Chapter 15 – Emotional Rollercoaster
The bittersweet smell of nectar filled SJ's nostrils as she awoke the next morning to Yawnee bringing a fresh pot of coffee into her bedroom.
"Morning," SJ yawned. "You didn't need to bring me a drink."
"It's no problem," she smiled in response.
Yawnee placed the coffee down on SJ's bedside table and was about to leave when she stopped, her shoulders slumping. She stood there for a long moment, her back to SJ.
"Is something troubling you?" SJ asked.
Yawnee turned to look at her as tears rolled down her cheeks.
SJ was shocked by her sudden change and quickly climbed out of bed, pulling on her dressing gown before moving and closing her bedroom door, then escorting Yawnee to sit on the bed.
"What brought this on?" SJ's face showed a picture of concern.
"I've..." Yawnee sniffed. "I've done something stupid." Her face was downcast. The tears dampened the fine fur that covered her face.
"What's happened?"
Yawnee remained silent for several moments as she gathered her thoughts and replied. "I invested in a new shop and I now can't locate the trader."
SJ scrunched her face in confusion. "A new shop?"
"Yes, Mrs Kawil, whom we have known since arriving in Asterfal, is a very close friend and mentioned that a new shop has opened in District 6. A private meeting was arranged, and we both attended, along with several friends from District 7. We were offered the opportunity to invest in the new shop, and we all decided to support it."
SJ frowned. "What type of shop?"
"It was a new tailor shop."
"Aren't there already a significant number of tailor shops in Asterfal? And don't you have one you regularly visit?"
"Yes, but they were showing the most fabulous designs that they were bringing from the capital. The investment was a share of the shop's profits; we were the second round of investors, and they had the current investors there with them. The coins they had made on their investments were huge."
SJ shook her head in frustration; just the brief explanation from Yawnee sounded instantly like a Ponzi scheme.
"And the owner has now disappeared?"
"The shop has been closed for the past two weeks. Mrs Kawil spoke to one of the initial investors, and they hadn't seen or heard anything from them."
"How much?"
A fresh round of tears started to fall. "I invested the money from the alchemy contract. We were promised a return within two months, and it's now closer to three, and we haven't seen a penny."
"How much?" SJ repeated.
"Eighty silver."
SJ had to stop herself from rolling her eyes. Eighty silver was nothing; she made more each day from the mithril mine after Aletheia's purity influence. Although in reality eighty silver was still a fortune too many in the city, which had areas rife with poverty. SJ let out a sigh. "The house account has more than enough money in it to cover your contract needs for the alchemy guild."
Yawnee looked at SJ with wide eyes. "No. You have already done so much for us. We live in this beautiful home in the nicest district in the city because you paid for it. We have already taken more from you than we could ever repay. I won't accept any more charity."
"It's not charity. You are Cristy's family; therefore, you are also mine. I have always told you that. If I can't use my wealth to support my family, what's the point in me having it?"
"That's not the point."
"Of course it is."
"You have brought us out of poverty to where we are now, and due to my stupidity, I've put us right back where we were, and even jeopardised the contract. The silver was our contract security."
SJ chuckled. "At least last time it was Lurtew."
Yawnee gave SJ a flat stare before she herself smiled. "I suppose it does make a change."
"Have you told Lurtew?"
"No. I daren't; he will be so disappointed."
"Come off it. He loves you dearly, and as we just stated, he has made mistakes."
"I know, but..."
"But nothing," SJ called, pulling a gold from her inventory. "Here, add it back into your crafting funds so your contract isn't affected and you have the supplies you need."
Yawnee went to resist. "Don't!" SJ said, lifting her hands to prevent Yawnee from giving her the coin back. "I have to travel back today, but when I come back in a few days, I will look into it for you and hopefully get the missing funds back. Does that sound like a fair compromise?"
Yawnee wiped her eyes with a handkerchief and smiled weakly. "Okay."
"And tell Lurtew. You can't keep a secret like this from him."
Yawnee's shoulders shuddered as she took a deep breath before standing again. "Okay, I will."
"There's no time like the present," SJ said, hugging Yawnee. Yawnee gripped SJ fiercely.
"Thank you."
"No need to thank me. As I say, we're family after all," SJ said as she pulled back and smiled at Yawnee.
Yawnee smiled weakly again before she left the room. SJ immediately walked to the steaming pot of coffee and poured herself a fresh mug. Inhaling the bitterness, she blew on its hot surface before sipping it.
"Well, that was interesting," Dave boomed in her mind.
SJ spat her mouthful of coffee all over her bedside table. "Dammit, Dave. You did that deliberately."
Dave chuckled. "Morning, by the way."
SJ picked up her dress from where she had left it and cleaned up the spilt coffee, rinsing off her choker and hand mirror in the sink.
"Morning," SJ grumpily replied.
"Another investigation for Detective SJ. Maybe you should start a business?"
"I'm no detective."
"You may as well be the number of times you are asking to look into and solve things. Even your assassination quests involve investigation work."
There was never a more accurate statement; every job she completed required investigation work.
It was an intriguing proposition, especially as it largely aligned with her past life as a forensic accountant. "Do they even have detectives in Amathera? I've never heard of any."
"It's not a profession if that's what you mean."
SJ considered the idea, concluding that her life was busy enough without any further complications, although there was a nagging at the back of her mind as she finished getting dressed once her dress had dried. The now-empty coffeepot and mug were collected as she left her room and went downstairs to the kitchen. The lounge door was slightly ajar, and she could hear hushed tones and Yawnee sobbing. Lurtew's calm voice drifted through to her. She smiled to herself as she quietly left them to their discussion.
The morning hubbub on the street was welcoming. District 11 was the wealthiest, and many of those who lived close to the inner wall were business owners or the more affluent residents of the city. SJ nodded politely to two well-dressed beings, a dwarf and a human; the human wore the tower's colours. She thought she recognised him, but the tower had so many employees, never mind citizens in the city, that she couldn't be sure. He smiled back politely as they crossed the street heading to the inner gate.
SJ didn't plan on going to the tower, but did plan on calling in to see Wystria. Lythonian had been nagging SJ to see if Wystria had time to come and speak to Aletheia in Killic. There was no way that Killic would allow Aletheia to come to Asterfal. She had brought too much wealth to the town since the Mithril mine purification, and wouldn't chance her being caught up in the city politics.
SJ also wouldn't allow it; Aletheia was her direct responsibility. After all, her very existence and being were apparently due to SJ and her status, although nothing had ever been confirmed beyond their initial meeting outside of the briefest conversation Aletheia had. She always spoke in riddles and half-statements whenever SJ tried to get to the bottom of it. The uncertainty that the artefact tablet she still carried in her inventory held continually burned at the back of her mind.
There had been thoughts about placing it in the Asterfal Bank vaults and leaving it there. Dave had also attempted to scan it to gain further details, but every attempt had been unsuccessful.
The inner gate guard was busy searching a wagon as SJ approached the gateway. It was an unusual scene, as wagons were usually allowed to pass through unhindered. It was full of crates, and as SJ neared, the driver suddenly turned and started to flee, running back into the outer city. The guards cried after him as SJ saw the arrow in flight. It had come from a rooftop a distance back from the gates, its parabolic curve bringing it directly towards the wagon.
In that split second, SJ realised what was happening and screamed at the guards to get away as the arrow struck.
The explosion that rocked the area from the wagon sent a concussive wave into SJ, throwing her from her feet, even at the distance she still was. Her ears were thrumming, and she felt deafened by the explosion.
"Are you okay?" Dave yelled.
'Yeah,' SJ said groggily as she sat up, her health having taken a dip from the impact of the wave and also striking the ground. Her dress had spots of blood on it, and she checked herself to find several wooden splinters that had struck her. She winced as she pulled a rather large splinter from her arm.
"What was that all about?" Dave was as surprised as SJ. She had never heard of anything like it happening in the city before. Fires may break out, but a deliberate explosion at the inner city gates was something new.
SJ slowly pushed herself to her feet, her wounds already starting to close. As she regenerated her health, her wounds healed; most were only superficial, and the holes in her dress self-repaired. Those nearer the explosion hadn't been as lucky, and SJ spotted the human and dwarf who had passed in front of her and been much closer to the gate, lying on the ground. The human wasn't moving, nor was one of the guards. Several others in the vicinity had also been thrown to the ground by the blast.
SJ hurried over to the entrance, reaching the human as the dwarf who had accompanied him groaned where he still lay.
The man was peppered with splinters, appearing to look more like a pincushion, his clothing not providing any real defence against the wooden projectiles. SJ grabbed his wrist, checking his pulse. It was a natural reaction, stemming from the first aid training she had undertaken through her work on Earth. The man's pulse was strong, so he was still alive at least, and hopefully just unconscious. A few other beings were starting to react and move towards the scene as chaos ensued.
More guards had started to arrive after hearing the explosion, and after SJ helped the dwarf to his feet, she stood back and allowed the city guard to take over. The guards were from District 11, and it wasn't long before the tower guard arrived as well. SJ was corralled with others to one side to be questioned about what had happened. The twisted, smouldering wreckage of the remains of the burnt-out wagon sat as a stark reminder for them all.
The next two hours passed in what felt like a few moments, as slowly the scene was cleared and the area secured. More guards had arrived as the questioning got underway, and scribes took notes. Those injured were healed by the tower's clerics, and eventually, a form of normality started to return to the gateway. The gateway bore the evidence of the blast, streaked black by the cloud of smoke that had billowed up within the entranceway. SJ had only briefly seen the being who had run from the cart and couldn't even be certain what race they belonged to, as they had been wearing a hooded cloak, which was common due to the recent weather. After giving what details she could, she was allowed to leave.
"Well, that was an unusual start to the day," Dave said.
'Not something I have ever experienced before,' SJ thought. Now that it was over, she felt a strange sense of emptiness and uncertainty.
"I wonder who was behind it?"
'No idea.'
"This could be your first detective job," Dave said excitedly.
SJ rolled her eyes as she returned to her home. She had lost too much time to go and visit Wystria now, as she was due back in Killic before lunchtime. It was only as she got home and walked in, seeing Yawnee and Lurtew, that she burst into tears.
The pair of them turned to see SJ standing there, shaking as tears flowed down her cheeks. Dave was at odds with himself, wondering what was wrong.
"I'm fine," SJ said between deep breaths. "I think it's shock."
"Battle shock?" Lurtew asked.
"Similar," SJ replied weakly as she blew her nose.
"What happened?" Yawnee asked.
"Didn't you hear the explosion?" SJ asked.
"No," Yawnee replied, shaking her head. "We were busy in the garage."
"A wagon exploded at the gate," SJ said before continuing to explain what had happened.
Yawnee and Lurtew's faces were a picture as SJ explained what had occurred.
"At least you know this wasn't directed at you," Yawnee said.
"I know, but what was it in aid of? Have you heard of any issues?"
"Nothing. The streets have been quiet recently. Apart from the usual complaints about prices and wages, nothing has stood out."
"I have no idea then," SJ said. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to worry you both."
"Let's go get you a drink," Lurtew said, guiding SJ upstairs to the lounge.
SJ sat in one of the armchairs staring out of the window across to the inner wall, as Lurtew walked in with a coffee.
"Here, drink this."
"Thanks," SJ said, taking the mug.
"Am I alright to leave you alone? We have a collection this afternoon, and we need to finish some jobs."
"Of course, sorry for being a problem."
"Ha, you're never a problem," Lurtew smiled.
"I'll pop down before I leave."
"You better had," Lurtew said as he left the room.
SJ sat in silence, Dave not interrupting her thoughts. Her memories from Earth were surfacing as she sat staring out the window, holding her coffee. Attacks had happened all over Earth on various occasions, including bombings in England over the years, and you heard about them on the news from other countries, but having experienced one, there was nothing she could compare it to. It was one thing battling draconians and monstrous lizards, but you couldn't fight against an unseen enemy acting like that, and a shudder ran down her spine. Even the assassination attempts on her life hadn't left her with the same emptiness of uncertainty that sat in the pit of her stomach.
"We need to go," Dave said, interrupting her thoughts.
SJ checked her display, the coffee in her hands now cold and virtually untouched.
'You're right. I'll say goodbye to Yawnee and Lurtew before I portal,' SJ said, standing and taking her mug back to the kitchen. It wasn't even midday, and all she wanted to do was climb back into bed and hope tomorrow would be better, but she knew as soon as she returned to Killic, she had much to do.
