Price of Power

She felt like the ground under her broke down for a moment and a strong pull. Lariska opened her eyes which she closed on the sign and saw that they are in a side alley of some big city.

"You can teleport? How?" Lariska asked incredulously.

"This little gizmo." She took out of her pocket a metal horn with visible crystal inside. "It lets someones like me for tricks reserved only for your kind." Realizing one unpleasant fact she looked at her pupil with remorse. "Do you still cann…"

"I do not want to talk about this." She interrupted.

"I’m sure that if not yours then some other district will be able to help you."

"They offered me help, but I denied, I cannot use magic and I came to terms with it. Will you tell me now what do you know about this Velvet and what is your plan?"

"She looks over the money of the majority of the districts, it’s before her that Directors are responsible to and she is before them in financial matters. I thought that we can pretend that Estremoz sent us regarding the loan and if in the talk would come out that she knows something more we could intervene."

They went out on the street, it was one of the most developed cities, built literally on an island. At that point, it almost started to overflow from it, yet still, it was very crowded and soon skyscrapers would rise higher than anyone could imagine.

"Could not you just teleport us there? Instead of wading through if not bushes, then crowds."

"I couldn’t within that district." She started to list. "I needed a parchment to write a letter. The teleportation of even one person requires a big effort and I did not teleport us to the local district because it doesn’t make any sense because she should be in work right now."

"And where does she work?"

"Bank, where else?"

"And where that bank is?"

"Well ... I have no idea." When she realized that you could hear 'whoops' in her voice.

"So we are in a giant metropolis and you do not know even where to go."

"Not exactly, I know which bank it is, I just don’t know where it is."

"Great…" After such a long time, she could forget that her old mentor had tendencies to don’t really rethink her actions.

"But there’s a lot of tourist information points, we can find one, I will buy a map and we will find it without a problem."

"There you mean where exactly?"

"You know that just behind you?"

She pointed her a pole with signposts, of which on one there was an arrow with mark of a tourist information, to they knew where to go. She smiled and almost jumping up she passed Lariska.

They were walking through the corridor to the Velvet’s office, Lariska couldn’t believe how easily they walked in. When the receptionist saw Sister’s badge there were no obstacles and she wasn’t asking anything. Either way, she preferred to mask her identity, unlike her old mentor. Crossing the city and discern in it took them some time, they even had no idea what exactly Velvet was doing, but it didn’t matter.

"Listen, when she will try something, don’t hesitate to shot her legs ...or head, but everything should be fine."

"Have you thought about that someone can see us?"

"They won’t see us, as long as we don’t want to be seen."

She didn’t know that there was a hidden meaning behind these words or her mentor was just this overconfident. They were before the door with a nameplate with written 'Acevedo' on it. She opened them like it was nothing and walked in, they saw Velvet sitting behind the desk stacking papers. She immediately looked at unexpected guests, brown were her eyes just like curly hair, cream suit, and she had a tiny nose.

"Yes?" She asked with a soft tone.

"Estremoz sent us, we’re here to talk about this loan..."

When she heard that she was more angry than surprised by them, after a moment she winced like she felt a strong ache in the head.

"Don’t even try, you can hurt yourself." Said mentor holding a metal orb, it was a device that could prevent others from using magic, Velvet wanted to teleport away.

"What do you want from me? I said Estremoz won’t get a single penny from me anymore."

"Well, and you probably will be glad to hear that he’s dead."

"What?" Her headache was over.

"Thanks to my friend."

Velvet looked at Lariska who was already holding musket.

"So we all agree that he needed to be stopped, why are you here?"

"He wouldn’t tell about his plans just anyone, for some reason he trusted you, more than others, even though you were not agreeing."

"I am the Financial Secretary, I have the right to know for what I am about to donate money from other districts."

"And you decided to not tell anybody about his plans? Like deep inside you wanted him to succeed."

Saying these words she walked closer to her, there was a pause, Velvet looked angrily in her eyes and she in response airily in her.

"Nonsense, Estremoz had his own world where violence solves everything."

"So you would have a better plan to overthrow Sister?"

"What do you mean?"

"If you knew about Estremoz, it is possible that you also know about others who share his views, maybe you even believe them yourself."

"And even if yes then what? You cannot just kill me, without me finances of districts will be gone into chaos."

"Too bad that I don’t belong to any. Anyway, you won’t tell anything when you are dead, and when you won’t open before us, then maybe before 'her'."

Velvet already knew what she wanted to do.

"Corruption, that’s how we want to get rid of her." She said.

"And do you think, Velvet, that few degenerated officials is enough?"

"No, but public opinion."

"Interesting, and the names?"

She was silent, you could see her internal dispute, but she didn’t say anything.

"In that case, Lari, come over here." Then she said to Velvet. "Now I will turn off the jammer, but if you try something or try teleport away know that we will find you. "

"What do you want to do?" Lariska asked.

"We are taking her, unless you want to ask her something." Lariska to her own surprise she wanted to.

"Why?" She asked half-conscious.

"Why what?"

"Why do you want to overthrow her?"

"Because the thousand-year curse eventually will break and the younger Sister will return more powerful than ever. Previously she was able to defeat her, but I doubt that next time it will happen. We could help, yet she denied, she denied a chance to save not only her but a whole kingdom. "

"Because she is weak?"

"Not weak, quite the opposite, just a pity that terribly stubborn."

Then mentor meddled in.

"Can I?"

"Is that all? We came in, few questions and we are taking her?"

"You see yourself that she doesn't want to cooperate. "

She gave a sign that she is ready and mentor grabbed her and Velvet. Lariska didn’t know where she wanted to teleport them, but to her affright when she opened her eyes she didn’t saw any dark, damp corridors. She saw a colorful stained glass windows reaching to the high vault, white columns between them, embroidered rug on which they were standing and richly decorated door behind which as she suspected was the Sister.

"Listen, if you don’t want I won’t force you to anything, but know that she will gladly meet you." Said her old mentor, it was not hard to see that she was more terrified than Velvet.

"No, maybe some next time, but not now." Lariska said after a while, already calm.

"Fine, will you find your way to the exit or you want one of handsome gentlemen to walk you away?" She said pointing out on a Royal Guard.

"You know well that I am here for the first time, do you want to irritate me?" She looked at handsome gentlemen. "Will do without."

"And will you find a way to exit yourself?"

She didn’t want to answer that.

"In that case, hey, you!" She called one guard. "Be so nice and lead her to the exit, please." She commanded him when he came closer.

Lariska was rooted to the spot, she wanted as fast as possible to get out of the castle but a guard over her head was the last thing she needed. She took a quick look at him, he didn’t even said anything, was just waiting for her. Not having much of a choice she took a deep breath and let him escort her.

For the whole walk, they didn’t even glance at each other. He was tall, well built, but she mostly liked that he wasn’t saying anything. Nevertheless, she was still feeling ridiculous. When she finally found herself behind the gate doors and on the top of the entrance stairs she as fast as possible came down from them. Just when she felt like she can breathe again she realized that she was in the capital again. Lucian at that moment probably didn’t return, but if someone would see her it could end bad. Especially considering that no one should have known that she was there and she preferred it to stay that way. She got off the square and went to less crowded alleys to wait out, yet she still heard a familiar voice.

"Lari?"

'Fuck' went through her head, she turned and fortunately for her it was only Laurie. She probably already wanted to start the monologue but Lariska immediately silenced her and pulled to the more secluded place.

"Can you tell me what the hell are you doing? Why did you just disappeared?" She asked just when Lariska let her go.

"How do you know? Is Lucian already here?"

"Yes, after they couldn’t find you other directors said that they will take over duties and teleported him, he is worrying about you. "

"Worrying… so I am not sentenced to death?"

"Is that why you are hiding? No, evidence that this Director was dippy was overwhelming. What are you even doing here if you are afraid for your life?"

"I cannot believe that I am asking thins, but can I trust you?"

"What? Of course." She had the impression that she again was overdramatizing.

"So you will not tell anybody that you met me."

"And will you tell me what is even going on?"

"He…"

She was interrupted by a poke, it was a mentor, Lariska nearly jumped out of skin.

"It went so fast?" She asked after she turned.

"Her tongue immediately loosened, Sister wanted to talk to her one to one, who is she?" She nodded at Lariska’s friend.

"Laurie, mate from a district, she nabbed me."

"I think 'nabbed' is too strong a word and I can introduce me myself, maybe you too should." She said to an elder woman.

"I am Caduka, so how much has she already told you?"

"As much as nothing, anyway, we know each other." Lariska said.

"Enough to make her don’t tell anything?"

"Because you will kill me? No worries." Laurie joked.

"For now, no one died, at least not that I had something to do with it."

"So, it seems like someone here" She looked at Lariska. "...has self-control issues. Fine, I won’t intermeddle in it whatever this is, but good to know she won’t be alone with it"

"Good to know she was not alone for all this time." Caduka added at the end.

"Is this your name now?" Lariska asked when they lost Laurie from sight and they could slow down.

"Sister know me under this name, to your friend the more I couldn’t reveal myself."

"And yet you stepped between us."

"So you won’t tell too much."

"What now?"

"Velvet this time didn’t even try to lie, or even dance around the truth. Hesitantly, but she told us the list of names of ones involved in the corruption, it will give Sister a little bit of patience."

"What will happen to her?"

"Currently, she is in custody in one of the castle chambers. She had a choice to leave her current life, but she said it would be for her a stain upon her honor. It looks like she was probably too afraid to involve her family into it to lie. Theoretically, she did nothing wrong except being involved in all this mess. She was doing only her duties as a treasurer, even though she was stretching the rules a bit. Besides, Sister confessed to me that she would like to talk with her again but in different circumstances."

"Sister thinks that she did nothing wrong?"

"That she belongs to a district is rather not enough to cut her head off. Anyway, she won’t admit it before anybody, but she’s kinda proud of her subjects that despite her prohibition and efforts to end all of this they still persist."

"I do not understand."

"You show loyalty, determination, faithfulness, all noble qualities."

She still had no idea what to think about that.

"So now we have to bring her everyone who Velvet has listed?"

"No, we will be mostly on our own, but I have to inform her about our progress, but she will help us if she will able to."

"And do we have something more than just names?"

There Caduka wanted to say something but she didn’t know exactly what.

"Well, not really."

"You know, I can ask Lucian."

"And what? He again will go for a talk? So they will finally murder him snooping? No, less know about it the better."

"I want to end it as fast as possible."

"And I want to be sure that you know for what you are signing up."

"I know."

"So be patient."

Then suddenly over her head a sparkle of fire appeared, from which a rolled letter with a seal flew out. She picked it up after it bounced off her nose and started to read it.

"Looks like one chap is well known to Sister, yet she wants us to know a little more before we take action, but we could go there already. Are you happy now?"

Lariska took a moment to think.

"No, we will get rid of him and then what? She is right, we have the names, let’s get some information and then eliminate all at once. Otherwise, if we will wait for too long, these who we have got rid of can get replaced."

There Caduka stopped and looked at her.

"You want to come back this much?"

"What?"

"Since they don’t want to kill you."

"I did not say anything like that."

"But you expect from me to get some information first, I won’t be dragging you around the whole kingdom."

"I won’t have anything against if I will be able to help you."

But she had. Even if Lariska could help her and she didn’t know that because she had no idea what she was taught, she was already used to nomadic life and sleep in the worst possible dens. She didn’t want to Lariska to live in such conditions for closer indefinite time under no circumstances.

"No, I will do it faster on my own. Anyway, they are looking for you, maybe better to calm them before all districts in Equestria will start. But please, don’t mention anyone about me, or about what are you going to do."

"So what I will tell them instead?"

"The truth, you will say that you found a hidden passage and in fear before the sentence you ran away, but since you’re not in danger you decided to come back."

Maybe all of this was making sense and was a better alternative, but Lariska had a feeling that she again was overcomplicating things. Although, part of her wanted to go back to the district. After how she reached the age of maturity and her parents moved out of capital and sold their house it was her only home, at least these separated quarters were. Everybody knew that they should leave her alone and she liked that, but she also really wanted to help her.

"How long it will take?"

"I have no idea."

"But you promise you will come back when you are done?"

"I promise."

They were standing for a bit in silence, Caduka hated the long goodbyes. She looked into her eyes and smiled, one flash of light later she was gone.