Rabrandt "Enigma" Cyanis, the Great Detective of Magistrum City, had been party to a number of strange events over his nearly decade-long career as a detective, teacher, and Planeswalker. At some point, his own reputation for solving difficult cases lead to only the most complex conundrums arriving on his desk.

Sitting in his room one the second floor of the Sunset Inn that the Magistrum booked for both himself and his apprentice, the gray wolfkin with golden eyes and a runic tattoo running down his left eye was in the middle of facing perhaps his greatest challenge yet, armed with nothing more than a cup of herbal tea.

For what felt like the first time in his career, Enigma had no idea how to occupy his time. In all other circumstances, Enigma would consider a simple burglary to be beneath his skill level. Truthfully, he already had an idea of who the culprit might be and how to apprehend him, but this wasn't his case to work on. Instead, he was in a supervisory role.

While he had no interest in the case, it was a puzzle just complicated enough to give Edmund valuable field experience. On the tigerkin student's request, and his mentor's approval, he was given permission to be the lead investigator, provided Enigma remain on hand to assist him. Ordinarily, he would have a book on hand to occupy his time, but the newest edition of Detective Greyfang too pristine to expose to the ravages of the road. And with the library closed for renovations, this was a truly unfortunate time to visit Oceanwave, located on the coast of Magistrum City territory.

Taking the last sip of his morning brew, Edmund already having started his investigation, the mind mage idly mused that it had been some time since he last toured the town's rooftops. In his weary state, that was enough to go on. Dressed in his least conspicuous attire, he climbed to the top of the Sunset Inn, from the window of his room. A small three-floor inn of that size is typically less than ideal in terms of vantage point, but it's position at the top of a hill gave Enigma an adequate view of the city.

A view advantageous enough to notice his apprentice… in the middle of a fistfight. There was no mistaking it. The shirtless tiger with a blond streak could only be Edmund. He could make out two others writhing on the ground, a third receiving a solid blow to the gut.

Cursing under his breath, the mind mage saw a route along the rooftops and quickly made his way to his student. By the time he arrived, the fight had long since been over.

"I leave you alone for less than a day, Edmund!"

Edmund was nearly finished tying up his opponents so that they couldn't run once their pain and discomfort had passed. Hearing his mentor arrive on scene, he turned around, innocently raising his hands.

"Whoa. Whoa. Whoa! Teach. Hold on. It's nah what it looks like."

Landing safely on the ground, Enigma's infallible perception availed him as it always did.

"Alright. You're not lying to me, but I'd still like an explanation."

Was that a smile? Was Edmund smiling at that request? It was, and Enigma was almost shocked at how eager he was to tell his story.

"Get this, Teach. Right as I was talkin' to the guy who owned one of the stores that got robbed, I caught these guys breakin' into a whole different one. They took off runnin', but I followed 'em all the way here. An-"

As Edmund continued, Enigma began to survey the scene in greater detail. A dawning horror began to surface in his mind. He recognized one of the unconscious goons from the case file. Before he sent it off to Edmund, he concluded that there was a highly likelihood this beaverkin was the culprit for the string of burglaries.

"And these are our burglars, aren't they?"

Even in his own excitement, Edmund couldn't help but hear the disappointment in his mentor's voice.

"C'mon, Teach. We caught'em. Ain't that a good thing?"

Enigma sighed deeply. "Yes, Edmund. Yes it is." As Enigma sat down on the ground, his apprentice empathetically sat next to him, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"Then what's botherin' ya."

Regaining his composure, Enigma began to explain, "I tell people all the time not to underestimate you, and here I am doing the exact same thing even when I know better. This was supposed to be challenge, Edmund. I went easy on you because it was your first real case, and I'm realizing now that I shouldn't have."

"And you're bored. Ain't ya, Teach." As per usual, Edmund had a way of cutting directly to the heart of the matter.

The psionicist nodded, "All this mind-numbing boredom, and you didn't even get enough field experience to justify it."

"Eh, don't beat yourself too much, Teach. Just means we can make a day of it before we head back." Picking himself off the ground, Edmund lent a hand to his professor, who used it to return to a standing position.

"What did you have in mind?"

"I dunno, Teach. First time in Oceanwave. You been here before, right? You can give me the tour." Edmund sheepishly gestured to the streets, gauging Enigma's interest.

Fortunately for him, Enigma was primed by the tedium of the day. "Edmund. I will do anything if it means getting out of that inn for the rest of the day."

And so they explored the resort town together, leaving the place on the following morning with fewer burglars than there were when they arrived. As far as both of them were concerned, this was merely the beginning of Edmund's career as a detective all his own. and no more than that.

The same could not be said of the locals. While Enigma's role in these events would fade over time, children living in Oceanwave would remember the blond tiger who "beat up the bad guys" in their own backyard. A team of them would go one to draw a mural depicting that brawl, and it would be well maintained in the years to come.

Thus, the tale of the Sunset Striker would be canonized into local legend.

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When I saw  Marsel-Defender offering this YCH, I knew it would be perfect for my favorite tiger apprentice. Edmund is a fighter through-and-through, and this street art shows him in his element.

Please favorite the artist's submission here: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/61565718/

Art by  Marsel-Defender
Edmund (and Enigma) belongs to me.