Селеста / Сelesta: Глава 16

Chapter 16

Camrad_RIP 26.01.22 в 20:20

On a ten-point scale of failure, Celesta rated last night a nine. If she'd anticipated the consequences of trying to brainwash the fanatics, she'd have given up on the problem in a heartbeat. Her rational worldview, shaken a good deal over the past year, had made her forget just how real the supernatural forces were here. That was entirely her fault. It's a pity, but the past cannot be changed - all that remains is to find a way to correct the stupidity that has been committed. And henceforth to be more critical in assessing the ideas arising in the subconscious.

Camrad_RIP 27.01.22 в 06:51

The first item on the loss column was the death of all Morvanites. Of course, sooner or later they would have to be disposed of, but at this particular moment, the disappearance of their most loyal adherents was a great hindrance to the rebels. Celesta had counted on the cultists for help in building the inn, had hoped to use them for some operations in Pit - the plans were in their infancy and would now have to be abandoned entirely - and simply valued a convenient, free, and loyal source of food. Where to get a replacement for them was unclear. Only a madman could trust the alcoholics from the wasteland, it was irrational to create a new cult from scratch, and it would take a long time to gather desperate loners like Varek. She was going to have an assistant spy for the latter, but after last night she had no suitable candidates left.

Camrad_RIP 27.01.22 в 06:52

Much more unnerving was the attention to the incident on the part of the authorities. It was as if Hustin had foreseen, saying that the palace mages would sense a surge of power. When the next night the undead arrived at the site of the ritual, they found the palace guard in full force. The duke's elite warriors cordoned off the block and systematically searched it, and they didn't miss the sewers. It is not known whether or not they have discovered the hall, which had been turned into a temple, but if they haven't, it won't stay hidden for long. When the investigators see the bodies of the Morvanites, they will immediately have confirmation of the magicians' words. What do they know now and what will they know later? A sect of Dark God worshippers successfully existed in a city seemingly cleansed to the ground by the efforts of the spiders. Yesterday, on a day dedicated to their Lord, the Morvanites had performed a failed ritual that had ended in the deaths of the sect's rank and file. The investigators couldn't find the priests' bodies, so they'd consider the leadership a survivor.

Camrad_RIP 27.01.22 в 09:25

They don't know what ritual it was yet. Maybe it was the first, maybe not...

Camrad_RIP 27.01.22 в 09:27

If Celesta had been a security guard, she would have taken it as a spit in the face. In a territory that they thought was completely under their control, and indeed it is, they suddenly find an active group of people successfully practicing magic. All right, even if not successfully, they definitely possess some knowledge. And the sect is skillfully concealed, otherwise, it would have long fallen into the field of view of the relevant services. The Duke, to put it mildly, will be dissatisfied with the actions of his subordinates, who have allowed as many as two failures in a matter of two days: the murder of the underling of one of his favorites and the appearance of an unknown factor in political life. The local intriguers take any magical exertions more than seriously, and they have their reasons. Especially after a catastrophe where the tiniest crumbs of working spells are literally worth their weight in gold. More precious than gold: the bulk of the population is absolutely certain of magic's disappearance. So do most of the undead.

Camrad_RIP 27.01.22 в 09:29

The only way to deflect the superiors' wrath is to present the perpetrators of both events to their illustrious eyes as soon as possible.

Camrad_RIP 27.01.22 в 09:40

Having searched her memory and imagining herself in the place of the investigators, Celesta decided that the first thing the spiders would try to do would be to identify the dead. Faces of the fanatics were preserved, the artist in the security service was for sure, so it would take about twenty-four hours to find out the names. Another day would be spent on checking possible connections, questioning acquaintances and friends, and unsuccessfully trying to identify other cult members in their social circles. At the same time, they would comb Osilti's home for evidence for a second time and question neighbors to see if they had seen anything suspicious. Hustin set fire to the house, the fire should destroy all traces, but if something was left? Or is there an attentive sufferer suffering from insomnia? Good questions.

Camrad_RIP 27.01.22 в 09:44

What else will they do... They'll pick up all the rumors and gossip, shake down the agents looking for any leads. They hadn't paid attention to reports of ghouls operating in Talea before, but now they'll pick up the thread and start pulling it out. First, they'll go out to the homeless people in the vacant lot and beat the information out of them, which would take... an hour. Two hours, given the sluggishness of the bureaucracy. So, henceforth it must be assumed that one must not show his face among the homeless: there would be an ambush waiting for him. Most likely, the other agents would be found out very soon. It is comforting that the girls recruited quite a lot of informants, all of whom acted autonomously, reporting only to the ghouls, and did not suspect the existence of each other. The investigation will not be able to catch all of them: at least a couple of them will be at large. We should warn them to lay low, then the losses would be minimized.

Camrad_RIP 27.01.22 в 09:49

That leaves Fakasius. He knows an incredible amount about Celesta, and not only about her. If the guards nailed him, he'd give up his partners to the bad guys in exchange for his skin. But if they don't press him too hard, he'll keep quiet, again out of self-interest - the ghouls will also have something to say about his affairs. Let's hope Holiness does not keep snitches among his inner circle.

Camrad_RIP 27.01.22 в 10:02

As disgusting as it is, they must leave. Avoid the familiar neighborhoods and temporarily relocate to the local slums. Probably escape to Pit for a week and a half. I would ask Hastin's relatives to stay on as a reserve, the last chance. Get Varek on the line and get him to start building immediately. No matter how events turn in the future, it is obvious that the former methods of hunting will become known and they will have to be abandoned. So today Celesta would give him half the money she had, nearly five hundred dinars - the funds she considered the only positive outcome of the whole operation - and order him to hire laborers. The money would be more than enough.

Camrad_RIP 27.01.22 в 10:06

But time is running out.

Camrad_RIP 27.01.22 в 10:06

"Hastin!" Having made a decision, she acted immediately. "Go to your family - explain what our situation is. On the way, stop by Varek and give him the money, telling him to start immediately. If there's a problem, tell him to go to Holiness, and I'll coordinate with him today. If you make it, come to the shelter under the third pier for the day, if not, sleep at your place. Medea, you carry the agents. You round up the most valuable and tell them to lay low: we're leaving town before the Great Hunt begins. We'll be back when it's over."

Camrad_RIP 27.01.22 в 10:10

"Leaving Talea?" Medea repeated in amazement.

Camrad_RIP 27.01.22 в 10:29

The undead gathered in one of the sewer passages to discuss their plans. More precisely, to listen to Celesta and get instructions from her. The other two had not yet realized how complicated their relatively peaceful existence had become and hoped for the best.

Camrad_RIP 27.01.22 в 10:32

"That's what they must think. Be careful: informers may be followed. So if you think, even a shadow of suspicion, that there's an ambush nearby, run immediately. Well, I've got Fakasius on me."

Camrad_RIP 27.01.22 в 10:54

"Maybe it'll be all right.:

Camrad_RIP 27.01.22 в 14:26

"It won't work," Celesta interrupted her friend sharply. "The spiders will shake the city from top to bottom, if we don't lay low, we're dead. We'll have to hunt for sailors in the slums for a while, until the raids pass. That's it, meet me under pier three."

Camrad_RIP 27.01.22 в 14:52

Oddly enough, they made it. Celesta even had time to return home, carefully lock the doors, and grab two bottles of drug concentrate for Fakasius. The sweating crime boss had the good fortune of waking up a second time in the company of a ghoul, and this time the bars in his room were intact: the girl had entered the house through the attic window. His Holiness had already been questioned about Osilti, but he swore that he knew nothing. They'd asked about the ghouls, too, and got the same answer. Celesta was completely satisfied with her business partner's position. She had no doubt: Fakasius would remain silent as long as his fear of the authorities did not outweigh his fear of the rebellion.

Camrad_RIP 27.01.22 в 15:28

Medea, of course, could not go around everyone, but she left notes in the hiding places she had agreed upon. Trying to communicate with the eighth agent, she noticed some unfamiliar men, suspiciously comfortable around the meeting place, and immediately hid in the shadows. Once again her night vision served her well: the woman was not detected. The guards couldn't possibly track them all down, and no one would allow them to conduct total interrogation. The most talkative ones, like Laskash, would suffer, while the experienced and clever ones would be spared the trouble. In short, the ghouls considered the network of informants torn, but not destroyed, and hoped to create a new one on its basis in time.

Camrad_RIP 27.01.22 в 15:35

Hustin was the first to take care of things, taking on the honorable mission of putting the shelter in order. Only the gods know how long they'd be here, so it was at least worth dusting and making the bedding arrangements. The next night he was joined by Medea, who had brought a couple of blankets with her - she'd slept in a nearby hiding place halfway through the day-sleep had knocked her out - later came the remarkably energetic Celesta. Yesterday she'd talked to Fakasius, and she'd also run through the poor neighborhood, and she'd seen a few of the people who'd been doing the girls some favors. She advised them to watch out for strangers in the neighborhood, and also warned them of a possible raid. As soon as she saw Hustin, a thought that had been tingling in her head lately finally took shape:

Camrad_RIP 27.01.22 в 17:53

"Can the school be identified by your signs?"

Camrad_RIP 27.01.22 в 17:55

"What?" The guy didn't understand the question.

Camrad_RIP 27.01.22 в 17:55

"You said you copied the designs on the altar and the victim's body from the ones you spied at Granny's," Celesta explained patiently. "Can an expert tell by the runes which system the caster belongs to?"

Camrad_RIP 27.01.22 в 17:56

"Actually, maybe," Hustin nodded slowly. The Ghoul question made him uneasy, but then, remembering something, he relaxed a bit. "But there was so much blood, I doubt the palace mages could have made any sense of it. The bandit had been stripped completely of his skin, and there was a puddle of it on the floor. Well," the boy was a little embarrassed, "I was a little scared. As soon as I woke up, I erased the circle, and there weren't any signs left."

Camrad_RIP 27.01.22 в 17:58

"You did the right thing. But just in case, warn your father in case they ask about you."

Camrad_RIP 27.01.22 в 17:59

"What's asking? Why?"

Camrad_RIP 27.01.22 в 18:00

"The runes are northern, and there's only one clan of northerners in town. Who do you think they will come to?"

Camrad_RIP 27.01.22 в 18:01

Hustin hurriedly took off, Celesta stopped him:

Camrad_RIP 27.01.22 в 18:02

"Calm down, it's not that bad. He reported the disappearance of his youngest son two weeks ago, didn't he? So there shouldn't be any questions about your family. Besides, Tarrasch is a valuable specialist, the head of the whole workshop, they won't interrogate him on the basis of shaky suspicions. But if they do come... They might say you longed for magic, but you were hiding it. Do you understand?"

Camrad_RIP 27.01.22 в 18:03

"Uh-huh. But why?"

Camrad_RIP 27.01.22 в 18:03

"Then the investigators will think that you were lured into some kind of cult, and the family has nothing to do with it."

Camrad_RIP 27.01.22 в 18:07

After Hustings left, Celesta sat down next to Medea, sprawled out on the blankets. She was lying on the floor, poring over the contents of a small box she'd been keeping lately. There she kept cosmetics and all kinds of useful little things that had fallen into her hands by mysterious means. The woman took the next blow of fate with remarkable calmness and after a short mild hysteria actively started to rearrange the nest.

Camrad_RIP 27.01.22 в 18:08

"You don't seem too upset."

Camrad_RIP 27.01.22 в 18:08

"I'm surprised it took them so long to notice us," Medea responded. "We've been in contact with a lot of people, after all. In a way, we could even consider such a spectacular statement about ourselves a success."

Camrad_RIP 27.01.22 в 18:09

"Why is that?" Celeste wondered.

Camrad_RIP 27.01.22 в 18:09

It seems to me that now, before the spring offensive, the spiders are busy. Many new people have joined the army: they need to be checked, evaluated, and at the same time continue to monitor the intrigues of the Duke's cronies. They have no time to check the gossip circulating among the poor. But sooner or later the guards will have urgent business to attend to, or they will simply be interested in too persistent a rumor. Who knows, we might not have to wake up one dreary morning in our cells and find that we have been watched for more than twenty-four hours...

Camrad_RIP 27.01.22 в 18:10

The little ghoul shook her head. She didn't see the situation that way. Though she thought her friend's optimism was farfetched, she didn't want to spoil the mood. She wanted to see the bright side of what had happened, fine. Celesta had something else in mind:

Camrad_RIP 27.01.22 в 18:11

"What worries me is the strange rush of strength after the sacrifice."

Camrad_RIP 27.01.22 в 18:11

"Why should it? On the contrary, you should be happy."

Camrad_RIP 27.01.22 в 18:12

"I do not understand its nature and, therefore, cannot predict the consequences."

Camrad_RIP 27.01.22 в 18:12

"I don't see anything unusual about this situation," Medea smiled. "That's how all the undead exists. We're dead, but we keep on living - isn't that strange? Be glad that the Darkness has granted us a reprieve and is not demanding further sacrifices. You don't feel hungry either, do you?"

Camrad_RIP 27.01.22 в 18:13

"It is very weak."

Camrad_RIP 27.01.22 в 18:14

"Exactly. We have time to settle in, to wait out the spiders' attention span, to keep an eye on Varek. In fact, why not visit the Pit?" - Medea hesitated, but continued: "You know, I.... am still afraid of the priest. I'd like to know for sure that he's dead."

Camrad_RIP 27.01.22 в 18:16

The girls called Carlon the priest. The older one, out of some childish superstition, avoided mentioning his name as if she feared being overheard, Celesta tried not to frighten her friend unnecessarily. When she heard the suggestion, the small undead was frankly surprised:

Camrad_RIP 27.01.22 в 18:17

"Are you suggesting we go back to the monastery and kill everyone there?"

Camrad_RIP 27.01.22 в 18:17

"No, no! It's just that one of Hustin's relatives is in the guard. What if you told him about the monastery? He could take soldiers, go there during the day, and slaughter all the ghouls while they sleep soundlessly."

Camrad_RIP 27.01.22 в 18:18

"Even Artak?"

Camrad_RIP 27.01.22 в 18:19

Medea sighed, reluctantly shrugging:

Camrad_RIP 27.01.22 в 18:19

"If he meets me, he will kill me. In his eyes I am a traitor and a heretic."

Camrad_RIP 27.01.22 в 18:19