Chapters She woke up feeling like her head was about to explode and on top of that her body was all covered in bandages. Next to the bed she was lying on was a wooden commode and on it her tail-coat, weapons, and ribbon she always tied her hair with. She looked around, she was in a small, brick room without windows. There was a bookstand with few books left on it, round table, not much more.
She tied her hair so it wouldn’t fall into her green eyes and stood up. At first, she couldn’t get her balance, but finally, she leaned against the wall, wiped her face and left the room. She didn’t even take her daggers or musket, anyone who brought her there rather didn’t want to hurt her. After a few steps, she realized she feels a thing, a small part of something she forgot about a long time ago. She tried to remind herself what it can be but headache only increased and she fell on the ground. After a moment, a thing she felt stabilized and someone came to help her stand up.
"You shouldn’t leave bed yet, but you never could stay in it for long."
She knew that voice, that feeling, she didn’t even said anything, just let her old mentor carry her.
She seated her old pupil on a wooden chair next to the table in a small kitchen. It for a change was full of everything, mostly old furniture, papers and junk of unknown origin. She herself set a kettle for tea. Lariska looked at her, she changed, not only that she got older, she turned gray, literally. In the past violet and purple were her dominant colors, now just white and gray. Although she was smiling a little, her eyes were tired and face was faint. Finally, she sat in front of her.
"What has happened to you?" Lariska couldn’t believe her eyes.
"Time and lots of pain …but more important is what happened to you. Do you remember what has happened that night?"
"That... so for how long I was unconscious?"
"Whole day."
"And how did you found me?"
"Our connection stayed even after my retirement."
"And what? Am I supposed to believe you were just passing by?"
Lariska wasn’t believing in such coincidences.
"So will you tell me what happened?" Asked her mentor changing the subject.
Lariska tried to remind herself. Many times she was on missions but usually, her job was to just pull the trigger and she wasn’t going into details. She asked herself what possibly could she remember.
"I knew that target allegedly stayed in hostel, I was only securing from the roof on the opposite side of the road, 'partner' had to get inside and finish the job. Instead, he jumped out of the window chased by guards. After I remember only that I went down back on the street and tried to catch him up, but he was way faster than me. When I finally made it I saw him fighting with someone over something, and after a moment ...white, bright light."
And then she remembered.
"Where is the casket?" She said these words involuntarily, for answer she got only silence. "That was it, he had to retrieve it."
"Do you have any suspicions about what could be inside?"
"You already know it, don’t you?"
These words sounded like and were nothing but an accusation.
"Listen…" Mentor’s voice lost on certainty. "I know that I won’t be able and I don’t want to either drag it or lie to you. Yes, I took the casket, but not for me, it is safe."
"So you did not sent it to one of the districts and you don’t have it here, I will ask one more time, where is it?"
"I’ve sent it to the Sister."
Lariska stood up.
"I know what you’re thinking, but let me explain."
"How do you want to explain this ?!"
"Do you know your codex?"
"Too well, and you broke it."
"I mean the first, original rules, not the made-up additional ones." She said with disgust.
"So you want me to kill you? I do not understand."
"You kill for rules you don’t understand."
"For a purpose."
"You don’t understand."
"How can you know what I understand and what I do not, you left me when I was a kid!"
"Your anger speaks for itself, will you let me tell why?"
"That is why you brought me here? To tell stories?"
"You also were seriously injured, can I?"
Despite all her tantrums, her mentor stayed calm, realizing this Lariska sat down and wagged as a sign that she can start.
"There is a lot of versions of what I want to tell you, every changed in a way to be favorable to a given district. Each will tell you than Sevan was a teacher, but not a single one will mention that he was a teacher here in capital, the Canterlot. So yes, he had relations with Sister. He was teaching advanced magic but was also fascinated in back then not so long ago discovered electricity, he started combining these two things, magic, and technology. After a while, it was his obsession.
He waited a long time before he decided to show his notes and projects. Not only because he was a perfectionist, wasn’t the banishment of the younger Sister caused by this she wanted to make a small change? Well, he in case of objection wouldn’t try to take the throne for himself. However as he suspected all his ideas and hard work were denied under the pretext of it was too dangerous, unstable. That the kingdom was not yet ready for such move. He was asked to hand over his notes and projects, he listened and walked away. From one side he respected her and her choices, he knew that she herself has to give up many things and sacrifice them. From another, he didn’t wanted to just leave everything he worked so hard for.
His students knew that he was working on something but when they were asking he was silent. Finally, he decided to gather more trusted ones and tell them what happened. He didn’t want to complain to them about it, he wanted to show them what he has accomplished and share his knowledge. The majority of them responded with enthusiasm, some with doubt. He asked them to don’t tell anybody and keep it a secret and everyone kept their promise
At the start, there was only a handful of them, but later more students from his class came. He was delighted, he could finally share his passion with others, but he remembered that it could not see the daylight. There was a reason why it has been rejected and he was constantly reminding them about it, but not to spread hate or distrust towards Sister. He was just careful and wanted them to be as well.
After some time some got bored, they had their own families, lives. He understood that and wasn’t worried that someone could break given word. However, the majority decided to stay and in time new students were coming. He sure wasn’t expecting such popularity, but then it came to the first murder. Not talking too much, someone finally decided to tell Sister what’s happening right under her nose. Sevan was too afraid to lose all he has built ...built together. When some of his older students, told him what they want to do he thought it was necessary and agreed. After this he and his not just students, but those who could teach themselves were more careful.
There were no more incidents during his life, but after Sister found out he was forced to leave the academy and live in secret. For a long time, she was looking for him, but unsuccessfully, his students were hiding him till his death. A lot happened when he died, a lot of new schools were created in all of Equestria. Although, they started to stray away from each other more and more.
Sevan himself wasn’t writing down his thoughts and reflections, only research. After years they began to differently interpret his words, and rules he created that meant to remind about indulgence are now used to spread hate. Not everywhere is like that, there are still districts in which progress is the main goal, but there are also those that conspire in secret even against the others…"
She was interrupted by whistling kettle, she stood up and brew tea for her and her old pupil. Lariska broke the moment of silence:
"I see I think, but how does this tell why have you done this?
"From the same reason I once joined, I wanted to change something for better, and why I even left? I’m sorry for that, but I fell in love, I wanted to live a normal life. I craved my own pupil so much but after not even three years... When I talk about this now I feel awful. Know that I regret, but if I can know, who later took care after you?
"My father."
"And was it your choice to be a Cleric?"
"Yes, I am just good at it." She said without conviction, although maybe not good, just effective. "How can I know your version is true?"
"I heard it from Sister, and she knew him."
"What if she is lying?"
"She does not lie."
"So what do you expect from me now?"
"After all, I’ve told you, A choice."
"To just abandon all of this? My duty?"
"No, of course not, but what happened gave her a sign that she cannot turn a blind eye anymore. Building with civilians inside collapsed, she expects worse things to come."
"It was just an accident."
"And how much more accidents can happen through playing with something you shouldn’t?"
"All of this would not happen if nobody would steal the casket, what was inside of it anyway?"
"Notes explaining the structure and operating of a small reactor that’s not really useful anymore."
"But at least we don’t have it, right?" The longer this conversation lasted the more she was irritated.
"And no one will use it as a weapon."
"Weapon is just a tool, that can be used in a good cause."
"Depends on how you define good and evil, I told you what is happening outside capital."
"Yes, you are talking a lot, but can you show anything? Because I have seen what her soldiers can do when she finds a district."
There was a moment of silence.
"I can ask for an audience…" She said hesitantly, in response Lariska looked at her with an odd mix of anger and fear. "Don’t worry, I promise that no matter what, no harm will come to you. Also, you won’t have to answer questions you wouldn’t like to."
Seeing that she looked down, she added:
"You don’t have to decide about it right now, but seriously tho, you should go back to bed."
When she was feeling just fine she decided to return, for her own safety. Not only to avoid punishment more or less harsh, she just preferred to hold on to things she knew. Many were relieved when she came back. Not that she was a good companion, they just didn’t want either her or her things to be captured by inappropriate individuals. When she walked through stone corridors she had many sights on her and many whispers behind, but she was more concentrated on how to explain her absence. If she would stay unconscious the guards would take her, she could tell that she managed to escape from the place of an accident, but then she would need to explain why didn’t she return immediately. She could not tell the truth and betray someone who she owes her life to. Maybe not life, but health or freedom at least. She could not do that, even though that person herself was a traitor.
She reached the door, her superior was Lucian, a terrible eccentric. She opened door to the office of a newly minted Director. Except him, she also saw her parents, they were sitting with their backs to her and talking. Suddenly hundreds of thoughts ran through her head and after two seconds she was completely frightened.
"Lari! So you came back."
Called Lucian interrupting himself just when he saw her. Her father immediately turned around.
"Pardon me, but since your daughter is alive I would like to have a quick word with her. Can you leave?"
He asked her parents getting up exited. They only rolled their eyes and left the room, they could keep their emotions under control, Lariska knew it. After Lucian closed the door after them she could only mumble:
"W-what?"
"You seem to be more confused than I am." He spoke very quickly, she barely could understand him.
"Since your daughter is alive”?
"Yes," He returned on his seat. "we thought you were crushed under debris, but there was no certainty. However formality is a formality and you probably thought that I called your parents to seek you out and you know ...kill you, or something."
She indeed thought that. Treachery was an act highly punishable and in terms of possibilities, the closest ones had to take care of it.
"And he… did not come back?"
"No, I thought that he died, but since you are here it’s quite possible he also survived. But, the more important thing right now is the casket, I understand that you don’t have it."
"No."
"And you have no idea what could have happen to it."
"Yes." She said with a small hesitation.
"So it’s quite possible that he have it, we must find him, or his corpse."
She was just about to say that it’s not necessary, but she didn’t want to draw suspicion.
"And you expect me to…"
"No, at least not yet, we have to settle the matter of a traitor. I understand he still lives, yes?"
"Traitor, not thief?"
"Both actually. I wanted to share our new discovery with other districts but looks like an inappropriate person has been appointed for it."
"An inappropriate was a thought itself to let something so unstable left laboratory. Have you seen how it ended up?"
"Yes, I believe that more people could faster solve some problems. Besides, I did not think that someone would just betray us in the first place."
"By yours I did not think you endangered the whole organization, do you think that what happened will be left without an echo?"
"That was your job, not letting this happen."
"It also would be easier if you would decide to tell me all the details."
"Personally, I will remember."
She knew that there was no point arguing with him, although she still had a lot to say. Her job was just assurance, no one told her anything about any casket.
"Anything else?" She asked.
"Outside your absence? No, not for now, you can leave."
She closed the door behind her fighting with herself to not slam them. Her father and mother were waiting for her, both dressed in black. He in a suit, she as always in a simple dress. She immediately came and hugged her tightly, like she wanted to give vent to all her worry. Maybe Lariska was already an adult, but still her daughter. After a moment, when Lariska realized the current situation, she pushed her away and turned her head to the side.
"Lari, what happened?" Asked her mother.
"I failed, the casket is gone."
"Not yet, we still can retrieve it."
"But I failed, district ...you." Lariska looked at them speaking those words.
"You haven’t failed anybody and sure not us."
"But…"
"You have failed yourself, that’s the point, yes?" Her father finally asked.
Lariska was silent, she didn’t want to be this selfish.
"Listen, we all make mistakes, there is no Cleric who would never fail." Her mother was still comforting her.
"And only a few have enough courage to do what you are doing and with such devotion." Father came closer to her. "As a Cleric, I am proud of you, but as a parent, I am getting worried. Tell me, when was the last time you were somewhere not in business matter, just go out and do something for yourself."
She tried to remind herself anything, but she couldn’t.
"So maybe you should."
"What does this have to do with anything? Besides, I am the only Cleric here since you moved away."
"But you don’t have commissions every day."
"No ...actually it was first in a few weeks."
"So you see."
"And you really don’t have somebody who could help you out?" Mother asked."
Then Lariska reminded herself about this thief that she found, or rather he found her.
"We had for a moment, but I have no idea where he can be now."
"But will you do this for you and give yourself a break?" Father asked.
"Okay, I will try." She replied doubtfully.
"And we will try talk to Lucian to make him not bother you in case of anything in the near future ...so maybe don’t make him wait any longer."
They came back to the office. Lariska was living nearby, actually, she was using the quarters in the district. She was proposed to have her own apartment but she refused, but back then her Director wasn’t Lucian
If there was something Lariska could complain about it sure wasn’t the lack of space, even though she didn’t need it a lot. The quarters were usually meant for temporary usage, but especially for her, they renovated three of them and connected them so she could feel like in her own place. When she calmed down she had no idea why she was so scared when she saw her parents, she was probably a bigger threat to them than they to her. Her mother Elise, was just a teacher, scientist sometimes and her father Octavian, although he also was a Cleric like once his parents, he specialized in something different. He was a detective and a cartographer, he never killed anybody, but she probably would not be able to hide from him.
When she came back she took off herself tail-coat and rest that was unnecessary. She looked again on her body, she wasn’t feeling such pain anymore, the healing ointment was doing its job. Although, she had to wear bandages for one more night. Quick thought about her old mentor ran through her head, but he preferred not to think about her.
Her parents came with news that they managed to convince Lucian to give her some free time. They both had hoped to speak with their daughter again, but there was a lot to do and someone to do it was needed. Her father accepted to take over her duties. This way was better for everyone, her tracking skills were negligible and she still had wounds to heal.
The next day, after her daily routine that means breakfast and shower she had no idea what to do with herself since she had to give herself a break. Normally she would be training or try to do something with all this technology, in the end, it was the true purpose of it all. She was lying on bed and staring at the ceiling thinking about what has happened and what can happen as a result. Because of what she has heard, for the first time she was deeply pondering about that enterprise, rules. Now she knew that they were inspired by Sister. Lariska was young, but she knew that life this long is associated with consequences, renunciations. She didn’t know if she always was like this or did she took this weight on herself. For the majority, it was something obvious that she was and always will be like it was something natural, but for her thinking like this and such ignorance were unacceptable. There she stopped, maybe for that these rules were created.
She was lying like that on bed fighting with her thoughts till she heard someone knocking the door, she stood up and on the doorstep, she saw Laurie.
"Can I come in?" She asked, she had a small figure, and curled, waved hair. Just a student, but with her place among scientists.
"For what?"
"I just wanted to know if everything is alright, you weren’t today at the shooting range, which is weird since you never break your schedule."
"It’s alright, really. I would prefer to be alone right now." She said calmly.
"As always, but I think I can be worried a bit."
"Truly, you don’t have to, thank you but…"
"You are not very talkative I know!" She interrupted quickly.
"...I really would like to be alone with my thoughts right now." She finished. "Maybe later."
She closed the door before her nose and went back to bed.
In the evening Laurie visited her once again. That time Lariska promised that she will come to her herself if she will want to talk and yes, she knew where to find her.
The next day she got bored of sitting in her room, she did not know where, but she wanted to go somewhere, and vision of the next visit motivated her.
It was a sunny day, someone could say 'beautiful' sunny day. She was sitting before chocolaterie waiting for her order and observing passers. Observing, but she wasn’t thinking anything about them. She has seen couples, those arguing and those that rather decided to make their time more pleasant with each other's company. A man up there leaning out of the window smoking cigarette and looking into the distance. Parents with kids. Maybe someone else would be able to luxuriate in this charm of everyday life. Wandering her eyesight she finally saw a castle rising above the city and started to wonder if it everything would look different if not Sister. If instead per example there would be one mortal king or queen after which the rule is taken over by the descendant, or someone chosen by the people. Her reflections were interrupted by the waitress who have brought her her chocolate. Her name was Sapphire, at least that what her nameplate was saying. Lariska thanked her, but Sapphire didn’t want to go away.
"Yes?" Lariska asked.
"I just wanted to see… whatever, something else?"
"No, you can go. "
She was confused a bit by her odd behavior, she took a cup and sniffed. Hesitantly, but she took the first sip. Nevertheless, no one had a reason to poison her ...probably. Chocolate tasted surprisingly good. She looked once again on the waitress with an afro, who seeing that she enjoys it smiled and returned to her duties. Was it really all about it? She was completely confused already. When she was observing her walking from table to table she thought that Sapphire just wanted to be amiable. But then it raised the question if she was because she wanted to or because it was her job. She drank, paid and went ahead.
The problem was she did not know this city. Well, she knew it, extremely well. She remembered every street, every alley, but as a map, she couldn’t point a single place where she could spend time. Not thinking about it she finally came back to the place where she lost consciousness. She stopped and saw the size of the destruction of that night, but she couldn’t come too close because the area was already under supervision. It was fascinating for her that such a tiny device could cause so much damage leaving her with only a few bruises which were caused by collapsing buildings anyway. They could have clean up all this rubble already and start the reconstruction, but they probably had hoped to find something. Although, she really doubted it.
The next day she was lying on her bed wondering what was she thinking. Well, she had nothing to complain about, she enjoyed it, yet 'but' still remained. Namely, she thought that if she don’t know any places in which she could spend time, she could spend time with someone who knows them. So she ended up with Laurie, who had to make sure she was dealing with real Lariska when she heard this offer. With joy, she abandoned the laboratory and together they went out on the town, she didn’t even have to remind her to leave her musket.
Laurie at start proposed places like a library or a theatre, but since Lariska gave her free will at first they went shopping. Lariska honestly had enough after the second shop and her friend apparently was just starting, but she said that if she will choose something for herself she won't drag her no more. That’s how Lariska ended with a pair of emerald earrings. Then they came to the art gallery, and then a few smaller ones. So after spending almost three hours like that, they got hungry and she took her to the eastern restaurant. Supposedly it was one of few where you could actually eat well and even though it was standing out between buildings it was kinda hard to find it. Inside was dark and exotic, tables were separated by the walls and room screens lightened only by small lamps and candles. They sat in a corner, just there waiting for their meal Lariska had the courage to confess something that was bothering her for a long time.
"Everyone in this city looks like they think they are better than others." She muttered under her breath like she didn’t really want Laurie to hear her.
"Not everyone, but yes, they want to impress others with their look or just elegance. They’re snobs, they live in a capital, how to say it the most fancy city in the kingdom and right next to most important person in it. They want to show they are worthy of it, do you really want to blame them for it?"
"When you put it like that, no."
"And look around you now, what would you say?"
She turned and saw the same elegants, but this time they were different. They could take off their 'masks' worn every day. By and large, this whole place was different.
"So you see, they are so serious because they expect it from others, but when they have some space for themselves they can smile, maybe you too should."
Once they have eaten they went to the park with sculptures to spend there the rest of the afternoon. Laurie had to convince her for a long time that nothing bad will happen to them being this close to the castle. As they suspected there was no way to get even one seat in the theatre without at least a two-month reservation.
She was already in her place wondering if it was the foretaste of the normal life. For Laurie, all of this: learning, laboratories, was only an addition to everyday life. She knew that she was getting too much into it, but she didn’t knew if she could otherwise. In the end, there is a difference between carrying out research and taking lives.
A few days after the beginning of her vacation she went to see her father in his quarters which were assigned to him during the stay. He was hanging over papers and a map whispering something to himself. When he saw her he corrected glasses and invited her inside.
"Is it this hard to find him?" Daughter asked.
"I have found him a long time ago actually, but we have to let him go this time."
"What?"
"He is protected very well, he even received a new identity, but that is not the matter. The point is he was advised to leave the city, what he has done anyway. It means that Sister thinks that capital is not a safe place anymore, and we don’t want to make things worse. If he would be killed despite all her efforts, she could start making desperate and dumb decisions, maybe even get paranoid."
"So on what are you working?"
"Possible that someone was helping him… Nah. Possible even that this person convinced him to take the casket for himself, but I cannot find anything. Whoever that was, he knows how to hide."
Lariska already had suspicions who it could be, but she kept quiet.
"The worst is that I even don’t have an idea whether it could be someone from outside or inside. It can be even someone from the district."
"But apparently, he knew who should he ask, so we can suspect that… What is the name of the traitor anyway?"
"Old one? Dapper."
"That Dapper already had doubts before."
"It makes sense, but why didn’t he just left? After how you said it, you might think that he knew about something that we do not. We could ask him personally, but no one, especially Lucian could know."
"He could not know? But why?"
"I know what he will say, he will categorically refuse, he is new and he wants to curry favor with other Directors. Anyway, how is your break?"
"That is why I am here, I do not know. After recent events, especially when I am not doing anything I begin to think about things I was not attaching importance to. Before I was always busy with something, my thoughts were concentrated on the responsibilities of being a Cleric. Now when I say it, I think that by being busy all the time I was subconsciously fleeing from my thoughts."
"And maybe from yourself, that is why we suggested it to you, but it doesn’t mean you have to do nothing at all. You still can go to the shooting range, nothing will happen."
Lariska was connecting facts for a moment.
"So you have sent Laurie on me?"
"Well, not exactly, but if I remember good you were friends when you were little."
"She tries to have good relations with everybody."
"But friendship is something more than just good relations, don’t be indifferent."
"I have no idea how it can possibly help me."
"And I see you took seriously what I was talking about attachments. Nonetheless, they are not forbidden, sometimes you would need someone who would tell you 'stop' and maybe show you some things from a different angle."
"And she has to be this someone?"
"You will decide about it."
Lariska once again pondered and looked on the papers.
"What have Dapper’s district said about his betrayal?"
"Estremoz, Director it is, demanded his death, but when he learned about risks it can bring and alternative he agreed to wait."
"And if you won’t be able to find this instigator he will send someone himself."
"Probably, he is hot-headed."
"So looks like we do not have much of a choice anyway." Actually, she had a choice. She could tell him about her old mentor, but she preferred at least for that moment not to mention her. She only had hope that interrogating Dapper will be worth the candle.
"I wouldn’t ask you for it now, but since you came and want to do it yourself everything I managed to gather is at your disposal. Currently, they will notice my absence more than yours, but if something I will tell them that you have left for a day or two as a part of this vacation."
She looked over on things he had and took everything she thought might come in handy. She thanked him and after quick swang by her room, she went straight to the railway station.
She was at her destination, a small city in the south part of the kingdom, there supposedly was Dapper. Journey has passed her without any further ado and thanks to map and notes drawn up by her father she has found the right apartment quickly enough. That’s how she ended up before one from the row of three-story blocks. She couldn’t just go inside, Dapper supposedly had three guards assigned to him, and they were under the cover.
At first, she thought she could just write a letter to him explaining the circumstances, but was afraid that he could think it’s a deception and run away. She also could just wait for him to come out and catch him in a crowd or a narrow alley, but she had no time. No one except her father had an idea that she was there. Also, in that city there was no district, so she couldn’t count for any help. Eventually, she decided to wait till night, if to this time nothing would pop into her head or luck would not smile at her she was ready to break in.
She went for a reconnaissance around the city. Despite that it wasn’t decorated as much as the capital, it had its own charm, architectural style. Even though she could not find anything interesting for her, the citizens indeed were making an impression of being more friendly and open. She also noticed that a lot of women were wearing hats with a large brim. It could be some new fashion, she had didn’t know, but she bought one herself and put on the way it was covering her face. She still had no idea how to play it all, but something to let her blend in the crowd was sure helpful. During the walk, she was able to recognize two out of three guards. Although they were masking themselves very well, so good that an average citizen couldn’t distinguish them from locals, they still were from the capital. Just eyes were revealing them if you could properly watch.
She stopped at the bar and sat at the counter hoping that by eavesdropping she will learn something useful. Place seemed crowded and not so tidy, yet somehow crush wasn’t so noticeable. She was sipping her water when out of sudden woman entered the bar. She tried to blend in the crowd, she even had the same hat as the local women, but Lariska immediately recognized that she is the last guardian. So, or they were changing, or Dapper was at that moment without protection. However, it was quite possible that in block was receptionist who could know something more.
Then she got an idea, not very sophisticated but always something. She found with his eyes a drunkard that clearly was running out of money for the next pint and proposed him a sack of money for initiating a fight. He didn’t let her ask for long and bar customers quickly separated between those that tried to stop the brute and for those that were already fighting in full swing. Seeing that guard tried to make way out, she took a bottle, stunned her, dragged into a corner, took her coat and made her way to the exit.
Proud of herself that such a dumb plan worked out and not knowing how much time she had, with sure step she went to Dapper. Indeed, just when she walked in receptionist asked her for an identity proof. Good for her she found a badge in a coat’s pocket, it was enough to let her in. On the first floor, she saw one of the guards who was walking back and forth not knowing why the person which safety he had to protect was so important. When he saw a woman in a hat and coat of his partner he just glanced at her and wasn’t paying much attention.
She tried to open the door as quietly as she could. Finding Dapper writing a letter she was surprised, she saw his picture before but she wasn’t expecting someone this young. He turned and asked her what does she want, but Lariska wasn’t in the mood for games. She closed the door, took off the hat and said that she wants answers. Dapper stood up ready to scream for help or even jump out of the window if he had to, but Lariska was faster and suppressed him holding dagger on his throat.
"Only for answers, nothing will happen to you if you will cooperate."
"And what if you will not like the answer?"
"So better tell the truth."
"And will you be nice to first put down this?"
Lariska has put down dagger, he stroked his throat like he still felt steel on it.
"So what do you want to know?"
"Why did you stole casket instead of just withdraw? You had to know that doing it you will endanger yourself."
"I was afraid, I wanted to retire but I was afraid." Lariska released him, he only came to bed and sat on it. "Now I also am and I was promised safety, opportunities to develop, ease. When I saw what technology and magic can achieve together I was fascinated, dumb I took the bait. District I was directed to was not in any city, so it was nothing unusual I was sleeping and living there. Not that I was completely isolated from the outside world, there is a village not so far from the district with a railway station.
Estremoz at first seemed to be okay, but later on, he began to demand from me and others to focus on more offensive solutions. It’s not like that we were forced to anything. However, I do not know how many Clerics there is in your district, but in that one there is way too many for it to be just a school if you ask me. There also are rumors that Estremoz is making some arrangements with ordinary bandits. Despite this, the majority is supporting him, but I knew I couldn’t stay there after I heard whispers that he wants to get rid of the Princess, how you say it, the 'Sister'. Although, I cannot imagine how he could possibly do that. If I would want to just leave they could start to think that I found out too much and want to silence me for good, then I heard about the reactor, and ...you know."
"Was it your idea?"
"Yes ...but no, I was thinking about it, but only some woman convinced me to do it. Next, she was supposed to meet me in a hostel. Guards were already there and took care after me, but one Cleric was able to find me anyway. He managed to only steal the casket, but she retrieved it, now ...I am here."
"That woman, have she told you her name?"
"No, but what I was supposed to do?" He did a pause and raised head only to lower it even more, and spit. "Once I was a son of a respected doctor, after good school and bright future, now I have to hide like a criminal."
"If what you are saying is true you did well, and no, you don’t have to. I can bring you back to my district, where you won’t have to be in fear of your life and keep developing in this direction, without any coercion."
"I am sorry, but no, even if I was sure things there are different, I already have enough problems."
He did not even look at her, was only staring at the floor stooping. It seemed like without any purpose he lost all his will to live. Lariska was standing there for a moment to finally snap out of it.
"So be it, I have to as soon as possible convey what you said. No one can know I was here, understood?"
She opened the door and looked if the guard was still in the corridor
"Yes, from where you have this coat anyway? You did not kill her, right?"
"What? No, I only stole it. I will throw it on a bench before the doors, she will find it."
"You know if you would just write a letter explaining the circumstances I would go out."
Nobody was there so she let herself smash the door.
She had to quickly return and tell about what she have heard. She covered her face with a hat again, left the building, threw not her coat on the bench and made her way to the railway station. Looked like she left just in time, on the way back she passed all three guards. The first one running and then the other two, the one who was guarding corridor was upholding that woman she stunned before. She just was hoping that Dapper will keep the promise.
Express finally 'deigned' to come and she could sit in a train car. She was more worried than stressed, view of someone without will to live left a bigger mark on her than she was ready to admit. All her life was focused on being Cleric so much she had no idea that it had any sense without it. There she reminded herself about her parents and how they met, she was not sure if she would even exist.
For the rest of the travel, she wasn’t thinking about it anymore, she was thinking more about this Estremoz and if there can be more of his kind. When she arrived at the place she didn’t go straight to the district. Instead, she wanted to meet again with her old mentor so she could explain to her some things. Doors even weren’t closed, she went down to the basements, but didn’t found anyone. She wanted to look around and for clues. Began to wonder what was that place, it was way too complex for just a simple basement. However, she did not found anything. She couldn’t find at all any signs showing that she was there just a few days ago, maybe just traces in the dust. She has lost enough time. She left and went straight to the district to convey what Dapper have told her.
She found her father where she has before, when she opened the door he was reading some book. He immediately left the lecture and let his daughter tell him what she has heard from Dapper. He decided that Lucian must know about this and they both went to see him, that time he spared her repeating herself and himself gave him a picture of the situation. Lucian responded that he will the next day check the credibility of these words. Also that Lariska will go with him since she is taking this seriously her so-called 'vacation'.
Lariska could not believe that she had to rush Lucian because otherwise, they would be late for a train. They were sitting in a car next to each other, the only luggage they had was his suitcase and her musket. He, in turn, could not believe that she had to take her weapon, but as she suspected no one paid attention to her odd-looking, wood-metal stick.
"So, if understand correctly… you ignored common sense and went to see person I recommended to leave alone, about what your father certainly told you, because ..?" Lucian started, but by no means angry, inquisitive if anything.
"As you know, he was suspecting that someone convinced Dapper to do it, which proved to be true, but he could not find any tracers after that person, so I thought that he can tell us something."
"And what did he tell?"
"Only that this person is a woman, he does not even know her name."
"Were you really thinking that he will serve you on a silver platter everything about someone who has been his only ally in all this mess?"
"No, but we thought that this woman had a reason to turn to just him. He himself had doubts before and just needed an incentive, it looks like these doubts were caused by something Estremoz is doing."
"If he was telling the truth, I just hope you was discreet enough to don’t kill us all."
"Dapper promised he won’t tell anybody about my visit."
"And you believed him? Interesting, what do you know about this Estremoz anyway?"
"My father said that he is impetuous and if he won’t find this woman he probably will send someone himself."
"I understand, you chose the lesser evil, so I suppose I have no right to be angry at you."
"But you have not took me only as a form of punishment?"
"No, this is serious. I have written to more trusted Directors that they would come, things like this have to be resolved by tribunal. They also probably will have an 'escort'. You know, for security."
"How much do you trust them?"
"What do you mean?"
"What if not only he wants an insurrection, or… I don’t know, I mean what if they can have contact with him and stand after him even when he is guilty."
"I trust them, if you trust me you also should."
Lariska looked over the window at the passing landscape. She pondered, just that she had doubts was raising further questions.
"You don’t." He answered himself.
"No."
"But know that among people I have brought over is Director of your parents, them I suppose you trust."
Lucian ending the conversation also looked over the window. He saw the morning sun, forest in the distance, flying over it swarm of birds, few clouds, which one of them looked like dog’s head. Sometimes it was good to leave the big city. Of course, Lariska had to break him out of his trance, of course she did.
"And do you trust me?"
"I let you sit right next to me with all your equipment knowing that probably even without it you could kill me faster than I would be able to react. So I think yes, I trust you, despite all your latest antics."
She had no idea how to answer that, after all, she had no reason to do so. He probably interpreted 'trust' quite differently than she did.
When they got out of the train car they headed straight to the forest not so far away from the village. Walking through the trodden path Lariska realized that she has never before been in the forest. She didn’t like it much, nothing but insects and branches. They reached the abandoned stone hut, Lucian started to roam around it like he wanted to find cellar hatch.
"What is the point of establishing a district in such place, I do not understand." She asked curious.
"Isolation I bet, for those that would like to give to it a bigger part of their lives. Far from madding crowd of city and fear before the law, or just to hide something. Fine, I found it."
He opened the hatch which was one of many ways to the district, but before they went down he added:
"But do me this favor and during the talk shut it."
The stairs down were long and broad, lightened by lamps that turned on when they came inside. At the end of the double doors were waiting for them, Lucian opened them and view of a district appeared before them. It was very different from one in the capital. There you entered the round square with a dome from which you would have corridors to the other parts of district. In this one there were only corridors, the vault was also higher and style more harsh. They were greeted by a passing man, they immediately recognized he was a Cleric. Lucian introduced himself, Lariska and purpose of their visit, he led them straight to the Estremoz.
They found him watching a duel between two Clerics, without a word they joined him and the rest curious. They were using training sticks, at the beginning they were just exchanging simple strikes which they were blocking, next, they took a step back to start a show. After how Estremoz was looking at this Lariska couldn’t think of it any other way. She turned her sight again on the arena, swiftness of both impressed her. Even though she barely could catch up it was not hard to see that they both were trained by the same teacher, but in time each developed his own style. She herself was a bit ashamed by the fact she probably would not stand a chance on the arena versus any Cleric in there. Still, she was comforting herself with a fact that she preferred distance and an accurate eye.
A duel ended when one Cleric knocked opponent down and was about to deliver the finishing blow but stopped at the last moment and helped him stand back up. Then Estremoz was informed about their arrival and the crowd began to diverge. Lucian greeted him and Estremoz immediately suggested that they would go to his office. Of course, they didn’t spend the way in silence. Lucian was a little shocked but also enthralled by the idea of duels. He was asking various questions and Estremoz with pleasure was answering them. Lariska was walking behind them together with that Cleric, both weren’t saying anything. She was more absorbed by the figure of the Director. He wasn’t that much old, more like just experienced, but sure older than her or Lucian. His personage was probably charismatic enough to infuriate a timid heart as well as soften the one flaming with anger. Even then he was walking with sure step like a grand leader before his army.
They reached his office and all four walked inside, without a doubt it was the most expensive part of the district. Estremoz pointed them two of three armchairs before his desk and he himself sat on his own that from behind his desk looked like a throne. That Cleric only found himself a corner to stand up. Well, he was on guard. They were proposed a glass of wine, they were his guests in the end. They refused, but he poured them by the glass anyway because manners required it. He took his own and at once has gone down to the more serious topic.
"When I heard that you have come to visit us I thought that you managed to recover the casket, yet you have not mentioned it and either I see it. Tell me then, what is the purpose of your visit?"
"I’m afraid that it’s already unreachable for us, but I’m certain that we will be able to repeat our success. I’m here to ask you for forbearance. Unfortunately, a person who was inciting Dapper knows how not to leave any traces. I already informed you about the possible consequences of killing him and I’m sure, that you know perfectly well how tragic the outcome of it can be."
"Treachery is a treachery Lucian and we have to follow the rules. Do not let fear manipulate us. What if from now on every week someone decides to steal the fruits of our hard labor?"
"I’m sure you have trust in your proteges like I have in mine despite this incident."
"Yes, I do, trust them and I care about them, that is why I do not want errors of a unit to bury us all. He had a choice, he could leave and be free, but he has chosen the other way. As I mentioned, I do not want such insolence to inspire others."
"I understand, but isn’t it a hypocrisy? You want to punish someone who broke the rules by endangering us, but the whole action itself can put us in even bigger danger."
"There is action and there is reaction, you have to face the consequences of your actions. I am ready to take them. You have mentioned that this person is good at covering his tracks, is there even a certainty that this person exists?"
Lucian and Lariska quickly looked at each other.
"But you will not be the only one to face the consequences of it, you can drag us all down. Understand, I don’t want to whitewash Dapper by saying that someone was convincing him. I think too that he deserves a punishment."
Then the next Cleric entered the office, at once he walked to his Director and whispered something to his ear. Next, he stood up next to his associate in the corner.
"So tell me, Lucian, why have you brought others."
"Excuse me?"
"Other Directors. They are coming here, you had to convene them."
"I see that not much will hide before you and your Clerics, so there’s not much point in continuing. You will stand before the tribunal, rumors that have come to us are worrying."
"And you believed in those as you said ...'rumors'?"
"I don’t want to, that’s why we have to check if they are true."
"And what if they are?"
"As you said, we have to take the consequences of our actions."
"You mean closing this district? Killing me? I am sorry, but I won’t let anything thwart my plans, especially traitors. Vorrin, Whistle, take them out."
Two Clerics came behind Lucian’s and Lariska’s backs, but she had enough of sitting idly. Estremoz just pleaded guilty, she could take action.
For half of a second whole room was filled with blinding, white light. It was a flash bomb she dropped, her father left her few. She incapacitated blinded Clerics and turned to their Director. He recovered faster than the other two and Lucian. It seemed like he had nowhere to run, but there were a lot of hidden passages in that district, including the one that was just behind him. He opened it using the button under the desk and ran. Unfortunately for him, it didn’t closed in time and Lariska went after him. For a while, she was running through the winding corridor, but just when they went on straight she pulled out her musket and shot his leg. Estremoz screamed in agony and fell, after a few steps, she shot again, this time his second leg.
"'Traitors'?!" She shouted furiously.
He turned on his back, they were alone. He looked at his oppressor and said:
"Yes, for you probably I am one."
"This place was supposed to be a school and you made from it a military base!"
"Isn’t it an irony that these words come out from the mouth of a Cleric? – Even in great pain, he could laugh."
"I was not incited against the Sister."
"Ah, against the Sevan’s will? I will tell you that here he was not so respectful towards her. I will even say that after his projects were rejected and then requests, he started to look at her less kindly. Yes, I know that there are many versions and in yours, things are undoubtedly different. I don’t know myself which one to believe, but I will tell you something…"
He screamed as Lariska shot his stomach.
"Be brief."
"I do not think that Sevan started doing this just for himself. He wanted to change something for the better. That ...that he was refused was a sign of weakness. I do not know that is it because of the separation, or maybe the passage of time, but the Sister is weak. She is supposed to defend us, but she barely can defend even herself. Maybe for now there is no quarrel with other kingdoms, but at one time it will end and if she won’t be able to face them, then what with us? There is power in what we are doing, able to not only defend our country but also conquer others if necessary." He paused in a grunt of pain, with each word his voice was more and more hoarse.
"That is why you wanted to kill her and was convincing to it others? Because she is weak?"
"No, you are weak, and you will break. All I wanted was us, as a nation to be strong and could openly conduct research, without being afraid that at any moment the royal guard can crash in here. I had enough of living in fear, are you not tired of this? We began to be."
"And you wanted to accomplish it by killing her."
"If you persist so much. We would prove that our weapon can defend the kingdom better than she."
"And you would kill anyone who would not agree with you"
"Like you have me in cold blood? Will you kill everyone who has supported my words? Know that I am not the only one who wants his work to be noticed."
They looked each other in the eyes in silence.
"I have committed the ultimate sacrifice, I wonder if she would be able to."
Those were his last words, after them, his eyes lost their expression and the muscles loosened.
End of part one: The sense of me.
When Lucian came he saw her standing over already dead body and a growing puddle of blood. The only thing you could hear were the drops of water hitting the stone floor. Second cleric was already behind him, Lucian knew that he had an immunity and is untouchable, but she did not and she just killed a Director. She turned on them, they both were in shock, but Lucian knew he had to take quick action.
"Lariska, hand me over your weapon." He demanded.
"Excuse me?"
"Your weapon, give it to me, now!"
She gave him reluctantly her musket and misericord pinned to her belt. She was about to turn back but Lucian stopped her and rolled up her sleeve under which she had another dagger. It was taken from her and then he asked the other cleric:
"Do you have any place here to hold her?"
"Classroom number three should be empty."
"So take her there, lock-in and wait for me, and one more thing, until things settle down, don’t you touch a single hair on her head, understood?"
He nodded and pushed Lariska who was still looking sternly at Lucian not believing in what she just heard. On the way, she was not thinking much, she did not care about her surroundings, she just was angry. Before she knew it they got to the class and he closed her inside it. When she calmed down she realized what she has done and yet that cleric didn’t kill her, and on top of that was taking orders from her Director. Soon enough she was about to get answers for these questions, for he entered the class, though „entered” is a mild word for it how he has stormed in.
"Do you have any idea what have you done?!"
"I have killed a traitor, instigator." She said.
"No, you have killed a Director!"
"You heard yourself how he confessed."
"Yes, but not exactly to what. The fact that he was running proves nothing."
"So I was supposed to let him escape?"
"Between that and killing him? Yes! You won’t interrogate dead. Listen, if we won’t find enough evidence to prove him guilty, it will be a miracle if you won’t pay for it ...with your head."
After those words he left slamming the door, leaving her alone and unaware of all the commotion she caused. She sat on the chair, for her killing Estremoz was nothing more but an elimination of another threat. Would she do it again? Yes, if she would receive such order, or herself had enough evidence.
After around fifteen minutes of being mad at her Director, some woman entered the class. She was around the age of her mother, maybe a bit older. She had on her a heavy coat with many pockets, but Lariska cared about only one thing, she had her musket. Woman put it down to take off coat which she hung on a standing hanger, you could see under it various tools or weapons, even syringes. She took musket again and started to analyze it.
"An interesting weapon, designed and crafted especially for you, do you know maybe how it works?" She started.
"It uses magic to turn it into bullets." – Lariska replied hesitantly.
"Yes, every other weapon, including my pistol draws the magic from the person using it. With it like with blood, drain some and nothing bad will happen, in time reserves will refill. Drain a little more and the effect can be tragic. However, you are completely deprived of it and yet you live. It looks like your musket drains and stores the magic of its victims. Of course, at first, someone had to sacrifice a little bit of his own magic. This weapon requires high accuracy, too many missed shots and it will become useless."
"How do you know it?"
"I’ve heard a lot of good things about you from your parents, even once out of curiosity I looked into your files. I’m sorry to meet you for the first time in such circumstances, are you not afraid?"
She leaned musket against the wall and came closer.
"Afraid of what? Estremoz is guilty."
"Are you so sure of it? Has he told you something?"
"That the Sister is weak and she should be overthrown. "
"But too bad there’s no way for you to prove it." She paused for a moment to change the subject. "But there is something I was not expecting from you, at least after what I have read or heard about you. Although, some call you ruthless. Namely your act of cruelty."
"Excuse me?"
"I saw his body, it has three wounds, two to immobilize him and the last one, fatal. You didn’t have to kill him, shooting just one leg would be more than enough. He wasn’t a warrior by any means or a threat himself and from what I know you prefer not to waste ammunition, what happened?"
Lariska looked down and reminded herself her anger, at that moment she lost control, she knew a reason for that and it was trivial, she preferred not to think about that.
"He called me a traitor." She said through clenched teeth.
"And for someone so devoted to her cause, there is no worse insult?"
At that moment she wanted to just curl up and die.
"It is inappropriate for Clerics to let their emotions control them."
"That’s why you feel so bad? Because you let your emotions control you, not because you have killed a Director?"
She nodded.
"It never happened to you before, right? Always cold and calm like her parents."
"Isn’t it what Cleric should be like?"
"Yes, he should."
She didn’t answer anything.
"Would you like to tell me something more?" Woman asked.
"No, you seem to know a lot about me, but I do not know anything about you."
"My name is Serqet, a Cleric ....and Director, to me is assigned your father."
"How do you become a cleric?" She asked out of curiosity, cleric and Director, she had no idea that’s even possible.
"Since I remember I was interested in poisons and venoms. In my youth, such unusual hobby could bring me some troubles, sometimes I was even poisoning animals and I don’t mean just rats. They were trying to convince me to switch from poisons to more cosmetic or pharmaceutical interests but in vain. Later they were even trying to lock me in a psychiatric hospital, but I ran abroad and let’s say I was adopted by bounty hunters. It wasn’t a bad life, they even taught me a few new things. Later on, it turned out that some of them were Clerics and they said that it could be a better alternative for me."
"And you just agreed?"
"Well, I had a little choice. Did you have any?
"Me parents introduced me to it after they decided I will be homeschooled and I just stayed."
"Can I ask why they thought you needed to be homeschooled?"
"Other kids... bullied me because I can't use magic. When I finally defended myself teachers called them. I think it was the only time I saw them being truly furious, but at them not me, for ignoring what other kids were doing to me.
"I see... well, we're running out of time, we could make our chit-chat a little longer but now there is no place nor time for that."
"For me, there may not be a better time."
"That’s why I’ll better start looking for evidence. Anyway, possible that the other would like to see you."
She took her coat and walked out, only coat. She was right, Lariska wasn’t alone for long and soon other Directors started to come. Altogether three more wanted to see her, last two came with their Clerics like they were afraid of that she could do something to them. As for them, they were more similar to Lucian, at least by their persona, sure not by metal prosthetic of a leg one of them had. They were asking more general questions like they just wanted to see her profile or just to have pretext to see a murderer of an other director and they weren’t interested in her as a person.
For a closer indefinite for her time, she was sitting alone, too sure about her right. Fighting with herself to don’t take her musket which Serqet has left. She was wondering if she left it on purpose, or just forgot about it. Have others just haven’t noticed it? After a while, she noticed that she again feels the presence of her mentor, but she had no idea what she could be doing there. She turned back and saw nothing. The class was not lightened well, you even could see a crimson trickle of smoke coming out of her musket, Estremoz’s magic. She turned around once again and saw her coming out of the shadows.
"For how long have you been here?" Lariska asked.
"I just came, in this district there are passages even Estremoz didn’t know about."
"What do you want now?"
"I didn’t come here because of you, but since I’m here I won’t let you die."
"Die? Estremoz is guilty and I am pretty sure you knew about it before, why didn’t you tell me?"
"I wanted you to keep away from this, looks like my bad, but I also have to thank you. One moron down and it’s much easier to move around here with everyone gathered in one place. Lucian and the other five have to list all members."
"Five? Only four talked with me."
"Maybe the last one doesn’t want to."
"I am more interested in why they are even listening to them, Clerics I mean. I understand scientists and others, but the majority of these Directors is unarmed, and even if there are only six of them. What is holding them back from, I do not know, taking revenge on me?"
"Everyone was obliged to take with him at least one Cleric. But the matter is that you chopped off the head of a beast, without a leader they don’t know what to do. Of course, they could kill you, but what next? It applies to both, these more and less privy to Estremoz’s plans, in an anthill, an ant queen is needed."
"And there won’t be anyone who would like to pick up the baton?"
"Probably, that’s why they had to take control fast."
"You said that you are not here because of me, then why?"
"You know I can’t tell you, at least till you decide to go with me."
Lariska stood up.
"I have not even breathed a word about you and about that you convinced Dapper to steal the casket."
"So you met him? And you led Clerics on his track?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean that he is dead, murdered by Estremoz’s two clerics, who apparently followed you to the place he was hiding in."
Lariska was shocked.
"But how? Does she know?"
"Yes, only one guard survived."
"You can talk to her, tell that Estremoz took responsibility for his deeds. That we got him and we will make sure that anything like this will not happen again."
"Of course, I can, but that won’t convince her. Problem is, he was not the only one."
Lariska started to walk in circles thinking nervously about what she has done.
"I have to warn them."
"But think about it, the situation you are in already is really bad. If they know that you went to Dapper, they can think that you did this only to force Sister to take action."
"That’s just stupid, they can check the reports, just that during the gathering two Clerics are missing is sufficient proof."
"And will you tell that from where you know it? Will you give me up? Apparently, you had a reason to not tell anybody about our meeting, they will check reports anyway."
"I did not want to endanger you, but after what happened, I start to think it was a mistake. What is your goal in all of this?"
"I made a deal with Sister," She made a short pause to gather words. "if I will be able to stop ones like Estremoz, she will leave alone districts that are not 'corrupted'."
"And it’s for her to decide which ones are and which ones are not?"
"Like you meted out justice to Estremoz on your own."
"Why don’t you just come to us instead of seeking help from her?"
"I come to you, I don’t trust others. I don’t want you to die because one Director can conceal something."
"So one of them conspired with him?"
"No idea, I don’t exclude such possibility. The question is: Will you take the risk?"
"But if I run they will look for me."
"If they consider that you did what was right, escape on its own won’t be a reason to kill you."
Lariska looked at the door for a moment.
"Fine, so what do you want to do?"
"First? Take us from this shithole."
They got out through the passage behind the blackboard, it wasn’t leading straight to the exit and they had to wander in the maze of corridors for a bit. Lariska had no idea how her old mentor knew that place so well but blindly followed her to the exit. After getting out of the bloody forest they went straight to the village and more precise to the post office, under the pretext that she had a letter to send. Just then in a daylight, Lariska noticed that she was getting back her old colors, slowly but surely. When she finished writing, she wrapped the letter, sealed with her own stamp and went out without even sending it. Lariska followed her to see to her surprise how she ignites the letter with matches. Paper immediately caught fire and burned unnaturally fast, not even ashes or molten seal left.
"This way it will go straight to her."
'Yes, magic.' She thought.
"You just had to tell her that you managed to convince me."
"No, I just described the current situation."
"Can you tell me now for what sake you have been there?"
"To check if Estremoz was contacting others of his kind"
"And?"
"I was able to find correspondence with so-called: Velvet Acevedo, they were talking about, obviously, about money, co-financing his district. It looks like unwillingly, but she agreed. I think we can pay her a visit, better close your eyes."
She caught Lariska under sleeve and after a moment in the place they were standing on there was a flash of violet light and they were gone.
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.
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.
To the end of the month, since they separated Lariska wanted to be in her best possible condition. Her mother’s words stuck in her head, but after a while, she started to doubt that Caduka will even return. Because of this, she felt anger which she began to vent out during the exercises. But when she was calm again she was repeating herself that whatever she is doing it required time and that she will come back when everything will be ready, at least she hoped so. From time to time she had to return to the duties of a Cleric like per example the usual surveillance. She was taken despite her objections to meetings regarding the disappearance of Velvet. She had no idea how she wasn’t recognized, she didn’t think about that at all when she decided to return. Yet even if someone would start asking her questions, a thought that she could know something was rejected. The same day and almost the same hour she was talking with Lucian and despite her being a unicorn, like both of her parents, she couldn’t teleport.
In time nice words which she was repeating to herself began to be insufficient, she was more and more impatient. Almost a month without any message, sign of life. Was she so hopeless that she preferred to just blow her off? That the only thing she could do was killing? She was coming out of the laboratory, Laurie and friends of her were worried because of her unusual behavior, but she refused to talk about this. Anyway, the majority of the students had no idea about Clerics. On the way to her quarters, she began to think about blowing the whistle on Caduka just to make things move forward. However, it looked like it will go without it. She opened the door and saw her in her bedroom sitting on a bed and reading her book as if nothing happened, visibly happy with something.
”Interesting lecture, anyway, nice room you’ve got here.”
She said before Lariska even realized what was happening. From one side all her anger immediately faded out, on the other, she had the right to just be outraged.
”How did you get here?”
”And who was teaching you how to use lockpick?”
”But how did you get here unnoticed? How you knew which quarters are mine?”
Caduka looked the other way.
”Yeah, I suppose there’s not much point anymore in hiding this before you.”
Lariska wasn’t paying attention to that, but before her mentor could have a different hairstyle for each day. She just liked to play with her hair, from mohawks to the braids. Yet, for all that time nothing has changed. Since their first meeting after the years the right side of her hair was luxuriant and combed the way it was completely covering the right part of her face. Meanwhile her left looked like it was just regrowing. Caduka put down the book, stood up and moved the hair, Lariska couldn’t believe, hair was covering a mechanical prosthesis of once healthy eye.
”For… for how long?” Lariska asked.
”Long enough to get over it.” She said sitting down covering back her eye.
”And I understand, that this lets you see through walls?”
”If you can describe this like that, I can turn it on and off. I made it myself ...with little help.”
”Can you tell me how did this happen?”
”No, maybe later, now we have to take care of other things.”
”It’s about time, what took you so long?”
”Gathering information? Waiting for a proper moment? Not getting myself killed? C’mon, I know that it took me a while but I wouldn’t leave you like that ...second time.”
”So I understand that everything is ready?”
”For us to act? Yes, come, I’ll show you something.”
Lariska came closer and she took out of her pocket a brochure on which was drawing of middle-sized palace.
”There is located our first target: Viktor Lafrenière. It is also a reason why I didn’t come earlier. You see, tonight there will be some celebration and I thought that we should start from it, good occasion.”
”What has he done?”
”Supposedly incitement of the higher social classes, but there must be something more. Anyway, that’s not enough. I plan to learn more during this ball.”
”Were you looking in his district?”
”What do you mean?”
”You can sneak, better than anybody else, like you are invisible, sneak in, there must be something.
”I tried, but I think it’s protected too well. But despite that this will be a closed party, I’m sure that part of the district’s staff will be there, and the district itself empty. Then I could look around there. I would join you later when you will be already inside.”
”Alright, and how do you plan to crash us in? I suppose you do not have tickets.”
”There won’t be a problem with me, but you…” She paused and looked at her. ”Do you know that you are really similar to your mother?”
”You suggest…”
”A little bit of makeup and you will be just like her, maybe younger a little ...just don’t tell her said that.” She added with a smile.
”Why I cannot just pretend that I went to a party?”
”Because you are a Cleric, if they will know that you were there and something will happen to Victor, you will immediately be taken for the hearing. And your mother, well… she’s harmless.”
”And you think this will work out?" She asked hesitantly.
”Why not? You both are coldblooded, you will say that your father had to stay because of something. What? You never had to work in disguise?” Lariska shook her head. ”Then chew out your Director and parents from me.”
”Listen, I am not sure.”
”Are you with me or not? I already have everything prepared.”
”But why I cannot just wait outside with musket and shot him down?”
”You can’t, especially after what you’ve done last time. After the shot wound, they will be able to tell that it has been made with this and no other weapon, what leads to you. Anyway, I thought you yourself could learn something from the guests.”
”So I cannot take my musket?”
”You can, but will you dare to use it?” Lariska in silence looked at her weapon. ”Okay, have you ever dyed your hair?”
”Excuse me?”
”If you want to impersonate your mother you need to have the same soft-black hair color, maybe just shorter a little. I’ve already bought a dye, a simple tint, the color should disappear after the first wash, but…" She came behind her and looked at her hair. ”we have to somehow regenerate fast this hay, or the dye won’t soak up well. I’ll see what I can do.”
She quickly ran out of the room to rummage in her fridge and with what she has found she made a protein mask which Lariska had to wear for half of an hour. In the meantime, Caduka herself took a shower. Next, they started to dye her hair. Lariska felt really uncomfortable. Not enough of that she had to pretend she’s her mother which she respected a lot, the whole procedure was an invasion on her personal space. She had to sit still when someone was touching her hair, a horror, and then the next half hour with a dye on the head. Meanwhile, Caduka saw through her wardrobe and she couldn’t believe that she hadn’t a single dress in it. She quickly slipped away and brought her one.
Yet the worst was just before her, after washing off the paint and combing the hair the time for makeup has come. She was never, ever wearing it. Caduka decided that there was no time for a lesson and she put it on herself. Like for the one side, it was a true horror, for the other it was a lot of fun. After a long time of fighting one with another, there was a time for a dress. Caduka pulled it out of a paper yet elegant bag which she brought. It was simple and light, silk, in a color of a dark plum, and with straps, it was making an impression even on Lariska.
”Come off it, how did you even get this.”
”I borrowed, put it on, soon it will start.”
”Listen, I am really not sure if I want to do this.”
”But when you were younger you had no problems with evening dresses.”
”Yes, younger. Anyway, I am more concerned about pretending to be my mother.”
”This much you don’t have to pretend, I said that you are very alike and not only from the look. Lari…” She added at the end, she knew that without self-confidence it won’t work. She came closer patted and said: ”Put it on, look in the mirror and we will see.”
Caduka smiled to her and despite that Lariska didn’t smile back it raised her spirits. She listened and her old mentor turned away so she could in peace put dress on. She came to the mirror and she couldn’t believe, it was hard to tell if she was seeing her or her mother, yet one detail remained.
”Yeah, also this.” She heard behind her.
Caduka gave her a small box divided into two containers.
”What is this?”
”Contact lenses changing the eye color, do you know how to use them?”
She opened a box, looked closely and yes, you could see there two small, concave plates swimming in transparent liquid. She inserted first on left then right eye and blinked a few times.
”Is it good? Nothing pinches?”
”It is good, but it will be hard to get use to it.”
”You won’t have to, it’s only for one night, can you handle it?”
”Yes, easily.”
”Nice.”
”Anyway, why you are not dressing up?”
”I surely won’t infiltrate a district in a dress. When I’ll be done I’ll come up with something. Well, looks like we’ll be just in time for the opening, take your stuff, we’re not getting back here.”
”Where will I leave them?”
”There is a flat not so far away from the palace, the owners went on vacation.”
”You are not talking seriously.”
”Come on, you will just leave your stuff, that’s nothing wrong.”
”Fine...”
After all, she preferred to leave her equipment in someone’s house than in some ruins for some hobo to steal. She prepared everything she thought was necessary and sat next to her when she was ready, but nothing has happened. Looked like Caduka spaced out.
”For what are you waiting for?” She asked her old mentor.
”Nothing actually, well, maybe we should ...stand up.”
"You can put it anywhere, looks like family won’t be coming back any time soon."
Caduka teleported them to the fairly big, neat apartment in a three-flat block. Lariska disposed carefully her stuff on a sofa in the living room. She looked once again at her in the mirror and touched her face. She didn’t know when was the last time Caduka saw her mother, but even though it must have been a long time she very well copied her look on her.
"If you want you can still use the toilet." Mentor said holding a glass of wine.
"What? Are you stealing out of their bar cabinet?" She couldn’t believe what she was seeing.
"Just one glass, cool it ...unless you too want."
"No! Come on!" She was disgusted by her lawlessness.
"I’m not coming on, but" She drank the rest at once. "it’s time to go, move."
They went out into the street. City on its own was looking calm and well maintained, rows of small blocks right next to separate family houses on the sides of wide streets. They walked slowly, one wasn’t really in a hurry and the other still had doubts and busy with thoughts that she could endanger with it her own mother. Yet it really was close, few minutes and they were there. The sunset was approaching. The mansion had a huge plaza with a garden, it looked like that in it the majority of the event would happen. The whole property was surrounded by brick-metal fence, decorative lights were hanging around, they even prepared tables with refreshments and inside like before the gate were standing guards.
"Great, I will not be able to just walk in, so what is your plan?"
"I don’t know, I wanted to ask you the same." She responded facetiously.
"What?"
"You are the one that wants to get in, you should have one."
"Are. You. Kidding?"
"Absolutely not, maybe you will learn something."
"Now you are in a mood to teach me lessons?!" She couldn’t believe.
"Yes, observe, look for occasions, remember that others see less than you think they do."
"It is easy for you to say that, I have no idea how do you do this."
"Honestly, me neither, but for now I will take care of part of the job and when I will be done you will already be inside, understood?"
"But…"
"Not a single but, wait for me, okay?"
Before she even knew how to respond Caduka was gone, just like that. So this is how their cooperation was about to look like? Great. She sighed, 'observe', she could at least start from that, but not from the low ground. She checked the back door of block before property, it was open and she could go up the stairs to the roof.
From it, she had an excellent view on everything outside and within. She began to look around. A lot of guests were already inside, but not all of them. She looked closer at the gate and indeed, the guards were checking entry tickets. She could steal one, but there was a high chance that every single one had a name on it, and then again, she was an awful thief. So if not through then above, you could say that trees on both sides of the fence almost ideally formed the way that you could jump from one to another to get to the balcony on the side of the palace. But doing so she would damage her dress and torn it would make a poor cover. Someone athletic could with no problem climb and jump over the fence, but then someone could see her. Even though a square was huge it was also well lightened. She preferred not to risk and draw attention with something, even if she had no idea how to do it. However, it looked like that behind the estate there was an unloading of some goods, she wanted to take a closer look. She couldn’t go through the roofs so she went down back on the street and when she was passing the group she heard behind her:
"Elise? Elise!"
After the second time she realized that it was addressed to her, she was Elise, Elise Lemoine, her own mother. She turned and saw someone in a suit walking towards her.
"Yes?" She asked trying not to show fear.
"Come on, you do not recognize your brother?"
Yes, in her stories her mother mentioned a few times that she has a brother, yet she still didn’t know his name. Horror of horrors she had to somehow drag it on.
"I am sorry, I am just surprised to see you, we have not seen each other for a long time."
"Honestly, I was not expecting you here, where is Octavian?"
"He had to stay, responsibilities."
"It’s a pity, where are you going anyway? Are not going straight to the party?"
"Well, I wanted to but in all this rush I forgot my entry ticket." 'Even better.' she thought. After she would finally figure out how to get inside, he would have to her even more questions if she would meet him again.
"Then why will you not come with me? You can bring an accompanying person."
"Are you alone?"
"Yes."
"And you do not have anybody who could come with you?"
"Well, no actually, I do not think about having a family. Besides, dealing with all this business is exhausting."
"And you have never thought to do something less ...' exhausting'?
"Sometimes, but as I was writing to you before, I like it. Anyway, I would feel bad just throwing away parents' heritage. So, are you coming with me?"
She nodded and they went towards the gate, the crowd had already thinned a bit and they didn’t have to push through it or even wait in a line. They let them both in, after that she thought that could just leave him, or learn something from him.
"Do you maybe know from what occasion is this party?"
"Victor does not want to reveal too many details, only that it is about some new innovation. He is very secretive in some matters, friends he prefers not to talk about, but usually, he is an open person, yet you know something about secrets, don’t you?"
"I am sorry, I do not want to involve you in this."
"Yes I know, you repeated that a dozen times already."
They walked slowly along the garden, Lariska couldn’t believe that even the brother of her mother is falling for her disguise. She knew that she is similar to her, but she didn’t know that this much. Although, they didn’t see each other for a long time and Caduka did an amazing job.
"Is Lafrenière often doing such parties?" She was keep asking him.
"On such a scale? No, but he shows off very often, you can be sure he will make an entrance."
"He likes to make an impression." She said to herself.
"And he knows how to make it, how is in your library anyway?"
"Calm, it is a library after all. How well do you know Victor in general? I heard rumors that he, how to say it, is not fond of the current ruler. "
"How you say it the 'Sister'? It is not a secret that he had a dispute with her in the past, but about what it was he do not want to tell. However the resentment visibly stayed, he seems to think that everything our country achieved after the unification, it achieved it only thanks to us, the citizens."
"And that she is limiting us?"
"As far as I know, he never said that. We had no chance to meet closer, but yes, you can come to such conclusion."
The longer she was with him the more she was awaiting Caduka, she didn’t know for what exactly she should look for. She was doubting that she will learn something more from his uncle. Every time she wanted to overhear somebody he was talking to her, and furthermore, Victor himself wasn’t to be seen anywhere. Fortunately for her, soon her uncle has been bothered by someone who wanted to chat with him and she could take a breather. She didn’t even say anything, just disappeared before he even had time to introduce 'her'.
Maybe she freed herself just in time, not much later they started to place some metal cannons before front doors of the palace. A tall figure not less elegant than the rest of the crowd and with a fortune of hair gel on the head went to the top of them and tapped his glass to draw attention on him.
"Welcome and thank you to everyone gathered here tonight! Because today is a special day! This evening will be taken the next step in the innovation, in which we will be able to get rid of our personal restrictions..."
Lariska like the rest of the crowd was turned towards him and when he was continuing his speech she heard behind her:
"Don’t you think he is exaggerating a little?"
It was Caduka in the blazer.
"Lafrenière, is that him?"
"Most likely, out of curiosity, how did you get in?"
"My brother… I mean my mother’s let me in as an accompanying person."
Caduka out of sudden started to nervously look around like she has heard a suspicious sound in a dark forest, just to calm down shortly after.
"What has happened?" Lariska didn’t know what to think about that.
"Nothing, I thought that if your uncle is here, your grandparents should be aswell. They were horrible for Elise last time, I don’t think they would be nicer to you, you know, you."
"Why they even should be here?"
"We’re in Vanhoover, my and your mother’s hometown, haven’t I mentioned?"
"No, it looks like you slipped your mind!" She said trying not to shout.
"Fine, but you won’t be so lucky every time."
"And how did you got here?"
"I jumped over the fence. Anyway, lamp repair will cost them a bit."
At that moment, when Victor interrupted his speech the night sky has glowed with a hundred colors and explosions, everyone including him was looking at it.
"So about this was it all about? The fireworks?"
"Apparently, but notice that it’s not the gunpowder which isn’t known here much anyway, but magic. However, no one is casting spells. He wants to slowly share and introduce inventions to the common citizens, getting them used to it hoping that Sister won’t notice before it will be too late. This right here is supposed to be just a demonstration."
"It seems pretty bold, have you found about it in the district?"
"Yeah, that’s why guards are so rigorous, for someone outside this can look for a show of few talented magicians."
In the meantime, as they talked the show has ended and the crowd started to cheer, Victor himself went down the stairs and began to chat with his guests. Lariska started to walk towards him but she has been stopped.
"Wait, what are you doing?"
"He is in the crowd now, careless, if we want to eliminate him we should do it now."
"And what? Even if we manage to escape, have you forgotten who you are? Do you want to set your mother up?"
Of course, she didn’t want, she admitted that she got a bit carried away.
"You just had to dress me up as her, so what do you want to do?"
"Back then I was thinking that it isn’t such a bad idea." She realized that it was rather stupid. "In about half an hour after the show ends, he is supposed to meet with someone in his office room. He sure will be there first. Let’s wait for him there."
They jumped off a tree on the balcony, like Lariska suspected no one saw them but branches damaged her dress a little, but if she didn’t have to deal with the elite it wasn’t bothering her. Caduka immediately started to rummage at the door.
"Can not you just teleport us inside?"
"Yeah, teleport here, teleport there, if it only was so simple and easy."
"So why you will not just open the lock with magic? I thought you know it well, my mother told me about your school."
"In time you can forget anything, also magic won’t solve your every problem. Changing the subject, are you not sorry that you just ditched your brother like that?"
"He is not my brother."
"But he thought that you are his sister. Anyway, think what you want about him, I think it’s good that you finally met him."
"Why?"
"There’s no point telling you this if you don’t see it."
She stood up and pushed the door. They were inside, good for them almost all guards were placed outside or on the ground floor and they could move through the wide, marble corridor quite freely. Thanks to her mechanical eye they found his office room without any troubles and when they got inside all they had to do was waiting.
Victor didn’t want to leave his guests, but he had to prepare for a talk with Garbardini. He was aware that what he did a few minutes ago was terribly controversial even though he had permission not only of his but also other directors. Nevertheless, he was proud of himself and he had hoped they will allow him to take the next step. He climbed the stairs and went straight to his office, he didn’t even have time to close the door and he felt a cold steel in his chest. He fell on the floor, but not dead yet, to see faces of his executors.
"W-why?" He asked distraught.
"You wanted to spread the technology to the common citizens, you even arranged a show as a form of advertisement, have you completely lost your mind?" Lariska said.
"I just wanted to help." He was trying to lean against the wall.
"Help who, how?" Caduka asked. "By exposure or by putting civilians in danger? Haven’t you heard what has happened in the capital? Half of the street destroyed. Not even mentioning the defamation of the Sister’s name. "
"Sister, pff, I wanted everyone to be equal, regardless of race or place of birth, is it that bad? It was my vision like you have your own. But I wasn’t killing others just because I was not agreeing with someone and don’t tell me that our differences define us, bloody Sayeh. Anyway, know that I wouldn’t have done anything like that if I wouldn’t get permission first, because I reckon with others. And slander of Sister? Honestly, I don’t have anything to her, but if it was supposed to help I added here and there a word or two."
After these words, he looked once again on one then the other, then nodded and fell down on the floor, his eyes were already empty.
"Your intentions might have been good, but that doesn’t make them right." Caduka whispered.
She was standing for a moment above the corpse till Lariska pat her, yet when they turned around she herself glanced one last time at the body.
Caduka took them back to the apartment they temporarily 'rented' to take their stuff. Lariska with relief could take off contact lenses, dress, wash off makeup, be herself. She dressed up, checked if she left everything the way as it was when she came there and wanted to give her mentor a sign that she is ready. She found her sitting on the double bed in the bedroom, still in a blazer, lost in thoughts. She hadn’t idea what was the matter, but the thing was although Caduka herself was once a Cleric, she was a Cleric of a different sort. She has never seen before someone being killed. As it was all over, it started to leave a mark on her.
"Sorry, I’m just tired, it was a long night." She said after she has shaken off. "Listen, maybe we will stay here? I don’t have any more energy for anything, especially to think about another place where we could rest."
"Are you sure? Are they not going to find us?"
"I doubt it, I think we can stay here unless you have something against it."
Actually, she had, she felt that sleeping in someone’s bed wasn’t right, but she herself was tired.
"Fine, since we are going to abuse hospitality anyway, I will make some supper."
"No thanks, I got stuffed at the buffet."
She probably just said that to irritate her.
In the morning Caduka was surprised with hot breakfast and she fell asleep just like she was lying, fully dressed hoping that one of them is wrong. Lariska woke her so she would finally scramble out of bed and go to the dining room (there was no way she would bring hTer breakfast to the bed). She made pancakes with syrup and butter, not much, but for Caduka more than enough.
"And you were picking on me that I was drinking wine out of their bar."
"Since you were already sleeping in their bed anyway, let’s sit."
"And where you were sleeping?"
"On the couch."
"Well, you know, there was enough space for you as well, I think." This fact made her sad a little.
"Not after you smashed up on the whole bed."
Caduka snorted with laughter.
"Better tell me who is our next target." Lariska demanded.
"Yes," She said with already full mouth. "wait."
When she came back she brought a newspaper and threw it on the table.
"Things in this city are not going well. Riots are being provoked and some are successfully making sure that nobody undesirable by them will find out about the situation, and what’s going on? The city is being isolated, trade is sabotaged, the citizens are starving and what happens to get delivered is incredibly expensive, and they are making sure that Sister is blamed for all of this. However, responsible for this is Azure Cloud and whatever she is trying to accomplish chaos is her way to go. I didn’t say anything about it to Sister, she would immediately intervene, but she wouldn’t be able to catch her and she would only scare her away. Anyway, at this moment she’s probably seen there as a tyrant."
"Are you afraid that she would do something to them?"
"And do you think why she’s still trying to tolerate you? She wouldn’t want to harm her subjects under any circumstances, only that ...she can be forced to do so." She said and they finished the meal in silence.
The town was looking worse than Caduka remembered it. It wasn’t too big. Small blocks and houses were making an impression of neglected or just abandoned. The ubiquitous fog and clouded sky definitely took care of that and winding, asymmetric streets were indicating that the town was expanding fast yet unevenly. Furthermore, there was also a square marketplace, it definitely was far away from being abandoned. She and Lariska were observing a crowd before the town hall, the food was distributed to the starving citizens and no one was asking from where they’ve taken it.
"Pff, Azure is making herself a hero of incoming revolution even though because of her the town is preying on itself, disgusting."
"I do not see her."
"Me neither, but she must be close."
"Let’s get down, maybe civilians will know something."
Lariska left for her interactions with strangers. The majority of inhabitants were gaunt and you almost could feel a misery from them, they both were rather standing out of the crowd. Everyone Caduka asked didn’t know where Azure could’ve been. However, most of them responded positively when they heard her name. She finally gave up, but when she was coming back someone grabbed her sleeve. She turned and saw a teenager, he looked way more starved than the rest of the citizens.
"Be careful, you might draw someone’s attention with your sniffing."
He pointed her a group of individuals in violet coats who were shady-looking.
"Thanks, I guess, who are you?"
"You can call me Relay, what do you and your friend want from Azure? You’re not from here."
"We want to help you, who are they?"
"Civic guard, but they can be worse than so-called 'criminals', they appeared not so long after the town has been isolated. Find that other and come, the crowd will soon disperse."
"Do you know where we can find her?"
"Yeah."
They quickly found each other and followed a youngster. For almost all way they were whispering between each other yet he was hearing them anyway. Lariska finally shut it down after she has got in response „For me, he is not much younger than you.”
The town was full of tight alleys, more or less narrow, so much that they eventually stopped realizing that they were in one. Shortly, when they were going through one, both ways were covered by groups of kids around the same age as Relay. Lariska once she noticed that immediately pulled out her musket and aimed at him. Before she took a shot, Caduka shouting for her not to do it pushed her and crimson projectile hit the wall, the atmosphere froze.
"What the hell was that?" Relay asked uncovering his head.
"Azure’s minions have similar weapon, they must be with her!" Large boy called Stemhead pointed at them.
"No wait, we’re here to stop her." Caduka said in their defense.
"Stop? The only person who gets food for us so we won’t starve to death?" The red hair was covering half of Sundance’s face.
"You’re talkin’ like she’s not behind all of this." Cut in Stemhead.
"Who knows? Even if then what? Without her, we will stay only with self-proclaimed guard, big lady in the palace doesn’t give a shit about us." Sundance gave a piece of her mind.
"Yes, she’s the one blocking the trading, I’m Caduka and this is Lariska."
"And can we trust you? This other one got some sinister eyes." Stated Relay, Lariska wanted to say the same about him.
"Not mentioning that she already tried to kill you." Sundance said.
"Don’t you think that if they were with her they would not ask the citizens? Or just go straight to the guards." Asked rhetorically Brisk, his tall figure was standing out from the rest.
" Well…" Quiet voice mumbled between them.
"Are you going to help us or are you standing on our way?!" Lariska shouted, everyone went silent.
"Lari…" Caduka murmured.
"No, she’s right, this town had enough, if there is an occasion to at least take revenge on Azure, I’ll take it." Relay declared to everyone.
"But then what?" Few rolled their eyes thinking that Sundance just couldn’t shut up.
"Then 'Lady in a palace' as you defined it will clean up this mess, first we have to make sure that Azure will take responsibility for her actions." Caduka responded.
"So revenge on her is more important than us?" Contended Brisk.
"Stakes are higher than you can imagine." Now Lariska’s mentor rolled her eyes as a response to her dramatization.
"Higher than life?" Asked boy with blue eyes, Frost used to not talk too much.
"No, listen, we have our part to play and others have their own. Will you help us now?"
You could feel a begging note in last Caduka’s words, kids looked at each other, some with more some with less conviction.
"I just hope you won’t be worse plague than her."
Relay nodded and roughly fifteen figures scattered out. Caduka and Lariska at the beginning didn’t know this, but few of them were following them from above.
They keep followed him through the winding streets taking care to stay as far as possible from the Violetcoats, yet still, they had an occasion to witness how hard they could abuse their privileges towards the inhabitants. The longer they were walking, the town was more and more making an impression of less damaged. Finally, the winding and tight alleys were replaced by wide sidewalks and decorative blocks. Although there too you could feel poverty, lawlessness, and hunger. And even though lampposts were on they barely could break through fog and dust.
"Are you some kind of association, or maybe just a group of friends?" Asked Caduka out of curiosity.
"In hard times better to stick together."
"Don’t you have any police or anyone who would keep the peace?"
"Some of them threw away uniforms, some joined the Violets, the rest has been killed by them."
"And major?"
"Fuck if I know."
"Your friend said that this Watch have weapon similar to mine." Stated Lariska.
"Only those with higher rank, not this rabble on the streets."
"It would mean that Azure called them."
"It would explain a lot." He mumbled.
They reached the destination, Relay pointed them a huge building seemingly not standing out of the rest in that part of the town, maybe outside that it looked more neatly. Pointed roof, two floors and the ground one, also some guards were wandering around, not all of them had violet colors on them.
"Here she resides, not hard to guess anyway, I don’t know how do you plan to get inside, but good luck. When you will be done and want something more have this address."
He gave them a small card and after that, he waved quick goodbye and departed. After he disappeared behind the corner they went closer to the building.
"So what do you see?" She asked her mate with a mechanical eye.
"The ground floor is full of guards, but others probably not."
"Any entry?"
"Windows, you can pry them, too bad guards are not standing only by two of them. Teleportation is too risky, you know, there can be protective spells or just noise itself can…" She interrupted once she got sight from Lariska saying 'You talk too much'.
They immediately went to the building. Making sure nobody was seeing them Lariska took a dagger to pry open the window. Around they couldn’t see anybody, yet you still could hear a lively conversation. Corridor itself was shining through with brown color, but at least it wasn’t stinking rot. The stairs were nearby and on the floor only one door was closed, and undoubtedly it was the door to Velvet’s room.
"Wait, there’s nobody inside." Said Caduka squinting eyes.
"What?"
Lariska quickly opened the door, indeed, nobody was there, only a desk, bed with curtains, wardrobe, and other old fashioned furniture.
"Turd lied to us." Lariska said angrily.
"No, it is her room, we just missed her."
"What now? Do we wait?"
"No, we don’t even know if she will come back anytime soon. Come, maybe something here will hint us where could she go."
They were searching in wardrobes, notes, taking care not to make too much noise nor turn everything upside down, Azure was making the impression of being a goody-two-shoes. Caduka was checking from time to time if someone was coming, but she has finally found something.
"Lari, can you?"
"Do you have something?"
"Yes, look, a list of bribed, intimidated, or just killed traders. The second one, of the officers of the Violetcoats ...the orders, everything in her writing, even with signatures this and there, if the citizens see it, she will be done for good.
"Supposing they would not jump to her throat, what do you want to do with this?"
"Spread of course, when she loses her support she will be an easier target, we will show this to Relay, he will know how."
"Good, take us from here."
"Good, come."
Unmoved by anything she hid the papers to the pocket, opened the door and walked down the stairs with a malicious smirk. Since they had what they needed and there was nothing that would indicate the presence of counterspells she knew that Lariska rather had something different in mind.
Caduka knocked on the wooden door, every window in the building was closed and covered and even though it had a small terrace before it didn’t have on it even a bench. She knocked once more, yet there was still no answer, at least for a moment. Just after a curtain in the window has waved they heard a sound of locks being unlatched and when the door opened they saw inside Relay. He was surprised a bit by their view, just a bit.
"Took you fast enough, come in."
They found themselves in the former from appearance restaurant, the tables and chairs were still on their place. The room once filled with guests was nothing but empty, although on a standing hanger there still was a hat someone has forgot.
"What is this place?" Caduka asked.
"Tearoom of my parents, or rather what is left from it, we sometimes come here."
"And where are they now? Your parents."
"Never better." He said dryly.
He led them to the back room which was arranged fairly cozy, all lumber was hidden, except the kettle and few blankets, but rather not for them. He sat in the armchair and they were pointed a sofa.
"So?"
"She wasn’t there, but we found this, you maybe want to look at it." Caduka responded, then she pulled out the papers and put on the table, he took them and began to read. "Do you know maybe how to spread this?
He stood up, reading he was walking around the room, finally, he scratched his head and said.
"I somehow knew yet…" He looked at them and asked: "Why?"
Caduka couldn’t find the proper words, so Lariska answered for her.
"Idea, stupid idea, we do not know exactly which."
"That’s why everyone must see it, do you maybe know the way?" Caduka inquired.
"Yes, I know a printer, if he agrees tomorrow will be about it in every newspaper."
"The one who is writing all this rubbish?"
"Yes, this one."
"We are going with you." Lariska declared.
"No, you did enough, I will go alone, stay here if you want, I will come back soon."
"But…"
"I trusted you, now let yourselves trust me."
She looked at Caduka who nodded her head as a sign that they would better listen to him. After he came out of the back door Caduka put the kettle on and asked if she maybe wants tea or coffee. She herself craved for second, but Lariska for none. She started to wonder if the printer would even want to cooperate. This and other questions were going through her head, Caduka knew what she had in it, but she also knew that it is better to leave her alone than 'provoke'.
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.
She felt a nudge which woke her up. She rubbed and opened her eyes, it was Caduka, she seemed a little worried. It was still early, the sun just went beyond the horizon.
"I didn’t want to wake you up, but you have to come to yourself soon, Relay and the rest are done delivering newspapers, he should come soon."
Lariska sat on the edge of the sofa.
"What now?" She asked with half-conscious tone.
"The citizens are rising and they will probably come for her, I don’t know what they will do but looks like they gained on temerity. Possible that our intervention will be necessary, wake up."
She rubbed her eyes again and stood up. She was glad that finally something has moved and soon they will be able to go to the next target. In the next room, Caduka was preparing her for breakfast what she has got from Relay’s family. When Lariska came in she told her to sit at the table.
"Modestly a bit, but there’s nothing more, sorry, I promise that once we are done here I will take you somewhere where we can eat decently."
She gave her poor-looking soup with a slice of bread, then she pulled out her mechanical horn which after a while started to glow violet to warm up it.
"Thank you ...and you do not need to."
"Yet I feel guilty that I force you to starvation and sleeping in such places."
"You did not force me to anything."
"But you won’t say that you would like to be here, just because."
She didn’t want. She started eating, it wasn’t tasting too good but she wasn’t picky. Caduka asked where she was last night but she couldn’t tell, except that everywhere. Nonetheless, when she asked her what she was doing for the rest of the day just to be polite, Caduka already had in her head the precise description of everything she remembered from that day spent with Relay. She wasn’t even in half when he walked to the room and Lariska was finishing her meal.
"How it went?" Caduka asked once he passed the doorstep.
"They captured her, few Violetcoats joined the crowd, the rest was probably defending her but she had nowhere to run. It looks like she ordered them to retreat and she freely gave herself up, they put her in the arrest." He responded.
"What? She is alive?" Lariska stood up.
"Yes, a slight majority was for it to spare her, they were convinced by that she can tell what she has done with food."
"Were there any victims?"
"No, they weren’t using their machines."
"We have to go." Lariska said.
"What? But why?" Caduka was confused.
"They will free her and they will do it soon, we have to get rid of her."
She put on her tailcoat, took her musket and was ready to go out.
"Lari wait! Azure’s done, she’s not a threat anymore. Tomorrow Sister will come, you don’t have to do this."
"They will free her by tomorrow, that is why she ordered them to retreat."
"Listen…"
"No, ones like her do not give up like that, if Sister wants her to be stopped she must be killed."
"I agree with her, the city can starve one more day, but Azure must pay for what has done to all of us." Relay added.
Caduka looked at him, then back at Lariska.
"So... I won’t be able to convince you?"
"Yes, we got a task."
"Fine, I ...you will find me."
"Are you not coming?"
"No, you will find her." Said Caduka lowering down her eyes.
After the last reconnaissance, she knew exactly where to go. She was standing before the building in which they were holding Azure Cloud. It was only an arrest in which the jailed ones were waiting for the trial or transposition to the real prison. Just the day before it was full of civilians who allegedly were 'stealing the food', or in other usually fabricated way were in bad odor with Violetcoats, but then only Azure was there. Those who were guarding her had an absolute prohibition to let anybody in, in case if somebody wanted to free her or kill. They were supposedly usual citizens, but someone had to, there was no police and everyone wearing anything violet was an enemy.
Four guards were wandering in front of Azure’s cell, they were clearly getting impatient. Lariska held the misericord from which the blood of its previous victim was still dripping, she had to do it fast. One, although she didn’t know his magic abilities could teleport away or just use magic to inform who he needed to. She sneaked and waited in hiding for a proper moment. Once all four turned back to her she jumped down on his throat noiselessly covering a distance between them. Before the other three realized what is happening she managed to stick the dagger in the neck of the second one. The third one wanted to catch her but she dodged and stabbed under his chin. The fourth one was too terrified to take any action, but she didn’t care and impaled him to the wall. It was too easy, with all certainty these were just casual civilians. Whatever, on the hook nearby were hanging keys and soon the iron door was no longer closed.
Azure was sitting on a wooden bench opposite the door. She had chains on her ankles, there was no windows in the cell, mattress was lying on the floor together with water cup which she couldn’t reach anyway and on top of that, there were feathers everywhere. Although she let herself be captured she still had bruises all over her body, even her silver hair was partly torn off, but she was calm. Not because she was waiting for the rescue. She was calm because she knew what she did and she could take the consequences of that. When she heard the lock being opened she raised her head.
"I did not expect that they will send precisely you, and so early." Said Azure with enthusiasm when she saw Lariska. She didn’t respond. First, without a hurry she took chains off her ankles, then she turned back to shut down the door. Azure at first was confounded, but she fast realized what was going on and then she asked calmly. "So it was you who set the citizens on me?"
"I showed them the truth and they did what they thought was right."
"And they didn’t meet your expectations so you decided to get rid of me personally?"
Lariska said nothing.
"If you want to kill me anyway, will you tell me at least from whose order?"
"How do you know I am not alone? I have my duty and you broke the rules, Azure, on a huge scale, do you know…"
"I know exactly what I did, if the temporary hunger has to open their eyes then so be it. But tell me, these rules, are to protect Sister before us? Or us before her?"
"They… they are to protect everyone."
"Really? Without me, the absolute lawlessness will take over the town. Maybe at first they will seek an agreement between each other, to drag it on I told them what I did with food, but it will end. Because of you my friend, soon, without a common enemy, someone to blame, they will turn against each other, craving for blood." She added to last words a perfidious note.
"Because you gave them a reason! If not you they would still live in peace, anyway, the Sister will take care of them."
"How do you know? To this time she did not bother to do anything, unless ...she ordered you to do this." She looked at her being glad that she managed to see through her. "Well, I am sorry that it has to end this way."
"I wish it was the end." She said with a heavy heart.
Lariska pulled out her musket and aimed it between her eyes. Azure looked straight into her iris and slowly pushed the gun baller towards her heart, after which she closed her eyes and then straightened up. For that, she wasn’t ready, but she couldn’t do anything anymore.
Caduka was sitting curled up on a roof before the townhall slurping a bottle of wine which she probably has stolen. The day fast became cloudy, light rain was dropping on her nose and she started to feel cold, but she didn’t care about that. There was almost empty down below, stray souls not knowing what to do with themselves were passing each other again and again. One of them could wonder what was this grey figure on the roof, only that they couldn’t see her. You could look just at the place where she was sitting and he wouldn’t see a thing. It was so because she wanted to be alone, not that she was invisible, but she knew that there’s something more to it than just 'she knew how to sneak'. She finished last drops from the bottle and put it down, but she had one more. Yeah, Elise was always repeating her that if she won’t be careful she will fall into alcoholism, and after her longer complaining, she listened, partly. But she had a strong head, what could possibly happen? ...this time.
She had no idea how much time has passed when Lariska sat down next to her. She looked at her with a half–sober smile and returned to the previous position. Lariska immediately noticed two bottles next to her, she didn’t know how to behave. She knew that she had a weakness for alcohol, but for the first time she was seeing her in such state. Yet to her surprise she was quite calm, unlike others. Nah, she was even calmer than usual.
"Lari," Caduka didn’t know how to begin. "why are you so cruel?"
"I… is it about Azure?"
"No, no about her, about you, you didn’t have to kill her, weren’t you taught forbearance? Maybe it’s my fault, but I never killed anybody, your father prefers to work behind the desk… I wonder what could have affected this that now you can just take lives without batting an eye."
'Maybe not so quite without a batting.' thought Lariska. There’s a huge difference between pulling a trigger from a distance and looking at someone you know when he’s taking his last breath.
"But you see what she has done here, someone had to stop her."
"And we did it, even if she would escape tomorrow she would be wanted in the whole kingdom, she wouldn’t make any more harm." She sniffed.
"We have got a task..."
"I know, sorry, let’s leave it." She got befuddled for a while, Sister wanted to just stop, her not necessarily kill, but she felt that further conversation on this topic, especially in her state had no point. Yet, the next Lariska’s question surprised her.
"And what has happened to Velvet?
"She’s ...with family."
"Sister let her go?
"Looks like yes, in the end, she gave her a choice. She could or return to the district and her duties or she would provide funds for her and her family to start a new life, including a new identity. But she didn’t want to run, she preferred to just return and announce her resignation." She sniffled again.
"For how long have you been sitting here? You are all wet." Lariska started to be a little worried.
"A bit."
"Then maybe let’s get out of this rain."
Caduka stood up casually and stretched her old legs a few times almost falling over during it. She looked at the distance and asked:
"Has Relay told you something when he walked you out?"
"He did not walk me out, I knew where to go."
"Well, maybe you’re right, there’s nothing left here for us, anyway ...I promised you something."
End of part two: Illusion.
It was a late night, Lariska was standing on a roof before the massive, multistory building belonging to Eol Fielding. He was a distant descendant of one of the six kingdom founders, so-called 'Hurricane', but rather not from a straight line. Eol himself wasn’t belonging to any district although he was on the list as well. The building itself was centuries-old, yet in very good condition, his family had money for regular renovations.
"Almost a castle, isn’t it." Said Caduka coming to her, despite that Lariska gave her some time to sober out she still was feeling a little unsound. "Do you see this wide, round window at the top? It is his room, he allegedly likes to burn the midnight oil."
"They like to look at everyone from above, I understand that teleporting us inside is not an option."
"Nope, protective spells in the whole building, even if we managed to do it they would know we’re here, but I’ve got something." She waved a bunch of keys. "We will enter through the back door. "
"From where have you got it?"
"I filched, come."
After dealing with the gate they went to the back door, sadly the keys weren’t signed so checking one by one was the only option. The lock finally gave up and then they had to find the stairs, the room was at the very top and they were at the bottom. Within were dominating colors of light blue and white with golden ornaments in the shape of feathers. The rooms were spacious with a high ceiling, furniture was decorated and carpet successfully was drowning their steps. On the ground floor, they didn’t meet anyone, although you still could hear a noise coming out of the kitchen.
The second floor was very different, the spacious rooms were replaced by a narrow hallway with doors on both sides. Also, there appeared various paintings showing the more important members of the family or just ordinary landscapes. Stairs leading to the last floor were on the other side, there were noises coming from behind some doors, but not counting that one time they had to hide behind a corner when someone was passing by they didn’t encounter any obstacles to go through. Lariska already wanted to 'get rid of' the obstacle but he was proposed to just wait instead.
The corridor on the third floor wasn’t too big, actually, it was just one antechamber with three doors. These in the middle were the heaviest and they had before them short stairs. Caduka immediately came to them and gave Lariska a sign for her to be ready. She pressed the handle expecting the doors to be open but they weren’t, she pulled out keys and none of them even fitted to the lock. She groaned with weariness and tried the lockpick. She managed to open the lock noiselessly, then she pressed the handle and when Lariska pulled out her musket she opened the door.
Only that nobody was inside. The room was huge, filled with bookshelves and cabinets by the walls. At the end of it, before the wide window, there was a desk with a leather armchair and next to it one more door leading to the sleeping room. All of this was covered in darkness, they quickly went to the next door, but nobody was there either.
"Of course." Lariska said irritated.
"Come off it, I’m sorry, I thought he wasn’t going anywhere today."
"So?"
"I guess we’re searching for clues, stay here, maybe better if I look somewhere else for something."
If it was the best option she didn’t have much choice. She turned on the flashlight and fast looked through the sleeping room to check if he didn’t leave any letter for family or staff. She checked closet, cabinets, even under the pillows if there was something, unfortunately no. Then she went again to the main room, she didn’t turn on the upper light to don’t draw somebody’s attention. She walked to the desk to check it’s drawers, in the first, there was only some junk. In the second lots of papers without any value to her and in the third ...bottle of champagne. She closed the last drawer and turned on the desk lamp, there was some correspondence on it which was better to check out. After she put down the stack of bills the first thing she saw was already opened a little stale letter from Velvet. That she can only assent a usual bank loan, with an emphasis on 'the loan' since Eol does not belong to any district. 'Even though she understands his motives'? Even more questions and looks like everyone wants to get rid of Sister, great. Under that, there were letters from the cook and charlady, nothing interesting. Then she saw a message from Azure Cloud.
'With all respect. Through force, we can a lot, but we will not unite the nation with this, at most enslave it and that none of us wants. I insist to be patient, otherwise, we alone will have to take care of you.'
'But better for them to die in misery' went through her head. Next, her eye caught a message from the so-called Garbardini, but it wasn’t opened so she left it for then, but she probably saw this name on the Velvet’s list. Suddenly she heard steps, she couldn’t be sure who it was so she fast turned off the lamp and hid in the sleeping room. Through the crack under the door, she noticed that this someone turned on the upper light, so it wasn’t Caduka. She opened them a little and she saw a tall man figure. He was standing back to her and reading something, but his shape and part of the face which she was seeing was telling her that it had to be Eol. He wasn’t seeing her, perfect. She could quietly go behind him and eliminate him.
She did a few steps towards him and was just about to sink the blade in him when a punch in the jaw knocked her down. He immediately kicked the misericord which she dropped, but she in the meantime grabbed the musket and hit his head with the butt. She wanted to strike a second blow, but he blocked it. Then he grabbed the other end of the musket and with two swift moves snatched it from her. After that, he punched her nose, shoved with musket her throat to increase the distance between them. Next, with wide arc, he knocked her legs away and at the end struck her head with musket’s butt. She wanted to shield herself, but she only partially blocked the blow.
"Cleric’s weapon." He stated with a cold tone after investigating the musket when she was trying to get off the floor. 'Who sent you?' He asked, but Lariska couldn’t say a word, even if she wanted to.
She looked at him, it wasn’t Eol, he was much younger although he was looking similar. He asked 'Who' once again almost yelling. Irritated by her silence he took a swing and hit her back like he wanted to split with an ax a piece of wood.
"I was telling this old fool that he should shut up, but no." He was talking more to himself than to her. "Fine." He looked at her. Since she didn’t want to answer he turned the musket and put the barrel to her head. Lariska was expecting a shot, yet when she opened her eyes she saw only her weapon falling down on the floor and her tormentor with mouth open wide and her misericord in his nape.
She massaged her larynx and with difficulty got on her legs. Her sight went from the corpse to lying next to it musket and when she bent down to take it she saw her. She was kneeling, keep holding tightly her misericord, all paralyzed, it didn’t even looked like she was breathing and her eye staring at the dead body was full of fright. She couldn’t believe what she has done a moment ago.
"Caduka?"
There was no response, she came closer and sat next to her, this time she tried her real name.
"Sta..."
"Don’t you say it." She interrupted her almost immediately, after which she looked at her. "Fuck, Lari, your face…"
Lariska touched her head, she still felt stunned and the pain was enormous, but just there she realized that she was almost all covered in blood. The blow was strong enough to crack a large piece of her skin, Caduka couldn’t handle it anymore, she burst into tears and hugged her.
"I am sorry! I’m so sorry."
"But for what?"
"I–I couldn’t, I hesitated, I was standing behind him and watching how he was… but I couldn’t do anything!"
"But you did, you broke through and ...you saved me."
"I know, I know..."
She didn’t respond anything anymore, just let her cry her heart out. They were sitting like this till Caduka felt warm liquid dripping on her.
"Shit, Lari, it’s looking worse and worse, wait I had somewhere…" She pulled out a cloth and put it to her head. "I have to get you out of here, hold it and better lie down ...fuck."
She saw with her mechanical eye approaching silhouettes, they surely were worried by the noise coming out of the room. Although they were just on the stairs, they hadn’t much time.
"Lari, go to the window and uncover it."
"What is happening?"
"Just do it, it will be alright." She assured.
Tottering she walked to the wide window and leaned against it still holding a cloth on her head. She was feeling that it was getting worse with her. She moved the curtain and saw the view of a thousand flickering lights of the night city, but everything hurt her too much for her to feast her eyes with it. When she turned she saw Caduka running straight at her, she didn’t even have time to refuse when she bumped into her and they fell through the shattered window.
They were falling for a moment, but instead of landing on the sidewalk they found themselves on a wooden floor in a small apartment. Caduka wasn’t wasting time, she dragged Lariska on the bed, and washed her head from blood. In the meantime, she lost consciousness so Caduka could peacefully close the wound with stitches. Fortunately, it didn’t look like there was any serious dent or hematoma. In the end, she rubbed the wound with medicinal oil and bandaged it.
Sadly when she was done Lariska still didn’t wake up. She checked her pulse and then for the safety she put her in a safe position. In panic, she began to walk back and forth applying her the various medications she had. She was doing all of this with tears in eyes but without single sob and when she didn’t know what more she could do she wrapped some ice in a cloth, sat next to the bed, and put the bundle to the wound. It was a bit odd she thought, she was seeing her not so long ago in a similar state and then she was absolutely calm. Well, then Lariska was just under a pile of debris, she didn’t have to stitch anything. Also, she didn’t have to watch as someone was about to kill her and that she herself ...it was horrible, but if she had to she would do this again.
Lariska regained consciousness about one and a half-hour after she has lost it. She still was feeling nauseous and at the top of that, she was all shaking. She was in some apartment. It was dark, composed of a few small rooms without doors, all windows were covered and it wasn’t looking too neat. She saw a sitting person leaning on the edge of the bed, she was probably sleeping. She poked her. Caduka raised her head, blinked few times and smiled when she saw that her friend has woke up.
"How are you?" Asked Caduka with a sleepy voice.
"I got chills." She responded quietly.
"But you don’t feel any pressure in head?"
"No."
"That’s good, do you remember something?"
"Sure this guy, who was that?"
"Notus, Eol’s son and don’t worry, you got hit really hard, small amnesia is normal."
"And we still don’t know where Eol can be?"
"No, sorry."
Lariska turned her head and pondered for a moment.
"I think Notus was a Cleric, he immediately recognized my musket. So we at least know from who Eol knows about this, unless he himself ordered him to join. With the rest, do not think about it, even my father sometimes makes a mistake. So what now?"
Caduka stood up and responded with a playful tone.
"You lie. Until your head will be in working order you have to move as little as possible."
"What? Every hour counts!" Her words suddenly brought back her energy.
"And in your current condition even turning your head too fast can end up badly. I will cure you as fast as I can, sadly I don’t know much about healing magic, only on medicine. Sister undoubtedly could fix your head in two seconds, but I already can see how you’re gagging to it, which reminded me…"
She for a moment went out of the room and returned with a cup and green bottle.
"Have, your skull is fine, but maybe cracked a little, it should fasten the healing."
Lariska took the cup with the liquid and took a sip, it was so bitter she winced.
"How do you even know medicine so well?" She still was feeling that taste on her tongue.
"I don’t, but one time you cut really hard, the next you break something and the other you will be left without an eye. Anyway, there’s written on it that it helps repair cracked or even broken bones. "
"I still do not understand why I have to lie here, I am fine."
"You’re so fine that soon you will barf, I will tie you to this bed if I will have to."
"And will you at least tell me what is this place?"
"This here? Well, my house, but I don’t use it often ...lately. I don’t know, it was the first thing that came to my mind."
"And ...this will be the place you will come back to once we are done?"
"No, I think I… might finally stop running away." She tried to smile but she couldn’t.
Lariska didn’t respond, just closed her eyes and lied back down. Caduka turned back and went to the kitchen, she had to drink.
She didn’t want to do this. She preferred to stay home, she preferred to watch over Lariska so she wouldn’t do anything stupid, but she also preferred to end this as fast as possible. In the city in which was Eol’s estate, there was also a district, if Notus supposedly was a Cleric he maybe was there and left something worth attention. She knew where the district was, it even was marked with glyphs so it was easier to find, she didn’t have to look for long.
After all, it felt nice to again go there where you shouldn’t. Alone, without any orders and necessity to take lives. Only to snoop around, steal something, feel this adrenaline rush.
One of the entrances was in the library. Getting into it wasn’t a big deal, it was a middle of the night, less than a minute with a lock pick and she was inside. Within it literally everything was in shape of a rectangle, the room was humongous and arranged in rows bookshelves were so huge you needed a ladder to get to the higher shelves. But she wasn’t there for the books, there must have been some passage and she wasn’t disappointed. She suspected that not in every service room there was a hidden door.
That district really looked like some school. The passage led her to the hall. There was a message board, door to the staff room and corridors at both sides led to the classes. It was lacking only metal cabinets, she didn’t even know where to start. She doubted that Notus was renting a room there if he had not so far away a flat of his dad, but on the other side, she thought: 'Why not?'. The quarters were on the right behind the classes. She turned off the flashlight, it still was dark but her mechanical eye let her move around somehow. Like she suspected, the rooms were totally empty, the majority of them, only in two someone was sleeping, but she wasn’t going to these. Furthermore, the door to the one-room was ajar a bit and the lights inside were on, someone still was awake. She came closer, from the inside there was coming a quiet music, it was the radio and the melody was ...not sad, maybe a little, but nice. Caduka charmed sat at the door, but a person inside wasn’t seeing her. She was sitting like that for a while leaning against the wall, she wasn’t thinking anything. She was completely calm, like the melody on which she focused. It was a little weird for her, long ago she liked music a lot, but she didn’t even remember the last time she played something for herself. Then she heard a sob which pulled her out of the trance, it was silent, discontinuous like the person inside was trying to repress it. Caduka was keeping ear to the ground, but she wasn’t hearing anything anymore. Maybe she could’ve come in and ask what has happened, but after all, she was an intruder, unfamiliar. Anyway, maybe that person wanted to be left alone, she was just about to knock the door, but no, she had her own worries and she would probably only make things worse.
Not thinking about what has happened she went straight to the headmaster’s office. If she had to start from something she should have from it and it was ...extraordinary. The colors of the emerald and dark gold were dominating, a little bit of bronze. There was a lot of lumber but neatly arranged on shelves or on the cabinets. The first thing that drew her attention were small vials in the glass cabinet. They weren’t signed, but they were different in shape and color of liquids in them, some of them even weren’t corked. She took one and sniffed, the liquid was odorless. She put it back, she already knew that you shouldn’t mess with unknown liquids. Director should’ve in the drawers file folders with teachers, scientists and Clerics documents. She has found them, they were segregated for these three groups arranged in alphabetical order. She didn’t even check in scientist and teacher folders, in students she didn’t found anything, so it looked like Notus indeed was a cleric. She opened the drawer, there were only three folders and the name she was looking for was on the top, she opened it.
"Talented in many areas cleric.." She was reading skipping every few words, it wasn’t very interesting to her. "...he’s avoiding any contacts with the majority of the personnel ...impulsive, which is probably caused by the change of environment after he has been assigned here after closing the district to which he was attending to an over month ago.” Over a month, was it possible that… "...Estremoz was seeing great potential in him, it would be a pity to waste it.”
Of course, could fucking mister E. finally die for good? She felt like she was persecuted by this name, but it would explain Notus abilities and it looked like the whole personnel was sent to the other districts. Only to let the disease spread out, great.
She still hadn’t what she was looking for. She still could rummage in the classrooms, for some reason Eol was on the list, not his son and someone had to know where was he. There was nothing more in the folder. Looking around she thought that the decorations of that room were reminding her of someone. On the desk, there was a nameplate. She took it out of curiosity and read it, her hair immediately stood on end: 'Serqet'. She quickly left the room, she shouldn’t have been there. Serqet, no matter the Cleric or Director could be dangerous and well, to put it mildly, they weren’t getting along. She preferred no to think what happens if she saws her just wandering around her district. The worst thing was, she was the only person known to her who could saw her when ...well, others couldn’t. Also, she could disappear like that herself if she would find her she would be a goner.
She returned to the hall, but someone already was at the door. Although she couldn’t have the certainty already through her head went the whole dictionary of curses. She hid behind the corner, there had to be another way out. She pulled out the horn, she could try to teleport away, but she was afraid that spells will prevent this and she will only turn on alarm. Or maybe she already did since somebody already came, anyway, she still hadn’t any clue about Eol. She sneaked to the next corridor. More classes, more doors, but at the very end, there was one more. They were closed, 'fuck' went through her head. She at once pulled out the lockpick and opened the antiqued lock with masterful speed and just in time, she was hearing the steps behind her.
The corridor was still going on but this time you could see only one door at the very end. They were opened and behind them, Caduka saw a small sports hall. It was noticeably older than the rest of the rooms, some equipment like training puppets stayed. On the left, there were locker rooms, benches and some metal lockers and it looked like somebody was using it not so long ago. Almost all lockers were ajar, except two of them. In first there was nothing, but in the other, she found a card, actually an invitation to that year's Summer Sun Celebration and in addition sent by Eol himself. Then she saw that someone was coming.
Her breath quickened, she began to nervously look around until she saw a tunnel. She wanted to immediately get to it and run as noiselessly as possible, but she only banged her nose against the wall. It seemed like it was impossible, she was seeing this tunnel with her mechanical eye, but before her, there was only a wall. Although, her healthy eye was seeing in the darkness something else, carved on the wall small glyphs. She turned back and saw before her dark figure with a flashlight. She froze, Serqet probably won't even let her say a word. Then, glyphs on the wall slightly shone and blurred in the air, just like the part of the wall which was covering the hole, she almost fell to it but seeing that she wasn’t even questioning just ran to it right away.
She returned to the home as soon as she realized that she was not in danger anymore. The stone tunnel led her to the sewers and from it on the street, but under the influence of panic, she ran through a few more alleys before she teleported. Her heart still was pounding like a jackhammer, but it was all over. She sat on the floor and took a deep breath. She had that, a clue, she looked over the invitation one more time and smiled, nothing even exploded.
After she decided that she won’t find anything more, she thanked and dismissed the Cleric who called her and went to her office. She had to search one folder, but she didn’t go to the drawers by the wall, just right away to her desk. She had there hidden one more folder with files, or rather their copy. She opened it and saw before her eyes a profile of Lariska Lemoine, but she was interested in something different, namely in her files of eliminations. It wasn’t too big what shouldn’t be surprising because of her young age and she knew for what she was looking for.
She pulled out a crossed-out page with a red 'X', so she remembered well. This person is dead or at least should be. Have Lariska didn’t fulfill her obligations? It was possible that she was just being paranoid, but she had no idea who else could with such ease pick a lock. Besides, these doors which she sealed, only those long aboard called Sayeh could open them, like her. She knew few more Sayeh but was almost sure it was that one. She looked at the clock, it was about to dawn, Octavian already returned from the capital, she should know something or his fiancee.
Caduka was cleaning with a hanky her mechanical eye when on the table fell a rolled letter for which she was waiting for. She put her eye on its place, broke the seal and opened it. She was reading only to get it over with, but when she reached the end she at once stood up and ran to the bed on which Lariska was sleeping. She kneeled and took the horn. She was reading, again and again, hoping she won’t make things worse and when she decided that she’s ready she put the tool to her head. The horn glowed a little, the bloodstains decreased, but nothing more. She stood up, she wasn’t expecting a big effect, but something was happening, it was enough, she should take a nap herself.
She woke up a few hours later and immediately went to see how was Lariska. She was still sleeping, but on the bandages, there was almost no blood. She came closer and started as gently as she could take the dressing off her head. When she wanted to tilt her head, Lariska opened her eyes and her pupils immediately went towards her, Caduka jumped out of her skin.
"What are you doing?" She was lying still and her eyes were staring at her.
"I just wanted to see how’s your scar, I didn’t want to wake you."
She sighed and sat on the edge of the bed, Caduka right next to her and began to unfold the bandage. On its inner side, there still was some blood but dried, and when she took off the last layer she saw the scar covered in clotted blood. She winced despite that she already saw many times open wounds. Then she quickly went off for a moment to come back with a wet towel. She washed with it wound’s area and next she pulled out a medical kit hidden under the bed to apply her a new dressing, much smaller.
"So?" Lariska asked when she was done.
"It looks ...good."
"And you were saying that I will have to lie for a few days."
"And it would be best for you, but it’s healing nicely." At the end she patted gently the wounded spot, she was pleasantly surprised by the effect of the spell.
"How long then?
"Now actually, but there’s still a small risk, though I have something that will cheer you up."
She pulled out of a pocket and gave her an invitation to the Summer Sun Celebration.
"And he will be there?" She asked after reading.
"Possible that he’s already there, but the celebration will take place in few days, we have some time."
"Do you know if someone from the list was contacting Eol?"
"One actually, Atilius. He has a warehouse in which they were or are about to meet, why?"
"If we have so much time we can use it."
There Caduka was at an impasse, from the one side she was afraid that too big exertion can end up tragically for Lariska and from the other ...doesn't matter.
"You just can’t sit on your ass," She said with resignation. "but for your own good let’s wait till tomorrow, please."
Lariska in answer to her mentor’s pleading face only rolled her eyes, but she agreed.
Although the sun was still high on the sky the nightfall was slowly approaching. The weary citizens returned from their jobs to homes and families, only a few shops were still open and the youth was still roaming around alleys. Lariska put on her tail-coat, fastened her belts and took her musket, she had her instruments, she was ready. The day passed her slowly, she knew that Caduka was caring about her, but sometimes she was if not overprotective then just annoying. She was insisting for her to do nothing but lie in the bed, but at least she let her eat at the table and took a shower. There was one mirror in the bathroom, covered like all windows. Like Caduka was ashamed to look at herself. She took the sheet off and looked at her, she had everything in place.
"Tell me," She started, Caduka was right behind her. "do you even know what Atilius did?"
"Velvet said that he’s working on bioprosthesis, you know, mechanical limbs you control with mind."
"It doesn’t sound so bad."
"Not really, but you’re not really interested what Eol did."
"I recognize Atilius, he is a scientist, a good one. Eol does not belong to any district if his death will help us, then so be it."
"Well, there’s one thing, but it’s hard for me to explain this and even understand. I found a mention that if the prosthesis is controlled with brain maybe it could affect it."
"When you said it like that it sounds much worse."
"But I don’t have certainty, we can find out what’s really going on and then I’ll leave the choice to you, are you ready?"
Lariska turned and grabbed her sleeve, they looked at each other and one blink of an eye later they were gone.
They found themselves on a metal, long balcony on the top of the brick building. Lariska immediately grabbed her head and grunted in pain, Caduka asked what was going on, but the pain was already fading away and she said that nothing. She looked at her with worry and walked to the metal door trying to not make a noise on a metal surface. When the pain passed Lariska looked around and recognized that they were in the same metropolis from which they kidnapped Velvet. Although in that part of the city the buildings were smaller and older, and she couldn’t see a living soul around.
"Lari, will you help me with this door?" Asked Caduka poring before the metal barrier.
"You can not open them?"
"Not really, I want you to try."
"Seriously!?" She asked annoyed, she knew that she didn’t even touch that door, Caduka pulled out her lockpick before her face and responded with a smile.
"Yes."
She took her the lockpick from her and walked to the door. How it was? One part to the bottom trying to rotate it and the other lifting the pin tumblers until they get stuck. Easier to say than done, it was broad daylight, what happens if someone see her? Caduka would open in less than a minute and they would be already inside, but she will be fighting with it for half of an hour. „What was she even thinking?” she thought to herself.
"Fine, give it before you break it." She said after two minutes of Lariska’s torment. She took the lockpick and after a few moments, the door was open. "Not so bad, you left me only two tumblers."
Lariska didn’t want to argue, she passed her and pressed the handle. Behind the door, there was a brick corridor which led to the rooms intended for various uses, stairs and main storage, but in it there was nothing.
"So what are we going to do?" She asked her mentor.
"Find something for the one or other?" She started to walk towards the door on the side. "I don’t know, if they have here someplace of secret meetings maybe it’s worth to look around. Come, there must be something here, otherwise why they just won’t go to their houses or district."
"Wait." Lariska interrupted and turned her head, she was hearing something.
"There’s no time, com…"
"Shh!" She silenced her covering her mouth. Then she noiselessly went in the other direction. Caduka having less sensitive hearing had no idea what’s she doing, but she followed her. She led her to the main storehouse. It was full of wooden, cardboard or sometimes metal chests arranged in rows. They were standing on another metal balcony which was extending around the walls of the entire interior with bridges crossing the air over the piles of goods. Although they couldn’t see a living soul, some lights were turned on. Lariska looked down below, behind the wall of chests someone was talking, two male voices arguing with each other.
"...but from who else would she know?"
"I have no idea, but like you said, she does know, we have to go soon."
„It is Atilius” Lariska whispered.
"Soon? So you still hope that he will come?"
"He’s late, but let’s wait a little longer."
"Even if, are you sure you want to show him this? Serqet said that he will bring upon us nothing but misfortune."
"Serqet likes to put nose in not her business"
Then they heard upcoming steps.
"And yes, I am," – He waited a little with his answer and then he turned to the approaching character. "What news do you bring, Cincia?"
"For his own safety I escorted Eol, he is waiting for you."
"To the district? Has something happened?"
"Guards and troops, they are rallying, but for what reason is unknown to me."
"Well, inform the director about this obviously, nothing left here for us as well, let’s go."
They began to hear the receding steps and after a while, from behind the chests, three figures appeared.
"Military in this city? Do you think that Sister wants to attack the district?" Lariska asked, at that moment Caduka realized one serious fact.
"She doesn’t know, I didn’t send her a letter." She was back then too distracted by Lariska’s condition.
"And what does that mean?"
Caduka turned around like she expected something to happen, yet it was quiet, dark, with one word calmly.
"Nothing, come, following them can be dangerous, but I know other entrances to district."
In that moment behind the warehouse’s gate resounded loud bang, everyone froze and looked in its direction. Atilius using the magic at once with once swift move threw massive, wooden crates to barricade the gate and that stopped the second attempt to break down the gate. In the meantime of the third, Cincia threw napalm grenade on the crates to give cause a fire and give them some more time. During the fourth which was seeming to hit with the double force of all previous ones they were already running away, but the bang has shaken the whole building and the wave made it impossible for a moment to keep balance. The gate like the chests flew in all directions spreading the fire. Lariska helped Caduka to stand up, but once she saw Atilius is fleeing she ran after him, Caduka wanted to stop her, but she wasn’t already hearing her. Caduka looked in the gate’s direction, she barely could see helmets of soldiers from within the smoke and fire. She was looking for Sister and tell her to stop this madness, but she wasn’t seeing her, Lariska too was out of reach, yet she had hoped to stop her before she would again do something dumb.
Once she saw that Atilius and the rest were fleeing she abandoned Caduka and ran on the closest bridge. She had from it a perfect view. She wasn’t caring anymore that they will know that she did it. If Sister wanted his death so badly then so be it. She took her musket, but she didn’t even have time to aim and she felt below her a blow which caused the bridge to collapse. Someone was casting spells at her. She caught the railing and began to fall with the bridge. When she was low enough she jumped on the crates, stood up and immediately ran after Atilius. Only for a moment, she turned to see that the soldiers already dealt with the fire at the entrance and they are heading deep into the warehouse.
She was running as fast as she could on the road made of chests and boxes, her steps were loud but drowned by crackling fire and march of soldiers. Atilius was nearer and nearer, they turned and she had to get to the second row. She climbed the nearby crates so she could reach the next bridge and after a few steps, she jumped down over the railing. Cincia heard her fall, she turned and once she saw her she threw a bomb in her direction which blew up the crates under her. She had no idea who that was, but that usually was enough. Her sinister smirk has been washed away by Atilius who was shouting at her to stop burn everything, but 'What he could know?', she was a Cleric there. Once Lariska got on her legs she began to run again, because of the explosion she had to jump from the collapsing crates on the ground. She was almost at the second end of the building, the walls of boxes were from that side lower. She climbed them, she was just a few meters away from Atilius.
Without hesitation she took a run-up and jumped to Cincia’s throat, she managed to turn around but didn’t have time to react. The second was Atilius, he didn’t even have an idea what has happened. The third person managed to block the stab, but Lariska had the second blade which she stuck in his chest, then she pulled it off and stabbed again, this time his back.
The last body fell on the ground, she wiped the daggers off blood and looked around. She again got carried away and because of that, she had from one side smoke and fire and from other soldiers. She wanted to walk away but something was holding her leg. She turned, it was Atilius, he was holding tight, trying to catch a breath to talk to her.
"I wasn’t expecting this from you." He said calmly. Her eyes started to wander in every direction, it took her a while to tell the next words.
"Me neither."
She jerked his leg so he would let it go, but he only held even harder.
"Wait, I don’t want to die here."
"Apparently, you don’t have a choice." Saying these words made her feel in her chest an almost physical pain.
"No, I will help you to get out of here, but take my body to the district, do not let it end in the flames."
"You do not have hope that I will die here myself?"
"Too small to not ask you for help." He joked.
She took the offer. She helped him to stand on his legs and although they were chased by the flames they were walking slowly. He pointed her a heavy door hidden in the corner, he took the key and opened them. The corridor wasn’t long, brightly lit, with few doors on both sides. Instead of coming to any of them he led her down the stairs to the small rooms with few boxes in it. They walked to the wall. Atilius leaned against it and began to move his mouth like he was whispering, yet she wasn’t hearing anything. When he was done next to him appeared the crack in the wall in the shape of the letter „Y" and three parts opened like gate. He walked inside on his own and after a few steps down the corridor, he stopped and asked Lariska to help him sit down.
"Thanks, here will be good." He panted.
When he was already sitting down she turned back, they left behind them a substantial trail of blood. She then looked into the dark, long corridor.
"You just showed me entrance to your district, are you not afraid?"
"That you will do to them what you did to me? No, you have a purpose in my death, something happened and ...you are trying to fix it."
"I try."
"And what if you succeed?"
She didn’t know how to answer, possible that she still would be a Cleric, but she doubted if they will even let her return.
"No one does evil for the evil itself, think about that, please, but tell me, you didn’t come here with these soldiers?"
"No, I am alone."
He was pleased by this answer, he was tired and it was dark in front of his eyes, and not because of the corridor. The wound wasn’t hurting so much anymore, he thought that maybe he would be able to get out of this, he just needed a little rest. He closed his eyes, he had to take a nap.
Lariska turned to see already lifeless body leaning against the wall. She was standing like that for a while, but she finally pulled out the flashlight and began to walk go down the corridor. After a few steps, the gate behind her closed, leaving her in absolute darkness diffused only by the pale light.
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.
She walked to the room, from its window she had a perfect view on the square. The crowd began to gather, she only had to wait.
Immediately after Caduka’s disappearance, Claudius summoned the rest of his Clerics. Together with Lariska, there were four of them, but not all of them had practice in taking lives. In the meantime Eol wanted to know why Lariska was supposedly so special, he in answer told him about her accurate eye and her musket. How it was draining the magic out of its victims and vastly increased accuracy. When everyone already was there he explained the situation, you could compare this to a little speech. Yet they were more motivated by the very information about the death of three which was in the warehouse during the attack. Two clerics from the other district were also contacted, they both agreed. After all, was done Claudius wanted to take Atilius body to bury it, he went for it with Lariska. She was ready to reveal the truth if she would had to, but once they found it he wasn’t asking any more questions. As they suspected, the other two bodies were burned in flames.
In the capital, Eol had few friends who would help him in both, during and after the successful operation. One of them, probably a Royal guard officer, mentioned that the scene will be covered by five invisible protective fields from five like he called it: 'sources'. They were spread between the groups of patrols, but in which exactly they were he didn’t know. To the six Clerics joined Eol’s partners, it ended up on that they divided into four groups. Both, Eol and either Claudius didn’t take a part in it, hey would only slow them down and they had to do it quietly to do not raise the alarm and fast to do it before climax. Then Sister was about to rise above the crowd together with the morning sun. At that moment she would be most vulnerable and Lariska had to shot her down.
She was trying to set aside all her emotions, especially guilt which was not letting her forget about itself. That’s why she had to do that. She looked out of the window, it was about to start. She set on a position and she finally managed to quiet down, yet one thing still remained.
"Once you were better at sneaking." She said without turning back, Caduka was in the door.
"I didn’t want to sneak, I ...wouldn’t leave you."
"I know, you have a good heart, but understand, someone has to do this."
"And then what? Eol will take the throne? Him?!"
"If he himself will be problematic it will be easier to get rid of him than Sister." She still didn’t want to look at her.
"No, Lari, I don’t know how to say this, but you’re making a mistake."
"Maybe trusting you was a mistake."
"What do you…"
"I know you did not mean bad, but who you were trying to protect? Us or her? And it is not us who have a problem with her, it is she who has a problem with us."
"You I was trying to protect!" Lariska turned, even Caduka herself was shocked by her outburst, but she continued. "I knew that if Sister would do this her way you would rather die than let it happen, don’t you understand? I…" She gulped. "Every damn day I regret that I dragged your mother into this."
Lariska froze for a moment.
"Do you regret the way I am?"
"No, I was never thinking like that."
"And why do you defend her? The Sister?"
"She… saved me," Her words were full of regret. "gave hope, I don’t know how to explain this to you."
"And she used you in her machinations." She returned to her harsh tone.
"Lari, it’s not like this," She began to slowly walk towards her. "she never forced me to do anything. Not that I wanted to take part in this, but I felt that I have to."
"So she was emotionally manipulating both of us? Enough! Too much have died because of her."
"Right Lari and no one have to anymore." She stood in the front of her and leaned on musket which she was holding. "We know what you planned, that’s why as a sign of goodwill she withdrew the sentries, so no one will die. Now it’s up to you to keep it this way."
Lariska ignored everything she said, except the one thing.
"That means she will be without any protection?"
"Lari…"
"Let go."
"No…" She mumbled.
"Let. It. Go!"
Lariska tried to snatch it out of her, but Caduka only grabbed it tighter. She began to yank just to make her get off, but in vain, like she was dragging her around the room. Fighting each other she has finally snapped. On impulse, not thinking much she took the dagger and stabbed Caduka. She screamed in pain and snatched musket from Lariska hitting her head with the butt. When Lariska stood up, she saw her pulling the bloody dagger out of her body and dropping it on the floor. Caduka crouching against the wall then looked at her. She still was holding tightly Lariska's musket, tears started to roll down her cheeks although her eyes were widely open. Lariska was never going to forget that view. She wanted to apologize, explain, but she didn’t managed to shake off, come closer, say a word. Caduka took mechanical horn and teleported away.
She was standing for a moment like someone has stopped time without a warning when what has happened was slowly coming to her. She was feeling nothing but shock. Then she heard a commotion coming from behind the window. She turned, it was the crowd cheering from afar, the sun has risen. At the beginning, she couldn’t believe it. She tried to control herself, but emotions started to be overwhelming as she began to walk back and forth around the room. She finally kneeled, bent down to the floor and screamed. Someone who would watch her could expect her to explode. That because of emotions at any moment her magic will destroy everything in the room. She has opened her tearful eyes, however, nothing has happened. Finally, she has thrown the chair against the wall destroying it into pieces, then a side table. She was demolishing everything what she has found in the room, knocking over wardrobes, hitting the wall, and when there was nothing more to grab she kneeled tired on the floor and took a breather. Enough.
The rooftops in the capital weren’t too great, angled, pointed and on top of that smooth, but you still could find places where you could sit down. The evening was approaching and the sun was about to hide behind the horizon. Lariska was sitting curled watching from above the landscape of the city. Her wrath has passed, grief stayed and even though she still was a little angry, she didn’t know at what. She was sitting like that for a few hours already, with emptiness in the head and storm in the heart. Before she would try to subjugate that storm, but not that time, may it do its job. She didn’t have the heart to return to her district, she didn’t know what happened to the other Clerics, she didn’t care about that. After a while, she saw from afar royal guards marching towards the district, but she didn’t even stand up. Although the duty was calling her, she didn’t want to do anything. With every kill, she believed that she was changing something for better, yet at that time she wasn’t sure of anything.
The warm wind was stroking her hair, voices below were falling silent, the sky turned navy blue and it seemed that nothing was disturbing her. However, in one moment she stood up and turned back. Behind her was standing a thief, the same one which was fighting with Caduka over the casket in the night during which she lost consciousness. His whole outfit was tight, together with the hood which was barely revealing his face, he also had many gadgets pinned to his torso. He wasn’t surprised by her reaction, yet he did a step back as a sign that he didn’t have bad intentions.
"What?" She asked angrily.
"Some woman ordered to give you this." He pulled out a letter.
"So now you are some kind of errand boy?"
"She paid well." He responded in his defense.
She casually took the letter and pulled out the folded paper. It had written on it: 'It is time for you to know.' She couldn’t recognize that penmanship, but she opened it. She saw a page from files of eliminations, her files, the details of the target and the date. She looked at the reason of execution but the place was empty and the whole page crossed out which meant that the target has been killed. She crumpled the paper and was about to throw it away, but she stopped at the last moment, hid it in her pocket, and sat again.
"I think it is stupid," Thief started, he knew what he just gave her, but Lariska didn’t react. "that the closest ones have to execute the sentence."
"I had no idea."
"And why it is so?"
"Long ago there was other, younger Sister, but she had to be banished. It makes you think twice before you do something stupid, or at least it should have."
"Does this work?"
She was silent. He wasn’t bothering her with questions anymore, he just sat next to her, yet far enough to do not irritate her, at least he hoped so. He was a little afraid to come, he wanted to eventually plant her the letter somehow. He thought that she would start to demand answers or even try to kill him, but she just lowered back her sight.
Another hour has passed, at that time there was quite calm in that part of the city, only in the center you could hear feasting citizens. They spent that time in silence, not even glancing at each other. The wind has become cold and thief finally stood up, but before he walked away he saw from far away an approaching orange shape. When it came closer he realized that it was a phoenix flying in their direction, even Lariska raised her head when she heard his squawk. The bird has flown to her and gave her a rolled letter which it held with his claws. She took it and bird sat next to her like it was expecting patting as a reward, to its disappointment in vain. Lariska stood up when she saw a royal seal, she broke it, untied a ribbon and started to read. Once she was done she rolled back the letter and looked at the castle, she knew what she had to do.
End of part three: Chemicals.
The massive doors opened and two guards walked with her to the room. She looked at the snow-white figure with colorful hair sitting on a throne on top of the stairs. The figure nodded to guards as a sign to leave them alone and when they left she began to walk towards her. They weren’t taking their eyes off each other. Finally, the Sister stood in front of her.
"Lariska, yes?" She started harshly, but then her voice became softer. "Let’s take a walk."
They were walking along the long corridor with the high vault, the red carpet was drowning out their steps and the morning sun was shining through the stained glass. The ubiquitous peace was taking a toll on both of them, it seemed to be nearly unnatural due to the last events. Lariska looked around, when she was being escorted to the throne room there were a lot of guards in the castle, like the first time she was within these walls. But then, it was empty, only two of them.
"I didn’t think you would respond, and with such calmness, you probably have various reasons to hate me." Celestia began.
"Despite what I think Caduka somehow had a reason to trust you and apparently, you her."
"So this ultimately convinced you?"
"Yes, did she come back?"
"No, she has not given any sign of life since yesterday, I am starting to getting worried."
Lariska lowered her sight, she immediately noticed that.
"You seem to feel guilty because of that, has something happened?"
Despite that just one day has passed, she was holding it in her long enough. She stopped and lowered her head to gather courage to whisper these words:
"So I have killed her."
Celestia turned, she wasn’t angry, only shocked. After a moment she asked her calmly:
"Can you tell me what has happened back then?" Lariska tried to find words, but she couldn’t say anything. "I understand that she has found you, what was next?"
"She wanted… she wanted to convince me to not kill you, but I didn’t listen. Desperate, she grabbed my musket and started to beg me. We began to fight and ...I stabbed her. I do not know, I wasn’t even thinking about that. Then she snatched my musket out and hit my head doing so. When I got off the floor I saw her looking at me with tears, she grabbed her wound and ...teleported away."
"Do you have this on your head because of that hit?"
"No, someone else did it."She responded indifferently.
"Can I for a moment?"
Even though she asked, she immediately using the spells pulled off the dressing as gently as she could. After that, the wound slightly glowed yellow and began to heal. Lariska touched that place, the skin was smooth, no trace after the wound has remained.
"Are you not angry?"
"No, if she had strength to teleport, from where certainty that she’s dead?"
"I do not feel anything, I cannot find…" She couldn’t finish.
"You were connected? I heard of this spell, really there is nothing?"
Lariska tried one more time to calm down and get to that part but in vain. She has shaken her head slightly, Celestia knew what that meant as well.
"And then? When she was gone?"
"Nothing, I was furious."
"And how do you feel now?"
"I have no idea." She did a pause to find words. "For many years I was angry because she left me, but I could not tell her how glad I really was when she came back."
"Many often regret that they could do something, but their hesitation stole their chance. But I have to tell, you remind me of her when I first saw her, lost, with busted head."
"How long ago it was?"
"Two years ago, early fall."
"So also it was me who got rid of her eye?" She asked rhetorically.
"What do you mean?"
"Just a few hours ago I got to know that yesterday it was not the first time I was trying to kill her."
She pulled out the crumpled paper, Celestia took it and started to read.
"It is before the day they have found her." She said once she read it. "I wanted to see her when I have heard about this. When I was asking for the details they said to me that she has been found on the floor writhing in pain, all covered in her own blood from the eye socket. Her neighbors didn’t know about her existence, but the sound of broken glass and her screams drew their attention. When I finally managed to see with her I saw that not only her body was devastated. She was looking like she was nothing but waiting for death because she couldn’t take her life herself."
"And despite that, she took care of me." She said to herself.
"Do you think that she knew?"
"Sooner or later she had to realize that."
They looked each other in the eyes, then she resumed her step and when she passed Celestia she responded:
"She never said a bad word about you."
"And this is supposed to cheer me up?" Lariska stopped and returned to her harsh tone.
"I just want to tell," She walked to her. "that even if she knew she wasn’t bearing a grudge, she never said a bad word about you."
"You knew each other so well, yet you could not repair her eye." She snorted.
"I only helped your wound to heal up, but no magic will bring back lost organs."
Lariska didn’t respond anything, she felt like she had no right.
"Come, I have to tell you about something." Celestia said.
They went to the next part of the castle. The carpet was gone and it has been replaced by sheets on the ceiling that were connecting in the middle where the golden chandelier was hanging. When the doors behind them closed Celestia started:
"I tell you about this because I prefer you to know about this from me and even though it is difficult for me to find proper words I ask you to listen to me. Namely, yesterday I went to close your district and I plan to do the same with the others. However, in terms of possibilities, peacefully."
"Like peacefully you raided the warehouse in Manehattan?"
"No, I found about it not so long ago, someone impersonating me sent them false orders. Yet right, you quickly taught us to not underestimate you. However, yesterday I was surprised, I can even say pleasantly surprised. Your director went out to see me, he wanted to take all the guilt on himself, but his friends showed up to stand with him. There was also a young girl with them, she had on herself blue colors and light hair. She was asking for you like I was supposed to know where you were, she looked very worried."
"Laurie." She almost whispered.
"I said that I don’t know, honestly, I expected you to be with them. I let her and the others go to anywhere they would consider appropriate, I gave them time to take their personal stuff. They even weren’t trying to smuggle anything 'unsuitable'."
"I am more interested in how do you even know the district’s location."
"I get to know its location a long time ago, but until now, I had no reason to intervene. But you began to go too far, these few days with Caduka could show you that. I appreciate what you two were trying to accomplish, I really do, but I think it is time for me to do it myself."
"None of that would have place if you would just let them do their thing. Why you will not let your kingdom develop?"
"That I could never forbid, but I think that contact of your father’s family for generations with this technology can be the cause of your ailment. Anyway, the magic itself has in it many characteristics, like a person. It affects emotions and emotions can affect it, it can even possess. Machine powered by it could develop its own consciousness and it would be nothing but an unholy imitation of life."
"What if a machine like that would exist?"
They stopped and Celestia looked through the huge window reaching up to the vault.
"I think that such machine in time would evolve and strive for self-improvement. Sooner or later it would turn against its makers and living through the ages in its immortal shell would descend into madness."
Lariska was for a moment analyzing her words.
"In that case, what is protecting you from madness?"
"Purpose, my love for my subjects and hope that I will see my sister again."
"Are you not the one who banished her?"
"No, it wasn’t my sister anymore, no words could reach her. She became the victim of her own hatred. It consumed her, but I would lie if I would say that it happened not because of me."
"But if she has to come back how do you know that time will be different?"
"I know that it will be different, but how it will end…"
Celestia interrupted lowering her sight. Seeing that Lariska noticed it she quickly pulled herself together.
"Sorry." She said abashed.
"What was her name?"
"Luna. You know, despite that she was always trying to keep it professional she was a little rascal. It was her who made sure that our first castle was full of traps."
A small smile played on her lips. Lariska then herself looked from above on a landscape of the city swimming in rays of the morning sun shining through the clouds. She never thought that it could be so beautiful out there.
"With someone to keep company the eternity does not seem so bad." She said.
"Not necessarily eternity, someday even my time will reach the end and somebody else will take care over the citizens of Equestria. But yes, it might be the reason why fate has chosen us."
"Were you ever regretting this?"
"No" She responded with a smile.
Lariska finally had the courage to relax, but despite that she managed to clear her mind for a moment, after a while she again felt bitterness in her heart. There was cold in the room and even though the warm of the day was inviting itself through the window Lariska was feeling one more source of it, from Celestia. She glanced at her, Sister knew exactly who she was and that she could try to kill her. The question if Celestia was either trusting her this much or was so confident was coming itself.
"So what do you want from me?" She asked calmly.
"Nothing, you came to me, opened up, I think I couldn’t ask for more. If you want you can go unless you would like to talk to me about something more."
"You are saying this like I have somewhere to go." She sneered.
Celestia looked at her with eyes full of compassion.
"I am so sorry."
"No, even if you would not close the district I do not know if I could go back there, I can only blame myself."
"You knew that it will be like this, yet you followed Caduka."
"I had my duty, what else can I say?"
Celestia didn’t want her to trouble her any more, yet she had to ask one more question although she knew the answer for it perfectly.
"And if Caduka wouldn’t take your weapon, would you kill me?"
They looked at each other, Lariska first turned back her sight.
"Back then, yes."
"Back then." She repeated to herself. "I don’t want to insist, but since you say that you have nowhere to go I would like to offer you a room, here in the castle."
"What would you expect in return?"
"Nothing, I just want to compensate you for all you had to go through. You will be able to go away anytime, I will also understand if you just refuse."
"You offer me help after I confessed that if I could I would kill you?"
"You would kill me that day, but to this time something has changed. I want to give you some time to figure things out."
Lariska turned and walked away, 'changed'? She didn’t know if for better or worse, she didn’t even have an idea how. Yet Celestia was right about one, if she would now stand at that window with her musket she wouldn’t have shot. But the thought that she was just trying to trick her or lie to her wasn’t giving her a break. She didn’t have any interest to be nice to her, quite opposite, she wanted to get rid of ones like her. Then through her head went words that stopped the racing thoughts: 'She does not lie'.
"Fine, so be it." She said not believing that she just agreed.
"If so… then let me show you the way, before it will come to your head that it might be dungeon to which I want to put you in." She joked, walked to the doors and opened them waiting for Lariska. She smiled back for a moment, but only for a moment and followed after Celestia.
The massive doors opened and two guards walked with her to the room. She looked at the snow-white figure with colorful hair sitting on a throne on top of the stairs. The figure nodded to guards as a sign to leave them alone and when they left she began to walk towards her. They weren’t taking their eyes off each other. Finally, Celestia stood in front of her.
"Lariska, yes?" She started harshly, but then her voice became softer. "Let’s take a walk."
