The table in Carlito's room was covered in the latest parchment and volumes collected from the barracks. Most of the information was useless, just general guard reports and patrol details. The only two things that were of anything remotely interesting were the two scrolls and a letter which had been amongst the parchments in the cabinet. The first ones were scrolls of authority from the Lieutenant of the district. It was basically the authority given to the guard force of the district to perform its actions. One covered the standard duties of the guard, and the second, a more interesting one, was related to authority to seize. They basically had permission to seize anything they deemed as evidence from any scene, and no recompense was given to those involved. It authorised them while undergoing any investigation of 'private beings' that they could take away any possessions if they deemed they would help them to investigate. It was the most bizarre thought for SJ to remove even more from a person already affected by a crime. Carlito confirmed that most districts behaved the same way, and that was a reason why most robberies from properties weren't reported. Only traders and merchants weren't affected by the rule, as they came under what was known as guild rights.
The letter was something different entirely. SJ unfolded it placing it on the table for Carlito to read. He had been busy going through the possessions he had looted while there and creating piles for discard or sale. Apparently, Poppy would take the items from his undertakings to the local traders and sell them on his behalf, unless they were deemed high enough value or unique that they would draw attention if sold. In those instances, the items would be either sold through the guild or via the auction house. Poppy had never asked any questions about where they came from, and SJ could see that he was meticulous in ensuring that nothing that had evidence on them was ever given to her; blood was rather distinct, after all. SJ had added the loot from the Lieutenant to the pile.
"Carlito. I think we have something," SJ said.
'I am surprised that they even put ink to parchment to stipulate this,' SJ thought.
"Would you not want a guarantee?" Dave said.
Carlito moved over and looked down at the letter, picking it up. "Very interesting. Indeed, it paints a rather dark picture of the authority and its guard force. I don't think they meant to leave this letter anywhere that it could be easily found."
"I don't think they ever expected their barracks to be directly attacked and the force there killed."
Carlito chuckled. "True."
The letter was from the district offices to the captain of the district guard, a being named Sinclair. It was detailed that neither the members of the Sanction nor the Handlers were to be stopped from doing their current business due to an existing agreement between them and the district authority. This was apparently a temporary agreement, but still an agreement that the district leaders had allowed to set up with local gangs. It inferred that there would be financial recompense but gave no details. The one thing it didn't confirm was whether the initial order had come from the district lieutenant directly or through another in his office. It could be assumed that the Lieutenant had authorised it, but the fact that it was signed off just with the signatory of the district's office of authority didn't categorically implement him.
"I think our next stop has to be the district offices," SJ said.
Carlito frowned.
SJ, upon seeing his response, expanded on her comment: "Sorry. I don't mean going in there and killing them all. I mean for me to visit there and see if I can find anything more solid about what is actually going on."
"And how will you do that?"
"I think it is time to do some digging into their business. In miniature form, I have much more freedom to stay hidden."
"The offices won't be open in the evenings, it would be best to go in at night. It may also be worth investigating the Lieutenant's home. I bet that is where any compromising evidence could be found if he is directly involved."
The thought of them now moving towards spying rather than assassination work made SJ feel better. Although her alignment hadn't been affected by the deaths of the guards, she couldn't stop going back to one word in her mind. She was now a murderer. However, she tried to consider it. Whether her actions were just or not. Quest completion had prevented her from ever considering it previously, and she was now internally questioning if she had made a mistake becoming an assassin. The glory and fun of MMORPG games had driven her to a decision that in her new life had far-reaching repercussions, which were now beginning to feel like a heavy cloak across her shoulders.
"SJ?" Dave said.
'Yeah,' SJ thought, the iteration of murderer resonating in her mind.
"You aren't a murderer. You are an assassin. An assassin's job is to kill. It is no different than being a basic adventurer who enters dungeons. Is their job not to kill monsters? What makes the life of a monster less important than the life of a being? When you consider it, are beings not monsters in beasts' eyes? Would that then not classify them all as murderers?"
The concept or consideration of other living beings' views was a stark contrast to the societal norms she had lived under on Earth. Humans had always been the apex predators, the deciders and with that they had created laws and expectations to be followed. Similar laws did exist in Amathera in various guises but none seemed as rigid or even as judicially enforced. Otherwise, General Crawford wouldn't have given her the green light to do what they had done. As she sat considering the function of breaking into the district offices to search for evidence, she kept reflecting on whether there really was a right or wrong.
"Right then. Let's go," Carlito said.
"Now?" SJ asked, surprised.
"You only have two days before returning to Killic, and you already said that tomorrow you have things you need to do."
SJ had mentioned to Carlito that she needed to go to the bank with Yawnee and Lurtew and speak to Edward Garshaw about a meeting with the chancellor planned for the following afternoon. She checked her display, and it was now 0142 hrs. They had hit the barracks only two hours earlier.
"Do you really think it's a good idea to go now?" SJ asked.
"Yes. If anything, the guard force will all be dealing with the fallout at the barracks. I doubt anything else will even be considered tonight. I can guarantee that all patrols will have been called back, and the offices should be empty."
It didn't take them long to return to District 10. Carlito Shadow Stepped his way swiftly through the districts as SJ flew overhead. Carlito knew exactly where the offices were and led them directly to them. The building was constructed of wood, but not like many of the other wooden buildings in the district; this wood was very dark brown and almost black. It looked quite unassuming from the outside, only standing three stories high, and it wasn't very wide either. It could easily have been mistaken for one of the very many townhouses in the district if it were not for the emblazoned flag which hung above the entrance door. The image was red and reminded SJ of a fleur-de-lis.
"That's Harmysters' emblem," Carlito said to SJ, who was hovering in the alley across from the building.
The streets surrounding the building were well-lit, and lanterns hung evenly, providing significant lighting. Several beings were still on the street with at least three bars visible nearby, full of patrons from the sounds that could be heard even at this late hour. The building itself appeared to be dark inside, and SJ could see an open window on the second floor.
"I am going to go and investigate. If you stay here, you can warn me if you see anything suspicious."
"You want to go in alone?"
"I may as well. Do we both need to go inside?"
"I suppose not."
"I will call you if I have a problem."
Carlito just nodded as SJ took off and flew across the street. The window was open wide enough for SJ to fly inside easily, and she was surprised that it had been left open. The natural light from the lit streets was sufficient for her to see inside with her improved eyesight. The room she entered was not very large, and it appeared to be a store of sorts. Wooden crates were stacked up, and some shelves had what appeared to be cleaning items, such as rags and jars of polish, on them. Brooms were resting against the wall near the door. Landing, SJ moved to the door as she grew and tried the handle. It turned and opened, not being secured. Then again, who would want to steal a couple of brooms?
She stood and listened, even though she hadn't seen any light inside the building. It was silent, and she soon entered the corridor and began checking the other rooms on the floor. There were five in total, all of which were furnished as offices. SJ looked inside each one briefly to see if anything was relevant. Nothing sprang out at her, with only what sounded like standard district works on the parchments she glanced over. She needed to find the Lieutenant's office or at least a higher member of the district council if she were going to find anything that may be considered helpful with her investigation. It took her a further twenty minutes to check everything before she headed to the stairs and flew down them. This floor only had four doors on it, and she again began entering each one.
She arrived at the second to last, where she tried the handle, finding it was locked. A sign hanging on the door told SJ she had discovered the Lieutenant's office.
'Damn,' SJ thought.
"Not much you can do if you are trying to leave no evidence of ever being here," Dave said.
SJ continued to the next door, and it opened. Inside was a sparsely furnished office with a side door leading into the Lieutenant's. Excitedly, SJ tried it again to discover that it was also locked. As she grumbled about bad luck, she began to search the desk and the cabinet, the only two major pieces of furniture in the office. The desk and cabinet held nothing of interest and SJ was about to leave and head to the ground floor when she noticed a piece of parchment tacked to the wall. The parchment was a list of meetings and resembled a calendar. This had to be the Lieutenant's assistant or, for a better word, the secretary's office. The schedule wasn't very interesting to read until she got to an entry stating that the Lieutenant was to attend a meeting at the Broken Toe Inn the following morning.
'Meeting Mas 1100hrs - Broken Toe Inn'
At least she may have something to consider, but without breaking the door down to check the Lieutenant's office, there appeared to be little else to check. The ground floor also provided nothing of interest, and as SJ checked her display, she realised she had been inside for over an hour. Frustrated by the lack of information she had gained, she returned to the second floor and left the building. Carlito was still where she had left him, and he smiled as she landed.
"Did you discover anything?"
"I'm not sure. I couldn't get into his office as it was locked up, but there was a strange entry on a calendar on the office wall outside," SJ repeated what she had read.
"The name could be short for Mascol," Carlito stated.
"Perhaps. I suppose we won't know until tomorrow. It looks like we are going to be spending the morning in the Broken Toe."
"I can think of worse ways to spend my morning."
It was now after 0300hrs, and SJ was feeling tired.
"I think I am going to head back for tonight. There isn't much more we can do this evening. I will meet you at the Griffin tomorrow morning. Well, actually, later this morning."
"No problem," Carlito said. He didn't look or sound tired, and she wondered how often Dragonlings even needed to sleep.
SJ left, heading home.
The next morning came too soon for SJ's liking. Kibble had awoken her by jumping on her chest. He had protested when she had returned so late a few hours previous, when she had disturbed him from where he had decided he was sleeping, sprawled across her pillow.
"Alright," SJ said, groaning as she climbed from the bed and walked heavily to the window to let Kibble out even though she needed less sleep than she used to, having less than four hours left her feeling heavy and drained.
"Right coffee," SJ said after she had washed and dressed, before leading Kibble downstairs.
Yawnee and Lurtew were already up. Lurtew was leaning over a wet stone, sharpening his chisels.
"Hi, SJ, " he said, smiling. Oh, I got you those detailing chisels. They are downstairs in the workshop."
"That's great, thanks, Lurtew."
"Coffee?" Yawnee asked as she lifted the pot.
SJ grinned and nodded. Yawneee poured her a mug, and she inhaled the bitter smell, sighing. She needed it more than usual this morning.
"I'm sorry I didn't get back yesterday to go to the bank," SJ said. "I have had a few things come up."
"That's no problem. Lurtew at last took me to the flower garden," Yawnee beamed. "It was beautiful. The mages do a wonderful job. There are so many different plant varieties and colours, and the smell was heavenly."
"Would you be willing to go this morning? I have a couple of further errands to run this afternoon before I head back to Killic."
"Of course," Lurtew said.
"I thought you said we would go back this morning again?" Yawnee asked.
"SJ needs us at the bank, though."
Yawnee pulled a pouting face, her bottom lip protruding in front of her upper.
"I'm sure we will have time after," Lurtew sighed, obviously not as enthralled at a second visit as Yawnee was.
Yawnee grinned. "That would be amazing," she said, choosing to ignore Lurtew's sigh.
Kibble jumped up onto the table next to SJ and nudged her arm, which held the coffee. SJ looked at the little wyvern's face, his head tilted sideways, looking forlorn.
"You can also come, but only on your lead," SJ said.
Kibble bobbed his head excitedly. Although he had freedom of the house and had been in the backyard, he hadn't really seen much of Asterfal. His reaction to her comment had already explained to SJ how important her link to him was; he understood her perfectly.
SJ knew the bank would open at 0900 hrs. This should give her enough time to go there and still get to the Griffin before heading to District 10. "Will you be ready to go when it opens?"
"No problem," Lurtew said, standing and leaving the kitchen. A few moments passed before his voice carried to the kitchen. "Yawnee. Have you seen my tunic?"
"Which one?" Yawneee replied.
"You know, the dark green one."
Yawnee looked at SJ, shaking her head. "He would forget his brain if it wasn't in his head."
"It's down in the workshop, hung up on the racks," Yawnee called.
"What's it doing there?" Lurtew said as he returned past the kitchen doorway before heading downstairs.
"It is exactly where you left it after returning from the Brewer's Guild," Yawnee tutted.
"Oh, yeah, I remember now," he said as he hurried to the workshop to collect it.
They left home together and walked as a group through the streets of District 11 before turning into the inner city. Neither of the guards who stood on patrol questioned them. SJ was in her full and splendid dress this morning, showing her off in all her glory. As she passed, SJ watched the eyes of one of the guards track her from her adapted vision and nod his head appreciatively. His wandering eyes annoyed her, and she was tempted to turn and say something. That was when Kibble suddenly jumped from his perch on her neck and attempted to capture a bug that had decided to fly in front of them. The winged beetle flitted past as Kibble pulled SJ unceremoniously, almost garotting Lurtew, who was beside her.
"Stop that," SJ hissed as Kibble sulkily returned to her shoulder. A couple of passing beings giggled at the scene.
The bank's building was a magnificent affair. It looked like the Greek Parthenon. Thick stone pillars surrounded an inner sanctum. SJ walked up the steps confidently, feeling Yawnee's wariness as she shifted uncomfortably. She had dressed up before leaving the house and wore her best dress, as Lurtew had said to SJ, out of earshot. Obviously wishing to give a good impression. SJ thought she looked splendid; it was a neutral brown colour that matched her fur perfectly. Lurtew was also wearing his best jacket and they had both made an effort.
Yawnee was in awe as they entered the bank. The opening chamber was huge, with a vaulted ceiling and windows. Tellers' windows lined an area, and then there were separate cubicles for private meetings. It was surprising how similar its layout was to a bank on Earth. Two huge guards stood on either side of the entrance; they wore brilliant plate armour, and a third member wearing robes stood with them. SJ could sense the magic that the being was giving off. They took their security seriously.
The guards didn't speak or challenge them as they crossed the foyer area and approached one of the windows. No bars or glass covered it, but SJ knew that if anything tried to cross, they would be very sorry.
"Can I help you?" a human male asked. He wore a suit and a pristine white shirt, a small broach with the bank's emblem attached to his jacket lapel.
I am looking to open an account, which the three of us can access," SJ said.
"I see. That should be easy enough to do. If you could wait over on the seats over there," the man pointed. "I will get one of the officers to come and see you."
"Thank you," SJ said, turning and heading to the seats. SJ was just lowering herself to sit when she heard a voice she recognised.
"SJ. What brings you here?"
SJ turned to see Otherlisar, who had just entered the foyer from a side office.
"Hello, Otherlisar. I am here with two of my close friends to open up an account."
Otherlisar smiled broadly. "Excellent news. Devin, could you show SJ and her companions to my office? I will be there shortly to discuss their interests."
The man SJ had just spoken to at the teller window looked a little shocked at SJ being given such treatment. "Of course, ma'am," he replied as he moved from the window before appearing from a door at the side. "Please. Follow me," Devin said, turning and starting to walk towards the office door, his hands clasped behind his back, from which Otherlisar had entered.
"Thank you," SJ said to Otherlisar as she followed.
"I'll only be a minute," Otherlisar said as she walked across the foyer to another office, disappearing inside.
