The Guardians part 2

'please give me a note if you see grammar mistake, English is not my first language'
Slightly mature content in this story

Chapter two; Where did the gold go?

A summer day in the town of Ponta which is located at the foot of the mountain range Amathyst. The town also goes under the nickname “The town of gold” because it is one of the places where you almost trip over gold and it is also here where the golden stone of the famous Golden Castle was created.
Ponta is not a very big town compared to the other cities of the Backland and because of its poor location at the mountains and a temperature barely going under 30 C degrees. There is not much rain either so the town depends on other cities to get food and on very bad years also water.
This summer day didn't look different from the others and in the air you can see a single black male Harpy(a human-looking creature with feathers, wings and claws like a giant bird) fly around.

He looks casually to each side. His dark hair is very short for his kind and he lands on the road and walks like he has nothing better to do. Only a single older male Long-teeth Humdrid(a vampire race that don't have the same weakness or blood lust as the original vampires) that didn't even bother to look at the male Harpy.

Inside one of the gold stores there is another male Long-teeth Humdrid, far younger than the first, he is looking at a ring with a single rare star gem.

“This is... so beautiful, it's amazing” he said with pure admiration of the ring, he's looking at the owner at the store who is a Diamond Dragon, a dragon race which got its name from the gem-looking armor it has on most its front body and a little more on its backleg and tail. Instead of having spikes it have reddish hair that is running down on its spine.

The Owner is smiling over the vampire's happiness over the ring and waits patiently for what the vampire buyer is going to say next.  

“You think this is the one?” the buyer asks him just to be sure he is buying the right. The dragon nods his sand golden head at the ring in a real business style.

“I think it will make her very happy” he smiles to the vampire to show that this is the right choice and the buyer gives a little smile in return

“Alright then, this is the one” the smile on the vampire's face turn a little more serious and humble “so... about the price... can you help me a little here?” the dragon turns his head a little in both curiosity and firm understanding “the price is-”

“Sir, you asked me that last week” the dragon interrupts him still friendly but also firm “I've done all I can to give you what you want to lower the price a little more than it will normally be” while the buyer bit his lips thoughtfully, the owner notice the older vampire comes inside the store, he doesn't think more about this, many come to his store to look at his beautiful design of jewelry.

He would maybe have been a little more alert if he had seen the black male Harpy outside putting something under his clothing and seen another human creature looking oddly identical to the older long-teeth humdrid.
The dragon decide to ignore the older vampire in the store and put all his attention to the younger one in front of him who will buy one of his things

“sir, she will love anything you give her. So let me show you my more affordable-”

“No no, hang on” the buyer quickly jumps in and looks again at the beautiful ring “I make it work... can you, take it over-” the younger vampire never manages to say how he will buy the ring because suddenly the older vampire in the store attacks the guard with a really fast-working anesthetic that will knock every dragon out in seconds.
The owner and the buyer first look surprised over the racket but the owner's expression quickly turns into chock when he sees his younger brother fall to the ground after gotten hit by the anesthetic. The dragon roars in anger but is quickly shutting up by a hurting magic pulse that comes from the other older vampire.

“All down on the floor or the next dark pulse will be deadly!” the second said with a muffled voice, he has something over his mouth to disguise his voice. All immaterially sank down on the floor in fear over what was going to happen now

“Nobody moves, nobody gets hurt” the first said, he too has a muffled voice
the Diamond dragon owner and the younger long-teeth humdrid is on the floor close to each other. The young vampire looks terrified, even the owner has to admit he's scared but he keeps looking determined at the thieves.
Both thieves are very quick to open the jewelry boxes and snatch everything in sight, the owner moves a little to get a better look at them by the help of his large wings, his determination turns to pure chock over what they are doing.
One of the thieves come over to the young Vampire and Diamond Dragon and wants to open the box near them too and the owner took the chance to push a button to call the Guardians. That causes the thieves to move, the first thief who is close to those two probably believes that it was his younger kin who pushed the button and apparently the thief wants to make an deadly example of him.

Unfortunately for the thief; the owner quickly comes on his feet and stands between the thief and the young buyer.
this surprises the first thief so much that he freezes but hold immediately a new magic pulse ready in his hand which looks like a transparent little ball.

“Do it!” the second thief yells to the first and only seconds hesitation, a magic pulse with size of a football hit the Diamond Dragon right in the face so blood sprang. People and creature in the store scream in chock over the attack and the second thief quickly jumps over the fallen owner and grab the last jewelry in the box and even take the ring from the chocked younger vampire.

Outside the store there is two horses waiting for them and both thieves jumps on their back to make the run for the crimes they just committed. Both horses look very much like Earths horses although one of them has a more blueish color and the second a single red spot on its black body.  
A roar from two dragon riders (which come by the distress call from the store) sees the runner and is quickly after them, unfortunate they is stopped by the black Harpy there throws a little glowing ball up to the two dragon riders and the ball breaks into a very bright light there blinds the riders and their dragons.

The black harpy has quickly turn his back to the riders before the ball turn into a little sun and quickly follow the two thieves in the air.  
The two dragon riders blindness has effected so much that they is forced to call for help, some others Riders comes quickly as they can and follow the runners which took a road up in the Amathyst mountains.

Up in the mountains a Lion-tail Unicorn looks down at the runners and It just know that it is the thieves there is talked about over the Guardians ear add.

“this is Arula from ACI, I can seen them at the Ryia road and I am in pursuit” the Gaurdian Arula is saying to other Guardians in her ear add and quickly jumps from rock to rock to get the runners in the guardians custody.
Now and then Arula lost the sight of the runners but soon Arula found the only road in miles again and jumps down with a agility only an Unicorn have. To Arula's great confusion the two dragon riders there should blockking the thieves way from the other appear in front of the unicorn. They too look as confused as Arula.
The unicorn looks from the dragon riders to the road and then back again
“where are they?” Arula ask when walking over to the riders

“I didn't seen them” one of the riders said

“That's impossible, they can't neutral teleport” Arula said bewilderment

“They didn't come this way” the dragon rider comes with a statement, not a question.

“looks like we need more help from the other guardians with this case” Arula said before turning around to call for help

****
Ecancus is one of the field guardians which comes to help Arula with the case together with DragonSilver there's only here to supervise the rookie Ecantus. It is his first day on the job and he keep asking DragonSilver what he thinks is best to do and what not to. DragonSilver just keep saying “that is something you need to figure out self, I can't be here all the time”

“DragonSilver” the Unicorn waiting at them both with a little smile “long time no see, who is the new one?”

“Arula, this is Ecantus and is your new partner” DragonSilver said, Ecantus greet humble the older guardians. He can see the Lion-tail Unicorn most be a female because it didn't have a 'goat bear' like the males have and compare to rest of the unicorn family the lion-tail unicorn has a more donkey or lion-looking tail and a more 'scruffy' appearance. Arula tips her head to the side with a curious smile  

“a rookie huh? Do you have a girl in your life?”

“huh what?” Ecantus is immaterially thrown off of that kind of question and even more the quiction comes from an entire different species than himself. DragonSilver in the other hand just role his eyes before saying;

“Arula stop flirting, what do you know about their disappearing?”

“Not much, we first thought they was jumped over the edge, but that will immaterially kill them” she said little more serious to her superior “maybe the rookie will help me to find some clues on the road?”

“Sure, I'll help” Ecantus said before DragonSilver can open his mouth and walk with the Unicorn and closer to her, he couldn't put a finger on it but there is something wrong around her. A little longer away from the rest of the Guardians, Arula stops up and looking at something in the air, Ecantus does the same.

“Look at this” she point her horn in the air and it look like air itself breaks apart

“Someone has make a time portal here” he mumble

“Heard over the ear add that there is vampire and a harpy, none of those is born with magic in their blood” she said and keep looking at the long gone close up portal, Ecantus didn't look in the air like her but he notice something on the ground, something there sparkle

“There is portal dust here” he said and by the help of his own magic he lifts some of the powder up in the air”

“Make sense” she too walk over to look at it “since they can open a portal themselves, they used portal dust”

“Can we trace them?”

“Lets hope so with the help of this” she nods at the powder “and even I dislike to say this; these guys are good”

****
after Ecantus and Arula have collected what they could on the moutain road they decides to get back to the jewelry store to see they can find more evidence before heading back to the Guardians headquarters. Arula told him to stay close to her and seconds after they was at the crime scene in Ponta town.

“Wait, how did you do that?”
“Do what?” Arula asks the bewildered half-elf

“Teleport, I know Unicorn has magic blood, but-”

“You so silly, see this ring?” she laugh and shoot her chest out so a dark ring around her neck is more visible, it is not completely dark for it looks like dull glowing dots is inside of it. almost like part of the starry night is capture inside.
Ecantus unintentionally looks at his own left wrist where he has a identical dark ring, just smaller. The Unicorn notice his staring
“yeah, it's the same as yours, they can teleport the owner to nearby locations”

“So they are teleport items?” he ask

“yup” she smile “all ACI has them. ACI stand for-”

“Anuvina's Crime Investigator, I know”

“looks like your are smarter than they say you are”

“thanks... I think” Ecantus make a mentaly note to ask her later who those 'others' is, right now he decides to changes subject “shouldn't we talk with the dragon riders?”

“of course, they are over there” Arula nods her head over to the two dragon riders there apparently waiting for them, one of them Ecantus knows very well

“I talk with them” he said to the unicorn there just nods, he walk over to one of them and says “hi Sikala”

“Ecantus, your finally been a guardian?” Sikala looks at him with pride and a her common teasing tone

“Yes, what happen here sis?”

“We heard the distress call over our ear adds so me and Buckla over there fly so quickly we can over hear” she nods her head towards the second dragon rider there looks annoying over thieves escape “we saw the thieves on the back on horses but before we could even get close to them, some flying creature block our way and use a sun sphere to slow up completely down” Sikala didn't look very happy either over the thieves getaway, Ecantus took himself not to make a loud gasp in shock

“A sun sphere, it's a miracle you aren't blind Sikala” he didn't hide his concern for his older sister, she only waves him off with a teasing smile

“It was surely lazy made” Ecantus make another mentally note he shall force his sister on the nearest hospital when he gets the time, he know that is not worth to try now because she won't takes orders from her little brother in front of her friends.
Inside the store Ecantus notice that Sikala's dragon partner Nuuking is talking with a diamond dragon, the store owner has a nasty gaze over the face but else he looks like he's gonna make it. It is the owner of the shop and he only survive because of his diamond shape armor in his face, while Ecantus looks outside for clues he hears them talk;

“-look if you don't make a proper statement, I can't help you” Nuuking said, he sounds impatience and apparently he is not the only one when the owner answer;

“Already told you, I don't know how they open the cases”

“Well how do you open them?”

“With a key... my brother and I have the only copies” the Owner says and Ecantus can hear his tail flicks worry in the air “these guys most have some sort of thievery magic because they just wave their hands over the boxes and they just... open”

“What about that one over there?” Ecantus lift his head and sees that Nuuking nods over to a showbox which wasn't empty, inside of it there was three very beautiful necklaces there is make of three difference gemstone, one of sapphire, second of rubies and last of amethyst. Ecantus gets a feeling they shall  symbolize the Three dragons. Before the half-elf looks away again he sees the owner shrug

“They didn't even try, those cases have some our most expensive gemstones”

“Your sure your brother is not part of this?” Nuuking ask straight out

“What are you saying?” the owner sound hurt and annoying

“I'm saying it looks like a inside job and I'm not saying this to disrespect your family”

“Me and my brother is the only employee here and why did they then try to kill me and knock my brother out with something there too can kill a dragon, if we was on their side?” Ecantus finally decide to get inside and stop his eardropping

“excuse me Nuuking, can I interrupt?” the Rider-dragon huffs something there can sound like 'don't mind, is done here' before taking a step back, giving him space “hi, I am Ecantus and I just here to ask if I can scrape your claws?”

“For what?” the diamond dragon looks utterly confuses over this request

“To see you manages to get some trace from the thieves” Ecantus answer

“I never touch them, but the young humdrid over there try to hold on that ring he will give to his  future wife” the owner nods towards the young vampire there is white as chalk and still looks chocked over what just happen. The half-elf walks over to him and can't help but notice that the vampire is younger than he is, he has heard that long-teeth humdrid can starts a family already in the age of 16, it is very common for them to even marriage in their twenties.

“Hi, I'm am Ecantus, I'm here to scape your nails” Ecantus says to the young vampire there (like the dragon) looks utterly confuse “it to see you got some trace from the thieves” he accepts it with a little nod and Ecantus use a thin pin to get dirt or other things there can have been stock under his nails

“What am I going to say to her” he suddenly says to Ecantus and it is his time to look confused over the random question “I lost the ring I really want to give her”

“You can tell her that a ring is nothing compare to that you're still alive” he says with a hopeful smile to the younger humdrid there gave a little reviled smile back over that thought.

****
After have done what they can at the crime scene Arula and Ecantus takes back to the Guardians headquarters. It is located in the country Draconia near the big lake Ocudrac. The headquarters has to be very big to hold all the difference guardians in one place. The founder of the headquarters has decided to build most of the headquarters under lake Ocudrac and some of the upper ceilings is actually transparent so a view of the lake can be seen, many lake creature or young creatures has fun to drive down and look down the ceiling to see what the guardians is doing, of course the laboratory and investigations rooms has not a aquatic ceiling and either has the meetings rooms, only those rooms there didn't mind if others see their works or not.

Ecantus has still not getting use to the greatness of the headquarters because every room and many of the things inside has to be build big to the bigger creature there work there and even if one of the Time dragons come on a visit and they is some of the biggest dragons on Anuvina.
Ecantus walk into one of the many laboratories where he meets up with the trace technician there is a werewolf looking creature name Stillborn. He is a Werewolf Master; a very unique breed there comes from the real werewolfs called the defiled and the bear-sized wolfs funny enough call Bearwolf. Stillborn looks like a dark-brown wolf with black color pattern, he walk on two legs like a human, front paws almost looking human and he wear a grayish laboratory cloak.
Ecantus know that Stillborn's race only has that kind of clothing in the headquarters, rest of the time he walks around in traditional Werewolf armor(almost every werewolf master walks around in armor), Stillborn is not from a hybrid line anymore like his ancestor was, both his parents is also werewolf master like he is.
Ecantus and Stilborn walk into the laboratory where the Werewolf Master has working on the trace Ecantus has collected

“so what is under the vampire's nails isn’t skin” Stillborn begin with a very gruff voice but it is friendly.  

“really?” Ecantus ask the head higher creature and looks into the microscope where the trace is in
“looks like robber”he mumble

“it is” Stillborn smiles so a set of long canine teeth is seen “so our thieves wear gloves and our long-teeth humdrid manages to get something under his nails when one of them took his ring”

“hmm interesting” Ecantus bit on his cheek thoughtfully but he stops his train of thoughts when seeing one of the most rare creature on Anuvina.
It is a Genie; a mint-blue snake with front legs like a lindorm but has far more grace. The genies walk is very different from others because it always looks like they are floating or flying. This genie has also something there can remind of bond or hair there is place on its heads, neck, shoulder, wrists, and few parts of its 'floating' tail. Ecantus has never seen a genie before so he can't stop starring at the rare creature when it comes over to them

“hey guys” it says to them and it make Ecantus frown of surprise
he know that voice

“Arula?”

“sure I am” Arula smiles in her true form and then Ecantus laugh, the two other stare at him with surprise.

“you're a genie!” He just can't stop help laughing and it make a lot more sense why she flirt with him when they first met “I knew something was off with your unicorn form”

“ohh~ your hurting me, do you like this form better then?” she coo and her whole form change right in front of him until an Elf women stands in front of him. Ecantus immaterially stops laughing and immaterially feels inferior.

“Arula, stop flirting with your new partner” Stillborn growls irritates at the Genie, he is use to her teasing flirt.

“It's my species way of living” she only shurg at the werewolf masters raise eyebrow, she blinks flirting at Ecantus “so~?”

“Ehmmm.... I am really not into unisex beings” he said honest, he knows that all genies is none gender creatures, Arula can easily be a male in a female body or reverse. Apparently it looks most like she consider herself as a female by the gender she chose most and Ecantus just didn't like the idea to be with a shapeshifting creature he didn't know the true gender on or it is his partner there is flirting here.

“Alright, so what did you find out?” Arula said with a little shrug while she changes back to her original form, Ecantus is a little taken aback for her quick changes of subject that is takes him few seconds before he can collect himself.

“Right... we found robber under the long-teeth hudrid's fingernails” he tells and then ask “you?”

“Found a way to tack the time portal with the portal dust”

“Great, now we can find them, lets go” Ecantus runs past the genie with pure determent in his eyes to solve this case. Arula smiles amusing to Stillborn there roles with his eyes over those two before she 'float' after him like a happy little girl.

“right behind you rookie”

****
a little hour later Arula and Ecantus is the place where the portal dust send them to when they jumped out of the portal. The portal lead them to an old storehouse and outside there is a sign where there written that the storehouse will be rebuild to a better store. Outside the building there stands two horses there turn their heads to look at them with mild curiosity, Arula turn herself into a horse to and ask them in their own tongue where the thieves are? The blueish one neighs an answer to her and she changes back after that to tell Ecantus;

“they tell that they was left behind for over an hour ago” Ecantus swore silently for himself over their luck and then he hears a odd cracking sound under his boots, he looks down and discover surprisingly that the dark road is kinda colorful

“By the Three... Arula come and take a look at this”

“Let me guess; it's gemstones”

“How did you-?”

“There are over here too” she picks one of the white gemstones up to take a better look at it before looking all around them “they are everywhere” both of them looks around and all the color of difference gemstones is seen mixed with the roads darker color

“The thieves most has thrown them out here” Arula said

“who in their right mind will throw away expensive gemstone when they just steal them?” Ecantus ask her while he slowly begin to collect the gemstones in evidence bags, she didn't look at them when she said;

“I don't know”

****
back at the headquarters again they met up with Stillborn again there was with the print technician Lavin there is a Big Snow Dragon. Lavin head only went up to Ecantus stomach so he is a pretty small dragon compare to many of the other Guardians dragons but he didn't seen to mind that, even if some others bump into him by accident, his natural bone armor which cover over 50% of his body make sure he rarely feel any pain. Because of his bone armor around his face he always has a angry grimace and it don't makes it better that his eyes is red, but Lavin is not a scary dragon in personality, far from it. When Stilborn and Lavin sees the two field worker Lavin's blueish bone-mask lit up in a smile

“Arula, what a pleasant surprise to see your beautiful face around us in these dull days”

“It nice to see you too” the 'female' genie said with a sweet smile gave the far smaller dragon a big hug. Still hugging Lavin she waves at Ecantus “Lavin, this is my new rookie partner Ecantus”

“Greetings elf and may the stars be your gentle guide” the Big Snow Dragon make a very ceremonious(and also overstated) Anuvina greetings. Ecantus didn't make such a big deal with the greeting and can't help but saying;

“Hi, do you always talk like that?”

“I do, that is one of the sweets thing about me” Lavin laugh with his whole body, after calming down a little he turn his red eyes to Arula “do you have something for me, sweet Arula?”

“We have something to both of you”

“well, that's-” he look at the evidence in form of the gemstones, his eyes lit up “very nice!”

“Are you two done? Your flirting talk is driving me rapid” the dark-brown Werewolf Master groan in sarcastic. Ecantus can barely hold a snicker back over the canine pun, the three other Guardians looks at him

“heh I understand that” he admit, when nobody said something he ask more unsure “it was a joke, right?” Stillborn laugh there sound far more like a dogs bark and he turn to Lavin;

“See?! The new guy understands my jokes”

“I do to, my very furry friend” the Big Snow Dragon huff offended

“Only when Arula is not around”

“It's not my fault that she detracts me”

“Lavin” Arula interrupts them both still with a little smile on her scaly face, Ecantus thought that he probably never will understand what is going on in her head. Lavin turn away from Stillborn(only Ecantus notice the wolf role with his eyes in a amusing way) and he bow deep for the genie

“As you desire my sweet lady” he took a better look at the gemstone with some of the Guardians microscopes there slightly remind of old Earth microscopes with some alien tech over them with the glowing stones under them “gemstones huh? I can make a nice necklace out of those”

“Sure, when I can throw your scaly hide in prison for walking around stolen goods” the Werewolf Master mumble high enough to Lavin give him a friendly glare.

"Dragons is not reptilian, thank you very much you big mutt" Stillborn chuckle over Lavin's friendly but still offended joke

“Can you find any prints on any of them?” Ecantus ask before more teasing begins

“These I've look on has nothing, think the suspect used glowers” Lavin took the two smaller gemstones out from the microscope and put a bigger one under it “but don't be disappointed yet my friends, give me time to look at them all”

“Alright, call us when your done honey” Arula said before she flouts out

“It will be my pleasure sweety” Ecantus hear Lavin calling after them when he follow the Genie

“Arula? Are you two-?”

“He is the only one there has nothing against my flirting” she muse almost happy when they took a left turn, her smile turn bigger over the Half-elf confusions “it's only flirting”

“So you two are not... a item?”

“Not as far as I know” she said musing again and they way she said it Ecantus can't stop thinking that she hold something back “lets get over to the technician area and look at those store videos”
Ecantus didn't complain and they both walk into the technician room where there is one of the smallest room in the Guardians headquarters because technician in not as big a thing as it is on planet Earth. The tape from the gemstone rubbery that day already lay inside the room waiting for them.
Some of the GHT(Guardian Helper Technician) most have put them there to make sure we found them Ecantus thought, it is a daily thing GHT did, help the field workers where they can. The tape don't look like a video tape or even a CD, it look far more like a camera chip or even a little computer chip than a video cassette. On Anuvina this 'video chips' is very normal and they have been using them even before Earth invented them.
Of course Anuvina didn't know this fact.
Arula and Ecantus is sitting and looking at the(in the matter of fact) boring video tape where creature and people just walk around in the store and some of them brought something. It wasn’t before the Half-elf yawns before the Genie is saying.

“Jump up to where the robbery is happening” Ecantus did what she says and finally something happen. Both Guardians looks at the tape with keen eyes to see every detail there can help them to find the thieves. Ecantus frowns deep when notice something.

“How come you knew they was Long-teeth Humdrid?”

“The store owner told me that he smell them” Arula told while she keep a eye on the flat screen

“But the one there tried to kill him was too far away to he could be sure, but since that one too look like the first he is sure they both are Long-teeth humdrid”

“The one there shoot cannot be a long-teeth humdrig because he show he can magic”

“your right, long-teeth is in family with the extinct vampire and they only control the blood magic and not the common magic like that guy did” Arula thought out loud “I really don't think that the second is really a long-teeth after all”

****
Ecantus walks alone over to where Stilborn usually was. Arula told him that she will look more into the tapes to see she can found more evidence and after that she will look to Lavin and ask how it was going. She ask Ecantus to see if the Werewolf Master has something new to them. When the Half-elf walks inside the trace room he sees Stillborn frown deep over some gemstones he sure has gotten from Lavin there was done with them.

“why the long face Stillborn?” Ecantus ask, Stillborn gives him a little amusing smile over the little joke before he turns more serious and show what he has found.

“I found trace of Flamtas magma stones” he said

“Magma stone? Ain’t they rare?” Ecantus ask and looks a little better at the reddish sand corn on the biggest diamonds. The magma stone is really some uniqe stones there lay under magma from the island Flamtas biggest volcano. Only very few animals can collect some of the magma stones there is 'wash up' from the magma and lay innocent beside the flaming ocean of lava. Stillborn shakes his head at Ecantus question

“No they are just hard to get because they can hold their high heat in years if treated right” he tells “they are most use to-”

“Metal casting” Ecantus interrupts him and finally some things in this case is beginning to make sense “that's it! The diamond was removed and thrown away because we can trace so many diamonds energy” he frowns over something else and ask Stillborn “what kind of settings was all the stone jewelry?”

“They all made of gold” the Werewolf Master's frown grow even deeper over this discovery “so that is why the use the magma stones, they hold a 1,500 C temperature when they are kept right and the heat is high enough to melt gold”

“It was not the diamond they was after at all... it has always been the gold” Ecantus mumble over this new fact and that fact surely just make their job harder. All his hopes was low to find the thives until he hears someone calling his name

“Ecantus!” he walk out on the corridor and to his surprise he sees his older sister come running over to him
“Sikala? You should be on a hospital and getting your eyes check”

“I'm fine” she waves his concern words off and tells him why she was looking for him “We found a body of the male Harpy”
“What?!” Ecantus outburst in surprise, he knew from his sister that a male Harpy was helping the thieves by casting that sun sphere there was meant to blind the Dragonriders “where?” he ask

“Near the harbor in Tokilo, he most have been a lose end”

“Sounds like me and Arula shall down to the morgue”

“You don't need that, we manage to capture one of the thieves” Sikala grab his shoulder before he run away from her in his eagerness and she continues “he was not bright enough to run longer away from the body and he still have some of the jewelry on him when he took him into custody”

“That's great news!” he cheer and for the second time he is about to run away to find Arula but when he turns around to look seriously at his sister “get down to a hospital now sis or I will drag you” she only gives him a reassuring smile before she push him away

“Get back to your job little brother” she said with one of her usually sisterly smiles

****
it didn't take long for Ecantus to find Arula and her her about the new to finally have something to work with the case. Sikala and Nuuking comes with the frighten Long-teeth Humdrid. Ecantus is not fully sure this scaredy cat of a Long-teeth Humdrid can even kill let alone think up a plan. He is already sure this guy is not the leader of the robbery.

“Why did you kill the Harpy?” Arula(in a some sort of human form, she never shows her true identity to stranger) begin kinda hard, but Ecantus let her do most of the talking to see how he shall do it later.

“I didn't kill Bengior-” the Long-teeth Humdrig begins but when realizing that he talk over himself

“oh so you do know him by name” Ecantus smiles over this slip-up “who is your partner?”

“I am not a snitch” the thief looks at the half-elf with a glaring sight so it is easy to see that the cat-looking eyes is not extinct like their more blood-thirsty(and sun sensitive) relatives.

“And your apparently not a murder either, you know you can get life for killing others, maybe you will be unlucky enough to end up on Buket Prison or even Needft of Night” Arula said very calm and her statement creeps surely the thief out

“I'm not a killer I swear!” he yells frighting. Ecantus didn't blame him for trying to avoid Buket Prison for it lay on a island and only the bigger creatures comes there, it is rarely any human kin comes there. Needft of Night is a original a very famous(next after Seeft of Sun) black castle there is build into the mountain Oliapus. It is not the castle itself there scares the thief but the prison under the mountain linked to the castle there frightens him. It is a prison nobody has ever escape from.

“We have no proof that you did or didn't do the kill. Tell us who the real killer is” Arula's voice cut Ecantus thought about the two prisons and he just manage to see a defeats look in the Long-teeth Hundrid's face. He sigh hopelessly deep before saying;

“Alright, the Harpy is-was Bengior telack. He was our artillery and he did anything my partner ask him to do”

“Like giving up his own life?” Arula ask

“My partner can do anything to others...”

“Even you?”

“Even me” he almost look smaller when saying that. Ecantus knew from studding that some creatures can 'seduce' or 'fright' other with their look. Most demons kin has this ability “my partner would have killed me too if I didn't run away”

“What is your parents name?” Arula ask

“Vitta.... Vitta is a Jinn” unintentionally Ecantus look at Arula, a Jinn is a very close relatives to the Genies and one of the Genies preferring mates. Arula didn't notice her partners gaze for her eyes keep looking at the thief when she asks;

“Where is the gold now?”
“I tell you... if you make sure that I don't end in Buket or Needft of Night” the Long-teeth Humdrid says quick

“Deal” the Genie says with a sly smile.

****
The two Guardians is soon on the right track again after the capture thief told them where to look after the gold. They find a 'female' Jinn there was ready to ship a container, Ecantus did notice that Arula didn't bother to change her form because Jinn can sense other shapeshifters, but unlike the Genies there look more like snakes, the Jinn has a certain resembles to a frog or a lizard with sand to brownish colors except for their(almost demonic) eyes there shine a blood red colors. Arula and Ecantus is company with Buckla the Dragonrider and his dragon partner Sarking. Sarking tells Vitta to step aside from the container. they open the container and see-

“claypots” Arula mumble when seeing the over fifty pots. The gigantic pots there is most use to drinking pots to bigger creatures and also to bigger flowers.

“What did you think you find? A pile of gold?” Vitta ask with a thin hoarse voice, even with a Jinns normal frog sounding voice, Vitta still manage to pull out to make her voice seducing and calm. Arula narrow her eyes at her close relative and tell the Dragonrider to check the container for any sign of the gold. Buckla walk slowly around (with a single light magic sphere over his head so he can see into the darker corner) to look after any sign of the gold. He finally turns around with shaking head.

“It just a bunch of pots and bags with dirt Arula” he tells them “there is nothing else in here”

“Whatever you Guardians are looking for, is long gone by now” Vitta almost pure. Ecantus got the
feeling that she try to flirt with Arula, but it look more like that Arula is done flirting.

“If that is true” Ecantus said confident to the Jinn there is as high as him “you wouldn't be here or the container either” he jumps up in the container with Buckla and looks first at the randomly bags of dirt. His first thought that these pots will be sold as plant pots and not drinking pots. He push’s to one of the smaller pots with his foot and it didn't bunch at all when he did that, normal pots in that size will have just move a little. Ecantus gets a idea

“Sarking, can you come up here?” he calls for the brown Rider-dragon there did what she is told and crawl over to him. The Half-elf point the the pot he just has kicked too “carefully use your claw on this”  carefully Sarking use her index claw on the smaller pot. Ecantus ask her to keep doing that two more times until the dragon suddenly snorts surprise;

“I smell gold. All these pots are made of gold”

“I knew it, the strong scent of dirt and clay is use to cover the scent of the gold in the pots” Eantus laugh in his explaining. Arula looks confident at the Jinn there finally stops smiling    

“Hiding in plane sight are we? Where was the gold going to?”

“I don't know your Honor” the Jinn play innocent dump with her short arms in the air. The sly smile is back “I'm just a innocent bystander, frighting by the big bad Guardians”

“you under arrest for attempted murder, robbery and the murder of Bengior telack” Ecantus says instead since she will not tell them more, Vitta turn her frog-looking head against him like she is sad

“I don't know what your talking about”

“Nice move to act like you don't know the Harpy there will follow you anywhere because you surely look like a female of his own kin” Ecantus jumps down the container “your 'partner' ratted you out”

“And your taking that wimp for his words?” Vitta sound more like a angry snake and less seducing now. Arula walks very close to the Jinn with a copy of the Jinn's sly smile

“that is how it works” she said and nods to the Dragonrider “cuff her”

****
back at the Guardians headquarters, Vitta and her (former)Long-teeth Humdrid partner is put in waiting cell until they shall stand in front of a judge. Ecantus sigh deep over all there has happen today, while he is making himself ready to go home. Lavin the Big Snow Dragon came waltzing over to him

“So you guys solve the case huh?” He ask with a smirk

“We did it with your help” Ecantus said while he close his locker.

“I'm honored, can I tempt you to walk out like friends and find a good play to get a drink?”

“so long you don't try to make me drink Sunflare, that stuff can kill a human” Lavin chuckle over this joke, the small dragon also walk over to his locker

“Not if you breath fire” he grins when he put his dark-band inside the locker before closing it

“Did I hear someone say they want a drink?” Ecantus and Lavin turns their heads to see the Werewolf Master comes over to them, like the two others he walks over to his locker.

“Wanna have a drink with us, Stillborn?” the Snow dragon ask, Stillborn snort only a wolf can do and put his own dark-band inside the lock and took a body armor out. Werewolf masters rarely walk outside without their special armor.

“A tiny glass isn’t enough for me, give me a bowl instead” He mumble when he took his almost human-looking clothes off and put the armor over his chest. The two other males chuckle a little over his joke, Stillborn has just put his last part of his armor on him when Arula come inside the locker room too.

“oh hey Arula, do you go out for a drink with us” Lavin ask her before Ecantus can even react she is inside the room.
“sorry guys I don't drink” she said, her dark-band around her neck is already gone so Ecantus thinks she surely already has been over to her own locker before them. She probably just comes inside the locker room to see what they is talking about.

“ohh you never say yes” Lavin whine and come with(a obvious fake) sad face. Ecantus see Stillborn role with his eyes before closing his locker.  

“I can't have you're fighting to sit beside of me because I'm the only lady” Arula smile

“lady? Just change your gender then” Stillborn snort, Arula laugh over his comment to Ecantus surprise

“Maybe next time” she turn around and wave goodbye to them with a mysterious spark in her eyes “see ya” the three males wave goodbye to her, after she is gone Ecantus look confuse over to Lavin there looks most like he knows most about his new partner.

“She never want to go out with us, she always hold her private life for herself” Lavin tells him and he is the first walking outside the locker room “well, gentlemen, lets go” the Half-elf and Werewolf Master walks with him out when Ecantus suddenly thought over something

“While we are talking about Arula. Are you together?” he ask the Snow Dragon.

“Me and Arula?” Lavin asks with a surprise face which quickly turn into a amusing smile “no, we're just a flirting pair”