Venturing: On Effectives

At the later part of the
midnight hour, we shift our attention through the opening of the doors.
Glancing into the large empty room that stands before us while Zander and Kyro
walked right in, curiosity written into their faces as their footsteps echoed
upon our ears. Natty frowned, yet her wings shuffled. Her face and eyes stared
directly towards Kyro's back. But her attention seems to be on that safe at the
center of the room. Standing idle above the pillow case that was below it. The
streets we walked on were empty as darkness now covered most of the street and
sidewalks. It stretched far into the horizon, preventing us from being able to
see there. Not that it matters anyway however.

As I smiled towards
Zander whom turned his head over to me and met my eyes once, I stretched my
wings, Natty and Ozkun took the signal and walked forth after them. I followed
behind until the doors shut behind us. The lights from the ceiling flicked on.
Illuminating the room with their glorious lights. As It allowed us to see our
surroundings, we only took interest upon the open safe at the center of the
room. We all gathered around it and stepped forth closer to it. Natty and I
leaned forth, glancing upon the interior of the safe. Staring at the small
empty space inside where a spinning top spiral spins at the dead center. A tilt
of my head allowed Natty to carefully stretched her claw forth; grabbing onto
the spinning top upon its rod. Forcing the top to stopped immediately as we
heard something like loud sounds erupted upon the silence floor.

It jolted Zander and
Kyro. Ozkun drew her pistol while turning rapidly around; her face darkened
with scowls as she wondered where that sound was coming from. Me and Natty
turned our attention towards the source of that sound. Spotting what seems to
be an expensive television set that had now exposed itself to us from the wall
it cling into. Gray static was formed upon the surface; moving but remaining
still. I motioned Natty whom draws forth towards the television. We stretched
our claws towards the edges of the television set. Gripping it tightly as we
hoisted it down upon the hard flooring below us. Despite our tight grips, Natty
let slip her claw and allowed the television to fall upon its side. Cracking
the screen however as a loud bang echoed through the silence. Zander Kyro and
Ozkun flinched upon hearing it but remained still while their eyes remained
upon the television.

“You alright?" I asked Natty who nodded her head silently and a smile was form
upon her face. She rose her head meeting my eyes, flapped her wings which Kyro
stepped forth to her side. The three of us grabbed onto the sides of the
television, picking it up from the hard grounds and held it there as the
remaining dragons stared at it for a moment. Then, Zander walked up towards us.
Kneeled in front of the television before throwing his claw upon the screen and
resulted in more cracks and shards that now fall out. But despite the blood
thinly leaking from his wounds, he pulled out what seems to be a white mirror.
“A mirror?" Kyro questioned, turned his attention towards it and Zander who
frowned and tilted his head to one side. “This is not what I had expected from
a television." “It is however." I started while the black dragon glance at me
suddenly. Widened eyes were upon his face as his and I met for a moment, only a
smile drifted before I rose my claw pointing towards the ceiling above me.
“Zander, set the mirror to the former spot of where that spinning top lay."
“Alright." Zander nodded, doing as he was told.

Letting go of the mirror
as he laid it above the opened safe box, it shined a reflection towards the
ceiling above us. Revealing black and white stripes that now hang from the
ceiling, blown by the fan that was off towards the side. We all rose our heads
towards the ceiling; though we had mixed responses towards our discovery. Yet
before I could speak, Ozkun's head brightened suddenly as she pulled several
random ribbons from the ceiling above us and gathered them all into one pile.
She dropped them all upon the grounds which hovered a bit and spread out with
little distance from one another. I stared towards Ozkun suddenly before
ordering the others to do the same. Soon shortly after, we had gathered every
ribbon from the ceiling and litter it upon the spread grounds below us. Some of
those ribbons caught onto the others and tangled themselves. Others remained
where they were.

With the pause of silence
hovering over our shoulders and heads, sparked a conversation between Zander
Kyro and Natty as they each asked the other a question and one of the two tried
to answer it all. Me and Ozkun ignored them and lowered ourselves upon the
grounds, grabbing our gathered pile of ribbons before turning them over. There
written from top to bottom. It was set between zero and nine. No doubles or
negative numbers however. We stared at the ribbons in silence; listening to the
sudden argument that came between the three dragons. But it shortly paused when
Natty turned towards me and Ozkun, walked forth towards us and asked. We turned
over to the pink dragoness, exposing the white numbers written upon the
ribbons. “That is going to take forever to find." She concluded, staring down
onto the white numbers with a frown. “Indeed." I say, “There has to be an
easier way to find this code." “More importantly," Zander huffed adding to the
conversation with crossed arms over his shoulders, gazing away from the rest of
us. “Where does these codes go into?"

“I thought into the
safe?" Ozkun suggested. Yet Zander shook his head, “That is impossible. The
safe at the center of the room is already opened. What was inside was just a
spinning top that is link to the television that we had already broke." “Could
the television find something useful?" Kyro questioned, turning his attention
towards me and the television that was right behind me. I just shrugged, saying
nothing. “Worth a shot, I guess." I said as Kyro walked towards my line turned
our attention towards the broken television screen in front of us and waited.
Yet the screen only show grayness and sparkles about. Nothing else was
interesting upon it however which was worst news for us. For about a moment
came a sudden sigh from me as I shook my head, “Nothing. Just a grayscale and
such." “Is there something attach to the television that we could use? Like a
camera or something?" “Was there a camera at the front of the store? Pointing
inward through the glass doors?" Suggested Ozkun while me and Kyro turned
towards him suddenly, Natty shook her head. “The owner had already taken it.
Saw it through our patrol during the evening hours." “Dang."

So we were stuck at step
one it seems. A long drawn breath escaped my lips while my wings folded behind
me. Silence fell overtop our heads with no one saying, suggesting or commenting
anything to start the conversation. For we were all too preoccupied upon our
heads at the case we were thrown by Yang thanks to the efforts from the
previous case that was somehow connected to this one for some strange reason.
As I remained quiet for the time being, my head pulsed with the heatness that
gradually came through and I exhaled quietly which caught the attention of
others while Kyro quietly spoke but loud enough to be able to be heard by the
others, “Lets just deal with the third clue." “What is it then?" I heard Ozkun
asked, shifting her eyes towards the red dragon who pointing back towards the
safe again. At the center where the spinning top used to be, behind it was a
big red button. White words were written onto it however. Detailing 'Power'.
“Should we press it?" Ozkun asked, walking back in front of the safe and
reached with her arm forth inward. Suddenly pressing the button as a click
echoed through the silence.

The walls suddenly
vibrated. The grounds cracked into two. The table, safe and the television fell
upon its side. The results of such an earthquake was just minimal however. As
we gathered back upon our feet, we shifted our attention towards the
surroundings of the room. Having already noticed that everything was fallen
upon the grounds. Shattered into pieces was the television, the safe and table
remained in one piece however. Yet something caught my eye. I was not sure what
it was however. For as I draw forth towards the safe and table, I spotted a
white substance in between the two said objects. I motioned the others with my
tail, drawing them forth towards me as their heads hang glancing upon whatever
it was I was looking at. “That is new." Zander spoke as he crouched and dig
through his police jacket for a brown stick and jar. Pulling a sample from the
whiteness before us, he set it inside the jar and lid it with his palm while he
nudged Kyro who handed him a lid. “What is it?" “Not sure." Spoke the two
dragons on my side as I reached out towards it with my claw. It was smack away
by Natty who shook her head at me.

Zander left the scene as
the remain of us stared around the area for a while. Noticing that the paint
from the walls were peeled off leaving behind an expose pale background behind
it. The paint was white, same with the substance that we had saw between the
two objects and I pondered if they were the same thing. With my thoughts
circling around my head for some time, my ears perk upon listening towards Kyro
who was together with Natty at the time, pointing forth towards an opening
through the walls. Leading straight down into the pitch darkness below them as
Ozkun nodded at them with silence. A faded footsteps left our ears while I
remained staring downward at the substance below us. Thus clenching my claws, I
growled suddenly. “None of this makes any sense. The stripes, the safe, the
walls peeling off, everything." “Indeed." Responded Ozkun whom eyes rose up
towards me with a sorrow look, “What does any of these clues have anything to
do with the case we have right now. What does it have with the previous case
too however." “Nothing-" I say before being interrupted by Kyro and Natty whose
footsteps were rapid and running up until they found themselves back upon safe
grounds. With the pink dragoness suddenly slamming the door behind herself as a
thud escaped behind them, the duo of dragons breathed an exhaled sigh before
meeting the eyes of myself and Ozkun whom we turned towards them suddenly. Eyes
widened in surprise upon seeing them.

Shortly afterwards,
Zander came back as he landed up the front of the store. He walked inward
through the entrance behind him. But was surprise upon seeing the married pair
breathing heavily. He turned towards me and Ozkun who rose our shoulders high
before it sank down. A pause erupted between the three grounds before I growled
at Kyro and Natty questioning, “Alright. What happened down there?" “There was
whiteness everywhere. Seeping from the cracks of the grounds and walls, witness
was everywhere." “Witness?" Ozkun asked, “Apparently these are called 'seed'.
However, they are not our species however." I turned to Zander who added more,
“Apparently, according to Yang. These are canine's." “Then which canine? Foxes?
Wolves?" I questioned him as he flinched but said nothing for a moment before
quietly speaking, “Foxes" “Why a sticky fox seed glued in between the safe and
table? Including the walls and whatever did Kyro and Natty saw in the basement
below." Ozkun asked out loud despite the quietness following after her. For no
one answered her

An exhale breath escaped
my throat as my eyes closed and opened suddenly. My mind returned to the clues
that we had found. The ribbons, spinning top, power button, whatever was inside
the basement and the white painted walls. 'Seems like someone had an orgy here
somehow.' My first thought popped and turned towards the safe at the center of
the room, 'Then they probably took whatever was inside the safe with them but
forgot to close the safe. One of the written number codes should be from those
ribbons however.' I turned away from the safe, towards the piles of ribbons
that were scattered and spread across the grounds. “Guys, do you think that the
foxes had escaped with the object that was kept inside the safe? Used the
ribbons as clues about what the clues were?" “Then what about the white
substance?" Questioned Ozkun, fixing his eyes towards me as Zander pipped up
and raised his claw “Fox seed." “That does explain the smell coming from the
room's walls." Started Natty as Kyro quietly nodded his head. “Those that need
a fresh air come outside then." I ordered whereas everyone but me and Zander
left the room.

I turned towards Zander
and he frowned at me. Neither of us said anything; nor we spill whatever was
inside our minds. For as our attention was towards one another, I gazed away at
him and fixed upon the opened safe. Dropping my voice down into a whisper and
questioned towards the black dragon in mind, he turned his eyes towards me and
exhaled. Kneeing to a crouch position, he went to grabbed a few ribbons from
the grounds. Hoisted himself into the air as he went through each and every one
of them while muttering to himself about something. I stared at him suddenly
before avert my eyes towards the safe before me. Walking to it, I extended my
claw towards the front of the safe. Grabbed onto the dial that was in front of
me and turned it around. I had noticed that it never turned. It remained in
place as I felt tightness upon it which had surprised me suddenly. I raised my
other claw, pushed upon the safe surface and allowed it to click. On this time,
Zander pipped up upon the silence. “I got it. 5839." “That is the code?" I
questioned the dragon who nodded his head, a warm smile escaped his lips while
I acknowledged it and him. Setting the numbers by turning the dail.

Sure enough, the safe
opened once again. I nodded at him. Zander grinned suddenly as the fireworks
erupted upon his excitement body. Before I turned back towards the opened safe
again, we heard the door opened again. Coming from the outside was the rest of
my unit; Kyro, Natty, Ozkun whom all spread themselves out into the floor.
“Seems like we got the safe to opened." Kyro commented, fixing his attention
towards the opened safe as me and Zander nodded after him. The red dragon smiled
but remained silent while his eyes fix upon the white walls that Natty was
staring at. With the couple having an engagement of conversations, Zander
stepped close towards me and the safe explaining how he got the numbers. “...
The biggest hint was the store name." “The store name?" I questioned him,
Zander nodded with a smile. “ 'Rising Column “ “What does that have-" I asked
him, but Kyro's loud voice interrupted me as every head turned towards the red
dragon.

“The button causes this earthquake
to happen which launched something in the basement that now seeps into the
walls and ceiling above us. They are trying to make this into a bloody scene.
Yet without any bodies about." “Something in the basement?" Said Ozkun with a
tilt of his head while the red dragon turned towards her and nodded, a plaster
of smile from his face. “Yeah! We saw at the basement a foiler and a burner
adjacent to one another. A large substance was inside the burner however. But
it never burned or caught into flames which was weird. It was not fox's seed
however." Kyro explained, “Seed like ours would melt away rather easily. These
do not. They are more like sulfur or something along that line." “The chemical
substance." I realized as Zander blinked a bit surprise, “But why sulfur?"
“Cause!" Kyro grinned widely, “It would not melt away inside the burner. But
rather create that smell that we had initially thought was seed which was not."
“Then who have created it?"

A question like that fell
upon the deaf ears. For the silence came again with Kyro remained quiet, his
eyes lowered towards the grounds below him. Me, Ozkun and Zander waited. But
nothing. I exhaled a breath and shook my head, “Foxes maybe the first culprit.
Unless there is something else otherwise, we will have to stick with them
however." An wave of nods came in response, even Kyro and Natty agreed with me.
Both having no objectives to the latter which have indeed surprise me much. But
never minding it now we all spread out again upon the room; shifting our eyes
towards the walls, grounds and that table at the center. But no evidence came.
Not even a thin fur hair from a fox or wolf which surprised me much. For after
about seconds of searching, we had gathered again. I scratched my head.
“Nothing." “Same." Came the agreement from the others as the silence gap upon
our breaths. I exhaled again and spoke, “We should head on back. See what Yang
has to say about the record video that she had acquired." “Did Zander mentioned
that?" Kyro questioned me, I shook my head. “No." I answered him, “Just a hunch
if she did however." “Then  I guess we
will head out then." Natty remarked with a nod as everyone else nodded in
agreement.

We all spill out from the
store behind us. Spread our wings upon the sunrise dawn and flew into the cold
morning air that washed over us. The chatters, conversations and arguments were
now filling our ears from below as dragons prepared for their daily morning
routine. I exhaled another breathe, my mind pondering about the store, the
clues we acquired, and the lack of evidence found inside the store. As I
wondered where the two culprits were and what they had stolen from the safebox,
I cleared my mind. Realizing that I was on my way towards a stressful morning
and a pounding headache that would not lift up. I only chuckle faintly which
earned some glances towards me. I waved it off as we soon closed in onto the
station that was in front of us. For as we landed, we started walking inward.
Yang met us inside the station, awaiting for our return. In her claw was the
black dvd  that I had anticipated; I only
smiled before hugging her while Ozkun and Zander looked on with surprise. Kyro
and Natty nodded their herds after I turned towards them, holding up the black
dvd.

“Now we should be able to
see what exactly happened and who was there." I say, giving the dvd a wave. “We
should get popcorn." Started Zander, though none of the others were joking
however. With eyes staring down onto the black dragon, I shook my head and
turned away towards Yang who nudged her head towards the nearby door. We all
pile ourselves inside, allowing the darkness to loom over our heads. I sat upon
the chair; scooted forth to draw forth towards the keyboard. Then type
something in. The wall in front of us turned. Revealing a huge television in
front of us; it was blank with gray coloring. Yet at the corner of the screen
lies a small square box. White words were upon it; though everyone ignored it
as I waved towards Kyro whom took the dvd from my claw. Set it inside the
rectanglar box below the television and the keyboard, setting back afterwards.

We heard the low humming
blew into our ears as our eyes rose towards the television screen which now
changed from gray to static. It was like that for a few seconds before it
turned again to gray. A large square close towards the edges of the television
screen now stands before us. A small red blinking circle replace the small
square box. Above the circle were the words “01/31/23". Our attention was drawn
towards the center of the screen where the store floor now stands before our
eyes. For the first few seconds, it had seemed that nothing had happened
however. Save for a few dragons walking at the outside of the store. Come an
hour before midnight, we spotted two canines walking through the center of the
store. Grabbed onto the black and white ribbons above them, puching out the
code at the safe in the center of the room. While the safe was opened and one
of the canines reached in to grab whatever was inside, the other darted across
the room. Heeding towards the door opposite of the entrance and entered in.

Then for the next few
seconds; blinking dark gray and white lights (red and white lights) started
flashing. The two canines flinched upon hearing it and started running out the
door. But not without the treasure that they had take with them. It was an
envelope; a logo of a deer with no eyes was imprinted upon it. On the other paw
of the canine was a coin. Its surface was that same imprintation of a deer. We
looked at one another curious and intrigued by the logo and shape, though
worried and concerned about why the canines needed such a thing? For when the
video ended was the only time that Kyro drew the dvd out before fixing his
attention towards the rest of us. Only I broke the silence, but I realized that
it was just my speculation however about the clues and evidence that we were
handed with.

“Regardless…" We heard
Yang's voice from the door as our eyes shift towards her. She leaned against
the side of the door; eyes up front towards us with a small fainted smile. As
she continued, she walked to us and handed an note. “You guys are requested to
head towards the basement of the station. We got a crisis down there that
needed solving." “Alright." I responded with an od at her as she smiled back
before turning tail and walked away. For once she was gone, I exhaled a breath
and turned towards the others. “Lets find out what they had wanted." “Perhaps
it had something to do with that logo that we saw." Speculated Kyro with a
thought as Natty nudged him with a growl shaking her head “I doubt it."