Private Tales A promising future in a bed of lies

[Salak]

There was a knock at the door.
"Enter!"
Into the office of Salak, Proctor, Dreadlord and Stalker stepped the slim and tentative form of Initiate Zinnia St Kolbe.
Salak was finishing a report and did not look up when he told her to close the door and take a seat.
He was behind a wall of papers, books and half spent candles. About all the walls were reports and notes tacked on with wax. The bookcase behind him was full of simple things, skulls, teapots of various states of breakage and pouches the size of a clenched fist, marked with coloured threads.
These contained powders of poisons extracted painstakingly from various plants and creatures.
He was quiet for a moment as he finished his work then lifted the paper and placed it on a stack to his left. Carefully then he took a letter from which he was transcribing and with care he set it alight on the nearest candle.
When it was done and his fingers were smitten with white ash he finally turned his attention to Initiate St Kolbe.
"I will not insult your intelligence Initiate. You have lied, coerced and killed on Academy grounds. This alone is enough to have you put on trial for conspiracy but, since I believe there is more to this than what Captain Murrick has... confessed, to me I will ask you plainly to tell it true. For what reason did you kill Initiate Verdane?"
His eyes didn't waver from her. He had done his homework on the Initiate and was going to put the girl through her paces but first he needed to know what she knew. How deep her involvement went with all this.

Zinnia

 

[Zinnia]

Oh dear. A call to the office of any proctor was generally not a pleasant thing, but Salak had developed a reputation. He was generally very...humorless, even among the staff of the Academy. Whatever this was, it couldn't be good. Zinnia's heart pounded in her chest as she did as instructed, entering and sitting down. The proctor's office resembled just as much of a death trap as his magic.

That pounding became a deafening stillness, a ringing in Zinnia's ears as Salak wasted no time in revealing his hand. For a moment she stammered, jaw slack. Easy, Zinnia. Academy grounds? This was at least in part a bluff. It had to be. Yes, he had the most important detail correct, but not everything.

"I--er...P-Proctor, if you've s-spoken to the captain then surely you've r-read his report?" she answered hesitantly, subtly probing Salak just as he was probing her.

 

[Salak]

She was stalling.
Salak narrowed his eyes.
"I have, yet I ask you now to give yours because I think there is more to it than the Captain suggests."
He crossed his hands over his belt and sat back. Eyeing her over the mountain of his own works.
"Am I wrong Initiate or is there more to this than I have been told?"
The clever ones were always so tiring to deal with. They never gave a straight answer when he wanted one. Always it was the dance of words. He spoke plainly.
"Just tell me what happened."
To be amicable was never his strength but he could be direct.

Zinnia

 

[Zinnia]

Zinnia breathed.

"Initiate V-Verdane went berserk. She th-threatened the lives of Anirian Guardsmen, and I d-did my duty as a soldier of Vel Anir. I...ap-pologize for not being, um..." what was the word? "F-forthcoming! I...guess I assumed Captain Murrick would be t-taking care of all of the paperwork, as commanding offic-cer during the...incident."

Truth, all of what she'd said. Just not the whole story.

 

[Salak]

His face ached so he rubbed in between his eyes.
So it was to be blooding the stone. He hoped it would have been quicker than this but here it was.
"Yes, that is what happened now tell me why you were there, what lead Initiate Verdane to go "berserk" as you put it. She was ever a careful student. Assaulting the garrison out of the blue is most unlike her... unless this is not the first time she had taken such action."
He did not hide his exasperation from his voice nor how tedious he found this exercise.
Perhaps he was wrong about her, perhaps she was just lucky and not half as clever as he suspected.

Zinnia

 

[Zinnia]

"Why you were there,"

So he hadn't been bluffing, just offering a false detail to try and get Zinnia to slip. Zinnia had already had her fair share of this manipulative song and dance in her dealings with Soleil. She didn't much care for it, but if she could handle the girl who'd managed to fool the Vigilites, she didn't mind her odds against Proctor Poisonpants.

"I had overh-heard Soleil bragging about g-getting out of a mission that she was supposed to b-be on under Murrick's watch, so I'd g-gone to clear things up...t-taking initiative and all that, you know? I guess I showed up at the r-right time, because I w-walked in on her threatening the C-Captain, trying to strongarm her way into g-getting what she wanted," Zinnia explained, continuing to fudge the details but otherwise tell the truth. She shrugged.

"M-maybe she had a history of that, I d-don't know. She'd tricked me and In-nitiate Larkin into wandering halfway across the c-country for a prank before, but this was...way, way worse. I don't think she l-liked the idea of being caught."

Zinnia sighed and shook her head.
"Next thing I knew she'd j-jumped out the window and s-started screaming that I was a m-murderer, and when the Captain c-called her out, she made a p-pit with her magic and took hostages!"

 

[Salak]

The more she spoke the more he was certain but he had to get her to admit it.
He propped his elbows up and brought his hands together at his forehead.
"Well that is a shame. You see I was under the impression that you had discovered Initiate Verdane's involvement in the murders of Joel Schmitt and Caeso Diemut, tracked her down to her co-conspirator, Captain Murrick, confronted her yourself to protect the lives of loyal guardsmen and single handedly dispatched a threat to this Academy and possibly Vel Anir itself."
He made a gesture then as if he was simply mistaken.
"But for some reason you don't want me to believe that and that's very interesting to me."
Salak's green eyes went soft and he exhaled a sigh of relief. Perhaps she had the gall for this after all.

Zinnia

 

[Zinnia]

"I..."

A crossroads. Zinnia's eyes fell to the floor, searching for the right words. Maybe it was because she had never seen what she'd done as anything other than a purely selfish act, her taking her petty revenge, no matter how just it was. By his words, Salak seemed to think it was more than that. Maybe by consequence it was.

"The Vigilites weren't d-doing anything. When I'd h-heard that they'd already g-given up on looking for Caeso's killer I just...c-couldn't let it lie," she admitted somberly. "So I s-started digging. Soleil was too p-proud. She left a trail, and I f-found it. Got Murrick to help. Wound up h-hiding while he talked to Soleil."

Zinnia balled her fists. Just thinking of the inhuman's voice, her singsong, cheery tone as she taunted Zinnia and bragged to Murrick filled Zinnia with a simmering anger not unlike what she'd felt back then. The last embers of that flame of rage.

"She admitted it out l-loud. Plainly. I c-couldn't have heard her any more clearly. 'I killed Caeso Diemut.' The only r-reason she even said it was because she thought she w-was about to k-kill Murrick too. But I s-stopped her," Zinnia grit her teeth, tears of anger and frustration welling at the edges of her eyes. "She was nothing but a m-monster, and I stopped her."

The gold-eyed girl's shoulders slumped forward, those eyes briefly finding Salak's before once again guiltily seeking the floorboards.
"I...I didn't kn-now about Joel," she murmured and went silent, waiting for whatever punishment her vigilantism would cost her.

 

[Salak]

The truth at last and better than he'd hoped. It hadn't dulled her sense of right and wrong. Her reaction to Joel's death was proof of this for Salak.
Proof enough at least.
"Yes, I was, disappointed to hear that those bungling fools at the Vigilite were giving up the chase so quickly. It seemed only a few cared enough to keep pursuing the case. You conducted yourself well Initiate."
As Salak spoke he fished through a few small stacks of paper and retrieved a folder.
"That's not to say it was perfect. If Soliel had been captured we could have gotten more information out of her, co-conspirators and the like but overall you saw a problem and took action. This is to be commended."
He opened the file and flicked to a page in the middle, looking for something as he spoke.
"Typically such action would go unnoticed, or even punished in our glorious new Republic but thankfully for you I have a unique perspective on such matters."
His green eyes flicked up to look at her.
"In the eh, "games" that Proctoer Ebersol laid out for you there was a choice between two doors. You were the only student according to my records who was able to figure out that there was no real choice at all. That each door lead to danger. I've had my eye on you since then."
He displayed the page he was looking at, it was part of a file he had gathered on her but as he placed the folder down in front of her, facing her so that she might read it easily, it was opened on a Formal Missive recommending Zinnia for immediate graduation to 2nd Rank Dreadlord status. It was already signed as well as another letter addressed to the headquarters of the Anirian Stalkers recommending a position for Zinnia as an active Agent, again to start immediately. Behind that was a full and highly complimentary letter of reference and support written and signed by Salak.
"Your recent efforts confirmed my suspicions that as well as ability you have a mind worthy enough to support."
A small smile appeared on his face.
"Congratulations Initiate."

Zinnia

 

[Zinnia]

"You conducted yourself well Initiate."

Zinnia's eyes flicked up and her brow furrowed. Had she heard all that right? She blinked twice, confused. She didn't recall taking any blunt force head trauma recently. Oh, Kress, maybe that was the problem. Surely she'd hit her head and was suffering from a concussion.

Yet as Salak continued to speak Zinnia heard more praise. She listened to all that the proctor had to say and felt a mixture of befuddlement, gratitude, and swirling in her head. "Unique perspective" was putting it lightly.

"Th--um...th-thank you, Proctor!" Zinnia squeaked out at last, uncertain of exactly how to respond. Then her eyes fell to the documents that Salak had laid out before her. If her eyes could have opened any wider they'd have fallen out of her skull.
"By Kress," she gasped, awestruck. It was rare, what Zinnia felt now. Like a magnificent sunrise blooming in her chest. Pride. In herself, no less. She had to fight back the urge to choke up, quickly pulling part of her hood down to dab away any moisture that might've formed in her eyes unbidden.
"I...I d-don't know what to say, Proctor. This is m-more than I've ever dreamed of. I c-can't thank you enough!"

 

[Salak]

Salak's smile stayed for a moment. He was pleased to see Zinnia's appreciation and hoped she would grow out of this mousey little habit she had.
"Now, before you try to hug me or anything I'll advise you that while I believe all that I have stated in these documents I have another reason for your advancement. One that is as necessary as it is distasteful to me."
His smile faded.
"We have lost a lot this year. Deimut and Schmidt mark us as incapable in performing our newly appointed duties to safeguard Initiates rather than have them murder each other for credit."
Again he leaned forward and steepled his hands under his chin.
"The Academy needs a victory against our detractors. You have given us the perfect story to tell our doubters in the Houses as well as something to tell the families of the murdered. This acceleration of your graduation will make you known to the House of Deimut as the avenger of their beloved son. You'll be known to them, do you understand?"
This was vital. If Zinnia could grasp the magnitude of her actions then she'd be able to protect herself. Salak didn't doubt her practical ability but to face the ways of The Houses required a different mettle entirely.

Zinnia

 

[Zinnia]

Ah. Publicity. The thought of it made Zinnia anxious. She really didn't need any unnecessary extra eyes on her...but...Caeso's family, his real family, deserved justice all the same.
"If that m-might bring the Diemuts some p-peace, then I think it's good that they kn-now. And m-my duty to Vel Anir d-demands I do what I can for the Academy, for all my b-brothers and sisters. I accept."

Zinnia had known things were getting bad in the limelight for the Academy, but Vel Anir would be so much weaker if it was gone. Such a sacrifice was amenable to her if it helped so greatly.

 

[Salak]

Salak's smile returned, he could not help think what the world might be like with a few more souls like Zinnia in it.
"Well said, Graduate. I'll inform the Diemut House and make arrangements for a private meeting and bring my recommendations to Proctor D'Amour to finalise them. I cannot think of any reason she might object considering your record and service to the Academy but all the same, these things must be done properly. Else what is the point?"
Rising with noticeable difficulty Salak limped towards the door.
"We shall go over what it means to be a Stalker another time. For now you should take some deserved rest, or perhaps celebrate with good company."
He opened the door, still wearing a smile despite the pain of his leg.

Zinnia

 

[Zinnia]

"Graduate." Kress, she really was that close, wasn't she? Salak might've garnered a reputation for being an old crank, but it seemed Zinnia (and everyone else) hadn't given him enough credit.

"Y-yes sir, th-thank you, sir!" she replied to both his initial statement and the follow up. This was the biggest, most positive development in her short life. She had to tell Kristen straight away!

Zinnia stood and stepped out of Salak's office at his direction, beaming like she never had in her life. Finally she had something that she could feel truly proud of.