Его не звали, но он приперся / They never called, yet he is here: Глава 3

Chapter 3
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Camrad_RIP 03.04.23 в 20:01

The inaudible rustle, the rustle of a nocturnal bird's wing, the hovering feather that dropped gently to the floor - the visitor was just as unnoticeable, just as relentless and unstoppable. There were few strong creatures in this city, but there were none at all who could match the night visitor in the art of silent movement.

Camrad_RIP 05.04.23 в 09:53

Not to say that the guest approached with malicious intentions, though he did not rule it out, but the habit of coming uninvited and not letting others' eyes catch his appearance until he allowed it was one of those little things that not only did no harm but proved very useful in many cases.

Camrad_RIP 05.04.23 в 09:54

Shift the weight from one foot to the other, step forward and slightly to the side, carefully move the foot to the left, away from the fragile area of cold-frozen tiles, step forward again, and put the ear to the chimney, barely smoky with the smoke from the lit fireplace. It is warm and cozy inside, with plenty of delicious food and booze; no guests are expected there, but a guest has come uninvited and unasked. However, this kind of guest is difficult to throw out the door, despite his impolite behavior.

Camrad_RIP 05.04.23 в 10:30

By putting his ear to the chimney, the guest turns to hear. His index of perception is quite high, and some skills are aimed at hearing far more than a human can hear. Hearing brings other people's words, other people's breath, and the beating of other people's hearts. He can stop them today - breaths, hearts, and words - stop them forever, and he wishes so very much. However, we all often do what we need to do rather than what we sincerely dream of. Guest, like anyone living under the gaze of the Eternal Sisters, was well aware that this truth applies to him too. He too, had to do what he did not want to do all too often.

Camrad_RIP 05.04.23 в 10:32

The guest listens, catching with all his essence what he has heard and waiting for the most opportune moment to enter the house, at the risk of incurring the wrath of those who have settled within these walls today. These people are not so simple and may well cause trouble even for the night visitor if it comes to a fight. The guest is in no doubt of their victory, having faced a similar, or even stronger, opponent on more than one occasion, but the guest remains cautious despite this confidence.

Camrad_RIP 05.04.23 в 10:33

His wounds had long since healed, but the memory of what neglecting even the most seemingly pathetic opponent could lead to was firmly embedded in the depths of his mind, not hurrying to leave him after all this time. A second, a second, and there the guest was ready to rush forward. He was ready to hold a conversation that could end in any way possible. In a moment, he would be off the chimney and dashing down to the barely ajar window of the next room to make another dash from it.

Camrad_RIP 05.04.23 в 10:34

He is about to take the necessary step, paying for it with other people's lives, when from behind, where just a moment ago there was nothing but night darkness and a cold wind, comes a quiet, cheerful, and slightly conspiratorial voice:

Camrad_RIP 05.04.23 в 10:35

"Well, what is there?"

Camrad_RIP 05.04.23 в 10:35

The most important mosquito in the anthill looked more impressive than a previous couple of bloodsuckers. It was not even in its appearance but in the manner of its movement and the experience that oozed in its every step. The creature had firsthand knowledge of what it was like to be hunted. It was because the creature had survived enough unpleasant situations in its existence to have been the result of careless decisions that this town had been the order of the day.

Camrad_RIP 05.04.23 в 10:41

Not out of kindness, compassion, or even fear, but from the ability to link cause and effect, the bloodsuckers in Arenam rarely create the usual critter savagery. The main bedbug is weak, if only against the backdrop of the truly mighty creatures. And weakness always forces one to choose other, longer and more troublesome but safer paths. The creature didn't hate humans or even despise them, come to think of it. The bloodsucker genuinely saw no reason why it should despise or hate food, perceiving the picture of the world in an extremely peculiar way. Don't wolves hate a herd of cows that can trample on even a savage predator in droves? He was thinking along the same lines.

Camrad_RIP 05.04.23 в 10:43

However, he kept his thoughts to himself, preferring to speak to the food that inhabited Arenam, not in a language of force he lacked for such vocabulary but in terms of coin and services. For the magistrate, having cooperative creatures on hand proved an extremely lucrative investment. Bloodsuckers were unwilling to eliminate rivals or kill the enemies of their patrons, on the logical assumption that they would be redundant once their work was done. That is, they did not kill under orders at all. And when they killed without orders, they tried not to leave any corpses behind.

Camrad_RIP 05.04.23 в 10:47

But the amulet market held by the bloodsuckers was far more lucrative, and due to the nature of the creatures, it was automatically smuggled and not taxed into the capital. To complete the picture, they could hire silent, nimble creatures as spies and scouts. They wouldn't shed any blood, but they'd be willing to get dirt on them, as the City Hall was in as strong a position as possible, with all the merchants and the few noblemen in the city fist-pumped by the clerks. So what if the creatures also got their hands on the same dirt?

Camrad_RIP 05.04.23 в 10:48

I suppose they had originally intended, if not to clean them up, then to force them out of Arenam - they weren't much use, but they were enough of a problem. But they managed to wriggle out of it. Very gently and almost tenderly pressing the same compromising evidence on the respected Burgomaster. If they are spying on your enemies, what makes you think they are not also spying on you? No threats were uttered, no. And yet the creatures have been allowed to remain within the city walls, just as they have been allowed to occupy the niche of traders of illegal magic.

Camrad_RIP 05.04.23 в 10:50

Maybe they were about to be stabbed in the back when they bumped heads with the then-owners of said business. Except that the magistrates were not soldiers or adventurers to know how dangerous a fed-up creature attacking suddenly and without restraint could be. Gang warfare didn't happen, as all the people undesirable to the new shadow masters stopped living in one single night. That must have impressed the officials, forcing them to slow down on eliminating problematic allies.

Camrad_RIP 05.04.23 в 10:52

And then it became unprofitable to eliminate them, for streams of gold and silver coins restrain far more reliably than shackles and promises. Did the humans know that the creatures listened to them and only respected maximum order as long as they themselves wished? They guessed. Just as they knew they'd manage to steal enough to retire and leave Arenam's problems to their hapless replacements.

Camrad_RIP 05.04.23 в 10:53

Paradoxically, no doubt, but the creatures did far more for the city and the safety of its inhabitants than all humans combined. And they were still the same creatures, utterly ruthless and alien creatures who saw humans as their cattle. Well, or rented for a time. They kept the shadow brethren in check by not letting them press too much. They sponsored a few shops and lodges distributing food to the poor as their main fodder base, for that matter. They also beat out the unintelligent and intelligent behemoths that occasionally hit the city walls and did so far faster than the lazy guards unwilling to get under the claws and fangs of the monsters. They had a network of informants consisting of the same vagrants, poor citizens, and artisans. And while few really important secrets might interest the mighty, there were very few things that did not come to the attention of the nocturnal bloodsuckers.

Camrad_RIP 05.04.23 в 10:56

Many of the townspeople, when they were in a trouble and had no chance of getting out or of saving their loved ones, went not to their criminals but to the agents of the creatures, asking for help. And, more surprisingly, they were rarely. Loans were given at a slightly less predatory interest rate, for example, and in other aspects, they were just as good. Help with money for your daughter's treatment in exchange for a portion of your blood once a month? You will almost stop gaining experience for a long time, and your health will suffer, but your offspring will live. And if one of the 'willing diners' is unable or unwilling to restrain their instincts by draining you completely, your family will be paid not a small compensation.

Camrad_RIP 05.04.23 в 11:25

There could have been a conflict with the bandits. But it did not come to bloodshed. There weren't many brave souls who volunteered to be servants or fodder for the creatures, and not everyone would be accepted. The bloodsuckers preferred to work with the not squeamish, cautious, and not religious people who were very, very tightly held by the balls.

Camrad_RIP 05.04.23 в 11:27

They are now few, but every year the number of debtors grows due to a gradually gaining reputation. And the day is not far off when the creatures will stage another night of the long knives, squeezing another slice of power. A small one, which they will pay with gold and goods, convincing them of the benefits of their proposed strategies... quieted down again for a while. It won't be long, not long at all, but it will be if they don't shortchange them.

Camrad_RIP 05.04.23 в 11:53

Another amusing thing was the response of the bandits: not wanting to clash with the bloodsuckers but not intending to lose their dough, they loosened the grip on their "clientele's" necks a little. At the very least, the debt pits had become much more bearable, and their requests for help were answered not with swearing and beatings but with that very help. They are not fools in charge, even if they are sometimes worse bastards than the creatures. Therefore, they are quick to use advantageous tactics learned from their rivals.

Camrad_RIP 05.04.23 в 19:02

The whole situation and the web of intrigue are far more complex than it first appears, with factors such as guards, merchants, and the same magistrate overseeing his fiefdom, but the basic paradigm does not change. Before me stands a real wolf in sheep's clothing, and looking at his actions, I begin to understand why people are afraid of the same Fiends. If the inhabitants of Hells act in exactly the same way, only with greater skill, then their intrigues will have truly dire consequences.

Camrad_RIP 05.04.23 в 19:05

All these thoughts swirled in my head as the bloodsucker himself turned sharply in my direction, raising his blood-covered hands in readiness to attack. There was still a little more than zero chance that there wouldn't be a fight tonight, though, and I was nearly shivering with the urge to smear the creature on the roof of the tavern.

Camrad_RIP 05.04.23 в 19:06

I hate ticks, bedbugs, mosquitoes, and other fucking nasties.

Camrad_RIP 05.04.23 в 19:07

My interlocutor was rather confused precisely because it had been a long time since he had met someone who had beaten him on his turf, that is, in quiet penetration and stealth. He would have found an answer very quickly, but I had no time and no desire to organize a pathetic skirmish, and as a victim for trolling, this man was not suitable at all. He was too quiet and used to talking from all sorts of positions; I couldn't piss him off quickly, and slow and thoughtful trolling required a proper environment.

Camrad_RIP 05.04.23 в 19:09

"What, nothing interesting?" I continue the previous sentence with another. Without letting him speak, I made him an offer he couldn't refuse. "Then let's go have a little chat."

Camrad_RIP 05.04.23 в 19:11

It's worth clarifying that I'm not only wrapped in stealth at this point, remaining visible only visually, but I've also cast my own shadow far away, making the creature's sensory skills perceive me as a blank spot. Anyway, if I wanted to make an impression, I succeeded without too much difficulty. Now they wouldn't talk to me from a position of strength - that creature was a scum, not an idiot.

Camrad_RIP 05.04.23 в 19:12

He'd come to talk from the start since the strange adventurers had found out about the vampires in town but hadn't even tried to complain to the guards in three days (three of the tavern attendants had shared rumors with all kinds of personalities and only one had done so for money rather than art), it was a good reason to take the plunge. He judged the likelihood of us immediately attacking the bloodsucker to be low, and he considered our general level of danger to be low. The latter he was recalculating right now, which was obvious.

Camrad_RIP 11.04.23 в 19:43

They didn't intend to set us up or to stick us with crime any more than necessary, no. Such tactics are successful and understandable, but only when you can control the one you are setting up. What if evil men from the Eternal Eyes caught us? And we might tell them about the evil mosquito who lives in Arenam and who's been leading us to do wrong.

Camrad_RIP 12.04.23 в 06:37

If my visions were to be believed, we were going to be used as couriers to deliver rare reagents for those same amulets. It wasn't illegal, but it was a controlled commodity. It wasn't sold in large quantities to just anyone. And we could have bought it and delivered it without too much trouble - both we and the bloodsucker had the maneuver to scam it, but an arrangement could always be made.

Camrad_RIP 12.04.23 в 06:40

Steps of Shadows carried me to a vacant chair, and the creature seriously considered just running away and not coming in. Thing thought about it but decided not to retreat, after all. A hand gesture, and now the four remaining bloodsuckers were already slowly approaching the tavern in case their "father" needed support forces.

Camrad_RIP 12.04.23 в 07:00

The bloodsucker himself got in by the same route he had originally planned. Through the window into the next room and from there into our room. First, he planned to sneak in and greet us, already inside the filmed mansion. At the same time a test of composure and, if composure failed, an opportunity to attack, freeing himself up (if he'd been charged for the massacre). Now he, sensibly assessing my level, politely knocked.

Camrad_RIP 12.04.23 в 07:08

"It's open," I answer the knock, happy that all the bastards have gathered here.

Camrad_RIP 12.04.23 в 07:08

If things, as they always do with me, turn into a brawl, I won't have to catch them all over Arenam.

Camrad_RIP 12.04.23 в 07:09

We'll solve the problems all at once.

Camrad_RIP 12.04.23 в 07:09

Outwardly, if you remove the illusion of the appearance of a simple and unremarkable townsman, the creature was far less humanlike than its children. Its physique was still humanoid, but I could see in the shadows the ribs that had grown into one solid bone, the extra vertebrae in its backbone, and, most importantly, the distorted face, which had more predatory and unhuman features than those of its younger siblings.

Camrad_RIP 12.04.23 в 07:17

Oh yes, we should also add detail such as the much larger number of needle fangs and a deformed jaw, which caused him to have to use some kind of skill just to speak properly. Now, for example, he didn't see any point in doing so since we had 'figured him out', and the strength and blood he had saved might be needed quite soon.

Camrad_RIP 12.04.23 в 07:18

He was ready to negotiate, ready either to buy our silence, to talk about an alliance, or even to cautiously hint that it was in his power to spread information about our team since we were clearly hiding from someone in the backwater Arenam. Like any decent businessman, he had several plans and strategies for dealing with the situation. I was a witness to this from my unscrambled clairvoyance.

Camrad_RIP 12.04.23 в 07:21

The question is, do I even want to negotiate with this creature? I can prevent a leak without clearing out all the witnesses, but then again. Is it worth sweeping them out? As ugly as the creature before me was, as terrible as his deepest desires were, driven by an unquenchable Thirst, he was doing a lot of good. He's just doing it to make it easier for him to eat people, indeed. But if I kill him, it won't be long before the city is in the middle of another gang war. And all sorts of monsters, of which there are many on Alurei, even in the relatively clean areas, would start taking bloody tribute.

Camrad_RIP 12.04.23 в 07:28

The principle of the lesser evil, in all its glory, thank you for the good quotes, Mr. Sapkowski. True, the choice here is not between a greater or lesser evil but between a crowd of smaller ones or one big one, preventing someone else's evil from sprouting in the place. Come on, Kostya, do what a true Hero would do - fight Evil in the flesh. Real Evil with no reticences or excuses, without the slightest admixture of anything human. You know, the right kind of Evil, the kind that scares children forever and ever.

Camrad_RIP 12.04.23 в 07:31

Strike down Evil, and the blood spilled will only be the consequence of another evil, already with a small letter. You, Hero, were summoned here to slaughter and burn these very kinds of spawn, not ordinary bandits, thieving officials, and the rest of your brethren. Leave them to the locals. They are used to it. They know what not to do with it. They are not stupid. They will figure out for themselves who should live, who should pay, who should die, and who should rule. That is no longer your concern, Hero.

Camrad_RIP 12.04.23 в 07:36

Except I have the disadvantage of breaking into places I wasn't called.

Camrad_RIP 11.04.23 в 19:41

The silence was becoming increasingly fearful and tense. I didn't release the slightest shade of my intentions into reality, carefully deceiving all sorts of gut feelings and premonitions, not giving myself away with sudden movements... but there was something about my silence that made both myself and the bloodsucker know instantly that there would be a fight.

Camrad_RIP 12.04.23 в 07:37

Behind me are Hans and Losius, and behind them, Taria is wiping her revolver with a cloth. The four bloodsuckers are almost under the windows of the tavern. They can sense our blood beating in our veins, just as they can sense the blood of those sleeping in the sweet and slightly induced dreams of the innkeeper, his family, and his workers. In fact, every single person in the quarter is sweet asleep and in no hurry to wake up, and the guards, just today, for some reason, do not want to patrol the place. All conditions for the coming battle.

Camrad_RIP 12.04.23 в 07:53

"Tell me, man, answer me one question." I begin in a light-hearted tone, gradually letting my disguise drain away, revealing my real face, which is also not quite human. "Has there ever been one moment in your life, even once, when you felt empathy? Not for the people you ate, but just for any other being. Even your own children?"

Camrad_RIP 12.04.23 в 07:56

The creature did not pick up the thread of the exchange of rhetorical phrases except to complain silently that he should not have agreed to negotiate. He had to get out of town. Whether he had mistaken me for a rival (I looked like one!) or some kind of hunter, I did not know.

Camrad_RIP 12.04.23 в 07:59

Maybe he had already heard similar words from other, less fortunate interlocutors, or maybe he had seen something in my absent gaze or heard something in my words. I somehow didn't ask about it, just let it attack, investing the equivalent of a dozen people's lives in that attack. The creature came to the negotiation satiated to the brim.

Camrad_RIP 12.04.23 в 08:01

A few dozen thin plates of what had become a tangible and very sharp blood-red essence turned into small rhomboids of throwing projectiles. An attack worthy of even the strongest of epics - not very massive, but extremely armor-piercing, capable of taking down a single scratch, turning all the blood in the victim's body against its owner. The bloody blades were followed by a swarm of throwing projectiles, some of which were well enchanted or simply flew on unpredictable trajectories, threatening to strike from the side.

Camrad_RIP 12.04.23 в 08:04

I didn't even move, remaining completely still. One could say I was overwhelmed by the gravity of the decision I was making. Instead of me, Losius reacted, having managed to get his consciousness up to a sufficiently high level for a successful reaction. The celestial blue unfolded like the bud of a miraculous flower, gently circling me with just a bit of unbearable clarity burning my eyes, then turned into an indestructible dome, into which both blood projectiles and magic blades crashed one after the other. A few paltry drops of poisonous blood did manage to penetrate the barrier, but they fell to the side, leaving a hissing stain on the floor.

Camrad_RIP 12.04.23 в 08:05

The bloodsucker didn't wait for a reaction to his attack, getting away before the projectiles had even crossed the distance between us. Some version of a blink that didn't work through Astral but with space itself. Like buying a ticket to be transported from one place to another, where the money was the same blood essence. The deadly creature was good at picking its battles, not rushing to fight just for the sake of fighting.

Camrad_RIP 12.04.23 в 08:07