Moratorium [Silv/Lilac - Closed]

Note: This thread is an import from the old Zetaboards site. The original thread can be found here

There were reports of an unsealed Walpurgis breaching the border patrol in Leiger and had now made her way into the city. Since several groups were focused on hunting Walpurgis, the assignment fell onto officers Alfson and McCrae. They had been briefed on the matter in the little detail that had been gathered. The Walpurgis was female, a young woman that barely looked past the age of a teenager. She wore rags under a black cloak and was barefoot. In fact, she almost looked feral. Known powers at the moment was an aptitude for elemental spells, namely fire, wind and earth. She had attacked the border patrol with an explosive fire blast before making a break for the city. She was lost in pursuit and hadn't been found within two days. Alfson and McCrae were to go around the city to see if there had been sightings of her and then return.

Claes Alfson, of course, didn't feel like just asking around. She felt far more than capable of finding the witch and apprehending her. Heck, if she was lucky, she'd find the opportunity to perform an atonement. She had been practicing, but training as much as you could would never tell you how successful you would actually be. It was a matter of experiencing it herself. She was a little annoyed however she got paired with McCrae. While they were more or less of the same rank, she still didn't know how useful he was going to be. Sure, he proved a good marskman but what was any Expiate officer except the Cartic magic he/she was capable of?

Claes sighed and brushed back a stray copper brown strand behind her ear. She waited at the front of headquarters for McCrae. She was considerably early for their agreed rendezvous, but that didn't mean she wasn't going to be impatient for him not arriving sooner.

"Ahoy, Officer Alfson!"

If Claes were to look to a side, she'd notice that an Enkidu was jogging towards her, one hand waving with a gleeful smile. He was wearing his Expiate uniform, complete with his own armament attachements, alongside a backpack containing the required elements for the atonement, or apprehension if needed. Despite his lack of magic ability, he thought that serving the more practical usage would be for the best.

Whatever the case, he stopped once he want in front of Claes, as he wiped his brow from the running. "Greetings Officer, I'm Officer McCrae, and I'm to be of assistance in this assignment!" He said, his voice showing a certain shade of enthusiasm. "We are to locate and neutralize an unsealed Walpurgis located in the outskirts of Leiger, correct?"

"Ah, Officer McCrae..." she said dryly. "You made it."

Claes had a hand placed on her hip while her other one hung freely. She nodded at McCrae repeating their objective, her expression a blank slate.

"You're correct," she affirmed. "Partially. We're to gather info on the Walpurgis' whereabouts. As much as I would like to neutralize the witch, for some reason it's not yet within our scope of actions...not that I'd let that stop us were we to come in contact with it."

She straightened up and raised a hand. A Cartic mark of summoning would appear and from her pocket would fly several papers which now levitated in front of her. She rubbed her chin.

"Now, the Walpurgis was last seen in the downtown area around the market district," she said. "We can start there and then branch out. Come on."

She'd start walking on ahead in long strides with her hand raised as she looked at the floating papers and read them. She didn't glance at Goibniu but she did speak again.

"I already know most of your skills, but can you go over them for me again?" she asked him. "Then I'll go over mine. If we know how to partner our skills, we'll be readier for combat."

When Claes was doing a quick rundown of the objectives, Goibniu merely stared at her, a hand placed on his chin as he listened attentively. It was then when she made several pieces of paper appear, which apparently held information of their job. "Downtown area, huh? What approach do you believe is preferable? Asking civilians or remaining undercover?" He asked, as they began walking towards their destination.

"Oh! Simple enough, I am a remarkable marksman with my firearm, and I am capable of spotting any target at long ranges with my spectacles. As I'm an Enkidu, I can cancel any Cartic or Cantus User with my roar, and also enhance my weapon for deadlier shots!" He said, wondering what sort of skills would his fellow Office have.

Claes quietly listened, all while waving her hand and having the papers fly back inside her coat.

"I see," she said. "We both focus on projectiles, so I suppose we can use that to our advantage. It would be hard if one of us were to be using a sword and charging in while someone else were firing. Granted, while your roar would be useful, it would cancel out my magic, too. So let us save that for a last resort."

She rubbed her chin for a moment at the question as to how they would start.

"We'll be interrogating civilians today," she said. "For any sightings and will be gathering steps from there. Stahlmin has very sparse Walpurgis groups in its underbelly, I'd like to believe. And undercover work isn't within the scope of our rank, so it is out of the question. Alright, the market district is right ahead."

The market district itself was a series of buildings and stalls lined on both sides of a road free to pedestrians. Colorful fruits, vegetables, and grains filled carts and displays. One general store jutted out at the very corner.

"We can start here," she told Goibniu.

The owner of the store fortunately was on the outside spraying water over some of his produce. Seeing the officers, he straightened up and smiled.

"Guten morgen, officers," he said. "How may I help you?"

"Truly! We'll have to be careful no one gets caught in the crossfire as well, a stray shot could be a catastrophe." He said, as Claes told him the plan of action. "Interrogating civilians and gathering info, got it!" Goibniu was more than sure that this job would be done and over in no time, after all, Claes seemed pretty by the books, which is always helpful in terms of getting a job done.

Eventually, they reached the market district, the perfect location for any criminal to hide away amist the waves of people walking around. He had to remember to do his groceries once the mission was finished, those fruits seemed ripe enough for the picking!

Until then, they approached a store owner who greeted them warmly. He might prove to be cooperative enough! "Greetings sir! We'd wish to perform a few questions, if you don't mind." He started, repaying the owner's smile with a smile of his own. "Have you noticed any unusual activity recently? From any resident?"

"We've been informed that the stray Walpurgis made its way here when it broke into the city," Claes further explained.

The two questions appeared to help the shopkeeper recall the incident.

"Ah, that's right," he said. "Horrifying wench ran past her setting ablaze the path behind her. Took the whole evening for the cleaners to scrub off of the road," he said. "I'm afraid I haven't seen any activity after that or I would have reported it."

The man shook his head and looked down at the ground.

"It's been awhile since we had a stray around here," he said. "It was actually a little frightening. Funny part was the ash behind her just stopped in its tracks down an alley."

Claes arched an eyebrow.

"Oh?"

"Yeah," he said. "No haven marks there. No flight of stairs. No one saw her fly or anything. She just vanished. Could be a teleportation spell, but if she could use one, I don't see a point in her using it then and there when she could have done it to begin with."

Goibniu's eyes narrowed as he tried to properly capture each statement from the man. A Walpurgis that left a trail of fire wherever she went? That was definitely bound to leave big trails. But things took a strange turn when he mentioned that that much was true, it's just that trail suddenly stops.

"How strange... If she suddenly disappeared there, it could mean that either she teleported away, or perhaps... She could be invisible. What do you think, Officer?" Goibniu asked, and regardless of her answer, he'd turn back to the man and ask "Is there anyhting else you can mention? Perhaps someone overheard her say something? Or maybe she left something behind?" If they were going to track something so ellusive, they needed to get as much info as possible.

Claes pinched her chin.

"Hmm. None are impossible," she said. "Perhaps we should check that area out and the people near it to see their account on the event. Do you have anything else to add, sir?"

The shopkeeper shook his head. "I'm afraid that's all I know on my part," he said. "The alley is the one in between the two fruit stands at the end of the street. I do wish you good luck, though. Be good to get rid of that filth going around. We don't need anymore trouble as it is, right officers?"

Claes offered a small nod. "Certainly. If you come upon anything else, please inform the station."

After exchanging a few pleasantries and contacts, the two officers would leave.

"The alley is up ahead," she said. "The area's already been investigated before, but there should be no harm in us going there and seeing it. By the way, Officer McCrae, is this your first case with a Stray?"

Despite his suggestion being shot down almost immediatelly, Goibniu remained in thought as they were trying to piece together this puzzle. But then the shopkeeper was not able to give them more information, meaning it was their turn to investigate this occurrance.

"Well, thank you kindly for your cooperation sir, good luck in your business!" And with a handshake, him and Claes were off. To break silence, she asked him if it was his first time handling a case such as this. "It certainly is, Officer Alfson! So far I was given paperwork or mere patrol jobs. What about you?" He didn't recall seeing her that much before, althought it could just be the fact that he was still relatively new. Perhaps she was new as well?