Uncovering a Killer [Job - Solo]

Assignment Name: Uncovering a Killer
Assignment Rank: B-Tier
Assignment Location: Reim
Assignment Rewards: 15,000 Huang; 200 Xp
Profession Prerequisites: N/A
Assignment Overview: Emperor Lagi has asked the ambassador of Kou to look into the recent deaths of two Reim Spymasters. While detective work isn't part of an ambassador's job, keeping the peace is. Currently, the attacks are suspected to have Kou involvement. Find out if that is true.

After reclaiming his weapons and magical tools, Azix departed the Palace and mounted his magic carpet. Along the way, one of the guards gave him directions to the site of the assassinations. He wasn't sure if the Nagi Orai would follow him, but he wouldn't take any chances. Traveling by flight would make it more difficult to follow the magician, which was what he was hoping for. The orange magician ascended high into the sky and turned his carpet to a safehouse he used to share with Carmen. She and Azix had been in the same cell under Garret's leadership when he had first arrived in Reim. Since then, she had been promoted a few times. He wasn't sure of her current place in the organization, but he expected she would be able to help him.

It wasn't long before Azix caught sight of the familiar two-story farmhouse. A warm smile curled on his lips as fond memories of the place came to mind. It was here that the orange magician had began to grow as a person. He may have been a brooding individual who cursed his fate and had a small talent for illusions when he first arrived in Reim, but now he was so much more. Both Garret and Carmen had inspired those changes in their own ways.

Azix rubbed a phantom bruise on his head as he remembered the time Carmen had woken him up with a violent assault. He had cursed her back then for the rude awakening, however now he realized it had been necessary to motivate him. The carpet settled down on a patch of grass near the house and Azix stepped off. After collecting his carpet, Azix approached the door, rapping his knuckles against the rough surface --three curt knocks before a small tap. It was a coded message that messengers had used back when he was part of the organization.

The door opened up a few moments later and a man stepped out with a sword unsheathed. He looked the magician up and down for a moment, the expression on his face showing that he was prepared to commit violence. "That code hasn't been used in several months. Who are you?"

Azix gave a slight bow, with his brow arched. "My name is Azix Niraj, the ambassador. I would have expected you to already know that." He couldn't help his snarky remark, which he blamed on his nostalgia. It was in this very house that Azix had done the same to Garret long ago. "I'm looking for Carmen."

The man's eyes narrowed, but he opened the door further and led the magician into the dining room. Carmen looked up from her cup of tea when Azix entered the room. "Azix?" Surprise momentarily reflected on her face before slipping back into a neutral expression. With one hand she dismissed Azix's escort with a wave and gestured for the magician to sit down with the other. Her back straightened as she set the cup on the table and her tone became more professional. "I heard about your new position. Congratulations. I'm sure you're pleased to still be able to help Reim in the process."

Azix took a seat across from her, smiling as he realized that she didn't mention the change in leadership. "I am, thank you. That's actually why I'm here." The Diplomat gave her an apologetic look for abruptly turning the topic to business, however he wanted to solve this as quickly as possible. "Recently, two of Reim's Spymasters were killed in a fire. Their deaths seem suspicious and naturally the finger seems to point towards Kou's involvement. I plan on visiting the scene after we're done, but I wanted to see if you could poke around and double check if we were involved."

Carmen wrapped her hands around the warm ceramic cup, listening to the magician's report. When he was finished she gave a small sigh, "Right now the organization is so scattered, it might take me a while to find out. Where did this happen?"

Azix nodded in understanding, "It was in a large estate in Cyprus, a city outside of Mantua, about a half-day's journey by horseback. I didn't get many other details, but I didn't expect to."

Carmen absently nodded as she stared off in the distance, her mind searching for the name of the operative who handled intelligence for that region. Retrieving it from a file in the organized realm that held her memories, she turned her gaze back to Azix's exposed purple hue. "I know who I can ask then. Give me some time and I'll track them down."

Azix stood up, "Thank you for the help, Carmen. I apologize for not staying to chat, but I should see what I can uncover on my end." With a bow, Azix headed for the door, unraveling his magic carpet as he opened the door. In a moment, he was off into the sky, heading towards Cyprus.

[830/1500]

It was late afternoon by the time Azix arrived and he was eager to stretch out his limbs after such a long sitting on the carpet. He started by walking down the main streets of the small city, noticing that the community seemed to be more middle class, though there were some expansive estates. One such estate was in shambles and it was evident from the damage that a fire had been the cause. He frowned as he quickly walked past the former mansion, wondering how he would find any clues.

His legs sufficiently stretched out now, Azix decided to find the nearest tavern. He slipped inside and approached the bar. The magician ordered a pint of ale and dumped a few coins on the table. Azix took a look around the room, using his Diplomat's Eye to survey the people in the room and listened to the conversations taking place in the room. He turned around when the bartender slid him a mug of ale and accepted it with a smile.

He took a long gulp and set it down with a satisfied sigh, "That's some good brew." The bartender gave a small grunt as he continued cleaning some mugs. "I'm a trader from out of town, but I haven't been in these parts in a while. Last time I was here, I fell in love with that beautiful mansion down the road. On the way in, I noticed it had burned down. What happened?"

The bartender was silent for a moment and Azix started to wonder if the man was ignoring him. Finally the bartender looked up from his cleaning and folded his arms across his chest. "Liked that mansion, eh? It was a beautiful one. Odd folk that lived there, very quiet, kept to themselves. People would be over at all hours of the night. Lots of rumors about that place. Some say the folks that lived there got drunk and knocked over a candle. Course there hasn't been an official inspection yet, but happens a lot."

Azix shook his head and sighed, "That's a real shame. I used to imagine retiring in that home. Oh well, it was a silly fantasy." He chuckled softly to himself and took another swig of his drink. "Said they were strange folk?"

The bartender nodded and scratched his beard, "Yep, some people say they were involved with the military. At least Ol' Cletus says he saw a group of Generals visit the estate, but he's so drunk half the time he couldn't tell his ass from his mum."

A man a few tables over shouted, "Shut it, Fred! Don't be talking about me mum!"

Azix chuckled at the exchange and finished his ale, downing it in one giant gulp. He slammed it against the counter and smacked his lips, "Well, thanks for the drink. I better get a move on." He flicked another coin on the counter as a tip when he stood up and exited the bar.

He let his feet wander aimlessly as Azix's mind turned for the next step. He could wait to see if Carmen was able to turn anything up, but that would take time. It was possible that the Spymaster's deaths were an accident, but if it was an intentional act, time would give the culprit time to get away or strike again. Azix would have to think of something to find out, but his mind kept drawing a blank.

Suddenly, a shadow of a memory swept over his inner landscape and Azix grasped it. The scene was at a tavern, similar to the one he had just visited, but it was the time he had met Yakuroro. He smiled as he remembered the giant Imuchakk and wondered where the magician had gone off to. However, that wasn't what his subconscious had thought was important. The memory continued on to convey its message, showing the Imuchakk magician cutting his hand to use some of his blood to cast a spell. In an instant, Azix understood what his mind was trying to tell him.

OOC:1500/1500]

Yakuroro had gone on the use his blood in combination with magic to show a glimpse of his past, of a time in Heliohapt against the dark djinn. Azix knew Yakuroro had used Clairvoyance magic, but the orange magician didn't know how to use that type of magic. Prodding his mind, Azix tried to remember what he had learned of the magic type from all the books he had read. Various passages flitted to the surface of his mind, but they were general ideas and concepts.

He paused his inner reflections to observe his surroundings and noticed he was passing a magical tool shop. Wondering if they had any books on the subject, Azix walked inside and began browsing their selection. Several varieties of wands, staves, and magical creations lined the shelves at the front of the store, but he found the books near the back. There were many books on the more popular magic types, such as life, water, light, and strength, but few on Clairvoyance.

Finding a book, Azix picked it up and started skimming the pages for useful information. He learned that much like any other magic type, commands were given to the Rukh, however these commands were more sensitive because some of them involved interacting with the Great Flow. With his grasp on magic theory and experience, he felt confident after going over the limited selection of books they had in an hours time, studying how the spells were constructed, and the commands used to make an attempt of his own.

Leaving the magic shop, Azix headed for the estate, under the cover of darkness. He created a light to search through the debris with his Razzle Dazzle spell. The outermost walls of the mansion remained untouched by most of the damage from the fire, however the interior was in a state of disarray. The ceiling had collapsed over a rather large staircase, the remnants of the metal frame still hanging on in place, even as the wooden sections had burned away.

After Azix had pulled aside sections of wall and ceiling, most had already been done so by scavengers looking for valuables that had survived, he found the remains of a person. The bones were charred and clean of most tissues, but it would have to do. Grabbing a femur, Azix produced his wand and tapped it against the bone, mumbling several commands to the Rukh.

Magoi streamed around him to reveal Visions of the Past, in an area around him. It depicted a scene of the house restored to its former glory. He felt more than heard a knock on the door and two men appeared out of the next room. They answered the door to reveal a cloaked man. Azix watched on, happy his spell had worked, but he was intent on trying to catch a glimpse of the man's face. It wasn't until they let the stranger into the room that Azix caught the tale-tell Heliohaptan features, the man's white hair, and his golden eyes that reminded the magician of Ariella.

Once the man was led inside, he attacked the two Spymasters by conjuring a great beam of light that proceeded to catch the house on fire. Azix frowned when it was revealed that the culprit was a light magician. Finding the man may well pose a problem, especially if the Heliohapt appearance was an illusion. Yet, Azix was hopeful that the man's heritage was not a direct sign of Kou involvement. He couldn't remember any Heliohaptans being in the organization, not to say that there were none.

Now that he had a face, Azix walked around Cyprus using his Art Forgery spell to create a painting of the man's likeness. He showed it to the citizens, asking them if they had seen the culprit. He told them that the Emperor was offering a reward if people found the man and turned him in, for crimes against the crown. On an impulse, Azix also traveled to Mantua with his magic carpet, to show the painting around, offering the same reward. He wanted the assassin's face known and for him to fear capture.

He didn't have any luck until he visited a tavern called the Three Footed Horse. When he showed the bartender the painting, the man went on a tirade about the person depicted in the painting. It became clear that the Heliohaptan had caused trouble for the bartender, after asking for a man named Achaikos, burning part of the bar down. Azix thanked the man for the information and exited the building, thinking he had enough information to turn into Lagi now.

[300/330]
[500/500]

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