Ойкумена / Oikumena: Глава 30

Chapter 30 And hell will follow us

Camrad_RIP 23.02.24 в 10:53

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Camrad_RIP 23.02.24 в 10:53

A rocking, steady, and recognizable. A creak. Another creak, different, more "ropey". A third. The whole world was embodied in sounds and squeaked mercilessly. It also splashed with small waves. And the smell of water. It was not the usual smell of sea salt, but it was impossible to confuse it with anything else. It was the surface of a freshwater sea, deeply embedded in the body of the continent. So it was a ship.

Camrad_RIP 23.02.24 в 10:58

The only thing left to do was to open her eyes, to make sure her hearing and sense of smell were clean. But he didn't want to look or do anything at all, especially since her tortured body, despite the rest, responded with pain to any movement. It was nice and warm to lie under the felt blanket. It was hard on her cheeks. Though; it seemed they had put a rope bundle with prickly hairs under her head. But that was a minor evil compared to the opportunity to lie down and rest, rest...

Camrad_RIP 28.02.24 в 10:50

Nearby, someone spoke softly in two voices. One sounded vaguely familiar, the other belonged to a child or a squeaky girl. Still, without opening her eyes, Elena wrapped herself more tightly in the bedspread, regretting that sleep was slipping away like jellyfish through her fingers. It seemed silly to just lie there, and hunger suddenly reminded her of itself, pressing her empty stomach. Elena decided it was time to get up. She opened her eyes and looked around.

Camrad_RIP 29.02.24 в 21:27

Yes, a ship, more like a yacht, something like a large dinghy with a pudgy hull and a single mast. A typical coaster, designed for four or five days of autonomy, capable of sailing and some oars. A close inspection revealed three crew members who, from the looks of it, effectively combined fishing with petty piracy and smuggling. Very colorful faces, dressed motley, almost like soldiers, without any possibility of determining origin. The faces of the sailors did not express the slightest enthusiasm for the voyage and the passengers, but the smugglers were peaceful. They were also a little small for such a ship, at least six men were needed. Maybe the rest are below the deck. Or maybe underwater. Yes, from the dead dungeon to the ship - Elena thought that she had missed a lot of things during the sleep-fainting period.

Camrad_RIP 29.02.24 в 21:30

Almost at the bow of the boat, Ranjan and the rescued child were sitting on something like a rowing bench. They were whispering, their heads close together. Brether, with his height, had to bend low. The boy was sad, recent tears had washed paths on his dirty cheeks. The two redeemers squatted in the stern, at the helm. Cadfal was gnawing at a piece of corned beef with gusto. Rapist, judging by his gestures and pious appearance, was preaching to the helmsman, who seemed unhappy and stoically listened to the words, squinting at the redeeming spear. Grimal slept by the side, wrapped in his cloak.

Camrad_RIP 01.03.24 в 09:28

It was nearing dawn, so it had only been a few hours. The wind was wrinkling the water's surface, creating many small waves that promised to grow into a normal storm by noon. Well, winter is a time of bad weather and storms. The moon was slowly setting, coloring the sky in silvery milky tones. The sun was still below the horizon but was already casting its rays in front of him, the harbingers of the coming dawn. This combination gave rise to a surprisingly warm and beautiful shade of sky above the horizon line - caramel ochre, which I wanted to lick, to feel the fabulous sweetness on my tongue.

Camrad_RIP 01.03.24 в 09:29

Still, something strange is going on with the heavenly bodies here... Irregular, chaotic movement of the sun and the moon, as if the planet does not move along the normal and set for millions of years trajectory, but rotates in the system of three bodies without a clear rhythm. But why is the change of day and night, seasons and seasons otherwise strictly observed?

Camrad_RIP 01.03.24 в 09:30

And is there even a planet here? After all, if there's magic, why shouldn't there be an edge of the earth as well...

Camrad_RIP 01.03.24 в 09:30

Elena moved under the heavy blanket, stretching her muscles gingerly. Her broken ribs and bruises ached, but they were tolerable. Seeing that the wanderer was awake, one of the smugglers silently handed her a crumpled pewter mug of water. Only now did Elena realize she was thirsty. She stuck her hand out from under the felt, took the mug, and swallowed the contents in several greedy gulps. The hunger remained, but the woman decided to wait to eat until she had a clearer picture. A certain peace of mind that came from a sense of temporary safety.

Camrad_RIP 01.03.24 в 09:54

In the meantime, the Brether had finished talking to the boy and helped the child to lie down to rest. He put a leather pillow under his head and covered him with a blanket. The boy closed his eyes, sobbed once or twice, curled up under the improvised blanket, and fell asleep almost instantly. Brether stood looking at the young nobleman in silence. Elena threw back the blanket, stretched her arms and legs, and smoothed her greasy hair. Damn it, she doesn't have her cap, it's lost.... But the medical chest was in order, standing by the side, seemingly intact and locked. The woman hurriedly grabbed her belt and fumbled for a leather case with the healer's certificate. Also in place... Thank goodness. With this, it is possible to start a new life in new places.

Camrad_RIP 01.03.24 в 09:56

Thank you, Flessa, she thought with bitter warmth. Thank you, sweet duchess.....

Camrad_RIP 01.03.24 в 09:57

Elena stood up, holding onto the mast. She hopped around, stretching her legs, and checked her knife, or rather both knives, the regular and the spare. She remembered how many different - and good! - weapons she'd lost or simply not picked up in the past couple of days, from a gift saber to the swords of dead mercenaries. She vowed it would never happen again. The sailors wrinkled their faces at the sight of a woman in pants and a scalpel in her codpiece, glanced at the Brether synchronously, and pretended that there were no pants. Apparently, there were only three of them left plus the helmsman.

Camrad_RIP 01.03.24 в 10:00

Elena strode over to the brether. Ranjan sat down, placing his sword in its scabbard between his legs, and silently bowed his head in greeting and good morning. The woman squatted next to him. For several minutes, the brether and the healer sat silently looking in different directions. The pale light lay on the water in rippling paths like a fairy tale. It seemed if you took a step, you could walk to the horizon. The waves splashed quietly against the sides of the ship. A light wind blew the sail without enthusiasm, but it promised to grow into something much more substantial.

Camrad_RIP 01.03.24 в 10:03

"Where's my payment?" Elena finally asked.

Camrad_RIP 01.03.24 в 10:03

Ranjan looked into her eyes and suddenly lowered his gaze.

Camrad_RIP 28.02.24 в 10:51

"Sorry," he said softly.

Camrad_RIP 01.03.24 в 10:03

Brether's voice sounded muffled and cracked, like a bell with a crack that stole the pure ringing of metal. Ranjan seemed dead tired and held on by sheer willpower. However, he still spoke, like a good rhetorician, clearly emphasizing every word, every syllable. She wonders where Plague came from...? He behaved and spoke with the dignity of an aristocrat, but the nobles rarely became brethren, unless, completely impoverished knights, useless "fourth children" and other unlucky. A true nobleman was born for war, and urban killing for money was worthy of only contempt. Being involved in such a trade brought the family's prestige to the bottom of the pile, and the reputation of their children, grandchildren, and so on was diminished.

Camrad_RIP 01.03.24 в 10:05

"You lied to me?" Elena asked tiredly.

Camrad_RIP 01.03.24 в 07:16

"No. It's more like a little, uh... understatement. Actually, I know very little, so you won't hear anything that might help."

Camrad_RIP 01.03.24 в 07:35

"Anyways... talk."

Camrad_RIP 01.03.24 в 10:06

"The order was anonymous, through several intermediaries, and then also using magic."

Camrad_RIP 01.03.24 в 10:07

"Magic?"

Camrad_RIP 01.03.24 в 10:12

"Yes. When I agreed, the intermediaries went out of business, and the instructions began to come through a magic box. There were scrolls of parchment that burned when the seal was broken. Well, not immediately, of course. just in time to read them. I sent back messages the same way, in notes, they just disappeared from the box."

Camrad_RIP 01.03.24 в 10:13

"Got it."

Camrad_RIP 01.03.24 в 10:13

Elena had heard of such magic tricks. Despite their seeming convenience, they were rarely used; it was considered difficult to organize such a transmission, and the "secret reading" spell worked unstable. It didn't fit with the strict secrecy Ranjan had mentioned. So, either there were problems with secrecy, or the order came from a really strong mage, who was not afraid of overlaps. More likely the latter.

Camrad_RIP 01.03.24 в 10:18

"They told me the day and the place," continued the brether. "The courier brought the advance payment."

Camrad_RIP 01.03.24 в 10:19

"Gold?"

Camrad_RIP 01.03.24 в 10:19

"The amount was too great to carry so much metal to the Wastelands. The messenger delivered the box of stones and then disappeared."

Camrad_RIP 01.03.24 в 10:20

"A magical transition... Stones?"

Camrad_RIP 02.03.24 в 15:17

"Yes, the emeralds."

Camrad_RIP 01.03.24 в 10:21

"Wow," Elena said. This was an interesting point to remember. As on Earth, emeralds were very rare in Ecumene, valued above all other gems. Perhaps there's an unmistakable trace here. but I don't think so. Whoever had been so clever in obfuscating the path must have taken care of that, too.

Camrad_RIP 02.03.24 в 15:50

"Is there anything left?"

Camrad_RIP 02.03.24 в 15:51

Yes, it would be interesting to see the faceting, Elena remembered that it seemed like each craftsman had their tricks, maybe it would still be possible...

Camrad_RIP 02.03.24 в 15:51

"No."

Camrad_RIP 01.03.24 в 10:21

That's to be expected. It's clear where all the money and valuables went. But it still made sense to ask.

Camrad_RIP 02.03.24 в 15:52

"Was there anything conspicuous about the courier?"

Camrad_RIP 29.02.24 в 21:58

//"Like the woman with the red-colored hell eyes."

Camrad_RIP 29.02.24 в 21:58

"No. Just an ordinary, inconspicuous man in disguise."

Camrad_RIP 29.02.24 в 22:01

"I see. Go on."

Camrad_RIP 29.02.24 в 22:01

"The orders were very strict - to find you, take you under guard, keep safe at all costs. To be treated with the utmost courtesy, like a noblewoman. And..." Ranjan wrinkled his high forehead a little, remembering. "Yes, they called you 'Spark'. They also sent me some magical artifacts to make it easier to find you."

Camrad_RIP 01.03.24 в 10:23

"The artifacts?"

Camrad_RIP 29.02.24 в 21:38

"A test for magic, basically. Protection against sorcery. And some sort of compass to indicate the manifestations of magic. The customer seemed to think he was dealing with a powerful sorcerer. Who knew you weren't a magician? By the way, were you in Santeli's cart?"

Camrad_RIP 29.02.24 в 21:38

"Yes."

Camrad_RIP 29.02.24 в 21:35

"Amazing. Everyone has a little bit of magic in them. That's why the magic lens sees everyone. But you. you don't seem to have any magical power, you didn't exist to the artifact. All I saw was the shadow of a wounded man and no one else around."

Camrad_RIP 29.02.24 в 21:37

"Not a drop of magic..." Elena echoed and finished to herself, // "You should have seen it, you should have known..."

Camrad_RIP 29.02.24 в 21:37

"We just missed each other," she said instead. "I was nearby, hiding, and I heard everything. You interrogated random travelers, and then you killed them. I saw the... the bodies. How could you do that?" she looked into the killer's dark eyes. "Why would you kill them when you were ordered to keep them alive and safe?"

Camrad_RIP 29.02.24 в 21:35

Ranjan wriggled his neck as if the ties of his cloak were slightly strangling the brether.

Camrad_RIP 29.02.24 в 21:32

"Wow," he finally said. "So the goal was so close..." he paused and said. "But you were wrong. We did kill the travelers, but they weren't innocent victims."

Camrad_RIP 29.02.24 в 21:34