- Location
- Outrealms
I don't remember that. source?NotAlwaysFanfic said:
Halkegenia Online Thread 7: "Arrun Noir"
- Thread starter Triggerhappy
- Start date
- Location
- Third planet from the star named Sol
- Pronouns
- He/They
Volume 4, Chapter 5, Kirito and Lefa get pulled into Jotunheim via a trap and have their adventure with Tonkii.
- Location
- Outrealms
You'd think I'd remember at least part of an entire chapter. I should see someone about that.NotAlwaysFanfic said:
InfiniteFreedom
Benign hackers unite.
I like it.Exsequens said:
Inverness
The Foxiest Wife
Watching Prisma Illya isn't going to be the same anymore...Warsheep said:
- Location
- California Conservation Corps
- Pronouns
- She/Her
The best part was when Kirito almost jumped off of Toniki to make a mad dash for Calibur. And Yui was worried about other girls in Kirito's life...Mahrac said:
- Location
- Oblivion
HalO 2131 Chapter 4 Part 2 - Chapter 1 Part's 1, 2, 3, 4 Chapter 2 Part's 1, 2, 3, 4 Interlude 1 Chapter 3 Part 1, 2, 3 Interlude 2 Chapter 4 Part 1
Aki Ross Personal VR Log May 22 2131 12:30pm Planet [Vanaheim] Dimensional Coordinates 42.219.31
I made it nearly twenty five kilometers before I ran into the first bit of trouble. It was just a small unremarkable dune without an environ suits scanners. But the moment I got within a few meters of it [Scarabs] started surging out of the sand in mass. Dr Ojaswini will certainly be happy about this discovery if I ever get back, Dr. Brooke had bet her a date that the things weren't a colony based species.
Mind you I certainly didn't appreciate that bit of science and culture at the time because I was busy running for my life. Let me tell you unlike what you see in VR sims running through desert sands at top speeds while wearing a pair of sneakers is not an easy task. But I made a good showing of it given that I was able to keep ahead of the swarm until they gave up.
At least at the time I thought it was them giving up, no such luck though. It turns out my panicked run had taken me into a [Sand Shark] hunting ground. Which is going to be another few hours down the drain as I very slowly inch my way across in hopes of not attracting their attention. Because [MA9] or no [MA9] I am really not in any hurry to have my first live firefight in thirty years be against things that could take my leg off if I miss.
Aki Ross Personal VR Log May 22 2131 12:30pm Planet [Vanaheim] Dimensional Coordinates 42.219.31
I made it nearly twenty five kilometers before I ran into the first bit of trouble. It was just a small unremarkable dune without an environ suits scanners. But the moment I got within a few meters of it [Scarabs] started surging out of the sand in mass. Dr Ojaswini will certainly be happy about this discovery if I ever get back, Dr. Brooke had bet her a date that the things weren't a colony based species.
Mind you I certainly didn't appreciate that bit of science and culture at the time because I was busy running for my life. Let me tell you unlike what you see in VR sims running through desert sands at top speeds while wearing a pair of sneakers is not an easy task. But I made a good showing of it given that I was able to keep ahead of the swarm until they gave up.
At least at the time I thought it was them giving up, no such luck though. It turns out my panicked run had taken me into a [Sand Shark] hunting ground. Which is going to be another few hours down the drain as I very slowly inch my way across in hopes of not attracting their attention. Because [MA9] or no [MA9] I am really not in any hurry to have my first live firefight in thirty years be against things that could take my leg off if I miss.
- Location
- Oblivion
Think Graboids only smaller, with razor sharp beaks, and the ability to jump out of the sand like a flying fish at things they wants to eat.NecroMechanoid said:
21
Triggerhappy
Stick with Trigger and You'll Make it Through
- Location
- SoCal
Writing Argo is hard 
Halkegenia Online v2.0 – Chapter 4 – Part 3
"So that's it, eh?" Caramella asked.
"Yep." Argo answered, popping another raisin into her mouth as she sat atop a small outcropping overlooking the beach.
Seeing Freelia for the first time reminded Kirito of a promise he had made to himself back when ALfheim was still a game, between journeying towards the World Tree and desperately hoping to find Asuna, to eventually visit all of the ALO Home Cities. He just wished his first visit to the Cait Syth Capital could have been under happier circumstances.
Kirito looked over to where the Swordswoman tapped her foot impatiently, waiting along with Argo and Abigail for her flight magic to recharge enough for the last leg of the trip. None of them were in any mood to get wet.
When the Transition had struck Tristain, realizing the environments of ALfheim within the Kingdom's borders, at first, the blending of Tristain and ALfheim had appeared almost random. But as the Faeries and their new neighbors began to interact and venture outwards into the changed countryside, a set of priorities that determined what had been overwritten by the transition and what had been left untouched had become apparent. And where there was a pattern, there was something for Argo to study.
The Information Broker had spent a fair amount of time deciphering the underlying rules of the transition, labeling the results of her research the [<<i]Tentative Guidelines of Ontological Actualization: Don't Worry, It's Argo's Metaphysical Theory[/i]>>.
How Argo had ever managed to say that while keeping a straight face was one of the imponderable mysteries of the Universe, but in short, it laid out some simple ground rules by which the Transition appeared to have been governed.
First. No feature of ALfheim had materialized in such a way as to displace an existing settlement. This rule also extended to a lesser extent to fields, mines, and other areas of active human cultivation.
Second. wherever possible, the features of ALfheim that had carried over from the [<Game World]> had appeared at the same points in relation to one another as they had existed within ALfheim's virtual geography. Thus, Gaddan had appeared roughly thirty kilometers South East of Sylvain, and both cities had materialized approximately seventy kilometers from Arrun.
Third. All former [<Safe Zones]> and [<Player Spawn Points]>, along with most of ALfheim's underground dungeons and floating islands, had materialized without incident. Around half of the surface dungeons had also materialized either in whole or in part. Important portions of each of ALfheim's major playing fields, each with their own flora, fauna, and geographical features, had mixed evenly with the Tristanian countryside, resulting a bizarre patchwork of the two worlds.
There were a number of other guidelines based on factors such as [<Quest Significance]> and number of [<Features]> within proximity, but in Argo's own words, these three rules were 'The only ones I'll put my seal on sa!'
The end result had been a disturbingly logical mixing of ALfheim and Tristain that left almost no doubt in Kirito's mind that whatever force had controlled the Transition had possessed some form of intelligence along with a truly awesome amount of power. What did that mean about this world? And what did it mean for getting home?
Kirito thought about all of this as he breathed in the ocean air, and looked out across the beaches of Tristain's western border, to an island sitting just off the coast.
Freelia was unique among the settlements that the Faeries had brought with them. It was the only Faerie City to have not impinged directly upon the Kingdom of Tristain, instead appearing about a kilometer off the coast.
Each of the Faerie Cities and towns had altered their local environment in some way in order to accommodate themselves. Orlein's [<Crescent Bay]> had become the [<Crescent Lake]> of Eastern Tristain, and the great stone ruins that formed Gaddan's outer defensive works, had arrived with the Salamander City itself. Freelia had brought along its own island.
The Isle of Freelia was a little over six kilometers long and two and a half kilometers wide at its widest point, roughly evenly divided between beach, fields, hills, and the city itself.
It seemed the Salamanders didn't have a monopoly on the Fortress City idea, judging by the tall, sandstone walls that ringed Freelia and divided it into three concentric districts. From this distance, the City resembled a very wide, three level wedding cake built atop a hill on the seaward end of the island and topped by its keep-like Tower.
"I don't believe it." Caramella muttered. "It's Minas Tirith."
"Minas what?" Abigail asked.
"You know, Lord of the Rings, JRR Tolkien . . . Peter Jackson? Ian McKellen?" The Swordswoman nudged. "You know, 'My Precious'?"
"You mean from those old movies?" Kirito wondered. He knew about the books, but he wasn't exactly a movie buff. He'd picked up enough popular fantasy second hand thanks to his MMO obsession which had included several fantasy themed games prior to SAO.
Argo gave Caramella an offended look. "Tis completely different!" She defended, unexpected loyalty for her adopted home city bubbling to the surface.
"It is! Look at it, it's Minas Tirith, made from sandstone, and put on an island!" The Faerie woman shook her head in disbelief. "Tell me that I'm wrong."
Argo fell silent, nose twitching furiously. "Okay. Maybe RETCO was a little completely creatively bankrupt." Argo admitted.
Possibly even actually bankrupt now, Kirito speculated. The SAO incident had all but wiped out ARGUS, the original developer of the Nerve Gear and SAO, and that had only been ten thousand players. What would the mass 'death' or disappearance of sixty thousand people do to RETCO's reputation and bottom line?
He didn't think about it for long. Anything that had to do with that other world inevitably led to the people they had left behind. This time, his mom and dad had lost both him and Sugu. And then there was Asuna's family. Yuuki Shouzo had seemed like a genuinely caring, if distant, father and Asuna had spoken fondly of him the one time the subject had come up. He definitely didn't deserve to lose his only daughter.
"Okay, that should be long enough." Argo hopped down from her perch, four translucent yellow wings curving from her back. "Let's get going."
"Hey Abby-san, you need someone to carry that?" Caramella pointed to the comically over sized pack that the slight Spriggan was struggling to balance.
Abigail waved, red faced and still panting from the last leg of their flight. "This, no, this is fine! I used to carry this much all the time."
Kirito was about to say something when the girl finally lost the fight with balance, falling over backwards with a muted -thump-. Just because she could carry that much didn't mean she should. It was the same reason Kirito had stopped using his [<Black Iron Great Sword]> despite its impressive weight and striking power.
"Erm," Abigail squirmed, trying to worm her way free, but the straps of her pack had constricted in the fall, "Actually, I could use a little help." She reached up pleadingly, offering words of thanks as Kirito and Caramella helped her back to her feet.
The short hop across the water took less than a minute, even slowing down enough for Abbigail to keep up. As they flew, Kirito noticed and pointed out activity along the coast of Tristain.
"Yeah, those are some Earth and Water Mages hired by Freelia and the local Noble Peers." Argo said.
"What's that they're building?" Kirito asked, squinting. "A bridge?"
"Good eye." Argo agreed. "The ocean only gets around three to six meters deep here, so the Earth Mages are being used to shape foundations and supports. When they're done, we'll have a bridge as wide as the local highways connecting Freelia to the mainland. It's going to be a big help for trade."
Kirito was impressed. That was a lot of effort to be made on such short notice. The Local Nobility must have been eager to fully benefit from relations with Freelia.
The open fields and light forests of the island's Eastern side rolled by beneath them, a few small starting mobs running from their passing shadows or else taking flight from the trees to flee further into cover. Soon, the tall grass was giving way to the sand and straw of stables along the City Perimeter, and then to the tiled roofs and stone paved roads of the tiered City itself.
The narrow streets weren't as busy as the wide thoroughfares of Arrun. That wasn't surprising, Freelia had only four thousand permanent residence as compared to Arrun's twenty thousand Faeries. But Kirito still spotted plenty of activity on their approach, especially along the tops of the walls. More construction, and what looked like cannons.
"New defensive works. In case Reconquista decides to get frisky." Argo answered severely. She didn't look happy at seeing the ugly new battlements hastily added to the top of Freelia's graceful walls.
Freelia, along with Cadenza, was one of the closest Faerie settlements to Albion, which meant the city was uniquely vulnerable to attack. Kirito had heard that the Fae Lords and Tristain had been planning to do something about the situation, but this was the first time he'd seen the results for himself.
The Cait Syth were working hand in hand with their Halkegenian partners, using [<Geokinesis]> spells and the brute force animal power of their trained mobs to fit the shaped stonework created by the Earth Mages.
"What I want to know is where they're getting all of that artillery." Caramella said.
Argo's sour expression changed to an evil smile. "Twas a most generous gift from Lord Cromwell of Albion."
Kirito winced. "The cannons from York."
The victorious Tristanian fleet had returned from York with more than just captured ships, they'd also stolen hundreds of cannons from the wrecked fortifications and coastal batteries located across the city. Those same guns had now been re-purposed to guard the Tristanian coast from their old masters.
"Most generous." Argo repeated innocently.
They climbed the final hundred meters to the top of Freelia Tower, setting down on the broad landing where a half dozen dragons, both ALfheim and Halkegenian, were busy sunning themselves in the warm morning light. A Pounce of Cait Syth were already waiting for them when they arrived.
"Argo-san!" A scholarly Cait hurried forward, staff in hand as if to support himself.
"Alden." Argo shared a forearm shake with the other Faerie. "We came as fast as we could, sa!"
It was hard to miss the dark bags under the Information Broker's eyes as she stepped back from the deputy leader of Freelia. Kirito watched closely, Argo hadn't acted herself when she'd learned about the latest murders, and she'd been on edge all through the night until they had set out just before sunrise.
"First, introductions." Argo said to herself. "Kii-bou, Caramel-chan, Abigail-san, this is Alden-san. I guess it's best to think of him as the Mayor of Freelia."
"Alden, you already know Suisen." Argo reached up to her shoulder and tapped her navigation pixie partner gently atop her small head. "The Spriggan with no fashion sense is Kirito, and the Gothic Lolita is Abigail-san, and the last is Caramella, one of Asuna-san's people."
"Kirito-san, and one of the KoB? More SAO survivors?" Alden looked relieved. "I suppose you're all better suited for this than most. We really are grateful you arrived so quickly."
"Un." Kirito nodded his head softly. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Alden-san. Alicia-san speaks very highly of you."
"And likewise with you." Alden answered, exchanging a handshake. "We're lucky that Alicia-chan sent such capable people."
Looking up at the taller Cait, Argo added quietly. "If tis okay with you, we'd like to get started right away."
Abigail stepped forward, squeezing between Kirito and Caramella. "If you don't mind, after I sent my message, I'd like to know if you were able to do as I asked with the bodies."
The relief on Alden's face was replaced by worry. "The remains? Yes, we we've set up a cold room in Freelia tower. One of our mages conjured enough ice to keep the bodies chilled. But . . . I don't know what you expect to learn from them, the cause of death is obvious."
Abigail gave him a sympathetic look. "I won't know until I can do an examination, but every bit could help. Thank you."
Alden lead the way into the tower, the other Caits falling in behind him until they reached the counterweight elevators at the tower's heart. Kirito was on alert the moment they entered the lobby. They were being watched. Dozens of cat slit eyes turned to follow them to the elevators where Alden gave some last instructions to his subordinates, and ushered the four investigators inside.
The 'Mayor' of Freelia sagged visibly as the lobby rose out of sight through the glass doors, pulling the small, silver rune etched mage's cap from his head to show lightly spotted wheat blonde ears atop messy brown hair.
"That bad, huh?" Argo put a hand on his shoulder.
"That bad?" Alden laughed bitterly. "When people heard about the murder in Arrun, they got nervous. Then it happened here and worse!" He raised his hands helplessly. "What am I supposed to do? The city watch is being run ragged keeping up its patrols and trying to maintain a constant watch in Freelia. People are expecting me to resolve this in Alicia-san's absence!"
"That tis what we're here for." Argo said softly.
Alden shook his head. "I can't say that is any better. I'm not even able to ensure the safety of the people." The man looked down, ears sinking, defeated. "Forgive me, this should never have been allowed to happen."
"I'm sure Sakuya-san and Alicia-chan feel the same way about Novair." Argo looked out the glass door as the elevator began to slow. "But you can't beat yourself up for not expecting a murderer. People can't live like that." She breathed softly, "You can't, sa."
The elevator came to a stop on one of the lower floors, letting them out into a tiled lobby that glowed in the reflected light of dozens of ore lamps. The interior of Freelia Tower was much like that of Arrun and Sylvain Towers, filled up with small shop fronts, store rooms, and meeting areas.
Even after the double homicide, the administrative areas were busy from an early hour, Cait Syth messengers and clerks hurrying about frantically with their own tasks.
Unlike Arrun, Kirito failed to spot a single head that wasn't marked by cat's ears. Freelia was a former faction capital, and it showed. Most people had chosen to settle in familiar surroundings, and there simply hadn't been enough time or external pressure to cause any sort of large migration save for the displaced players moving into Arrun. Thus, Freelia's population remained mostly composed of Cait Syth for now.
They were led down a twisting series of hallways and side corridors, the foot traffic trickling down to nothing until Kirito was sure that Alden had taken a wrong turn and gotten them lost within some [<Hidden Labyrinth]> type Dungeon.
The Cait stopped at an indistinct door, ear cocked as if listening carefully. Reaching one hand from his robes, Alden wrapped his knuckles gently against the door and waited as it was unlocked from the inside.
Kirito stepped into the room and then nearly leaped back as he came face to face with the stuff of nightmares.
"Gah!" The Black Swordsman of Aincrad was already grabbing for [<Onyx Arbiter]> when he full processed what was in front of him. He had been expecting a cold room containing the bodies for autopsy, instead he found this!
At first, it appeared to be a small Terrorantula that had consumed the head of a young Cait Syth and taken control of the body. That alone would have suited it to the horror themed levels of Aincrad's sixty sixth and sixty seventh floors. However, on closer inspection, it became clear that the mottled arachnid was situated on top of, and not replacing, the unfortunate Faerie's head.
"Creewww?" The large, forward pair of eyes looked up at Kirito like the lenses of a pair of binoculars, furred feeding mandibles rubbing against each other curiously.
"It's okay Lamar, they're supposed to be here." A pair of gray cat's eyes looked out at Kirito from beneath the curtain of the Terrorantula's delicately folded legs.
"Hey Kirito, what was that shout abo- Gyaaaah!" Caramella crashed into Abigail as she leaped away, both Faeries falling back into the hallway.
As if used to this sort of spectacle, the Cait Syth boy reached into a pouch on his belt and stuffed a handful of nuts into his mouth, regarding Kirito and Argo quietly as he chewed. Small and deeply tanned, silver-gray hair frizzing up around his head before being drawn into a short ponytail. If Kirito hadn't known better, he would have thought the boy was Alicia Rue's kid brother.
"A beast tamer?" Kirito asked cautiously, still not sure whether the sound from earlier wasn't the spider asking if he would be good to eat. He looked over to Argo. "You don't look surprised." He accused. "Shouldn't this count as [<Necessary Information]>?"
Argo's normal look of hate filled amusement returned with a vengeance. "Tis not like I could know he'd be here Kii-bou. I mean, I'd have to be prescient nya."
"Or just very, very, twisted." Kirito replied right back.
He could say with confidence that Argo had never lead anyone knowingly into danger, and never guaranteed the veracity of any information she hadn't confirmed personally. But he couldn't say that the Rat hadn't played a few dirty tricks in her time. As an information broker, her reputation depended as much on not being crossed as not offending.
"More introductions." Argo said with some of her old energy. "This is Raz, one of the Cait Syth's top beast tamers." Argo gestured.
"Un. Nice to meet you." Raz said quietly, reaching out to take Kirito's hand. The spider on his head replicated the motion with one of its forelegs, big black forward eyes looking up puppy dog-like at Kirito. "Don't worry." Raz said. "I spliced a siphon into her poison pouches, the worst she could do is give you some nasty bites."
"Raz is actually the person who cracked the secret to taming Dragons for the Cait Syth back in ALfheim Online." Argo added matter of factly.
"They're like sharks, flying sharks." The boy explained. "You have to feed them until they're full or you'll never get close for long enough to complete the taming."
"You okay Caramel-chan?" Argo called as Caramella hoisted herself off the ground and turned to help Abigail.
"Oh yeah, fine, never better." The Swordswoman snapped. "I just wished someone had told me about that," she pointed to Raz and his pet, "I would have packed my crowbar."
The Cait's eyes narrowed, reaching for his weapon, a thin longsword that was nearly as long as he was tall. Kirito could only think the weapon was meant for midair combat, it would have been impossibly unwieldy for such a small person to use on the ground.
"Alrigh, alright, I'm just kidding." Caramella sighed, grimacing as she entered the room. She tried hard not to look at the spider, or its owner, instead keeping Kirito between her and the odd pair at all times.
"This is everyone?" Raz asked, eyes tracking from Kirito to Argo, then to Abigail and Caramella, before returning to Alden.
"It should be." Alden said. "Two more will be coming along later. But Abigail-san is the examiner."
"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Raz-san." Abigail said, shaking both Raz's hand and Lamars offered forelimb. She looked around the room at her shocked fellow investigators. "What?"
"Never mind." Argo said briskly. "Are you ready, Abigail-san."
The contented look faded, replaced by a more solemn expression. "Un, let's get started."
"Then come this way." The boy gestured to a second door on the far side of the small waiting room, producing a key from his pocket and opening the lock with a muted -click-. "They've been waiting." He stopped at the door, ushering them in. "I'll wait out her, Lamar doesn't like the cold."
The inside of Freelia's hastily constructed morgue was as cramped as the one in the basement of Arrun tower, but there was still room for everyone to squeeze in under the pale light of the mineral lamps hung from hooks in the ceiling. The room was dominated by two tables, covered in white sheets.
"If it helps, our own doctors have already conducted autopsies." Alden gestured to a smaller table covered in tools and notes.
Abigail smiled kindly. "That will be a big help, but I should do my own examination first, just to be safe." The Cait stepped back, standing rigidly against the back wall.
Putting down her pack and removing a magnifying glass, gloves, a piece of pencil, and a notebook, Abigail set to work while the others watched.
The first sheet was pulled back and Kirito looked away. She looked young, too young, only a little older than himself. Whether that was her real age or not didn't matter. Cold skin shown palely in the mineral lights, and short cropped hair the color of aged copper, feathered lightly around her head. For all that she looked to be at peace, Alden had been right, the cause of death was obvious.
"Damn." Caramella breathed, staring at where the girl's throat had been slashed, sawed back to the spine.
"Argo-san, you have a file on her right?" Abigail asked clinically as she pulled on her gloves and tied a handkerchief as a mask.
"Un." Argo nodded, distracted for a moment by the scene in front of her. "Sakuya-san sent me her info last night. She was called Liliana, a Sylph native to Sylvain. She was the mob patrol leader responsible for maintaining the watch between Freelia and the Sylph Capital."
"Do you know what her build was?" The Spriggan examiner pulled the sheet down further and began to inspect the skin for any signs of internal injury.
"A Magic Knight with emphasis on Sylph Wind affinities." Argo answered like she was reading from a book. "I think she was a Halberd user."
"She definitely wasn't a weak Newbie." Kirito observed. "And the other one?"
Abigail turned and drew back the second sheet to reveal a tall, well built, Cait Syth male with short, ginger colored hair and ears. His throat had been brutally slashed in the same mortal fashion as Liliana and Novair.
"This one tis Tobi, a resident of Freelia, and a Dragoon." Argo's ears flattened slowly until they were flush with her head, tail hanging loose and lifeless. "I knew him." She blurted out. "We did a few raids together back when I started playing. He was an alright guy."
Kirito was caught between holding his tongue and trying to comfort her. "Are you going to be okay . . . Argo?"
"Just give me a minute." Argo said a little too quickly, a little too sharply. "I just need a minute to take this in."
They'd already known about the bodies, their names, and the circumstances under which they had been discovered. But there was a world of difference between knowing and experiencing.
"You found them on the beach, right?" Argo observed as she watched Abigail work. "What were they doing there?"
Alden shifted uncomfortably. "Tobi-san was Gaius's replacement when he was transferred to the defense forces under Lord Mortimer.
Kirito and Argo looked to one another, a wordless curse passing between them. "So he would have worked directly under you." Argo concluded. "Just what did Tobi-san do?
"The usual Watch business." Alden rubbed tiredly at his eyes. "He organized Freelia's watch and mob sweeps. That's probably what he was meeting with the Liliana-san about. If I were to guess, he had a bit of a relationship with her on the side, though it may have simply been professional courtesy."
"Moonlit walks on the beach?" Caramella asked, she sounded unconvinced. "Then they were definitely together when they were killed?"
"We think so." Alden confessed. "They were last seen leaving the city together after dinner, and they were found together early yesterday evening with their bodies floating in the surf."
Kirito raised a hand. "One more question, when they were found, were either of them armed?"
Alden's look of worry deepened. "Liliana's halberd was found close by, and Tobi was wearing his sword scabbard, though we didn't find the the blade. Neither of them was wearing armor just to walk around the Island, there's hardly any mobs that are dangerous enough to be any sort of threat, and help is always just a couple of minutes away.
"Kirito?" Caramella questioned, her expression was sober. "You're thinking what I think you're thinking, aren't you?"
"Actually, I was thinking about the Murderers Guild." Kirito's answer was short, simple, and abrupt, and immediately silenced everyone in the room. Caramella turned her head back to the bodies, spitting curses under her breath. "I was worried that people like Argo and the others weren't the only SAO survivors that decided to pick up ALO."
Though he was almost certain that the mandatory observation period put in place by the Government had still been in effect when he had last logged in, the possibility that these murders were being perpetrated by a [<Laughing Coffin]> member, or someone with similar tendencies, had been at the back of his mind from the start. But this . . . "This doesn't match Laughing Coffin's MO at all."
"Right! Laughing Coffin were as brutal as they were sadistic, but they wouldn't risk themselves if they could help it, they weren't suicidal." Argo looked all too anxious to agree. Maybe, maybe this was wishful thinking, but he hoped not. "Taking on two skilled fighters at once isn't something they would want to risk. Not so close to a settlement."
The members of Laughing Coffin, possibly driven insane by their imprisonment, possibly enthralled by their charismatic leader, or maybe just people who had seen an opportunity to indulge the dark part of their own souls, regardless of their motivation, they would never risk cutting short their 'fun' in the playground that Kayaba Akihiko had given them.
"Two on one, maybe not." Caramella pointed out. "But what if it was two on two, or two on three?"
"Maybe, but I don't think so." Kirito stared hard at the far wall, better that then the bodies that Abigail was systematically checking over from head to toe. "Or at least, I still don't think it would be anything like Laughing Coffin. For one, I don't think a Laughing Coffin member could have restrained themselves for this long."
"Maybe they could." Caramella suggested. "Killing in SAO is a lot different from real life. Maybe they were as freaked out as everyone else at first. And even if it's not Laughing Coffin, it doesn't discount some other psycho who's had the complete school of Tarantino swordsmanship crammed into his skull. I mean, don't serial killers usually have some sort of mark?" She nodded back towards the bodies. "That looks pretty conclusive to me."
"That's true," Kirito admitted, "But there's also something else, these attacks have a pattern."
"Right again sa." Argo muttered darkly. "First Novair, now the heads of the Freelia and Sylvain City Watch. These aren't based on some weird criteria. The targets are being logically selected. They're trying to cripple the Fae Lords' ability to lead."
Kirito gave another small nod. "Which means these attacks aren't going to stop, they're going to keep targeting people important to running the Cities and keeping public order."
Kirito felt his stomach turn. He hadn't been mistaken, this probably wasn't caused by a former member of Laughing Coffin. He didn't know whether to be relieved or terrified. It meant there was someone out there who might be even worse.
"Okay, why weaken the Lords rather than killing them?" Caramella asked again. "I mean, what does one do that the other doesn't?"
"Survivability." Argo answered. "Tis a means of assisted suicide to try and get past a Fae Lord's personal guards. You'd almost need a raid group."
Understanding dawned in the Swordswoman's eyes. "So do the next best thing by taking out the people they rely on."
"Usually under appreciated, and a lot less heavily guarded." Argo hissed, tail beginning to twist beneath her cloak. Argo turned back to Alden. "You need to get a warning out to anyone involved in running the city. Double up the watch patrols and keep the guard especially heavy in the residential district and here at the tower." Spinning back around. "Abby-san, this is going to take some time, right?"
"Uh, yeha, I have to check them both for any other injuries, and then check the doctor's reports." The Spriggan Gothic Lolita looked surprised. "Uhm, is there anything else?"
"No, that tis good nya! Find me when you're done sa." Argo was already out the door, followed closely by Kirito and Alden. "Alden-san, I need you to send a message to the other cities, tell them what I told you. Caramel-chan, stay here and keep an eye on Abby-san."
Things were too dire for the normally boisterous Swordswoman to even comment about her nickname, instead, she simply grimaced, exchanging stares with Raz and the spider that was still seated on his head. Judging by the way that the Terrorantula's feeding mandibles were moving, Raz had just recently fed it something, something live.
"I'd really rather not." She squinted. "Like, really, really, rather not."
"Then stand outside." Argo snapped, not even slowing down as she burst into the hallway. "Kii-bou, you're staying with me. This is our chance, the Dynamic Duo won't get here until evening, so now we can investigate the crime scene and Tobi's apartment without them messing anything up. If there's a pattern, maybe there's something else we can look for, a hint to why these particular people are being picked."
Kirito kept pace easily beside the Information Broker, Alden following at a brisk jog and calling for them not to run in the halls.
"What tis it?" Argo asked suddenly."
"N-nothing?" Kirito said.
The Cait snorted in contempt. "You can't hide it. You always get that stupid look on your face when you want to ask something, Kii-bou."
"Aren't you a little too harsh with Jensen and Vakarian-san? They're just doing their job."
Argo waited until they hit the elevators before answering, rolling her eyes in disgust. "Those two? Yeah, they're doing the exact same job they did in real life sa. Namely, keeping me from figuring out what tis really going on nya!" The Cait didn't even realized she'd shouted until she noticed Kirito and Alden covering their ears and a few worried looks from other Caits waiting in the lobby.
"I . . ." Her face grew pained as she leaned against the elevator door, taking a breath.
"SAO, games in general, they're all just numbers, the strength isn't real. Well, you know that nya. But the people are real, and so is the quality of their character sa. The people are real, even when the world tis not. I found Aa-chan, I found where she was, and in Aincrad that information would have meant something. But when I gave it to the SAO investigation unit", her hands balled into fists, knuckles turning white, "They just tossed it away, because I'm just the kid, and they're the adults, and anything I have to say tisn't worth hearing unless they decide it tis!"
Kirito watched as Argo's breathing slowed, her face was red, embarrassed at her outburst, but he couldn't blame her. It had been hard to explain SAO even to people who wanted to understand. It was even harder when they didn't want to hear. And there were lots of people who didn't want to hear. People who wanted to 'help' by completely isolating the SAO survivors from everyone they had met and known in the death game, compartmentalize and treat the whole incident as a single [<Traumatic Event]>.
This had almost been the plan decided on before the initial interviews with the survivors provided enough evidence that it would have done more harm than good.
Most of the players had been eager to piece together something resembling a normal life, and Kirito had been no exception, he'd been happy to be his perfectly ordinary self once more rather than the [<Black Swordsman of Aincrad]>. But it had still taken some getting used to. He'd felt strange for not getting odd looks when he walked down the street.
How could Argo have felt, to see her hard work thrown aside by people who just wanted to treat her like a victim? Her reputation as [<The Rat]> hadn't been based on any stats, just her own hard work, sweat, and tears. Worse, she had been right and her voice had still been ignored by the people who were supposed to help.
"Jeez." Kirito whispered. "That's really lousy information. You better not sell it." He reached out, placing a hand firmly atop the Cait head and pulling her hood down playfully. "Or did you forget, that information meant a whole lot to me."
The elevator bell chimed once, announcing the arrival of the counterweight driven booth. Suddenly, Argo snickered. "So that tis that the way Kii-bou see's it, even now nya?"
'Even now?' He repeated mentally.
"Later." Argo decided out loud. "For now." She looked up, and her golden eyes almost seemed to glow with hate. "Someone thinks it tis cute to kill the people who are working hard to keep us all alive. Let's find them so we can show them how we feel about that!"
Halkegenia Online v2.0 – Chapter 4 – Part 3
"So that's it, eh?" Caramella asked.
"Yep." Argo answered, popping another raisin into her mouth as she sat atop a small outcropping overlooking the beach.
Seeing Freelia for the first time reminded Kirito of a promise he had made to himself back when ALfheim was still a game, between journeying towards the World Tree and desperately hoping to find Asuna, to eventually visit all of the ALO Home Cities. He just wished his first visit to the Cait Syth Capital could have been under happier circumstances.
Kirito looked over to where the Swordswoman tapped her foot impatiently, waiting along with Argo and Abigail for her flight magic to recharge enough for the last leg of the trip. None of them were in any mood to get wet.
When the Transition had struck Tristain, realizing the environments of ALfheim within the Kingdom's borders, at first, the blending of Tristain and ALfheim had appeared almost random. But as the Faeries and their new neighbors began to interact and venture outwards into the changed countryside, a set of priorities that determined what had been overwritten by the transition and what had been left untouched had become apparent. And where there was a pattern, there was something for Argo to study.
The Information Broker had spent a fair amount of time deciphering the underlying rules of the transition, labeling the results of her research the [<<i]Tentative Guidelines of Ontological Actualization: Don't Worry, It's Argo's Metaphysical Theory[/i]>>.
How Argo had ever managed to say that while keeping a straight face was one of the imponderable mysteries of the Universe, but in short, it laid out some simple ground rules by which the Transition appeared to have been governed.
First. No feature of ALfheim had materialized in such a way as to displace an existing settlement. This rule also extended to a lesser extent to fields, mines, and other areas of active human cultivation.
Second. wherever possible, the features of ALfheim that had carried over from the [<Game World]> had appeared at the same points in relation to one another as they had existed within ALfheim's virtual geography. Thus, Gaddan had appeared roughly thirty kilometers South East of Sylvain, and both cities had materialized approximately seventy kilometers from Arrun.
Third. All former [<Safe Zones]> and [<Player Spawn Points]>, along with most of ALfheim's underground dungeons and floating islands, had materialized without incident. Around half of the surface dungeons had also materialized either in whole or in part. Important portions of each of ALfheim's major playing fields, each with their own flora, fauna, and geographical features, had mixed evenly with the Tristanian countryside, resulting a bizarre patchwork of the two worlds.
There were a number of other guidelines based on factors such as [<Quest Significance]> and number of [<Features]> within proximity, but in Argo's own words, these three rules were 'The only ones I'll put my seal on sa!'
The end result had been a disturbingly logical mixing of ALfheim and Tristain that left almost no doubt in Kirito's mind that whatever force had controlled the Transition had possessed some form of intelligence along with a truly awesome amount of power. What did that mean about this world? And what did it mean for getting home?
Kirito thought about all of this as he breathed in the ocean air, and looked out across the beaches of Tristain's western border, to an island sitting just off the coast.
Freelia was unique among the settlements that the Faeries had brought with them. It was the only Faerie City to have not impinged directly upon the Kingdom of Tristain, instead appearing about a kilometer off the coast.
Each of the Faerie Cities and towns had altered their local environment in some way in order to accommodate themselves. Orlein's [<Crescent Bay]> had become the [<Crescent Lake]> of Eastern Tristain, and the great stone ruins that formed Gaddan's outer defensive works, had arrived with the Salamander City itself. Freelia had brought along its own island.
The Isle of Freelia was a little over six kilometers long and two and a half kilometers wide at its widest point, roughly evenly divided between beach, fields, hills, and the city itself.
It seemed the Salamanders didn't have a monopoly on the Fortress City idea, judging by the tall, sandstone walls that ringed Freelia and divided it into three concentric districts. From this distance, the City resembled a very wide, three level wedding cake built atop a hill on the seaward end of the island and topped by its keep-like Tower.
"I don't believe it." Caramella muttered. "It's Minas Tirith."
"Minas what?" Abigail asked.
"You know, Lord of the Rings, JRR Tolkien . . . Peter Jackson? Ian McKellen?" The Swordswoman nudged. "You know, 'My Precious'?"
"You mean from those old movies?" Kirito wondered. He knew about the books, but he wasn't exactly a movie buff. He'd picked up enough popular fantasy second hand thanks to his MMO obsession which had included several fantasy themed games prior to SAO.
Argo gave Caramella an offended look. "Tis completely different!" She defended, unexpected loyalty for her adopted home city bubbling to the surface.
"It is! Look at it, it's Minas Tirith, made from sandstone, and put on an island!" The Faerie woman shook her head in disbelief. "Tell me that I'm wrong."
Argo fell silent, nose twitching furiously. "Okay. Maybe RETCO was a little completely creatively bankrupt." Argo admitted.
Possibly even actually bankrupt now, Kirito speculated. The SAO incident had all but wiped out ARGUS, the original developer of the Nerve Gear and SAO, and that had only been ten thousand players. What would the mass 'death' or disappearance of sixty thousand people do to RETCO's reputation and bottom line?
He didn't think about it for long. Anything that had to do with that other world inevitably led to the people they had left behind. This time, his mom and dad had lost both him and Sugu. And then there was Asuna's family. Yuuki Shouzo had seemed like a genuinely caring, if distant, father and Asuna had spoken fondly of him the one time the subject had come up. He definitely didn't deserve to lose his only daughter.
"Okay, that should be long enough." Argo hopped down from her perch, four translucent yellow wings curving from her back. "Let's get going."
"Hey Abby-san, you need someone to carry that?" Caramella pointed to the comically over sized pack that the slight Spriggan was struggling to balance.
Abigail waved, red faced and still panting from the last leg of their flight. "This, no, this is fine! I used to carry this much all the time."
Kirito was about to say something when the girl finally lost the fight with balance, falling over backwards with a muted -thump-. Just because she could carry that much didn't mean she should. It was the same reason Kirito had stopped using his [<Black Iron Great Sword]> despite its impressive weight and striking power.
"Erm," Abigail squirmed, trying to worm her way free, but the straps of her pack had constricted in the fall, "Actually, I could use a little help." She reached up pleadingly, offering words of thanks as Kirito and Caramella helped her back to her feet.
The short hop across the water took less than a minute, even slowing down enough for Abbigail to keep up. As they flew, Kirito noticed and pointed out activity along the coast of Tristain.
"Yeah, those are some Earth and Water Mages hired by Freelia and the local Noble Peers." Argo said.
"What's that they're building?" Kirito asked, squinting. "A bridge?"
"Good eye." Argo agreed. "The ocean only gets around three to six meters deep here, so the Earth Mages are being used to shape foundations and supports. When they're done, we'll have a bridge as wide as the local highways connecting Freelia to the mainland. It's going to be a big help for trade."
Kirito was impressed. That was a lot of effort to be made on such short notice. The Local Nobility must have been eager to fully benefit from relations with Freelia.
The open fields and light forests of the island's Eastern side rolled by beneath them, a few small starting mobs running from their passing shadows or else taking flight from the trees to flee further into cover. Soon, the tall grass was giving way to the sand and straw of stables along the City Perimeter, and then to the tiled roofs and stone paved roads of the tiered City itself.
The narrow streets weren't as busy as the wide thoroughfares of Arrun. That wasn't surprising, Freelia had only four thousand permanent residence as compared to Arrun's twenty thousand Faeries. But Kirito still spotted plenty of activity on their approach, especially along the tops of the walls. More construction, and what looked like cannons.
"New defensive works. In case Reconquista decides to get frisky." Argo answered severely. She didn't look happy at seeing the ugly new battlements hastily added to the top of Freelia's graceful walls.
Freelia, along with Cadenza, was one of the closest Faerie settlements to Albion, which meant the city was uniquely vulnerable to attack. Kirito had heard that the Fae Lords and Tristain had been planning to do something about the situation, but this was the first time he'd seen the results for himself.
The Cait Syth were working hand in hand with their Halkegenian partners, using [<Geokinesis]> spells and the brute force animal power of their trained mobs to fit the shaped stonework created by the Earth Mages.
"What I want to know is where they're getting all of that artillery." Caramella said.
Argo's sour expression changed to an evil smile. "Twas a most generous gift from Lord Cromwell of Albion."
Kirito winced. "The cannons from York."
The victorious Tristanian fleet had returned from York with more than just captured ships, they'd also stolen hundreds of cannons from the wrecked fortifications and coastal batteries located across the city. Those same guns had now been re-purposed to guard the Tristanian coast from their old masters.
"Most generous." Argo repeated innocently.
They climbed the final hundred meters to the top of Freelia Tower, setting down on the broad landing where a half dozen dragons, both ALfheim and Halkegenian, were busy sunning themselves in the warm morning light. A Pounce of Cait Syth were already waiting for them when they arrived.
"Argo-san!" A scholarly Cait hurried forward, staff in hand as if to support himself.
"Alden." Argo shared a forearm shake with the other Faerie. "We came as fast as we could, sa!"
It was hard to miss the dark bags under the Information Broker's eyes as she stepped back from the deputy leader of Freelia. Kirito watched closely, Argo hadn't acted herself when she'd learned about the latest murders, and she'd been on edge all through the night until they had set out just before sunrise.
"First, introductions." Argo said to herself. "Kii-bou, Caramel-chan, Abigail-san, this is Alden-san. I guess it's best to think of him as the Mayor of Freelia."
"Alden, you already know Suisen." Argo reached up to her shoulder and tapped her navigation pixie partner gently atop her small head. "The Spriggan with no fashion sense is Kirito, and the Gothic Lolita is Abigail-san, and the last is Caramella, one of Asuna-san's people."
"Kirito-san, and one of the KoB? More SAO survivors?" Alden looked relieved. "I suppose you're all better suited for this than most. We really are grateful you arrived so quickly."
"Un." Kirito nodded his head softly. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Alden-san. Alicia-san speaks very highly of you."
"And likewise with you." Alden answered, exchanging a handshake. "We're lucky that Alicia-chan sent such capable people."
Looking up at the taller Cait, Argo added quietly. "If tis okay with you, we'd like to get started right away."
Abigail stepped forward, squeezing between Kirito and Caramella. "If you don't mind, after I sent my message, I'd like to know if you were able to do as I asked with the bodies."
The relief on Alden's face was replaced by worry. "The remains? Yes, we we've set up a cold room in Freelia tower. One of our mages conjured enough ice to keep the bodies chilled. But . . . I don't know what you expect to learn from them, the cause of death is obvious."
Abigail gave him a sympathetic look. "I won't know until I can do an examination, but every bit could help. Thank you."
Alden lead the way into the tower, the other Caits falling in behind him until they reached the counterweight elevators at the tower's heart. Kirito was on alert the moment they entered the lobby. They were being watched. Dozens of cat slit eyes turned to follow them to the elevators where Alden gave some last instructions to his subordinates, and ushered the four investigators inside.
The 'Mayor' of Freelia sagged visibly as the lobby rose out of sight through the glass doors, pulling the small, silver rune etched mage's cap from his head to show lightly spotted wheat blonde ears atop messy brown hair.
"That bad, huh?" Argo put a hand on his shoulder.
"That bad?" Alden laughed bitterly. "When people heard about the murder in Arrun, they got nervous. Then it happened here and worse!" He raised his hands helplessly. "What am I supposed to do? The city watch is being run ragged keeping up its patrols and trying to maintain a constant watch in Freelia. People are expecting me to resolve this in Alicia-san's absence!"
"That tis what we're here for." Argo said softly.
Alden shook his head. "I can't say that is any better. I'm not even able to ensure the safety of the people." The man looked down, ears sinking, defeated. "Forgive me, this should never have been allowed to happen."
"I'm sure Sakuya-san and Alicia-chan feel the same way about Novair." Argo looked out the glass door as the elevator began to slow. "But you can't beat yourself up for not expecting a murderer. People can't live like that." She breathed softly, "You can't, sa."
The elevator came to a stop on one of the lower floors, letting them out into a tiled lobby that glowed in the reflected light of dozens of ore lamps. The interior of Freelia Tower was much like that of Arrun and Sylvain Towers, filled up with small shop fronts, store rooms, and meeting areas.
Even after the double homicide, the administrative areas were busy from an early hour, Cait Syth messengers and clerks hurrying about frantically with their own tasks.
Unlike Arrun, Kirito failed to spot a single head that wasn't marked by cat's ears. Freelia was a former faction capital, and it showed. Most people had chosen to settle in familiar surroundings, and there simply hadn't been enough time or external pressure to cause any sort of large migration save for the displaced players moving into Arrun. Thus, Freelia's population remained mostly composed of Cait Syth for now.
They were led down a twisting series of hallways and side corridors, the foot traffic trickling down to nothing until Kirito was sure that Alden had taken a wrong turn and gotten them lost within some [<Hidden Labyrinth]> type Dungeon.
The Cait stopped at an indistinct door, ear cocked as if listening carefully. Reaching one hand from his robes, Alden wrapped his knuckles gently against the door and waited as it was unlocked from the inside.
Kirito stepped into the room and then nearly leaped back as he came face to face with the stuff of nightmares.
"Gah!" The Black Swordsman of Aincrad was already grabbing for [<Onyx Arbiter]> when he full processed what was in front of him. He had been expecting a cold room containing the bodies for autopsy, instead he found this!
At first, it appeared to be a small Terrorantula that had consumed the head of a young Cait Syth and taken control of the body. That alone would have suited it to the horror themed levels of Aincrad's sixty sixth and sixty seventh floors. However, on closer inspection, it became clear that the mottled arachnid was situated on top of, and not replacing, the unfortunate Faerie's head.
"Creewww?" The large, forward pair of eyes looked up at Kirito like the lenses of a pair of binoculars, furred feeding mandibles rubbing against each other curiously.
"It's okay Lamar, they're supposed to be here." A pair of gray cat's eyes looked out at Kirito from beneath the curtain of the Terrorantula's delicately folded legs.
"Hey Kirito, what was that shout abo- Gyaaaah!" Caramella crashed into Abigail as she leaped away, both Faeries falling back into the hallway.
As if used to this sort of spectacle, the Cait Syth boy reached into a pouch on his belt and stuffed a handful of nuts into his mouth, regarding Kirito and Argo quietly as he chewed. Small and deeply tanned, silver-gray hair frizzing up around his head before being drawn into a short ponytail. If Kirito hadn't known better, he would have thought the boy was Alicia Rue's kid brother.
"A beast tamer?" Kirito asked cautiously, still not sure whether the sound from earlier wasn't the spider asking if he would be good to eat. He looked over to Argo. "You don't look surprised." He accused. "Shouldn't this count as [<Necessary Information]>?"
Argo's normal look of hate filled amusement returned with a vengeance. "Tis not like I could know he'd be here Kii-bou. I mean, I'd have to be prescient nya."
"Or just very, very, twisted." Kirito replied right back.
He could say with confidence that Argo had never lead anyone knowingly into danger, and never guaranteed the veracity of any information she hadn't confirmed personally. But he couldn't say that the Rat hadn't played a few dirty tricks in her time. As an information broker, her reputation depended as much on not being crossed as not offending.
"More introductions." Argo said with some of her old energy. "This is Raz, one of the Cait Syth's top beast tamers." Argo gestured.
"Un. Nice to meet you." Raz said quietly, reaching out to take Kirito's hand. The spider on his head replicated the motion with one of its forelegs, big black forward eyes looking up puppy dog-like at Kirito. "Don't worry." Raz said. "I spliced a siphon into her poison pouches, the worst she could do is give you some nasty bites."
"Raz is actually the person who cracked the secret to taming Dragons for the Cait Syth back in ALfheim Online." Argo added matter of factly.
"They're like sharks, flying sharks." The boy explained. "You have to feed them until they're full or you'll never get close for long enough to complete the taming."
"You okay Caramel-chan?" Argo called as Caramella hoisted herself off the ground and turned to help Abigail.
"Oh yeah, fine, never better." The Swordswoman snapped. "I just wished someone had told me about that," she pointed to Raz and his pet, "I would have packed my crowbar."
The Cait's eyes narrowed, reaching for his weapon, a thin longsword that was nearly as long as he was tall. Kirito could only think the weapon was meant for midair combat, it would have been impossibly unwieldy for such a small person to use on the ground.
"Alrigh, alright, I'm just kidding." Caramella sighed, grimacing as she entered the room. She tried hard not to look at the spider, or its owner, instead keeping Kirito between her and the odd pair at all times.
"This is everyone?" Raz asked, eyes tracking from Kirito to Argo, then to Abigail and Caramella, before returning to Alden.
"It should be." Alden said. "Two more will be coming along later. But Abigail-san is the examiner."
"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Raz-san." Abigail said, shaking both Raz's hand and Lamars offered forelimb. She looked around the room at her shocked fellow investigators. "What?"
"Never mind." Argo said briskly. "Are you ready, Abigail-san."
The contented look faded, replaced by a more solemn expression. "Un, let's get started."
"Then come this way." The boy gestured to a second door on the far side of the small waiting room, producing a key from his pocket and opening the lock with a muted -click-. "They've been waiting." He stopped at the door, ushering them in. "I'll wait out her, Lamar doesn't like the cold."
The inside of Freelia's hastily constructed morgue was as cramped as the one in the basement of Arrun tower, but there was still room for everyone to squeeze in under the pale light of the mineral lamps hung from hooks in the ceiling. The room was dominated by two tables, covered in white sheets.
"If it helps, our own doctors have already conducted autopsies." Alden gestured to a smaller table covered in tools and notes.
Abigail smiled kindly. "That will be a big help, but I should do my own examination first, just to be safe." The Cait stepped back, standing rigidly against the back wall.
Putting down her pack and removing a magnifying glass, gloves, a piece of pencil, and a notebook, Abigail set to work while the others watched.
The first sheet was pulled back and Kirito looked away. She looked young, too young, only a little older than himself. Whether that was her real age or not didn't matter. Cold skin shown palely in the mineral lights, and short cropped hair the color of aged copper, feathered lightly around her head. For all that she looked to be at peace, Alden had been right, the cause of death was obvious.
"Damn." Caramella breathed, staring at where the girl's throat had been slashed, sawed back to the spine.
"Argo-san, you have a file on her right?" Abigail asked clinically as she pulled on her gloves and tied a handkerchief as a mask.
"Un." Argo nodded, distracted for a moment by the scene in front of her. "Sakuya-san sent me her info last night. She was called Liliana, a Sylph native to Sylvain. She was the mob patrol leader responsible for maintaining the watch between Freelia and the Sylph Capital."
"Do you know what her build was?" The Spriggan examiner pulled the sheet down further and began to inspect the skin for any signs of internal injury.
"A Magic Knight with emphasis on Sylph Wind affinities." Argo answered like she was reading from a book. "I think she was a Halberd user."
"She definitely wasn't a weak Newbie." Kirito observed. "And the other one?"
Abigail turned and drew back the second sheet to reveal a tall, well built, Cait Syth male with short, ginger colored hair and ears. His throat had been brutally slashed in the same mortal fashion as Liliana and Novair.
"This one tis Tobi, a resident of Freelia, and a Dragoon." Argo's ears flattened slowly until they were flush with her head, tail hanging loose and lifeless. "I knew him." She blurted out. "We did a few raids together back when I started playing. He was an alright guy."
Kirito was caught between holding his tongue and trying to comfort her. "Are you going to be okay . . . Argo?"
"Just give me a minute." Argo said a little too quickly, a little too sharply. "I just need a minute to take this in."
They'd already known about the bodies, their names, and the circumstances under which they had been discovered. But there was a world of difference between knowing and experiencing.
"You found them on the beach, right?" Argo observed as she watched Abigail work. "What were they doing there?"
Alden shifted uncomfortably. "Tobi-san was Gaius's replacement when he was transferred to the defense forces under Lord Mortimer.
Kirito and Argo looked to one another, a wordless curse passing between them. "So he would have worked directly under you." Argo concluded. "Just what did Tobi-san do?
"The usual Watch business." Alden rubbed tiredly at his eyes. "He organized Freelia's watch and mob sweeps. That's probably what he was meeting with the Liliana-san about. If I were to guess, he had a bit of a relationship with her on the side, though it may have simply been professional courtesy."
"Moonlit walks on the beach?" Caramella asked, she sounded unconvinced. "Then they were definitely together when they were killed?"
"We think so." Alden confessed. "They were last seen leaving the city together after dinner, and they were found together early yesterday evening with their bodies floating in the surf."
Kirito raised a hand. "One more question, when they were found, were either of them armed?"
Alden's look of worry deepened. "Liliana's halberd was found close by, and Tobi was wearing his sword scabbard, though we didn't find the the blade. Neither of them was wearing armor just to walk around the Island, there's hardly any mobs that are dangerous enough to be any sort of threat, and help is always just a couple of minutes away.
"Kirito?" Caramella questioned, her expression was sober. "You're thinking what I think you're thinking, aren't you?"
"Actually, I was thinking about the Murderers Guild." Kirito's answer was short, simple, and abrupt, and immediately silenced everyone in the room. Caramella turned her head back to the bodies, spitting curses under her breath. "I was worried that people like Argo and the others weren't the only SAO survivors that decided to pick up ALO."
Though he was almost certain that the mandatory observation period put in place by the Government had still been in effect when he had last logged in, the possibility that these murders were being perpetrated by a [<Laughing Coffin]> member, or someone with similar tendencies, had been at the back of his mind from the start. But this . . . "This doesn't match Laughing Coffin's MO at all."
"Right! Laughing Coffin were as brutal as they were sadistic, but they wouldn't risk themselves if they could help it, they weren't suicidal." Argo looked all too anxious to agree. Maybe, maybe this was wishful thinking, but he hoped not. "Taking on two skilled fighters at once isn't something they would want to risk. Not so close to a settlement."
The members of Laughing Coffin, possibly driven insane by their imprisonment, possibly enthralled by their charismatic leader, or maybe just people who had seen an opportunity to indulge the dark part of their own souls, regardless of their motivation, they would never risk cutting short their 'fun' in the playground that Kayaba Akihiko had given them.
"Two on one, maybe not." Caramella pointed out. "But what if it was two on two, or two on three?"
"Maybe, but I don't think so." Kirito stared hard at the far wall, better that then the bodies that Abigail was systematically checking over from head to toe. "Or at least, I still don't think it would be anything like Laughing Coffin. For one, I don't think a Laughing Coffin member could have restrained themselves for this long."
"Maybe they could." Caramella suggested. "Killing in SAO is a lot different from real life. Maybe they were as freaked out as everyone else at first. And even if it's not Laughing Coffin, it doesn't discount some other psycho who's had the complete school of Tarantino swordsmanship crammed into his skull. I mean, don't serial killers usually have some sort of mark?" She nodded back towards the bodies. "That looks pretty conclusive to me."
"That's true," Kirito admitted, "But there's also something else, these attacks have a pattern."
"Right again sa." Argo muttered darkly. "First Novair, now the heads of the Freelia and Sylvain City Watch. These aren't based on some weird criteria. The targets are being logically selected. They're trying to cripple the Fae Lords' ability to lead."
Kirito gave another small nod. "Which means these attacks aren't going to stop, they're going to keep targeting people important to running the Cities and keeping public order."
Kirito felt his stomach turn. He hadn't been mistaken, this probably wasn't caused by a former member of Laughing Coffin. He didn't know whether to be relieved or terrified. It meant there was someone out there who might be even worse.
"Okay, why weaken the Lords rather than killing them?" Caramella asked again. "I mean, what does one do that the other doesn't?"
"Survivability." Argo answered. "Tis a means of assisted suicide to try and get past a Fae Lord's personal guards. You'd almost need a raid group."
Understanding dawned in the Swordswoman's eyes. "So do the next best thing by taking out the people they rely on."
"Usually under appreciated, and a lot less heavily guarded." Argo hissed, tail beginning to twist beneath her cloak. Argo turned back to Alden. "You need to get a warning out to anyone involved in running the city. Double up the watch patrols and keep the guard especially heavy in the residential district and here at the tower." Spinning back around. "Abby-san, this is going to take some time, right?"
"Uh, yeha, I have to check them both for any other injuries, and then check the doctor's reports." The Spriggan Gothic Lolita looked surprised. "Uhm, is there anything else?"
"No, that tis good nya! Find me when you're done sa." Argo was already out the door, followed closely by Kirito and Alden. "Alden-san, I need you to send a message to the other cities, tell them what I told you. Caramel-chan, stay here and keep an eye on Abby-san."
Things were too dire for the normally boisterous Swordswoman to even comment about her nickname, instead, she simply grimaced, exchanging stares with Raz and the spider that was still seated on his head. Judging by the way that the Terrorantula's feeding mandibles were moving, Raz had just recently fed it something, something live.
"I'd really rather not." She squinted. "Like, really, really, rather not."
"Then stand outside." Argo snapped, not even slowing down as she burst into the hallway. "Kii-bou, you're staying with me. This is our chance, the Dynamic Duo won't get here until evening, so now we can investigate the crime scene and Tobi's apartment without them messing anything up. If there's a pattern, maybe there's something else we can look for, a hint to why these particular people are being picked."
Kirito kept pace easily beside the Information Broker, Alden following at a brisk jog and calling for them not to run in the halls.
"What tis it?" Argo asked suddenly."
"N-nothing?" Kirito said.
The Cait snorted in contempt. "You can't hide it. You always get that stupid look on your face when you want to ask something, Kii-bou."
"Aren't you a little too harsh with Jensen and Vakarian-san? They're just doing their job."
Argo waited until they hit the elevators before answering, rolling her eyes in disgust. "Those two? Yeah, they're doing the exact same job they did in real life sa. Namely, keeping me from figuring out what tis really going on nya!" The Cait didn't even realized she'd shouted until she noticed Kirito and Alden covering their ears and a few worried looks from other Caits waiting in the lobby.
"I . . ." Her face grew pained as she leaned against the elevator door, taking a breath.
"SAO, games in general, they're all just numbers, the strength isn't real. Well, you know that nya. But the people are real, and so is the quality of their character sa. The people are real, even when the world tis not. I found Aa-chan, I found where she was, and in Aincrad that information would have meant something. But when I gave it to the SAO investigation unit", her hands balled into fists, knuckles turning white, "They just tossed it away, because I'm just the kid, and they're the adults, and anything I have to say tisn't worth hearing unless they decide it tis!"
Kirito watched as Argo's breathing slowed, her face was red, embarrassed at her outburst, but he couldn't blame her. It had been hard to explain SAO even to people who wanted to understand. It was even harder when they didn't want to hear. And there were lots of people who didn't want to hear. People who wanted to 'help' by completely isolating the SAO survivors from everyone they had met and known in the death game, compartmentalize and treat the whole incident as a single [<Traumatic Event]>.
This had almost been the plan decided on before the initial interviews with the survivors provided enough evidence that it would have done more harm than good.
Most of the players had been eager to piece together something resembling a normal life, and Kirito had been no exception, he'd been happy to be his perfectly ordinary self once more rather than the [<Black Swordsman of Aincrad]>. But it had still taken some getting used to. He'd felt strange for not getting odd looks when he walked down the street.
How could Argo have felt, to see her hard work thrown aside by people who just wanted to treat her like a victim? Her reputation as [<The Rat]> hadn't been based on any stats, just her own hard work, sweat, and tears. Worse, she had been right and her voice had still been ignored by the people who were supposed to help.
"Jeez." Kirito whispered. "That's really lousy information. You better not sell it." He reached out, placing a hand firmly atop the Cait head and pulling her hood down playfully. "Or did you forget, that information meant a whole lot to me."
The elevator bell chimed once, announcing the arrival of the counterweight driven booth. Suddenly, Argo snickered. "So that tis that the way Kii-bou see's it, even now nya?"
'Even now?' He repeated mentally.
"Later." Argo decided out loud. "For now." She looked up, and her golden eyes almost seemed to glow with hate. "Someone thinks it tis cute to kill the people who are working hard to keep us all alive. Let's find them so we can show them how we feel about that!"
Exsequens
I Ent Dead!
- Location
- Back in the Toaster.
Gah, didn't realize I woke up so damn late today. Oh lookie TH posted a chapter. So our duly axed is the city watch heads huh? Must be a shitty day to be a watchman.
On oft unrelated note I'm surprised this chapter went by 40 or so minutes without a like, usually it's like 10 seconds.
On oft unrelated note I'm surprised this chapter went by 40 or so minutes without a like, usually it's like 10 seconds.
an NPC
Section 2, Combat Cyborg
[Weather, Pt 6]
If you've ever been knocked out and tied up to a chair (and probably even if you haven't,) you will probably know that something important to do at some point is to regain consciousness. If you are not conscious and aware of your situation, you're pretty much at the mercy of whoever or whatever is around. Depending on the circumstances, this may or may not be a good thing. Generally though, if you ever fall unconscious against your will, the situation is very, very bad. Generally.
From regaining consciousness, generally the next thing to do is ascertain your situation. If you can see, then try to figure out where you are and if there are any people or things around you. If there are, and they greet you, consider this a good chance to listen up and try to use your wits to save yourself. If they begin to wail on you whilst you are unable to defend yourself, you may experience technical difficulties as you fade back into unconsciousness.
Of course, Lieutenant Chantreau was more than awake at this moment, though his hands and feet remain bound as tight to the chair as when he was placed in it. In a sense, his general state of awareness can be explained by the fact that there is a pretty woman sitting on his lap in a most provocative and confusing manner, sending a rather mixed set of signals to him.
"Are you awake yet, Monsieur Chantreau?" she purrs into his ear,
In different circumstances, Chantreau realises to his discomfort, this would have probably resulted in much fun being had by both parties. As it were, it was only going to be 'fun' for one particular person in this tango. Probably not him by any rate.
And so, with little else to go on, Chantreau does the one thing he knows best:
"Is the safe word banana, by any chance?"
He opens his big, stupid mouth.
The dark-haired woman merely giggles quietly, dismounting him with a certain grace that Chantreau recognised that only dancers and particularly bouncy ladies had.
"Unfortunately, no," she chides, "I'm not particularly in the mood for games right now. You see, you've been following my boyfriend around."
Ooh. That was unfortunate.
She flicks a strand of hair back, "I also know that two of your friends are following my stupid little brother around as well. Which can only mean that our goals are similar."
Young Michael was her brother. Okay, this was beginning to look interesting. The woman paces around a little, before hesitantly tapping her feet for attention,
"Any more silly questions, perhaps?" she offers,
"Not really. Being held captive by a pretty woman is a fairly clear cut thing."
"Hmm, so the rumours were true. You do play rough. Well, let me skip the foreplay then-"
"F-foreplay's fine too!"
*slap*
"I've got a man to myself already. Keep up," she admonishes, "Let me explain this to you,
I am part of an old thieving family. We've stopped thieving, and we're just practising for the art of it. My idiot younger brother Michael seems to think he's clever enough to benefit from using a group of bandits to rip off his boss at the Trader's Guild and avoid being caught in some kind of stupid 'grand master plan' to get rich quick. My brother is very stupid, and he will get this town killed in his cockamamie schemes.
Also, he's trying to frame my boyfriend for it, and that makes this personal."
If he could move his arms right now, Chantreau would scratch his chin in deep thought, trying to make sense of this story. As he could not, he settled for tilting his head slightly. He then realised that that hurt like hell, due to application of a precision blunt object earlier.
"Why didn't you just ask me to help out with this?" he asks, making sure to keep his sore neck still,
"Oh, you've a very complicated job here. It's not worth asking nicely," she replies, waggling a finger at him, "You're to say that an associate of Michael's knocked you out and tied you up, and then placed you in the loft of his house. Because that is what happened, y'know?"
Ever the questioning type, Chantreau let loose his objection to this plan, "And if I don't agree to say that?"
"Well, dead men tell no tales."
"Okay, let's say that I agree now, but I didn't back up this story and said that the trader's girlfriend did it when I get loose. What then?"
Her smile curled up slightly, and she opened her eyes clearly for the first time in this conversation. They seemed to have lost their vivid shine in the last two seconds.
"Then I find where you sleep, mount you and rip your tiny, moronic balls off for getting my boyfriend in trouble ❤~"
… well that escalated quickly. Must be a bluff. It has to be.
"No offence miss, but I hardly think you could sneak into a fort and get into the officer's quarters without being detected."
"I may not be as good as Monsieur Foquette, but he has the advantage of being born a mage. Instead, I am born a common woman. That is why I'll be doing the mounting before the ripping, Monsieur Chantreau, you heartbreaker, you."
Okay, she more or less has him (literally) by the balls right now. And that reputation of his will be coming back to haunt him, Chantreau figured. The sentries would indeed let a girl like her into his room, probably speculating on how much her sweet arse is worth as they let her through.
"I'll be a good boy," he concedes, "So, please let me go now?"
"Oh no, you'll stay here and stop spying on my boyfriend whilst your friends arrest my stupid brother when he pulls a trick. Then they'll check out his house and find you, and you'll tell them exactly what you need to tell them, mmm'kay?"
"What."
She smiles beatifically, tracing a line across his chest, "Don't worry, You'll have plenty of things to think about while you're here. Here, I'll grab a painting for you."
She stands a small sunny landscape across from him, (Chantreau couldn't help but note that the verdant hills reminded him of Central Romalia,) apparently to amuse or occupy him. It was very tasteful.
"It's a watercolour piece from a local boy. He's very talented with landscapes," she waves, heading towards the ladder, "Have fun while I have a talk with your friends, alright?"
With a cute little grunt, she pulls the trapdoor closed, leaving him there with the painting. Chantreau keeps staring at the landscape. It really was pretty good. The brush work was impeccable. Quite impressive if it was just a boy.
And then it occurs to him.
"… is that a horse or a cow?"
===
Paperwork has varying effects on people. For some, the movement of numbers and names across a paper trail is supremely satisfying. The knowledge at your fingertips, the idea of controlling the ebb and flow of an entire company with just a single misplaced letter, the favours people start to owe you. It all adds up for some people.
For Lecarde, paperwork was at best, a distraction from his real duties, at worse, a dizzying stream of disconnected words designed to entrap him within the vast and unending jaws of bureaucracy. And ever since the Transition of the Faeries, his paperwork had increased practically tenfold. What was worse was how rapidly the paperwork had evolved.
Simple listings of Faerie names and numbers under his command had rapidly grown officious looking headers, some sort of simple faerie crest. These documents soon carried ages, their home city, special skills and even more. Transfer sheets passed near weekly, with increasingly many of the original Cait Syth complement being rotated elsewhere, being replaced with mostly Puca or the occasional Sylph.
Tapping his quill idly on a blotter, Lecarde wonders how long it would take for the paperwork to start tripling in response to the recent reorganisation efforts going on. He had refused an adjutant though. Years of Academy education should in all honesty be adequate for something so trivial as requisition forms and basic accounting. He had dealt with the paperwork before, and he could still keep up.
But to say that anyone can remain completely focused on paperwork at any one time is somewhat misleading. Lecarde was very much using this as a distraction from the impending progress report on the investigation. Very much awaiting the next report.
The knocking on his door sounded unfamiliar. Must be Lunette.
With a half-hearted 'come-in', the Puca captain made her way in, dressed irritatingly casually in a leather raincoat.
"Hullo there Captain!"
"I am assuming you're here for a reason," he grumbles, barely looking up from the papers,
She smiles brightly, "No real reason. Building up your relationship values, I suppose."
"… another one of those strange Fae expressions?"
"Mmhm. Don't worry too much about it."
"I see. Are you intending to attempt an explanation, or leave it be?"
Erika shrugs hesitantly, "I honestly don't know how best to explain it to you. Everything's just sort of complicated."
He chuckles, putting his quill down for the first time in the conversation,
"Hmph. I expected as much," he admits, "Nonetheless, you came here to 'build values'. Is this a critical aspect of your magical ability?"
The Puca actually looked slightly unsure of herself. The small grin he concealed behind his steepled fingers probably did nothing to help dispel that uncertainty.
"Well, if you put it that way Lecarde, I suppose it very much is," she begins, taking the seat across the desk from him, "Mmm… how much do you know about our Song Magic?"
"Enough to get by on."
"Have you ever wondered how it selectively affects listeners?"
"… no?"
She claps her hands decisively. "It's down to friend or foe recognition on the singer's part. The reason our songs can differentiate between a friend and an enemy before was due to [<Game Mechanics]> enforced by the [<GM-AI]>, but as some studying Song Magic at TRIST have deduced, it seems it runs on a combination of familiarity and the singer's intent now,"
Lecarde sat up for this part. If the faerie was willingly revealing the secrets to their magic, then it made sense to memorise it well. It could prove important.
"So, by familiarity, you mean how well acquainted the singer is with their… audience, as it were?" he asks,
"Mmm, exactly so. And this works along with the intent of the singer to affect people in different ways.
Let's say for example, that I am good friends with a particular man, who is duelling with another man. If I sang a song to try and improve his speed, then his speed would be buffed, right?"
"Right."
"If I wasn't familiar with his opponent, then I wouldn't be able to direct the song to improve the opponent's speed, because I don't know him well enough, leaving only the swordsman I am familiar with being buffed. So far so clear?
On the other hand, let's say that I have two friends, who are currently fighting with one another. If I tried to use a buff on them, unless I consciously direct the song to buff only one or the other, both of them would receive the benefits of the buff."
The captain nods, "So your constant attempts to integrate your girls with my men are to try and develop that familiarity, correct?"
"Mmm, that's right," she smiles, "It's the same idea with attacking or debuffing songs. If I sing a song that causes paralysis, then anyone I am familiar and friendly with will not be affected, whilst any unfamiliar people will be."
"Hmm. But I suppose, if you wished to, you could target your allies deliberately?"
"I-if it was necessary, I suppose."
Well. He supposed that made sense. The subtleties of Song Magic seemed unusually complicated for something to be used in battle, but Lecarde supposed that the wide reaching power of music to organise and coordinate groups more than paid off for the level of complexities behind the spell. It sounded like it was challenging to properly train and acquaint a new Battle Singer to the unit they were intended to support.
As the Puca fiddled with a spare quill lying about, she mumbled, "Hopefully that explains why we have to be so buddy-buddy with each other, right?"
"Oh, yes. It certainly does, Lunette. I just pray that whatever fraternisation occurs is suitably... restrained. As understandable as being 'buddy-buddy' with each other is, God knows we must remain clear-headed and objective in the days to come."
"Absolutely. Which brings me to another point," she nods, returning his cool gaze with a mischievous one of her own, "How did your little rendezvous with Fio go?"
"I think she's quite upset," he admits, picking up his quill once more.
"Hmm hmm. Would you like to add something to that-"
The quill resumes it's endless flight across the paper, "As riveting as discussing the love life of your adjutant is, don't you have anything better to do right now, Lunette?"
"… run out of things to say for now?"
"Yes, and I also have a lot of paperwork that needs sorting out."
"I should go," she smirks, gesturing over her shoulder to the door pointedly,
"Yes, yes. Until then Lunette."
===
It was getting late in the afternoon, and the sun was just starting to dip beneath the horizon as the men started surrounding the small house. Allard held Bonette back before he could join the gaggle at the door, "This is convenient, Bonette. Far too convenient."
"I agree. Shall we assume it's a trap?"
"Assume it isn't, because it's so obvious that they wouldn't even try."
"That makes no sense."
"Just get in there. We've already arrested Michael anyway."
Methodically clearing a house was something which many of the men needed to practice. As it was, they were taking far too long, and were needlessly exposing themselves to danger. Still, the men had a job, and they did it quickly if clumsily, sweeping the basement, ground and first floor without incident.
It was when they started peeking into the loft that they found a rather familiar friend staring intently at a watercolour painting of some kind as he was restrained. Clearly, Chantreau was suffering from some kind of delirium, judging by the unhinged rambling he was making about some kind of animal in the picture. With much sadness, the two remaining officers dispatched him to the care of the local water mage, confident that he would make a full recovery in due time.
Well, whatever that bastard Michael had done to Chantreau, he would have to answer for it when Allard came down to have a polite little chat with the man.
If you've ever been knocked out and tied up to a chair (and probably even if you haven't,) you will probably know that something important to do at some point is to regain consciousness. If you are not conscious and aware of your situation, you're pretty much at the mercy of whoever or whatever is around. Depending on the circumstances, this may or may not be a good thing. Generally though, if you ever fall unconscious against your will, the situation is very, very bad. Generally.
From regaining consciousness, generally the next thing to do is ascertain your situation. If you can see, then try to figure out where you are and if there are any people or things around you. If there are, and they greet you, consider this a good chance to listen up and try to use your wits to save yourself. If they begin to wail on you whilst you are unable to defend yourself, you may experience technical difficulties as you fade back into unconsciousness.
Of course, Lieutenant Chantreau was more than awake at this moment, though his hands and feet remain bound as tight to the chair as when he was placed in it. In a sense, his general state of awareness can be explained by the fact that there is a pretty woman sitting on his lap in a most provocative and confusing manner, sending a rather mixed set of signals to him.
"Are you awake yet, Monsieur Chantreau?" she purrs into his ear,
In different circumstances, Chantreau realises to his discomfort, this would have probably resulted in much fun being had by both parties. As it were, it was only going to be 'fun' for one particular person in this tango. Probably not him by any rate.
And so, with little else to go on, Chantreau does the one thing he knows best:
"Is the safe word banana, by any chance?"
He opens his big, stupid mouth.
The dark-haired woman merely giggles quietly, dismounting him with a certain grace that Chantreau recognised that only dancers and particularly bouncy ladies had.
"Unfortunately, no," she chides, "I'm not particularly in the mood for games right now. You see, you've been following my boyfriend around."
Ooh. That was unfortunate.
She flicks a strand of hair back, "I also know that two of your friends are following my stupid little brother around as well. Which can only mean that our goals are similar."
Young Michael was her brother. Okay, this was beginning to look interesting. The woman paces around a little, before hesitantly tapping her feet for attention,
"Any more silly questions, perhaps?" she offers,
"Not really. Being held captive by a pretty woman is a fairly clear cut thing."
"Hmm, so the rumours were true. You do play rough. Well, let me skip the foreplay then-"
"F-foreplay's fine too!"
*slap*
"I've got a man to myself already. Keep up," she admonishes, "Let me explain this to you,
I am part of an old thieving family. We've stopped thieving, and we're just practising for the art of it. My idiot younger brother Michael seems to think he's clever enough to benefit from using a group of bandits to rip off his boss at the Trader's Guild and avoid being caught in some kind of stupid 'grand master plan' to get rich quick. My brother is very stupid, and he will get this town killed in his cockamamie schemes.
Also, he's trying to frame my boyfriend for it, and that makes this personal."
If he could move his arms right now, Chantreau would scratch his chin in deep thought, trying to make sense of this story. As he could not, he settled for tilting his head slightly. He then realised that that hurt like hell, due to application of a precision blunt object earlier.
"Why didn't you just ask me to help out with this?" he asks, making sure to keep his sore neck still,
"Oh, you've a very complicated job here. It's not worth asking nicely," she replies, waggling a finger at him, "You're to say that an associate of Michael's knocked you out and tied you up, and then placed you in the loft of his house. Because that is what happened, y'know?"
Ever the questioning type, Chantreau let loose his objection to this plan, "And if I don't agree to say that?"
"Well, dead men tell no tales."
"Okay, let's say that I agree now, but I didn't back up this story and said that the trader's girlfriend did it when I get loose. What then?"
Her smile curled up slightly, and she opened her eyes clearly for the first time in this conversation. They seemed to have lost their vivid shine in the last two seconds.
"Then I find where you sleep, mount you and rip your tiny, moronic balls off for getting my boyfriend in trouble ❤~"
… well that escalated quickly. Must be a bluff. It has to be.
"No offence miss, but I hardly think you could sneak into a fort and get into the officer's quarters without being detected."
"I may not be as good as Monsieur Foquette, but he has the advantage of being born a mage. Instead, I am born a common woman. That is why I'll be doing the mounting before the ripping, Monsieur Chantreau, you heartbreaker, you."
Okay, she more or less has him (literally) by the balls right now. And that reputation of his will be coming back to haunt him, Chantreau figured. The sentries would indeed let a girl like her into his room, probably speculating on how much her sweet arse is worth as they let her through.
"I'll be a good boy," he concedes, "So, please let me go now?"
"Oh no, you'll stay here and stop spying on my boyfriend whilst your friends arrest my stupid brother when he pulls a trick. Then they'll check out his house and find you, and you'll tell them exactly what you need to tell them, mmm'kay?"
"What."
She smiles beatifically, tracing a line across his chest, "Don't worry, You'll have plenty of things to think about while you're here. Here, I'll grab a painting for you."
She stands a small sunny landscape across from him, (Chantreau couldn't help but note that the verdant hills reminded him of Central Romalia,) apparently to amuse or occupy him. It was very tasteful.
"It's a watercolour piece from a local boy. He's very talented with landscapes," she waves, heading towards the ladder, "Have fun while I have a talk with your friends, alright?"
With a cute little grunt, she pulls the trapdoor closed, leaving him there with the painting. Chantreau keeps staring at the landscape. It really was pretty good. The brush work was impeccable. Quite impressive if it was just a boy.
And then it occurs to him.
"… is that a horse or a cow?"
===
Paperwork has varying effects on people. For some, the movement of numbers and names across a paper trail is supremely satisfying. The knowledge at your fingertips, the idea of controlling the ebb and flow of an entire company with just a single misplaced letter, the favours people start to owe you. It all adds up for some people.
For Lecarde, paperwork was at best, a distraction from his real duties, at worse, a dizzying stream of disconnected words designed to entrap him within the vast and unending jaws of bureaucracy. And ever since the Transition of the Faeries, his paperwork had increased practically tenfold. What was worse was how rapidly the paperwork had evolved.
Simple listings of Faerie names and numbers under his command had rapidly grown officious looking headers, some sort of simple faerie crest. These documents soon carried ages, their home city, special skills and even more. Transfer sheets passed near weekly, with increasingly many of the original Cait Syth complement being rotated elsewhere, being replaced with mostly Puca or the occasional Sylph.
Tapping his quill idly on a blotter, Lecarde wonders how long it would take for the paperwork to start tripling in response to the recent reorganisation efforts going on. He had refused an adjutant though. Years of Academy education should in all honesty be adequate for something so trivial as requisition forms and basic accounting. He had dealt with the paperwork before, and he could still keep up.
But to say that anyone can remain completely focused on paperwork at any one time is somewhat misleading. Lecarde was very much using this as a distraction from the impending progress report on the investigation. Very much awaiting the next report.
The knocking on his door sounded unfamiliar. Must be Lunette.
With a half-hearted 'come-in', the Puca captain made her way in, dressed irritatingly casually in a leather raincoat.
"Hullo there Captain!"
"I am assuming you're here for a reason," he grumbles, barely looking up from the papers,
She smiles brightly, "No real reason. Building up your relationship values, I suppose."
"… another one of those strange Fae expressions?"
"Mmhm. Don't worry too much about it."
"I see. Are you intending to attempt an explanation, or leave it be?"
Erika shrugs hesitantly, "I honestly don't know how best to explain it to you. Everything's just sort of complicated."
He chuckles, putting his quill down for the first time in the conversation,
"Hmph. I expected as much," he admits, "Nonetheless, you came here to 'build values'. Is this a critical aspect of your magical ability?"
The Puca actually looked slightly unsure of herself. The small grin he concealed behind his steepled fingers probably did nothing to help dispel that uncertainty.
"Well, if you put it that way Lecarde, I suppose it very much is," she begins, taking the seat across the desk from him, "Mmm… how much do you know about our Song Magic?"
"Enough to get by on."
"Have you ever wondered how it selectively affects listeners?"
"… no?"
She claps her hands decisively. "It's down to friend or foe recognition on the singer's part. The reason our songs can differentiate between a friend and an enemy before was due to [<Game Mechanics]> enforced by the [<GM-AI]>, but as some studying Song Magic at TRIST have deduced, it seems it runs on a combination of familiarity and the singer's intent now,"
Lecarde sat up for this part. If the faerie was willingly revealing the secrets to their magic, then it made sense to memorise it well. It could prove important.
"So, by familiarity, you mean how well acquainted the singer is with their… audience, as it were?" he asks,
"Mmm, exactly so. And this works along with the intent of the singer to affect people in different ways.
Let's say for example, that I am good friends with a particular man, who is duelling with another man. If I sang a song to try and improve his speed, then his speed would be buffed, right?"
"Right."
"If I wasn't familiar with his opponent, then I wouldn't be able to direct the song to improve the opponent's speed, because I don't know him well enough, leaving only the swordsman I am familiar with being buffed. So far so clear?
On the other hand, let's say that I have two friends, who are currently fighting with one another. If I tried to use a buff on them, unless I consciously direct the song to buff only one or the other, both of them would receive the benefits of the buff."
The captain nods, "So your constant attempts to integrate your girls with my men are to try and develop that familiarity, correct?"
"Mmm, that's right," she smiles, "It's the same idea with attacking or debuffing songs. If I sing a song that causes paralysis, then anyone I am familiar and friendly with will not be affected, whilst any unfamiliar people will be."
"Hmm. But I suppose, if you wished to, you could target your allies deliberately?"
"I-if it was necessary, I suppose."
Well. He supposed that made sense. The subtleties of Song Magic seemed unusually complicated for something to be used in battle, but Lecarde supposed that the wide reaching power of music to organise and coordinate groups more than paid off for the level of complexities behind the spell. It sounded like it was challenging to properly train and acquaint a new Battle Singer to the unit they were intended to support.
As the Puca fiddled with a spare quill lying about, she mumbled, "Hopefully that explains why we have to be so buddy-buddy with each other, right?"
"Oh, yes. It certainly does, Lunette. I just pray that whatever fraternisation occurs is suitably... restrained. As understandable as being 'buddy-buddy' with each other is, God knows we must remain clear-headed and objective in the days to come."
"Absolutely. Which brings me to another point," she nods, returning his cool gaze with a mischievous one of her own, "How did your little rendezvous with Fio go?"
"I think she's quite upset," he admits, picking up his quill once more.
"Hmm hmm. Would you like to add something to that-"
The quill resumes it's endless flight across the paper, "As riveting as discussing the love life of your adjutant is, don't you have anything better to do right now, Lunette?"
"… run out of things to say for now?"
"Yes, and I also have a lot of paperwork that needs sorting out."
"I should go," she smirks, gesturing over her shoulder to the door pointedly,
"Yes, yes. Until then Lunette."
===
It was getting late in the afternoon, and the sun was just starting to dip beneath the horizon as the men started surrounding the small house. Allard held Bonette back before he could join the gaggle at the door, "This is convenient, Bonette. Far too convenient."
"I agree. Shall we assume it's a trap?"
"Assume it isn't, because it's so obvious that they wouldn't even try."
"That makes no sense."
"Just get in there. We've already arrested Michael anyway."
Methodically clearing a house was something which many of the men needed to practice. As it was, they were taking far too long, and were needlessly exposing themselves to danger. Still, the men had a job, and they did it quickly if clumsily, sweeping the basement, ground and first floor without incident.
It was when they started peeking into the loft that they found a rather familiar friend staring intently at a watercolour painting of some kind as he was restrained. Clearly, Chantreau was suffering from some kind of delirium, judging by the unhinged rambling he was making about some kind of animal in the picture. With much sadness, the two remaining officers dispatched him to the care of the local water mage, confident that he would make a full recovery in due time.
Well, whatever that bastard Michael had done to Chantreau, he would have to answer for it when Allard came down to have a polite little chat with the man.
- Location
- Third planet from the star named Sol
- Pronouns
- He/They
Hey TH, you use hate a couple times when I don't think you should, seems to harsh for the tone.
Troubling developments, A method that creates destabilising effects on the government and reduces the unity of the populace. For an internal coup this current method isn't very good really, as the situation currently isn't very safe and anyone half way devious and intelligent enough to plot something like this, would typically realise they're increasing their chances to die from an invasion. Though there's still a small chance of an insane serial killer that likes targeting high placed people.
Aside of that a hostile outside influence at first glance seems more likely, possible options coming to mind:
- An internal noble faction trying to undermine the Faerie ability to become a powerful faction in their own right perhaps. Via a method of disorganising them and perhaps trying to prove them some kind of barbarians for instance, when they 'inevitably' seek revenge. A line of thinking that would fit in Early Modern times.
- Reconquista trying to weaken the Faerie, perhaps based on talks with the dead Faerie, which might give the impression they'd be easy to panic. And perhaps have them lash out and weaken cooperation between the Tristanian and Faeries.
- Not known to Faeries, but potentially an attempt by the mad king to start a cycle of further destruction. A nice civil war going in Tristain would serve two of his goals.
In any of these cases you'd have a pretty good chance of finding a link to certain nobles in Tristain though, as the agents would be much more effective with local backers. Thus this seems like a new area for the investigation to look in to at this point. How ever, one can't help but think there is a fair chance of atleast one Faerie collaborator as well, or alternately some of the dead Faerie. As pulling these targets off like this otherwise could be difficult...
Something to look in to though in this regard, would be to see if the targets are people known to Tristanians, or if some are people only a local Faerie would have really known about. Depending on the outcome of that, you could make some guesses on what kind of information the killer/killers have access to.
Aside of that a hostile outside influence at first glance seems more likely, possible options coming to mind:
- An internal noble faction trying to undermine the Faerie ability to become a powerful faction in their own right perhaps. Via a method of disorganising them and perhaps trying to prove them some kind of barbarians for instance, when they 'inevitably' seek revenge. A line of thinking that would fit in Early Modern times.
- Reconquista trying to weaken the Faerie, perhaps based on talks with the dead Faerie, which might give the impression they'd be easy to panic. And perhaps have them lash out and weaken cooperation between the Tristanian and Faeries.
- Not known to Faeries, but potentially an attempt by the mad king to start a cycle of further destruction. A nice civil war going in Tristain would serve two of his goals.
In any of these cases you'd have a pretty good chance of finding a link to certain nobles in Tristain though, as the agents would be much more effective with local backers. Thus this seems like a new area for the investigation to look in to at this point. How ever, one can't help but think there is a fair chance of atleast one Faerie collaborator as well, or alternately some of the dead Faerie. As pulling these targets off like this otherwise could be difficult...
Something to look in to though in this regard, would be to see if the targets are people known to Tristanians, or if some are people only a local Faerie would have really known about. Depending on the outcome of that, you could make some guesses on what kind of information the killer/killers have access to.
InfiniteFreedom
Benign hackers unite.
So it is political. Hope whoever is perpetrating these crimes get's run through on a sword.
- Location
- Oblivion
I want to slap Argo after this, her "proof" was a screenshot from a video game where people could choose their own appearance that she found on a random forum.Triggerhappy said:
The only reasons I can see that she could have thought anyone would take her seriously was because she was delusional and thought her SAO reputation and skills would mean something in real life.
- Location
- Third planet from the star named Sol
- Pronouns
- He/They
I will just mention that there is another, separate investigation going on right now, and we are being told about it realtime.
- Location
- Third planet from the star named Sol
- Pronouns
- He/They
And failing, as they are destroying the social stability just as much as the political, and they're on the brink of war. And people aren't just going to say 'huh, the attacks against the governmental helpers stopped when one guy took a lot of power in the resultant vacuum. What a coincidence!'tsukino_kage said:
- Location
- Oblivion
Wow so every time a mod deletes a thread or someone alters a pic they posted it's obviously a conspiracy!scope said:
Or better yet for all the cops know Argo altered the screenshot herself and then printed out a copy because she was unhappy with the way the investigation was going.
The evidence supports both, but in no way supported Argo's claim. Something she should have realized, the only way she couldn't have is if she was still thinking of herself as Argo the information broker who always guarantees her information and has a reputation on always being right. And not Argo the school girl who has no real importance or history in real investigations.
You do realize there are ways to check for altered images in real life right?
Another way to put it; they were give a possible lead on where 300 people disappeared off to. Did they have any other plausible ideas where 300 minds can be held? One that also has ties to the previous company that caused the situation? You know, like that company that bought them and is using their tech?
Another way to put it; they were give a possible lead on where 300 people disappeared off to. Did they have any other plausible ideas where 300 minds can be held? One that also has ties to the previous company that caused the situation? You know, like that company that bought them and is using their tech?
- Location
- Oblivion
You do realize the alteration was done by Cardinal so perfect?scope said:
And that the cops had no reason to take the word of a school girl?
And that it was a game where anybody can look like anybody else so pictures of someone in the game are meaningless?
And that even if they had perfect evidence that it was someone who looked identical to Asuna and called Sugou he could have simply said "well I am basing this new character on my dear friends daughter who is in a coma"?
A lead is still better then no lead. The fact that it wasn't even considered is disturbing.Vaermina said:
You must have a very 'special' mindset, because that last thing at the end is in no way considered an investigation.
I'm done with you.
Triggerhappy
Stick with Trigger and You'll Make it Through
- Location
- SoCal
I would tell Vaer to lay off, but he's sort of proving my point, isn't he?
They likely got thousands of leads. One that might be a little more unusual than most but provides little evidence of what they're looking for?scope said:
You have the benefit of hindsight that the information was correct. They did not. Calling them retarded for not being prescient is dumb.