Before I start, just want to give everyone a warning first. For those of you who haven't read "The Gil Irving Files: Cult of Martel" before coming here, I strongly recommend you do so. It's not so much this story is a direct sequel to that story, but more so along the lines of continuity. I included lots of events and references from that story in here, and you'll see this first chapter as trying to wrap up a few loose ends from that story before actually moving onto the plot.
Anyway, moving onto this story, just want to say that I thank all my fans for voting on the title. We've had some very interesting discussion regarding what the title should be and why. I put it up to a vote and this is the winner, so once again thank you for your input. In addition to this, I also included new OC's, both in a main role and in cameos. I took ownership of 2 older OC's, one because the original owner left the site (and gave the OC to me), and the other because I made an abandoned property claim against the writer after not coming to my stories for 2 years. And on that note, let's begin!
Namco owns Tales of Symphonia. AccessBlade owns Cameryn Lachance. Fenrir of the Shadows owns Azul Kharlan. Legend of Zelda 4 Life owns Oni Sheikah. I own Cabalina Ashton and Robert Ross.
"Best wishes, Gil Irving!" a goateed man in a dark leather jacket stated, scribbling his signature on the front inside cover of a novel. Said man was former undercover police officer, staff sergeant to the Iselia Police Department plainclothes unit, and recognized world hero Gilbert Irving. Usually, this tall, dark-haired man could be found at his unit solving strange crimes with his colleagues, or at his home spending time with family and friends. But today, the former mole had a different mission at hand, one that added another title to his life: author.
"That's right, my wife is the inspiration for this book," Gil answered a teenage fan who posed the question while waiting for his signature. Behind the teenage girl, there was still a line of ten to fifteen people stretching across the foyer of the mall. "My wife was an author before she died, and I wanted to memorialize her by writing a novel myself. She's into history and I'm into detective investigations, so what better way than to blend the two genres together to create this piece." Closing the book, Gil handed it back to the girl and beckoned the next fan.
But the next fan was a familiar face to Gil, one that he saw every day at work. "Officer Combatir, I didn't know you were a mystery novel fan!" Gil greeted the pink-haired, dual pigtailed young woman of twenty-nine. Despite standing only an inch or two over five feet, Presea Combatir was a force to be reckoned with. Her vast knowledge of police technologies and critical analytical skills made her a valuable member to whichever unit she served.
"Well, I do have hobbies outside police work, Gil," Presea responded to her team leader. Three and a half years ago, Presea was forced into Iselia Police's Special Investigations Unit as a mole for the extremist terrorist group known as Cruxis, all thanks to a crystal that controlled her actions and mind. Gil was able to find a way to remove the crystal, and Presea cooperated with the police to take out the group. After an internal police investigation that cleared Presea of wrongdoing, she switched units and now served as Gil's second-in-command.
"Why don't we talk behind the table, rather than blocking the line?" Gil suggested, handing Presea back her book and gesturing at the fans behind her. Presea promptly tucked the book under her arm and slid into a chair to the right of Gil, quietly observing from behind the table as Gil signed for another fan. "Is that what you enjoy, reading mystery novels?" Gil asked.
"Actually, before coming to Iselia, I was in an exclusive club dedicated to paw pads, and I used to have a collection of that in my home in Ozette," Presea explained, remembering the days when she would go crazy over paws of any sort. Straightening the sleeves of the light grey shirt underneath her black sweater vest, she continued, "I haven't gone back to Ozette recently, so I can't say I'm a member of that club anymore. But I still have my paw pad collection with me here in Iselia. I can show you some time if you want, so are you interested?" Presea offered.
Gil shook his head, trying hard not to chuckle. "I'm busy enough already, let alone trying to collect paws. Just look at the loyal following I got right here. I never expected my first novel to sell out this well," he described, now addressing the next fan that popped up, "Besides, isn't there someone else you can turn to just to start a paws club branch in Iselia?"
"Actually, you can thank Regal Bryant for that," Presea replied. Regal was a large company's CEO, and recently he was promoted to president. Presea's sister Alicia worked for him before she passed away, and even though Presea and Regal didn't start off on the best terms, it was in the last few months or so that they started bonding a bit more. "The club's head branch is in Altamira, and Regal happened to be an enthusiast as well. And speak of the devil, there he is." Presea tilted her head to the shops across the foyer, where a tall man lumbered their way.
Gil stared up just in time to see a giant of a man with long blue hair and a dark suit and tie stop at their table. He had a cup of coffee in his hand and a neutral expression on his face. Had he not been in a suit and tie, Gil thought a bodybuilder came to visit. "How are you, Regal, or should I say, President Bryant of the Lezareno Company?" Gil greeted the visitor.
"Hello Gil, Presea," Regal returned their greeting. Despite his stature, Regal was actually a very well-mannered individual, never hesitating to show his etiquette and help those in need. "I came to Iselia to oversee a conglomeration of my company when I saw your book signing event, so I thought I'd come take a look. I'm sorry to say I don't have a copy with me, unlike Presea," Regal pointed out, alluding to the novel Presea held in her hands.
"I'll sell you one for half price, how about it?" Gil offered jokingly, chuckling as he opened another book for another fan, "But seriously, since when did Lezareno become a conglomerate? I thought you guys were mainly interested in mana technology."
Regal took a sip from the cup of coffee he had before answering thoughtfully, "It's always been our intention to branch out a bit. For example, today's acquisition is a clothing line that developed clothing reminiscent of some historical styles. We believe they match well with the new designs in our mana washer and dryers, as wearers of those clothes were supposed to be mana users as well. In fact, one of the clothing stores in this mall features that type of clothing," Regal stated, pointing to a store at the wing of the mall he came from earlier.
Gil and Presea followed Regal's finger with their eyes, landing at a clothing store called Destiny's. "This is the clothing style they have that we plan to mass produce and market," Regal continued, pulling out a folded flyer from his blazer's inside pocket, "Tell me what you think."
Gil handed the book back to the fan before taking a gander. "The Loni-Kyle? What in the world is that? Some sort of belly shirt?" he asked incredulously, his eyes alternating back and forth between his next fan and the strange clothes featured on the ads. On the flyer, several models ranging from adult to children wore shirts of different designs and colours. While some had long sleeves and high collars, most seemed to be sleeveless and low-collared, more for summer use. But there was thing all these clothing had in common: they left the midriffs bare, with the shirt ending somewhere between the bottom of the ribcage and the navel.
"The Loni-Kyle, I've actually heard of that before," Presea piped up, pulling the flyer closer, "Alicia told me a little about that, claiming belly shirts were popular with not just ladies, but also men, back in the past. It was something about a type of shirt that shows the midriffs, but the wearer never feels cold and can repel enemy attacks. I never thought it would be revitalized today, since we usually associate crop tops with girls. Now they're marketing to boys and men as well?" she asked, her eyes tilting between Regal and Gil.
Regal nodded. "This style of clothing actually debuted a few years ago, but it never really took hold in the mainstream. We are remarketing it, and expect to start sales later this week. By next week, we hope to have all stores in that chain selling them. I know history wasn't too kind to this, but we're hoping it would be different this time," he concluded with another sip of coffee.
Gil nodded his head, mulling over his message for the next fan. Scribbling a note above his signature on the inside jacket of the book, he handed it back. "I can't help but notice that you have a toolkit next to you," he commented to the fan, "Are you a handyman of sorts?"
The man grunted, but didn't respond much. Gil could hear from the man's muttering answers about going out of town to do a project and buying a book to read. "Well, good luck with the project then," Gil responded, hesitantly eyeing him. The man had red hair and wore a beige shirt, blue vest, light cargo pants and brown work boots. Whipping around, the man hurried out of the area, nearly knocking over the next two fans, who hollered out in shock.
"Real friendly guy, isn't he?" Presea chimed in, watching the two teenage girls glare at the handyman scurrying away and disappearing into the crowd. She rubbed her arms up and down, still feeling the chill left behind. Presea found it awkward that for a fan of the book or Gil, the man didn't seem to act like he was happy. Why get an autograph when he was so upset?
But Gil kept things in perspective for everyone. "I'm sorry for that incident, girls. I guess some fans show up in less jovial moods than you did," he reassured the two teens before him, "How about I compensate by signing your books and taking a picture with you two?"
The fans immediately agreed, whipping out their cellphones as Gil got up from behind the table. Approaching the fans, Gil stood casually while they posed to Gil's either side. Gil handed the phones to Regal, who offered to snap the photo for them. Before long, the strange incident was nothing more just a distant memory. "I'm glad we at least have some marketing for this book," Gil commented as he signed the fans' books, "Being a mole for ten years, I had some experiences in designing the most improbable crimes, and that's why the ones in this novel are so hard to solve. Would you like to hear some of my ideas?"
"And I declare the website now online!" a teen with spiky brown hair announced with a flourish, clicking the mouse and uploading another page on the screen. For a guy who was still in high school, Lloyd Irving had gone through his fair share of adventure. For ten years he endured a pretty strained relationship with his father, who had been an undercover police officer. Having to be absent from his home for weeks at a time and keeping many things secret from Lloyd meant even talking to each other was an awkward experience.
Then, less than a year ago, Lloyd was asked by Gil to take part in the biggest mission of them all: stopping an extremist terrorist half-elf group from destroying the world. All the bad feelings and misunderstanding went out the window when father and son re-bonded while ensuring the world would not be destroyed. Through the entire time, Lloyd and his father received much support from their friends, who were all proud of what the Irving family had to go through. Now, Lloyd was one semester away from graduating high school, and he couldn't have done it without this group of wonderful people. "Well, what do you think, Colette?" he asked, hopping off the chair and tugging on the waistband of his baggy jeans under his red T-shirt.
The blond girl slid into the chair at Lloyd's desk. Lloyd wrapped his arms around his girlfriend from behind while leaning his head over her shoulder. During Gil's time undercover, Colette was one person Lloyd turned to for support. They knew each other since very early in their lives, and the bond between them blossomed. Originally it started off as Colette helping Lloyd out with schoolwork and such, especially when Lloyd's marks took a nosedive after elementary school. But when Colette became caught up in Gil's undercover work, it was Lloyd who helped cure Colette of the Exsphere Cruxis placed in her body. Through that experience, both sides realized that there was more to what was between them than just friends.
"I think it looks pretty good," Colette responded, her voice cheerful and optimistic. She placed her hands over Lloyd's, which slightly pulled on Colette's light blue hooded jacket. "You have a section for your dad's biography, some parts on the inspiration you guys got from your mom, and even a forum for fans. I think he'll be really happy with that." Colette tilted her head up and met Lloyd's lips with her own, showering her boyfriend with appreciation before asking, "So is that the reason why you chose computer design as your skills course for this year?"
Lloyd nodded. Before graduating, their high school had a requirement that certain skills and technology courses must be taken for credit. Ever since Gil revealed he was intending to write a book, Lloyd thought it might be worthwhile to help Gil with managing his fans. It didn't hurt that Lloyd's marks shot back up now that things calmed down in their family, so Lloyd was confident he had free time to manage the site even after he graduated. "It's a perfect project for computers class, and I can also..." Lloyd described before trailing off.
Colette paused too, watching the computer screen flicker a few times. The pair of seventeen-year-olds stepped out of Lloyd's room and glanced around the house, realizing every electric appliance plugged into the wall now flickered. "What's going on here?" Lloyd wondered aloud, hustling down the stairs. He didn't get two steps into the main floor before he saw through a side window and into his backyard. "Genis, what are you doing?" Lloyd yelled.
Colette came down just in time to see Lloyd hustle out the back door, letting the breeze into the house. She was just in time to Lloyd confronted their half-elf friend, who originally came with her to see Lloyd's website only to wander off. Much to Colette's surprise, Genis had his shirt off, wearing only his dark blue fleece vest in an unzipped manner. As the blonde stepped onto the back porch, she could see Genis standing in front of the patio table, where four items were sitting on top of it. They were a glass of water with ice, an electric wire plugged into an outlet, a small electric pocket fan, and a book of matches. Other than staring incredulously, there wasn't much more Lloyd and Colette could do.
"I was testing my new mana manipulation technique," the twelve-year-old half-elf explained, sending a fingerless-gloved hand through his silver hair, "I realized that with regular spells, I have to feel the mana of the type of spell I want through my body first. But last time, when I was helping Chocolat escape the hostage situation, my fire spell shot out my belly button instead. So then I talked to Ricardo, and it turns out that..."
Lloyd raised his own hand, the dark fabric of his own open-fingered glove dominating the younger boy's vision. For years, Lloyd and Genis wore nearly identical dark open-fingered gloves. But for today, that's where the similarities between the two ended. "First, we're supposed to be looking at my website, not testing out mana spells. Second, last time I recalled, you nearly lit a police officer on fire with your belly shot. So what makes you think you can do that in my backyard?" Lloyd snapped, his fuming face towering over the shorter boys' weak grinning one.
"I didn't know that was Officer Ross chasing down the culprits! It was dark, I saw a girl in trouble, and I called the police! It wasn't my fault that someone pulled out a gun and the police won't arrive on time!" Genis responded, waving his arms up and down in defence of his actions that day, "And I told you I was coming up in a minute, after I try something out first. Didn't you hear me, or were you too focused on Colette?" Genis accused with a giggle.
Before long, the half-elf was dodging a playful swing from Lloyd, all the while Colette laughed from behind them. "You nearly short-circuited the entire house with your spells," Lloyd retorted, "What were you trying to do with all this stuff anyway?"
Genis recomposed himself before marching back to the table with the assorted items. They were either things that he found lying around his own house or things he purposely picked up for this occasion. "As mentioned before, I spoke with Ricardo about my belly button. He told me because it's the centre of the body, all mana travels through it when I cast," Genis lectured to Lloyd, dipping a finger into the round crater-like object on his stomach, "But if I put an actual source for the element near it, the mana inside would overload and automatically convert to that element, leading to a spell. That's why my belly button shot fire out that day. I ate too much of Raine's rancid curry and heated my intestines," Genis concluded that sentence with a shudder, too frightened by his older sister's terrible culinary creations.
Lloyd and Colette slowly edged to the table, looking at each item like specimen under a microscope in biology class. As the two teens picked up and placed down each item, Genis continued excitedly, "All I had to do was place each thing near my belly button, and presto! The coolest one was with the glass of water. With both water and ice inside, I have an equal chance in casting Aqua Edge or Icicle," Genis pointed out while still wiggling his navel.
Lloyd's eyebrows alternated their bouncing before eyeing Genis suspiciously. "Are you sure you didn't burn up anything in the backyard? If you did, I doubt my dad would be willing to invite you back here again," Lloyd warned, his eyes scanning the grass and shrubs.
"Relax, Lloyd," Colette chimed in, wrapping her arms around her boyfriend again, "Let's not forget that we're going camping with Raine and Genis next weekend. Think of how much fun it'll be when we hang out with them." Years ago, when Gil was still undercover, the four bonded with weekend camping trips in the forests just north of Iselia. Now, with Lloyd and Colette both a semester from college and Raine almost completing her Master's program, it was a good opportunity for them to bond once more before taking on new challenges in their lives.
Genis grinned. "Yeah, and I get the entire wilderness to test my belly button spells on," he added, moving to the deck chair where he tossed his shirt on, "Once I get this mastered, which shouldn't take long, you get to see me work my magic."
Lloyd winced again, alternating his eyes between his girlfriend's embrace and Genis trying to put his shirt back on. "Alright, I guess I'll let that slide. Just make sure you clean up the mess before leaving, okay?" Lloyd mumbled in defeat, while gesturing to the scattered items on the table, "And then will you come up to see my webpage?"
"Is everybody here? If so, then let's get started!" Gil declared to his staff that gathered in their unit conference room. Whenever Captain Noishe, one of the two captains in charge of this team, was at the Major Crimes unit, Gil would take over and coordinate weekly staff meetings. Noishe, a millennia-old Protozoan that had been around since the world was torn into two, was the one who came up with a plainclothes unit in the Iselia police force. So when Gil finished his undercover mission, Noishe simply promoted him to staff sergeant to lead this unique team.
"First off, some administrative announcements," Gil declared, gesturing to a heavyset man standing to his right, "we are bidding one person goodbye today, as Officer Robert Ross will no longer be a part of our unit." Standing beside Gil was a man with dark brown curly hair, dressed in an old beige shirt tucked neatly into dark dress pants. A grey, unbuttoned, slightly worn blazer was the outermost layer, covering some bandages that laced across his arms and torso. "We are truly blessed to have Bob be part of our group, and he performed courageously in his first case with us. But unfortunately, his body took quite a beating and he won't be in the best physical shape for active duty. So why don't you tell us what your next plan is?" Gil asked.
Robert Ross gave his trademark five o'clock shadow a few scratches before stepping up to the group. Six months ago, he was shunned and unwelcome in the unit, with everyone thinking he was nothing but a slacker and a lazy bum. But after a heart-to-heart talk with Gil, Robert was able to redeem himself and finally let go of his internal demons. But never in his life did it mean an end to his career as an active investigator, so speaking before the unit, the first one that truly supported him for who he was, was bittersweet. Taking a deep breath, Robert tried to calm his nerves, his throat coarser than sandpaper as he looked into the crowd.
Five sets of eyes focused in on Robert as the heavyset man spoke. "The physicians at the hospital analyzed my body, and deemed that my hands and elbows suffered tendon and cartilage damage. This means I will no longer have full strength in my arms, so I would no longer be as effective on physical and field work. Because of this, I have been reassigned to the new Archives department," Robert explained. In the past, archives were done in each respective unit. But thanks to some new policies implemented by the police chief, a new Archives department was formed where there would be centralized storage of documents. Each unit could now devote more time and space to investigation rather than document management. "So if anyone wants to search for old files, just give me a call, okay?" Robert added.
The entire unit gave Robert a round of applause, grateful for their old friend's service to the team. As the clapping died down, Robert opened the door and made one more announcement. "Sergeant Irving was the one who suggested I introduced my replacement, because I have some connections with the newbie. It just so happens that my mother is friends with his girlfriend's mother, so we know a bit about each other," Robert described, "He was trained in the Luin Police Academy, having graduated just last year. This is his first time in Iselia, and this is his first ever unit. Please welcome your new member, Oni Sheikah!"
This time, it was Robert leading the applause as he stepped out of the room. Soon, the chubby figure was replaced by a leaner, more muscular, athletically-built blond-haired young man. Unlike Robert, who made his debut into the unit dressed like a fisherman while sucking the donut icing off his fingers, Oni was in his police uniform, his badge sparkling off the light blue shirt. In contrast to Robert's former unruly curly brown hair, Oni had his combed neatly, while blue loop earrings hung from both ears. The most distinctive thing was how youthful he seemed, as Oni looked no older than eighteen. "Hello," he meekly greeted the team.
Gil cocked an eyebrow at the new officer. Given that this was the plainclothes unit, why was he coming in wearing his uniform? Making a mental note to himself to remind Oni not to wear his uniform on the field, Gil approached the new officer. "Well Oni, let me introduce you to your team," Gil gestured around the table, point to Presea, Cameryn Lachance, Cabalina Ashton, and Azul Kharlan, the lone elf in the group. "Why don't you tell us about yourself? Maybe you'll find some commonalities between you and your colleagues," Gil suggested.
Oni looked around, his body slightly clenched as he moistened his lips. "Well, I'm twenty-four years old. As Bob mentioned, I did my police training in Luin, having graduated just last year. I first considered police jobs within that area before I found out my girlfriend was moving to Iselia after she got her job here, and that's when I saw this police department hiring. I applied to the plainclothes unit, and here I am," Oni ended that with a slight scratch to his head, not sure what else to say. He wasn't much of a public speaker anyway, so this was kind of nerve-racking for him. And hearing that both Gil and Robert won cadet of the year awards at their respective academies, Oni had big shoes to fill.
At Gil's urging, Oni spoke a bit more about his personal hobbies. "I enjoy reading, especially mystery novels. I consider my talent at the academy to be in marksmanship, and I'm a novice mage, having recently started to learn mana manipulation," he continued, listed off traits robotically, "I'm still in the midst of finishing moving into my apartment with my girlfriend, so until we get settled in over there, things may get a bit hectic."
Gil nodded. "Well Oni, the first piece of advice I have for you is not to wear your uniform all the time. There's a reason why this is the plainclothes unit, as all colleagues here are in street clothes," Gil demonstrated with a wave of his hand across the table before Oni, "And based on what you just said, I think you'll get along with this group very well."
"You mentioned you were a mystery novel fan, right?" Presea asked, "I think you'll be pleased to know that the staff sergeant himself recently published a mystery novel. I happen to have a copy, and Gil was kind enough to sign it as well. If you like, I could show you some nearby bookstores where you can get a copy," the pink-haired officer suggested.
"And I happen to be quite good with marksmanship too," the pony-tailed brunette Cabalina chimed in, "I used to be a bit more trigger-happy when I first joined the unit, but Sarge kind of told me to tone it down. Now I try to take a calmer approach to things, rather than be all bull-headed and stubborn about it. I'm working on using different investigative approaches now, and hopefully I can get better every day," Cabalina finished with determination.
"Speaking of mana casting, I can tell from your mana structure that you're a half-elf, correct?" Azul Kharlan piped up. Like half-elves, Azul looked way younger than his age would suggest, his body resembling someone in the mid-twenties despite being a hundred thirty years old. "Even though I'm of the original mana manipulating race, I actually have no manipulation abilities. Mana never seemed to interest me, despite being an elf. But if you want, I can introduce you to someone I know who can help you with mana manipulation. Whenever you have free time, just give me a shout."
A weak smile appeared on Oni's face, the half-elf realizing that he was being accepted faster than he could imagine. Maybe this unit would be his place after all! "Thank you all for that wonderful welcome, as I'm sure Oni will appreciate the hospitality," Gil declared with gratitude. Turning to the only person who didn't speak yet, he requested, "Cameryn, do you think you can have Oni's profile and other information uploaded onto our unit database, just so Oni and everyone else may access it?"
The bespectacled secretary with strawberry blond hair sitting in the front seat nodded with a grin. "I'm already on it," she responded affirmatively, "You will be up and running with us in no time. If you like, we can start your training with admin stuff, like submitting or requesting documents, or accessing the database. Would you prefer that?" she asked Gil and Oni.
Gil groaned as he pulled his Audi V8 into his garage, turning off his engine and stretching out his arms. It was an interesting day at the office to say the least, with a veteran leaving his unit while a star rookie came in. And through it all, the team had to send their old files to the new Archives unit, meaning more paperwork and stress for Cameryn. "It was a minor miracle she didn't blow another gasket," Gil muttered before stepping through the door.
"Hey Dad, you're back!" Gil could hear his son greet him. A lot of change happened between when Gil first got back his identity to today. Other than the fact that Lloyd's voice went deeper and slightly huskier, Lloyd also spent more time with Gil, focusing on bonding and doing his part to re-engage in his life. And it paid off, with Lloyd's academic standing improving dramatically, his bonds with family and friends stronger than ever, and an actual sense of caring between him and those around him. It truly felt like Lloyd's rebirth was nearly complete.
"Hi, Lloyd," Gil greeted back. He slowly made his way to the dining room table after hanging up his coat in the closet. Months of physiotherapy made it so that his right leg, which took a bullet near the end of his undercover days, would no longer require support. He ended up going on vacation while on crutches, and investigating his first plainclothes case with a cane, but today he was truly completely mobile. "So how's the website coming?" Gil asked.
Lloyd smiled. "It's coming along, alright. I have the front page up, a small biography of you, and the inspiration for which you wrote you story. I didn't say too much about your time undercover though, so don't worry," Lloyd reassured his father while Gil pulled out his laptop and turned it on, "I'm also trying to start a forum or blog for fans of the novel to discuss their ideas and reactions to the content. It should be up before the weekend."
Gil nodded, focusing on connecting to the internet. "I assume you'll be doing all the moderating? Or can I get involved too?" he asked. Gil had never really moderated a website before, let alone interacted with his fans electronically. So hearing his son turn his computer science class project into a long-term commitment seemed intriguing to him.
"You can if you wish, but I'm going to pop by the website every now and then, so everything should run smoothly," Lloyd explained. Sliding into the seat next to Gil, Lloyd showed his father all the features of the website. "So this is where the discussion will take place, and the first thing I will do once it's up is to introduce myself as the moderator and post the rules. There are certain topics that will be off limits, such as hate speech or death threats. I will also keep an eye on profiles, just to ensure fans don't post anything inappropriate either."
"Slow down, big guy," Gil interrupted, raising a hand at his son, "Are you sure you'll have enough time to do all this stuff? How can you be sure to get to every concern before they get worse?" While Gil was proud of his son's maturity, he also felt Lloyd bit off more than he could chew. He just turned his life around, so could he afford to be distracted like this?
"Don't worry. I'm focusing all my moderation time on the weekends, so it's not like I'll have to guard the site 24/7," Lloyd replied with a chuckle, "I'll spend maybe an hour or two every weekend just going through posts and comments. I don't expect to have a thousand posts every day, so it should be fine. Besides, if you want to do some moderation yourself, feel free to tell the fans how you feel. I can certainly set up an account for you."
Gil mulled it over, scratching the chin part of his goatee. "Well, it'll certainly let me hear out what my fans have to say. Perhaps they have some new ideas I could use for another novel, if the demand for one is there," Gil listed off. Originally, Gil only intended to write one novel as a way to honour Anna. But if the appetite for more was present, then maybe he wouldn't mind continuing the series. "After all, your mother always reminded us to open our minds to new possibilities, so why not keep true to that and write a sequel, if the chance comes up?"
Lloyd nodded with satisfaction. "I think if Mom were here, she would be really proud of you," he stated, closing down the webpage, "both as a police officer and a writer." Both father and son went through ten years of their lives without truly reflecting on what Anna meant to them both, with Gil being undercover while Lloyd crashed and burned in school. But now, with time to bond between them, both Gil and Lloyd found new inspiration in Anna, and had new drives for life because of what she did for the family.
"Anyway, enough about the webpage for now," Gil stated, putting his laptop away, "How's everything else in school coming? Since you'll graduate in a few months, have you looked into where you'll go for college? Remember that Cameryn, my unit's secretary, has looked into investment plans for students before. If you ever want advice, just tell me and I'll get Cameryn on the case," Gil offered, looking into Lloyd's chocolate eyes.
"Well, I've been looking around, but I haven't really taken too much time to deal with that yet," Lloyd answered sheepishly. He really couldn't believe that after all the struggles he had been through, he was finally reaching the end of high school. A whole new journey was ahead of him in university, and who knew what would happen next? But there was one thing that Gil said that bothered him quite a bit. "You mentioned Cameryn earlier. She was the one who was involved in the first investigation, right? How is she doing?" Lloyd asked.
Gil inhaled deeply before letting the air back out, mimicking the ocean waves. Thinking back six months ago, he recalled Cameryn found out that one of the tenants on her apartment floor was the daughter of that crime's main suspect. While Cameryn's neighbour Kate tried to do the right thing by stopping her father, she ended up pushing him off a building and to his death, an event that devastated the two friends. "She's still kind of quiet about that, although I did hear she tries to attend Kate's trial every now and then, just to show support," Gil replied meekly. With Kate charged with manslaughter, this would be a trying time for Cameryn as well.
Gil shook his head and tried to change the topic. "Overall, everything is going alright with Cameryn. Her main issue of complaint, other than all the paperwork we're subject to right now, is why the city is taking so long to build a subway route," Gil reassured Lloyd with a smile, referring back to Cameryn's tendency of using public transit rather than driving, "I'm sure if you're ready to talk about university, we can get Cameryn to help you."
Lloyd smiled and nodded. "Glad to know then," he responded, "I'll keep that in mind when I do apply. Until then, I'm looking forward to my camping trip with Colette, Raine, and Genis this weekend. Want to hear what we're planning to do, or do we want to make dinner first?" With that, father and son moved into the kitchen, spirits back up as they engaged in a friendly banter. So far, it seemed like nothing could bring down the two Irvings.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Lloyd marvelled, standing on top of a mountain that overlooked lush green forests on the cliff side. Finally, the weekend arrived, and the four friends were off to their camping trip through the mountainous forests north of Iselia. Sand and pebbles dotted the ground at the foot of the mountain, ending in the deep blue sea that lapped its waves along the coast. It was the first time in years that the group had seen something this beautiful right near their hometown, and they were enjoying every moment of it.
"It's been a little while since we've been here before, isn't it?" Colette asked, hanging tightly onto Lloyd's left arm while leaning her head on his shoulder, "I'm glad it's just as beautiful as it was all those years ago, when we last came here."
"Why do you think they made this entire area a conservation area?" Raine responded from a few metres up, holding her camera out and snapping up shots of the scenery. Despite being older than her brother by a decade, Raine had similar silver hair as Genis, and had equally strong brainpower. "Our whole world's history basically revolves around this place, with the Reunification Chosen being from this area. Don't forget that before the hero after Reunification, Emil Castagnier, also visited here just prior to dealing with the whole Ratatosk business. So isn't it obvious why this whole place ought to be preserved, so we can appreciate its history?"
"There she goes again," Genis muttered, shaking his head. Raine would get really passionate about anything of historical importance, which usually led to some embarrassment amongst their group whenever she was in public. Genis' eyes alternated between the cuddling couple and his eccentric sister, who was trying to snap pictures while adjusting her orange windbreaker coat. "I heard that while Emil was remembered as a brave guy, he was actually pretty wimpy. Before he started his journey, he used to get picked on a lot. I guess things really changed for him after he met the Reunification group, huh?" Genis commented.
Raine jumped into Genis' point. "You have to put things into perspective," she replied, stuffing the camera back in her coat pocket, "He was going through some tough times, with his parents being killed in Palmacosta. He's been ostracized all his life, and suddenly, he had to protect someone with this newfound power. How would anyone be able to handle that change?"
"But he did persevere in the end, because others around him had faith in him, and he had faith in them in return," Lloyd pointed out, wrapping his left arm around Colette, "It's sort of like my father, I guess. He never expected himself to go undercover for ten years, but it's through us that he made it. And believe it or not, the protagonist detective in his mystery story was going through some similar things, so I think Dad was writing himself into the novel. It's funny how some things work out, both historically and presently."
"Now you see why it's important to learn from history?" Raine chimed in again, "There is so much in there that goes towards building our world. I think we're all very lucky to have such great examples, with what your father went through and how we all helped him."
But before anyone could respond, a soft rumbling could be heard from the distance. All four hikers looked up to see some dark clouds brewing out in the ocean, the wind picking up and sending the thick grey layers rolling through the skies. "I think we should get going before we get wet," Raine suggested, "The sooner we find our campsite, the better."
Lloyd nodded, pulling out the map of the area from his backpack. His eyes scanned the page while his free hand scratched his head, wondering where they were headed. Assuming the storm would hit, he had to find the fastest way to the campsite. "It seems like there's a trail here, although it might just be a horse trail rather than a hiking trail," he murmured, his finger tracing the line in question, "Wonder if Buck...oof!"
Lloyd rubbed his ribs gently, glaring at the one who throw the flying elbow at him. Colette gestured the other way, causing her boyfriend to turn to the one standing directly behind him. Right in his vision was Genis, trying to peer over Lloyd's shoulder when he made the remark. Upon the comment, Genis slumped back down and just stood stoically. "Be sensitive, will you?" Colette whispered. A brisk wind sliced through the group, creating an eerie silence.
"It's okay, don't worry about it," the silver-haired half-elf responded nonchalantly after a few seconds of emotionless silence, "I'm not offended by you mentioning her. I kind of realized my friendship with her didn't work not long after I turned down her offer to teach me horseback riding. It really didn't help that she started getting upset at every single thing I said, even when I offered to help her with her schoolwork and other stuff." Genis was known to be an honour roll student, doing things that no one his age could. Even though he was several years younger than his horseback riding friend, he understood her class material and could help her in several areas.
"Oh," Colette eked out, surprised at Genis' response. "Well, I'm sorry for elbowing you then, Lloyd." She turned to her boyfriend, who had an equally perplexed look on his face. After the big fight, Genis was quite upset about it, and wouldn't speak of the issue for weeks. "So is there any chance of reconciling between you two, or will this be it?" she asked Genis.
Genis shrugged. "She made her bed, and now she has to sleep in it. That's all I'm going to say," the younger boy replied, neither angry nor sad, "Maybe I was kind of harsh by asking her to accept my help, but nobody told her to keep heading towards a dead end. And for sure nobody told her to keep acting that irresponsibly even after I tried to make up with her. Seriously, I'm years younger than her but my maturity level is years ahead of hers."
"Well, I guess that's settled. So let's get going then, shall we?" Raine interrupted her brother, leading the group back through the forest and to the trail Lloyd was mentioning earlier, "I haven't heard you talk about her at home, so I pretty much assumed that's the end of the line."
Genis shrugged again, following Raine while looking back to make sure Lloyd and Colette could catch up. "It's like Emil's case, right? It's up to each person to have faith in others, and let others have faith in them in return. I had faith in her, but she didn't want to return that faith, so what more can I say? It's up to her to turn things around and make things right again. And knowing her current attitude, she's no Emil Castagnier, that's for sure."
John Walker was in no mood to deal with any more maintenance problems today. Having been a site manager for this boy scouts camp for the last ten years, his job involved mainly making sure all onsite structures and equipment were safe to use when scouts camping season began. Usually he would be at the campsite at least a month before season started, making sure all was ready before the children arrived and took their cabins and bunks.
But this year, things were far from ready, with a series of personal issues hindering his progress. Two weeks ago, he got into an argument with his main supplier and that led to a fight. This was due to Walker being caught with the supplier's wife, leading to a rescinding of the offer to contract and Walker's own wife leaving him. Now, in the midst of all this chaos, plus finding out that the campsite was in worse shape than anticipated, things were not going well. "Let's hope the new renovation supplier wouldn't be as bad," he murmured bitterly.
Unfortunately, the delays kept getting worse, with the supplies only arriving a few days ago. There was simply not enough time for Walker to get repairs started, and now the scouts had already arrived. Dealing with a hundred kids meeting at the makeshift wooden bleachers, which had been installed at least a decade ago as to bring more people into the traditional campfire, was an absolute nightmare. And it didn't help that tonight the scouts welcomed four lost hikers who couldn't find their way to their original camp, meaning more problems would perk up.
"Fireball!" a younger voice yelled, echoing off the trees on the way to the amphitheatre like campfire as two bright flashes flared through the air. It provided some warmth to Walker, who was lumbering his way down to the children. Wearing an old, worn-out denim jacket over a grey Loni-Kyle shirt, the maintenance manager trudged through the semi-moist grass and soil, his hiking boots the only thing keeping his socks dry as he peered into the campfire.
The younger scouts roared in approval as a silver-haired boy performed a bunch of tricks with the elements. That alone got Walker all riled up, as the last thing he wanted was these crazy mana spells causing more damage to the area. "The fewer repairs I have to do, the better," he grumbled again, moving down the creaky wooden steps to the front, where some of the scout troops leaders were located. Shouldn't these kids be heading to bed already?
"Show us another spell, Genis!" the scouts hollered, egging the young half-elf on. The four visitors were named Lloyd, Colette, Raine, and Genis, and they dropped by here after they claimed Lloyd got them lost on the way to their campsite. Given that there might be harsh weather coming up, and there were some extra cabins available, the scout leaders allowed the foursome to bunk with their troops for the weekend. That meant some of the cabins that required fixing had their repairs be delayed, which made Walker quite frustrated.
"I don't know if there's too much water in these twigs, since the trees kind of covered them from the rain," Genis stated, showing the uniformed children a couple of sticks plucked from the ground, "But if I concentrate them just right, I should get a water spell." Everyone looked on as Genis lifted his blue shirt, holding it up with his left hand while placing the sticks just before his navel with his right. Only owls hooting among the trees in the distance complemented Genis' breathing. It was like watching a master magician at work.
Then, taking a deep breath, Genis rolled his stomach once and unleashed the spell. "Aqua Edge!" he called, aiming at the trees as mana coursed out his favourite body part and through the wood, creating two small water disks. They flew a few metres before splashing down on the ground, much to the delight of the audience, who let out another round of cheers and applause. "Thanks, you guys," Genis responded sheepishly, tossing the twigs onto the ground, "If the sticks were any moister or wetter, it would have flown even farther."
The only one not seemingly impressed by the trick was Walker, who pulled the most senior scout leader aside. While the two older men spoke, one boy chirped, "Genis, how did you figure out how to cast with your belly button?" he asked the performer.
Genis chuckled before giving the boy a response, all the while the senior scout leader sought to calm Walker down. The maintenance manager chose to air his concerns over the visitors delaying his repair work during the performance, making the troop leader quite uneasy. "It's just for this weekend, John," the scout leader, a balding man with greying hair, assured the maintenance manager, who cast doubtful blue eyes back at him, "I know there are extra repairs to be made this year, but our troops are scheduling events around the renovations and repairs. We will not take up too much of your time and space, so you have my word."
"Right, and next you'll tell me a scout's honour is always good," Walker retorted, crossing his arms and scrunching his face, "I'm already stressed out enough, and now with these visitors delaying me, I'll never be able to get out of here. What will I say to the supplying renovator who's helping me out? He's not going to be here forever, you know."
"Unfortunately, only elves and half-elves can cast spells, so if you're a human, then you're kind of out of luck," Genis' sarcastic voice sliced through the tense conversation, "And in case you're wondering, I developed this trick all by myself. You'll never see another spell caster do mana tricks with their belly button, so this is quite an exclusive."
"Alright everyone, I think it's time to call it a night," a younger scout troop leader, a man in his late-twenties or so, approached the stage-like campfire, "Let's all give our new friend and guest, Genis Sage, a classic scouts round of applause, and thank him for that demonstration."
The scouts hooted and hollered, some mimicking animals and birds. "Just remember," he shouted over the noise, still grinning from ear-to-ear, "if anyone asks you who has the best belly button in the world, you tell them Genis Sage does!" He dropped his shirt back down, leaving his stomach covered even though his right index finger was still inside, poking and wiggling his navel back and forth. He trotted back to his sister and their two friends, all congratulating the boy on that show. Lloyd, Colette, Raine, and Genis grabbed their camping gear and followed the younger scout troop leader, who was to lead them to their cabin for the night.
As Walker and the older scout troop leader continued to work out the details, a series of collisions at the top of the stairs caught everyone's attention. "Is everyone alright?" a couple of scout leaders called, overseeing a few scouts collapsed onto the ground. The wooden planks right at the entrance of the amphitheatre, just underneath the large welcome sign of their camp, gave way when they stepped through. Now, the kids struggled to untangle themselves from the pile of bodies, all the while checking each other for injuries.
"Are you all okay?" Raine's voice called in from behind, "I know some mana spells too, mainly healing ones. Would you like me to take a look at everyone's injuries?" Taking action immediately, Raine ushered them away from the steps and back to the main lodge. "Lloyd, Colette, Genis, you three head to the cabin first. I'll join you guys later," she stated.
Walker and the senior scout troop leader were the last to come up, just in time to see the crowd dissipate completely. The two older men looked down at the wooden steps underneath the huge wooden sign, now nothing more than splinters courtesy of dozens of boy scouts' hiking boots. "Think you can fix that tomorrow morning?" the scout leader asked meekly.
Walker growled. This was another diversion he didn't want. "You know what? Why don't I grab some lights and fixed it right now, just so you goody two-shoes don't keep hounding me?" he roared, storming off in the direction of the storage sheds and leaving the scout leader to himself. The older man could only shrug, hurrying back to the main lodge and hoping that none of the boys were too badly hurt. Was this poor handiwork or downright negligence?
It took nearly half an hour before Walker could get all the required material back to the site. With two lights attached to the two tall wooden pillars holding up the welcome sign, the maintenance manager slowly got to work. Carefully putting work gloves on, Walker slowly pulled out the shards and splinters, some of which sharp enough to pierce through the fabric. Luckily, he had a waste container with him, which allowed him to toss the broken pieces into a safe place. "Hope I can get this done before the rain comes," he grimaced, brushing a blond strand of hair away from his eyes.
Not a minute passed before the wind picked up, whistling through the forest and rustling the trees. "Curse my rotten luck," Walker mumbled, "Why does it have to be like this?" This week was going from bad to worse for him, and he wasn't even done pulling out all the broken planks. "I am really not in the mood for this. Where's that renovation supplier guy now?"
But Walker barely got even one plank out of the ground before a low moan echoed above him. The middle-aged man stared up at the heavy sign now swaying in the wind, an odd sight to say the least, given its mass alone would keep it steady. The sign wasn't really part of the wood poles, nor was it slotted in. Instead, the sign hung from the wood poles courtesy of a couple of chains that were wrapped over each pole and then nailed down a few metres to the side of each pole. While some might question the strength of two old chains, the sign had been shaky before, making Walker very suspicious of this situation.
Before he could inquire more, the impossible happened. The chains that were bolted down from either side creaked ominously, causing the sign to waver even more. Everything moved in slow motion as a muffled metallic snap sounded off on both sides, sending the large sign straight to the ground. Before long, the sign slammed into Walker, sending him straight onto the ground, crushing his skull and ribs. There was nothing but a cool breeze whisking past as red liquid oozed from the maintenance manager's body and into the grass and soil.
You will also see references to other Tales games in this story, with the most prevalent being "Dawn of the New World." That means canon characters will be speaking in their new voices (especially Lloyd, whose voice changed the most between TOS and "Dawn of the New World"). I've always wanted to include Emil and Marta into the Gil Irving series, but unfortunately, due to time and planning restraints, I haven't been able to proceed with that move yet. Hopefully they'll appear in the next story, but for now they'll have to sit out for another round. Thanks for reading!