Kismet’s Tale

       Cecilia had known Mavin ever since they were kids. It was during his time on that hill and the death of his parents that something changed him so greatly. Throughout the years she had somewhat deduced what that change could be. The restrictions placed on him made her think of it deeply.

“The sphere that he asked for can create a domain. It uses the sparks to create an environment that one could modify for their good advantage. He was now just talking about the volcano, so does he have a plan to contain it? And if he has one of Kismet’s artifacts, then he could make a conjunction effect, create a domain around the area of the explosion, and isolate it,” she thought. “But that would mean that we will also be handling one of our prized artifacts to one of our dangerous enemies.”

Cecilia looked at him, “His vitality is robust. Much more than I had last seen him. If it was like a raging river, then it’s like the seas now,” she eyed Natalya who looked less stiff than usual. “She must have been receiving his graces now and then. No wonder she’s no longer so moody.”

Cecilia snapped her envious thoughts. “Obviously, I can’t just hand over the sphere to him. Although he is asking kindly, I don’t know what he might do.”

The changes in him were strange. Although she felt like she was amiable. She was not so foolish to think that old feelings would linger on. The dead look on his eyes. Fifty-seven years was a long time for them. She was even impressed that Natalya could hold on to those feelings without faltering. While she had done nothing but drown herself in knowledge that she had devoted her entire life to.

If it was any bastard speaking to her. She would have been less friendly. Perhaps because she herself believed in that fear that she was willing to sit down to someone who could rob the sparks from her again. How he did it was irrelevant and even if they did tell her. What can they do? This was the same man who could face an Exiled One. While they had faced a being that took many Magi and Nullers and the help of the new technology to take down, it was only half-exiled, an incomplete fragment and they were almost decimated.

The worst part of it all was this man was being backed by Natalya Wilde. The woman who as an individual herself hid the fact that she could wield the sparks before Minerva found out. Truthfully, her mastery was beyond her years, and even Lient and Egan worried about the idea of Natalya Wilde pressing her influence.

She was someone who had both feet on every facet of society. She was someone who herself had made a faction of her own and commanded one of the world’s leading industries. A word from her could make a nation hungry. She could starve the people of Hith and threaten Withamia without batting an eye.

“No wonder those two scampered away the moment they saw their airship carrier entering the continent. To deal with Natalya alone is truly annoying.”

They could fight it out.

They could be stubborn.

But fighting costs.

In this day and age there was so much at stake when waging a war. There are those who profit from it. Economically they were inferior to Lazon alone. Militarily they were as well. No one wanted to fight Lazon. And only a few were bold enough to try and piss off those who have connections with Natalya Wilde.

It was a headache.

An utter headache to Cecilia despite the amiable face she was wearing. They were not afraid of fighting Lazon if it really comes to it. But they also know that if they do pick a fight with Lazon. It would be a disaster. A devastating war that would decimate at least a few cities. That is if the other countries who are allied with Lazon don't destroy them first.

Handing a powerful artifact was something that was not easy to do. To hand it over would make it seem like they are weak. To not hand it over was dangerous as well. It wouldn’t end well no matter what she does. “Can I somewhat stall them? No, they are far too direct, too bold, and without any hint of subtlety in them. Natalya is used to striding like a Queen, and he himself could find a way to get what he wanted. The worst pairing possible… and now they are looking at me as if waiting for my choice.”

“So?”

“You are asking a lot. That artifact is one of a kind. It is also prized and a well-guarded treasure of the Old Magi Circle. You must think of it from my position. Even if I do want to hand it over, the Magi wouldn’t be pleased by this choice.”

Mavin didn’t speak. Natalya stared at her. The two were overbearing. Cecilia was at least sure that she wasn’t showing any expression other than stone right now. She had to uphold her dignity as one of the Masters of the Old Magi Circle.

“I need the sphere. I can understand that this is an absurd request. That we are somewhat overbearing enough to come here and demand things… it seems that I am not well-liked among the Magi. And I understand why they would dislike me getting an artifact like the sphere.”

“Indeed, I understand where you are coming, Lady Cassowary.”

Natalya sounded like she was amused.

“I know how the ancient magi acts and how they’ll be stubborn about it.”

Cecilia thought that Natalya didn’t care if Mavin acquired the sphere or not. Mavin however had a clear use for it and was asking this, knowing that Natalya would support him. Cecilia knew what to do when faced with such a terrifying request.

“This isn’t a decision that I can make alone.”

Cecilia said. She observed Natalya and Mavin and saw no change in their faces. Cecilia

“I understand.”

His face was neutral.

“It is a prized artifact after all.”

Natalya smiled slightly. “Of course, we did expect that you would stall instead of saying yes or no to us. Be glad that I am not in the mood to pursue this, Cecilia.”

Cecilia found herself flinching internally. The woman hooked her arm around her former fiancé nonchalantly. Cecilia wasn’t such a child that she would be envious of a decade-long agreement that did not come to be.

“Is that all you want? This city welcomes you two. I can arrange for lodgings if you wish me to.”

“I have something that I want other than the sphere.”

Mavin said plainly. He raised a finger. “I want all of kismet’s artifacts.”

“You are insane.”

Cecilia said resolutely. Her face hardened. Her eyes were half-squinted as she looked at Mavin.

“I am perfectly sane.”

“You are asking a lot. If you are saying this purely to muddle my mind. Then forget about it. I’d heard of what you’d done to kismet’s artifacts. I will not hand over such a conduit of power. You’ve asked for the sphere, I can understand that, but now you want another artifact? You think that the Old Magi are pushovers?”

Cecilia found herself unable to hold back. Mavin’s face remained passive. He looked at her calmly without a hint of fear or aggression. Like he was looking at it from a reinforced glass wall.

“I do not intend to make use of my current status. What Lazon has right now is an extensive military and an industry that could feed nations. Our assets are enough to starve these cities to death. One word from Natalya here could drive this continent to the bottom of a cliff.”

“You are speaking like a devil. Are you really willing to make the people here suffer for this want of yours?”

Mavin looked surprised. “You seem to be misunderstanding something, Cecilia,” he called her name. “I am asking you all to kindly hand over the artifacts without trouble because it would cost the lives of others. But if I were to weigh in who I would rather put into trouble. You know what my choice is. Those two artifacts are important to me. Important enough that I would damn this place to hell if I can.”

She could not believe the words coming out of his mouth. He was not talking so kindly. He was directly threatening this city and the Old Magi. They know that she was stalling them. It was clear that she would. She did not expect that the conversation would become like this. She almost wished that they would go back to that silly mood that they had after meeting so long.

“You underestimate us so much. It is insulting.”

“Am I? If you had known how I act then you know that I am not just speaking without proving what I can do. I have done worse things than threaten people. If I was around during the civil war. I would have beheaded Arno myself if I had to.”

Cecilia took a glance at the prosthetic arm that Natalya had. She had heard that he himself cut off her hand. How they could get into such a relationship, maybe it was her father’s fault.

“Do you think speaking ill of the dead would intimidate me?”

“I don’t. Even if it's you I would not hesitate to take the sparks from you if I have to.”

Cecilia leaned back, with her face now slightly distorted. “That’s what I don’t understand, Mavin Tomas. Why would you go this far to say that you want to damn my people? Give me a hint, don’t act like you’re some stubborn tyrant.”

“The restrictions are shameless. They do not take kindly to those who try to speak the truths.”

When he said that she saw a great and overwhelming external force. His deep blue eyes became as empty as a void. It then became like steel that made it clear where he was going.

“Is this related to the volcano in some way?”

“It is.”

“I thought you couldn’t speak of truths?”

“I can’t.”

Cecilia found it irritating. It was unreasonable for anyone to even think of believing someone who threatens like this. Natalya, who was at the side, was holding herself back from making an expression. But Cecilia knew Natalya enough to guess what this woman was thinking. She was amused and supportive of whatever it was that Mavin was speaking.

It reminded her that beyond the affairs of the Magi. This was the woman who had supported the constant prosecution of the demikins. The woman who did not bathe a single eye to the magiborne who she said to have been a bastardization of the HOUNDS of Lazon.

We are not good people, she told herself. 

Cecilia forgot who she was talking to. Or was it because of her fondness that she forgot what he had done in the war? Or how he had introduced one of humanity’s most powerful weapons?

Stop pretending, she said to herself.

But Cecilia wasn’t going to pretend that she was some innocent lass as well. Even though she had become fond of Hith, and Withamia. She had lingering feelings for her homeland.

And so she could only make a choice.

She gritted her teeth.

“Find, I’ll take it to them. But I must insist that you must be patient. Like I said, this isn’t a choice I can easily make on my own.”

Mavin stood up. “Then that’s all I have to say.”

He walked outside of the hall. Natalya remained on her seat, observing Cecilia.

“You would support this?”

“Why not?” Natalya grinned. “Withamia had been rather noisy as of late. You’re interfering with the royal selection that I thought to myself that I might as well take this chance to give those fogies a scare.”

“Are you doing this to get a laugh?”

“Of course not. But I have my own reasons as well. Besides, the artifacts are something that I am eager to get myself. Cecilia, once in a while, I think you should look at the sky with your eyes instead of staying in this clock tower, maybe, you will then understand.”

She followed after.