‘We’ve searched high and low and just about collected any piece of evidence important to the investigation.’ Said Vulpine police officer, Drake Neuman.
Ken marched into the airship with a cane clacking against the hard metal floor, his gaze sharply peering throughout the compound. He now stood in the hall of Dawnite artifacts, and upon noting nothing of particular importance, turned the face the officer who spoke to him. ‘You’re sure you got everything you need?’
‘Yes, detective. We’ve asked around town about the fuel that the perpetrators used, but the local gas station just laughed at us when we asked about whether their fuel could have been used to power the airship.’
Another voice piped up, echoing through the hall. ‘That’s cause you asked them if car fuel would work on an airship!’
The two turned toward the source of the voice finding Sandra, wiping her forehead with the back of one hand, while holding a toolbox on the other. She continued, ‘airships use a specialised fuel that has a high concentration of helium. As it burns, the energy causes the helium to expand and rise into the envelope, which is the giant balloon part. I don’t imagine cars need to float.’
‘Hello, Sandra’ Ken greeted.
‘Hi, prosthetic breaker.’ Sandra bit back.
Ken sighed and resigned himself to a month of Sandra’s torment. ‘Are you enjoying yourself working on the airship?’
‘I’m loving it! I get to learn all sorts of things about the internal workings of the arcane-mechanical engine! Like, did you know that the fuel not only has a mixture of helium, but also grounded soul crystals? They designed the airship to fly not just with conventional chemical reactions, but also arcane ones, utilising wind magic to help with steering and floating, thereby reducing the necessary size of the envelope.’
The officer beside Ken cleared his throat, allowing his annoyance to be known. ‘As much as we appreciate the lesson in aerodynamics, don’t you think you have somewhere to be?’
She looked back at him with a dazed expression, fidgeting around with the toolbox in her hand before looking at a watch wrapped around her wrist. ‘Oh right! I needed to bring this to the boys!’
‘Yes, thank you.’ The officer said as Sandra rushed further into the airship’s main hall. ‘Now, where were we?’
‘She’s got a point y’know.’ Ken stated.
‘What do you mean by that? That has nothing to do with what we’re investigating.’ Spat back the exasperated officer, his vulpine ears sloping downwards.
‘The fuel.’
‘The fuel?’
‘Yes, the fuel.’
‘Umm… I’m lost’ the officer admitted.
Ken cleared his throat and started his explanation. ‘The airship uses a specialised type of fuel specifically used for airships, correct?’
‘That was what she said, yes.’
‘It’s a mix of both chemical and arcane components that aren’t necessary for powering a car. I would wager that such substances would be far too expensive for the average car owner.’
‘So you’re implying that my inquiry at the gas station was an idiotic move…’
Ken laughed. ‘No, you’re just uninformed about these types of things. Meanwhile, I have to hear about it nearly everyday.’
‘Right, and where does this lead us?’
Ken hunched closer to the Vulpine officer. ‘Think about it for a moment. An expensive and specialised fuel that you can’t get in your average gas station…’
‘That means they’ve outsourced it from somewhere else!’ The officer declared.
‘Bingo.’
‘And the people who gave them the truck full of specialised fuel would be…’
The vulpine officer stopped in his tracks as he realised he couldn’t complete the sentence. For a moment, he looked at Ken’s face for an answer, only to find Ken smiling reassuringly. He stuttered. ‘I-I… Ah…’
Ken pat his shoulder, ‘You’re on the right track, but you’re jumping too far ahead.’
‘Man, I’m no good at this investigation stuff.’
‘You’re just a rookie, alright. Everyone starts off looking like an idiot at first. Just keep your eyes peeled for the details and don’t go rushing off to find the answers.’
‘But wouldn’t finding the answer solve the mystery?’
‘Sure, but if you’re impatient, you’ll start making them up as you go. That’s dangerous as an officer.’
‘R-right.’
Ken then straightens himself before continuing his questioning. ‘What about the suspects. You’ve already interrogated them?’
Drake straightened himself as well before answering. ‘Yes sir. The Vulpine woman refused to say anything, and the Lupine man is still in a state of shock from the incident regarding the mechanical dragon.’
‘And the other three?’
‘They gave the most details, albeit accidentally. The Leporid was very jumpy and nervous, so it was easy to trick him and coax out information from him.’
‘And what did he say?’
‘They were given the job by a middleman. He met them on Autumn Boulevard in the Rabuddon District inside Yggdra City.’
‘Autumn Boulevard? That’s near-’ Ken stopped as he made a realisation. ‘Did they say what the man looked like?’
‘A Leonun man with black-grey fur and a white mane. He was dressed in a dark-blue long-coat.’
Ken shut his eyes. ‘I might have a lead. I knew this was a little too well coordinated.’
Just then, yet another voice rang through the halls as a seemingly jubilant Elven man stepped toward Ken. The moment he took notice of the Elf, he noted how clean and sleekly he was dressed, a find red coat with a golden-brown fur lining and gold accents wrapped around his tall slender frame, and a hand with fingers covered in rings wrapping around the tip of a finely crafted reddish wooden cane. He stepped toward Ken, staring him down with slanted eyes before a smile crept up to his face. He spoke. ‘Ah, you must be Detective Ken Larsen, correct?’
Ken, a little unnerved by the appearance of someone looking so regal, forced himself to lower his shoulders the moment he realised they were tense. He politely reached out a hand. ‘Indeed, and you are?’
The Elven man firmly grasped his hand, excitedly shaking it. ‘Why, I’m Roswell Hein. I own this airship.’
That makes a lot of sense, Ken thought. He had always found the tastes of the upper class a little too extravagant for him, and to him, found the entire setup of a temporary airship-museum as being a little gaudy, and unaligned with the actual artifacts that the museum was showing off. Seeing him now was a confirmation of what he believed about the rich: the more money you have, the more nonsensical your tastes become. Regardless of what he thought, he continued to practise a modicum of respect. ‘Well, Mr. Hein, I hope you’ll consider increasing your security detail next time. If it weren’t for me and two kids, this airship would have crossed the Khrysean border by now.’
Roswell laughed, ‘why of course! If it weren’t for you and those two kids, I’d be having to explain why the venue I invited a handful of my friends and family to has suddenly upped and vanished!’
‘I don’t think you realise the severity of the situation. The suspects, despite being a bunch of buffoons, were still well-funded and had a half-decent plan. They even had a backup plan that likely involved snatching just the artifacts and leaving via a getaway vehicle.’
Despite hearing this, Roswell remained in his whimsical behaviour, ‘And that would have been rather worrying since losing just one of these artifacts would have costed me more than the price of this airship!’
Drake’s eyelid twitched. Enraged, yet remaining formal, he asserted, ‘sir, if you could just listen to the detective here. You’d know he’s right. There’s no reason to pretend as if there’s nothing wrong going on, when something wrong did happen just last night! Detective Ken got hurt protecting your property, so please just treat the situation with a little more gravity.’
‘Oh, I suppose you’re right,’ Roswell admitted, ‘Detective Larsen, I do genuinely thank you for what you’ve done for me. May I speak to you alone?’
Ken and the officer stared at each other confused, but after a brief moment of considering his choice, decided to nod at Drake, signalling him to leave the room. ‘Alright, what do you want to say?’
With Drake out of the room, Roswell’s demeanour shifted, a mask slipping away from his face, revealing the face of an entirely serious man. ‘My apologies for the act. I simply do not trust the local police just yet.’
‘But I’m an officer too.’ Ken pointed out.
‘Yes, but one with a reputation.’ He interjected. ‘A brilliant detective, one of the best in Yggdra, is that correct?’
Ken’s face remained stoic, ‘I hope you realise that flattery won’t get you anywhere with me.’
‘But the intrigue will, won’t it?’ He asked, raising an eyebrow along with giving a slight smirk. ‘I’ve seen your type, the nosy kind that never rests until the truth is revealed, and justice is served.’
‘Just get to your proposal. I’m not here to wait in suspense.’
‘Right.’ He said, dragging out the word, then continued, ‘I suppose you’ve realised just how much backstabbing can occur in the higher echelons of society?’
‘I take it you think one of your visitors might’ve been responsible for planning this heist.’
‘Such impatience! I am trying to set the stage here for you.’
‘Sorry, but I really am not in the mood to play around right now.’
‘Oh, fine fine. I came to ask you to continue this investigation when you go back into the city.’
‘Oh yeah, and what’s in it for me?’
‘Hah, what’s in it for you!?’ He chuckled, ‘I was entirely sure you’d have taken the case on your own!’
‘But a rich man like you doesn’t like owing things to people.’ Ken said piercing straight through his obfuscation, ‘meaning that you’d much rather offer me something outright.’
‘Very correct,’ he said as he smirked. ‘I would reckon that you aren’t the type to accept too much money from your clients. But you do have a soft spot for your loved ones, particularly the mechanic girl?’
Ken flashed his teeth, ‘I would hope that you aren’t about to make a threat, Mr Hein.’
‘Oh, good heavens no!’ He reassured. ‘I simply have an interest in budding young minds, and I may wish to offer her not just a full-ride scholarship to the Magus Academy, but also a place in the Odingardian Arcane Institute the moment she graduates. Think about it, the girl surrounded by the brightest minds in arcane research, all working together for a brighter tomorrow.’
‘Thanks, but she’s already got a full-ride scholarship in the Magus Academy.’
‘And the Arcane Institute? She could still be part of that.’
‘She’s a mechanic, so I doubt being in a stuffy lab coat is what she’ll look for in the future.’
‘I see…’
‘That said. I’m still taking on this case.’
‘Really?’
‘Maybe I’ve just been a little bored as of late, and I need a good mind twister.’
‘Perfect! Then I shall rely on you.’
‘I still want money.’
‘Of course. I would not expect you to work without pay.’
‘That said, we didn’t catch everyone, Mr. Hein.’
Roswell tilted his head, ‘Oh?’
‘The guard you had on duty on the entrance.’
‘He was part of this plot?’
‘Yep. There’s someone going over to his home now to search for any signs of where he might’ve run to.’
___
Evander stepped closer to the premises of a small farmstead, left uncared for, the maize field slowly rotting away from neglect. He crouched down, observing the leaves of one, noting the yellow colouration upon them, along with a myriad of other problems. ‘Nitrogen deficiency, uneven soil, weak root development… Mr. Forester, you’ve not only left your brother, you’ve left the farm behind too…’
Getting back on the proper soil pathway, he walked through the fields of maize that was considerably smaller than the other farmsteads, and eventually reached the front door of the Forester household, also left decrepit from an age of oversight. Upon twisting the doorknob of the entrance and finding it unlocked, he entered to find a deeply broken house with photos, some cracked, hanging upon a wall of a family of four from a much happier time. He took a moment to stare at the faces in the photograph, recognising Mr. and Mrs. Forester holding their children, the younger Thomas, and the older Gabriel. He noticed the horns that had begun sprouting from the top of Gabriel’s head that haven’t yet reached even a quarter of the length that he recognised from his “friend”. As he was getting further engrossed in the potential tales that the photos told, a noise resounded from the kitchen, a dragging noise, the sound of wood scrapping against the tiled floor.
Evander hurried into the kitchen, only to find a pale Dratshi child no older than seven years, calmly pouring cereal into a bowl.
Evander called out. ‘Thomas?’
The boy beamed in return, ‘Evander?’
The boy, Thomas, weakly but excitedly rose from his chair and shuffled toward Evander, only to fall over his own feet. As he fell forward, Evander leaped toward him, managing to grab him before he hit the ground.
‘Are you okay?’ Evander asked.
‘I-I’m okay.’ Thomas meekly spoke with a slight rasp to his voice.
‘Let’s get you seated, Tommy.’
A minute passed and Thomas was now seated across from Evander. The Dratshi boy continued to eat from his bowl of cereal, which Evander noticed entirely lacked milk. Evander frowned at the sight, and spoke. ‘Hey, Tommy.’
‘Yeah?’ He responded inbetween bites of his breakfast.
‘Has your brother stopped by?’
‘He stopped by last night, but it was after my bedtime so I pretended to be asleep cause he gets mad if I’m not asleep by then.’
‘Did he say anything?’
‘He gave me a kiss on my forehead and said “I’ll be going away for a while, but I promise I’ll be back.”’ He said, imitating his brother. ‘I guess he’s very busy.’
‘Yeah… Busy…’ Evander trailed off into silence, unable to fully face the boy.
The two sat there as Evander was unable to tell him the truth, the only sound in the room coming from the crunching of cereal and clanking of the spoon against the porcelain bowl. A wind began to whistle as it hit the kitchen window at an angle, and the sunlight illuminated the boy, but Evander remained in the dark. Eventually, the boy finished his meal, and after downing a glass of water, asked Evander. ‘Why do you look so sad?’
‘Huh? Oh.’ Evander was caught in surprise. He stayed quiet as he searched for the right words to alleviate the situation. ‘I’m not sad.’
‘Then why do you look sad?’
‘I-’ Evander couldn’t answer, and so he thought of something else. ‘Hey, Thomas?’
‘Yes?’
‘Do you want to live- I mean, stay over at my mother’s place?’
The boy looked upwards as he thought about it. ‘Like a sleep-over?’
‘Y-yeah. Like a sleepover. But it’s everyday.’
‘Everyday?’ He asked excitedly then lowered his energy, ‘but what about my brother? I should wait until he comes back.’
‘A-Ah. Well y’see.’ Evander stammered, ‘your brother… He’s working out of town!’
‘Working out of town?’
‘Yes! And it’s an important job, so he told us that we should take you in temporarily.’
Thomas looked at the Leonun teenager in front of him, not fully comprehending the reasons for his nervous behaviour. Thomas trusted him though. He was the closest thing to having a second older brother he could depend on, and so even if there was something else that he wasn’t telling him, he liked him well enough to go with what he said. ‘Okay.’
‘Okay?’
‘But one thing, Evander.’
‘O-oh?’ Evander stuttered out, thinking he had been caught in his lie.
‘You have to stay.’
Evander looked puzzled. He stared at the boy and asked, ‘what do you mean by that?’
‘My older brother said that you wanted to go to the city, but I don’t want you to go.’
‘Ah…’ Evander began to rub his arm. ‘The thing is…’
‘Heyyyy…’ Thomas pouted and complained, ‘my parents are gone. Big bro said they’re not gonna ever come back again, and brother’s gone now too, and I don’t know when he’s coming back. Why do you wanna leave too?’
‘Well, this is different.’
‘Why is it different? I don’t get it.’
Evander breathed deeply and steeled himself. It was not kind to lie to the child, he thought. His mother didn’t raise him to lie, and especially not to someone who needs to hear the truth. He began to explain, ‘your parents aren’t coming back because they’re dead.’
‘Dead?’
‘Yes.’
‘Dead like the frog we saw getting pecked at by a crow by the stream that one time?’
‘I’m sorry…’
‘B-but big bro said that they were just travelling to another world, like in the fairy tales!’
Evander clenched his fists. The boy continued to speak.
‘Big bro said that the c-c-c- Oh what was it called?’
‘The coffins.’ Evander said quietly.
‘He said that the coffins were actually magical doors and that they opened to other places, but for it to work, we had to bury them.’
‘I’m sorry…’
‘They can’t be dead. They’re nothing like the frog!’
‘I’m so sorry…’
‘Evander, why do you keep saying you’re sorry.’ He cried out with his voice crackling and tears beginning to flow, even if he didn’t fully understand why.
‘I’m so sorry…’ Evander cried too.
‘Evander…’ He called out. ‘Evander please don’t tell me they’re dead…’
The boy stumbled off of his chair and once more and walked toward Evander. Evander stood in return and caught him, holding him in an embrace as the two wept, the boy releasing his tears and snot unto his shoulder, clutching at his back all the while. Evander could only whisper the only phrase he could think of saying.
‘I’m so sorry.’
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
After a while, the two stood outside of the house, the boy carried upon Evander’s back while he himself carried a small backpack. Evander began to march down the soil path all the while explaining everything. ‘Your brother got himself into some big trouble, and as much as I want to find him, we don’t currently have any leads as to where he is.’
‘He isn’t dead, is he?’
‘No, no. He’s just on the run. He got roped into some bad stuff, but I believe we can convince him to let go of all of that, if we could just find him.’
‘And what about me? Your mom’s gonna take care of me?’
‘Yeah. And you can use my room while you’re there.’
‘Big bro Evander’s room? So cool.’
‘Not just that, the neighbours are gonna be coming by every once in a while since me and my mom help them out sometimes. Usually they drop off some extra fruits they grow.’
‘Big bro Evander?’
‘Yes?’
‘Why do you have to leave too? Are you also on the run?’
Evander stayed quiet, allowing the sounds of his boots crunching against the soil and gravel to overtake the air. He frowned, then began to speak. ‘I want to be like my dad.’
‘Your dad?’
‘He was a hero of the army. They called him the “Ice Tempest” with how powerful he was.’
‘Ice Tempest? That’s so cool!’
‘Literally!’ Evander exclaimed, ‘he was one of the strongest army mages, a true elite. He saved so many lives of fellow soldiers with his abilities. Did you know he could cloud an entire field in cold fog and rain hail from above, chipping down enemy defences with ease while removing the enemy’s sight-line against his allies!’
‘Why haven’t I seen him?’
‘He died trying to save someone out on the frontlines.’
‘Oh.’ Thomas said sadly, ‘I’m sorry.’
‘Don’t be. He died saving someone, and I’m proud to be his son. If I can be a quarter of the man he was, I can already stand proud as one of the greatest living mages.’
‘You’ll be twice as good.’ He giggled.
‘What? No. He’s totally awesome. Too awesome for me to reach.’
‘But you will. And you will surpass him.’
‘Nonsense, my dad is the best and no one can beat him!’
‘You’re the best’ Thomas said before yawning.
Evander smiled, ‘getting tired up there?’
‘A little bit,’
‘Don’t worry, We’ll be home soon.’
‘Promise?’
‘I promise.’
___
Throughout the hangar bay of the airship was a cacophony of striking hammers and sizzling blowtorches. A whole crew of engineers were working on fusing together a whole bunch of sheet metal to put in the place of the hole in the hull along with repairing the door broken by Evander when he froze it shut. Throughout this time, Sandra was running from place to place helping out the engineers as an errand girl, while also learning all she can about what each men were doing. She ran from place to place, shuffling around with boxes of tools and materials, nearly bumping against some of the men at multiple points. Eventually, she was able to come to grips with the workflow of the men, ducking and weaving right through a flood of workers moving around the room. In the midst of all of the chaos of clattering metalwork, someone stepped into the room imposing in his appearance. ‘Step it up, everyone. I need to see that hole filled by tonight!’
Sandra looked at the man, a skinny human that was much taller than her with a gaunt stature that made him look a little closer to a skeleton than a man. Despite the apparent fear she felt in her system, she spoke up against his order. ‘Sir, we all know that’s impossible. Everyone’s being driven up the wall as it is, but with the deadline being tonight-’
‘Who let this girl in here?’
‘Sir-’
‘Get her out.’
‘What!?’
The man, now obvious as the manager of the crew, walked away from her, ignoring her completely. However, just as a handful of the crew were beginning to approach Sandra to bring her out, her mind raced through all of the different ideas that might be able to speed up the process of repairing the ship.
‘I know a way to get this done in the next hour!’
The entire crew stopped. All of their eyes now darted toward Sandra, causing her to sweat in response.
‘Prove it’, one of the crew called out.
‘W-well,’ Sandra began to explain, ‘we just need to repair the wall right?’
The manager’s icy stare pierced holes through Sandra. ‘What nonsense are you on about, girl?’
‘I’m saying,’ Sandra continued, ‘the airship wasn’t meant to fly in the first place right?’
‘Go on.’
‘Meaning that the fuel tank doesn’t need to be repaired, only the superficial damage.’
‘You’re saying that we should simply ignore the fuel tank?’ He laughed. ‘Don’t be silly.’
‘I just think we shouldn’t be wasting our time trying to reach an impossible goal when I can accomplish what’s actually necessary much faster.’
‘H-hah!’ He scoffed once more, ‘if you think you can achieve this in the next hour like you claim, then by all means. Men! You are to listen to every order she says for the next hour, and if she doesn’t accomplish what she claims she can do, then she is to be barred from the carnival as a whole.’
Some of the men got together in a corner and began to whisper amongst themselves. ‘Poor kid. She’s gonna get humiliated.’
‘I know. The manager’s just a big asshole picking on the girl.’
‘Regardless, let’s just give the kid whatever she asks. I don’t know what she’s gonna pull, but we should at least give her a shot.’
The men then turned to look at the girl expecting her to be on the verge of tears, only to find Sandra oddly smiling as she observed the situation. Sandra then stepped forward, leaning on a waist-high crate in front of her, then climbing it. ‘Men! I need you to drop your tools and bring as much sheet metal as you can! Leave it on a pile beside the hole!’
The men obeyed her and began to make their way outside, and the manager himself walked off not expecting anything much from her despite her bold confidence. Sandra, on the other hand, merely walked in front of the hole and crouched down. From a pocket in her jeans, she pulled forth a small pouch that, when she opened it, contained a bunch of what seemed like bluish white chalk. She took a piece and proceeded to draw a series of wide circles, and then a giant glyph in the middle. She then got down and began to draw smaller sigils on the corners between each circle. From this giant “leyline” scrawled upon the floor, she drew lines from it and traced it on the floor toward the sides of the hole, and when reaching the corner, tracing up the wall as well, where she then drew two smaller runes on both sides.
This act took a good twenty minutes to complete and most of the men had already crowded around Sandra, watching the young girl drawing strange symbols that didn’t mean much to most of them.
‘Boys, could you place the metal within this big circle on the floor?’ She requested.
‘Sure, little miss.’ One said and the rest followed.
Soon enough, there was a mass of metal in the middle of the circle. Sandra then kneeled and placed both of her hands upon the outer edge of the circle.
Just then, the men began to note how the room seemed to get hotter. They stared at the lines drawn upon the floors and walls and saw that they began to glow golden. The metal glowed too, albeit looking a little more muted. Then without warning, the metal began flying to the edges of the hole, fusing with the airship’s hull as they made contact. The sheet metal was very quickly forming a wall as if they were platelets in a blood vessel blocking a wound from bleeding. The men stared in awe, some of which audibly gasped as Sandra’s little spell sealed and then smoothened out the hole, leaving a perfect metal wall in its place. The lines drawn by Sandra then evaporated, leaving no trace of ever being there in the first place.
Sandra stood up, stretching her back and legs. ‘Oof. I think I’m just about done. Needs to be painted though.’
The crew rushed past Sandra and began to examine the walls, some of them even touching it then pulling away when they realised it was hot. It was a miracle, and they all knew it.
All the while, Sandra’s nose dripped blood. One of the crew took notice, and took out a handkerchief. ‘Ma’am, your nose is bleeding.’
‘Oh, thanks.’ She replied, taking the cloth and wiping her nose with it.
‘Looks like I’m out of a job.’ One of the men commented.
Sandra smiled at him and corrected him. ‘Nah. What I did was a basic reconstruction spell.’
‘If that was basic, I’m afraid to hear what’s advanced.’
‘I’m just saying.’ Sandra explained, ‘there’s limits to what a mage can do. I just sealed a wall, but if you noticed, there’s a lack of detail.’
‘She’s right.’ One called out. ‘It’s completely smooth.’
‘That’s ultimately the problem with large scale reconstruction magic. You can’t really get the smaller and more detailed components down correctly unless you actually took the time to understand and form it in your head.’ She told them. ‘Not to mention, the fuel tank and engine would require someone who actually understands every single moving part to the smallest bolt, but even if I did, I wouldn’t be able to reconstruct it channelling that much mana.’
‘H-how does it work?’
‘I basically used the runes I drew to channel mana directly into the metal. It excites the molecules, essentially melting it just a little bit, which allows it to fuse with the wall and mend. But with the amount of material I had to work with, I’ve had to use even more mana, which makes smaller intricate details impossible.’
‘It’s like a dam releasing water.’ One exclaimed.
‘Correct. The larger the release, the less control you have.’
‘I’ve always heard stories about mages from my momma. I got told about how they were able to increase harvests and double the food supply!’
Sandra chuckled. ‘I’m sorry, but no. While Herbamancy is a real field of study that allows mages to alter the biological makeup of plant-life, theoretically allowing increased harvests, the idea of doubling food supply directly is entirely outside of the realm of possibility.’
‘Y’mean there’s things magic can’t do?’
‘Well yeah. You can’t create or destroy matter, only transform it. That’s why I had y’all collect a bunch of metal for me.’
‘Oooohhhh’ Everyone collectively resounded.
‘Just what is going on he-’ The manager marched in exasperated, only to see the fixed wall leaving him entirely speechless. And then from behind, the sound of a cane clacking against the floor.
Roswell Hein revealed himself from behind the manager, and upon seeing the job already done, bore an expression of pure glee. ‘Oh my goodness! A job well done already!?’
‘A-ah, w-well…’ The manager behind him stuttered, ‘I-I happened to hire someone new, y’see.’
‘You didn’t do shit!’ One of the crew shouted. ‘This girl did. She did all of this with magic!’
Every single person in the construction crew pointed toward Sandra, which caused her to blush at the recognition of her work.
‘Sandra?’ Roswell asked aloud, ‘as in the same Sandra who helped to catch one of the thieves last night?’
‘That’s me.’ Sandra confirmed. ‘And it was two of them.’
He approached Sandra excitedly. ‘I’m amazed. You’re truly a capable mage.’
‘Well… It’s just the wall that was repaired. The fuel tank is still busted.’
‘That’s no problem. I wasn’t planning on flying it soon anyway.’
She stared at the manager smugly smiling, to which the manager merely rolled his eyes and looked away.
Roswell continued, ‘I’m thoroughly impressed by you, little miss. Say, might you be interested in a small reward for your help?’
‘Why, I could never…’ Sandra played coy, placing a hand behind her head, ‘but if you’re insisting… Could you maybe pay the amount to repair my uncle’s prosthetic leg? It’s quite expensive and he got it ruined last night.’
‘Why of course. I shall go and write the check.’
‘Thank you~’
The crew then stepped up toward Sandra and began to thank her. ‘Hey kid, we all really appreciate what you’ve done. You saved us from a completely unreasonable task.’
‘It was the least I could do to pay y’all back for being able to shadow you guys.’
‘We mean it. We wanna celebrate and take you with.’
‘Then how about dinner at the Shaven Sheep?’
‘The one near the station? Sure.’
Sandra smirked. ‘Perfect.’
___
The night once again fell over the golden town, allowing the moon and the twinkling stars to take their place in the sky, and the construction crew are making merry in the Shaven Sheep feasting upon countless orders of steak and seafood while imbibing on barrels worth of locally made beer and ale. In the midst of the half-drunken conversations and audible munching and clinking silverware, Sandra and Ken sat at a smaller booth table separate from the rest of the crew eating their meals while having their own conversation.
Ken spoke in-between swallowing bites of his lamb chops, ‘y’know, I gotta thank you for working your magic with the construction boys. But you also know that I have to point out-’
‘I know, I know. I shouldn’t push myself if I can help it.’ Sandra responded apologetically, ‘but the manager was being an ass. I had to step in.’
‘Sandra.’
‘I know.’
‘Sandra,’ Ken firmly placed his utensils back by the sides of the plate. ‘I mean it. I don’t want you passing out all willy nilly. Especially not around a bunch of strangers.’
Sandra slightly sunk into her seat as she looked downward into her stew. ‘...They just needed help.’
‘I know, but people do terrible things to people who want to help sometimes.’ Ken stated. ‘So it’s important that you can at least keep yourself a way out.
The duo continued to eat in silence, letting the ambience of the restaurant overtake them. However, as Ken’s eyes continued to dart between his meal and his niece, a pang of guilt began to rise from his stomach, causing him to scratch his head before breaking the silence. ‘Look at the bright side.’
Sandra looked up back at her uncle who continued to speak. ‘You didn’t pass out.’
She smiled. ‘Yeah. I got a nose bleed and felt a little light-headed, but I was fine.’
‘Good. Your body might be getting used to it.’ Ken smiled back. ‘I remember when you straight up couldn’t do a single spell without hurling.’
‘God, yeah. I’ve entirely forgotten about the fact that I used to vomit.’
‘And I had to catch you before you lost consciousness since you’d fall into said vomit.’
‘Eww. Don’t remind me while I’m eating.’ Sandra said grossed out, but with a slight chuckle.
‘Still.’ Ken continued, ‘despite being born with red eyes, you still decided to pursue magic, knowing full well what it might mean for you in the future.’
For a sliver of a moment, the look of innocence disappeared from Sandra’s eyes, leaving nothing but the look of sheer determination, the real core deep within Sandra’s soul. Ken looked directly into that core through her eyes and spoke. ‘Everything you are now is a far cry from that little girl I picked up at Freedom Square.’
Sandra’s eyes softened as she gave her uncle a small smile. All the while, Ken softened all the same, recalling that distant memory. He spoke once more. ‘I’m proud of you, Sandra. And I know you’ll only continue to grow.’
She brushed some stray strands of hair that landed in front of her eye, and as she did, she noticed the familiar sight of her Leonun friend entering into the restaurant. He then walked toward their table, to which Sandra shifted herself closer toward the wall that the table was pinned against, allowing Evander to sit beside her. And as Evander sat, he deflated into the leather cushion, letting out a tired breath.
Sandra and Ken looked at each other, then at Evander. Sandra was first to speak. ‘Evander? Are you alright?’
Evander inhaled and then talked in-between laboured breaths. ‘Tired. *wheeze* Had to carry Thomas *wheeze* To my place. *wheeze* Mom wasn’t happy *wheeze* about suddenly having *wheeze* to take care of another kid. *wheeze* She came around though.’
Ken’s eyes darted to Sandra, then back at Evander, who’s stomach grumbled. Ken then began to mention Sandra’s accomplishment.‘Well, Sandra helped out the construction with magic.’
‘Oh, sweet.’ Evander said, still panting, ‘did she faint?’
‘Nope.’ Sandra responded happily.
‘And now, we get our meals paid for by the construction crew.’ Ken continued. ‘So just name your order.’
‘Oh thank God. *wheeze* Medium ribeye *wheeze* and a milkshake. *wheeze* Vanilla.’ Evander requested, slowly shutting his eyes. ‘And wake me up *wheeze* when it’s here.’
And so, Evander was out cold, his mouth left agape breathing out condensed hot air as his kind didn’t sweat. Sandra was quietly stifling a laugh observing her best friend entirely out of it, while Ken was merely giving a wide grin to Sandra.
The two of them continued their meal while starting a conversation, this time kept a little quieter in respect for their unconscious friend. They enjoyed a night of merriment, an admittedly late celebration of Sandra’s birthday, and when Evander’s meal arrived with his milkshake, the two didn’t even have to wake him up as his head immediately jolted in response to the scent, causing Sandra and Ken to laugh aloud accompanied by Evander’s confusion.
___
It was now the day after the morrow. The three-night carnival was over and the three managed to avoid any more incidents regarding would-be thieves and thugs. Evander was able to showcase the mechanical dragon, the pride of him and his crew that they laboured on for months, to a crowd of wowed spectators. Sandra was pleasantly overwhelmed at every piece of technology at display within the carnival, making sure to ask every single tent about every single advancement made in their respective fields, much to the chagrin of the people running each exhibit. Ken, however, returned to the Siyokoian woman, now annoyed at him for missing their own date with hardly a word about why Ken had disappeared, but after a quick slap from the woman, Ken was able to explain the extraordinary events of the night he promised to receive her exclusive workshop tour. After some convincing, Ken continued to have that tour, leaving Sandra a little bit confused when he arrived back at their inn room late into the night and covered in small purple bruises.
Soon enough, the night passed by with Sandra having a restful sleep and waking up with a pep in her step, and Ken still groggily rubbing his eyes in the middle of packing his items into his luggage. After checking out and a quick breakfast at the inn, they met with Evander one last time as he escorted them to the train station, talking with Sandra all the while.
‘Here we are.’ Evander said, ‘I don’t suppose you’d need help bringing your luggage into the compartment?’
‘We got it from here.’ Ken yawned.
Sandra dragged her luggage along and turned to face Evander. ‘Thanks, Ev.’
‘It’s no problem.’ Evander responded.
Sandra looked at her childhood friend that she was about to leave once more and smiled with a sense of melancholy. ‘Ugh. Time is too short. I really wanna hang out with you more.’
‘Hey now,’ Evander assured, ‘I’ll be going to the city soon enough.’
‘You’ve gotten your scholarship?’
‘Yep. They liked the dragon a lot.’
‘Well, at the city, you’re gonna see the real thing flying around.’ Sandra said with a twinkle in her eye.
‘Goodness. To think that you outright have dragons delivering mail…’
‘Have they never appeared here?’
‘I don’t think people would bother ordering shipping from a dragon when the train station works well enough.’
‘Fair…’ Sandra trailed, ‘Oh. Speak of the devil…’
The whistle of the distant train’s horns tore through the air, drawing the attention of people in the entire station. Sandra turned to look too, and while her attention was focused on the locomotive, Evander leapt toward Sandra, holding her in a tight embrace. Sandra hugged back, and for a moment, the world disappeared and they only had each other to hold onto once again. The embrace lasted long enough for the train to eventually arrive and stop in place for everyone to begin boarding.
‘Well,’ Evander spoke wiping a stray tear. ‘I guess this is it.’
‘You don’t need to be so emotional, you big goof.’ Sandra teased. ‘Like you said, you’ll be in the city soon.’
‘It’s just… No matter what I decide to do, I’m always leaving someone.’
‘Come on now. You belong in the academy more than me.’
‘That’s not true! You’re such an amazing mage, and you’ve already figured out how to utilise it in technology.’
‘Evander, you were strong enough to bust a hole through a behemoth-type airship! If that doesn’t prove how amazing you are, I don’t think I could ever convince you.’
‘It’s just… I’m gonna be leaving home for the first time. Leaving my mom, leaving my friends, leaving Thomas… And if I don’t go, I don’t know the next time I’ll get to see you again.’
‘If you don’t go, you’ll never figure out how you can help our home town with your magic.’ Sandra declared. ‘I’ve figured out how I can do it. I’m a mechanic. I fix things. Don’t you want to figure out what you are too?’
‘I…’
‘You can help our home much more if you go. Otherwise you might regret never taking that opportunity to see just how much more you could have grown.’
Evander was speechless. The wind ruffled his white mane and fur, and his eyes grew wide at Sandra. Perhaps she was right, he thought. He was an amateur, a complete newbie in the ways of the arcane, and yet he was able to channel it to stop evil men from enacting a heist in the town he loved.
He thought about his father who fought in the Great War not to kill, but to save, to spare his fellow comrades from never seeing their wives, their sons, their daughters, and their parents. He remembered growing up through the war-torn years now five summers past, wondering when his father would come home alongside Sandra who did the same for her own father. He remembered the day when soldiers came to Sandra’s home, letting her and her mother know that the father of their family would never come home, never hold his daughter and wife while they cried. He remembered when Sandra’s mother decided to leave for the army in a fit of revenge, wanting to end the lives of those responsible, leaving her to grow up being raised alongside him by his mother and neighbours. He remembered when soldiers came to him and his mother’s own home, and that he knew exactly what it meant before they reached the front door. He remembered his mother breaking down during the nights past his bedtime since she didn’t want to show her son weakness when he was awake to see it. He remembered seeing it anyway. He remembered being unable to sleep, weeping all the same while Sandra held him, sharing in his sorrow. He remembered whispering
“I just want this all to stop. I don’t want any more people leaving forever.”
Sandra planted her hand upon her best friend’s shoulder. ‘Are you okay? You’re still tearing up a bit.’
‘Huh?’ Evander snapped out of the walk through his memories. ‘Yeah. I-I’m fine.’
‘Listen, I gotta go. The train’s gonna leave soon.’
‘Of course.’
‘Bye. I hope I’ll see you in the city.’ Said Sandra who turned to enter the train alongside her uncle.
‘Sandra!’ Evander called out as Sandra was by the train’s entryway. ‘You will!’
Sandra smiled warmly, then entered, but just as she was about to go further in, she waved at him, and Evander waved back.
It was the 11th of July, a melancholic day for Sandra Larsen as she was now a little older and leaving her best friend once more. She sat next to her uncle, Ken Larsen and waited as the train began to move away from Gold Ocean Hills. She watched with her hand pressed against the glass window as Evander chased after her, stopping at the very edge of the station and waving once more, prompting Sandra to wave back for one last time. North of her home town, the next stop was Freedom Square within the capital city of Yggdra. She began to see the final world tree, the city’s namesake towering in the distance, a colossal tree with billions of leaves fluttering in the wind that glowed golden in the day, and blue in the night. It was a grand spectacle, but it was also the sight she grew up under when she left to live with Ken, and so it was the sight of home. Even though they had just begun their journey, they could still see it from here, and indeed, you could see it from many miles away towering over the mists settling at the peak of mountains. And Sandra smiled warmly knowing that she was returning to her home under its shade.
Chapter End.