Shilo sat on a high back chair at a table in the little white walled dungeon they called a waiting room. Three chairs were positioned on one side of the table with one, the one he sat in, on the other. Which gave the room the distinct impression it was used for interrogations. 

With a sigh, Shilo slumped over the table and flicked at a few crumbs. He really should have been more appreciative to the mage who had brought him a plate of sesame cookies and cinnamon twists. However, it was the guy's fault he wasn’t. If the mage hadn’t gawked at him as if waiting for his head to spin then he wouldn’t have reacted. But cookies shouldn’t go to waste, not when he didn’t get them too often. Shilo wolfed those down first before he threw the plate at the guy. 

Now he was left alone with his thoughts. Well, almost. There was a female enforcer guarding the door. 

The enforcer noticed him looking and glared back, her tail thrashing to the beat of her annoyance. She even went so far as to growl. The original one released him in this one’s care before following the page to meet with whoever the crap the Archmagus was. But this enforcer wasn’t any better, she didn’t seem to have a tongue and he gave up asking her anything. While complaining only caused her to stamp the butt of her crystal tipped staff on the ground. The sparks that emitted out of it were effective in silencing his mouth. They looked painful. 

Seriously? All this for stealing from a human’s companion and kicking an enforcer. Throwing the plate probably didn’t help matters, but the robed mage magicked it away before it hit him, therefore he didn’t actually assault the guy. Shouldn’t that count for something?

Inside the room he heard the bells of the clock tower chime. He let out an inaudible sob and bit back the tears threatening his eyes.

Some time later, a sharp rap on the door heralded the entrance of the enforcer from earlier followed by three other people. Shilo tried scowling at them, but was soon caught off guard by a pretty, darkish-grey lady with long, tight curly hair who smiled in his direction. A happy smile, not a mocking or grudging one. Which was odd, very few people ever seemed happy to see him, and none of them were someone he just met. The petite, dark-grey lady with monolid eyes shaped like half-moons held the more typical response, she blanched. 

He felt as though he’d seen these two women before, however he couldn’t for the life of him place them. He shrugged that all off as an itchy feeling spread through him at the sight of the next person to enter. 

The last, and likely the most irritating, was a darkish-grey man donning a violet cape draped stylishly off his shoulders and pinned with the Mage Council emblem over his expensive clothes. He looked official, and held himself with such an air of self importance, Shilo half expected someone to bow. Then the man’s haughty gaze fell upon him and found him unfit. 

Shilo had more experience with that look than anything. 

Shilo stuck a finger up one nostril and tried to appear as much the bored halfwit as possible without overdoing it. 

The rich man huffed indignantly and turned to the abducting enforcer.

“He’s mouthy,” the officer said. “And belligerent. But I do believe, Archmagus, he is intelligent enough to answer questions without antagonizing one to the point of murder. That would be a very smart move on his part, very smart, and I do believe he is brighter than he pretends. If not…”

Shilo removed his finger.

 With another huff, the archmagus took his seat. The two women sat at either side of the magus and both enforcers guarded the door. All of them silent, all of them staring, and all of them annoyed the crap out of Shilo since it was becoming obvious that he wouldn’t be leaving anytime soon. He let out a huff of his own.

“Ok, first off,” Shilo began, these three still hadn’t spoken and the silence was getting to him. “I didn’t steal from the human, he just happened to catch me as I helped myself to one of his lady friend’s pouches. She was a hybryd by the way, and I only did it because I need to eat. Jobs are few for me. I can’t scrape barnacles off fishing boats or do laundry if my disguise washes off, people tend to freak out and turn me in. 

“Which, as I said to that one,” he said, pointing to his abductor. “You won’t get much for me. I’m a freak. My blackness means nothing. I have no great strength, and the Orphan Wranglers already know all about me. 

“Second, while I did mean to kick your officer, I feel he’s already punished me enough by zapping me the entire way here, so there’s no reason for you to do it. Lastly, and most importantly, I’m sorry. I learned my lesson, and I promise to do better from now on. Now, can I go?”

“We are not the Watch and therefore, care nothing for your petty theft,” the Archmagus said with a bored expression. “Unless, of course, it was done by some alternate means?”

“I don’t understand. Then why am I here?”

“Yes, right. Well first, I believe introductions are in order before we begin here. I am Archmagus Arrinon Rooh, head of the Hybryd Mage Council’s Research and Investigation Department,” the mage said, holding out his hand for Shilo to shake. 

Shilo stared at that hand, unsure. Hesitantly, he extended his own…

“I’d prefer not to shake the hand whose finger had recently been up your nose, thank you.”

With a huff, Shilo switched hands and clasped it to the pompous ass in front of him. Only to yelp at the jolt from that contact.

“What the crap?! Is this how you mages win trust?! You asked me to touch you, dammit!”

“Yes, ahem.” The Archmagus stared down at his hand and flexed his fingers with an odd little smile on his face. His grin became a little creepier as he nodded to the women sitting at either side of him. 

“These here are my associates who will be aiding me. Mage Yeisha Naiheer,” Arrinon gestured to the pretty lady who shot him another smile, “who is knowledgeable on certain details should the need arise.”

Yeisha extended her hand. Her warm smile lit up her face. Her smile appeared kind and genuine, but still, if she’s a mage… Shilo sucked in his breath and reached for her hand, clasping it tight. 

He let out his breath, there was no zap. He returned her smile with a shy one of his own.

“And Mage Lytah Kweing Brinin, a Sensitive Mage, who can determine if you are being false or withholding the truth.” 

This time Shilo blanched along with her. He threw up his hands in disgust, not noticing she extended one of hers out to seal the introduction. 

“What truth? I already admitted what I did and why I did it. What more do you want?”

“Your blackness means nothing, so you say.”

“So, I know! Trust me, you get returned enough times by someone demanding a refund, you’d know you’re not strong too. I’m just a damn freak in the hybryd darkness scale, my blackness is no sign of strength. It means nothing!” He could almost hear Urilee screech as he rehashed words directed at him with every reimbursement. Words that represented his truth.

“We have test to see if—”

“I told you, I already know! I failed all of life’s tests! What difference will yours make?!” 

“What’s your name, son?”

“Shilo Alatoric,” he said, noticing the women glance at each other.

“Shilo, have you ever considered the possibility that perhaps your failure in brute strength is due to your blacken appearance being mana related?”

“Wuh-what? Mana? As in magic?” Shilo scrunched up his hawkish hooked nose and stared at the man as if he’d grown a second head. 

Seeing the man nod, Shilo shook his head and busted up laughing. “Me? A mage? Trust me, I am not a mage. I already had a caretaker try that trick and I couldn’t even conjure enough magical force to fart out a candle, much less light one. I’m not a mage. And I’m not a muscleman. I’m just a freak whose skin is a birth defect.”

Arrinon turned towards the shorter woman. “Lytah, a look please.”

A look? Like what the—? Her hand reached over the table and landed atop his head, and with that, panic filled him. He couldn’t move away, his body trembled but held fast. His head felt off, as if full of fluff. It began to pound in one monster of a headache as he fought against the pressure building inside his mind.