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Novelo Rectangle

Six steps separated Cairon from the outside world; the freedom he waited so patiently for over the last week. It wasn’t like the charges would stick anyway, but he had too many strikes to ignore. Besides, this job was the highest paying yet, so it was worth it.	Regardless, he took those steps down the courthouse stairs and went on his way down the road. When he was clear from the porcelain building, he ducked into the nearest alley and routed a course back to his stash. Even though he was caught, he was able to hide away a few items from his most recent heist. Most of it was what he was paid to take, but there was one item he wanted to make sure he kept to himself.	There was an old fisherman shack by a bridge that was supposed to cross the lake, but the project was discontinued and the bridge was left unfinished. The shack itself was abandoned when the bridge was built since it was meant to be destroyed, but it never was. Since Cairon lived nearby at the time, he found the spot useful for hiding out when skipping school, back before he dropped out.	On the way to the waterfront, he passed a group of people, and immediately after, he noticed what felt like a presence watching over him. It wasn’t like other times he was being watched. It was as if he was put in a bubble made for the sole observation of a few.	Looking for any direction this gaze could have been coming from, he noticed a lack of presence where he was sure something should have existed within the shadows. Taking it as a sign, he turned down the nearest alleyway, making sure to make it look like a natural progression of his previous movements. Once he was halfway down the alley, he stopped and looked around for another void, like the one he noticed before. When he found it, he said, “What’s up?”	Out of the shadows, a small figure took a step forward. They wore a black cloak and a blank white mask. “We have another job for you.” Their voice was monotone.	“I didn’t even finish the last job, remember? Some of the stuff is still hidden.”	“No, we got that. We also made sure to leave your payment there as well.”	“Alright, but I can’t just do another job so soon. I just got out.”	“Soon, then. We’ll return.” The small figure backed into the shadows and vanished alongside their watchful gaze.	With a sigh, Cairon made his way to the waterfront and settled between the shack and the bridge. Removing some of the loose bricks of the unfinished bridge, he opened the hidden cache, where he put anything worth hiding. He searched and found everything he hid there was all accounted for. However, something was still missing. The items he stole on his last job were gone. Three small bags of valuables. After a bit of measured searching, he found a single crystal bullet barely reflecting what little light made it into the opening. It was sitting on top of a new small bag of coins. This was his prize and the one item he wanted to keep. He didn’t have time to take the gun it was lying next to, but the bullet was more than enough to sell for a profit. It just so happened to be the reward that was left for him as well.	“Are you satisfied now?” The voice of the small figure from before landed softly on Cairon’s ear from the shadows nearby.	He took a breath to sigh, but said, “I don’t feel like sighing again. What do you want?” He started examining the crystal bullet in his hands.	“We have a job for you.”	“I know that. You guys don’t follow people unless you really want something. What is it? I don’t have time for games.”	“Think of it as a favor.”	Completely taken aback, Cairon whipped his head around to face the small figure. The blank mask made reading their face impossible and their voice was as monotone as before. “Correct me if I just happened to go deaf, but you just said it’s a favor, right?”	The figure nodded.	“I’m assuming I have to agree before you tell me what it is?”	The figure nodded again.	“Then, I’m out.” Cairon started restacking the bricks. “That last one was just barely worth it. I feel like another one like that would mean risking my life.”	The figure nodded. “Even so, this one will be more worth it than anything.”	“If it’s that worth it, can’t you do it? Or is it one of those things you need a disposable pawn for?”	“The truth it is, then. This isn’t a favor for us. It’s a favor for you.”	Confused, Cairon stopped stacking bricks and looked up at the figure. “And why would I need to do myself a favor?”	“Because I was sent to kill you if you don’t. This is your only warning.”	Cairon paused for an extended period. He wasn’t sure how to respond. If they did try to kill him, he’d be at a disadvantage with his back to the wall. In the end, he just waited for the figure to speak again.	“Agree to this ‘favor’ or you die. Your choice.”	Having already weighed his options, Cairon turned and sat with his back against bricks that were still cemented in place. “Alright, what’s the job?”	“Two-fold. First, you’re to find the gun that belongs with that bullet. The gun and the family that owned it went missing after you stole the bullet.”	Despite what he was told until then, Cairon was just now wandering what kind of mess he got himself into. “They went missing... And the bullet’s not a reward?”	“No. It turns out, separating those artifacts was a grave mistake. One that warrants killing you if you don’t comply. The second part is to kill someone.”	“You’re not sugar-coating it, huh? Is it whoever has the gun?”	“We don’t know. We’ll contact you on that matter when it becomes relevant. For now, you only need to concern yourself with finding the gun.”	“You mean, ‘we’ as in you or ‘we’ as in the guild?”	The figure pressed a gloved hand against their chest. “Us.”	“Alright, I get it, but I feel like it would be easier to meet someone in public if they’re a normal person.	The figure seemed to stare him down silently.	“Alright, in that case, what do I call you?”	“E.”	“That’s all? A letter? Alright, are there any clues I’m supposed to follow or anything?”	E pointed across the lake visible beside them. “You’ll find everything you need to know in that town. Just follow your instincts from there. The bullet should lead you.”	“The bullet?”	Instead of answering, E vanished into the nearest shadow. The fact that they were already within the shadows seemed irrelevant as they seemingly melded with the surrounding shadows and vanished into nothing.	Slowly, Cairon turned and pulled down the bricks he just stacked. His shaky hands masked his excitement over his new predicament. He couldn’t believe his luck. All because of a pretty crystal, he finally had a reason to leave town and never come back. His life was threatened, but what better reason for adventure?	Carefully, but excitedly, he gathered everything he had hidden away and packed it all up so he could get moving. There was now only one thing left to do before leaving.	Across town, on a more picturesque part of the lakefront, lived a mermaid and her daughter. She once saved him from drowning and since then acted as a surrogate mother to him when he wasn’t off getting himself in trouble. There was no way he would tell her the reason, but he was ecstatic about telling her that he was going off on his own adventure.	Sometime later, he came upon a house on stilts off the side of a pier. It was decorated with exotic shells and scales from beaches by the sea ever so far away. Some of the ones decorating the front door were procured by him personally, but no one could ever tell they were stolen.	He knocked on the door and waited patiently for a moment, then knocked again. A moment later, he knocked again. Figuring nobody was home, he went around to the back which had only a porch surrounded by a railing and a staircase leading to a platform hovering a few centimeters above the water's surface.	Sitting his stuff down, he held his breath and dove into the water. Within a few seconds, he broke the surface a second time and scrambled back to the platform. What he saw below the crystal blue waves terrified him. Looking into the water now, he saw it wasn’t as crystal blue as it was supposed to be. The water was murky, muddled, and blackened deep down. The disgusting sight sent shivers down his spine and the thought that he was just submerged in it nearly made him vomit.	After a few minutes of staring in horror, Cairon swallowed hard and ran inland. Something happened while he was in jail and the water looked toxic. There was no way a couple of mermaids would stay in a place like that. Even so, they wouldn’t leave everything behind so quickly. To verify this, he looked into the house through the windows and saw that the interior was still the same as always.	“Alright, where are you guys?” Cairon couldn’t help but mumble out of worry. He decided to wait in front of their house. An hour later, he was too worried to sit in place and started pacing back and forth.	Eventually, someone walking along the pier noticed him. A man in a sailor’s uniform approached and said, “You’re looking for the residents that lived there, aren’t you, young man?”	“What do you mean ’lived’? Do you know something?”	The man nodded. “The woman that lived there died last week-”	“What!?” Unable to believe his ears, Cairon took a step to start running off, but the man stopped him.	“Hold on. Based on your reaction, you need to hear the rest.”	Cairon nodded and sat down on the porch. He felt like he needed to sit down so he wouldn’t faint.	“A bunch of runoff from the fire that burned down Hortelle Town ended up in the lake and she, for a lack of a better word, drowned. Her daughter’s alright though, poor thing. I think she’d have left town by now. The funeral was a couple days ago.”	Hopping to his feet, Cairon said, “Do you know which way she went?”	The man shook his head. “No idea. If you’re going after her, I suggest not trying to make her come back. I think that’s the last thing the young lady wants.”	“How did you know what I was going to do?” Said Cairon, surprised.	“You asked which way she went. It was kind of obvious.” The man nodded softly. “You may not know me, but I know you used to come around here all the time, so I figure you have a pretty strong connection to them. I’m sure the little lady could use a friend right now and you look pretty capable.”	“Thanks. I’m going to go find her.” Careful not to move too fast, Cairon picked up his stuff and took off. At this time, he had a handful of missions. Find the crystal gun, find Starshe, and kill someone. The last one hadn’t fully sunk in yet, but in time, it would.	His first move was to go to the cemetery and pay his respects. After asking the undertaker, he found his way to a grave with a colorful seashell resting on it. He recognized it as the first seashell he ever gifted Artemis, the woman buried there. After a moment of solemn mourning, he wiped his eyes and went to the edge of town.	Next, he started on his way to the town across the lake. He still needed clues to find the crystal gun, and all he knew was that he’d find some there. He listened in on the ramblings about town and stowed away on a wagon sending relief supplies and workers to the burned town. Once he got there, he realized what it was he really missed.	Everywhere he looked was some shade of black or gray. Every building was seemingly burned from the inside out. Even stone and metal buildings were charred. It was as if everything, excluding the residents, were spontaneously eaten away by flames all at once to the same degree, regardless of material. The blaze would have been visible from kilometers around. It looked like someone bulldozed some buildings, and then splashed black paint on the entire town.	Touring the ruined buildings and unrecognizable terrain, he interviewed some of the residents he came across. He found out the exact day the fire happened was the day after he stole the bullet. By then, he was already behind bars. The fire lasted for only a few minutes and managed to engulf everything before being inexplicably put out by unknown means. It also seemed that both the fire and its extinguishing were magical in nature. The fire itself didn't claim any lives but collapsing buildings took their toll on human and non-human lives.	After finding no further answers, a young girl approached him. Her bubbly smile and bouncy demeanor caught his attention despite her singed hair and clothes. “You wanna know what happened?” said the little girl. “I saw all of it.” She seemed a little excited for someone who probably barely survived the blaze.	“Sure, kid.” Cairon crouched down to eye level with the girl.	“Ok- there was a giant fire monster that came through, eating up the town.” The little girl gesticulated with her arms outstretched to show the scale of the creature. “It ate up everything- but then a hero came through and put it all out. I saw her. She was standing over there and grabbed all the fire- and the monster and threw them in the lake. It made a big ol’ howling sound and a woosh! And then it was gone.” The girl pointed at the waterfront.	Amused and curious, Cairon said, “And how do you know she was a hero?”	“Because she told me. She said she was the Crystal Valkyrie. Cool hero name, right?” The girl seemed fit to burst with excitement.	“Wait...” Cairon had to reconsider how seriously he was taking the words of the girl. “You said Crystal Valkyrie, right?”	“Yeah, cool name, right?”	“Did she also have a crystal gun by chance?”	“No, but she had a crystal sword. It was so pretty.”	“You know, I’d like to meet this hero of yours. Do you know which way she went after saving you?”	“Yeah, that way.” The girl pointed east. “She said she was going to save more people.”	“Alright, thanks, kid.” Cairon stood and started walking.	“Are you going to become a hero, too?” The girl kept pace.	“I’ll try,” he said, waving the girl away.	“What’s your hero name?”	“Don’t have one yet.”	“Ooh, will you take me with you? I wanna be a hero, too!”	“Can’t do that. Stay here. You can be a hero when you grow up.” He continued trying to wave the girl away.	The girl started pouting. “That’s what she said...”	“And she was right. Just grow up a bit. Also, stop following me.”	The girl folded her arms and walked away with a huff.	There were only so many roads heading east, so Cairon had his work cut out for him. If this was the clue he was looking for, the crystal gun somehow turned into a sword and he had to find the woman who wielded it, or his life was forfeit. He also hoped Starshe was in the same direction. Maybe he could find both, but regardless, he would take it one step at a time. He lived by taking everything slow and steady, and this would be no different. Everything would come in due time.Stowing away on the back of an outgoing wagon, he began his journey in earnest. After all, a single person could get pretty far in a week.

Wielders of a Lost Paradigm: Part 1

J.J.J.W

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