Heleion Archives

69th District

            The middle levels of the city housed the industrial sector where most of the factories and the ware-houses were located. Most of these warehouses were rented out by various guilds and companies who main-tained a positive relationship with the General-Princess and the Shogunate itself. Traitors as the Golden Dawn preferred to refer to them. These warehouses numbered at least three dozen while the factories them-selves were reaching only a few dozen in numbers.

As with all warehouses, not all of them were in use in the city as the factories never stopped working. Espe-cially as the end of the year celebration approached, during which a parade was always held in the city. Usu-ally hovering platform – large rectangular magicraft vehicles – traversed the upper levels above the deep chasm that led down to the lower streets. This way both those at home and at work could enjoy the festivi-ties – only to an extent for the latter of course.

While mentioned before – it was not fully true that the warehouses were empty sometimes. When they weren’t filled with goods and materials, these warehouses were used by the Black Lotus to setup reconnais-sance stations to monitor any undesirable activity in the lower levels. One such station currently was at the warehouse designated as Z-23. One of the smallest at a junction point with a relatively good view to the eastern palace of the city – where the Tengu-Class Flottirion just arrived.

Warehouse Z-23 itself was one of the smallest warehouses setup in the rectangle shaped towering structure with numerous bridges connecting to the rest that serve as the frame or wall of the city – as some liked to refer to it.

“I heard the General Princess-sama will also attend the parade this year.” Yukio said with clear excitement lacing her soft voice. She was a native soratanese to Hoshigawa who appeared no older than thirty-two with an angular bob style silver hair with uneven ends dyed raven black. A soft face decorated with upturned eyes – with cerulean blue pearls – a small nose that enhanced her innocent looks with slight elvish features. That included small ears with sharper curves and tip, a slightly sharpened cheek bone and jawlines that slightly elevated.

“I doubt she would celebrate it here.” Agnessa, a naurdian hailing from the Noyachny Hemrod said in her thick accent known for the region’s native humans and elves. She appeared to be a few years older, although she was a year younger, entering her hundredth year. Like most of her fellow kin, she had smooth fair skin that gained a little tan during her service in Hoshigawa. Dark hair adorned her triangle shaped head combed to the back quite elegantly with only a single thick collection of a strand framed the right side of her face. Like the jungle’s trees – her eyes were beset with two emerald pearls in their center, the frame a finely drawn upturned shape.

“If you have time for chit-chat – check on Asahi and Annerith!” The voice of their superior echoed into their minds akin to the harsh croaking of crows.

“I’ll go check on them. You stay here and keep watch.” Agnessa didn’t wait for an answer. Yukio didn’t even try either as she could tell that her Sister was quite bored already. She could not fault her as the past few days the Golden Dawn kept quiet compared to the past few months during which they raided quite a few of their hideouts within the city.

While she watched her get further in the dimly lit corridor she turned around just about when Agnessa reached the turn – missing out on two hands grabbing her fellow Keisatsuath. The muffled yelp of hers never reached her ears as a silencing field enveloped the whole Z-23 Warehouse.

Yukio made through halfway before she too suffered the same fate as Agnessa. A leather gloved hand clamped over her mouth while a thin needle laced in deadly poison phased through the layers of her uniform – and penetrated through her soft neck spreading the killing poison into her blood streams that made her heart stop in a second. “Nr.”

**

120th District.

“Are you sure this was necessary?” Hanakoro asked as she sat on her knees, her fists curled up on her thighs. In front of her – on the other side of the small square table with white surface and oaken brown frame – sat General Princess Kaguyari, her just as beautiful mother.

“I have no idea what you are speaking of. I’m simply here because I missed my little Tsukiorin.” Katsuraena watched with a weird but still respecting expression as those words poured out from her perfectly symmet-rical lips that had a glistening deep silver surface and which adorned the soft, gaunt elven face blessed with a moon kissed silver tone. That also included thin white eyebrows with angular ends curving downwards. A nose with long bridge that one could tell was measured by Myelia herself leading to the end that just ever so slightly turned upwards in an elegant curve. And although she could not see from the regal Hersith uniform – or outfit in this case – but she saw many of the statues that faithfully depicted Kaguyari’s slender, ripped elven body.

“I guess your presence can be helpful in rooting out the last of them.” As if accepting defeat – Hanakoro sighed as she drink from her Hoshigawan Regal Cup and let the warmness of the tea calm her senses.

“I’m glad I could be of help. Now do you have plans for tomorrow?” Kaguyari’s previous childlike expres-sion changed just as she lifted her head up slightly.

Her attire comprised a coat fashioned in the style of a Junioroth Dress, a garment typically reserved for no-bles and royals during ceremonies. It echoed the regal attire worn by the Imperial Sorcerer, the most power-ful mage in the Shogunate, who served as an arcane advisor to the Emperor or Empress.

In her case, the coat boasted a design comprising six layers. The first three layers shimmered in a lunar silvery hue, while the two inner layers were crafted from Aetherna Satin. The outermost layer, on the other hand, was fashioned from Dragonid Leather. Similarly, the remaining three layers followed a parallel pattern, with the two outer layers composed of dragonid leather and the innermost layer made from Aetherna Satin, dyed in a deep raven black.

On the back of the coat-like dress, the emblem of the Black Rose was meticulously sewn into the faux leath-er arcane material. In her instance, the sleeves and shoulders retained a seamlessly smooth finish, while the lapels, closure, hem, and sleeve cuffs were adorned with a scaled pattern. In keeping with the uniformity of the Black Rose Order, the dragonid leather layers exhibited aetherna satin lining of the regal lunar silvery hue.

Her neck itself was surrounded by her triangular collar that contrasted her long, naturally flowing divinely white hair while on the top side, the soft edges where it folded down gently caressed her seamless, sharp jawline even while buttoned out. She preferred to keep them open for a simple, and juvenile reason – to show off her runic tattoos that extended and covered her whole neck. The most prominent part of them be-ing the single arcane eye that stared with a cold gaze forward.

“I do. I plan to check on the surveillance points around the city one last time.” Hanakoro answered in a calmed manner.

“I see. Do you mind if I tag along?” Kaguyari placed her index finger onto her right cheek as she bent her head sideways with a playful expression.

“No… I mean you should stay here. I mean if they attack you, I’ll lose the chance to mop up the rest of them.” Hanakoro swiftly refused then pondered a little which made her mother feel a bit dejected.

“I see. How regretful. Anyhow, are the two of you already made love?” Hearing those words, both of them started coughing as the tea just decided to change trajectory flowing down towards their lungs.

**

After the awkward tea time was over between Kaguyari and her daughter, Hanakoro she retreated to the top floor of the palace. She kneeled on the floor while praying at the altar of Myelia whose beautiful form was sculpted from the highest quality marble of a rich silver hue with her hair depicted with myriad colors.

“Enter.” As she sensed her right-hands presence, she allowed the young appearing four hundred year old elf Junoth. Formerly a half-elf with orii elven blood, thanks to the Black Rose Concoction, she transformed into a full orii elf herself.

She had deep, obsidian black hair with a blunt fringe at the center and two curving framing her youthful, soft elven face adorned with a long bridged nose with dainty ends and the thin line of a scar on the left side a bit under her almond shaped amethyst eyes. As she was part of the Raven Eyes of the Black Rose, her slender, athletic body was clad in a kimono styled dragonid leather jacket of the same deep raven black hue which she paired with a pearl white aetherna satin blouse which enlarged triangular collars spread over her shoulders. On the lower side, she wore a raven black hakama and the thigh high combat heels.

When she arrived to the center, she got down onto her knees and started her report. “We have setup the re-connaissance base. It seems like the Ebon Fang herself showed up on the higher levels, sent to mop up one of the Black Lotuses’ surveillance point in the warehouse designated as Z-23.”

“Anything on Hummingbird?” Kaguyari asked as her forehead remained on the cold floor as she continued her prayer.

“Nothing. Should we assume she got compromised?” Kaguyari inhaled deeply as she risen back and pon-dered for a while.

“Yes. Focus our efforts on monitoring their movements through the city until the festival. If and when you find their hideout, report to me. Do not send a squad.” At her orders, Junoth gently bowed her head then left as silently as she came.

**

“Finished here securing our beauties here!” The soratanese assassin of the Golden Dawn said in her clear and bright voice with a matching cheerful tone. From behind her silken black face scarf she smiled as she pinched the cheeks of Kitala – the decorated orii elven Heishiat of the group with long jade green hair bundled into a high bun – whom dangled in the air with her arms stretched high with one coil of bright yellow enchanted rope binding her double cuffed sleeve covered wrists together, and another connected to it with an elaborate knot with the rest seemingly blending into the concrete ceiling.

“Hnrhhm Crmrrnh!” A wide strip of glistening golden orange sealing tape ran across her pretty elven face, preventing the forming of proper words, and sealing the arcane points within her head.

“Shush. You’re speaking time is over.” The Golden Dawn Assassin slapped her right cheek with her black leather gloved hand before she straightened her own high quality leather jacket with a heightened tunic neck that pressed her deep orange collars against her neck. Under their jackets, the Golden Dawn wore a collared tangzhuang shirt – a bit of a contrast and not the best of attires for subterfuge and such illicit business her lunar elven partner thought. Then again, her white silvery complexion also did not help in her blending into the darkness.

“Did they speak of anything of interest?” The Lunar Elf asked in her silken, sensual voice that tickled the ears of the captive Black Lotuses present in the spacious main area of the warehouse.

“They did mention about the General Princess arriving here for the festival.” The Soratanese Assassin said ignoring the muffled moans coming from the other three Black Lotus Heishiats bound on the floor with the sealing tape looped across their mouths and eyes.

“Heard the same thing on the corridors. We better inform our contact.” The Lunar Elf said as she walked to the window and let her slender, towering athletic form bathe in the luminous lights of the city entering from the large windows, as if she just became the main actress of a stage play unfolding before the audience.

“Let’s wrap things up here.” With those words silenced wand pistols appeared in their hands.

**

From the large balcony overlooking the city, Kaguyari stood – or in truth hovered high above the rails like a pondering specter as the air rippled the snow silver hem of her arcane leather and satin dress-coat. Even the collars cuddled her cheeks as she looked down at the city with a cold expression, akin to a dragon whose ready to burn it to cinders.

“Can I trust you with these orders Sister Katsuraena?” She rotated around as she awaited the answer from the young dark elven Herishiat whose own beautiful visage reflected the conflict that raged within her after her best friends, and occasional lover’s mother and her Hersith called for her without Hanakoro knowing about it.

She exhaled deeply as the wind breezed through her dense deep red hair and with a curled fist over her chest she answered. “Yes, General Princess-sama!”

Hearing those words, Kaguyari’s lips curled into a serpent’s smile as the warmth of satisfaction spread with-in her body. “I truly thank you for your loyalty! And you can simply refer to me as Kaguyari.”