Blue Valley Underground - Part 17 - Test
It's believed that no human can resist faerie food...
Blue Valley Underground - Part 17 - Test
Throat burning, lungs aching, heart racing, Isaac could only hear the muffled sound of his own thrashing and the squeal of his own voice. The water was so cold, such a shock to his face. On his back, shackled to a seesaw, unable to move. At last, the troll stepped on the board between Isaac's feet and it teetered in the other direction, rising out of the drum. Isaac gasped for air. He spewed water over himself and the troll, who hardly winced. He was in a small, dank room containing nothing else. Tiny mushrooms were growing along the walls
The black-armored man stepped towards Isaac and tangled his fingers in the boy's wet hair, forcing Isaac to meet his dark eyes,
"Cooperate, and I'll be less inclined to drown you." He said. Isaac panted, watery and ragged,
"Who are you?"
"Mr. Zu-Kaal, high agent of the Underground." the man answered, "And yourself?"
Isaac almost responded, then closed his mouth. He just stared at the man, furrowing his brow.
"Dunk him, Sligo." Mr. Zu-Kaal muttered. The troll removed his clawed foot from the board and it tipped, sending Isaac's head back into the water.
Mr. Zu-Kaal waited, watching Isaac's head thrash in the drum. After sixty seconds, he ordered,
"Enough."
Sligo stomped on the board again. Isaac coughed, spraying water all around him.
"W-where's Clara?" he sputtered. The armored man crossed his arms,
"Why should I answer your question when you've failed to answer mine? Dunk him."
The boy was submerged again, this time for eighty seconds. His face was pale when he rose up, eyes exhausted,
"Isaac..." he groaned, "of Riv...Rivermere."
Mr. Zu-Kaal replied flatly,
"So you're honest. More so than your little friend, Janette. Or as you know, her: Clara."
"Is she alive?" Isaac panted.
"She's in the infirmary." The man stepped closer, "Now, I've given you more information than you deserve. Tell me everything you know about the Underground, Isaac. Every diminutive detail."
"It's a gang," the boy replied wearily, "That's all I know."
Mr. Zu-Kaal stared him down for a long moment.
"Dunk him." He finally commanded, and the troll obeyed. For ninety seconds, Isaac twitched and convulsed, clawing at the wooden board.
"Enough."
"Ack!" Water gushed from the boy's mouth. His shirt was soaked and sticking to his skin, lips tinged blue. Eyes stinging, vision blurry, he closed them tightly and lay sluggishly against the board,
"That's all I...I know..." he wheezed, "I promise."
Mr. Zu-Kaal leaned forward, uncomfortably close, staring directly into Isaac's eyes. He nearly whispered,
"What has Janette--or Clara--told you?"
"Nothing..." Isaac responded. The troll lifted his foot only slightly and the boy quickly added,
"Her mother owed you money, or...Something like that. She said you were going to make her repay what her mother owed. That's all. I swear."
"Hm." Mr. Zu-Kaal stepped back and slowly paced about,
"Did she mention any murders?"
Isaac thought back, then shook his head,
"No. She thought your guys killed her mom, but...Nothing else."
The man was quiet for a long moment. He stopped at Isaac's side and leaned over him, looking into his eyes again,
"You're an honest boy," he declared candidly, "It's unfortunate that you've gotten tangled in that whore's mess. Janette fooled you with a fake name and neglected to tell you that she's a killer. She's a killer, and her filthy mother was an embezzler."
"She killed someone?" Isaac's eyes widened.
Mr. Zu-Kaal gave a single nod,
"A fine agent. He was very dear to me, and no sum of gold will ever replace him." He began pacing again, "It's a shame that you've become part of this. Seeing what you've seen, I'm afraid I can't let you leave the Underground."
"What about Clar--Janette?" Isaac queried. Mr. Zu-Kaal furrowed his brow,
"Don't concern yourself with her any longer. She'll be prostituted until she earns back every coin she and her mother have stolen from me. Afterwards, I suppose I'll hand her off to the trolls," he patted the troll guard on his armored shoulder, "as penalty for what she's done to high agent Koury. Eye for an eye, as we say."
Sligo showed a wide, yellow grin.
"No!" Isaac blurted, "Don't, please! Is there a way I can free her? Any way at all?"
"She's deceived you, my brother," Mr. Zu-kaal said. There was a touch of sympathy in his monotonous voice,
"She's the reason you're here, being interrogated. You will never see your friends and family again all because of her deeds. Why on Gaia do you wish to help her?"
Isaac replied,
"I'm sorry about your friend. But I don't know the whole story. Please, let me see her for just a minute. There has to be a mistake."
"There is no mistake!" the man suddenly growled, "The blood was on her hands! She eviscerated Koury--I could hardly identify his face when his corpse was presented to me! Her given reason is pathetic and I will have no sympathy for her. You shouldn't either."
"Can I talk to her?"
Mr. Zu-Kaal disappeared behind Isaac. He returned with a pair of shackles in his hand. As he released Isaac's hands and feet from the board he replied,
"I'm perplexed as to what I should do with you," Immediately after the boy stepped off the board, Mr. Zu-Kaal shackled his wrists together behind his back,
"My agents were under the impression that you helped Janette elude us. They saw you board a train with her to, er--Rivermere, I believe. I see you were but a victim of her lies."
"Why not kill me?" Isaac asked, then cringed at his own stupid question. Yes, offer suggestions, he thought. The troll grabbed him by the shoulder and led him out the door with Mr. Zu-Kaal. The man chuckled,
"This is not some gang of delinquents. This is a distinguished organization. You've given me no reason to kill you," he paused, "Yet."
They walked down a long corridor that eventually opened up to a side street of the city. A gold-skinned elven woman walked by with a basket balanced on her head. They walked through a crowd of creatures, who stumbled over themselves to move out of the way.
"Mr. Zu-Kaal!"
"Hail, Mr. Zu-Kaal!"
"I love you, Mr. Zu-Kaal!"
Were just some of the ramblings from the crowd. Mr. Zu-Kaal regarded them with a dismissive wave.
Isaac took in more of the Underground's exoticism, watching as a pixie girl danced in the air while satyrs jumped about below her, just inches from snatching her feet. She giggled and zipped away with her delicate clear wings, the satyrs in clumsy pursuit. Elsewhere, a strikingly handsome elf dressed in fine gold clothes sat at a picnic table, clinking wine glasses with a homely goblin. There was a sumptuous feast on that table, and suddenly Isaac realized how hungry he was. What time was it anyway? No sun here, no stars, and no clocks in sight. It was as if time didn't exist in this place.
"Where are we going?" asked Isaac. Mr. Zu-Kaal didn't reply. He led Isaac and the troll to the picnic table. Without question, the elf man refilled his wine glass and offered it to him. The goblin woman offered a decadent little cake on a silver dish. Mr. Zu-Kaal plucked the cake from the plate, holding it to Isaac's mouth. The boy looked at him inquisitively.
"It's the finest you've ever had." The man assured him. Isaac hesitated. Then, he slowly bit the cake in half.
Indeed, it was the most delectable thing he'd ever had the pleasure of eating. The texture, the flavor, the sweetness...
Isaac greedily devoured the other half, nearly biting Mr. Zu-Kaal's hand. The taste was unearthly, unnatural, irresistible. The boy was aware he was making an ass of himself as he licked the frosting from Mr. Zu-Kaal's gloved fingers, but stopping was not an option and he couldn't explain why. The elf and goblin laughed at him.
"Is there more?" he asked. The words came out without his permission. Mr. Zu-Kaal briefly pulled down the bottom of his head wrap and sipped the wine, replacing it the moment he lowered the glass. Isaac caught a glimpse of a dark beard, and that was about it.
The man replied,
"Perhaps there will be, if you behave. Wine?" he held out the burgundy drink. It wasn't the cake he craved, but Isaac was so desperate, he eagerly snatched the edge of the glass with his teeth and tipped it. He sucked down every last drop and in seconds his head was reeling. It wasn't like Miss Krista's drinks that scorched his throat; it was smooth and pleasant, thick like blood and sweet like caramel.
"More!" Isaac exclaimed. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he was aware of how impolite he was being. At the forefront, he didn't care. The elf laughed heartily and the goblin snickered behind her hand. She took a casual bite of gelatin and garbled over a full mouth,
"The poor human..."
Isaac eyed the table longingly,
"Can I have more?"
"In time." Mr. Zu-Kaal told him. That wasn't the answer Isaac wanted. Suddenly the boy jerked out of the troll's grip and smashed his face into the plate of gelatin. The goblin shrieked and backed away from the table, her silver fork clattering against the cobblestone.
Isaac attacked the plate like a hungry dog slobbering at its bowl, swallowing without chewing, quickly moving to the bowl of chocolate globes nearby. They burst in his mouth, splattering red jelly all over his face and the table.
"That's enough, you mongrel!" Mr. Zu-Kaal growled and clutched Isaac's hair, yanking him away from the table. Eyes watering in pain, Isaac's biggest concern was still getting to that food. The elf man quickly stood up and offered him something. Just a plain cracker, it looked like, but Isaac didn't see it for very long before greedily devouring it.
In that instant, his craving was gone. All of Isaac's pining for cake and wine and chocolate was suddenly a memory, but the shame over his actions was sinking in without mercy. The goblin glared at him as she salvaged what she could, piling food back onto plates. The elf man just snickered.
"I'm so sorry!" Isaac apologized. There was chocolate and jelly and frosting smeared on his face, from his chin to his eyebrows. Mr. Zu-Kaal loosened the grip on his hair and walked on. Sligo took Isaac's shoulder and followed.
"You're fully human? No fae or gaian ancestors?" Mr. Zu-Kaal queried. Isaac tasted the residual chocolate on his lips and a tiny shockwave of bliss rippled through him.
"I don't know," he replied, resisting the urge to lick the chocolate, "I think my mother was human. I never knew my father or my family."
They passed a market, where vendors were closing their stalls. Isaac couldn't identify some of the strange wares, but he knew a human skull when he saw one, and several were hanging from one of the stalls.
"Then an additional test is needed." Said Mr. Zu-Kaal.
They ascended a staircase carved into the wall, leading up to a protruding stone building that overlooked the city. Mr. Zu-Kaal retrieved a key from the loop on his belt and unlocked the heavy door. Just one room made up the interior, and it appeared to be an office. There was no embellishment, nothing that didn't need to be there. Just a desk, some wooden cabinets, and a few chairs. Isaac noticed his knapsack hanging from a hook on the back wall. The man turned to the troll and said,
"Thank you, Sligo. Dismissed."
The troll nodded, growling in Isaac's ear and giving his shoulder a tight, threatening squeeze before leaving. The door closed with a heavy thud!
Mr. Zu-Kaal reached for his scabbard with his left hand and withdrew a gleaming ebony sword with a bronze handle. He pointed the black blade at Isaac and gestured to the chair near the window,
"Sit." He commanded. Isaac obeyed. The flimsy wooden chair groaned as he sat. He watched as Mr. Zu-Kaal backed towards a cabinet and wrenched it open, keeping his eyes on Isaac while he retrieved a small object. Approaching the boy once more, Isaac saw that it was an iron ball on a string.
Mr. Zu-Kaal dangled the trinket in front of him and ordered,
"Open your mouth."
Isaac hesitated. The man jabbed him in the belly with his sword and he yelped, reluctantly lowering his jaw. Mr. Zu-Kaal placed the iron ball on his tongue. It was heavy and--predictably--tasted metallic. A minute or so passed before he removed it and inspected Isaac's mouth. He returned the trinket to its cabinet and concluded,
"If you have fae blood, it's too distant to matter. Congratulations, Isaac: You're human."
Mr. Zu-Kaal then sat in the chair adjacent to him and pulled his head wrap off. It draped over his shoulders, exposing the face of a man possibly in his forties. He had a short black beard and skin just a shade or two lighter than Isaac's. His nose was similar to Isaac's as well, albeit a bit more pointed. Long, straight hair extended passed his shoulders.
"What privilege to be a commoner, to walk freely with wrists unbound..." Mr. Zu-Kaal said wistfully. He reached his long arm out and examined Isaac's ID necklace,
"A soldier. You've put many innocents in irons, haven't you?"
"Two," Isaac admitted, "A faun and her daughter. I didn't want to do it."
"Queen Evangeline traps you under a mighty fist. But she only rules the surface," Mr. Zu-Kaal gestured to the window behind Isaac,
"In the Underground, fae and gaians live by the word of the high agents. I am just one of thirteen--" He paused, then corrected grimly, "Excuse me. Twelve, thanks to little Janette."
"Is there anything I can do to see Cl--Janette?" Isaac's eyes were pleading. Mr. Zu-Kaal sighed and rose from his seat, retrieving a white rag from his desk,
"I have half a mind to dunk you again..." he muttered, then spit on the rag and began wiping the food stains from Isaac's face,
"Janette is recovering in the infirmary. When she's well enough, she'll be held as a private consort in the Newell brothel. I don't intend to let you leave the Underground, so no, you will not see her."
Isaac frowned, "What about me?"
"I'm still undecided," satisfied with his work, Mr. Zu-Kaal tossed the rag aside. He remained standing, tilting Isaac's chin up with the tip of his sword,
"I must admit an inherent fondness for you. Serkelite, correct?"
"Yes." Isaac winced. The blade under his face was so sharp, finer than steel could ever be. The man's mouth quirked into a tiny smile,
"As I thought. Brothers of the Southlands, you and I. Surely you've faced prejudice from the Northlanders?"
Isaac shrugged,
"Sometimes." He paused for a moment, then added, "Someone told me our people were rats. He said we were stealing Noalen."
Mr. Zu-Kaal scowled,
"Typical; calling us thieves while they steal the freedom of uncommoners." He lowered the sword from Isaac's face,
"I'm sorry your introduction here was so ugly. We rule ourselves under the honor of eye for an eye--not whatever nonsense the queen declares on a whim. It's is a sanctuary of sorts, for those who would otherwise be in chains topside, for those who are denied work based on race or sex. Women, too, are equal here."
"Not Clara," Isaac furrowed his brow, "You made her a slave!"
"Her actions warranted it!" The man snarled. He regained his composure in seconds and sat down again, placing his sword over his lap,
"Let me explain something about your friend, since evidently all she's given you is lies." He cleared his throat,
"My agents did not kill her mother, Evelyn. She committed suicide when they arrived to collect payment. Evelyn worked for the Underground for many years as one of our most profitable sex workers. In return for some of her earnings, we offered protection, clothing, food, housing in the Capital--Anything her wretched heart desired. She was already getting more than she deserved, and on top of it, she never registered Janette with the organization. We were under the impression that she lived alone."
Mr. Zu-Kaal tilted his head down, eyes still on Isaac,
"As I understand, Evelyn pulled her daughter out of school when she was hardly an adolescent and prostituted her without our knowledge. Janette was reaping our generous benefits for all those years and we never saw a coin from her." He shrugged,
"It's tragic, really. What Evelyn did to her daughter is deplorable, and originally, I would have left Janette out of it. I asked high agent Koury to lead an investigation. That's when he was murdered, and I sympathized with the girl no more."
Isaac shook his head with disbelief and disgust,
"There has to be more to it. Why did she kill him? Did he hurt her? Did--"
"It doesn't matter!" Mr. Zu-Kaal's outburst echoed off the stone walls, startling Isaac. He paused, glowering at the floor, then mentioned calmly,
"I have a job for you." Rising to his feet, he grabbed the boy's shoulder and pulled him up too. They faced the window and looked down on the Underground citizens meandering about the streets,
"A test, to prove your usefulness. If you succeed, you will work for me. If you fail," Mr. Zu-Kaal shrugged, "I suppose I'll imprison you."
"I don't want to work for you," Isaac told him, "I just want to see Clara--I mean, Janette. Just for a little while, a few minutes even."
Mr. Zu-Kaal let out a light chuckle,
"Persistent, aren't you?" he paused, then nodded, "Very well, Isaac. Should you pass my test, you will have one hour with Janette, and then you will work for me. If you fail, you'll work for Sligo." Looking out the window, he mentioned absently,
"A brutish troll, that one. I keep fetching him new toys and he only breaks them..."
Isaac shuddered. Turning to Mr. Zu-Kaal, he asked,
"How do I know you'll keep your word?"
Mr. Zu-Kaal glanced back at him and tucked his long hair behind his ear. It was pointed, like an elf's.
"I do not have the privilege of a full-blooded human," he frowned, "I am incapable of telling an untruth. But should you cross me..." Mr. Zu-Kaal raised his left hand, and without laying a finger on him, cast Isaac to the floor with an unseen force,
"I will know."
Lying wide-eyed on the floor, the boy silently, anxiously nodded.
Mr. Zu-Kaal pointed a trembling finger at him and Isaac howled as a sharp stinging sensation tore across his forehead. He clutched his face until the pain subsided. Flecks of blood stained his hands.
"W-what did you do to me?" Isaac panted. Gently touching his forehead, he felt a tender, raised scar. Mr. Zu-Kaal simply gestured to the window. Feeling a bit wobbly, Isaac steadied himself on a chair and rose to his feet. His reflection stared back at him through the glass, defaced with a shallow scar in the middle of his forehead. It was shaped like--and the size of--an eye.
"There is a grower named Ani who has been stealing from me," explained Mr. Zu-Kaal, "You'll find her in the farming district. Bring me her head, then you'll see Janette."
Isaac shrunk back,
"Do I get a weapon...?"
"Not from me," Mr. Zu-Kaal's expression was as flat as ever, "Your resourcefulness is part of the test. Accomplish this task any way you can, but don't harm anyone except Ani. Now go." He reached out and gave Isaac's forehead a poke,
"And remember: I'll be watching."