Fer.al Series #3 - The Silent Kingdom

Chapter 3: Ark Mirage

I G A L L T A

Igallta's heart pounded.

The secretary of Queensgard became so barbaric tonight! She had spent a night as an outlaw, bartering with Rosy and Regi, breaking into the castle... but none of that was more evil yet stupid than cornering another Feralian - one that she remembered saving the world - and sharing her information with them! Now she could be exposed, any minute, if that Kitsune decides to turn her in. Queensgard would shut its doors in front of her - Supervisor Nazo would know - there will be no more Secretary Igallta L'Taiga anymore.

Or... was it the end? That Kitsune already had a terrible enough memory, maybe they would forget this encounter... No, forgetting is not enough. This Kitsune has to remember everything. The disappearence of the Queens and everything Igallta investigated should not be shrouded in secrecy by Queensgard; the vast public should understand, beginning with this Kitsune. No, it's not a crime, it's clues, a spark leading to a wildfire of exploration, beginning with this little stranger here.

Who is this, though? Should the identity of this stranger be of concern? Igallta needed to know. If this creature had malicious intentions worse than Igallta's own, their capture could mean the difference between unemployment and glory. It was too dark, Igallta barely remembered what this creature looked like, apart from the fact that they are a pale Kitsune. What was the name this creature kept mentioning?

Lillie.

After waving goodbye to Rosy and Regi and watching them wheel the cannon away and remove all suspicion that Igallta was the one who broke in, as she had paid them handsomely before, Igallta L'Taiga was left alone, again.

Lillie was definitely not the Kitsune's name. But that was the only name Igallta heard. She sighed. Nazo knows everything, she would conjure up a reason to ask him about who Lillie was.

It was the next day, the party had ended, surely everyone forgot about the boom of the cannon, the disruption of their rowdy lives. Maybe even Mixcoatl forgot how she met Igallta in the castle. Hah! Igallta was never even in the castle that day!

But Igallta secretly crept up to Nazo, hoping to find a chance to talk.

"What are you trying to accomplish, Igallta? You've been moping around me this entire morning," the Senri scoffed at her. Of course. Igallta put on her deadpan secretary face.

"There's a record of a Feralian I'll need to pull up - her name's Lillie."