It was another demon, a higher leveled brat than the other two. He, or she, it was hard to tell at first glance, was strung up and burned to a crisp. Cold radiated from the chest area where the heart was, a metal dual sun emblem was embedded there.

          We were in an open courtyard garden with moss covering the ground and short trees poking up randomly. Not a single leaf was out of place. No scorch marks on the ground, but the body was smoking except the area where the medallion was.

          “There’s definitely more than one killer.” Now this was a crime scene. Bone chillingly picturesque.

          “Hm.” She pulled the medallion out and rolled it around in her hands.

          “You recognize it?” I asked her cautiously, her earlier attitude still fresh in my mind.

          “I’m not sure, it feels familiar but it seems like it’s been a long time since I’ve seen an emblem like this…” Her eyes narrowed as she squished her face again.

          “…wait isn’t that the Main Army’s emblem?” Yanking it, I got a closer look. Aghast, I just looked at the former General of the Main Army.

          That pile of unprocessed salt crossed with a fossil’s face cleared as she gently put her fist into her open palm. She smiled sheepishly.

          “…would you believe me if I said they changed it?”

          “Yes, well over a thousand years ago when the 1^st Gabriel finally-”

          “Retired.”

          “…What?”

          “He retired.”

          “…no.”

          “He still drops by to visit his great-great-grandchildren, he pops in to say hello sometimes too.”

          “…but I set up his assassination myself…”

          “Oh, that was you?! No wonder! We had discussions for days about who it was! It was the first time he came anywhere close to death, so he grabbed the opportunity and faked his death.”

          “Glad I could help.” I grumbled with as much venom as I could muster after being informed that my greatest life accomplishment was a lie.

          “I had a lot of fun at the funeral, I out grieved them all...” She frowned, and glared at the ground for a moment, “…wait. That might be why his widow suddenly didn’t like me after that.”

          “You out grieved the- no, never mind.” Looking around, I focused on the body. “…what were we talking about again?”

          Mist hung around us peacefully as soft lights from lanterns illuminated the courtyard. Shadows wrapped about the trees like a succubus who found a rich idiot to drain. The sky above reminded me of hell where it seemed impossible to tell if there was a ceiling or if the darkness rose beyond anything we could ever reach.

          “Did you ever want to try and light the sky on fire?”

          As the peaceful feeling ran leisurely at full speed out of the moment, I decidedly ignored her and moved to properly examine the body.

          It was male again, which didn’t particularly mean anything since the majority of the group was male and the few females were mostly chefs who all moved together.

          The burns were deep enough that only an angel or specialized equipment could cause it. No human fire mage or normal fire-spitters could do it. For that matter, if a human or a demon did do this, they’d need to have done it from a significant distance or have really good fireproof suits.

          “…how many groups do you think brought fireproof equipment?”

          “Even the angels did, everyone probably has at least one set that they either brought themselves or got handed out for safety’s sake.” She gave me an irritatingly smug look.

          “…of course they do.” The kitchen was fully stocked, including the kind of special fire-spitters that this would require. It was very good at charring a layer of meat and heating it quickly for large banquets. The center was still red and nearly raw, but that was how most angels liked their food.

          “This though,” Boney Brat waved the medallion, “was made of Heaven’s Iron. Based on the shape, it was made by someone from Raphael’s line around a few hundred years ago. Should have belonged to the head office rather than an officer.”

          “…ah right. That. So, it was used to issue orders or something?”

          In the background we could hear a distant patrol head towards us, if we wanted to keep this a secret, we would need to move within a half hour to avoid detection.

           “No, it was made to give to exemplary soldiers who acted with grace and righteousness even in the line of duty.”

          “And since it was made for your army, it never got used?”

          “…we got a couple of them. Just, it seems like they planted a few observers and somehow they always got revoked…”

          “…so, there shouldn’t be any in circulation?”

          “Uriel said that 100 were made, 2 were buried with my children and 41 were buried with others over the years. He said he’d consider commissioning more when there were less than 20 left last time one was awarded.”

          “How long ago was that?”

          “…around when Rizy was buried.”

          “…we’ve either got a grave robber,”

          “or a bureaucrat.” She shuddered.

          “Where do they keep these?”

          “I am afraid I am unaware of where they are normally kept.”

          “Tried to steal some and they locked them and hid them?”

          ““Borrow””

          “Right.”

          The patrol was getting closer, it sounded like angels. As they drew closer, a demon patrol also started to close in.

          …by the time the angel’s patrol arrived the body would still be warm, meaning that they would suspect any in the area, but the demon patrol would know they didn’t do it. That and the method of death, both sides would suspect the other.

          “…who among the delegations would have access to this medal and know the patrol routes?”

          “…patrol routes? Just Lacie and people he trusts, but the only one I know of who’d know where the medals are would be-” I heard a sharp clack of a mouth shutting abruptly. I turned away from the body to look back at her.

          “Who?”

          “…The head of negotiations who was promoted to head of the main office.” She sighed. “Tavliel.”