Layla is just your average half-fairy stuck in the mundane world. She is an animal mage at heart but that doesn't pay the bills. Her other job is as a hunter. She looks for those who are smuggling the magic into the mundane. It's boring for the most...
The office of the District Attorney was in the heart of Garden City. Layla gritted her teeth as the hover car bounced over the air turbulence. The ground looked so far away. Not many people lived at ground level anymore. Most assumed it was just wastelands. That is how the magic users liked it. Animal mages and artists worked hard to make it seem like the surface of the planet was uninhabitable. From her vantage point Layla saw piles of garbage and dead trees.
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Layla knew that they were actually flying above a lovely reclaimed park, it had great walking trails. However the people of Garden City would never see it. Most of the human race lived in floating cities. The cities were on large dirigibles. When the the technology boom happened humans rushed to get to the stars. In their rush they nearly destroyed the earth. Then the council was formed, it saved the world. Most would never know the truth.
Night was in full swing and the city with its hanging gardens was bursting with light. Layla stepped out of the hover car and walked up the steps and into the Agency. The Agency was formerly known as The Garden City division of Rules and Regulations. It was an absolutely boring name for an organization that focused on more than just the traditional rules. Informally, it was known as the Agency, as many of the people who worked at GCRR were agents of the Council.
Layla entered the waiting room for D.A. Mavis and tapped her watch to the scanner at the desk. An android whirred to life. 'Welcome to Garden City, Layla Akkadi, please press your thumb here. D.A. Mavis is waiting for you. We just need to verify for bio-metrics and identity. We do not have sufficient facial data, please speak your name for voice recognition. "Layla Akkadi." The android paused and a door slid open to the left of the android. "Thank you, your identity has been verified, please enter the conference room. Layla walked into the room the android pointed to and centered herself.
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The Android powered down and disappeared as the door to the conference room slid shut.
"Good evening District Attorney Mavis. Do you want a verbal recount or would you like to have a visual recording of the incident?" Layla stood at attention as the older woman turned from the window and looked at Layla. The woman's ice blonde hair hung in a straight sheet down to the middle of her back. The woman's features placed her at around 50 years of age but the truth was that she was closer to 500 years old. District Attorney Mavis's ice blue suit made her pale skin glisten. Everything about her made Layla want to pull on a thick winter coat and hat.
"Good Evening Layla, please, sit. Oh, do stop shivering, it is so annoying." The D.A. sat at the small table and Layla sat down across from her. "A visual record would be best. I know you grow weaker when you are up here away from the earth. We will make this quick." Layla nodded as the shadows to the right of the D.A. gathered.
"Ah, hello Layla Akkadi, how are you this evening?" The slim, red headed man smiled down at Layla as he placed a small device on the table. Dillon Hilgrade was of the nightmare realm. Layla still couldn't figure out how he survived in the mundane world. The world of nightmares was filled with magic. To live in a place without it must be like living without a primary sense.
"In short, yes, I do feel as though I am missing something. Let's be quick about it. The longer we delay, the more corrupted your memory of the event. You'll feel a small pinch here-" Dillon pointed right behind the left ear "and then it will feel as though you are going through the events again, albeit much more quickly. Ready?" Layla nodded once and she was in the mind of the saxophone player. The monkey winked and then Layla heard the slice of a knife. She blinked and she was back in the conference room.
"Layla, did you happen to pull your knife out and check it before you left?"
"No, I checked it when I found myself back in my circle. Wait, I didn't hear the sound of the knife the first time around."
"I smell blood." D.A. Mavis said as she leaned towards Layla. "It's human blood. Layla, the Imp is very old. He can recreate items based off of someone else's memory. That wink, he was able to pull the image of your weapon from your mind. They are saying Anna killed Helen Grezen. Did you enter Anna's mind?"
"No, only her dog's mind and then the saxophone player. Is the saxophone player OK?" Yes, we've cleared the building. Everyone is convinced that Anna killed Helen over a dog training issue. Please, don't start. It's the easiest way to clean up the mess. We will figure out what to do with Anna soon enough." The D.A. paused and drank from a goblet. the goblet was filled with a dark red liquid.
"Yes, this is blood, as one of the Blood Fae I need blood to survive. Since this is the mundane world I age, drinking blood slows my aging. As it stands, I will need to go back to the realm of the High Fae before the end of this year. My body has aged a decade in under three years. My friends will be so revolted by me. If you can catch the Imp and those who are under his spell you will receive a raise. A very nice raise." Layla looked at D.A. Mavis and then at Dillon. A raise would mean Layla could improve the farm. She could offer training to more students. Layla would be able to hire an assistant instructor.
"What other information do you have regarding the Imp?" Layla looked at Dillon. Dillon tapped on his watch and a large hologram appeared on the table.
"Based on what we know the person who most likely smuggled Javier the monkey into the mundane world was Czeidreth Meaque. He is know as Z Meaque. Meaque is known for black arts dealing. He is wanted in all four realms. Most notably he is wanted in the High Fae realm for stealing the Jewels of Duchess Lorraine. Whether or not she gave him the jewels and then turned on him is a debate. Meaque is originally from the Faerie realm. His is of Nightmare and High Fae blood lines. It is said that his father was a Duke of the High Fae. Again, we cannot verify that information. It would make sense given his ability to shape shift and walk between worlds." Dillon paused when Layla waved her hand at him.
"Are you supposed to be telling me all of this? I am mostly mundane human. I know that my great grandmother was from the Faerie realm, but this still feels like I'm getting to look too far behind the curtain, well, veil. Most humans wouldn't be able to process this." Layla looked at the two people across from her and shrugged her shoulders.
"You are not like most humans. I sense more than just animal mage in you. Something dark, perhaps from the nightmare world. To answer your question, once the Imp showed up it was decided that anyone who would be looking for him needs to know as much as possible." D.A. Mavis looked at her fingernails and nodded at Dillon "Continue."
"Meaque has been in hiding for the past 50 years. Why is he making moves, why now?" Dillon finished the 3D slide show and looked at D.A. Mavis.
"Why did the Imp wink at you? They usually kill those who catch sight of them. An Imp must operate in the shadows. Could it be the lack of magic? Is he limited in what he can do?" D.A. Mavis jotted notes down on the tablet and swiped the notes into the file marked "Magic Monkey and Meaque".
Layla looked at her hands and shrugged her shoulders. "I have no idea what is going on. Just tell me who to hunt and how to catch them and that is what I will do. Anything beyond that, well, it doesn't really matter to me."
"Right, well, we need to upgrade your weapons. You'll need more spells and charms to combat magic. Even with magic only trickling in this world, the Imp is a very powerful creature. Please go down to the armory. The spell master down there will be able to help you." D.A. Mavis waved her hand and the door to the waiting room opened.
Layla stood up and nodded to Dillon and bowed to D.A. Mavis "As you command, I am at your service. I will keep you in the loop with anything I find out. Good Evening."
