As the darkens of the tunnel let up, shapes began to appear, converging into a single group of half a dozen people. They laughed and smoked in the shadowy corners, mocking each other.
Ori paid them no mind. His umbrella led the way down the middle, and once he was close enough, the group shifted from the side and converged around him like a flock of blackbirds.
He saw the glimpses of their faces, the smiles that circled him and whispered violent things into his ears.
"No safe place this one," said the first, as he pressed a blade against his cheek.
"Something might befall the uninvited."
"You look like you have something for us," said another with eyes that had quite the distance between them.
"Do not make me shake you up, and see what falls out," said the third.
Their voices echoed against the walls of the tunnel and their faces became clearer as they closed the gap between them and Ori, who in turn made neither a move nor a sound. His body was still, his hand firmly holding the umbrella as if it held his entire weight.
"What will you do, rabbit?" said the fourth, who outdid all others in size.
"I don't know if it's good or bad, but this city never seems to change," returned Ori, in a low, almost unintelligible voice. "Find something better to do with your time. I'm not interested."
The six burst out laughing. Their teeth glimmered and tattled but Ori's cold bright eyes remained focused on the light outside the tunnel.
One of the men, shorter than the rest, and sporting a fishing hat, landed a hand on Ori's shoulder. Then, with a toothpick at the edge of his mouth said, "Who do you think you are?"
"Orelin?" said a voice from the outside. "Is that you down there?"
"Yes, it is," returned Ori, shoving the intruding limb off his shoulder. He then proceeded to elegantly take the glove off his left hand and present the crowd with a peculiar shape on the surface of his skin, made of sharp edges and small dots that filled it from the inside.
It glowed in the darkness like pure moonlight and made their eyes twinkle as they peered at it from all sides.
"What's that? Your Idiots Anonymous brand?" Said the last of them, through his missing front teeth.
The taller one instantly slapped the back of his friend's head and pulled him back in line. With half-raised hands, they took careful steps away from the magical investigator.
Bit by bit they fell into the darkness behind Ori, and once they were out of reach they ran as fast as their legs could carry them.
"Are you tormenting the locals again?" said Estinar as he peeked under the vaulted exit, right at the foot of the stairs that led to the train station. His hair stood slightly lifted in the air as if he was about to get struck by lighting.
"It's not my fault they always put a portal in the sewers," Ori returned fixing his coat.
"Did you anger the director again?"
"No."
"No, you didn't, or no, she just hates you for good measure?"
"Why are you here Estinar? No one told me they'd be sending us both. Is there something more to the case I don't know about?" said Ori and pushed the umbrella under his arm. Something in the air began to grab his attention. "Strawberries?"
"Straw… huh? Anyway, I'm just passing through. I was here first but something came up on that old Lamara case I am working on. So they sent you instead. Sorry to ruin your vacation." Estinar tilted his head towards the other side of the street, where a long red tape circled a crime scene.
He lounged towards it in swift steps, forcing his blue velvet coat to defy gravity as it tried to catch up with his strides.
Ori followed, but with much less enthusiasm.
"What do you know of this?" Ori asked once they passed the gates to the park.
"It happened around midnight, most likely before the last train. They closed everything from the corner of Hope and Delliner to the other end of the Arbinger Park."
"Isn't that a bit too much? We are not chasing a rabid necromancer, are we?" Ori faced a slight disappointment. There was no sign of there being a serious case, and he had no interest in dealing with crimes of such common nature, even if it involved murder.
A small group of people in bright plastic suites moved around like a swarm of flies circling a meal. Right beside them was a woman who could not stop prancing around the crime scene with her arms crossed and a dreadful look imprinted on her face.
"This is Detective Tamon," said Estinar outstretching his hand towards Myra, who in turn slid the latex gloves off her hands and shoved them in her pockets. Her cold eyes were enough of a warning. "She will be aiding the investigation."
"Aiding? We'll see about that." Myra smirked and tilted her head like a confused dog. "Are you a magic specialist as well?" She lifted her chin in Ori's direction.
"I am."
"And what's so special about you?"
Ori bent forward, but Estinar placed his arm in the way.
"Let's not go there," he whispered in Ori's ear. "Too many eyes."
"I suggest you go home and catch some werewolves or whatever it is you do. Leave this one to me," she argued.
"Someone has been murdered, Detective. I don't think they have a preference on who solves the crime." Estinar insisted. "The sooner you get to work the sooner you'll be parting ways. I assume that's what everyone wants."
Myra pulled on her ear and took several steps closer. The air became saturated with disdain and only a thin red tape prevented it from slipping over.
"This is my case. I will not hand it over, magic or not. So, don't get in my way because I am not afraid of you."
Before Ori could protest, she lifted the tape just enough for them to still have to bend low to get passed it.
"Listen, Ori," Estinar said once they were near the body, and away from Myra's ears. "I don't have to tell you this, but please make sure this goes well, for both our sakes."
"What about her?" Ori said once he saw Myra approaching.
"Don't worry about her. Just assume she hates your guts and move on." He smiled as she got closer, and then began to move away.
"I'll be taking my leave now. Can't keep the director waiting."
He skipped over the stones in the park, careful not to get his coat wet, and soon enough was gone out of sight.
"Tell me. What do you see?" said Myra kneeling beside the dead body.
It was a young man with pale skin wearing the green uniform of Frollan University, stained with mud and blood equally. His face retained a gruesome expression as if it cramped up and never released, even in death. He was missing one of his shoes and the other foot had long bloody cuts on it, full of dirt.
"Not as much as you, I presume?"
"Cheeky. Tell me what you see and be quick about it, the body's been here too long already." Her voice deepened as she put the gloves back on.
Ori looked at the sky before answering. It was beginning to clear up. The train station across the street was filling up with people despite the circumstances. He took a deep breath and collected his thoughts on everything around him.
"Young male, early twenties. Most likely a student at the Frollan, and if so, most likely not from this part of town. Judging from the watch on his wrist this was not a robbery, and judging by the lacerations on his foot he was running. The weather conditions were not optimal last night so I assume a lot of the evidence has probably already been lost. There are seven cuts on his back that I can see and one at the base of the skull which is most likely the one that killed him. He was being hunted, that's my conclusion. Your turn Detective."
Myra nodded and circled the body.
"Marus Olif, 23, honorary student of philosophy at the Frollan University. Residence at the North Pellis, rich parents, no connections to this part of town and no apparent enemies. No history of drug use, no driver's licence and no previous convictions. Last seen at a party in Galari, eight years ago, and buried ten days after."
"Two victims, one body," said Ori, partially lost in thought.
"Now you do what you came here to do and tell me how that happens," Myra demanded.
"Is there magic here? Do you sense any... tingling?" She smirked but Ori did not find it funny.
"You seem quite invested in that theory," he answered coldly, ignoring her taunts.
"Has the exhumation order been given for the first victim?"
"Ah well, we'll have to wait on DNA results to get permission. But rest assured, it will match."
"How's that?"
"Because this is one shit day, wizard, and no magic unicorns can fix that."
The time on the victim's watch caught her eye and her shoulders dropped. It was already time to go. She rubbed her eyes and cut through the line of gathering people like they were nothing more than ragged dolls.
Ori remained inside the red circle, watching the body get covered and carried away. He could not help but wonder where the smell of strawberries came from.