Chapter 1
"In today's news, Grenschal forces moved in to apprehend the members of the terrorist organization known as Lotus. The Aether Corps raided what sources revealed to be one of their main safe houses in hopes to capture their leader, who is known only as, Lynx. The Aether Corps managed to arrest several top members of Lotus; but failed to locate any leads that would allow them to locate where Lynx is currently hiding," the television continued on with the report as mute flashed up on the screen. Letting the remote drop back onto the table, the young man let out a large yawn, before lifting himself up off the couch and looking around his slightly messy office.
"Like hell they're gonna catch Lynx. Those guys are rookies compared to the Crimson Wings. Granted, they get cool toys like those Aether-Drives, but they're still amateurs," he proclaimed his boots clicking against the tile floor as he walked back to his desk.
He was young, though his clothes gave away his military past. He still wore the light blue pants of his unit along with the black boots that had the pant legs tucked into them, and still had the red wings, a signature emblem the Crimson Wings used on their uniforms. At his ankles along with his black v-neck t-shirt that he wore almost like it was his signature style. Around his neck rested a necklace that held a charm that resembled a claw holding this red glass like orb in it's claw. Running a hand through his light brown hair, he peered out the window. Letting out a sigh, he reached to his right thigh and drew a dagger with a good sized blade from it's sheath.
"When the hell is she getting back with lunch? I can't complain since I don't really pay her. But I'm hungry, dammit?" he asked no one in particular, but the voice that came to answer caught him off guard.
"Like you're one to talk! You just sit around here and hope you get a client for a good paying job, Firo!" came a sharp woman's voice as she stepped into the office, carrying a white bag in her right hand while her left sat on her hip. Her lips twisted in frustration as she looked him over. Yshimu had been a long time friend of Firo's for as long as anyone could actually remember. She was a young Mi'qutahl, a race of humanoid beings that carried cat-like traits such as their ears, tails, and the features of their eyes. She was wearing a simple outfit, but one that seemed to be a bit in fashion for a young woman. A pale blue shirt with tan pants and simple pair of boots that ended at her ankles. They seemed more like shoes rather than boots given the style, but it seemed to fit her best of all. A small ear ring charm with a silver feather hung from her left ear.
"Oh! Hey, you're back," he replied, with a small grin in hopes that she wasn't too mad at him for his complaints.
"I'm back. But I don't think I'm going to give you your food," she said as she strolled into the office, heading towards the couch. The way her tail swayed low, was all Firo had to see to know he was in some trouble. Promptly sitting down, she began placing food onto the small table. "In fact," she continued on, "I think I'll just eat everything. You'll be lucky if there's anything left at all, you jerk."
"H-Hey! But I paid for the food!" he cried out, as if trying to plead his case before her.
She glanced at him coldly, slowly opening one of the containers of what was going to be lunch. Not saying a word to him in return.
"Wait! Wait! I…. I'll treat you to dinner!" he almost shouted loud enough to be heard outside the office. He saw Yshimu's ears flicker up and down at his bribe, and then the small grin that grew on her face until it became a cheerful smile.
"Now with an offer like that, how could I say no? You're food is in the bag, so come eat!" she spoke out cheerfully as she grabbed a fork and started eating her meal happily.
Giving out a defeated sigh as he sat across from her and retrieved his meal, he looked up at her with a complete look of defeat. "You're cold, Yshimu…" he said in a low tone.
"Hmm.. I'm sorry, what was that?" Yshimu replied flippantly, giving him her best innocent smile, almost daring him to repeat himself.
"Nothing. Nothing. I feel sorry for the guy who chooses to date you. Maybe I should put out a warning bulletin about the way you ea- OW!" he was interrupted by a sudden sharp pain that struck his shin. Yshimu had kicked him hard underneath the table without even looking away from her food to do so.
This was their normal routine when they didn't have a job. Just sitting in the office they rented in a building in the lower end of the city. The rent was cheap, and someone always had a job that needed doing. Especially when clients paid up front, there weren't many that would take a job like those without asking too many questions. About half-way through their peaceful lunch, the phone rang. Yshimu shot Firo a glance before looking at the phone. That small moment of silence was enough to understand what she was saying. Putting down his fork, he got up and walked over towards his desk. He took a breath lifting the phone off it's base and held it against his ear.
"Yes, how can I help you?" he asked into the phone. The voice he heard reply made him grin.
"It's been a while my young friend. How's Yshimu? Is she still quite the beauty?" the voice of an older man spoke.
"Well, if it isn't Cid. Yshimu is still her normal self. If you keep flirting with her, she might actually try to sue you for sexual harassment," Firo replied with a simple joke of his own, waiting to hear what Cid wanted from him.
"Ah, I should stop then. Can't she humor a poor, lonely old man such as myself?" Cid asked, trying to hold back a snicker, but clearly failing.
"Cid, if you try anything, I'll cut it off," Yshimu spoke out coldly from the couch. Firo could only flinch at the idea.
"Fine, fine. I'm calling about a job. No one has even bothered to check my reports and I fear something big is about to happen," Cid sounded serious as he began relaying the information to Firo. "The pay is double our standard rate."
"Double, huh? I'm afraid to find out how you get this money. I take it you'll need us to drop by for some new toys?" he was happy to hear about the pay.
"That's right. Come tonight. I'll have my assistant leave the package at the usual spot. I'll give you the full report at my lab," Cid hung up shortly after.
Firo hung up the phone and smiled as he sat down in the chair behind his desk, basking in the light that flooded in from the open windows. "Yshimu, we're getting paid double for this!"
"Double?!" She choked as she searched for her drink and tried to wash down the food. Letting out a relieved breath, she turned around on the couch to look at him. "I can't argue with that! He better not try to grope me again, though. My price is much too high to even allow him to do that," she said with a sly grin on her face, her ears twitching in anticipation. "Usual set up?"
"Yeah. But he said this a big job. It might be something those Grenschal hounds don't want to acknowledge and hope it will fade away. We better be careful. Get our Aether-Drives before we leave," he looked out the window, watching the citizens walk through the streets. The Barshaal were common to find in the lower end parts of the city. The Barshaal were a race of reptile like humanoids, who until fifteen years ago were classified as being of the Beastman races and were barred from any sort of work within the cities. In fact, most of the other races were once considered to be of the Beast-Tribes long ago. It was just easier for the more human like races, like the Veruul and the Mi'qutahl, to be accepted as actual citizens. Knowing this, Firo let out a shallow sigh as he watched the illegal dealings in the street.
"I wonder when we can afford to move to a new city. Those airship tickets are so expensive," he said as he let his gaze slide over to Yshimu, noticing that her ears lowered.
"Maybe we should look to better clients. You know, the rich ones?" she asked as she got up off the couch. She made her way over to the large cabinet that sat in the room and pulled the doors open. Reaching inside, she grabbed two devices and turned them on. They howled with a whirring sound as they came to life with a red light flashing on the front of them. "They're warming up."
Firo chose to ignore the question posed to him. Choosing instead to retreat into his mind, as he began pondering things over. Yshimu watched him fall silent, feeling the guilt fall onto her as her ears and tail lowered.
"Are you still bothered by that?" she asked as she walked up to his desk, setting down one of the Aether-Drives, the light was now glowing a steady blue.
His response was silence as he reached for the device, only to have his hand caught by her. "You can't blame yourself forever, you know…" she said before releasing his hand to he could take the device and clip it to his belt.
"We should start getting ready. Start locking up the place," he said as he rose from his chair and began walking towards the office door, opening it before he stepped out and to descend down the stairs. Yshimu could only watch on as her friend began heading out of the office. Letting out a defeated sigh, she followed after him, attaching the device to her waist.
Making their way through the back streets of the city, they followed their normal route they went when it came to paying Cid a visit. Yshimu kept watching his back as Firo led the way, not saying a word. She felt guilty about bringing up his past now. She was searching for the words that would help to salve the wound that she had opened. The words never came easily, but as she reached up to her ear ring and played with it with her fingers, she muttered to herself.
"Idiot… why did you bring that up?" she said under her breath before biting her lip. "Uhm, Firo…. I'm sorry… for before. I didn't mean to bring that up," her apology sounded pathetic, but it was sincere.
"Don't worry about it. It was orders and it was the past. Let's not dwell on it," his voice sounded sharp. He was upset, but he was trying to hide it from his friend. He pushed forward, not paying the merchants any mind.
They continued on, past all the shady shops and clubs that lined the road. Past all the many citizens of the city that were busy with their own dealings to be bothered with the presence of those two. Past the illegal citizens and their questionable merchandise. Beyond the glow of late night venues that seemed like night clubs given the shadows of the city. As if it were trying to hide their sin from the prying eyes of the world and away from the officials who police the world. This was the way of Freyja, the floating city of merchants and science.