Who: Mitsuko, Frar and Fror (and later the Council)
Where: Helicharis Marketplace
When: Afternoon
What: Mitsuko's gonna get answers this time

Mitsuko was out in the marketplace, looking scrupulously over some freshly caught seafood from Van'taurë Lake. She was in the mood to make sashimi. While Mitsuko was not good at a lot of cooking, she was quite skilled when it came to serving up raw dishes. It was not really lack of talent, but the scent of cooking animal flesh that made her unable to properly develop kitchen skills.

Mitsuko pursed her lips, looking over the various catches. "Do you have any Tobiko?" At the confused look from the fisherman she grimaced in embarrassment. "Err.... Flying fish roe?"

"Oi." Mitsuko felt someone tugging at her sleeve. "You, Misses."

Mitsuko looked down. "Ehhhh?"

"Leave the fish." It was a dwarf. It took Mitsuko to realize it was the one she had kissed to get information on Frar and Fror. "You wanna know this."

Mitsuko frowned slightly and cocked her head. "What's going on?"

"Know you hadn't found Frar and Fror yet. They've been hidin' in t'caves. But they came out today. They're ov'r there."

Mitsuko felt her heart speed up slightly. "Thanks." She smiled mischievously. "I owe you one."

"If tha' what's y'think..." The dwarf started, but Mitsuko was already on her way towards the two dwarves in the marketplace. Mitsuko smoothed down her short skirt, going into business mode.

"Do I have the pleasure of finally meeting Frar and Fror?" Mitsuko called out.

Who: Mitsuko, Frar and Fror
When: Morning
Where: Helicharis
What: Investigative Mitsuko goes looking for answers

There wasn't much evidence leading to Frar and Fror, the dwarves who had created a potent ale. But something about the story had piqued Mitsuko's curiosity. She'd always done her best work on gut instinct, so she decided that would probably work even when she was working for the law and not breaking it.

She had been a little thrown off by the strange gift from Irei, but she quickly recovered. After seeing Logan off, she'd gotten dressed for her questioning. She didn't know if the dwarf brothers would be attracted to a Kitsune, but... Ah, hell, MItsuko thought. Who wouldn't be attracted to a Kitsune?

Mitsuko had always used her good looks to her advantage. Getting things she wanted. People were always so much more willing to talk to a pretty face. Of course, Mitsuko had more than just a pretty face, which she was showing off. She wore a white loose knit top, which slid off her shoulders and a pair of high-cut short, showing off her long legs. With a pair of large sunglasses, she looked very casual, yet very sexy as well. The pair wouldn't be able to guess she was on the prowl for information.

Mitsuko sauntered in to Helicharis. It was a purposeful walk, her hips swinging and tail wagging slightly. It was the type of walk she usually employed when trying to atttract a target for thievery. It was surprisingly to Mitsuko how similar investigating crime was to committing it.

She came to a stop in front of a dwarf. She smiled saucily as she removed her sunglasses. "I'm looking for Frar and Fror, the dwarves everyone's talking about." She licked her lips slowly, seductively. "I hear they are quite talented with brewing ale."

Who: Mitsuko (Narrative)
When: Afternoon
Where: Helicharis
What: Investigatng
Mitsuko was still a little tired and worn down. She had been out of the Medical Pavilion for a few days, but her body was still rebelling against her. She was sleeping a lot, spending more time in her natural fox form. It took time for her body to repair itself and stressing herself out by being in human form did not help matters at all. But she was beginning to feel better. She was feeling well enough to begin her investigation. She still remained far more casual about her appearance than normal. She was keeping a low profile with the recent accusation against her and it was tiring to maintain any illusions past her human form. So she was dressed in a pair of comfortable jeans, her feet bare, a loose brown shirt and a hat to hide her fox ears.

Mitsuko was sitting outside of her cottage, a pad of paper in her hand. She was carefully going over the praeternatural species she knew and which would be powerful enough to break an elven spell. Thankfully, the list was rather short:

Djinn
Dwarves
Witches and Sorcerers
Nymphs

She considered her list for a moment. She nodded slowly as she wrote down another species

Elves

She couldn't discount the possibility one of the Elves was rogue and wanted the object for themselves. Besides, who better than an Elf to break an Elven spell?

She hesitated with her pen, one other species remaining in her head. It was true, she would have had difficulty with traversing the wards herself. But that wasn't to say it was impossible. Finally, Mitsuko wrote down the final species.

Kitsune

Beside the name of her own species, she wrote Okasama. If any Kitsune were powerful enough to break the spell, it was MItsuko's own mother. But, after a moment, she rethought this and crossed out her mother's name. It was ridiculous. There was no way Kamiyama Midori would have stolen Mir'en'Galad.

MItsuko loked over her list. It wasn't a long one, but still... How the hell was she supposed to narrow it down? She couldn't just go around accusing people of taking Mir'en'Galad. That had been what angered her about her own imprisonment. She sighed deeply. Just having a list of species wasn't going to help her at all. Who was she kidding? She couldn't find out who did this.

"Watch your step!" Mitsuko flinched a bit, surprised at the voice. She looked over towards the path towards the marketplace. There were two people walking along. One of them had just taken a bad step.

"Sorry," they apologized to their companion. "I'll still feeling a bit lightheaded."

"It was DAYS ago you had that dwarf ale. You can't still be feeling it!"

Mitsuko frowned deeply. What the hell was going on?

"I'm telling you, I am!" The one who stumbled insisted. "You don't know how strong that stuff was! I mean, I know dwarves are good at their ale, but this was... Incredible! Like nothing else! Downright magic!"

Mitsuko glanced down at her list. The wording of the praises seemed to stir something in her. She got up. "Excuse me!" She called out. "What was that you were saying?"

The two passerbys looked at Mitsuko in a mix of surprise and a bit of mistrust. Not surprising, considering how word of her imprisonment had been spread around town. It would take a while for everyone to realize she had been exonerated. "What do you mean?"

"You had some ale from the dwarves and you're still feeling the effects of it?" MItsuko asked, frowning slightly.

"Not much," the man insisted. "But a little, yeah..."

"How many days ago was it?" Mitsuko asked, carefully pronouncing each word.

"Five days ago," the man replied. "Why.... You don't think I have to go to the Medical Pavilion, do I?"

Mitsuko shook her head. "Naw.... I'm sure you're fine," her reply was a bit dismissive. "Which dwarves are they?"

"Frar and Fror," he replied. He looked over Mitsuko suspiciously. "Why?"

"Wanna see if they have any more," Mitsuko lied easily. She smiled. "Always like to try new and exciting things."

She left the pair to continue to the marketplace. She definitely needed to talk to Frar and Fror about their magical brew.

Who: Theora and Mitsuko (with Loki and Nico possibly)
When: Early Afternoon
Where: Private room in Medical Pavilion
What: Checking in on the patient

Perhaps it was Elune's bidding that brought Theora to the medical pavilion the night before just as Mitsuko Kamiyama was brought in by a young man that Theora knew quite well. She recognized Loki and smiled at him only until she noticed the frantic look in his eyes and the unconscious fox in his arms. "A kitsune," Theora said immediately recognizing the energy signal from the weakened fox. "Quickly Loki, take her to an empty room."

Theora had spent the night tending to the poor white kitsune, watching over her form and periodically healing her until she awoke. The priestess was careful to not use too much of her power on the praeternatural knowing that a body oftentimes could not handle the energy that the priestess held. Small doses for smaller beings, as was the case here. The graceful Elven woman smiled down at the fox, her hands reaching out to stroke the soft white fur. "Wake up child..." she whispered close to Mitsuko's ear.

It was fortunate indeed that Theora was there when Mitsuko was brought in - not only for the priestess's healing abilities but also because Theora had been looking for Mitsuko as well. The Elven lady had heard of the theft of the Mir'en'Galad from the temple's priests, and they had also spoken the fox's name stating that she was the most likely suspect of the crime. Theora was not easily convinced and reserved her judgment much to the priests's dismay.

She sighed softly while watching Mitsuko's unmoving form. Theora did not believe in Mitsuko's guilt knowing whomever did take the artifact held great magic to break the Elven seal. And though the young kitsune held a reputation for being a rogue and a thief, Theora did not believe that she was to blame. And, if the priestess remembered correctly this young woman was the older sister of the half-kitsune they found on their first scouting mission. Surely the white fox would not have jeopardized her well-being or that of her brother's for the thrill that thievery brought. No, Theora did not sense that from the unconscious girl on the bed. The priestess did however have many things on her mind as of late, and she held the desire to speak of them with the young kitsune.

"It is time to awaken, young one..." Theora spoke once more, her voice holding an ethereal quality. The priestess's hand was pressed gently against the fox's neck and it glowed with the healing magic that would return the rest of Mitsuko's strength.

Who: Dylan [Narrative]
When: Late Afternoon
Where: Town Hall
What: Dispatching an important letter to Mitsuko Kamiyama.

Town Hall bustled with activity and chatter as the chambers of councilmen discussing the case against Mitsuko Kamiyama had disbursed from their meetings a short while earlier. A decision had been reached over the investigation involving the kitsune, the only one left from their list of suspects that was believed to be responsible by some as the thief herself. However, talks had been proceeding since the day before, well into the night, and into today. It was finally done.

Dylan left his office with a letter in one of his hands, a fine beige envelope containing the folded parchment with the announcement of the final decision that was to be delivered to Mitsuko Kamiyama's cottage. Good news was contained within, relieving the kitsune of all suspicion on various grounds. There was not enough evidence against her, her story was corroborated by others, and the kitsune did not have the power to get past the secure barriers that had been put up around the artifact itself.

In other words, she was free of all possible charges. It was lucky, Dylan thought, that they never reached the point of being able to charge her with anything. Part of him remained ever skeptical, as did Constance. Beyond that, it was good it did not come to trial without Theora's presence. Dylan believed the High Priestess would be able to help them discover the real thief, for he did not believe Mitsuko had reason or might to take the elven artifact from its cradle that night.

Which left the question of who really committed the crime, but Dylan's thoughts were not to be troubled with that at the moment. He handed the letter over to a dispatcher with a smile on his face, hoping the news would reach Miss Kamiyama very soon.

( THE LETTER DISPATCHED: Mitsuko Kamiyama. )

Who: Frar, Fror, and Open (to many many people!!!)
When: Early evening
Where: In front of the wine bar
What: Handing out samples of their new ale


"Come'n'get it!" Cried out the stout dwarf as he stood in front of a well-built drink stand with the words FREE ALE painted in bright, decorative letters across the top portion of the stand. Frar and Fror had carted down a dozen barrels of their 'specially' brewed ale from the Dwarven caves just for the purpose of trying it out on the citizens.

"New recipe!" He continued to say out loud as he passed out miniature mugs to anyone who passed by. "Same great taste but with extra ooomph court'sy o'the magically enhanced hops!" His pipe was held firmly in the corner of his mouth, and there were occasional puffs of smoke rising into the air. Frar smiled at the citizens and even flirted with some of the women as he continued with his 'advertisement' of the new ale.

"C'mere lad!" He called to a healthy looking young man. "Y'be the type who kin hold yer ale?" The boy nodded and Frar slapped him happily on the back.

"Thataboy!" The dwarf grabbed one of the miniature mugs and handed it to the stranger. "Take a sip o'that and tell me what be y'thoughts?" The boy looked at the dwarf oddly but decided to take the offer and downed the mug of ale. Within moments the boy was smiling and swaying on the spot.

"That's the..." He hiccuped and grinned. "Thaaaaaaaaaat ish the best-" The boy hiccuped again and grabbed a hold of Frar's shoulder for support. "I love you, man! Can I have more?"

Frar grinned and handed the boy another mug. "There ye have it folks! The best ale in all of Elysium, free to try but only today!"

Frar looked over his shoulder at his brother and winked at him. Their new recipe was a hit and he was sure that all twelve barrels would be emptied within the next few hours.

Who: Dylan, Mitsuko, and Pietro
When: Morning
Where: Town Hall
What: A conclusion over the stolen artifact.

His footsteps echoed across the floor as he made his way to the small conference room. His heart weighed heavily with each step his feet took through the hallway. Dylan knew there were people who wanted answers about the artifact, and there were some who did not care. They questioned further people, but through much less alarming methods. Visitors to people's houses stopped by the previous afternoon to confirm the stories given to them by their suspects. Partial confirmations were given, but not everything fell into place.

It had been up to him and others to determine whether or not any of their called in suspects had indeed taken part in the theft of the artifact. The decision had not been easy either. Irei Arakaki was written off of the list. There was no way he could have partaken in the theft. As for the two kitsune, things were much more different for them.

Dylan opened up the door to the conference room, saw Mitsuko Kamiyama and her lawyer, Pietro Conté, on the other side of the table. He closed the door behind him and approached the table, shaking Pietro's hand and bowing to Mitsuko in greeting to them both. "I must inform you both that this has been a very hard decision for the summoned jury council to decide upon," he began with the two of them, taking a seat at the table on the side opposite of them. "The artifact is still missing, and there are those who want answers."

His words were cryptic as they sometimes revealed themselves to be for others. "Miss Kamiyama," Dylan said, turning to look at Mitsuko. "If you will, please relay to me your side of the story once more. In detail, truthfully as it happened. As much as I am sure you do not like me, I ask only that you answer this as seriously and kindly as possible. This is important for you to say, and important for me to heed. Therefore, if you will, calmly tell me the events of that night, which you and you alone have experienced and have the ability to tell."

Who: Constance, Dylan, Mitsuko, Logan, Shigeru, Irei, and Elven guards.
When: 12:00 PM
Where: Town Hall
What: The questioning over the stolen elven artifact.

Outside of the grand structure of Town Hall, there seemed to be a perfect silence that had settled upon its grounds. No clatter or clamor echoed from within the building, only a calm quiet permeated the air. The only movement appeared to be a gentle breeze passing through the tall grass and the flowers outlining the fine building. However, the silence was an ominous sort of feeling for those approaching its structure. The question of what to expect within remained ever unclear.

Once a person walked into the main entrance, they were greeted by an array of Elven guards outlining the hallways. One of the guards would approach and inquire of their name and their business in Town Hall. When their name was given and if they were one of the people summoned from the day before, they were asked if they had brought their summons letter. Those who brought theirs were asked to show them; those who did not were known by name as it were by the guards. They were then escorted singularly to one of the four small chambers set aside for the interrogations on this day.

The four interrogation rooms had elven magic cast upon them to render all within the room incapable of performing their natural magic, temporarily "nullifying" their abilities as long as they were in the room. However, this protective measure also worked against those who were the questioners. Of course, attributes like strength remained the same, and so two Elven guards were placed in each room along with the interrogator.

Now, it was time to see what those brought forth would say.

Who: The Guards of Elysium [Narrative]
When: From Afternoon to Evening
Where: Town Hall, then heading to the cottages of Mitsuko Kamiyama and Logan Nagamori, Shigeru Takemoto, and Irei Arakaki.
What: Summons for questioning over the stolen elven artifact.

As solid news from the Head Council was delivered to a selective amount of the guards involving the theft of the Mîr’en’Galad artifact of old, whispers began to pass amongst them like a wildfire beneath a sweltering sun and dry skies. Though no information was bestowed upon them regarding suspects of the crime, they were charged with dispatching summons for a number of people wanted for questioning. If any of the people were unwilling to come of their own choosing on the day assigned upon the papers, the guards were to be dispatched again and charged with collecting the unwilling to bring them to Town Hall.

With any crime of high measure, it was natural to draw suspects in one's own mind. Words spread throughout the ranks of the guards, from one to another and then to another, twisting and turning along the way. Some said it was this person who did it; others claimed it was this one. Even in the midst of their duties, they spoke to each other of their personal thoughts and beliefs. It would not be long before their whispers reached the townspeople or before it spread throughout all of Elysium.

The handwritten summons from the council members were given to the guards charged with delivering them to their four recipients. As the finely wrought doors of the town hall building opened wide, an evenly proportioned drove of guards exited to visit the cottages of Mitsuko Kamiyama and Logan Nagamori, Shigeru Takemoto, and Irei Arakaki. People's eyes could not help but look at the staunch figures as they strode with purpose through the town of Helicharis towards their destinations. Some of the guards had to go further, and those guards took horses out to the water bungalows beyond the town.

As they arrived at the houses, they delivered the following summons:

( FOUR LETTERS DISPATCHED: Mitsuko Kamiyama, Logan Nagamori, Shigeru Takemoto, and Irei Arakaki. )

Who: Constance and Midori
Where: Town Hall
When: 1 PM
What: Midori says she knows who the thief is . . .

Inside of the conference room Constance chose on the first floor, the curtains were snatched by Constance's hands and pulled back to reveal brilliant sunlight. Brightness flooded the room and illuminated the Elven design of the room, adding a radiant gleam to the walls. Constance didn't know what it was about Elven paint or architecture, but it tended to sparkle a lot, that was for sure.

Overall, it was sunny and beautiful weather. A great contrary to Constance's mood for the morning and possibly for the rest of the day. The elves were in an uproar, a very powerful artifact was missing and in the hands of who knew what, and . . .

Well, it seemed like Midori knew exactly what.

Constance left the door open and took a seat at the table. Having just eaten lunch, she was full and it was easy to keep her seated in one place. The council member chose to meet after lunch to ensure she wasn't as fidgety as she normally would have been at any other time of day. Hopefully, they could talk about this and get to the bottom of everything nice and quick. Constance wasn't anything if she wasn't a go-getter.

Who: Dylan and Constance [Narrative]
Where: The Temple
When: Morning
What: Talk over the stolen Elven artifact.

Their footsteps echoed through the temple as they walked down the opening between the long, polished benches. It was a walkway of neutral stone and fine carpet. Constance's arm were crossed. Dylan's hands remained in his pockets. The two of them had already discussed the missing artifact with the temple priests, but now they walked in silence as the first rays of sun poured in through the high windows and sheer curtains.

"This is Zach's birthday," Constance said sternly. "I'm not giving a speech on Zach's birthday about this damn thing." It was a special day for her family, but the events of the night before could not be ignored.

"The priests and I will handle the announcement to the public," Dylan said in a kind voice. He stopped walking, turning to Constance and offering a sympathetic look. "You may go home to your family. We will deal with this. At the current moment, all we can do is make an announcement. The priests are examining the temple for evidence. Perhaps something was left behind that was not here to begin with," Dylan informed her. "We do not know, however. We have no suspects yet. We will have to see where this goes, but for now, leave it to me and the temple priests."

Constance nodded her head slowly, her lips drawn into a tight, thin line. "I don't like things like this happening right under my nose. Right under any of our noses, but you're right." She raised her gaze to Dylan, a serious gleam in them. "There's nothing we can do about this right now other than wait and see what turns up and what happens next." Constance glanced over to her right. "Tell me if you find anything, okay?"

Dylan slowly nodded his head. "I will." He offered a small smile. "Now, go spend your grandson's birthday with your family."

He watched as she nodded her head in response. Constance looked up and reached out to affectionately pat Dylan's arm with her hand. "Good luck," she said. "I hope you find something." With that, she turned around and walked towards the exit of the temple.

"Tell Zach I said 'happy birthday,'" Dylan called softly to her.

Raising her hand in a backwards wave as she left, Constance acknowledged she heard his final words. A soft smile marked Dylan's face before he turned back towards the forefront of the temple, a creased brow taking over his features. He did not know what they were going to find by the time of the announcement this evening.

Who: Temple Priests (Narrative)
When: Around Midnight
Where: The Elven Temple
What: Something has gone missing . . .

One of the younger elven priests made his way quietly through the temple. An uneasy feeling had gripped the elf, and he removed himself from his chambers to make rounds through the temple late at night. Through dark stone corridors he walked, ascending a staircase that lead to the bright temple which held the altar of Mîr’en’Galad. Its presence would give him comfort to return to his chambers in peace for the night.

However, once the elf reached the top of the steps, he ceased all movement. Mîr’en’Galad . . . its altar was empty, the candles put out and knocked over. The elven brooch was missing.

Turning around and heading as fast as he could to the elder elf's chambers, the priest dashed through the temple. He had to tell the elder elf immediately of the news. It was urgent, nothing else was more important. The elder stood by a large window in his chambers as the younger elf burst into his room. "Mîr’en’Galad," he immediately said, "it's gone missing! Someone has taken it!"

The elder slowly closed his eyes under the moonlight. "No . . . " he murmured to himself, his head falling forward as his hands held onto the stone window frame.

Who: Temple priests (Narrative)
When: Around 9 PM
Where: The Elven Temple
What: Introduction of the Ancient Elven Artifact

“Bring out Mîr’en’Galad,” spoke one of the robed Elves within the deep recesses of the temple. The other elf nodded and hurried away down a darkened corridor that was only lit by small candles. The elder elf ascended the stairs to the bright temple above where an elaborate altar was already set up for the ancient Elven artifact. The young elf appeared with an object draped in a protective silver cloth and handed it to the older priest.

“Thank you,” he said as the younger elf bowed. The priest removed the cloth to reveal a shimmering Elven brooch hanging peacefully in a glass display. It possessed an ethereal glow and an inner light that caused it to sparkle even in the darkest of rooms.

“Mîr’en’Galad,” he said softly. “The Jewel of Light, a brooch worn by the first High Priestess of our people, Erulissë.” The priest gazed at the younger elf who was staring at him (and the artifact) curiously. “We must bring set this precious artifact for all to see upon the departure of the current High Priestess on a full moon. Theora has traveled to Tol’Hith in order to rejuvenate her spiritual energies. While she is gone, Mîr’en’Galad will stand in her place, providing hope to all in Elysium.”

“But your holiness, will the citizens of the land understand the importance of our tradition? They are not all elves…”

The older elf smiled calmly. “It matters not, for this artifact represents her presence, and all who lay their eyes upon it shall feel calm and at peace, just as they would were they with Theora herself.” He paused and placed the artifact upon the altar. “This is one of the Elven people’s most sacred objects, and its importance transcends the boundaries of race.”

The brooch in its glass display was placed upon the altar, a very strong and protective magical barrier erected around it by the older elf afterwards. The two flowers, growing out from each other without roots, symbolized eternal life with no beginning or end. A silver ribbon, tying them together, resembled the modern day symbol of eternity. Eternally, the light of the High Priestesses would shine upon Elysium.

Its magical power was great, able to amplify the power of the person who possessed it beyond great measure, hence the need for protection. The object was not meant to fall into the wrong hands.

Now, as their High Priestess sailed away, it would be put on display in the temple and remain there until she returned from her voyage as a symbol of her presence and her protection of the people.