by Ryan McCall
Zuri nodded. “I’ll be fine sergeant, thank you for the offer.” She turned and exited, all she could think about now was how she could question Darius Sidonius.
***
Shit thought Brenna. The son of Frederic Dunn killed himself because he was raped by someone high up at Warded Spirals. This could get nasty, depending on what the Dunn family decided to do if they found out. She put the thought aside, she had a case to be working on.
She walked into the interrogation room and saw Officer Selim en’Vornos, one of the few elves that served in Justice Branch. Selim brushed his dark, wavy hair from his face and leaned his lithe body against the wall. He was still trying to placate the suspect with promises.
It wasn’t going to work, they would have to apply more intimidating methods. Snar was standing behind Selim, doing his best to give off a menacing look. Connor looked far less confident than when they had grabbed him at his building.
“He give you anything?” she asked.
“No, but it doesn’t matter,” replied Selim. He looked at Wallace “If you’re not interested in cooperating then I guess we should charge you and be done with it.”
The criminal looked up at him. “Guess you should then,” he replied and crossed his arms.
“Officer Snar, please take him to the cells,” said Selim. The agorid nodded and pulled Connor out of his seat and dragged him out of the room.
Brenna had a confused look on her face. “That’s it? I thought you were saving the proper interrogation until I arrived?”
“No need, his body language tell me everything,” replied Selim.
“And that would be what?” asked Brenna. She sat down at the table. Her feet and legs were aching from the exercise of this morning’s raid.
Selim gave her one of his ‘I know something you don’t’ smiles. “While you were taking the bear out to that overdose at the magic school, I was staking out Barus Asulius.”
“Yes,” said Brenna. “I know. I’m the one who gave you the order.”
“Well it turns out Barus isn’t the one in charge,” said Selim. “I followed him from that tavern he hangs around in Galmouth, he ended up in the center of the Keys at a martial arts training academy.”
The Keys was the bustling center of the city, markets, hotels, bars and restaurants dominated the district as well as many more niche shops and services.
“So he goes inside for like an hour, comes back surrounded by half a dozen men. Then heads south again,” he said. Then he moved closer to Brenna. She could smell his Zefey perfume. “I go to speak to my snitch.”
“You have a snitch with information on Barus Asulius?” asked Brenna.
“Yes I do, I have plenty of informants. They talk to me, I’m a people person,” he replied and Brenna laughed softly. “So anyway my snitch tells me that Asulius was answering to his boss, who owns the academy.”
“So he’s not the boss man?” asked Brenna. “Then who is?”
They had been operating under the assumption that Asulius was in charge, but it could be he was only the front for the real power behind the tarcaine trade.
Selim pulled a pamphlet out of his pocket and passed it over to her. In blue letters at the top it read Mikono’s Tojitsu Academy. It had details on membership and hours of operation, with artwork of tojitsu fighters at the bottom.
Tojitsu was the most well-known martial art of Minakaya, an island nation located far south of Alkos. It had become popular as large numbers of Minakayan natives immigrated to the continent of Maceon over the last few centuries.
The natives of Minakaya were a race called kitsune, bipeds with angular foxlike faces, pure white eyes and large extended ears. They had a unique culture, one aspect of which was a number of melee fighting skills, tojitsu used a combination of hand-to-hand and daggers.
“A kitsune huh,” said Brenna. “She plays it damn smart I’ll give her that, keeps herself well isolated from the tarcaine trade. If wasn’t for your snitch, we’d have still been all over Asulius for who knows how long.”
Selim asked, “So what’s next sergeant? Do we pay her visit at this academy?”
Brenna nodded, “Normally I wouldn’t want to tip off our target, but to be honest I don’t think her soldiers will give her up and she’s paranoid enough to use Asulius as a front man. A visit from Justice Branch is what she needs to go off balance. We’ll shake the branches and see what falls out.”
Chapter 10
A luxurious bed was covered in mourning sheets. The sheets themselves were spun from the finest silk, harvested from deepones, enormous bat-like creatures that lived in the deepest caverns in the mountains of Jaefia. The goblinoid chieftains of Jaefia that sold the material sent their criminals there as a method of punishment. It was an incredible risk one had to take to enter the caves of deepones, creatures that feasted exclusively on fresh meat.
But it was a highly desirable material, at least for those able to afford it and thus they continued to gather it. And there were few in Alkos more able to afford luxury goods than the Mordain family, their collective wealth making them one of the richest in the empire. They could trace their ancestry back to the founding of the city, thousands of years ago and were said to be the second most powerful family after the Imperial line.
The body that was covered in mourning sheets was the recently deceased head of the family, Cormac Mordain. He had died two days ago, after months of deteriorating health. As was the family custom he remained in his bed covered in mourning sheets for two full days before the funeral.
Tessa his oldest child at thirty nine, stood by the lavish window, watching the bustling city. From here she had a fishbowl view of the city. She was on the eighth floor at the top of the Mordain mansion and except for the Imperial Palace and Ministry, there were no other buildings in the city that could match its size and splendor.
Her black hair was tied up neatly above her head, in order to keep it out of her face. She was still in her red and white ministerial outfit. She hadn’t wanted to waste the time it would take to change before coming here, she still had another council meeting to attend.
She turned away from the view and towards her younger siblings. Tegan, two years her junior was sitting by the bed, her eyes no longer weeping. Tegan looked more like she was still in her twenties, but she had always been the prettier one, not to mention she cared far more about her looks than Tessa did.
Tessa herself had not shed tears at her father’s passing. He had never approved of the path his eldest daughter had taken and the last time she had been in this room was a year ago. Loud and angry words had been exchanged.
She had not returned until last week, when Luthais, her younger brother by six years, had begged her to come. He was sitting in a chair by the door, wearing fine indigo and blue clothing, his neck and fingers shining with jewelry. He had always been flashy, adorning himself with gold and gems, trying to compete with the other young nobles.
Tessa walked over to the bed and then pulled out her pocket watch to check the time. “They are taking their time aren’t they,” she said.
“That’s all you have to say?” exclaimed Tegan. “Our father’s dead and you’re concerned about your time being wasted.”
Tessa held back what she wanted to say in reply, out of consideration of her sister’s emotional state. She was not certain she would be able to keep it contained if Tegan kept pushing her. Luthais looked between his two sisters as if trying to decide whether he should take a side or not.
“No Tegan, I am not concerned about time wasting. It would be unseemly if our father was not attended to on time, per the family custom. He wouldn’t be most displeased about if he were still here,” she replied.
Tegan looked down at their father and nodded but she couldn’t resist another retort, “Typical. Only after he’s dead do you start caring about what he would want,” she said. “Why didn’t you show the same concern a year ago?”
Tessa sighed, she had tried to maintain civility, but Teg
an was in a fighting mood, it was her way of dealing with the pain.
Their family owned the largest company in the empire, Typhon Trading, it dealt in international trading of a wide variety of commodities with several subdivisions in other areas, including armaments, fisheries, mining and electrical research.
It had been founded more than two hundred years ago by their ancestor Lorcan Mordain. Their father had managed the company for the last thirty years until his health had taken a turn for the worse. He had wanted Tessa to take over the company even though she had always tried to avoid his demands for her to do so throughout her life.
She worked in the Imperial government and enjoyed it. When she had been offered the position of Minister of Treasury she embraced the role. For her father it was the last disappointment he was willing to tolerate.
He gave her an ultimatum-leave her government position and start running Typhon Trading, or she could get out of his sight and never come back. She had chosen the latter. Thus her younger sister had taken over their father’s position of managing director and Cormac Mordain had stepped down.
Tessa thought that her sister was far better qualified to run the company anyway. Tegan had the self-serving, objective-oriented, and profit-driven personality required to run a large corporation. Typhon’s portfolio was excellent and it was unlikely that with her in charge it would have been.
“I cared about our father, don’t act like I didn’t,” she said, defending herself. “But he didn’t care what I wanted from life. Just because you’re happy running the family business doesn’t mean I would be. Besides you are doing fine with it.”
Tegan looked ready to say something else but she let go of it. “Yes,” she said, “you’re right, I’m sorry.” She sat back in the chair, her shoulders slumping. Her siblings had felt their father’s death far more than her, but then they hadn’t had the same split from him that she had.
There was a knock on the door and Luthais stood and opened it. It was the butler.
“Excuse me sir, the undertakers are here.”
Luthais looked at his sisters and said, “Best if we head to the den until they are finished here.”
“Yes,” said Tessa, “that would be for the best.” Both she and Tegan headed for the door.
The butler addressed her before she exited, “Oh ma’am, you wanted to know when the morning paper arrived. It is sitting on the table in the den.”
“Thank you, Baxter” she said. At least she would have something to read to distract herself with.
She picked up the Alkos City Chronicle as she passed the table and sat on the black, leather couch in the center of the room. The den was adorned with ornaments and souvenirs from her father’s travels-tribal masks from Kordatian tribes, pottery from Minakaya, crystal artwork from the elven nation of Tal Feros and behind a glass case a fully stuffed member of the Arc species from Vinacia.
She kept her eyes from looking at it out of revulsion. The creature looked like a gigantic red ant and she had a phobia when it came to insects. She always felt like it’s dead eyes were staring at her.
Tessa unfolded the paper and stared in shock as she saw the front page headline-Albert Trent, CEO of Silverton Group Found Dead. She looked over at her sister, who was reclining on the opposite sofa. “Have you heard about this?” asked Tessa, holding up the paper so Tegan could see it.
Her sister glanced at the headline and shrugged “It’s not exactly news, I heard about that last night.”
Tessa nodded, “Of course you did.” Tegan had contacts everywhere, even within the Alkos City Watch. “As I recall, you’ve been trying to buy out Silverton’s share of the northern gold mines and Albert Trent was stubbornly refusing to sell.”
“Yes that’s right” replied Tegan, “I made a generous offer, especially considering his company’s financial situation. The prideful fool declined.”
Tessa stood up, slammed the newspaper down and stormed over to stand over her sister. “Tell me you didn’t have a hand in this,” she said in an accusatory tone.
Tegan didn’t even flinch, “And what makes you think I had anything to do with this. You should finish reading before you go flinging accusations around.”
“I know how you think and operate Tegan. Like the way you treated those dock strikers last month or how you arranged for that ship of Culsyth goods to be plundered by pirates,” replied Tessa. “The holdout that kept you from taking over those mines is dead and the inevitable stock drop that’s going to result from this will let you pick up those mines far easier and cheaper than you would have otherwise.”
Luthais came to his middle sister’s defense now, “Tessa don’t do this. Don’t start another fight, please.” Her brother’s words penetrated her anger.
“Only if she swears she had nothing to do with this” said Tessa. Her voice level dropped but she maintained her aggressive posture, hands on her hips.
“I swear to you Tessa, I had nothing to do with that man’s death,” said Tegan. “He died of a heart attack enjoying himself in a whorehouse, a not uncommon occurrence for a man of his age.”
Tessa relaxed and straightened her jacket, “Fine.” Her sister certain enough that Tessa was convinced she was telling the truth. The undertakers were leaving by the main doors to the mansion and Tessa checked her watch. “I have a meeting to get to,” she said, “I will see the two of you later at the funeral home.”
***
Tegan stared at the back of Luthais head. He was watching their sister leave the mansion grounds. She stood and walked up behind him.
“Do you think she-,” he was cut off as she delivered a vicious slap to his face that left her hand stinging. She was furious with him, unable to believe he could be so stupid.
“Ow!” he screeched.
“You stupid fucking idiot! This is why you came to me in a panic the yesterday, babbling about making a mistake. You were behind this weren’t you? What were you thinking?” she shouted.
Luthais rubbed at his sore cheek and replied, “I just wanted to be the one who settled a deal for once.”
Tegan nodded. “Of course. You had to prove yourself didn’t you. I’m in charge of the company, I make these decisions, not you. You stick to playing soldier with the Armaments Division, leave the anything important to me.” Her brother had made stupid mistakes before, but this was his biggest yet.
She sighed, “Well, what’s done is done. I will admit it does make it easier for me in regards to the Silverton situation. Please at least tell me you didn’t use an amateur.”
“No,” answered Luthais, “I used the Arm.” At least he was smart enough to go to the best in the murder business.
“Smart, I doubt the watch will find anything suspicious,” she said.
His lips perked into a smile as if she had complimented him. She stopped that line of thought. “It was also utterly stupid of you to do this on your own. I will only give you this warning once Luthais, so heed it well. If you ever take action like this without coming to me first, you will be out of the company and out of this house. Father’s dead and I’m in charge now. Is that understood?”
Luthais nodded, his voice pleading, “Yes, yes, ok. Whatever you say.”
“Good,” said Tegan, “I think our sister’s suspicions will not grow any further, and once it’s confirmed as a natural death you won’t have anything to worry about.” Tegan gave him one last despising look before leaving the room.
***
Tessa had let the events at her family home drop to the back of her mind now that she was at the Imperial Ministry. She walked at a brisk pace down Imperial Hall. The council meeting was due to start and as an Imperial Minister she was required to be present. Imperial Hall contained portraits of former emperors of Alkos, all the way back to Emperor Murcadh Malric the Uniter.
He created the Alkon Empire from the alliance of the city state of Alkos and its neighbors over seventeen hundred years ago and initiated a new calendar system, After The Dark or ATD for short. I
t symbolized the start of the empire and the end of the dark times that had plagued the continent of Maceon after the fall of Cartral, the current year being 1730 ATD.
Tessa passed by the latest portrait, the current emperor’s father, only a few meters away from the doors. She stepped through as the Imperial Guards opened the doors for her.
The council room was immense, with blackened granite walls and floors. It had enough room for every provincial councilor and county minister and room to spare. With both the noble and common houses it added up to three hundred government representatives in total.
However this meeting was provincial and above and thus only the thirty councilors were seated in the wooden chairs to the right. Opposite them was a long, crescent shaped table for the heads of the various imperial ministries; Sanya Kodiak the Minister-General was seated at the middle of the table, his white skylord wings stretched out without interfering with the ministers to either side of him.
The Imperial Throne was positioned between the council and the ministry with a speaker’s podium in the center of the room that faced the throne. Dominating the entire wall behind the throne was a flag of the Empire of Alkon. The left half of the flag was a red saltire on a dark yellow background. On the right, the heraldic symbol of the nation, a black lion, was represented.
Tessa took her place at the table and Siobhan Mason, the young Minister of Foreign Relations, leaned over and whispered, “Cutting it close aren’t you Tessa?”
“Family matters,” she replied to the long haired brunette. “I arrived as fast as I could.”
“So I heard. My condolences on your loss,” said Siobhan.
“Thank you” said Tessa. Siobhan had been a close friend since she had joined the ministry.
The Imperial bell rang out and the small whispers amongst those seated stopped. The gold-plated doors at the end of the room opened and the emperor strolled in, his personal guard following in his wake.
Emperor Lawrence McRath the Second was young, only twenty eight and head of state of the most powerful country in the world. He had been on the throne since the death of his father four months ago, something which Tessa now had in common with the monarch. The reason for his youth was due to the tragedy that the imperial family had suffered over the years.