The Case of Monachopsis

Chapter 2: A Dragon's First Case

Chapter 2tw and comments //
Blood, Minor Character Death, Corpse, Mention of drug use
Happy Birthday to my oc Ira! I created her 8 years ago today. To celebrate, here's a new chapter to read <333
—

When the rest of Brian's unit arrived at the designated location, officers poured out of their vehicles and began setting up lights outside the apartment complex. Jordan and Ira had arrived at the crime scene, shortly after. Her friend insisted on slowing down to address her wounds and check for signs of a concussion. Jordan was surprised to find that the only thing Ira suffered from was irritation from dried blood. 

When Jordan didn't push for further questions, Ira saw that as her cue to leave. Despite her many efforts, Ira couldn't help but let her mind drift to Elijah. Thoughts and memories of him encompassed her psyche. It felt ridiculous, and she knew that it was, but part of her couldn't help it. Looking at Elijah, despite her attempts to maintain self-control, felt comforting. In the sea of hats and uniforms, she spotted a patch of white hair, lingering.

Elijah stood huddled in his thin-clothed tunic, swearing quietly and rubbing his arms to ward off the chill. The bitter north winds blew in a glassy mist, soaking everything in a thin layer of ice. But he ignored the discomfort as he trudged across the frosted ground. The blood from the fight earlier now caked his face, but he paid no mind to it. Instead, he turned to Commander Brian and raised an eyebrow.

"So, you could afford to slap a magic dampening ankle bracelet on me, but not lend me a single coat?" Elijah gestured to the item in question.

Across the yard, Ira watched Brian make eye contact briefly with Elijah. He seemed to show some sympathy, though he quickly washed that expression away with a scowl.

"It's not our job to keep you warm. You came to us with what you're wearing, and that's all you're getting." Brian said, granting him a disbelieving glare from Elijah.

"Fine." Elijah huffed as Brian turned away from him.

As if on cue, Ira pushed her way through the crowd of officers with a careful eye. She stepped forward and craned her head toward Elijah, offering her coat.

"Cold?" Ira asked, giving the attire a gentle shake to strengthen its appeal.

"I don't need it." Elijah replied before folding his arms over his chest.

"Sure, you don't."

Ira's expression twisted into something of a sneer before she took back her coat and turned her attention to the body. She didn't spare the victim more than just a glance. Ira could stomach gore, but seeing the state that the victim was in brought her much pain, which she experienced firsthand. Elijah noticed Ira's distress, and his fingers twitched at his side, wanting to reach out and comfort her. Though, he doubted she'd appreciate the unwanted contact.

All the while, Ira looked over at her partner to get his reaction to the scene. He appeared to be relatively calm, but Ira knew well enough that something was going on underneath his cold exterior. Elijah hunkered down beside the body, seeming indifferent and ignoring the victim's overall appearance.

"You'd better be good at your job like I've heard, because I'm going to freeze my ass off if you don't finish in a couple of hours. And, I like my ass, a lot." Elijah said between shivers, looking over at Jordan.

She offered a weak smile in return before going back to inspecting the body. She collected samples to bring back to the lab for the alchemists to test. Eventually, she settled in at a grueling pace, examining the man's external wounds. Ira could see Jordan mentally mark the bruises, discoloration, and any abrasions visible on his skin. She turned to her friend questioningly, her eyebrows furrowed.

"Sorry to bother you while you're working, but... Did Brian, or anyone, say why they brought Elijah along?" Ira asked, looking down towards Jordan for an answer.

"He's going to be an informant for cases relating to these string of murders. I can let you read the case files on my scroll later." Jordan looked back at Brian for a second before adding, "Only if you're sneaky about it though."

Ira smiled, and nodded. She cast Brian a small frown, wondering what mess she was being brought into, again.

"I can't wait to see you in action. Which is an awful thing to say because a man just died, but the way you were describing your magic earlier makes me so eager to see it up close and personal."

"Watch it, if you keep talking like that, my wife might get jealous." Jordan's eyes wandered to Brian's second in command, Lisa.

Ira followed her friend's gaze to Lisa, the wife in question. Lisa glanced in their direction, casting a smile towards Jordan. The two adoringly gazed at each other, which brought a smile to Ira's face. Commander Brian, who stood beside Lisa, cast Ira a disapproving look. Physically, Ira winced a bit in reaction. She tried not to let the gesture get into her head. Ira couldn't fathom what kind of mood Brian was in or what resentment he held against her.

She rolled her eye, stopping halfway when it landed on the figures of two officers, Mike and Abe. The officer's gazes met and drifted toward the shivering dragon. Ira squinted suspiciously at the pair in an attempt to read their lips. She was too far away to hear what they whispered about. Though, if Ira had to guess the subject, she most likely wouldn't be too far off.

In the past, Ira would not have bothered with being so nosy. She rarely cared about what her coworkers had to say about her. However, Elijah's presence changed things. Words were nothing but a prickle to her skin, and that had not changed since he came, but words that were not directed towards her felt like flames. Ira grimaced at the thought of someone speaking poorly of her estranged friend.  She knew, logically, she shouldn't get so riled up, but no one knew Elijah like she did.

Though she considered the version of Elijah she knew to be a relic of the past. Finding herself lost in thought, Ira glanced sideways, watching Jordan work. Ira closely observed the discoloration on the victim's mouth and fingertips. The victim's face was pale from the cold and drugs, as Ira deduced. Ira shifted towards Jordan upon her realization.

"Not to bother you, again, while you're working-"

"You're not a bother, Ira. What's on your mind?" Jordan lifted her gaze to meet Ira's.

"Well, and I know this isn't my job, and we have people on site for this, but based on my very brief deductions... This man probably died from an overdose, right?"

"Yeah, that's right. Good eye."

"Ahaha, real funny." Ira said, rolling her only eye.

Jordan looked around the body once more. "Unfortunately, there's no way of knowing how long the drug has been in his system. At least, not until I get the samples to the alchemists."

"The discoloration typically associated with local street drugs doesn't match, though." Jordan added.

"I can shorten that time." Without even giving any indication of a warning, Elijah took a bite out of the victim's neck as horrified gasps echoed from around him. Ira watched in shock as Elijah spat out the chunk of flesh he had bitten off. A quick look at Brian told Ira that he wasn't the only one baffled by Elijah's actions.

"What was that?" As he rushed over to the scene, Brian yelled, his nasal voice abrasive.

Elijah simply glanced up at him, licking off the blood from his lips before answering.

"I'm just taking a blood sample." Elijah commented slyly, only further angering Brian.

Ira wondered if anyone else realized that Elijah was just shamelessly teasing them to get a reaction. She stood there quietly torn between amusement and resignation.

"Well?" Brian said, unamused, "We're all waiting for you to explain to us why you decided to have a snack and claim it being a 'blood sample'"

"I can tell you for sure that his blood doesn't taste fresh. There's also something strange about his blood that I can't describe. It tastes like magic... and there's a kick to it. As if you had eaten something spicy."Elijah concluded while wiping off the blood on his face with the sleeve of his tunic.
   
Ira's nose wrinkled while watching Elijah unhygienically smear blood across his face. She caught a whiff and realized the air was laden with the smell of metal and peppermint. She forced herself to focus on the scent.

"Is it Flame Dust you taste in his blood?" Ira said, her voice like a knife cutting through the tension.

Like alarm bells, Elijah's ears flickered at the sound of Ira's voice.

"Probably! They never made me use it, but I know for the people who wanted to be ' cleansed of their sins and be reborn', they had the option of this red, fiery powder."

"Well, there's only one way to find out." Jordan stepped forward and rolled up her sleeves in the process.

Ira knew exactly what would happen next.

"I'm alive? Holy shit I'm alive-"

Jordan shook her head as Ira watched the man's face crumple. Ira knew that look. It was the face of someone in shock, denial and anger, all at once.

"You're dead, but I brought you back momentarily. I know it's disorienting and you're going to beg me to bring you back to life, permanently. But, I legally cannot do that. I'm sorry. You only have a minute to speak, and whatever panic you may feel is normal."

"I don't understand, I did everything right. I followed the example that was set by the enchantress. I redeemed myself, I should be reborn now." The man looked around at the dimly lit area.

Jordan weakly looked down at the man's horror-stricken face. Ira could see him search Jordan's eyes, pleading for mercy.

"I'm sorry. You only have a few seconds left to speak before you go back." Jordan spoke up just as the man propped himself up on his elbows.

"No. No! You can bring me back. Please. This wasn't how it was supposed to go." The man pleaded, with tears welling.

Witnessing this, Ira also felt tears brimming and held them back. Unfortunately, the scene in front of her felt all too familiar. Her stomach churned at the memory of a time where she was just as desperate. A time where she begged for her life.

"It's not fair." The man let out a sob.

Jordan opened and closed her mouth as she considered her next words wisely.

"Did you take anything before you died? Narcotics or-

"Yes, yes I did! The red dust they gave us, the one that would cleanse us." The man breathed, his hand half-outstretched towards Jordan. "Where is it? I need, I need more."

"How did you take it? Through injection or..." Jordan's vivid eyes watched the man carefully, searching for an injection site.

"Please, you have to bring me back." His fingers were tightly wrapped around Jordan's forearm.

"I'm sorry, I can't it's-"

"Please! I-"

Just as quickly as the man came to life, his body collapsed. His corpse lay on its back, blank eyes staring at the starry sky above. His lips were slightly parted, as though he had something more to say before his return to death. Jordan let out a heavy sigh, shutting the man's eyes with the graceful touch of her fingers. She expected panic and unanswered questions. It was, after all, a reasonable response to being brought back to life.

"Well, I think you're right, Ira." Jordan began, turning to look at the man more closely. "It definitely seems like he overdosed on Flame Dust."

"Which means that he would have had to —"

"I'm going to say this once. " Brian interrupted. "You are not fit or trained for field work, stop acting like it, Lagear. You're going to get suspended if you continue."

"You're acting as if you aren't the one who drags me to be out here to keep up appearances." Ira snapped as she traced her fingers along the ground.

"How dare you! That's it, leave the crime scene right away." Brian gave a commanding look.

"Fine."

Ira rolled her eyes as she stood. As she left, she couldn't help but direct her gaze towards Mike and his partner, Abe. Her gaze darkened as the two men flashed their teeth at her, a taunting smile. From a distance, Ira watched as their gaze swept over to a familiar figure. They whispered something to themselves as Mike jerked his head towards Elijah. Ira's hand tightened into a fist as it twitched in anticipation.

She glanced at Elijah, and watched as his face twisted into an expression of repulsion. He noticed the two men staring as well. Annoyed, Elijah turned to look at Ira, who had only taken a few steps away from the group.

"Am I done here?" Elijah raised an eyebrow at Jordan and Brian.

"I'd say so." Jordan answered while regarding Brian, coldly.

The commander looked at Elijah suspiciously before curtly dismissing him with a simple nod.

"Have Mike and Abe-"

"Who? It's dangerous to go anywhere with strangers." Elijah scowled while his eyebrows furrowed in disgust.

"First, Lagear, now you. If you're going to give me attitude, I'm-"

"Oh! Yes, Lagear. I'll head back with her. If you need me to bite another dead man's neck, just ring me up." Elijah answered, before taking off in the direction Ira had gone.

Ira pulled a face when Elijah eventually caught up with her. He matched her pace, and gave her the most innocent look he could conjure.

"Detective, I'm headed back as well! There's nothing here for me to do, unless they allow me to get another bite of the victim's neck. Shall we share a tight, confining space together on our way back?" Elijah suggested with the slightest hint of humor.

When Ira finally exhaled, she was quick to ignore Elijah's teasing.

"Fine, I'll call up a carriage. But, you're going to wash the blood off of your face, first. No one is going to want to drive around a man covered in blood." Ira remarked.

However, a quick glance at Ira revealed that she wasn't the only one who needed to wash up. Carefully, Elijah grabbed her hand. He swiped his thumb over a dried spot of blood that had been missed.

"What's this? Blood? I guess we'll have to walk then." A smug grin stretched across Elijah's face as Ira scowled.

Ira simply rolled her eyes, unaffected by the snarky attitude her partner was presenting. She smacked his hand away, flashing a lopsided grin towards Elijah.

"Sure. I have plenty of time to spare, Elijah. Lead the way." Ira smiled, knowing Elijah would rather die than walk back in the cold.

"You're no fun." He huffed.

—

"What do we do now, wait around and die of boredom?" Elijah asked when they had gotten back to the Bureau.

He was on his feet, pacing in a fluid motion as he waited for the news.

"Basically." Ira answered, watching her partner slowly start to lose his mind.

Elijah sighed, angrily twitching his ears as his nostrils flared. He thought that having this job would have provided him with a better distraction. Automatically, he went to Ira's desk to rifle through her belongings. From behind, he heard her groan softly as he grabbed a book and cracked it open. Annoying Ira was not his intention, though, he did enjoy hearing her complain under her breath. Within a few seconds, he found himself immersed in the novel, Wishful Seeking.

Slowly, Elijah sank down into Ira's chair and kicked up his feet. During his time away from society, Elijah had become a fan of fantastical stories. Usually, he'd listen to people reading aloud, so the experience of actually holding the book and seeing the words felt foreign. The weight in his hands felt grounding, tempting him to dig deeper into the story. His eyes flew across the pages in earnest.
~

"I wish to die." Zara's voice slipped through the air with no trace of hesitation.

The Great Dragon exhaled, sending a puff of wind out at the sound of Zara's request.It was almost strong enough to knock Zara off their feet and onto their back.

"Why are you asking this of me?" The dragon bit out, narrowing his eyes in the process.

"In order to bring my friend back into the world of the living, I am willing to sacrifice my life for his." Zara answered while grinding their feet to the ground to brace themselves.

"I admire your determination, but you are not the first to ask me about this. I've been saying this for thousands of years...I cannot bring back someone who has died."

Their brows pinched together to form a scowl.

"What do you mean?" They asked.

"If a soul leaves the mortal plane, I cannot do anything to counter that." The dragon explained with his lips pursed tightly, noticing the disappointment on Zara's face.

"I see. I'm sorry for wasting your time then."

The dragon frowned.

"Is there anything else that you desire, perhaps?" The dragon cocked his head, his eyes questioning. If he was telling the truth, he could always kill the strange human in front of him so they could reunite with their deceased friend.

But, before he could act on his thought, the human shook their head as they sunk to the ground, on their knees.

"I hope you don't mind, but I'd like to rest before my journey back home."

The human's request was unexpected, and the dragon blinked in surprise. The dragon didn't normally allow himself to enjoy the company of others. Usually, the people who visited got their wish granted and left without another word. However, if he was being honest, just for a moment the dragon would allow himself to indulge in someone else's presence.

"Not at all. I could use the company. You're the first human I've seen in years."

~

Before Elijah could read ahead, a hand snatched the book right out of his hands.