Vescrutia: Legacy

"Can't even see the Astral in the horizon anymore." Kai was soaring through the air on silver wings. It had been quite some time since he'd touched Vescrutian soil, a few years actually. His wounds had fully healed and he was back in his fighting prime for some time. He had even picked up some new tricks in his time there.

He propelled himself through desert lands, the scenery quickly changing to lush meadows. The angel was on his way to a village that was unnamed, but was marked on the map he acquired from his pirate exploits. If it didn't hold information on one of the three remaining artifacts, it was still important for some reason. Kai just had to find out how. Thankfully for him, it just so happened there were some things that needed to be...taken care of in that particular area.

The mission was simple: Kai was to survey the town and surrounding areas in search for a particularly brutish band of gangsters that were terrorizing the good folks that lived there. Once they were located, their entire ranks, from foot soldiers to the man in charge were to be eliminated swiftly. No mercy. Kai would have to rely on his Siviar training. He couldn't let emotions or morals get in the way of his blade.

After flying for about an hour, Kai finally saw buildings coming up in the distance. His wings vanished as the angel dropped from his low glide into a stride that never lost momentum. He slid to a stop in the dusty outskirts of the town, several miles away. He couldn't see any enemies or feel any hostile movement. "Perfect. Seems like everything is calm for the moment." Kai pulled the muffler around his neck over his mouth and nose and casually strolled towards civilization.

Kai was surprised to see the town bustling and thriving, as reports had said the town had been ransacked. Yet Kai saw no evidence of this in the attitudes of the people. They roamed as though all the information he gathered was false. But Kai took a closer look at everything. There were definitely signs of struggle, a battle. The silver ring around his eyes enveloped the whole iris. The focus was no longer on the observation of the citizens, but the energy left behind by their assailants. Whatever had happened there, there was a lot of Naten thrown around. The angel was able to analyze a vast amount of the techniques used, half of which he was already familiar with or had already added to his repertoire. "Class C techniques mostly, a few Class B. These guys are small fries posing as big fish." Riviera's Gaze continued to scan and analyze. "This energy is a few days old. Hopefully I have some time to see what's up before they come back." So, Kai headed to the direction that seemed to be attracting the most foot traffic. Of course, it was the local bar.

Kai was well aware of the eyes that fell on him as he sat on a stool and waited for the bartender. He scanned the room and though he was met with glares, none of them were a threat. Numbers that could be dealt with swiftly. Riviera's Gaze gave him an estimate of their abilities. Their was, however, a figure surrounded by a group of cheerful patrons. Though they hadn't given off hostility, Kai could feel they might actually be able to keep up with him.

"Oy, what'a'ya 'ave?" Kai turned around to a bartender in his face.

"A shot of the strongest thing you've got," Kai replied. The barkeep grabbed a bottle from the shelf and poured it into a glass. He slid it to Kai who downed it in a single gulp. "Question: if I was looking for the nosiest person in town-"

"'at'a be Riddick. Nosy little bastard. Knows about everything going on in town."

"And where can I find this 'Riddick'"?

"'ouse on the hill in the east."

Kai nodded and left money to pay for the drink, information, and a tip. He walked out and looked in the direction he was told, spotting a modest house in the distance. As he walked to house, Kai took a moment to enjoy the peace of his detective work. While he enjoyed the thrill of combat, the tranquility before couldn't be underestimated. After all, the Siviars had taught him to cherish every moment of the mission.

Kai approached the door to the house, thanking the stars that it was daytime. In a situation like the one he was in, people tended to be less cautious in the light... usually. He rapped on the door loud enough to be heard but not hard enough to be confused as a threat.

He waited a beat.

Birds chirped as they flew above. Footsteps on the other side of the door. An eye peered at Kai through a glass hole in the door before opening it.

"You ain't one of those thugs." The bearded old man wore a face of intrigue with no hostility. Kai wasn't a threat to the old man, yet something told him if Kai crossed him, the angel would actually have to try.

"I'm not, sir. But I heard about the trouble this town has been having. Mind if we talk?"

Riddick motioned for Kai to step inside, closing the door once he was inside. Though they had appeared to be scrubbed, the walls and floor had faded stains of red. Obviously blood. Riddick was clearly more capable than Kai already gauged. "Seems you can take care of yourself," Kai said to Riddick, not hiding his impression.

"You here to arrest me or something?" Riddick questioned with a raised eyebrow?

"Please, I'm not anybody of the sort," Kai replied with a chuckle. "I heard that you're the one I need to talk to if I want info on what's going on."

"You mean, you heard I'm nosy," Riddick replied with a snort. He moved to the front room and waved at Kai to sit in a wicker chair. Kai sat, taking note of my blood stains on the coffee table that sat in the middle of the room.

"Nosy is a matter of perspective. You could just be looking out for your town," Kai said. "Information gathering isn't an easy or thankful job at times."

"I take it you would know," Riddick retorted. Kai smirked.

"These...'thugs', they attacked as recently as last night, right?"

"You can tell just by looking at some scrubbed blood stains?" Riddick questioned.

"I have good senses," Kai replied. "Apparently so do you. How many came after you?"

"Eight. None of them made it out alive."

Kai whistled. "Not bad, old timer."

"I'm seasoned."

"Clearly. How many more were in town?"

"Forty men and women. All of them had powerful abilities. The damage could've been more severe. But the attack was swift this time. Almost like they were mocking us."

"Forty men is a lot for a joke. No, they were here for something, and they found it." Kai sighed. That put him at a disadvantage.

"How can you be so sure?" Riddick questioned.

"I've had my fair share of experiences with bandits. With numbers like that, they're usually looking for something or someone." Kai looked at Riddick. "And they probably assumed you knew where to look. They were calculated."

"Those bodies in my backyard miscalculated," Riddick replied.

"Any idea what they could've been looking for?"

Riddick thought for a moment. "This town is supposed to be built as a 'wellspring of knowledge'. Though we don't have too many visitors, the citizens here travel out and bring back all the research they acquire."

"You're a town of scholars?"

"Explorers. Scholars don't fight the way most of can."

"Yet you all get attacked by powerful bandits." Kai scoffed. "Can't you tell that they're looking for something in particular?"

"I don't know what it is, and it doesn't concern me."

Kai's eyes narrowed. "Any idea who would?"