The Blue Pearl

"I am an agent of Sharak." Bedona was only barely able to hold back her irritation.

"'What' is Sharak?" Moswen asked slowly and spoke as if tasting each word in his mouth while doing so.

Now it was Bedona's turn to stare dumbly. How could this man not know Sharak? Was he lying? No, He was not, she was almost certain of that.

"…You-you really don't know what Sharak is?"

"I am afraid not." Moswen answered and sat back. He looked as if he was giving her enough space to answer him.

Should she be insulted or surprised? To not know of Sharak, one had to be living under the rock for past ten years to not know of her guild.

"We are the strongest guild, if you kill me or steal from me, the Black Army will hunt you down." Bedona tried to speak in a calm and threatening tone. But it was difficult while invoking the name of Black army. Because she knew she was not worth considering for them. The Black anchor would never send his them for someone like her. But she would have though the same about Ava too before she came in to rescue Bedona. Ava, who was more valuable than a single platoon of the black army any day. So maybe… she did have some value after all.

"And there are two very close to right here and one of them just killed a beast of Endahar without a scratch." She tried smugness this time and tilted her head and gave Moswen a lopsided smirk.

And it did have an effect on the giant as he was jerked back if slightly in surprise.

"The monster that was plaguing the village called R'qsar?" He asked in an odd interest that she hadn't be expecting.

"Yes, so you should release me." She said, no, demanded.

But the man complete ignored her. Again looking up toward where the village was. "But, if that monster is dead, what of the people there? The villagers?" like she hadn't even said a word after 'Yes'.

"No." he said suddenly, shutting her up and gently cradled her into his arm and stood. "We are going to meet them."

Bedona hadn't understood what he meant right away and started at him with a frown as he lifted her. Then like the rain the answer hit her. The man wished to go up the mountain to meet the Liaisons while carrying her in his arm cradled like a baby. She thought it was humiliating with Olean, but at least she used both her arms. This man needed to use only one hand for her.

"No, No, go if you must but don't take me. J-just … leave me here." She shouted in panic, flailing her head left and right, hitting the man's rough robe with it. The man hadn't reacted other than give her a passing glance.

"I cannot. It is too dangerous for you to leave you like this." He replied sagely.

"Then release me with this binding." Bedona cried.

"I don't trust you."

Bedona paused at his soft reply. It made sense that he didn't trust her. She wouldn't trust herself either after Bedona had tried to kill him. But that was not important at the moment.

Why did he want to go up?

"Why do you want to go to the village?"

"You can ask me, I lived there until yesterday." She raised her head and put it in a better position to stare directly at him.

The man paused and looked down at her. "You lie." He said dismissively and started walking again.

"You said I can't lie. And I am not."

"I said you 'should' not. You are still perfectly capable of lying and you are." He wasn't even thinking it. For whatever reason he believed in it.

"No, I did live in it until yesterday. I had been for a mission. For over half a year." this was as much as she could divulge without any danger, of which she was coming very close to.

"Impossible." He muttered. "If it were true, you would be tainted by the beast. You are not."

"I could have been cured by the agents."

"It's impossible to cure it."

"You can't possibly know that."

"There …was this boy, Tristan." Bedona started slowly, she wasn't certain if she was right to say at the time but… "He was also not tainted and he lived there his entire life."

"Tristan is…" He almost answered with that odd familiarity in his tone as he uttered the name. Like he had been quite used to saying it. He froze again and slowly lowered his eyes at her.

"Was?" He asked in a low breathe that entirely shook her. "What do you mean 'was'?" His tone was still soft and yet she felt her bones freeze after hearing it.

"N-nothing. I just mean it has been a day since I saw him."

"He is fine then?"

"Last I saw him." She answered with a nod. " Weak but fine."

"You… are hiding something." Bedona's heart skipped at beat at the question. And not just the question but how it was asked. The sudden softness of Moswen was gone. There was an odd and uncomfortable weight was emanating from him suddenly. Bedona felt pushed, crushed by it ever so slowly.

"No, I am not." But Bedona was not an amateur at lying. She answered smoothly and dismissively.

"…The medallion…" He whispered and it her stomach started to churn. "You said you found it in the forest. I want to know how and where"

"And don't bother lying. The choice is no longer yours." Moswen said ominously. Bedona frowned, she had known he would possess an ability like that. It was one she herself possess to some degree. A spell to command mind to speak only the truth or what it thought as truth. And she knew enough way to overcome it as well.

"But I-"

"If you don't cooperate, I will even take the ability to think." Moswen spoke again, not letting her speak.

Smart of him and bad for her. "I took it from Tristan." She answered quietly but he heard. She felt his muscle tighten under him.

He slowly sat on the sand below and sat her down again. He go her back into leaning on a rock again. The same position she found herself in before. Bedona was still paralyzed below neck and felt her situation had only worsened.

"Now, explain." He said as they both settled into their previous positions.

"…I found him in the forest with the …medallion. I felt the power and wanted it and so I charmed him and took it from him." She said truthfully but omitting only bare-bones of the details. She kept careful eye of Moswen for any ticks to signs from him.

He took her answer calmly and betrayed no attention, much to Bedona's annoyance. Instead after a small moment of pondering he asked gently "What charm?"

"Just a simple memory spell. I…I made him forget the past hour."