Case 3 - Conclusion & Epilogue

[oneiros]

Conclusion
It is about a week after you turned over Mezalarine and Vo’lon to the Heavenly authorities before you start to hear anything. During this time, Red and Ennico are questioned by the Committee for Eperopolitan Stability (part of the Celestial Security Agency) regarding the affair with Arad the Hunter. You are left distinctly uneasy by the questioning as if they’re trying to intimate that there was something suspicious in your narrow-fought victory.

Unsurprisingly, it is Spinning Pyramid who spots the first changes taking place at the Bureau of Seasons.

She reports that Mezalarine has stepped down from his position as the Lord of Mist & Fogs on grounds of ill health. In addition Vo’lon has been reassigned, demoted to being a liaison officer with the water courts of the western Blessed Isle. Rumours float through of some others being docked salary or changing positions. Tapping some other contacts you find out that Bisora has been transferred to the Bureau of Nature to lead one of their Terrestrial field cataloguing teams. Rastelliz and Carin-Poi appear to have taken salary hits, with the fire god even having to cancel a soiree he had been intending. A little further digging indicates that Mezalarine has actually been remanded to the Sanitarium of Lambent Tranquility, an institution run by the Division of Good Health (part of the Bureau of Heaven’s Department of Abstract Concerns).

Extract-of-Citrine, the alchemist-god Shroud hired to examine the bark stain returns a verdict that it is dissolved soulsteel glass… a material that would require a very specific type of acid to melt. However, the same day that you receive this, a brief statement from the Department of Celestial Concerns is released saying that their investigation into the death of the communications god Taroc has been completed, with the Celestial Coroner recording a verdict of suicide. The statement continues that Taroc was posthumously convicted of offensive behaviour towards a superior and sentenced to be turned into starmetal.

The last bit of news comes from Red Dawn when he visits the Imperial Academy in Meru, HQ for the Capital Convention, and sees that the personnel roster has been amended. The status for Eternal Sunshine now reads “On Detached Duty to the CSA”. As you make careful inquiries, you find that the hapless Oracle has been seconded to the Taskforce for Sidereal Retrievals, the group assigned to identify and pick-up those candidates destined for Sidereal Exaltation. But you get the feeling that whilst even he cannot screw up this kind of assignment, something does not feel right…

[oneiros]

Epilogue
A nondescript room, it could be any meeting room in any one of a thousand administrative buildings. This one happens to look over a shady park where, far below, an animated statue of silver and jade dances on its pedestal in sinuous motions. There are two persons present, one looking out of the window, their back to the other.

“There is discontent I gather.”

“You could say that but nothing I can’t handle. For all their power and intelligence some of them still need cosseting. T in particular worries about what recent events will do to him personally. We need to keep a closer eye on him – he may be getting involved in other activities which could draw unwanted scrutiny to him. There is a risk of association.”

“I’m well aware of what he’s doing. If I think it will jeopardise our plans, I will make appropriate arrangements.”

The seated figure nodded. There was no need to elaborate. “I am somewhat disappointed though that they took their findings directly to the censors. It has made things somewhat awkward.”

“How so?”

“O has had to use her power to block release of certain parts of the transcripts but I can’t see them pushing against that really since whoever is really behind the so-called League of Stalwart Seasons has much to lose if it were to go public. The starblade was an interesting ploy, if somewhat overt-” The speaker halted at a stifled laugh from the figure at the window.

“You know who authorised it don’t you?”

“Yes, and so do you, although you can’t prove it especially since Warden Jagreth is unbribable and so will not casually tell. But given there are only four who can actually do so, the options are limited. What is interesting is why they did so. It tipped their hand too much. Ennico was not that much of a threat and at the time was nowhere near close to figuring out that there was Heavenly involvement and from his own division no less.”

“It will be interesting to see if he pursues that line of inquiry but I suspect he will find himself stymied. But as I was saying, the main problem is not so much that the information has been sealed but that it is there at all. I had hoped that Celestial Concerns would have no records regarding Zeran.”

“You’re certain it is Zeran-Dubuth that was being sought?”

The figure at the table nodded. “Yes, another investigation has confirmed that. What is fortunate though, is that we have the advantage on anyone else who might seek to use that information. I don’t think they know that our lot have one of the pieces for the machine in Jamara and from what I’ve seen of the other information the groups have passed each other, the other stormbreakers are fairly inaccessible. Securing them is definitely not going to be a quick or easy task for anyone. Even the one in the Imperial Manse and they dare not use that one because of the discharge.”

“So this particular bout of manoeuvring is at an end?”

“For the time being. They are probably going to have to regroup and restrategise. The official developments are disconcerting though. Emerald Viper showed up as advocate for both Mezalarine and Vopharanexillon. That’s why Mezalarine has ended up in the Sanitarium instead of as starmetal. We are informed though that he did not seem… satisfied to be defending them.”

“I’m not surprised. What about the CES investigation into the Arad incident?”

“At the last Board meeting, Dakuzar said that the interviews with Red and Ennico had not yielded anything substantial enough to apply formal charges, so they are in the clear. For now at least. There will be a mark on their files however, which will naturally affect Red more than Ennico.”

“We’ll leave that for now. How is the new one faring.”

“Well it seems. His assistance to Shroud in mapping the administrative changes at the Bureau of Seasons was valuable so he appears to have justified his inclusion on the back-up list. We’ll need to scout another to be a substitute but I think I’ll leave that to H, it’s his turn to nominate.”

The figure at the window shrugged as they stared at a person who had entered the park below. “I leave that in your capable hands.” The person stared at the moving statue before raising their own flute and playing a haunting melody that seemed reminiscent of some of the music being played recently over the Yellow Paved Road. “Was there anything else?”

“Nothing major for now. I think they’ll be busy with their ordinary duties for a while.”

“Very well.”

The seated figure rose and adjusted the wrinkles from their dress before reading for departure.

“Oh, before you go, I heard an interesting rumour regarding Eternal Sunshine.”

“Really? He’s been assigned to the Retrieval Taskforce now. Seems like he’s resigned to being the fall guy for other people’s schemes.”

“Yes and no. Though I suspect there’s more to him than meets the eye. However, whilst he is on the Retrieval Taskforce now, have you noticed that all his other assignments have been held or handed on?”

“That’s… unusual…”

“He’s actually been assigned a hunting target.”

“To neutralise a rogue? Which one?”

With the bright light of Jupiter’s star shining through the window, the figure turned, a knowing smirk playing across the lips. “Guess…”