LUCIUS
LUCIUS HAD missed the thrill of the chase so much. When asked by the capitol constabulary to pursue the Senate assailants, he dropped everything—even the most important case of his career!—and rushed out of his office. He thought of jumping from the window of the second floor just to be on the streets. But he did not want to have broken legs, so he took the stairs.
Isabella followed behind, asking him to just chill and not get overexcited. Could anyone blame Lucius for his eagerness? He had been walking around crime scenes, making some deductions, and tracing the footsteps of rogue arcasters. That was not as thrilling as his previous work.
The night fell in the capital city. Usually, at around seven in the evening, streets would have been flooded with people. But today was not the usual. The streets were virtually deserted. The curfew imposed by the city mayor prohibited anyone from leaving their homes starting sunset. Constables roamed the alleys, checking each and every corner. They inspected strictly even the beggars.
The duo arrived at the city square hastily. They stopped by the water fountain as they waited for someone. Lucius started pacing back and forth, rubbing his palms together. The excitement was etched all over his face. It was killing him—figuratively! He had been waiting for something like this for a while.
"You do know we might be dealing with dangerous arcasters, right?" Isabella asked. "Remember, they killed dozens of senators and put up a good fight against the Royal Knights. This won't be as easy as you may think."
"The more dangerous the foe, the more thrilling the chase!" Lucius exclaimed. He came to a halt and turned to his partner. "You brought all the stuff that we need?"
Isabella showed the inverse part of her right coat, revealing a set of vials stuck on it. "Remember that time you almost got killed because of your cockiness?"
"That won't happen again. Not this time." Lucius brandished his revolver out. "I won't let them hurt me or you—"
"Hey, you're not allowed to be outside!" An irate constable approached them, his hand making dismissive gesture. His cape flew against the strong gust of wind that passed by. "Go back to your house before I arrest you!"
"Back off." Lucius held up a silver badge. He expected that some constables might not recognize him and let him do his detective work, so he asked the Captain for an accessory that could give him a free pass to almost everything.
The constable walked back. "Oh, sorry, sir!"
I knew this would come in handy. Lucius slid the badge back to his pocket. "Now where's our dear friend? He should be here by now."
Isabella shrugged. "Maybe he got apprehended by the constables for violating the curfew?"
"He will find his way here without getting caught," Lucius said with confidence. "He's good at detecting movements, he will easily avoid meeting any of these pesky constables—Oh, there he is!"
A boy in a ragged brown cloak ran from one dark alley to the fountain where the partners had been waiting. He looked way younger and was about two feet shorter than Lucius. Well, he was just a kid.
"Sorry kung nahuli ako ng dating," the boy greeted as he pulled his hood down. His hair was unkempt and his face was painted with grease. "Ang dami kong constable na kinailangang iwasan. Pakalat-kalat sila kahit saan!"
"They're absolute fools if they think they can find the assailants by merely walking around," Lucius scoffed. "Are you ready for tonight's mission, boy?"
He knew that he could not do everything on his own, so he sometimes had to rely on other people's expertise. The boy Kaj happened to be one of them. He was a street urchin who happened to have royal blood running in his veins—in other words, a descendant of the bastards. Living on the streets for years, Kaj became familiar with the city's intricate layout and knew the secret passages that normal citizens failed to notice.
"Ano pala ang mapapala ko sa mission na 'to?" Kaj wondered. "Bigatin daw ang pinaghahanap na arcasters ngayon, ah?"
"The gratitude of the capital city, of course!" Lucius outstretched his arms, twirling slowly. "Don't you wanna see your name in history books as one of the people who caught the bad guys?"
Kaj furrowed his eyebrows. The idea did not seem to interest him. Even the arcane tracker would not be satisfied with mere words of thanks. He would need more to motivate the kid. "Hindi ko naman makakain at masusuot ang gratitude na 'yan."
Lucius let out a sigh. He knew it would come to this point. The services of Kaj and the others were not for free. Only a fool would not charge for something they were good at, so he got to find a way to compensate them for their efforts. "Fine! I will give you ten percent of the reward."
"Twenty," the boy countered.
"Thirteen!"
"Fifteen."
"Deal." Lucius shook hands with the boy. He was initially going for fifteen, but he chose to start with ten because he expected the kid to make a counter-offer. He did not give up that much share. "Now let's see what you've got."
The boy put his palms together as if he was offering a prayer. The duo watched him intently. He knelt and laid his palms flat on the ground. He shut his eyes and took a deep breath. "Ano'ng dapat kong hanapin?"
"Someone who shouldn't be where they are." Lucius sat on his heels. "Or someone who's making strange turns in the streets."
"Got it." The boy gave him a quick nod. Silence ensued at the city square, and the two partners opted not to disturb him.
"Are you planning to have him tag along with us?" Isabella whispered, shooting glances at the boy.
"We need his tracing abilities," Lucius whispered back. "A geocaster like him is perfectly suited for this job. We can't just blindly run around the city like those constables without any clue as to where our targets are."
"But he's just a boy!" Isabella argued, her voice slighly raised. "We're dealing with dangerous men here. Even if he can use magic, you can't expect him to—"
"We will protect him." Lucius turned to her, showing his valued revolver. "I won't let anyone get near him, and you will be on his side all the time. Fair enough?"
His partner rolled her eyes. "Fine."
"Found one!" the boy exclaimed, tilting his head up at the two adults. "Ikawalong street mula rito sa sentro, 'tapos liliko sa kaliwa, 'tapos kakanan sa may alley. May naramdaman akong bumagsak na katawan nang dumaan siya ro'n."
"Buhay pa ba 'yong bumagsak?"
"Dinig ko pa rin ang tibok ng puso niya."
"Gotcha!" Lucius ran toward the king's avenue. His jetblack hair flowed with the direction of the wind that he ran against. "Come with us, Kaj! Susulitin namin ang bayad sa 'yo!"
His grin said it all. He missed the thrill of the chase. He missed the adrenaline pumping through his veins. This was like the good old days when he was hunting down bastard arcasters. His legs felt no tiredness as he ran with all his strength. They would not stop until they reached their destination.
Isabella and Kaj had no choice but to follow him, the tail of their cloak and robe brushing against the dirty pavement. They ran past the constables who looked at them curiously, wondering why they were in such a hurry. But they paid them no mind. They did not even come to a halt when asked.
Lucius reached the corner of the street first. He leaned his body against the wall of the closed pub. His right hand was ready to draw his revolver from its holster. His gaze darted around the area, checking for any sign of movement. Seconds later, Isabella and Kaj caught up with him. He shushed them even though they kept quiet.
"All clear," he muttered as he jumped out of hiding and turned to the left. He traversed the deserted street, passing by the lamp posts and the shut doors of the establishments that usually brought life to this part of the capital city. He stopped at another corner again and surveyed the next street. "Any update?"
Kaj knelt on the ground again, laying his palms flat on the pavement. His forehead creased as his eyes opened. "Kataka-taka. Wala na akong ma-detect na taong may kakaibang galaw. Nandyan pa rin ang bumagsak na katawan sa may eskinita. Maliban doon—"
Lucius did not wait for the kid to finish. He turned to the narrow alley, looking left and right in search for a body. He entered the alley, halting quickly as his gaze landed on something. The body of a man in loose white shirt and shorts was slumped against the wall. He rushed to the unconscious man and knelt beside him, touching the wrist. There's still a pulse. Lucius then noticed that the man was not wearing any sandals or boots.
"You want to use magic dust?" Isabella asked, also kneeling beside the man who was seemingly knocked out cold. She slapped him gently in the face, hoping that would wake him up. But she got no response.
Lucius sighed. "The arcaster is smart enough to overpower this man physically. He knew that if he used magic, he might risk exposing his location and attracting the attention of constables around." He turned to the kid. "Trace anyone within the proximity who's walking away from this scene and toward the city exit. Quick!"
The boy did his ritual once again. "Wala pa rin akong nararamdamang kakaibang galaw . . . May isa na naglalakad palayo rito—"
"Saan?"
"Sa kanan natin, papunta sa king's avenue—"
"Mag-isa ba siya? O may kasama?"
"Mag-isa lamang—"
"Isabella, prepare to engage!" Lucius commanded before turning to another street again. When he got out of the alley, he panned his head as he searched for the city gates. A constable was patrolling the streets just a couple of meters ahead of him. He waited for his companions to arrive. "Hide in the corner and wait for my cue. We will surprise the hell out of him."
Nodding, Isabella slid her right hand inside her coat while Kaj stood behind her. They hid behind the crates at the street's entrance.
"Officer!" Lucius called, running toward the constable. "Officer?"
The constable halted, making an about-face turn. "Yes?"
"I found an unconscious man in the alleyway!" Lucius pointed at the street where he came out. His voice sounded so worried as if there was danger. "He may have been attacked by someone or something!"
"Really?" the constable replied. "Just stay here and wait for me, okay? It's dangerous out here. Let me check it." He went in the direction of the alley, walking past Lucius and the crates where Isabelle and Kaj hid.
"By the way, don't you find it strange, officer?"
The constable was about to make a turn, but he came to a halt and looked at the arcane tracker over his shoulder. "What is?"
Lucius took a few steps toward the constable, his hands inside his trench coat pockets. "You didn't ask me what I'm doing outside around this hour despite the ongoing curfew. The constable at the city square even threatened to arrest me because of the violation. But you did not. I wonder why."
The constable smiled. "I'm more concerned about your report. It sounds so urgent that I have to respond to it quickly. We can talk about your curfew violation later."
"Speaking of urgent," Lucius looked down at the constable's feet, "what's so urgent that you forgot to tie your bootstraps properly?"
"What are you—"
"Now!"
A vial was thrown at the constable, its glass container shattering on his left sleeve. The liquid spread quickly and turned into ice that crawled from his arm to his body.
Nice shot, Isabella! Lucius thought. Right then and there, he could have shot the target with the revolver hidden in his coat pocket. One bullet would be enough, but he was trying to control the itch to pull the trigger. He did not want to overdo it. If his partner's vial could pacify the target, he saw no need to take action.
"You?!" The constable gritted his teeth, trying to fight off the ice freezing his body.
"Disguising yourself as a constable to evade detection? Ingenious move!" Lucius clapped slowly. "You knocked out the constable patrolling the alleyway back there and stole his uniform. But you're not a master of disguise, so I was able to see through your trick."
The fake constable ripped his cape off, revealing his sleeveless shirt. He touched his frozen left arm with his right hand conjuring a flame, and the ice melted away.
Lucius' eyes went wide as he saw a bird-shaped mark on that person's right arm. He recalled what he had learned about the arsonist of the Marchadesch mansion, the case that he abandoned for the murder of the late king.
"Meron siyang marka sa kanang braso niya. Hugis ibon yata? Basta parang may pakpak."
What a coincidence, Lucius thought. Who would have known that I'd be able to hit two birds with one stone here?
"Why are you just standing there?" Isabella shouted as she and Kaj ran away from the crates. "Catch him already!"
"Can I have some fun for a while?" Lucius drew his revolver and aimed it at the man before him. "Now, the whole city knows you're here."
"By the time the constables arrive, you will be dead!" The rogue pyrocaster threw a fist-sized ball of red light rolling toward the arcane tracker's feet. Lucius leaped backward before it could reach his boots. With one snap of the pyrocaster's fingers, the ball exploded, blowing the pavement into bits and creating a fume of black smoke.
When the smoke dissipated, the pyrocaster had already escaped from his sight. Instead of being annoyed, Lucius smiled from ear to ear and happily gave a chase. This was getting exciting for him.
The pyrocaster was running toward the city gates, and Lucius was following behind him. He hopped from one spot to another as balls of crimson light began rolling and exploding. Damages on the pavements created obstacles for Lucius to jump over. He aimed his revolver at the running man, but he was worried that his bullet would hit someone else in the residential area. He also did not want to miss a shot as it might affect his ninety-three percent accuracy rate.
"Lucius!" Isabella called, making the arcane tracker turn to her. She was also running on the streetside. She threw a vial at him, which he easily caught with his hand.
Lucius bit the stopper off and spat it on his side. He drank the vial's contents straight and made one hard swallow. His legs felt lighter than usual and he sped up. In a matter of seconds, the pyrocaster was just a few meters away.
Bang!
Blood splattered on the ground as the pyrocaster's right arm was hit by a bullet. He halted from running and clutched on his wounded part. His scream echoed across the king's avenue as the pain seemingly became unbearable to him.
Lucius slowed down, sliding his revolver back to its holster. One bullet was strong enough to neutralize the threat. He also did not intend to kill the pyrocaster. The wounded would be more useful to him alive than dead. He got some questions for him, too.
"Meet the arsonist of the Marchadesch mansion." Lucius motioned his hand to the agonizing pyrocaster on the pavement as Isabella and Kaj approached them.
"Arsonist?" Isabella furrowed her brows. "The one from the other case?"
Lucius nodded. He came closer to the pyrocaster and stepped on the body so it would stay still. "Based on Criselda's descriptions, this man must be one who started the fire. The pyrocaster mark on his palm. The bird tattoo on his right arm. He ticked off both boxes."
"Who's Criselda again?" his partner asked. One second, her face was confused. The next second, it became relaxed. She finally remembered. "Oh, the girl you slept with."
"Maybe we can claim the reward from the Marchadesch baron," Lucius jested. "That's still worth thousands of mercs."
"May share pa rin ba ako ro'n?" Kaj asked.
Lucius rubbed the boy's hair. "Ikaw, ha? Natututo ka nang maging mautak."
"Kanino pa ba ako nagmana?"
Three constables arrived at the scene. A carriage was drawn meters behind them. They thanked Lucius and Isabella for their services before cuffing the agonizing pyrocaster. He refused to budge at first, so they had to drag him to the carriage.
"Haven't you made any progress on the truth serum?" Lucius watched the constable open the carriage's door for the culprit. "That can come handy nowadays."
"I'm still missing one ingredient." Isabella also watched the same. "You know how complicated it is to take control of the human mind using chemicals."
"Well, I guess we have to resort to other means to make this guy talk."
"I'm a member of the Liberatti," the pyrocaster declared. Lucius squinted his eyes at him. The constables paid no attention to what he was muttering as they pushed him inside the carriage. "I may have fallen today, but my comrades will carry on. They will see to it that the tyranny of the royalty and the nobility will come to an end soon!"
Lucius' eyes went wide.
The pyrocaster summoned one ball of red light and swallowed it wholly.
"RUN!" Lucius yelled at the officers.
But his warning came too late. The pyrocaster snapped his fingers, and his body exploded along with the constables and the carriage around him. Blood sprayed and entrails scattered all over the place. Shattered wood also flew everywhere. Isabella had to cover Kaj's eyes and turn him away from the horrific scene.
Blood splattered on Lucius' face and trench coat. His right hand touched his cheek. He looked down at his fingers and saw the crimson liquid. He let out a sigh.
"Goodbye, thousands of mercs."
For those who read the first version in 2021-2022, the language of the entire chapter (except a few lines) has been translated to English.
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