Shadow

1

433/month 9

"This is your last chance."

Teval Rin resists the urge to roll his eyes and instead bites the inside of his cheeks to keep from responding to Jiyo.

"You all failed miserably when we were investigating in the Ofra district and lost Taka at Brenna's shop. You also neglected to act on the information from Tirrna Works and the Aftan Sons Bakery." Jiyo holds a finger up at each shop name and would probably make up so many more if he didn't have to stop at ten. What a shame. He pauses to glare at his team, which means that Jiyo's little tirade might be over.

But no, Jiyo goes on. They lost him at this shop and that store and nearly every building he can name near the main market street. They weren't even chasing the bounty at that point, just trying to get information on where he'd gone, and not one soul had been very forthcoming.

"At least this one managed to hear the right information for once," Jiyo growls as he pokes Teval's shoulder hard.

Teval's jaw tightens to keep a retort from escaping. He'd had to sneak around between the Suwa district with all the biggest warehouses that hold big industrial projects, and Westing, one of the more run down districts in the south while using his attribute to overhear anyone who may be whispering about Taka, the smuggler with an illusion attribute and a massive bounty on his head. Luck was on his side when he heard someone telling a friend that a bounty hunter had offered them far too much money for the information on Taka.

Jiyo brings Teval back to the present by holding a hand up in front of Teval's face, his bolt attribute creating sparks between his fingers. "And don't you dare mute me."

"I won't, sir," Teval replies, but now he's seriously considering it. Having an attribute makes Teval's life a lot easier when he can sense or change the amplitude of sounds around him. Unfortunately, it can get him into trouble when he finds someone's voice too grating and they happen to be his superior.

"Alright, let's review. I won't let this guy get out of the city or country because his bounty is high, and the Corps asked for our help," Jiyo tells them with a hungry look in his eyes. "That promotion will be mine."

"Teval—profile."

Not this again. He has to bite back a sigh to reply, "Taka Igren is 165cm tall with light brown skin and wavy black hair down to his chin."

"Jaes—attribute."

"He has an illusion attribute."

"Alynna—crimes."

"He worked smuggling jobs in Suwa and Doso."

Jiyo goes on, demanding every piece of information they have, and Teval could swear everyone in the city knows this—the whole country of Hakken might know it at this point. The last smuggling job Taka had been working on was broken up by the Corps and when he ran, he'd thrown out an illusion at the officer chasing him. Teval isn't sure what happened since their report didn't include specifics, but somehow the officer became confused and ended up dead, having fallen from a great height. The sensationalist articles in newspapers completely overshadowed what the team learned about Taka's reputation over the last week.

Taka had been wanted here and there, implicated in other alleged crimes, but he always managed to avoid punishment. Teval had found that despite rumors and stories, public opinion had skewed toward the bounty's favor since he was kind to local shop owners. Despite that, Taka's bounty had soared after the officer's death. The Corps are still searching for him in a rage as bounty hunters have also joined in the search, hoping to bag the money. And that's why Teval's team is involved.