Price of Power

The only thing she was hearing was an echo of her steps bouncing off the stone walls. The corridor seemed to go on and on without an end, at least she was getting that impression. Not distracted by anything she had some time for reflection. One question was sitting in her head and didn’t want to go out: Serqet saying 'misfortune' wanted to warn them before the guards, or maybe before her? Fighting with her own thoughts she finally realized that she left Caduka alone. She stopped for a moment to find this particle they were connected with, it still was there, alive, she was relieved.

She was walking at a fast pace holding close to the wall, the longer she was wandering in that darkness the more she was getting impatient. At last she got to an end. The tunnel was ending on a door, a simple wooden door. She started to look for a handle and when she found it she immediately pressed it, but the door didn’t move a bit. She started to tug but it didn’t work. Atilius probably had the keys, but she refused to walk all the way back for them. She was ready to overshoot the lock, but then she reminded herself about one thing still laying in her pocket. She pulled out her old lockpick, she hesitated for a moment, but finally, she put two parts into the lock. To her surprise, it wasn’t for her a big challenge and after a while, she managed to open it. She didn’t know what was on the other side and if someone was, yet she unsteadily opened the door. She saw something that looked like a reading room. There were shelves with books, benches, but also armchairs with tables, tea set and even a sofa before the fireplace. Quite cozy, good for her there was nobody around. She walked off and closed the door behind her which were masking perfectly in the wall.

It was late, the district was empty, it was looking someone could say dazzlingly. It had expensive wallpaper, carpets, gold plated finishes. She already was there once, just once, but not so long ago. It was the second district in that city, supposedly one wasn’t enough. She remembered where Atilius' classroom was and went in its direction. It was dark, but nowhere to hide, yet if someone would catch her she could somewhat justify her presence. She found the classroom and walked to the door of it, but you could see from far away through the door window that lights were off. After making sure that nobody was inside she closed the door behind her. Not being sure if she heard something she turned her head, nothing, turned the other way and saw Caduka literally a step from her.

"Lari," She was fighting with all of her to not take her and hug. "we have to go."

"Why? Eol is here."

"And what? You just want to murder him in front of everyone?"

"No, nobody knows yet that we are here."

"And they won’t know, I’m getting us out."

"But why? We might not get another chance." While she was saying that Caduka grabbed her sleeve and reached to her pocket, suddenly her heart skipped a beat.

"Grab me, fast."

"I told you…"

"No! Grab, immobilize, something."

"What do you mean?"

"I wanted to teleport us out of here, but the spells prevented that, soon Clerics will come and none of us should be here."

"You want to take all guilt on yourself?"

"Because at the end I did it and when you catch me they won’t ask much about you, they will be more interested in me."

"Why won’t we just run?"

"Because when they will catch us and they will catch us for sure then we both will be in trouble, come on!"

Lariska confused finally grabbed her from behind and pinned her down to the ground. After a moment someone appeared from the corridor, he was running but once he saw them he slowed.

"Maybe not so hard?" She said facetiously.

"Are you sure?" Lariska whispered to her ear.

"Leave it, I was getting out of worse shitholes."

When he walked closer she took her off the carpet, he had a waistcoat and belt full of pockets on him.

"I caught her when she was trying to teleport away, she’s silent for now." Lariska said once he came closer.

"And who are you?"

"Lariska, Cleric ...from capital."

"Then come, she has to be interrogated."

"I just intended to."

"On the corridor? Let Claudius see her first."

In that moment, behind Lariska one more Cleric ran in, but he gave him a sign that everything was under control. Caduka took the opportunity and looked at Lariska with sight begging her not to try anything. They followed him. After a few turns, he finally opened them a door and let them go in first, then he entered the room as well. Claudius, once he saw them at once abandoned his interlocutor, it was Eol, but he didn’t even turn.

"Lariska? Who is that woman?" Claudius asked.

"She activated your alarm, I found her sniffing around Atilius’ classroom."

"I didn’t know you have some damn anti-magic system, okay? I just wanted to talk with him about the prosthesis." Caduka barked pretending to be angry at everyone.

"Prosthesis? Why they interest you so much."

"Can you let me go, emm, Lariska yes?" Once she was free she moved her hair away showing everyone her mechanical eye. "Happy now? I myself was once a Cleric but I resigned."

"And what is your name?"

"Ivory." Answered Caduka to Claudius.

"Well then, 'Ivory', but stay here for a little longer, and you Lariska, what are you even doing here?"

"I came with the news, Atilius, he…" She did a pause and looked at Caduka. "is dead. Soldiers raided his warehouse which probably still is in flames. He wanted me to take his body to the tunnel which led me here."

Claudius didn’t know how to respond, he was silent. Eol himself stood up and started to slowly walk towards them looking at small device which he pulled out of his pocket.

"I am sorry to interrupt the reverie of yours, but the device you gave me says that person which magical trace found in my house is here."

"What? So you are saying the one of these three killed your son?" Claudius couldn’t believe.

"Apparently."

Everyone looked at each other, they knew the procedure. Claudius walked to Caduka since she was the least trustworthy person there and put the piece of crystal to her head. Then he took the device from Eol to compare results.

"That’s right, it is her."

Eol took back the tool to look himself, then he walked to Caduka and looked into her eyes. She responded with an equally dangerous look and after a moment he hit her face with a wide bow. She fell, Lariska immediately bent to help her.

"Control yourself!" Claudius shouted.

"This about what I was talking about, Claudius! The greatest minds of our times have to hide in fear, but not theirs, but the person who has too narrow mind to accept progress. Do I have to remind you that Notus himself was a Cleric? Killing him she betrayed you, you know what that means."

"You’re right…"

"No." Lariska murmured, all eyes turned on her.

"Do you want to say something?" Asked her Claudius.

"I did it, using this misericord." She pulled out the dagger and smashed the table with it. – Come on, look at her, she would not harm a fly.

"Give it up, you don’t have to." Said Caduka with head still down.

"She don’t have what?" Claudius had less and less idea what to think about that.

"She don’t have to defend her." Eol responded, then he turned to Lariska. "Why are you even trying? Not your trace has been found in my house, you could weasel out of consequences."

"She ...saved my life, two times, I owe her."

"And you will defend her with your own chest?"

She did a step to stand between Eol and Caduka and looked into his eyes.

"Maybe she won’t have to, she could help you Eol, or even do it herself. I know her capabilities. In return, you will spare Ivory." Claudius proposed.

"What do you mean?" Asked Eol, but Claudius then turned to Lariska.

"Lariska, think about it. I do not know in what 'Ivory' got you, but I know that whatever you’re doing you are doing what you think is right for us and Sister she ...won’t hesitate, invade on Atilius and his warehouse could be just a beginning."

"Not mentioning causing a fire." Eol added.

"Actually, there was with him one Cleric who…" Claudius scratched behind his ear. He knew that Cincia was a little bit of a loose cannon, he felt a little responsible for the fire itself. "The thing is, something made her not to ignore us anymore and or we will react, or we will wait till she gets us all."

Lariska wasn’t saying anything, conflict within her was growing. She looked at Caduka who also went silent waiting for her answer, even that Cleric which didn’t say a word for all that time was looking at her.

"Do you want to kill her?" She finally asked doubtfully.

"We don’t, but or us or her, I think that enough blood was spilled because of her cowardness." Although the sound of his voice was denying it, Claudius was sure of his words.

"Not only her," Lariska meant her and her actions. "what is your plan?"

"Lari, no…" Caduka whispered.

"I do not have any, but Eol..."

"In a few days, there will be an anniversary of the day when the younger Sister has been banished, the Summer Sun Celebration. I think it will be a perfect opportunity and help of every Cleric will be worth one’s weight in gold. Without you, there’s nothing to talk about." At the end he turned to just Lariska. "So?"

"But you will let her go." She pointed at Caduka.

"Fine, Claudius?"

"She can go."

He pulled out the horn similar to one which Caduka had and aimed it at her like a wand, Lariska seeing this stood between them.

"Don’t worry, I will just teleport her away, no harm will happen to her." He assured her.

"I thought that…"

"I can a little more, now step back, please."

Hesitantly, but she listened. Caduka immediately came to her and started to beg for her to not do that, but Lariska didn’t want to talk to her anymore, maybe to not make this harder. After a moment a gold light flashed and there was no sign after Caduka.

"Just between us," Claudius whispered to her. "you are an awful liar."

When she opened her eyes she was on a sidewalk, only a few passers noticed her sudden appearance in the crowd. The sun was set, but the lights of the big city were illuminating the dark. Once she has shaken off she ran to the alley and when everything hit her she couldn’t stand it. After crying, she knew that the choice she had was one-sided and grabbed her mechanical horn. At the beginning, she couldn’t force herself, but she finally stamped and teleported away.