Селеста / Сelesta: Глава 5-6

Chapter 5

Camrad_RIP 09.02.22 в 17:52

Negotiations, despite the friendliness of the host, were not easy. The pressure of the magical signs carved on the castle walls was draining; I had to watch my every word so as not to ruin the first favorable impression. The fatigue of yesterday's fight and the interrogation that had followed was an additional backdrop, not so much physical as mental.

Camrad_RIP 09.02.22 в 21:10

On top of all that, there may be more to explain to the regional captain about the prisoner given away. And to treat Sattar.

Camrad_RIP 09.02.22 в 21:11

An underground passage led her to a house not far from the walls of the Upper Town. Furnished like a medium-sized merchant's house, it served the duke as a sort of antechamber for invited but secret guests. No one wanted to draw attention to this place, so the mistress was accompanied here by only Latham. He met her at the exit.

Camrad_RIP 09.02.22 в 21:12

"I think you'll have to stay in town for a while," Celestф spoke when they were far enough away from the Duke's men. "We will hand the prisoner over to Lash for a show execution. We will be interacting frequently with the Duke's entourage shortly, and Sattar, for all his positive qualities, is not an expert in the nuances of etiquette."

Camrad_RIP 09.02.22 в 21:13

"The Secret Service will not be pleased."

Camrad_RIP 09.02.22 в 21:14

"Of course. They can express their dissatisfaction to the sovereign if they dare, and I will give them the opportunity to do so. Let them fight, and I'll see whose forehead is stronger."

Camrad_RIP 09.02.22 в 21:16

"Does Messena intend to return to Bardi?"

Camrad_RIP 09.02.22 в 21:16

"No," Celesta shook her head negatively after a little thought. "Lascaris is more promising. Relations with the Duke must be developed, he must see our usefulness... Surely he would be interested in the latest information from Taleya."

Camrad_RIP 09.02.22 в 21:17

From there they walked in silence. Not wishing to draw attention to her nocturnal wanderings, Celesta moved out of the inn, choosing as her new residence the mansion that belonged to the deceased Zar. The official owner was a merchant among the living servants of the risen. It was also a problem to ensure that the transfer of power went smoothly and without incident. Only four remain in the Lascaris community after recent events, but there may well be young risen from Taleya to be transferred here soon. The fugitives must be provided with shelter and resources beforehand.

Camrad_RIP 09.02.22 в 21:18

There wasn't much time before dawn; midnight was long gone. Witchcraft would not be appropriate now, but Sattar looked disgusting, and Celesta made her way to the basement. Here, the hidden deep underground was the small temple of Morvan, used by the risen for the few magical rituals they knew. Ordinary cultists also came here to worship the deity, but only the undead knew how to curse their enemies or turn their blood into powerful medicine. It was rumored that a vampire who had fallen asleep in the temple was sometimes visited by visions, but whether that was true or not, Celesta did not know.

Camrad_RIP 09.02.22 в 21:20

Personally, she used the room for purely utilitarian purposes.

Camrad_RIP 09.02.22 в 21:21

The eternally young girl froze in front of the altar, concentrating. She should have cleared her mind of all extraneous things before she began her work. And what was there to worry about? Now she would prepare a potion for Sattar and send it to the sick vampire. The day and the next night would be spent resting unless the "spiders" had a desire to reassert their importance and scheduled a meeting. In any case, the day after tomorrow she would leave for Taleya, leaving Lascaris to her assistants. She's been gone too long as it is.

Camrad_RIP 09.02.22 в 21:33

It is in the Capital where the threads of the twisting intrigue come together.

Camrad_RIP 09.02.22 в 21:34

It is in Taleya that she will be at home.
* * *

Camrad_RIP 09.02.22 в 21:34

Chapter 6

Camrad_RIP 09.02.22 в 21:34

Historically, all risen found in the kingdom's territory tended to be transported to the capital in the first year of their non-life. Not immediately, of course. A vampire couldn't travel too far from his birthplace for two or three months after the transition; at first, the undead's energy depended heavily on the land that resurrected him. No, under special circumstances the young were taken to other cities, away from the population that was disturbed by the succession of exsanguinated corpses, but such travelers had to be fed with fresh blood almost constantly. And they had to be watched closely to see if they went mad.

Camrad_RIP 09.02.22 в 21:48

It is only natural, therefore, that the Taleyan community was the largest and strongest in the country. It was home to both the oldest and the youngest of the risen. Newcomers were welcomed, trained, attached to mentors, taught to survive and the basics of existence in the realm of the Night for about fifty years, and then sent to other cities. To a new place of residence, a new place of service. This allowed, on the one hand, to evaluate the new members of the community, to understand what to expect from them and how much can be depended on them, and, on the other hand, to instill in the newcomers a more or less similar worldview. To prevent them from going to extremes, to give them a moral basis for their continued existence, to explain the dangers of uncontrolled thirst.

Camrad_RIP 09.02.22 в 21:56

Celesta was not always happy with the results, but in general, the chicks that left her nest were firmly on their wings.

Camrad_RIP 09.02.22 в 22:01

Not everyone went to the provinces, though. The most talented stayed in Taleya, joining the established management structures, developing their sections, and forming a kind of "personnel reserve". Everyone benefited the community. By intrigue, by finding money, by controlling particularly frisky fanatics or tribute-paying human gangs, by destroying particularly dangerous creatures throughout the country... The oldest, most experienced, and capable were among what Celesta called Advisors. They were the close associates who led the various activities.

Camrad_RIP 09.02.22 в 22:02

The vampiress had arrived in town a week ago. She was in no hurry, and she decided, given the opportunity, to take a tour of the grounds. To inspect her subjects, who, far from her mistress's watchful eye, were not always properly managing their newfound autonomy. Some of the heads of the communities were beginning to feel that their leader's policy of subordination to the human authorities was not in keeping with current realities and was expressing dissatisfaction in various ways. Celesta, in principle, was also tired of being the tame monsters of the Secret Guard, so there was little reprisal. No one tried to rebel against her authority or her established laws, there were no fools among the elders, and minor transgressions could be forgiven or limited to a reprimand in private. Most of the risen were well aware of their position on the fringes of human society and did not want to attract attention with silly flashy brutal antics. So she was happy with the outcome of the trip. This time there was no bloodshed.

Camrad_RIP 09.02.22 в 22:05

Despite the training, education, careful selection, and control, vampires sometimes lashed out. They killed indiscriminately, ignored their mistresses' orders, and openly fought with local lords or temples. It wasn't a good thing for them, as the zealous elders were quickly cut off. Sometimes on the head. Celesta tried to punish justly but mercilessly. In her position, mercy was synonymous with weakness. She could not afford weakness.

Camrad_RIP 09.02.22 в 22:06

Her subjects lived in a cruel world, and she ruled them as best she could. That is, in full accordance with the covenant of Machiavelli, unknown here: "A ruler does good wherever possible, and evil where necessary. The proportion remained unknown. But, judging from the fact that the vampire clan was doing well compared to neighboring countries, Celesta was doing well. Both undead and humans regarded her as ruler of all the undead of Taleya - humans, incidentally, were the first to use the term "subjects" in reference to the risen who served her, which sometimes made her think of coronation with grim humor. Until now, the title of Night Mistress, invented by an unknown cultist, had sufficed, but circumstances might soon change...

Camrad_RIP 09.02.22 в 22:08

In fact, it was about these very circumstances that she was going to talk to the Council.

Camrad_RIP 09.02.22 в 22:09

Her inner circle had for many years consisted of the same individuals. The old, strong, loyal, and talented risen who had firmly held the reins of the communities and successfully fought off the attacks of the outside world. All of them were now seated at the table, preparing to hear Celesta and, in turn, to report on their assigned areas of work.

Camrad_RIP 09.02.22 в 22:10

A rather squinting Medea settled gracefully in the nearest chair on her right arm. She was always there. Regardless of the vicissitudes of fate, the beauty and schemer served as faithful support for her cold friend, providing her with support in all circumstances and helping her to deal with various crises. It is fair to say that some of these crises arose thanks to Medea.

Camrad_RIP 09.02.22 в 22:11

Circling in court circles, she never denied herself the pleasure of tickling her own and others' nerves with an affair with a disgraced courtier or a resident of Lanakian intelligence. In the unconscious urge to walk on the edge of a precipice, enjoying the thrill of danger and the sense of life about to be cut short, she sometimes drove Celesta to a state of uncontrollable rage. A couple of times Medea was even forced to flee the capital - not so much from angry aristocrats as from an angry friend. People, mostly men, she could turn as she wished, but Celesta's anger was better to wait it out. At the same time in serious situations, the beauty acted quickly and decisively, without delay, fulfilling the most strange of orders. In general, the main thing was not to let her get bored.

Camrad_RIP 09.02.22 в 22:13

In truth, there had been very little foolishness on her part lately. Medea was the link between the vampires and the high nobility of the state, the channel that allowed her to directly influence the decisions of the authorities, bypassing the superiors of the Secret Guard. Her looks, manners, and artistry allowed her to easily find keys to the hearts of influential nobles, who had fallen in love with the beautiful servant of the Night for generations. Her true nature was known at court. However, they did not perceive her as a predatory undead, but as a kind of a dumb and a bit careless lover of dance, poetry, and other arts, just a bit immortal and with ambiguous acquaintances. That's what the right image means.

Camrad_RIP 09.02.22 в 22:16

Next to Medea sat one of the few vampires who had risen in old age. Normally, mortals killed in their younger years returned to non-life, which gave rise to thoughts of a second chance given to the Dark Ones. Though the statistics gathered, known only to their own, corrected this opinion. Old men don't rise up less often - they retain their sanity less often. The psyche does not withstand, the habit of thinking in patterns, common to any adult, which prevents them from accepting the changed reality.

Camrad_RIP 09.02.22 в 22:19

Celeste considered the Gardoman one of her most valuable possessions, if I may say so about a free individual. The old man was a shrewd salesman and a born entrepreneur, able to make money out of thin air. He was a difficult man to deal with at first. The former headman of a village did not lose his commanding habits after his death and was severely rebuked several times, but then he got used to it, acknowledged the authority of the Little Mistress, and slowly began to take control of the financial operations. Seven dinшrs out of every ten the community now received, Gardoman rightly took credit for it. The remaining twenty percent of the undead community's income came either from the machinations of Medea, who occasionally followed a lover into a lucrative venture-not so much out of greed as out of a desire to be at the center of things - or from the other vampires.

Camrad_RIP 09.02.22 в 22:32

Celesta also had her sources, known to her alone. A dozen coins there, a hundred here, buried jewelry or gems... Not necessarily in Taleyф. She left a modest rainy-day investment in every city she happened to be "on duty". Sometimes an extra penny helped her stay afloat. Let the last two hundred years the situation of the undead in the principality is stable and the authorities do not intend to destroy the useful, though scary subjects, life - it is that, unpredictable.

Camrad_RIP 09.02.22 в 22:33

Last on the right side was Latham, who had returned to Taleya just today. Business in Lascaris was better than could be expected, so he considered his mission complete and left the city to Sattar. The youngest of the assembled, in his lifetime Latham had been heir to the Counts of Kos and was considered one of the best swordsmen in the guard. His virtuoso mastery of the weapon, coupled with his good education, strong leadership skills, and knowledge of clan magic now earned him a seat at this table. Despite his relatively young age compared to the other elders, he was the one Celesta had recently sent to hunt down the most dangerous creatures. Not alone, of course.

Camrad_RIP 09.02.22 в 22:35

She had a sort of quick response team of four experienced vampires, aka bodyguards and fighters, and she put Latham in charge of them. The former aristocrat had never once failed. He was also used occasionally when, for whatever reason, Medea could not interfere, and circumstances forced him to communicate with the higher nobility - but not too often.

Camrad_RIP 09.02.22 в 22:36

First on the left sat Hustin opposite the insidiously smiling temptress Medea. The relationship between the former teacher and the former student was not easy and, according to the observations of experienced persons, developed cyclically. That is, about ten years of affectionate friendship, during which the magician, like a living person, gave the flowers for beauty, wrote love notes, and was wildly jealous of the objects of work. Gifts graciously accepted, bad quality poems neatly stacked in a box, the feelings were mutual. Then came a cooling-off period, which lasted about the same amount of time. The box was burned, the sides exchanged sarcastic remarks, Medea messed with the men for a show, and Hustin became angry and refused to appear in the dungeons. When the active fighting phase came to an end and the old, experienced risen stopped acting like quarreling teenagers, for about five years, the surrounding people enjoyed some peace and quiet. Then it would start all over again.

Camrad_RIP 09.02.22 в 22:41

Celesta did not interfere in these games. Let them have their fun. She trusted Medea, and Hustin stood apart. Despite the age-old agreement between Celesta and the humans, the vampiress could not call the mage fully her subject. He lived on the Academy grounds, was well acquainted with many aristocrats, and could gain an audience with the highest dignitaries all the way up to the king if necessary. He was favored by Tairan, head of all mages in Taleya. From the outside it might have seemed that Celesta had no leverage over Hustin.

Camrad_RIP 09.02.22 в 22:43

Fortunately, the memory remained. The memory of the days when they had wandered the dungeon together, of the first lessons in night hunting, taught to an inexperienced risen, of the dirt, the blood, and the pressing sense of danger. Hustin remembered what Celesta was capable of, knew the true value of her abilities, and wanted no enmity. Having once recognized her as the leader of his new clan, the head of his new family, he had never since seen a reason to consider that old decision a mistake.

Camrad_RIP 09.02.22 в 22:45

There was another thread, more like a rope, that the Mistress of the Undead could use on occasion, but it applied more to the Academy as a whole. From time to time wizards conducted experiments that were ethically questionable. That notorious black magic. "Spiders" knew about the wizards' research, some projects were developed with their help, but the true frequency and details of the rituals remained an internal secret of the Academy. If the information leaked out, the researchers would be in big trouble, as Tairan rightly believed. So the head of the mages preferred - on a mutually beneficial basis, of course - to obtain the necessary ingredients and human material from the city's undead, with whom he maintained contact through his apprentice. Thus, Hustin regularly appeared in the sewers, was more or less aware of the community's affairs and, as they say, did not break away from the collective.

Camrad_RIP 09.02.22 в 22:50

The last of the gathering, Zervan, was the fourth risen to join the small Taleyan community. He remembered the time before the Plague, a fact of which he was very proud, but he did not like to talk about his former life. A poacher, a smuggler, a vagabond, a regular in prison - not a career to be proud of. In fact, in his new incarnation, he was doing more or less the same, only at a higher level. Zervan looked after all the interests of the community as they related to the underworld. He handled the city's gangs and contacts with pirate fleet captains, provided channels for smuggling from other countries, and carried out orders for assassinations.

Camrad_RIP 09.02.22 в 22:52

Strangely enough, he was doing quite well. Mainly because he knew his limits and preferred to ask Celesta on controversial issues. Mistress Zervan was feared and respected from the first meeting, which ended extremely painful for him and permanently prioritized their relationship. Nevertheless, any fear requires renewal, so the bandit periodically had to be reminded who was in charge. He also feared and distrusted Hustin, condescended to Gardoman, drooled over Medea, and hated Latham. The latter despised Zervan and did not think it necessary to hide it.

Camrad_RIP 09.02.22 в 22:55

"... So in both Bardi and Lascaris our position has been strengthened," Celesta finished her report. "We have our difficulties there and there, but I think we have enough leverage to influence the situation. The Highlanders need money, and Lash would be grateful for an update from the palace. What about our income?"

Camrad_RIP 09.02.22 в 22:56

"I'd say things are good, but not too good," Gardoman replied. "A large part of our activity has to be diverted into the shadows. The merchants and trading houses under our control complain of a sharp deterioration in the general situation. Government fees are rising, gangs are on the rise, viceroys and feudal lords are refusing to take orders from the capital, and travel is becoming dangerous. Trade has become more difficult. No, of course, the increase in the price of weapons and escort services offset the cost to some extent, but on the whole, the outlook is not pleasant. It's a bit unsettling."

Camrad_RIP 09.02.22 в 22:57

Zervan smirked:

Camrad_RIP 09.02.22 в 22:57

"Well, I dunno. There are enough guys to sneak goods around customs."

Camrad_RIP 09.02.22 в 22:58

The "finance minister" of the community, who worked closely with Zervan and his men, shook his head negatively. He was well versed in the situation not only in his field and now immediately objected:

Camrad_RIP 09.02.22 в 22:59

"Gangs are getting bigger, the leaders of some are getting out of control. The size of the handouts has to increase. Sooner or later, your "meat" will want to play the game of independence, and I'm not sure we'll be able to hold them back."

Camrad_RIP 09.02.22 в 22:59

"I'll kill them all myself!" Zervan was indignant. "Or we'll get the lunatics to do it!"

Camrad_RIP 09.02.22 в 23:00

Medea smiled faintly, amused by the bandit's last sentence. It was about the Morvanite sects, especially those where they were specially trained to kill people, and which Celesta considered her personal property and did not allow anyone to command them. Not to Zervan, anyway.

Camrad_RIP 09.02.22 в 23:01

The rebuke came immediately:

Camrad_RIP 09.02.22 в 23:01

"I do not intend to use my, as you put it, lunatics, to correct your mistakes, Zervan. The cultists have a different task. Moreover, I doubt that even with their help we will be able to keep all this unruly mob in check." Mistress turned her gaze to the financier. "We were distracted. Am I correct in assuming that our revenues will decrease?"

Camrad_RIP 09.02.22 в 23:02

"Yes," the old man affirmed, "though I don't care much about money. Failed decades have happened before. The scary thing is that there's been a lot of new players lately, and everyone wants a bigger piece. I'm talking about the feudal lords and some of the temple associations. Their spies are extremely active, and the quality of their training is somewhere on the level of the current "spiders". There are many of them, they are well-financed and ready to climb into all the cracks. I am afraid they may find out who really owns a number of well-known merchants' unions. We risk losing the whole trade network."

Camrad_RIP 09.02.22 в 23:04