Elydes

Chapter 214 - Misleading Truths

“No,” Kai said, letting her hand hang before him.

Annyl halted mid-motion, one leg over the bench to sit. Her face scrunched in genuine puzzlement. “What do you mean?”

Trust me, I’m as confused as you.

Improvisation took hold of the interaction. He focused on a red fibrous vegetable in his stew, and shyly stirred with the spoon. “Uh… you asked if you could sit. I’m sorry, but I’d prefer to eat alone.”

A sprinkle of brutal honesty against social norms, he didn’t even need to lie.

Soft whispers brushed against his thoughts. He couldn’t make out what Hallowed Intuition was saying, but it started acting out when Annyl approached his table. He didn’t need any more reasons than that. The skill rarely activated out of combat unless he was about to receive a physical blow of some kind. The easiest solution was to avoid the set course of action.

Annyl looked at him, lips wordlessly parted. Clearly, she had intended the request as a rhetorical question, her tray of food was already set on the table before him.

That’s a bit presumptuous with someone you just met. Who are you?

Kai bit his cheek. “I wouldn’t make great company.” Still avoiding her eyes, he pointed to a table in a corner of the mess hall. “Why don’t you go with that girl over there? She’s alone too, and she’ll make better conversation.”

He was happy to eat alone. What kind of woman invited herself to the table of a kid? Either she was a saint, who used the excuse of her loneliness to approach without hurting his pride, or she was a weirdo. The whispers in his mind pointed to the second option.

Annyl… did I hear that name before?

It stuck out since it wasn’t a common name in the archipelago, but he might just have read it in a book. Her pretty face and large hazel eyes didn’t ring any bells. He was sure this was the first time they had met.

The memory skill doesn’t give me anything either, though it’s only an echo.

“There is no need to be shy.” The interloper took a seat, smiling like his words had been nothing but an amusing quip. “Don’t worry about me, I’m sure you’re a very interesting young man.”

Go away, I don't want you here.

Telling her to get lost again would clash with the timid persona. He should have been more direct in his rejection, but it might have made no difference if she was so determined to strike up a conversation.

As usual, Hallowed Intuition refused to provide clear instructions. The murmurs rose and settled, tickling his mind. They lacked the desperate frenzy displayed when his life was threatened. Was the danger not that big, or simply of a different nature?

Stupid obscure messages. How many more levels till I get a written note?

Annyl chewed the stringy stew in no hurry. “This is not very good, is it? The cook must be low-level, or not a professional at all.” She looked at him for solidarity.

“Mhmm.” He stuffed his mouth to avoid answering. If he finished his meal quickly, she would have no chance to chat.

The interloper wasn’t deferred by his silence. “You’re Kai, right? I heard a couple soldiers mention your name.” She rested her chin on her crossed hands and leaned forward with a warm smile. “I must admit I recognized you earlier. I was curious to meet you, it’s not every day you hear of such a promising young man who’s helping an important investigation.”

Her intervention was timed right as Kai was about to take another bite. “I can’t talk about it.”

“Oh, the silence clause… You really put me to shame.” Annyl winked at him. “It’s fine, everyone in Wildepoint knows about the beast attacks. They’ve been scouring the jungle for unusual sightings, and they’re the one who located the ruins.”

Kai couldn’t stop his curiosity. “They found the site?” He needed to learn more about the situation.

Annyl nodded. “The scouts have just returned. One of them at least. They ran into a dangerous yellow beast and had to separate.”

How did she get access to information?

“Are you a soldier joining the expedition?” That might explain her interest in him, and the potential danger down the line. As long as he was the one asking questions, it should be fine.

She had no calluses on her hands and a dainty physique, but looks could be deceiving. Her profession showed as early yellow.

“A soldier…? No, I take care of logistics. You know, supplies, equipment and making sure everyone does their job, that boring stuff.” She waved it all away, pulling a lock of auburn hair behind her ear. “I hope I didn’t scare you by telling you of the beast. There’ll be plenty of strong soldiers to defend the expedition. You are a scholar, right? How did you end up becoming so knowledgeable in the ruins?”

“Hmm… my dad.” Kai slurped the last spoonful of his meal and downed a glass of water. “Sorry, I need to go prepare.” He scuttled away before she could drag him deeper into the conversation. Going to put back his tray and plate, he watched her in his peripheral vision.

Annyl continued to idly eat with no sign of annoyance at his rude behavior. Again, either she was one of the nicest people he had ever met, or something was off.

Goodbye, strange lady.

He might ask Valela if she were here. He hadn’t seen her since leaving Hawkfield, he hadn’t seen many blue uniforms around at all, probably another internal power play.

Hallowed Intuition stopped bugging him when he left the mess hall. The tension left his shoulders. He must have handled it well enough, or he had completely misinterpreted the warning. He considered checking whether Annyl really worked for the logistical department. Though that would give away he suspected something.

If she approached me off the books, either she doesn’t want me to know what her deal is, or she can’t act freely. Better to keep it that way.

* * *

“It’s nice to see you again. I told you I managed logistics.” Annyl sat behind a desk, cheerfully waving a notebook and pen. “I need to confirm a few details to ensure you get paid appropriately. You know how clerks are with their paperwork, they’ll take any excuse to complicate things.”

Persistent and annoying?

Kai took the only free seat inside the plain office room. A dying ardevia flower hung on the windowsill, fires and crystals illuminated the night outside. He had been ordered to turn in his will—standard procedure in case of death on the job—and ambushed by the interloper.

Well… I can exclude Annyl being a serial killer. She’s not acting independently.

She needed some pull with the upper ranks to bring him here, or more likely, she was working for a faction of the Republic. The issue was which one, was she with the military or the governor?

And why is she using stupid excuses to talk to me?

“Okay, first question!” Annyl announced with a brilliant smile. “You were born in a small village called… Whiteshore, correct?”

“Yes.” Kai sped through the list of mundane questions. Hallowed Intuition buzzed in the background, alerting him of the importance of his answers.

Is it a truth-sensing ability? Or is she digging for some particular information?

Gradually the questions turned less innocent. “I’ve never signed any contract other than the one with the merchant named Reishi and the Republic.”

Annyl noted down the answer without ever losing her jolly attitude. “Hmm… Not even with the mage who taught you magic?”

“No.”

She leafed through the pages. “You were very fortunate then. You were taught elemental magic by a mage who lived on the road to Sylspring?”

Kai raised his eyes to meet her gaze. Next time he would go with arrogance instead of shyness. “How’s that relevant to the expedition? I’ve not been hired for my magical abilities.”

“Oh, it’s standard procedure to confirm the abilities of external contractors who are paid at least a gold mesar.”

Did you just make up that rule, or is this why Seryne’s offered me that much?

Either way, it didn’t change his situation. “I had three teachers who taught me magic.”

“What circle did they belong to?”

Kai furrowed his brows. “What’s a circle?”

“It’s one of those ancient traditions that mages like to throw around to complicate things.” Annyl shrugged like she thought it ridiculous. “It means the grade of their highest profession.”

“Uh… I don’t know.”

“Did your teachers give you any valuable resources to help your training? Such as specific knowledge of skill or alchemical solutions?”

This is definitely not standard procedure.

“Lady Virya wanted to see how far I could go without external means. Though her time can probably be considered a valuable resource,” Kai curtly said. He was ready to storm off, but when his legs tensed to stand up so did the whispers. Just the slightest fluctuations, enough to tell him that wasn’t the solution either. “My teachers were private people, they didn’t like to discuss their lives.”

“Of course, I’m sorry. I let my curiosity get the best of me. It’s not every day you get to hear about such powerful figures…”

If she expected him to add more, Kai was happy to disappoint her. He watched her blankly till she let out a nervous chuckle.

“Let’s get back on topic, shall we? We’re almost done. Speaking of the expedition, you can translate the glyphs found in the Vastaire sites?”

“More or less. I’m the best at it, but any translation contains some amount of guesswork.”

“Of course. What’s important is that you didn’t hold back any information regarding the Vastaire.” Annyl gave him an apologetic smile. “The Republic has invested a lot in you, so I need to confirm your statement that you’ve been holding nothing back. It’s just a formality.”

Kai didn’t need a skill to know she was lying. “The bulk of the information is in my dad’s journals, but I shared my expertise to the best of my abilities whenever required.” A pity no one had asked his opinion about spatial anomalies and forgotten gods.

Is that good enough?

Annyl scribbled down the answer. “Did you break any clause of your contract with the Republic?”

“Not to my knowledge.”

“Did you sign any other contract that could interfere with your work for the military or receive bribes?”

“No.”

Well, Valela didn’t pay me for those, and it was just a verbal agreement.

“Perfect. This is the last question. It’s a bit personal, but I’ve been asked to confirm a fact during the last spatial anomaly on Kawei. Do you possess a yellow danger-sensing skill that allows you to avoid spatial tears?”

It must be Seryne after all…

A wave of relief washed over him. A known threat was always preferable. “Yes, I was able to dodge the spatial tears. Can I go now?” He marched out of the door before Annyl had finished nodding, not stopping till he Kai strode through the narrow streets of the outpost.

The whispers lingered in the back of his mind, fading with excruciating slowness. An ominous feeling loomed in his gut. He could understand how they wanted to confirm his abilities before the final expedition, but what were those questions about his teachers and his skills?

He had skirted around most questions without any outright lies, but something was off. Annyl let him get away with too much. It was always possible that she was simply incompetent. Or she couldn’t press him because half her questions were off the books.

I never thought I’d be eager to trek into the jungle and leave all this behind. Hmm… I probably better make myself scarce when this is over.

~ ~ ~

The captain had her eyes glued to the list of names on the report with poorly concealed dismay. All those born in the central regions always thought they were chosen by the Moons themselves. “Did all these traitors disclose classified information about the investigation to foreign forces?”

Annyl fought not to roll her eyes, reporting information to the local governor or officers on the mainland could hardly be considered disloyalty. No more than enlisting the help of a truthteller with a false authorization.

Social Acumen and Emotional Insight told her everything she needed to know about the captain. It required a ludicrous amount of desperation or arrogance to think she would get away with it. The training of a truthteller was far more extensive than their signature profession and skills. They were trained to detect lies in all their forms, including those on paper and flesh.

“As I wrote in my report, only one is suspected of contacting a foreign nation,” she calmly said. That had been a worthwhile use of her talents. To think spies had already infiltrated this forgotten corner of the Republic. “I can confirm the others at least believe they’re following lawful orders.”

“They’re breaking mine.” Her hand slammed on the desk.

Annyl maintained a placid smile. “Orders from high-ranking officers can supersede those of lower officials under conditions of suspected threat to national interest. Do you want me to contact the central command to confirm—”

“No!” A beautiful sliver of panic flashed in the captain’s eyes. “There is no need. Have you verified the kid’s claims?”

“I did.”

“He’s not hiding any information regarding the investigation?” The captain sat straighter in the chair.

Annyl bowed her head just enough to let her hang on to the illusion of control. “No. He was honest in his efforts.” That was debatable at best. Another misconception about truthtellers was that they couldn’t lie. She was under no obligation to report every detail of an unlawful order.

“And can he reliably predict the spatial tears?”

“Yes.” That one was at least true, though her skills had told her there was more to it.

The kid had been a pit of half-truths and misleading answers. Truth was much more malleable than people assumed, influenced by both personal beliefs and unknown realities. She itched to put him through an actual interrogation. Just an hour would be enough to dig out his secrets.

It was a pity he had given just enough to rob her of the excuse. Her suspicions weren’t enough without an order.

Seryne picked up the papers again. “Thank you, you’re dismissed.”

“With your permission, ma’am.” Annyl left with a slight bow.

No doubt, the governor would also demand a report on his wife’s behalf. It was easier to go along, though these provincial squabbles were becoming tedious.

Just because truthtellers were soul-bound to not meddle in politics or take personal initiative, some fools thought they were servants with no will. Her only loyalty was to the Merian Republic. Everything would be reported back to the headquarters. Perhaps the command would grant her leave to interrogate the kid after she sent in the report.