Iriona

[Victoria]

As Elion wandered off with the sprite in hand, Aria scoped out the scene again. There had to be something here she could use, something that would tip them off in the right direction. She wasn’t going to walk away until she found something worth taking back to Elion. This was rapidly growing out of hand, and this time, she heard it for herself. The wind spirits were livid, if this continued on even one more murder, they weren’t going to be able to avoid a contention. There would be little she or anyone would be able to do to calm the spirits and restore the balance. Just because she didn’t live here, didn’t mean she wanted this world going to hell all over a few murders.

Slipping back to where the body had rested, she scanned the immediate area for anything she could work with. A snagged thread on a nearby stone, a piece of paper left by the killer, anything that she could go off of. But that’s when she saw it, tickling at the very edge of her vision as the wind ruffled through gently, almost nudging her closer. Of course, what she was seeing could be nothing more than a trick of light, but something told her it wasn’t. Nearing it, she knelt down in the dirt and studied the outline on the ground. It was only a partial, but she could work with that. Clear as day now that she saw it, a footprint. Of course, the logical part of her mind told her that it could just be left by either one of them in their search for something they could use, but the churning in her stomach said otherwise. What peaked her interest though was that as she looked around, the next one was heading in the opposite direction of the alley entrance. Standing, she glanced around, there was no other way out of this alley, at least not that she could tell from here. She tried to tune out the cheers from the gathered crowds, she tried to ignore everything else around her and just focus on the task at hand. If the footprints went into the alley, but not back out, logic told her that their killer was still here. But they had searched the alley from top to bottom , they would have noticed him. Pulling out Elion’s sketch pad, she turned back to the footprint and did her best to transcribe it, anything was better than nothing.

She could feel eyes on her though, a steady gaze. Watchful and curious in its intent. Looking up, she spotted the gaze through an break in the crowd, and she met it with a cool confidence. Why was she being watched? Who was more interested in her actions than the nightly festivities? Perhaps someone involved with what happened here tonight. Slowly she got to her feet, she didn’t want to startle whoever it was watching her. But as soon as she started to move towards the figure, it ran. “Shit,” she muttered, hiking up the skirt she wore so that she had a fighting chance, she tore out of the alley and into the streets. Pushing through the crowds roughly, she found her way out the other side and headed into the darkness where she had seen the person run. She didn’t have much hope of catching up with them, but there was a chance that just maybe she would find something worth while.

Running as fast as she could, she could hear the swift movement somewhere in front of her in the trees and then a sudden splash. Running out of breath, she came up on the little creek that she figured the splash had come from, unable to stop in time she slipped and fell into the water with her own fair splash. At first she just figured that the first splash had been the person running through the water, but there laying half in the small body of water sat a shoulder bag much like the one Elion had with him. Well he certainly wouldn’t have run from her. At this point, she really didn’t care what was in it. Pushing up out of the water, she stepped over to the bag and picked it up. Maybe it would hold clues, maybe not. But right now it was all she had.

It took her probably a good thirty minutes to find her way back to where she had started, her progress slow due to the unexpected twinge in her ankle. Figuring she twisted it when she fell, she took her time making her way back to the Inn where she figured she would find Elion by now. Ignoring the looks she received when she walked through the door, still fairly wet, she made her way up the stairs to the room she had been in earlier with him. Pushing the door open, she found him perched in a chair waiting for her, and he was instantly on his feet when she half hobbled into the room. “I found a footprint,” she noted as she tossed the sketchbook onto the bed. “I also found someone watching me. No idea who it was, but they ran,” she added on, "In my expertise, people only run when they have something to hide," she smiled slightly holding up the satchel for him to see. “Dropped this in some creek, figured it had to be something worth a damn if it was worth running over.”

[athena]

Thankfully Elion found the headquarters empty when he arrived. The last thing he wanted to do was explain to Baiae that another sprite had been found. Delicately he set the small, headless body down beside its wingless companion. It was saddening, more than saddening really, to see such a sight. Not to mention that Elion felt more discouraged than ever. The murders were happening at an increasingly fast rate, and there was still nothing to show for it except a few clues here and there. There was nothing truly substantial. He could only rely on the earth spirits to keep the contention at bay for so long. Soon enough, they too would grow angry and then all hells would break loose. It was not something Elion wished to see.

Sighing tiredly, he left headquarters. It felt as though years of exhaustion and stress had finally caught up with Elion, and all he wanted to do was sleep. Unfortunately, there were the books to go through, the sketches, and whatever else Aria may have uncovered at the site. He returned rather slowly to the Crowned Goose; he half expected Aria to have beaten him there. Instead, Elion was greeted by the heavy silence of an empty room. Normally such silence would not have disturbed him, but it seemed as if Aria’s recent presence had become more normal and familiar than he would have expected.

Elion settled into a chair and rested his head against the back. He should be going through the books, or maybe making notes. Instead, Elion sat and listened to the ruckus outside; it would be hours before it finally settled down. Slowly the noises outside seemed to blur into a steady drone, and Elion felt himself drifting in and out of sleep. It was not that late, but the day’s activities had caught up with him. Elion began to fall deeper into his sleep. Distantly he heard a thump and the door unlatching. As quickly as he was able, Elion dragged himself from his chair and into a standing position just as Aria burst into the room. Hopefully he did not look too disgruntled. Aria hardly seemed to notice. Despite her strong limp, she hurried across the room with excitement emanating from her every pore.

She tossed the sketchpad aside and hobbled towards him while clutching a satchel. Aria quickly explained all that transpired during their time apart. She truly was an amazing woman.

“I am inclined to agree with you,” Elion said as he took the satchel from her hands and set it aside. “At this time though I believe it is important to set aside the case to rest and tend to ourselves.” Aria looked desperately at the satchel and sketchpad. Her thoughts were clearly written across her face. “Aria,” Elion demanded. His voice brooked no argument. Sheepishly, she turned to face him again. “We will accomplish nothing if you are ill or over worked. There is nothing wrong in setting aside our work to eat and rest. These materials will be here in the morning. And,” Elion gestured absently at the satchel, “from the feel of the bag it may be safe to assume our missing books are in there.”

Elion stepped aside and dug through his travel sack. He quickly pulled out a roll of gauze bandages his mother had prepared for him and a clean, oversized shirt. He handed the shirt to Aria. “First things first, you need to get out of your wet clothing. This is, unfortunately, the only thing I have for you.” He tossed her a towel as well and bowed. He turned his back to her and pretended to be very interested in his fingernails. Elion could have easily left the room, but instead he convinced himself that Aria might need his help. Especially with her injured ankle and the strange laces on her clothing. He heard her shuffling about behind him. Elion resisted the urge to peek. In the interest of assistance of course.

A few moments later, Aria cleared her throat in a sign of all clear. Elion turned. Aria had comfortably settled in the chair he had recently vacated. She looked comfortably cushioned in the chair and wrapped in the folds of the over sized shirt. Smiling at the sight, Elion collected the gauze roll. He crouched on the floor and gently took Aria’s foot. She winced slightly, but tried to hide it. “My mother is a healer,” Elion explained as he wrapped the bandage around her swollen ankle. “She makes herb infused rolls such as these for me on a regular basis. They are good for such situations. It will help with the pain and swelling.” He neatly tied off the gauze and stood. Collecting his comb, Elion situated himself behind Aria and began picking out the leaves and twigs from her disheveled hair.

Slowly he dragged the comb through Aria’s hair, stopping to delicately work out the knots. For a brief moment Elion wondered if such an action was too intimate for Aria. After all, they were not terribly close or familiar with each other. However, the action was familiar and comforting for Elion and Aria did not protest. He continued combing Aria’s short hair until it lay flat and smooth. Deftly, he plaited her hair into a crown about her head. It had been Zara’s favorite hair style when she was young; it had simply been habit for him to braid Aria’s hair.

She touched her head tentatively and looked up at Elion in surprise. He grinned sheepishly. “I have a younger sister,” he explained. “She used to love for me to brush and braid her hair when she was little. She always said my hands were softer than mother’s.”

Elion put the comb away and collected a plate of cold dinner that the innkeeper must have left while he was asleep. He split the meal evenly and handed the plate to Aria. He settled on the bed across from her. “I suppose she is not little anymore,” Elion said a little sadly. “Zara is a woman grown. She will be married within a few weeks. Her future husband is a good man, but it is a bittersweet moment for us all.” He shrugged and picked at the bread on his plate. Abruptly Elion changed subjects. He hardly knew anything about Aria, yet she seemed to know quite a bit about him.

“What about you? Siblings? A husband or lover perhaps?” he asked before stuffing a hunk of bread in his mouth.

[Victoria]

To say he had taken her off guard was an understatement. In the little time they had known each other, she had found Elion to be formal almost to the point of cold in his directness with both the case and her sudden appearances and disappearances. He had never once shown any interest in getting to know her in any way. But most surprising of all had to be the way he had taken care of her. His touch gentle as he both wrapped her ankle and detangled her hair. She had never let someone care for her before, she had always been a force all her own and no one had dared to cross that line. They all knew she could take care of herself and she would have rather die than let someone step up and take care of her. But something about his touch, his willingness and the fact that he didn’t seem to think twice about it caused pause in her normally snide remarks. She watched him for a moment, her thoughts not even on the questions he had posed to her. She had never really taken the time to notice him before now. He had just been a colleague, a partner in all of this so far. But she couldn’t help the thought, why him? She could have been sent to aide Baiae with the investigation. Someone else could have come across that dead sprite in the woods. Even though her time in Iriona had been nothing but short and intermittent, she was coming to learn not to question the things that happened here. Something was tying her to Elion, that she was sure of. She had only appeared twice, but to appear both times right where he was was something she could not overlook.

But she paused all the same and diverted her attention to the plate he had handed her, now perched precariously on her lap. The thought of her having a husband was almost laughable anymore. “No siblings,” she answered his first question. “It was only my parents and me. And while they were never bad parents we don’t exactly see eye to eye on a lot of things. Like the lack of a husband, or grandchildren for that matter. My mother believes I should settle down, start a family. But I’m at the height of my career. That and I’m not exactly the marrying type. Jack, my partner,” she clarified for him, “says they’d have to have my head examined if I ever agreed to marry anyone.” She smiled and shook her head at the thought of her older partner. He was married with three kids that stopped in often. The youngest, Brittany, had taken quite the liking to Aria since the two had been paired off. And for a moment it had given her pause in her convictions against children, but she wasn’t ever meant to be a parent.

“As for lover,” she smiled slightly, surprised to find her cheeks warming. “There’s Colin, we’ve been together five years. But I’m not sure how much longer that will all last. He wants it all, marriage, kids the whole package. And of course my mother doesn’t help with all of this, egging him on. Asking every time she sees him if he’s bought a ring yet.” She shrugged and picked at the bread on her plate, “You ever get that feeling?” she asked, “Where you’re happy, but you know it’s not ‘it’ for you? Where you feel like there’s something more out there that you just haven’t found yet.”

She looked back up at Elion, she hadn’t noticed anything in his house that had implied a woman lived there, and he had seemed rather bothered, almost embarrassed by Baiae’s advances on him earlier that day. So she felt it safe to assume that there was no woman in his life aside from his mother and sister. But for some reason she felt the need to question it. She needed to hear him say it himself. Which was absurd to say the least because she had Colin. And she clearly couldn’t stay here much past when she seemed to fall asleep in Springmount. But she still couldn’t stop the words from tumbling from her lips. “So I didn’t notice a womanly touch around your place,” she noted with a smirk, “No woman around in your life to watch out for you?” she asked, “Other than your mother and sister that is.”

[athena]

Elion was surprised at the ease in Aria’s conversation. He would have expected her to be more curt or opposed to such a conversation; it seemed in her nature to be just as focused on an investigation as he was, but perhaps Elion slightly misjudged her character. After all, circumstances were strange and anything was possible.

Silently Elion nibbled on his meal as Aria explained her family situation. He was not entirely sure, but it almost sounded as if Aria had led a relatively solitary life. A childhood without a sibling seemed so foreign to Elion. He and Zara had bickered and pestered each other, but more often than not the two of them had been inseparable.

Her voice warmed though as she thought of her ‘partner’ Jack. Aria had briefly mentioned before that it was common practice to have a close partner when they worked investigations. A strange concept to Elion, but as she talked about Jack he came to the conclusion that such a partnership gave Aria the closeness of a sibling.

“I would very much like to meet Jack,” Elion interjected, surprised to find it was the truth rather than an empty compliment. She smiled fondly at him and for a moment they both forgot the strangeness of her travel to and from Iriona. A short interlude settled over the two as they finished off the remains of their evening meal and set aside their plates. With a heavy sigh Aria began to talk of Colin.

“There’s Colin, we’ve been together five years. But I’m not sure how much longer that will all last. He wants it all, marriage, kids the whole package. And of course my mother doesn’t help with all of this, egging him on. Asking every time she sees him if he’s bought a ring yet.” Aria shrugged nonchalantly, clearly indicating her thoughts on marriage.

“You make it sound as if marriage is a terrible burden and trap.” Elion’s cerulean eyes snapped to Aria’s face, seeking some kind of answer or explanation. Instead she simply responded, “In a way it is.”

“I suppose our ideas of marriage are different then,” Elion returned just as simply. “I have always been under the impression that marriage is a gift rather than a trap.” Aria looked at him quizzically. “It is hard work to find a person who understands you thoroughly, who encourages you in all that you do, who forces you to expand your horizons and learn, who is your base and support, and who, well, loves you for all your qualities flawed or otherwise. When you finally do find that person, he or she is a gift. I do not understand why you would ever want to lose it. But,” Elion continued on, “customs are different and so are people’s opinions. I assume this is just another one of those differences between here and there.”

Aria nodded slightly, her own face folded in thought. Elion took the lull in conversation as an opportunity to stretch across the bed and lounge as comfortably as possible. Aria looked at him before shifting the focus of the conversation back to him.

“So I didn’t notice a womanly touch around your place,” Aria noted with a smirk, “No woman around in your life to watch out for you?” she continued, “Other than your mother and sister that is.”

Elion chuckled, his rich baritone filling the room. “Trust me, my mother and Zara are more than enough. They understand my opinions on marriage and such but it doesn’t stop them from trying to find a lady...among other things. So, no I do not currently have a woman in my life. Do not misunderstand though,” Elion warned teasingly. “I had plenty of, what is the word you used oh, girlfriends when I was young. I will have you know I was quite popular with the ladies.” He flashed Aria a charming smile just for her benefit.

“But I have yet to find the right lady,” he shrugged. “My family lives in a small farming village. When it became known I was a spirit walker I became more of an oddity than anything else.”

“A spirit walker?” Aria questioned. “Oh,” Elion smiled sheepishly. “I often forget that you are not familiar with everything in Iriona. Spirit walkers are individuals who have an exceptionally strong bond with spirits, especially one of a particular type. I happened to be born on Harvest Day during the month of Ager in the year of the Earth spirits. A thrice-sacred day if you will. I took to the earth spirits, and they took to me, and here I am an earth walker. I would not have been able to give you that gift earlier if I had not been a spirit walker.”

Elion paused idly plucking a loose thread on the blanket. “Most people are uncomfortable around spirit walkers. They seem to think we have an all seeing eye or we know everything.” Elion laughed. “If that were the case, then our investigation would be over by now. Others think we have super powers, and I guess that is true. There are records in the Eltal library of spirit walkers fighting in wars. Things such as unnatural floods, tornados, firestorms, earthquakes and the like were common, summoned by the spirit walkers. I do not know though. There has not been a war in ages, and it is not like I have tried to cause a crack in the earth recently.”

He readjusted himself on the bed, stretching a little longer and draping his lengthy legs across the footboard. “It is what it is. Maybe that is why the spirits keep sending you to me. You do not scare at the unknown. Not to mention you are more stubborn than a mule.” Elion smiled gently indicating he was only teasing.

“What is it like in Springmount?” Elion asked suddenly. “You have seen so much of Iriona, although I admit my lifestyle is far from normal, I still find I know so little of your own world.” Elion tilted his head, watching Aria like an expectant child.

[Victoria]

“There’s not much to say really,” she said with a shrug of her shoulders. But that didn’t wipe the expectant look off Elion’s face, she could see the curiosity brimming in his blue gaze.
“There must be something worth telling,” he encouraged.
That just made Aria laugh, soft and melodically, “You clearly don’t know what you’re talking about,” she teased. “We don’t have spirits, we don’t have sprites or pixies, hell I’m starting to think you’ve got a dragon or two stashed around here somewhere too,” she shrugged again, but smiled all the same when he laughed. “Which for the record, we don’t have those either.”

There really wasn’t much she could say about Springmount, there was nothing overly charming or unique about it. It was just there, it was home. Or at least it had been once upon a time, she wasn’t entirely sure she could call it such anymore. “It’s a small town, one police department and generally we don’t see a lot of action really. It’s situated between two forests, so it’s relatively secluded. With this gorgeous river running along the edge of town. When I need to get away, that’s where I go, sit on the river bank and just listen to nature,” she mused with a slight smile gracing her smooth lips. “Jack is the only one who knows where to find me when I go out there, I never even told Colin.”

It was funny really, how little Colin knew about her after all these years. “Jack would like you,” she laughed, “He’d have a million questions and I’m sure he’d love to answer every question you would have. I’m sure Brittney would get a kick out of you too, she’s Jack’s youngest daughter. Just the other week she told me I was her honorary Aunt.” Jack was the closest thing she had to that sibling bond, and Brittney was probably the closest she’d ever get to having a niece.
“How old is she?” Elion asked, surprising Aria with his interest.
“Ten,” she answered quietly. Brittney reminded her so much of Stephanie at that age, it was hard to believe that was no more than six years ago. That was the reason she needed to find the bastard behind those murders, not only to bring him to justice, but so girls like Brittney didn’t have to grow up afraid of what was around every corner. So fathers like Jack didn’t have to worry every time his daughters were out of his sight. “My day to day life isn’t generally all that exciting,” she admitted, “It has been lately because of the now serial killer on the loose. Things have been a lot more interesting since I started appearing here.”

Aria met Elion’s gaze and shrugged as silence fell over them once again. But there was no tension in the air, there was nothing awkward about it. Which she had to admit, surprised her a little. It was weird how easy things were with him when they weren’t being smart with each other. When he wasn’t throwing terms at her she didn’t understand and when she wasn’t getting frustrated because he had different ways of doing things. It was almost comfortable. Making sure nothing would show, Aria pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them as a shiver wound its way down her spine. It was likely because of her wet hair, but it was chilly.

“So for someone who claims to have such a way with the ladies,” she started with a teasing smile, “You certainly didn’t seem too capable at finding an apt way to handle Baiae this afternoon. Or Haizea, the woman from the market. If looks could kill. There history there or something you’re just not telling me about?” she teased.

[athena]

As their chuckles died away, a comfortable silence settled in the room. It had been a long while since Elion had been able to peacefully enjoy the company of the opposite sex. Typically his mother and sister, who both seemed uncomfortable with silence and tried to fill it with useless conversation, surrounded him. He watched calmly as Aria tucked her legs beneath her. She pulled her clothes down to keep herself covered as she readjusted but Elion still caught a glimpse of her pale upper thigh as she got comfortable. He smirked to himself. However, he noticed the strong chill that ran through her.

Deftly, Elion popped up from the bed and collected an extra quilt. He draped it over her shoulders before settling back onto the bed with his own legs folded beneath him. Elion smiled softly. It was his job to listen to people, but he was surprised that he found himself genuinely interested in Aria and her life. It was undoubtedly her strong personality that attracted Elion to her. And that she came from a place that was so completely foreign to him. But he felt that there was more to their relationship; it just had yet to be revealed.

“So for someone who claims to have such a way with the ladies,” she started with a teasing smile, “You certainly didn’t seem too capable at finding an apt way to handle Baiae this afternoon. Or Haizea, the woman from the market. If looks could kill. There history there or something you’re just not telling me about?”

Elion chuckled. “Well...yes,” he responded rather vaguely. Aria’s eyebrow shot up. “Do tell.”
He scratched his beard for a moment trying to think of a way to explain his past with Baiae. It had been so long ago that it was fuzzy even to him. In fact, Elion had completely forgotten about his past encounter with Baiae until he returned to the office with Aria.

“I first met Baiae years ago, at least ten I believe, when we were both training to be agentes. She was a little more reserved then, but not by too much.” Elion smirked. “You could say we were bored and mutually wooed by each other.” Elion paused a moment. Images of long hot nights with training materials forgotten flashed across his mind’s eye.

“It was a short-lived relationship though. I was assigned to Eltal and she was placed in Muula. We used to write to each other, but that eventually stopped too. Being an agente really changes you. I hardly recognized Baiae. We have all seen so much in our line of work that we develop different coping mechanisms. I guess hers is to try and find comfort in whatever form possible. It is no matter though,” Elion waved his hand as if to wave away the conversation. “You do the same thing as us so there is really no need to explain it to you.”

In that regard Elion had to thank the spirits for choosing Aria. Her own understanding of crime and investigations allowed him to leave many things left unsaid. Elion did not have to explain how warped or bitter he sometimes felt. Or how solving crime after crime sometimes left him questioning the spirits and man’s integrity. They were dark thoughts that typically faded away after a while, but they occasionally surfaced. It was somewhat comforting to know that there was somebody who, firstly, Elion actually liked and felt comfortable around and secondly somebody that would understand such thoughts without him having to express them. Briefly, a smile crept across Elion’s face; it was soft and full of a sort of understanding, truly a rare smile for Elion.

His mind turned in a round about way, finally returning to Haizae. Should he tell Aria the truth about the woman? He was not entirely sure how or when the other spirits would make an appearance, but Elion knew that they eventually would. He doubted that Aria would be able to tell if she was meeting a spirit though; her connection to them had yet to fully develop. Elion struggled a bit more with his thoughts, his eyebrows rising and falling as he contemplated it. Finally, he decided to tell her the truth. After all, he had never kept it from her before. Why should he start now?

“I have met Haizae after a fashion,” he started slowly. “Just not in that form.” Aria’s brows knitted together in confusion. “The woman you met today was not technically a woman, but the wind spirit adopting a human form. It does not happen often. It seems that the spirits are very interested in you, so much so that they are disguising themselves as a normal folk to deliver their messages to you.” Elion shrugged. “They probably have something big planned for you in the future,” he chuckled. “And knowing the spirits, I am probably going to be dragged through it with you. They seem to enjoy that sort of thing.” Idly he pulled an apple from his pocket. Elion was not sure how long it had been stuffed in his pocket, but it looked good. He nibbled on in it a moment, not out of hunger but simply because he was thinking. “Which, really, begs the question of why are you here? And why are you so attached to me? Aside from my dashing looks and winning personality of course,” Elion finished as his dry humor slowly crept back into their conversation.

[Victoria]

There was definitely something bigger at play here than just the case. And it really did beg the question, why her? Why him? Why now? Surely bad things have happened before in Iriona, hell apparently she stopped a great war from happening back in a time when it was an accomplishment for her to not wet the bed at night. So now that she had her wits about her, surely they could put an end to this once and for all. But that didn’t mean they knew why. “So Haizea…” she started slowly, “was a…”
“Spirit,” Elion confirmed.
There had been four people Aria had really taken the time to talk with since her random arrival. Elion himself, the librarian who had seemed real enough. Vesta and Haizea. Vesta, the way she had spoken to the fire and it had bended to her wish. The way she had spoken of the contention as if she had been there to witness it. “Vesta,” she all but whispered, “A fire spirit?”
Elion simply nodded. Why were they taken such an interest in her? What did she really have to offer them that they couldn’t figure out on their own. Shrugging out of the quilt Elion had so kindly offered her, she pushed out of her chair, not taking care to make sure the long shirt stayed down. Going over to the pile of books that sat on the table next to the bed, she flipped the top one open. The librarian had said this was likely their best bet at learning anything about the contention legend. Opening to the first page of the story, she began to read, “There once was a little girl from a land far far away. The spirits watched over her each and every day. With a name soft and sweet, liken to a melody. Unlike any other in her world, this little girl had a special destiny.
Every time her mommy and daddy would fight, she would close the door and lock it tight. She would hug her teddy bear, Rose. Hold her tight, nice and close.”

At that Aria paused, her eyes focused on nothing in particular as she sank down on the edge of the bed. Sure he had suggested it, but she hadn’t truly believed it was even possible until that moment. “Aria?” she barely heard Elion ask. She couldn’t have been the little girl. Both Vesta and Elion had said it happened hundreds of years ago.
“When I was three, my grandfather passed away. Right after Christmas,” it vaguely crossed her mind that Elion likely didn’t know what Christmas even was, but she didn’t have it in her to explain. “I was his only grand-daughter at the time, and he spoiled me rotten. He had gotten me a teddy bear, as a Christmas gift that year. I named it Rose, because that summer he had let me help him plant rose bushes along the side of his house.” She finally looked up at Elion, “With a name soft and sweet, liken to a melody. Aria, it’s the gorgeous song in every opera, it’s usually the most remembered, the sweetest and purest. And Rose…” she shook her head, “I was that little girl. You were right. I didn’t think it possible, but you were right.”

Which meant that not only did she possibly hold the answers to their case in her hands, she also held her past. Years she couldn’t fully remember, stories she used to tell her parents at the dinner table and they would brush her off in exchange for their latest battle between them. She closed the book and set it back on top of the pile. They weren’t even meant to be looking at the case right now, not according to what Elion had declared earlier. But now she couldn’t erase it from her mind, her thoughts moving at lightening speed trying to process everything new. But with determination she pushed up off the bed and hobbled over to the window, where she shoved it open. “Hey! Wind spirit people!” she called out into the night, she didn’t know what the hell she was doing, but at this point anything was worth a shot. Anything to get a few answers. “Here girl!” she called, “I’ve got a few questions and you better damn well answer them!”

[athena]

Faint laughter swept in on the breeze and Elion knew at that moment the wind spirits were more amused at Aria’s outburst than anything else. They were both lucky that she did not anger the spirits; it would spell disaster for them both. In an instant, the easy-going familiarity that had permeated the atmosphere evaporated and Elion returned to his usual reserved, business like self. He crossed the room in one stride and placed his hand firmly on Aria’s shoulder. Aria turned to look at him, her eyes wild with determination. “Stop,” he demanded, his usual gentleness replaced with an unsettling coldness. Elion stared hard at Aria, his blue eyes boring into her. “You are being foolish. Luckily, the wind spirits are more amused than angry, but you cannot continue this behavior.”

Aria’s full attention was directed at Elion, and he stepped away. “The spirits will not give you answers simply because you demand them. And it is not your place to question them. If you want answers then you should perhaps finish reading the tale. The rest will be revealed in good time.”

Elion collected several of the books from the desk and tossed them on the bed before he settled himself next to them. He pointed sternly at the children’s book Aria had abandoned. She scowled angrily at him, but Aria clearly understood his message. She plopped into the chair and picked up the book. They sat in silence as they perused their books. Elion searched through all the research materials, hoping that their killer left some clue behind in the books. Or that they could find something helpful. Really, Elion thought, anything would be good at this point. He tossed aside another book, somewhat disappointed that he had not found anything. Elion looked up to find Aria staring at him blankly.

“What?” “How?” she mumbled. “How is this even possible?” Her eyes focused on Elion, looking for answers he was not entirely sure he could give. “I do not know,” he responded honestly. “All I know is that you have a bond with the spirits and Iriona that, apparently, started from a young age. Maybe your current visit to Iriona is simply a gift for your services as a child. You just happened to arrive at a rather...trying time. Or perhaps your travel is induced by stress in your life at Springmount. Aside from that, I am afraid I do not have any answers.” Elion finished with an apologetic shrug. Aria looked terribly lost as she tried to cope with all the possibilities. Elion watched for a few moments before he cleared his throat. “Maybe you should get some rest. It has been a long day, and you certainly have a lot to process.”

Aria nodded tiredly. She sat a moment longer before she hoisted herself up from the seat and shuffled off into the adjoining room. Elion watched for a moment before he collected yet another book. It was true that the day had been long, but Elion felt that sleep was far from him. The least he could do was read over another book. If the title, which read Recognizing Your Patron Spirit , was any indicator, then Elion was in for a boring read. Absently he pushed the other books from the bed and crawled under the covers. He scanned the table of contents and paused.The Spiritless: Chapter 15. The tree in the forest had referred to their killer as spiritless, but up to this point Elion had only been able to guess what that meant. Quickly he turned to the page and read.

There have been some reports that indicate an individual is, for all intents and purposes, spiritless. In such circumstances, the individual is not claimed by any spirit and s/he does not connect with any. There are, accordingly, various levels of spiritlessness. In the most extreme circumstances, an individual is completely unaware of the spiritual world and cannot fully comprehend it despite attempts otherwise. The exact cause of such a scenario has yet to be determined. Theories range from being forgotten at birth to purposeful banishment by the spirits. There is currently no ongoing research into this field due to the rarity of such condition.

The remainder of the chapter detailed the variety of theories and levels of “spiritlessness.” Elion skimmed it all eagerly before he set the book aside. It certainly explained the killer’s bumbling attempts with the sprites. He simply did not understand them or how they operated. And it would also explain why the most basic children’s books were missing from both Eltal and Muula. It still did not fully explain the killer’s motives though. It seemed that the murders may have initially been an attempt to understand the spirit world, but with the recent developments, it seemed that the intent had progressed to something other. Something that Elion had yet to grasp. Perhaps the information could be found in the sack Aria retrieved.

Elion stared at the door to the adjoining room and silently debated with himself. He wanted to discuss this finding with Aria. And go through the bag. Finally, Elion shut the book and set it aside. Aria had had a long enough day. Not to mention she was processing all this new information about herself. The book, and the bag, could both wait until tomorrow. Elion switched off the light and settled into his bed. Hopefully, Aria would still be there tomorrow.

[Victoria]

If it hadn’t been for the unexpected wave of mental exhaustion that had overtaken her the night before, she had half a mind to go out there and find the answers herself in the middle of the night when Elion would be none the wiser. But despite her desperate need for answers, she thought for once, that maybe he was right and she was being foolish. She knew better, she would get her answers in due time, and she would really get them. She always did. But this wasn’t like it was just some case anymore, this was her life they were screwing with. She had spent years being told this place didn’t exist, being told it was all in her head and she needed to just let it all go. But here she was, twenty-eight with a good head on her shoulders in this made up land. With how real this all felt, with how she had been able to take the files back and forth, she no longer questioned if this was in fact real. But that still didn’t explain away how it was even happening, or why. It took time, but eventually she slipped into a restless sleep.

The morning sun poured through the thin curtains way too early the next morning. She hadn’t had enough sleep to even consider functioning normally, but that was a feeling she was used to. She was almost disappointed when she opened her eyes to find she was still in the Inn in Iriona, that she wasn’t back home in her own bed. When would she return to her own world? She had been here more than a day and yet she hadn’t returned yet. How did the time difference between the two lands work? But those were things she could figure out later, for now there was a case to solve, and answers to find and none of that would happen if she locked herself in a hotel room and stayed in bed all day. With a sigh, she pushed herself out of bed and she caught sight of her hair in the mirror, still perfectly braided as Elion had done it the night before. They had been having such a nice time, conversation had come extremely easy only for it all to go down the drain when she had picked up that damn book. He returned to being formal and cold and she had retaliated with her usual snarky attitude. It was as if none of it had happened. Slowly, and almost regretfully, she undid the braid.

Finding her clothes dry, she changed quickly and headed out into the hall. It didn’t appear yet that Elion was awake, but that just meant she had time to try and figure a few things out before he came to find her. Heading down the steps, and out the front door she glanced around the street. Something had come to her in the late hours of the night before. She had spent her time here in Iriona with a family. And of course there were no last names to be able to hunt the family down, but she remembered enough. She had befriended a little girl named Anacia, daughter of Elek and… damn she couldn’t remember the mother’s name. But maybe just those two names would be enough? She sighed and shook her head, she highly doubted she would get anywhere with that. Especially since she was pretty sure all of her happenings had occurred near Eltal, and not Muula because of the location of the poppy field. Though Elion had said they were all over Iriona. So she could be standing in the very city where she had once appeared, or she could be so far off. There was no way she would know for sure. Unless she could somehow track down the descendents of Elek and Anacia. If it were true that all of this happened more than 200 years ago, she was screwed.

Huffing, she sat down on the front steps and ran her fingers through her loose hair when she heard a door open behind her. Without looking back, she somehow knew it was Elion coming outside behind her. Figuring the Inn keep had pointed him in her direction. “Any chance you recognize the name Elek or his daughter Anacia?” she questioned with little hope that he would actually be able to help her.

[athena]

Sleep had eluded Elion for most of the night. Eventually, he gave up any pretenses of sleep and threw off his covers. Silently Elion paced the room. It was still to early to pester Aria, and he did not feel like taking a stroll. If he had been at home, Elion would have sought comfort in his orchard. But he was not. Instead he opted to go through the bag Aria snatched. Although he had promised himself to go through the materials with Aria, Elion found himself bored combined with a strong desire to be productive. Hesitatingly he picked up the bag and glanced at the door. Part of him felt like somehow Aria would know what he was about to go through the bag. He expected her to burst through the door. When a few uneventful minutes passed, Elion chuckled at himself for being so foolish.

Without further ado, Elion dumped the contents of the bag onto his bed. A few lead pencils fell out as well as a roll of parchment. A packet of letters bounced off the bed and concluded the contents of the bag. Elion inspected the pencils and roll of parchment. He did not expect to find any clues in either of them, but it never hurt to be thorough. The letters were his real interest. Slowly, Elion picked them up and examined the outside of the letters. There were no addresses or names written on the outside of the papers, but Elion had come to learn that that could mean nothing. His curiosity mounted as he deliberately peeled the letters open.

Quickly, Elion scanned the letter and then opened the next. And the next. Within minutes he had opened and scanned all the letters; still he was none the wiser. He had only found two names, Adus and Suila, and he had a sinking suspicion those were aliases and not real names. Aside from that the letters had all been written in code. Not the usual numbers and mysterious symbols code, but the type where words seemed to randomly be jumbled together. It would be hopeless without a key. Elion pushed his fingers through his hair in frustration. The key could be anything. Suddenly, he got up and paced, ignoring the sunrise and the sounds of the inn coming to life beneath him. His mind rapidly whorled, searching for a possible key. There was so little for him to go by though. Elion turned on his heel, and his eyes caught sight of the stack of books. He froze. In a burst of movement he grabbed the basic book about spirits. The very same one that he took from the house in Eltal and the one he had asked Aria to find. Maybe, just maybe, he would get lucky.

Elion sat at the desk and stared hard at the book and the letters. He scratched down all the codes and patterns he knew, hoping against hopes that one of them would work. Abruptly one of the patterns jumped out at him. In a fit of excitement Elion rapidly patched together a key and translated the letters. He half sighed and laughed as all the letters came together. It finally felt as if there was at least some break in the investigation. With the newly translated letters in hand, Elion read over them once again. They implicated that there were two people involved in the case. One spiritless and the other a novice spiritualist; neither had experience with spirits. From what Elion could discern the two hoped to collect sprites and eventually a spirit. He stopped reading so that he could process the next bit. It seemed that they both hoped to catch a spirit and force some kind of imprint so that they would have a spirit to call their own. The incident with the sprites had been failures. When they learned that the sprites would not imprint or help them connect with other spirits they had killed them. At least the first one. The other two had been experiments to see what connected sprites to spirits.

Sluggishly Elion set the papers aside. To say that these activities sickened him would be putting it lightly. Not to mention these activities provided a one-way ticket to the next contention. Obviously, Adus and Suila would continue their search, undoubtedly leaving more sprites in their wake. How long would it before they figured out some way to kidnap or injure a spirit? When Elion looked up, he realized that morning had fully bloomed. He gathered the letters and stuck them in his own satchel slinging it over his shoulder as he left his room, not bothering to fix his mussed hair. In that brief instant, he forgot about Aria. Until he nearly tripped over her on the front steps of the inn. She looked up at him briefly.

“Any chance you recognize the name Elek or his daughter Anacia?” Elion paused a moment. “No,” he finally responded rather curtly. He could see the frustration bubble up beneath her face. Elion rubbed his eyes, realizing for the first time that he probably looked incredibly tired and disheveled. “I am sorry,” he continued, trying to soften his tone. “If they are the family you believe you stayed with previously, I am not entirely sure we would be able to track them down. Records from that time are...difficult to understand. I will direct your inquiries into the proper channels though. Perhaps a scholar at one of the universities will be able to track them down. In the meantime,” Elion continued as he sidestepped around Aria and into the street, “we have investigation business to tend to. I believe a stop at headquarters must occur before we visit shops.”

Rummaging around in his sack, Elion pulled out the letters and his neatly written translations. “These were in the bag you collected. I think you will find them quite helpful.” And with that, Elion turned brusquely on his heel and headed to the Muula headquarters, too distracted to see if Aria was with him.

[Victoria]

Aria watched him walk away from her, knowing full well he was expecting her to follow. But today she didn’t feel like playing side kick to this investigation. Not when she had her own things to figure out. Just because he didn’t have her answers didn’t mean someone around here didn’t, and maybe this wasn’t as important as stopping the contention from happening, but it was important to her. It was one thing when she was just helping him out so that she could just go home, but the spirits had made it personal. They were toying with her past, they were taunting her with things she didn’t remember. If she had ended the last contention, then logic said that’s why she was brought here this time, just after the first sprite was found. The spirits knew what was happening and they were asking for her help somehow. Turning around, she headed back up the steps to the inn and back inside to room they had been in the night before. Picking up the book she had read the night before, she flipped through it, pictures and words all blending together, but not one channeling her lost memories. She had studied psychology in college too as a minor, because she knew part of solving a murder was getting inside the head of the murderer. So she knew even her worst memories weren’t really lost to her. She just had to unlock the box that was her subconscious. There she would find the things that had slipped from her conscious mind. Picking up the book and setting down the unread letters, she turned for the door. At this point, she was on her own. Elion didn’t seem too concerned with her, so why should she stick around. She had better things to do with her time.

Heading out the door to the Inn, she glanced up the road once where he had disappeared before turning the opposite direction. She didn’t know what she was hoping to find by heading out of the city, but did it really matter? Right now, uncovering her history was the more pressing matter at hand. He was quite capable of handling this investigation all on his own. He didn’t need her. Though, she thought, he wouldn’t even have those precious letters if it wasn’t for her half killing herself chasing that guy down. But of course, he didn’t pay that little fact any mind. She followed the path out of the city limits, not really sure where it was she was going. “You’re not going to find what you seek out here,” a familiar voice suddenly called.
That tone made her freeze, there was almost a touch of humor to it. Couldn’t they just leave her be? Turning around she met the smirk of Haizea, or the wind spirit, or whoever the hell she really was. “How do you know what I’m looking for?” she asked rather bitingly, not heeding Elion’s warnings that it was foolish. “You think you know me, what I’m dealing with. You knew a lost little girl and you used her for your own gain, that’s not me anymore. I won’t buy into your games.”
Haizea just laughed, soft and sweet as it wrapped around Aria where she stood. “We aren’t here to play games,” she told her, “You had to figure it out on your own. I know the answers you seek, this is true, but I cannot give them to you. In time, be patient,” she coaxed, “And I advise you take a softer tone next time we meet, or I won’t be so sympathetic to your plight.”
“What does that even mean?” she asked, her tone losing its harsh edge. “I don’t even know which way is up anymore, everything I thought I understood about my life has been turned upside down, everything I thought was all in my head, product of a five year olds imagination turns out to be true.” She was surprised to find the emotion that smothered her words, her voice almost shaking, “So stop being so damn cryptic with me and just tell me what you want from me. Why am I here? Why me? Why now?”
“In time,” she answered and Aria just huffed, “I recommend you return to the city and seek out your friend. You can solve it all, answer your questions, but only together. Stubbornness will be your downfall. You must work together, not against each other, or we all lose.”

With that Haizea vanished from in front of her, leaving Aria even more confused than she was before. She stood there, rooted to her spot trying to decide whether or not she should follow the spirits advice and return to the city. But before she could make the choice herself, a gentle breeze nudged her back up the path she had come. Swatting at nothing but air, she huffed, “Okay, okay, fine.”

[athena]

Elion arrived at the Muula headquarters without Aria. He could honestly say he was not surprised. She was hells bent on discovering her past, and he would not stop her. Elion had decided previously that he would assist her in uncovering her past here Iriona, but that would only occur after this current investigation had been closed. There was no time to detour, and, if the murderers continued at this pace, there would be no Iriona left for them to work on the mystery of her past. Elion pushed the matter from his mind. He understood the importance of Aria’s search, but his own investigation took precedence.

The doors leading into headquarters were thrown wide open so that they could collect the morning breeze and light. Stepping inside, Elion found a completely different environment then the one he had encountered yesterday. An agente manned every desk and they were all busily working on some task. Baiae strolled among desks, looking over shoulders to ensure work was being done. Elion watched skeptically; he felt as if it was some sort of show that was staged to convince him that the agentes of Muula could be productive. Baiae’s face lit up as she caught sight of Elion. Casually, she sauntered towards him, making sure to accentuate the sway of her hips.

“Would you care to explain how another dead sprite came to be in my office?” Elion nodded slightly before indicating that it was a private conversation. Baiae whirled and sashayed to her office; he followed slowly behind her. Once inside, Elion briefly described the events of the previous night. Baiae pursed her lips and clucked. “It’s quite serious isn’t it?” There was a silence as Elion debated how much information to entrust to her; he had serious doubts about the capabilities of the Muulan agentes. But as he thought a little longer, Elion decided that secrecy would only hinder their investigation. “It is,” he responded slowly. “If this investigation is not solved soon, we could be faced with another contention.” There was a long pause. “I see,” she cooed softly.

He wanted to throw up his hands. Or shake some sense into Baiae. Her attempted flirtations and strange seductive attitude were out of place and annoying. Elion wondered how he could have ever had a relationship with her. Baiae seemed so...frivolous. “In the meantime,” Elion pressed onwards, “I need you to search for two people under the names of Adus and Suila. They may be aliases. And you need to do this discretely. I do not want them discovering we are hunting for them.”

Baiae scribbled the names down on a scrap piece of paper and smiled. “Anything else?”
“Yes. I need to write a few missives. Can you ensure that they reach Grifad in Eltal as soon as possible?” A wicked smile spread across Baiae’s face. “Of course, but it’ll cost you.” A scowl formed on Elion’s face. “Baiae,” he warned, “now is not the time for games. This is related to the investigation and is the upmost importance.”

She pouted but remained silent. A moment later Baiae slid sheets of paper and a pen across her desk. Elion nodded and began scribbling his notes and instructions to Grifad. “I noticed your companion wasn’t with you today.” Elion did not pause as he continued writing. “She is working other aspects of the case.” “Oh, I bet.” Elion refused to acknowledge Baiae’s attempts at conversation. However, she was not put off. “I have to say, I hardly recognized you when you strolled in here yesterday. It’s hard to believe that you were the same farm bred boy I met all those years ago. You’ve matured into quite the man, haven’t you? Even managed to steal the dux position in Eltal. You really are quite the catch. It’s a shame that I let you go.”

Elion blotted out Baiae as he finished his last missive. Carefully, Elion sealed the letters and stood. He found that Baiae had moved and was now standing quite close to him. His trademark frown worked its way onto his face. “Now where did you pick up such a scary look I wonder,” she murmured as she traced a finger over his face. Elion swatted her hand away. “Enough, Baiae.” She sidled closer and her hands snaked up to rest on his shoulders. “Oh come on Elion,” Baiae wheedled. “How about one little kiss...for old time’s sake?” “Will you leave me be?” Baiae only winked. Elion stared intently. Really, he thought privately to himself, it would not be that terrible. “Fine,” he admitted. Baiae smiled at him. “That’s more like the farm boy I knew.” Gracefully she arched on her stiptoes, using Elion’s shoulders to support herself. He was surprised that Baiae’s kiss was a rather chaste brushing of lips. He had expected something more scandalous from her. The faint smirk on her face, however, clearly indicated that it had been meant to tempt him. Elion watched her, indicating that her plan had failed.

“Are you ready?” Aria’s sharp voice cut through the room. Elion turned, swallowing his embarrassment. He refused to be humiliated over something as petty as a kiss. And a chaste one at that. “Of course,” Elion declared, collecting his satchel and materials. “Remember what we discussed,” he said to Baiae as he left the office, this time Aria was close behind him. “I was thinking that we should stop by local apothecaries and question them. I am sure Adus and Suila stopped in one of the shops at some point.” He waited a moment for Aria to contradict him. When she said nothing, Elion turned to find her staring at him hard with a distinct look of distaste. “What?” Elion asked, genuinely wondering what could have possible caused such a feeling in Aria.

[Victoria]

Why the hell had she come back? What good was it really going to do her? She huffed as they walked out of the headquarters building, leaving a smirking Baiae in their wake. In her mind, Aria and Elion we’re together, so she likely thought she had finally one upped her for the comments made the day before. But whatever, Baiae was hardly her concern here. While Elion rambled on about something she felt herself seething. Not only was it unprofessional but it…. What? It was unprofessional, it didn’t have to be anything else too. When he turned and looked at her, she scowled at his question. “Nothing,” she bit back harshly. When he did nothing but raise a brow at her, her frown deepened. “I don’t know why I bothered coming back, I wasn’t going to. But then I let that stupid witch of a woman- who apparently isn’t even a woman but a spirit in disguise taunting me, convince me to come back after she babbled on about complete nonsense.” She huffed in frustration and ran her fingers through her curls roughly, “and then I do come back to find that unprofessional freak show in progress.”
"Oh? You're jealous? Whatever for, you have a lover don't you?" he asked, a harsh tone smothering his voice.
That just made her blood boil, “Do I look fucking jealous to you?” she all but hissed.
“Yes,” he answered, unabashed by her tone as the hint of a smirk twitched at the edges of his lips.

She wasn’t jealous, no matter what he said. She had Colin, she loved Colin. They lived together. And just because she had made the mistake of admitting the night before that it might not last much longer didn’t make her jealous when she saw him kissing another woman. “Not only was it unprofessional, but it undermines the story we set in place yesterday when you were all but squirming away from her. What do you think that looks like to her?” Aria asked as she stared at him, “Now she knows it was a lie and she’ll likely begin questioning what else we’ve lied about. Where do you think that will put us Elion? We could lose resources. We could lose leads if she has any reason at all to believe we’re not being truthful.”

She hated using that against him, but it was better than him believing she was jealous, “Besides, what’s there to be jealous of?” she snipped, “You’re not my type.” Though she was hoping he couldn’t see through that lie. He was entirely her type, strong willed, determined, did what needed to be done consequences be damned. But that didn’t give merit to anything he was claiming about her being jealous.
She shook her head just as a breeze came blowing through, a soft voice on the wind, "Remember!"
Turning around she swatted at the air behind her, “Oh shove it!” she bit back harshly only for the wind to gust up, shoving her straight into Elion. A soft cackle could be heard as the breeze died back down into the usual for this city. She still couldn’t figure out what the hell the wind spirit had meant by the fact that they couldn’t do this alone. Clearly they were both capable of solving this without each other. And they did nothing but fight anyway and get no where with it. So how was them being together helping anyone? Clearing her throat, she pulled back slightly, though her hands still rested against his chest. A slight tint burned along her cheeks as she refused to look up at him.

[athena]

It seemed that the spirits were particularly invested in having the two work as a team. And perhaps they were pushing for something else, but Elion feigned ignorance on that count and took the meaning most literally. He had no doubts that he could solve this case on his own. Elion’s doubts lay in the speed in which he would be able to solve the investigation. There really was not much time left, and Elion needed every bit of help he could get. Even if she happened to be a rather stubborn, jealous, and occasionally pushy companion.

All these thoughts flashed through Elion’s mind in a matter of seconds. And then, rather suddenly, Aria was leaning against his chest. He looked down expecting to see Aria scowling back at him. Instead, her face was hidden away, although Elion could see the faint blush sweeping up her cheeks. Perhaps his jibes had been closer to the truth than he thought. A vague sense of guilt twinged Elion’s conscious, but he quickly brushed it aside. There was no harm in the truth, no matter how harshly put. A slow minute ticked by; Elion expected Aria to remove her hands from his chest any moment; she did not. And she refused to look at him too. Elion was forced to admit he was confused. How should he proceed? They simply could not stand as they were in the street any longer, but he did not wish to remove her hands either. He was half afraid she would snap and storm off again. The other half of him enjoyed the feeling of her hands on his chest. Hesitantly Elion took her hands into his own. The blush on her face instantly flamed brighter. He gently removed them from his chest, watching as her hands fell back to her side. A moment passed in awkward silence and Elion wondered why things had unexpectedly changed. They had been comfortable in each other’s silence only the night before.

He cleared his throat in an attempt to dissipate the awkwardness. “We have several apothecaries we need to visit before the day is through.” Aria only offered a slight nod and continued look anywhere but at him. Sighing Elion headed off in the direction of the first apothecary, making sure Aria was following him this time. As they walked through the streets of Muula to their first stop, the silence only seemed to grow heavier. Aria seemed completely absorbed in her own thoughts, and Elion did not want to interrupt, nor did he know how. It seemed that silence would be the theme for the day.

In fact, as the day continued Aria remained mostly quiet. She would ask her questions at the shops but that was the extent of her conversation. Elion began to wonder if it was a form of punishment for his flirtations with Baiae earlier. And his rather harsh behavior. Any attempts at conversation with her were diverted back to the investigation, which, apparently, was the only thing she was currently willing to discuss with him. Elion sighed for what felt like the millionth time that day. It had proven to be an incredibly long and frustrating day. Between Aria’s terse answers and the little information the shopkeepers provided, Elion found it rather hard to stay positive. As the sun set in the sky, he tried to convince himself that tomorrow was a new day, with new shops and owners to question. One of them had most likely seen one, if not both, of their suspects.

“I suppose you wouldn’t be interested in dinner?” Elion asked halfheartedly. In truth, he was not particularly hungry but he felt it was his duty to ensure his partner was properly fed. She simply shrugged. At this point, Elion assumed that Aria no longer cared and so he decided to call it a day. “I am going to return to the inn now. I am going to go over the letters I deciphered and the small bits of information we managed to gather and hope something comes to me.” Without much ado, Elion headed in the direction of the Hare’s Foot; he could feel Aria closely following him.

The inn was busy – as was typical for this time of day. But both Elion and Aria ignored the hub-bub and hurried up to their rooms. Elion nearly slammed the door shut behind him in frustration. He pulled off his boots and paced the room. He needed some lead. He had had such a break through, and now it felt as if he was repeatedly hitting walls. Even though there were few clues at the start of the case, Elion felt as if he had more then than he did now. He needed to sit quietly in the forest or a field or something so that he could search his mind and speak with the earth spirits. While they may not have the answers to his current dilemma, the earth spirits often provided Elion with ideas or alternate views. Aria was supposed to help him with that, but she had been less than forward for most of the day, and Elion felt the need for the spirits more strongly than ever.

A soft knock at his door interrupted his pacing. Without waiting for an answer, Aria popped her head through the doorframe as she pushed the door open. Elion thought he recognized her usual spark in her eyes. She sheepishly waved the decoded letters. “Please tell me you have had some revelation,” Elion quipped. “Or at least that you picked something up today during our questioning.” Aria only smiled.

[Victoria]

Looking down at the letters in her hand, she shook her head, “Nothing regarding these,” she shrugged as she pushed the door closed behind her. “But really, that shouldn’t come as a shock, the spirits and their involvement here is your area of expertise, not mine.” When he grumbled something back in response and sank down on the corner of the bed, her smile slipped into a frown, “Oh don’t be such a whiny pain in the ass,” she huffed. Also in her hand was the children’s book she had been studying, trying to find something that could tip them off in the right direction. If she was responsible for the end of the last contention there had to be something in that damn book that would tell them how she had done it. Holding up the book, her smile returned. Going over to the table she set the letters down on the table before sinking into the chair next to it. Flipping the book open she scanned each page.
“Story time?” he questioned with a slight smirk.
Aria looked up and her brows furrowed together. “Oh shut up and listen,” she retorted.
“The spirits gave the little girl a great gift. Payment in kind for ending the rift. They told her they may call on her again. If in time, there be another strain.
They told her to keep it safe and sound. The safest place is what she found. She promised she would be ready. Should they ever need her and her teddy.”

When she finished reading the end of the story she looked up at Elion. “What I gather here is that the spirits gave me something twenty three years ago to keep safe. Something that would help if this ever happened again.” The question was though, what was it. She flipped open the book and handed it over to Elion, pointing to a spot on the page. “That funky little ball thing you gave me,” she said as she pointed to one similar on the page, “Is it possible they gave me something similar the first time, something that could put an end to it if it ever came up again.” She flipped the book to the last page where she had scribbled down some rough calculations. “If I figure correct, not that it’s all that important, time in Iriona is moving nine times faster that it does in my world. Which would, in theory, explain why they would give this gift to someone from my world, because I’m not even thirty yet. They have another good five hundred to six hundred years yet before I would have died. By giving it to me, they covered themselves for eight hundred years or so. That’s why I’m back. I have the power to stop this.” She looked up at Elion. It was clear in her gaze though that she had absolutely no idea what so ever where that orb was. What it did. Or even if she still had it. Where would a five year old keep something to keep it safe? And more to the point, wherever it was, it was still somewhere in her world. It wasn’t something she could access here.

“What do these orb things do?” she asked, “Why are they so important?”