The Incandescent | Book 7 | The Fairy arc

Chapter 2 ~ The Private Detective

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~ Planet Ghatom ~

Five years later

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"Could you slow down, Mara? This is too high for me to climb." Drave panted as he stopped to rest, keeping close to the sail he clung onto. The wind ruffled his short blond hair, his face downwards, as he struggled to regain his strength, feeling dizzy from the climb.

This is why I prefer solo assignments, Mara thought, sighing heavily. I get things done much faster alone than with someone.

Mara stopped and turned around, waiting on Drave to catch his breath. What's taking him so long? We would've reached the top deck by now if he didn't eat too many sweets. No wonder he's having a sugar crash and probably needs a restroom break.

The Decuir siblings were sent to Ghatom on their latest assignment to arrest a Vanquesha. It was the third time they attempted to catch the slippery thief, only for him to get away again.

Vanquesha lifeforms were notorious for thievery. Made of a substance that looked like transparent tulle fabric, see-through but not entirely, they floated around, ranging in color and sparkles. Though incapable of verbal speech, they communicated telepathically and through physical gestures.

Like crows, Vanquesha loved shiny stuff. They stole everything from rare tea blends to fresh-baked pizza, twirling in the air with slices of pizza that disintegrated into their bodies.

Vanquesha were native to Ghatom. They sometimes traveled to other planets in search of something to enjoy. They were mischievous and playful, not malevolent. It was rare for them to harm a person, though they could afflict harm by drowning a person in sparkles.

Shortly after Iro burned the family estate and rose garden, Mara began her career as a private detective. Drave tagged along just to be with his sister, the only family he had left. He was a bit of a klutz, annoying Mara whenever his antics got them into unsavory predicaments. After successfully completing training, they were hired for Mara's shapeshifting ability and Drave's sound manipulation ability.

"So, we're chasing sentient fabric?" Drave asked, the dizziness fading as his head cleared.

"Yes," Mara verified, turning back towards the sail. "I just saw one. We'll need to counter him by going up the sail and around the steam bend. Just avoid the hot air from the steam engines below."

Drave carefully glanced down from the vertiginous height. The steamship was several distances in the air, above a bustling city. Though neither sibling was afraid of heights, since they had wings that could materialize in case of a fall, the thought of falling into the city, impaled by a spire tower or crushed on the street, wasn't an appealing thought, so Drave swallowed his nervousness and continued to climb further up, avoiding looking down.

Drave paused in his climb when Mara withdrew a coil of coated metallic black rope and swung it out towards a hook on the steam bend, an exhaust pipe that let out steam. Mara made sure the knot was super tight before extending it towards her brother, feeling him take hold of it. Mara glanced to ensure he was wearing black gloves, the same kind she was wearing, before seizing hold of the rope and swinging towards the steam bend. Drave watched Mara land before waving him over, her slim form silhouetted in the reddish sky with clouds moving over each other, creating an endless overlay.

Drave took a deep breath and let it out, materializing his wings just to be safe, before he dared to swing on the rope. Soon as he landed, Mara snickered. "You have wings, and you're worried about falling?"