Midwestern Way

A blank card, an empty room, and a forgetful parrot were the only clues I had. It wasn't much, but maybe it was better then nothing.

I'd been hired to find the lost prince of Paladansia; who'd vanished while visiting a neighboring kingdom. The queen was certain that her son had been killed by "those horrific midwesterners". I was less certain.

The midwestern kingdom was actually a bunch of city-states, who'd apparently fooled the larger surrounding kingdoms into believing that they had some mighty destructive power that only one of midwestern blood could control.

Those larger kingdoms bought this snake oil with only a fancy bit of flimflamery involving creative use of a nest of sparkadders as proof.

How do I know this?

Because I'm a midwesterner.

One of the foolish kind that think they can make something of themselves out in the kingdoms. I found myself an investigator from one of the local barracks, and convinced her to take me on as an assistant.

Now, I'm back in the midwestern kingdom, pretending to be the investigator I was recently fired by, looking for a lost prince with only his pet bird as a real clue.

Another shot rang, and I ducked as the parrot squawked, "Bang! Bang!"

Did I forget to mention that despite having next to nothing to go on, someone was already trying to kill me?

Well, I guess that's just the midwestern way of saying welcome home.