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Night of Revelation – Part 1(/3)

I’ll always be grateful to LittleBadWolf for always being available for hire. That’s a large reason why kept relying on them to illustrate the scenes that I’ve written for my world and characters. (The other is that their art style works well with my characters.)

Night of Revelation is one of the pieces during my great writing storm of November 2022, which I’ve written about before. Most of my short stories aren’t very long, and while this one was also short is was at least triple the length of my usual output. With that in mind, I realized after writing it that there were a few good discreet break points I could use to chunk it out and release it in pieces over three months.

This first piece was originally posted in March of 2023.

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“D… dad?”

One word was all it took to crack invincible exterior of the guard captain that had spent the last decade acting as a double agent for his Master Volpes. The criminal duo looked up from their position at the war table in complete shock as a young tigerkin and his wolfkin mentor appeared out of nowhere. Though his foxkin partner was standing beside him, Azurium couldn’t hide his surprise.

“No… Edmund!?”

Hearing that, it was the criminal kingpin’s turn to react. “Your boy? What is he doing here?”

“I… I don’t know.”

Edmund’s green eyes took on an eerie blue glow. Energy gathered in his hands as he summoned his powers. Though the great detective grew concerned, he made no efforts to ebb the fury of his student. The novice needed this moment, and it would accomplish nothing to get in his way.

“I’ll tell ya what I’m doin’ here. I wanna know where ya been dah past ten years! Everyone kept tellin’ me ‘bout how proud I should be to be dah son’ah dah best captain in Oplentis. They never stopped tah think why I’d hate a deadbeat dad dat’d never come home… left me tah fend fer myself.”

“Ed, hold o-”

The captain’s retort was cut short by bolt of lightning, one that he narrowly avoided by anticipating the incoming spell and sidestepping out of the way. Past the war table he was just standing behind, the stone wall had become tarnished by a small circle of ash. A combination of the pale moon beaming through the skylight and mage lamps in the room made the embellishment that much more visible.

“Dun ya dare run from me, dad!”

Before he could recover from his maneuver, Azurium was tackled by his offspring… flying at him? The old soldier never knew his son was capable of magic, let alone flight. But as he was sent cascading through the selfsame wall with the ashen stain, he had no choice but to accept that not only was Edmund truly here, but he had become a capable mage in his father’s absence.

As for the mentalist, he was left to deal with the leader while his protege flew off the handle, figuratively and nearly literally.

“And just who are you supposed to be? The boy’s attendant?”

Despite the difference in size and strength, and lack of backup, the mentalist maintained his composure. Even with his enhanced sense, the titan couldn’t detect any accelerated heartbeat or nervousness from the small wolfkin in front of him, dressed in plain, almost deliberately nondescript clothes. Taking the opportunity, Enigma gave an exaggerated bow as he introduced himself.

“Professor Rabrandt Cyanis, but most refer to me as Enigma, the Great Detective. I assume my reputation proceeds me.”

Curses and other dour thoughts floated in Volpes’s mind. Of all the people who would be interested in him, it had to be one of the most famous investigators in all of Crossroads. And of all the people to lead him here, it had to be the young man whose life he saved a decade ago. The one loose end he allowed himself in order to secure the cooperation of his most valuable ally. After all this time it had come back with a vengeance.

“There isn’t a soul alive who hasn’t heard of you, Detective. Though I must confess, I’m surprised you could see me from the Magistrum’s ivory tower.”

“I wouldn’t be a good detective if I didn’t keep tabs on the city-states, Mr. Volpes. Especially one as mired in corruption as Oplentis.”

Typical, thought the fox to himself. The great detective was just as haughty as any other Magistrum official. Always nay-saying. Always looking from on high. “You know how conditions are worsening for the people here, but you won’t lift a finger to help them. I’m not surprised.”

“Because they didn’t listen to you back when you enrolled?”

Enigma did not have the superior sight or hearing of a titan, but even he could tell that Volpes’s heart had skipped a beat. A smile began to creep up on his face as his adversary’s facade took its first crack. Before they had made ready for their adventure, before he has even told his suspicions to his apprentice, he had done some independent research of his own.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” As the words escaped the fox’s mouth, he held his head low, unable to make eye contact with the wolfkin who broke into his warehouse.

“Is that so? Well, when I saw you were connected my apprentice’s missing father, I started to look into your background. According to my information, nobody had even heard of you until about twenty years ago, when you first arrived here in Oplentis.”

To the mind mage, this was little more than the recitation of a book report, for an audience of one. There was a dry, almost detached manner to the way he began outlining… meticulously outlining.

“I have no need to discuss ancient history.” Despite his denials, Volpes knew exactly where this line of inquiry was destined to conclude. Remembering those early days with perfect clarity, when he was still building up his reputation, he thought back to all the ways he could have better covered his tracks, but now it was far too late.

“You don’t have to. There were several major incidents across the city-states that coincided with the timing, but one in particular stood out to me. One that occurred in my own fair Magistrum City.”

“Oh? Go on.” Volpes tried valiantly to cover up his discomfort, offering no visible tells. Unfortunately for him, the psionic he was talking to could scry into his mind, watching another crack form in his mental armor.

“A student at the time, a young foxkin studying alchemy, was researching a potion to induce rapid onset muscular hypertrophy.” At that detail, the detective made a point to glance at his quarry’s large, statuesque physique, calling an imaginary crowd’s attention to it. “Records show that he was a refugee fleeing Oplentis for a chance at a better life. His research was immaculate, though he was chided for progressing too quickly through his testing. Instructors at the time claimed that they were concerned he was recklessly skipping phases to expedite the process. Later that month, he was caught out alone in a terrible storm.”

“And what does that have to do with me, detective?”

“I’m glad you asked. A search party came across a burned down cabin when it was safe to look for the student, but no trace of him was discovered. He went missing, and eventually presumed dead. As it turns out, all this time Vic-”

“Don’t use that name! Victor is gone. I’m Volpes now.”

“Then you don’t deny it, Mr. Volpes?”

“There’s no point. You’ve done your homework detective… for all the good it will do you.” Sneering as he choked out those last few words, the titan was nonetheless stunned at how composed the great detective in his midst remained.

“Threats? Really? We both know you won’t hurt me, Volpes. I’ve done nothing to harm the impoverished of this city, and that’s the only thing that compels you to action.”

“No, but my guards will take you into our custody. You know too much about me, my operation, and my ‘rapid onset muscular hypertrophy’. You can’t be allowed to walk free.”

“What guards? The ones sleeping outside the door? The ones who can’t hear us because of my muffling charm?” At last, as the threads began to unravel, the beginnings of a sly grin started to show themselves on Enigma’s face.

“You….“

With no other course left to him, Volpes extended his arm to grab Enigma, but it was all for naught. In that same instant, reacting to the impulses he sensed from the foxkin’s brain, the mind mage raised his hands aloft. Eyes, left palm, and tattoo glowing cyan with magical energies, his spell set to work.

“You don’t move unless I allow it. Your mind and body answer to me.”

Just like that, Volpes froze, unable to advance any farther. Just like that, he was exactly as helpless as young Victor was all those years ago.