William looked completely shocked when Dagwood gave him the news and slowly turned his head towards Rain. "Many apologies Mr. Yakov, I heard many tales of you but your appearance today is a little... different from what rumours say." William said as he eyed Rain.
From William's memories people often described Rain Yakov as a meek, shut in, who only knew how to come up with magic. He had no communication skills and hair that covered his grotesque face.
However the young man standing in front of him now was someone proud and dignified. His voice was deep and powerful. He had his brown hair tied back into a top not while whisks of hair gently fell over his face. His skin was fairer then fair, to the point it almost looked translucent, his face was slightly above average, his eyes were sharp and upturned with a stunning dark green colour.
"Of course the rumours revolving around me are different. I act according to my environment, if I was so useless as what people say then how am I a member of the board... ha! Let alone a teacher? I thought the Council was more intelligent then to listen to what envious people say about me?" Rain exclaimed, causing William to flush a bright red while the others avoided eye contact. An older looking woman who sat in between Earl Dagwood and Lidia Drake coughed to break the tension.
She looked bored from the start of the meeting and was quietly writing away but now she looked positively delighted as she examined Rain through her horned rimmed glasses. "Mr. Yakov, may I call you Rain?" She asked with a sweet voice as she moved to pull out her bun. Locks of silver and chestnut hair tumbled downwards as her caramel coloured eyes sparkled with anticipation. "Please do, Miss?" He replied as he kept his poker face.
"Wanda Nestle." The woman said with an arrogant laugh that it sent chills down Breeze and Ariana's spines. "Please tell us why would the Academy want to send someone so 'prestigious' to our little meeting? This child is being questioned on something so simple, that the Academy should not feel the need to bother." Rain raised his eyebrow in question as he looked at Wanda. "Something so simple?"
"Why yes! This child of no social standing or proper backing insulted Lord Romanoff and caused harm to his bodyguards. He has put in a formal complaint and asked us to investigate the matter. If not for our busy schedules we would have done this far earlier. Besides this student looks like she is wasting your valuable time... I mean she is only a girl in the top 10%, who would even bat an eye for someone so disposable." Wanda said with a curling smile.
Breeze could feel his temper rising but Ariana moved to grab his hand. He took a peak at her side profile and saw that she was barely holding it together herself. With a heavy sigh he released his temper and waited for his master to speak.
"My dear Wanda, if you think this child is so disposable why would I be standing here?" Rain asked as he flicked his index finger. The ribbon tied around Ariana's neck was instantly untied and gently floated towards each Council member to inspect. "So what? It's just a red ribbon!" Yakira scoffed and shooed the ribbon away. Rain let out a small chuckle and let the ribbon float in front of William a but longer.
"Countess Drake would you like to inform them of the wonderful news or should I?" Rain asked with a wicked smile. Lidia brought her hands up to her temples and started to rub them with the tips of her index fingers.
"It seems this child scored a perfect score in the examination and even presented a project that will help with the food shortage problem. So they presented her a special ribbon." The members of the Council all gasped and stumbled onto one another to get a better look at ribbon suspended in the air.
"Bronze stars." Earl mumbled as he eyed the ribbon. "Correct, bronze stars. Now, as per our school regulations and procedures we must always be diligent in investigating any students backgrounds if they manage to get into the top 3%." Rain said as he curled his index finger and the ribbon went back to its owner. "I personally investigated Ms. Drake's background, upbringing and character and found nothing."
Benjamin pounded the desk with his fist as his eyes became bloodshot. "Lies! Why would Lord Romanoff demand that this child be put into the hands of the church if she didn't do something wrong?!" Rain smirked as he looked at Benjamin. "I thought you said that she offended him? That there was some sort of bloodshed?" Rain asked lightly. Benjamin's face drained of colour and he started to cough.
Yakira looked at Rain as she fiddled with her pen with one hand and cradled her head in the other. "There was a bloodbath in the area where Lord Romanoff was found." She asked mindlessly.
Rain brought his hand up and started to scratched his chin. "So no witnesses, no testimonies, an accusation against an outstanding child who gives back to the community and future star student of the Academy... She did what exactly?"
The room was silent for an eerie amount of time when suddenly Fabiola pounded her fat fist against the desk. "Why is this monstrosity here by herself?! Even her own family scorns her! We all know how Lidia detests the child and her own family fled this morning at sun rise! If she wasn't a wolf in sheep's clothing then she would have been showered with the love and support from her family!"
"Quiet Fabiola!" William commanded causing the plump woman to shrink back into her chair. "Enough of these games! Lord Romanoff put in an official complaint two years ago and we must exact justice on this child's wrong doings! I decree that this child will be handed over to the ward of the-?!" Rain sliced the air with his finger causing William to loose his voice.
"I agree. Enough games. The simplest way to get to the truth is to use this." He said darkly as he cupped the air with one hand and moved his other hand in a circular motion over top. Smoke started to escape from the palms of his hand and a white stone in the shape of a tortoise shell materialized.
Rain looked at each Council member and spoke slowly making sure he enunciated each word. "I invented this lovely little device to help pass judgment at the Academy... you see, you never know if our students are behaving or not and we can't force them to speak if they have free will."
"So why not test their courage? If they have what it takes to bully someone and lie to our faces then certainly they have the ability to risk their lives by putting their hands on this lovely shell!" Rain explained with a dark laugh.
Rain's eyes started to turn mad and Ariana tried to take a step back but Breeze kept her firmly in place. Rain turned to Ariana and shoved the shell into her face. "I call it my truth stone! Place your hand on the stone and if you dare to lie, a wonderful toxin will be magically injected into your bloodstream!"
"The only way to get the antidote is to confess your sins while your hand is in the stone. Careful though you only have 30 seconds before you start to feel the effects, 20 more seconds before the pain starts to become excruciating and a minute and 10 seconds later it's lights out, perinatally! I would never force someone to go through with it... I mean you all have free will but if you don't use it then punishment can not be given to the deserving." Rain explained with a wild grin.
William was pounding his fists in excitement as his face turned different shades of red. Rain's eyes calmed down and he coldly turned to William. He moved finger across the air and returned his voice. "Excellent! We must definitely us this to determine her wrong doings!"
Rain raised the stone shell to his face and rubbed it affectionately. "Sir Atlar, I'm so glad you see the value in using such a device. May I have your permission to use this?" Rain asked with a buttery smile. William puffed out his chest and looked at every Council member. Each one nodding their approval. "Please do." He replied.
Rain brought the stone shell forward and held it in front off himself with an absolutely delighted face. "I'm so happy!" He said as his face slightly flushed. He took a few steps forward and started to rise into the air.
He then placed the stone shell in front of William and waited with a child like smile. "Mr. Yakov... Why are you giving this to me?' William asked as he tried to press his back further into the chair. "Well I have your permission to use it." Rain replied with a cheerful tone.
"Well yes, but to use it on the girl." William said as he broke out into a cold sweat. "Why would I do something like that if I have already done my research? As far as I can tell someone here is lying and I don't like it." He said as his tone drop a few degrees.
William started to shake his in protest. "That's not a valid excuse! We are not the ones on trial!" William shouted. The room became silent again. "Can that girl not go first? If she's not lying nothing will happen to her and we can end this." Lidia said as she stared down Rain.
"Fine, but if you want to ask her a question using my device then you have to truthfully answer a question of my own." Rain said as he shot Lidia a disgusted look. "Does everyone agree?" Lidia asked, everyone hesitantly nodded their heads and waited for Rain to step down.
"Alright Miss Ariana, place your hand into the center and relax. I will ask you a question and all you have to do is simply answer yes or no. There are no excuses, no do overs, no passing questions, the stone will only take blunt honesty. If, for whatever reason you lie you will have the toxin injected into you. Do you understand?" Ariana looked up and nodded her head. "Good. Now proceed."
Ariana slowly stretched out her hand and placed it into the stone shell, right in the center. She felt a warm sensation wrap itself around every finger as a pale light glowed from the stone. "Now Ariana, at the time you claimed to have met the man in question, were you exactly as you are today? Of sound mind, body and heart that there was no mistaking that Lord Romanoff came to you, accused you and tried to abduct you from your family on the day of the examination?"
Ariana hesitated a little, she understood what was going on. With a determined look on her face and unwavering eyes, she took a deep breath. "Yes!" She proclaimed. Everyone held their breaths as the watched the stone shell, 25 seconds went by and the stone turned a beautiful shade of jade green. "Truth, the child is not lying." He said with a giant smile. "Preposterous!" Benjamin yelled as he practically jumped from his desk to attack Ariana.
"Oh? Would you like to give it a try?" Rain asked as he raised up the stone shell. Benjamin quickly recoiled, afraid to even come into accidental contact with it.
"Then how else will you test out it's credibility?" Rain asked innocently. Lidia coughed and everyone turned to look at her. "I will test it out and as you promised I will get to ask the child a question." She said nonchalantly. Rain nodded his head in agreement. "Since you are the first, I will not ask something difficult." Rain said as he walked right up to the Countess as if there was an invisible stair case.
The Countess laid her hand into the shell and waited patiently. "Alright, Mrs. Lidia Drake, did your family feel proud that Miss Ariana achieved a perfect score?" Rain asked. Lidia silent stared at the stone shell before she looked into Rain's eyes. "She did not bring shame to the family and I am able to hold my head high when people walk by." Lidia replied. Rain. shook his head and locked gazes with the Countess.
"Simple yes or no." He said in a mocking tone. The Countess sighed and allowed her shoulders to sag. "Yes." She answered and everyone watched as time slowly ticked by, the stone shell turned jade green.
Rain took the stone shell and bowed as he returned to Ariana's side. She put her hand into the shell again and looked at her grandmother. "Child did you in any way, shape or form assault Lord Romanoff or instigated any altercation?" Lidia asked.
Ariana kept her poker face. "No." She said proudly and waited for the stone shell to turn green. "Wait a minute, wait a minute, wait! I want to ask this child a question!" Wanda spat as she gripped the edge of the desk. "Was my question not to your standards?" The Countess asked and Wanda bared her slightly yellowing teeth at her.
"You don't know how to ask proper questions?! No one has my level of intelligence! No one is more knowledgeable or suitable then I! I know almost every little thing that goes on within the palace, so of course I would comply and bring this child to Lord Romanoff! I am the chosen one! I am one with his holiness, I will prevail! No one can beat me!" Wanda shouted passionately.
Rain placed the stone shell in front of Wanda and waited. Wanda raised a finger and waived it in the air. "No personal details about my life." She said with a giant grin. Rain nodded his head in agreement and watched as she placed her hand on to the stone shell. "Wait! Can I ask her a question?" Ariana shouted. "What could a brat like you possibly want to know? You are beneath me, better yet you are lower in status then the dirt I walk on, I have no reason to provide anything to you."
Rain gave Ariana a half smile and waited for her to continue. "The doors that were commissioned for this room... were they a gifted from the church?" Ariana asked.
Wanda gave her a wickedly, crooked smile as her eyes grew wide. She lazily cradled her face and looked directly at Rain. "What a lame question! Where we got the doors is of no concern to anyone in this room! It's a perfect embodiment of what the Grand Council stands for! Honestly children.... Rain, darling get on with your question already, I have a particular query for that child."
Ariana shook her head no. "Maybe I should rephrase my question, were you aware that the church abducted civilians so that they could do horrific experiments on them? I mean you should know being the all knowing person in the room... I mean, you would have realized that those doors are the bi-products of those experimentations."
Wanda broke out into an awkward laugh and looked at Rain. "What a vivid imagination this child has... please Rain, honey, sweetheart ask your question already so that we can move on to mine." Wanda pleaded as she tried to remove her hand from the stone shell. To her horror she couldn't remove it. Rain smiled radiantly at Wanda but it only caused her to feel more afraid for her life.
"Answer the latter part of her question." He said coolly and Wanda started shaking violently. "I have no need to answer such an irrelevant question." She said as she tried her best not to wet herself.
"Oh it has great relevance... it'll show that you have been in the church's pocket from the beginning, that this sham of a meeting was really a trap... something that the church ordered you to do. So get on with it already, answer honestly or have your life flash before your eyes?" Rain asked with a dark tone.
Wanda broke down into tears and a small puddle started forming under her chair. "Enough Mr. Yakov! We have come to the conclusion that Ms. Ariana Drake is innocent, she will be released! Now release Wanda and you can get on your way." William shouted as he slammed the table. Rain cocked his head and stared viciously at William. "I'm afraid I can't do that." Rain said coolly. Benjamin stood up and ran towards Wanda. "Why the hell not!" He shouted as he moved to grab the shell.
"I wouldn't touch that if I were you." Rain said but Benjamin scoffed at his weak threat and grabbed the stone shell. White strings shot out into the air, Benjamin became wide eyed and tried to run but the strings moved forward and dug themselves into his body, pinning him to the ground. "Now you are an accomplice, if Wanda can't answer truthfully you will die an even more painful death then her." Rain explained.
Benjamin looked up at Wanda, eyes wide with terror. Wanda with tear and snot streaked face shook her head no. "Yes! What you said is true, yes! Now release me!" Benjamin shouted as he tried to pull the strings out. "I'm sorry Benjamin but the question is for Wanda not you. So Wanda what is your answer?" Rain said without a hint of remorse.
"Just answer you stupid b*tch! I already shouted the truth! Just say yes and set me free! If you want to die then die by yourself! I have people to live for, dreams to fulfill and I will not let you take me down with you!" Benjamin shouted as he tried to stand up but found that the white strings had more force then he imagined.
"Wanda just answer the question." The Countess said as she placed a reassuring hand onto her wrist.
"You don't understand I can't..." Wanda said with a quivering voice. "Wanda what are you talking about?" William asked as he stood up and looked down and the trembling woman. "No matter what I answer, I'm dead."