New World New Life - Chapter 183
Zylphy moved uneasily in her seat. In her hand was a light brown case file that held the information on an upcoming task for their new errand girl. Since the initial negotiations have gone well, she had full confidence that her superior would give his approval.
As the sweat droplets trickled down the side of her forehead, she quickly wiped them away with her hands, before wiping her hand on her dress pants.
“Dang it,” she muttered to herself.
Why were her palms so sweaty? Why was she so nervous? Just then, the door to the meeting room opened and outwalked a neatly dressed man with round-rimmed glasses and a bow tie around his neck. He wore a knitted sweater over his light blue dress shirt and a pair of ironed black pants.
“Miss Zylphy, Mr Gunn is ready to see you.” the man said as he readjusted his glasses.
Zylphy stood up and dusted her hands off her dress pants, “Thank you, Nate.”
With that, she walked into the room while Nate closed the door behind her. At the end of the desk was a man dressed in a white dress shirt and a pair of light grey dress pants. He had a pair of black suspenders and a pair of shiny black dress shoes to match. His hat hung on the cloak rack to his right.
“Inquisitor Gunn, I have the case file for the Raven’s first task,” Zylphy said as she placed the file on his desk.
Inquisitor Gunn was deep in thought, looking through the information written on his hologram screen before him. When he saw the file Zylphy handed in, he picked it up and flipped through its pages.
As she was about to explain her reasons for the porter’s first task, the inquisitor stopped her. He screened through the file with scrutiny for every word, every detail written in it. Zylphy knew better than to interrupt him.
So she stood there in silence while he reviewed the information. She tried to occupy her mind with other thoughts. As her eyes began to wander around the room, she noticed a peculiar crystal figurine that sat on the side of the table.
It was carved entirely out of a single piece of sapphire blue crystal, in the shape of a dolphin splashing out of the water.
“This is her first quest. Are you sure she’s ready to be a negotiator?” Inquisitor Gunn asked, breaking the silence.
He looked up at Zylphy as he put down the file onto the table.
“Yes sir, she is the perfect candidate for the task.”
Inquisitor Gunn arched his eyebrow, “That’s exactly what you said for the previous candidate.”
“Yes but Vyre I mean this time, I am certain. The Raven is the perfect fit. There isn’t a better candidate.” Zylphy replied.
Before the Inquisitor could state his concerns, she quickly continued, “I have also enlisted the help of Associate Wilfred and Associate Norvak to assist in my decision-making process. They have both given their recommendation statements which are in the case file.”
Zylphy darted her eyes away, as a few strands of her wine red hair fell out of place, covering the side of her face. She quickly tucked it behind her ear as she continued, “I have learnt from my mistakes, Inquisitor. I am certain this time that the Raven is our best option.”
Inquisitor Gunn closed the file on his desk and walked up to Zylphy. The woman who stood before him was once his apprentice, during his days as a mentor. She might not have been the brightest of his apprentice, but she was certainly one who worked hard.
“The previous mission failed. But that’s not on you. Don’t be so hard on yourself Zylphy,” he said as he gave her a pat on the back.
She smiled, “You’re too kind, Mentor.”
The Inquisitor grinned as he went back behind his desk. He took out his fountain pen and signed off on the case file before handing it back to her.
“This Raven of yours, will she be ready for the Warren Mission when the time comes?” he asked.
Zylphy bit her lip, “She will be.”
Inquisitor Gunn nodded, “Well then, that will be all Associate Zylphy. You make carry on with your other duties. Keep a close eye on the Raven. The Chancellor seems to have high hopes for her becoming a member.”
This was the first time she had heard of the Chancellor taking an interest in a potential new member. Was it because of the Raven’s unique identity as an otherworlder? Having met her in person gave her more confidence in the Raven’s abilities to get things done.
“Does the Chancellor want her to join us as an associate?” Zylphy asked.
The Inquisitor shot her a look and she immediately avoided his gaze and apologised, “My apologies. I was just curious.”
Inquisitor Gunn chuckled, “The Chancellor believes that she would be a valuable ally to our cause. But there are still too many variables to know for sure. I have other matters to attend to so I won’t be seeing you off, Zylphy.”
He handed her a black envelope, embossed with their organisation’s emblem, together with a light yellow file. She received it from him and flipped through the contents of the file as Inquisitor Gunn returned to his seat.
Upon reviewing the information in the file she had been given, Zylphy realised that her next task was to find a porter.
“This would make the perfect Porter quest for the Raven,” she commented.
But the Inquisitor shook his head, “I’m afraid you would need to pick someone else for it.”
“What, why?”
“It’s based on instructions passed down to us,” he replied.
Knowing that she would not be able to get much more information out of him, Zylphy simply closed the file and excused herself. With his permission, she left his office and went back to her desk. The new file was brimming with information that she would need to review.
If the Raven could not be asked to go on this Porter mission, she was going to have to spend more time looking for another suitable candidate. Looks like it was going to be yet another long night. Zylphy let out a yawn as she flipped through the pages.
In her deep concentration, she had failed to notice Norvak leaning in. It was not until when their faces were merely inches apart that she realised he was beside her.
“You know I have a weak heart,” she commented as Zylphy leaned back in her chair.
“I do, but your expressions are the best,” he replied with a smile.
