Tim knew more about dirt cheap motels and a select few training centers in Crocus than actual landmarks. Even as a frequent visitor, his trips within the capital usually consists of a few-hour-bus ride, a quick nap in the company booked motel, another few hours doing the actual purpose (usually seminars inside the aforementioned training centers) then finally going back home. The only few exceptions were when Tim renewed his licenses, and that one time he got his passport. He never gotten an opportunity to let the city speak for itself.
And boy was he glad it took this long for him to do so.
The news outlets that reached Hargeon didn’t seem to mince much about how the capital felt. It was a city that would look at its new arrivals and roll its eyes. It was a city where the senile met the young and the brash, a city where the speed limit hasn’t changed for the better part of the century. Old white stone and brown-tile roofed buildings witnessed grayer, duller, newer ones grow and tower over them tenfold, and both were justling for space to accommodate its competitive residents and visitors—not rudely, but completely uncaring—in its ways to cannibalize competition. Green parks and graveyards numbered so few that could be counted with one hand were noticeable blemishes to this city of cement and metal. It was a city filled with people in every manner and kind.
Tim was taking all of it in as he weaved from the wayside then back into the packed sidewalk. Carefully, he checked out his iLac. “This is the block…”
Tim pulled his faded brown duffle bag closer as he walked into the entrance to an alley. There were already a thicket of people forming over the alley. Tim adjusted his flat cap and, with a huff, scooted between the peanut gallery.
“Watch it, pal!” Tim heard a woman complain.
“Ah, ‘scuse me.”
“Move over— holy hell, he’s tall…” There were a few people who just let him scoot aside.
“Mind letting me through?”
“You with the city guard or something?” And some were the nosy, gossiping type.
“…or something.”
Tim realized he was at the mouth of the alley when a firing line of reporters were the only thing between him and two city guards keeping outsiders from entering the alley. Their cameras flashed, forcing Tim to narrow his eyes just to be able to look clearly at one of the guards.
“We won’t be giving any statements at this time!” The older looking guard shrugged.
“Not even off the record.” He sharply added after one of the reporters raised their hand.
Tim gently pushed himself between two reporters, as gently as he could without sending the two flying. “Officer Summerset?”
“Who’s asking?” Tim leaned forward, pulling his jacket and shirt over his shoulder slightly, to reveal his guild mark. “You’re the one from Silver Wolf, huh…”
Summerset nodded at the other guard. The guard lifted up the black and yellow warning tape letting Tim duck under it. There was a slight rustle among the peanut gallery, from the reporters especially.
“That guy’s a wizard?”
“Silver Wolf… the one up the mountains?”
“They’re hiring independent wizards now?”
Tim could feel Officer Summerset’s head forming a migraine at the reporters gossiping knowing what sort of story they’ll be able to spin this time. But he opted to let out a hard sigh instead, a cloud of mist forming in front of him. “Follow me.”
Tim nodded and adjusted his duffle bag and flat cap.
“I gotta be honest, kid.” He scratched his bearded chin. “You look like you’re straight out of a woodworks shop.”
Tim’s soggy black jacket still had the golden color label ‘Rollins & Schwartz Co.’ plastered over the back, though it was now faded. His azure jeans had its wear and tear from his days in the docks and his steel-toed shoes were scratched so much anyone could see a slight metal shine when it’s just the right angle. His only fresh-looking clothes were his white dress shirt and flat cap, the reason being the shirt [was] new and his flat cap was dry-cleaned on the regular.
Tim huffed out a laugh.
“Never came around to buy some more wizardy-looking gear?”
“Like a pointy hat?”
“Close.”
“Never found the time.”
The officer huffed, Tim couldn’t tell if it was an approving one or otherwise.
The two finally stopped over the middle of the alley. There were barely any exits between the two entrances from the sidewalk. The two buildings that formed the alley was an old stone three-story and a ten-story complex that, apparently, was still only a year old. There were entrances into the buildings themselves, but there were no reports of break-ins, nor any signs of anyone using magic to squeeze through. There were also no witnesses, that is, nobody heard anyone outright scream ‘bloody murder!’, though no one could really differentiate the usual screams of crazy hoodlums and thugs between an actual emergency too.
“So, no one really saw it happen?” Tim frowned.
Over the wall of the newer building, there was a machine the size of a briefcase whirring over a bloodstained section of the wall, the dried blood was splattered over to one side and a dried-up pool of it was on the floor. On top of the bloodied scene was a slightly pixelated body. They were both looking over the holographic outline. It was laid out completely straight. The hologram projected a man about the same age as Tim, but not as fit. He looked like a child from how chubby he was and the fact he was already lifeless let his flabby cheeks and arms plop over the ground. It was the look of a drunk. Tim would have found it funny too, if it weren’t for the fact the front of his neck was ripped open. It was a clean stroke too, even from the hazy hologram he could see how well the murder weapon had cut through the poor man.
Tim took a good look of the hologram, then Officer Summerset handed Tim a book sized iLac that had the transcripts they took from witnesses and the ones from similar cases since the last few days. This looked bad. Beyond the ones seen on the news and some crime series his co-workers would put on, Tim had never seen an actual crime scene. And from the files the Officer handed to him, it looked like whoever did this hasn’t even been identified yet.
“Damn.” He let out a breath. “I think I’m out of my element here…”
“That’s hardly something a specialist the force hired should be saying, kid.”
“When you guys put ‘help apprehend the killers’ on the guild boards, I expect to assist on a man-hunt. Not an investigation!”
“So, what, we’re on the deep end just because of a misunderstanding?”
“I’m saying this won’t be a walk in the park…”
“I just hope the other one isn’t as unreliable as you.”
Tim quirked a brow at that. “Other one—?”
1183/1183
Last edited by Rodadnuf on 25th August 2022, 1:42 am; edited 1 time in total