The interrogation of Lariote Zozan. Part 1

Sheyken and the others arrived at the guild not knowing what to expect. He looked at Lariote after hearing the story of what happened from Falgur. He himself had the age to kill him right then and there.

"This is what I had been afraid of. Why do bad things follow me?"

Falgur heard what he said and did not want to say anything but ended up speaking his mind.

"Sheyken, this did not happen to you. We might have just known her and hearing that she is dead might be heartbreaking, but think about those who have known her for years. The pain they might feel of her being murdered must be a hundred times more than what we feel."

Sheyken looked at Falgur and him being seven years old was shocking since his actions and what he would say at moments like that seemed to him he was more mature than the way he looked. The only things that reassured him that he was that young were his actions towards girls of his age range and how he would talk when there was no danger around.

Sheyken looked at the office where he thought the guild master must be and thought to himself why he was taking any action yet.

"So, do you think he did it?"

Falgur asked while looking at Lariote who had been sitting on the chair that was at the corner of the room with some metal cuffs that were on the table. It looked like that was where they would hold a person when he was arrested by the guild members before they put him in the cells that were outside the training yard.

Sheyken saw the bruises on his face and him sitting there just staring at nothingness. What Shocked him was his next actions. When they entered the guild the sand cuffs that Salduralto had put on him had fallen off from his wrists and he thought that was because of the guild master being in the building and Salduralto feeling no need for them then. What shocked him is that he saw him put on the cuffs that were on the table after he had set down for a while.

"That busted. He feels so guilty that all his actions are guilty."

Falgur said with disgust. Sheyken after hearing what had happened and Falfgur describing the scene was also being convinced he had murdered her. The hate he felt for him at that moment was indescribable until he remembered the laws from Earth. That a person was innocent until proven guilty. Him being quiet all the way there and his actions were proving otherwise though.

With Salduralto still not present and since she too wanted to get to the truth after some of her own investigations he approached Lariote. He had been trained on how to interrogate when he was a soldier after all. He had never tried it out on the field since he had never been deployed but at that moment, he thought it would not hurt. Falgur saw this but decided not to interferer but just listen.

At that very moment, the golem that was holding Salina came in with her still frozen in the send but her eyes still bloodshot. With H there, he thought he would lose his chance to interrogate him since that meant Saldurato was not far behind. Given how powerful she was, he was not sure how long her opponent was going to hold out.

"Do you remember who I am?"

He said as he set down. He looked at Lariote's face and the guy was worse for wear. His left eye was black and swollen with his nose also swollen. His eyes looked lost and not focused on anything.

"No, I do not know you. I'm I supposed to?"

Lariate said after a moment of hesitation. Sheyken was taken aback by his response.

"What do you mean you do not know me? We have had several conversations before today. I am Sheyken, some of you have started calling me a young legend."

He said trying to keep his calm.

"Owe, I do know you…. Yeah I do know you. Why are you here? You not enjoying the festival?"

Sheyken again was put aback by his answer. To him, it looked like he was clearly lying, but he did not know why he would lie about something that seemed so unimported for him to lie about. He decided to put it at the back of his mind and continue asking him.

"Hey man, so you look like a mage to me, what circle of power are you on if you do not mind me asking?"

"What circle of power? I am not a mage."

Sheyken again put back by his answer but quickly asked another one.

"Ok, I am sorry. I must have guessed wrong. You must be a Beast warrior then, or you want to tell me you are a witch?"

"Mmmmm I am a mage, so why would I be any of that other stuff?

Not even 2 minutes had passed talking to him and Sheyken was already getting frustrated by him.

'What is this guy on about? Was he trained in counter interrogation techniques? Cause I can not get a read on him already.'

Sheyken thought, already frustrated. It did not help that he wanted to kill him there and then too. After some minutes past which was a long while since the time he had expected Saldurato to come walking in, he had managed to get close to no information from Lariote.

He only now knew that he was a mage of the first circle and who was in the liquid stage. He had asked what his affinity was but they had gone back to him playing dumb. At that point, Falgur together with Sazi was feeling sorry for him for even trying. Seeing a kid questioning an older man and him getting those answered was even funny to any outsider who would walk in not knowing the situation.

After 30 minutes had passed, he was still getting nowhere. At that point, it was like Sazi was watching a comedy show which greatly eased her anxiety until she looked at the corner of the room where Salina was placed.

'Salduralto should belong been here by now. What the hell happened to her. Was that guy that strong?'

Sheyken thought as he got to the limit of what he could take from Lariote who was still acting dump.

"Lariote! There is a dead girl in your bedroom!"

He ended shouting out from the frustration of it all and him unable to play the good cop anymore. At that moment Lariote's eyes come to focus and he set up from his chair and looked at Sheyken like he had heard that for the first time.

"She is dead?"

He asked like he was confused about what Sheyken meant and with genuine worry in his eyes for the first time.

"What do you think she was doing on your bed?"

Sheyken asked as he had dropped any act of acting like his friend.

"I thought she was sleeping."

Sheyken almost lost it at that point.

"What do you mean sleeping!"

"She had slept the whole day yesterday and today so I just thought she was sleeping."

Sheyken was confused again, as he had answered like he genially thought she was sleeping but at the same time, he was beginning to think that he was playing with him. The only information he had got that far was that if he is saying she was sleeping from yesterday then it meant she must have died yesterday. But he was confused at why he would be in the house all that time off she had died the day before.

"Who is she."

Sheyken looked at Lariote Like he was looking at A caw that had just spoken to him after hearing that question from him.

"So, you mean to tell me you do not know the girl in your bed?"

"Yes, that is why I am asking."

"Lariote, I do not know, I was hoping you could tell me."

Sheyken replied as he thought to calm down again. Saldurato not being there was eating at his mind too. Falgur just watched as the sand on Salina's body was falling down little by little. He did not know what he meant but it was not good.

"How did you hurt your eye then?"

"Alati hit me."

Sheyken was now celebrating in his head.

"Lariote, you first said you did not know the girl in your bed but now you know that Alati was the one who hit you? Why are you blatantly lying to me when I am trying to know the truth of what happened and maybe help you?"

"No… I did not mean Alati hit me, but a woman hit me."

Sheyken frustration visibly showed again but the fact that he was getting somewhere by doing this was helping him continue. Lariote who had admitted to him, saying that it was Alati at first who had hit him on his face was like him admitting that he had killed her and was now saying another woman was the one who had hit him after saying it was Alati was him trying to cover from his admission of guilt earlier.

The only thing worrying him more than Lariote acting dump at that point was Salduralto who had not arrived even after an hour of him interrogating Lariote.