Garden of Enchantment 7 (Patreon)

I am so used to writing first-pov stories that I keep typing “I.”

-VB-

Talrith’s trip to Boston wasn’t anything special. He paid the fare and got on an “automobile” called “bus” to Boston, unlike last time where the entire crew used the crew’s van to get to the location of their job. 

It was a mildly stifling experience with many other humans packed into a small confined space while each of them waited for an exit of their choice. As he waited, he saw all sorts of people, but the general impression he got was that most of the people in the bus with him were the poorer sort. 

The unkept city of Brockton Bay faded away as the bus drove away like Zaun did when one climbed up from its pits. Just like one left Zaun behind to see a glamorous Piltover, Talrith saw something that Brockton Bay could have been. In the route this bus took to get to his destination, he saw very little of the grime, stains, graffiti, and the decay that was everywhere in Brockton Bay. He saw far less homeless and gangsters. 

This city was just in that much of a better condition than Brockton Bay.

Now, Talrith was unfamiliar with the local development, history, and economy. He was from another world, after all, and his first actions in this world was to seduce two of his coworkers into being his lovers. He didn’t - and couldn’t - tell what others were doing right and wrong, but this change in scene from one city to another in what was one nation? Someone was deliberately keeping Brockton Bay disabled. 

More than that, however, there was a presence in the city here that he could sense not unlike the higher beings of Runeterra. This presence wasn’t anything as powerful as they, but he could say confidently that this presence was at his level in power… but not experience. He knew this because he had been “leaking” his essence a little ever since he had been in Brockton Bay, kind of like a rope that only those like him could see to retrace their steps. Yet despite this presence being similar to him and him leaking his own presence, the presence had yet to notice him or his trace. 

Experienced, it was not. 

Whatever this job with Accord was, his stay in Boston would be an interesting one.

-VB-

Accord’s building was squeaky clean. There was no corner where even a speck of stain could be found. 

It took less than ten minutes to meet with Accord, him having been in another meeting. He arrived on time, so it must have been something that came up just now for him. From what his crew told him, Accord liked to be punctual as well.

So when Talrith met Accord, he saw the frustration, irritance, anger, and homicidal emotions leaking out of the man. 

“Accord,” I greeted the man from across the slightly opulent and clean room of equal symmetry. 

“You must be Talrith of Faultline’s Crew.”

“I am.”

“You prepared yourself to meet me.”

“I did.”

“Good. You also read the instructions of the mission, unlike so many people who do not.”

“It was part of the mission. How could I not follow the instructions?”

“You show professionalism unlike so many of our contemporaries.” A pause. “Nothing about the mission has changed, so you may proceed as the mission instructed. However, the target of the mission has been seen loitering around the Teeth’s territory for some time. I assume you can finish the mission without causing undue collateral damage to the city?” Irritation, anger. 

“I can. I have resources I can use to avoid fights and fix damages if need be.”

“Then leave and complete your mission.” Satisfaction, expectation.

-VB-

The mission was a simple one: to hunt down and remove a parahuman cape from the Boston cape scene permanently.

The details were, as expected, complicated. There was everything from consequence  if he did not complete the mission without notice of leave to what would happen to me if he didn’t complete the mission but said he did.

Now, what did he have to do…

Well, first off, the description for the cape in question was… fairly long. 

‘Female, long blonde hair, Caucasian descent, green eyes, 5’8” whatever that means. Roams mostly western Boston but has been sighted in southern Boston. Healer, Teacher-like power (the T is capitalized, why?), has tendency to denounce everyone and everything that does not fit into her narrow moral standpoint. Has a tendency to stand out with her rebukes.’

Talrith scratched his head before shrugging. 

There were points that he didn’t understand like what the numbers meant or why the ‘t’ in teacher was capitalized. It looked like a name, but he hadn’t done much research into parahuman capes beyond Brockton Bay, so he didn’t know. 

There was a time limit on this mission too: two weeks. 

Considering that the target had “a tendency to stand out,” he doubted that it would take him too long.

But what he was more concerned with was what he should do with this woman. Accord just wanted her gone from his city, but Talrith wasn’t told specifically to kill her. Could he get away with stealing her away from Boston to Brockton Bay?

Hmm… He would have to see what kind of a person this cape was. 

This Sister Cecilia.