The agent sat comfortably in the rickshaw carrying her to her first cult meeting as Branka Sondi. She wore a modest dress and focussed her mind for the events to come. The journey wasn't long, only half an hour. The puller was a tall but lean man with a tanned skin. On Yulunga the rickshaw remained the transport of choise for travelling short distances. Small motorized vehicles were banned from civilian use. For longer distances and cargo large trains were used. The agent looked at the many wooden houses arranged along the road. They were a chaotic sprawl limited by the governtment roads, all other space was filled. Here the poor of Basilopolis made their living. But it was more than just that, it was her source of income, Sondi's husband owned several buildings here. An agent looked after them for a share in the rent. He had been the one bringing her into the circles. He was a member of the third circle who had inducted many amongst the families living in these buildings.
The rickshaw came to a halt. She saw that they had arrived at her destination, the concierge's home. The puller helped her outof the vehicle and she paid him a small tip. He nodded to her and walked away. The agent walked to the door which swung open before her. A boy had opened the door for her, he was no older than fifteen, Dalin was his name, he was the eldest amongst the concierge's seven children. She entered and he quickly closed the door again. The boy greeted her ritually: "From the Well comes enlightenment"
She replied: "The nine Orbits are perfection”
"My father awaits you upstairs"
"Thank you, may wisdom be engraved upon your soul."
The boy bowed and left her.
"He is a cult member as well then", she thought, wondering at what age the concierge had initiated him and how many of his other children were inducted as well.
She walked up the stairs, once there she saw four doors, she didn't know behind which of those the meeting would be, she cursed her preparation, she should have kept Sondi alive and asked her more questions. She calmed herself down and closed her eyes, she focused. Then she could feel their presences, three beings were together in the room behind the rightmost door. She walked to the door and opened it, careful to not make any noises. A voice rang out: "Branka, please do come in."
It was the concierge, Volim Kitran. She had taken the right door then. She opened it fully and walked into the room. Assembled there were other members of the circles, all of them of the fourth circle, except for Kitran, he was a member of the third. She knew these people from her time as Sondi's servant, Draga. Dolnikan nodded to them before sitting down on one of the cushions present. Kitran said: "Then it is time for us to start, now that we are complete"
"Listen to these words as they were given to me, the word spreads steadily, wisdom expands.”
Kitran suddenly stood up and put his hands on the head of the man to her right, he spoke a formula: “Krur ulata sormul re’guliomphen Iago.”
Then he walked to the Agent and put his hands on her head. He repeated the formula. As he said the words she felt sorcery at work, he was attempting to penetrate her mind with sorcery. She reacted with the instincts honed by the Scholistia Psykana. She pushed the presence away with all her power. Kitran fell away from her with a scream, blood flowed from his ears, eyes and nose while suddenly the room was much colder. Nobody moved, paralyzed by shock. Dolnikan had failed in her mission. They would certainly hunt her down now. She jumped to her feet and raced to the door, as she ran down the stairs the screams from the other two started. Dalin sat at the door and turned as she ran at him, she pushed him aside and made for the street.