Селеста / Сelesta: Восставший

Risen

Camrad_RIP 17.02.22 в 18:18

The history department turned out to be a remarkable place. Previously Siroslav imagined the work of a historian or archivist filled with a quiet, library-peaceful monotonous routine, but after joining a friendly student group and looking around, he changed his mind. It turns out that among the masters, immersed in the dust of the ages, there were great passions.

Camrad_RIP 17.02.22 в 20:08

In addition to the Department of General History and others, ordinary and boring, there was the Department of the History of Nonhuman Races. It successfully supplied specialists to special units of the police, the army, the diplomatic corps, antiques dealers, and other organizations that came into contact with the same vampires or the Sandpeople. Logically, a separate department should have been created long ago to study the traditions, rituals, and legends of the nonhumans, but both the church ministers and their eternal adversary, the College of Mages, successfully opposed it. For different reasons, though.

Camrad_RIP 17.02.22 в 20:10

The joint efforts of the eternal rivals yielded results; the Xenoethnologists did not even speak of their own faculty or, still less, of a separate educational institution. Thus, there were three ways for the young men and women who wanted to know more about the inhabitants of the night: to become a monk in one of the temples specializing in the extermination of undead; to establish contacts with wizards by purchasing a certificate on a topic of interest from them or by taking a specialized course; and, finally, to enroll in the History Department. The other ways were not so safe, because they involved personal contact with the object of interest.

Camrad_RIP 17.02.22 в 20:11

It's the right place to find out something about the issue he's interested in.

Camrad_RIP 17.02.22 в 20:11

"Professor Rocha! Professor!" Syroslav even ran a little, catching up with the professor.

Camrad_RIP 17.02.22 в 20:12

"Hello... Gaetzky?" The older, but younger-looking man stretched out a little tentatively.

Camrad_RIP 17.02.22 в 20:12

"Siroslav Gaetzky, second year," the young man nodded. "You were our teacher last week, filling in for master Rimini."

Camrad_RIP 17.02.22 в 20:13

"Oh, yes, yes, I remember. Well, what is it? Did you have a question?"

Camrad_RIP 17.02.22 в 20:14

"Yes."

Camrad_RIP 17.02.22 в 20:13

/Choose your expressions carefully, the student reminded himself. - He mustn't guess at anything.

Camrad_RIP 17.02.22 в 20:14

"You see, master, I didn't quite understand one point in the lecture. About the "Child-Sir" connection. You said that the Child always senses its Sir and is able to find him in any crowd, right?"

Camrad_RIP 17.02.22 в 20:15

"That's right," Master Rocha nodded. "It's an extremely difficult bond to break or hide. That's what some monks of militant orders take advantage of when they hunt old, experienced vampires."

Camrad_RIP 17.02.22 в 20:16

"What if the Sir doesn't want to be known?"

Camrad_RIP 17.02.22 в 20:16

"Well, in special cases, if a Child's life doesn't seem valuable, why not?" The historian shrugged philosophically. "A young child without a master's nourishment fades in a matter of hours."

Camrad_RIP 17.02.22 в 20:17

"Always?"

Camrad_RIP 17.02.22 в 20:18

"Depending on age. The older a vampire is, the easier he experiences separation from his parents and is more independent in his actions and thinking. Say, about ten years after conversion, the dependence on daily touches disappears, after thirty the Сhild begins to share his interests and those of his Sir, he gets selfish motives..."

Camrad_RIP 17.02.22 в 20:19

"I'm more interested in the initial period," said Syroslav nervously. The information was too unexpected and did not coincide with personal observations. "Let's say a month or two."

Camrad_RIP 17.02.22 в 20:19

"In the first three months, the Child is very slow-witted and needs the presence of a Sirat all times," Rocha smiled. "He shouldn't be left alone. Abandoned Child at this stage, even with constant energy boosts, go instantly insane if they don't feel the care of the Sir."

Camrad_RIP 17.02.22 в 20:21

The professor was silent, looked around, then, with a sigh, took off his glasses and carefully began to wipe them with a thin suede cloth.

Camrad_RIP 17.02.22 в 20:21

"Is there anything you want to tell me, young man?"

Camrad_RIP 17.02.22 в 20:21

"No," answered Siroslav hastily, "No. Thank you for the consultation."

Camrad_RIP 17.02.22 в 20:22

A big plus of living in new buildings was complete anonymity. The neighbors did not pry into your life, preferring to mind their own business, no one was interested in who you were and what you were doing in that particular place. The only exceptions were the ubiquitous grannies on the benches near the porches, but with them it was enough to say hello regularly and exchanged a few words about the weather, to be reputed as a "decent young man". That was all it took.

Camrad_RIP 17.02.22 в 20:23

For the past month, Siroslav had been coming home late, not until midnight. The schedule was unpleasant, having to sleep in on Saturday afternoons, but his brother had asked very hard. Gavil had tried to leave altogether, not wanting to put the younger man in danger, and only a promise to abide by the rules he had worked out convinced him to stay home. One of those rules was not to be in the apartment just after sunset.

Camrad_RIP 17.02.22 в 20:24

"Hi," Siroslav looked at his brother staring at the monitor in surprise. "You're early today."

Camrad_RIP 17.02.22 в 20:24

"I was lucky. I ran into an alcoholic asleep near the house."

Camrad_RIP 17.02.22 в 20:25

Gavil looked away from the text, looked at the younger man with his usual wary, guilty eyes. He'd often had that look lately - not so much directed at his interlocutor, but inward. It sounded paradoxical, but there was no other way to put it. The older man was trying to figure out if he was a danger to others if he could talk to people who smelled like sweet blood, or if it was better to get away from them.

Camrad_RIP 17.02.22 в 20:26

Whether the demon living in it is calm or will demand food again.

Camrad_RIP 17.02.22 в 20:26

"I was talking to a professor today," Siroslav went into the kitchen and began to prepare a late dinner, giving out the information he had obtained. He didn't raise his voice, knowing that he would be heard anyway. "Well, he says that in the first few months a child can't go anywhere without a sir. And he always knows where the one who transformed him is."

Camrad_RIP 17.02.22 в 20:27

"I don't feel any of that."

Camrad_RIP 17.02.22 в 20:28

"Master said that child go crazy very quickly without a sir. Literally within days." The student returned to the room, put a plate on the table with a couple of sandwiches. "Anyway, we still have to look."

Camrad_RIP 17.02.22 в 20:29

The older brother's lips parted in a dry grin, revealing needle-fangs.

Camrad_RIP 17.02.22 в 20:29

"Are you so sure of my adequacy?"

Camrad_RIP 17.02.22 в 20:29

"When you're... satiated," Siroslav chose a definition, "you think clearly."

Camrad_RIP 17.02.22 в 20:32

Gavil only hummed, kicking the big box he spent his days in with his foot.

Camrad_RIP 17.02.22 в 20:32

Two weeks ago the eldest of the brothers had gone missing, disappeared into the tangled maze of the streets of the big city. It had happened before, at twenty-five, it was normal not to spend the night at home, so Siroslav didn't start looking until the third day. Already he was beginning to worry when Gavil returned himself. Tattered, in someone else's blood, with his heart not beating.

Camrad_RIP 17.02.22 в 20:34

The only explanation was that the boy had been turned into his kind by a vampire. But why, why go to such trouble? According to the Pharean covenant, undead people had the right to take nestlings, as long as they consented. And they tried to abide by that rule. Especially since it coincided with their Code. Sure, there were the "unaligned," who continued to hide their identities the old-fashioned way, and some said there were ten times as many vampires as the official count, but even the traditionalists wouldn't stun a candidate, hide him in the basement of a house under construction, wait three days and watch from afar to see if he survived on his own or not. This is a strange kind of treatment. It was as if the sir was trying to conceal his identity or was conducting some kind of experiment.

Camrad_RIP 17.02.22 в 20:36

If Gavil really was the victim of internal vampire intrigue, he'd better stay away from the city master's servants. No one knows about him now, so don't let them know about him later.

Camrad_RIP 17.02.22 в 20:37

The silence was interrupted by the ringing of the doorbell.

Camrad_RIP 17.02.22 в 20:37

"I'll get it" Gavil came out into the hallway. "Who's there?"

Camrad_RIP 17.02.22 в 20:38

"Professor Ignatius Rocha and Valery Medea of the Guild of Arts. We would like to speak with you, Mr. Gavil."

Camrad_RIP 17.02.22 в 20:39

Gavil backed away, looking at the door as if it had turned into something horrible. Syroslav jumped to his feet, took a step forward, but immediately stopped. His brother's appearance startled him. The undead's eyes poured dark, his skin lost color and turned white, his hands twisted, his fingers seemingly transformed into curved blades.

Camrad_RIP 17.02.22 в 20:40

Mr. Gavil. There is no cause for alarm.

Camrad_RIP 17.02.22 в 20:40

The second voice was mesmerizing. Soothing. Slept. His source wanted to believe and obey as if it promised to solve all problems, to relieve all hardships. Even aware of the witchcraft's effect, the brothers relaxed involuntarily and stopped frantically searching for ways to escape.

Camrad_RIP 17.02.22 в 20:41

"We just want to talk," Rocha said again. "There's no need to be afraid of us."

Camrad_RIP 17.02.22 в 20:42

"What do you want?" Siroslav was surprised at how deaf and muffled his words sounded.

Camrad_RIP 17.02.22 в 20:42

"To understand the situation."

Camrad_RIP 17.02.22 в 20:42

The brothers looked at each other, silently consulting each other. The younger one shrugged his shoulders awkwardly, It's up to you. There was no point in hiding now. Gavil licked his parched lips and, as if afraid of changing his mind, quickened the locks.

Camrad_RIP 17.02.22 в 20:43

The undead who entered the apartment after the professor looked impressive. Tall, handsome, with graceful manners, dressed in a conservative suit and carefully chosen hair, he exactly fit the refined image of the " Prince of Night", so beloved by directors and scriptwriters of TV shows. For vampires of the Arts Guild, however, stunning looks were normal. The Arts and Financiers have long been the face of the undead community, so to speak, its front facade, successfully hiding their less attractive brethren with their bright brilliance. Little was known of the Sword, Darkness, Paths, Ghosts, and other lesser Guilds.

Camrad_RIP 17.02.22 в 20:45

Valery Medea knew how to put people at ease. And, as a consequence, he could listen to their stories.

Camrad_RIP 17.02.22 в 20:45