Tale of Eldramir

After that relatively strange encounter, Ezekiel spent a few more hours wandering the city. Seeing the sights, watching the workers go about their business, and buying a few wood scraps, using what little pay he made at the Cathedral, that he figured he’d try carving when he wasn’t training.

Upon Ezekiel’s return to the Cathedral, very little happened, though he did get a dirty look from the supervisor. It wasn’t until the next day, just before lunch, that he was surprised to find that he was being summoned to see one of the Grand Scholars.

He couldn’t help but feel a mix of emotions as he was finally going to talk to someone with some authority, but at the same time he couldn’t think of any reason as to why they would suddenly change their mind regarding their interactions with him.

He didn’t think he had done anything wrong, but he figured it’d be best to be cautious, just in case. He wasn’t particularly close to any of the Scholars in Sanafalls after all. Except for Scarlet and Tommy, but as far as he knew, neither one was on Sanafalls right now.

With a fair bit of apprehension, Ezekiel approached the large elaborate double doors leading into the Grand Scholar’s meeting chambers.

Seated in front of a large desk covered in paperwork was an elderly man with pale blue hair.

“Greeting, young man. I am Grand Scholar Carrian. No last name. Please, come up here and sit.” Carrian, the Grand Scholar gestured to a cushioned chair in front of the desk.

Ezekiel silently approached the desk and sat down, surprised at how comfortable the chair was. He’d sat in armchairs like this one before, and they weren’t that comfortable. Usually they were lumpy, with hard parts from where the stuffing wasn’t even.

“Comfortable?” The Grand Scholar asked.

“Ah! Yes, sir.” Ezekiel felt somewhat sheepish at having been caught with his mind wandering.

“Good. I’ve always made it a bit of a goal of mine to ensure that my guests are comfortable within my space. Would you like a drink?”

“Sure? Water would be fine. Thank you.”

As Ezekiel watched the elderly man in front of him slowly serve some drinks from a cabinet filled with bottles and liquids of all sorts, he couldn’t help but feel a bit confused. He’d been expecting a sterner and more frustrated person to be meeting with him. He hadn’t exactly been welcomed with open arms after all.

“I suppose you’re wondering why I’ve called you here today, after basically ignoring you for the last six months, correct?” The Grand Scholar sipped at whatever drink it was he’d poured for himself.

It wasn’t tea, from what Ezekiel could tell, but he couldn’t quite recognize it from what little he’d seen. He suspected it was alcoholic, however, due to the hint of rum that he’d grown familiar with from working in the kitchens every now and then.

“Is it right for the boss of the Church to be drunk in the middle of the day?” Shine asked as he listened to Ezekiel’s ponderings.

“Likely not, but it’s not like anyone is going to tell him to stop if he hasn’t screwed things up yet.” Ezekiel mentally replied.

From Carrian’s perspective, Ezekiel just quietly sipped his water, but replied to the Grand Scholar with a nod. Causing the Grand Scholar to smirk at Ezekiel’s behavior.

“Talking with your Spirit? Good. Communication is key to any and all Spirit Bonds. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.”

“Looks like we’ve been caught. Are we in trouble?” Shine shifted slightly in their sheath, and Ezekiel’s eye twitched slightly from where he was trying to maintain a steady and neutral expression.

“Sir?” Ezekiel tried to bring the topic back to why he was here.

“Right. Simply put, the last six months have been something of a test for you. Specifically, a test to see if you deserve our support. And so far, I’m finding you somewhat lacking.” Carrian decided to cut straight to the point of the conversation.

“How so?” Ezekiel was somewhat frustrated at Carrian’s words, as well as surprised that he was being tested.

“All you’ve done for the past six months besides train is do as you’re told. Yes, you are here because you were exiled from the Empire, and yes, we have been sending reports back to Harkem’s Cathedral to keep them updated regarding your situation, but really, you’re failing to live up to your reputation.” Carrian seemed to be quite exasperated at how Ezekiel had been acting during his time in Sanafalls.

Ezekiel, on the other hand, was somewhat shocked.

“Isn’t my behavior, so far, a good thing? I am technically a criminal of the Willowbrush Empire, after all.”

“Yes, but this isn’t Willowbrush. This is the Archipelago, and the rules are somewhat different. In particular, we don’t care about how you were treated in the Empire. You’re here, not there.”

For a moment, Ezekiel’s thoughts blanked out. He’d thought that, with his supervision, he’d be held under the same standards as the Empire, but apparently that was not the case.

“I was fully expecting you to demand that we grant you access to training resources, as well as the same kind of help and research team that you had back in Harkem.” Carrian raised an eyebrow as he waited for Ezekiel to answer his unspoken question.

“I didn’t think that this Cathedral operated the same as in Harkem, what with it having more responsibilities, as well as my having no connections, unlike how my parents did back home.”

Carrian had a contemplative look on his face as he thought about Ezekiel’s words.

“So, the reason you haven’t done anything until yesterday was because you didn’t know anyone and were afraid of stepping on people’s toes. That’s the kind of behavior that will do you well in factions like the Empire, but the Archipelago is nowhere near as united. I would suggest making as many friends in as many places as possible if you want to see any success on these islands.”

Ezekiel hated to admit it, but Carrian’s words were making sense. All his connections from before were made via forceful interactions due to his parent’s. Even Shari, his oldest friend, was someone he met when his parents dragged him over to play.

“Regardless, while you’ve been somewhat useful around the Cathedral, you are one of the Cathedral’s wards, admittedly not one of our student wards, due to you passing all of our exams. With that in mind, I have a job for you, one that’s not directly related to the Cathedral.” Carrian spoke with authority as he described what he wanted from Ezekiel right now.

“You remember that guard, Eugene, from your little scuffle yesterday, right? Well, apparently, they would like some additional assistance from the Church in apprehending that con artist, Sasha, I believe her name was. As it is, this isn’t a particularly difficult job, but it is one that I think will help you get to know more of Sanafalls, and the kinds of people that live here.”

Ezekiel stared at Carrian, only barely comprehending the task that was being assigned to him, but having no means to understand why it was.

“I’m not even a citizen of Sanafalls, and you want me to help with an official investigation for the city?!” Ezekiel exclaimed as he stood up from his seat.

“Is this guy crazy?” Shine asked with a hint of confusion in their mental voice.

“Maybe.” “Does Eugene even want me working with him? Also, wouldn’t I need to be an official affiliate of the Church of Ten in order for me to take on Church requests? I thought I was just a ward?”

Carrian was silent as he waited for Ezekiel to finish his miniature tirade.

“Here. The answer to all your questions. As well as a letter of introduction.”

Carrian reached into his desk, pulling out a medium sized box that was fairly long, but also thin. When Ezekiel slowly reached out to grab it, he was surprised at just how light it was. He looked up again in confusion, but Carrian just gestured at him to open it.

Ezekiel did so, and was dumbfounded to see that there was an acolyte’s uniform inside it, as well as a badge indicating that he was an official affiliate of the Church of Ten, and was authorized to represent them regarding outside requests. Resting atop the uniform, beside the badge, was the aforementioned letter of introduction.

Ezekiel was silent for several seconds as he thought about what was happening.

“I thought you said that I had disappointed you. That I’d failed your test these past six months.”

Carrian just took another sip of his drink before replying.

“Firstly, it’s hard to fail a personality test. Secondly, I said that I was disappointed, not that my peers were. It was actually decided that, when combining your history, your knowledge, and your maturity, that there was no reason not to accept you as an official Acolyte. At least until you join a Guild.” Carrian’s mention of a Guild was joined by a knowing look as he glanced down at Shine.

“Also, my disappointment stems from the fact that I truly wanted you to have been a child, not just a criminal that the Empire had exiled.”

Ezekiel couldn’t help but wince at the point regarding him being a child. He’d decided that acting like a child after being exiled was pointless, as he was already recorded as a criminal. Apparently, he’d lost the chance to gain some brownie points with the people in charge.

“Luckily, the Empire was wrong about you being a monster, but with what I’ve seen these past few months, I can believe that you’d be mature enough for me to believe that the stories the Harkem Cathedral sent us regarding you are all true. Which is sad, because it likely means that big things are going to be changing in the world. More so than they already have.”

The mention of changes in the world caught Ezekiel’s attention, as well as his curiosity.

“What changes are you talking about?” He asked.

“Well, for one thing, there have been several instances around the world where Void Mages have either succeeded in using the new techniques created by you and your research team. There have also been a few where their concentration broke, and so did they, but there’s been no fatalities just yet.”

Ezekiel winced at the thought of those poor people who had failed at using Void Meditation techniques. Drawing in mana that one wasn’t compatible with was dangerous, and he still considered himself lucky that he hadn’t suffered too much backlash.

“The introduction of another type of Mages has also had some ramifications politically, but I won’t be sharing those with you since you’ve got other things on your plate, and we also try not to get involved in continental politics.” Carrian’s final words seemed to be filled with annoyance.

Ezekiel felt like there was something going on that he wasn’t aware of but figured that now wasn’t the time to pry. Instead, he just closed the box again, and picked it up.

“I think I understand, sir. I’m too mature to be around other children my age, but too young, and causing too many waves to be off on my own, so you’re actually trying to help me by getting me work and connections, while also teaching me how to deal with problems that will pop up in the future, right?”

Carrian just let out a sigh, his face scrunching up in annoyance.

“I hope you grow older quickly. You’re far too young to be so old. A real child your age wouldn’t have come to that conclusion.”

Ezekiel felt his heart clench up as Carrian mentioned ‘real child’. He suspected that the Church might know something about his reincarnation, but this was the first time it’d just been brought up like this.

Sensing Ezekiel’s tension, Carrian just laughed.

“You didn’t think you were the first Void Mage to have strange reactions to Void Relics, did you? Messages from the Void, and knowledge that changes a person are known to us. They’ve happened in the past, and they may happen in the future. It’s how we know that times are likely to be changing.”

Ezekiel’s eyes widened. He knew that he wasn’t the first person sent here by Void relics due to the information he’d gotten from the Void Remnant, but hadn’t thought that anyone else was aware.

Apparently, he was wrong, and it was likely that the Church of Ten had interacted with his fellow transmigration and reincarnation at some point in the past. That, or some native Void Mages had their minds broken from the weight of the Ancient Void’s will that remained in his Relics.

“I think that’s enough for now.” Carrian said as he noticed Ezekiel lost in thought. “Tomorrow morning, you will head to Sanafalls’ City Hall. There, you will meet with Eugene, the guard you met yesterday, and follow his lead as they try to find that girl. Do what he says, and try not to fail, but don’t be worried if you do.”

Before Ezekiel could ask just what he meant, Carrian downed the rest of his drink before putting his cup away and returning to his paperwork.

“Off you go. Don’t just sit around.”

Ezekiel felt a cool hand press against him as Carrian made a shooing motion with his hand toward the door. He realized that Carrian had used his mana to make a vaporous hand that was nudging him out of the room.

“Gooday, Grand Scholar.” Ezekiel said as he pulled open the doors and left the room.

“Gooday, Ezekiel. Don’t forget to hand over that letter of introduction when you see Eugene.”

The doors closed with a soft bang as Ezekiel walked away.

“Well, that was weird. That was weird, right?” Shine was filled with confusion as they tried to figure out what had happened in that meeting.

“Yes, Shine, that was indeed weird.” Ezekiel replied.

Holding the box with his new robes in his hands, Ezekiel couldn’t help but wonder what was going to happen tomorrow. But he felt that, whatever did happen, for good or for ill, was likely to be interesting.

There was a fair bit of confusion the next day.

Neither Eugene, nor his fellow guards, had been expecting a kid to be the assistance sent to them by the Church of Ten. Let alone the kid that they had met the day before.

“Is this a joke?” Eugene asked, his gray eyes narrowed in wariness when Ezekiel reported to the Sanafalls City Hall. His similarly gray hair was disheveled, and it looked like he and his team had been up all night. He and four additional guards had been waiting for their Church representative, expecting to have a full Scholar to assist them on this endeavor, but apparently, they were wrong.

“I’m just as in the dark as you are right now. I don't even have any particularly good tracking skills, and I’m from the continent. I was literally told to come help you guys yesterday. As well as told to give you this letter of introduction.”

Ezekiel didn’t let Eugene and the other guards' words get to him. He was well aware of how strange this situation was, as well as how low their hopes had likely fallen.

Seeing the letter in Ezekiel’s hand, Eugene took it and ripped it open to read. As he continued to go through the contents, his face grew paler and paler before he reached the end. He then glanced at Ezekiel with a look of weariness.

“Captain, is there something wrong?” One of the other guards asked.

“Here.” Eugene said before handing the guard the letter. “Is it true? Are you really responsible for the destruction of a city sized Ancient Ruin?”

Hearing Eugene’s question, Ezekiel couldn’t help but cover his face in his hands, and sigh in annoyance as the other guards all looked at him with fear. It seemed like the Church was messing with both him, and the guards.

“It was the Void Remnant in the Ruin’s Temple of the Void that destroyed the city. All I did was talk to it after having to make my way through a Rot Den that the Remnant was keeping locked away.”

Ezekiel’s words weren’t at all comforting for Eugene or the other guards, who had also finished reading the letter by this point.

“Well, regardless, for some reason your... feats have made the Church of Ten feel like you deserve to be helping us on this mission. So, for now I’ll take their word for it.”

“Honestly, I think the fact that I’m the first ever natural Tier one Void Mage is more impressive.” Ezekiel said in an attempt to divert the guards’ attention from his exploits in the Ruins.

“Yes, that was mentioned as well. Regardless, perhaps you’ll have some insights on where our missing con-girl has hidden away at. For now, let’s head out.” Eugene said as he waved for his subordinates and Ezekiel to follow him out of the building.

Honestly, Ezekiel wasn’t sure anyone believed what Eugene was saying, not even himself, but he didn’t have anything else to do, and this was an official mission assigned to him by a Grand Scholar.

“Can I get a rundown of what you know so far? All I know from two days ago is that she’s a trained professional that knows the ins and outs of the business world, as well as apparently having a grudge against numerous shipping businesses, as well as having some still living family that, apparently, haven’t seen heads or tails of her. Not since well before her con-spree started.”

Eugene and the guards looked at Ezekiel in surprise. That was honestly more than they expected a kid to be aware of, and considering it was information he’d gotten via idle conversation, it seemed to them like Ezekiel was not the average young adolescent.

“What makes you say that her family hasn’t seen her?” Eugene asked.

“Well, if they had seen her recently, then you would probably have some leads since you mentioned going to see them two days ago, but it seems like there’s been no progress on that end.”

Hearing Ezekiel’s answer, Eugene felt like smacking himself for asking that question. It was obvious now that he thought of it.

Ezekiel, for his part, couldn’t help but feel like these guards were not the best at investigations. Especially since they all seemed to be just as surprised as Eugene had been at his answer.

“These guys aren’t all that bright, are they?” Shine asked from their place at Ezekiel’s side.

“I doubt that they’re stupid. They just don’t have training for this. I’m fairly certain they’re just patrolmen, so they’re not exactly detectives.” Ezekiel tried to give the guards the benefit of the doubt.

“Well, aside from the info you just listed, we know that she spends almost all of her time in the docks district, as well as time on some of the other islands, but only the three closest to the city. She doesn’t go to the islands on the other sides of Sanafalls. She’s also been inland a few times, but we don’t really have much information as to where exactly she’s gone. Other than that, there have been a few sightings of a girl of her description, but they’re sporadic, and not accurately recorded, with a number of conflicting answers from witnesses.”

Ezekiel waited for a few moments, expecting Eugene to further elaborate, or go into additional detail regarding the islands or inland portions of information, but he didn’t. So, Ezekiel moved on with the conversation.

“What’s the current plan? If you don’t mind me asking.” He asked as they got slightly further away from City Hall.

“Well, since we don’t currently have too many clues, we’ll need to split up to look around to see if anyone has seen her recently. She’s known for her presence in the Docks District, so we may as well start there.” Eugene explained his plan to Ezekiel and the rest of the guards.

Ezekiel only really saw one problem with that plan.

“You do know that, even with the uniform and badge, there’s no guarantee that the people here will take me seriously ifI start asking questions, right?”

Eugene just looked confused.

“What do you mean?”

“I’m eleven years old. Are people really going to take me seriously if I start asking them questions? Or just take the uniform at face value?”

“Of course, they will. The Church would never allow such artifacts to be seen in a charlatan’s hands. It’s happened once or twice before, and all said people were punished severely and removed from the island. Failure to follow the orders of anyone bearing such authority will be considered as not recognizing the Churches authority to aid in maintaining the peace.”

Eugene’s explanation was shocking. Ezekiel was totally unaware of just how revered the Church of Ten was in the Endless Archipelago. Back in the continent, they were basically just a research and advisory institution. Or, at least that’s what they presented themselves as. Now he wasn’t so sure.

“Either way, for now we’ll be splitting up to look for any hints of Sasha’s whereabouts recently. We’ll meet up at the fountain near the entrance to the warehouses in the south docks at half past noon.”

“Understood!” The guards all acknowledged their orders before heading off.

Ezekiel couldn’t help but shake his head. He wasn’t sure what the best method for investigating was, but he was almost certain that this wasn’t it.

“Are we on our own right now? You don’t think Carrian will get mad at us if we mess up at this, will he?” Shine asked with a hint of worry in their mental voice.

“Yes, we are, and probably not. He did say not to worry if we failed after all.” Ezekiel mentally replied. “For now, and I can’t believe I’m saying this, we might as well go talk with Chester, seeing as he’s the most recent victim of Sasha’s cons.”

Destination chosen, Ezekiel reached into his Void Pouch and took out the voucher Chester had given to him previously. On it was an address for his business.

Given the fairly close proximity of the docks to City Hall, Ezekiel chose to walk to his destination, rather than catch a carriage. So it was roughly forty minutes later that he reached Chester’s Treasure Chest Transports.

Looking around the small pier with a couple of ships floating idly in the water, as well as several empty spaces where there likely should have been ships, Ezekiel was surprised at just how good a condition the business seemed to be in. Chester hadn’t given him the best impression and had seemed to be more like a gangster wannabe than a legitimate business owner.

Walking up to the open door with the large sign with the business’ name above it, Ezekiel pushed the door open, only to be greeted with the sound of a familiar voice calling out in anger.

“I don’t care if you have a complaint right now! Me and my guys are busy fixing a massive fuck up! If you want to argue that your ride was canceled, then come back another day!”

Chester’s voice was filled with fury and frustration, and as Ezekiel looked around the relatively spacious room, he saw and open office door off to the side of the waiting lobby. There was no one else in the building from what Ezekiel could tell, though it was possible that they were just out of sight.

“I’m not here for a ride, but I must say that this doesn’t speak well of your reliability. Especially if the voucher you gave me two days ago was supposed to be an apology.” Ezekiel’s voice was bland as he replied to Chester in a voice that was just as loud.

“I don’t like this guy. Is this really the only lead that we have right now?” Shine asked anxiously.

“I don’t like this either, but I think it’s better to start with what you know in these situations.”

Shine wasn’t exactly placated, but they acknowledged that Ezekiel was probably right.

A Rustling sound was heard as Chest put some things away before leaving his office.

As he exited the room, Ezekiel couldn’t help but reevaluate the man he had seen previously. Unlike before, when Chester was seen wearing fancy clothes that seemed over the top and extravagant, as well as gaudy rings that couldn’t have served a practical purpose other than to look gaudy, Chester was now dressed much more formally.

He still had his belly sticking out, but he was now dressed in a more business casual attire, with a button up shirt and slacks. White and black, respectively. As well, the rings and jewelry were gone, and he had on a pair of plain glasses that seemed to double as protective eyewear.

“You’re the kid from a couple days ago, aren’t you.” Chester gave Ezekiel a once over before sighing. He moved over to one of the waiting area’s chairs and slumped into the seat bonelessly.

“Are you here to deliver a judgment from the Church? If so, please place it in the box over there. I’ll get to it after I deal with all the other complaints and paperwork I’m having to deal with.”

Ezekiel looked over to where Chester had gestured, and noticed a large stack of incoming mail that was haphazardly filled with countless letters and documents.

“I’m not here for that. I’m here to find out if you have any additional information regarding Sasha and her whereabouts. The Church assigned me to assist with the guard’s investigation, but they didn’t have any more info for me.”

Chester looked up with a look of confusion and doubt. Before he could say anything, Ezekiel placed the badge he had been given onto the table. Chester immediately closed his mouth, and Ezekiel realized that Eugene’s words from earlier were indeed correct.

“What do you need to know?”

From there, Ezekiel went into a spree of questions regarding what Chester knew about Sasha, as well as whether or not he had any business dealings with her family, and what kind of information they had regarding their own investigations.

Apparently, Chester didn’t know much about Sasha, but one of his ex-subordinates did, having been friends with the girl growing up. Apparently, the boy had been a messenger for Chester’s business, but had quit when he found out that Sasha had conned them roughly a year ago.

From the boy, they had found out about most of her hangout spots, as well as where she lived with her family, and who else might be willing to help her if she needed it. Including several people that lived outside Sanafalls City, further inland in the villages.

He also found out that Chester’s business had been one of the ones commissioned by Sasha’s father’s Guild to ferry their Hunters to the location where they went on their last dive.

Chester wasn’t personally involved in the incident, but of the three ships he’d sent out, only one remained, and none of his crew had survived. He had lost a lot of money on that venture, and if it wasn’t for the guarantees made by the Guild, he likely would’ve gone bankrupt.

Looking over the information, Ezekiel started making a few connections, especially when he noticed that one of the areas that she apparently frequented was a spot with a high number of Spirits nearby. But he would raise that point when he met with Eugene.

“About your subordinate. Any chance you could give me some more information regarding his whereabouts? I’d like to ask him a few more questions.”

“Yeah. Here, I got his information with me. He still does odd jobs here and there, so it’s good to keep in contact with him, even if he doesn’t come into this area of the docks anymore.”

Ezekiel took note of the boy, whose name he learned was Murry, before thanking Chester and getting up to leave.

“Hey, before you go, Murray’s not in trouble, is he? It’s unfortunate that his rep got stained by Sasha, but he’s a good kid otherwise.”

Ezekiel looked at Chester, once again having to reevaluate the man.

“Honestly, I don’t think Murry is in trouble. If anything, he might be more useful than Sasha’s family, since apparently, he gave you more information that her family gave the guards. Even if the information is older.” Ezekiel said to reassure the man of Murry’s safety.

“How so?”

“Well, apparently, her family hasn’t seen or spoken to her since before she started conning people. No interaction whatsoever, from what they told the guards.”

Chester’s face grew shocked, and Ezekiel immediately focused his attention on the man.

“You know something?”

Chester paused for a minute, looking conflicted, then angry, before finally setting his face into a forced neutrality.

“The last time I spoke with Murry, he mentioned that he’d seen Sasha hanging around her old neighborhood. She was apparently leaving letters in her mother’s mailbox, as well as taking letters out.”

Chester’s explanation made Ezekiel feel confused. Eugene had already stated that her family hadn’t seen her since before she started committing crimes. Then it hit him; exchanging letters doesn’t involve seeing each other, nor speaking to one another. They could’ve easily used the same technical truths that he had when speaking to the guards.

“Thank you for the information. Have you confronted Sasha’s family?”

Chester looked affronted at Ezekiel’s question.

“You don’t involve third parties in personal business. It’ll be different if I get confirmation that her family is helping her, but I haven’t, and doing so would involve messing with a city ordered investigation. I might be a bit rougher than legal, but I’m not stupid enough to go against the city, or the Church.”

Ezekiel nodded in understanding.

“Well then, I thank you for your time and answers. Hopefully we’ll get this settled soon, and your business can get back on its feet.”

Chester looked forlornly at the pile of messy letters and documents.

“Yeah, hopefully.”

Ezekiel decided that he had overstayed his welcome. With a final goodbye, he left the building calmly, before rushing away from the building.

Murray’s place wasn’t too far away from this area of the docks. If he hurried, he might be able to talk to him before he needed to meet up at the fountain.