Demetra gave her a cold stare. Keylynn wasn’t budging, not this time. She has too little time to resolve her problems with Demetra and help a cyclops. She needs to be preparing for the Nobody to Blame quest, but instead she had to deal with someone who continually calls her a bumpkin, whatever that is. Several bees buzzed around her head.

  "Stay, and the bees will begin to feast upon you." She ignored all of the eyes now fixated on her. "They are hungry and love to consume fresh flesh," she explained, coldly glaring down at Demetrea with her arms crossed. She had several of the bees buzz loudly near Demetra’s head. Keylynn didn't care that he sounded like a threat, even if it was a simple overzealous explanation of consequences to a specific action.

  Demetra watched several bees buzz around aimlessly, unimpressed. As if feeding on Keyklynn's emotions, they grew to the size of large toads. The enraged large bees began to swarm the irritated elf's head.

  In a huff she stood up and waved the bees away. “Okay! Fine! I’ll go,” she snapped and turned to Ranga. “I will need your help filing an Abuse of Power and Threats of Harm complaint later.”

  “That sounded more like a warning, Demi,” he retorted disinterestedly. "And it won't go in your favour because you were already warned against your slanderous rumour-mongering behaviour."

  Keylynn wordlessly led her to one of the empty meeting rooms. She checked the door and was pleased to discover that it was unlocked. She opened the door and held it open for Demetra.

  “You booked a room for this?” She asked incredulously.

  “If they truly didn’t want use between scheduled meetings, they should lock it,” she reasoned with a shrug.

  “It’s your ass on the line.” She walked in and sat down in one of the moderately comfortable padded chairs with her arms crossed. “So why can’t everyone else hear this?”

  Keylynn closed the door and dismissed the bees buzzing around her head. Instead of disappearing, hyphae reached out and snatched each one in the air, absorbing them. She must check her matrix when she has a moment.

  “You do not like me—”

  “—Yeah, the whole floor knows that,” Demetra snapped quickly.

  Keylynn let out a sigh and prevented more bees from spawning. She doesn’t know if she has a bee allergy, and now is not a good time to tempt fate. “Because you are thinking I am usurping your job.” She continued as if she hadn’t been interrupted. “I spoke with Akzer, inquiring as to why you were not approved for the leadership training program. I was informed you were not qualified. When I looked into your corporate matrix, it was clear you are working to improve yourself and gain all the qualifications you need, just not in a manner that is expected.” She struggled to find the words that won’t make her problem worse. She needs Demetra to listen to her and be willing to work with her.

  “You’re not wrong,” Demetra said, reluctantly unfolding her arms.

  Keylynn controlled the smile that threatened to form. She was making progress. She just had to tread carefully. “Akzer wanted to take disciplinary actions against you with your refusal to give them peace. I asked for time to handle it myself instead. I was given a compromise of one week, or else we are subject to panel interviews to decide who remains on the floor,” she spoke rapidly before Demetra could snap or interrupt her.

  “That doesn’t sound right,” she said, shaking her head and moving to get up.

  “What part of the floor manager who humiliates you in front of the whole office wouldn’t do that?” Keylynn snapped back at her.

  “You’re risking your job for me,” she retorted.

  “Oh, that.” Keylynn rolled her eyes. “Because I know the HR standard protocols for two conflicting employees who desire the same office placement. It often results in a team-building seminar with the potential of a six-week camp. If I were mediating, I would have us both attend, to negate all blame on one party. Based on this situation, I wouldn’t be surprised if the whole team was subject to it also,” she explained, irritated. More bees appeared, buzzing around her.

  “You know the bees clash with your whole vibe,” Demetra scowled as she threw several small blades, slicing through them. Before they could touch the ground, Keylynn’s hyphae reached out and caught the pieces. No blades landed on the floor. Instead, the office-approved taupe short-fibre carpet was spattered with several small droplets of blood.

  In that moment she finally understood Dauven’s flared nostrils. “My first animal transformation was bees. Bees help pollinate flowers, allowing life to flourish. After death comes life and renewal. Bees are crucial for life.” She ground out through clenched teeth.

  The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  "Okay, I get it." Demetra threw up her hands in surrender. “Don’t talk about your bees, and you don’t want to attend the teamwork seminar.”

  “Neither do you. The clerics enjoy torture through cheers, pep, and song,” she replied sternly. “And I assume you don’t wish to leave the floor, so in exchange for you to cease your campaign to make me leave, I will help you get into the team leadership training program,” she proposed, irritated at her own flared nostrils. She is becoming Dauven.

  “You can do that?”

  “First you need a specialization. I recommend Math Wizardry. You have an aptitude for it, and I think you will enjoy making people squirm over numbers. I know a consultant who is able to oversee your training, allowing you to gain the credentials quicker. From there we get your performance record up. I also know someone who will be willing to mentor you through the team leadership training program,” Keylynn explained simply. If only she was informed sooner what she was missing to get into the training program, they could have avoided all of this.

  “Why would you help me? I’ve been a bitch,” she asked skeptically. Keylynn almost felt sorry for her. Has no one ever done anything for her in the past?

  "You were upset." She explained kindly. "People are allowed to be upset. The continuation of your behaviours after you have been given leniency and a solution, I will not allow. Are we understanding?” She asked using her HR-honed voice.

  Before Demetra could respond, the door opened, revealing a tall man in a brown suit with short brown hair styled around each of his curled horns sprouting from each side of his head. “Oh, there wasn’t supposed to be anyone in here… Did you book this room?” He asked, flustered.

  Keylynn schooled her face to appear as clueless and innocent as possible before turning to them. “My deepest regrets. I am new and still learning seventh-floor procedures.” She bowed her head respectfully. “We were just leaving.”

  She watched as recognition dawned on his face. “That’s where I know you from! The new HR consultant! Good on you for taking the cyclops case. I had it on my desk for weeks, and no one was willing to take it on. “Oh right, you are in the dark about who I am. I’m the floor seven H.R. manager,” they said, adjusting their piles in their arms to hold out a hand for her.

  Keylynn reached out for their pile right before it toppled over. “It is pleasing to be meeting you.”

  They blushed and, with her help, set it on the table. “I’m Arven Gillian. In the future, please be sure to book a meeting room before you use it. There is an online system for room booking, and all room sign-up sheets update in real time."

  She smiled gratefully. “You have my many thanks again. I’d hate to be on Akzer’s bad side.”

  “After the morning meeting, I don’t blame you. I meant to send you an email earlier. If you have any HR-related problems, please feel free to email me. And your report on the cyclops case goes to me and Akzer.” They explained, sounding flustered. They must be busy as the floor HR manager.

  “I will ensure it arrives in your inbox. I don’t wish to delay your meeting." She gestured for Demetra to leave the room. "Have a productive and satisfactory meeting, Arven." She bowed her head again and left the meeting room before anyone followed Arven.

  “That should not have worked as well as it did. How do you play stupid so well?” Demetra whispered once the offices were out of earshot.

  “I have not played in quite some time. I believe it was at Gwen’s slumber party she wished to play a game of Cupcakes and Candy. I am many things, however, stupid is not one of them. I do lack knowledge from time to time,” she explained almost absently.

  Her mind was more focused on something Arven had said. He told her the cyclops case had waited for weeks on their desk. Nothing ever stayed that long on Grief’s desk. She will be adding that nugget to her report for Lark.

  “But I just watched you use the perception everyone has of you, the clueless new girl with the HR manager!” She continued with a hiss, glaring when someone looked at her. “And he is no slouch. He will call the disciplinary board for a full hearing of even the most minor of infractions.” She continued.

  “That explains all the materials he had for his meeting,” Keylynn mused more to herself than anything else. He said something important, that she missed in the moment.

  Demetra returned to her desk, something she hadn’t seen since she arrived on floor seven. Keylynn smiled and began making her preparations to be out of the office for a few days. First she ensured her team had enough work assigned to them. They have several large quest case files to digitize for Dauven. In addition to their other duties, they support the many teams of floor seven. She copied their assigned tasks history, intent on forwarding it to Lark as well. It seemed to her at the very least that her team was assigned mostly busywork that the other teams don't want, like pulling previous reports or looking at relevant files.

  Next she arranged transportation for herself to the Ody’s Journey Isles, a string of islands that bear interconnected quests all adding up to the emulation of an infamous hero’s path. Or so she was told. This is the first time that she heard of both this hero and this path of his. Conveniently enough, there is a gift shop located in the train station for Ody’s Journey that is well stocked with the novelizations and history of the quest. She only hoped the gift shop was accessible to adventurers after their attempt at the quest series, Ody’s Path.

  She will need to take the Trident Ferry to the Isle of Eyes from the train station. Then she will need to find the No One to Blame quest, where Silas the cyclops, who is the keeper of sheep, works. As a critical member of a quest, he is prohibited from leaving until an adequate replacement is provided. But the storymancer hasn't provided a replacement for any of the three previous medical leave requests. Keylynn has seen this behaviour numerous times in storymancers that don't want to find appropriate replacements. In other cases she has seen storymancers deem all roles for a quest crucial to prevent an employee from going on leave, especially PTO.

  She spent the rest of her time waiting for her train to depart, catching up on her paperwork. She had to inform both Dauven and Riv what she told Demetra and pleaded with them to ensure she was not spinning falsehoods. She needs her trust and willingness to be part of the team, at least until her training program is completed. After that Demetra can be as big of a nuisance as she wishes. Then she started her preliminary report for Lark, noting everything she’s observed thus far.