Ancient Chase

Ah, the air here! It tastes so fresh, thanks to all this greenery. It's quite unlike most of Elzion.

Can you believe this is the same planet even? I had a hard time believing it myself when I first arrived in Elzion.

Sure, our planet has been heavily industrialized in the intervening 20,000 years. There isn't much greenery left...

But the basic building blocks of civilization are well established already, roads and cities for example. I can see the underlying structures of my own era's society around me, so I don't feel too uneasy.

Aldo, look.

One of the Palsifal Palace guards? What's happened to him?

......

He's unconscious, and he looks in bad shape. We'll have to carry him to the nearest town and find a doctor.

I feel like I've...

Caaaaaaaaaptaaaaaaaaain!

Villains! What sorcery have you worked upon the honorable captain?

We're not sorcerers. When we came across your captain he was already passed out. We were just about to take him to a doctor.

How awfully honorable of you. It's heartwarming to know there are do-gooders like yourselves roaming the realm.

Could you all carry him, please? Let's get to the nearest town.

How does he look?

Awfully bad. *sniff* Won't even open his blessed eyes. *sob*

Had he been his usual self prior to this? Anything you'd noticed?

I'm not sure I'd say "unusual"... He had been sneaking out late at night recently, no doubts on some honorable errands. He was always coming back in high spirits. Now he's half-dead. *sob* Oh captain, whatever will we do without you. Our unit will only be three quarters as honorable now. *sob*

......

He needs the attentions of a specialist doctor. Do we know if there's anyone in town?

I'm an Acteul boy born and raised y'know. You can leave that one to me.

We're counting on you, Tim. Also, can you request that they take some of the captain's blood and expose it to the fire of a candle?

*gasp* Blood? Y-Yes miss.

You two are returning to the palace to report to your superior? We'll come with you.

Sounds good. Maybe someone at the palace can explain what happened to the captain.

We're leaving the captain in your safe hands. Don't mess this up.

That's wonderful!

Minister, we have important and somewhat shocking news to convey to you.

What is it? If it's disturbing my flower-gazing hour, it better more than just "somewhat" shocking.

It's the captain! He's collapsed!

Oh goodness, that's terrible. Is his condition life-threatening?

He was alive when we left him, that's all we know for sure. Oh, and the other stayed behind to look for a doctor; hopefully someone good.

With a good doctor there's always hope. You've got to believe, lads.

With the captain comatose and incapable of giving orders, you guys won't know what to do, will you? As it happens, there's new dispatch out from the military council; it concerns your unit.

I've not heard it yet, sir.

Your unit is to be dispatched to Ratle. It's been decided that the peace-keeping efforts there need bolstering.

But Ratle is awfully far away!

It sure is. The captain was to tell you this morning, but he went and collapsed on us... The circumstances aren't ideal, but I trust you'll give your best for the sake of your unit's honor.

Yes...

That's all I have time for today. On with your duties.

I was doing some reading, minister, in the restricted section of palace library, when I came across a peculiar term... "Pearlic." I thought a learned man such as yourself might be able to explain it to me.

Pearlic? I'm afraid I know virtually nothing about that. In fact I've never heard of the term. Ever.

Oh, nothing to worry about then. Apologies for the disruption to your flower-gazing hour.

......

Oh, okay. You're going to Ratle then? Without your captain.

It's not right is it! The captain is like our principal songwriter and lead musician... He raised us up to be good and honorable soldiers!

Now it's our turn to look after him. If Ratle is our mission then so be it. No way are we going without our captain.

That's some admirable loyalty. Well, let me clue you in. If you hadn't suspected it already, it's likely the minister who's responsible for the captain's sudden ill health.

My goodness! How could that be?

The minister said the captain is comatose, but we didn't tell him that, did we? That's either an inexplicable leap of logic, or he was in the know, and let it slip.

But what grudge could the minister, or anyone for that matter, possibly bear against the most honorable soldier in the Palsifalian army?

That's what I'm going to be trying to find out. In any case, you must be wary that the captain's life will remain endangered, even if he recovers his health.

I'm going to investigate the minister's activities. We could use your help.

By the captain's beard, we'll do it.

He may not have fully covered his tracks yet. The palace could hold clues as to what he's been up to.

Keep your wits about you. I get the feeling the Phantoms are especially interested in you.

Are they indeed. By the way, could you tell me if there's a record of palace expenditures in the library?

I'm not aware of such a record... We're not librarians, we simply chose this spot for our activities since it's a dignified setting.

Activities? What do you guys do here?

All sorts of things involving fates and fortunes. Sadly, no one needs us since that prophet showed up.

Which is no wonder, seeing as our predictions tend to be vague and unreliable, whereas his are...well, prophetic.

Oh... That's terrible...?

Since you seem to have some spare time, would you mind helping us look for the record?

Preferably you'd allow us to advise you on how to locate your soulmate, or avoid your near-certain doom...

But rather than just cursing the prophet and indulging in gloom...

We'd be better off helping you find the record in this room. So that's what we'll do.

Much appreciated. You three take the right side of the bookcase, Aldo and I will cover the left.

Hip-hip-huzzah! This is the first time we've made ourselves useful in many a month. Well, here's your record.

Let's see...

Yep, this is the one. It has figures for the last 22 years. Thanks for your help. We'll need to borrow this for a while, you won't mind.

The palace would be a lame duck without our golems swatting enemies away. That's why my job as a golem-maker is so important.

Sounds cool. It's a shame golems are no longer produced in my era... How do you make them? Like, what materials do you use?

Your era? Erm, ignoring the timey-wimey mumbo-jumbo that's over my head... We make our golems with stones, and sand. Plus one extra component: the heartpiece, that's the bit that brings it to life.

Any idea how many heartpieces the guild imports each month on average?

Quite a few, these last couple of years, 60 a month of which we keep reserved for the palace golems.

......

Thanks for your time.

Hmm...

Take a look, Aldo. What the mason told us conflicts with the record.

According to him, the column for palace golems should say roughly 60 per month. But look at this month. From here on, the number of heartpieces imported increases.

So the figures were out of date? Or the mason didn't have his facts straight? Or...he was lying to us?!

I don't believe so. At least, I can see virtually no reason for him to lie to us.

Huh... How do we explain this then?

*huff* We've come up empty handed, but not for a lack of trying; as you can see, we're completely out of breath. *puff*

There wasn't anyone that knew anything? Not even a little something?

Down in the dungeons... There was this haunted-looking prisoner...

He told us about a chambermaid throwing tons of rubbish into some hole or other. We paid him no mind... since he embellished his account with untuneful howling.

That chambermaid crossed the line. You're not supposed to throw things down that hole.

See? This information sounds like it could be useful, doesn't it? Do we have an ID on the chambermaid?

An ID? You mean like who she is? Yeah, seems she's the personal chambermaid of the minister we met with earlier.

The minister, and a heap of rubbish...

I think I can see a connection here!

Really? What have you come up with?

It's obvious isn't it? I can tell you with some confidence that...

Bad news, fellow Grittians!

Weren't you going to stay in Acteul and look after the captain?

What's the meaning of this? Was a doctor not to be found?

I found a doctor, no sweat; swell guy, great with medicine. But unfortunately...

The captain's blood turned green when exposed to fire?

How did you know that, Admiral Isuka?!

There's nothing for it now... We'll have to go and pluck us a pearl...

Where are we going to find a pearl? The sea is miles away.

Actually the one we're after is a land-grown pearl, or an Earthbound Pearl as it's called more commonly. We should make for the Keruri Highroad. I've read that's where the pearl-producers make their nests.

One this big ought to be perfect.

How are we going to get a pearl out of that?

It's not going to serve it up on a silver platter of course, it'll take forcing. I guess you thought only sea-dwelling creatures produce pearls? Your average monster only makes a miniscule little pearl, so no wonder it's not widely known about.

Let's not kill it, Aldo. We've merely to scare it into submission.

Not the prettiest of pearls, huh...

Eh, what can you expect. Even the oceanic Mymyn wasn't originally a pearl-bearing species. What we have here is the result of a mutation that occurred when they started living on land.

Tim, run as fast as you can. Hand this to the doctor. Tell him he can use it as a serum.

Roger that, Admiral Isuka.

What do you say we go and get the jump on the double-crossing minister?

How are we going to do that?

He'll be going to the ferry station on the outskirts of Acteul. His objective is to make a quick escape from Palsifal territory, so assuming he's smart...

The minister is looking to make a sneaky escape, huh?

He leaves and we lose the means to bring him to justice. Let's not let that happen.

There you are, Mr. Minister.

Operation Gritty Golem came off without a hitch. Now for the final piece in the puzzle: me getting off scott-free. Mwohohoho.

You're going to be welcomed as a hero, Mr. Minister. We'll have streets named in your honor, the works. You're not going to regret what you've done, I promise you.

First just hop into this little boat. We'll get picked up by the mothership once we make it to open water.

As much as I hate be the one who cancels a long-awaited boat trip, I must see to it that you're brought to justice.

To justice? What for?

Hmm, let's see... How about attempted murder and embezzlement of public funds?

Me? Do things like that? This is risible. Are you aware that you're addressing the Vice-chair of Palsifalian Council for Justice?

That's pretty laughable, and completely irrelevant besides.

How dare you!

Anyway, you'll hear me out. Then you'll realize how deep in the mud you really are.

This here is a record of palace expenditures. We noticed there's been a marked increase in the number of golem heartpieces being imported recently. Imported, but not delivered. We heard from a mason in the Artificers Guild that there's been no change to their usual shipment.

We have good reason to believe you're responsible for the missing heartpieces.

I may well be responsible for an error in the figures, my numeracy is not what it was in my heyday, but no more than that.

Age catching up with you, huh? It's plausible, I concede. But suppose we knew there had been someone transporting the heartpieces out of the palace?

The captain for instance. He'd been making nighttime trips to who knows where, without a word to his men.

What could he have been getting up to in the wee hours? Something secretive I'm liable to think.

People may make conjectures about the captain's nighttime activities if they wish. It's not for me to pass comment.

Missing heartpieces, and a palace captain fond of a nighttime stroll... I'll be so daring as to make a connection between the two. An obvious one, that anyone might make: that it was the honorable captain who carried the heartpieces out of the palace.

You're clutching at straws, lass. I know nothing of this.

You don't feel like fessing up yet? Then I'll keep going.

The recipient of the heartpieces would have been your friend? What did he promise you? Jewels? Gold? A street named after you? Strictly speaking, he's more of a business partner than a friend, a high-ranking trade official in some kingdom or other. That said, he must surely be fond of you given what you've done for the lining of his pockets. Your own country however, well...they won't be naming any streets after you when what you've done goes public.

All the more so if you've thrown the blueprint for golem mass-production into the bargain. It'd have been a disaster for you when this came to light. Unless of course you were out of the kingdom, under the protection of the nation you've patronized so generously.

We have one other bit of testimony: your personal chambermaid was seen secretively disposing of a large number of things. Private documents and the like I suppose? Suggesting you were planning a one-way trip out of the kingdom.

Nonsense. That was merely my annual spring clean.

And your other bit of spring cleaning... that was the captain, was it? The honorable captain... Who knows, he might have spilled the beans one day; I see why you'd be scared. If he'd died as you'd intended that'd have been the trail extinguished and a scot-free escape for you.

The only place you'll be heading now is the dungeons. Unless you can miraculously put together a credible defense?

Why yes... That is... Rather...indeed, I dare say... young lady, this is...this calls for...

Evidence! It is insulting to accuse a minister of my stature without so much as one scrap of evidence. Insults of this ilk are wont to be met with harsh reprisals in a Palsifalian court of law.

The claims aren't unsubstantiated. We have witnesses.

The girl has got the whole thing right down to a T.

By George! It's the captain!

Those night time expeditions really took it out of me, minister. I'm surprised I ever found the energy to get up again.

So am I! What about the poison?! Why didn't it work!

The pearlic poison? When administered in small repeated doses, you can pass off the victim's death as one by natural causes.

Were you not also aware that you can easily make a serum from an Earthbound Pearl?

Let's not push the boat out any further, minister, it'll only end with our shipwreck. We're out of our depth up against this girl.

Damn it! Thought you'd have another go at playing the honorable captain, did you? I refuse to have my schemes foiled by a fool like you!

I don't suppose you worked that all out on the spot. How long have you been on to him?

When the captain was passed out in the road, his breathing and posture both suggested that he'd been poisoned. In particular, I was reminded of the symptoms produced by pearlic poisons, which I've read about briefly. It was then a matter of fishing for suspects. The minister quickly hooked himself.

I was doing some reading, minister, in the restricted section of palace library, when I came across a peculiar term... "Pearlic." I thought a learned man such as yourself might be able to explain it to me.

Pearlic? I'm afraid I know virtually nothing about that. In fact I've never heard of the term. Ever.

He was overly keen to assure me of his ignorance, in response to an innocuous question of mine. That gave the game away; I knew what to look for after that. One thing that did surprise me was coming 20,000 years into the past and finding my ecological knowledge was not out of date. I'd learned in biology class about the reactions of poisoned blood when exposed to fire. And there was a book in the library with a vividly illustrated section on pearlic poisons, I remember.

(All of Isuka's hours in the library weren't in vain, that's for sure.)

You two can consider yourselves honorary members of our group. You really saved our skin.

If our group ever comes to the future and we have a mystery to solve, we'll be counting on your help. Until then, so long.

We were planning on holding a feast of honor, to commend your efforts.

Would you do us the honor of attending, Admiral?

I guess food dedicated to one's own honor would taste pretty good...

But I've got other plans, sorry. Aldo, run!

Huh?

Isuka, what's gotten into you?

Don't leave us, Admiral!

Admrial Isuka? This reeks of insubordination... Not that I can blame them. *sigh*