The Extra's Reincarnation

"Right, well, since you’re here, I suppose I’ll try to... uh... utilize your... skills."

He paused, seemingly searching for the right words, his command of leadership vocabulary clearly still a work in progress.

"But don’t expect me to... hold your hands. You’re Florence guards, not... children."

He winced internally at the unintended irony of that statement, given the pair’s apparent age.

Mel and Fletra exchanged a nervous glance, but their voices were firm as they replied in unison, "Yes, sir!"

He nodded curtly, then seemed to realize he hadn’t actually given them any instructions.

"Right, so..." he began, then trailed off, his gaze drifting towards the darkened alleyways that snaked between the buildings.

"Actually," he said, a flicker of determination replacing the uncertainty in his eyes, "I have a few leads on the missing shipments. Nothing concrete, but enough to warrant further investigation."

He reached into his cloak, retrieving a small, leather-bound notebook.

"According to my sources, there’s been some suspicious activity in the eastern district. I want both of you to investigate that area thoroughly. See if you can find any trace of the stolen goods, or anyone who might know something."

He handed Fletra a small, intricately carved wooden token.

"This will identify you as allies should you encounter any... complications. But try to be discreet, the guards in the kingdom are on alert because of the news, so it’s best to have that ready whenever."

"Understood," Fletra replied, her voice firm. "We’ll be thorough, sir."

"Good. Report back here in an hour. And try not to get yourselves into trouble."

Mel and Fletra, armed with their instructions and the mysterious token, set off towards the eastern district.

The streets here were bustling with activity, even at this late hour.

Market stalls displayed their wares under the soft glow of lanterns, taverns, spilled music and laughter onto the cobblestone streets.

"He said the guards are on alert," Fletra murmured, her eyes scanning the crowds.

"I wonder why."

"Maybe there’s been an increase in crime lately. Or perhaps some political unrest."

As the two talked back and forth, they continued through the streets from vendor to vendor without trouble.

The atmosphere in the eastern district was different from the quiet serenity of the city center.

As they passed a group of elves huddled in hushed conversation, Mel overheard a snippet of their conversation.

"...the princess... disappeared... guards are searching everywhere..."

He exchanged a curious glance with Fletra. "The princess?" he mouthed.

Fletra’s eyes widened. "You don’t think..."

Before they could speculate further, a squad of royal guards appeared from a nearby alleyway, their silver armor shining in the moonlight.

The leader, a stern-faced elf with a silver circlet adorning his brow, stepped forward, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword.

"Halt! state your business in the eastern district humans."

"Eh... us?"

Mel pointed at himself while looking at the guard, who gave no reaction to his gesture.

Gulp...

Both Mel and Fletra exchanged nervous glances, as they had been warned about the increased guard presence, they hadn’t expected to be confronted so quickly.

"We’re with the Florence family guard," Mel replied, trying to maintain his composure.

"We’re here on official business."

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The guard’s eyes narrowed.

"Florence? That’s a human family, is it not? What business would they have in Elandria, especially at this hour?"

Fletra stepped forward, presenting the wooden token.

"We were sent by Lady Ophelia," she explained. "We have a warrant to investigate some... missing items."

The guard captain’s eyes widened as he recognized the token, his face paling visibly.

A flicker of fear crossed his eyes, and he instinctively took a step back.

"...!"

"That token..." he stammered in a shaky voice.

"That’s... that’s the mark of the one who..."

He trailed off, his gaze darting nervously between the token and the two young guards.

Mel and Fletra were bewildered by his expressions, completely unaware of the significance of the token and the captain’s reaction.

"We were given this by our chief of operations,"

"He said it would identify us as allies."

The captain swallowed hard, his fear battling with his sense of duty.

He remembered the earlier encounter with the cloaked figure, the brutal efficiency with which he had destroyed the guards, the chilling calmness in his red eyes.

And that token... he showed them earlier, but disregarded it because of its authenticity.

"Allies..." he muttered under his breath.

He glanced back at his squad, a silent message of retreat passing between them.

Ehem...

"My apologies," the captain said, his voice regaining its composure.

"There’s no need for further checks. I do know that the Florence family is well-respected in Elandria, and we wouldn’t want to hinder your investigation."

"However, we are currently facing a... delicate situation. Princess Aziel has gone missing, and our resources are stretched thin in our search for her."

He looked at them with a hopeful glint in his eyes.

"Should you, in the course of your investigation, come across any information regarding the princess’s whereabouts, we would be most grateful for your assistance. Any suspicious activity, any rumors, any leads... please report them to the nearest royal guard post."

Mel and Fletra exchanged a quick glance. They weren’t exactly looking to get involved in a royal kidnapping case, but they also understood the gravity of the situation.

A missing princess was no small matter, and any information they could gather might be crucial to her safe return.

"Of course, Captain," Fletra replied, her voice firm and reassuring.

"We’ll keep our eyes open and report anything we find."

The captain nodded gratefully.

"Thank you. We appreciate your cooperation. Now, please, continue with your investigation. We wouldn’t want to delay you further."

The guards left, and the two new Florence guards were alone again.

The shipments? That was looking easier by the minute.

Now they had a princess to worry about, too. First mission, and it was already a royal mess.

"That was... interesting," Mel remarked, wiping a bead of sweat from his brow.

"I’ve never been so close to a royal guard before, let alone one who looked like he wanted to arrest us." Fletra nodded in agreement.

"So," Mel said, turning towards the heart of the market, "what do we do now? Should we try to find this princess?"

"I don’t know. It’s not really our mission, is it?"

"True, but it might be a good way to earn some favor with the elves. And who knows, maybe it’ll lead us to the stolen shipments somehow."

"Besides, wouldn’t it be cool to say we helped find a missing princess?"

Fletra chuckled. "I suppose it would. And if I recall correctly, I heard someone mention that she’s quite striking. Something about silver hair and emerald green eyes... Apparently, she’s considered a beauty even by Elven standards."

"Really? If that’s true, it shouldn’t be too hard to spot her. She’d stand out in a crowd, even amongst the elves."

"That’s true. Elves are definitely a good-looking bunch."