Ryoiki: Return to The Beyond (6)

CHAPTER 13: Mortar and Pestle

Orix opened his eye and looked around his surroundings.

He was standing in the middle of a large, circular platform.

Light was flowing in from four large pieces of shaped glass which surrounded him on all sides.

"Alright, follow me." Danae said, starting to walk towards one of the pieces of glass.

Orix and Munin followed, with Danae leading them out onto a thin railing, which looked over Germond.

"...We on a Sunguvite tower?" Orix asked.

"Yep, tallest one in the city." Danae said, leading the group up a staircase onto the very top of the tower, giving them an amazing view of the city.

"So why are we up here?" Munin asked.

Danae sat down, his legs hanging over the edge.

"Take a quick look around." He said.

Orix and Munin both stared over Germond.

The sky was slowly darkening, becoming a deep purple...

"There is a research clinic in the mortal area of the city...you can tell which one it is because of the small tower on it." Danae said, pointing at a small metal tower on top of a home...

"They have the recipe?" Orix asked.

"Maybe...at the least, might help give us an idea."

Orix nodded silently as Danae stood up.

"This is you two's first mission, I wish you both luck." He said turning to them.

"We will do our best!" Munin said with energy.

Orix smiled...

"For Ita." He said.

Danae nodded. "For Ita."

And with that, Danae let himself fall backwards, and vanish into a swarm of bats...

Munin pulled a similar stunt, turning into his raven form and flying towards the clinic.

Orix took a deep breath, coated his body in magic, and leaped of the tower.

He landed on one of the roofs below, rolling as he hit the floor and starting to run.

Germond was a city Orix was plenty familiar with.

Back when he was still the leader of the mortals, he had spent a lot of time around it...and even helped improve it.

See, Germond is a large city. With many people and confusing, winding roads.

In its infancy Germond had a problem...getting lost, and important deliveries.

Things would sometimes not make it to a person in need...and this angered Orix.

So, he, along with a handful of others...found a solution.

Rooftops.

A project got launched, to modify bits of the city and train people to be able to parkour their way along the rooftops.

This allowed for faster travel for those who needed it and were willing to learn.

Orix, being the origin for this idea, knew the rooftop paths like the back of his hand.

He ran skillfully across the rooftops, parkouring his way towards the clinic.

As he got closer, Orix stopped. Looking over the clinic.

It was a decently large, two-story home, with a sign reading 'Clinic.'

Orix leaped onto one of the second-floor windows, kneeling down a summoning a wooden lockpick into his hand, getting the window open.

Orix then climbed his way into a dimly lit study, with Munin landing on the windowsill.

"...Got a form more suited to indoor sneaking?" Orix asked into his mind.

"Oh- ah- yeah." Munin replied, before turning into a small spider and climbing up one of the walls.

Orix began to dig through the study but found nothing.

He realized that the medical information would probably be on the ground floor, not the upper.

So, Orix began to sneak his way around the upper floor of the clinic...being much more like a home than a medical facility.

He almost got caught upon trying to head downstairs, as one of the residents was heading up, and barely passed Orix as they walked up, since he was hiding in the shadows.

As Orix made it down to the clinic, he silently searched around more...before Munin spoke to him.

"Hey, I think I found it, some guy just slipped a container into a floorboard..." Munin said through their link, flashing Orix a image of the office which he was in.

Orix took a small breath, and snuck his way towards the office...

It was hard to get around unnoticed, with the many nurses walking about, but patience and magic made it easier.

As Orix made it to the shut office, he spoke to Munin...

"Is he still in there?" Orix asked, gently leaning on the door...

"Yeah..." Munin replied, sending an image of the head doctor at his desk.

"...Distract him." Orix said, before hiding in a supply closet and waiting for Munin's all clear.

"Okay, I've got his attention, what are you gonna do-?" Munin asked through the link.

Orix made sure the coast was clear, before quietly opening the door to the office...

The man was trying to swat at spider Munin.

Orix quietly shut the door and snuck up behind the man...and then.

Grabbed him! And quickly choked him out!

"...Oh." Munin said aloud as the head doctor went unconscious in Orix's arms, and Orix quickly set him up in his chair.

"Which floorboard." Orix asked, getting down on his hands and knees.

Munin gently pointed at the floorboard, with Orix pulling the board up and pulling out the glass tube, which was inside, with a rolled piece of parchment inside...

"Okay. Cool. We gotta get out of here." Orix said, grabbing the bone charm out of his satchel.

Munin switched to his raven form and landed on Orix's shoulder, and then he blew the charm like a whistle.

There was a small flash of light, and the two had vanished.

Danae stared up at the open copper door.

At request, Oanki had given Danae permission to investigate the sanctum, as it wasn't his main priority.

Danae walked in, and down the long hallway of statues and murals...

Upon making it to the central room, he looked around.

"..Hello!?" Danae called, his voice echoing around the empty room.

...but Danae quickly felt something watching him from behind...

Danae silently put his hands up.

"I come in peace."

Danae felt a consciousness brush his...

"I believe you." A voice said from behind.

Danae turned around, and the bright white mask of Corvan met his face.

"What do you want." Corvan asked, coldly.

"...Ita needs your help." Danae said.

"Ita-? What? How did you-?" Corvan started.

"They opened this scantum...and came out alive...Distrerel was found unconscious...you had to of spared them...but, I have some suspicions...we need you." Danae explained.

"...Fine...give me a bit before we go." Corvan said, nodding.

Danae sighed and nodded back, before walking to a corner to wait.