Eight 5.22: The Sweet Scent of Interrogation

Sonasen and her crew knew their business—their woodcraft was solid and the area around Bashtencru was clearly familiar to them. They didn’t have the personality of Melwei and his people, though, and I found myself missing that band of misfits. 

Fala and I were mostly ignored. No one was rude, but my earlier feeling of being treated like cargo solidified. Very well protected cargo, it seemed. That night, we finally met two of the remaining members, and they were silvered like the rest of their team. 

Was Maltra truly that powerful? For there to be so many silvered in one place was ridiculous. 

As for the sixth, hidden teammate, they didn’t come close enough to be spotted, and their Status a mystery. 

Despite all this surveillance, the Deer God was able to rejoin the herd after dinner. Three things helped to make it happen. The first was his natural facility for becoming one with the land. The second was the Camouflage spell Yuki cast on him. And the last was me stepping away from the camp and pretending to have a difficult bowel movement—grunting like a rutting moose loud enough for everyone to hear. 

That drew enough attention for the Deer God to sneak in from the opposite direction, and then once he was a part of the herd, he disappeared completely. Afterward, Sonasen’s team eyed me strangely, which set Yuki and Fala to giggling. 

All on the inside of course. On the outside, my beloved patted me on the shoulder and handed me a mug of tea—an herbal blend known to settle a bad stomach. 

### 

After a day and a half, Bashtencru’s walls came into view—a wooden palisade atop a stone foundation, reaching a combined height of about thirty feet. The guards outside recognized Sonasen, and they took only a moment to glance over Fala’s and my documents before letting us through. Their spirits had the same dizzying fervor as everyone else I’d encountered from Maltra. 

The outpost’s residents, however, were a more mixed bag. There were people whose spirits seemed barely affected, others with a dizziness at nearly the same intensity as Sonasen, and a wide range of folks somewhere in between. 

The town itself could’ve been a sibling to Bashtotwei—with dirt roads and wooden buildings, rough people eyeing the newcomers to town, and the smell of fresh blood and meat close by. There was no pyramid, but there were plenty of taverns and merchants specializing in hard-to-source materials. 

The average level of the people on the street seemed lower than in Bashtotwei—enough to be noticeable—but that might’ve been because the more powerful folks were out hunting. Whatever the reason, they got out of Sonasen’s way. 

We drew looks, Fala and me—wary, disdainful, or pitying, depending on the person and their outlook on nathlein. The two of us had been surrounded by Sonasen’s team since walking through the outpost’s gate, so we’d been obviously marked as being in her custody. 

Slipping away quietly hadn’t been possible, and we weren’t ready to blow our covers yet with a noisy escape. We had faith in the documentation provided by Albei’s spymaster. Plus, we were curious about what we’d learn from the process. You could tell a lot about a society from the bureaucracy underpinning it. 

Sonasen led us to what appeared to be a town hall. The building was three stories and had actual glass windows. There was also a plaque above the double doors leading inside featuring a stylized sun and crescent moon. 

A small cat, black with white socks, sat in the yard and watched with interest as we were escorted inside. 

The hall greeted us with larger-than-expected lobby. The sun and moon motif continued into the building’s interior with a frieze, the decorative band about three-quarters of the way up the wall. There were also paintings of a handsome man and beautiful woman prominently displayed. 

The paintings weren’t labelled, but it was obvious they were supposed to be Brother Sun and Sister Moon. The story I’d heard was that they claimed to be descendants of Baxta and his empire, and yet I couldn’t help noticing how neither of them resembled him.  

A broad desk sat under the paintings, and behind it was a broad-shouldered woman with a talent for Quick Judgement. Entry to the rest of the building was apparently under her control. 

Even at a glance, I could tell the lobby was her domain. A counter to the left was staffed by two clerks whose eyes flicked toward her as soon as we’d entered, while a handful of people occupying a sitting area to the right had their attention fixed on her, waiting for a decision of some kind. 

Sonasen breezed by them all with not a word said. It was like we were ghosts wandering through the lobby and into the meticulously clean corridor beyond. 

We passed three doors—two closed and one open. Through the open door, I saw man working at a low desk scribbling in a thick book. Rows of them lined the shelves around him. 

The corridor ended in a T, and we turned left to walk past two more closed doors until we reached a stairway. Sonasen went up, but the stairs also led down. A cool air rose from below, and I saw a sconce lighting the lower level’s landing. 

A guard briefly walked into view, with talents for being Maltra’s Soldier and Perceptive. I also caught sight of an alarm stone embedded in the wall. There was either something secret or valuable down there. 

Yuki added the guard and the alarm stone to the map they were drawing of the building’s interior. The place was proving to be more developed than we’d anticipated. 

I felt Fala’s anticipation rising. We’d planned several options for how we would respond to being interviewed, and one of those plans included an infiltration of the location afterward to find any sensitive information housed there. We genuinely didn’t think we’d find any, but we thought that it would be wise to be thorough and that stranger things have happened. Seeing the soldier, though, raised our hopes for finding something meaningful. 

The stairs on the third floor opened onto an interior garden. Stone planters full of flowers lined the room, filling it with a sweet scent. There were also several miniature trees placed throughout the room in a crescent-like pattern. Mixed in between them were benches. 

The arrangement reminded me of a theater in a park, but at the front, where the stage would be, there was a large mahogany cabinet instead. Its double doors were closed. 

‘More like a shrine,’ Fala sent. 

Looking again, I saw how that made sense. It was the lack of religious iconography that threw me. Still, family altars weren’t unusual, and even some lodges had them as part of their facilities. 

On the room’s far side stood a closed door—also made of mahogany. 

Our escort clapped twice and said, “This is Sonasen, bringing to the honored Ashkandal a newly arrived traveling merchant from Albeityel for registration.” 

A slight woman with quick, inquisitive eyes opened the door, and she smiled at where Fala and I waited among the miniature trees. “What brave travelers! Not only have you traveled the deep wilds, but you’ve also crossed the unjust embargo established by your land knight. We welcome you to our Bashtencru.” After her little speech, Ashkandal came forward to take my hands, and then she led me to sit on one of the benches. 

Her influence was subtler than Sonasen’s, I barely felt how its fragrance wrapped around me. Even so, she was the more powerful of the two. My Conditions displayed an Influenced (4). 

Then, I checked my camera and saw “Ashkandal the Outpost Head (Human, Dawn)” which was obviously a lie, so I pried deeper until her true talents unfolded before me. 

Ashkandal the Region Master (Human, Silvered) 

Talents: People Person, Multi-Talented, Sly Interrogator, Trained Administrator, Confidant, Knows Where to Cut, No Secret Safe 

A chill went down my back—my intuition flagging her as dangerous. At the same time, her eyes were dark and bright, and I felt like the most important person in the world sitting next to her. 

She said, “It’s so much more comfortable out here among the flowers, don’t you think? Much better than my boring office surrounded by papers and record books. Now, tell me, what brings you to our Bashtencru?” 

Fala moved to take a bodyguard’s station behind me, while Sonasen and her crew moved to sit on the other benches. 

I shifted to sit closer to Ashkandal, then leaned in a little further. “I’ve brought spices to sell, and I plan to make a profit from them. It may be illegal by Albei’s current standards, but that won’t stop me. Everyone deserves the chance to eat delicious food.” 

“And have you been to our Bashtencru before?” she asked. “Perhaps visited our glorious empire in past years?” 

“No, no, this is my first visit,” I replied. 

“You must’ve had to prepare extensively, then.” She leaned in as if fascinated, prompting me to share the details. Her influence tightened to assure me she wanted all the details, no matter how boring they might seem. 

“Of course, a merchant must do his research. I read about what to expect from traveling between countries, including other people’s accounts of trading with Maltra. I also researched the prices I could get expect for my goods, so there’ll be no cheating me, I assure you.” 

“Fascinating.” Her influence tightened again, a steady yet comforting presence. “You must’ve been so thorough. Did you meet anyone who could… brief you about these expectations?” 

“Only my allies within the lodge,” I replied. “They say a lodge is like a second family, but among merchants that relationship is more nuanced, since we must also compete against each other.” 

‘You’re doing well and have spoken no lies,’ Fala sent, her presence a comfort. ‘Even if Ashkandal has a truth-telling ability or tool, you won’t have triggered it.’ 

Then the Deer God spoke from inside the herd, ‘There’s a power hidden within the cabinet.’ 

Ashkandal must’ve caught me glancing that way, because her smile spread. “Are you curious about our zasha? You must be after reading so much and traveling so far. Let me introduce you.”  

Then, she gestured to Sonasen who hopped up like an eager child to open the cabinet doors. Another portrait of Sister Moon was revealed, this one more life-like than the one downstairs. It also seemed to have several strands of hair mixed in with the paint framing her face. A scent billowed out to fill the room—floral with hints of musk underneath. 

It was strangely warm and reminded me of my families, both here in Diaksha and back on Earth. Except even more so, like here—in this place, in the presence of this representation of Sister Moon—I belonged with her more than with them. I felt trusted and valued unconditionally. More importantly, Sister Moon would provide for me. I could count on her to do so, if only I put my trust in her. 

She was the ultimate zasha, the primary benefactor for all people everywhere. Whether they knew it or not. 

My Influenced condition spiked from (4) to (6), which would’ve been overwhelming for most people. I let my eyes widen and my mouth open, licking my lips a moment later. 

‘Not too much,’ Fala cautioned. ‘Don’t oversell it.’ 

I nodded as if I’d heard the voice of an angel, then whispered, “She’s impressive.” 

Ashkandal leaned back, seemingly satisfied with my reaction. “She is. The true zasha for the people. If only everyone understood this truth as well you do. Let us bask in her presence, even if it is only a painting.” 

Everyone in the room stilled like they’d been through this before, and those not currently gazing at the painting turned toward it. I put on a respectful expression and planned to wait it out, not resisting the influence for fear that it’ll stir up currents Ashkandal would somehow detect.  

The minutes ticked by, and the influence, while pleasant at first, became cloying. I soon found myself needing to sneeze. My head also started to ache from the fragrance’s intensity. Yet, the expression on my face didn’t change. My body wouldn’t move unless allowed by my authority—at least for as long as I had the will to maintain it. 

An hour—we sat for an hour in silent contemplation. Who does that to a guest? What administrator has the time for it? And by the end, my head throbbed like a spike had been driven through my eye and into my brain. The interior of my nose itched so badly, I wanted to roll up a couple sheets of sandpaper to stick them up my nostrils. 

If it weren’t for my authority, I would’ve tapped out long before Ashkandal finally turned back toward me, her smile as open and cheery as before. “My apologies—I lose myself in adoration. Time has slipped from my hands, as has the information you provided me earlier. If you please, let me ask my questions again.” 

I blinked at her, taking a beat to process the words. She wanted to repeat the interview from earlier, except now I supposed to been disarmed by the painting’s influence in addition to her own. 

Behind me, Fala had also suffered over the past hour, perhaps more so since her sense of smell was even better than mine. Still, I felt her thoughts move to support me. Then, a moment later, Yuki rose up in my thoughts to further gird them. 

I took a visible breath, as if coming out of a daze. “Sorry, yes, of course. I’ll do anything to ease the way into Maltra.” 

Ashkandal’s eyes glinted in delight. 

### 

I made sure to walk two full blocks away from Bashtenrcu’s hall before sneezing three times in a row. The throbbing in my head eased immediately afterward, though some pain lingered. Fala waited for me to finish before she took her turn to sneeze—just the once. 

Then we kept walking. At the end of the second interview, Ashkandal had recommended an inn for our stay at the outpost. She’d also given us a temporary permit to do business in the Paramount Empire of Conjuncted Maltra. It had our date of entry listed on the back and was good for three months. 

I planned to visit the local merchants the next day to see if any of them were willing to buy, but I’d made it clear during the interview I was looking for more profits than the outpost could likely offer. That meant going deeper into the empire. 

Interestingly, an exit interview would be required before leaving back for Albei. Ashkandal had said that, depending on how that went, the permit might become permanent. She had also hinted that if I truly became friends with the empire, I might see other, more substantial benefits. But she’d wait to describe those until after I’d had a chance to explore Maltra more. 

‘You’re being recruited,’ Fala sent. 

I rubbed my temple and nodded. Anyone who goes through Bashtencru risks being turned. No wonder the Alliance cut off all trade with the empire. 

‘It’s like a factory for spies,’ Yuki observed. 

‘I will eat the power in that painting,’ the Deer God sent. ‘Tonight, my spirit will go there to do so.’ 

‘We have a Plan 3 that includes breaking into the outpost head’s office,’ Yuki said. 

I checked the directions Ashkandal had given us and turned right at the street ahead. The inn should be only another block farther. Since the Deer God will spirit journey there first, he can scout the building for us ahead of time. 

‘I can warn of dangers,’ he sent, ‘but that is all.’ 

‘That''ll be enough,' Fala sent. ‘Eight and I can take care of the rest.’ 

I nodded, then paused to look up at a two-story building in front of me. The sign out front featured a kalesk drinking from a tankard. Inside, was a common room for eating and a desk for those wishing to stay overnight. All rather ordinary, except that every member of the staff was a hidden dawn and possessed talents for observation and eavesdropping. 

Approaching the desk, I smiled and introduced myself. A notification popped up on my phone at the same time. 

The Acting skill has increased from 4 to 6. 

Welcome to Maltra, I thought.