81- The Archivist and his Assistant

Arriving at the conference room, with a few minutes to spare, Quayleigh sat down and grabbed one of the colas from the center of the table.

"Nervous?" Folsten asked, perhaps to break the silence, but her own body language spoke too how uncomfortable she was herself.

"Of course. These are possibly the last moments of freedom for me," Quayleigh replied, choosing her words carefully to add further discomfort to her 'trusted' liaison. "Once we leave here, once I'm in that place, all the reassurances in the world aren't going to guarantee me anything. I have to put trust in them, in you, in a few pieces of paper with words and signatures of ink. Any remotely intelligent person would be nervous over this arrangement. Don't you think?"

"I agree. If you weren't nervous, I might be worried, but you can trust me. I'm not going to let anyone keep you there against your will."

Quayleigh felt Uroxuz's squeeze her left shoulder, an indication that something was off, that Folsten was lying. She tapped the top of her pop-can twice, and the sensation of his hand faded.

"Good, you're both here," Harlowe said as he entered the room, followed by a tall man wearing a deep purple cloak with the hood raised, and a smaller, younger man, with shoulder length, near white hair. "Quayleigh Vershinin, this is Archivist Phaedra, and his assistant."

"Riannoske Shino," the assistant introduced himself with a bow as Phaedra lowered his hood.

Phaedra was younger than Quayleigh had expected, guessing him to be somewhere near the same age as Tau's body, but no older than thirty-five, although even that seemed a stretch, without the assistance of magic, which was always a possibility in cases like this. Riannoske, however, couldn't have been more than 18.

"Nice to meet you both," Quayleigh replied as she stood up and bowed towards them.

Phaedra didn't say anything until she straightened herself and looked up at him. He was quite tall compared to her, and after blinking away, he cleared his throat.

"I look forward to working with you," he said as he motioned to Riannoske.

Stepping forward, Riannoske placed a white bag onto the table and bought a second one over to Quayleigh, handing it to her.

"You will be expected to wear this uniform while inside the archives. You will be asked to remove all jewelry, as well as your shoes. Slippers will be provided at the entrance. Your hair is to be tied back and all makeup, including lip gloss, is prohibited. As for your eye patch, would you mind if I examine it?" he asked as Phaedra sat at the table and began to empty the other bag.

"Of course," she replied, removing her eyepatch and handing it to him, while keeping her eye closed.

She watched as he ran his fingers along its edge and over the embroidery before handing it back.

"Thank you for your cooperation. You are free to wear this in the archives. If you need to remove it, however, please set it away from the books, or simply lift it up to your forehead."

"I understand," she replied as she set the bag onto the table and put her eyepatch back on.

"Please, you are welcome to sit," Phaedra said motioning to the chair.

As Quayleigh sat down, Phaedra nodded to Riannoske and he continued to speak.

"You are not permitted to eat or drink inside of the archives, but you are free to use the cafeteria. However, a room has been arranged for you, if you wish to bring your own meals or are more comfortable eating separately. Your hands will need to be inspected before returning to the archives, and new gloves and face masks will be provided each time. No books are permitted to leave the archives. Any attempt to do so will void the contract, and you will be remanded to the enforcement agents. This, of course, is your only warning. Writing equipment and paper will be provided to you inside your work area and must be kept on a separate table from the books at all times. Do not dogear the pages of the books. Do not place them on the floor. Do not write on the pages, break the spines, or remove pages. Defacement or damage to the books or property of the archives, in any way, will also lead to severe penalties. A standard minimum being 10 years of service to the tribunal, a maximum being life. If you find any damage on the books, please alert myself or the Archivist immediately, so we can document and ensure that you are not held accountable. Listings of known damages will also be provided upon entry to the archives in the spirit of full disclosure. Do you have any questions pertaining to what I have relayed to you thus far?"

"No. You've made everything quite clear. Thank you."

Riannoske bowed his head and stepped back towards the wall.

"As you can imagine we take our positions seriously as the caretakes of the books in our collection. We expect that you will hold yourself to the same standards," Phaedra relayed to her as he slid a stack of papers and a pen towards her. "You will need to fill this out on our way to the MET. Please be as thorough as you can," he remarked as he passed her another smaller bunch of papers. "This is everything that Riannoske just went over with you, in writing. You will need to sign the top copy, indicating that you understood and will adhere to all of the provisions relayed to you. Feel free to review it during the drive, but you must sign it before we will permit you entry into the archival room. And lastly," he went on as he handed her a final stack, "this is a standard non-disclosure agreement. You are not allowed to discuss the nature of your work with anyone unlisted in this document. Failure to do so will lead to penalties already discussed as well as any the authorities of this precinct wish to pursue. You will find a copy for yourself underneath. There is another contract to go over once we arrive at the MET, as well as some other details we will need to discuss before you can begin your work. On behalf of the magistrate, we thank you for your service, Ms. Vershinin. Relations between us and the police have always been strained. Your willingness to act as a go-between has greatly eased our concerns."

He spoke with a smooth and unwavering cadence that was pleasant to the ear, and his eyes had remained focused on her the entire time. He made no unnecessary movements and offered no way to judge his emotional state or the sincerity for which he spoke. Even Uroxuz offered no indication of what he thought. Taking a moment to look at the list of names in the NDA, seeing Mazurka, Harlowe, and Folsten listed, she turned to the back page and took note that everyone, including Phaedra, Riannoske, and Magister Inniken Gerotherine had already signed it. Adding her signature and the date, she handed it back to him, before adding her copy to the file with the pictures she had received from Skye.

"Clearance badges are waiting for both you and Detective Folsten at the front desk and must be worn visible once inside the building. If there are no questions, we should be getting underway. At the end of your day, we will be providing transportation for you both back to this location."

"I do have a quick question, if you don't mind."

Phaedra motioned for her to speak.

"Is Detective Folsten going to be allowed inside the archives with me?"

"No. She will be provided with an appropriate space to wait and monitor you from outside the entrance. Once you are inside, Riannoske will be your assistant. Anything you need or require he will be the one to provide it, if it is possible."

"Understood, and I look forward to working with you, Riannoske."

"And I you, Ms. Vershinin."

"Oh, please, just call me Quayleigh, or Quays if you prefer. That goes for you to, Archivist."

"Phaedra, if you please," he replied with a strange tone, almost pleading tone. It was faint, but given the even nature of his normal speech, it stuck out to Quayleigh, and the way he looked at her, as if she was familiar to him, struck a chord of curiosity.

"Of course, Phaedra," she replied as they all stood from the table.

"If you will follow me, I'll take you out to the vehicle," Riannoske said as he motioned towards the door.

"I'll be right behind you," Folsten remarked as Quayleigh followed Riannoske out of the room.

"Have you worked with Phaedra long?" she questioned, sliding the file and paperwork into the bag as they walked.

"Eight years," he answered as the made their way towards the exit. "He may seem a bit intimidating at first, but if you need anything, I assure you, he is someone you can rely on, and trust. He has been wonderful to work with."

"That's good to hear," she replied as she felt Uroxuz's hand upon her right shoulder.

Apparently, Riannoske was easier to read, and Uroxuz wanted her to know that what he had said was the truth.

"It's a bit of a drive, so feel free to take your time with the paperwork. I hope you don't mind if I sit next to you. It will make it easier for me to help you, if you have any questions," he said as they made their way outside.

"I don't mind at all," she replied as he opened the door of the van, he had walked her to.

It was a MET marked transport van with tinted back windows. The interior was plain with three rows of grey fabric seats. Motioning to the middle row, Quayleigh climbed in and slid over to the window, before buckling up and pulling the paperwork from the bag.

Riannoske stood outside and waited for Phaedra and Folsten, who were only a minute behind. Folsten was directed to sit in the back row, and Phaedra sat in the seat in front of Quayleigh. Climbing in last, Riannoske sat beside her, and closed the doors. The engine started as soon as he buckled up, and Phaedra tapped on the side of the driver's seat.

The driver didn't say a word to anyone and Quayleigh pulled out the pen and began to read over the paperwork, starting with the rules and regulations paper she knew she had no choice but to sign, as they left the police station and headed towards the MET in relative silence.

Seeing nothing different from what Riannoske had explained to her in the conference room, she signed the paper and handed it to him.

"I'm assuming there will be a place for me to get changed once we arrive?"

"Yes. The room, I told you about, it is for your comfort. Your ID card will work the lock. Along with both mine and Phaedra's. However, I assure you, that all of your personal belongings will be fully secure within the room. Cameras monitor all of the hallways, and it is located on the same floor as the archival room. Access to that floor is very limited. You and your belongings will be very safe."

"I appreciate the efforts you've taken to make me feel comfortable."

"Please, do not thank me. All of this was Phaedra's decision," Riannoske said, motioning towards the Archivist.

"Oh, in that case," she remarked as she set her hand onto Phaedra's shoulder causing him to turn and look at her, "thank you. That's incredibly considerate of you."

"You are very welcome," he replied, the corner of his lip momentarily lifting up before turning back around.

She couldn't quite get a grasp of Phaedra's behavior and wondered how it was that Folsten has been so certain that he wasn't one to be trusted when they first met. From what Quayleigh had seen so far, he seemed far more trustworthy than her. Distant, yes, and mysterious, sure, but he was clear and precise in the way he moved and spoke. He insisted on making eye contact, and even as faint as the shifts in his facial expressions were, they never came across as forced or contrived. However, it was the way that he had looked at her, as if he saw something he recognized, that left her wondering and hoping that she would get a chance to speak to him alone at some point.

Turning back to the paperwork she had yet to get to, Quayleigh went about filling out the form. Only having to ask questions once she got the page that left her completely confused and uncertain of how to answer any of the questions that to her made little sense, like what shape water was or how tall the color green should be.

To her complete shock, Riannoske didn't laugh at her when she asked him what it was all about. Instead, he calmly answered her inquiry and explained that it had to do with determining both her knowledge of magic and the form her magic naturally took, remarking, "there are no incorrect answers."

She felt a bit silly now that it had been explained to her, and instead of answering the questions in the standard fashion of writing out explanations, she began to draw upon the pages. When she was done, she handed the papers to Riannoske.

"Thank you for completing these. We will be arriving at the MET shortly. Please relax for the rest of the trip."

Nodding, she sat back and watched as Riannoske took a quick look through the pages, a smile creeping onto his lips when he reached the section that she had asked him about. Reaching forward, he tapped Phaedra on the shoulder and handed him the forms. She felt strangely pleased with herself for following her instincts and enjoyed the rest of the drive watching the world outside pass by.

A few minutes later, the van arrived at the entrance to the MET building. Opening the door, Riannoske climbed out, followed by Phaedra, who turned back and offered his hand out to Quayleigh.

"Welcome to the MET, Quayleigh," he said as she slid across the seat and took his hand.

There was a strength in his grip, even though he was delicate in the way he held her hand and helped her from the van. She had seen pictures of the MET building, but this was the first time she had visited it in person, and nothing could have prepared her for the grandness of the architecture or the majesty of presence. This was the moment she had been dreading since the day began, and her nerves hit her like a freight train. Everything in her was screaming to turn and run in the other direction, everything except for a tiny voice in her head, reminding her that the answers she wanted, were somewhere inside that massive structure.