Его не звали, но он приперся / They never called, yet he is here: Глава 11

Chapter 11

Camrad_RIP 28.06.23 в 18:00

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Camrad_RIP 28.06.23 в 18:00

So many times in my past life, which is normal and not this dancing on a rake, have I read the works of all sorts of random graphomaniacs, but there were always some regularities. Here, for example, consider the same elven issue. It seemed to be the duty of every writer to stick a proud and haughty elfess with an inflated ego in the team of a hero and write about how this hero nobly tames her in a couple of weeks. And, of course, the constant dialogues about racial superiority and how people are all stinky assholes and only elven beauty can save the world from destruction.

Camrad_RIP 28.06.23 в 18:02

After communicating, and not, as you thought, with a real elf, I can only laugh at what was written in those books. And that's not going to be a fun laugh. I'll tell you that. To begin with, reading from the appearance and behavior of an elf's real attitude towards you is not even a hopeless case, but something even dumber. A well-trained eared one's face and facial expressions are of such quality that to play poker with them is a priori to losing money.

Camrad_RIP 28.06.23 в 18:03

When it comes to someone like my new teammate, it's ridiculous. With her experience, she could play any social role she wanted without the distraction of maintaining a mask. For that matter, she'd been a Junior Gardener in Imperial Park for three and a half years, maintaining quite a workable false identity. And not an unsociable recluse with oddities but a typical average lady who came from the commoners.

Camrad_RIP 28.06.23 в 18:05

She chatted, joked, gossiped, discussed stupid men, drank with her friends, and even received and paid attention to various individuals, even though she had no intention of having any kind of intimate relationship or intimacy except for a few suggestive recollections of a hot night. And yet no one, not once in all this time, has suspected her of being a masked and illusory murderer who has already sentenced, among others, them, too. The latter is no joke - during the attack, most of the gardeners died out, along with random passersby. And those who weren't there by chance are sure to be rotting in the dungeons by angry guards and Eyes.

Camrad_RIP 28.06.23 в 18:11

And with our gang of lunatics, Tialrianrelia had come together with the same ease with which she had joined other groups - smoothly, unobtrusively, and naturally. She allowed her name to be abbreviated to Tia, or simply Ti - abbreviations of that sort were permissible even among elves, especially if they were in combat situations and there was no time for fancy language. But here it was, obviously because she didn't want to hear the human version of her name mutilated in any way.

Camrad_RIP 28.06.23 в 18:15

For all that she had placed her fate in my hands, she was still an elf who was a priori uncomfortable with the company of humans and a monster. But I was the only one who could see that, and that was solely due to clairvoyance and the fact that she barely concealed it. She even intentionally presented herself that way - no insults, no conflict, no attempts to hurt, but a clear message that she was not human and never would be.

Camrad_RIP 28.06.23 в 18:16

A separate story was Hestia and her condition, which Tia immediately recognized as soon as I lowered the disguise from our misty cloak. Hestia's personal abilities could fool an average sensor, or even a not-so-average one, but her false body was practically transparent in front of a high-level seer. To say that she was surprised or frightened would be a bit of an exaggeration, but a slight note of unease clearly flashed through her at that moment. Now, Hestia wasn't exactly a threat to her. Even if the adept of the Mist could withstand the elfess' attacks and let them pass through, she could do nothing to her. The former warrior would not have the strength to hold her in her misty embrace long enough to distort the elven essence. Tia, on the other hand, could tear the mist from her body with one decisive blow.

Camrad_RIP 28.06.23 в 18:29

The rest of the introductions were peaceful and measured, as they should be among high-ranking, well-seasoned individuals. Only Tarya, in her customary way, sobbed that she hadn't been able to "squeeze an elf's tits." If she embarrassed anyone with those words, it was Losius, who was still a little embarrassed by such manners. Tia only nodded politely and expressed such sincere sympathy that it was literally comical in that situation.

Camrad_RIP 28.06.23 в 18:30

That's how we all met.

Camrad_RIP 28.06.23 в 18:31

Only having slept and paid tribute to the rules of politeness, the druid immediately got down to business. And the first "business" was the mechanics of the anti-prophetic protection over our heads. Apparently, the barely audible chanting of the pieces of mirror stuck in the walls and ceiling was getting on her nerves, which makes sense. I'm the one who works with plans without proper safety precautions, on my intuition alone. You could say, I build working nuclear power plants using only shit, sticks, and hard swearing. I don't even know what pissed her off more - the danger of my crafts or the fact that they still work.

Camrad_RIP 28.06.23 в 19:06

"I've had occasion to work both in tandem with and against mirror masters." She explained, carefully circling the base mirrors in the attic, where all the other shards were tied. "But they, to replicate what I see here, would take many months, if not years. Certainly not ordinary pieces of debris and simple mirrors, such as you can get at the nearest fair. Perhaps the results of their work would have been more presentable, and their strength would have been higher... but to build such a complex structure out of nothing in a few weeks?"

Camrad_RIP 28.06.23 в 19:41

"Oh, so flattering!" I responded by keeping my palms on the surface of one of the mirrors, simultaneously wrapping myself in dozens of lilac ribbons that make up a veritable ligature of encapsulated dreams and images. "A little more, and I'll practically believe it."

Camrad_RIP 28.06.23 в 19:42

I would have said it more snidely, but the tension was really palpable, requiring me to spend my reserves and be constantly distracted by possible overlaps. Something dangerous I wouldn't allow, right, but even the smallest thing, like a slightly fuzzy vision, a misshapen image, or a recurring dream where it wasn't supposed to be, could be a clue leading to my asshole. Even I'd have to dig through many, many dreams to spot something like that, but there are many imperials! And among them, there will be those who will also be able to notice such mistakes, and when they notice, they will try to find the one who created such a high-quality deception. I will hide, but the supposed enemy will not go anywhere either.

Camrad_RIP 28.06.23 в 19:45

"First of all, my words are an understatement, not an exaggeration of your merits." With just the right amount of harshness and disapproval, she retorted. "I apologize, though. I'm acting in a familiar pattern of behavior, and it's hard for me to change my mind abruptly."

Camrad_RIP 28.06.23 в 19:46

With my fingers, which had already lost their skin folds and fingerprints for half an hour, I caulked the small cracks in the material's structure, restoring the mirror-like structure with a pinpoint infusion of energy. The shock of the search pulse, launched by the Avatar, only by a miracle and my paranoia, which forced me to apply triple duplication of contours, was limited to the exhausted shards, with no fatal consequences on the base. But not quite fatal was enough, which I had to compensate for.

Camrad_RIP 28.06.23 в 19:47

"Are there really that many narcissistic fools among us?" Talking to her not only didn't interfere with my work, but it helped me keep myself in a normal position, not letting my body distort above my wrists. "Even among those, someone like you had to work with?"

Camrad_RIP 28.06.23 в 19:49

The crack finally closed and was erased in every sense of the word, but instead, two new cracks appeared - much smaller and not so dangerous, but it was too early to leave the objectified portal to Dream unattended. In fact, there were more cracks at first, but the gradual mashing of some at the cost of others reduced their number to almost zero. I'll fix those, too, even though it's boring as hell.

Camrad_RIP 28.06.23 в 19:55

"Much more than it may seem at first glance," Tia answers in the same cautious tone, trying not to get too close to the even more singing mirror. "Properly presented flattery often helps where threats, bribery, or persuasion cannot help. It is up to the mind of the person to whom the praise is directed to concentrate it."

Camrad_RIP 28.06.23 в 19:57

The last of the cracks disappear. I shake my hands, returning them to their normal human appearance while simultaneously unraveling the spindle of dreams on my clothes, throwing the false images I'd prepared into a kind of generator. If not screwed up, such addition will allow the mirrors to refract the garbage visions collected inside and create new ones from them, completely random and just as meaningless. And anyone who can break through the outer layer, looking into this trap, will receive either another soft deception or... a gulp of mirror distortion, where all visions are so fractured in corridors of reflection that they will scorch too curious brains with their insanity. There's the way Tia tensed up when she realized exactly what I had prepared here.

Camrad_RIP 28.06.23 в 19:58

"Are there many who have to be flattered by showing how smart he is that he saw the attempt at flattery, too?" I shook myself off and finished my work, and slowly reduced the filing of both mirrors and splinters, putting them back into defensive and waiting mode.

Camrad_RIP 28.06.23 в 20:00

"Much more than the first." This snake answers as if it had to be so. "At a certain level, fools who are easy to fool or outplay are eliminated, and when dealing with those who remain, a certain amount of sincere respect must be shown. At least because that respect is deserved."

Camrad_RIP 28.06.23 в 20:01

We both understand perfectly well the messages in each other's phrases, simply because it is rather difficult to deceive clairvoyants like us, especially those so closely intertwined in our attention. Rather, it is a peculiar demonstration of tactics in different situations. She sensed my unspoken desire to better understand their diplomats' modus operandi, immediately rearranging her manner in the right way, letting me consider the standard gimmicks and techniques that she wields.

Camrad_RIP 28.06.23 в 20:04

"How are the professional messengers better than you in this matter?" I stretch my back and open a flask with a tonic mixture of tinctures.

Camrad_RIP 28.06.23 в 20:05

"Incomparably better." She takes the flask from my hands, takes a few cautious sips, and gives it back to me. "A true virtuoso of the word will deceive even you, Tin, especially if there is no way to force him to answer directly. However, if you personally are not going to follow the etiquette and the code of negotiation, then you can simply ostentatiously open his deception by direct exposure. Some will be able to distort the truth even in this position, but I can't speak with absolute certainty."

Camrad_RIP 29.06.23 в 04:30

The potions worked well, not only restoring my strength but also increasing the rate of natural recovery from our almost shared adventures. I had no permanent injuries, and she had successfully healed them through my efforts, but we were both in somewhat depressing shape. And while I was limited to the effects of my overuse of un-existence and clairvoyance, she had the added trauma of the energy body.

Camrad_RIP 29.06.23 в 04:32

I had to make her several very complicated potions, literally adapting them to her physiology on the fly. The sight of me swapping the essential concepts of five different potions with three bowls, a mug, an alcohol burner, and a homemade moonshine machine was the only thing that broke through her armor of indifference at this point. I could understand a lot of it-it was quite a surreal sight.

Camrad_RIP 29.06.23 в 04:34

"So skillfully lying?" I listen to myself, assessing the reserve that has dropped by more than a quarter, cursing once again at Weaver for the geometric cost of hiding my footprint.

Camrad_RIP 29.06.23 в 04:36

"Rather, so artfully told the truth." She emphasized that last word, making it the main focus of the whole sentence. "I don't have really complete knowledge of the peculiarities of their classes, for they try not to tell such secrets to anyone except their students and the first of the Lords, but I do know that such a master is able to convince his interlocutor that the sky is green. Not to compel with mental magic, not to charm with a stream of words, not to weave a subconscious web, but to convince. A rather insidious ability because of which negotiators are never given enough credit. Especially star-born ones. However, they try to apply this in a minimal manifestation, not wishing to give another reason for suspicion."

Camrad_RIP 29.06.23 в 04:38

After the work of rebuilding the defensive lines is completed, we go downstairs, where the rest of the company is already playing another batch of cards. Unlike those days when we were sitting on the farm before the assault on the Stone, no one takes even a drop of alcohol into their mouths. At any moment, the situation may call for decisive action, so our readiness is high.

Camrad_RIP 29.06.23 в 04:39

"Can such an expert, for example, tell a truth in which there are no arrows flying at him or wounds on his body?" At this point, my interest is not at all feigned.

Camrad_RIP 29.06.23 в 04:40

"I don't think so." A barely perceptible negative shake of the head and a few nods to my companions who had never been distracted from their party. "Direct manipulation of reality is very rare at all and most common in planar class wielders. Masters of Negotiation don't like to associate themselves even with Astral, let alone Dream. And non-planar distortion of existence... In combat, it could be used by very few of the endowed, and almost none of them were my kindred. Most of it was the prerogative of divine entities, exalted above the living and their fate.

Camrad_RIP 29.06.23 в 04:47

"I feel there is some sort of reticence here." I don't insist, but I hint that I would very much like to hear this reticence. "I'm not intruding. I'm just curious."

Camrad_RIP 29.06.23 в 04:47

We went into a separate room and sat down, but not for cards, just for a cup of tea. The tea was brewed by the one of us who was good at brewing things, and that was me. Although Tia, I note, has the skill of alchemy at the level of a full-fledged master. Without the lab and class-specific skills, she is practically incapable of making anything, but she could make tea, too. Either I don't trust her enough, or she has gently tricked me into making that tea.

Camrad_RIP 29.06.23 в 05:11

"It's not about any secrets." She immediately raised her hands in a gesture of agreement. "The reason for my silence is that I don't like the subject. And I don't think any other Starborn would want to tell you about it, either. If they have walked under the stars long enough to remember that kind of gray-haired antiquity. Even by our standards, this man lived a very, very long time ago, just as his deeds have long since fallen into oblivion."

Camrad_RIP 29.06.23 в 05:12

I am not afraid of the fact that the potion has no negative effects at all, and I am not afraid of the negative aspects that could lead to an increase in intoxication. While we were still on our voyage through the wilderness, I somehow unnoticed the rosy dream of most alchemists of the world - the ability to create potions that have no negative effects at all. I was not intoxicated, not addicted, not even psychological dependence. Although, the latter can only be countered by high concentration and sheer force of will. I have a great deal of experience in this field, but I am not so good at making potions that are practically useless at my level, such as the one with a pleasant taste, a light healing effect, no conflict with other potions, and the ability to speed up the recovery of damaged bodies.

Camrad_RIP 29.06.23 в 05:16

"You're talking about the Pervert King, aren't you?" I hand the bowl to her and take one myself, finally sitting down in a chair and letting my back, which had been stiff from being hunched over for so long, relax. "Oh, damn, I should have put the mirrors on some stands instead of transforming them directly on the floor."

Camrad_RIP 29.06.23 в 05:17

"It's rather strange to hear the cursed name from a human." It's not that she's surprised, but she's shed her carefree look, falling into a very thoughtful state. "May I ask about the sources from which you learned about him? All of us, all of Woods, every single one of us, have been extremely careful to erase any mention of the nature of his powers."

Camrad_RIP 29.06.23 в 05:26

"It's not from anywhere." I waved her off, ignoring her reaction, knowing full well that it wasn't a threat, but a kind of reflexive disgust at the sight of a poisonous spider. "Accidentally caught a clairvoyance when I was looking for the answer to a question."

Camrad_RIP 29.06.23 в 05:33

"I will allow myself to express disbelief." Having already come to her senses and expressed my apology with just a slight smile and a tilt of my head. "I can't compare to you in pure talent and power, but I can assess this talent quite accurately. Finding information about this endowed man by chance is possible, though difficult, and not to erase all mention of his deeds. But not about his powers."

Camrad_RIP 29.06.23 в 05:40

I look at her with real surprise, realizing she's so gently asking me to tell her what search markers I used when I stumbled upon my knowledge. Only then I realize the irony of the situation. It makes me chuckle involuntarily, almost turning into laughter. I couldn't tell her what I'd used my clairvoyance for that time.

Camrad_RIP 29.06.23 в 05:42

"To repeat your own words: it was a blow to the void." Here I correcting the original message a bit. "Or rather, a spontaneous guess based on your words. I did not know about the classes of your greatest pervert, but I related your reluctance to talk about him and the fact how much he was once hated by all of you."

Camrad_RIP 29.06.23 в 05:44

"Suppose." And now she tensed even more, and in her posture, there was a slight but discernible panic at the very edge of a sharply heightened sense of foreboding. "And the name by which the cursed king was called by his closest disciples, did you also accidentally call him?"

Camrad_RIP 29.06.23 в 05:46

It then dawned on me that she was really very... not even frightened, but rather puzzled. It is difficult to describe this mixture of emotions, which she deliberately does not hide, letting herself be read openly. A kind of mixture of panic, stale grief, humility over choices already made, and a willingness to be wrong in her judgments. It seems that she took me for one of the students of that guy, carefully making it clear that, despite all the possible attitude to this person, she would not change sides, nor would she doubt the correctness of the chosen path.

Camrad_RIP 29.06.23 в 10:36

"I said it casually, without thinking about it at all." I partially revealed my essence, making Tia shudder at the perceptual energies of Shadow and Dream. "I was only recently summoned to Alurei. I learned about this character less than two months ago."

Camrad_RIP 29.06.23 в 10:37

It took her a few seconds to regain her composure to the point where even I no longer noticed the distress. Though a normal person wouldn't have known anything about her, her stamina was so iron. She took a deep breath, as if she'd been overcome by obsession, stretching all her muscles, and then took a large sip of her brew.

Camrad_RIP 29.06.23 в 14:10

"Damn, Summoned with all your common sense-denying nature." Translated into human terms, it was a long and expressive swearing,.at maximum volume and with feet stomping on the floor. "For a second, I actually believed I had met one of them. I'm sorry, Tin, but apparently, my experience had blurred the usual line between the probable and the impossible."

Camrad_RIP 29.06.23 в 14:22

Silently I watch, trying to copy the questioning eyebrow raised of Rickman's name described in thousands of fanfics. Eventually, she can't stand this Stanislavsky torture and begins to talk.

Camrad_RIP 29.06.23 в 14:23

"My mother's mother was one of those who was made different by an apprentice of the Damned." She answered in the tone of a story that was painful but had long since become a mere memory. "And afterward, it was no longer she, one of the hundred strongest hypnotists in the Forest, who bewitched my mother's sister and her son, who had just taken the Path of the Blade. I was very young then, not even half a century old, but I remembered it for the rest of my life."

Camrad_RIP 29.06.23 в 15:52