Unrepentant

Zinnia stared at Silas with a pout, her face scrunched up in indignation. Silas raised an eyebrow, his expression as unreadable as ever. The lighting of the booth was managing to eerily obscure his features, making him look even more enigmatic.

"Alright, alright," Zinnia began, her voice tinged with annoyance. "You want to know how I met Selen? Fineee~."

Silas leaned back into his seat, his fingers drumming lightly on the table. Zinnia's eyes flickered to the rhythmic movement before she continued.

"In Sichal, I was working as a liaison between the underground markets and customers looking to get things they probably~ shouldn't," she explained. "You know, rare artifacts, forbidden tomes or scrolls, that sort of thing. I took commissions for making sure everyone met the correct people."

She paused, her eyes turning distant as she recalled the events. "A few weeks back, a lass with bright silver hair came fidgeting to meet me. She looked like she was about to jump out of her skin!"

Silas's gaze remained steady on Zinnia, his interest piqued but his demeanor unchanging.

"She asked for my help to get someone that looked like her," Zinnia continued, "someone willing to work with her on a job with high risk and higher reward. She seemed desperate… but determined."

Zinnia ran a hand through her own hair, the silver strands shimmering before shifting into a bright red hue and once again changing into a violet color. She held the transformation for a moment before letting it revert back to bright silver.

"Selen's eyes practically lit up in amazement when she saw that," Zinnia said with a small smile. "She couldn't believe her luck to directly meet someone who could change their appearance so effectively."

Silas nodded slightly, acknowledging the skill involved in such an illusion.

"I told her if the job was workable, I could take it on," Zinnia continued. "But I needed details first. She was hesitant at first but eventually opened up about what she planned."

"It was risky," Zinnia said softly. "But the payoff... it was too tempting to pass up."

"So we planned," Zinnia continued. "We plotted details. It wasn't easy, but we made it workable."

She leaned back in her seat mimicking Silas, her pout from the start replaced by a satisfied smirk. "And that's how I met Selen and started getting involved in this whole mess~."

Silas leaned forward, his eyes narrowing as he listened to Zinnia recount her meeting. His fingers continued their rhythmic drumming on the table, a subtle indication of his impatience.

"Too concise," Silas interjected in a monotone voice, cutting through Zinnia's narrative. "How much of the story are you leaving out?"

Zinnia shrugged nonchalantly, her expression dismissive. "Most of it," she admitted. "A large part is irrelevant to the result."

Silas's gaze bore into her, unyielding. "You expect me to believe you just ousted yourself as an Illusionist to an official member of a mystic guild? Just like that?"

Zinnia rolled her eyes dramatically, a hint of exasperation coloring her features. "Of course not, sheesh!" she retorted. "But it makes the story shorter and doesn't change the end."

Silas leaned back again slightly, his lips curling into a faint smile. "A strange one…" he commented. "Most practitioners of Illusionist arts that I have met lacked your sharpness of mind."

Zinnia arched an eyebrow, her curiosity piqued. "It's stranger to me that you know about a niche cultivation path like mine."

Silas chuckled softly, a sound devoid of warmth. "Many who go down your path end up with fractured minds," he explained. "Tricking oneself and the world can become a truth that destroys the trickster, my little Illusionist friend."

Zinnia stuck her tongue out at him in a deadpan manner, unimpressed by his insight. "Do you want the story or to discuss Illusionists?" she asked pointedly.

Silas raised his glass to his lips, taking a slow sip before nodding in agreement. "Continue," he said.

Zinnia sighed and resumed her tale.

Selen's room at the inn in Sichal was modest but functional, filled with the tools and trinkets of an Artificer. The air inside was thick with the scent of oils and metals, a trademark of her craft.

Zinnia lounged on a chair, her eyes sharp and attentive as Selen carefully opened a small, ornate box.

Inside lay the true Bloodmoon Thorn, its deep crimson thorns gleaming like polished rubies. Selen's hands trembled slightly as she held it up for Zinnia to see.

"Impressive," Zinnia remarked, a smirk playing on her lips. "But you do realize you've just shown a treasure to a thief."

Selen stumbled over her next words, clearly taken aback by Zinnia's bluntness. "I... I thought you should—," she stammered.

Zinnia sighed, leaning back in her chair. "Get on with it," she urged, waving a hand dismissively. "I assume the deal you're offering has more returns than just stealing this herb."

Selen took a deep breath, steadying herself. "Yes," she began, her voice gaining confidence. "An Artificer's advancement requires a large number of high quality Earth Crystals or an exceptionally powerful Life Crystal to be drained and used as a supplement to our meditation technique. It's essential for achieving the required amount of energy…"

Zinnia made a circular gesture with her palm, indicating for Selen to speed up her explanation.

"I'm getting ready to advance," Selen admitted, her eyes meeting Zinnia's with determination. "But I don't have the private funds to complete my breakthrough. And I don't want to bind myself even closer to the Artificer's Guild for a subvention…"

"The thorn you have there is yours by right, else your guild would have confiscated it…" Zinnia interjected. "However~ no matter the price you get for it, even at auction, you won't be able to gather enough money for the Crystals you need I suppose?"

"Exactly," Selen confirmed. "So I had an idea—sell two of them..."

Zinnia's interest piqued at this revelation. She leaned forward, her eyes narrowing in curiosity. "Go on," she prompted.

Selen reached into her case once more and pulled out another Bloodmoon Thorn. For a moment, Zinnia's brow furrowed in confusion until Selen clarified.

"This one is a fake," Selen explained, holding up the second thorn. "A Mimic."

Zinnia’s voice had a rhythmic quality to it, like a bard weaving an intricate tale. But Silas found himself growing impatient with her pacing.

“Stop.” He interrupted, his voice cutting through. “This plan sounds like something a child would come up with.”

Zinnia narrowed her eyes, her face hardening. “Would it work?” she challenged, her tone defiant.

Silas allowed a small smile to play at the corners of his mouth. “Of course it would!” he admitted. “Quite literally a plan so outlandish no one would consider such simplemindedness to be a grand deception.”

Zinnia’s expression softened slightly, but her eyes remained sharp. She gestured for him to continue, clearly curious about his thoughts.

Silas leaned forward, his elbows resting on the table. “I would wager a guess the plan was then for Selen to go into closed-door cultivation inside Sichal,” he began, his voice raspy.

He paused, watching Zinnia’s reaction. She nodded slightly, encouraging him to go on.

“You would head over to Rhysling,” Silas continued, “where you knew an auction for cultivators would take place soon at the Starlight Bidders’ Hall. You would assume Selen’s identity and do what she would inside Rhysling… socialize, work, relax, perhaps even grow fond of this charming city. All the while, the real Selen would be waiting to appear inside Sichal when the fake Bloodmoon Thorn was discovered.”

Zinnia’s lips curled into a knowing smile as she raised her hand and started making a gesture as if she were ringing a bell.

“Ding Ding Ding,” she said playfully. “We have a detective here!”

Silas raised an eyebrow, unimpressed by her theatrics. “Finish the story,” he instructed, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Zinnia sighed dramatically but complied. “Alright,” she said, settling back down. “So I spread word through The Rats that a Bloodmoon Thorn would be on sale here.”

She took a sip of her drink before continuing. "I had to make sure everything was perfectly set up," she said softly, almost as if speaking to herself. "Every detail of ''Selen'' had to be flawless~."

Silas watched her intently.

This woman wished to style herself as no mere novice illusionist; instead a perfectionist of deception and misdirection.

"Go on," he commanded.

Zinnia met his gaze and continued with renewed focus. "I used my skills to manifest Selen's presence in Rhysling," she explained. "I attended gatherings and meetings as her, spreading word about the Thorn's upcoming availability at auction."

"And when the time came for it?" he prompted.

Zinnia smiled slyly. "I would make sure everyone believed they were bidding on the real Bloodmoon Thorn," she said with satisfaction. "But in reality…"

She trailed off deliberately, letting Silas fill in the rest with his imagination.

"A simple trick," Silas finally said, breaking the silence that had settled over them. He then asked what their idea was for after the auction.

Zinnia smirked and said ''Even simpler…''

Zinnia stood by the window, her red hair catching the light as she listened intently to Selen.

Selen paced the room, her silver hair gleaming. “Once a day or two passes after the auction ends,” she began, her voice steady but laced with anticipation, “I will come back from my closed-door cultivation and make a scene at the guild. I’ll claim my identity must have been impersonated when hearing about the auction...”

Zinnia raised an eyebrow, leaning against the windowsill. “And then?”

Selen stopped pacing and turned to face her. “I’ll spread word that the real Bloodmoon Thorn is still with me in Sichal, far away from Rhysling,” she said confidently. “Out of compassion for those who were tricked, I will then place the real Thorn up for a new auction here, giving everyone a chance to get the herb once again...”

Zinnia’s lips curled into a skeptical smile. “And this auction will have far more publicity than the first one, getting you a better chance at striking it rich?” she remarked.

“Exactly,” Selen confirmed. “The buzz around my impersonator and the revelation of the fake Thorn will draw in even more curious gazes.”

Zinnia crossed her arms over her chest, her eyes narrowing slightly. “What’s to stop me from just taking all the money from the sale of the fake Thorn?” she questioned, her tone challenging.

Selen hesitated for a moment, a flicker of uncertainty crossing her face. She gulped before responding. “It would be in your best interest to return with the money…” she said slowly. “I will allow you to take all of the excess profits from both auctions once I get enough for my Earth Crystals, along with a commission fee.”

Zinnia’s skepticism deepened. “And if I don’t?”

Selen’s expression hardened. “I will probably still get enough for the Crystals from the real herb's sale and hunt you down, or perhaps let others get wind of you,” she promised. “Cross me, and you’ll find yourself facing far more trouble then you would humoring me...”

Silas rubbed the bridge of his nose as Zinnia finished recounting the scene. He could almost see Selen’s intense gaze and hear Zinnia’s skeptical tone as they hashed out their plan.

“The ideas you came up with in this story,” Silas began, his voice tinged with disbelief, “are quite literally those of a child.”

Zinnia grinned at him from across the table. “What’s worse is that you can see the logic behind it,” she said knowingly.

Silas sighed deeply, shaking his head slightly. “Knowing how the cultivator world works… yes,” he admitted.

Zinnia’s grin widened as she leaned back in her chair, clearly pleased with herself. “I warned you it was an even simpler plan for when the cat got out of the bag~” she said triumphantly.

Silas studied her for a moment longer before letting out a low chuckle. Despite himself, he couldn’t help but be impressed by their audacity.

Several hours had quickly passed inside the booth. Silas was relaxed in his seat, his eyes fixed on Zinnia as she answered the rest of his questions.

Zinnia stretched out, her arms reaching above her head as she let out a satisfied moan. "Mmmm," she sighed, her body arching slightly before she relaxed back into her seat. Her gaze settled on Silas, curiosity gleaming in her eyes. "So, what's your angle here exactly? Aside from the herb."

Silas didn't move a muscle from his spot, his expression stoic. "I've already told you everything you needed to know when we first met," he replied smoothly. "Information on where the Thorn was found."

Zinnia tilted her head, a skeptical smile playing on her lips. "If that's the case, why not just finish me here and rush to Sichal? Force it out of Selen?"

Silas's eyes narrowed slightly, but his voice remained calm. "I could use some more Reshal for my future," he said. "Besides, as you've said, Selen will sell the Thorn in Sichal when this fake is noticed. I was going to make a trip there even without this debacle. It’s in my interest not to cause panic in that city by brutalizing an Artificer there."

Zinnia placed her hands far across the table and leaned forward, her assets getting pressed into the table her interest shifting. "So what’s your proposition to me for a bigger payday, friend?"

Silas's lips curved into a faint smile. "That topic will be discussed inside my room at the Merry Minstrel Lodge."

Zinnia rolled her eyes but couldn't hide her curiosity. "Fine," she said with a mock sigh of resignation. "But considering the strange occurrences around the Magistrate lately, I should probably go assure him I'm fine." She made a face, sticking out her tongue at Silas.

Silas nodded, his expression hardened once more. "Indeed."

Zinnia stood up, stretching once more before giving Silas a pointed look. "When do we meet up?" she asked.

Silas glanced at the door before meeting her gaze again. "Sunset." he said simply.

With that, Zinnia turned and made her way out of the bar, unobstructed by Silas.