Taking a seat at her desk and glancing out into the city beyond the window, Eleanor's eyes were drawn to the sky above, covered in a giant net of luminous roots.
She sighed at the sight.
An endless night… They'll never experience the light of the sun ever again.
As she reached into the drawer to grab a piece of paper for a letter, she attempted to recall that brilliant ball of light from the heavens.
Its glow, the warmth against her skin, the feeling of the summer light against the beaches of Sea Fallen.
The memories were faded, dull even, making the girl believe that even if she was immune to the memory loss which affected the others, there would still be side effects of her prolonged visit to the Great Beyond.
I'll have to ask Lady Ariel about this the next time I see her…
She pursed her lips as she grabbed a quill, gently dipping it in ink and beginning to write on the parchment she had grabbed.
"Dear Mr. Abraham. I have successfully joined the Angelic Order as a candidate for Angelhood. As our meeting earlier was short, I would like to set up a conversation tomorrow at noon on Market Ave. in the bookstore run by Madame Aurora. With your experience within the city, I assume you know of its location; however, if you do not, here are the directions…"
After scribbling down the details of the location, she dipped the quill again and started a new paragraph.
"I've been curious about a few topics, so if you could shed some light on them for me, I would be eternally grateful. I'll list them here in case you need additional time to properly compose some of the information. First, have there been any anomalies within the last year, specifically in January, that struck you as odd? Second, do you have any history with an owl spirit that enjoys rubs? I am aware of the stories surrounding Osiris, so unless it is different than that, I won't need it."
Yet again, the ink ran dry, requiring her to stir the pot.
As she did so, she gazed off onto Droskyn St at the ground level of the apartment building, the dark shadows cast by the surrounding architecture clouding her view ever-so-slightly.
There, as she was about to return her attention to her paper, she saw a hooded figure emerge from the entrance of her building.
Tilting her head and narrowing her eyes, she watched as the large humanoid, perhaps 1.95 meters, bolted through the road and down another street, completely vanishing from her sight.
That's odd…
Shaking her head softly and sighing hard, she turned her focus back to the letter she was writing.
"Finally, if you could look into the types of people who live within Infinium, I could begin to grasp my situation a little better. Your reward for all this information will be my continued effort to free your spirit from Neutrality and offer you a life elsewhere."
Finishing the note and beginning to fold it to fit into an envelope that resided in the same drawer as the large stack of parchment, she tapped her leg against the floor.
Now I just need a Novar…
At first, she checked her pockets, which, as she had expected, were completely devoid of any money.
Next, she tore through the remaining desk drawers, only finding scattered art materials, a stapler, and various medicinal products.
Is Madame Jermaine an apothecary or just a hippie?
Chuckling at the thought of the woman alone on a carriage in the middle of a wheat field, she spotted a shiny metal object out of the corner of her eye.
Got it!
Reaching out and grabbing it, she instantly scoured its surface, determining its value to be Bronze Draught, which was worth at least ten times the amount of a Novar.
Silently, she debated whether to waste the time on a trip to the bank to exchange the coin for smaller ones—which, like with most businesses, would cost her a cut of the amount—or rather to overpay the bird in exchange for sending multiple letters.
Thinking about the people she could write letters to, a certain face appeared in her mind, making her wonder why she had not thought about that sooner.
Mr. Wanderer!
Hurriedly taking out another piece of paper and an envelope, she began writing fervently.
"Dear Mr. Wanderer. Thanks to your help, I have arrived safely in the city and have even begun my Angel training in full! I hope you returned to your abode in peace, and you can slowly begin to piece together your speckled past, even if you've forgotten it. Here in the city, I'll look out for any history regarding you, and if I find anything, I'll summon the messenger to bring it to you like today."
Completing the message, shorter compared to the one she was sending to Abraham, she signed her name and sealed it quickly.
Placing both envelopes in the center of her desk, she opened the window, allowing the cool breeze to enter her room.
Shortly after, she lit two candles and placed the coin between them, beginning the chant with her eyes tightly shut.
"I summon thee, messenger of spirits. I implore thy guidance. Let your graceful winds carry it afar."
Like before, there was a heavy silence and pressure that descended over the space; however, only a moment later, a spark from one of the candles exploded into a full-sized bird.
"NOTE? NOTE? YES! RITUAL GOOD! GOOD LITTLE ANGEL!"
Noticing that Eleanor had already set up everything required in the messenger process, the raven gathered the envelopes and the payment, reading the names that the notes were addressed to.
After grabbing Abraham's letter, he turned towards the one intended for the Wanderer, its beak twisting in a grimace that could only be interpreted as the bird's version of a frown.
"NO! NO DELIVERY AVAILABLE FOR MONSTERS!"
The blonde girl gave the messenger a puzzled look, her forehead creasing with concern.
"What do you mean? He's human, is he not?"
Huginn looked at her with horror, his milky white eyes sizing her up.
"IDIOT! IDIOT! IDIOT! SUMMON ANOTHER SPIRIT FOR HIM! NOT ME! NOT ME! NOT ME!"
Grabbing the coin faster than the priestess could react, he vanished into oblivion, taking Abraham's message with him.
His sudden refusal and subsequent insults had frightened the girl, her heart beating fast enough that she could hear it within her ears.
Is Mr. Wanderer some type of terror? Or is Huginn overreacting?
Sighing hard, she reached for the remaining envelope, prepared to throw it in the trash without any other way of sending it.
"Hoo."
Eleanor's gaze shot up, the window that was previously empty now occupied by the very same owl that had visited her before.
"I-It's you!"
Observing the owl, she watched as its beak bit down on the letter intended for the Wanderer, its eyes flickering with recognition.
"Hoo!"
Then, before she could even process what was happening, it took off into the night, taking the letter alongside it without any payment required.
W-what just happened…?
…
The next morning.
She awoke with the sound of church bells, the morning chimes signaling dawn to all denizens of the city at the end.
Without sunlight, there would be no normal day cycles, and therefore, there was a need for a different way to track the time so people could arrange their schedules accordingly.
Standing up and yawning quietly, she made her way into the bathroom, where she prepared herself for the day.
Finishing her morning routine that she had established since the day prior, she looked at the clock—the time was a fresh 9 a.m.
If I leave now, I'll arrive at the bookstore by 9:30, which would be too early, so I'll have time to talk with some of the other locals before heading there… Also, if Abraham accepts my invitation, then I'll still be able to make it to the bookstore by then.
Brushing her hair and tucking it back behind her ears, she took a heavy breath while placing her hand on the doorknob.
I'll write to Lady Ariel tonight to ask more about the mission...
…
Entering the busy city street at around 9:30, just as estimated, Eleanor glanced across the varied booths and shopfronts set up along the road.
Following a simple structure similar to the markets on Sea Fallen, there were produce stalls positioned outside most large businesses, showing samples of their wares while their main establishments were accessible to the high-paying customers.
Furthermore, high-profile vendors such as artisans or tradesmen who specialized in services rather than tangible goods operated on the sub-levels of most of the double-decker townhouses.
This arrangement is quite efficient… Though I wonder where these people get the time to shop if everyone is forced to work?
She was well aware of the social structure of Neutrality, one where citizens would work from dawn till dusk every day without breaks, for all eternity.
With a strong focus on capitalism, there was no shortage of extremely profitable businesses, such as the one that the girl had decided to approach.
Owning the largest stall on the block, the jeweler boasted a prideful smile as he noticed the seemingly wealthy girl examine his products.
"Anything I can do for you, M'lady?"
Eleanor glanced up at him, his inhuman silver scales and pulsating black eyes instantly striking her as unusual.
Restraining the urge to ask what sea he had originated from, she picked up an amulet that she found exceptionally beautiful.
"Are these enchanted with seals?"
The man appeared enthusiastic about her interest, pointing to a separate section carefully protected by a glass showcase.
"Only a beauty could truly have such a pristine eye for beauty! Yes indeed, that is one of the most precious pieces that we accidentally mixed into the regular section!"
Clapping his hands, he spoke aloud as if reciting from a script.
"The Amulet of Convenience provides a small increase in the wearer's luck, with a side-effect of needing a full 8 hours of sleep every night that it's worn. If you're interested, we can arrange a meeting with management for your purchase!"
The blonde girl thought for a moment before placing the item back on the table, a smile slowly creeping along her lips.
"What's the price?"
Determining that she could likely request a certain amount of funds from the Angelic Order to support her mission of gathering friends, she estimated that 100 Golden Draughts would be acceptable as a maximum.
Of course, she had no gauge on mystical items or their values; her next step after getting the price would be to confirm with a rival merchant.
"Normal price is around 65 Gold; however, for a lady like you, I could work it down to a pretty 55. How does that sound?"
Resisting the urge to shrink back at the man's obvious attraction to her, Eleanor ground her teeth.
"I'll think about it and be back soon. How about you keep it on hold for me, and I'll be back in less than a week?"
The man hastily nodded, taking the amulet and placing it below the table, then scribbling down a note that he left right next to it.
"Pleasure doing—"
KRRK!
Pieces of glass shot through the air around them, the exquisite display of enchanted jewelry instantly losing its protection.
A woman, about Eleanor's own height with long white hair covered by a black hood, dove over the counter, stashing away as many objects as she could.
"THIEF!"
The shopkeeper shouted with all his might, his hand waving in the air as he ran over to stop the robbery.
The blonde priestess stood frozen, watching the scene with a face of complete bewilderment.
Someone other than Abraham has the audacity to steal here? What if an Angel were to come and smite them? Unless they also want to go to Hell…
Pondering the likelihood of such a scenario, she shrugged it off, walking at a delicate pace towards the incident.
The humanoid jeweler struggled to save as many of his products as he could before they could get taken away, the woman repeatedly stealing the objects right out of his hands.
A crowd had begun to form around the booth, their piercing gazes shredding into Eleanor's flesh just like the ones the day before.
Can't they just mind their own business for once!?
Exhaling hard, she reached the scene, pulling her arm back and closing her eyes.
Oh Lord, forgive me!
Without another thought, she shot her fist forward, slamming her knuckles into the face of the thief.
Thump!
The woman fell to the ground instantly, her consciousness seemingly sucked out of her body.
Eleanor simply stared at her victim, her fist now bright red and beginning to swell.
That hurt!
Resisting the urge to yelp out of pain, she bit the inside of her cheek, trying hard to preserve her dignity.
Finally, after a moment, she relaxed, taking another look at the scene.
Utter silence surrounded her, not a single soul daring to move, and even the shopkeeper who had been robbed didn't dare open his mouth.
What are they staring at me for? I stopped that felon!
Remembering the words of the false Angel from the day prior, she felt a pang of fear squeeze her heart.
"We meet again, Eleanor Lynn."
She tensed up, then turned around slowly, coming face to face with the pink-haired Angel staring her down once again.
"Let's have a chat, shall we?"