To Catch A Predator

Job Details:

Job Sign-Up: Page 9, Post Number 208

-Sakuramori, early afternoon-

Wearing her green-and-gold outfit with Argent Gloves and her Silver Longsword in its scabbard on her left hip, Leona strolled through a "torii" gate separating the town from the road and into Sakuramori to meet with her clients, a family of merchants named the Verdicis had suffered the recent disappearance of several family members. The missing merchants had vanished on a road that led through Sakuramori and connected both Beanstalk Village and Hosenka on the way to sell their wares in Hosenka or Cedar.

It was Leona's job to figure out what had happened to the missing Verdicis and put a stop to whatever was causing people to vanish. However, the Wizard Saint would not be taking this job alone... today she would be working with a guildmate, a young woman by the name of Maelie Prisca. Leona had never met Maelie before today, so the new mage would be an unknown quantity. However, Leona was not terribly concerned about that because she had more than enough strength to handle the problem should the new mage get in over her head and need a helping hand.

Leona strolled through the busy town, which boasted an oriental architectural style reminiscent of Shirotsume. The buildings were almost like the ones in Shirotsume save for most of Sakuramori's buildings being emblazoned with the emblem of a black rose, a symbol of considerable significance to the town but of unknown meaning to the blonde. Sakuramori also boasted a lot of cherry blossom trees that rained pink petals on the ground each time the wind shifted... as Leona walked down the busy main road the wind picked up and spread a shower of the pink petals all over her head and shoulders. The blonde walked to a building just off of the main path and began to pick the petals off of herself before going to find the clients. Leona heard a door open and a female voice address her.

"You must be Leona Jarnefeldt, the Wizard Saint of Courage!" The voice addressed her. Leona turned around and faced a dark-haired young woman wearing a purple kimono with golden chrysanthemum patterns embroidered on the garment.

"Yes." Leona answered laconically, brushing the last of the cherry blossom petals out of hair.

"I'm Lucrezia Verdici of the Verdici merchant family. I've been sent here to find you and your partner and escort you to meet my mother, who has hired you two to help sort out what happened to my brothers Enzo, Cosimo, and Lorenzo." The young woman gave her name as Lucrezia Verdici.

"My job partner isn't here yet, Lucrezia, but I've read over the letter that was sent to the guild hall. I understand that your family members went missing on the road that connects Sakuramori to Beanstalk Village and Hosenka." Leona summed up what she knew of the situation so far. Lucrezia nodded.

"Yes, they were on the way to Cedar to sell their goods when they... they just disappeared without a word." Lucrezia confirmed all that Leona had said to her. Leona would not proceed any further without Maelie and neither would Lucrezia. The Guild Mistress would wait on her guildmate for however long was necessary for her to get here.

[Post Word Count: 565]
[Leona's Word Count: 565/1,500]
[Total Word Count: 565/3,000]

Leona waited with Lucrezia for the client, the Verdici matriarch, to appear and give additional details concerning the disappearance of her three sons. She was also waiting for her job partner Maelie Priscia to join her so that the pair could get additional details on the missing merchants and the wares that they were carrying to their destination. Leona heard what sounded like the clicking of heels coming from behind her and turned around to find an aqua-haired young woman standing a short distance behind her.

The young woman was taller than Leona by a few inches and she wore a beautiful outfit composed of an immaculate white dress from Midi with floral print patterns and golden shoes. Although that was not her intent, she made Leona's green, white, and gold outfit look shabby in comparison. That was fine. Leona did not have to be the most elegant mage in the room to do her job effectively.

"Hi Maelie. It's nice to meet you." Leona greeted her guildmate in a simple manner, trying not to sound too cheerful in a household that had recently suffered loss. Moments later an older woman with shoulder-length gray hair and pale blue eyes wearing an unadorned black kimono walked out of a back room with an unsteady gait. Lucrezia noticed this and hurried to her mother's aid, supporting the older woman with a firm arm.

"This is our mother, Lucia Verdici. Mother, these are the mages you hired, Leona Jarnefeldt and Maelie." Lucrezia said to her mother, who appeared to be not entirely here, at least mentally. Perhaps it was due to grief. Perhaps it was simply from old age. Maybe it was a combination of both, but it was not Leona's place to question what was going on with the client. It was her job to complete the task given to her by the client.

The older woman lifted her head up and acknowledged the Silver Wolf mages standing before her.

"Oh, wonderful!" The older woman exclaimed, rousing herself from her grief-induced fog. She then addressed them in a voice that almost dared to hope.

"My sons were on their way to Cedar to take some of their goods for sale to the people there. My oldest son Enzo sells furniture while my two younger sons Cosimo and Lorenzo sell carpets, tapestries, and other textiles. We last heard from them around two weeks ago, when they first started their journey." Lucia explained to Leona and Maelie. The older woman paused for a moment, then resumed speaking.

"I heard rumors of a beast stalking the woods of the road they took. It was a four-legged beast, one that stood taller than two men put together. I warned them not to take that path, but they told me it was the quickest way to where they needed to go. They said that their weapons would protect them from whatever danger was out there. They took that path anyway." Lucia explained further. She seemed to be slipping back into melancholy the more she talked about the disappearance.

"I warned them. Now they are gone. Gone." She softly said to no one in particular. Lucrezia looked at the two mages with concern in her eyes. Leona could not think of anything to say that could console the two Verdici women, so that task would fall to Maelie.

[Post Word Count: 583]
[Leona's Word Count: 1,148/1,500]