Price of Power

Relay soon came back, he quickly recovered and was more determined than angry, but inside he found only Caduka who was enjoying a brew during a cold day.

"And where’s that other one?"

"She wanted to go out, I didn’t forbid her, better tell me how it went."

"He agreed, obviously. Before he was forced to write some nonsense but said that he didn’t really have a choice. Tomorrow morning I and the rest have to deliver newspapers to the whole town, taking care that no Violetcoat will see them."

"Good, have anyone seen Azure?"

"Yes, they saw her going back to her house."

He didn’t get an expected answer like she was too busy inhaling tea vapors.

"Are you not afraid of her? That she will get lost or get into trouble?"

"No, I trust her and I’m sorry for that she almost shoot your head off, she’s quite impetuous."

"You can notice, but in the end, we ambushed you. You seem to be very different, who are you?"

"I don’t think I’m anything anymore unless a thief and she ...she’s a soldier. I knew her since she was born, I was friends with her mother, a wonderful woman."

"What happened to her?"

"Nothing, she’s alright, I hope so. Can we change the subject? Please." She said these words fast but with calmness.

"Sorry." Sudden sadness in her voice bemused him. "So what do you even want from Azure?"

"Justice."

"Like all of us… Has she even told you where she is going?" He asked once more.

"No."

She was wandering in the grey city, but not on the sidewalk if the town had some of its charm left it sure were the rooftops. Even someone inexperienced could with ease move through them and Lariska wasn’t in mood to commune with what was below. However, even there some tried to find shelter in all kinds of corners, but they weren’t paying attention to her. She didn’t know where she was going to. She just hoped to find Relay to check if he kept his promise, or Azure so she could end this and move to the next target, at least she was telling herself that. With each step she was carefully watching the inhabitants, arranging in her head the map of the city and observing everything she could like she has been told and has in blood. Maybe the truth was she just wanted to take a walk, go away for a moment, but she was thinking that such whims are unprofessional.

After a few hours of wandering around, she stopped on a roof’s edge. She didn't find anything that could help her but was also thinking that much less time has passed and didn't want to return to Caduka yet. Then she heard some fuss down on the street, Violetcoats were again venting out their anger on the citizens. Lariska hesitated to intervene, but then she recognized Relay's mate in one of the victims.

She was standing right above them, other citizens were just ignoring what Violetcoats were doing to youngsters. She took a deep breath, pulled out two daggers and jumped. Landing she impaled them both to the ground killing them instantly. Once she hid daggers she turned and looked closer at two teenagers, a boy and a girl very similar to each other. Crowd began to gather around them, the citizens were shocked.

"You, I remember yo..." Boy started.

"Where is Relay?" She interrupted him.

"What do you want from him?" He said that while helping the girl with short, white hair to get up.

"I want to check if he did his task."

"No idea where the hell he can be, maybe someone else will know. Anyway, I see you can jump and climb well, but how do you run?"

"Good, I guess? Why?"

When she was saying that, the boy saw coming out of the crowd four other Violetcoats and one more between leading them, but he had brown colors on him.

"That's why."

Both siblings started to flee without any sign. At first, the couple was running side by side, Lariska right behind them trying to catch up. She turned for a moment to see that indeed, the Violetcoats were chasing them. After a few steps girl split up from them, jumped on the table and then on a shop sign. She was climbing until she has reached the building’s roof, then she disappeared. The boy didn’t even react to that, he just kept running. Suddenly he has been caught by one Violetcoat who has jumped out of a corner, but almost immediately after that brick hit his head, then Lariska ran and knocked the Coat out. She looked up, it was that girl with somebody else. After that other Coats wanted to get her even more, she helped the boy to get back on his legs and they began to flee again. Later on, that girl jumped from the building on the street and they were running side by side as three. Meanwhile, other kids from above were throwing stuff at the Coats from the rooftops.

When it looked like that they finally lost them the couple sat on the ground to catch a breather.

"Well, thanks, what was your name again?"

"Lariska."

"Cool, I'm Brisk and this talkative bane of mine is Pearl."

Tall girl waved to her.

"Do you know where the printer is? Relay said he was going to him."

"Yeah, nice, old man. Too bad he's on the other side of…"

He was interrupted by the silver projectile that almost hit him. It was the Coat, the brown one, he was aiming his pistol at them. Before he managed to reload Lariska already took her musket and they froze aiming at each other. The Coat smirked, he wanted to low down his weapon, but he has been punched and knocked down by a civilian. 'I always wanted to do that.' He yelled and after a group cheer, the other citizens joined to beat him up. Lariska and Pearl wanted to go, but Brisk stayed. He started to walk slowly in their direction. Lariska was too curious to stop him, she only held Pearl who wanted to go after him. Both being busy fighting each other didn’t even notice how Brisk picked up and hid in his pocket Coat’s pistol lying on the ground.

He told them to stop, but they didn't react, so he shouted. They were surprised when they noticed him, but they listened, yet one of them said to him.

"He was trying to kill ye, boy!"

"Now you are not better beating him up like this. Yes, they are awful, but we do not have to."

He bent to help him get on his legs but Coat pushed him away and stood on his own. He looked at everyone with malice, his eyes went on the ground for a moment but he didn't find for what he was looking for. At the end, he looked at Brisk again and walked away stumbling. After that he returned to his sister and Lariska, nobody said anything, it looked like they could finally rest.

Lariska came back late in the evening, Caduka was already sleeping on an unfolded sofa, you could think that she wasn’t even coming out of the building. Her legs and eyelids were heavy, in the end, she walked a lot ...and ran, the only thing she wanted was to lie down despite the severe hunger. The couch on which Caduka was sleeping was big and she for the change this time lied on the one side of it. Apart from one blanket which her mentor covered herself, there were also two other pulled out, like they were creating an invitation for her to lie down as well and at that time it was making for her no difference.