Scales and Swords ✓

9: The Interview

I felt like a pig who was being weighed and scrutinized before being bought, while in the lineup of knights who had signed up to advance to King's Guard. It was simple, all we had to do was stand before a panel of judges, if that's the proper term. And then go to a room where they asked us quite personal questions.

When it was finally my turn, I approached the door, sweaty, feet aching from standing for so long, and nervous for who knew what awaited me behind those doors. Two middle aged men and a woman: a human, a griffin and an enlarged fairy, awaited me behind the door.

"Sit," the griffin said, motioning to the chair between us, eyes glued to the papers before him.

I took the chair and sat, knowing full well that the fairy and the human were watching my every move.

"Mo Dalk?" The scrawny yet well-dressed human man said.

I nodded. "That's me."

"It says here you were a page and squire to Darrell Dalk?" The griffin said, still flipping through and staring at the papers before him.

"That's right." The words sour on my tongue. Lies are always sour.

The griffin cleared his throat and finally raised his head. As our eyes met, my self-esteem plummeted. His eyes were like the sun, they easily made one feel weak and insignificant.

"Alright let's not dwadle on the unnecessary details," said the griffin. "What are you?"

Why was that such a popular question?

"I'm sorry I don't quite understand the question," I confessed.

"He means what race are you?" Said the fairy woman in a thin whiny voice. I couldn't help but stare at her glittery butterfly-like wings.

I nodded and thought my answer through. "My parents are mages."

"Alright so you are fully blooded mage," the human jotted down.

"No," I said, "I was adopted."

"Then who are your real parents? What are they?" The griffin asked, his tone growing irritated.

I gulped, feeling the sweat slide down the back of my neck. "I don't know who my real parents are."

Philip promised me this was going to be a breeze. Look where trusting him got me.

The griffin scrutinized me with his remarkable eyes. "Why do you hide your face?"

I swallowed. "They're quite hideous. I don't like scaring people, so I hide them with the scarf." For the first time ever, I pulled my scarf down for someone to see. And as soon as it was off, the griffin's eyes widened, and so did the fairy's and human's. It always felt unnerving to have people look at my bare face.

"My word," the griffin gasped. "Are your parents still in contact with your real parents?"

"My parents are not available at the moment," I said, swallowing a hard lump in my throat.

"Can you breathe fire?" Asked the human.

I was very uncomfortable. But I had to get through it. "Not always."

They exchanged astonished looks. "Do flames hurt?" The fairy asked.

"No."

"Are you strong?"

"Well, strong enough." How did she expect me to answer that?

"Do you do magic?" The human asked.

"No, I don't think I can."

"Not an elf or mage," the human muttered to himself.

"If that is all from both of you," the griffin said, eyeing the fairy and human. "Then we'll send her off for now." And to me he said, "you pass, you may leave." If he had tried to hide his eagerness he had done so poorly.