The Night Rider

Chapter 48 - Secrets

"Give it here."

Taking a snippet out of her own mentor's methods of discipline, Nivara waited a few seconds, her pointed glare softened by the contours of her mask. A dragon could be far more intimidating but Kaldra had probably scarpered long after Kalaris had caused such a scene. Nivara kept her outstretched hand out and waited patiently for her apprentice to react.

"Honestly, Scout. Were you trying to get yourself killed? You're lucky I hid your Trait from Aria when I did."

Scout shifted about uncomfortably, refusing to uncover his prize but his eyes retained a sense of shock at hearing Nivara's confession. His Paper Trait was impressive but the folds of the sleeve were beginning to jut out like a sore thumb. Much like it had done when his companions had completely abandoned him.

"Your brother and his Anvil friends have left without you, no doubt. They used you as the fall guy to avoid the hero of the Burning Wall. They're still trying to hide in the Furnace and have no idea exactly what they tried to steal. But you do." Nivara deduced, her mist trickling down to even the depths of the underground blacksmiths.

The young apprentice continued to remain enamoured by the floor, his muddy boots barely holding themselves together. Nivara could tell from the new scuff marks on the side of his clothes that he had been outside of the Halls of Mediation recently but she said nothing. His Trait wouldn't last much longer.

The thinly concealed papyrus within the cuff of his sleeve began to unravel along with every fray of his nerves. The tell tale white seal of the Excelliars peeled from his Traits grip, Nivara's mist attempted to gently catch the drooping parchment but Scout snatched it with his free hand and finally broke his silence.

"You've no idea what it's like."

The stolen parchment slipped out of his grasp and curled into a ball on the floor. His Traits frustration shredded the surrounding mists but Nivara ignored the hostility and knelt down to pick up the discarded document herself. Eyes wide, she held in a sharp breath of air before deciding on her next point of action.

"I'm sorry?" Nivara prompted as if she hadn't heard his outburst.

She took several paces towards her desk and smoothed out the contents of the text. It took her a few moments to scan the written details and follow Scout's train of thought. The official document was a crude layout of a form hidden as a forced alliance treaty between the Throneholder, Mediators and Tinker Moles. All of whom were involved in the construction and installation of the Divide. It also included the original blueprints.

"You've no idea what it's like to know something no one else believes is true. That document is the only thing that suggests that the Divide is created from something other than a singular source of Light Trait. Everything we know is a lie."

Nivara winced, her mask managing to hide her true thoughts but the similarities between them could not go unnoticed. After all, she knew the face of a desperate child with nothing to lose. What she didn't know was what had driven him to this point. There were numerous reasons as to why Scout was so adamantly against the Divide but Nivara needed to keep going to find out the root of his anger.

"It's the only thing that proves what they've done to the Undercity. People need to know." Scout reiterated, not satisfied with the Regents abject silence.

"Including Lady Aria?" She asked, only needing to mention her name to suggest the slightest bit of hesitation.

Scout squirmed at the thought of Lady Aria's earlier kindness turning sour and more towards Kalaris' form of 'discipline.' He rubbed his elbow, still red raw from Kalaris' unruly Ash Traited but gave no answer.