Ch. 30 – Mercantus (I) (Patreon)

Morning came and Felix extricated himself from Tinuriel’s grasp. He was still trying to figure out her sleep schedule. Having to only sleep two hours must be nice. More time for productivity.

You could set a Function to make it so that sleep is not necessary.

Could, but will not. Felix walked over to the Shop and spent quite a bit of money. He did not want to risk not being prepared enough ever again. He had learned that lesson the hard way. Spend more now, and ensure no death later.

[Items purchased]

·         <Rank 5> Health Elixir (x5)

o   2500 VC

·         <Rank 5> Anima Elixir (x5)

o   2500 VC

·         <Rank 5> Vigor Elixir (x5)

o   2500 VC

[Monies Paid]

·         7500 VC

[Current Balance]

·         8456 VC

He also looked through the various Affinities he could purchase. Affinities that could be used primarily in an offensive method – like Lightning or Fire were around 10,000 VC. Healing was 20,000 VC. Looks like I’ll be saving up for that for quite a while. He spent a little on some good breakfast food and went back to his house, setting up a small table and putting out the food as Tinuriel sat upright at the sudden noise. “Good morning,” Felix said gently.

Tinuriel got up and stretched, “Good morning.” She came over and sat down, “This is some type of crisp, golden bread?”

“Waffles. And you pour this over them,” Felix poured plenty of syrup for her before handing her a fork. The two dug in, and he felt intense joy at seeing her face switch between delight and ravening hunger for more.

May I come in?

Yeah.

Lucifer walked in the house and stood next to the two, “We have a problem.”

“What kind?” Felix asked as he wiped his mouth.

“The kind that requires you to decide. Here’s the short of it: the goblins have experienced a schism of sorts. About half of them want to stay here, and the other half want to go serve the Dark Lord on Heficyre.”

“Seems easy enough, we’ll just take them out with us today.”

Lucifer nodded, “I was going to do that, but like I said, you make the big decisions.” He left and the two finished their food before gearing up and getting ready to go. Lucifer flew back over and merged with Felix, and they entered the portal to Dirge on Heficyre, goblins in tow.

They emerged in a very clean and in the process of being repaired throne room. Several ogres that looked like the ones fought the day prior were doing most of the masonry work, and initially, Felix was on edge, but seeing Roy on the throne with Melanie, he relaxed.

Melanie waved them over, “Hey! What do you think?”

Tinuriel glanced warily at the surrounding monstrous humanoids, “It’s…nice.”

Roy chuckled, “I see you have some goblins following. Why?”

“Some wanted to stay, some wanted to be with you,” Lucifer said, the voice emanating from just behind and above Felix.

Roy nodded and began giving orders which the goblins quickly carried out. They seemed at ease with the ogres and went about their assigned tasks. “I will be working on repairs and outreach for some time. I hope your VBV can accommodate large numbers.”

“It will increase in size based upon our needs.”

“Good. Melanie is going to stay here for a while. Lucifer, are you able to know when she is or is not in the VBV?”

“Yes. When we are close to Ethdellin, I’ll ask her to stay in the VBV so we can pick her up.”

Roy nodded, “Then I wish you both safe travels. You’re always welcome here. The horses were brought into the stables. Dirge will be safe for you to travel through. Once more, the Tier is under my control.”

Tinuriel nodded and Felix followed her, waving goodbye to the princess and future queen of Ethdellin, and the Dark Lord arisen. The two found the stables with ease, and an ogre trudged out handing them the reins. Beginning out on the bridge, Felix felt a sense of calm and peace wash over him. The silver-grey light of Roy’s power was flowing in streams through the sky above. The bridge ahead was in the process of being repaired. Some of the work being done by ogres, and down below in the water, merfolk. But the silver light was also working – slowly – to rebuild and even purify the waters of the swamp.

The two made good pace, traversing Dirge in only a few days before they arrived at the stairs to the next Tier. The ascent was slow, taking a whole day as the horses slowly trudged upward, but soon enough they crested it and arrived in Mercantus, the Merchant Monopolis. In front of them was a large corral-like set of walls facing inward, and there were ranged weapons trained on them. A booming voice came from above – a woman’s voice. “Halt! Who are you?”

Felix activated his Fallen Flight, “I’m a Versewalker. I’m here to fix a Crisis.”

The woman’s voice returned almost immediately, “Ah, we’ve heard of you. One moment.”

The gates ponderously opened into a large, walled corridor – a kill zone – that ended in another set of doors. Felix urged his mount through and Tinuriel followed right behind. The doors behind them shut, and the ones in front opened. Felix’s jaw dropped at what he saw.

An enormous city that was built with bridges that bent upward to allow for the crisscrossing river traffic as large barges made their way from place to place. The buildings were several stories high, squat workshops, gorgeous boutiques…all manner of shops and facilities all interspersed amongst each other. In the distance, he could see a lift that went up to the next Tier – several lifts that ferried goods and people up and down.

“Versewalker, a moment please.” The same female voice from at the top of the wall sounded off behind him, and Felix looked back. She had copper-colored skin as if she tanned frequently, sharp, hawkish features, and most prominent – a ruby carved into an artificial eye. “I’m Ximena Lazlor, Watch Commander. May we have a word?”

“Sure. Where can we put the horses?”

“This way,” she waved them to follow her, and they went to a small set of stables next to the gate structure they had come through. “Normally these are for official visitors. But I think we can make an exception for a Versewalker. Your reputation precedes you.”

Felix dismounted and Tinuriel hopped off right after, “I hope it’s a good reputation.”

She chuckled, “Yes. You figured out how to stop a collapse. And you helped stop a rebellion.” She turned to him with a quizzical eyebrow raised. “But you just came up from a Tier that has been flowing with silver light. What happened there?”

“I solved a Crisis.”

“Mmm. Alright.” Ximena looked Tinuriel up and down, “And you brought a bodyguard.”

Tinuriel just stared at the woman, not betraying any hint of emotion or reaction. She leaned next to Felix, “I don’t trust her,” she whispered.

Felix leaned up, “I agree, but we should just play nice.” He looked back to Ximena and smiled, “Yes, she’s my muscle.”

“Mhmm. Do you know the nature of the Crisis you are here to solve?”

“I know of several,” Felix replied.

“Well, let me add one to your plate. We have had an issue with thieves taking food from the stockpiles. Bad for business. If you can solve that, I’ll make it worth your while.”

“How much?”

“Ten thousand coins.”

“And you just want to find the ones responsible?”

She nodded.

“Done. I can find them now if you like. Do you have men who can follow?”

Her eyes went wide in surprise, and she stumbled over her words for a moment. “I suppose.” She went off for a few moments coming back with a squad of ten men, dressed in very neat uniforms that reminded Felix of the Swiss Guard, just more heavily armored and less flamboyant. “You can get us to them now?”

“Detect Object,” Felix muttered, raising his hand.

The golden line shot out in front of him, and Felix led the way, Tinuriel right behind him and these Watchmen following. Their path went across several bridges, through alleyways, through marketplaces – a whole plethora of Victorian-esque era buildings, well-dressed people, and to his dismay, some poorer folks who were not nearly as well-off.

The upper, middle, and lower classes seemed to all reside in the same areas, intermingled, but there was a definite class division. He led them to a tavern, where the line ended. “This is the place,” he said as he gestured to Ximena.

She waved the Watchmen in and looked at Felix, “Handy trick.”

“Tell me more about this Tier.”

“Mercantus is home to merchants of all ilk. We primarily trade with the farmlands of Invictus for our food stores. This Tier is home to craftsmen, inventors, and those who are aspiring to ascend to Ethdellin.” She leaned against the wall as the sounds of some tussle echoed out from the building. “Fat chance of that, though. Only the bigwigs get to go up there. And good luck with the whole succession Crisis. Is that one of the problems you’re here to solve?”

“It is,” Felix replied.

“Oh, well, in that case.” She pulled out a small notepad, some type of steampunk-inspired pen, and jotted a note, ripping the page out and handing it to him, “This is the address for the Watch Investigator branch. They’re trying to solve a murder of real royalty. It’s…a mess. It’s a political hot potato, and no one wants to get involved.”

“What about the reward?” Tinuriel asked.

“The ten thousand? I can have it to you by the end of the day. There’s an inn across the street from the Watch Investigator branch. Nice place, with good beds, and beer. I’ll have one of the lads deliver it there.” She stood up and held out a hand. Felix shook it, as did Tinuriel. “Thanks for tracking down this place. Hopefully, the food thefts will stop. Oh, pay any urchin you see around a few coins, and they’ll get you to where you need to go.”

“Thanks,” Felix said as he turned with Tinuriel. The two walked down the street a short distance before he heaved a sigh, “I don’t like this place,” he said.

“It is too…artificial,” Tinuriel replied. “There is no nature. There are no trees. It is a cold place.”

Felix spotted a few children who looked rather dirty and were dressed in ratty clothes. He approached with a kind smile, “Hey kids. Any of you want to help us find a place?”

The trio of children looked at him before one of them raised his hand, “I can, mister.”

Felix pulled out 10 VC and as he held it in his hand, the coins were converted to the local currency. “How’s this much sound?”

The boy’s eyes went wide, and he nodded, “Thank you, mister! Where do you need to go?”

Felix handed the boy the slip and he nodded, waving to his two friends to join him as they led the duo into the depths of the city.

The canals and narrow streets made for a very relaxing walk, but everywhere Felix looked, he saw the discrepancy of the various classes. The children did not seem to mind – poor playing with the middle class, a few rich children more ornately and finely dressed mixed in-between. It seemed that despite the class division here, people were happy. That doesn’t make a ton of sense, he thought. Seeing the affluence of the upper classes normally foments dissent rather than camaraderie.

Tinuriel squeezed his hand gently, turning his attention to her. “This is weird,” she muttered. “They have no weaponry save for those Watch people.” And she was right; Felix and her were the only armed people on the streets, which warranted several glances and outright staring. Their three guides didn’t seem to mind much at all, and one of the girls even asked if they could carry her because her feet hurt. Tinuriel complied and lifted the girl onto one shoulder, carrying her like a pony keg. She grinned slightly as the kid complimented her pretty hair and eyes.

The Watch Investigator branch was a large building that stood three stories in height with several balconies. An enormous spyglass symbol was worked in ornate and delicate bronze on the front of the building. The child leading them turned and pointed, “There you go, mister!”

Tinuriel put the girl down and she curtsied slightly before running off with the two other children. “Should we get a room first?”

Felix chuckled and pulled her to the inn across the street. This wasn’t some medieval-styled inn or tavern like what he had encountered on the tiers below; this was set up like a hotel with a bar and café inside. The front room was well-appointed with well-dressed travelers from various Tiers eating and drinking. Some conversation stopped and faces turned as the two entered, and eyes warily watched the two as Felix led the way to a counter with a short, stout woman standing behind it. Her auburn locks waved back and forth as she leaned on the wooden furniture, “Oi! What ken I do fer ye?”

“A room, please.”

“Name?”

“Felix Winters. Versewalker.”

The woman’s eyes widened, and she glanced around the room to see if anyone else had noticed what Felix had said. More eyes were glued to them. She let out a nervous laugh, “Eh, prove it.”

Fallen Flight. Felix’s spectral wings manifested, and there were gasps and mutterings all around.

“I’ll be damned. Versewalker, ey? Yer room be free.” She fished around under the desk before pulling out a key. “Room ten.”

Felix took the key and led Tinuriel upstairs as more muttered voices took up conversation. “Was that wise?” she asked.

He found the door to their room and slid the key home, “Maybe not. But it’s not like we didn’t stand out already. Having some notoriety will help open doors for us.” He pushed open the door to the room. It faced the street, and a decent-sized window looked out upon the Investigator branch across the canal and over a small bridge. There was a good queen-sized bed, a dresser, a small lavatory, and a couch. Tinuriel pushed him onto the bed and began stripping off her armor.

After their short interlude, they left the hotel/tavern – hearing many mutters and conversations about them – as they went across the bridge over the canal. Felix pushed open the doors to the Investigator branch. The interior was a cool, black and silver aesthetic with intricate metal ornamentation all around. Two large windows much like a bank’s teller windows were at the far end, and two people chatted idly behind them.

Felix walked up and activated Fallen Flight once more, which instantly caught the two attendants’ attention. “I’m Felix. Versewalker. I was sent by Ximena Lazlor to help solve a murder.”

The man behind the glass nodded curtly, “Is it true you stopped a Tier from collapsing?” Felix nodded and the man looked at his peer, “Ha! You owe me dinner!” His counterpart, an older-looking gentleman, frowned and stroked his mustache. The attendant turned back to Felix, “Right. We have a whole stack of murders-”

“Billiam III,” Tinuriel said sternly.

The man’s face went taught and he nodded, “That’s a special one. I have to get one of the investigators with you. Please, sit over there.”

The two sat where instructed and less than a minute later, a very muscular man with a prominent weight-lifter gut came in through a door. He was almost bursting out of his uniform, an ornate dress jacket with a spyglass symbol on the front. “You’re the Versewalker, I presume? I’m Investigator G.H.W.” he held out his hand, and Felix stood up to shake. “Please, come upstairs to my office.”

The duo followed the man upstairs and into what looked like a bullpen from old detective noir thriller movies. It was the same black and silver aesthetic, but several desks were set up with some form of renaissance typewriters, clacking away as other people dressed similarly to this G.H.W. fellow were filling out some type of documentation. The duo was led into a corner office and offered seats as the man sat behind the desk, tenting his fingers. “You’re here about the death of Billiam III, right?”

“That’s correct,” Felix said. “Tell us about it.”

The man cleared his throat and went into a lengthy explanation. Billiam III, of the royal house Parslia Ventorus Remarda, was in Mercantus to purchase new supplies for his palace in Ethdellin. He was accompanied by a group of one hundred household guards, all armed and armored to the teeth, and a company of ten mages. He was staying in a very fancy hotel – the Goldenwine Estate – and the morning after he had arrived with his retinue, he was found dead in his room. His brother, William VIII, took the throne as his daughter had gone missing.

We knew the brother was behind it already. Cowler Fent told us that. Felix knew that what they would have to do was detective work. Figure out how the crime was committed, who committed it, and then build a chain of evidence that led to Melanie’s uncle. He nodded as the Investigator finished recounting the information. “We’ll try to figure out who was behind it and how it was done.”

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