In the next four years Foxy taught was taught about the home world of the Travellers – a marvellous world with the flat and unimaginative name of Dirt, Soil, Turf, Loam, Ground, Land or Earth, the translation was inconclusive, in Elvish it was called Flatsoundingworld – as far as the Office was able to gather information. What was known pointed to a highly evolved world that was decadent and lazy. No one walked there anymore but used magical carriages for even the shortest distances, flew in metal airships to the other side of the world in only a few hours, and worshiped a magical “net” or “web” (the translation was inconclusive) where one could do everything without leaving the house.

The Travellers were even proud that everyone had a cell on their own!

Truly decadent, lazy, stupid and oppressive. No wonder, everyone wanted to come to Arkadia!

She was also taught about behaviours to look out for or how she could spot inconsistencies on Character Parchments and stories.

It was actually quite easy: the more someone behaved like he grew up in a cave without contact to other people, the more likely he was a Traveller.

She was provided with historical account of incidents – and learned her own mother was a Traveller. Officially she was classified as a Hero, but Foxy was certain, she belonged to the Utter Morons in truth. Reading her Character Parchment and her exploits, Foxy got sick. Her mother was a Pervert, there was no question about it!

She fornicated with everyone and everything she could seduce, the furrier or exotic, the better. One time she even tried to make a harem for herself, but the whole thing blew up in her face. Her end was fitting: a few years after leaving Foxy she died while trying out an Ogre.

Foxy was glad, she changed her name and had nothing to do any more with that creature.

Her lessons also included a heavy emphasis on [Investigation], [Interrogation] and [Acting]. Combined with her [Observe] she learned how to look for clues or get out the truth of suspects – while not being obvious that she worked for the Office or the Bureau.

Her [Magic: Dream] also helped with the investigation. Maybe [Magic: Mental] would have been more fitting, but dream magic was less conspicuous and actually worked better in the field Foxy had to use it. If there was something the mark physically could not speak about or describe, no mental magic was going to make him do it.

Of course, both the Office and the Bureau had agents with [Magic: Mental] – someone had to keep the captured Travellers in line.

Combined with the lessons from her foster parent, the education she received made her quite proficient in around a dozen scientific Skills. They were needed to be able to ask the right questions and know what to look out for.

The rest of her time was spent on becoming even more proficient in fighting. Travellers (and criminals, which he would have to deal with too as an Internal Insurances Agent) were or could be extremely dangerous, after all!

Four years later she reached Level 6 and was assigned as a trainee to an experienced agent. Their first few missions were to trace smugglers and such. Even in these early missions, Foxy displayed a knack for following through no matter what – for her tenacity, she earned the nickname “The Rabid” before she was twenty-two. Her name having the meaning “Rabid Person” the nickname was something like an inside joke in the Office.

She was soon assigned to solo missions – easy ones at first, like checking on the Crafters under Elven control, tracking and audit a few known Heroes, or some work for the Bureau.

At the age of twenty-five and at Level 13, she was an accomplished solo agent with a good name. Her nickname struck and was widely known in the official channels. The origins of the nickname wasn’t known for most, but gained a life on its own. Foxy was known to complete the mission no matter what, even disregarding inconveniences for local Princes or damage to property. It was understood that it was easier to help her than risk her biting the hand that withhold help. The Domain came first for her in every case.

At the age of thirty, reaching Level 17, she took a short sabbatical and enlisted in the High King’s Academy for Magical and Scientific Studies. Her goal was to broaden her magical horizons, the main focus being [Magic: Floramancy], but also auxiliary studies in [Magic: Mental], [Magic: Illusion] and [Magic: Space and Time]. She also enlisted in a workgroup for Chi-exercises, to rise her [Chi: Mind], [Chi: Modification] and [Chi: Kinesis].

While on the Academy, she met her first girlfriend after long years of being alone. Actually, the Silver Elf was who picked her up in a lecture about [Dead Tongue: Old Elven]. Why Foxy even selected that lecture, she wasn’t exactly sure, probably to be able to read and understand old magical and mundane texts. Maybe.

Being picked up, Foxy regarded as absolutely brazen and shocking. True, her new girlfriend was a Silver Elf, and since the whole race consisted of only females, the rules and customs were more forgiving in their regard. Gealach, as she was named, came from a town in the Silver territories, her family running a famous still for Moon Whiskey, and was studying [Alchemy] and [Herbology] in the Academy.

For the next two years, they were living together in a small apartment with the understanding that they would move together back to the Silver territories after their studies were completed. However, Foxy was further along her studies and had to go back to the Office hunting criminals and Travellers, but they promised each other to stay in contact, and when Gealach finished, they would move in together again.

At thirty-four, at Level 20, as Foxy did one of her infrequent visits to the Academy – she did visit as much as she could, but her work meant that sometimes there were several month between visits – she found her girlfriend dead. Technically, it was regarded as an accident – the vice-chancellor’s son was horse-racing in the park next to the Academy, and while overtaking a wagon he forced the driver to swerve to the side.

Where a little girl was picking flowers.

Gealach, in an act of sacrificial impulse, was able to push the little girl out of the way, but was run over by the wagon in turn.

It was regarded as an accident, since clearly no one was responsible, the vice-chancellor’s son the least, and no one was taken to account.

Foxy was furious. Her girlfriend was clearly killed because of the irresponsibility of an entitled twat, and no one was going to do anything about it?!

Well, Foxy was a solo agent for Internal Insurances, and as such had a few helpful rights. Like starting an investigation even if the local prince, militia or a vice-chancellor did not find it necessary. Or persecute criminals on her own. And she did. Investigate and persecute, that is.

It wasn’t much of an investigation, everyone knew the vice-chancellor’s son drank and did barely-legal (and illegal) drugs. So she was able to find evidence within a day that the criminal filth in question was so high on stuff that he was basically flying and so drunk that it was a wonder he was able to lay straight. While horse-racing in a public park.

Both were against the Law and Customs, so that filth had caused the accident.

Being a good agent, Foxy informed the relevant authorities about her findings and verdict and set out to dispense justice. Justice, not revenge! Persecuting a criminal filth was justice, after all.

Causing another Elf’s death came with two possible punishments: either the culprit left the Domain and brought shame to his family. Or death. The shivering filth of a coward chose… Neither.

Instead, she tried to bribe Foxy, and when that was not successful, he threatened Foxy with his father’s power. The little idiot even admitted that the accident was swept under the rug by his father. When Foxy flashed her government-issued recording crystal, he finally chose his punishment by attacking her. Levels, Skills and Perks weren’t necessarily everything on Arkadia, but still, a Level 4 nobody with primary Skills in [Party], [Sex], [Riding] and [Convincing] was no serious threat for a Level 20 solo agent of Internal Insurances.

Leaving the cadaver to be collected by the cleaning lady, she marched up to the vice-chancellor and confronted him with his crimes. Hiding a crime and abiding filth was also a crime in the Domain, punishable with a hefty fine (and ruined reputation) or banishment. The filth that was the ex-vice-chancellor chose neither, tried to bribe or cow her into submission, and when that angel didn’t work, he and let his bodyguard attack her. They both forgot, that Foxy was not only an accomplished hand-to-hand fighter, she was also a master in [Magic: Dream], however.

Casting a Sleep spell on the bodyguard was a matter of seconds, and gutting the other filth didn’t took long either. Unfortunately for her, the bodyguard-filth was higher Level and had a few good Perks for different magic resistances – and probably a few magical trinkets too. The ensuring sharp fight left two dead filth and a dying agent of Internal Insurances in its wake.

The Rabid has struck again. For the Domain!

Foxy was content even dying – there was nothing left for her in the Domain but the Domain itself.

The dying agent was found by the relevant authorities, who tried to save or at least stabilise her, but it was already too late.

And so Foxy Delahaye died.