Venturing: Commonst

The Vaster realm state race was finished. We were not able to see the times, due to it not being another case that we ever had to face. But we had began talking about it however. Recalling and remembering some of the important and highlighted parts of the race that had came onto our minds about. While my co workers were conversating about, I stayed silent and kept my eyes up towards the horizon. Staring onto the gray scaled skies above us. For I had wondered if it was going to rain or not and what plans shall we do in the rain problem and thus onto that, I just exhaled a breath which caught the attention of the others as they had turned their attention towards me. Though the entire unit of mine were silent, Zander was the first to speak.

“Something on your mind?" “Nothing so far." I responded back without hesitation and the black dragon just blinked onto me before raising his shoulders and immediately turning back towards the group once more. As he did, however, a gust of wind blew onto our direction which had some of us shiver upon the impact that the wind had caused. Instantly, I raised my eyes. I was a bit surprise that the chief was using this type of method to quickly delivery notes and cases abroad. But the following thought was casted aside when Kyro had snatched onto the note that was hovering in midair and unfolded it, reading the contents inside while the others just continued conversing with one another, completely ignoring the red dragon in question.

For a few minutes later, Kyro suddenly began speaking and the conversation was immediately dropped in favor for a silent one while every head was turned to the red dragon, wings were spread. Ears were opened as Kyro coughed slightly before reporting what had been delivered. “We got a case." “What was it this time?" I questioned him and Kyro met my eyes “This had something to do with the race in question. There are murders on the street and alleyways of the race that had taken place. More than ten dragons and reptiles were killed. Some barely escaped and were taken to the hospital afterwards. “This does sound like an interesting case." Commented Zander while Natty pouted, crossing her arms and responded “This sound like a real world problem." Though no one added onto that which forced her to just continued pouting and frowning as Kyro reassured to her afterwards.

As the pair continued to do so, everyone remaining turned towards me. I gave a nod and they take towards the air; anticipating about the first clue that we had needed to solve this case. Thus, we flew towards the very end of the race; where a large gathering was around one particular winner. A white dragon most likely; with a time of 39:20 it had seemed. “Fastest time therein." Whispered Natty towards Okzun who just gave a silent nod back to her. We walked passed them and the white dragon, heading straight towards the organizers. There were two actually; one was taller than the other. But both have strong wings and body. The taller dragon had purple scales while the other was brownish to say the least. Their horns were pointy; but it seems over the years they had let it be flat. I called up towards the two; they had immediately turned towards me.

Arms outstretched towards me, they smiled rather uneasily. Something that the other had caught instantly as they had wore many different expressions therein. The taller purple scaled dragon spoke towards us, “We have a problem." “We know." I resorted, “Just tell us the times and the claims of each participant. This is rather important if we want to catch the culprit in question." The purple dragon just blinked at me. But gave nothing else but the time for us to use as he spoke, continuing onward “These are the unofficial times of each participant, and their claims, just as you have requested for." “Seems like it." I responded without hesitation towards the purple dragon who just gave a quick nod to me before departing. Waving his paws towards the larger ever increasing crowd in front of me as he headed straight for the white dragon at the center.

“So we do know that Participant A is first; since his time is about 39:20." Commented Kyro, recalling recently about the white dragon overtop of the podium surrounded by a crowd and flashing light. Zander, Natty and Ozkun gave a silent nod to Kyro as I spoke, adding onto that sentence. “However we are very unsure of who are the other known four contestant that have participated into the race." “True. But we do know their time, though. Look!" Kyro responded to me, then pointing onto the times following after the first. For indeed, we had saw participant B, C, D, and E on the piece of white paper and adjacent to them were their times. In addition, were the horizontals and verticals streets that they had taken. “Why horizontal and verticals?" Questioned Zander, no one answered that promptly.

“So Participant B." “Just call it B, Ling." Commented Ozkun with a exhaled of a breath that followed. I chuckled lightly before changing my own short sentence then followed, “... has a time of 42:40. His claim was: 'he went through 8 horizontals and 5 verticals'. C. was 41:35. His was 6 horizontals and 6 verticals. D. was 39:58; but it is rather unknown what number he had went through. E was 39:59, but he also refuses to say what number of streets he went through." “Then it is either D or E. Case solve!" Exclaimed Natty loudly as her paws smacked onto one another as if she was clapping them. But the rest of us just turned towards her in silence and she felt embarrassed by actions of what she had committed. Thus, instead, she went rosy red and raised her claws overtop of her head and stayed silent following afterwards while Zander commented something; the remaining os uf just turned back towards the race question.

“However, it is very hard to tell which of this participants have committed the crime. It could be any one of them!" Exclaimed Ozkun with Kyro and I nodded to her while Kyro added onward, “That is true. But if we were to recall about the routes that this race takes place. Take into consideration of where the crowd is during this event and whom was watching or not. We should be able to find out who 'strayed' away from the path." “In addition," I added onto Kyro's statement, “We should take into consideration about the cameras too. Where they are place amongst the streets of Vaster. The murders should happened around the blind spots of the cameras and places were there are none." “That could mean a million things, Ling!" Counted Kyro as he had immediately turned to me, I gave a silent nod back and said “I agree. But this maybe the only way forward, considering all we have are these times and other notes." I lowered my eyes back to the piece of paper in front of me, “I just hope, we were able to know everyone's personalities and other information." I stated underneath my breath while everyone else take towards the skies and flew away from the race track.

We flew northward. Straight through the race track. Our heads hanged as we stared onto the grounds beneath us, Looking for anyone that had survived upon this inflicting moment however. But everywhere we had seen, even through the streets with the cameras intact upon the apex of the buildings and lightposts therein, we had not seen any blood painted upon the ground nor any bodies as a matter of fact too. Upon this, we were a bit surprise by such that I gave the order 'to split' apart from one another, hoping that we would be able to grain more ground by doing so. My unit agreed upon the option and split; fleeing towards different parts of Vaster in hopes of something more than what we had saw moments earlier on. Kyro and Zander had fled towards the west. Ozkun, Natty went opposing them. Thus that had left me by myself all of the sudden. Something that I just silently nodded upon my own, half anticipating this somehow.

As my head hanged towards the grounds beneath me, I stared onto the empty clean streets there. Finding nothing other than that which both frustrates me and bores me at the same time however. I think I had gotten through this several times in five minutes; going back and forth down and up the streets of Vaster in hopes of finding something 'interesting' there. But the results yield the same. Nothing. All it did was just spent some useless time searching for blood; no camera streets and bodies. I just growled suddenly; my face darkened upon the realization of which as I raised my head suddenly. I turned my attention, leftward and right. Hoping to find some other new streets or alleyways that I could continued my search upon. But all I found were the buildings and houses that stand surrounding me. Exhaling a breath, I had decided to just go leftward to regroup with Kyro and Zander, hoping that they have better luck than I do at the time's being.

About some minutes of silent flying later, I had caught up with the boys as they were hanging onto the ground. Staring onto the streets beneath them, looking onto a pool of dry blood. There was a trail that leads outside of the alleyway that they were upon. Heading rightward, it had seemed. I hanged my wings and flew down in hopes of meeting up with them. Thus upon me touching onto the ground had caught the attention of the two officers in front of me just as they had turned to me. A faint smile emerged upon their snouts of my arrival as I walked up towards them, regrouping while I set my claws onto my hips and question “What had happened here?" “We had gathered that someone must had pulled the dead body into a store somewhere. A private most likely-" Kyro started to say, “-However, the store behind us is closed. We are not allowed to enter inside without the owner or anything as of the matter. Unless we want to take this up with Yang." I nodded silently towards the pair and raised my claw high into midair, pointing towards the building behind them which was in front of me.

At their nods, I walked forward and laid my claws onto the wall before me. Tapping onto the bricks that make up the wall; I began to look for anything that is hallow. “Are you sure we are allowed to do that?" Questioned Zander while he raised his head and tilted it towards the side in question, I completely ignored him and just continued tapping until I felt something therein. Thus, I began pushing onto said brick and an archway crumbled before my eyes; revealing a path forward. Zander and Kyro gave a smile towards me, but remained silent afterwards. Just as they walked right in, I followed right behind in hopes of finding something here that would be interesting. We had found ourselves inside of a store where the products filled the shelves until there was no open spaces about. The store had a variety of items on sale; from soda, candy, food products and toys. It was no wonder that this store was called 'The everything store'. I chuckled mentally, upon the mention of that name. I was about to walk towards the front of the store, when my ears perked upon hearing someone onto the other end of the store. 'Zander and Kyro, it had seemed that they had found something.' I thought silently while racing to the other side of the store.

Entering through a pair of gray scale flaps of a door in front of me, I had entered into a restrictive area therein. Yet to my surprise, the storage place was rather empty except for Kyro, Zander and a pair of tied up reptiles in front of me. Kyro and Zander were on either side of the tied up reptiles; gazing down onto them upon the silence. As their heads were turned to one another, I walked up towards the four and the two turned immediately towards me. “These are the victims?" I questioned, Kyro gave a silent nod towards me “Indeed they are. Noticed the blood that was leaking from the wounds upon the surfaces of their stomach. Cut of shoulders and horns. It looks like someone wanted to be 'creative' here for some reason." “Why be 'creative'?" I questioned, “Was the race not that 'creative' enough for them to take interest?" No answer for my question and I just shake my head upon that silence, returning to the question at hand as Kyro continued talking.

As he does, however, I lowered my eyes upon the ground. Staring onto the pale colored group that we were all standing upon. But adjacently to the two 'victims' in question, was a white piece of paper that had taken my interest. I was curious that I started taking such said paper from the ground. Kyro and Zander immediately turned towards me, upon hearing something rustling nearby. “What do you have there?" Zander questioned me “A piece of paper." I answered, immediately turning the paper over which revealed a map of Vaster. There were faint marks upon some streets and other unmarked upon other streets. A highlighted golden line 'traced' upon the streets from start to finish; something that I think indicates is the race itself. “Guys. Here you go. Make sense of this if you will." I responded to the short silence therein, immediately shoving the piece of paper onto Kyro's chest as Kyro himself takes a step, a bit surprise but nonetheless went with it however.

He lowered his eyes; hanged his head and gaze onto the piece of paper itself. Instantly, his eyes went wide while Zander, adjacent to him, quickly exclaimed and leaned over to Kyro's shoulders, demanding to know what was up. “Do not tell me this is…?" Kyro trailed, gradually raising his head up towards to me just as I gave a nod back towards him. He made a face and frowned; but became silent following after as he continued 'reading' and interpreting the paper itself. With the silence hovering above us, I motioned to Zander who walked up towards me. As he does, I spoke to me “You and me should head outside and check the streets. Kyro can radio us about which streets were a concern or interesting to look at however." A nod came from the black dragon afterwards as we had retraced our steps; heading back outside of the store that we were just in and back upon the alleyway once more.

“Was this why our perpetrator was taking too long for?" Zander questioned me, I raised my shoulders “I do not know, sorry." I responded, having no answer while Zander just gave me a nod and turned his attention back towards the street in front of him. As we followed onto his gaze and returned to the streets once more, our walkie suddenly perked up and immediately, I went to grabbed it following that and pressed onto the button, questioning Kyro. “What do you need?" “I think I got it, guys. There was a reason why those 'numbers' felt unorthodox however." “Do you really think that all five of them committed the crime?" I questioned Kyro as he responded back to me, “I do not think so. Considering that, in accordance to the race placement that the purple dragon gave to us, our participant A, was third in the making." “True." I commented, having nothing to say afterwards which had allowed Kyro to continued talking.

“Anyway, I think, based on the time placement and how the murders take place. I really think we should be looking into fifth place and beyond. They seemed a bit sketchy." “I agree." Zander and I concord, although “Yet I think, by your logic, Kyro. We should be looking into the later placements, not just fifth to tenth." “But rather eleventh and twelfth?" Kyro questioned, “Yeah. B and C as a matter of fact." I started. A short pause of silence followed before Kyro responded back to me, “Sure. That seems the ideal start to play around in." “Hopefully we were not too wrong about this statement, Ling." Zander commented to me, something that I gave a smile to before returning myself back onto the case at hand.

By agreeance, we should be looking into the eleventh and twelfth. Since, the amount of time it takes to murder a dragon or reptile is a short time. Additionally,  both B and C have weird claims. As I had recalled, B was 'eight horizontals and five verticals' while C was 'six horizontals and six verticals'. “My bet is on C. His is similar to the devils' number." “Do not go assuming that." Advised Zander as I just gave a nod to him in response before returning to the case at hand. So we take towards the skies once more and with Kyro on the walkie, we hanged our heads onto the aerial view of Vaster. Thus, Zander tapped onto the walkie's button twice to inform Kyro. He responded with his own before questioning us. “The path forward is full of twists of turns apparently. Yet there were only a few curves however." “Any crossroads?" I questioned, “None. Though you should be seeing some orange and white blockages hopefully." “That should be our pinpoint." Commented Zander, shifting his attention towards me as I gave a nod responding to him back.

So, we flew northward while our heads continued to hang, gazing onto the grounds beneath us. We followed the path forward. Noticing onto how what Kyro had just stated was true; the path was indeed twisted and turns. No curves and crossroads. But along the way, we had noticed our first orange and white blockage that was towards our right. It had seemed to be heading down the hillside; perhaps going to the southern part of Vaster. As me and Zander stared onto the first orange and white blockage, we exchanged looks with one another before flying off. We continued 'tracing' the race for a few more minutes; noticing more and more of the orange and white blockages on either side of us; yet we were surprise onto seeing only one of them, instead of many more. “Why is that? Do the race employees and others think that these blockages are stronger than our heads or wings?" I never answered Zander's question however.

Continuing onward, we had came to a spot within the middle of the race where the streets was vastly emptied and abandoned. No orange and white blockage anywhere; yet the buildings on either side of us were opened; with their doors broken down. Shards of glasses were lying upon the grounds. Though the trail leads inward into the room inside. I was curious about such that I had unknowingly headed forth towards one of the opened door. Yet Zander had stopped me by grabbing hold onto my shoulder tightly and pulled me back somehow. “Right. Right. Robberies will take place onto another time." I commented while Zander gave a soft smile to me before we return our attention back onto the topic at hand. So we landed upon the ground and walked the rest of the street therein. Straight towards another orange and white blockage in front of us; where Zander was getting a bit frustrated about.

But just as he had turned around, I halted his movements and raised my claw high. Pointing onto something that was stuck inbetween of the orange and white blockage in front of me. Zander stopped; he turned around. Looking onto the space; he spotted another piece of paper which he had immediately grabbed upon. Just as he had did, I radioed Kyro who clicked twice in response. Shortly afterwards, Zander joined in onto the conversation. The two talked for a while; it was something in relationship to the highlighted roads that we had found moments beforehand. Thus when things had settled down, Zander immediately turned his attention towards me. “I think we have our culprits." “Figured it out now?" I questioned him, he gave a nod and spread his wings. I did too and flew off after him.