Lilliad chp 11

“Can we have that?” Elathor asked. It was not the first time he had said that.

Lilli sighed. She did not bother to say no, because she knew how this was going to play out. 

“Of course, it’s ours.” Igni picked the silver decanter up delicately, pinching it between two enormous fingers. She put it in the Loot Bag, aka a bedsheet that they had also stolen and tied into a more useful shape. Elathor had a pillowcase stolen from the same bed, but it was already at capacity. It was full of literal rocks, for some reason, as well as a set of silverware and something that hummed ominously. It made Lilli’s teeth ache when it got too close to her.

“What is it?” Lilli asked. She only had sensible things, like jewelry and crystals that she could carry in her own pockets. Her one indulgence was a wavy dagger, with a lovely motif of a monstrous wolf devouring children. It was probably not too cursed.

Elathor hummed. “I do not know.” He sounded contemplative. “But it was shiny.”

“...I can respect that,” Lilli admitted. She kicked her legs and frowned at the scenery. “Igni, I think that’s the way we’ve already been. Look, we took the wall sconces.”

Igni backed up and went through the other door instead.

“Stop!”

The stop was so abrupt that Lilli nearly fell off. She jerked forward, clinging to Igni. 

“That is property of the College of Magicians.” Two people were standing in their way. One had a short red beard and a stern expression, with hands on his hips. His rather round face was well-worn, with lines that indicated he spent a lot of time frowning.

The other magician looked less cocky. She was somehow drifting behind her friend, without seeming to take any steps. Her ears flattened back against her head, an unconscious tell that Lilli herself struggled with.

“You can’t have them, I found them on my own.” Elathor hugged the Little Loot Bag to his chest. Metal clanged as it moved. His sulky tone bordered on mutinous. “It’s property of me. Besides, I’m a magician.”

“What?” The man screwed up his face. “No, not- well, that as well. I was referring to that.” He waved a hand that seemed to encompass all of Igni. “I made it myself, I absolutely will not let you abscond with my materials.”

“That’s it,” Igni bit out. It sounded like the words were an effort. “Tell me to kick his ass.”

“Kick his ass,” Lilli obediently parroted.

Igni burst forward and kicked the magician. There was an abrupt scream and a horrible crunch. His robes flopped as he flew to hit the wall and slid down. 

“Murder?” Lilli wondered.

The magician sat up with a struggle. He held a hand up and choked out something she couldn’t hear. It began to glow.

“Oh no, this is just assault,” Elathor assured her. He patted at her knee. “I’ll let you know when it’s murder. This might be self-defense, actually, and nobody punishes you for that at all.”

“Self defense!” Igni shouted gleefully. Igni stomped one foot and the whole room shook. The magician who had not yet been assaulted fell over and scuttled backwards on her hands. “I’m using self defense!” Igni kicked a chair at the fallen magician. It rocketed into the wall, barely missing him. It exploded into pieces.

“Stay still!” It was quiet, but it carried.

Igni froze midstep. The enormous Loot Bag in Igni’s hands shifted with an ominous crunch.

The magician pushed his hand out, and the purple haze around his hand lazed towards them. Sweat was pouring down his face.

...It was pretty slow. Lilli watched it dubiously. “Move,” she suggested.

Igni jolted to the side, dodging the meandering spell. The Loot Bag hit the floor. 

“How dare you!” said the magician. 

And then Igni picked up an oak dresser.

The magician looked a bit pale underneath his beard. “Oh dear,” he said. “Please don’t.”

“Please do,” Lilli immediately said, despite not knowing what exactly was planned. She wanted to know where this was going.

Igni hurled the dresser. It broke on impact, collapsing. Some pieces of siding flew away and hit the stone floor with a clatter. 

There were a few moments of silence.

“The situation has been defused,” Elathor said wisely. “It was self-defense. I read a law book once.”

That didn’t sound quite right. But she was illiterate, so she couldn’t disagree. It was more qualifications than she had.

“I think his bones broke.” Lilli squinted. “That’s what that sound was, right?” She felt a line form between her eyebrows. “Loud. I’ve never heard it quite like that. I’ve heard a bone break, but it usually doesn’t sound that wet.”

The reason for the wetness wasn’t terribly mysterious. There was quite a bit of blood coming from underneath the dresser. She would say it was leaking, but it was moving awfully fast. Spurting, maybe.

She was a little glad that the dresser was covering the whole body.

“All of them broke,” agreed the lady magician. She had a pleasant voice, low and husky. She pursed her lips at them. She had stood up at some point when they weren’t looking. “You said that you’re a member of the college?” She smoothed her violet hair with one hand. It shook, just a bit.

“Oh, yes.” Elathor perked up. “Are you new? I’m Elathor. I’ve been pursuing other things recently, but I am always happy to meet another College scholar.”

The conversation was not going how Lilli would have predicted. She tried not to frown. It wasn’t like she wanted them to fatally self-defense every magician in the college. 

“Lovely to meet you,” the survivor said. It was very diplomatic. “I’m the assistant-” She looked at the dresser. “I’m the head of the transmutation department. Thank you for coming by to visit. Shall I show you three out? Is there anyone else you’d like to see before you go?”

Igni shifted in a way that somehow seemed confused and uncomfortable. “Not on my behalf. Elathor, Lilli?”

Elathor hummed. “I wouldn’t mind seeing the Dean. He’s the one who showed me to my room. It would be rude to leave without saying anything.”

‘This one will definitely be murder,’ Lilli judged. 

The newly-promoted magician looked from one of them to the other. “You might also say hello to Professor David.”

“Good point, he sucks,” Elathor agreed. The smile was audible. “He was always coming up with vexatious new regulations that stifle innovation.”

“He rejected my thesis three times,” the head of the transmutation department said. That answer didn’t make any sense, but her tone implied it was an agreement of some sort. “Anyway, I’ll show you around. Oh, how rude of me. I’m Suwana Maki.”

“Lead on, professor,” Elathor said.