Tales of Six

Chapter 1 : Running

Run.
Just keep running.

Her golden hair flows in the wind, smacking her sweaty face when she looks back. A few lights can be seen in the distance behind her, and a rumble of footsteps.

They're getting close.

Her legs are tired, but now is not the time. A faint sphere of light in her hand to see where she steps, she keeps running.
The moonless night is dark and the little light from the sky is stopped by the heavy foliage of the trees around her. She sees a few-feet drop in front of her and jumps, spreading her ivory wings. The branches bend the other way to let her glide for some time, going back to position after her. When she lands, her legs almost fail but she pushes through the pain, and starts running again.

Soon, the light of sunrise pierces through the clouds.
She sees the spire of the Citadelle in the distance, the beacon of hope she was waiting for. A tear drips down her cheek.

Finally.

---

The door opens to the great hall. The ground floor of the Citadelle is large and circular, and the hall takes up almost half of it. The wooden counter in the middle of the straight wall is shaped like half a circle to mirror the room. A dark-purple haired teenage Lyune walks in with a beaming smile on her face. She goes straight for the counter, towards the old man hunched on the shelves. The secretary tries to warn him.

Secretary- Ortelius sir, I think someone's here for you...

Kaen- Reporting for duty sir !

Ortelius, tired- Calm down Kaen, it's just a mission, not a duty.

Kaen- What's my mission ?

Ortelius hands her a small piece of paper. Kaen calmly takes it and reads. Her expression turns to confusion.

Kaen- ... What is this ?

Ortelius- That's your mission.

Kaen- That's an address. What's my mission ?

Ortelius- *sigh* You young'ns always need hand-holding. Go there and investigate.

Kaen- ... Do we know anything about this place ? Who it belongs to ? What it was ? A shop, a house ?

Ortelius- All we know is that strange noises have been heard over there. Does that help ?

Kaen- Not really.

Ortelius- I told you. Just go.

Kaen- I need something !

Ortelius- Well I'm late for my own class, so get it from someone else.

Ortelius walks away with books taken from the shelves in his arms, his grey beard stuck between them. He pushes one of the inner doors and takes the stairs up to the classrooms. Kaen just stands in the empty and silent hall, the paper still in her hands.

---

Leaving the Citadelle, Kaen steps down the stairs to the Central Plaza circling the building. The paved ground is nice and clean here in the middle of the Inner city, and a few empty tables and chairs from the taverns are out on the road. The plaza is quiet at this time of day.
Kaen reads the address again, and starts walking towards one of the main roads leaving the plaza, when her stomach rumbles. The marketplace is just a few blocks north, and will be buzzing with people in less than an hour. Better get there before the rush. She changes direction and heads north, passing stone and wooden houses.
When she gets to the market, most tents are already up, and the merchants are putting their wares on their tables and counters, even though there is barely any customer for now.

I hope they haven't moved.

She heads towards one corner of the market. The smell of freshly baked bread gets stronger as she approaches and she knows. They're here. She arrives and a few customers are already waiting in line. She pulls out her Citadelle badge and announces "Citadelle mission, excuse me", then to the lady behind the counter "Can I get one of those ?" The lady in question rolls her eyes and stops preparing the order of the previous customer to fill Kaen's. When she's done, she puts the bag on the counter and Kaen puts a small gold piece next to it. She was about to take the bag when the lady says, strongly, "It's one gold piece".

Kaen- One ? It's always been a half !

Lady- Well, it's one now.

Kaen squints and grits her teeth at the shop lady, and replaces the small piece with a slightly bigger one. She then fakes a smile, takes the bag and leaves.

She now walks towards the address on the paper while eating the pastry and looking at her badge. Her face, painted on a Citadelle background and her name written under it. The power it holds. What she did was harmless, right ? She would never abuse it.
Kaen puts the badge back in her pocket as she gets close to her destination. It looks like an abandoned house. She checks one last time the name of the street and the number of the address before knocking. No answer. She waits a minute before opening the door herself.

The windows of the house are either tainted or barricaded, so much that barely any light comes through from the outside. The air is humid and smells of damp and rotten wood. An uncomfortable silence reigns. Kaen waits a moment for her eyes to accommodate for the low luminosity, and starts walking inside, curious and scared. On the other side of the room, a silhouette emerges from the darkness. A man standing in front of a chair.

Kaen, drawing her sword- Citadelle mission, who are you ?

Still no answer.

Kaen- You shouldn't be here.

A voice from behind her- And neither should you.

She turns around and gets a glimpse of a light reflection over her and raises her sword in defence. The metals clash in a clear sound.