Price of Power

Lariska returned to the district, after arguing with Lucian for over an hour she finally found herself in her four walls. She took off her everything that could restrain easiness, sat on the bed and rubbed her eyes. She felt like she couldn’t catch up with everything happening around. It felt good for her to be again in a familiar place, her place. She looked again at her body, scars and the bruises almost fully healed at that point. She didn’t know how serious were the injuries when Caduka found her, but it looked like there would be no marks. Even if, these wouldn’t be her first 'souvenirs'. She turned on the radio and gentle sounds of the piano sounded in her bedroom. Then she lied down, rarely she could just reflect and do nothing. She preferred a mobile meditation, the world seems a lot simpler when you are busy with something. Or maybe she just was tired and indeed, because after a while she fell asleep just like she was lying.

When she regained consciousness she didn’t immediately open her eyes, she lied a little longer to come to herself. Finally, she looked at the hands of a clock to see how long she has been sleeping. She stood up, turned off radio which was still playing quietly, took needed stuff and went to take not so morning shower. Like she suspected, on the way she didn’t meet anyone. Despite that other quarters were fir for temporary use, rarely someone else was using them. Besides them and her room, there was also a kitchen and two bathrooms. Good that from time to time someone bothered to throw a few cleaning spells in them.

She left the bathroom already washed and in clean clothes. After that, she took care of dinner for herself, she couldn’t make much with all that she had left but it was enough to eat decently. She always could go out in town, but she didn’t want to move anywhere that day anymore. For the rest of the day, she didn’t do much, did the laundry, read books, started to think about the situation she found herself in. Her old mentor said that alone she will do things faster. So she would slow her down, it made her feel offended, but it was her fault! Maybe if she would not leave her she would have a greater skill base. Her father taught her few things but many he did not. She said that she had a reason, that she fell in love. She could not fell in love and still be a Cleric? She would not be the first one leading the double life, where anyway was this person for which she has left her? Even though she was officially her mentor for only three years because Lariska had to first reach an appropriate age, she was also a friend of a family. She knew her since she was born! ...and then she just left. Then she took a breather, she thought that maybe she was trying to fix her mistake.

For the next days, she was returning to her usual routine, she didn’t want to fall out of shape. She was spending a lot of time on a shooting range. Of course, she couldn’t use her musket, but there was still available an air gun smuggled from abroad. Besides, she still had in her room some gym equipment, but she wasn’t busy only with her physical fitness. Like before she started to attend some classes in order to at least slightly expand her knowledge and range of skills. In the meantime also there the news about the disappearance of Velvet has arrived.

Reviewing her notes she was walking out of the lecture with Laurie who was just glad that her presence does not scare her away. Behind the doors, there was Lucian waiting for them who in order to get to them had to first squeeze through the crowd.

”Pardon me, can I borrow you for a moment, Lari?”

Laurie poked her friend who apparently didn’t hear his words, but only when she saw him, she knew that he wanted to speak to her. She followed him and when they were a little away from the group he started:

”For first I wanted to say sorry for my previous exasperation, I was being judged by other Directors and insubordination of a Cleric can tell a lot. Yet, I understand. You did what you thought would be right and it was right, but because all this fuss I forgot to give it back to you.”

He stopped and handed her two daggers which he took before.

”Forgive me, I know that you don’t like being separated from your weapons.”

She indeed didn’t like but with musket, daggers were just an addition that was easier to hide. Nevertheless, she thought that it was even nice to finally hear an apology from him, better late than never.

”Thank you, something else?”

”Still, we don’t know much about Velvet’s disappearance, her family knows nothing. There were mentions about some figure walking towards her office. You could think that she has been kidnapped, but then comes the question of why didn’t she used magic to escape or defend herself. I won’t bother you with this for now, but possible that soon your help might be needed. Anyway, your mother would like to meet with you once again if you are asking. I am not getting into that but she should be on her way right now. Well, go now, your friend is probably waiting for you.”

She hid her daggers and returned to Laurie who was in the middle of a conversation with someone, yet only when Lariska came closer he ran away. Laurie intended to return to the Laboratory, but Lariska refused. If her mother wanted to visit her, alone, it was definitely something important, she preferred to prepare.

Despite that, her mother came only a day after. Lariska was reading when she heard a knock on the door. When she opened the door Elise quickly came in, only someone who knew her well could tell that she was worried.

”What has happened?” Lariska waited but she didn’t get a response. – Mother?

”The news about your 'feat' spread fairly quickly.” She started. ”Our Director, Serqet, the woman you were talking with was delighted with you, especially after you ran. She even congratulated us on the successful daughter, yet... together with your father we think that in your upbringing we made one fatal mistake. We thought that in such environment it would come naturally to you. Namely, we think we failed to teach you thinking for yourself. Someone like Serqet would be a good example for you, but now it is too late for that. Anyway, you showed it and that was the thing that she liked so much. Because there was already someone who was not a worse example for you. I remember that she could affect you like that by just her presence.”

Lariska already knew to what she is leading to.

”That is why I have to ask you, have you seen lately with your mentor?”

”But she left a long time ago, yes, our bound stayed, but I was not trying to find her.”

”Please, do not avoid the answer, yes or no. Listen, I knew her better than anybody, she would want you to be honest right now. I won't tell anyone, even your father.”

She was silent for a moment, to finally say:

”Yes, with her help I was able to escape from there.”

”Has she changed?”

”A lot, you would hardly recognize her.”

”For better or worse?”

”For her, worse. Nevertheless, she still has her specific sense of humor.”

”Always, no matter what she could smile. I understand that she already caught you in some intrigue.”

”If you can say so, listen, can I ask a question?”

”Sure.”

”How did you two even meet?”

Mother waited with the answer a little.

”You know, good that you asked after all. It is connected to how I joined to all of this, let's sit, I think we have some time.”

They sat at the table, her mother crossed her legs, ignited candles with magic and began.

”You already know about my brother and my parents, I will spare you me repeating myself. They planned that he would inherit the belongings and the family business. As for me, they wanted to send me to the college, with my grades and their money I had no problems to get to a decent school.

At the beginning I was a top student, maybe to show off to my family. Later on, I started to care less about it, but it doesn’t mean I was falling behind, but not about my school achievements I have to expatiate. After school, I returned to my parent’s house, not knowing what to do with myself. My brother, at least when he was younger, often was walking around antique shops. He loved that and not rarely he was bringing me with him. After a few years of separation, I thought why not. On the way, he told me that he envies me a bit that I have a free will for my future, it was ironic a bit.

When we reached our destination conversation already had no place, we both were busy looking in all directions, but I am sure he was there already a dozen times at that point. I lost him after not even a minute, but I was not worried, he was in his element. When he returned he met me with his, actually ours, old friend from school, who just like my brother liked coming to these shops. When everybody saw what they wanted we went to the cafe. That friend said that she wanted to continue learning and sign up for the academy in the capital, she offered me to do the same if I had no plans for the future. Not thinking much I agreed. Before we split up she gave me something I thought at the beginning was just an ordinary wooden box. She said that it was a puzzle she bought earlier in the antiques shop and the task obviously is to get inside it. I was confused a bit, but I accepted the gift.

When my parents got to know that I wanted to start another school they protested. They said that they are not going to finance it, that I was supposed to become independent, not run away from adult life. But my brother said that if they do not want to finance my education he will do it. That he had just enough money to support my education without problems. They respected his decision. I was shocked by the course of events. How my parents turned away from me but also by that my brother stood after me, he risked a lot by making this proposal. For the next month of living in that house, I did not talk to them once, anyway, I was away from it whole days. I was spending them on the streets, or in bars less or more elegant, in moments of boredom trying to open that box I got from that friend. During that break, I have seen with her few times. Once when we were sending our applications and again when we received answers, both were positive. When time has come we went together to the railway station, my brother even escorted us, but your grandparents did not bother to show up.

Travel by train was not too long, we exchanged a few sentences at the beginning, but the conversation quickly ended. Then I realized that I absolutely had no idea about magic, I was not at all polishing my abilities at all. I was using only simple ones like levitation and few others. Probably my high grades from previous schools guaranteed me a pass, but she said that I do not have to worry and 'There’s potential in me'. I had no idea what that was supposed to mean, interestingly, she could not herself use magic. I wanted to ask why did she even signed up, but I thought that she just wanted to study the theory. For the rest of the travel, she was looking out of the window and I did not want to pull her out of the trance. Train reached its destination after dark, sometimes I was in the other cities but never in capital. I admit it impressed me, not even mentioning the castle which from afar was awe-inspiring.

I will say that thanks to her I was able to survive through that school, especially the first year. When I caught up I started to really like it, magic I mean, but it all was not about school. At almost the end of a second year, I was waiting before the door to the hall in which the next lecture would be held. The previous one was canceled and I had nowhere to go. Not counting two students in the other corner of the room I was alone. I was playing with that box I got. Honestly, at that time I gave up on it a long time ago, but it was one thing that was reminding me about my family town and brother. With head down, I sank into a reverie, melancholy. After a while I heard a click, the box started to open, but not completely, is stopped halfway. Then I understood that part of the mechanism was within it and I needed to open it with the help of magic.

I did it a week later, honestly, I was more busy with it than with studying. Inside I found only a piece of paper with written on it 'congratulations' and a smiley face. I had no idea what that was supposed to mean, I was more fascinated by the insides. The beautiful, metal mechanism which I opened a moment before was dazzling me. Then out of sudden, that friend ran into the room, I was sharing it with her by the way. She was extremely excited. I mean, she always was energetic, but she was never hugging someone just like that ...she almost knocked me over. When she let me go she took the box and said that 'others' began to lose hope that I will figure it out and a note was her idea. I started to ask questions but she ignored them all and just said to me that I should not worry about it, we had exams to pass. Next, she took the box and went off leaving me confused. As you can already suspect, this girl was your Mentor and after the exams, she took me here, showed laboratories, explained this and that, and why. I was fascinated by all of this and I agreed. Yet when I asked how did she get there she replied that she has tendencies to snooping too much and poke her nose into not her business. I think I can actually confirm that.”

She ended her story and gave the daughter a time to think through.

”And you just joined? I suppose she has told you that it is all in secret…”

”I just joined.”

”And your brother? Do you see him sometimes?”

”We correspondent with each other regularly.”

For the rest of her visit, a conversation went down to other topics. First Lariska wanted to know more about Serqet. She wasn’t coming back to Caduka, she knew that it was none of her business. Her mother asked for something do drink, but she had only water, eventually, a juice. But Elise meant something you could 'spend time with', she thought of something like wine, but Lariska didn’t had any of these, she wasn’t drinking alcohol, so it ended up on juice. Soon she decided that she took enough of her time and it was time for her to leave. Before she left, she added that she was glad that they were together again.