I turned the knob of the shower to get the water going lukewarm. My apartment wasn't anything fancy, a small studio down town in a building that used to be an old law office, converted into apartments with a low monthly rent. The bed in the corner was a twin sized mattress with a mess of blankets and pillows piled on top. I lived on the top floor, five stories from the ground and the single window at the back afforded me a view of the neighborhood behind me. The bathroom was a glorified storage closet which had a stall with the shower, a sink, and a toilet. When I had moved in the landlord apologized for the lack of a mirror in the bathroom which was something that did not trouble me one bit, not like I could use it.
I took a quick shower, the water warm against my cold flesh. I watched the water go down the drain and put together what I knew. Ophira Wolkenheim, a divinomancer with an affinity for Seeing, had come to town on a reconnaissance mission for her family. A possible well of magic somewhere in Pineridge had been her target. She had something following her but could not identify what it was. That left a hole in my knowledge because it means I was dealing with either a mage or a creature that was protected from divination. Either way, I had a feeling that it would be trouble.
The next thing I knew, was that she had found a lead at the old Black Cedar Depot. I saw the warehouse every morning on my way to school. Nothing about that place ever screamed, "Hey! I'm a supernatural den of intrigue!" but who knows? I needed more information and I needed some help. I would have to make some stops when the sun came up.
Stepping out onto the bath rug, I wrapped a towel around myself and dried my hair with another. I went to the main room and went to the closet. Inside was an ornate chest which had once held a magical arsenal from a dark mage that was doing experiments on summoning a chupacabra, right here in Pineridge. I had taken some liberties with repurposing it after that job. I opened the latches and dug through the loose belongings until I had found what I was looking for. A small, ocean blue stained glass harmonica. I blew the dust off of it and tossed it on my bed.
I grabbed some clothes from the closet a dark blue t-shirt that said, ""Scientia et Virtus" my school's motto which meant Knowledge and Virtue. It had a cartoonish looking llama wearing a flannel shirt and holding a wood axe. Larry the Lumberjack Llama was the mascot for Pineridge Community College, a character that gave me a small chuckle whenever I saw it. I found a pair of black jeans and worked them on. They were ripped in ways that may seem fashionable to an untrained eye, but my work pants sometimes suffered injury due to the nature of my work. Aside from my sneakers, the last bit of my attire was the most meaningful to me. It was a faded flight jacket from the 1950's that had belonged to my grandfather. The leather was distressed now and faded to a light brown. On the inside of the jacket small glyphs had been lined that offered protection from magic. If a mage came hurling any fire bolts or force needles, at least my jacket would survive.
I looked out the window, sighting a dark figure lingering around my car. My fangs extruded, my reflection disappearing from the window as my true form activated. My vision gained a slight red hue as the Hunters Sight came into effect. With this activated I could see more clearly who, or what was out there. Through its glamor, I could make out a creature with a spined tail that flicked around while it searched the area. It's head was elongated looking more like a bulldog with small spikes instead of hair on the top of its head. It stood on two legs, with backward knees, giving it an odd sort of movement. The arms ended in claws that were longer than the hands themselves, three per arm.
Amazing, I just loved being hunted by hellspawn. I hurried out the door, running down the stairs and out to my car. As I got into the parking lot, the creature was gone. It was a Thrylox, an ancient demonkin that was primarily summoned for its supernatural scent abilities. If whatever was after Ophira could summon a Thrylox, I was in trouble. Upon closer inspection of my car there were scrapes along the sides oozing with an oily sulfuric residue. This was the method they used to track their prey, following the scent without having to stay near enough to be seen. I opened the trunk, withdrawing an iron knife within a leather sheath, and strapped it to my waist. A small spray bottle containing a mixture of alcohol and car soap, and a rag came out with me too. I sprayed the car and spent half an hour cleaning the sulfur off before drying it to ensure the tracking would be harder. I tossed the supplies back in the trunk and went back inside to grab the harmonica and lock my door.
The car ride went smoothly as I pulled into the trailhead that would take me to my informant, located in the alpine lakes of the mountains. The hike took a couple hours off the trail to reach a lake that was away from any passing hikers or hobbyists. A smooth rock with a flat top became my perch as I drew the harmonica to my lips. I played the soft melody that I had been taught by Dusty. It was soft and reverberated over the water causing the tension of magic to buzz in the air.
The water began to swirl and bubble with a small ball of water floating in front of me. The ball molded to the shape of a lovely woman, a being made of water.
"Juniper, it's been awhile. Thank you for playing my song, I assume you need something?" The melodic voice bubbled forth.
"I need information on the Black Cedar Depot. Is there anything abnormal about it? It seems vanilla as far as I can tell." I questioned.
"Stone and soil are plain, but the veins below sing." She hummed.
Damn fae, can't just say anything like a normal person.
I sigh and ask another question, "Are you talking about the ley lines?"
"Names are for humans. The currents beneath whisper stories older than stones." The nixie riddled.
"Alright Nix, I will investigate if there is anything beneath it. Do you know anything about Ophira Wolkenheim? She was searching the depot before she went missing." My eyes rolled as I spoke.
"Ophira… the girl with eyes like storm clouds. She reached far, digging where the world's bones lie bare. Some doors she touched are not meant to open, yet the currents remember her passing. Beneath the depot, the earth hums differently" now—listen closely, and perhaps it will whisper what she could not carry back." The nixie said as her form began to drip back into the lake.
The problem with Nixie's is they generally will only answer three questions per song and this was the only melody I knew. I took my time getting back to the car, enjoying the scenery around me and listening for any followers. Once I reached the safety of my car I pulled my cellphone from the center console to put some music on. The only company on this trip would be the classic rock mix I had downloaded and my thoughts. I put the car in drive and headed for the depot.
Doors she wasn't meant to open, singing beneath the earth, a demon. This job...this week just keeps getting better.