves but he checked his watch with insistence. He was tall, and broad shouldered. He wore simple black suit with matching tie over a white shirt. His jacket perfectly wrapped around his body. He had stubble on his chin and his short hair had silver flecks spread throughout. His eyes looked tired and had hints of recently healed bruising.
This wasn’t the first time Rose had noticed something that would have previously gone overlooked in the past. For whatever reason the voice seemed to pick up cues Rose never considered previously. Perhaps the voice belonged to a ghost who had been a rude, but eagle eyed hunter or it had something to do with how the voice had died. Assuming it was a voice from the dead in the first place. Regardless, she seemed to be picking up things from the voice, which Rose had to admit had become very useful as she found herself in an unfamiliar city, surrounded by strangers.
Rose narrowed her eyes as she zeroed in on the something that caught her attention. The man had a Juror’s badge much like her own, but it emitted a modest, soft glow. She took her own badge out of her bag. It looked pretty much the same, minus the light. Rose turned it over but couldn’t find some way to ignite the badge. It was possible that her lack of natural magic had something to do with it, but no other badge Rose had seen discharged light like the one the man wore. She looked back up in time to see the man was now talking with someone else. This new person wore a gray patterned vest with matching tie. His hair was longer, and he looked far less put together than the man in a black suit. His face carried a scowl and his pointy ears twitched as he talked. He was much leaner than the man in the suit.
The two men exchanged words and the man in the vest quickly looked around, which prompted the man in the suit to squint his eyes and shake his head slightly. The man in the vest motioned for the other to follow him and they started to walk out of the cafeteria. Rose followed the pair with her eyes until she suddenly came face to face with a Fenrok.
“The banality of evil.” he said. Rose jumped back from surprise. Fenrok, above all else, were not dogs. A point of clarification Rose remembered from Academy. Despite looking effectively identical, minus walking and talking, Fenrok took exception to the comparison. Dogs, enchanted dogs, and Fenrok all felt themselves to be separate and unrelated creatures. Anyone who did not treat them as such did so to their own peril. Still, looking at the snout, wagging tail and droopy ears of the Fenrok in front of her, Rose could do little but seeing the similarities. The Fenrok wore a nice trench coat and and had a pair of glasses resting on the top of his head. He had black fur, with patches of white growing in around his nose. He looked around nonchalantly. “The biggest challenge we face is not the one who does wrong, but he who sees wrong and concludes it’s right.”
“Yeah, sure. That makes sense.” Rose said slowly. The Fenrok bumped into Rose, he came up to her stomach, and cleared his throat. She took a step back and he cleared his throat once again. Rose looked down and saw him holding his paw out.
“Perhaps you would not let pass by the open hand of the one who requests your aid. For he may be your brother. Some would dare say missing a meal as delectable as what the cooks have prepared today is downright evil.” the Fenrok said. Rose fished out a few coins from her purse and dropped them in to his paw.
“Here you go.” Rose said. The Fenrok let out a contented sigh. He began patting his pockets.
“You’ll have to forgive me, I’ve misplaced my lunch money and had to replace that with my breakfast money. Keep up my strength.”
“What about your dinner money?” Rose asked.
“Oh no thank you. I have plenty of that.” the Fenrok said. Rose stood confused but otherwise found him to be pleasant. The Fenrok patted his head until he felt his glasses and put them on. He then opened his coat and looked in the various pockets. He took his glasses off, reached into his pocket and pulled out and identical pair and placed those over his eyes. The glass really magnified his eyeballs giving them a comically large appearance. He leaned closed to Rose and began sniffing the air. “Ah there is something great within you to do when you decide to let yourself learn to be great.”
“Thanks?” Rose said. The Fenrok nodded, switched glasses to put the new pair away and wandered off. Rose watched him walk to the front of the line, past several people waiting, and hold out the coin as he ordered food.
“Rose?” a voice shouted. Rose turned, startled, then furrowed her brow. She had absolutely no clue as to the identity of the woman rapidly approaching her. Rose stood up from the table and extended her hand as the woman arrived, but she blew past the attempted shake.
“Too familiar. Destroy her before she stabs you!” the voice said.
“Hey, you...” Rose managed as she separated the hug. She tried to quickly eye the woman to see if anything jogged her memory. The woman had long green hair and stood a head shorter than Rose. By the labels, Rose could tell the woman’s sweater and skirt each cost more than she had spent on clothes the last two years combined. Beyond a taste for high fashion and an appreciation for well done nails and makeup, Rose still had no idea who had just given her a hug.
“Oh my Myr I can’t believe it’s you. I had no idea you worked here.”
“Back at you.” Rose said. “It’s my first day actually, and I’m-”
“Hey, guys get over here!” The woman beckoned to a group of four people who had followed her into the cafeteria. As they arrived, she positively beamed. “Guys, this is Rose. She’s a province girl like me!” She posed next to Rose as if to show her off. The woman paused. “Wow so there’s like three of us now!”
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“Three people from the provinces work here?” Rose asked.
“Dagon Uthury.” a man said, stepping forward and extending his hand. Based on the more rounded point of his ears and tan skin, Rose figured he had to be a Midland Forest Elf. She shook Dagon’s hand. “Pleasure to meet you.” He said, with a wink. Rose felt her breath catch. Midland Forest Elves had notorious reputations for being seducers due to the natural magical charm they produced. As far a Rose understood, the mana suppression spires, and overall awareness by the general populace kept that from being an issue, but upon first exposure, the effects were still acute.
“Oh Myr, give me a break.” another woman said pushing through the group. “At least let the poor girl get through orientation before you try to put the moves on her.” She held out her hand. “Arjuna Nereis. Call me Jun.” The girl was tall, taller than Rose anyway, with blonde, short hair done in a pony tail. Her skin was a pale teal, and she had large brown eyes. Jun had small slits along her neck and wasn’t stocky but was incredibly toned. Merfolk usually had much greater bone and muscle density than their human counterparts.
“Nice to meet you Jun.” Rose said.
“You and Victoria grew up together?” Jun asked. Rosa wanted to snap her fingers. Victoria Lovelace. That was the woman’s name. Memories were finally coming back to her, and Rose remembered she didn’t particularly like Victoria. She had always found the girl to be a bit pushy and dull; flaws overcompensated for with her wealth.
“Now you sound like me. You’re so cruel to poor Vicky.” the voice teased.
“Not exactly. Our provinces neighbor each other but-”
“Just a couple of provincial gals making it big!” Victoria answered. “Well my family moved to the city when I was young, but I went home for Academy and that’s where we met.” Victoria’s face immediately turned serious. “I’m just so proud to see you here.”
“I didn’t know it was that bad out there.” Jun said.
“It’s not that. I mean, it is, but” Victoria grabbed Rose’s hands and narrowed her eyes, eyebrows pulled down in concentration “poor Rose was caught in an accident our last year at the Academy. Rumors were she tripped some curse and exploded or got transported through time or something.” Victoria wiped a tear from her eye. “We all thought you died.”
“Resurrection is quite the resume highlight.” Dagon quipped.
“I didn’t die.” Rose said. “I don’t remember what we were doing, but I just remember coming into contact with...something, a bright light, a jolting feeling and then nothing. Next thing I know I woke up in a room at the Academy I’d never seen before.” Rose’s memory regarding everything about the incident was hazy, from start until some of the time after. Often, trying to remember turned into physical pain.
“And look at you now. A...what is it you do here? Hospitality right?” Victoria asked. Rose was beginning to remember why she didn’t particularly like Victoria.
“I didn’t say.” She turned towards the others. “I’m a juror actually.” Rose said. An impressed murmur rose from the group.
“Break my waves. So are we.” Jun said. “What pool you in? We might work near each other.” Rose shook her head. “The Jurors are split into several pools of twelve members and a Foreman.” Jun searched in her bag and pulled out her badge. “Thought I lost it again. That would be embarrassing.” she said with a laugh. “See? I’m juror number four. Which puts me in pool one.” Dagon made a noise.
“Is something wrong with the first pool?” Rose asked.
“Ignore him. He’s an alternate juror and still mad about it. First pool gets the highest profile cases.” Jun paused. “Which can be good...and bad. I wouldn’t make a big deal out of rising to that level.”
“Easy for you to say. You’re already there.” Dagon said.
“We started at the same time.” Jun said. She turned to Dagon. “Not my fault my score in summoning was better.”
“By one point.”
“So you admit, one point better.” Jun said grinning.
“What’s an alternate?” Rose asked.
“Alternate Jurors fill in on cases across pools but aren’t assigned to one individually. Typically we’re good at a variety of areas.” Dagon said.
“So mediocre everywhere, instead of, you know, really good at one.” Jun said.
“Wow, mediocre, I’ll remember that next time your hangover is so bad you need someone to cover.” Dagon turned back to Rose. “We’re also the primary jurors for smaller and civil cases.” Dagon said. “In a way we’re far more important and integral to the justice system than quote, unquote real jurors.”
“Yeah. Who would weigh in on the case of the leaky cauldron sold at full price?” Jun asked. She and Dagon began to bicker.
“You jurors.” Victoria said with a sigh.
“You’re not one?” Rose asked, trying to hide the hope in her voice.
“Afraid not. I’m a court reporter. Sort of the bridge between judges and this office. You know, manage dockets, facilitate judge proceedings, step in when necessary for trials.” Victoria said. As she droned on, Rose noted there was a surprising seriousness in Victoria’s voice. For all the cloying aspects of her personality, Victoria seemed to understand just how weighty, and typically dreadful, trials turned out.
“Let’s see your number I could probably help you find your desk.” Jun said as she turned away from her tiff with Dagon. Rose pulled out her badge.
“It just has nine on it. Is the seating by number or-” Rose said.
“For the love of Myr. I was passed over again?” Dagon shouted.
“Whoa. First day, first pool? Must have been some interview.” Jun said. Even Victoria looked surprised.
“You were on track to graduate with full accommodations, right behind me, right? Before the incident.” Victoria asked. Rose frowned, but Victoria didn’t notice.
“My aptitude test score was actually pretty good.” Rose said.
“Ahem.” the voice said.
“They also played a card game with me and I think I did well. I’m not still sure what that was about.”
“That stupid game.” Jun said as she shook her head.
“She’s just angry because she nearly failed it.” Dagon said with a self-satisfied smile.
“It was a lot of gaeld. Okay? I’m beyond reproach now. Reproach me. I dare you.” Jun responded angrily.
“You’ve got big shoes to fill.” Dagon said.
“Was the previous number nine a top Juror or something before quitting?” Rose asked. An uncomfortable silence settled over the group, and they exchanged glances.
“You’d be better served asking one of the partners about it.” Dagon said finally.
“Since we’re in the same pool, we can drop off our inferior and I’ll show you our office space.” Jun said. Rose didn’t know enough about the culture of Midland Forest Elves to understand it exactly, but she could tell Dagon made some sort of rude gesture in response.
“Thanks, but I’m supposed to be meeting someone named Jack Egger to take me around.” Rose said.
“Jack?” Jun asked, and waved her off. “Trust me, I’m doing you a favor. He’s not exactly the welcoming committee, if he remembers you at all.”
“Don’t take it personal, he’s a prick to everyone. Unless he’s being a prick to you because you pissed him off. Then take it very personally.” Dagon added. Jun took Rose by the arm and began to lead her out of the cafeteria. “Don’t worry, I saw him before I came down, said he had a meeting or something. I’ll make sure he knows I took you up.”
Jun, Rose, Dagon, and Victoria walked through the hall leading towards the offices. Jun had been giving Rose an orientation much different than the one she had been expecting.
“And at McGrindel’s we get extended happy hour, plus a free appetizer during lunch. Plus when you head to the break room we’ve established there, we’re stocked full of drinks, and fried potatoes. Obviously, Foremen are not allowed.”
“Wow.” was all Rose could say. Jun had told her about so many ways to do anything but work while being at work. But the reaction was only partially reserved for Jun’s tips of the trade. The rest was focused on the magnificent building they were touring. The capital and center of Aesos was the oldest area. Technically the provinces were older, being where humans had come to the center from, but they weren’t as built up as the city. Many structures in the capital were modified and refreshed versions of buildings from a much earlier time; several predated known existence. The mayor’s office, for example, was housed in a large castle which had once been used by the royal Fae of millennia ago. It remained one of the few tangible relics of their era. The Jurors were housed in what Rose imagined was probably a former citadel based on the large courtyard in between the four towers which made up the corners of the building. Despite the primeval appearance on the outside, the building felt fresh and new as you walk through the interior. The walls were made of, or changed to be made of, large pristine white stone and marble flooring. Tall windows were found not just in the cafeteria, but everywhere, allowing for plenty of natural lighting. And of course, exotic fauna garnished the hallways.
“This is where I get off. ” Victoria said. “Before I depart, we need to get together this weekend. We should totally have a house warming party. Where do you live?”
“Sherham Bluffs. Are you familiar?” Rose asked. Victoria and the others made a face. “Is that a bad area? It was the only apartment I could get before I was hired.”
“It’s not bad.” Jun said.
“Not great either.” Dagon added.
“It’s a solid, affordable area.” Jun said, helpfully. “And convenient to work. It’s fine. More than fine. It’s okay, even.”
“Eww what are you talking about? The place is the pits.” Victoria said. Jun and Dagon turned to her with a look disbelief. She looked at Rose. “No offense.”
“None taken.” Rose said and crossed her arms.
“Trust me. Once you get your full salary you’re going to want to move somewhere upscale, quick.” Victoria said. “Until then, we’ll celebrate at this bar I go to all the time. Toodles.” Victoria waved as she turned the corner.
“I’ve seen bogs less thick headed than her.” Dagon said. The trio laughed.
Ahead, Rose noticed a line of uniformed men approaching from the opposite direction. They walked in a tight line and were lead by a very short man wearing a red pointed hat. He had a thick, flowing white beard. As they passed, he glanced at Rose and made a ‘hrmph’ noise.
“Police chief. He is grouch, personified.” Jun said. “If they’re here, it means a big case is didn’t go their way and they want to complain, or something big is coming down the pipe.” She motioned back and forth between herself and Rose to say ‘me and you’. “They’re pretty strict on not allowing non Jurors walk the halls.”
“Oh hey, how do I get my badge to glow, or is that just a partner thing?” Rose asked. Jun and Dagon looked at each other.
“They don’t. They do a lot of things, but glow is not on the list.” Jun said.
“Did someone trying to sell you a glowing badge? You gotta watch out, they haze new jurors.” Dagon said.
“Yeah I heard someone even bought a pool pass on their first day.” Jun said laughing.
“Shut up.” Dagon replied quickly.
They passed a large, ornate, golden gate with hundreds of thin bars, and an enormous window off to the side.
“Inside.” the voice hissed. Rose nearly stumbled as she felt her arm twitch and her legs briefly tried to stop walking. She turned and peered through the window. The room beyond was too dark to see anything.
“That’s the evidence room.” Dagon said once he and Jun noticed Rose had been left behind. “We store all sorts of items related to cases there. Everything in there has either just arrived from or on its’ way back to DMA headquarters.”
“Place gives me the creeps honestly.” Jun said. “You’ll be authorized to go inside, but for obvious reasons they’re pretty mindful of who goes in and out. Don’t want anything to grow legs. Well anything that’s not supposed to I mean.”
“Go inside.” The voice insisted. The voice had mixture of desperation and demand which made Rose uncomfortable. Still, something seemed to be calling out to her, pulling her, and she instinctively began reaching for the gate. Her fingers nearly brushed the bars when the gate swung up and Rose lost her balance trying to take a startled step back and avoid getting hit. She landed hard on the floor, which broke the light daze Rose didn’t realize she had just been under. She looked up to see what had almost hit her and caught sight of a man with severe, grimaced look upon his face. Rose scrambled to her feet.
“I’m sorry. I was just...” Rose trailed off and her heart sunk as she noticed the gray patterned vest with matching tie over a slender frame and disheveled hair. Her eyes glanced at the name on his badge: Jack Egger.