Entry 5: Blacklisted
All I wanted to do the night my father struck me was cry myself asleep. I felt hopeless, desperate even. Never before had I felt so unappreciated.
But that is a tale for another day. First, something more recent has garnered my attention, and compelled me to take a brief diversion from the tale of my escape. It appears that I have been, for lack of a better word, blacklisted in the city of Wyllmochvar: a feat accomplished entirely by the new head of the magical artifacts department and his lackeys.
I have not written of my late mentor since my second entry in this memoir, but, as it turns out, he wasn't fully dead after his encounter with the cursed mirror on Koschei Isle. Part of his soul was imprisoned in a shard of the mirror, leaving him unable to move on. Somehow, he was able to reach out to me in that state and "persuade" me to come to his rescue.
By persuade, I mean he disrupted my sleep with terrible nightmares until I actually went to the Haunted Carnival and broke open his glass prison. It was a sequence of events I was not happy with in the slightest, but the end result did gain me a valuable path back to society should I have chosen to use it. Aaron White, professor at the Wyllmochvarian University and expert in the field of magical artifacts, named me as his successor just before passing on. He granted me many supplies, both material and immaterial, that I would need to prove his intent, and implored me to seek out a director, Wyllach, to, at least, start my training.
Foolishly, I hadn't thought much of the offer until I got seriously ill, and ignored my teacher's pleas upon leaving the carnival. Only after fever befell me did I seriously begin to reconsider how much I valued my complete isolation. With newfound resolve from that illness - and a significantly altered body – I started on the path to join the university as planned. I travelled north to the ruined city of Tinashe, retrieved an artifact known as K.A.T. as a test of my ability, and then departed for Wyllmochvar as quickly as possible.
Unfortunately, that was as far as things went according to plan. Prior to my arrival at the university, Wyllach had retired. He had planned to do so even before White went missing, and pick the professor as his successor. However, with White out of the picture, he was forced to choose the only, other, qualified individual left.
Roderick, the eventual successor, had never been on the best of terms with Aaron. They were rivals from the start, and bitter ones at that. When he ascended to the directorship, he took his jealousy with him, and used his political clout to make life difficult for the late Mr. White's friends. I was included in that field of malice, even though the two of us had never met.
What awaited me at the university was not a normal application. It was an interrogation. I was sat down in a guarded room and told to talk to a representative from Roderick. The man didn't even bother to come see me. Instead, he sent a legal advisor from the city along with a letter explaining why my application wouldn't even be considered, regardless of my demonstrated skill and flawless recommendation.
And I quote:
"Ms. Natsumi,
I have received your tasteless entrance form covered in animal hair, and partially regret to inform you that you will not be part of the primary, screening process. Our Institution is not in the habit of hiring foreign thugs, regardless of how stunning their recommendations from previous faculty are. I truly question Professor White's mental state at the end of his life, especially given the fact that he selected a mutant, of all people, to succeed him as Professor.
We know from a reasonably accurate source that you, along with your comrades, are responsible for the death of several hunting parties in the Virens Forest region of Canelux, along with several, unsanctioned pilfering offences on nearby dig sites tied up in international agreements. We are also aware of an incident at Tinashe, a location that is strictly off limits for reasons you are no doubt aware of.
Suffice to say that your checkered past is not something the Department of Magical Artifacts wishes to deal with at this time. I suggest you leave town immediately, as we've no desire to host a murdering thief who doesn't have the common decency to chop off her abnormalities.
Good day.
Roderick: Department Head of Magical Artifacts at Wyllmochvar University."
I would like to consider myself more than capable of managing my anger, but that letter definitely pushed me to the edge. It took everything I had not to smash in the faces of the guards or the legal representative in front of me. Instead, I silently left the room, and departed from the university before I did something I would regret.
I thought that was the end of my troubles, but Roderick was not content with leaving things as they were. Even after I vacated his precious college, his lackeys spread slander against my name across Wyllmochvar. Many, prominent businesses in the country began treating me with disdain, and even the smaller ones seemed nervous about talking to me. In the face of insurmountable odds and a lack of supplies, I was, quickly, forced to emigrate from Wyllmochvar entirely, especially after I discovered that someone in Roderick's employ was attempting to frame me for murder.
So it seems that I have returned to square one. However, this time, the last semblance of my honor has fallen with my hopes of success. I have attempted to re-enter society, but, if society will not have me, then I will simply have to seek other means to support myself. If Roderick and his ilk want to cast me as a criminal, they will get a criminal. This is survival of the fittest, and I refuse to lose without a fight.