Repercussions

Amidst everyone's abated breath, without any warning the floating shadow figure that was carrying the city ending calamity in her hands, abruptly collapsed. It crumbled along with the Artefact replica in her hands, and soon dissolved into nothing. All of it happened within a few seconds, not giving anyone time to react at all. 

"What happened?"

If not for almost all of the strongest Soothsayer of the capital, along with Alex and Mark, standing there huddled together like spooked chickens. One would have thought everything that happened right now wasn't real but some kind of twisted hallucination. 

"The Artefact! It collapsed… Look! "

Someone's words brought everyone's attention back to the source of all of this chaos, the red glowing artefact in the corpse of the Aukhy Auburn that was now losing its accumulated energy to the surroundings slowly. 

'Crack'

Just before their eyes, it finally dimmed and then a loud sound of glass cracking came from the corpse making everyone feel dumbfounded at the back to back unexpected turn of events. 

First they were scared shitless from descending calamity, then after hearing words of the Shadow Master they calmed their heart down and encouraged themselves to combat it head on, when once again the situation drastically changed with sudden collapse of the Artefact. 

All of them were feeling uncomfortable, like they had finally pumped themselves up to fight a terrifying monster who next instant turned out to be just a harmless prank. 

Their emotions could not keep up with the rollercoaster change of situations, such that only when the Owl Shadow Master approached the corpse did they wake up from this stupefaction. 

Shadow Master carefully searched the dried up corpse, which appeared to have its vitality along with blood and flesh sucked out by something. There in his now dried up palm, held a round mirror which was now sporting a large Crack in its middle, giving no impression of it being a terrifying artefact once. 

"It's shattered. I can think of only two possibilities right now: Either whatever it was trying to conjure was not something it could replicate with its level, so it just broke. Or because drying up of its energy supply with the corpse running out of vitality might have halted the conjuring process of this mirror. 

Sudden break in the process of conjuring, may have led to enormous backlash, leading to shattering of this mirror."

. 

. 

. 

There was silence for a few seconds in the area, as everyone was coming to terms with the situation now explained by the Shadow Master. 

"Hahaha..so the mystery is solved. Pardon me friends, I think the rest of the matter you can handle. Let me see myself out. Good bye… "

With swoosh, an individual vanished which began the process of departure of the high level figures who after seeing problem solved escaped from there, one after another. 

To them, such a risky incident was quite a common occurrence in their long lives,thus they weren't fazed for more than a few seconds by it. It didn't have that long lasting effect on them as compared to others. 

On the other hand, it was Youngsters like Alex and Mark who were more prone to feel the lingering effect of such a close call. Mark was still fine, as contradicting it was, he was having yet another close shave with the same artefact so he wasn't that disturbed by another near death experience or at least he appeared this way to others.

Alex, was most shocked out of them with the closest encounter and basically having been the primary target of the incident. He failed to stop the Artefact from activating in time and he was also the only one present here who was rendered unconscious by initial attack of the Artefact, however brief it was. 

A sudden hand grabbed the shoulder of Alex, who nearly jumped in fright as he looked back to see dried red eyes peeking from behind the owl mask. 

"Don't think too much. Go take a rest in the headquarters of the Shadow guards. Someone would be there to lead you to your room.

I think you will be soon called for questioning, you should grab as much as rest you can before that happens. Go, I will take care of rest."

Alex retreated silently with still a bewildered expression on his face. Though unknown to all, he was least bothered by the trauma of such a close brush with death. 

What a joke? Rogue Soothsayer like him was long used to such life-death experiences?

It was something else that had made him feel struck and stunned. Right now he is still trying to make sense of what he has gone through. The thing he had seen when he had been knocked unconscious… 

Though the Owl Master misunderstood the situation, Alex still felt the soft spot in the voice of the Shadow Master. Though he didn't respond outwards, in his mind he finally accepted the words of that old man who had given him recommendation later. 

'He indeed wasn't…boasting. He really held some serious status here.'

After his departure, it was the turn of Mark to face the scrutiny of the Shadow Master. Long gone was the expression of softness from his eyes, but it was pure anger that was radiating from his eyes. 

Seeing him stomping towards himself,not sure why suddenly Young Master Rook's expression turned a little happy. He even forgot what was coming next for a moment as he chuckled lightly while at same time hiding his mouth with his fan as per etiquette of the nobility. 

"What are you so happy about, Young Master? After screwing something so royally, especially."

Young Master Rook's eyes narrowed as he answered in a teasing voice, 

"I am sorry, Shadow Master, I didn't understand clearly. What did I do?"

It immediately dawned on the Shadow Master that what he was hoping for, was completely impossible. How could this fox like Noble who is participating in the convoluted politics of Empire at such a young age could be so naive to not see what he was trying to do now.

But now because of this very reason, Shadow Master felt a real fire of anger being lit inside him that was scorching him. How he wanted to smack this smirking little shit to the ground but… 

Sensing his fake rage turning into real, Young Master couldn't stop smiling as he articulated,

"Oh! Shadow Master was asking me about this situation. 

Clearly you can see, I sent a powerful San Soothsayer Shadow Guard recommended by yourself to apprehend this criminal, but who knew the situation would turn so grim quickly. 

Hah, whatever! I am willing to accept my mistake, please forgive me Shadow Master."

The more this young Noble talked like this, the more Shadow Master grinded his teeth in anger. He, having no choice but to follow the lead as set by Mark, questioned. 

"But how did this happen? Where were you? Why didn't you take action when the situation began to spiral out of control? 

I know Alex is a trainee but you are… "

Shadow Master newly chewed his tongue but still couldn't make himself say the words that came next. But there was also no option, since the other party had long grasped the situation which was negative towards him, in his hands. 

Fortunately, Mark still not wanting to completely infuriate this fellow interjected hurriedly. 

"It was completely my mistake. I went after this second guy who was much slippery than that Auky fellow. 

It was I who took too much time to catch this slippery fellow, and before I could come back all of this had already happened. 

But if Alex was a Trainee then why would you send such a newbie… Ohhhh forget what I said. I was just blabbering my mouth off."

Finally unable to become more angry than he already was, shadow Master instead calmed down as he ultimately sighed in grief. He broke the formal script as he sighed truthfully, 

"OK no more. I know it is a disaster that is going to be pinned on my head. What are your opinions?"

Young Master Rook, too, turned serious as he folded his fan back, and answered seriously. 

"Prepare to be grilled in front of His Majesty. The fact that you knew about the incident, still delegated this task irresponsibly to me and further sent a newbie Trainer along with me, gives no chance to you from being able to escape unscathed from this. 

Moreover it will not be easy for me either. You are willing to lend me Shadow guards, as well as taking favors from me…" 

Young Master clearly saw Shadow Master about to interject but he raised his hand to stop him, 

"I know it was an equivalent exchange between us but good luck explaining this to the shrewd ministers in the court. Whatever you might say in your defense, the ultimate outcome would be the same - that you and Me are having some under the table relations with each other."

Reaching here, Young Master Rook smiled beautifully, as he bowed mockingly to the depressed Shadow Master. 

"Well now you and I could be called on the same boat. Thus, hereby I welcome your entry into Royal politics and that to my faction too."

Shadow Master wanted to get angry but knowing the real repercussions which wouldn't be any different from what he was saying, no matter he tried to plead his case. He felt a loss of his sudden anger. He instead lamented his fate, 

"For the last fourteen years I tried everything to stay away from politics. But here I am, finally falling to circumstances, all because of my minor negligence." 

He glanced deridingly at the young Noble and jibed, 

"And even if I have to fall down, I hope to fall towards someone who has some ground in Empire Politics, not a young boy who himself was landless amidst the landlords of the court."

Mark ignored his salty jibe as he knew that the shrewd old man was feeling stifled with being on the ultimate losing end. He just greeted fondly, 

"Don't worry Shadow Master with you at my side. We will soon carve a land for ourselves in the politics of the empire. 

And one more thing… "

He waved and began to walk away as his last sentence floated back to the sad shadow Master, which further made the man more depressed. 

"... Not only in politics, now you are with me in the mission of High Princess too. Be prepared to give explanations to her when the time comes. I wish a pleasant partnership to both of us."

***********************

In the small but well endowed house at the boundary of the Rook family estate in the capital, Mark hurriedly went to his room. 

Though he showed himself relatively unconcerned about the incident, only he was aware of rare turmoil happening inside him. The scale of the problem he was facing now was the largest in his whole life, as he could guess the terrible aftereffects of today's incident. Soon there will be chaos in the capital. 

And as an intelligent man, he has to make some preparations quickly. He arrived in his room and ruffled through his bedside drawers until he found a crystal shaped pendant inside. 

He quickly took the pendant crystal and touched it with the gold ring artefact on his finger. With a slight brush, the crystal turned red hot and ultimately made him sigh in relief. 

'At least it is done. Now I have to make other preparations…'