Flipping the pages of the book that I borrowed from the library, which was titled 'Mother of Demon', I grabbed the glass of water beside me and focused on the content of the book, while jotting them down on a piece of paper with my other hand.
According to the author, Drequy Malarial, the Mother of Demon was the first wife of the first man who was exiled from Paradise after refusing to bow down to her husband. During her exile, she met a fallen angel, who was also cast out just like her. Together, they fell in love and began to produce demons and creatures descended from the Fire.
The Mother of Demon was extremely dangerous if they met her face-to-face. She was known to shape shift into another form based on her victim's subconscious and if cursed by her wrath, the victim may find themselves slipping into insanity and their lifespan reduced in half.
Okay, I guess I don't want to meet this Mother of Demon after reading that entire passage, I thought, feeling both of my palms clammy. Let's see what else does it says here.
For safety reasons, he or she or they must not mention her real name, or she will come to you in your dreams. Many victims who encountered her in their dreams were either in a coma or were found dead. If by any chance the victim survived their dream, they would experienced a never-ending nightmare until they were driven to suicide.
There is no cure or remedy for her curse, unfortunately, so the victim must find a way to gain control in her own life and learn to keep themselves sane from all the pain they endured around them.
I must say, the Mother of Demon is a dangerous creature that I would never want to meet at all.
I turned to another and found more about her, making me groan. The Mother of Demon has an irresistible charm towards all creatures she met, regardless whether they're humans, faeries, demons, or animals. Copulating with the Mother of Demon is extremely dangerous and anyone who did will die in a slow manner.
Making a deal with her is also a bad idea as they will have to offer a blood sacrifice in exchange for whatever they desire, such as wealth and happiness. Failure to do so will cause the Mother of Demon to take their lives instead. Most of the victims who made a deal with her ended up exploding into pieces, leaving blood splattered everywhere.
Just like what happened to James Larthow and the Chief of Peersom. They made a deal with the Mother of Demon, and they had to pay the price because of that. Geez, she's basically someone that you don't want to play a fool with, especially when it comes to your own life.
As I was about to flip to another page of the book, Cass burst the door open of our dorm and bend down, catching her breath. "The Sarge wants all of us in the briefing room right now!"
"I'll be there, pal," I replied, as I put my book down and got up from my bunk, stretching my arms and legs. Tying my hair into a bun with my blue ribbon, I ran after Cass through the hallway while avoiding some cadets from another group. Looks like my research about the Mother of Demon will have to be continued after the mission, I guess.
Stepping inside the briefing room, both of us stood in a straight line and guarded our hands behind as Sergeant A'tynn faced us behind the round table. "Alright, cadets, we have a mission today."
As usual. I wonder what kind of mission he is giving us this time?
"There was a murder in the clock tower at Jalinde. Apparently, a worker was found dead this morning by his colleagues and his boss. I need all of you to go there and investigate this matter effectively immediately. Am I clear?"
"Sir, yes, sir!"
"At ease, cadets."
Loosening our strict posture, I followed my friends towards the stable and hopped onto my horse, Mara, who neighed at me in a happy manner. "You miss me, buddy?" I cooed, feeding her an apple that I bought at the farmers' market yesterday. "I know you do, I know you do."
Nat pretended to gag while Cass giggled underneath her breath, making me roll my eyes. "Shut up, you two. I never had a pet horse before, okay?"
"Such a sad life you had, Bugs," he pouted his lips, as I climbed on my horse.
"Whatever, Bluey. At least I don't think with my dick anyways."
We exchanged laughter as the Sarge arrived at horseback, prompting us to focus on our current task, riding to Jalinde, which is 13 hours away from here. God, why is everything so damn far in Angelis?
"Follow my lead, and stick together," ordered the Sarge, as he led us away from our base, driving on the dirt road which will bring us inside the deep, dark forest. I stared at the bright sky above me, my eyes squinting at the scorching, yellowish sun and shifted my focus to the front, hoping not to bump myself into a tree, like the last time.
"Pretty hot today, huh?" I sighed, fanning myself with my right hand.
"Oh, am I radiating too much of my handsomeness, Bugs?" Nat joked, making me groan in frustration.
"You know, Nat, I really pity your future wife. She must be suffering all day long."
"Does anyone ever tell you how boring you are, 'cause you seem to ruin the mood every time someone tells a joke?"
"At least I don't think with my dick, Bluey."
"Hey guys," Cass spoke. "Could you take your lovers quarrel elsewhere?"
My eyes widened at her statement. "Uh, excuse me, Cass, but I have a boyfriend back home, so yeah, don't get any idea."
"Feelings can change, Bugsy. After all, high school sweethearts never last long. I know because I used to date a guy throughout the entire year of schooling. We eventually separate after that due to different plans and goals."
That can't be true, Cass. Ferdinand and I are different, you know. We knew each other since we were kids, and we made a promise to always be there for each other, no matter what.
"Not to interrupt your lovely conversations," Sergeant A'tynn joined. But Cass does have a good point, Bugsy. Teenage romance never lasts long, no matter what. I mean, I know there are exceptions but based on my experience, it's difficult to maintain them. Eventually, you both have different ideas on what you want to do in the future and sometimes, well, you'll have to think about yourself."
I tightened my lips. "But what if you don't want your boyfriend to leave? What do I do to stop him from breaking up?"
"Then you have to let him go. Let him pursue his dreams elsewhere. It's selfish to stop him from doing what he loves, you know."
"But that means-"
"Yeah, your first heartbreak. Believe me, that shit hurts, even to this day, but you will get over it eventually. It's like yesterday I was together with my Lucia and now, we have never even seen each other for decades, actually."
But I don't want to leave Ferdinand. We were perfect for each other. Why would I want to leave him, after all the good things he's done to me?
"The point is, Bugsy, I know you love him very much, but with the circumstances you're in right now, is it even possible to maintain a relationship with him? You both haven't even spoken to each other for months now, let alone visit each other. And since your world is currently at war, are you certain that he's still alive? Maybe you should think about it whenever you're off-duty, you know."
As much as I want to argue with him, he does have a point. I'm not even sure if Ferdinand is still alive. The last time I saw him was at my dad's funeral. Even then, we hardly said a word to each other at all, or sat next to each other. I don't know. I love Ferdinand. He was my best friend since we were five, but he has dreams of becoming an actor when he's older, while I want to run for mayor of Slaborough. He wants to leave, while I wish to return after studying in a top university. Gah, why is it so hard to even choose right now?
The entire trip was silent as we continued riding into our pathway, surrounded by large trees and shrubberies. As the blue sky began to fade into a dark colour, my goosebumps sprouted all over my skin as the hot, humid air was replaced with an icy wind that made my teeth chatter.
Goodness, why is it so cold? How do people even survive in this place?
Noticing me shivering, Nat rode closer to me and tossed a long blanket at me, giving me a wink. "Hope you don't mind."
I smiled as I wrapped it around my armour. "Thanks, Bluey, but won't you get cold as well?"
"We faeries are immune to the cold. Impressive, huh?"
"Impressive? Now you made me wish I was a faerie."
"Funny," Gatsby spoke. "I thought you humans are immune to the cold."
"Not really," I shook my head. "We had to wear layers and layers of clothing to keep ourselves warm. Not to mention that we even get sick and depressed because of it."
"Sad, sad life," Lani sighed. "We're out here playing happily in the snow while you're just standing there and freeze to death."
"Well, at least I can touch iron and salt, unlike you guys."
"Touche," Cass fingers a gun at me. "Those things could ward us away from you humans."
"Agree. My aunt made me wear an iron cross around my neck to keep me away from faeries."
"Wow, Bugsy. I am actually offended by your statement."
"Actually, she has a point," the Sarge said. "There have been many cases where faeries would take human babies from their parents and replace it with their own, without anyone noticing. Your aunt was right about making you wear the amulet, otherwise you would have suffered a terrible fate like them."
I raised my eyebrows in confusion. "What kind of terrible fate?"
"Well, some humans were made personal slaves to their faeries masters, some were also made as their spouse, forcefully, and others, well, I rather not dwell on that subject. It's too much for you to handle. I even refuse to talk about it as a grown-man."
Okay, I guess I shouldn't be thinking about that then.
As the blue moon beamed in the night sky, we arrived at the nearby campsite. We got down from our horses and gathered some firewood that was piled up in the corner of a large, oak tree. Rubbing the small twigs against the woods, I managed to set up the campfire, which I learned from being a Scout.
Sitting in between Cass and Nat, I grabbed a white, ration bar from my pocket and took a bite. It was chalky and bland, like the biscuit that I ate once during church service on Slaborough every Sunday, before Father Conrad was exposed for his crimes against me.
I will never forget that incident, no matter how much I try to. I looked at my severed toes every morning I woke up and sighed. My brain will replay that memory whenever it wants to, despite my objection.
"Just wondering, but why do faeries hate humans so much?" I asked. "I mean, folks here had called me 'meatbag' and I'm just curious on why o they call me that?"
"Before the creation of man, the Earth was roamed by all sorts of creature that the Lord had created, which were faeries, elves, mermaids, you name it," explained the Sarge. "We were thriving as a society, until the human had come along. We were welcoming at first, and they accepted our hospitality, and over time, as the years went by, we were working together as a team."
"Then what happened?" Lani invoked a question. "How did we ended up hating each other?"
"Humans have gotten greedy and selfish. They take what they want, and they never do the same for us. Slowly, they started claiming our lands one-by-one, and they built weapons against us if we refused their demands. They even resorted to kidnapping our own kind and using them as slaves. We got sick of it, so our Queen had made another realm, where we don't have to worry about humans encroaching our territories."
I breathed. "That sounds like a lot like the European colonizers towards the indigenous tribes of Blanca."
Nat raised one of his eyebrows at me. "I'm sorry, what?"
"Well, there was a race of humans who wiped out another race of humans just so that they can live there," I simplified the facts for him, making him nod. Finally, that idiot can understand me.
"Whether we're humans or faeries, we must treat each other with respect, no matter our appearance. That's because one human decided to kill one of us, doesn't mean we're all the same. We may be different, but we must embrace them and learn how to cooperate with each other to band against evil. That is the first code of the Knights of Moon. Respect others regardless of race, religion, sexuality, and background."
"I understand, Sarge," I agreed, yawning.
"We should hit the sack," said Gatsby. "We need to find the murderer the next day."
In the morning, we arrived in the town of Jalinde after hours of riding on the road. The local Guard, Thorn Oswald, who was inspecting the crime scene, approached the Sarge and shook his hands. "It's been a while, Sarge. I see you have gained some weight."
"What do you expect from a father of three?" He bellowed. "Besides, my wife has been feeding me with her delicious cooking."
"I can tell," Thorn laughed along, gesturing us to follow him inside the clock tower. The interior was much bigger than I expected, with a spiral-like staircase leading all the way up to the top floor, along with a lift for shortcuts. The large chime of the clock boomed, telling us that it was already twelve in the afternoon. I imagine this was what the inside of Big Ben in London looked like.
"As you heard, the worker, Izing Powet, was murdered two nights ago while he was cleaning up the tower. From what his boss told me in the morning, the murderer broke in through the back door and killed him while he was moping in the corridors right here," he pointed at the chalk-drawing of the victim, with blood splattered in the middle. "The victim was killed with a knife, judging by the autopsy but unfortunately, there was no weapon left behind."
"Any suspects so far?" the Sarge asked his old friend of his.
"So far, we have questioned his wife, his next door neighbour and his co-workers, but we haven't really found anything useful so far, unfortunately."
"In that case, I'll send my best cadets to question them. I'm sure they will find our killer who was responsible for this."
"Good man," Thorn smiled. "I'll leave you in charge of this, Sarge."
As the Guard left us, Sergeant A'tynn turned to us, eyeing me. "Alright, the murderer of Izing Powet is roaming around town and it is our job to find him and hand him over to the Guards. Bugsy, I need you to select a few people in your team and question the workers in this clock tower."
"Sir, yes, sir," I gave a salute.
"Lani, you and your team will question Izing's wife and his families while Quinn's group will go around and ask all of his neighbours. Understood?"
"Sir, yes, sir!"
"At ease, cadets."
As we spread around, I gestured Cass, Nat and Gatsby to follow me through the corridors, heading towards the lift, which brought us to the towers. The four of us arrived at the top floor and noticed the gears and machines were spinning round and round like a carousel in Slaborough's carnival.
The workers were dressed in bright yellow helmets, long-sleeved shirts and denim overalls, their hands covered in gloves. Wearing their safety googles, they were working on the machines that makes the clock's hand change every minute and every hour.
Taking a deep breath, I cleared my throat and approached a man, who was holding a wrench. "Excuse me, sir," I hesitated, catching his attention. "But do you have a moment for a few questions regarding Izing Powet?"
"Izing Powet, eh?" he answered in his harsh voice. "Well, I knew him pretty well."
"That's great," Cass smiled. "We need all the help we could get to find the killer as soon as possible."
"First question, where were you when Izing was murdered?"
"I was at home, with my wife and my two year old daughter," he recalled, initiating eye contact with me. "I only knew about the murder when I got here in the morning."
"Interesting, how close are you with the janitor?"
"We just talk to each other whenever he's cleaning in this area. He's nice to everyone he meets."
"Do you know anyone whose close with him?" Nat asked him.
"Well, he's quite close with Amos Bondy. They were good friends with each other."
Bingo. "And where do I find this Mr Amos Bondy?"
"I haven't seen him since the murder. From what I heard from the boss, he called in sick the day before his friend's murder."
Looks like we found our prime suspect, Amos Bondy. Good friends with Izing Powet, were not seen on the day of the murder at work, such a perfect formula for a killer.
"Thank you for your cooperation, sir," Gatsby shook hands with him as we headed inside the lift, on the way to meet the chief.
"So, what now?" Nat asked, clueless, as usual.
"Now, we just need to report to the chief and maybe he'll ask us to find Amos Bondy and question him, Bluey."
He snorted. "I know that, Bugs. I'm just playing around with you."
"You always do that to every girl you like," Cass groaned, making us blush.
"Cass is playing around with you two," Gatsby laughed. "Am I right, Cass?"
"No, I'm serious, guys. Nat always trying his best to charm you, Bugsy. I mean, he even admitted to me that he likes you very much."
Squirming in embarrassment, Nat could only rubbed his temples as I scratched the back of my neck, trying to comprehend her words. 451Please respect copyright.PENANAxQb8cuZG8e
As much as I want to think about it, right now, we have a job to do, and puppy love isn't one of them, unfortunately.
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