Kismet’s Tale

      Natalya observed his reaction and hers. This bitc- woman was always so stone, but facing her husband she had quite a delighted smile. Nataly took a look at Mavin and saw that his somber expression slowly turned to ice.

“You’re alive, I see.”

“I am,” she said to him, holding a hand over her lips. The woman could not hide her smile for some reason. Was she making fun of her? Natalya wanted to ask but hold herself back.

“Tell me,” he took a step forward. Mavin made a hand gesture that made his left spark with a terrifying glow.

Cecilia stared at the sparks with a slight fear. She took a step back. “What do you want to know?”

“Were you a magi? Did you have the BLOOM even before?”

“I have.”

“I see.”

Mavin stared at her. “Do you know that a palm from me could cripple what you have right now for ten minutes? Another strike could cripple you for twenty minutes. What would happen?”

“I’d be dying, Mav. My disease would take over and weaken me again. The sparks are the only reason that I’m alive. You almost took my life because of that.”

“Is that so?”

Mavin didn’t relent his stare. Cecilia probably wondered if Mavin would do something. Was he angry at her? Disappointed? But to Natalya it looked like he was just being direct on what he wanted to know.

“That’s the truth.”

Mavin didn’t answer. He walked back to my side and stood still with his off-hand rested on the back of his right hand. He stood like a bodyguard. Natalya took a step forward.

“It looks like my husband is quite grumpy.”

“Husband huh,” she looked at Mavin then back to Natalya. “So are you two married again?”

“Mavin Tomas is legitimately dead. So he is currently Alden De Ziba. Of course, not that the old magi would care about the tradition of the long-lived changing their names once every century.”

Cecilia nodded her head slowly. It was not new for the Old Magi to change their names every lifetime.  It was somewhat tradition actually that they would only speak their true names when they meet with Magi’s who actually know their names. They were rather new to the circle of Magi and the society. Natalya had ages of experiences because of those nightmares, but in this ‘time’ she was a former holder of the Imperator’s Mark.

They were led deep into the circle where the council would discuss. “Pardon me if my fellow masters are not around to welcome you two. They have been busy trying to contain and manage events that are happening within the domicile.”

“Or so I heard. So are you going to participate in the royal selection? You are royal-blooded once, so you have the right.”

“No, royal politics is beyond me now. There are others who still call me a Princess of Athesia, but I like to keep away from such...titles. I wouldn’t want the liberator of the Magnar-Azia people to come at my head in fear of restarting a dead dynasty.”

She took a glance at the two of them.

“I don’t think any royal family would appreciate the appearance of you folks. Considering that your liberation caused so much rebellion.”

The civil war in Magnar-Azia influenced the political sphere. It was like an interconnected storm that made the common class rise up at the sign of oppression, bringing forth an age where aristocrats and the ruling class could only raise the standards of living in fear.

Natalya smiled at her.

“Are you going to avenge your family?”

Mavin watched her reaction. Cecilia calmly replied. “No. My brother, Prince Arno, fought for his own reasons.”

“Nonsense,” Natalya growled at her. “He is the reason why a civil war happened in the first place. It’s because of him that blood was spilled. All of that so his ‘sister’ could live and harvest the organs of my people.”

Natalya’s voice felt righteous. Ever since she became semi-master of the hounds after Aunger. She felt that they were her people as well. A crime against them was a crime against Lazon.

Cecilia received her anger beatifically. “That was a long time ago. Truthfully, it was lady shina who had contracted the disease. It was a good excuse… then again, what’s the point of dealing with the past? I admit that there are sparks in this heart of mine that want to seek justice for my brothers and sisters… but I’ve long abandoned them.”

There was no lies in her face. She truly thinks that. Mavin, who saw her face, shook her head. When Cecilia saw his face, she was lost for a moment, before she looked away and collected herself.

“Of course, you’d abandon them since that’s what you do,” Natalya mocked. “You are a woman who throws people away. That’s what you are.”

Cecilia didn’t answer. She held her hand as if slightly offended by that. She however, in her grace and experience, was able to quickly calm herself. The bitch.

“Perhaps, but I speak to you as Cassowary, and I intend to make this as peaceful.”

“Is that so?”

Natalya found herself drawing in the sparks with her crest. Cecilia drew the sparks to her crest and the two locked eyes while smiling amiably. Mavin stood between with crossed arms. He took a step back, and observed them.

Natalya took a step forward and spoke in a language that she was sure that Mavin wouldn’t know. “I know how you look at him. Oh, don’t even get me started.”

“Perhaps, it's too easy to tell. It’s always nice to see faces you are familiar with.”

“Cecil, I didn’t think you were this kind of woman.”

“Forgive me, It’s hard to contain myself seeing old faces. Especially someone who was going to be my husband.”

“Too bad, you threw him away.”

“I didn’t. He was the one who threw me away and made a hospital for me to cure my disease. For my own sake apparently.”

“I can break you, Cecil. You seem to forget who was at the top.”

They both took a stance. Mavin watched placidly before making a hand gesture which made the sparks in their bodies shiver.

“Enough, there is no point to this.”

He spoke in the language that they were speaking.

“It’s been years already. There is no use talking about it. Let’s talk about the problem in the south of the world.”

The apathy in his voice put a shiver in both of them. They lowered the output of their sparks and calmed themselves down. Natalya gave Cecilia a glance before they sat down.

“I didn’t know you were able to speak this.”

“I had practice,” said Mavin. “You two are close.”

“We have many chances to meet in fifty-seven years. Our history… is complicated and sometimes there are days where I want to break her head off.”

“How barbaric.”

“Says the one who made a mess in Champier. Mavin, do you want to know what happened in Champier, fifteen years ago? This woman rained down hellfire on a garrison with such a petty reason.”

“And you think so highly of yourself.”

“I do not pretend at least.”

Mavin tapped his fingers. “The southernmost part of the world is experiencing a disaster. From what I heard from Stefanie, the alliance made quite a mess of the southernmost area where the demikins are.”

“Who is Stefanie?” Cecilia asked Natalya.

“Aunger’s adopted daughter.”

“Oh, that’s good.”

Natalya snorted at her. Mavin continued.

“And you two should already know that there is a volcano that’s going to explode.”

“And what of it?” Cecilia said. “Mother nature is volatile and to stop it would be futile. Mavin, do you think the Magi’s are so kind as to risk their lives for a volcano?”

“Withamia and Egeneia are close to this. The effect on it will be devastating. I’m not asking the Old Magi to do something about it, but be aware.”

“Ah, so there is something more that you need?”

“Yes, I need something from the Magi.”

“Let’s hear it.”

She leaned forward with her smiling face. Natalya pinched her side which made her flinch and glare at Natalya.

“I need the sphere of merez.”

Cecilia’s face turned serious. The docile and hospitable expression she’d been playing disappeared and the Witch of Withamia appeared before her.

“Tell me why.”

“I need to make a conjunction with sphere of merez and the kismet’s tale.”

“Tell me the reason why.”

“The vow of silence forbids me.”

Mavin tried to explain his reason. But there was a sudden powerful force that constricted Mavin’s throat. Natalya managed to catch a glimpse and saw that it was the same restriction that was cast upon her when she saw that ‘vision’ in the hill.

“Interesting. It’s an external force that is solely different from what we use… I always theorized that like there are many types of energy, the sparks also come in a different way. May I?”

Cecilia reached out and touched him. She focused on running the sparks on him and somehow Natalya could sense something off. Her face, especially ears, became red.

“Mavin, you should keep your regeneration factor down. She continuously lives on by absorbing  sparks, and converting it to life force. Your vitality is beyond what she could handle.”

Mavin observed Cecilia who was holding on to him. “It’s one of my boons that keeps me constantly regenerating. I can dial it down.”

“Please, would you be kind?”

Her face became less red. She focused on sensing that external force. Natalya watched her masterfully run her sparks on Mavin. “Indeed, it looks like there is an external force that keeps you from speaking truths. Mavin Tomas, which God did you provoke?”

She raised her hand.

“Like how there are laws of science, there are also laws for the sparks. There is a tale in the olden times where one of the Grand Magi had peered at the truths. Upon seeing the truths, the Grand Magi became restricted. I have my theory on why you have restrictions. Hmm, perhaps this is also the reason why you have laid such a wonderful foundation for Lazon. I see.”

Cecilia was brilliant and studious. She was part of the Old Magi and stood on top because of that awful brilliance.

“I’m afraid that it is limited and not as wonderful as you might think it is. I need that sphere.”

“You are asking for a lot. That is an artifact that is beyond comprehension… but seeing that you are constricted by truths. I guess you can do something about it. Nonetheless, even I cannot mindlessly decide what to do with such artifacts. Not to mention that you are quite ill-reputed in the eyes of the Old Magi for what you did with the sparks and what you did to Minerva lately.”

“I said what I wanted. I need that sphere.”

It was problematic for Natalya how the Magi feels towards him. He did take the sparks away from them by sealing up the hole in the world. During that time they couldn’t use the sparks. Many of the Old Magi clans were lost. Old Masters of Sparks withered away like flowers after their vitality dried up. Those who had artifacts were able to live on, while some desperately waged war with weapons to live on. There were so many adjustments and reforms that it regressed the Old Magi society to the point that they would actually cooperate with the Nullers to survive.

He was their enemy.

He was their bane.

And he was of the a person that could take the sparks of someone.

And now he was asking for one of their great artifacts and was asking to kindly hand it over after disappearing for fifty-seven years and after recently defeating someone who was instrumental in making the sparks usable for them again.

The Old Magi Society has many reasons to refuse him.