Tales From Aurialis

What does tomorrow Promise? Chapter4

"So, when will Mrs Lumik's class be allowed to go to the Magi 's workshop?"

Catherine, the head of department for the magi worked as if she had not heard the question. Marcus was reserved, he was collecting payment, but he suspected why Catherine had been unusually slow with scheduling the class. In the past she was quick to keep her promises.

"Pardon, Madam Du Villa did you hear me?"

Truth be told Catherine enjoyed seeing Marcus so timid and tame. The original agreement had been allowing the Servs to go to a Magi class for a day, but Marcus thought it would be a good idea to take contraband from the human world. That was not the issue. It was that when questioned about it, he invoked her name. Retrieving the item would be a pittance now. Marcus probably was bored of it already. She needed to subtly make it clear that such things were not to be allowed.

"It seems you had already accepted your payment"

Marcus gave his usual dimwitted smile as a way to buy time. He had done it on an impulse. He realized now, not for the first time that acting on impulse probably was not a good idea. He had always wanted one. Growing up in the human world but here he could not even ride it in public.

"If I were to give it to you, could we go back to the previous agreement?"

"And why would I accept contraband? You may have enjoyed your visit from the Inquisitors, but I would prefer to avoid them." Catherine could have looked up from her desk, the work was not important, but she needed to emphasis the difference in power so the dolt before her could understand the situation. He could have met with him sooner but decided it better to make

"well what would you have me do?"

Marcus already had his heart set on allowing Lyra to teach her class in such a grand workshop. In retrospect her smile was probably worth more than a bike he held some childish fantasy of riding.

Typical Marcus Bernard, Catherine did not know him personally, but she knew his type. Empty headed but full of spirit.

"would you give me your soul?" She prodded him, making Marcus doubt how much he really wanted this.

Marcus almost shouted of course hoping to catch her bluff but the sinister look in his eyes made him reconsider.

"If that is how it is, I do not think you want it that badly"

"Give me something reasonable. How about this I will owe you a favour." Marcus protested. In the back of his mind he partly realized he was being unreasonable. If the Magi found out the servs were using their labs there would be hell to pay. If there was careless an investigation into where the bike came from would lead to all involved parties being executed. Marcus did not care because he wanted both and had to have both.

Catherine stopped moving through the papers and books. Doing it any further would have become cartoonish.

"Very well, Bring me the bike. Then we can talk" Dealing favors was a fool's game. Allegiances were quickly forgotten once people got what they wanted. That being said, Marcus while not powerful was certainly a versatile tool to have. The bike should provide ample leverage should she ever need him, and the bike was would most certainly remain undiscovered if she held onto it.

-Some days later-

"Alright everyone lineup and be quiet" Lyra was very excited to be taking her class to the Magi workshop. She would never have considered asking Du Villa to let them cross. Such a thing was unheard of and would surely not sit well with the Magi. Marcus had been able to convince her by saying he would take the blame and claimed to have snuck them into the lab.