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The Life of Oplentian Criminals

This was another chapter that I wrote in the writing storm of November 2022, covering what Volpes and Azurium were doing while Enigma and Edmund were infiltrating their compounds. It was a good chance to have them play off each other, since I didn’t do that often enough.

While I love LittleBadWolf’s work, I didn’t want to keep relying of them for all of my art pieces. Thankfully, the legendary Vallhund was open and happily took up my commission, and the final piece does a great job illustrating the two titans when it was posted in February 2023.

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In his warehouse headquarters, Volpes stood with clipboard in hand. Several of his titans had just finished raiding a wealthy estate in an adjacent district of the city, and he needed to tally up the “proceeds” of their operation. As expected, the place was abuzz with activity. Titans were both patrolling the perimeter and undergoing their nightly drills under Captain Azurium. Volunteer medics and amateur alchemists were hard at work restocking the stores for the free clinic. Spies were compiling reports both of problems affecting the destitute and “future business opportunities”.

The machine was working, continuing the revolutionary work that had started a decade ago. That night Captain Azurium accepted his proposal, agreed to betray his peers in the city guard, and become the second titan in existence. It was true that their work had made a material difference in the lives of the downtrodden, but the ruling class still held firm to the true power in Oplentis. A decade of work, and there was still so much to be done before their goal could be achieved.

“Those thoughts clouding your head again, Master Volpes?”

Looking up from his inventory, Volpes turned to see Azurium approaching him. With their superior senses, it was easy for a titan to observe the microexpressions and heart rate of another person, gauging their emotional state. The fox-titan knew this, and yet he still resented his inability to hide his doubts, even from his second-in-command.

“Az… Yes. We’re making progress, but is it coming fast enough? That are many who can’t afford the status quo to go on much longer.”

Bare-chested as most of the other titans were, musculature on full display in stark contrast to his glowing green orb obscured by his eyepatch, the guard captain of the 13th district wrapped an arm around his master. And with that same motion, he draped his cape around the foxkin who changed his life for the better, the way he once covered his son with a warm blanket before wishing him good night.

“We both knew this work’d take years. This place won’t change overnight. Meantime, we’re making lives better. People depend on us.”

After Azurium was dosed with the titan serum… after he was evolved, Volpes noticed something that he hadn’t intended. His mind raced when he realized that what was supposed to be simple loyalty had become something far greater. Checking and rechecking the formula, the alchemist worried that he had somehow messed up, yet every projection merely affirmed his initial hypothesis. It was only when he started creating more titans that he realized it wasn’t the formula at fault. The titans that followed were loyal, and would follow their Master to the ends of Crossroads. But they didn’t carry in their hearts the feelings for him that Azurium did.

The guard captain turned double agent wasn’t a fool. If he didn’t know there was a catch to that fateful offer when he consumed the potion a decade ago, he must have surely figured it out during the time since. Deep in his heart, Volpes wondered if Azurium knew his feelings were genuine, or if he simply passed them off as a side effect of the brainwashing. Even deeper in his heart, the crime lord wondered if it would be right to return those feelings, though he would never admit it even to himself.

“You’re right. Of course you’re right. As always, I could never have found a better partner in crime.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m an honored and upstanding guard captain.”

They both chuckled at the tigerkin’s remark.

“Of course. And as venerated as you are, I’m certain you wouldn’t have time to help me finalize the plans for next week’s shipments.”

“Who is it this time?”

“More victims of the rent increases in the other districts. People are getting forced out, likely so that landlords can lease the space to wealthy clientele.”

Azurium’s face contorted, fangs on full display in a menacing snarl. “Sure the town watch was all too eager to kick them out to the streets.”

Before he could spiral further, his master placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, washing away the pain. “Those days are behind you, you know that. Our territory is the shining example the rest of this city will be molded into.”

Breathing slowly… in then out, Azurium finished the work of calming himself down. “Right. I’ll finish up with the new recruits and meet you in the war room.”

“I’ll be there as soon as I wrap up. See you then, Az.”

“Yes, Master.”

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When the fox-titan finally finished, he knew that his second would already be ready for him. In his periphery, the sight and sound of burly new titans being dismissed from their first training sessions under the old war master greeted him not ten minutes prior. Sure enough, Azurium was standing over a map of the city and the region just outlying it.

“I hope you weren’t waiting long.”

“Nah. I just got here. Looks like you started listening to the old man.”

“Please. You’re only a few years my senior. But you’re right, the guards at the Blue Canal are on alert. We need to let the heat die down before we can use it again.” As Volpes strolled over to join his second at the table, Azurium’s eyes never strayed from the map.

“Perhaps we should try something a bit bolder, Master.” A smile started to form on the guard captain’s face as a plan formulated in his devious mind.

“Oh? You have something in mind.”

“Simple. No one would bat an eye at a guard captain leading a couple of miserable debtors into their exile and certain doom.”

In turn, the foxkin’s features curled into their own mischievous grin. “And they wouldn’t think to check what happened to them when they made it out of the city limits. You’d be free to escort them to our contact. For an upstanding officer of Oplentian authority, you have a talent for the criminal underworld, my dear Captain.”

“You’re too kind, Master.”

With their plan finalized, Volpes took a pen to the map, marking the route to Azurium’s rendezvous with their smuggler contact. Of course, even if they weren’t so focused, they would not have been able to hear the intruders open the door, or see them walk in. A certain wolfkin was using his magic to muffle the noise and obscure the vision of any who might perceive his movements, or that of his protege.

Nobody could have anticipated this fateful meeting, least of all the young tigerkin who couldn’t help but audibly react to what he was seeing.

“D… dad?”