A short while later, Rien and Fritz were walking along the seawall of Vaulnere, the late afternoon wind carrying the sharp scent of salt and tar from the docks below. Ships creaked gently in their moorings as we made our way toward the wharf.
But elsewhere in the coastal city, things were not nearly so calm.
An officer of the Archmage's constabulary was somewhere, hustling down a side alley of the coastal city, his dark coat almost melting into the shadows.
"Sir, we've lost contact with the officers heading to the wharf."
A junior investigator with the Archmage's constabulary notified the officer, who turned around. He bore a grizzled beard, and a shotgun hung over his broad shoulders.
"Is there any chance that it could be a miscommunication?" He asked in a low, raspy voice.
"No, sir," his junior responded. "We've tried hailing them multiple times. Besides, since we're dealing with that tainted witch…"
"Let us head there at once." His superior's expression hardened as he whipped the pump-action shotgun into his arms. The barrel of the gun gleamed coldly in the sunlight.
His junior nodded and opened his tome, the thickly-bound book snapping open. "Voyager."
Glowing white pages whirled around them from some unseen wind, enveloping the duo. With a flash, they reappeared in the middle of the docks.
Ships and vessels of all kinds and sizes rocked gently in the waves, their sails flapping gently in the wind. The smell of fish, salt, barnacles, and bird droppings assaulted the duo's noses. Dock workers hustled about, carrying large crates of cargo while sailors scaled their vessels, preparing them for their voyages across the sea.
The officer holding the tome shivered and drew his coat tighter around himself. "This was their last known location, sir."
"Report this to HQ and stay with me." The other officer gripped his shotgun tighter, glancing around them. It'd be most efficient to first ask around, he decided, and headed for a group of disgruntled sailors drinking nearby just on top of a small bridge leading to a loading crane.
The officer reached the bottom of a staircase that led up to the bridge before turning back to face his junior.
"Have you sent the report to HQ yet—"
He paused.
…His patrol partner was gone. His eyes went wide, and he swallowed. The man shouldered his shotgun immediately. His partner could've simply been lost, but…
"H e l l o !"
The officer with the shotgun whirled back again to see his partner standing behind him, in the shadow of the bridge.
…But there was something wrong.
His partner's eyes were completely white, and instead of clothes, it looked like he was made completely out of… some grey sludge. In addition, instead of walking, it was almost like it was… slithering.
"H e l l o !" It repeated.
The officer hesitated, unsure. Before he could pull the trigger, his vision spun. He watched as his own body collapse.
*Squelch*
His constabulary hat tumbled across the cobblestones, followed by the dull clatter of his bloodied badge. In the growing quiet of the alley, neither moved again.
However, not far by Vaulnere's harbour, two people had just arrived at the docks, completely unaware.
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[Rien's POV]
The waves licked against the docks, tossing salty ocean spray into the air.
I tucked my courier's cap under my arm and was chewing on a grilled fish on a stick Fritz had bought for me from an open-air seaside stall a couple minutes earlier.
The meat was buttery and lightly salted, brushed with a hint of citrusy lemon that lingered pleasantly on my tongue.
I took slow bites as we threaded through the bustle of the docks.
"Is it good?"
Fritz glanced down at me, their cigarette glowing faintly between their fingers.
I nodded. "Mhmn."
They hummed, satisfied, and took another drag. "So," they said, casual but attentive in a you-can-talk-to-me-about-your-troubles way. "What's on your mind? You don't usually go this quiet."
I hesitated and swallowed a bite of fish before speaking. "You know Chrysanthemum academy?"
Fritz was a mage, too, though they'd graduated from a different academy. "Of course. Don't tell me—did you get an acceptance letter?"
I nodded.
Fritz raised their eyebrows. "Why are you so down, then? It's one of the best institutions out there. It has probably one of the most equal conditions for everyone regardless of alpha, beta, or omega, not to mention all the prestige that's built on it over the years."
"I… I don't know," I admitted. "My acceptance letter arrived at midnight. Is that normal?"
Fritz considered it, then shrugged. "Could be. I wouldn't read too much into it." After a slight pause, their tone switched to a firmer one. "That said, trust your instincts. If anything feels off, you tell me. I'll figure it out."
"Yes, of course," I replied politely.
…Then I paused and hesitated slightly. "But it's also just… I've been working for so long. I don't know how to stop. Besides—I haven't been trained as a mage yet."
Fritz laughed softly and reached down, ruffling my hair. "You'll learn. Nobody's born knowing how to rest, or with magic on their lips. If you want, I can teach you a bit before you depart."
…But what about the house? Someone would need to look after it if I left. If I left.
Fritz patted my head again upon seeing my expression. "We'll figure it all out, don't you worry. You should go to school, Rien. You're too young to be spending all day chasing deadlines with me." They gave a faint smile. "Frankly, it's a failure of the profession."
"Mn." I took another bite of fish.
Fritz looked down at me. "Just think about it. You're sharp. You always have been."
"Okay," I said.
"Good." Their smile softened. "Feeling better?"
I nodded. Talking to Fritz always helped.
"Alright," they said, steering us gently toward the stairs. "Let's head back."
We started up the wide flight of carved stone steps leading from the docks into the city, the sea fading behind us.
Then—
"H e l l o !"
Clack, clack, c-clack. Lopsided, mushy footsteps sounded nearby.
"H e l l o ! D i d Y o u F o r g e t Y o u r S h i p m e n t O f F i s h ?"