Aeria Luxus
Member
Rain fell on the narrow black obelisk that rose from the verdant glow surrounding it. A huddled group of assorted races all stood at its base where a compact, exquisitely crafted urn was reverently being placed. The one placing the urn was a slim, tall spurii with light coppery skin and fuzzy brilliant green and indigo down cropped close to her skull. She was dressed in the official mourning uniform of the contigeri and in her free hand, she held a halberd. Her face was drawn but calm, violet eyes hinting at tears held in check as she slipped the box in place and a mechanism drew it into the obelisk. The door to it shut, the exterior of the obelisk now smooth again. The spurii stepped back, raising her halberd towards the obelisk and bowed. “I, Aeria Luxus, salute you Achille Craxtus. I honour your memory and your spirit!”
She brought the weapon sharply down to her side and snapped her heels together before relaxing. Now in a quieter voice, she whispered. “I’ll miss you, you old coot.”
After the ceremony had ended, Aeria moved around the crowd, speaking to the people who had known the professor. No one had seen his death coming and shock at how someone so hale and hearty had died so rapidly was rife. The lean, slender spurii was unsure about precisely what had happened but at the moment, only the pain and loss mattered. Eventually she reached the side of a scar-faced velen with blue scales and a broad-shouldered build. Diamantus caught her hand and squeezed it. “Sorry fer yer loss, Aeria. I know how much the old guy meant ta ya. We got stuff to discuss about what happened, but it’ll wait. Just know that we got yer back in all o this!”
The next person Aeria sought out was an elderly woman with pure silver hair and a lightly wrinkled complexion. She wore a simple dress and her face was lined with sadness. The lean spurii clasped the woman’s fine boned hand in hers. “Oh Yulia! I am so sorry. If Craxtus meant a great deal to me, I know he was…so much more to you.”
Deep sadness filled Yulia’s warm voice in reply. “My heart is broken, Aeria. I’ve lost so much in losing him. I…can’t believe he’s gone…I know why though and I swear…”
Anger was leaching into her sad eyes but the spurii laid a calming hand on her arm. “I know but now’s not the place and time. Diamantus and I are going to meet later to talk about it so…if you want to be there, let me know.”
Eventually Aeria had spoken to everyone she knew, so she returned to sit beside the towering stone needle in which Craxtus’ remains were now held. It seemed like many years since she’d seen the professor, but it had only been a matter of weeks. In those weeks, his health had begun to deteriorate rapidly. He knew that what was happening to him was going to be fatal and he knew that the manner of his death would be other than natural.
Every effort had been made to discover the nature of the poison, but it was inconclusive at the time of his death. Craxtus had been focused most on who poisoned him and how once it became clear that no antidote could be found. The work was continuing in spite of the wrenching loss people had experienced.
Before the professor’s untimely demise, life had taken on a regular pattern for Aeria. Finally she had been working as an engineer, free of the worry of being arrested or pursued by the law. TorBru had continued to dog her steps, but even they had been forced to back down. There had been a sense of some holding back or softening their stance. It was not clear why but the young spurii was happy to accept their lack of interest.
At first, TorBru had seemed to be the most likely culprits in Craxtus’ death but the further the investigation had gone, the less evidence seemed to point at them. Their desire for revenge on Craxtus or need for the technology that he had designed seemed to have faded. Somewhere in the activities that she and Craxtus had undertaken was a reason for his death. If it hadn’t been their old nemesis, then who had done this? It was plaguing her not to have a target or a focus for her rage.
Laermont had warned her not to obsess over what had occurred. He told her it would consume her and that she had to try and let it go. This was proving a struggle for her. There’d been so many things she had wanted to say to the professor, but time had run out. Now she was left with nothing but memories and the desire to seek revenge for her friend.
After the funeral, she had wended her way back home. Everything felt diminished and a little shabby now, empty of meaning. She made herself a cup of tea, allowing her mind to become blank as she passed the afternoon. Concentration was almost impossible and it was a relief to just do simple tasks.
As night fell on Terminus, Aeria dressed in a simple vest, trousers and a long travelling cloak. She took up her halberd and raised the hood of her cloak, obscuring her from view. They had set a meeting at one of Diamantus’ safe houses and the contigeri was taking no risks on her way there. Paranoia had become second nature to her at this point but no tail seemed apparent.
Their rendezvous was located (where else?) in the confines of Lupanar. The district was a useful place for meetings about which no one talked. There was a code there. You could pick pockets, knife people and deal illicit substances but you kept your mouth shut about other people’s business. The deeper into the place Aeria got, the more tense her body grew and the more she seemed to adopt a ready position with her halberd.
No looming shapes rose to strike her and she made her way to the warehouse door without incident. A slot opened in the door and the guard issued a challenge to which Aeria responded appropriately. The door was opened and the slim woman stepped inside before it clanged shut behind her. Aeria found herself in a space that belied its industrial exterior. It was covered in fine carpets and luxurious wall hangings, floored by broad wooden planks and well-furnished. This was another of Diamantus’ expertly disguised residences hidden within Terminus.
At the long, ornately carved wooden table that sat in the centre of the room there were three figures. The cloaked spurii recognized Diamantus’ broad shouldered frame, Laerrmont’s gigantic presence and Yulia’s slight form. Aeria would make the fourth in this group. She made her way over to the table and took her seat next to Diamantus without fanfare.
Diamantus nodded her broad head and made eye contact with each of her companions. “Ye all know why we’re here and none of us needs any introduction so let’s just get on with it. I’ve had my sources sniffin’ around and puttin’ ears to the ground but so far I got nothin’! I got a buncha people to report in still so we may get more.”
Laermont spoke up next, his voice rolling and rumbling in the cavernous space. “We can eliminate TorBru this time, there is no indication they wanted Craxtus dead. My people are no closer to identifying the poison used to murder the professor. However, there are some inquiries to be made about rogue velen elements that I am setting in motion. I hope to be able to present you with concrete leads soon.”
Yulia’s soft but authoritative voice drifted into the vast space now. “I have a colleague working on the chemical composition of the samples of whatever….killed Achille. I am confident that this person has the ability to analyze it and determine what it is. We are putting all of our resources into finding how who did this awful thing.”
Everyone turned to look at Aeria who met their gazes calmly. “As you know, I have some influence with the velen royal family and they are deploying their resources to see if any of those rebel velen elements might have struck in vengeance against Craxtus for his work assisting me with the detection system that foiled their plans for revolution.”
She sighed. “I am also putting the Societas to work on this project. Their connections and contacts will prove invaluable I’m sure. All I know is that I’m not resting until I catch the fuckers who did this and make them pay for what they’ve taken from all of us and from the world.”
Diamantus banged a meaty fist on the table and took up the metal goblet at her hand. “Let’s all raise a toast to the Professor. This is fer you, Craxtus! We’re gonna miss ya and we’re gonna make whoever did this to ya pay more than they owe!
A defiant cheer rose from the group and the atmosphere was thick with resolve. This little group would not let their friend’s death go unavenged.
She brought the weapon sharply down to her side and snapped her heels together before relaxing. Now in a quieter voice, she whispered. “I’ll miss you, you old coot.”
After the ceremony had ended, Aeria moved around the crowd, speaking to the people who had known the professor. No one had seen his death coming and shock at how someone so hale and hearty had died so rapidly was rife. The lean, slender spurii was unsure about precisely what had happened but at the moment, only the pain and loss mattered. Eventually she reached the side of a scar-faced velen with blue scales and a broad-shouldered build. Diamantus caught her hand and squeezed it. “Sorry fer yer loss, Aeria. I know how much the old guy meant ta ya. We got stuff to discuss about what happened, but it’ll wait. Just know that we got yer back in all o this!”
The next person Aeria sought out was an elderly woman with pure silver hair and a lightly wrinkled complexion. She wore a simple dress and her face was lined with sadness. The lean spurii clasped the woman’s fine boned hand in hers. “Oh Yulia! I am so sorry. If Craxtus meant a great deal to me, I know he was…so much more to you.”
Deep sadness filled Yulia’s warm voice in reply. “My heart is broken, Aeria. I’ve lost so much in losing him. I…can’t believe he’s gone…I know why though and I swear…”
Anger was leaching into her sad eyes but the spurii laid a calming hand on her arm. “I know but now’s not the place and time. Diamantus and I are going to meet later to talk about it so…if you want to be there, let me know.”
Eventually Aeria had spoken to everyone she knew, so she returned to sit beside the towering stone needle in which Craxtus’ remains were now held. It seemed like many years since she’d seen the professor, but it had only been a matter of weeks. In those weeks, his health had begun to deteriorate rapidly. He knew that what was happening to him was going to be fatal and he knew that the manner of his death would be other than natural.
Every effort had been made to discover the nature of the poison, but it was inconclusive at the time of his death. Craxtus had been focused most on who poisoned him and how once it became clear that no antidote could be found. The work was continuing in spite of the wrenching loss people had experienced.
Before the professor’s untimely demise, life had taken on a regular pattern for Aeria. Finally she had been working as an engineer, free of the worry of being arrested or pursued by the law. TorBru had continued to dog her steps, but even they had been forced to back down. There had been a sense of some holding back or softening their stance. It was not clear why but the young spurii was happy to accept their lack of interest.
At first, TorBru had seemed to be the most likely culprits in Craxtus’ death but the further the investigation had gone, the less evidence seemed to point at them. Their desire for revenge on Craxtus or need for the technology that he had designed seemed to have faded. Somewhere in the activities that she and Craxtus had undertaken was a reason for his death. If it hadn’t been their old nemesis, then who had done this? It was plaguing her not to have a target or a focus for her rage.
Laermont had warned her not to obsess over what had occurred. He told her it would consume her and that she had to try and let it go. This was proving a struggle for her. There’d been so many things she had wanted to say to the professor, but time had run out. Now she was left with nothing but memories and the desire to seek revenge for her friend.
After the funeral, she had wended her way back home. Everything felt diminished and a little shabby now, empty of meaning. She made herself a cup of tea, allowing her mind to become blank as she passed the afternoon. Concentration was almost impossible and it was a relief to just do simple tasks.
As night fell on Terminus, Aeria dressed in a simple vest, trousers and a long travelling cloak. She took up her halberd and raised the hood of her cloak, obscuring her from view. They had set a meeting at one of Diamantus’ safe houses and the contigeri was taking no risks on her way there. Paranoia had become second nature to her at this point but no tail seemed apparent.
Their rendezvous was located (where else?) in the confines of Lupanar. The district was a useful place for meetings about which no one talked. There was a code there. You could pick pockets, knife people and deal illicit substances but you kept your mouth shut about other people’s business. The deeper into the place Aeria got, the more tense her body grew and the more she seemed to adopt a ready position with her halberd.
No looming shapes rose to strike her and she made her way to the warehouse door without incident. A slot opened in the door and the guard issued a challenge to which Aeria responded appropriately. The door was opened and the slim woman stepped inside before it clanged shut behind her. Aeria found herself in a space that belied its industrial exterior. It was covered in fine carpets and luxurious wall hangings, floored by broad wooden planks and well-furnished. This was another of Diamantus’ expertly disguised residences hidden within Terminus.
At the long, ornately carved wooden table that sat in the centre of the room there were three figures. The cloaked spurii recognized Diamantus’ broad shouldered frame, Laerrmont’s gigantic presence and Yulia’s slight form. Aeria would make the fourth in this group. She made her way over to the table and took her seat next to Diamantus without fanfare.
Diamantus nodded her broad head and made eye contact with each of her companions. “Ye all know why we’re here and none of us needs any introduction so let’s just get on with it. I’ve had my sources sniffin’ around and puttin’ ears to the ground but so far I got nothin’! I got a buncha people to report in still so we may get more.”
Laermont spoke up next, his voice rolling and rumbling in the cavernous space. “We can eliminate TorBru this time, there is no indication they wanted Craxtus dead. My people are no closer to identifying the poison used to murder the professor. However, there are some inquiries to be made about rogue velen elements that I am setting in motion. I hope to be able to present you with concrete leads soon.”
Yulia’s soft but authoritative voice drifted into the vast space now. “I have a colleague working on the chemical composition of the samples of whatever….killed Achille. I am confident that this person has the ability to analyze it and determine what it is. We are putting all of our resources into finding how who did this awful thing.”
Everyone turned to look at Aeria who met their gazes calmly. “As you know, I have some influence with the velen royal family and they are deploying their resources to see if any of those rebel velen elements might have struck in vengeance against Craxtus for his work assisting me with the detection system that foiled their plans for revolution.”
She sighed. “I am also putting the Societas to work on this project. Their connections and contacts will prove invaluable I’m sure. All I know is that I’m not resting until I catch the fuckers who did this and make them pay for what they’ve taken from all of us and from the world.”
Diamantus banged a meaty fist on the table and took up the metal goblet at her hand. “Let’s all raise a toast to the Professor. This is fer you, Craxtus! We’re gonna miss ya and we’re gonna make whoever did this to ya pay more than they owe!
A defiant cheer rose from the group and the atmosphere was thick with resolve. This little group would not let their friend’s death go unavenged.