A Peacekeeper's Oath pt. 5
One investigation stalls just as another heats up...
If you’re new and looking to get caught up, have a look at the first 4 parts here…
Paradia Normal University had some of the fanciest offices Akashi had ever seen. He was pretty certain the bookshelf that took up the entire wall to his left was made out of real wood. The room was rich with vibrant natural color that blew him away. He made his way past his host and to the visitor’s chair at the desk.
“Soooo… Doctor - uh -”
“Io. Dr. Correll Io, detective.” Dr. Io replied from the doorway.
“Oh, Peacekeeper is fine, please.” Akashi replied with a smile as he settled himself into the professor’s office space. He sprawled his legs out in front of him as he relaxed into the cushy chair. Dr. Io made his way to his seat on the other side of the desk after shutting the door to his office behind him. He was a thin xella man with glistening stars spattering his forehead and a supernova exploding up from beneath his collar, spattering his neck and face in ethereal life-giving light.
“Whatever works for you, Peacekeeper.” He said as he sat down. “Anyway, what can I do for you?”
“Well, word around Paradia is that you’re the city’s leading expert in the occult. That right?”
Dr. Io nodded. He rested his chin on his fists and rested his elbows on his desk.
“I’m sure you’ve heard about the uptick in sorcery-based crime, haven’t you?” Akashi asked.
“I have. I’m not sure what I can do. Sorcerers aren’t exactly occult criminals, detective - sorry - Peacekeeper. If you’re looking for a professional opinion, I’d have to say that assuming this has to do with them being sorcerers it’s - well no offense, but it's ignorant.”
“Oh, of course not, of course not.” Akashi raised his hands innocently. “But, between you and me, these ones are occult criminals. Catch me?”
“Oh? That’s rare. Sorcerers don’t tend to travel in groups that worship together or practice occultism together. In most academic reading, sorcerers are found to be a fairly standoffish group - except in Euco, of course.”
“What’s special about Euco?” Akashi activated his ring and began taking notes on the hologram projected into his hand.
“Eucans revel in magic. Many others consider it a threat - sorcerers especially are considered an affront to the gods in most cultures. But in Euco sorcerers are a sign from the beyond. They have an entire wing of their government specifically for magical affairs. They’re the only governing force with a democratically elected sorcerer to deal in magical affairs. Euco is special in many ways, but that’s one of the most politically fascinating ways.”
“Well these guys definitely aren’t trying to run for office. They seem more interested in keeping to the shadows.”
“That’s no surprise.” Io countered. “Unless your power is received through a god, most places don’t want your magic. It makes sorcerers magical black sheep.”
“I’ve noticed, doctor. In my experience many magic users tend to be loners as it is - or travel in small groups, but we have evidence of a sorcerer’s circle in Paradia.”
“And what sort of evidence do you have? You’d need something robust to prove that.” Io shook his head with doubt.
“Well, I can't give you everything - some of this is classified and all - but I can say that we have three in custody who were found smuggling magical items from unknown sources and that they all had power sourced from the realm of the void.”
“So, there’s at least three?”
“At least. They’re looking for something, but I’m not sure what. Based on what we’ve gotten from recent interrogations, we do know that they’re looking for a specific artifact. Something for the Void Tyrant, Void King, Void Emperor? Void Conqueror?” Akashi couldn’t remember which one was right. Maybe they all were.
“Ah, yes. Now things are starting to make sense.” Dr. Io tapped a pen against his desk. “See, the God of Tyranny…” He trailed off, as though he was trying to wrap his mind around too many ideas bombarding him at once. “You see, we have some old historical texts that show he may have been worshiped around here long ago, but the texts aren’t primary sources. My department submitted an application for an expedition permit into the depths of the city to see if we could find any primary evidence, but the permit has been blocked multiple times by the Peacekeepers.”
“That’s strange, I’ve never heard anything about that.” Akashi said as he jotted it down.
“I can show you the paperwork, Peacekeeper.”
“No no that’s okay. Seems like more and more things are above my pay grade these days.” Akashi said, shaking his head.
“Well, never mind that. I fear that I might know what they’re after, Keeper.”
“Is that so?” Dr. Io nodded, a look of tension crossed his face as he rolled across the floor on his chair over to his bookshelf and pulled a large book out.
“Astra is filled with ancient artifacts of power. I’m sure you’ve heard of many of them.” Dr. Io mused as he tried to find a specific page.
“I can’t think of any off the top of my head…” Akashi said, scratching his head.
“That’s okay. Some are real. Some are fake - old myths. The Blade of the Burning Plains. The Tome of Oran-Koh. The horns of the first dragon. The lost altar to The Lovers. You get the idea. There are many many many objects of power. We don’t always know fact from fiction, but we do know what these sorcerers are after.”
Dr. Io finally stopped on a page and turned it around to reveal a brilliant purple jewel on a crisp page of paper. There were arcane symbols all around it and a lengthy description on the following page. “This is the Jewel of the Void. The tyrant loves his jewels and crystals and the likes, but his jewel is special.”
“Go on.” Akashi urged on the doctor.
“Certainly.” Dr. Io rolled back over and placed the book on his desk where Akashi could see it clearly. “As you know, many gods can’t survive in the mortal realm for extended periods of time without a vessel. That vessel is usually an avatar - a human sacrifice as it were. Otherwise, they can sit in this realm for mere moments. Sometimes minutes, sometimes hours, rarely days - what we call divine half-life. Scholars have found this is even more strained for deities from the Void. They can’t survive outside of their home realm. The realms beyond are… well, let us chalk it up to their mysterious ways, because the mystery is still out.”
“You’re losing me, doctor.” Akashi said, his attention waning, and his hand growing tired from taking notes.
“Apologies, Peacekeeper. I’m used to lecturing academics.”
“And I bet they can’t keep up with this either.” Dr. Io laughed,
“Don’t worry I’m almost done. We’ve theorized for quite some time that the Jewel is beneath Paradia, but we were never allowed to look. The Peacekeepers stopped any expedition into the depths regardless of who asks or what the purpose is. At this point they - you - are not only limiting academic progress, but also our ability to understand what dangers may lay beneath our feet. There are many dangers to building atop the ruins of what’s been forgotten. Astra is a dangerous place, Peacekeeper.”
“I’ll - uh - I’ll put in a word with whoever I can.” Akashi replied. Dr. Io waved a hand, dismissing him.
“Listen, Peacekeeper, when it comes to the Jewel all you need to understand is this: The Jewel of the Void weakens half-life. Especially for gods from the Void realm. If that artifact is used, not only will it welcome the tyrant into our world, it will welcome all gods.”
“Whoa. And that - that’s… bad.” Dr. Io nodded,
“Gods are fickle. They aren’t good or evil, but they are powerful. They’re unstoppable, unkillable, world creating, world destroying, unfathomable beings beyond our reckoning. If the walls between our world and theirs broke down… we’re looking at the end of the world. Or worse.”
“Worse than the end of the world?”
“What might the god of tyrants want if not subjects, Keeper? And if he were to get the right combination of artifacts of power in a place of immense power…” Dr. Io ran his fingers through his white spackled hair and caught knots between his fingers. It didn’t stop him from nervously beginning to pull his hair out as he forced his fingers through. “Let’s just say there are things worse than death, detective.”
Akashi left the meeting with Dr. Io feeling shaken. As he crossed the university’s forested interior, he activated his ring, patching in a call with Providence Monroe. After one failed call, her face appeared in the hologram in his palm.
“Prov, hey.”
“Akashi, make this quick. I'm in the middle of something.” He squinted to see behind her, but her surroundings were dark and unclear to him.
“Sure. Look, I’m going to need to pull a team for an underground expedition. We know what the sorcerers are after, and if we get it and secure it first, we might divert a literal world ending disaster. I just need your approval, and if you don’t mind, maybe approve the eggheads at PNU going down there too.”
“Sorry, Akashi. Can’t swing it. I already have the council going behind my back and sending people down there. They thought I wouldn’t find out, but now they’ll have hell to pay. You’re not going down there and neither are any Peacekeepers, construction workers, scholars, or sorcerers.”
“But Prov I -”
“Akashi. Don’t test me.”
“Not testing you, just saying that -”
“Take no for an answer, Akashi. I won’t ask again before I tell you.”
“Aren’t exactly asking now, Prov. Look, this could be our best chance at getting them.”
“You’re a Peacekeeper not an archeologist. How about you try and catch them before they go down there instead of making this some mad dash to get an artifact or something?”
“I don’t see why we can’t do both!” Akashi leaned against the arches at one of the university’s exits. Frustration was creeping into his voice.
“How about because I said so, Pacè? Look, do what I tell you to. Is that so hard?” Monroe matched his frustration. “You do what you’re told and we’ll be just fine.”
“Prov, we’re talking about the end of the world here! If Dr. Io is right then the only thing between the end of the world and these sorcerers is us! It is our duty to do this. Not just for the citizens of Paradia, but everyone everywhere!” Akashi felt the fire rising in him - the righteous will to do what he could that served him so well for years.
“The world might end, but Paradia will stay standing no matter what. Just keep doing what I tell you and we’ll have order. And Akashi? You talk to me like that again and you’ll be out on your ass. Or worse. Monroe out.” Her face flickered away. Akashi let out a groan. He kicked the archway and walked off, heading back into the city.
“Damn it.”
.
.
.
Back at her apartment, Celie was looking over her notes. She had since added the information she parsed out from her ‘interview’ with Jona Carson. The thing she couldn’t quite parse out was the ‘worker bee’ comment. She went back through her original list of notes. “Worker bee… worker bee…” She sighed as she scrolled through her notes. Then she stopped, Jona worked in the city construction project. Sounds like something a worker bee would do.
Celie stood up very suddenly, her chair scraping across the synthetic wood floor. She grabbed the brown leather jacket she had bought when she first moved to Paradia - it was weird not to wear her peacekeeper uniform, but it didn’t feel right to wear. She was on vacation after all. Under the jacket she wore a plain beige shirt and baggy capris. She looked unassuming enough, but tucked into the inside of her jacket was a fully charged energy pistol.
Just as she stepped into the elevator, her ring began to hum on her finger. She was getting a call from Aunt Gee. She accepted the call, flipped the projection into handheld mode, and the display of Panshin Pacè appeared in her palm.
“Aunt Gee,” Celie said, “what’s up?”
“Celie.” Her voice croaked out. In recent years, her age had begun to catch up with her. She was only in her mid 60s, but years of war followed by working for Cain’s police force had left her worse for wear than most.
“I’m a little busy today, auntie. You need something?” The elevator doors shut and Celie pressed the button for the lobby.
“Not too busy to talk I hope.”
“No, of course not. At least not for a minute. What do you need, Gee?”
“I’ve been trying to get a hold of my no-good nephew. He hasn’t answered me in months.”
“Yeah. He’s like that. We’re dealing with a lot right now, and I -”
“But you still answered. He never appreciated me, you know. I’m trying to secure your futures, and he won’t even take a call.”
“I know.”
“Well, I had news, but he doesn’t want to hear it, so how about you?” The elevator doors opened with a smooth glide. Celie stepped out into the lobby, nodded to the doorman and left as he held the door for her.
“Sure, Gee. What’s going on?”
“You know all about the land I’ve been trying to purchase during the collapse. Prices are at an all time low.”
“Yep. You told me.” Celie flicked away from the video of Gee - the older woman was holding the ring beneath her chin anyways, making her strong jawline take up the screen. Celie checked the map. The construction department was nestled in the Medullary District. It was a small building that was only five stories high, but it was rather wide, taking up multiple city blocks. She could walk there in a little under half an hour or she could take the rail and be there in a few minutes. She opted for the rail.
“Hello? Celie, I can’t see you. These damn rings. I miss datapads.”
“Sorry, auntie, that was me. What did you want to tell me, I’m in the middle of an investigation.” Celie flipped back over to Gee. The projection was now showing Panshin’s whole face. Her stern, sharp features grimaced through the screen at Celie.
“Oh, so you’re too busy too now?”
“Auntie, if you wanted Akashi to talk to you, maybe you could start with being a little nicer to him. He’s… a little more sensitive to your… derision -”
“Derision? Really? Do you think I’m derisive?”
“No, Gee, I’m saying that he might hold a little resentment for -”
“I gave him everything I had to offer, Celie. I did my best with what I had.” Celie sighed,
“I understand you did your best.” She shook her head. She went underground and waited for the next rail to arrive.
“I did.” Gee portrayed no emotion. “Anyways, Celie, would you like to hear my news?”
“Of course, Gee.” Celie replied. She stepped onto the rail and leaned against the wall. The railcar was oddly quiet, but she supposed she didn’t normally ride midday. There were still plenty of people, but nowhere near the rush she was used to seeing in the early morning or evening.
“Well, with my retirement package, I’ve bought all the land surrounding my old apartment complex. The buildings have mostly fallen. Much more land than I had expected, but more than enough to start things.”
“So you’re going to start the farm already? It’s all happening so fast, Auntie.”
“I’d like a dewfruit orchard to start, but I know a certain gardener who may want to grow some crops here too.” Panshin smiled, breaking her grimace. “It’s a lot to ask, I know. Starting a farm isn’t for the faint of heart, but I think together we could do it. Besides, it beats putting your life on the line, doesn’t it?”
“Gee, I told you I haven’t decided yet.” Celie sighed, “I know you want me to come sooner rather than later, but it’s all just happening so fast. They still need me here. You wouldn’t believe what -”
“I’m not rushing you, Celie, but this could be a simpler life. For both of you. Cain is gone. Dead. No one here would even remember you two. You’d be safe to come back and start again.”
“Gee, we have lives here. We’re happy.”
“Are you happy?” The doors to the railcar opened and Celie stepped out.
“Akashi’s happy.” She replied as she took the stairs back up above ground.
“That’s not the only thing that matters.” Panshin replied. She shook her head, “Celie, you don’t have to come. Not now, not next year, not five years from now, not ever. But when I die this will be yours and Akashi’s. It’d be easier for both of you if at least one of you were here to help me get it together. Just think about it. Maybe I’m getting old. Or maybe I’ve gone soft -”
“Maybe both.”
“Maybe. It doesn’t matter. I just want my nephew and the daughter I never had to be set up for life with something good. I never had much to offer, but I have this now. I’ve never been a good parent figure - I never knew how to tell him that, but you - both of you - deserve to have an opportunity at more than what I had. Just think about it, okay?”
“I will, auntie.” Celie replied. She had arrived at the construction department. “Listen, I’ve gotta go. Interview to conduct.”
“Good hunting, Peacekeeper.” Panshin replied. Before Celie could say anything else, the call was disconnected. Once all this was over, she could imagine the three of them being out on a farm together. A family reunited again… hopefully with less pressure and a happier demeanor.
Imagine that, Celie Green the farmer instead of Keeper Green. It sounded like a dream. It sounded ridiculous. In her mind she knew her dreams didn’t matter as long as there was still work to do. The Carson case reminded her that there was still too much work left to do. She couldn’t leave without dealing with this, she just couldn’t. Maybe when it was all over, she was deserving of an early retirement. It wouldn’t be running. It’d be going to start something new.
Celie stepped into the construction building and went up to the front desk. A young neon-red child of Oran-Koh with no identifiable features other than a scar across their darkened cheek sat at the front desk.
“Excuse me, I’m Keeper Green with the Peacekeepers.”
“Uh-huh.” the young receptionist said, not looking away from a projection on their desk.
“I need to speak with whoever does your department’s scheduling. A manager maybe.”
“For what?” The glowing blank slate asked.
“I’m investigating Jona Carson. He used to work here. Sound familiar?”
“Nope.” They replied, still not looking up form their desk. Celie rubbed her temples,
“Are you kidding me? Look, just put me in contact with your manager, okay?” The child of Koh shrugged and pressed a button on their desk.
“Please take a seat. Mr. Bertrum will be out to speak with you shortly.” They said as if reading off a script. Celie sat down in the lobby waiting room. She crossed one leg over the other and fidgeted with the zipper on her coat. Several minutes passed before a broad shouldered, big bellied koh man with glowing green skin and a thinning hairline came out and greeted her,
“Can I help you, miss?” He said with a charming yet unnerved smile. He looked worried, though Celie wasn’t sure why.
“Yes. I’m Keeper Green in the investigations department.” She flashed her badge then stuffed it back into her pocket. “Mr. Bertrum?” She stood up and they shook hands.
“Ah, Keeper Green! I’ve heard of your exploits.” He said with a hearty chuckle. “You and your partner made quite a mess of the skyline the other day, right?”
“Unfortunately we did. I apologize if that fell onto your team.”
“Clean-Up did most of the work, don’t you worry.” He let out a big chuckle and crossed his arms, “So what can I do for you today, Keeper? I hope this isn’t about that underground business. We had direction from the council and the SOP. I didn’t realize we needed approval from the Peacekeepers too. We’re respecting the restriction and staying out of the way.”
“I’m sorry, sir, I’m not sure what you’re talking about. I’m looking into Jona Carson. Is there anything you can -” Before she could finish, Bertrum held up a hand,
“Best to keep talk like that quiet, huh? Let’s take it to my office.” He guided her back through the doors and into a snug office space decorated with vibrant family photos and dense hanging houseplants that made his office feel like a small forest. Bertrum plopped down into his swivel chair. It creaked slightly as he leaned forward to look Celie in the eyes. “Now where were we?”
“Is there anything you can tell me about Jona or Erosa Carson?” Celie asked without taking the seat opposite to him.
“Never met Erosa, but he never stopped talking about her. That woman was the light of his life. Given recents events, maybe none of that was true. I don’t know what to think anymore.” He shook his head, sadness crossing his face.
“He never said anything negative about her?”
“On Oran-Koh himself, that boy would never say a bad thing about that woman. He’d do anything for her. He told stories about the hardships that it took for them to get here. The railway is still being rebuilt after the Caaremen incident. Those two walked to Paradia. They walked. Can you believe that? Even with Omnibek cultists on the rise out there. They walked themselves here on love and a prayer.” Bertrum shook his head, “Never saw love like that. Not since I was a boy and I met my Kala.” He touched a photo on his desk that Celie couldn’t see. “No, that boy was the perfect gentleman. The Fates couldn’t have chosen a better boy for that young woman… that’s what I used to think at least. I just don’t know now, Keeper Green.” Bertrum was embarrassed. “I should’ve known better… seen the red flags.” He rested his hands on his stomach and leaned back in his seat. He blinked away tears. Celie nodded with sympathy and moved on,
“How was he as an employee?”
“Oh, he was great. He worked extra hours all the time - you know a lot of those people who come from struggle try to get out of the entry-level housing as quick as they can. They want better for themselves - for their families. Never saw anyone who worked quite like him though. Not sure what we’re going to do about the clear out project without him.”
“Clear out project? What was he working on exactly?”
“Jona was on the excavate and clear out team. As I’m sure you know, Miss Green, Paradia was built on a lot of history. This city-state’s land has seen more than any of its citizens' eyes all combined. Jona was part of the team that went underground to plot where ancient structures might block our new geothermal system that we’re trying to set up as a backup power source for the city. Once they’re all plotted on the map, the crew would start clearing out what might get in the way of the project.”
“Hm. I remember a few years ago they found a forgotten sacrificial circle under the Peacekeeper HQ. It made a lot of Keepers start acting out in strange ways.”
“Bingo. That’s why this project started.”
“It’s also why the Peacekeeper mental health program started.” Celie added.
“How ‘bout that.” Bertrum chuckled. His laugh faded quickly, and was replaced with a solemn frown. “I know you said you’re here to talk about Carson, but I’ve gotta ask: You don’t have ulterior motives in mind do you?”
“Ulterior motives? Like what?”
“Well, early this morning I received a pretty threatening message from the Providence Monroe about our ‘illegal’ project. When I saw you I thought she had sent an enforcer. I just want to say, the entire project has been completely above board, ma’am. We’ve done everything as instructed by the council and Secretary’s office. We’re just doing our jobs. We’ve halted everything as instructed. We’ve all got families here, we don’t want any trouble from the Peacekeepers.”
“I’m sorry, Mr. Bertrum,” Celie said in the most sympathetic tone she could muster, “this is the first I’m hearing about any of this. I’m really only here to talk about the Carson case. I’m sorry she’s been so… unkind to you, sir. You won’t get any trouble from me, but I can’t guarantee what Providence Monroe might be up to. I promise you that I have no intention of doing anything to disrupt your life.”
“Well, I appreciate that.” Mr. Bertrum said. His skin flared to a mellow green hue. Celie grunted and nodded in reply.
“Getting back to Jona,” She continued, “did you notice any strange behavior from him prior to Erosa’s death?”
“There were some murmurs from the team. Said he wouldn’t stop laughing after their last expedition. Creeped out a couple of folks on the crew.”
“You don’t say?”
“Yeah, no foolin’. It wasn’t anything too strange I don’t think, but it was a little odd.” Celie started thinking about the underground. It was a complicated and strange place. Who knows what might be down there? Who knows what Carson could’ve found?
“Do you have proof of employment?” Celie asked. It was a sudden change of topic that even threw Bertrum off. It was something she should’ve checked for much sooner, but it had slipped her mind.
“I do.” Bertrum opened a cabinet in his desk and pulled out a large folder. He began looking through a collection of papers. “Got to keep stuff like this on paper even these days. Here we go…” He pulled out a stapled sheet of papers and passed it to Celie. All of Jona’s information was written across the pages. The forms were handwritten. It wasn’t something you saw every day in Paradia, and Celie found it oddly nostalgic.
“And he filled this out himself?” She asked scanning the paper with confusion across her face.
“Mhm.” Bertrum looked at her with curiosity. “Something wrong?”
“Just a second…” Celie reached into her pocket and began rifling around. Finally, she found what she was after. The prayer she had taken from behind the photo of Erosa and Jona. The handwriting matched. Celie’s jaw tightened. He wrote this? She thought to herself. Just as Jona Carson had filled out his proof of employment form, he had written this prayer to Guaya himself. “Do me a favor, Mr. Bertrum. Can you confirm this is his handwriting?” She showed him the prayer. Bertrum read it with a look of discomfort on his face. He shifted in a seat and cleared his throat. His skin turned a sickly color.
“Yep that’s - that’s Jona’s.”
“Can you tell me one more thing?” Celie asked. Bertrum nodded. “What color are Mr. Carson’s eyes?”
“Gods, I’m not sure… I think they were brown. Why?”
“No reason. Can you give me the last location his crew investigated?”
“Absolutely.” Bertrum activated his ring and sifted through files for a few minutes before announcing, “Aha, here we are.” He flicked his finger across the hologram in Celie’s direction and her ring buzzed.
“Thank you so much for your cooperation, Mr. Bertrum.”
“Oh, certainly my pleasure. Oran-Koh knows I just want what’s best for Paradia. I used to live out in the wastelands. Just west of Euco. Old village that my pops kept in one piece through ingenuity alone. When I heard about Paradia, I thought it was my chance. City’s been good to me. I’ll do anything I can to be good right back to it.”
Celie stood up, shook Bertrum’s hand, and walked out of the department. She knew where she needed to go next: underground.
Another week, another completed part of a hopefully exciting serial! Thanks so much for following along, I’m really enjoying this one. The closer to the end we get, the more nervous I’m getting. Why? Because I know what comes next. With that in mind, if you’re looking for more stories in the world of Astra, check out our Astra playlist here. Or if you’re looking for something more on the spooky side given the impending holiday, check out my horror playlist here!
Just a heads up, I am absolutely swamped right now between my day job and I’ve somehow ended up with 9 very dramatically different writing projects all in progress right now, so if I’m not as responsive as usual that’s why! I’m considering doing a little run down of the conference I’m going to next week when I finish this serial next month. If that’s something you’d be interested in, let me know in the comments!
I also want to thank every one for the love on my one year celebration post! It really warmed my heart, so thank you. Stay tuned for Part 6 of a Peacekeeper’s Oath next week! I’m back to thinking we’ll be at 7 or 8 parts, but I keep making edits because I can’t stop changing my mind about silly things so we’ll see how it pans out. I’ll see you next week and thank you for reading!
If you have the ability and the inclination, consider leaving a tip and/or subscribing! Even if you don’t thank you for reading, I genuinely appreciate it!
Oh this is so good! I loved Akashi’s interview with the professor, and the scholarly details of the research into the gods. Divine half-life - brilliant! Plus, I really hope Celie eventually takes up Gee’s offer and goes into farming!
Also something I’m curious about. I never encountered a “Normal University” until I went to China, where universities that specialize in teacher training are usually called “Normal University”. I later found that the term used to be common in the US so when these Chinese universities translated their English names, they chose that. Is it still used in the US? Anyhow, I love that there’s a Paradia Normal University!