Cecilia got out of the vault. She was not surprised that waiting for them was Natalya who still wore her suit as if the eyes of the Magi held no interest to them.

Mavin spoke something to Natalya before he entered this vehicle. How they entered Haymouth armed to the teeth made her anxious. She walked to Natalya with a half-squinted glare.

“It seems that no matter what we choose. You two have given this city, no, the whole region of Hith a death sentence.”

She accused Natalya. Natalya showed no reaction.

“Tell me, what did you see in the images shown by the sphere?”

“Would it matter?”

Natalya snorted. She quickly drew something and plucked an invisible orb that came out of Cecilia’s shoulder. Cecilia gaped at the orb with visible anger on her face.

“It baffles me how distracted you are. I guess with him around it’s impossible for you to notice it.”

She took the invisible orb and shattered it. Her eyes flashed for a minute before it vanished from her eyes. “Interesting, it is incomplete but I understand. Now, will you supplement it?”

She had no choice. She told Natalya what she saw. Natalya listened to her words quietly, barely showing her reaction to Cecilia. With a hand on her chin and on her waist, she gave her input.

“I see that it's his plan. It would make sense if he would use the energy gathered here in the basin to create an effect. Hmm, no wonder you were so aggravated when you came out.”

“Do you see what this will do to Haymouth?”

“I do,” she nodded. “It will surely make a mess of things. The land will become barren. The island will become grey. I must admit that there are many reasons that we shouldn’t do this.”

“You’re listening?”

“I am, for now,” Natalya said. “As much as I would like to be a devoted wife. I must also assess what needs to be done. The problem here is that my husband would like to drain the city of Haymouth of the sparks.”

Natalya raised a finger.

“The cost of draining this basin will be anger and perhaps a sudden alliance of the Old Magi. I am confident in our ability to withstand nations and factions, but this action might cost a taint in the reputation of Lazon and the Angelus Company.

“There are also matters such as the death of the innocent. The evacuation of the city and the loss of a populated city. Economy-wise there are no minerals, produce and even resources that would disrupt the market. The coastlines of Hith aren’t particularly well-visited. The ports doesn’t have much traffic and most of the surroundings, here in Haymouth are mostly visited because of tourism.”

Her cold voice rang. Her eyes were still pondering. Cecilia had almost forgotten what she was like. If Minerva didn’t act up, she was sure that she wouldn’t have heard of Natalya for more years to come.

“The Old Magi council is mostly based in this city. They think of this place as a holy ground for Magi circles when in truth this city’s main purpose for the Magi are the books, documents, manuals, and uncovered artifacts. Materials written by Old Magi of the past can be transferred. Of course, most of the affection here in this city is not because of the topography or how prosperous this city is. It’s because of the sentimental value that the Old Magi have for this city. Economically, it isn’t much. Historically, there are things that are worth sparing this city.”

She examined the city’s cost. Cecilia was about to ask when Natalya continued, “The people alone should be worth enough. I am not heartless. But if I have to choose between my people and these people. You know who I would pick, Cecilia.”

That was certain. Cecilia herself knew that her devotion to the protection of Lazon and its people were more fanatical than anyone. It was something that had kept her moving for the past fifty-seven years. Like it was her atonement and purpose.

“The benefits of sacrificing the vitality of one city compared to the safety of the world. If what I am thinking is right and you should too. He plans to rob this place of vitality, make a conjunction with kismet’s artifacts and the sphere of Merez to create a domain that would contain most of the explosion into a different space. The size of the volcano in the homeland of the demikins and the after effects has long been studied.”

“Twenty years isn’t enough.”

“For us, it is a short time. But it is to the studious people of Holmia. Please, I am not ignorant of the changes that the Old Magi wants. Nonetheless, we have already expected that there might be such an event. It made sense. After all, why would the demikins, despite the dangers, cross the lands and brave the waters?

“What threat is so dire for them that they are so willing to die? What threat is so dangerous that they would rather fight the people of the known continents rather than stay in their homes? The changes in the atmosphere, the tectonic plates movements. We all know that SOMETHING is up.”

Cecilia could somewhat guess.

“They want to escape from the explosion. The demikins… they were always sensitive and most of the demikin are known to be subterranean. They would know why.”

Natalya nodded. She behaved as if this was a natural thought. That this was the best outcome.

“Ten thousand meters of built-energy. Do you understand what the damage will be?  I don’t even think that it will be enough. We are facing a natural disaster that no simple man made power could withstand. We are not demigods. Money and violence cannot solve this kind of problem, but at the moment, both can solve the problems that we might face if the Old Magi Circle decides to be in our way.”

Natalya smiled. Cecilia thought to herself how useless it was to try and persuade this woman.

“I like you, Cecilia. So, you’ve to make choices whether you want to go about this peacefully or not. One city against the known continents. Who do you think the world will choose?”

“You two are villains.”

Natalya bowed her head. “I shall see you later, Cecilia. Please rest and think of this thoroughly.”

Natalya left her. Cecilia stood alone with a clenched fist.