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With a slight movement of her hand, Delphine pushed one of the doors, opening it. A spacious and high stone corridor without windows. Columns stretched the entire length, forming arches beneath the ceiling. Near each column stood pots of tall ornamental trees on either side and on separate pedestals were stone knights in full ancient armor. Each knight stood straight, I would even say, proudly, leaning on the hilt of a large axe propped against the pedestal.
I followed Delphine, who was purposefully moving along the corridor. Sometimes there were doors, turns, other halls that differed slightly either in shape, length, or design and sometimes all at once. Several times we walked along the monumental and wide stairs, but we only moved down.. And not a single window. A couple of times, we encountered wizards hurrying somewhere, dressed in all sorts of clothes - from a classic robe and a big hat to quite adequate and seemingly ordinary business suits and coats. Once, we met two elders in expensive gray robes but without frills. They were grumpily but quietly arguing with each other, paying no attention to anyone.
"Lady Greengrass, may I ask you a question?" I turned to Delphine when we were already down four levels.
"I was wondering when you would ask?"
"Where are we?"
"Directly under the Church of St. Ignatius."
"Um... wow..."
I caught up with Delphine and caught a mocking look from her blue eyes, noticing a slight smile on her face.
"I understand your confusion, Max. But we're in Prague. Believe me, everything here is not what it seems, and this city's magical and ordinary histories are so intertwined that you can't tell them apart. If you have time, and if you want to, you can visit a couple of interesting places, and believe me, you'll learn a lot."
"Like what? I know that this church belonged to the Jesuits. It's all kind of..."
"Weird?" smiled Delphine again, looking at me.
We stepped into another spacious high hall. This one was much brighter, with daylight pouring in from special niches under the ceiling. On both sides of the hall, there were real park areas with lush vegetation, trees, and bushes, and in some gazebos in the middle of these parks, elderly wizards sat and talked, drinking something in cups and eating fruit. But we're definitely underground...
Delphine slowed her pace slightly.
"The church was built much earlier than common people think. Yes, and its decoration was somewhat different. From the beginning, this place was an abode of knowledge, a home for wizards and witches who sought to comprehend the mysteries of the universe through transfiguration and alchemy. But when it finally became clear in the seventeenth century that «the Statute will be signed,» the Church was hidden away, as were many other things."
We passed the group of wizards, exchanging polite nods, and headed for one of the next tall double doors.
"However, in Prague, as in many other significant cities in Europe, the lives and destinies of ordinary people and wizards were too closely intertwined, and, funnily enough, the further from Rome, the deeper those ties became. In general, although it is commonly believed that wizards are completely self-isolated, but in fact, all more or less influential structures are linked, exchanging information and solving various important issues. Religious institutions, the church, the governments of magical and ordinary states. Just a week later, an agreement was reached for cooperation between the church and the Ordo Mysteria, or as it was then called - Ouroboros, now better known as the two guilds - transfiguration masters and alchemists."
"Ouroboros? Why so humble."
"You'll find out when you become a Master."
Damn, I'm intrigued.
"I thought alchemy came from potions."
"From any magical discipline, one way or another, you can come to another because they are all based on magic."
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