42 Cider (1/2)
”So how does this work?” Nikolai asked, spinning an uncut gem on his table. The light warped around it, creating an eerie halo, like something inside wanted to consume reality itself. Which, in a way was true. Transferring the warp-lich from the pair of velvet gloves had been an ordeal, taking dozens of containment and restriction spells, whose after effects still lingered in his laboratory. Magic was a means to defy the natural order after all and spells that created instantaneous effects warped the world for only a moment. Balls of fire or blasts of lightning were natural phenomena, maybe not to the scale a true Master Mage could invoke, but they had their corollaries in the real world. Dealing with souls on the other hand broke the bounds of reality, creating weak spots in the fabric of existence that made it harder to cast more spells. It also let Demons come through if a Mage forgot to prepare their spells to shore up the damage they caused.
Magic was serious business.
”Would you stop spinning that cursed thing?!” Natalia raised her cane and Nikolai flinched, quickly leaving the gem alone. ”It's bad enough you keep creatures like that locked away. Why you want to keep it near you baffles me. I can feel its evil from here.”
”The missive I received from the Avarian Embassy in the Capital stated their carrier would arrive today to pick it up. I hate this thing as much as you do but the quicker I give it away the better.”
Natalia snorted, rolling her eyes at his explanation. With a grunt she hobbled out of her wheelchair and circled the semi-conscious woman restrained in a chair. Pulled from her incarceration in the guards chambers this, was the merchant arrested for carrying cases of Stardust in plain sight on the streets of Konstanz. She'd thrown a fit, raging about the injustice and horrible conditions she faced, which was patently absurd. A Demidov no matter how distantly related, couldn't be thrown into a prison without drawing the ire of the entire House, which meant she was locked up in a well furnished chamber and served food far exceeding the quality most guardsmen received. Her ranting had brought down Natalia's fury and Nikolai had been forced to lay a silencing spell on the merchant before his Great Aunt by marriage, almost marriage, whacked her with a cane.
”So how does it work?” Nikolai asked again.
”Not much to say. As long as someone speaks I can tell if they're telling the truth. There's a… resonance when people tell the truth and a distorted vibration when someone lies. It's like listening to a piece of music and hearing misplaced notes.” The old woman's brows were furrowed with effort as she struggled to explain her senses and she returned to her wheelchair, sighing in relief once she was off her feet.
”Music isn't one of the things I understand very well.” Nikolai muttered and Natalia cackled at the remark.
”No you wouldn't be. That's not your style. It's not just about listening though. The words people say affect all my senses. To me, when my Eyes are open, I see blue when I hear the truth and red when someone lies.”
”I would love to study the effect someday. But how do you explain that strange compulsion to be truthful around you?”
”Ah. Well if someone wants to lie they'd still be able to. as long as I don't apply all my abilities. But in my presence people try to… it's difficult to explain. It's like a person becomes exhausted of their lies and only wants to speak the truth. I'm not actually forcing them to do anything.”
”The world hates lies.” Nikolai whispered, mind spinning with old memories. Startled, Natalia glanced up at him and nodded.
”Yes. That actually makes sense. The world itself wants the truth. Wise words boy. I may have misjudged you.”
”While I would love to take credit, it's something my Master told me during his lectures.” Nikolai's lips quirked at thoughts of the old man. He had to find a way to deliver the wedding invitation to him somehow although his presence could be disastrous. Once the man was drunk, which was almost always, his mouth refused to shut.
”A wise man.” Natalia remarked. ”Now undo whatever it is you've done to this girl.”
”I don't think she'll respond to you.” Nonetheless, with a chant and a flick of his wrist, the silencing spell came undone, and he nodded at Natalia.
”So girl, what's your name?”
”How dare you speak to me hag! Don't you know who I am?” Freed of the magical restriction, the merchant screeched once more and Nikolai plugged his ears. The woman had the most grating voice, scratching at his mind in the worst way possible.
”No. That's why I'm asking.” Natalia didn't seem fazed by the insults but there was a fire raging in her eyes and Nikolai's leg twitched in memory of the old woman's violent responses. He had a horrifying premonition that Natalia's suppressed anger would be directed towards him. He seemed to draw most of her ire these days. Not that he was free from blame, constantly getting into arguments, whether it was during his research into the Emperor's blood or just conflicts in their attitudes.
”Remember this hag. You're in the glorious presence of Baroness Anita Koroshek Demidov.” The merchant declared proudly. Natalia's tepid response invoked the woman's fury and Nikolai could tell she was about to launch into a tirade.
”You should be aware you are speaking to Duchess Natalia Suzdal.” Nikolai said drily. ”Grand Duke Suzdal's sister, in case you didn't know.”
Anita froze, terror dawning in her eyes at his words. People who relied on their lineage wilted in the face of someone with 'greater blood'.
”So girl. What were you doing with all that Stardust?” Natalia crooned, eyes fixed on the terrified merchant like a bird of prey.
”I-I-I was moving it for a friend.”
”You were in possession of an outlawed substance Baroness.” Nikolai pretended to read the information from a sheet of paper. ”Almost a hundred pounds!” Even now the amount shocked him. It didn't seem possible for that much Stardust to even exist. The stuff was notoriously difficult to manufacture, and you only needed a pinch to experience the effects. The merchant carried enough to distribute to the entire town.
”It really was for a friend. All I had to do was carry a case out of town. I didn't even know what was inside.”
”You knew what was inside.” Natalia declared, mouth twisting in distaste at the lie.
”No. No I didn't.” The merchant struggled in her seat, trying to break free.
Light dimmed as Natalia opened her Eyes, fixing the unfortunate prisoner with a powerful glare, sapping her of resistance. Anita's eyes opened wide and her mouth fell in a silent scream. Flashes of terrified light flickered through her expression and she writhed against her bonds, struggling until cuts formed at her restrained wrists. Whatever she'd seen left her broken, slumped within her restraints and Nikolai was shocked by how similar this was proceeding to his own interrogations, with less magic and subterfuge though.
”You knew what was inside.” Natalia repeated, eyes fixed on the woman.
”Yes.” She whispered, still shivering in terror.
”Who gave it to you?”