Его не звали, но он приперся / They never called, yet he is here: Глава 12

Chapter 12

Camrad_RIP 08.07.22 в 08:27

The rest of our journey was remarkably monotonous, except for the one time I decided to use the summoning again to make a useful "acquaintance" with the creature from the Shadow. The second time, I was considerably more cautious, realizing how lucky I had been the last time I'd been summoned. Not that the Elder Shadows were dangerous to me - I was sure that I would dismantle them for parts if there was any fighting between us. But such an attack would be fatal for my comrades-in-arms, the Shadows excel at killing, fast and savagely. Any school named after Dark Coverlord would give them a red diploma without a second glance! They wouldn't shake their hand goodbye, though, lest they get their fucking hands chewed off, but otherwise, they're exemplary demonic creatures from a horror movie.

Camrad_RIP 08.07.22 в 08:46

So this time I did not go at random. The first thing I did was to prepare for myself and Losius, as the only owner of the anti-shadow class, a complex of stimulating potions, and without any particular side effects. To increase their effectiveness, I even made them strictly individual, with the addition of essence from the recipient's blood. For anyone other than me or Losius, the potions we took (barely visible sky-blue for him and almost colorless for me) would be, if not poison, then certainly a delightful laxative.

Camrad_RIP 08.07.22 в 08:47

I would have drawn some kind of protective circle as well, but, alas, that is not my specialty at all. Of course, the rudiments or even the advanced basics of Ritualism can be mastered without a special class, on the skill alone, but here you cannot do without a long training and education with mentors and literature. Even heroic learning has its limits... Maybe I should try some dabbling in ritualism for dummies myself in the future, though. Even an amateur can make a simple protective circle but at most, it can stop only a low-level, nearly-decayed deadman from the lack of energy. The Shadow can't be impressed by such tricks, except, on the contrary, to arouse contempt. So no protective circles, despite Locke's assurances that "he read how to do it, and even saw Kasia do it once". No, no, let's not do any unproven bullshit before an important and dangerous case.

Camrad_RIP 08.07.22 в 08:51

The summoning took place in another clearing in the forest, even deeper in the thicket than the previous one. I'd bet that some kind of ritual had already been performed there, even if there was no trace of it left long ago. My magical perception was silent, but there was a whiff of something bad at the edge of my consciousness. It was the perfect place to summon something really, really bad, with a guarantee!

Camrad_RIP 08.07.22 в 09:11

Everything went so according to plan that I unconsciously began to clench my buns, preparing to hear the famous "good evening" /// The hunter walks through the woods, looking for someone to shoot. Suddenly he sees something moving in the bushes. Just as he takes aim, a Hare jumps out of the bushes. "Don't kill me," he says, "I'll tell you some news for it, without which you can't be in the woods. The hunter hesitated: "Well," he said, "tell me your news. Hare: "There is a Moose in the forest. He fuck everyone, very cruelly, in all holes. But this Moose has one feature: he is very polite. The hunter was surprised and let the Hare go. He goes further. He sees something in the bushes, a redhead. He takes aim - a fox comes out of the bushes: "Don't kill me, I'll tell you news, without which you can't be in the forest." The Hunter was curious again, and the Fox told him about the Moose, who treats everyone cruelly, but is very, very polite. The Hunter shrugged his shoulders, let the Fox go, and went on. He sees something big sitting in the bushes. Just aimed - out of the bushes comes Bear: "Don't kill, I'll tell you the news". And he told him about the Moose. The Hunter was very thoughtful, let the Bear go, and sat down on a stump and wondered what the hell it was. Suddenly from behind two hooves rest on his shoulders and a soft voice: "Good evening...".///when the bad things did happen. And, doubly surprisingly, it didn't happen, even though I could still feel my ass as I walked right on the edge of some kind of trouble.

Camrad_RIP 08.07.22 в 09:17

This time I was no longer pulling shadows at random but was trying to give the clearest and clearest description of what I wanted to pull into reality with my call. Even so, several times I had to send out creatures that were too brazen, or not exactly suited to my requirements. This was not so much the fault of the summoning technique itself, as it was the fault of the summoner - the wrong or incompletely set summoning conditions.

Camrad_RIP 08.07.22 в 09:18

I contracted two full-fledged Shadows and one Elder, though this one was much weaker than the previous patient. The cold under my heart was much greater, and my emotions seemed to have faded and faded, as did my vision. It was as if suddenly you were not color-blind, but You look at a slightly faded picture. It seems that all the colors are in place - blue sky, green leaves, and red caps of some mushrooms, but the colors are too dull and fake, as if in an old photo.

Camrad_RIP 08.07.22 в 09:19

I didn't feel any influence on my thinking, or any attempt to influence myself by the Shadows, but for some reason I was certain that I didn't need to summon more. I could do it, and even without much consequence, but I shouldn't. Intuition, of course, but I wouldn't need it to realize that truth.

Camrad_RIP 08.07.22 в 09:20

The first full-fledged Shadow was presented as a pure fighter. Just in case there was an urgent need to leave a barrier that I didn't feel sorry for. The second, an equally pure scout, who would have to stick his nose where I wouldn't risk sticking mine. The scout looked like a small urchin, even smaller than a real snake. Except that, despite its small size, it was even more powerful than its " fellow fighter.".

Camrad_RIP 08.07.22 в 12:01

This small creature, also because of its size, was able to seep between the joints of various magical nets and barriers. And in the most complicated cases, it could dive to a deeper layer where the barriers no longer manifest themselves, and emerge from the depths inside the protective perimeter. A bite from such a snake will allow the creature to pour a huge amount of shadow energy into someone else's body, almost guaranteed to kill them. The creature is greedy and vile, but cowardly. The creature didn't even have to be intimidated, because it agreed to the contract when it realized that it couldn't escape. I immediately paid that one with a piece of reserve.

Camrad_RIP 08.07.22 в 12:03

The third fully-fledged Shadow looked like my favorite silhouettes - like a human figure with an enormous hump and disproportionately long, clawed arms. The creature had no special powers, but it was masterful at compacting and decompressing its body, either by passing blows through itself or by splitting a full knight's armor with a single sweep of its claws. It, too, had been summoned to reality before, and so it knew exactly what it wanted to pay: the lives of whoever the creatures pointed it toward. And it also hoped to fulfill its obligation, and then stay in reality and feast on the local wildlife, intelligent and not so intelligent. I agreed, largely because the reserve is not rubber, and an extra barrier is needed. And I have doubts that those against whom I send this creature will let it get away with it.

Camrad_RIP 08.07.22 в 12:10

With the Elder, everything was much more complicated and easier at the same time.

Camrad_RIP 08.07.22 в 12:11

I needed someone who could if I happened to walk alone again, cover my team from the enemy's magic while remaining smart enough not to try to eat them. Or rather not, for being under contract, the creature wouldn't risk touching them even if they were as dumb as bread. I needed a Shadow who could understand the very concept of "protecting some people from other people". One who could, in the first place, not rush into battle - into other people's souls and lives - but boringly and methodically put up barriers and hurdles, and hit numerous enemies with shadowy blows.

Camrad_RIP 08.07.22 в 12:23

If I hadn't owned a mythical class, I wouldn't have been able to do any good. First of all, not every summoner can set such complex and rare selection criteria for the Shadow dwellers. And secondly, even if a summoner were able to wrest such a monster into reality, it would hardly want to do such a job, even if it could.

Camrad_RIP 08.07.22 в 12:24

The creature, a completely complete abomination that came to my call, was very old, older than any other Shadow I had summoned. And it was also very intelligent, accustomed not only to killing and eating but also to studying and understanding its victims. The creature was incredibly dangerous, and communicating with it conjured up associations with Dr. Lecter sitting in a cage right now, figuring out how he would eat you to the sound of a classical violin. Very, very hard communication.

Camrad_RIP 08.07.22 в 12:25

If it weren't for my recent title and my status as Lord, I wouldn't have succeeded. At most, I would have been able to get the world apart in different corners of the ring. But it listened to me, stayed silent (I mean, without sending any images or measurements) for almost a minute as if it were wondering if it was worth the trouble, and then it quoted me a price.

Camrad_RIP 08.07.22 в 12:26

I told it to fuck off and whipped the creature painfully through the call noose, hinting at a price reduction.

Camrad_RIP 08.07.22 в 12:27

The creature called the price again, but this time a smaller, more moderate one.

Camrad_RIP 08.07.22 в 12:32

I told it to fuck off again, but I didn't strike again, limiting myself to a taut noose that stopped in an instant from impact.

Camrad_RIP 08.07.22 в 12:33

So we haggled, testing its toughness until it reduced it wants to more or less normal values. I was left with an empty reserve, instantly restoring it with a Breath of Magic. The hatred of the creature intending to devour the weakened and foolish me as we made the deal, taking advantage of the total emptiness of my reserve, was a real balm to my soul, making me smile with such genuine joy that my face involuntarily turned into a monochrome face covered in a mesh of black veins, and the Joker's smile on my face nearly opened its shadowy maw. Some part of me, a part of me that frightened myself, was genuinely waiting for her attack, wishing she would even.

Camrad_RIP 08.07.22 в 12:48

It left silently, and now I saw in the creature not only cold and evil calculation and humility before a greater power, but also the very real fear, deliciously sweetly mixed with the heartfuul hatred and rage of a deceived deceiver.

Camrad_RIP 08.07.22 в 12:59

My face quickly returned to normal, the world regained its colors, even if they had been dimmed by the contracts, and I realized that I was done with summonses for the near future.

Camrad_RIP 08.07.22 в 13:02

It came out pretty good, I think, especially with Elder.

Camrad_RIP 08.07.22 в 13:02

The creature looked like... an awesome mantle cloak with a high collar, worn over an invisible cloak. Inside the cloak itself, there were shadow swirls, but it was the "fabric" of the cloak that was the body itself. And this cloak could, as already said, do many things. Basically, it was the same shadow control, almost reaching the level of myself at the time of the Battle of the Kraj. Even higher in some ways, I guess, but only in some aspects. There were also the standard shadow stealth and teleportation abilities, and an excellent ability to apply all of that together. The creature did indeed often work on the summons, learning perfectly how to interact with humans, and was even able to distinguish between "allies" and "outsiders," attacking only the latter and shielding from the former's blows.

Camrad_RIP 08.07.22 в 13:35

It is true that such a treasure was usually paid for by a couple of dozen not the weakest sacrifices. He liked to eat ordinary peasants, but not as much as he liked high-level warriors and mages, like comparing buckwheat gruel to an awesomely refined restaurant menu. It even tasted elf once, with an unplatonic love and appetite for the race.

Camrad_RIP 08.07.22 в 13:37

Anyway, with me, it would literally work "for the FOOD".

Camrad_RIP 08.07.22 в 13:37

Whitewater was a completely ordinary town, much smaller than even Ostmark, not to mention the Krai. At most ten thousand people, the absence of any significant places and buildings, provincial appearance and complete calm and measuredness of the townspeople and villagers accustomed to a peaceful life. These are the kind of cities that are probably described in every second, if not every first, fantasy, when they want to give the hero of the work a rest in a quiet backwater and gain strength.

Camrad_RIP 08.07.22 в 13:38

I was absolutely, positively sure that I shouldn't go there. I just didn't want to go there, didn't want to go near it, or show my face to anyone. We approached from the side of the old road, where almost no one walks these days. The clairvoyance made it clear that after some of the mines had been exhausted, all the villages and one small town in that direction had slowly deteriorated until they had disappeared altogether. It was because of this that we managed to get to Whitewater almost unnoticed, although we were still cautious and did not stop for the night in any of the villages. We haven't even seen the occasional traveler or caravan in the past week - it's really isolated, even if it's almost in the middle of the Melareth Kingdom territories.

Camrad_RIP 08.07.22 в 18:58

And now, standing on a hill from which I could see the walls and the tallest buildings of the city, I was shamefully hesitant to go there. My intuition was silent, unwilling to tell me the reason for its warning cries. And clairvoyance was feeding me a bunch of unhelpful trivia, instead of giving me a clear answer to my questions. I couldn't tell if I was stupid, or if there was some kind of protection against people who liked to know everything, like me.

Camrad_RIP 08.07.22 в 19:15

"I'm not going in there." All I say is that, causing suspicious glances from my comrades.

Camrad_RIP 08.07.22 в 19:29

"So?" Hans, as always, pretends to be the avatar of brevity.

Camrad_RIP 08.07.22 в 19:29

"Nothing." Answer. "There's some outlying farms or farmsteads over there. We'll settle there, preferably at night, so no one can see us. Taria will help make sure the owners don't spread rumors about the strange company. We'll wait a while, and then we'll get down to business."

Camrad_RIP 08.07.22 в 19:30

"Is it that bad?" With feigned indifference asks the Duelist.

Camrad_RIP 08.07.22 в 19:31

"No, oddly enough. The threat is not great at all, at least the one closest to the others. I just can't understand the source of the threat and the reason why we are under that threat." I dare to express my suspicions thoroughly. "It seems to be nothing, but considering my skill levels, the fact that I can't sense and examine the threat in detail raises legitimate concerns."

Camrad_RIP 08.07.22 в 19:32

"Well, that's just f*cked up!" The girl sums it up. "Will there ever be a time when we all just show up, do our stuff, and everything is quick and easy, without a huge pile of problems and all kinds of freaks ruining our vacation?"

Camrad_RIP 08.07.22 в 19:33

She still hasn't forgiven the long-dead bastards for ruining that night. I think I did them an admirable favor by killing them before the furious Taria got there.

Camrad_RIP 08.07.22 в 19:34

"Okay." The pathfinder took the word. -"The farms, if I understand correctly, should be over there. We'll wait two hours for the sun to set, and then we'll be on our way."

Camrad_RIP 08.07.22 в 19:35

So, we cal it a day.

Camrad_RIP 08.07.22 в 19:35

Still, Taria's boobs are an incredibly cool cheat. It's also a very handy infiltration tool, almost completely devoid of flaws. All we had to do was choose a farm that was far enough away (half a day's walk to town) and big enough and rich enough, and then occupy it as guests of honor.

Camrad_RIP 08.07.22 в 19:36

Quick treatment with a battle striptease and we just don't get noticed. Or rather not so. They cook food for us, make our beds, and follow our orders if asked, but in everything else, they just don't see us. It is as if four people walking around the grounds were a trifle, not worthy of any attention, and generally do not interfere with work. Even the horses were put in the stable, so as not to shine unfamiliar transport in front of possible prying eyes.

Camrad_RIP 08.07.22 в 19:49

Seventeen people lived and worked on the farm - one family of owners and nine hired laborers, who served as guards against possible bad men. There were scarcely any bandits here anyway, and even the laborers had enough to deal with the occasional robbery. It's a quiet place, a good place.

Camrad_RIP 08.07.22 в 19:49

We paid a pretty decent price for our lodging, though Taria looked at me like I was an idiot but my opinion is the same: while you can, don't hesitate to pay for a good service. Especially since we won't be poorer off the silver.

Camrad_RIP 08.07.22 в 19:52

We spent the next two days just resting, keeping an eye on the local people and trying not to show our faces outside, though the latter was purely a tribute to my paranoia. No cults or sinister village cannibals were heard of here, though a couple of stories about monsters living in the woods were very convincing, as were a few missing ones.

Camrad_RIP 08.07.22 в 19:52

The latter was strange, because we hadn't even encountered any wretched goblins, let alone more dangerous monsters, on the way here. Deep in the forests, of course, there was still some interesting prey for Ygra, but near the settled land, all sorts of abominations had long since disappeared. And there were real cases of disappearances, which raises legitimate questions.

Camrad_RIP 08.07.22 в 19:55

The slightly dull colors no longer cause surprise and the desire to wipe my eyes, but they annoy me enormously. I can hardly keep myself from cutting off the contracts, getting rid of the ice flakes under my heart that are worse than bitter radishes. I put up with it more out of reluctance to waste the carefully prepared trump card than out of real necessity.

Camrad_RIP 08.07.22 в 19:57

We can't have a normal workout - there are too many eyes and ears, and there are guests on the farm (and then we have to sit in the house, entertaining each other with tales). We limit ourselves to regular warm-up exercises, even without the dreams I created. Firstly, to save strength, and secondly, because without practicing what we have learned in reality, no amount of dreaming will help.

Camrad_RIP 08.07.22 в 19:57

Ygra was frolicking in the distant forests, once again threatening the population of local wildlife and slowly getting deeper and deeper into the thicket. Losius was reading a book he had brought from home, making some notes there. Hans and Taria were playing dice, quietly trying to catch each other cheating and trying not to get caught.

Camrad_RIP 08.07.22 в 19:58

We waited.

Camrad_RIP 08.07.22 в 19:59

"Is it hard for you?" Hans continued his whining. "I'm asking you for the little things, you ruthless witch!"

Camrad_RIP 08.07.22 в 19:59