Heleion Archives

“So was that the last?” Birthingriar asked with a sigh as he leaned back in the metallic chair with a soft padded seating his ass sunk into. His eyes stared at Fridryl equally stripped of her coat, her attention focused on the stack of files she was reading through. Unlike him, she was sitting in a more disciplined, straightened posture while her cheeks were scraped tenderly by her blouse collars as she buried her face in them while getting lost in reading.

“There is still Vordriar Helga to question. According to reports, she was patrolling a few blocks away from the victim’s house.” Fridryl said as she moistened her finger tips to turn the page.

“And here I thought we would finally be free from the confines of this room.” Birthingriar said as his attention shifted to the metallic gray walls surrounding them. While he was used to interrogation rooms, the ones that the Black Rose utilized still gave him a brooding feeling. Mostly because it was a stark contrast to their more luxurious, glamorous interiors that waited behind the thick metal door that slowly opened as he started praying to Bhahamuth.

“Ah, Vordriar Helga, take a place.” Fridryl’s previous cold attitude changed to a kinder, friendlier one as she stood up and pointed at one of the chairs. A meek looking Vordriar, appearing no older then thirty stood at the door with a worried look. Her aquamarine eyes were slightly teary, her dense dark hair tucked and twisted into a low bun quivered as she swiftly nodded. Clanks mixed with the stretching of leather as she slowly rushed to the chair and sat down facing Birthingriar.

“There is nothing to be afraid, I may look like a grizzled bear, but I’m as kind as they are to their cubs. Plus we only want to ask if you saw anything, both ordinary and not so during your patrol last night.” Birthingriar said as he offered a kind smile to the young looking vordriar burying her face in her fully zipped up jacket’s neck. A smile that fit a natural predator.

“He is also just as soft as a mother bear. But let’s not dawdle any longer.” Fridryl said then added at the end as Birthingriar looked at her with a funny look.

“As my partner asked, have you seen anything suspicious or felt something slightly out of ordinary while patrolling the Steinynal Street?” Fridryl let out a soft cough then asked while keeping half her attention on the file.

“Uhm, overall nothing out of the ordinary. There were a couple folk wandering in a drunken state, some even conjured water to sober themselves up a bit.” Helga smiled a little, showing a bit of confidence as she started speaking.

“I see.” Fridryl said while a small note book with mahogany leather cover appeared in her hands and she started scribbling into it.

“Anything else?” Birthingriar asked as she noticed her eyes looking down while she answered.

“Honestly, I’m not fully sure if it was her or not, but I saw Ermelindemar heading into one of the alleys. When I rushed after her she was nowhere to be found.” Her complexion clearly reflected her pondering. “But it could have been just the work of my tired mind, after the previous night and all.” She added with a slightly reddened cheeks.

“Thank you. If there is nothing else, we won’t take more of your time.” Birthingriar said with an affable look. He snapped his finger and in a flash of arcane light, a cup of warm coffee appeared on Helga’s side of the table. She bowed lightly then left the room.

“Do you know this.. Ermhaulindemor?” Birthingriar asked noticing Firdryl putting down her note book with a strange expression.

“Ermelindemar, and yes. She is one of the oldest members of the Order. Even allegedly met the Black Rose herself.” She said while taking up a thinking posture as she leaned onto the table.

“Huh that old. And still a Vordriar?” He asked while scratching his beard.

“Well she was formerly a Skjaldmaerin, but after the war she asked to be demoted back to being a Vordriar as a form of retirement so to speak.” Fridryl said while standing up. “Come, let’s check out the body.” At those words, Birthingriar quivered a little.

**

“Are you prepared?” He asked as they stood in front the coroner’s room.

“I am. Trust me I fought through the whole war. Nothing could disgust me anymore.” Fridryl said confidently as she turned the knob.

“Ah Sister Fridryl and Mr.Birthingriar. Welcome!” A tall, petite Urghyan with steel gray smooth skin, large curving ram horns and dense dark greyish hair with the edges framing her alluring face dyed burgundy red greeted them. Her body was clad in the Hellian uniform. Thigh high heels and a mini skirt with smooth leathery texture with a glamorous sheen on the bottom. Her corset vest merged almost perfectly in with her raven black Aetherna Satin blouse that fit onto her seamlessly.

The only thing that was different from the others of her rank was the seamlessly flowing long lab coat made of the same Dragonid Leather like most of her attire. Except it was manufactured to have a slightly softer appearance.

“Come this way, we already finished with the body. At least as much as we could without losing it.” Bayarmchiur said as she led the two to the wall facing the door. Five rows of metallic doors lined up on it, on each arcane ruins appeared in their mirroring surface.

“Losing it?” Fridryl asked with a look that clearly spelled out her slight confusion.

“Just hang on a minute. It will be clear once you lay your eyes on it, Sister.” Bayamchiur said with a slightly somber look compared to the previous outgoing one. Liquid metal poles connected together as she reached out. With a swift pull the table came out swift and stopped just as suddenly.

“I’ll open it.” She added as she zipped open the leathery bag like extension of the table, revealing the body no longer covered in the vhalex like layer. A long line ran from her waist up to just about her neck. Then with careful movements, Bayamchiur opened the slit line at her stomach revealing a dark, translucent gelatinous mass that they dug into already.

“What is this?” Fridryl asked with an amazed yet also terrified look.

“No clue yet honestly. I know the Bhamauthians found the same thing in the previous victims. Just like those, this gelatin fills out the whole body. No intestines, no bones, not even flesh. It’s like cutting open a doll.” Bayamchiur said while walking to the long desk behind her with a sample on it.

“One thing is sure, it acts like an acid to an extent. It’s away marrow, tissue, almost everything except the skin.” She continued as the two hold their palms over the sample, circular runes appearing in front of them as they tried to inspect the gelatin. “The same gelatin was also found on the mask placed on her. As your Order speculated, I’d agree that the mouth and nostril holes are used to inject whatever it is in its natural state. Then through either a magical activation or maybe on intact with the insides, it turns into this, devouring everything within the host.” She added as the two signaled their failure with sour looks.

“Did she suffer?” Fridryl asked.

“Hard to say honestly.” Bayamchiur said with a solemn look as she looked at the lifeless doll like face of the snaelv elven victim.

“That though changes things.” Fridryl said as she walked around the corpse, peeked into the open stomach area.

“In what way? We’re probably dealing with some cultist sicko or in worst case, a highly trained assassin who abandoned her order to live out their dark fantasies.” Birthingriar said as he reached into his inner pocket and pulled out his cigarette case.

“Not sure about either yet. Better if I say there is a third option.” Fridryl added as she cut out a tiny cubicle of a gelatin and floated it into the air.

“And that is?” Birthingriar asked as he puffed out a healthy amount of smoke.

“That we’re dealing with a well-versed alchemist.” She said while she sent out a radiant orb from her index finger towards the cubicle. Within a few meters from each other, the gelatin as if possessing a life of its own started trembling as the light reached it. It’s tiny mass quickly reduced to an odorless dark vapor that disappeared into nothingness in a few seconds.

**

31st of October, 105 NDE. Ang-Saellirith.

“Hey, have you seen Helga?” Ryang Min-Ju a vordriar appearing no older than 36 asked one of her Sisters as they slowly decked out in their uniform. Ryang herself just let the stand fold over the button line creating a seamless appearance for the torso, except for the two breast pockets above her quite sizeable chest as she asked her dracorith Sister.

“Uhm, yeah she was in quite the hurry after speaking with Fridryl and that handsome sorcerer.” She answered while jumping into her dragonid leather pants that tightened to her soft, smooth skin with their inner silken walls.

“Wasn’t she acting strange since two days ago to you?” For a while Ryang pondered whether to ask the question. Then as she zipped up the corset vest, she let it flow out.

“Not sure if I’m being honest. Just got sent to the capital a few days ago so I’m still not familiar with everyone.” She answered plainly while sitting down to put on the high combat boots that themselves practically melded in with the pants when worn.

“I see. If you’re not sure about anything, don’t hesitate to ask me or the others.” Ryang said with a kind, sisterly smile as she snuck into the issued Vigrieth-Type V jacket while holding up her dark mauve and scarlet hair with telekinesis. Then as she finished fixing her jacket and its rectangle shaped neck, she released the spell and it gracefully fell down onto her shoulder. As it cascaded down seamlessly with its uneven ends scraping the utility belt’s snow silvery top frame, she zipped up the jacket to the top before doing the former.

“Well, see you later Sister!” Then she bid her farewell as she pulled her sideswept fringe away from her right intense deep blue eyes in a small and gracious round frame with intense dark lashes.

**

Ryang carefully followed her old friend through the thick crowd as she aimlessly wandered the streets. While it wasn’t necessarily strange, as the street itself fell into Black Rose jurisdiction. So there were occasional Vordriars who patrolled voluntarily even on the weekends when the crowd was as thick as it was right at that moment.

But it was strange for Ryang when it came to the lazy Helga. She knew her since the start of the Great War, where both served as guards in the satellite nations. Helga rarely did voluntary patrols even back then, and that didn’t change the past hundred or so years since the end of it. Often, she would just spend her time in a local bar, wooing the waiters or waitresses to spread the joys of Myelia herself as she liked to say.

“Shit.” She cursed under her breath as Helga took a sharp turn and disappeared for a moment. Then thanks to their glamorous, yet practical uniform she spotted her entering a building under renovation. Luminous wards erected all over it, keeping anyone except the workers and military or police personnel out.

She quickly followed after her, perfectly maneuvering between the various folks occupied by the drooling scent and sound of sizzling meat, the alluring aromas of sweet, warm bakeries and so on.  For a moment she stopped in front of the ward and pondered if the next move following after her was the correct one. In the end, she would much rather sour their relationship a bit compared to her old friend being a spy in her mind.

As her soft fair palm touched the ward, a hole visible to her opened on its rune filled rectangle holes. Her right hand rested on her wand pistol still resting in its holster as she entered the building, the nostril burning scent of paint filled the air as she made silent steps towards the stairs.

While she passed through the corridor, she didn’t neglect looking into the four rooms in case Helga or whoever pretended to be her hid. She counted on being spotted by her, knowing her own capabilities as she failed many of her classes involving stealth and subterfuge back in the academy.

“Damn it.” After searching through the hauntingly empty apartments, she cursed in the last’s living room as she found no trace of Helga. Not even some arcane residue that would implicate teleportation.

“Stupid Helga, I knew this would happen one day to you.” Ryang added as she massaged her temples as the paint took its toll on her, while her uniform’s healing enchantments kicked in, wrestling with the headache.

“Guh.” She let out a grunt after she decided to head out. Just as she stepped through the doorframe, a shockwand’s forked end pressed against her neck and a high-grade lightning jolt coursed through the layers of her uniform, knocking her out instantly.

They caught her body midfall and slowly dragged her inside with a cold, emotionless look on their shapeshifted face. Ryang slowly got lowered to her sides in the living room, her long hair pulled away from her back before they rolled her onto her chest. Her hands were placed over her back, covering the eye in the embroidered blooming rose that is the insignia of the Black Rose.

Stacked on each other, they conjured a roll of silver sealing tape and peeled it wide open before attaching its loose end to her stacked wrists. Its harsh sound reverberated through the living room, muffled by the crowd outside. Their hands not so gently pressed it against the faux leather fabric before ripping it open once more. This time they wrapped it around her ankles, then her thighs pressuring them too.

Then for the final piece, they peeled off a long strip after rolling back Ryang onto her side facing the window looking outside. This time, they gently sealed her lips and cheeks, tightening it against the skin with tender pats. Her small, plump lips bulged out from under the restrain of the tape, for a moment inviting theirs.

Just as they leaned closer, a muffled grunt brought them out from the momentary trance. With a snap of a finger, the shadowy portal opened, with a dimly lit room on the other side. “Shouldn’t have followed me.” They said while their arms sneak under her armpits, then dragged the softly moaning bound and sealing tape gagged Ryang through the portal.