Nootau’s Crimes
The humans arrived on scene to a horrific sight. Blood was all over the walls, and limbs were scattered here and there. The smell of corpse was contained with an air bubble, but that didn’t make it any less intense. The stench burned my nostrils, the sickly sweet odor swimming in the air. I had to jump to avoid an arm and a pool of blood that was in my path.
I’d never seen a water noble so badly mutilated, nor, for that matter, dead. They were the most important people in the city, and I always thought they’d be untouchable. Although it did disappoint me that Queen Geneya still had humans handling all crime in the city. Luckily, Princess Azalea was almost old enough to claim her title as the next Queen.
Don’t get me wrong, the Queen was amazing, but I had noticed significant increases in the amount of crime happening in the city after her rise to power. Plus, Princess Azalea had actual water powers. She was a pure blood.
The Special Elite Guards also arrived and began to start examining the body, stamping a mind mark - a projection of a healers analysis- on a file about their readings.
Once they left I stood above the slowly disappearing body. But as it disappeared, a purple stain was left on the ground.
“No, it couldn’t be… could it?” I asked to nobody in particular, grabbing a vial and collecting a sample of the purple liquid.
After analyzing the crime scene, I headed back to Gentry Station to report my findings.
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Back at the Gentry Station I handed the vial to the elite guards and went to the top floor, sitting down in my office.
While I didn’t approve of it, if you were at the top of the hierarchy in Peace City, life was good. Almost better than good. It was great.
I sighed. I can’t take all of this for granted, not after I worked so hard to get the title of General. The first General to be of the air clan.
Once the testing gets back to me, I’ll need to head straight to the President of the United States. Though, I’m surprised any humans want the job anymore. Basically all you do now is sit at the top of Gentry Station and tell the higher ups if something concerning is going on. Not exactly living the life, if you ask me.
“Okay,” I suspire. “Let’s see if I’m right.”
For the next 3 days I didn’t even leave the office. Which, I mean, isn’t saying much since they have built in dorms, but still.
I worked effortlessly, building a case worth presenting to the president. I interviewed every noble that knew the victim, checking cameras in the area to pinpoint when exactly the killer came and left. I researched poison upon poison upon poison to fact check my hypothesis. I couldn’t afford to be wrong on this, not this far into my career.
When the test results came in, I knew I was ready.
I flew up to the presidents office and stood in front of the doors, ready.
The 2 guards opened the large doors, letting me inside to a beautiful lookout room with a desk.
A black woman with spectacles sat in a black leather chair, reading over paperwork.
She set the papers down, not excited to see me.
“Hello, Aeolus. What pleasure brings you here? What kind of joy awaits me in the near future?” She asked, not even trying to hide her spite.
“President Aethelthryth, I know we’ve had our differences, and you think I’m the worst General you’ve seen in your entire lifetime, but this is serious. I think the half breed killer, Dnias, is back,” I announce, not a drop of sarcasm in my voice. If I can’t make her believe this, then the whole city I was sworn to protect would go up in flames.
She froze in her tracks, setting her sweetened coffee down, leaving a circular mark on what was probably an important piece of paper.
“Are you sure? Do you have any proof to back yourself up? I have no tolerance for liars, Aeolus, I hope you know that,” she warned me.
I tapped the screen on the wall making it hum to life, projecting pictures of dozens of humans dead, and then finally stopping on the noble killed today.
“This is Leiko Uira. The elite’s say she died at exactly 333000000 (3:00 AM) at dawn. This seemed like some assassination until I saw…. THIS!” I gestured dramatically, showcasing the vial and a picture of the crime scene.
As I expected, she still showed no emotion. I didn’t know the president that well, not enough to ask why she changed, but I knew it was most definitely me fault.
When I had first joined the task force, my definition of right and wrong was not even close to being correct. I thought the purpose of life was to have fun and do nothing. That I could breeze through all my obstacles like they were nothing.
But I was wrong.
You see, me and my buddies wanted to play a prank on the president, who was then the director of romance homicides. She was so uptight and demanding, and it was apparently our job to put her in her place.
One day I texted her from an anonymous number and asked her out, getting to know her for the rest of the week. On the day of the date, I purposely didn’t show up. Then I texted her she was the ‘ugliest bitch I had ever seen.’
Not my proudest moment, but I’ve improved.
Anyway, the next day everyone laughed at her, asking her questions like, “You honestly thought somebody could love you? You of all people?”
Over time, her sweet smile disappeared, and her innocent dreams hardened. On her birthday she found out it was me who caused all of it.
So, yeah. It’s all my fault that a kind woman turned into a strict and cruel president. But, hey I can’t take all the credit she did some things too.
She cleared her throat. “Aeolus. Focus.”
I snapped out of my thoughts, turning my head. “Huh? Oh yeah. So, as you know, the half-breed killer was a serial killer who swept through all 700 states of America, killing the high and mighty. Thankfully, he was arrested on Somer 190th of the 27th era. Butttt, he escaped 3 weeks ago from a maximum security prison by causing a riot. Plus, the poison used is an exact match to the previous killings.”
The president tilted her head, looking the slideshow up and down. “Hm.” She collected her papers and stacked them neatly, folding her hands on her desk. “All right, Aeolus. Good work. You win. I’ll notify the advisors first thing tomorrow.”
I turned to leave, stopping when she finished her sentence. “Tomorrow, ma’am? Why wait?”
She sighed, rolling he eyes. “I’m a busy woman. I can’t just drop everything for you. Look what happened the last time I did.”
I slammed the desk knocking files off. “My parents were killed by Dnias! This is my one chance to get revenge, and I will not let it slip away because you’re being immature about some silly prank that happened 10 years ago.”
I stormed out, wiping the tears from my face. She called after me, but I ignored her. I needed to get out. To get away. If anyone saw the great General crying my life would be ruined.
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After crying my eyes out at a park, I walked back to my shack on the outskirts of the city.
Home sweet home, I guess.
It wasn’t often that I burst out like that. My parents death was a secret that I guarded close to my heart.
I didn’t need people pitying me. It just becomes a nuisance. My mother used to say that people who use other to get to where they’re at were nothing but the scum of the earth.
She said that to me right before her inside were ripped out.
I rubbed my eyes, trying to make the image disappear. Reliving her death over and over again had tormented me for 30 years, but I don’t have the energy to deal with it tonight.
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To be continued…